The Fruit of True Christianity

 Nov. 11th, 2012

The Fruit of True Christianity

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

1 John:3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

1 Corinth 13: 4 Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Does not behave itself rudely, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, keeps no record of evil;

6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

EXPRESSING YOUR FAITH THROUGH LOVE

How is your faith revealed to others?

Does abstaining from sinful ways demonstrate your love for people?

How is love put into practice?

How does the world perceive you?

Does your faith express selfish passion or selfless passion?

ENERGIZING YOUR LOVE

What is your source of refilling?

Where do you fill out?

Loving in your own strength will not last

ENDLESS SACRIFICE OF LOVE

Is being human a good enough reason to stop loving?

Is there ever a time when you have “Loved enough”?

How is it possible to love that one person who just gets on your nerves?

EXAMPLES OF LOVE

Classic- The love Joseph showed his brothers.- God meant it for good.

Jonathan’s love for David- Gave up is place as King

Hosea Loved Gomer in spit of her infidelity – 

Greatest example ever- Jesus gave his life for sinners. 

Stephen- Give them Lord, they know not.

Paul- All things to all people that some might be won

The Hindrances to the Race

 Feb. 26^th, 2012 pm

The Hindrances to the Race.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrew:12:1-2

Admonition is to the believers. To those who have found forgiveness through the shed blood of Christ on the Cross. Born again, new babes in Christ.

We witness the faith of those who have gone before us that they dared to believe God in spite of the circumstance.

We also have those who are now witnessing or watching us press toward the prize that is set before us. 

Or

The cloud of witnesses are those who have gone before us watching and cheering us on so that we do not give up and persevere to finish the race.

How important it is that we show the way for those who are watching- 

Or

Knowing that the torch of faith has been passed on to us, we don’t want to disappoint those who were willing to die for the faith.

Let us “lay aside” the Greek word:  Apo Pithimi.  Means to put away- to place or lay something down. The implication is to be far from you, leave it alone, have nothing more to do with it. 

The Weights: Ogkos- a burden, something heavy that impedes progress.

What weights impede you from going all out for Christ?

What keeps you from being a Spirit filled Christian?

Bad attitudes, self-gratification, critical spirit, foolish pride, ego, selfishness, lack of temperance, reckless behavior, carnal anger, fear & timidity to share the gospel, worldly pleasures that cause leanness of heart, uncooperative spirit, unwillingness to prefer others before you.

The Sin- singular, could be the one thing that always trips you up, or it also could imply THEE SIN- the carnal nature that wars inside the heart vying for your attention, always wanting to have its own way.

The theologian, John Wesley speaks of it as the sin of our constitution. That which always brings us down to defeat. 

The Race- The Christian walk or journey is given the analogy of running a race, a marathon with a prize to be awarded for completing the race. RUN with patience (long suffering, endurance, perseverance, through all trials and tribulations) 

Looking to Jesus- It is only through the Cross and the Holy Spirit that He promised that we are able to complete this race. Keep your eyes on the goal. He sees the race from start to finish. He knows the obstacles that you will be facing. Keep your eyes steadfast on Him. 

The Price has already been paid- He went to the cross, took on us the sin of us all. The remedy for SIN has been provided. We just must avail ourselves to the grace he provides by shedding the weights that hinder us from achieving the finish line.

Flesh and Blood

 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:12-13 KJV

Our real enemy is not those who make it difficult to live or survive. They may be instruments of the powers that are unseen, but the real foe is Satan. He seeks those who are seeker after God to dissuade them from serving God. He works to get those that are under his control in bondage and prevents them from finding God. The struggle to give God the preeminence and lordship of our heart comes from the world of darkness. The Christian fight is a spiritual one that is fought against an evil dominance in the spiritual world. The struggle to be free from the bondage is sin is not one that is done in the human. The power of will or human spirit is not enough to overcome the power of spiritual darkness. Satan has evil powers that we as humans cannot match. He is not all powerful, but he does possess power that is too great for any human being to resist in his own strength.

From Death To Life

 From Death to Life

Born in Sin

Romans:3:23-For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 

We were conceived in sin and born into this world with the sin nature. As children, we were trained to suppress the nature of sin and discipline our lives to exhibit good behaviors. We came into the world as a self-centered being demanding the attention of others. Although involuntary, our human and sinful nature is focused on survival of self. 

Brought Up “Right”

 Eph. 1:8,9-For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

As we grow and mature, we begin to make voluntary choices. If we are trained properly, the choices we make will be founded on Biblical principles of right and wrong. It would seem, that if we continue on this path of doing good, that God would be pleased with us and for such good living we should not be denied the reward of eternal life. It is this premise that many in the world have rooted themselves in the soil of self-righteousness. As long as I am a good person who treats all mankind with love and respect, I have no need for any kind of savior. Religion (Salvation through Christ) is for those who have made bad choices in life and have messed up. This was the mentality of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life”. He was raised in a good home that followed the moral standards of good behavior. What else did he need? 

Born Again- A man name Nicodemus

John 3:7- Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Nicodemus also inquired about the kingdom of God and seemed to understand that there was more to eternal life than living a good moral life. Unless made clear from the pulpits of churches, many find security in going to church following the creed of religious rituals, and adhere to exhortation of good behavior to obtain the approbation of God. 

Become a New Creature

2 Corinthians 5: 17-Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Eph. 2: 3- Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The new life in Christ brings about many changes in the life of the believer. Some of these changes will occur instantly and others, like the metamorphosis of a butterfly will occur slowly over time. What kind of changes can a believer in Christ expect?

• A clean conscience- Guilt of sin is gone- Like Christian in PP- Load sin is gone
• Peace of mind- Anxiety of one’s eternal destiny is at rest
• Desire to talk with God- Sweet communion with the lover of your soul
• A need to be with God’s people- We have fellowship one with another
• Manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit- often added to our faith/new life
• Lifestyle changes- With the help of the Holy Spirit and good Bible teaching, we begin to alter our conduct and behavior so as to be consistent with Biblical principles of godly living. Such changes are made willingly as individuals completely surrender their life to God is full consecration and abandonment to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is given complete right away and control in all areas of a person's life. It is no longer my will, but the will of Him who gave His life for me that guides and directs life. 

Faith and Temptation

 Faith and Temptation – James: 1-12
How strong is your faith in the face of temptation?
What is temptation? 
(Anything - events or circumstances that would cause us to turn from God?)
Why does God allow Satan to tempt or bring trails in the life of a Christian? 
(Test our strength of character and our faith in God)
What does the Apostle James have to say about facing temptation when it comes? 
Temptation gives the opportunity for exhibiting active persistence (patience). We continue to think, and do the right thing in the face of wrong. 
What is the right way to think or act? 
Building of our faith is the exercise of asking God for wisdom in the midst of trials, testing, and temptations. Be willing to accept the situations and circumstances in your life are things that God has allowed to come your way to make you a vessel unto His honor. Be willing to be the clay in the Potter’s hand. 
Recent examples of people who are facing trials and how they have responded In the face of such trails.- Mike Wright and Connie Snodgrass.
Giving in to temptation is to rely on your own desires and wishes. Asking God for His wisdom is surrendering yourself to God’s plan.  Don’t let your faith waver or be sidetracked. Don’t let your faith be tossed and driven like the waves of the sea and eventually shipwreck on the seashore of life. 
Is it really possible to be joyful when one is going through difficult times?
Knowing that God is in control and He knows best brings a peace in the heart that turns to joy. Knowing that putting our trust in Him will bring a reward, a crown of life is also cause for joy. It is not the circumstance or the situation we joy over, but the knowledge that God is pleased when we believe Him to do what is best.
How do I deal with the temptation to do evil or sinful things?
God does not entice one to do evil. Doing wrong comes from one’s own desire to satisfy or please self outside of God’s will. Satan uses these desires to cause one to turn away from God. We are not strong enough to overcome the evil one, but God has promised grace in the midst of temptation. “If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.” God’s Word is full of promises to help Christians to become victors. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” Such are the promises of God to those who put their faith in God.  Overcome evil with good. God is good. 

To Save Sinners

April 11th, 2010
 1 Timothy 1:5-16
Becoming a Christian is more than conforming to a set of beliefs or joining a church. To become a Christian, One must acknowledge that they are a sinner and accept Christ as their only means of Salvation. As wonderful as the teaching of Christ were, His main purpose for coming to earth was to pay the supreme sacrifice for your sins and mine and give His life on the Cross. There is no other Name under heaven, except through Jesus Christ that we can be saved from our sins and delivered from spiritual death.
Commandments for Sinners: The law of God was given to man to reveal to them that they were imperfect being, coming short of God's expectations. The commandments, or the law of God is a task master, revealing to man that all his righteousness is but filthy rags.
Condition of the Sinner: The condition of man is one of hopelessness and despair. Outside the grace of God, man is wretched and undone. All of his ways are enmity against God. He wants to run his life his own way and is unwilling to submit himself in full surrender to the will of God. He was born in sin and inherited the nature of sin from the day of birth. The natural desire of humanity is to make sure that self is served. Selfishness, greed, wickedness fills the heart of a sinner. The manifestation may be cultured and tamed, but none the less, the basic nature reside within the sinner's heart.
Conscious of being a Sinner: The 1st step in salvation is to recognized that man is a sinner and his condition of a sinner will lead him to eternal separation from God. Man must realized he is a person who is depraved and has no way in himself to remedy the problem. He must become conscious of his sinfullness and come to the knowledge that he is in need of a savior who will be able to deliver him from this wretched conditions. Many have thought that doing works of righteousness would remove the blackness of sin from their life. Others will seek to become one with nature in hope of being renewed by the creator. Acts of goodness or deeds of kindness are all efforts made by many to obtain the favor of God, but all is in vain and come short of the glory of God.
Came to Sinners: Christ came to earth as the supreme sacrifice for sin. He came to die for the sinner. God's only son left the splendor of heaven, taking on the form of man and made himself the scapegoat for the sin's of man. He came to me and He came to you to take away our sins. His death on the cross completed the plan of Salvation set in place when Adam and Eve transgressed the known will of God. God's love for man was so great that He gave his only Son to be the second Adam that would be the victor over sin and make provision for mankind to be reconciled back to God. Reedeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God, who will take away the sins of the world.
Call to Sinners: Not only did Jesus come to man, but He also calls out to man to turn from their sinful way and accept His gift of Salvation. Christ knocks at the door of our heart asking us to open our heart to let Him come in. He calls out to everyone to come to Him, all that are heavy laden, burden with sin, and He will make them whole again. The call goes out today for every open heart to let Christ wash away our sins and give us new life and a new beginning. We can be born again through Christ and the power of His forgiveness. It is time to asnwer the call and be made right before Him.
Confession of the Sinner: With the month confess is made. To answer the call, all we have to do is confess our sins and He will forgive us of our sins. If we confess, believing, He is faithful to give us a new heart. We can pass from death unto life. Where we were once dead in trespasses and sin, we can now be made alive in Christ. True confession is the turning away from the life of sin and the new life of abiding in Christ. It will be through this abiding that we can maintain favor with God and stay always pleasing to Him. Living our lives to glorify God because we believe that through His grace we can be victorious every day of our lives. Let the redeem say so!

Enriched in Christ

1 Corinth 1: 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 

Before life in Christ, the quality of life is based on survival and societal harmony. We live in a world where every man does that which is right in his own eyes.  The values of man are based on human gratification. There are many who seek meaning in life by obtaining power, prestige, and riches. And there are those who find life’s meaning by doing good things to make the world a more peaceful coexistence. Improving or enhancing the quality of life is not achieved by any efforts that man is able to accomplish, enrichment of life is found only through life in Christ. The former state of our life before Christ is one of depravity and hopelessness. Paul wrote to the Romans and said, “but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do”.  All our works are but filthy rags and come short compared to the value that is given to us through Christ. 
How is life made better in Christ? The scripture indicates that every aspect of our life is enhanced when Christ becomes part of our life. It is because of His grace that we can now look at life through different eyes. Before the enrichment of Christ, we lived our life to please ourselves. That is not to say that we still did not do “good works”, but life to the most part is centered around us. The transformation that Christ performs in our life is not done in one day, but daily he adds to our life enrichments that make us more into the image of Him. One of the things that Paul notices about the Corinthians was their speech was different. Words have meanings, and reflect what is in the heart of man. Jesus said, “From out of the heart a man speaks”.  Before I became a Christian, I remember using words that were laced with foul language and cutting remarks. My brother and I would write letters to each other that were filled with hurting and slanderous words. It was not until the grace of Christ reached my brother that I received a letter that was respectable. Christ had enriched his life in the way he now communicated.  It is always good to think before you speak. Are my words kind, helpful, true, and edifying? Are they words that you think Christ would use? By no means am I saying that we should be in bondage to this thought process, but the grace of God in our heart will often show us that the words we are about to speak do not conform to the image of Christ. 
We all have a testimony, a witness that will reflect the kind of life we live. Let our testimony speak of the enrichments of the grace of God that was given to us when we accepted Christ into our hearts. He wants to make us a lighthouse and a witness of His grace to a world that also needs to be enriched.