Why Comfort Is Highly Overrated (Luke 8; 2 Pet. 1)

MY COMFORT

This world revolves around comfort and tells us to take all we can get, but God’s economy stands in direct opposition to this. I have to constantly remind myself that being comfortable is highly overrated.

In Luke 8, Jesus offers his disciples the Parable of the Sower, who always sowed good seed, but the varying conditions of the soil determined the receptivity and growth of the seed implanted. Good seed sown into good ground in the right conditions bears fruit. 

Likewise, in Galatians 6, Paul reminds his readers that “whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (v. 7, NASB). Then he expounds saying, “For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption” (v. 8a). 

Being a word-loving Word lover, this sent me to Webster’s 1828 for a deeper look at the word corruption. Webster as usual offers insight into what it looks like to sow to my own flesh. In his definition of corruption, he uses words like depravity, wickedness, and perversion, as mentions the loss of moral principles and purity and integrity, debasement, and an ever-increasing tendency to a worse state, ultimately becoming putrid. 

So, basically, giving my flesh what it wants (me sowing bad seed into a worse receptacle under less than ideal conditions), giving in to its desire for being comfortable, will lead to corruption as defined above. Webster ends his definition of corruption with a political bend on the word, speaking of bribery and law being tainted and the ramifications of it. This sent me back to do some more study particularly on what “an act of attainder of treason” meant in Webster's 1800's world.

IF I understand this correctly (not being of England in the 1800s or of scholarly bent towards an understanding of English law), this “attainder” of treason or sentencing after a guilty verdict, resulting in loss of life and forfeiture of lands and inheritance, was declared when someone committed treason (but was often abused by corrupt politicians for personal gain, or sometimes personal comfort or gain). The taint of treason resulted in the loss of everything for the immediate family, depriving children of not only their good name, but also their shelter, livelihoods, and any inheritance once due them. 

Henry’s definition ended with this: “CORRUPTION of blood can be removed only by act of parliament.”

This made me think of Satan’s treason against God and the resulting treason in the Garden when Eve and then Adam were tempted and did the same. Adam and Eve were attainted, their blood now corrupt, in need of a supreme act only a righteous, holy God could offer. Man, immediately removed from his residence, lost his right of inheritance, was condemned to death for his act and passed that condemnation along to his children (Cain and Abel initially, the rest of us eternally). The "corruption of the blood" was passed on to the children. In this way, sin became our inheritance. 

BUT GOD

Peter speaks of God's redeeming work in his second letter: 

 . . . seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

Because God in a sovereign act was gracious and sent Christ to atone for our corruption (our sin acts), if we repent of our sins and believe in Him we now have the Spirit living inside of us. That same Spirit (aka the comforter) opens the Word He has also given to us, helping us renew our minds and escape the corruption the world freely offers us. 

Paul finishes verse 8 with this contrast: “but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.” We each have a choice. Do we sow to the flesh, reaping the corruption that leads to eternal separation and a “state of being putrid” (Webster’s 1828), or do we sow to the Spirit and read eternal life. Paul goes on to finish chapter 6 with a reminder that “the world has been crucified”  to him and he “to the world” (v. 14). 

I don’t know about you, but I am thinking my comfort is highly overrated in light of eternity!