“Fruit eaten out
of season is bad. Scripture speaks of "a time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing" Ecclesiastes 3:5.
No one can live
righteously without living soberly too. Godliness might allow you to taste of
these pleasures as garnish but not to feed on them as solid meat. Sad to say,
some live in pleasures as if they could not live without them.
Once the aroma of
enticements rises to the brain and intoxicates a man's judgment, he is so
enchanted that he cannot think of parting with them. When the Jews started to
thrive on Babylonian soil, for example, they were willing to lay down their
bones there rather than return to godliness in Jerusalem. A master never minds his
servant having plenty of food and drink, but he does not appreciate it if that
servant becomes drunk just when he has a responsibility to perform. Yet this
drunken man can do his master's business about as well as a Christian
over-charged with creature-comforts and worldly fascination can serve his God
in holiness.
Fruit eaten out of
season is bad. Scripture speaks of "a time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing" Ecclesiastes 3:5. In certain seasons the power of
holiness will not allow something, which is acceptable at another time.
The Lord's Day is
an example-- all carnal pleasures are inappropriate then. God calls us to
higher pleasures and expects us to put aside everything else so we can taste
His goodness. "If you turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,
honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own
pleasure, nor speaking your own words; then shalt you delight yourself in the
Lord". Isaiah 58:13-14. It is impossible to taste the sweetness of
communion with God and honor Him in sanctifying His day unless you deny
yourself carnal pleasures.
"
”Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings
in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617
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