Stop the Flood
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. – Romans 13:11-14.
New Orleans is almost completely submerged in flood waters. The levies protecting the city were breached and the flood waters poured in from Lake Pontchartrain. Along with the water have come contamination, snakes, alligators, and now even dead bodies are floating in the flood waters. The Army Core of Engineers has been trying to formulate a plan to plug up the breach and stop the flood. Most of the plans have included the use of helicopters to drop sand bags or concrete blocks or other material into the breach. Hopefully, there will be a plan actually implemented soon to stop this terrible flood.
In many ways the flood waters of New Orleans is a picture of the contamination of the world entering into a Christian’s life. The apostle Paul lists some of those contaminating influences that constantly threaten to flood into the lives of those that are tempted by the world. Paul lists some of those contaminating influences such as revelry, drunkenness, lewdness, lust, envy and strife.
What do you do when the flood of the world threatens to overwhelm you? To stop the flood of the world into your life you must plug up the breach that the world has made. Just as the breach in the levy at New Orleans must be plugged up, you must shut off the influence of the world in your life. No, we cannot use sandbags, or concrete blocks or other material things to stop the worldly flood. So, what do we use? What do we do? We must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and turn off the world or as Paul puts it, “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts”.
There is a balance that we as Christians must have. We are to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”. But we must also “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).”
If the world has overwhelmed you in its flood of evil then stop the flood by putting on the Lord Jesus. Turn off the worldly things, and stop making provision for them – instead turn on the godly things that lead to life (Romans 8:5-6; John 10:10b).
(How to be in the world but not of the world by stopping the flood of worldly influences coming into your life.)