“...Refuse profane and old wives tales, and exercise thyself rather unto
godliness, for bodily exercise profiteth for a little time: but godliness
is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is,
and of that which is to come.”    (I Timothy 4: 7-8)

Human nature never changes. The children of Israel murmured and
complained when they had nothing and even when God provided they were
still not content. It never changes, for single men desire marriage and
married men desire to be single. In both cases, there is a life to be
led, but many times we are blinded by our own self-oriented viewpoint and
so we miss the greatness of what God has done. This has led many astray,
for life is full of pitfalls, and the single man is in an extremely
vulnerable position.

A few months ago, I was reading in Galatians 5 and stumbled across verse
25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  This is
a short verse, but I began to wonder what it means to live in the Spirit.
At this time, much of the preaching of the day is composed of that which
makes up a moral standard and is taught as being more important than
godliness! What could be more important than godliness? Godliness is to
act in righteousness while reverencing God. Righteousness goes beyond
morality and should be the controller of all of our actions.
        
This brought another thought to mind. “ I know what I CANNOT do, but what
CAN I do?” If we continue to press onward to self and attempt to bring
about outward morality by teaching against everything immoral there will
come upon us a greater dilemma; the matter of how to live according to
the Spirit unto godliness. You might say, “What does this have to do with
me?” If you are a believer in Jesus Christ then there should be a desire
in you to know how to live godly in this present evil world.

The married man has a set course in terms of what he must expend his
energy upon. It is very clearly defined, for raising children and
fulfilling the needs of a wife are a full-time occupation. The man who is
single is only limited by his personal needs. This is where lifestyle
becomes very important, for you can live selfishly unto yourself or live
unto God and please Him in all that you do.

“...For we are buried with Christ by baptism unto death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

Today’s teaching of do-nothing-ism is very dangerous for it robs us of
any incentive to live unto God. The trouble lies, unfortunately, in our
obsession with mud puddles. If you have ever driven a car on a gravel
road during the rain, you will find mud puddles. Now to avoid those mud
puddles, you don’t deliberately gaze at them for long periods of time.
You notice them and then look for a way around them, for to keep gazing
upon them will bring about a magnetic effect that will suck you right
into them. The same concept applies to our daily walk and of being found
living and walking in the Spirit. If you spend all of your time and
energy trying to keep yourself from immorality, then you will surely fall
into it.

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that
doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.   (III
John 11)

Now there is one notable difference between the married man and the
single man. The married man has a human shield as well as a spiritual
shield about him. The human shield is composed of his wife and children.
If he is willing to surrender himself to that shield or be occupied by
them, then he will prosper, for where there is a faithful husband and
wife (faithful to God and to one another), you will not find the strange
woman or the immorality which is so damaging to the soul. There are now
two standing together and supporting one another in the Lord. We would
pray that it would be so in all marriages.

The single man has no human shield. He is, however, not without
protection for his protection comes by soley trusting the Lord. He
therefore should not feel inferior to the married man, but he is alone
(humanly speaking) against every type of immorality, which is his enemy.
The filthy lust and desires of the world are calling and there is not the
voice of a wife to bring security as to his sexual desire. Things easily
become confused, for there are God-given desires, and many times they
become intermingled with that which is of this world. Through this road
of mud puddles there must be a pathway, a place of safety and life. 

In the teachings of Jesus, there is a common thread that binds them, the
revealing of the kingdom of God. They are not totally composed of that
which we should not do, but they give instructions on life and how to
live godly. They reveal the mud puddles, but they do not dwell upon them.
Jesus came to reveal the Father and to show us the way into the kingdom.
Through His teachings we find life and hope, and a way through the mud
puddles (Please refer back to I Timothy).

Whether you are single or married I want to leave you with some questions
that you can ask yourself. Am I really living life in accordance with the
Spirit, or am I just seeking to abstain from falling into the mud
puddles? Am I living life selfishly (unto myself) or in the service of
the Lord? May God assist you in the answering of these questions so that
you may press on and live in the glory of the Lord, ever learning and
coming to a deeper knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ.  Amen!

M. H. G.

E-Mail Matthew H Goins