Week 5: Acts 19-21 & 1st Corinthians 1-7

"All that is ungodly within us must be put to death."

     I don't remember where I heard this quote, but I always think of it when I'm on a hard run and am struggling a little bit. I want so badly to stop, or at least slow down. Just for a little bit. But then my little running shoulder angel pops up and I'm reminded: If I slack off now, I'm robbing myself of progress that I'll have to make up later. If I don't do my absolute best and give my all, I'm putting myself farther from my goal. And that quote up there comes to my head. I tell myself that all that is weak within my body must be broken down so that I can build stronger walls in their place. And then I keep running. 

     In chapter 19 of the book of Acts, Paul is in Ephesus, teaching in the synagogues. At one point, he performs a miracle that convinces several in the audience, so that "many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds" (verse 18). Following this, "many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men." While I was reading and came to this point, I thought of my running quote. It obviously was originally supposed to be applied to more spiritual things, and the events in Acts 19:19 are a real-life example of what it means to put all that is ungodly within you to death. 

     It's part of the natural man to, when a personal fault is found, make a quick fix and move on without metaphorically ripping it out, which can be extremely uncomfortable and difficult, and replacing it slowly with more godlike habits. These quick fixes not only build an unstable and ineffective foundation for one's character, but also facilitate an attitude of laziness and superficiality in one's personal life. Is that godlike? No. True repentance requires a complete abandonment of the sin and a commitment to never repeat the sin again. That's kind of REALLY hard, but a quick fix with little commitment to the needed repairs is far from even trying. These people could have just put their books of "curious arts" somewhere out of sight so that they weren't tempted to return to old habits. But instead, they burned them, and not only that, but in front of all men. They were openly putting to death that which was ungodly about themselves, which was probably hard and maybe a little embarrassing. But the discomfort of ripping out this part of themselves would open the door for the most complete overhaul possible, which is the next step on the path that leads to the best and most godlike level of themselves.