Keep sharing good news without ads.
No description available
I'd like to speak to you this morning of God's goal for every Christian, God's goal for every
Christian. We look back at the last year and we see how faithful God is and bringing us this far.
Yesterday's gone. There's nothing we can do about that now, but we have today. We have today.
Today's the day of salvation. Today we can do something about it because God's given us another opportunity.
Last year we looked at on New Year's Day the greatest goal of all which is to know
God. That is the greatest goal is to know God personally. I spoke from Psalm 42, as the deer pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after they yield
God. We must follow hard after God. That's our responsibility to pursue
God. I believe the pursuit of God is the greatest thing that we can do. This is to know
God. This is the believer's greatest goal is to know him personally.
Jesus said this as he prayed in John 17 3 and this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true
God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Wonderful, wonderful verse.
To know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, but I like to reverse that.
That's on this side of eternity. What does God have in mind for us?
What is God's goal for us? What is God's goal for the believer? Another question and to rephrase that would be what is
God's best for you? You ever thought about that? What's God's best? in this life for each and every one of us now as we go forward and journey to the unknown and the unknown future is unknown and it's only known to God because God knows everything from past present future.
We don't know we creatures of the dirt God is the creator. He's all -knowing all -wise ever -present
God We put our trust in him So we there is a blessedness of the unknown
There are some things we can know we can have and an assurance That's in Jesus Christ and know him
Luther said I may not know Where I may go, but I know the one who leads me
That's really all that matters there is a blessed assurance that we can have and a peace that passes all understanding a
Joy unspeakable that's full of glory As we looked at last
Lord's Day John 3 16 That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life I'd like to draw from that and use that as a premises because that speaks of Regeneration that speaks of new birth
God Is the unchanging God he's immutable as brother
Keith has already mentioned. He remains the same. God is never going to change
We're the ones that needs changing and I'm not talking about just a new leaf
You have a lot of people making resolutions today turning over new leaves Reforming but the change
I'm talking about is a change of heart There has to be a transformation there must be a change of mind
That's really the Greek word of repentance is a change of mind a change of direction a hundred eighty degree change
So starting from that point, you know, the Lord says I am the Lord I change not isn't it wonderful to know that we go into a
Ever changing world, but God is never changing He never changes he's the same yesterday today and forever he is the same
God That was when he created the earth over 6 ,000 years ago.
Isn't that wonderful? The same God that led Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Moses and the patriarchs and the prophets.
It's the same God that leads us today There's no compromise with God. He never changes
So if anybody's going to change it's going to be on our end We must change toward him and that change that's what
I'm going to speak to you about today We're going to be speaking. I'm going to be speaking to you about what to put off and what to put on But the
Creator God never changes the change must be on our part and we must change
You know Jesus said as I spoke last week to Nicodemus Nicodemus needed changing didn't he
Jesus told him Most assuredly verily verily truly truly I say to you Unless one is born again born from above He cannot see the kingdom of God That's the greatest miracle there is
Everybody wants miracles, but the greatest miracle is a changed heart a transformed heart and Jesus said to him
Unless this happens you cannot see the kingdom of God You cannot enter into God's kingdom unless you are born from above that is regeneration
That is the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. That is an act of God. That is something that God does
Now in link with Regeneration there is conversion
Conversion is somewhat on our end of the repentance
Jesus say repent and believe the gospel they are Tied together you can't they're very closely related now conversion is
That change that means repentance Second Corinthians 517
Paul says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation Old things have passed away
Behold, all things have become new think about that. All things have become me. What a great transformation.
What a great truth amazing change beloved This this is the greatest of all miracles regeneration
What old things have passed away all things have become new all things Don't miss that All things not some things
Everything so, how does that look like now, that's what we're going to look at God's goal
For every Christian is this and it's found in Romans chapter 8 and a wonderful chapter
Don't you love the book of Romans? So go with me to Romans chapter 8 and I'd like to find I'm not going to exposit this
But I'd like for us to look at this and I want to break it down just a little bit as a foundational verse
And then we're going to go to Colossians chapter 3 but I want you to notice with me in verse let me start with verse 28 because that seems to be one of the great promises that God makes
For his children For his beloved and verse 29 is really what
I'm going to but notice what it says in verse 28 and we know
That all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are the called according to his purpose and that amazing verse
It's a verse that we could stand on Notice what he says we that's
God's elect. That's God's children. We every believer in Jesus Christ we know
We know that's assurance. That is the blessed assurance that the believer has
We know that what all things not some things but all things in This life whether it be good or bad whether they be crosses or losses whether it be sunshine or rain or Mountaintops and valleys we know that all things whatever life may hit us with We know that all things under God's loving care and his providence will work out
For the good Who's good God's good. It's God's good ultimately, but God's good is our good
Because you and I are part of the family of God If you're God's elect if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, and it is what
God has ordained Let's not miss this that whatever God has ordained providentially that comes our way in life's journey
We would have never known this as a youngster what God has for us in the future would we and by the way
Think of it even as a child and if God were to come up to you as a child and tell you all that That was to come your way
It would overwhelm us. We could not handle it But God lovingly guides us and leads us and cares for us one step at a time
Because he's gracious and he knows and he can handle it We can't do it our alone alone.
Can we? But notice what he says whatever comes our way all things all things
Work together They work together for what for good No matter what kind of suffering or what kind of heartache what kind of pain what kind of hardship comes our way as a child?
Of God it is always for the good always Because God is good
What has marred us is sin What is marred us is sin and that is that's what's blinded people's eyes
The goodness of God is what really leads us to repentance and they're wonderful David said it
I love this Me and brother Keith talked about this quite often, but surely goodness and mercy two hounds of heaven goodness and mercy
Shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and that's talking about God's eternal home
Goodness and mercy follows you David knew didn't he and He knew that God was good and he knew
God was merciful He knew that God Everything God did was always good and he knew everything
God did out of his heart Out of his deep heart of love was always tender compassionate
Compassionate always toward him For the good to those who what love
God to those see this promise is not for everybody It's to the elect.
It's to those Who love God? Isn't that wonderful And I don't know about you when
I was singing my Jesus I love thee I think to myself Oh, I I come so short of loving
God as I should But God can help us
Make up the difference by the Holy Spirit And this is a promise from God to the his people and notice this it's to those who are the called
According to his purpose now We're getting a little bit closer to verse 29 the called according to his purpose.
This calling is the effectual calling You know in John 3 16, it speaks about the general call that the gospel is for all peoples
God does not exclude no one from his common grace But here the effectual calling is talking about this love that God has for his own
There's a special love a good way to illustrate this is you and I have a special Intimacy within our own family that we don't have of those that are outside of our family
And it's the same with God. God has a special love to those that are his children his beloved
Then he does those that are outside even though God is love and he loves all and He does not desire anyone to perish, but he does have a special love for his own and that's what he's talking about here
There's those that are effectually called those are God's Hand -picked children.
I like to put it those that God has marked out to be his own
His elect that he brings to salvation isn't that wonderful think about that You were hand -picked
You're marked out if you're in God In Christ Jesus if you're
God's child today Now notice with me Paul ends in verse 28 and then in verse in verse 29
He talks about predestination predestination look at verse 29 and This is a a starting point in which we are looking at For whom he for you.
That's God's People He also predestined
What did he predestined them to be listen to be conformed to the image of his son
That he might be the firstborn among the brethren he foreknew God is that that that is a very controversial word, but it's a very important word
And the reason why I say it's controversial. There's a lot of different views Among theologians today of this word a lot of theologians
Believe that this refers simply to God's omniscience that in eternity past he knew who would come to Christ now he does
But rather in the context here Paul is basically saying it speaks of a predetermined choice that God has made in the past eternal past It's not that God is just looking in the future who's going to be safe God has already in the past the eternal past has hand -picked his people and A lot of people within the church has a hard time grasping this because they feel how can
God? How can God? Show More love to a group of people than to this people.
How can he show more compassion? to a group Here than he does over here.
And the way people are thinking is God someone owes them That God has no in a sense has no right to do that, but he does
Isn't it amazing and that's why in Romans 9 That God says and and Paul speaks of Moses and Quoting Moses that God will have compassion on whom he desires to have compassion.
He will have mercy on whom he wants to have mercy on and he talks about Esau and Jacob Esau, I hated
Jacob. I loved and a lot of people said they think I Have a hard time getting my mind around Why does
God hate Esau? But the question really is why did God love
Jacob? That's the question Why does God love any of us?
Why does God have compassion on any of us and When you really look at it
From a biblical viewpoint when you and I see our sin that we are deserving of hell
Why God owes us nothing but death and hell in the grave folks He owes his justice.
Amen Now this is where actually he goes to and then eventually
If you that there's a like a trail that there's a order and The next verse is the golden chain of redemption
I don't want to get into this but he talks about more of whom he predestined these he also called whom he called
These he also justified and whom he justified these he also glorified the golden chain of salvation of redemption
Ain't that beautiful? You cannot disconnect that It's for it's linked
There is the predestined marked out the called The justified and whom he justifies he will glorify there.
It will eventually lead to heaven Because when one is truly a child of God born of the
Spirit of God, he will be justified. He will be glorified Eventually, that's the perseverance of the
Saints Now We're talking about some really deep deep waters here and I don't have time to go into that that it's for another time
But to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is the goal that God has predestined in his purpose for his own people and that is summed up in one
Sentence and I'm gonna say it to be like Jesus Christ Folks that's
God's goal for each and every one of us Now as I was studying this I was thinking
I need this so much this is such an important message Not not because I'm preaching it folks.
It's because of what God has to say because our sanctification Should be a primary goal in our life as a
Christian. I Like the way pastor John MacArthur put it. He is a wonderful message.
He's preaching. I would encourage you to listen to it He calls it the honorable obsession sanctification in that beautiful the honorable obsession it is an honorable
Obsession we should be obsessed with sanctification sanctification means our cleansing, but it also means to be set apart from the world unto
God and The more you grow as a Christian, you know this and The more passionate you become in love with Jesus and the more
God just lavish you lavishes you with his love The less you want to be part of this world
Now you want to share it with the world and tell the world about it, but it is so This passion that God shares with you burns away all the desires of the flesh
It this is what Paul called the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus now
We're going to see how this looks like Ephesians chapter 1 turn with me very quickly to Ephesians 1 and look at verse 3 and 4
I'm going to connect this with Romans 8 29
Ephesians chapter 1 Look at verse 3 and 4 Paul begins a wonderful Almost like a long beautiful praise to God And he begins by saying blessed be the
God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy
There it is He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy
This is God's purpose And without blame before him in love So God not only predestines our salvation he also predestines your sanctification
It says it And this again is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord to be conformed into the image of his dear son Now if we are to seek
God And pursue God it is perfect God that has first pursued us
I Love what Jesus said in Matthew 6 33 seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things
Will be added unto you But did you know before we seek God before we seek?
His righteousness. He's already sought us He was there. I Like what a
W pink says and he put it this way It was not Adam who sought God but God sought
Adam and This has been the order ever since Amen that's been the order
Man does not seek God how many times in Scripture Paul says? No one seeks
God No one no one no one Then why does
God? Tell us to seek him well what because He desires us to come to know him
But we as and I like Spurgeon kind of put this together he said the only reason we seek
God is because he's first sought us and if we are seeking him and When as we look back when we sought him we think at first it was us seeking
God But God has already been there and he sought us Now that's deep waters because God is there first he's always first that's why the
Hebrew writer the writer to the Hebrews said in Hebrews 12 1
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith He's the beginner
He's the perfect basically as Romans 828 has said is a result of God's choosing those who will be saved and John MacArthur says in his commentary concerning the statement of Romans 8 29 unrighteous persons are declared righteous unworthy sinners are declared worthy of salvation and All because they chose they were chosen in him and in Christ this refers to Christ as imputed righteousness granted to us a
Perfect righteousness Which places the believers in a holy and a blameless position before God through daily living inevitably fall short of His holy standard now in quote
We do fall short of his holy standard, don't we but in Jesus in Jesus when
God looks at us in Jesus It's perfection that just That just absolutely boggles my mind
That if you're covered in the righteousness of Christ that that his righteousness is imputed to you
When God looks at you he does not see you He sees
Christ and by the way, that's the only way you and I can get into heaven No other way because our righteousness is filthy rags
They're dirt dirty before a holy God and To enter into heaven one must be perfect perfect And how can people go around say
I'm of such a good person I've gone to church all my life I have prayed prayers all my life. I've done this and the
Bible says in one statement by grace. Are you saved? through faith
That not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast
No one will boast on that day when we enter into heaven listen to this
Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 and 13 Thomas sanctification
Therefore my beloved Paul again my beloved. He's talking to God's people as you have always obeyed
He's talking about those who has obeyed God not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling now what he's talking about. There is not working for your salvation
He says work it out It's first in you through regeneration now, he's talking about sanctification.
He says you work it out Work it out now folks. This is the hard part.
This is the hard part about Christian life Let's just be honest. The Christian life is hard in sanctifying in sanctifying us.
I Found it very difficult, but I like what? Thomas a campus said this
I never have forgotten this I read this years ago He says carry the cross patiently and in the end the cross will carry you hallelujah in other words
You you yoke up to Jesus Christ and he said that come unto me all your labor and heavy laden
I'll give you rest if we have a yoke to a Christ and not with the law
We're not condemned, but we're yoked with God's gracious Son Jesus has taken all of it and No matter how hard life hits me and what
I go through in this life I know I can lean on him and he can carry me through And they're wonderful Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling and then he says this for it is
God who works in you both to will and to do
His good pleasure It's all about God's good pleasure God's working in you, but you work out your salvation and we do it with an attitude of what fear and trembling
Well, we didn't we need to see that don't we I need to see it in my own life Sanctification folks is never
Passive it's always active. In other words when I were you and I received the grace of God We don't sit back and say okay
God you've done it all. Yes. He has done it all and I do nothing. No, no, no Again, like I mentioned this last week.
You had the sovereignty of God and you have man's responsibility They are parallel, but they never intersect never
Now we're saying all that There's much more to be said about our sanctification
Because sanctification is God's Working in us, but it is also us
Working it's our cooperation in this sense not in salvation now Salvation is not cooperation with God.
God has done it all through Jesus Christ, but sanctification is a cooperation
With God is synergistic. Amen Salvation is monergistic that basically that means that God has done it all synergistic means
I have a responsibility in this That's why the Bible says cleanse yourselves in the fear of in the fear of God perfecting holiness in the fear of God sanctify yourselves
It speaks to us as commands to do something and As you grow as a
Christian, you're more and more Concerned or I should say obsessed as pastor
MacArthur says with our with your sanctification Listen to this 1st Corinthians 6 18 through 20 says this
Here's a command It's strong now buckle your seatbelts Flee sexual immorality.
Does that not hit people today? Does not that even he's speaking to a church Flee Sexual immorality in other words we say run from it
Why is he saying that because he knows the desires of the flesh the pleasure of sin is attractive
The Bible doesn't hold back from that. The Scripture says there's pleasure and sin but for a season and eventually
It would be a ruin Toward you just all you got to do is look at the life of Samson Look at the life of Solomon Look at what happened to those men.
There was the richest man the most wisest man the most wisest man Solomon fail
Fell into idolatry He knew better. He had the fear of the Lord Samson.
He had a knowledge of God but yet a Delilah came along and Took him away from his
God And you know the story Flee sexual immorality every sin
Paul says does is outside of the body But he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body, or do you not know that your body?
The body matters is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you?
Whom you have from God and is and you are not your own In other words if you're a child of God You that body does not belong to you
What he's saying is the eyes the ears every member every part belongs to God Be careful what you hear.
I like the children saw how's it go? Be careful little ears what
I hear be careful eyes what you see and Even as a child of God growing up in the
Lord and mature in the Lord by God's grace. I still have to remember that Because so much is thrown out in front of us
Is it not just cut the TV on? Cut the phone. I'll put the on Facebook.
They're saying, you know, you got all kinds of Lewd and flaunting and fleshly desires and sensuality
It's everywhere. It's it's it's in the books and the stores on the billboards. It's thrown out constantly and folks you got to flee it
You see this look? For you were bought with a price What's the price it cost the blood of God's Son To purchase you and me
Jesus paid a heavy God paid a heavy price for our salvation But also you must see this not only your spirit belongs to God, but your body belongs to God And he says this therefore glorify
God in your body and your spirit which are whose gods now
Sanctification I got I got to move on because we've got a lot to cover here. We got to see how this looks like Go with me to the book of Colossians now
Colossians chapter 3 How sanctification look like how how does being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ look like These verses tell us
I won't break it down as I go and this is powerful folks this is so powerful because Look where he begins
The starting point the starting point is in verse 1 if you didn't been raised with Christ seek those things which are above Where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God?
This is the basics this is the foundation Paul calls for a different ethical standard for the living for the
Christian He says seek those things which are where above we talked about that If you're born from above you're born of God, you're gonna seek those things which are from above, right?
Why because you have a new heart God has written his laws in your heart now You that means you have new desires
You have new affections you have new everything all things old things have become has been passed all things have become new
Seek those things which are from above Jesus said it seek first the kingdom of God Then he says not only seek in verse 2
He says set seek and set your mind on things above not on things on the earth seek set
Above Above in other words, we should be eternally minded. We must be heavenly minded
It doesn't take the church a long way if we do this and obey it folks If we have been born from above again, we seek and we set our things our mind on things above where Christ is
Sitting at the right hand of God Set your mind this could be translated think think
The illustration here comes to mind. It's like a compass MacArthur brings this out
It's like a compass that points north The believers entire disposition. He says should point itself toward the things of God and heaven in quote.
Amen It's like the compass pointing north pointing north Heavenly thoughts comes by what?
saturating ourselves in the Word of God and Now we must remember this
We must beware of having a form of godliness
Because the Pharisees and the scribes had a form of godliness. They searched the scriptures
But Jesus says you search the scriptures and you have Not seen that they testify me
That's what Jesus is saying to them In other words, they were looking at all these great things in scripture by the scriptures by the prophets
And but they missed who God really was in flesh Jesus And they ended up crucifying them, right?
well There's a communion with God that we are to have notice when in verse 3 for you have died and Your life is hidden with Christ in God.
In other words. You've already died in Jesus Christ and buried with him and Risen again, and then what the
Christian life is about Galatians 2 20 Paul says I've been crucified with Christ It's no longer
I that live that but Christ that lives in me in the life, which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me What a statement
I Mentioned this before and this is this is nothing to me folks
But when I was first converted to Jesus Christ I was quoting this out loud all the time and I didn't realize that I was a girl in church that was committing fornication and I'm telling you she didn't tell me that what we pretty much had a feeling because it was she was
Constantly and another her boyfriend was constantly going to her house when the parents would leave And she told me this later on she said
David you had no idea Every time you quoted that verse it hit my heart She said it convicted me so much and I was going to church going to church play acting and I was committing fornication
Sexual immorality and She said every time you mentioned that I had been crucified with Christ I was pricked to the heart
She said that was a verse that as you were constantly speaking it out loud not knowing that I was
I was lost The power of the Word of God took a hold of her heart and she was later on born again because of that seed
We don't realize the watching world and we don't realize what they're seeing and There's looking at you.
You're the only open Bible even people that go to church Pretending to be Christians that are not
Christians and this was one She eventually was converted glory be to God. Amen But see we speak
God's Word you speak God's Word. It has life -giving power Where Jesus Christ is the power?
He's the one My question is have you died? Have you died with Christ?
The verbs intense indicates that a death has occurred in the past. Have you died with Jesus Christ?
Are you buried with him? Have you a rose with him? Are you risen with him? Is your life hidden with Christ in God and then he says when
Christ who is our life is Christ your life Appears then you also will appear with him in glory.
You know what that talks about. We've been talking about in 2nd Peter the second coming of Jesus When he comes back does not this tie tie in with Titus chapter 2 verse 11 through 14.
Listen to the Word of God for The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men
God's grace teaches us something Teaching us teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust
We should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present age God's grace teaches us to live a holy life.
That's what he's saying and By the way nowhere in Scriptures. Will you ever find the grace of God?
Teaching us to live a compromising unholy life. Never will you find it matter of fact?
it will time and time again if you look in the book and read the book of Hebrews it warns us for trampling the grace of God underfoot and crucifying the
Son of God afresh It teaches us the opposite it teaches us that we should be reverent and fearing
God We need this in the church so much and I'm think church wake up The grace of God is not for us to live any way we want to It's opposite God teaches us to live holy and righteous and to be like Jesus I've even heard some so -called preachers say oh,
I believe if Jesus was here. He'd be doing this He'd be flying a jet airplane. He'd be living high on the hog.
He'll be doing I said no, sir Read that's not what the Jesus would be doing the Jesus of the Bible.
They have another Jesus See, that's the problem They don't have the
Christ of the Christ of God the Christ of the Bible and I'm telling you folks if we see the Christ of God and look in the book of Revelation The Apostle John even came to a point the one that leaned his head on the bosom of Jesus He felt like a dead man before Jesus Paralyzed But oh
Jesus put his hand on his right his right hand on him and says fear not The God of the
Bible is totally I would say Different of what is being preached in many churches today sad to say
The Bible teaches us to live holy does it not how many times in the Bible that speaks about living holy?
Peter says be holy for I am holy says the Lord and he quotes from Leviticus That's a command folks be holy
Be set apart This is the command from God now look at Colossians Look at verse 5 now we talked about dying with Christ.
That's a past tense Now now he talks about doing something in the present tense.
Therefore put to death your members now. He's going to sanctification Put to death your members
You ever thought what is it that we are to consider dead the idea here is to reckon it dead
Romans 6 11 says for so even so reckon yourselves indeed
Dead to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. What a statement
That's an imperative statement. You know what an imperative means. It's a vital importance. It's extremely important.
It is absolutely crucial It requires immediate action
It's active not passive again reckon it can't be constantly counting on it.
It's a fact yourselves to be dead to sin and Alive to God in Christ Jesus Martin Luther said
I died with Christ, but it was not long after I died with Christ and I was buried with Christ and I rose again with Christ then
I found out that the old the old man can swim The dead man, you know, you know what?
He's saying. That's the struggle. Look at Romans 7 You can read it in your devotional time. Paul had a struggle a war there and then what he's saying here to the people at Colossae He says you need to put to death your members which are on earth.
What are they? Fornication uncleanness passion evil desire covetousness, which is what
Idolatry Put to death means to mortify it. In other words, we must pack it up.
We must not pet it We must be hard on it and folks. This is hard about the
Christian life, but it must be happening and that is something we must learn as Christians is to hate this sin that God hates and by the way when you are born again
You will hate that sin and you will love righteousness. That is a sure mark of a child of God To look to love righteousness to hate sin folks everything that is against God has to go
Treat it as dead put it to death hack it to death as Samuel hacked a gag to pieces
Everything that will keep us from fully surrendering and obeying our Lord Must come to a death sentence.
It must be put in the electric chair Colossians 3 5 Put to death your members which are on earth fornication uncleanness passion.
What are they? Let's look at them immorality refers to any kind of illicit sex
Sexual behavior outside of marriage It is all sexual immorality including adultery fornication homosexuality
Lesbianism intercourse with animals. Can you believe people would go that far, but they do Wow, it must be put to death
Impurity uncleanness Filthiness in a moral sense. It is a perverted immoral lifestyle do what listen folks do we not live in an age that so glorifies the flesh and we see this constantly and The people of God must be pure and holy and sanctified
I'm not talking about being self -righteous. I'm talking about being like Jesus Look at the next next one passion
Passion what does that mean in inordinate affection a strong drive that does not cease until it's satisfied
The dictionary says this Webster this strong desire can be either good or bad, but in context it indicates depraved passion
This person is a slave to his evil desires He's driven. He's a driven person that's obsessed by his evil passion sensuality
Folks Paul is writing to a church here Evil desire that means desire longing for something that is forbidden a lust for all evil in a broad sense for anything evil
Paul probably includes the word here to cover every Inconceivable or I'm to say conceivable evil thing that is against the holiness of God Look at this last one
Covetousness covetousness, you know what that means greed Insatiable being insatiable
With the ideal to desire more and more to covet the more you get the more you won't
I gotta have more I gotta have more Don't we live in a world like this, but what about the
Christians? Good night Sad to say it's in the church and a little leaven leavens the whole lot
It is a selfish greed that cannot be satisfied here the person who wants that which is forbidden to him just like Eve desired the fruit
That was good to her eyes It is beyond his means so he takes it anyhow and this leads by the way to rape murder robbery and etc wars and so forth
It cannot have what you possess by legal means so they basically say
I will take it anyway Did not the reformer John Calvin say that the heart is a factory for idols
You know what? He's saying that heart basically is producing and reproducing idols constantly
Folks we've got to take them idols and if they are being produced and we're fighting and warring against the sin
It must be put to death and only the cross of the Lord. Jesus Christ can put it to death
Moody says you don't have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods
America's full of them Whatever you love more than God is your idol He gets right to it doesn't he whatever we make more time for spend more time for One preacher put it this way
But let me see where you you put your money and what you put your time and I'll show you where your
God is We've got to move on idolatry
Did not God Address this that there shall not be no other gods before him
That he is to be first in all things in our life Hey, and we're going into the first in the new year fresh new year.
What God must be priority in all things Greed amounts to idolatry does it not?
Jesus said in Matthew 6 24 no man can serve two masters for either. He will hate the one or love the other
Jesus said there's no Neutral, there's no neutrality there. He says you will love the one or hate the other
You cannot be devoted to one and despise the other he and then he basically says you cannot serve
God and ma 'am And that means money This is really hearts
Seeking and I need this I need this and You know folks you look at verse 6
Paul basically reminds the people here the church for an account of these things the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience the wrath of God The wrath of God you don't hear much preached about God's wrath
Do you it's a deep -seated anger of God that God hates sin with a fiery anger
And by the way, that anger of God was placed on his son at the cross of Calvary That Jesus took for you and me
We're to be different right would it be different now,
I want you to see this Go to verse 6 because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience in which you
Yourselves once walked when you lived in them In other words you once walked like this you're different now, right?
You once lived like that you in other words you're changed you're different and Then he says
Now he tells us what to put off. I want you to see this put off the old self But now you says are to your yourselves are to put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy language out of your mouth
Just look at these anger This is a long -lasting slow -burning anger
It tends to stay around a long time. It's just outburst of anger The children of God we got to put this aside
I got to put it off Isn't it is not this what the
New Year's about we put off the old put on the new Put off wrath that means refers to a burning anger that flares up quickly burns with intensity of fire
It's an outburst of anger It just as quickly dies out and then like a burning dry pine straw blazes up quickly and burns itself out
Paul says in verse 8 that whether our reaction to life or long lasting or sudden burst
Both are wrong and need to be dealt with Look at the next one
Malice what's malice? What's malice? It's a all -pervading evil mindset that conceives of evil things to do
It's a vicious nature that is predetermined to do to do evil to others This person is just playing out evil bad and wicked and has a deliberate motive and intention to do evil
Look at the next one slander Basically blasphemy Blaspheming this person will use abusive speech to belittle other people and cause them to lose
Their good reputation they insult it goes along with gossip They insult people with their speech
That's why the Bible is so against gossip abusive speech filthy communication out of our mouth
Christians Well, I don't know about you. How many I How many Christians, you know uses bad language
I've seen foul -mouthed filthy talk and always tell people and one person said and I was talking to and it had all this
Bible knowledge And he claimed like he was another Luther He says I'm like a prophet of God and I'm telling you all this and he was using all this foul language
I said, but I said you have no right to talk to me and I said by the way, I Said the tongue I told him
James 3 what the tongue has set on fire from hell I said and by the way, and he says well,
I got a potty mouth. I say yeah you do and you got a potty heart, too Because Jesus says everything that comes out of the mouth comes from the heart.
This person was within the church had all this Bible knowledge Good night
Then he says do not lie to one another since you've laid aside the old self with evil practices Paul states imperatively to forbid completely these behaviors stop lying
Don't do it and basically what he's saying here you are to put off all these things
Now, that's the negative That's the negative Let's look to the positive
We're to put off the old man refers to the old nature because Knowing this
Paul says that our old self was crucified with Christ in order that our body of sin might be done away with So that we would no longer be slaves to sin
Amen Romans 6 I got a man from There you listening aren't
Take off that old flesh those sinful attitudes thoughts feelings and put it to death
Be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind Well, he tells us also things we should put on What are we to put on?
Notice this and Have in verse 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in the knowledge according to the image of him who created him
There it is the image of Jesus Christ the renewed in knowledge the new man according to the image of him
Who created him? Where there is neither great nor Jew circumcised nor uncircumcised barbarians to thin Slave nor free, but Christ is all in all and now look at verse 12
Verse 12 therefore there for in other words that therefore is there for a reason right as the elect of God Holy in other words set apart
Beloved you're beloved of God The first thing he says to put on put on tender mercies
And that beautiful Tender mercies now folks. This is like in a sense.
I like you for the picture every day You you take off the old dirty clothes and put on new clothes We take a bath.
We pamper our body don't we but what about our spirit man? Paul speaks about put on the whole armor of God with a put on God's armor to go to war
The breastplate of righteousness the helmet of salvation feet shod with the preparation of the gospel piece
Girded with truth That the sword which is the Spirit of God, which is the Word of God and the shield which is the shield of faith
That's the soldier. That's the warrior To fight in other words. We are in a warfare, right?
But here he says as the elect of God we to put on tender mercies is not the tender mercies like Jesus It's not kindness like Jesus is not humility like Jesus Meekness like Jesus long -suffering like Jesus.
Absolutely Ephesians 4 23 24 says and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man
Which is after God is created in righteousness and true holiness If you want to see someone that True is true
Holiness is Jesus Christ true holiness manifest in the flesh and We are
God's people kindness goodness kindness generosity, I Don't know about you.
This convicts me You put on this goodness and kindness just generosity always seeking the highest good in others
Kindness is an attitude that always demonstrates itself in action. It reaches out and touches people's lives
Folks, this is Christianity 101. This is this is Christianity in shoe leather.
This is everyday application How about humility? It's an attitude of self -evaluation that recognizes one's own weakness and failures
But also it recognizes the power of God working through the person. This is the kind of person
God can use in order for his kingdom
For his kingdom it is a wholesome esteem It's not Self -esteem but is a he looks at himself as He's nothing without Jesus Christ, but in Christ he could do all things and that all things doesn't mean
Crazy things. Okay. It's talking about being like Jesus. That's what Paul is referring to We must beware of a false humility as well.
That's deceitful because the hearts deceitful and above It's wicked above all things What about gentleness that means meekness and by the way meekness is not weakness
Jesus was the strongest man that ever lived and I'm not talking about physically.
I'm talking about Spiritually, so, you know think of this meekness is not way and you know what it means.
It means power under control It's almost like if I were to bring a big horse in here powerful horse, how many thousands of pounds and if that horse has been trained and and he's been taught and he's been
Mellowed after riding and he comes in here gentle and he's he's like a big pet
But that horse has the power You know, that's where we get the word, you know horse power
And in race cars and so forth But think of the horse that has tremendous power to if he got out of control
He could probably hurt every and kill every one of us in here kick us to death but a horse is
Can be used as an example power under control gentleness is power under control meekness
Does not imply weakness in any way form or fashion It means obedient submission to the will of God gives strength to put on other characteristics in this list fruit of the
Spirit Fruit of the Spirit The attitude of Jesus I like to put it
Well patience long suffering when someone provokes us how many times you get provoked every day?
I Get provoked every day, don't you? Just go just get on the road Amen, I Get I get it all the time
People people are nasty and ugly on the road and they provoke you we've got to be patient boy
This is so convicting to endure pressure of life that refuses and to refuse to retaliate folks in other words
I had a guy the other day when I was putting up milk and he I didn't even know who he was and then that's
Saying he was trying to get his family by and I was just stocking milk and he said tighten up and I thought
What? And I looked around I said, excuse me, sir. Hey, I'm trying to get my family by he said that I mean real loud
I'm from everybody. I'm thinking I Said go ahead, sir. I had no idea Well, I'm not now the first that You think
I'm coming across gentle and patient, but I wasn't at first at first. I want to turn around say hold on mister
Don't you talk to me like that? people says yeah, but if you're
Christian you Adore Matt No, it's not talking about being a doormat.
What about being like Jesus? Amen. Oh Wow, amen soft word
Breaks the bones. Amen. Thank you Keith And we got to see our impulse naturally.
We want to get defensive And I had to catch myself And it was hard.
I won't be honest. It was hard folks I wanted to strike back and I saw that person when I was going out and I almost wanted to go
But he was with his family. I just let him go and I said it's almost as the Lord was saying
Don't don't don't pick a fight Well, we need to bear being like Jesus I must close this out because my time's gone
Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts. Amen We'd have put on tender mercies kindness humility meekness long -suffering
Bearing with one another forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint Against another even as Christ forgave you so you also must do
Jesus loved his enemies and he proved it folks He prayed for those that crucified him
The applications very strong and in the scriptures itself gives us the application watch this but a verse 14
But above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection to love the love of God First Corinthians 13 love never fails
Love never fails. Do we believe that folks? God's love will never fail
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which you all were Also, you were called in one body and be thankful Oh, there's a word be thankful And notice he gives us the instructions of how to do this and this is it
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly and always and that's how we do it Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly we must saturate ourselves with the
Word of God Folks this doesn't mean just knowing in our head What did
David say? Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I what? That I might not sin against thee
Let's hide the Word of God in our heart the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in All wisdom
And what does it do teaching and admonishing? Notice this one another that's the church one another in psalms and in hymns and Spiritual songs and singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord. That's true worship And he closes it out in verse 17, whatever you do in word or deed
Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus given. Thanks to God the Father through him. There it is
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly The idea is to let God's Word make itself at home in your heart hide it in your heart settle in your heart
May it be at home with the believer. It becomes a daily habit and The presence of Jesus Christ in the believer should govern every attitude thought motive word
Behavior and all we sung about it take time to be holy the motive
The motive is whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ given.
Thanks to him to God the Father It leads us to worship
To love him to adore him. Don't you don't you want to love him more?
I Do and this is God's goal for us. We to pursue him, but his goal for us is for us to be conformed to the image of his dear son and We need to daily remind ourselves
That we are no longer slaves of sin, but slaves to Jesus and That we're part of the body of Christ.
That's why we're to be thankful folks Aren't you so thankful that you're part of the family of God? I It's by grace, it's
No goodness enough in us, right? It's the goodness of God.
And by the way It's the goodness of God that leads us to repent. Amen.
Amen Let's pray Father we thank you Lord we thank you for your word and help us
Lord hide thy word and our hearts that we may not sin against thee Lord may as we start this new year, may we draw closer to you and and to Jesus Christ, but most of all
Lord help us to be more like your son the Lord Jesus Christ in all and all
That he is and all of his beauty and that may we show the beauty of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world
That's in darkness Blinded by sin blinded by the God of this world Help us
Oh Lord to mortify the deeds of the flesh Help us
Lord to put to death the deeds of the flesh through the spirit through the spirit that there's no condemnation to those in Jesus Christ, but it's
Through your spirit because if we're in the flesh, we cannot please you but if the spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in us And who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies through his spirit
Dwells in us. So Lord, it's your spirit We will live according to if we live according to the flesh when we die, but if we live by this
Spirit, we put to death the deeds of the body. We will live Lord. Help us help us
And we look to you looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith Who endeared the cross for the joy that was set before him?