CHAPTER 7 PLEASE HIM
According to I John 3:21 "... if our hearts do not condemn us we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him" (emphasis added). Since we know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, our hearts should not condemn us (Ro.8:1). This is especially true since we know that we are saved by believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths (Ro.10:9). Indeed, we now approach the Throne of Grace with confidence (boldness) in order that we may receive help from God in our time of need (Heb.4:16). Regarding God's commands, we find the two greatest in Mk.12:33 wherein He tells us to love Him "with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself." Loving our neighbors is the "royal" law, and is the summation of the entire law (Ja.2:8 & Gal.5:14).
Therefore, since we are not condemned by our hearts, and we can clearly see the importance of keeping God's commands, I would like to examine the last part of I John 3:21 and see what is meant by the expression "do what pleases Him". This is an important issue for us to delve into, because Eph.5:10 specifically instructs us to find out what pleases God. We will begin this study by turning to one of the clearest statements found in Scripture concerning pleasing God. Ro.8:8 says, "Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (For purposes of this study I will use the term "flesh" interchangeably with "sinful nature". Either term is a correct translation of the literal Greek.) Just prior to this we are shown in Ro.7:5 that when we are ruled by our flesh we are given over to the passions of the flesh which produce fruits that lead to death. These natural actions, or reactions to our sinful nature which controlled us prior to our rebirth, literally caused us to be corrupted (Eph.4:22). In reality, they actually caused us to be alienated from God (Col.1:21). The reason for this alienation stems from the fact that according to Ro.8:5 those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, and that the sinful mind is by definition, hostile to God.
In Eph.2:3 Paul shows us that prior to our rebirth we were all at some time or another involved in following the desires and the thoughts of the flesh. Therefore, by nature we were objects of God's wrath. The Holy Spirit says in Eph.5:8 that we were once darkness itself, but now through Jesus Christ we are light. As a result of this we are to live as children of the light, having nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness. Rather, we are to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. We know that God often speaks to us twice in, His Word. On this topic He has spoken many times. Ro.13:13 tells us to "... put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." In II Tim.2:19 we are pointedly told that "everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
What are some of the natural desires, or fruits of darkness from which we are to turn? Eph.4:28-31 provides a partial list by telling us to abstain from lying, stealing, bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander. Eph.5:5,4&18 adds the following to this list: immorality, impurity, greed (which is idolatry), obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking, drunkenness, and debauchery. In Ro.12:14-19 we are admonished not to curse, be proud or conceited nor seek revenge; while in Ro.13:13 & 14:13 dissension, jealousy and passing judgment on one another are also added. The list grows even longer in Gal.5:19 wherein hatred, witchcraft, selfish ambition, factions, and envy are included.
Col.3:5 draws an unmistakable link between these fruits of darkness and our fleshly nature when it says "Put to death ... whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming" (see also Eph.5:6). According to II Tim.3:1-5 these fruits of darkness will multiply during the last days. Those verses inform us that at that time " ... people will be lovers of themselves, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, lovers of pleasure rather than of God, and having a form of godliness but denying its power." Jude 19 warns us that "in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit" (emphasis added). Ro.1:28 informs us that such actions are the result of a depraved mind and vs.32 says that those who partake in such activities deserve death.
Col.3:6 states that the things on the aforementioned list belong to our earthly nature. Stop for a moment and reread that total list. Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Furthermore if we see some of our habits in that list we need only confess them as sin and then turn from them. According to I John 1:9 God is "faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The point is, the actions listed above are not pleasing to God. They are not within His will. They are in fact part of satan's trap, and are themselves the very manifestation of his will (II Tim.2:26).
Our flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit desires that which is contrary to the flesh (Gal.5:17). That is not to say that it is wrong to enjoy a car, or a vacation, or a good meal. The admonishment not to love the world or anything in the world is found in I John 2:15 and uses the Greek word agape for the word "love." This type of love is all consuming, and denotes a total commitment to the object of the love. This is the type of love that we are to have for God and each other through Him. It is not for the world. When the things of the world begin to take precedence over our desire for, and our time with God, then we are beginning to cross over into the type of sinful desires being warned against. Remember, Gal.5:17 said that the Spirit desires that which is contrary to the desires of the flesh. As we continue in our walk with the Lord and become attuned to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will discover that we don't have to give up anything. Rather, it becomes a strong desire for us to no longer engage in those things which are not pleasing to God. For by then they are no longer pleasing to us either.
In Phil.3:18-19 Paul bluntly states that those who have their minds set on the earthly things, and live their lives accordingly, are enemies of the cross of Christ. Gal.6:8 lays to rest any doubt as to the outcome for those who actively seek to satisfy their natural desires when it states: "The one who sows to please his flesh, from that flesh will reap destruction." Ro.8:13 also cautions us when it warns "...if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live...". Notice, the misdeeds of the body are put to death by the Spirit, not by our own strength. After the misdeeds of our body are put to death, we should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. According to Ro. 12:1 this act is pleasing to God. Ja. 1:27 then tells us that we are to keep ourselves from falling back into the same trap when it reminds us that the "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (emphasis added).
Ro.13:14 directs us "... to clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." I John 2:5-6 gives us a guidepost to use to determine if we are truly in God. "Whoever claims to live in, Him must walk as Jesus did." There is no short cut. If we claim to live in God as set forth in I John 4:12 we must walk the walk. Jesus said in John15:10 "If you obey My commands you will remain in My love" As for Jesus, the Father said, "You are My Son whom I love; with You I am well pleased" (Mk.1:11).
The Father was pleased with Jesus, and when we walk as Jesus did we also will be pleasing to Him. The task is not impossible, for according to II Tim 1:7 we have been given a Spirit of Love and of Self Discipline, and that Spirit will help us put to death the fruits of darkness (see also Titus 2:11 -12). Do not forget that Enoch was physically taken into God's presence without first tasting death, "for before he was taken he was commended as one pleasing to God" (Heb.11:5).
We know that to please God we must put off the desires of our sinful nature as previously listed. Those desires are at war against our very soul (I Pe.2:11). To be transformed we must renew our minds (soul), we must totally set off the desires of our sinful nature and seek only that which is of God (Ro.12:2). This transformation is discussed in detail in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of The Last Enemy. We now have the mind of Christ (I Cor.2:16). When we use it and only it, then we will be able to test and approve what God's will is: His good, pleasing and perfect will (Ro.12:2). Our transformation is directly related to the putting off of our sinful nature and our pleasing God. Enoch was commended for pleasing God and Enoch was taken unto God without experiencing physical death (Heb.11:5).
We are told this in Hebrews chapter eleven, known as the faith chapter. Heb.11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Indeed, in Heb.3:12 an unbelieving heart is correlated to a sinful heart. Ro.4:23 clearly states that every thing that does not come from faith is sin. (For a more detailed discussion of walking by faith review Chapter 4 in Needful Things.) For purposes of this discussion, the important thing to remember is that faith must exist in our lives if we are to be pleasing to God. Faith is what the righteous live by and faith will bring us through times of trial We must persevere and not shrink back from these times otherwise we will be destroyed. More importantly though Heb.10:38 tells us that if we shrink back God will not be pleased with us (this is a reference to Hab.2:3-4; review Chapter 1)
We receive from God when we ask and follow the Words of John 15:7, John 16:23, Mk.11:24, I John 3:21 and I John 5:14. To the man who pleases God, He gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness (Eccl.2:26). We receive when we walk as the Word directs, not because of our good works, but because we are led by the Spirit of God and sincerely desire to please our Lord and Savior. We are not controlled by the sinful nature (Ro.8:8); rather, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Ro.12:1). We have faith (Heb.11:6), we present offerings (Phil.4:18) and we do good to our brothers and sisters (Heb.13:16) In short, we seek to please Him (Heb.13:21).