JMD Devotional 257 Ephesians 5:5-10 Unholy Circus

For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]--for he [in effect] is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience.
So do not associate or be sharers with them. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light].
For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him].

What is the difference between a circus and a nature preserve? In a circus, the animals are on display as ‘freaks’, they are enticed and trained to behave in unnatural ways for the amusement of an audience, they are captives, imprisoned by masters apparently more concerned with exploiting them than for their actual welfare. Satan runs the biggest ‘circus’ known as the World of the Human Race. We are baited and captured, enticed and coerced into behavior that is not really natural from God’s perspective and design. I am certain that there is a certain ‘pride’ in seeing how small of a ‘hook’ can be used to make a monkey out of a man, to humiliate and debase the pinnacle of the created order, to spite and mock God’s image in the flesh. The evil Ring Master knows how to use fear to control; and how to distort the truth so that doing foolish things seems reasonable. When you see a man throw his whole life away for a sexual escapade an unholy audience cheers! This circus has no love for the human soul; no love at all for anything. The only move for our welfare is to escape the ‘circus’ and recover our true nature and sanctuary under the Lord of Nature. We can have but one ruler, be it an idol or the Lord. Only the Lord will love us back!

Dear God,
When I am clear-headed, serving You is a no-brainer! But I ask for Your special help for the many times that I am not thinking clearly, when I am deceived, when temptation looks so appealing. Help me to love You and to hate sin; to feel the same way about sin as You do. Sin has robbed You of Your children, and has robbed us of our dignity and position and our very lives. Help us to see past the baited traps of this world, to play the movie forward to the bad eventual outcome of rebellion. May we fear You and live in genuine freedom.
Amen

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