“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12 NASB1995)

As followers of Jesus Christ we are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. And this isn’t just about sexual immorality and/or porn addiction, but this covers every area of our lives where we might be being drawn toward fleshly lusts (desires of the flesh) which are not pleasing to God and which are contradictory to the will of God and/or to moral purity. And this can cover all kinds of ground including the music we listen to, videos we watch, books we read, stories we tell, and the list goes on and on.

For God did not put us on this earth to please ourselves. He did not put us on this earth to be entertained and to live for what pleases our flesh. He put us on this earth to give him glory and praise by believing in Jesus, denying self, dying to sin, and obeying our Lord and his commandments, in the power of God. He put us here because he has a purpose for our lives which he has planned for us and which he wants us to do. So we need to seek his face to find out his plan, and then we need to walk in his ways, by his grace.

For the Christian life isn’t just about putting off the bad stuff and to stop making sin our practice. It is about putting on the good stuff of God and to walk in his ways according to his commands. We put off the bad behaviors and we now keep our behaviors excellent, according to the will of God, by his grace, and in his power. Instead of living to please the flesh, we now live to please God in doing what he has called us to do. For how we live bears testimony as to whether or not what we profess is a reality in our lives.

Put Offs and Put Ons: [Matthew 5:27-30; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:5-11; 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-17; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

Only in Him

Based off Isaiah 30
An Original Work / February 19, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Woe to those who look to man’s help;
Who turn away from Jesus Christ;
Forming an alliance not in step with God;
Making their own plans, and praying not.

Willing not to listen to truth,
They close their ears to what is right.
Pleasing words are all that they’ll hear;
Feel good messages that bring cheer.

Trust in your Lord; turn from your sin.
Put your faith now ONLY IN HIM.
Do not turn to idols. They’ll not satisfy.
Jesus will save you. That’s why He died.

Your Lord will be gracious to you.
He cares all about you, ‘tis true.
He forgives you all of your sin
When you give your life up to Him.

Oh, how truly gracious He’ll be
When you bow to Him on your knees;
Turning now from your sin; walking in his ways.
He’ll lead and guide you all of your days.

Now you will sing praises to Him.
He delivered you from your sin.
You’ll tell others now of His grace,
So they may see Christ face-to-face.

Keep Your Behavior Excellent
An Original Work / March 20, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love