MAN, ARE YOU IN THE OUTHOUSE!
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Man, are you in the outhouse!" is quite a true statement in the sense that when we're in sin, doubt, pride, and guilt, we are in a place that is dark, cold musty, and stinky.
There is a bigger picture to this outhouse theory. An outhouse has a roof, sides, front, and back. The course by Son Shine Ministries, "Living in the Outhouse," covers different aspects of how sin can be compared with different parts of the outhouse.
The roof of the outhouse can be compared to fear Why? In looking at the rod, I see the roof as the world trying to put a hindrance between our vesicle relationships with Jesus Christ. That, in turn, affects our relationship with Jesus Christ, causing our walk to waver with our great and mighty Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:6 says it quite well: "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 118:6, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" Man has no power of himself to do anything! God is in control and has been since the beginning. Whom shall we fear? We ought to fear God for He has the power to give and take, not man! Man can only destroy because the world teaches man how to destroy. God is our strength and salvation.
From the roof we look to the near side, which represents guilt. Satan likes guilt. Why? It gives him an upper hand on us. when we sin or even say something out of character, he likes to use guilt to beat us down; so we feel we really don't deserve the love and grace of God. In prison one can see it all the time. Men and women will say, "God can never forgive me for the crime I did." The truth of the matter is, YES, HE CAN! Because He loved us first and gave His son for us. Psalm 103:3 says, "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." We are forgiven through the atoning death of Jesus Christ!
Then we move our attention to the far side, which represents pride. Pride is one of our greatest foes. It causes us to lose our focus on Jesus Christ. Why? Pride allows one's flesh to rise up and take place of our focus, which should be on Christ. It can be a wall on the far side that blocks our view of Christ, causing us to forget who we are in Christ Jesus. Jesus laid aside everything. He put off His power. Remember He could have called down angels and stood there saying, "Now what?" But He didn't do that. He humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. We need to humble ourselves (see 1 Peter 5:1-7). We have to pay attention to who we are in Jesus Christ and what we are doing. Jesus desires us to come as little children.
Look at the front. This represents the evil things of the world. How the world entices us at every opportunity. Satan likes to tempt us that we might partake of the world. Taking our attention off of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Resist the Devil that he might flee, this is what we are to do; resist that dirty old serpent. The exciting thing is that Christ will not allow us to suffer temptation beyond what we can handle, but it takes work on our part too. We have to stay in prayer and fellowship with Jesus Christ. We should not make plans to enjoy evil, but to follow Christ. Jesus is our answer to pride.
The back of the outhouse represents doubt. Doubt is a perversion of Satan. He likes for us to doubt if we are really saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, or if Jesus really loves us and has forgiven us of our sins. Looking at Proverbs 3:5-6 we find: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." We can trust in Jesus Christ and know He will guide us with His Holy Spirit. Jesus will guide and lead us in the right way. Satan desires man to depend on man, ands not Jesus Christ. In fact, he wants man to doubt the Word of God. That is his whole motive. If he can get men to doubt the sovereign God, then he can get man to live in the world and live in sin. Look at our society today, God seems to have been removed and replaced with pseudo gods. People become doubtful in their world. It isn't solid. Jesus Christ is the answer, not man! Only in Christ can we truly and fully trust.
See how the vines cover the outhouse? They represent the false teachings of the world. False teachers have risen up and tickle the ears of man. They tell the flesh what it wants to hear, pleasing it, and minimizing sin. 2 John 1:7 teaches us this: "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." There are many around the world who do not believe that Jesus Christ (God's Some and Himself Divine) came to earth as a human being, with a body like ours. Such people are against the truth and against Christ.
Society is convinced that the philosophies they offer will help people. Only in the end do such pseudo philosophies destroy the soul. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Only in Christ is there true freedom from sin and death.
We have to trust in Christ, for Christ Jesus will lead us and guide us in the way out of the outhouse. Christ alone has the power to knock down the walls and raise the roof and cut the vines down.
Victory and freedom are only in Jesus Christ! God Bless!
