IDENTITY 5. Taking Inventory!

Jesus Followers – Navigating the Year 2024

OUR MOTIVATION IN THIS HOUR IS TO PLEASE OUR LORD JESUS AND NOT TO LET SATAN DISQUALIFY US IN ANY AREA.

I have made it a point to take Physical and Spiritual Inventory at least every year to make sure ungodly things have not slipped into my life and my home. If you have never done this before may the following be a simple guide.

TAKING PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL INVENTORY

First we will look at the physical things that have “drifted” into our lives or homes that will slow or even stop our spiritual growth with Jesus.

Second we will look at the demonic spirits that attach themselves to those physical things.

Third, we will look at practical ways to rid ourselves of any demonic influence.

Fourth, we will take inventory of those things in our lives that advance our spiritual growth with Jesus.

Fifth, we will look at things not in our inventory that we might want to add so we will be equipped to do the work of the ministry.

What are the things in your life that slow down (or maybe even stop) your spiritual maturity?

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit…Galatians 5:16

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

As we take inventory, think if we have any physical thing in our car, our bedroom, our apartment or our house that causes you to think on or act out any of the following “works of the flesh” we need to repent in prayer and then we need to get rid of them. (We may need a mature spiritual friend at this point to help us pray through). No shame here!

*NOTE – Don’t sell these evil items to someone else, get rid of them by breaking, burning and getting them into the trash!

SEXUAL IMMORALITY

• Adultery is a sexual or emotional relationship with someone other than your spouse, which violates God’s commandment and destroys your marriage. Comes Greek word — the word porneia. When referring to a woman who has committed adultery, the New Testament used the word pornos. This is the word for a prostitute. Not just a professional prostitute but also one who traded her heart, her body, or her emotions for romance, for emotional support. For the man God says his action is equivalent to seeking a prostitute for a cheap and dirty thrill.
• Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between unmarried persons. It includes premarital sex, incest, homosexuality, and bestiality. God warns that fornication is a sin against oneself and leads to judgment. Also come from the same Greek word — the word porneia.

I must point out that the word pornography comes from this same Greek word. In fact, pornography is from the Greek word pornos (the same word used above for an adulteress or a prostitute) and from the word grapho, which means to write. This means that when an individual meditates on the writings or the photography contained in pornography, it is the equivalent of committing mental prostitution. Such a definition sheds new light on what Jesus said in Matthew 5:28: “But I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

• Uncleanness – which will lead us to an unclean spirit. This word refers to lewd or unclean thoughts that eventually produce lewd or unclean actions. As it is used in the Gospels and Paul’s epistles, it strongly suggests that these actions begin in the mind as unclean thoughts before they manifest as unclean deeds.

Mark 1:23 says, “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit.…” The Greek actually says that this man was “gripped by the control of an unclean spirit.” It seems this man had pondered on lewd thoughts for so long that he had thrown open the door for these thoughts to seize and control him, so that eventually he found himself “in the clutch” of an unclean spirit.

• Lasciviousness – As Paul continues listing the works of the flesh, he next mentions “lasciviousness.” This strange word comes from the Greek word aselgeia. This Greek word describes excess, but it primarily refers to the excessive consumption of food or wild, undisciplined living that is especially marked by unbridled sex. The word aselgeia is listed as the principal sin of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah(see 2 Peter 2:6)and the reason that God overthrew them.

It must be noted again that the word aselgeia also refers to the excessive consumption of food. This means that in God’s mind, it is just as perverted to overindulge in food as it is to engage in sinful sexual activities!

All of the works of the flesh can be forgiven — but before forgiveness comes, sin must be acknowledged. This is why we must understand exactly what these words mean. Once sin is comprehended, it can then be repented of and confessed. This is God’s requirement.

If you have fallen into any of these works of the flesh, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see these sins as He sees them. Once you get a revelation of His perspective, you won’t want to be the same! You’ll understand the grossness of sin in God’s sight, and you will want to be changed!

Once you confess your sin, God will forgive you and you can move on with your life. If your actions have violated your spouse or anyone else, pray for God’s mighty grace to be upon them to forgive you. Then begin to take whatever steps are necessary to make that relationship healthier than ever before.

Dear friend, God is with you, and He wants to change your life. Open your heart and let the Holy Spirit be your Helper. He wants to help you get clean, get free, and become morally strong and stable. With His help, you can do it!

OK, I KNOW THIS WAS A BIG CHUNK BUT SATAN WANTS TO DISQUALIFY YOU FROM THE RACE SO WE NEED TO GET AHEAD OF HIM!

Now let’s inventory – What items do you have in your possession that would encourage the above works of the flesh?

1. Removing Pornography of any kind:

• Magazines, books, DVDs, subscriptions to video sites on your phone, tablet TV or computer.

2. Removing all contact information of:

• Ungodly relationships either real or fantasy, from your social media or address book and block all incoming calls of past perverted relationships.
• Destroy photos, posters or any “artwork” that brings about a tempting thought.
• Consciously driving different routes home that don’t go by places you have sinned: bars, strip joints, massage parlors, even exercise gyms.

3. Side things that breakdown your God given filters which will lead to undisciplined living that is especially marked by excessive consumption.

• Stress or reward eating, smoking, alcohol, self-medicating drugs

4. Idols, habits and words:

• Physical idols, statues, art, jewelry, charms, a piece of clothing or books from another country that represent a sexual god or deity or sexual “toys”. Even gifts from “friends” can carry an unwanted demonic power.
• Mentally changing your habits of the FIRST place you look at when you see a woman/man. If they bend over in front of you look the other way.
• Stop using vulgar sexual words and phrases that conjure the demonic and lead to unacceptable images.

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