In a world which promotes multitudes of health, beauty and entertainment products and services oriented to satisfying the flesh, God’s people may often wonder what is appropriate. In many regards it is really an issue revolving around your relationship with God. Indulgence has to do with yielding to what satisfies and gratifies you; what fulfills your needs and desires. If it causes you to be desensitized to the Spirit of God, numbs your conscience and corrupts God’s nature in you, it’s not to your benefit. Paul provided amplification of this truth.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
RELEVANCE
It’s all about an exchange. Jesus sacrificed His life for yours. He exchanged His life for the penalty of walking in your sinful carnal nature. For this reason Paul exhorted believers to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
The more this becomes a reality to you, the less you will be concerned about sin. Your new nature will simply avoid corrupting influences. Sinful things become repulsive to your renewed mind and cleansed spirit.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).
REFLECT AND RELATE
Conduct a self indulgence inventory. Consider your needs and desires; and the real value of things you may do to satisfy the flesh, or your carnal nature. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s opinion. If you don’t get much of an answer, God will lead you down a path to discover the answers. The more you demonstrate diligence to know truth, conform your character to Christ’s character and allow the Holy Spirit to dominate your thoughts, desires, behavior, emotions and will, the more transformation you will experience.
REFERENCES
Galatians 5:16-25; Philippians 4:8