![]() Among many who truly profess the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, there is little disagreement concerning the doctrine of salvation. Most would agree that salvation is a work of GRACE, which is appropriated by faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But when it comes to a personal life of holiness, personal growth and maturity, and walking daily in victory, there are many opinions to draw from. We seem to know how to “DEAL” with committed sins, we can just ask forgiveness and move on. But, how do we deal with the daily life sins that seem to rob the believer of joy and victory? How do we handle those “LIFE CONTROLLING” sins that always set us back? There are always questions concerning the “FLESH”, “SIN”, and those “NAGGING PROBLEMS” that we can’t seem to get victory over. There seems to be the idea among some believers that there are sins that are destined to be a part of our lives forever. Then there is the idea that we can “carry” certain issues around all our lives by calling them our “THORNS IN THE FLESH”. This would imply that we are spiritualizing or even condoning our sins and weaknesses, and that we truly believe that God does so as well. This belief about our sins is incorrect and against the Word of Truth. Then there is the issue of “OLD ADAM”. Who is he? Is he really dead? Do I have the power and right to raise him up to live within me? Can I blame my sins on my “OLD ADAMIC NATURE?” In this series we have been proclaiming Biblical promises that are ours because of our standing in the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. I would like for us to look at some more of the promises that are ours because we are believers and a part of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are to defeat the sin within us we need to see ourselves the way God has called us and then act on that. (2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV) But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV) For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, (2 Corinthians 2:16 ESV) to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
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BEING PURE:
In properly understanding Scriptures one of the key elements to look for is discerning who is being addressed. Knowing if the writer is speaking to the lost man or the saved man is key to interpretation and use. Take the Book of 1 John as an example. It is a great book for believers because it is addressed to believers for our understanding about the process of spiritual growth and how to identify someone who calls themselves Christians but is not. I have heard over and over well-meaning Christians using 1 Jn.1:9 as a soul-winning Scripture like it is talking to a lost man. However, John through the Holy Spirit is addressing a believer in this verse. Let's look at some of verses of 1 Jn.1 and see the thought behind them. In 1:6 we see that if someone claims to be a believer and we say as a believer that we are walking in fellowship with the Father, yet we walk in darkness (continual sin), than we are deceived. What are we lying about? We are lying about having fellowship with the Father if we walk in sin. This verse is for a Christian to examine his own life and the life of those who claim to be believers among us. (1 John 1:6 ESV) If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. In 1:7 we see that if the believer walks in the light, not according to his own understanding of the light, but walks in the light as God is light, then we will also walk in fellowship with one another. Light fellowships with light. Light does not fellowship with darkness or a sinful lifestyle. When darkness meets light both are affected. Example: Suppose the sun is shining bright outside and you have your curtains opened and your living room is flooded with the brightness of the outside. You turn your lights on in the living room and it does not affect the amount of light that is already there because of the brightness of the day. Light has met light. However, the sun goes down and there is no moon and it is as dark as a thousand midnights outside. You turn your living room lights on and although it is bright it is nowhere as brilliant as it was when the sunlight flooded the room. Some of the light in the living room will shine out the windows but will make little process beyond a few feet outside the home. Light met darkness and both are affected. (1 John 1:7 ESV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. We see in 1:8 as a Christian we cannot say we have no sin. That would be a lie. (1 John 1:8 ESV) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. However, we have a great promise in 1:9. If we as believers confess our sins we find that God is both faithful and just. He is faithful and just to not only forgive us but to cleanse us from the unrighteousness of the penalty of the sin, the power of the sin, and the presence of the sin. We would be wrong to use this verse as a soul winning verse. We would be telling the lost man that he needs to confess every sin he has committed in order to be forgiven and saved. The only sin that sends a lost man to hell is the sin of unbelief in failing to receive Christ as Savior. His long list of personal sins does not send him to hell. Once that lost man confesses Christ and repents of walking in his own power he is born again. Now as a Christian he starts confessing sins that he knows he is guilty of in order to be forgiven and freed from them. (1 John 1:9 ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Purifying or cleansing us from all unrighteousness means to be totally forgiven of our sinful behavior. Experience tells us that true confession of a particular sinful behavior brings a forgiveness and a cleansing of conscience that sometimes we can even feel or sense. It is like a load dropping off of us. We seem to gain the upper hand over the sin and with some determination we can overcome it from that point forward. GO, AND SIN NO MORE... There is great joy in knowing that the Father has forgiven my sin and the guilt of my sin:
One of the key elements for a Christian to have victory over sin is to have the right mindset about sin. I have met too many believers who are still chained to their past sins and really bad decisions. Instead of walking as a free Spirit-filled believer, they walk as a guilt-driven, I'm not worthy of forgiveness, flesh-filled, stinking thinking, defeated Christian. We need to raise the standard of our living. This means that we need to see ourselves as children of the King, confess that we are children of the King, walk like the children of the King, and behave accordingly. When we live a "what's the use" attitude we expect to sin and are surprised when we don't. Instead, we should expect to walk a Spirit-filled, Holy Spirit empowered holy life and be surprised when we don't. True Christian love does not come forth from a guilt-ridden heart. True Christian love comes forth from a heart that is pure and having a good conscience and a sincere faith. This means I am not walking around chained with guilt from my past. 1 Timothy 1:5 ESV The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. If we don't walk in faith and a good conscience we stand the possibility of having our faith shipwrecked. 1 Timothy 1:19 ESV holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, The first Covenant, the Covenant of the Law, could cover our sins but it could not give me a pure conscience. Hebrews 9:9 ESV (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, The New Covenant, the Covenant of grace, the Covenant of the cross, the Covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ, frees me from the guilt of sin and gives me a pure conscience. Hebrews 9:13-14 ESV For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Many us know that the process of salvation is in three stages.
1. JUSTIFICATION: I am saved 2. SANCTIFICATION: I am being saved 3. GLORIFICATION: I will be saved 1. JUSTIFICATION: I am saved from the penalty of sin 2. SANCTIFICATION: I am being saved from the power of sin 3. GLORIFICATION: I will be saved from the presence of sin Romans 7:23-24 ESV but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Sin is a thing or a spirit that can exist at a place at a certain time. Paul spoke of a law of sin at work in the members of his body. Paul exclaimed that in his mind he was a slave to God but in his flesh he was still a slave to the law of sin. The chemical makeup of the physical body is morally neutral, meaning that my arm or foot knows no morals and can be neither good or bad. Therefore, the nature of sin and the act of sin must be regarded as something foreign in a Christian that can be removed. Sin is a nature and condition of transgressing against the commands and character of God. James says that sin starts with the lust of the heart. Now when we say heart we do not mean the beating muscle that lies in the middle of your chest wall. It is the soulish man, made up of the thoughts, the emotions and the will of man. James 1:13-15 ESV Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. The Lamb of God has come in order to take away the sin of the world. He does this by forgiving the guilt, then by giving the believer the ability to subdue it, and finally by removing its very penalty, power and presence. I know that it is difficult even to imagine walking without the presence of sin. It would be a thought that could never happen until God the Father establishes His kingdom with the new earth and new heaven. God is going to make an end of unrighteousness. The Word says that everything that offends God will be cast into the lake of fire. Daniel 9:24 ESV "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. WOW! “To put an end to sin.” Hallelujah! God is beginning with the victorious saints the work of putting an end to sin. One day all of creation shall be freed from sin and shall be in total subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. At present Jesus is waiting until every enemy has been made His footstool. There appears to be confusion in Christian thinking concerning the conviction and guilt of sin versus the urge or desire to sin. When the Bible speaks of Christ taking away our sin we usually think of our Lord Jesus Christ just forgiving our sin. True that He forgives those things which deals with the conviction and guilt of sin and gives us a clean conscience. When we confess He is faithful to cleanse. 1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. However, when our Lord gives us victory over sin it is more than forgiveness. He has given us the power to change which means taking away the urge or desire to sin, being a slave to sin, and being in bondage of sin. Titus 2:11-12 ESV For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, (12) training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
The new covenant includes the grace that will help us overcome sin and become the slave of righteous behavior. Romans 6:22 ESV But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22 reveals that eternal life is a result of freedom from sin, becoming a slave to God, and practical holiness of personality and behavior. This is different from what is commonly taught in churches today? I hear comments from Christians and Pastors like, "Well, we are human." We use this as so to justify certain sinful lusts and behavior that is not like the character of the Father. Then the most common statement is "well, no one is perfect." This is true, however we are commanded to be perfect as God is perfect. We cannot use cute little clichés to excuse behavior which opposes the God-called life of holiness. Matthew 5:48 ESV You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1 Peter 1:15-16 ESV but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16) since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." The new covenant includes all the commandments of Christ and His Apostles. These are to be obeyed until the eternal moral law of God is inscribed on our mind and heart. There are approximately 1,050 New Testament Commands. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand that we cannot live a Christian life. It takes Christ in us to live the Christian life. We cannot will-power ourselves into obeying 1,050 commands. No man could obey the 10 Commandments much less 1,050 commands. It takes Christ in us to do so. We choose to die to self and live the Christ-life. In so doing He writes His Word on our hearts. Hebrews 8:10 ESV For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The end result of obeying all of the New Testament commandments is deliverance from sin and the growth of Christ in us. Many Christian churches in America are in a state of lawlessness. This is because we do not realize the goal is to overcome sin and grow in the image of Christ. Instead, we as Pastors allow our churches to be filled with sin and we excuse it for the sake of numbers and money. As a result, when we do not eat from the right tree, we eat and encourage others to eat from the wrong tree. We are called to eat from the tree of life. We are not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life is the righteousness of Christ. The tree of knowledge of good and evil is morality. The good on the tree of knowledge is just as evil as the evil on the tree of knowledge. God did not call us to be good or moral, He called us to be righteous. In fact, the Word teaching there is no one good but God. One of the main emphasis of the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation is on the behavior in word, deed and thought of God’s people. This seems to be the one area that is neglected today in favor of novelties and entertainment. We call someone who comes to church more than once a week committed and dedicated. What are they committed and dedicated to? It is a life of righteousness or is it to a Pastor or church building? We need to escape being deceived by the false spirits and false doctrines of man that are at work in our day and make a Biblical choice. WE DON'T HAVE TO SIN. Galatians 1:8 ESV 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.
All kinds of false doctrines have invaded the Christian church. They have as their foundation the concept that the new covenant does not include deliverance from sinful behavior. One of the foundational truths that I stand on firmly is that our Lord Jesus Christ finished our salvation on the cross. Therefore there is enough in the work of the cross so that my total man can be saved. I am writing a book called "How Saved Are You." The idea of the book is that the blood of Jesus cleansed us and saved us so all we have to do is believe and by faith receive His life and we will go to Heaven when we die. We are saved to go to heaven but do we look and act like we belong there? Christians explain away and justify to much personal sin in their lives. We are living in the days when the Lord He is lifting the veil of things that seemed to be a mystery to the church so we can see and understand what is written in His Word. We are beginning to understand that in salvation we changed from a sinful nature and sinful behavior to the moral and righteous image of Christ. We are learning that heaven is not the goal for the Christian. The goal is to please God and to have fellowship with Him. That is only through a faith-walk life. Hebrews 11:6 ESV And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Salvation is death to the old Adamic sin nature and a call to full deliverance from the stronghold of sin. Then we grow in the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. and growth in the moral image of Christ. Ephesians 4:13 ESV until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, The fruit reveals the root. If I want to know the root of a tree or what kind of tree it is I just look at the fruit. God always looks for fruit wherever Christ has been sown. If the fruit is the righteousness of Christ then the root of the tree is Christ. The fruit God desires is righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. In other words, the moral and righteous image of Jesus Christ. We will know the root by the fruit. 1 John 3:9-10 ESV No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. (10) By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. ![]() Some Christians do not seek to be free from their sin or get delivered from sin because they justify their behavior for one reason or another. They say they want to be delivered. They may come up for prayer and ask for deliverance. But they do not receive deliverance because they walk in double-mindedness. They have the feeling that "they do, but they don’t want" to be delivered and set free. James 1:6-8 ESV But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. They do because they know it is wrong to continue in sin. They don’t because deep in their heart they... 1. Are not convinced total deliverance from their stronghold is a requirement. 2. Are not convinced total deliverance from their stronghold is possible. 3. Want to just keep on with the sin they are engaging in. All the rewards we associate with the Christian son-ship go to those who overcome. Romans 12:21 ESV Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 1 John 5:4 ESV For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Revelation 2:7 ESV He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.' Revelation 2:11 ESV He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.' Revelation 2:17 ESV He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.' Revelation 2:26 ESV The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, Revelation 3:5 ESV The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Revelation 3:12 ESV The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Revelation 3:21 ESV The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. We overcome sin through the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ has sufficient power to enable us to turn away from sin in word, deed, and thought. He possesses wisdom and authority and will lead us to total victory. Is total victory necessary? Does the Bible promise us that under the new covenant we can gain victory over sinful behavior? Galatians 5:16-18 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (17) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Because we battle with faith that the Word of God is true and absolute we have opened the door for the enemy to persuade us that Christ does not have the power to enable us to overcome sin. All kinds of false doctrine has invaded Christian thinking that has as a foundational concept that the new covenant does not include deliverance from our sinful behavior. Some of that stinking thinking is the misuse and improper understanding of Christian liberty. A great part of the conquest of breaking the habit of sin has to do with our determination to do so. The Bible commands us to be holy as He is holy. We speak a lot about the 10 Commandments of the Old Testament, however have you noticed the hundreds of commands in the New Testament? There are 1,050 commands in the New Testament. We are commanded to love one another. We have been commanded to be cheerful givers. The list could go on and on. The reason we are commanded these things in the New Testament is because as believers under grace we are more likely not to do them. Pick a New Testament book, maybe start with a smaller book first like James or Philippians and make a note every time the Word tells/commands you as a believer to do something. Our Christian life is filled with decisions about how we walk out our lives.
What if we can a hurt and confess that there is someone we cannot forgive. The ability to forgive can come only through the blood of Jesus Christ. But we have to do our part and choose to forgive. Our emotions and thoughts will always tell us "no" when it comes to forgiveness, but God's Word, God's Spirit and God's character say yes we can, by a choice to do so. Our part is to confess to God clearly that we have sin in our heart. Then we are to renounce it with all the faith and strength we have. We do not struggle against it, we confess it and renounce it as sin, fit only for the Lake of Fire. We resolve in the future to draw near to God and to resist this sin, not struggle against it, just not give it any more place in our life. Then we rest in the Word of God and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Why is it that Jesus and the cross is always enough for victory when dealing with someone else's sin, but never seems to be enough for ours? Often such clear confessing and renouncing, followed by a determination to resist, is all that is needed. In other words we make a decision against that sin and that settles it. Other times we need to declare war and have a series of battles and a prolonged decision making process until the habit and stronghold in our mind and body has been broken and replaced with the Word of truth. Remember what I said in earlier posts. I am not in debt to my flesh. I do not owe my flesh anything that I should obey it. Romans 8:12-13 ESV So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. We must choose to die daily. We put to death the misdeeds of the body. 1 Corinthians 15:31 ESV (31) I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! Galatians 2:20 ESV I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We are not in athletic contest against sin, we are in a war against sin and our enemy. Sin is an evil, vicious, subtle, cunning, wicked monster that dwells in our flesh. We are to kill it! crush it! strike it until it is dead! This means we are in the offensive mode and charging after the sin within us. Paul says the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet. We cannot treat demons gently. We cannot coax them. Demons love to reason and are more than happy to have you talk to them by the hour. Jesus did not let the demons speak. He did not have the time to listen to their endless arguments. We have to decide once and for all that whatever we are doing that is condemned by the Word of God must leave. You can yell at it if you like. Anything that will prove to you, the enemy, and the stronghold of sin that you mean what you are saying. If you say to your dog, “Honey, wouldn’t you like to get off Mother’s bed? There’s a darling.” What do you think the dog will do? He will lay there and look at you. If you frown at the dog, advance on him or her in a threatening manner, and say, “Get off my bed now!” the dog will do what you command. Now dog lovers, this is an illustration, stay calm. It is the same way with the stronghold of sin. You cannot address sin with loving endearment sweet phrases. Neither can you say, “I know I shouldn’t do this, but.” You have to treat your sin like a dirty muddy dog on your new clean sheets. It is learning by communion with the Father to hate the sin in us as much as God hates it. How much does the Father hate the sin in me? The sin in me cost the death of the Son of God as a sacrifice to pay the price of sins penalty over me, sins power in me and sins presence throughout me. Romans 6:1-4 ESV What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (3) Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Sometimes the reason we do not gain victory over sin is because we have a feeling within ourselves that we owe it to ourselves to not be too strict in the matter of resisting sinful behavior. This feeling is due to the fact that we do not recognize that our adamic nature is on the cross with Jesus. We owe our fallen nature nothing—absolutely nothing—that we should obey its fleshly, soulish desires! There is not enough preaching and teaching today about the fact that when we were baptized in water we were baptized into the death of Jesus Christ and into His resurrection. We simply do not understand we are one with Christ in His death and one with Him in His resurrection. When we consider the prospect of being free from sinful behavior we should not be worried about losing something worthwhile. When we gave our lives to Christ the old Adamic nature within us is dead, dead, dead. To continue sinning is to deny the state of being adopted by Christ by faith and having a new nature. The New Testament teaches with utmost clarity that the new covenant does not tolerate continuance in sinful behavior. Freedom from the power of sin and freedom from the compulsion to sin is included under new covenant grace. Now, how do we go about being delivered from sinful behavior? What does the Scripture teach? The general position we are to take concerning victory over sinful behavior is that which is true of any promise of God. We must read it, understand it, accept it by faith, and then pursue it with patience and hope until we have a full grasp on it. Look at the words of Paul to young Timothy. 1 Timothy 6:10-12 ESV For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (11) But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. (12) Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Hebrews 6:11-12 ESV And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, (12) so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. When we read a promise in the Bible, whether it be for salvation, or the baptism with the Holy Spirit, or Divine healing, we tell God we believe it and thank Him for it. Then we pursue it. We never, never, never quit. So it is with righteous behavior, with victory over sinful behavior. Some victories are gained easily and quickly. Others may require years. But we never cease letting the Lord know we will not accept sin in our life now that He has promised us deliverance. This is the last post in this series. I pray that we take these Scriptures to heart and heed the call to be separate with a holy heart.
We have been talking about us separating ourselves from different people who are actively involved in certain lifestyles. The last point is quite different. Instead of us separating ourselves we will find others separating themselves from us. WE WILL SEE IN THESE LAST DAYS THAT THOSE WHO ARE SINFUL WILL SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM US: Especially the lost religious people. Jude 1:17-19 ESV But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. (18) They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." (19) It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. People will HATE US: People will EXCLUDE US: People will SEPARATE FROM US: People will INSULT and DEFAME US: How are we to react? Luke 6:22-23 ESV "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! (23) Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. We are to REJOICE: We are to LEAP FOR JOY: WHY? Because we are blessed! CLOSING REMARKS CONCERNING THE DAYS IN WHICH WE LIVE: To say that we live in troubling times would be an understatement. We live in a day that a man's word cannot be trusted, therefore we can not longer believe anything coming from the media or our government. People are aggressive, violent, lovers of themselves and lovers of entertainment and self pleasure. However, in the Father we have absolutes because God is unchanging. He will always love us with an everlasting love that is of full measure, (lacking nothing). 2 Timothy 3:1-7 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. (2) For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, (4) treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (6) For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, (7) always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. RECAPPING the series of COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM. In part one I talked about Biblical discipline and how separation does not break unity but establishes Biblical unity. (See Ps.1:1-2; Prov.1:10-16; 13:19-21) In part two we are to separate ourselves from Christians who are unruly, meaning they are morally disorderly. (See 2 Thess.3:5-7; Matt.18:15-17) In part three we are to separate ourselves from Christians who do not follow the Word of God given to them. (See 2 Thess.3:14-15; Rom.16:17-18) In part four we are to separate ourselves from Christians who walk in a lifestyle of sin. (See 1 Cor.5:9-12). In part five we are to separate ourselves from those who walk in the lifestyle of sins (See 1 Tim.6:3-21). In part six we are to separate ourselves from those who are lost, unsaved, children of wrath, children of the enemy or any other name which the Bible identifies them. (See Jam.4:4) In part seven we are to separate ourselves from false teachers.(See 2 Jn.1:9-11) Now here in part nine we see that our Lord says that we are in the world but we are not of the world. We need to separate ourselves from the worldly system and the evil of it. If you live in the Spirit, walk in it If you live in the light, walk in it. In other words dear brother or sister, walk where you live. In order to have victory over sin we need to have a Biblical viewpoint about sin and the position it places us.
John 8:34 ESV Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. This is what sin is like and the position it places us in. When we practice sin we are a slave to it, meaning that it is our master instead of our Lord Jesus Christ being our Master. The enemy lies to us and tricks us about sin. I know that in my own life I have seen certain sin as this big obstacle ahead of me that seemed immovable. Of course the enemy would have us believe this is true in order to defeat us. If we maintain the mindset that our sin is to big of an obstacle to move or get around then we stay a slave to it. We don’t dare pull out and try to get around our sin when we are unsure of what is coming head on against us around the curve. But if we knew that the way ahead of us is clear and free we would act differently about overcoming sin. Christ did not come to forgive the sins and works of the devil but to destroy the sins and works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 ESV Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. Does the New Testament state we do not have to be bound by sin? YES! The reason the new covenant is superior to the old is that the old covenant merely forgives sin while the new covenant forgives and removes sin. Look at the key points of Romans 6:11-14: Romans 6:11-14 ESV So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. (13) Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. (14) For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 1. We need to have the mindset and reality that we are dead to sin. (6:11) 2. We need to have the mindset and reality that we have spiritual life in God. (6:11) 3. We need to know that we are commanded not to allow sin to have dominion or rule and reign in us. (6:12) 4. We need to know that we are commanded not to allow sin to make us obey its passions. (6:12) 5. We need to know that we are not to make any part of our body available to be used by sin. (6:13) 6. We need to know that we are to make every part of our body available to God for righteousness. (6:13) 7. We need to maintain the mindset that sin will not rule over us because we are not under the law but under grace. (6:14) Therefore, bottom line is: The New Testament teaches that sin shall not be our master! Amen! Rom.6:14 says: “sin shall not be your master.” It does not say it doesn’t matter whether or not you sin. it states “sin shall not be your master”; “sin shall not have dominion over you”; “sin shall not exercise control over you.” This was not the case under the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses made no provision for victory over sin. The Law told people what sin was but did not give them the power to over come it. The grace of the new covenant has given us the blood of the atonement to forgive our sins, and then the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome our sins. This is why the new covenant is a superior covenant. The blood of bulls and goats could never remove our sinful tendencies. But the power of the Spirit of God working on the basis of the blood of the cross has more than enough power to give us victory over every sinful act that binds us. Hallelujah! Romans 8:12-13 ESV So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. We are not obligated to our flesh at all. We don't owe our flesh any debt that we need to sin to satisfy it. We owe no obligation to our flesh to live according to the sinful nature! Amen! This is the New Testament life of grace. Why are we not obligated to the sinful nature to live according to it? Because we by faith have placed our sinful nature on the cross with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our body is dead because of sin. Therefore we owe it nothing that we should obey its passions. In part one I talked about Biblical discipline and how separation does not break unity but establishes Biblical unity. (See Ps.1:1-2; Prov.1:10-16; 13:19-21)
In part two we are to separate ourselves from Christians who are unruly, meaning they are morally disorderly. (See 2 Thess.3:5-7; Matt.18:15-17) In part three we are to separate ourselves from Christians who do not follow the Word of God given to them. (See 2 Thess.3:14-15; Rom.16:17-18) In part four we are to separate ourselves from Christians who walk in a lifestyle of sin. (See 1 Cor.5:9-12). In part five we are to separate ourselves from those who walk in the lifestyle of sins (See 1 Tim.6:3-21). In part six we are to separate ourselves from those who are lost, unsaved, children of wrath, children of the enemy or any other name which the Bible identifies them. (See Jam.4:4) In part seven we are to separate ourselves from false teachers.(See 2 Jn.1:9-11) Now here in part eight we see that our Lord says that we are in the world but we are not of the world. We need to separate ourselves from the worldly system and the evil of it. In salvation we have been freed from the penalty of sin and from the power of sin. However, the power of sin and the presence of sin that will affect us defends on how much of the world we allow within our daily lives and activities. There is an old saying which goes like this: "You cannot play with fire very long without getting burned." John 17:14-17 ESV I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (15) I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. (16) They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (17) Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ![]() Why do I send out this type of Bible study? The answer is found in one verse of Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV (33) Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." I have maintained my stand for over 40 years that the two things most needed in the church yet most absent are the fear of God and church discipline. Because of these things missing in the body of Christ the love of God (agape, God's unconditional love), has been corrupted among us to be nothing more than the emotional worldly loves of phileo (conditional love of you be my friend and I will be your friend), and eros (conditional love of lust and desire). In this we corrupt what Biblical unity really is and how to obtain it. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that the truth of His Word would divide even family members. We don't really want truth in our churches. We say we do, but in reality we want numbers, finances, and some sense of peace (absence of strife). If you need to refresh, reread or see for the first time these first 6 studies, they are found here on this website under the category of "COME OUT FROM." In part one I talked about Biblical discipline and how separation does not break unity but establishes Biblical unity. (See Ps.1:1-2; Prov.1:10-16; 13:19-21) In part two we are to separate ourselves from Christians who are unruly, meaning they are morally disorderly. (See 2 Thess.3:5-7; Matt.18:15-17) In part three we are to separate ourselves from Christians who do not follow the Word of God given to them. (See 2 Thess.3:14-15; Rom.16:17-18) In part four we are to separate ourselves from Christians who walk in a lifestyle of sin. (See 1 Cor.5:9-12). In part five we are to separate ourselves from those who walk in the lifestyle of sins (See 1 Tim.6:3-21). In part six we are to separate ourselves from those who are lost, unsaved, children of wrath, children of the enemy or any other name which the Bible identifies them. (See Jam.4:4) So the question for the day: How can we walk as a sanctified, called out, holy vessel of God if we continue to fellowship with darkness and that which is an enemy to God and the cross? Now in part seven we see that we are to separate ourselves from false teachers. SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM FALSE TEACHERS AND DO NOT ALLOW THEM INTO THE HOME. I know that we have a zeal to win people to Jesus. However, God gives clear instruction as to where we are to do this. Most of the time when it speaks about soul winning it is out in the highways and byways. Words carry life and death, blessings and cursing. Therefore, we have instructions about not allowing the words of false teachers be released into our homes. I have met Mormons out somewhere to witness to them but I do not allow them into my home. This goes for Jehovah Witnesses or anyone who embraces a false teaching that is against the Gospel message. 2 John 1:9-11 ESV Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, (11) for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. Romans 16:17-18 ESV I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. (18) For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Galatians 1:8-9 ESV 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. 1 John 1:7 ESV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
We must keep in mind the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain for us. As long as we are moving along in this thing we call life, the blood of Jesus keeps covering us. We remain righteous and holy in God’s sight. What some principles about the New Covenant that we need to understand? First of all, we must be clear that the new covenant does not permit our continuing in a lifestyle of sin. There are numerous statements of this fact in the New Testament. Galatians 5:19-21 ESV Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, (21) envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 John 3:5-6 ESV You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. (6) No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, (10) nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. “Those who live in a lifestyle of continual sin will not inherit the kingdom of God.” “No one who lives in Christ Jesus keeps on sinning.” If we say we are in Christ we do not keep on sinning. It is as simple as this. Sometimes I ask people, “Can Jesus Christ deliver someone from lying?” Usually they affirm He can. “Can Jesus Christ deliver someone from stealing?” Usually the answer will be, “Yes, He can.” Then I ask, “What sin is too great for Christ to overcome?” Usually the answer is, “There is no sin too great for Christ to overcome.” How come we know this to be true in theory, yet not in practice and in reality? Have we allowed Satan and the world to convince us that our sin is not so bad, or that we have sinned so much it is useless to start overcoming our sins one at a time? God calls us overcomers for a reason. ![]() Hebrews 10:11 ESV And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. The reason Christians are not delivered from their daily sins is they don't know that they have the promise in the New Testament that they can be a distinct feature of the new covenant. I know there have been the holiness preachers and teachers who have taught instantaneous sanctification. From what I have seen by experience, this doesn’t work. Others have said that sanctification is a progressive process, and this seems more practical. However, with those who teach progressive sanctification there does not appear to be a clear statement that our salvation includes deliverance from sin or a workable program for overcoming the stronghold of sin. In other words once we are saved we seem to be trapped in some of the same junk and behavior as when we were lost. This ought not be the case. Before we can attempt to overcome our sinful nature we must know for a certainty that the Bible teaches that believers do not have to continue to walk in sin. Therefore let's state some facts from the New Testament. 1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. From 1 John 1:9 we have a couple key truths. First, this verse is not to be used as a soul winning verse for the lost. The Holy Spirit is speaking through John here to Christians. So as Christians, we can confess our sins and be forgiven. However many stop there. The rest of the verse says that Jesus would cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That means to remove the sin. Traits of the NEW COVENANT: The new covenant does not permit continuing in sinful behavior. The new covenant includes deliverance from sinful behavior. The new covenant includes a workable plan for deliverance from sinful behavior. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We do not gain full victory over stronghold sins until we learn that such victory is possible and is promise within in the Word of God. Then we have faith to pursue victory over the sins of the flesh until we obtain it. 1 John 3:4-5 ESV Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. (5) You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Victory! Think about it. Victory over behaviors, such as lust, anger, lying, gossip, slander, selfishness, hatred, unforgiveness, spite, backbiting, sexual perversion, drunkenness, the use of drugs, and other demonic chains that destroy Christians. Does the new covenant include victory over these? You bet it does. Galatians 5:16 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. |
AuthorCharles Morris. Founder and Senior Pastor of RSI Ministry, RSI School of Ministry, and RSI Publishing L.L.C.. Archives
March 2021
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