We have been learning from the scriptures how we who are saved can continue the process of “Putting on Christ”, which is initially done when we accepted the invitation of Christ in baptism. (Gal. 3:27)
• Paul further enlightens us as to the meaning of putting on Christ in his writing to the church at Rome.
• In chapter 13 and verse 14 Paul wrote, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:14)
• Thus, putting on Christ demands that we change, through repentance.
• It is not a one-time thing, rather a lifelong process of sanctification (1 Pet. 3:15), putting on righteous-ness and putting off sin, preparing ourselves for eternity.
• The putting on of righteousness is accomplished by putting on the fruit of the Spirit.
• Thus far, we have studied how we put on love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith-fulness…
As we continue with our theme of Putting on Christ, we turn to the 8th fruit of the Spirit which is gen-tleness.
In the scriptures we read of victory after victory that God has won against the enemies of His people.
• And there are many very sad events throughout the history of man times when people suffered,
mostly because they turned away from following God.
• Yet, tonight in this lesson I wanted to address the good news through some of the
words of glad tidings that bring the church a sense of joy.
Words that I hope will be encouraging to us…
Solomon wrote, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?” (Prov. 20:6).
The following three things are essential traits that God’s children must put on if they are to be faithful…
1 Absolute Honesty!
2 Complete Dependency on God!
3 Unwavering Loyalty!
Thus, as our Lord is faithful so too, we must put on faithfulness.
• We need to be like God, and Jesus – Faithful in all things. . .
First let’s define faithfulness… What Is Faithfulness?
• [Webster] “Firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty”.
• [Thayer’s] “reliability, dependability, loyalty, and trustworthiness.”
Consider the great example of Daniel…
UTTING ON CHRIST CIRCLE OF FRUITFULNESS PART 1
Writing to the saints in the churches of Galatia Paul concluded by reminding them who they are saying: “26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Today we begin a few lessons that I pray will help us all understand JUST how we put on Christ. This is accomplished primarily by adopting the fruits that come from God’s Holy character which we learn of through the life and teaching of Jesus and the holy men of God who wrote the scriptures (2 Peter 1:21).
We must live fruitful lives – or be cut-off from the life-giving vine, which is Jesus (John 15:6). Jesus said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” (Matt. 7:18). Let’s study the Circle of Fruitfulness. • Who we are will define what we do. • What we do defines who we are. It is an endless circle.
Now, it is, therefore, impossible for me to say I have put on Christ – if I am not living a godly and fruitful life. I can no longer say as some say, this is who I am, like it or not, and I’m not going to change now! We thank God that Peter didn’t say that, Paul didn’t say that, and we must never adopt that self-condemning attitude. What we must do is imitate Jesus, and the Apostles’ life, and teaching to the extent that we may boldly and truthfully say, such was I, but now I am washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11). . .
WISDOM
“18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).
We see that God is trying to bring us to the place of wisdom. Solomon wrote, “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7).
There is obviously a distinction between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man or, the wisdom of the world.
If we are to be wise, as God’s children, we have a decision to make. We have to decide that we are not going to be defined by the culture which knows nothing of true wisdom…
THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD IN WHICH WE STAND
So many in the religious world today completely miss the mark when it comes to the Grace of God. All know and accept that the Grace is a free gift. In defining grace we say, grace is What God Gives Us that We Do Not Deserve! Where the many denominations fail concerning grace – is in teaching that you do not have to accept it.
The teaching that grace is a gift from God – which it most certainly is – but the error is that it’s yours whether you accept it or not.
This false teaching has its roots in Calvanisim – that in error – rewrote the Apostles words in Ephesians 1:4-5.
Where the apostle wrote, “4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,” (Eph. 1:4-5). But Calvanism rewrites God’s word saying, “just as He chose the individual in Him before the foundation of the world” – clearly making God a respector of persons. God didn’t say “the individual”, He said, “us” meaning the saved in Ephesus, the church. When Calvin “swapped out” the word us for the individual he changed what God said so then, according to Calvanism, grace, “salvation”, is actually forced on certain souls of God’s choosing and damnation is forced on souls that God restricts His grace.
That is God preordained who will be saved and who will be condemned for eternity. That is not what the scripture says – that eliminates any free will choosing on our part – that eliminates the “whosoever believes” in John 3:16.
All Who Are Saved Are So Because: “They choose to Believe ”, and chose to be Among the Saved”. God preordained the church not the individual.
Our lesson today is about the true grace – in which the “we” and the “us” Peter refers to are those who have obeyed from the heart and are saved – by the…
What Does the Scripture Actually Say…
TO DO JUSTLY
“6 With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:6-8).
Lately it seems that just about every converstation I have revolves about how quickly time is passing by. That time was given to us for a purpose. So, the question is are we redeeming the time that God has given us?
From our text and other passages, we will be examining what the scriptures reveal about time and how we are to make the most of what little time that we have…
WHEN TWO BECOME ONE
In Genesis 2 we read, “21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:21-24).
When Adam and Eve, the two, became one flesh it was by the power of God. He alone has the power to create and establish good things. Paul wrote, “8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.” (1 Cor. 11:8-12).
So, as we think of these things, how God takes two and makes one according to His will, we would like to look at a story from the scriptures. Turn over to the book of Ruth…
WE ALL HAVE THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH
David wrote, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.” (Psa. 143:10)
With these lyrics in mind let’s talk a little about the wonderful – joyous – powerful – encouraging words of Paul to the Corinthian saints…
Words that remind us here tonight that we we all have the same spirit of faith.
Paul wrote, “13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). Compare Paul’s words to the psalmist: “”8 For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” (Psa. 116:8-10). Most most commentators today ascribe this to King David. If it was David—it may have been his contemplating the many gracious deliverances the mighty hand of God provided him.
Paul’s looking back to this psalmist’s Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death – as another source for strength and encouragement.
The spirit to continue fighting for the cause of Christ
In much the same way—we—being of the same faith and can look back to Paul for the same reasons.
Look to (2 Cor. 4:7-12) see here that Paul has previously outlined his and his companions own suffering for Christ…
Now note the words in Psalm 116 at verse 3, “The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.”
We remember Peter said, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;” (1 Pet. 4:12)
Now because we share the same faith as David, as Paul, and now as Peter—we also know that God will deliver us…
As Paul wrote, struck down, but not destroyed
As Peter said, “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.” (1 Pet. 4:19).
The devil knows what he is doing…
UNPOPULAR WAY
SAINTS AND THEIR LOVE OF THE TRUTH – PART 8
The body of Christ is distinct – because out of our love for the truth – we obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which was delivered to us in the word – Romans 6:17
We are members of the body of Christ – the church – because we are Walking in Christ’s Commandments…
In 2 John we read, “4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.” (vs.4-5)
And John wrote, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6).
We have through the blood of the Savior – Jesus Christ – received reconciliation with the Father…
We are the pillar and the ground of the truth – 1 Tim. 3:15
We are the “chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, God’s own special people…”
And we will “proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” – 1 Peter 2:9
This is what makes the saints in church of Christ unpopular…we love the truth…
Let’s begin by defining two words that make quite the difference when rightly dividing scripture. They are Objective Truth V/S Subjective Truth.
Objective Truth: “A statement that is factual; it has a definite correspondence to reality, independent of anyone’s feelings or biases.”
Subjective Truth: Truth based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
First, let me say here that these 3 simple points about truth are eternally critical…
POINT 1 OF 3: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” – Jude 3
POINT 2 OF 3: TRUTH IS“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak” 2 Corinthians 4:13
POINT 3 OF 3: TRUTH IS Jesus alone is, “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9)
Sad Truth: The vast majority of religious people with good and honest hearts have been fed a “diluted faith”. Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48)