“Now the works of the flesh are evident which are…” (Galatians 5:19-21). This passage is well-known to many of us who strive to walk in a way that is pleasing to God. Sadly, there are some times when we forget just what these things are and just how bad they are for those of us who strive to please the Lord.      

It is important to consider a couple of truths about these sins which define the world around us. First, the Spirit describes them as “works of the Flesh.” This phrase makes me think of a construction project and in this case what is being built up are the desires of the Flesh. A work is something that is created over time as a product of diligent effort. All the works of man that we see built up around us, which are so impressive at first, are bound for decay and inevitable destruction. We cannot hold on to works no matter how well we build them or how hard we try to maintain them over time. In the same way, the works of the Flesh are bound for destruction and the miserable fact is that if we attach ourselves to these works then we will be destroyed with them! 

Read more: Our Destructive Constructions

Charles Paul Conn tells of living in Atlanta several years ago.  He'd noticed a listing in the Yellow Pages for a restaurant called Church of God Grill.  Out of curiosity he dialed the number.  Conn recalls the phone conversation as follows:

A man answered with a cheery, "Hello! Church of God Grill!" I asked how his restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and he told me: "Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church service. After a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving the chicken dinners. We kept the name we started with, and that's Church of God Grill."

Read more: Changing The Mission Of The Church

Shocking title, isn't it? I offer no apology. There comes a time when you have to call it like you see it, and it has reached the point where you don't have to look far to find a little girl dressed in "the attire of a harlot" (Prov. 7:10). As a matter of fact, you don't have to look outside the assembling of Christians! If this is how they dress inside, when meeting with the saints, how are they dressing when they are going to school, playing outside with their friends, or in any other public place?

The attire I speak of is something you might see Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera wear in their latest scintillating video (that is, if you watch MTV---a problem in and of itself). This "clothing" consists of skirts that barely cover the loins, let alone the thigh, blouses that show the midriff and barely cover the chest - all painted on so tight you wonder if the sizing on the apparel is wrong. Such clothing is expected if you see a prostitute on the street, but is not expected when you see our little girls in the church - girls who are supposedly being raised in Christian homes.

Read more: Dressing Our Daughters Like Prostitutes

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

We’ve all heard statements like this. They demonstrate that we each value things differently. What you like, I may hate and vice versa. This ought to prepare us for the different responses we’ll get when we proclaim the gospel of Jesus. One man may love it, while another hates it. One woman will follow it, while another will avoid it.

Read more: The Smell Of The Gospel