“For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Romans 16:18
In this section of Romans, Paul is warning the church to be on guard against people who “cause divisions and offenses” in their midst. There will be people in the church who are actually working against its edification and growth, fighting against God. The reason they do this is because they serve their own belly and not the Lord Jesus Christ. Serving their own belly means they are enslaved to the desires of their fallen human nature, often called “the flesh” in the Scripture. The Scripture tells us the flesh is constantly at war with the Spirit, they are opposed to one another. (Galatians 5:17)
A good example of this is in 1 Samuel 2:12 where Eli’s wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are called “corrupt”, which is literally “sons of Belial”. This is because they are enslaved to the base desires of the flesh, specifically in their case food and sex. As priests they knew that all the fat of the sacrifices was supposed to be burned on the altar as an offering to God. All the flavor was in the fat, and they desired it for themselves, not caring that all the best of the meat was supposed to go to God, thus honoring Him. Furthermore, they engaged in sexual immorality with the women who were helping to serve at Tabernacle. They served their own sinful appetites. They made a god of their own desires and worshipped that idol.
In 2 Corinthians 6:15 Belial is actually named as an idol, a false god. “What accord does Christ have with Belial?” The belly god is always opposed to Jesus Christ. The one who would serve Jesus must not serve the belly god. Instead, the follower of Christ is called to put to death, to “crucify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:24). Jesus puts it this way in Luke 9:23-24, “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Later in Luke 14:27 Jesus says further, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
Every day we have a choice to serve the belly god, Belial, or to serve God. We cannot serve them both. Every day we are called to put to death the deeds of the flesh and put on Christ. Every day we are promised that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Every day we are called to smash the idol Belial and follow Jesus.
Glory to the Lord of hosts!
His mercy endures forever!
Pastor Flynn
