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	The Misdirection of Affections It is no secret that God is looking upon our hearts, not our actions. The mystery ever before us is that, in the times, when our actions boast of an arrhythmia of our spiritual heart and yet we fail to recognize it as a serious spiritual health concern.  If the gospel is a mirror (Rom. 7), in which, when we gaze into it, it reveals the areas that God is desiring to beautify through the goodness of His conviction, then that mirror is the pure reflection of a two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." So, why is it necessary to make this a matter of focus this morning? Because we need to openly bring ourselves before the Lord, in humility, to gather a true evaluation of our own hearts. Are we proud of some things that God detests? Are you looking forward to something that the Holy Ghost is cautioning you against? Can God’s Word back your political views? Are you in love with something/someone that is simply not God's will for your life? These answers are rarely discovered outside the unchanging, truth wielding blade of God's Word. Remember, it was the Apostle Paul who penned in such honesty while confessing to the Romans that he said, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." (Romans 7:15-16,18 NIV) So, if the great Apostle Paul admitted to struggling with this misdirection of affections then surely there are few us out there who are struggling also.  A great example of a misdirection of affection, in the Word, comes from the life of Isaac. Genesis 25:23 reveals God's prophetic blessing that will be upon the younger of the two sons with which his wife Rachel is pregnant. But Genesis 25:28 reveals that despite this prophetic declaration, Isaac favored/loved Esau, the elder son, because "he ate of his venison".  Isaac poured his affection and was reserving his blessing for the son who pleased his desires instead of simply being obedient to God's will. Isaac's enjoyment of his eldest son's venison wasn’t his only motivator for reserving his blessing for Esau. He was also committed to the tradition of blessing the eldest. Put another way, he valued the tradition of honoring the firstborn more than the prophetic word of God.  How sad that Isaac, the son of promise, would choose not to favor HIS son of promise. I wonder how often we, like Isaac, are guilty of not returning the blessings, grace, finances, assistance, attention, encouragement, prayers, etc. of which we have been the recipient?  It's so easy to become a people moved by our own passions that we must, with great determination, choose daily to be like the great Apostle Paul who took up his cross daily in order to follow Christ.  The fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 reveal what our affections should be, but it is the verse that follows that reveals how we can ensure they will be active in our lives. Galatians 5:24, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." There is no misdirection of affections when the "flesh with the affections and lusts" has been crucified.  Let's evaluate our affections. Does your affections or God’s motivate you?
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