The Question: How is it that a person comes to know that she or he really knows the Living God?
I. If We Know God, We Will Keep His Commands 1 John 2:3
Not necessarily the ten commandments, keep in mind. John is also NOT asking the question: "How do we come to know God?" Note, that's not the question. The question is the first sentence. It's a very strong question. How much do you ask it about yourself? I know I ask that question a lot. I even sometimes doubt that everything is okay. I forget the full strength of the Gospel and end up freaking out. John is giving us a test that will help us to be certain that we know the Living God. Keep in mind that no matter what, we will NEVER be perfect in anything we do.
Verse 4 reads out: " 4 Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Whoa...doesn't that sound harsh? No. Like I said earlier, none of us will do anything perfectly. Verse 5 helps clear things out a little: "But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected." When John says perfected, he is not meaning that WE are perfected. So the question to answer the main one is this: Is the Final Authority In Your Life the Word of God and God himself? In other words, if you really know God, you'll love and look forward to reading his Word, the Holy Bible. You'll pay very close attention to it. You will love learning from Jesus' words and teachings.
II. If We Know God, We Will Emulate Jesus' Life Of Obedience. 1 John 2:6
Like I said earlier, don't freak out if you aren't able to be like Jesus perfectly. Listen closely to these couple sentences: None of us, not ONE will be able to do it perfectly. After all, if we can do it perfectly, then what use is Christ? He came to die and save SINNERS, NOT PERFECTIONISTS. My Pastor today told a story that went like this:
A man had finished carving a lion out of wood. Someone asked him, "How did you do that?" The man answered simply, "Quite easily. I just chipped away everything that wasn't lion."
Honestly, I can't understand one word of that. Can you? At least I admitted it. The point of the matter is that the Holy Spirit is like the man. He's chipping away everything that isn't like Christ. It takes time. When we die, we'll go to heaven and become most like him as could be. I'm not sure if we'll exactly be like him equally...but that's not the point of the matter at hand. John is mainly pointing out these things so that the church would be able to see false teachers that surrounded it at the time. An easy way to describe that: If we say "It doesn't matter how we live, Grace is upon us", We don't understand Grace. It does matter how we live our lives. John has already stated it in verse 4.
III. If We Know God, We Will Love. 1 John 2:7
If anything, I think that this is probably the most troublesome for me: I don't really get along with people. The point is not even to get along. It's to LOVE. Now that's definitely something I need to work on. When John says that the command to love is an old one, boy it is. It was there for centuries. Mostly from the entire beginning. If you know God, then you'll love your brother and sister. If I love my God, I'll love MY brother and sister. My friends, this does not mean just siblings described here. (Even though that may be the hardest to do. :D) It also implies friends and other people. I think mainly Christians, but we should love others enough to proclaim the good news to them.
IV. Thoughts and Conclusion.
So, do you desire to obey God's Commands? Do you run to the Word for God's perspective on things? Do you read the Bible to just read? I think we should be doing all three. I would refrain from thinking this way as I was doing earlier this morning at the Sermon: Just read the bible so that it will show that we know God.
Oh brother, I just brought up another problem, didn't I? Oops. Here's my answer to that problem: Yes, do read the bible. Have a happy attitude about it though. Each time before you read, I'd suggest maybe asking God to let your heart be attentive to His word, and help you gain something from it. You can try to force the Bible into your day though. It is something that we all need. I've actually come to find that I gain a lot, and it just makes me even feel better when I read, and try to figure things out.
Other things I have noticed: Life without God and the Bible is practically impossible. Living alone without them, even without people (Even though it seems to be relaxing) is useless. To me anyway. You may have other thoughts. What are the things stopping you from reading the bible? Laziness, perhaps? Work or school? Different activities, maybe? I am wondering how much time we spend sitting and doing nothing instead of reading the bible. Are some of these activities even useful to us? Fitness, looks, making yourself look better and higher? These to me seem like quite a wasteful spent life. What's better? Earthly riches, power and reputation, or being as Christ-like as possible, and eternity with God?
I am most likely a hypocrite. It's something I am trying to fight in myself. I will say this again in a better way from my mind: Every aspect of things on this Earth is useless and frail compared to clinging to Jesus. Think about it.
BLS
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
God Meets You Where You Are: Fear
Sorry for the extremely long period with no posts. MUST try to do better. Anyhows, this is coming from Psalm 56. So, you'll need your bibles for this one (I'm not going to put a whole psalm up here). Read Psalm 56 before you read further (Please).
I. What Happens When I Am Afraid? Psalm 56:3
Fear is recurring everywhere: People, animals, (Obviously not things) all around the world. It is phenomenally universal. So...Why do we commonly fear things? How do we know we fear something when it's not obvious?
It usually has to do with control. We are typically afraid of things that aren't under our control. It's human nature to desire to have control of things and situations, because it makes you feel so much better. We can also get angry at the things we fear. (Well, duh...I mean, we get mad when we have to do something we're afraid of, right? That shouldn't be to hard to figure out...)
David, the psalmist, is terrified. (Psalm 56:1, 1 Samuel 21:12-15, Psalm 56:5-6) More importantly, when we are afraid we put our trust in God. So: 1. When I am afraid I put my trust in God. 2. Our fear always involves trust. (Or a lack of trust, or trust in something useless [yourself for one {Yes I'm being mean now, but it's the truth! Me included!}])
II. So How Do We Deal With Fear? How Do We Become Unafraid?
You know, it's truly almost IMPOSSIBLE. (Unless you're the annoying [I'm not afraid of anything] {In my case, that doesn't apply to me for one reason: I have no clue. I call things as I see them}) However, looking to the Lord for dealing with fear is the best answer. No joke. None at all. On the other hand though, that doesn't mean that you won't have things that might scare you. If it's life threatening, (You DO NOT TEST THE LORD BY DOING THIS ON PURPOSE) and you believe your going to heaven because the Son Of God died for you, well your going to a better place anyways. That's my way of thinking. I hope it's yours as well. ;)
But, how do we (Our human sinful natures) try to do it? Usually, in the non-believers sense, they'll try to do one of these two things: 1. Avoidance. Just run from the fear all the time. 2. Trying to be self-confident and stand up to your fears. In my mind, choice 2 is a pretty good idea. But let God help you to be confident. Don't be confident in yourself (If something can go wrong, it will) but (With God all things are possible). No joke. God's proven that all throughout history in the bible. After all, what can man possibly do to you? Sure, they could kill you with a shotgun rifle. They could kill you with a knife. They can break all your limbs, but guess what? NONE of that matters! They won't decide whether you go to Heaven or Hell. They will never
ever be able to do that. God is the only one who decides where you will spend eternity: Whether it be Hell or Heaven. He's the one you should fear. However, because I'm a Christian, I believe and know that he will lead me to heaven. (Matthew 10:28) (That doesn't mean though that I can sin anyway, I will, but I won't do it willingly. I hope. I know you already know that. I've said it time and again on this blog. If you're new to me, well, then now you know. :)
"The more you focus on something, (Fear or anything else - put in by me) the more you'll see
problems with it," -Wayne Brooks. (My pastor)
III. How Do I Put My Trust In God?
Hmmm. Well, that's one heck of a question. You don't just do it once, after all. He said "When I am afraid I put my trust in God." That's literally what he means. The only other way I can think to put it: You want to grow in your trust in God? Well, by all means, grow in knowing God. :) Once you really know a lot about God by reading the Bible, and you have held a conversation with him, you should be able to fully put your trust in him.
IV. Why Overcome Fear?
Well, now that's another amazing question. You're pretty good at this. ;) My Pastor said this:
"The problem with fear is keeping us away from glorifying our Heavenly Father and Savior."
Truly, I had NEVER EVER thought of that before. I mean, now it totally makes sense. I can put this into reason now: We may be afraid to talk to people about our Heavenly Father and His Son who died for them. What happens if they want to kill me? Well, that is fear, and it gets in the way of us serving our Lord.
Any MORE amazing questions? Feel free to ask. I'll see if I can help you. ;)
BLS
I. What Happens When I Am Afraid? Psalm 56:3
Fear is recurring everywhere: People, animals, (Obviously not things) all around the world. It is phenomenally universal. So...Why do we commonly fear things? How do we know we fear something when it's not obvious?
It usually has to do with control. We are typically afraid of things that aren't under our control. It's human nature to desire to have control of things and situations, because it makes you feel so much better. We can also get angry at the things we fear. (Well, duh...I mean, we get mad when we have to do something we're afraid of, right? That shouldn't be to hard to figure out...)
David, the psalmist, is terrified. (Psalm 56:1, 1 Samuel 21:12-15, Psalm 56:5-6) More importantly, when we are afraid we put our trust in God. So: 1. When I am afraid I put my trust in God. 2. Our fear always involves trust. (Or a lack of trust, or trust in something useless [yourself for one {Yes I'm being mean now, but it's the truth! Me included!}])
II. So How Do We Deal With Fear? How Do We Become Unafraid?
You know, it's truly almost IMPOSSIBLE. (Unless you're the annoying [I'm not afraid of anything] {In my case, that doesn't apply to me for one reason: I have no clue. I call things as I see them}) However, looking to the Lord for dealing with fear is the best answer. No joke. None at all. On the other hand though, that doesn't mean that you won't have things that might scare you. If it's life threatening, (You DO NOT TEST THE LORD BY DOING THIS ON PURPOSE) and you believe your going to heaven because the Son Of God died for you, well your going to a better place anyways. That's my way of thinking. I hope it's yours as well. ;)
But, how do we (Our human sinful natures) try to do it? Usually, in the non-believers sense, they'll try to do one of these two things: 1. Avoidance. Just run from the fear all the time. 2. Trying to be self-confident and stand up to your fears. In my mind, choice 2 is a pretty good idea. But let God help you to be confident. Don't be confident in yourself (If something can go wrong, it will) but (With God all things are possible). No joke. God's proven that all throughout history in the bible. After all, what can man possibly do to you? Sure, they could kill you with a shotgun rifle. They could kill you with a knife. They can break all your limbs, but guess what? NONE of that matters! They won't decide whether you go to Heaven or Hell. They will never
ever be able to do that. God is the only one who decides where you will spend eternity: Whether it be Hell or Heaven. He's the one you should fear. However, because I'm a Christian, I believe and know that he will lead me to heaven. (Matthew 10:28) (That doesn't mean though that I can sin anyway, I will, but I won't do it willingly. I hope. I know you already know that. I've said it time and again on this blog. If you're new to me, well, then now you know. :)
"The more you focus on something, (Fear or anything else - put in by me) the more you'll see
problems with it," -Wayne Brooks. (My pastor)
III. How Do I Put My Trust In God?
Hmmm. Well, that's one heck of a question. You don't just do it once, after all. He said "When I am afraid I put my trust in God." That's literally what he means. The only other way I can think to put it: You want to grow in your trust in God? Well, by all means, grow in knowing God. :) Once you really know a lot about God by reading the Bible, and you have held a conversation with him, you should be able to fully put your trust in him.
IV. Why Overcome Fear?
Well, now that's another amazing question. You're pretty good at this. ;) My Pastor said this:
"The problem with fear is keeping us away from glorifying our Heavenly Father and Savior."
Truly, I had NEVER EVER thought of that before. I mean, now it totally makes sense. I can put this into reason now: We may be afraid to talk to people about our Heavenly Father and His Son who died for them. What happens if they want to kill me? Well, that is fear, and it gets in the way of us serving our Lord.
Any MORE amazing questions? Feel free to ask. I'll see if I can help you. ;)
BLS
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
...
Again, it's been like a month since i've posted. I THOUGHT I told myself to follow it up...and i haven't really been busy, but apparently my head doesn't get the memo. :) Anyhows, here 'tis:
Flesh Vs. Spirit
Gal. 5:22-24: "But the Fruit Of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
It is apparent that Paul teaches True Godliness shows and reflects and happens at the very core of our lives: How we Live and Think. True Spirituality is the result of the work of the Spirit. This isn't saying that even evil spirituality is work of the flesh; NO, True (RIGHTEOUS) Spirituality is of the Holy Spirit, but Evil Spirituality is work of the flesh.
I. Kind Of Fruit Produced By The Spirit.
Sorry, this...is a list, but I'll try to do my best at differentiating it. (And hopefully i don't fail miserably.)
A. Love - 1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death." THAT IS, the GENUINE LOVE. NOT the word Love that the WORLD has defined. This love isn't really...true. True Love for someone is all for another's good, and it's selfless, even to the point of death. Now I'm pretty sure that the way the world has defined love is not like this. Second guess me if I'm wrong, but I don't think so. :)
B. Joy: Now, the true world does not know what this is. Yes, you can be joyful when good things are happening to you that is amazing. But TRUE JOY is ALWAYS in a Christian. Even when things are going bad. Huh? You might be thinking. Isn't that wrong to be joyful when everything seems to be going against you? Well let me answer that for you :) . Well, I don't think i put the question right. But the answer is no. We can be joyful even in hardships, because we know that we really do deserve to have it going against us. We will always sin, and fail; but Jesus Christ died for us...therefore, it doesn't matter if it's not all working out. We can be joyful in trials because we know that we're still going to be in Heaven, and God is doing this for the best. He always knows what he's doing. In pain, suffering, and affliction, this is all just to make us cry out for the Lord, knowing that he knows what he's doing, and this is all for our best. It truly is. Now, I'm not saying that it is bad to not be joyful in hard circumstances, it's easy to be depressed. But try to be joyful in that loving and gracious fact that is unbelievable.
C. Peace: Rom. 5:1: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Not divided or split up; but whole, secure and not worrying or anxious.
D. Patience: A calm willingness to endure irritating troubles. 1 Tim. 1:16: "But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." and Col. 3:12: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." (Because of His Patience w/ us, we can be [and should be] patient w/ others. Not just do these, but in light of that Jesus Christ did all these things for us and to us, now we can do all of these for and to others. :)
E. Kindness: Because he was kind and caring to us to die for our sins, we can manifest this kindness to others, even though we didn't deserve his kindness, and they don't deserve our kindness.
F. Goodness: Same thing as above, but a sorta different category.
G. Faithfulness
H. Gentleness
I. Self Control
II. The Spirit Does What The Law Cannot Do.
Gal. 5:23.
The Law can't perform these acts. You can only become this way by asking and crying out to God for help. This is what the Holy Spirit is producing. :) The Law as given to only restrain evil, but these things and qualities do not need to be restrained. We will bear the fruit of the Spirit by availing ourselves of the means of Grace that God gives to us.
III. The Believer Must Turn From Works Of The Flesh To Fruit Of Spirit.
Gal. 5:24.
A. "Have Crucified.
B. Every Christian will make progress in their growth in the grace and in conformity to the image of Christ.
Sorry, the last part was excerpts on the note sheet. I did that because at that point in the sermon, my pen ran out of ink. haha. :)
B.L.S. out. :)
Flesh Vs. Spirit
Gal. 5:22-24: "But the Fruit Of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
It is apparent that Paul teaches True Godliness shows and reflects and happens at the very core of our lives: How we Live and Think. True Spirituality is the result of the work of the Spirit. This isn't saying that even evil spirituality is work of the flesh; NO, True (RIGHTEOUS) Spirituality is of the Holy Spirit, but Evil Spirituality is work of the flesh.
I. Kind Of Fruit Produced By The Spirit.
Sorry, this...is a list, but I'll try to do my best at differentiating it. (And hopefully i don't fail miserably.)
A. Love - 1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death." THAT IS, the GENUINE LOVE. NOT the word Love that the WORLD has defined. This love isn't really...true. True Love for someone is all for another's good, and it's selfless, even to the point of death. Now I'm pretty sure that the way the world has defined love is not like this. Second guess me if I'm wrong, but I don't think so. :)
B. Joy: Now, the true world does not know what this is. Yes, you can be joyful when good things are happening to you that is amazing. But TRUE JOY is ALWAYS in a Christian. Even when things are going bad. Huh? You might be thinking. Isn't that wrong to be joyful when everything seems to be going against you? Well let me answer that for you :) . Well, I don't think i put the question right. But the answer is no. We can be joyful even in hardships, because we know that we really do deserve to have it going against us. We will always sin, and fail; but Jesus Christ died for us...therefore, it doesn't matter if it's not all working out. We can be joyful in trials because we know that we're still going to be in Heaven, and God is doing this for the best. He always knows what he's doing. In pain, suffering, and affliction, this is all just to make us cry out for the Lord, knowing that he knows what he's doing, and this is all for our best. It truly is. Now, I'm not saying that it is bad to not be joyful in hard circumstances, it's easy to be depressed. But try to be joyful in that loving and gracious fact that is unbelievable.
C. Peace: Rom. 5:1: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Not divided or split up; but whole, secure and not worrying or anxious.
D. Patience: A calm willingness to endure irritating troubles. 1 Tim. 1:16: "But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." and Col. 3:12: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." (Because of His Patience w/ us, we can be [and should be] patient w/ others. Not just do these, but in light of that Jesus Christ did all these things for us and to us, now we can do all of these for and to others. :)
E. Kindness: Because he was kind and caring to us to die for our sins, we can manifest this kindness to others, even though we didn't deserve his kindness, and they don't deserve our kindness.
F. Goodness: Same thing as above, but a sorta different category.
G. Faithfulness
H. Gentleness
I. Self Control
II. The Spirit Does What The Law Cannot Do.
Gal. 5:23.
The Law can't perform these acts. You can only become this way by asking and crying out to God for help. This is what the Holy Spirit is producing. :) The Law as given to only restrain evil, but these things and qualities do not need to be restrained. We will bear the fruit of the Spirit by availing ourselves of the means of Grace that God gives to us.
III. The Believer Must Turn From Works Of The Flesh To Fruit Of Spirit.
Gal. 5:24.
A. "Have Crucified.
B. Every Christian will make progress in their growth in the grace and in conformity to the image of Christ.
Sorry, the last part was excerpts on the note sheet. I did that because at that point in the sermon, my pen ran out of ink. haha. :)
B.L.S. out. :)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
It's been such a long time since i've posted
I'm gonna try and pick blogging back up. It's been since *last year* I've posted. For an important reason, Grace Church has been preaching on Legalism. I've known of this problem a long time. Little did I know that I had one HUGE problem with it...I am now aware of this huge road block in my life. It's truly always a problem, even when it's microscopic. David Traugott, one of our pastors, used a very descriptive example. He had a huge container full of water. He took some blue dye enough to fill half of a table spoon. As soon as it hit the water, no matter the size, it spread within seconds, and the white water was gone. Legalism can't be contained, at least without God's strong help. The Offense Of The Cross, as put into words, is against and offensive to our natural sinful selves. Examples of Legalism: Judgmentalness, (Yeah, didn't think that was a word, but i think you get the idea) arguing with someone, because it puts up your standard, and legalism is a standard. I just felt it necessary to warn. Don't try to be so judgmental. Now, if something is truly wrong with someone, don't do it in a judgmental way. I hope this helps,
B.L.S.
B.L.S.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Foolish Galatians
Yes, I know...this title is pretty intense. (I'm not the one who titled it! [Course, it IS the truth...you'll see]) Galatians 3: 1-5 is the text we'll be looking at, and; lucky for you, since it's a small passage, We'll look at it on here. Galatians 3:1-5: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—" Before we start, i just want to say some things: We don't work hard to stay saved and grow after we are saved by the Gospel, but we are saved AND (Uh-hm) GROW by the GOSPEL. The Truth by which you are saved is the one you should stick to.
I. How Was Christ Preached? Gal. 3:1
Notice that Paul's tone is severe and direct: "O foolish Galatians!" (V. 1) The Galatians are not using Spiritual Discernment in this situation...for another thing, notice that it is Mental LAZINESS, not Mental DEFICIENCY. See, the Galatians are not really steadfast or stable...they pick up false Doctrines quickly. There is something in it for us too: We must REALLY take into mind ALL the possibilities of trouble: Sin in general, falling to False Doctrines, and the list goes on and on. "Who has bewitched you?" (Bewitched is to charm or fascinate someone.) The False teachers are charming the Galatians onto the wrong track. You can probably grab this as well: We must NOT be charmed or fascinated by the things and pleasures of this world.
II. How Did You Receive The Spirit? Gal. 3: 2
In other words: how were you saved? It was by faith in Jesus Christ and that his sacrifice covers our sins...so where in the world does "works" come in? The Galatians; like us, have received the Holy Spirit not because they worked to achieve it. Paul gives them the two options that there only are: HUMAN ACCOMPLISHMENT or DIVINE ACCOMPLISHMENT. In other words, works or by faith.
III. Are You So Foolish? Gal. 3:3
Paul DOES know that they are saved. The same way that the Galatians (and US!) received the Holy Spirit IS THE SAME WAY THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES PROGRESS AND ADVANCES IN THEIR LIVES!
IV. How Are You Being Sanctified? Gal. 3:3
Justification and Sanctification are INSEPARABLE, you can't have one without the other; even though BIBlICALLY you can study them in different verses and books of the bible. Also, you can't smuggle character into Justification. I already touched base with this, but this is important, so I'll say it again: As you receive Christ and the Spirit in Faith, so you walk and grow with them in Faith. It's not WORKS that save you and bring you into heaven. It's the Gospel, and as a result of your faith in the Gospel, YOU WILL DO WORKS BECAUSE IT IS GOD'S COMMAND, AND YOU WILL DO IT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER AND HELP. As a result, you will not EVEN BE ABLE to boast in yourself, BUT ONLY GOD. Yes, I'm emphasizing a lot...which makes it only more important. And even though it may not seem like we deal with works these days, it's important nonetheless: It's not a huge thing, but it can be a self-righteous issue. I can say I'm different and better than anyone else because i'm a servant and i do this and that and this and that. That is, as my science teacher loves to put it: "EL WRONGO!". Yes, my Science teacher is VERY funny.
V. On What Basis Did Jesus Perform His Miracles?
Well, you should already know...BY FAITH. Just think for a moment: Did ANYONE HE HEAL DESERVE TO BE HEALED BECAUSE THEY KEPT ALL OF THE COMMANDMENTS? No, not really. If you remember correctly, and I'm sure you are, Jesus always said, "Because of your faith in me, you are healed." Now, I know he NEVER really put it that way, but it's BASICALLY the same thing. So, were these miracles the result of their merits? I just answered that: NO!!! They had VERY strong Faith that he was the Christ.
Notice that NONE of these questions were answered...in fact, the answers are SO OBVIOUS that they are silent. So, what will you trust in? Your Works, or Your Savior's Works? Hm. Well, I keep cutting myself pretty frequently, as indeed I did earlier today. Hm. MOST LIKELY not the former...so DUH! The LATTER IS THE ANSWER! Our hearts AND desires are changed by Faith in the Gospel...that is HOW WE WERE SAVED AND HOW WE GROW.
I. How Was Christ Preached? Gal. 3:1
Notice that Paul's tone is severe and direct: "O foolish Galatians!" (V. 1) The Galatians are not using Spiritual Discernment in this situation...for another thing, notice that it is Mental LAZINESS, not Mental DEFICIENCY. See, the Galatians are not really steadfast or stable...they pick up false Doctrines quickly. There is something in it for us too: We must REALLY take into mind ALL the possibilities of trouble: Sin in general, falling to False Doctrines, and the list goes on and on. "Who has bewitched you?" (Bewitched is to charm or fascinate someone.) The False teachers are charming the Galatians onto the wrong track. You can probably grab this as well: We must NOT be charmed or fascinated by the things and pleasures of this world.
II. How Did You Receive The Spirit? Gal. 3: 2
In other words: how were you saved? It was by faith in Jesus Christ and that his sacrifice covers our sins...so where in the world does "works" come in? The Galatians; like us, have received the Holy Spirit not because they worked to achieve it. Paul gives them the two options that there only are: HUMAN ACCOMPLISHMENT or DIVINE ACCOMPLISHMENT. In other words, works or by faith.
III. Are You So Foolish? Gal. 3:3
Paul DOES know that they are saved. The same way that the Galatians (and US!) received the Holy Spirit IS THE SAME WAY THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES PROGRESS AND ADVANCES IN THEIR LIVES!
IV. How Are You Being Sanctified? Gal. 3:3
Justification and Sanctification are INSEPARABLE, you can't have one without the other; even though BIBlICALLY you can study them in different verses and books of the bible. Also, you can't smuggle character into Justification. I already touched base with this, but this is important, so I'll say it again: As you receive Christ and the Spirit in Faith, so you walk and grow with them in Faith. It's not WORKS that save you and bring you into heaven. It's the Gospel, and as a result of your faith in the Gospel, YOU WILL DO WORKS BECAUSE IT IS GOD'S COMMAND, AND YOU WILL DO IT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER AND HELP. As a result, you will not EVEN BE ABLE to boast in yourself, BUT ONLY GOD. Yes, I'm emphasizing a lot...which makes it only more important. And even though it may not seem like we deal with works these days, it's important nonetheless: It's not a huge thing, but it can be a self-righteous issue. I can say I'm different and better than anyone else because i'm a servant and i do this and that and this and that. That is, as my science teacher loves to put it: "EL WRONGO!". Yes, my Science teacher is VERY funny.
V. On What Basis Did Jesus Perform His Miracles?
Well, you should already know...BY FAITH. Just think for a moment: Did ANYONE HE HEAL DESERVE TO BE HEALED BECAUSE THEY KEPT ALL OF THE COMMANDMENTS? No, not really. If you remember correctly, and I'm sure you are, Jesus always said, "Because of your faith in me, you are healed." Now, I know he NEVER really put it that way, but it's BASICALLY the same thing. So, were these miracles the result of their merits? I just answered that: NO!!! They had VERY strong Faith that he was the Christ.
Notice that NONE of these questions were answered...in fact, the answers are SO OBVIOUS that they are silent. So, what will you trust in? Your Works, or Your Savior's Works? Hm. Well, I keep cutting myself pretty frequently, as indeed I did earlier today. Hm. MOST LIKELY not the former...so DUH! The LATTER IS THE ANSWER! Our hearts AND desires are changed by Faith in the Gospel...that is HOW WE WERE SAVED AND HOW WE GROW.
Friday, October 9, 2009
ONE WAY
Sorry that it has been awhile since I've posted anything. If you've seen how "Busy" I've been, maybe you'd understand...oh well, let's delve into the text here: Galatians 1:6-9:"6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
This is the first point we see:
I. Paul's Amazement
v. 6-7.
Paul is astonished that the Galatians are deserting God and the Gospel, and they are turning to a "False" Gospel. I say "False" because; as Paul clearly points out that there is no other Gospel. But we see that to desert God is leaving the Gospel, and if you leave the Gospel, you're leaving God. So, you can't have God without the Gospel, or the Gospel without God. If Jesus is not the only part of the Gospel, or the only way to heaven, He is not even a way. There are not many ways to heaven, but only one: Through Jesus. So, when it comes to the Gospel:
1. No room for error or distortion of the Gospel.
2. All "Other ways" lead to Hell, and not Heaven.
Really, the Gospel is the foundation of True Christianity. Therefore, if you get the Gospel wrong, EVERYTHING is wrong. The Galatians were running to other Gospels because they let people come in and change the Gospel. So, Galatians, the book ITSELF is a warning against Distortion of The Gospel, and against False teachers. There is ONLY ONE GOSPEL: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, which leads us into our next point:
II. Paul's Anathema
v. 7-9
We almost see another thing immediately: Paul is ANGRY. He points out that when you teach something different then the Gospel (Note: Christ could still be in it, but when you change it too much, just like sin; it will grow and become its total opposite.) you are causing others to fall. He says that if "we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." He goes on and says almost the same thing in V. 9:As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." He also says something VERY interesting in V. 10:For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Don't pass that lightly. You can probably tell, but he is REALLY saying this in a poetic way: "If you are trying to please men; it's not possible for you to be a servant of Christ, but if you are trying to please Christ, (And not men, JUST LEAVE THEM COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PICTURE!) you will be doing right, and he will be pleased with and put his delight in you. Sorry, that's all i have time for.
B.L.S
This is the first point we see:
I. Paul's Amazement
v. 6-7.
Paul is astonished that the Galatians are deserting God and the Gospel, and they are turning to a "False" Gospel. I say "False" because; as Paul clearly points out that there is no other Gospel. But we see that to desert God is leaving the Gospel, and if you leave the Gospel, you're leaving God. So, you can't have God without the Gospel, or the Gospel without God. If Jesus is not the only part of the Gospel, or the only way to heaven, He is not even a way. There are not many ways to heaven, but only one: Through Jesus. So, when it comes to the Gospel:
1. No room for error or distortion of the Gospel.
2. All "Other ways" lead to Hell, and not Heaven.
Really, the Gospel is the foundation of True Christianity. Therefore, if you get the Gospel wrong, EVERYTHING is wrong. The Galatians were running to other Gospels because they let people come in and change the Gospel. So, Galatians, the book ITSELF is a warning against Distortion of The Gospel, and against False teachers. There is ONLY ONE GOSPEL: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, which leads us into our next point:
II. Paul's Anathema
v. 7-9
We almost see another thing immediately: Paul is ANGRY. He points out that when you teach something different then the Gospel (Note: Christ could still be in it, but when you change it too much, just like sin; it will grow and become its total opposite.) you are causing others to fall. He says that if "we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." He goes on and says almost the same thing in V. 9:As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." He also says something VERY interesting in V. 10:For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Don't pass that lightly. You can probably tell, but he is REALLY saying this in a poetic way: "If you are trying to please men; it's not possible for you to be a servant of Christ, but if you are trying to please Christ, (And not men, JUST LEAVE THEM COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PICTURE!) you will be doing right, and he will be pleased with and put his delight in you. Sorry, that's all i have time for.
B.L.S
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Father's Extravagant Love For The Lost
David Traugott did an excellent job with the message. The text is from Luke 15:1-32.
I. "Lostness" Redefined
Honestly, I'm not even sure that is a real word. In reality, it isn't. So, we see a number of quick items in the first section:
I. "Lostness" Redefined
Honestly, I'm not even sure that is a real word. In reality, it isn't. So, we see a number of quick items in the first section:
- The Pre-Requisite for being saved through faith is to actually SEE your neediness.
- In the first few verses of Luke 15, the Pharisees see themselves as not Sinners, but perfect.
There is DEFINITELY something wrong right there. The Pharisees are complaining about Jesus' EXTRAVAGANT love for sinners. We see that the Pharisees were even complaining BEFORE in Luke 5: 29-32. Read that please. We see in v. 31 and 32 that Jesus is the Great Physician. You wouldn't necessarily like a doctor or physician who only takes the healthy. He would be doing his job wrong. In the same way, Jesus came only for the SINNERS and the IMPERFECT, not for the PERFECT. If someone is healthy; he does not need a physician or a doctor. However, we do see that NO ONE is perfect, even if they say so. Back to our main text now, we see Jesus jump straight into these three parables, which brings us to our second point.
II. The Parables
- The parable of the lost sheep.
- The parable of the Lost Coin.
- Finally, the parable of the Two Lost Sons.
Did you catch the last parable title? In the bible, it's referred to the Prodigal Son. Truly, this is incomplete, and I'll show you why when we come to that. Now, my theory behind the first two parables are this: In BOTH of these parables, the Coin and the Sheep are lost. They can't TRULY think for themselves. In the same way, left to yourselves, my brothers and sisters, we CANNOT save ourselves. So, read on to the parable of the sons. What do these three parables have in Common? They are all LOST. Now, here's where we break the son parable down. The younger brother is known as the Prodigal Son...because he spent all his father's wealth foolishly. He is completely lost. He eventually decides to come home to his father. This is where it get's interesting. Here's the twist: The elder brother. Look at Luke 15: 25-32. We see that the older brother stays outside, and is angry with his brother and father. The ELDER SON is LOST just as much as his brother, but WHY? Well, here's why: Look at his answer to his father. He's using his WORKS to get above his other brother. So, if you use your WORKS to get above everyone else and to get into heaven, you're just as lost as your brother, if NOT MORE. Why did I say more?
Because the bible says that God gives us Grace and Salvation by faith to bring us to him. Can Grace be earned by your Works? Think about that. God's Grace is freely given, so therefore it CANNOT be earned by WORKS. God's love is ALWAYS extravagant towards all, and his love DOES NOT PLAY FAVORITES...EVER. So, are you the elder or younger brother? Honestly, I think I am the Elder Brother. I do often use my works to get over my friends. Friends, right there is Sin. I'm Sinning whenever I do that...I'm also straying from the Lord My God. I am lost, so, what will happen? Jesus came and found me, and saved me. So, no matter how much I sin, God's LOVE IS ALWAYS LARGER. Take note of that.
"If Sin is on your doorstep and you can't deal with it, oh Brothers and Sisters run to Christ Jesus. God ALONE is the Strong Tower for the Homeless and the Weak. It was not for the perfect he came, but for the Imperfect and for Sinners. In HIM alone you will find Salvation, Strength and Peace, NOT by living your own way and straying from the Truth."
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