The Point of Purity Podcast

Going the Right Way

August 22, 2024 • Steve Etner • Season 4 • Episode 188

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Have you ever gone the wrong way down a one-way road? That choice can have some significant consequences. Not just for you, but for everyone you come in contact with. In this week’s episode we are going to talk about your choices and the consequences that follow.
 
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Have you ever gone the wrong way down a one-way road? That choice can have some significant consequences. Not just for you, but for everyone you come in contact with. Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity, integrity, and godliness. 

I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #188. In this week’s episode we are going to talk about your choices and the consequences that follow. Specifically, how to make the right choices. Choices that will not only glorify God – but lead you to living in freedom and victory over those sinful habits that haunt you. 

 

Can you think of a time when you took a wrong turn or made a mistake that led to unexpected consequences? There’s an old adage that says, “you can choose your actions, but you cannot choose the consequences.” Have you ever heard that one before? You can choose your actions, but you cannot choose the consequences. 

For example, I am free to choose the action of putting my hand underneath a running lawnmower. I’m sure you would agree that it’s not a very wise choice, but I have the freedom to make that choice. However, I cannot choose whether those spinning blades will chop off my fingers or not. I can choose my actions, but I cannot choose the consequences. 

I’m going to challenge that old adage. I submit that you CAN choose the consequences – by choosing your actions! You can choose the consequences by choosing your actions. For example, I can choose the consequences of NOT losing my fingers simply by choosing the action of not putting my hand under a running lawnmower. Every choice has a consequence. 

One of the most powerful lies the enemy of your soul whispers in your ear is that “I have no choice. I just can’t help myself. I have to give up and give in! After all, I’m only human. God will understand.” 

My friend, those thoughts are lies directly from the pit of hell. In John 8:44 Jesus says of Satan, “there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Yes, you are only human, and yes, God understands, but you DO have a choice. You always have a choice, and (through Christ) you CAN help yourself. You DON’T have to sin. 

That’s the point of Genesis 4:7. You see, in Genesis 4:7 God is speaking to Cain just before he kills his brother Able. And God says – “If you choose to do what is right,” if you choose to worship God instead of King Me, something wonderful will happen – you will be blessed. Choice – consequence. However, “ If  you choose to do what is wrong,” if you choose to let King Me sit on the throne of your heart so that you worship yourself over God, something dangerously destructive will happen – sin will consume you. Choice – consequence. 

Please listen to me closely. Every time you think you have no choice; every time you feel you have to give in to your temptations or you will burst – I want you to quote Genesis 4:7 ... “ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But  if  you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” And as you’re quoting this verse, remember, you can choose to do what is right, or you can choose to do what is wrong. The choice is yours. 

Think about this as it relates to  your  sinful habits and choices. If you want the consequences of your actions to be a life that truly honors and glorifies God; if you want to experience God’s blessing upon your life, if you want to enjoy the perfect peace and joy that only God can give - what actions must you choose  right now  in order to get those consequences later? 

Consider this: To live in victory and freedom over your sinful habits, the action you must choose right now, the action you must choose every moment of every day is far more than just stop giving up and giving in. It goes beyond all of that. Yes, you need to stop completely, and stop right now. That is a necessity. However, the action you must take goes much deeper. 

Listen closely here: The actions you must choose to do right now (from this point forward) of necessity includes  daily  reading God’s Word,  daily  talking with God in prayer, daily working on Scripture memorization, and  daily  worshiping God. Oh, and by the way, in case you missed it the first, second, or even third time – each of these must be done  daily !

Let me repeat Genesis 4:7 “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” 

It is vitally important you begin to understand that your choice to give in to your sinful temptations – your choice to worship King Me – results in you being  consumed  by sin. You see, when you choose to give in to temptation, King Me ends up sitting on the throne in EVERY aspect of your life. Not God, you! 

Up till now, how successful have  you  been at governing your life? I’m willing to wager your honest answer would have to be at best “not very successful” and at worst, “not successful at all” – either way, you have struggled and failed many times over. Am I right? 

Let me read Joshua 1:7-8 to you. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law ... do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law (God’s Word) depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” 

Now here’s my question: According to the verses I just read, how prosperous and how successful would you be if you let God have  complete  reign over  every  part of your life ALL the time? The answer? Totally Successful! 

Let me remind you ... your choice to give in to your sinful desires – your choice to do what is wrong – has resulted in you being consumed by sin. Not just in one specific area either. You have focused your life on King Me. You have chosen to worship a false god, which is idolatry and that has infiltrated every part of your life. Everything you think, say, and do is centered around I want, I need, I desire, I have to have, I can’t live without.

As a result, you have made all kinds of sinful decisions based upon what you believe will make King Me happy, feel good, satisfied and fulfilled. Not only was sin crouching at the door of your heart, but it has pounced and has begun to devour every aspect of your life. 

I challenge you to seriously think about this next point. When King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart, three things happen simultaneously, all at the same time, every time; guaranteed. 

First of all, when King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart, you will worship King Me. That’s a given. Everything you think, everything you say, and everything you do will be naturally bent toward making King Me happy, happy, happy. That’s strike one. 

Second, when King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart, not only are you worshiping King Me, but you will expect everything and everyone else to worship the king as well. That’s strike two. Let me explain. Have you ever gotten mad at a traffic light for staying red too long, or at the car in front of you for going too slow? Have you ever been irritated with you smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop for not doing what you expected it to do? Have you ever felt upset with your spouse, your children, your co-worker or employer (or employee) for something they said or did (or didn’t do)? Of course you have. Why? Because they weren’t making your life easy. They weren’t worshiping you. That’s strike two 

Now let me pose some thought-provoking questions to you here. How has living for King Me affected Your “free time”? Your marriage? Your family? Your job? Even your worship experience at church? Who is sitting on the throne of your heart and why?

Then third, when King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart, not only are you worshiping King Me and expecting everyone and everything around you to worship King Me, you will expect God to worship King Me as well. Ouch! 

Although you probably wouldn’t actually word it that way, here is often how that looks. “God, I have been faithfully serving you. I am reading my Bible daily. I am taking captive my thoughts. I am treating my wife well. I haven’t raised my voice at the kids, and I’ve kept a good attitude at work. I go to church every Sunday, I put my tithe in the offering plate, I serve on the board at church, I teach a Bible Study class, I sing in the choir – I’ve been good ... you owe me. Why aren’t you blessing me? What am I missing here – what else must I do to earn your favor?”

Although we may never directly say those things to God, sometimes we think it and too often we feel it. In fact, even when things aren’t going well or going our way we may pray something like this: “God, why are you punishing me? What have I done that you are choosing not to bless me? What more do you want from me?” And that’s strike three. 

With every choice we make in life, there are consequences. Both seen and unseen. Both now and in the future. So, we need to learn how to choose the good consequences, by choosing the right actions. 

In the past you have trusted in your own ability to bring a warped sense of “satisfaction.” In the past you’ve trusted in your own ability to achieve some form of fulfillment. Bottom line? You’ve been going the wrong way down a one-way street. 

I realize I cannot speak definitively for you here, but for me personally that choice has never brought me what I anticipated or hoped for. It has never delivered the promised goods. The consequences I received were totally different than what I thought would happen. I was deceived. 

Galatians 6:7-8 warns us, “Do not be deceived” (don’t let yourself be duped by the enemy; don’t listen to the lies of Satan) “God is not mocked, for whatever one sows” (whatever choice you make in the moment of your temptation) “that will he also reap” (in other words, you will receive the consequences of that choice). “For the one who sows to his own flesh” (the one who chooses to put King Me on the throne worshipping self and expecting to be worshiped) “will from the flesh reap corruption,” (choice-consequence) “but the one who sows to the Spirit” (the one who chooses to put God first in every aspect of his life, allowing Him to sit on the throne of your heart) “will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Choice-Consequence). 

When you choose the wrong way, when you choose the King Me way, the consequences of that choice will  always  be the death of something (usually many things) in your life. 

However, IF you choose to trust, with all your heart, that God’s way and God’s will is far, far better – even though right now you may not be experiencing it; even though right now it is the hardest, most painful thing you have ever pursued – IF you choose to trust that God’s plan for your life is far better, then the consequences of that choice are that He will help you along the way. He will not only show you the path to freedom and lasting victory, He will also give you His divine power to  be  pure (see 2 Peter 1:3) and you will find far more than what you are currently searching for! 

As we conclude this episode, I want you to seriously reflect on the choices you're making every day. Choices that shape not only your present but also your eternal future. Remember, you have the power to choose your actions, and with those actions come the consequences. The path to freedom, victory, and a life that truly honors and glorifies God is not an easy one, but it is the right one. It requires daily dedication, intentional choices, and unwavering faith.

Consider this: Are you ready to dethrone King Me and let God take His rightful place on the throne of your heart? Are you willing to commit to daily reading God's Word, fervent prayer, and wholehearted worship? Understand this — every moment is an opportunity to choose. 

Galatians 6:7-8 reminds us not to be deceived, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. When you sow to please the Spirit, you will reap eternal life and untold blessings. When you sow to please the flesh, you reap corruption and despair. The choice, my friend, is yours.

So, will you continue going the wrong way down a one-way street, or will you turn back and go the right way, the way that leads to true freedom and victory? Remember, God is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Trust in Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

If you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com

The Point of Purity Podcast is only one aspect of our ministry. The main focus of what we do here at The Pure Man Ministry is meeting weekly, 1-on-1, with men literally all over the globe helping them find freedom and victory over sexual sin. We do that through personalized coaching and mentoring men in and through the Word of God, showing them from Scripture how to dethrone King Me and truly worship God in everything you think, say, and do.

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So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.