Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV) 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
All species of life have a unique “print” on their exterior. This print is unchangeable. Citing two examples, the verse above points out that an Ethiopian cannot change the color of his skin and a leopard cannot change his spots. This is true of me, you, and all of us – our exterior print is “fixed.”
This word-picture illustrates a spiritual truth for us – Some people can get so accustomed to doing evil that they lose their ability to change. Their attitudes can become so “fixed” that they lose the desire to change and no longer fear the consequences.
There are people like this sitting in churches too.
When people are challenged and called to the spiritual disciplines of forgiveness, holiness, commitment, submission to spiritual authority, conflict resolution, getting along, and learning how to worship together in unity, carnal people will rebel.
Under the guise of being spiritual, theses pretenders will eventually show their true colors by blowing up. They will often leave a church in search another church that is “less demanding,” that has “more of the Spirit” or “better worship” or “deeper teaching,” or where “I can get my way.” Rather than digging down and working their way through these tough discipleship issues related to the Christian life, and thereby experiencing true spiritual growth, they will take off in search of their elusive quarry somewhere else – forever remaining carnal.
When people walk away from relationships because of unresolved pain, or because they didn’t get their way, they are mocking agape love. This is very, very shallow – and reflects how carnal they really are.
All species of life have a unique “print” on their exterior. This print is unchangeable. Citing two examples, the verse above points out that an Ethiopian cannot change the color of his skin and a leopard cannot change his spots. This is true of me, you, and all of us – our exterior print is “fixed.”
This word-picture illustrates a spiritual truth for us – Some people can get so accustomed to doing evil that they lose their ability to change. Their attitudes can become so “fixed” that they lose the desire to change and no longer fear the consequences.
There are people like this sitting in churches too.
When people are challenged and called to the spiritual disciplines of forgiveness, holiness, commitment, submission to spiritual authority, conflict resolution, getting along, and learning how to worship together in unity, carnal people will rebel.
Under the guise of being spiritual, theses pretenders will eventually show their true colors by blowing up. They will often leave a church in search another church that is “less demanding,” that has “more of the Spirit” or “better worship” or “deeper teaching,” or where “I can get my way.” Rather than digging down and working their way through these tough discipleship issues related to the Christian life, and thereby experiencing true spiritual growth, they will take off in search of their elusive quarry somewhere else – forever remaining carnal.
When people walk away from relationships because of unresolved pain, or because they didn’t get their way, they are mocking agape love. This is very, very shallow – and reflects how carnal they really are.
You can take a leopard out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungel out of him.
When under pressure, ones true colors will always show.
When under pressure, ones true colors will always show.