MAN'S TROUBLED WAY

By Jay Pearson

Since the beginning of man’s walk, his steps have been troubled. He has chosen to be the master of his own self and even others if they would follow. Even the first spiritual man was troubled and followed his own way. This left many in a dying state. Thankfully the Lord God of creation is merciful and full of grace and made a way of reconciliation Instead of following their way they were offered the Way, Jesus Christ.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  

All this took time. God’s time. He always knows best.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Man’s first walk started in the Garden. Body, soul. And spirit.

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When God created man in his own image, that image was eternal spirit. Then he formed the man from the dust of the ground, thus body. He breathed into him the breath of life, living soul. The eternal spirit was upon a condition.

Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

In essence that one condition was obedience. Disobedience resulted in dying. You shall die. Man no longer had eternal life. His life was limited.

Romans 5:19
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

After man’s fall, God knew man was not ready to receive eternal life again at this time.

Genesis 3:22-24
22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

On his own, man continued to walk his own way.

Genesis 6:5-8
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Thus the Lord brought the flood, but saved Noah and his family. God stopped the flood and dried the land and Noah, his family, and the contents of the ark came forth and replenished the earth. Man continues to walk his way. Next God calls Abram.

Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.  

The beginning of this nation ended up in Egypt. When a new Pharaoh dealt evil with God’s chosen, God sent Moses to deliver them by God’s hand. God guides Moses and his people through the wilderness and was delivered the law of commandments.

Exodus 31:18
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

The law was not any ones salvation. It was the awareness of sin.

Romans 3:19-20
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Man needed a savior. Man’s way was not God’s way, Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:22-25
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus came with a new and living Way.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God gave instruction all through his Word how to walk in obedience. Here is only one section of scripture with that instruction.

Romans 8:1-11
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

What is it to walk after and the mind? To walk after simply means you are following the which went before. You are following that lead. To mind something is to obey. I think of my Dad’s words, “Mind you momma, son.” It’s that simply, God does the work we follow his lead.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

It’s the path to glory.

 

 

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Presented August 31, 2025 in St George, Louisiana