The Way To Growth In Christlikeness - Part 4 — Zac Poonen

Growth in Christlikeness Through the Sermon on the Mount

Our subject from the beginning of this study is growth in Christ likeness. If you want to know what Christ likeness is, or at least a part of what Christ likeness is, you just have to read my Matthew five, six and seven carefully.

And ask God to show you. The nature of Jesus there. And if you want to know how much you have grown in Christ likeness, measure yourself by what you see here. Now I said that there were nine right attitudes, which are called the attitudes by some in Matthew five, three to 12.

And then in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount nine wrong attitudes. So we got to make sure that we have the right attitudes and we are completely free from the wrong attitudes. And we looked at. A number of these right attitudes being poor in spirit was three Matthew five verse three morning for our sins.

And as you graduate from their morning for the sins of others. And then being me or gentle and verse five and hungering and thirsting for righteousness which we saw was being perfected in love. And being merciful to all because we have received so much mercy ourselves.

Those who are not merciful to others are unforgiving act as if God has forgiven them nothing. And the pure in heart who see God. In other words, the heart is so full of only God. There's no place there for money or love for anything outside of God, even their wives and family members.

They love through Christ, not outside of Christ, a person who puts his wife above Christ is never going to love his wife the way he should. But pure in heart means there's no place in my heart for anyone other than God.

And to love God with all your heart is the commandment. And if you love God with all your heart, then where's their place for other loves zero. And then all other loves come through our love for God and then we will.

You'll be able to love people, even if they are evil to you, even if your wife is like a witch. You'll still love her till the end. If you love God with all your heart. The problem is not with others.

It's because we don't love God with all our heart that we find it so difficult to love some people. Look at the number of stories there are even among Christians of people who cannot love their mother-in-law reason.

They do not love God with all their heart. If you remember that, because if you love God with all your heart, you will see God everywhere. In every circumstance, in that trial, which you're facing or that bad way somebody treats you, you see God there.

It says, blessed are the pure in heart. They shall see God. And if you see someone other than the God, if you see the devil there, there are even people who say, oh, so-and-so behaves like the devil towards me.

Well, you're not pure in heart. If you are pure in heart, you'll see God, even in that evil circumstance that someone is putting you in. Or the way somebody is treating you. Jesus could see the father's hand when Judas came to kiss him.

And where Peter saw a traitor, Jesus saw the father's cup coming through a traitor. But it was the father who gave him that cup. It's because he loved God. It's a wonderful way to live on the earth. Right attitude to be pure in heart.

Becoming Sons of God Through Peacemaking

And now we go on to number seven, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Now, there's a difference between being a child of God and a son of God. It's like a baby and a grown up adult.

John 1 12 says as many as received him to them, gave he the right to become the children of God. So you only got to receive Christ and openness and repentance and faith and you become a child of God. But many who are children of God never move further from there to become sons of God.

And in that connection, I want to show you something here in Galatians chapter four, which says. Verse one, as long as Galatians 4 1, as long as the heir, the heir to a kingdom, and that's what we are, is only a child, he's no different from a slave.

You know, the old covenant, they could not call God father. They were slaves, servants of God. Even the greatest, John the Baptist, was a servant of God. He was not a child of God. But it says here, if you are still a child, you're no better than a slave.

But God's will is that we might become sons. It says here that in verse five of Galatians 4, that we might become sons. So God's in the new covenant were to be sons. The old covenant, they were slaves.

But if you remain a child, it says here in Galatians 4 1, you're no better than a slave. And that means if you remain as a child spiritually, you're really living under the old covenant. It's the son, the one who comes into the new covenant, who has become a son.

And here's one of the characteristics of sons, the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are out to make peace with a strife and quarreling. They shall be called the sons of God. See, it is God's will that we must have peace in our heart.

Peace with God and peace with other people. So first of all, we come to peace with God because of the guilt of our sin. Romans five, you cannot be a peacemaker until you first come to peace with God in your heart.

Any type of peace you have with others in the world. But also people say we are good friends with somebody and I'm at peace with him. But it's superficial. Something that happens and the greatest of friends can ultimately become enemies.

But that's why we got to begin, not by making friends with people, but by being at peace with God. The vertical must always come first. And it says in Romans 5 1 that being justified by faith, we have peace with God.

This is the foundation for being a peacemaker. If you're not absolutely sure that you have been declared righteous, justified means the word just is righteous. And so justified is as if I've been righteous all my life from day one.

From the time I was born till today, I have been a righteous man. That's what it means to be justified. I've not actually been righteous. I've been unrighteous in numerous ways. But the blood of Christ has so cleansed me that it says in Romans 5 and verse 1, we are justified by faith.

And verse 9 justified by his blood. The blood of Christ has not only blotted out my past sin, which itself is a wonderful thing, removed the record of it. But also made me, as it were, righteous from the beginning.

It's not that Christ has put his righteousness over me. That's what I used to think for many years. I am now clothed with the righteousness of Christ. I come before God, not with my unrighteousness, but clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

No, it's more than that. It says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 30 that Christ himself is my righteousness. It is not the righteousness of Christ, that Christ is out there and he's given me his righteousness.

No, that itself would have been a great thing. But it says in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30, Christ has become righteousness for me. And I ask God to help you to understand that. I'm so connected to Christ.

It's almost unbelievable that when I stand before God, if you have a good conscience, there's no difference between Christ and me standing before God. And that sounds blasphemous, but I believe it's true.

Because the Bible says he is my head. Can a head go and stand somewhere with the body somewhere else? No. But if you're not living in submission to the head, then of course you're out there. You're not really acting as part of the body.

But if I submit to the best of my knowledge to Christ as my head, he is my righteousness. He himself. And I have peace with God. That's the first step. And then from there, secondly, I have peace in my heart.

Peace in the Heart and Guidance by the Holy Spirit

And that is to always live with a good conscience. Whenever I plan to do something, peace in my heart is the guideline by which I know whether it's right or not. Romans 8, verse 6. The mind set on the Holy Spirit is life and peace.

We have to make so many decisions in our life. And we don't hear voices from heaven saying go here or go there. But peace in our heart is a voice that speaks to us. We've often looked at Isaiah chapter 30 where we read that wonderful promise.

Isaiah chapter 30, it says here. Please turn with me to Isaiah chapter 30 and verse 20. In the middle of verse 20, it says your eyes will see your teacher. It's an Old Testament prophecy saying that I will be able to see Jesus in my heart.

Yeah. You will see Christ in your heart. Isaiah 30, 20. And that's referring to Jesus. And then verse 21 is referring to the Holy Spirit. The ears of your heart will hear a word saying this is the way.

Walk in it. When you miss the turning to the left or the right, you know, you're walking along a certain way and you take a wrong turning at a fork in the road. You should have taken the right turn, right fork.

You took the left one. A voice will say no, no, no, not that way. Come back. Go this way. Or if you take the wrong turning at another point, no, come back. Go this way. That is the voice of the Holy Spirit in our conscience saying don't do that.

Go this way. You know, it's an amazing thing to experience this. Think of the different areas where we had to find God's will. Whom should I marry? What job should I take? Should I move here or there?

Little things like should I buy this house or not? So many decisions in life. Should I go on a vacation? If you're really walking with God, you'll seek his will in the smallest little things. And the way you know God's will is peace in your heart, Romans 8.

The mind set on the Holy Spirit is life and peace. So first peace with God because I've been declared righteous. All my past sins are blotted out. And then peace in my heart, a clear conscience that enables me to know in every step which is the right decision to take.

Very, very important. If I don't keep a good conscience, I will not hear that voice. That's how people become deaf. And then we go on to living at peace with others. So we can't go into that peace if we don't have these two aspects of peace.

Peace With Fellow Believers and All People

And then we come to Colossians 3 where we read like this. Colossians 3. We are to be at peace with one another at all times, bearing with one another. And it speaks here in verse 15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

It's a reference again to Romans 8. The peace in my heart is a referee that blows the whistle when I'm wrong. But here it's related to being in one body. In other words, in my relationship with my fellow believers, I must always be at peace.

If something disturbs me, if something's not right between you and that brother, you've got something against him. Or there's something unsettled. And you can say, well, let him first come to me. That's not the spirit of Christ.

The spirit of Christ is if your brother's got something against you, go and settle it with him. Settle it with him. That is seeking the way of peace. Beyond that, to be at peace with all men. That is God's will.

In Hebrews 12, we read these words. Pursue holiness that everybody understands. Hebrews 12 and verse 14. Pursue peace with all men and holiness or sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Now, that's quite a strong word. Peacemakers. If I don't seek to be at peace with all human beings that I know from my side, according to that verse, I'm not going to see the Lord. It's not just holiness I've got to pursue.

Romans 12, 14. I've got to pursue holiness that everybody understands. But it also says pursue peace not just with believers. We saw that in Colossians already. You know, let peace be the referee to which you're called in one body.

That's referring to the believers. But Hebrews 12, 14 is referring to all men. Blessed are the peacemakers. Those who are determined in their life never to have a strife with anybody in the whole wide world.

Never to have a grudge against anyone in the whole wide world. I want to ask you, dear brothers and sisters, think for a moment. Do you have a grudge in your heart at this time against anyone in the whole wide world?

Somebody who's harmed you, you feel? Somebody who did something ages ago? Somebody who was unrighteous to you or someone who hurt your children in some way? Or some boss in some office or some teacher in your school who was not good to your children?

And you've got something in your heart. That can break your fellowship with God. That can make you a child instead of being a son. Blessed are the peacemakers. But then the question comes to us. Well, I want to be at peace, but what do I do if other person wants to quarrel with me?

Pursuing Peace When Others Refuse Peace

Ah, there's a word of liberation for us here. A liberating word in Romans 12. It says in verse 18. Blessed are the peacemakers. Romans 12, 18. If possible. Do you know that this is the only command in the whole Bible?

Which begins with, if possible. You never find a command which says, if possible, don't get angry. If possible, don't lust after women. If possible, don't seek the honor of men. If possible, be righteous with money.

You take any commandment. It is never prefaced by the words, if possible. Because all those other commandments depend entirely on you. If possible, love everybody. No. No if possible. Just love everyone.

But when it comes to living at peace, be at peace with all men, the Holy Spirit is realistic. He knows that you cannot be at peace with many people in the world because they don't want to be at peace with you.

It's not your fault. Therefore, it is prefaced by, if possible, so far as it depends on you. That's a liberating word. So, a lot of people don't want to be at peace with me. Especially if you're a radical preacher of God's word, a servant of God who is going to stand up for the truth of God's word.

A lot of Christians will be against you. A lot of people were not at peace with Jesus Christ. They were so mad with him, they wanted to kill him. They did kill him. We follow in his footsteps. If possible, be at peace with all men.

And so, how shall I fulfill these two commandments? Pursue peace with all men. If somebody has got a quarrel with me, you know how I pursue peace with him? By not visiting him. If I visit his house, there will be another quarrel.

I want to pursue peace, so I avoid meeting him. I avoid seeing him because he's a quarrelsome type of person. If he's a member of my local church, then, of course, I will try my best to sort it out with him.

But if he's still not interested, I'll go to the elders, like it says in Matthew 18. Go to the elders and tell them and see if they can sort it out. That's all. Your responsibility is over. And if he still doesn't want to set it right, the Lord says he'll treat him like a heathen.

Because you're interested in peace, but he's not. So, your responsibility is over. So, if possible, as much as it lies in you, be at peace with all men. Now, is it something we have to wait to do? No.

We must do it all the time, immediately. And who is your nearest neighbor? It's not the brother or sister in your church. No. That's a little distant neighbor. It's a second circle. Your nearest neighbor, if you're married, is your husband or your wife.

And you must be at peace with your husband or wife all the time. It says in Ephesians chapter 4, it's a wonderful word. I believe it's a very helpful word for married couples. Ephesians 4, it says here in verse 26, Don't let the sun go down on your anger.

Ephesians 4, 26. Newly married couples can have strain and problem in their relationships in the early days. And even people are married for many years. But when the sun goes down, in the olden days, when the sun went down, that's when they went to sleep.

So, I paraphrase that as never go to bed angry. Never be at peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. Now, the question comes, if there's a strain between a husband and a wife, who should take the first step?

And I've often spoken about this. The answer is very simple. Should the husband take the first step or the wife take the first step? In heathen cultures, in non-Christian cultures, the answer I know from India, non-Christians, the answer is always the wife must humble herself because the man is the king of the house.

He never makes a mistake. It's always the wife. So, she has to humble herself and restore the relationship. She's the one who must ask forgiveness. But what about as a Christian? Who has to take the first step in restoration of a relationship between husband and wife so they can go to bed without any anger, in perfectly good relationship with each other?

Well, the answer is in the strain that came in the relationship between God and man, who took the first step? Not man. God took the first step in sending Christ to restore that relationship. Why did he do that?

Because he was most spiritual. That's a simple answer. So, in a husband and wife relationship, there is a strain. Who should take the first step? The one who is most spiritual. And usually, among believer husband and wives, both of them think they are more spiritual than the other one.

Each one thinks I'm more spiritual. Oh, then you should be running into each other's arms. Problem solved. Never go to bed angry. Never go to bed with a problem unresolved. If the solution has not yet come, okay, keep it on the shelf, but go to bed with peace.

You don't have to resolve every problem in the world in a single day, but you can go to bed at peace. We must pursue peace. I believe many people have not progressed spiritually because they don't take this seriously.

Seeking the Kingdom Through Righteousness, Peace, and Joy

What does it mean, for example, when it says, seek first the kingdom of God? For years and years, I used to think that meant going out and being a missionary or going out and doing evangelism or going out and doing some work.

No. The kingdom of God, we are told in Romans 14 and verse 17, the kingdom of God which I am to seek first is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. There's a definition of the kingdom of God there, and you can't beat it.

It's not missionary work. It's not going out and doing evangelism. It is seeking. Seeking the kingdom of God first means I seek for the righteousness of God, the peace of God, and the joy of the Lord first, and peace is an important part of that.

Now, they could not do this in the Old Testament. They could not seek for that inner righteousness in the Old Testament. Peace was not possible and joy was not possible, but now we are to seek the kingdom of God first, peace in the Holy Spirit.

So if you're a spiritual person, you will seek for peace in every situation, then you're blessed, and you'll be called a son of God, not just a child of God. So I pray that all of us who are still children, how do you know you're still a child?

You're not at peace with somebody. You're in constant strife with your spouse, with your husband or wife. You go to bed many times with unresolved conflict with your husband or wife. You're a child. I'm not saying you're not born again.

I'm saying even after so many years, you're not matured. You're a child. You're a baby. You're a one-year-old spiritually, and God wants you to be a 30-year-old spiritually, but you can rectify that.

Seek the kingdom of God. Pursue peace and say, Lord, you know what it costs to pursue peace? You've got to just die to yourself. That's right. So let's pursue that, and we shall graduate from being children of God to sons of God because when you're a son of God, you've got authority.

Sanctification Through the God of Peace

And I'll tell you something. There are two verses I want to show you. In 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 23, it says, May the God of peace sanctify your entire being, make you holy in your spirit, soul, and body.

Now, it could have said there in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 23, make God do that. Why does it say they let the God of peace do that? Because the God of peace is the one who rules in your heart in peace, and if you allow peace to reign in your heart, the God of peace rules there.

He will make you completely holy. You can't do it yourself. It says, may God sanctify you entirely. There's no such thing as entire sanctification, which we doing something ourselves. You cannot sanctify yourself, but God can sanctify you entirely.

And peace is an important factor in that. I've got to keep peace in my heart towards God and towards all men. God will do his part of sanctifying me. I really tell you from my experience, that's true.

Many people do not become holier year after year. So many people are still defeated by the same old sins. They gossip, they backbite, they get angry, and they're trying to be holy. You can never be holy.

Ask God to sanctify you, but you pursue peace. And the other verse I want to show you what the God of peace does. Two verses, Romans 16 and verse 20. The God of peace, again, will crush Satan under your feet.

Why is Satan not crushed under the feet of many believers? Well, they don't have peace in their heart. The God of peace does not rule in their heart. Again, you find that expression. Not God will crush Satan under your feet, but the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet.

I want to be sanctified holy. It's only the God of peace who can do it. I want to crush Satan under my feet all the time. I want to keep him under my feet all the time. The God of peace will do it. That's why I want to pursue peace with all men.

Blessed are the peacemakers. They will move up from being children of God to sons of God. That's right attitude number seven. Then we go on in Matthew chapter 5 to the eighth right attitude, which is verse 10.

Persecution for Righteousness

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is not being persecuted because you're a Christian. That comes in the next right attitude in verse 11.

This is being persecuted because you want to be righteous. And we are told in second Timothy and chapter three, that second Timothy and chapter three and verse 12, all, A-L-L, every single person who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

It's a law. It's like the law of gravity. You drop something, it will fall to the ground. It's a law. If you go anywhere in the world, you drop something, gravity pulls it down. It will fall to the ground.

Here's another law. You want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, you will be persecuted. It's a law. And if you have never faced persecution for righteousness sake in your life or your work, ah, you need to probably ask yourself whether you're compromising in certain areas.

It's almost impossible to be absolutely righteous without suffering in some way in one's workplace. Maybe you lose a promotion. Maybe they won't give you an increment. They give you a bad report and you don't get the position you want to do, want to get.

You don't get admission to a college because you're righteous. You speak the truth. You don't get a visa because you don't tell a lie to get the visa. You miss out on a very important thing you want to get because you're righteous.

It's a form, you lose something which you wanted badly. And the other fellow who has no conscience, who also claims to be a believer, he just writes and signs something wrong and gets in. Are you jealous of him?

Don't be. Wait till you see what's going to happen to him in the long run. Not only finally in eternity, he may be lost eternally, but even on earth, he's going to be a loser. Jesus said, blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

You may lose the kingdom of earth, but the kingdom of heaven belongs to you. If you stand up for what is right, forget about Christ now. You're standing up for what is right in your place of work. When you're asked to sign a false statement, you say, I'm sorry, sir.

I'm a Christian. I cannot do that. I remember in the years when I was in the Navy, I had to do that a number of times. I had certain responsibilities and people who were much more senior than me, I had only two stripes on my shoulder.

And the person who had four stripes on his shoulder would do something unrighteous. In the military, there's a lot of opportunity to use government equipment and material for oneself without paying for it.

And it's sometimes a junior officer who has to sign off that. And when I came to that position, I would not sign off on that. I say, sir, here's the bill. You got to pay for this. And I get hauled up before the commanding officer.

Didn't the previous officer tell you what to do? Yes, sir, but I'm a Christian. I can't do it. That actually happened to me once. And I got transferred within half an hour because they wanted somebody there who would sign the false statement.

I praise the Lord. That's just one example. There were other instances where I got pulled up and taken. I was taken before the commanding officer a number of times because I would not do what's wrong.

When somebody was cheating, I had to mark as a duty officer that's wrong. So, dear brothers, do I regret that today? Not at all. So what? I decided when I joined the Navy, I was not born again. My ambition was to go to the top.

But once I was filled with the Holy Spirit and I wanted to live for the Lord, I discovered I will never go to the top. Because it's impossible in an unrighteous situation. It's impossible in almost any place if you're going to be totally righteous.

So, I mean, by the grace of God, in some places, you don't have to be. But in many places, unrighteousness is required. And I only want to say this, my dear brothers and sisters. You will never lose anything by being righteous.

Blessed are those who are righteous. And if you are persecuted for it, praise the Lord. Well, if you're not persecuted in some situation where the boss is also righteous, praise the Lord. That's a good thing.

I've come across a few cases like that where when a believer working in an office said to his boss, Sir, I'm a Christian and I can't do that. The boss was so happy with him because he knew that this man will never turn against me like some of the others in the office.

So sometimes it works for good. But we stand for righteousness. And we never, never compromise. It's very, very important. It says here, all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Some form or the other.

You may even face it from your own family members because you stand for what is right. You stand for the truth. We know of numerous people who have stood for the truth and been persecuted for that. And the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

It's almost comparing the kingdom of heaven with the kingdom of earth. And when you stand for righteousness, you're losing something of earth. Maybe a promotion. Maybe some money that you can make unrighteously.

And you stand for the truth when everybody else is making that money. And God says, don't worry. You lose something of the earth, I'll give you the kingdom of heaven. Then we move on to the ninth one, which is also about persecution.

Persecution for the Sake of Christ

But this time it is not persecution for righteousness. It's persecution because you stand up for Jesus Christ. Because you say, I'm a Christian. Matthew chapter 9, right attitude. Matthew 5, verse 11.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Not because you're righteous now. That's verse 10. But because of me. You're blessed. And when we think of the early Christians, they all expected persecution.

It was not something strange. The people who persecuted the early Christians the most were the religious Jews who had the Bible. The Bible in those days was the Old Testament. So much so that when Paul wrote to the Christians, or spoke to the Christians, you read this verse in Acts 14.

It says, verse 22, it's an amazing word. Acts 14, 22. He went to different churches where he had planted churches and he told those believers. He strengthened them and encouraged them. Now, how do you strengthen and encourage believers?

Today we think we strengthen and encourage believers saying, oh, God's accepted you. You're a child of God and God will do so many things for you. But see how he strengthened and encouraged the disciples.

In Acts 14, 22, he strengthened the disciples and encouraged them saying, to enter the kingdom of God, you have to go through many tribulations. That doesn't sound like encouragement. That's how the apostles encouraged believers in those days.

Today people try to encourage saying you'll be prosperous, you'll get money from God and all these foolish, the lies that people preach today. They're not following in the footsteps of the apostles. Through much persecution and tribulation, you enter the kingdom of God because they understood clearly what Jesus taught.

And we know that the early Christians suffered persecution like anything. And that's why I believe it's good for us to encourage our children to read about the martyrs and christen them. We don't know much.

We don't meet many martyrs nowadays. People who have suffered in prison for years or there are still some in China and some countries where people are persecuted for righteousness sake. But in the early days of Christendom, in the first two, three hundred years, almost every Christian was like that.

They had to run for their lives. They had to hide in caves because they never knew who would persecute them. And very often, like in the case of Jesus, the persecution comes from family members and from others who call themselves Christians.

In those days, those who called themselves Jews. Turn to Matthew chapter 10. You read here in Matthew chapter 10. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 10. It says here that a disciple is not above his master.

It says in verse 24 and verse 34. Don't think I came to bring peace on the earth. I came to bring a sword. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. But it says here he came to bring a sword. And the sword is, I came to set a man, verse 35, Matthew 10, 35, against his father.

And a daughter against her mother. And a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies will be those of his own household. So Jesus said it's going to be like that in Matthew 5. When people say all types of evil against you, Matthew 5, 11, one part of persecution is not physical persecution, but people tell false stories about you.

Have you experienced that? Now, I'm not talking about for righteousness sake. That will be finished in verse 10. This is because you'll stand up for Jesus Christ. You stand up for Christ in your office and or in the midst of your unconverted relatives and they will spread false stories about you.

They'll take you to court perhaps like they took me. But we remain in peace and we remain in love. What is what should we do? It says in verse 12, rejoice and be glad. Because your reward in heaven is great.

Because that is how they persecute the prophets in the Old Testament. Every true prophet from the beginning till the end was persecuted. In some way or the other. They made so many allegations against Moses, his own relatives.

All the way down to John the Baptist who lost his head. Those who stood for the Lord were persecuted. And it will be like that till the end of time. And the persecution will come from religious people.

It's not from non-religious people. It's not the Greeks and the Romans who wanted to kill Jesus Christ. It was the Jews who knew the Bible. The people who knew the Bible the most. They are the people who persecuted Jesus Christ.