Bible Reading: 1 Peter 4:1–11
Memory Verse — Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” — Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)
Isn’t it interesting when we realize that the Bible has an entirely different perspective on the spiritual condition of the unregenerated human soul? Compared to humanity, which tends to have the worldview that humans are fundamentally good but circumstances make them do evil things, the Bible paints a different picture.
The human heart or soul which is the seat of your intellect, will and emotions has an insatiable appetite for evil. Under the right circumstances we commit atrocities when we do not bridle the heart.
The Epistles are filled with comparisons of what we were in the spirit before salvation and what we became after Jesus saved us. Before salvation, our old Adamic nature controlled our mindset, and we followed the lusts of the flesh.
But now, as new persons in Christ, we should no longer run after those evil appetites because sin doesn’t rule or have dominion over us. We are commanded to live according to God in the spirit. When our minds are renewed with God’s Word, living in the Spirit, not the flesh, is a natural outcome.
Reflection Questions
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Are there any old appetites or patterns from your former way of life that you are still allowing to influence your choices?
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In what areas do you need to renew your mind with God’s Word so that you can live more fully according to the Spirit?