FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT – PRIDE OF LIFE

Taking Pride is Not the same as Being Proud:
• Everyone must have a sense of self-respect. We learn to take pride in our appearance in order that we do not dress disheveled or in sensual filthiness.
• We maintain our cars, homes, and lawns in a respectable manner. We can be proud of our Christianity, our faith.

However, when self-respect becomes exaggerated, pride develops into sin. Man begins to think too highly of himself.
“2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,” (Rom. 12:2-4).

Having said that the Pride of Life is sin… Deut. 8: (18) “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may [d]establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

WHAT IS MAN? King David considered the glory of the LORD simply by contemplating His creation. He wrote, “3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit[a] him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than [d]the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. ” (Psalm 8:3-5). 

When I consider my own life, I am undeserving of the blood of Christ, yet He loved me, He died for me, and by His blood I was washed. What amazing love!

In this lesson I will address two points…
1. What is man?
2. God’s mindfulness of man which He created

And as always we turn to the Holy scriptures for answers…

LUST OF THE FLESH!

Jesus taught, “29 If your right eye causes you to [a]sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to [b]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:29-30). 

Sounds pretty strong, yet when properly understood, this saying of Jesus can save your soul from eternal Hell’s fire. That the world loves to promote the lust of the flesh is clearly an undeniable fact. Nearly every television commercial, nearly every “reality show”, nearly every movie produced in our time will have some form of the lust of the flesh. Sometimes it is subtle, sometimes disgustingly or utterly bad, obnoxious, contemptible and vile. There will be most that think you strange when you don’t approve, don’t participate, and say no to this sin. That’s ok, because saying no to the devil is saying yes to your Lord, Master, and King. 

WHEN TO SHAKE THE DUST: Jesus commanded His disciples, “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet” (Matthew 10:14). There are conditions that require us to “shake off the dust from your feet”. In this lesson we will consider some reasons why I would be better to stand back and trust God to work on the heart of one you have tried to share the gospel with. Let us begin then with,when they refuse to listen…

What are you looking at? What is the Devil putting in front of your eyes? What images draw your attention off of purity and holiness? Uncontrolled our eyes can draw us into sin and there are many examples in the scriptures about those who simply looking at the wrong thing lost sight of purity and holiness. God says, Keep Your Eyes On What You Love: Love God – Matt. 22:37-38; Matt. 6:19-21, Love Truth – 2 Thess. 2:9-10 and Love One Another – John 13:34-35.
In this lesson we will expound on these things…

4 THINGS JESUS DID NOT KNOW

No, I am not saying that Jesus didn’t know everything. There are many things that sinful man does and many things man may think, but God is not like man, and Jesus being, “God with us”, did not know sin, that is He never committed sin. ““Remember this, and [a]show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’” (Isaiah 46:8-10). 

Yes, Jesus knew no sin for you and me, for the whole of mankind. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21). Neither did Jesus know about the second coming in the way man fabricates it. There have been hundreds, if not thousands of failed prophets predicting when and where Jesus would return and not just in the first century but from then until our day. In fact some like Alice a. Bailey predict His return will be after 2025, and Frank J. Tipler has Jesus returning by 2057. Jesus made it clear that He Himself didn’t know. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [a]heaven, but My Father only”  (Matthew 24:36). 

There are two more things that Jesus did not know…

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH – KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Paul says, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57). And glory be to God that we indeed are victorious through our Lord Jesus Christ, but, that does not mean the battles are over. We are still at war, and we still have a foe who will do anything and everything to wipe “the faith” off of the face of the earth. The enemy has many names and many forms. 

I know that most expect to hear of names like, the serpent, the devil, Satan and the roaring lion. These of course are accurate but have you ever thought about humanism or relativism? We are fighting daily against the father of lies, and he is good at what he does as Paul said, “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14). 

For the next few minutes let’s consider the importance of knowing your enemy…

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH PART 2

“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)

Flee and Pursue

Similar statement in 2 Tim. 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”. 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” Summary: Flee, turn away and run from the darkness for this world, from the devil’s influence. (Don’t let the cares, riches, and pleasures of life, destroy your hope). James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Submitting to God causes the devil to leave you – Flee from music that promotes drunkenness, sexuality, divorce – pursue acapella songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, or music without impurity—that is submitting to God’s way. Flee from movies and shows that “you must make excuses for”, and pursue find family friendly movies and shows – that is submitting to God’s way….

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH – PREREQUISITES

Paul wrote, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:57). In this lesson we will discuss the 4 prerequisites of a good soldier of Christ.
We Must Believe in the Cause We’re Fighting for: We Must Have Faith in Our Leader – We Must Have Unity With One Another and We Must Have The Hope of Victory.

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST
NOT ALL OF GOD’S BLESSINGS ARE SPIRITUAL AND NOT ALL BLESSING ARE IN CHRIST.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3). Paul stated that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings “in Christ.” “In Christ” designates a relationship which the believer sustains to Jesus.

The Fulness of God: The blessings which God has for us in Christ are available in the church. The church is the body of people for whom Jesus gave His life (Eph. 5:26), “that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (5:27).

Many religions look for the fulness of God’s blessings at some future time when Jesus will return to this earth and rule on this earth for a thousand years. That is in conflict with what Paul revealed. He stated that Jesus is presently reigning over everything (1:20-21) and that the church is the fulness of God’s blessings to us.

We are not looking for a future earthly kingdom. We look forward to the second coming of Christ, the judgment, and our eternal home in heaven.