God's Glory Church

“Do not turn pleasing the body into lust.” — Romans 13:14

Augustine’s autobiography “Confession” describes his long and winding road to Jesus. One day he was going to the palace, where he was to make a flattering speech before the emperor. He was thinking about his speech and suddenly saw how a drunken beggar was “joking and laughing”. He realized that he already had everything to feel fleeting happiness and without much effort. Augustine was affected by what he saw, and he stopped striving for worldly success.

However, he was still a prisoner of his own desires. He knew that he could not return to Jesus without first turning away from sin, so he continued to struggle with sexual immorality. He prayed: “Give me purity, but not now.”

Augustine fell again and again until it was enough. Inspired by those who accepted Jesus, he opened the text from the Epistle to the Romans 13:13-14: “Let us act virtuously, not in gambling and drunkenness, not in adultery and fornication… but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not turn the pleasing of the flesh into lust.”

With the help of these inspired words, God broke the chains of sin and brought Augustine “to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). Augustine became a bishop. He was still tempted by fame and lust, but now he knew who to turn to. He turned to Jesus. And you?

What prevents you from dedicating your life to Jesus? How will your life change if you give it to the Lord Jesus?

Dear Father, let nothing stand between me and You.

Author: Mike Whittmer