Philippians 3:12 - “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”

 

Though God wants man to be transformed to his best version, man can, through the action of will, decide not to partner with God to realise this.

 

> Man’s choices can ‘limit’ God.

 

The limitation of God’s desire

1. 1 Timothy 2:4 - “…who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Luke 10:16 - “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

 

Joshua 24:15 - “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

2. 2 Peter 1:3-5 - “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

 

Personal Choice with Generational Influence

1. Eve and Adam - Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life

Genesis 3:6 - “So when the woman [Eve] saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband [Adam] with her, and he ate.”

 

2. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 leaders - Desire for power and recognition

Numbers 16:1-35 - Led by Korah, a Levite, and Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, these leaders challenged Moses and Aaron's authority. They claimed that "all in the congregation are holy" and asked why they "exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh". Korah and his followers were punished when God caused the ground to split open and swallow them, their families, and their possessions. The 250 leaders were also punished when they offered incense to God in fire pans and were consumed by the heavenly fire. 

 

3. Achan - Material possession

Joshua 7:24-25 - “Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.”

 

Prayer Points

1. 🔥Repentance and mercy. Spirit-led Choices

2. 🔥Living in light of eternity

3. 🔥Wisdom