A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Sunday, September 20, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Series: Foundations: Lessons On Assurance
Week #3: Assurance of Victory
Focal Verses: 1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Tempt – “to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure
or gain” (Webster’s)
Temptation is one of the realities that we have to deal with as Christians. Being a Christian does not mean that we will not face temptations. In fact, we may face even greater temptations. The problem of temptation is real and the struggle sometime is overwhelming. Temptation often plays out like this: We are tempted, enticed, then we fall and give in to the temptation, then we feel the guilt that comes after the fall. We start listening to the enemy who says, “I thought you were a Christian. Christians don’t do that.” Because we listen to the enemy of our soul, we sometimes find ourselves caught up in a cycle of defeat. We wonder will it ever end. Can I endure? The truth of our Scripture this week is that You Can Endure! There is a way of escape. There is assurance of victory!
Our assurance of victory is in three things.
I. THE COMMONNESS OF TEMPTATION
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” There are no new temptations and all of us experience temptation. As Solomon stated, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9). Whatever temptation you have faced, are facing, and will face, others have faced and endured. One of the challenges of facing temptation is that you often feel as if you are the only one struggling with your particular temptation. You look around and begin to think, “Why am I the only one struggling with this? What’s wrong with me?” The reality is that there’s nothing wrong with you. You are facing what is common to us all. We will see why we face temptation in just a moment, but you would be surprised how many people (in the past and present) are dealing with the same temptation that you are facing right now. This is one reason small groups and biblical fellowship in the church is so valuable. When you interact with other believers you begin to see that we all share similar struggles. As a result, we are able to encourage one another.
Everyone is capable of not only being tempted but falling to temptation as well. The entire passage of 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 stands as a warning of the temptations that we face (see, vv. 6, 11). Right before our focal verse, Paul warns his readers against carelessness and pride. “So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10:12). Galatians 6:1 has some timely advice for us. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” The context of our verse on assurance is that special privilege is no guarantee that you will not face temptation and trials.
In this passage, the Bible mentions four areas of common temptations that we all are prone to face.
Four Common Temptations
1. Temptation to Idolatry (10:7)
In this passage Paul relates how the events of the Old Testament serve as examples, not to follow but to avoid. And what are we to avoid? Idolatry! Idolatry is allowing someone or something to come before you and your relationship with God. As your English teacher would remind us, a noun is a person, place, or thing. Well, an idol can be a person, place, or anything that comes first in your life before God. If something causes you to not obey God fully, it could an idol in your life. If something in your life cause your love toward God and the things of God to grow cold, it could be an idol in your life. The temptation to idolatry is not usually presented to us in bold terms. Usually, the temptation comes to you under the guise that this action will fulfill some need that you have. In the Bible, Idolatry was always a sign of relationship trouble. When God’s people fell into idolatry, it was because they ceased getting their ultimate needs met by God.
2. Temptation to Immorality (10:8)
The temptation of sexual immorality is not a new temptation. And yes, the godly struggle with issues of purity. It may even be a greater temptation today because of our sex-crazed culture. Some believers may think that they are not prone to temptations of sexual immorality, but “Be careful” God says (1 Cor. 10:12). As long as you’re in your earthly body, you are capable of not only being tempted to immorality, but falling as well. A godly friend of mine that is approaching 80 years old told me that he still struggles with lust! Is there something wrong with him? No, we should expect to be tempted to immorality. It “is common to man.” If idolatry says, “this will fulfill you,” immorality speaks to us, “this will make you feel good.”
3. Temptation to Test God (10:9)
The people in Moses’ day presumed upon God. They didn’t live very long either. The people acted as if it did not matter how they lived or what they did. They thought that God would simply overlook their sin and disobedience. Now, the truth is, God will always be there for you, but that is not a license to test God. The temptation to test God is the temptation that says, “you have to look out for yourself, you cannot trust God.”
4. Temptation to Grumble (10:10)
Some of you have a problem with grumbling. How do I know that? Have I been listening in on your conversations? No, I know that you have a problem with grumbling because it “is common to man,” and I’m included that number. There is the constant temptation for us to grumble, to be discontent about our situation in life. We grumble about our home life, our jobs, our country, even our church. However, when we grumble we are really saying, “God, you messed up!” If we really believe that God works all things for our good and according to His purposes, then grumbling is telling a sovereign God, He doesn’t know what He’s doing.
If temptation is common to all of us, why do we face temptation? There is an unholy trinity at work in your life and in mine. Here is the source of temptation. Here is why every one of us faces temptations.
Three Sources of Temptation
1. Internal Enemy – The Flesh
No, not the physical body, but your nature, the five-sense part of you that is easily dominated by desire. Now desire is not a bad thing. If God did not give us the desire for hunger, we would eventually shrivel up and die. But our fallen human nature says, “Don’t be content with eating to live, live to eat.” And so, we are tempted to over indulge. Some people say, “You should just follow what comes normal.” Now, if we were not fallen creatures, that philosophy of life would work.
But here’s the problem. Because we are fallen human beings, our nature is out of sorts and our desires unchecked by God’s moral law are going to lead to unhealthy and ungodly behavior. How do we suppress the inner nature that wants to do its own thing? We suppress our sinful desires by filling our lives with Christ. We let God’s Spirit control us, so that we do not fulfill the desires of our flesh (See Gal. 5:16-ff.).
2. External Enemy – The World
We’re not talking about the physical creation because creation is good, God says. What we are talking about here is the philosophy or system of thought in the world that leaves God out. It is anti-Christ. The world says hate your enemies, not love your enemies. The world says look out for yourself, don’t place others before you and your needs. The world says let’s settle our differences with war, not peace. The world says take what you want out of life, not wait in patience. The world says acquire, accumulate, for a man’s possessions and achievements are the evaluation of a successful life, not giving to others and serving in some obscure place giving your life away to others. The world appeals to our sense of pride, lust for power, and desire for pleasure.
How do we resist our external enemy? Let me illustrate. I’ve noticed that when Rhonda and I go grocery shopping, if we eat before we go, we spend less money and we make better purchasing choices. Why is that? Because all the goodies and junk doesn’t look nearly as good on a full stomach. But if you go the grocery store hungry, your buggy will be filled up with all kinds of stuff you would not normally buy. When it comes to spiritual matters, we have to change our appetite. If we are full of Christ and His Word, our appetite for the world will be lessened. If we are not full of Christ, we will be empty and prone to being tempted by the attitudes and things of this world.
3. Infernal Enemy – The Devil
Among his many names, our enemy is called the “Devil” (Matt. 4:1), the “Tempter” (1 Th. 3:5), the “Father of Lies” (Jn. 8:44), and the “Deceiver” (Rev. 20:10). He hurls his “fiery darts” (Eph. 6:16) at us tempting us to disobey God, to grumble, to do that which is wrong. I don’t want to give the Devil too much credit but I don’t want to neglect him either. I don’t want you to think that you can fall back and say, “The Devil made me do it.” He can’t make you do anything against your will. But you can give him place in your life, but you have to do that of your own free will. The Devil doesn’t make you do it, but he does make sin attractive. He whispers to you, “You have right to be angry and bitter. You deserve this, you need this because you’re special and no one appreciates you, even God Himself. This will solve all your problems. This will make you feel better.” The Devil whispers and sometimes he shouts, “go ahead” when God says “stop!” He tells us we have a green light when the light is really red.
II. THE CONSTANCY OF GOD
“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” When we are tempted we need to remember that God is not the one who tempts us. “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (Jas. 1:13-14).
We do know that God allows temptation. He’s God and I suppose He could stop all temptation from entering my mind, but He does not. There is a purpose to temptation even though we don’t always understand it at the time. We do know that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. He knows our limits (see Job). And God will use our times of testing for His glory and our good. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God makes everything beautiful or appropriate in its time. God takes even the dark times, the chaotic times, the times that don’t make sense, and He will work those for our good and His glory (see Rom. 8:28).
God does all of this because He has a plan for your life and for mine. And God has determined that the work that He started He is going to finish (Phil. 1:6). That’s the constancy of God at work. No matter what I am going through, “God is faithful.”
III. THE CERTAINTY OF ESCAPE
“But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” With every temptation God provides a way of escape, a way out, an exit, so that we can stand.
There are three words to summarize our escape strategy when facing temptations.
1. Faith
“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 Jn. 5:4). We overcome temptation by trusting (that’s what faith is) in our faithful God who gives us the victory. This is why in times of temptation we need to stay close to God. In your difficulties and temptations don’t run from God, run to Him! Let this be a time in your life when your faith grows even stronger. See Hebrews 4:14-16.
2. Flee
“Flee idolatry” Paul said (1 Cor. 10:14). “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18). For an example of fleeing temptation, see Joseph in the Old Testament as he dealt with Potiphar’s wife. Joseph was not cowardly in fleeing, but wise (Gen. 39:12). Fleeing means putting up boundaries for your protection. What area of temptation do you face? Those are the areas that you need to put up some healthy boundaries. I knew a man who traveled quite a bit. He disconnected his TV in his motel room to avoid the temptations he might face after a long day and night. If the internet tempts you, move your computer into the living room. If you spending too much is a temptation for you, take someone with you when you go to the mall. Do whatever is necessary for you to flee temptation.
3. Fight
Paul said I have fought the good fight of faith. Being a real Christian is not lightweight stuff. It’s serious business and it requires that you stay spiritually fit and in the battle. Don’t give in and don’t give up! Resist the Devil and he will flee from you (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pe. 5:9). We overcome Him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Rev. 12:11). We overcome Him the way Jesus did, through the word (Matt. 4). Jesus fought temptation with the sword of the Word of God! You and I have a powerful weapon for defeating temptation at our disposal. Are we using it? Are we going into spiritual battle without our offensive equipment? If we are, we’re losing! We win with the Word!
I am glad that we have the assurance of victory. You Can Endure! Remember, temptation is common to us all. You’re not alone. Remember, God is faithful, He’s not forgotten you, He’s right there with you. And remember, you have the assurance that God will provide a way of escape for you. Avail yourself to God’s escape plan.
Prayer: Lord, we don’t always understand why we have to face temptations in our lives. But we confess that you are going to do take all things in our lives and work them for our good and for Your glory. We also confess that you are faithful and you are not going to allow us to experience more temptation than we can endure. Thank you for providing a way out and a way up. Thank you in advance for the power that you are going to give us to have great faith in you, to flee temptation, and to fight the spiritual warfare of temptation that we encounter. Father, we praise you that our victory is in Jesus, Your Son and our Savior, and it is in His name that we pray. Amen.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
PRAYERS THAT GOD ANSWERS John 16:24
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on Sunday, September 13, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Series: Foundations: Lessons On Assurance
Week #2: Assurance of Answered
Focal Verse: John 16:24, NIV
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
One of the great blessings of knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior is to know that we have access to God the Father. We have an audience with the King of Kings! Paul described this privilege of prayer. “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Eph. 2:18). And “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Eph. 3:12). God wants you to have the assurance that He does care about you, that He does hear you, and that He will answer your prayers. The truth of our Scripture today is that God does answer prayer.
How can we know that God is hearing our prayers and that He will answer them? What kind of prayers does God answer? Today, I want to talk about the kinds of prayers that God answers.
God answers prayers that are . . .
1. Prayed – “Ask you will receive”
This sounds pretty simple and it is, but for God to answer prayer, the prayer must be prayed (see Jas. 4:2). God knows all about you and He knows what you need, but He wants to hear from you. There is something about voicing our concerns to God personally. God does things in response to our prayers that He would not do otherwise. God answers prayer, are we praying? Our Scripture lays down this timeless principle of prayer, God wants us to “ask” (Jn. 16:24). Why is prayer important? Through prayer, God accomplishes His purposes in us and completes our joy. Prayer is vitally connected to our fullness of joy. Apart from prayer, our joy will be incomplete.
Notice the phrase, “Until now you have not asked.” Jesus is not chastising the disciples for not asking in His name. Jesus was saying that up to that time, the disciples’ had not prayed in His name. Because Jesus was with the disciples in the flesh, there was no need to ask in His name. But now they were about to enter into a new age when they could do that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus was saying “No longer will I physically be here to answer your questions and care for you. From now on, you will be able to pray to the Father in My name, and receive your resources from Him.”
He said something similar in John 14:13-14. “And I will do [fut.] whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do [fut.] it.” Notice here the added element that our prayers are answered for the glory of the Father. More about this in a moment.
So what needs do you have? Bring them to God. Do you need help in a struggling relationship? A problem area of your life? A need for God’s counsel? God wants you to bring your needs to Him and trust Him to meet those needs. His promise is to you is that He will supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). What could you talk to your heavenly Father about today? God answers prayers that are prayed.
God answers prayers that are . . .
2. Prayed in Faith
Without faith it is impossible to please God, says the writer of Hebrews 11:6. He goes on to describe what faith means which is instructive to us in the area of prayer. If our prayers are to be effective, (1) first, we must believe that God exists (that is, that He is real) and second, (2) that He rewards those who seek Him (that is, He will answer our prayers).
James has much to tell us about praying in faith. He tells us to not doubt, or waver as one who does not know God (Jas. 1:5-8). To doubt God is to be “double-minded” or literally, “two-souled.” Praying in faith is praying with single-minded confidence because you know the Lord is your heavenly Father. The more that we come to know God intimately, the more focused and unwavering faith we will have in our prayers.
Faith is trusting God’s character and it is taking God at His Word. Maybe we have such a hard time trusting God because we have such a hard time trusting people. We’ve been burned by people who had no integrity, who did not keep their word, who proved to be untrustworthy. As a result of our fractured human relationships which we can see, we have a hard time trusting in a God that we cannot see. But if we are to experience joy that is complete, full, we must learn to trust God and take everything to Him in prayer.
Praying in faith is praying with simple child-like confidence. A pastor prayed for rain one Sunday morning during the service. On the way back to church that afternoon, his daughter said, “Daddy, don’t forget to take your umbrella.” The pastor said, “What for?” His daughter said, “Didn’t you pray for rain today?” Praying in faith is praying with simple child-like faith and expectancy that God is going to answer our prayer.
Melanie Oudin, the 17 year old from Marietta, Georgia has become this year’s US Open sensation defeating opponent after opponent, including three top Russian players: Elena Dementieva (4), Maria Sharapova (29), and Nadia Petrova (13), before falling in the quarter finals. What’s extraordinary is that one year ago she was unknown and ranked 221! Her boyfriend suggested that she put the words “believe” on her tennis shoes. Her simple philosophy of hard work, having fun, and belief has given her great confidence to do the unimaginable. When you and I “do” the work of prayer and simply “believe” God, we see God do the incredible, the unthinkable in our lives.
God answers prayers that are prayed, prayers that are prayed in faith, and prayers that are . . .
3. Prayed in Agreement with God’s Will
What should guide our asking? Our asking should be in agreement with God’s stated will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that we can have confidence when we pray according to God’s will. Why is that? When you pray according to God’s will, you are asking for things that God has already said is His will to happen.
What has He said that He wants to see happen in His world? God wants . . .
(1) People to be saved (Rom. 10:13; 2 Pe. 3:9)
(2) To extend forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9)
(3) To make you holy, like Him (1 Th. 4:3-5; Rom. 8)
(4) You to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)
(5) You to be a witness for Him (Acts 1:8)
(6) To use you to teach others
(7) To use you to build up His kingdom (Matt. 6:10)
(8) To have a godly family where there is peace.
(9) To bring the Gospel to our community, to show the love of Christ.
If it is God’s will, then pray and claim God’s assurance that He is going to answer that prayer. Evaluate your prayers. What do your prayers look like? Are you praying in agreement with God’s will? This is the key to having assurance of answered prayer.
Imagine, you’re going on a job interview at Raising Canes. Why? Maybe you love their chicken fingers. That’s your “One Love!” Before you go, you would need some knowledge of the company, its product, its founding, philosophy, etc. You would not know what to ask if you had no basic knowledge of the company. It probably would not be a good thing to ask what their top selling hamburger is. They don’t serve hamburgers! No, you do your homework before the interview. You go online and learn about how the company was founded by Todd Graves. You learn their concept, what their slogan is, why they have a yellow Labrador for a mascot, that they are on Facebook, you learn about their involvement in the community. You read their mission statement and their business philosophy. You know Raising Canes inside and out so that you ask questions that will get you the answers that you need.
That’s kind of how prayer works. If you do not know what questions to ask, you’re not going to receive the right answers. The Bible reveals God’s character – who He is, how to know Him, what He desires, his mission statement, His take on what’s important and why, what to pray about. You won’t find out why Raising Canes has a yellow Labrador for a mascot, but you will find out the what, the why, and the wherefore of God’s will and how He wants to work in your life. The more you are intimately acquainted with the Lord and His word, the more mature your prayer life will be. And the more effective and powerful your prayers will be.
The preacher Archbishop Trent is quoted as saying, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of His highest willingness.” God desires to work in your life – therefore, pray!
John clearly tells us that prayer that gets answered and brings fullness of joy is prayer offered in “Jesus’ name” (Jn. 16:24). What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? Does it mean that we are to simply tack on “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers? Can you make a request to God and then say, “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Will that guarantee you’ll get what you requested? To ask in Jesus’ name means to ask for something in behalf of Christ. You are saying, “Father, I want this because Christ wants it.”
Praying in Jesus’ name also means that we are praying in His authority. On my own, I have no merit before God, no standing, no right, no authority. I have no account in heaven that I can withdraw from. But when I pray in Jesus’ name, I pray in His authority, I pray on His account and as a result, my prayers are answered.
Here’s a check I wrote out to the bank for cash. There’s no problem with the check. It’s a valid check, all my account information is correct and it is has my signature. There’s just one problem with the check. It’s written for $10,000 and my signature at Regions Bank will not authorize them to release $10,000. I do not have that much money in my account. But if I had a check for $10,000 from Donald Trump, I could take it to my bank with full confidence because Donald Trump’s signature and account has sufficient funds to pay the check. You and I are able to pray and receive from God because we are praying in “Jesus’ name,” not ours. This is why I can pray about anything that is in agreement with God’s will and have the assurance that God is going to answer my prayer. Christ has signed the check!
God answers prayers that are prayed, prayers that are prayed in faith, prayers that are in agreement with God’s will, and prayers that are . . .
4. Prayed with Persistence
“Ask” is a verb (present, active, imperative). The same word is used by Jesus in Matthew 7:7. We are to “ask” and keep on asking! James uses a snapshot from the Old Testament to show us the power of praying with persistence. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years” (Jas. 5:16b-17).
Jesus told the story of the widow who would not give up (Lk. 18:1-8). What was the lesson? Persistence will be rewarded. Keep on praying. “Always pray and not give up” (v.1). What are your praying about? Are your remaining persistent? Don’t give up! Help is on the way!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Series: Foundations: Lessons On Assurance
Week #2: Assurance of Answered
Focal Verse: John 16:24, NIV
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
One of the great blessings of knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior is to know that we have access to God the Father. We have an audience with the King of Kings! Paul described this privilege of prayer. “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Eph. 2:18). And “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Eph. 3:12). God wants you to have the assurance that He does care about you, that He does hear you, and that He will answer your prayers. The truth of our Scripture today is that God does answer prayer.
How can we know that God is hearing our prayers and that He will answer them? What kind of prayers does God answer? Today, I want to talk about the kinds of prayers that God answers.
God answers prayers that are . . .
1. Prayed – “Ask you will receive”
This sounds pretty simple and it is, but for God to answer prayer, the prayer must be prayed (see Jas. 4:2). God knows all about you and He knows what you need, but He wants to hear from you. There is something about voicing our concerns to God personally. God does things in response to our prayers that He would not do otherwise. God answers prayer, are we praying? Our Scripture lays down this timeless principle of prayer, God wants us to “ask” (Jn. 16:24). Why is prayer important? Through prayer, God accomplishes His purposes in us and completes our joy. Prayer is vitally connected to our fullness of joy. Apart from prayer, our joy will be incomplete.
Notice the phrase, “Until now you have not asked.” Jesus is not chastising the disciples for not asking in His name. Jesus was saying that up to that time, the disciples’ had not prayed in His name. Because Jesus was with the disciples in the flesh, there was no need to ask in His name. But now they were about to enter into a new age when they could do that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus was saying “No longer will I physically be here to answer your questions and care for you. From now on, you will be able to pray to the Father in My name, and receive your resources from Him.”
He said something similar in John 14:13-14. “And I will do [fut.] whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do [fut.] it.” Notice here the added element that our prayers are answered for the glory of the Father. More about this in a moment.
So what needs do you have? Bring them to God. Do you need help in a struggling relationship? A problem area of your life? A need for God’s counsel? God wants you to bring your needs to Him and trust Him to meet those needs. His promise is to you is that He will supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). What could you talk to your heavenly Father about today? God answers prayers that are prayed.
God answers prayers that are . . .
2. Prayed in Faith
Without faith it is impossible to please God, says the writer of Hebrews 11:6. He goes on to describe what faith means which is instructive to us in the area of prayer. If our prayers are to be effective, (1) first, we must believe that God exists (that is, that He is real) and second, (2) that He rewards those who seek Him (that is, He will answer our prayers).
James has much to tell us about praying in faith. He tells us to not doubt, or waver as one who does not know God (Jas. 1:5-8). To doubt God is to be “double-minded” or literally, “two-souled.” Praying in faith is praying with single-minded confidence because you know the Lord is your heavenly Father. The more that we come to know God intimately, the more focused and unwavering faith we will have in our prayers.
Faith is trusting God’s character and it is taking God at His Word. Maybe we have such a hard time trusting God because we have such a hard time trusting people. We’ve been burned by people who had no integrity, who did not keep their word, who proved to be untrustworthy. As a result of our fractured human relationships which we can see, we have a hard time trusting in a God that we cannot see. But if we are to experience joy that is complete, full, we must learn to trust God and take everything to Him in prayer.
Praying in faith is praying with simple child-like confidence. A pastor prayed for rain one Sunday morning during the service. On the way back to church that afternoon, his daughter said, “Daddy, don’t forget to take your umbrella.” The pastor said, “What for?” His daughter said, “Didn’t you pray for rain today?” Praying in faith is praying with simple child-like faith and expectancy that God is going to answer our prayer.
Melanie Oudin, the 17 year old from Marietta, Georgia has become this year’s US Open sensation defeating opponent after opponent, including three top Russian players: Elena Dementieva (4), Maria Sharapova (29), and Nadia Petrova (13), before falling in the quarter finals. What’s extraordinary is that one year ago she was unknown and ranked 221! Her boyfriend suggested that she put the words “believe” on her tennis shoes. Her simple philosophy of hard work, having fun, and belief has given her great confidence to do the unimaginable. When you and I “do” the work of prayer and simply “believe” God, we see God do the incredible, the unthinkable in our lives.
God answers prayers that are prayed, prayers that are prayed in faith, and prayers that are . . .
3. Prayed in Agreement with God’s Will
What should guide our asking? Our asking should be in agreement with God’s stated will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that we can have confidence when we pray according to God’s will. Why is that? When you pray according to God’s will, you are asking for things that God has already said is His will to happen.
What has He said that He wants to see happen in His world? God wants . . .
(1) People to be saved (Rom. 10:13; 2 Pe. 3:9)
(2) To extend forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9)
(3) To make you holy, like Him (1 Th. 4:3-5; Rom. 8)
(4) You to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)
(5) You to be a witness for Him (Acts 1:8)
(6) To use you to teach others
(7) To use you to build up His kingdom (Matt. 6:10)
(8) To have a godly family where there is peace.
(9) To bring the Gospel to our community, to show the love of Christ.
If it is God’s will, then pray and claim God’s assurance that He is going to answer that prayer. Evaluate your prayers. What do your prayers look like? Are you praying in agreement with God’s will? This is the key to having assurance of answered prayer.
Imagine, you’re going on a job interview at Raising Canes. Why? Maybe you love their chicken fingers. That’s your “One Love!” Before you go, you would need some knowledge of the company, its product, its founding, philosophy, etc. You would not know what to ask if you had no basic knowledge of the company. It probably would not be a good thing to ask what their top selling hamburger is. They don’t serve hamburgers! No, you do your homework before the interview. You go online and learn about how the company was founded by Todd Graves. You learn their concept, what their slogan is, why they have a yellow Labrador for a mascot, that they are on Facebook, you learn about their involvement in the community. You read their mission statement and their business philosophy. You know Raising Canes inside and out so that you ask questions that will get you the answers that you need.
That’s kind of how prayer works. If you do not know what questions to ask, you’re not going to receive the right answers. The Bible reveals God’s character – who He is, how to know Him, what He desires, his mission statement, His take on what’s important and why, what to pray about. You won’t find out why Raising Canes has a yellow Labrador for a mascot, but you will find out the what, the why, and the wherefore of God’s will and how He wants to work in your life. The more you are intimately acquainted with the Lord and His word, the more mature your prayer life will be. And the more effective and powerful your prayers will be.
The preacher Archbishop Trent is quoted as saying, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of His highest willingness.” God desires to work in your life – therefore, pray!
John clearly tells us that prayer that gets answered and brings fullness of joy is prayer offered in “Jesus’ name” (Jn. 16:24). What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? Does it mean that we are to simply tack on “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers? Can you make a request to God and then say, “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Will that guarantee you’ll get what you requested? To ask in Jesus’ name means to ask for something in behalf of Christ. You are saying, “Father, I want this because Christ wants it.”
Praying in Jesus’ name also means that we are praying in His authority. On my own, I have no merit before God, no standing, no right, no authority. I have no account in heaven that I can withdraw from. But when I pray in Jesus’ name, I pray in His authority, I pray on His account and as a result, my prayers are answered.
Here’s a check I wrote out to the bank for cash. There’s no problem with the check. It’s a valid check, all my account information is correct and it is has my signature. There’s just one problem with the check. It’s written for $10,000 and my signature at Regions Bank will not authorize them to release $10,000. I do not have that much money in my account. But if I had a check for $10,000 from Donald Trump, I could take it to my bank with full confidence because Donald Trump’s signature and account has sufficient funds to pay the check. You and I are able to pray and receive from God because we are praying in “Jesus’ name,” not ours. This is why I can pray about anything that is in agreement with God’s will and have the assurance that God is going to answer my prayer. Christ has signed the check!
God answers prayers that are prayed, prayers that are prayed in faith, prayers that are in agreement with God’s will, and prayers that are . . .
4. Prayed with Persistence
“Ask” is a verb (present, active, imperative). The same word is used by Jesus in Matthew 7:7. We are to “ask” and keep on asking! James uses a snapshot from the Old Testament to show us the power of praying with persistence. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years” (Jas. 5:16b-17).
Jesus told the story of the widow who would not give up (Lk. 18:1-8). What was the lesson? Persistence will be rewarded. Keep on praying. “Always pray and not give up” (v.1). What are your praying about? Are your remaining persistent? Don’t give up! Help is on the way!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
HOW I KNOW I AM SAVED 1 John 5:11-12
Series: "Foundations: Lessons On Assurance"
Theme: Assurance of Salvation
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church on September 6, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 John 5:11-12, NIV
One of our basic needs seems to be the need for security. Everyone would like to be sure of the future, sure that everything is going to be alright. We often find ourselves saying the words even when we’re not sure, “Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.” One man said, “They told me to ‘Cheer up, things could be worse.’ So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse!”
However, we don’t want mere words, we want reality. What we’re dealing with today in our topic is a certain biblical reality. It’s not just mere words, it’s truth. And what is that truth? Read 1 John 5:11-12 together.
How can you know that you are saved – that you have eternal life? Is it even possible to know in this life that you are completely and forever saved? And can you lose that salvation once you have it? Today, as we begin this new series, “Foundations: Lessons On Assurance,” I want to share with you how you can know that you are saved. God wants you to be secure in your salvation. He wants you to know. He wants you to face life and death with confidence.
Why is this important? Have you been in an airport and ever noticed the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. My brother once worked for Delta Airlines and flew all around the country on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers or books, listen to their I-pod, visit with friends and family, eat, or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace back and forth and are clearly uneasy. The difference is a matter of confidence. The standby people have no assurance they will board the plane and reach their destination. People who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and who believe what the Bible says about salvation, have confidence, they know that God has saved them, forgiven them of their sins and given them eternal life. They know that they are on the plane and will reach their destination. Others live in a state of anxiety, never being sure they have truly been saved.
Assurance of salvation is something that you need to nail down once and forever and you can do that today. During the last election much was made of how a presidential candidate would respond to the 3 a.m. questions. Well, one day you and I are going to receive a wake-up call from the Lord. Will we be ready? God wants you to have the assurance of your salvation so that you will be ready on that day.
Before we answer the question, “How can I know that I am saved?” there are some common objections to this biblical teaching concerning the assurance of salvation (Eternal Security) that we need to look at.
OBJECTIONS TO THE TEACHING OF ETERNAL SECURITY
OBJECTION #1: No one can know with certainty in this life that they are saved. Some people believe that you can only really know after you die and stand before God, but that you cannot know with certainty right now in this life that you are saved. But, do we have to wait until we die to see if we’re going to make it? Are we really sort of on standby? You mean to tell me that even though I have my ticket I may not get on board? Our response to this objection will be obvious in just a few moments because it is clear from Scripture that you can know, you can have certainty.
OBJECTION #2: It is possible for a person to lose their salvation. To some people all talk of having assurance is nonsense because they believe that a person can lose their salvation. And how do you lose your salvation? These people would hold up sin in a Christian’s life as proof that you can lose your salvation. But is sin in a Christian’s life proof that they have lost their salvation? If it is, then you would have to believe that when a person becomes a Christian, they never sin again. Essentially, they would have to become sinless – perfect if you will. But is that what the Bible teaches? Salvation does not mean that you will never sin again. Salvation means that you are forgiven not perfect. I’ve met a few people who thought that they were without sin, but I don’t know of any Christian who has not sinned after they became a Christian.
Here’s an important truth we need to know. Sin breaks our fellowship with God, but sin cannot break our relationship with God. You may have a son or a daughter that decides to go their own way. They may be like the prodigal son. However, he is still your son. She is still your daughter. The relationship hasn’t changed even if the fellowship is strained and in need of being righted. A Christian can fall into sin after salvation. This is not God’s will and it does hinder our fellowship with God but it will not sever our relationship with God.
Now everyone that I have known that believes you can lose your salvation also believes that you can get it back. And how do you get it back? Usually by doing something that the pastor and church tells you to do. But here’s the real problem. If I can lose my salvation, then I have to do something to get it back. And if I can do something to obtain salvation, what is it? And why do I need what Christ did for me on the cross? Salvation is either a gift by grace or it is by works, but it cannot be both! Grace and works as a means of salvation are mutually exclusive. Salvation is given by grace and accepted by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). If there is anything that you can do to keep or regain your salvation, then there will always be the possibility that you have not held up to what you are supposed to do. Also, when do you know if you’ve done what you need to do? How can you ever have assurance that God has accepted you? You cannot if you believe that your salvation hinges on your behavior. You will forever be on standby.
Often a Scripture that is cited as proof that you can lose your salvation is Hebrews 6:4-6. But this passage is not saying that it is possible for a person to lose their salvation. The passage is presenting us with a hypothetical situation to prove the point that you cannot lose your salvation. The passage is actually saying that it is impossible to be lost once Christ has saved us because that would mean Christ would have to be crucified again in order for a person to be saved again, and this is an impossibility. This Scripture also makes it clear that “if” you could lose your salvation, you could never get it back.
If sin breaks our relationship with God and causes us to lose our salvation, then we’re all in trouble. Ill.: What happens if entertain an evil thought while I’m driving home from church today, and then get killed in an accident? Do I lose my salvation? If salvation depends on me I do. And if I do lose salvation when I sin, then I really never had salvation to begin with.
OBJECTION #3: People who teach eternal security give the impression that you can live in sin. I can hear some of my brethren say, “You Baptists (BTW, it’s not just a Baptist doctrine) just believe that you can walk an aisle and say a prayer, and then go out and live like the Devil.” First, I do not know of anyone who believes in the assurance of salvation that would say “trust Jesus and live like you want to.” It’s just the opposite. Because God has saved us and changed us, we want to live life now to please God. He has changed our “want to.”
I think most of us would be quick to say that not everyone who professes Christ possesses Christ. Are there false Christians? Sure. Jesus said so in Matthew 7:21-23. Are there people who just joined the church but did not join Jesus? Yes. Are there people who got wet but didn’t get washed? Certainly. But just because there are some false professors does not negate the reality that there are countless others who have been changed by the power of God and they are seeking to live for Christ.
OBJECTION #4: I do not feel like I am saved.
You cannot trust your feelings. Salvation is not dependent upon our feelings. Some people experience intense emotions while others do not. The validity of your salvation is not based on the magnitude of feelings that you experienced. Granted, we are emotional beings and we do enjoy “feeling” close to God, forgiven, etc. But how you view your salvation should not be dependent on what side of the bed you wake up on.
It’s been my joy and stress relief to know that I have been saved, I am saved, and I will be saved. I have absolute assurance. What God has given me, He will give to you. He has no favorites. The remainder of what I am going to say assumes two things: (1) The Bible is accurate and trustworthy concerning what God says about salvation, and (2) That you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have asked Him to forgive you of your sins. You have invited Him to take charge of your life.
If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, then you will doubt, you will not have assurance of salvation. I urge you to trust in Jesus today so that you can begin to enjoy the life that God has for you. You don’t have to remain on standby. Then you will be ready to face life and death. In just a few minutes, you will have that opportunity to accept Christ as your Savior. God wants you to know. Nail this down once-and-for-all today.
I know I am saved because of . . .
1. What Christ Accomplished on the Cross
* Our sin debt is paid in full! 1 Pe. 2:24; 3:18; 1 Jn. 3:5;
Heb. 9:26; 10:11-14. Christ’s sacrifice for sins was once-for-all! Jesus paid for my sins past, present, and even future. If the cross was not sufficient than nothing ever will be. On the cross a holy God was completely satisfied in Jesus.
* God’s gift of righteousness is forever! Rom. 1:17; 3:22;
2 Cor. 5:21. I could never add or subtract to what God has done in Jesus. I know I am saved because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross. What He did for me, He has done for you! Have you believed the Gospel?
I know I am saved because . . .
2. The Bible Says I am Saved (1 John 5:11-12)
Our focal verse 1 John 5:11-12 tells us clearly that if we have the Son we have eternal life. If we do not have the Son we do not have eternal life. It’s really just that simple. I have done what God has required. Jn. 1:12 – I have received Christ! Jn. 3:16 – I have believed in Jesus! Acts 3:19 – I have turned to God! Rom. 10:13 – I have called on the name of the Lord to save me. By faith, I did what God told me to do. Therefore, I can conclude that on the authority of God’s word, I am saved! The question is, “Are we going to believe God’s Word or not?”
I know I am saved because . . .
3. The Power of God Keeps Me Saved
Jesus told His disciples that no one that belonged to God would be lost, it’s impossible – Jn. 6:39-40. No one can snatch us out of God’s hands – Jn. 10:27-29. Nothing can separate us from God – Rom. 8:38-39. Furthermore, God has sealed me forever with the Holy Spirit who lives within me. I am sealed until the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14). Peter says that “through faith” we are “shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pe. 1:5). If I am truly saved, how could I ever be lost? Three things would be true if I could be lost: (1) God would have to cease being God! (2) He would be a liar and (3) His Word would have to be a complete fabrication. No, I’m saved and kept saved today because of the power of God.
I know I am saved because of . . .
4. The Change that Has Occurred in My Life
Salvation is a “new birth” (1 Pe. 1:3). In Christ you are “born again.” (1) birth is a one-time experience. In the Bible, you’re not born again, and again, and again (unless you’re a Buddhist or Shirley McClain). (2) this new birth is a spiritual birth that brings change in your life. In Christ you have a new nature. Now, after we are born we must continue to grow. Sometimes we doubt our salvation we are not growing in Christ. When that occurs we’re like the branches that have been cut off from the vine, dry, lifeless, dead. Assurance will be absent if you are not growing in Christ. You may be saved but your great need is to grow in Christ.
This new birth makes you “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). You become a new person! How do I know? I was there when it happened. I received Jesus and He welcomed me into the family of God. And from that day forward He has been working in my life. I’m not what I ought to be, and I’m not what I will be, but praise God I’m not what I once was. Changes have occurred in my life. I do not fear judgement, my sins have been judged in Christ. No longer a slave to sin, I have resurrection power and I am now more than a conqueror through Christ! I have God’s Life Assurance Policy! Do you (2 Cor. 13:5)?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Theme: Assurance of Salvation
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church on September 6, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 John 5:11-12, NIV
One of our basic needs seems to be the need for security. Everyone would like to be sure of the future, sure that everything is going to be alright. We often find ourselves saying the words even when we’re not sure, “Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.” One man said, “They told me to ‘Cheer up, things could be worse.’ So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse!”
However, we don’t want mere words, we want reality. What we’re dealing with today in our topic is a certain biblical reality. It’s not just mere words, it’s truth. And what is that truth? Read 1 John 5:11-12 together.
How can you know that you are saved – that you have eternal life? Is it even possible to know in this life that you are completely and forever saved? And can you lose that salvation once you have it? Today, as we begin this new series, “Foundations: Lessons On Assurance,” I want to share with you how you can know that you are saved. God wants you to be secure in your salvation. He wants you to know. He wants you to face life and death with confidence.
Why is this important? Have you been in an airport and ever noticed the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. My brother once worked for Delta Airlines and flew all around the country on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers or books, listen to their I-pod, visit with friends and family, eat, or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace back and forth and are clearly uneasy. The difference is a matter of confidence. The standby people have no assurance they will board the plane and reach their destination. People who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and who believe what the Bible says about salvation, have confidence, they know that God has saved them, forgiven them of their sins and given them eternal life. They know that they are on the plane and will reach their destination. Others live in a state of anxiety, never being sure they have truly been saved.
Assurance of salvation is something that you need to nail down once and forever and you can do that today. During the last election much was made of how a presidential candidate would respond to the 3 a.m. questions. Well, one day you and I are going to receive a wake-up call from the Lord. Will we be ready? God wants you to have the assurance of your salvation so that you will be ready on that day.
Before we answer the question, “How can I know that I am saved?” there are some common objections to this biblical teaching concerning the assurance of salvation (Eternal Security) that we need to look at.
OBJECTIONS TO THE TEACHING OF ETERNAL SECURITY
OBJECTION #1: No one can know with certainty in this life that they are saved. Some people believe that you can only really know after you die and stand before God, but that you cannot know with certainty right now in this life that you are saved. But, do we have to wait until we die to see if we’re going to make it? Are we really sort of on standby? You mean to tell me that even though I have my ticket I may not get on board? Our response to this objection will be obvious in just a few moments because it is clear from Scripture that you can know, you can have certainty.
OBJECTION #2: It is possible for a person to lose their salvation. To some people all talk of having assurance is nonsense because they believe that a person can lose their salvation. And how do you lose your salvation? These people would hold up sin in a Christian’s life as proof that you can lose your salvation. But is sin in a Christian’s life proof that they have lost their salvation? If it is, then you would have to believe that when a person becomes a Christian, they never sin again. Essentially, they would have to become sinless – perfect if you will. But is that what the Bible teaches? Salvation does not mean that you will never sin again. Salvation means that you are forgiven not perfect. I’ve met a few people who thought that they were without sin, but I don’t know of any Christian who has not sinned after they became a Christian.
Here’s an important truth we need to know. Sin breaks our fellowship with God, but sin cannot break our relationship with God. You may have a son or a daughter that decides to go their own way. They may be like the prodigal son. However, he is still your son. She is still your daughter. The relationship hasn’t changed even if the fellowship is strained and in need of being righted. A Christian can fall into sin after salvation. This is not God’s will and it does hinder our fellowship with God but it will not sever our relationship with God.
Now everyone that I have known that believes you can lose your salvation also believes that you can get it back. And how do you get it back? Usually by doing something that the pastor and church tells you to do. But here’s the real problem. If I can lose my salvation, then I have to do something to get it back. And if I can do something to obtain salvation, what is it? And why do I need what Christ did for me on the cross? Salvation is either a gift by grace or it is by works, but it cannot be both! Grace and works as a means of salvation are mutually exclusive. Salvation is given by grace and accepted by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). If there is anything that you can do to keep or regain your salvation, then there will always be the possibility that you have not held up to what you are supposed to do. Also, when do you know if you’ve done what you need to do? How can you ever have assurance that God has accepted you? You cannot if you believe that your salvation hinges on your behavior. You will forever be on standby.
Often a Scripture that is cited as proof that you can lose your salvation is Hebrews 6:4-6. But this passage is not saying that it is possible for a person to lose their salvation. The passage is presenting us with a hypothetical situation to prove the point that you cannot lose your salvation. The passage is actually saying that it is impossible to be lost once Christ has saved us because that would mean Christ would have to be crucified again in order for a person to be saved again, and this is an impossibility. This Scripture also makes it clear that “if” you could lose your salvation, you could never get it back.
If sin breaks our relationship with God and causes us to lose our salvation, then we’re all in trouble. Ill.: What happens if entertain an evil thought while I’m driving home from church today, and then get killed in an accident? Do I lose my salvation? If salvation depends on me I do. And if I do lose salvation when I sin, then I really never had salvation to begin with.
OBJECTION #3: People who teach eternal security give the impression that you can live in sin. I can hear some of my brethren say, “You Baptists (BTW, it’s not just a Baptist doctrine) just believe that you can walk an aisle and say a prayer, and then go out and live like the Devil.” First, I do not know of anyone who believes in the assurance of salvation that would say “trust Jesus and live like you want to.” It’s just the opposite. Because God has saved us and changed us, we want to live life now to please God. He has changed our “want to.”
I think most of us would be quick to say that not everyone who professes Christ possesses Christ. Are there false Christians? Sure. Jesus said so in Matthew 7:21-23. Are there people who just joined the church but did not join Jesus? Yes. Are there people who got wet but didn’t get washed? Certainly. But just because there are some false professors does not negate the reality that there are countless others who have been changed by the power of God and they are seeking to live for Christ.
OBJECTION #4: I do not feel like I am saved.
You cannot trust your feelings. Salvation is not dependent upon our feelings. Some people experience intense emotions while others do not. The validity of your salvation is not based on the magnitude of feelings that you experienced. Granted, we are emotional beings and we do enjoy “feeling” close to God, forgiven, etc. But how you view your salvation should not be dependent on what side of the bed you wake up on.
It’s been my joy and stress relief to know that I have been saved, I am saved, and I will be saved. I have absolute assurance. What God has given me, He will give to you. He has no favorites. The remainder of what I am going to say assumes two things: (1) The Bible is accurate and trustworthy concerning what God says about salvation, and (2) That you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have asked Him to forgive you of your sins. You have invited Him to take charge of your life.
If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, then you will doubt, you will not have assurance of salvation. I urge you to trust in Jesus today so that you can begin to enjoy the life that God has for you. You don’t have to remain on standby. Then you will be ready to face life and death. In just a few minutes, you will have that opportunity to accept Christ as your Savior. God wants you to know. Nail this down once-and-for-all today.
I know I am saved because of . . .
1. What Christ Accomplished on the Cross
* Our sin debt is paid in full! 1 Pe. 2:24; 3:18; 1 Jn. 3:5;
Heb. 9:26; 10:11-14. Christ’s sacrifice for sins was once-for-all! Jesus paid for my sins past, present, and even future. If the cross was not sufficient than nothing ever will be. On the cross a holy God was completely satisfied in Jesus.
* God’s gift of righteousness is forever! Rom. 1:17; 3:22;
2 Cor. 5:21. I could never add or subtract to what God has done in Jesus. I know I am saved because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross. What He did for me, He has done for you! Have you believed the Gospel?
I know I am saved because . . .
2. The Bible Says I am Saved (1 John 5:11-12)
Our focal verse 1 John 5:11-12 tells us clearly that if we have the Son we have eternal life. If we do not have the Son we do not have eternal life. It’s really just that simple. I have done what God has required. Jn. 1:12 – I have received Christ! Jn. 3:16 – I have believed in Jesus! Acts 3:19 – I have turned to God! Rom. 10:13 – I have called on the name of the Lord to save me. By faith, I did what God told me to do. Therefore, I can conclude that on the authority of God’s word, I am saved! The question is, “Are we going to believe God’s Word or not?”
I know I am saved because . . .
3. The Power of God Keeps Me Saved
Jesus told His disciples that no one that belonged to God would be lost, it’s impossible – Jn. 6:39-40. No one can snatch us out of God’s hands – Jn. 10:27-29. Nothing can separate us from God – Rom. 8:38-39. Furthermore, God has sealed me forever with the Holy Spirit who lives within me. I am sealed until the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14). Peter says that “through faith” we are “shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pe. 1:5). If I am truly saved, how could I ever be lost? Three things would be true if I could be lost: (1) God would have to cease being God! (2) He would be a liar and (3) His Word would have to be a complete fabrication. No, I’m saved and kept saved today because of the power of God.
I know I am saved because of . . .
4. The Change that Has Occurred in My Life
Salvation is a “new birth” (1 Pe. 1:3). In Christ you are “born again.” (1) birth is a one-time experience. In the Bible, you’re not born again, and again, and again (unless you’re a Buddhist or Shirley McClain). (2) this new birth is a spiritual birth that brings change in your life. In Christ you have a new nature. Now, after we are born we must continue to grow. Sometimes we doubt our salvation we are not growing in Christ. When that occurs we’re like the branches that have been cut off from the vine, dry, lifeless, dead. Assurance will be absent if you are not growing in Christ. You may be saved but your great need is to grow in Christ.
This new birth makes you “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). You become a new person! How do I know? I was there when it happened. I received Jesus and He welcomed me into the family of God. And from that day forward He has been working in my life. I’m not what I ought to be, and I’m not what I will be, but praise God I’m not what I once was. Changes have occurred in my life. I do not fear judgement, my sins have been judged in Christ. No longer a slave to sin, I have resurrection power and I am now more than a conqueror through Christ! I have God’s Life Assurance Policy! Do you (2 Cor. 13:5)?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, August 31, 2009
Have You Washed Your Hands?
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on Sunday, August 30, 2009 by Pastor, Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (Pew Bible, 678)
Introduction
We’ve been reminded lately how important washing our hands can be. Recent swine flu outbreaks have led some local Baton Rouge schools to close for several days so that they could be thoroughly disinfected. Hand sanitizers have become a part of our daily life. And of course, what child hasn’t heard a mother say, “Wash your hands before dinner!”
The text for today might leave some of us thinking that the Pharisees and Scribes (“Teachers of the Law”) are acting kind of silly and childish, making such a fuss. All that happened was a few of Jesus’ disciples neglected to wash their hands before they ate. But as usual in Jesus’ dealings with the religious rulers, there’s more going on here than simply hand washing etiquette.
The Setting (7:1-4)
Mark tells us in verses 3-4 that the Jews customarily wash their hands, “holding to the tradition of the elders” and that they hold to “many other traditions” as well (v.4). The tradition of washing one’s hands before eating was an old one. Since the Book of Exodus when the law was given to the Israelites, it was required that the high priest, before he even entered the temple, ritually washed both his hands and feet. Over the years it became the norm for all faithful Jews to wash their hands before eating as a way of identifying with the religious tradition of the high priest, and more importantly, as a way of making the common a holy act.
The Conflict (7:5)
“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of
the elders?” In other words, “Why do they not do what we do?” Specifically, why do they not wash their hands before they eat? Because the disciples are eating with “unclean hands,” they are viewed as “unclean.” Their thinking is that if the disciples are unclean, they also must be unfit to God.
Jesus’ Reply (7:6-8, 14-15, 21-23)
A Scripture Quoted: Isaiah 29:13
Citing the prophet Isaiah, Jesus accused the religious leaders of honoring God with their lips but their heart was a million miles away. He also said that they were worshiping in vain because they were trusting in their tradition rather than God. What a rebuke against their worship! What about our worship? Do we give God only lip service? Do we trust in Him or our religious traditions? These are important questions to ask ourselves regularly.
Jesus Teaches the Larger Crowd (7:14-15, 21-23)
Jesus said that it’s not what comes from the outside that makes a person unclean, but what is on the inside. You can wash the skin right off your hands, but it will not clean your heart. It’s what comes out of the heart that makes a person unclean. So, if what comes out of a person makes him or her unclean, then what is needed is a clean heart, a new heart.
Jesus redefined what it meant to be clean before God.
A Principle Applied: A Clean Heart Makes for Clean Hands.
No amount of external washing can cleanse the heart, only God can do that. However, when the heart is clean, the hands will be too.
Tradition Gone Bad
On the surface of our text, we have an example of how a tradition, even one that starts off as good one can go bad. Traditions often evolve into something that they were never originally intended for. There are three stages in the evolution of a tradition that has lost its meaning.
1. Stage 1: Tradition as a Means to Glorify God
No doubt, this tradition of washing hands began as a way of making the common holy. The priests would wash their hands before entering into their priestly service. This naturally led to the understanding that all of God’s people should go through their daily lives with the idea that cleansing precedes our serving. But they also wanted to sanctify the common, the everyday. They were bringing a sanctity to the everyday affairs of life. We do this when we give thanks at the dinner table. We bring a sanctity to the most common and ordinary things of life, a meal.
2. Stage 2: Tradition as a Means of Judging Spirituality
There’s always the danger with religious traditions because of the tendency to make the tradition a standard of a person’s spirituality. No doubt that’s what happened here. So what started out as a practice to make the common holy, now has become a standard for what “holy” people do. That’s an altogether different meaning. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were judging their spirituality and the spirituality of others by their man made laws, “traditions of the elders.” The problem from their perspective? The disciples do not practice what supposedly “holy” people do.
3. Stage 3: Tradition as a Source of Fear.
How can a tradition be a source of fear? It creates in the mind of a person this kind of thinking. “If I do not keep the tradition, then maybe the whole faith is suspect and maybe I am suspect.” So we keep the tradition only because we have this deep inner fear that drives us to keep it. Instead of something that is meaningful (that glorifies God) and is a joy to participate in, the tradition becomes a burdensome law and obligation. At this level, the tradition simply becomes a boundary marker to identify who they are supposed to be.
The Pharisees and Scribes were upset with Jesus for several reasons. First, Jesus did not play by their rules, “the tradition of the elders.” “How dare Jesus teach and minister and do things without our permission, our stamp of approval.” But there is a deeper issue at play. They were afraid of Jesus because they were afraid of anyone that was free. Free people do not need boundary markers that tell them who they are supposed to be. Free people do not depend on externals to tell them they are right with God, they have an inner and abiding relationship with God. They have the witness of the Spirit of God living within them. Jesus and His followers were a threat because they were free and the Pharisees and the Scribes were not.
Fearful people become obsessive people! Fear does that to you. Fear turns minor concerns into obsessions. That same fear deludes us. We are afraid that if something in our system fails, then we will fail. If something in our system of belief is proven shaky, if something in our society changes, if something in our system of relationships or life is suddenly broken, then fear causes us to think we are failed, we are broken. Fear distorts reality so that the important concerns of life are missed. In short, fear distorts the truth.
How does this text speak to our observance of the Lord’s Supper? The Lord’s Supper is centered in the work of Christ, the finished work of Christ that brings us freedom, freedom from sin. It is because of His death and resurrection that we are free from our sins and we have been given a new life of freedom. “Who the Son sets free is free indeed!” (Jn. 8:36). This is why Jesus came! He came to set the captives free (Lk. 4:18), He did not come to put you in bondage. Christ sets us free from the fear of judgement and death. Christ liberates us from a small life of obsessing to a large life of blessing!
Furthermore, in observing the tradition we call the Lord’s Supper, we remember that in Christ God has truly cleansed us, He has washed our hands, He has given us clean hands so that we are free to serve Him. A Clean Heart Makes for Clean Hands. So the Supper declares to us, “Come to Me (Jesus said) and I will wash your sins away. I will set you free from yourself and your sin.” But the Supper also says to us, “Now that you are washed and free, go from this place with holy hands of service. You have been freed to serve Me with Joy! God has released you from a life of compulsive obsessive attempts to clean your hands. You are set free in Christ, now go in Christ and serve with Joy and wonder!”
God will never accomplish His work through people who serve Him from a motivation of fear. Fearful people are not more than conquerors, they are conquered. Fearful people are not open to God possibilities, their minds are set on earthly concerns. The Lord’s Table bids us to here God’s Word, “Do not be afraid!” We can bring our fears to Jesus and He will replace our fears with His presence, His presence that comforts, His presence that gives us peace, His presence that gives us abiding joy, His presence that makes us free! His presence that ends our obsessive and vain attempts at pleasing God in our strength.
Our deepest fear is that there really is uncleanness in us and we are afraid to face it. This fear prompts us to present false images of ourselves. That’s the fear that drives us to do all we can on the outside to clean ourselves up when the inside is still unclean. Maybe you’ve been trying to wash your hands yourself, but all your attempts have left you frustrated and even more tired and discouraged. Today, you can experience God’s grace that cleanses from within.
The Lord’s Supper is an invitation to you this morning that you can come to Jesus and be clean today. All souls come clean before God. Are you ready to plunge in to the pool of grace? Open your heart to God, tell Him what’s on your heart, give Him your failures, give Him your sins. What will He do? He will cleanse you, He will renew you, He will give you a new heart. There’s a healing flow from the cross of Calvary for “Mighty Is the Power of the Cross!”
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (Pew Bible, 678)
Introduction
We’ve been reminded lately how important washing our hands can be. Recent swine flu outbreaks have led some local Baton Rouge schools to close for several days so that they could be thoroughly disinfected. Hand sanitizers have become a part of our daily life. And of course, what child hasn’t heard a mother say, “Wash your hands before dinner!”
The text for today might leave some of us thinking that the Pharisees and Scribes (“Teachers of the Law”) are acting kind of silly and childish, making such a fuss. All that happened was a few of Jesus’ disciples neglected to wash their hands before they ate. But as usual in Jesus’ dealings with the religious rulers, there’s more going on here than simply hand washing etiquette.
The Setting (7:1-4)
Mark tells us in verses 3-4 that the Jews customarily wash their hands, “holding to the tradition of the elders” and that they hold to “many other traditions” as well (v.4). The tradition of washing one’s hands before eating was an old one. Since the Book of Exodus when the law was given to the Israelites, it was required that the high priest, before he even entered the temple, ritually washed both his hands and feet. Over the years it became the norm for all faithful Jews to wash their hands before eating as a way of identifying with the religious tradition of the high priest, and more importantly, as a way of making the common a holy act.
The Conflict (7:5)
“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of
the elders?” In other words, “Why do they not do what we do?” Specifically, why do they not wash their hands before they eat? Because the disciples are eating with “unclean hands,” they are viewed as “unclean.” Their thinking is that if the disciples are unclean, they also must be unfit to God.
Jesus’ Reply (7:6-8, 14-15, 21-23)
A Scripture Quoted: Isaiah 29:13
Citing the prophet Isaiah, Jesus accused the religious leaders of honoring God with their lips but their heart was a million miles away. He also said that they were worshiping in vain because they were trusting in their tradition rather than God. What a rebuke against their worship! What about our worship? Do we give God only lip service? Do we trust in Him or our religious traditions? These are important questions to ask ourselves regularly.
Jesus Teaches the Larger Crowd (7:14-15, 21-23)
Jesus said that it’s not what comes from the outside that makes a person unclean, but what is on the inside. You can wash the skin right off your hands, but it will not clean your heart. It’s what comes out of the heart that makes a person unclean. So, if what comes out of a person makes him or her unclean, then what is needed is a clean heart, a new heart.
Jesus redefined what it meant to be clean before God.
A Principle Applied: A Clean Heart Makes for Clean Hands.
No amount of external washing can cleanse the heart, only God can do that. However, when the heart is clean, the hands will be too.
Tradition Gone Bad
On the surface of our text, we have an example of how a tradition, even one that starts off as good one can go bad. Traditions often evolve into something that they were never originally intended for. There are three stages in the evolution of a tradition that has lost its meaning.
1. Stage 1: Tradition as a Means to Glorify God
No doubt, this tradition of washing hands began as a way of making the common holy. The priests would wash their hands before entering into their priestly service. This naturally led to the understanding that all of God’s people should go through their daily lives with the idea that cleansing precedes our serving. But they also wanted to sanctify the common, the everyday. They were bringing a sanctity to the everyday affairs of life. We do this when we give thanks at the dinner table. We bring a sanctity to the most common and ordinary things of life, a meal.
2. Stage 2: Tradition as a Means of Judging Spirituality
There’s always the danger with religious traditions because of the tendency to make the tradition a standard of a person’s spirituality. No doubt that’s what happened here. So what started out as a practice to make the common holy, now has become a standard for what “holy” people do. That’s an altogether different meaning. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were judging their spirituality and the spirituality of others by their man made laws, “traditions of the elders.” The problem from their perspective? The disciples do not practice what supposedly “holy” people do.
3. Stage 3: Tradition as a Source of Fear.
How can a tradition be a source of fear? It creates in the mind of a person this kind of thinking. “If I do not keep the tradition, then maybe the whole faith is suspect and maybe I am suspect.” So we keep the tradition only because we have this deep inner fear that drives us to keep it. Instead of something that is meaningful (that glorifies God) and is a joy to participate in, the tradition becomes a burdensome law and obligation. At this level, the tradition simply becomes a boundary marker to identify who they are supposed to be.
The Pharisees and Scribes were upset with Jesus for several reasons. First, Jesus did not play by their rules, “the tradition of the elders.” “How dare Jesus teach and minister and do things without our permission, our stamp of approval.” But there is a deeper issue at play. They were afraid of Jesus because they were afraid of anyone that was free. Free people do not need boundary markers that tell them who they are supposed to be. Free people do not depend on externals to tell them they are right with God, they have an inner and abiding relationship with God. They have the witness of the Spirit of God living within them. Jesus and His followers were a threat because they were free and the Pharisees and the Scribes were not.
Fearful people become obsessive people! Fear does that to you. Fear turns minor concerns into obsessions. That same fear deludes us. We are afraid that if something in our system fails, then we will fail. If something in our system of belief is proven shaky, if something in our society changes, if something in our system of relationships or life is suddenly broken, then fear causes us to think we are failed, we are broken. Fear distorts reality so that the important concerns of life are missed. In short, fear distorts the truth.
How does this text speak to our observance of the Lord’s Supper? The Lord’s Supper is centered in the work of Christ, the finished work of Christ that brings us freedom, freedom from sin. It is because of His death and resurrection that we are free from our sins and we have been given a new life of freedom. “Who the Son sets free is free indeed!” (Jn. 8:36). This is why Jesus came! He came to set the captives free (Lk. 4:18), He did not come to put you in bondage. Christ sets us free from the fear of judgement and death. Christ liberates us from a small life of obsessing to a large life of blessing!
Furthermore, in observing the tradition we call the Lord’s Supper, we remember that in Christ God has truly cleansed us, He has washed our hands, He has given us clean hands so that we are free to serve Him. A Clean Heart Makes for Clean Hands. So the Supper declares to us, “Come to Me (Jesus said) and I will wash your sins away. I will set you free from yourself and your sin.” But the Supper also says to us, “Now that you are washed and free, go from this place with holy hands of service. You have been freed to serve Me with Joy! God has released you from a life of compulsive obsessive attempts to clean your hands. You are set free in Christ, now go in Christ and serve with Joy and wonder!”
God will never accomplish His work through people who serve Him from a motivation of fear. Fearful people are not more than conquerors, they are conquered. Fearful people are not open to God possibilities, their minds are set on earthly concerns. The Lord’s Table bids us to here God’s Word, “Do not be afraid!” We can bring our fears to Jesus and He will replace our fears with His presence, His presence that comforts, His presence that gives us peace, His presence that gives us abiding joy, His presence that makes us free! His presence that ends our obsessive and vain attempts at pleasing God in our strength.
Our deepest fear is that there really is uncleanness in us and we are afraid to face it. This fear prompts us to present false images of ourselves. That’s the fear that drives us to do all we can on the outside to clean ourselves up when the inside is still unclean. Maybe you’ve been trying to wash your hands yourself, but all your attempts have left you frustrated and even more tired and discouraged. Today, you can experience God’s grace that cleanses from within.
The Lord’s Supper is an invitation to you this morning that you can come to Jesus and be clean today. All souls come clean before God. Are you ready to plunge in to the pool of grace? Open your heart to God, tell Him what’s on your heart, give Him your failures, give Him your sins. What will He do? He will cleanse you, He will renew you, He will give you a new heart. There’s a healing flow from the cross of Calvary for “Mighty Is the Power of the Cross!”
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, August 24, 2009
Hope For A Prodigal Planet (Romans 1:26-32)
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on August 23, 2009 by pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:26-32
Thus far, in Romans chapter one we have seen clearly that man needs God because . . .
1. There is moral order in the world and because . . .
2. Of man’s fatal attraction to God-substitutes.
Our text today continues to show our need for God because of . . .
3. Sin’s Enslaving Power. In seeking to be free, man apart from God becomes enslaved. Only in Christ are we truly free persons. Central Idea of the Text: Paul described the inevitable downward sinful progress that follows a person who has suppressed the truth about God.
Life Application: Abandoning God leads to being enslaved to sin. Our only hope for true freedom is to abandon ourselves to Christ.
Key Word:
Abandon: 1 To withdraw from. 2. To give up to the control or influence of another person or agent. 3. To give oneself over unrestrainedly (Webster’s).
As we consider this passage this morning, I want to use the story of the Prodigal Son as a backdrop, the canvas for this text. If you remember the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24), there was a progression of events at work in the story.
1. The son wanted to live independently of his father.
He was restless and rebellious. He demanded and received his inheritance and promptly left the father’s home in search of what he thought was real living.
2. The son discovered that life apart from the father was not all that he thought it would be. Freedom came with a high price. In fact, in the far country the young man quickly squandered his inheritance and found himself broke, friendless, and desperate with seemingly no way out of his predicament. His destitution led to desperation and the ultimate, degradation of his person, expressed by living in a pig pen.
3. But something beautiful happens in the story because the young man finally comes to himself, he comes to his senses.
He hits rock bottom and realizes the error of his ways. He remembers how good he had things when he was in his father’s house and he repents of his sin against his father and God and he determines to return to the father’s home.
4. What he finds when he returns home is probably not what he expected. I’m sure he expected a long lecture and some punishment. But the loving father with outstretched arms received and restored him to full rights and privileges of
son ship. There was redemption and rejoicing. The father was there all along waiting for his son to return home. I believe there was never a day that went by that the father thought “maybe today my son will come home.” What the son discovered when he returned was grace and mercy instead of harsh words and judgement. Because the son was convicted of his sin and confessed his sin to God, there was restored communion with his father.
It is with that progression of events as a backdrop that I want you to view Romans 1:26-32. How does the story of the prodigal son relate to our Scripture? We will consider this passage in three parts. First, I want to deal with this truth presented in our text of . . .
1. Abandoning God
This section of Scripture illustrates man’s independence from God. Here is independent living unrestrained, apart from God’s moral law. Here is a dark picture of life lived when one abandons God.
It’s important to understand this phrase repeated three different times, “God gave them over.” In what sense does God ever abandon people? Why would God do such a thing? The truth is, we abandon God who in turn abandons us to our determined (it’s a choice) course of action. Like the father in the story, God lets us go into our distant countries. He respects our free will. The awesome reality is that God will let us go. He will give us what you want even when He knows that our chosen course of action may bring us great harm.
This is the best way to understand these three “God gave them over” statements (1:24, 26, 28). Why does God allow people to continue in a course of action even though is may be harmful to them? Just as the father in the story allowed his son to go, even giving him his inheritance, so God will allow us to go and live independently from Him even though He knows that this course may lead to harm. Why does God do that? Because He hates us? No, because He loves you, and God will respect your free choice to reject Him. For God to override your free will, He would have to suspend His character, something that is impossible for God to do.
There is a dangerous piece of worldly wisdom that people buy into sometimes. It goes like this. “Well, God will let me know when I need to stop going down this path. God will stop me.” But the reality is, God may not stop you. He may let you continue on down the path that you have chosen. And if God is dealing with you right now about your present course of action, it’s a wake up call to you. God is saying stop, look around, listen! God may be trying to get your attention.
The truth of our text is that we can abandon God and He in turn will abandon us to our freely chosen course of action. C. S. Lewis said: “The lost enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved.” Abandoning God though is not without consequences. When we abandon God,
we live . . .
2. An Abandoned Lifestyle
That abandoned lifestyle is graphically portrayed in these verses.
In declaring our freedom from God and His moral law, we become enslaved to sin. Let me say several things concerning verses 26-27. First, it is clear that Paul is referring to homosexuality. This is not now nor was it then some new sin. It was common practice in the pagan world. Most of the early Caesars were homosexual. So it is not a new sin.
Second, it is also clear that from the Bible’s point of view, homosexuality is a perversion of God’s natural order (see the contrast between natural and unnatural). To pretend that it is normal is to plainly contradict God’s moral order. But it is also clear from this larger passage that all sin is a perversion of God’s design! Sexual immorality is but one expression of abandoning God and His moral law. All sin is dark because it is life lived in the dark.
Without God we are enslaved to our sinful nature expressed by any number of sins. What is a person capable of who has suppressed the truth about God? The answer – anything! Some people today are making great attempts to normalize sinful behaviors in order to make them feel good about living in the far country. We call sin an alternative lifestyle and here’s the truth – it really is! Living apart from God is an alternate lifestyle.
The prodigal son who abandoned his father was now living an abandoned lifestyle, completely unrestrained by moral constraints. He was really living it up. I can imagine that the prodigal son experienced everything life had to offer. He went to the Vegas of his day. The problem is what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas! And it certainly does not bring life. Living without God is not freedom, it’s enslavement to a new master, sin. It’s a delusion that does not bring rest, but only ruin.
What hope is there for a person who has abandoned God and is living a lifestyle of reckless abandon? Our only hope is the Gospel of Christ. Your only hope is . . .
3. Abandoning Yourself to Christ
Only God in Christ is able to liberate us from the enslavement that sin has over us. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God (1:16-17) to set us free from our sin. Our great need then is to come to our self, to come to our senses, to trust in Christ who is our liberator. Jesus came “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners” (Is. 61:1; Lk. 4:18). Jesus is the truth that “will set you free” (Jn. 8:32).
So how do you get off the treadmill of despair, break the chains of sin? There’s hope for prodigals today. As the prodigal son went through several clear stages that brought him back to the Father’s house, so the way back for you is made clear in Scripture. The first thing that is needed is . . .
(1) Conviction of Sin
Have you come to your senses? Do you sense that you are in the far country? Alienated from God and His life?
The second thing that is needed is . . .
(2) Confession of Sin
He knew that his sin was against his father and God Himself. The evidence that he was making a true confession was that he actually got up and made his way back to the father’s house. Confession is coming clean with God. Are you ready to do that? To be honest with God?
The result of the prodigal son’s confession was that there was . . .
(3) Communion with the Father
The son was welcomed and restored by the father. The father threw a party for his son. Once he was lost, but now he was found.
Summation and Invitation
Today, you are either a believer, you’re set free from sin, you’re saved or you are still living enslaved to sin. If you’re saved, it is because God has saved you in Christ. Now, He wants you to take this powerful Gospel of Jesus to people who are still enslaved by sin. The Gospel is the only cure for the sin sick soul. The Gospel has the power to break the chains of sin that bind us. Nothing else will dispel the darkness.
If you’re not saved today, you’re either in one of two places in your life. One, you’re in that distant country and right now things don’t seem too bad. But I can tell you, things are going to progress downward for you. Why do I say that? Because that’s how sin works. Sin always takes you farther than you want to go and keeps you longer than you want to stay. Some of you may think, “I’ve got this under control. I can handle it.” But entertaining sin is like playing with a rattlesnake. You’re odds are not good. Eventually, you are going to get bit! And the truth is you are powerless to overcome sin yourself. So you make promises to God that you are not going to do __________ (Fill in the blank). But what happens? You end up going deeper and end up under more condemnation. It’s a vicious cycle.
The other spot you may be in today, is that you are at a place where you can hear God speaking to you. You’re convicted about your sin. You know this is not the life that God designed for you and you like the prodigal in the far country are longing for something better, you are longing to be in the Father’s house because you were created for something far better than what you are living. You were created for eternity.
If that is where you are today, why not now confess your sin to God. He already knows where you are, but He wants you to realize where you are. That’s what confession really is. It is not telling God anything that He does not already know. It’s telling Him what He wants you to know. He wants you to be honest with Him about where you are.
If you’ll do that, God will immediately do two things (1:16-17). (1) First, He will rescue you from your sin, that’s what “salvation” means and that’s what we need. And (2) second, God will initiate a new relationship with you. He will make you “righteous.” No longer will you be at war with yourself and with God, but God will consider you a son, a daughter, a member of the family of God.
How could God do that for me? How could God forgive me? Because of God’s great love and mercy, that’s how. It’s called grace! What the prodigal son experienced, you too can experience today. God is here and He is not here to judge and condemn but to save. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (Jn. 3:17). It doesn’t matter how dark your sin, it’s all dark. God will forgive you. Prodigals can come home. The Father waits with outstretched arms. Will you come?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:26-32
Thus far, in Romans chapter one we have seen clearly that man needs God because . . .
1. There is moral order in the world and because . . .
2. Of man’s fatal attraction to God-substitutes.
Our text today continues to show our need for God because of . . .
3. Sin’s Enslaving Power. In seeking to be free, man apart from God becomes enslaved. Only in Christ are we truly free persons. Central Idea of the Text: Paul described the inevitable downward sinful progress that follows a person who has suppressed the truth about God.
Life Application: Abandoning God leads to being enslaved to sin. Our only hope for true freedom is to abandon ourselves to Christ.
Key Word:
Abandon: 1 To withdraw from. 2. To give up to the control or influence of another person or agent. 3. To give oneself over unrestrainedly (Webster’s).
As we consider this passage this morning, I want to use the story of the Prodigal Son as a backdrop, the canvas for this text. If you remember the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24), there was a progression of events at work in the story.
1. The son wanted to live independently of his father.
He was restless and rebellious. He demanded and received his inheritance and promptly left the father’s home in search of what he thought was real living.
2. The son discovered that life apart from the father was not all that he thought it would be. Freedom came with a high price. In fact, in the far country the young man quickly squandered his inheritance and found himself broke, friendless, and desperate with seemingly no way out of his predicament. His destitution led to desperation and the ultimate, degradation of his person, expressed by living in a pig pen.
3. But something beautiful happens in the story because the young man finally comes to himself, he comes to his senses.
He hits rock bottom and realizes the error of his ways. He remembers how good he had things when he was in his father’s house and he repents of his sin against his father and God and he determines to return to the father’s home.
4. What he finds when he returns home is probably not what he expected. I’m sure he expected a long lecture and some punishment. But the loving father with outstretched arms received and restored him to full rights and privileges of
son ship. There was redemption and rejoicing. The father was there all along waiting for his son to return home. I believe there was never a day that went by that the father thought “maybe today my son will come home.” What the son discovered when he returned was grace and mercy instead of harsh words and judgement. Because the son was convicted of his sin and confessed his sin to God, there was restored communion with his father.
It is with that progression of events as a backdrop that I want you to view Romans 1:26-32. How does the story of the prodigal son relate to our Scripture? We will consider this passage in three parts. First, I want to deal with this truth presented in our text of . . .
1. Abandoning God
This section of Scripture illustrates man’s independence from God. Here is independent living unrestrained, apart from God’s moral law. Here is a dark picture of life lived when one abandons God.
It’s important to understand this phrase repeated three different times, “God gave them over.” In what sense does God ever abandon people? Why would God do such a thing? The truth is, we abandon God who in turn abandons us to our determined (it’s a choice) course of action. Like the father in the story, God lets us go into our distant countries. He respects our free will. The awesome reality is that God will let us go. He will give us what you want even when He knows that our chosen course of action may bring us great harm.
This is the best way to understand these three “God gave them over” statements (1:24, 26, 28). Why does God allow people to continue in a course of action even though is may be harmful to them? Just as the father in the story allowed his son to go, even giving him his inheritance, so God will allow us to go and live independently from Him even though He knows that this course may lead to harm. Why does God do that? Because He hates us? No, because He loves you, and God will respect your free choice to reject Him. For God to override your free will, He would have to suspend His character, something that is impossible for God to do.
There is a dangerous piece of worldly wisdom that people buy into sometimes. It goes like this. “Well, God will let me know when I need to stop going down this path. God will stop me.” But the reality is, God may not stop you. He may let you continue on down the path that you have chosen. And if God is dealing with you right now about your present course of action, it’s a wake up call to you. God is saying stop, look around, listen! God may be trying to get your attention.
The truth of our text is that we can abandon God and He in turn will abandon us to our freely chosen course of action. C. S. Lewis said: “The lost enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved.” Abandoning God though is not without consequences. When we abandon God,
we live . . .
2. An Abandoned Lifestyle
That abandoned lifestyle is graphically portrayed in these verses.
In declaring our freedom from God and His moral law, we become enslaved to sin. Let me say several things concerning verses 26-27. First, it is clear that Paul is referring to homosexuality. This is not now nor was it then some new sin. It was common practice in the pagan world. Most of the early Caesars were homosexual. So it is not a new sin.
Second, it is also clear that from the Bible’s point of view, homosexuality is a perversion of God’s natural order (see the contrast between natural and unnatural). To pretend that it is normal is to plainly contradict God’s moral order. But it is also clear from this larger passage that all sin is a perversion of God’s design! Sexual immorality is but one expression of abandoning God and His moral law. All sin is dark because it is life lived in the dark.
Without God we are enslaved to our sinful nature expressed by any number of sins. What is a person capable of who has suppressed the truth about God? The answer – anything! Some people today are making great attempts to normalize sinful behaviors in order to make them feel good about living in the far country. We call sin an alternative lifestyle and here’s the truth – it really is! Living apart from God is an alternate lifestyle.
The prodigal son who abandoned his father was now living an abandoned lifestyle, completely unrestrained by moral constraints. He was really living it up. I can imagine that the prodigal son experienced everything life had to offer. He went to the Vegas of his day. The problem is what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas! And it certainly does not bring life. Living without God is not freedom, it’s enslavement to a new master, sin. It’s a delusion that does not bring rest, but only ruin.
What hope is there for a person who has abandoned God and is living a lifestyle of reckless abandon? Our only hope is the Gospel of Christ. Your only hope is . . .
3. Abandoning Yourself to Christ
Only God in Christ is able to liberate us from the enslavement that sin has over us. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God (1:16-17) to set us free from our sin. Our great need then is to come to our self, to come to our senses, to trust in Christ who is our liberator. Jesus came “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners” (Is. 61:1; Lk. 4:18). Jesus is the truth that “will set you free” (Jn. 8:32).
So how do you get off the treadmill of despair, break the chains of sin? There’s hope for prodigals today. As the prodigal son went through several clear stages that brought him back to the Father’s house, so the way back for you is made clear in Scripture. The first thing that is needed is . . .
(1) Conviction of Sin
Have you come to your senses? Do you sense that you are in the far country? Alienated from God and His life?
The second thing that is needed is . . .
(2) Confession of Sin
He knew that his sin was against his father and God Himself. The evidence that he was making a true confession was that he actually got up and made his way back to the father’s house. Confession is coming clean with God. Are you ready to do that? To be honest with God?
The result of the prodigal son’s confession was that there was . . .
(3) Communion with the Father
The son was welcomed and restored by the father. The father threw a party for his son. Once he was lost, but now he was found.
Summation and Invitation
Today, you are either a believer, you’re set free from sin, you’re saved or you are still living enslaved to sin. If you’re saved, it is because God has saved you in Christ. Now, He wants you to take this powerful Gospel of Jesus to people who are still enslaved by sin. The Gospel is the only cure for the sin sick soul. The Gospel has the power to break the chains of sin that bind us. Nothing else will dispel the darkness.
If you’re not saved today, you’re either in one of two places in your life. One, you’re in that distant country and right now things don’t seem too bad. But I can tell you, things are going to progress downward for you. Why do I say that? Because that’s how sin works. Sin always takes you farther than you want to go and keeps you longer than you want to stay. Some of you may think, “I’ve got this under control. I can handle it.” But entertaining sin is like playing with a rattlesnake. You’re odds are not good. Eventually, you are going to get bit! And the truth is you are powerless to overcome sin yourself. So you make promises to God that you are not going to do __________ (Fill in the blank). But what happens? You end up going deeper and end up under more condemnation. It’s a vicious cycle.
The other spot you may be in today, is that you are at a place where you can hear God speaking to you. You’re convicted about your sin. You know this is not the life that God designed for you and you like the prodigal in the far country are longing for something better, you are longing to be in the Father’s house because you were created for something far better than what you are living. You were created for eternity.
If that is where you are today, why not now confess your sin to God. He already knows where you are, but He wants you to realize where you are. That’s what confession really is. It is not telling God anything that He does not already know. It’s telling Him what He wants you to know. He wants you to be honest with Him about where you are.
If you’ll do that, God will immediately do two things (1:16-17). (1) First, He will rescue you from your sin, that’s what “salvation” means and that’s what we need. And (2) second, God will initiate a new relationship with you. He will make you “righteous.” No longer will you be at war with yourself and with God, but God will consider you a son, a daughter, a member of the family of God.
How could God do that for me? How could God forgive me? Because of God’s great love and mercy, that’s how. It’s called grace! What the prodigal son experienced, you too can experience today. God is here and He is not here to judge and condemn but to save. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (Jn. 3:17). It doesn’t matter how dark your sin, it’s all dark. God will forgive you. Prodigals can come home. The Father waits with outstretched arms. Will you come?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Can Man Live Without God? Part II Romans 1:2125
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on August 16, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:21-25 (Pew Bible, 757)
Last week we looked at the truth that man needs God because . . .
I. There Is Moral Order in the World (1:18-25)
This moral order is seen in the testimony of God’s creation and in human conscience. Because we suppress this truth about God; that is, the truth about His moral order revealed in creation and in our conscience, a vacuum is created. And as we know, nature abhors a vacuum! This leaves us with the problem that we are spiritual beings without a God to worship. What do we do? We exchange the glory of the true God for images – God substitutes (vv.23, 25).
Man needs God . . .
II. Because of Man’s Fatal Attraction to God Substitutes
Apart from God’s grace, we possess a fatal attraction to God substitutes. This is why Paul deals with this exchange, this inclination that we have to substitute the real God for idols. God wants us to know the truth because it is God’s truth that sets us free. He wants us to flee from this fatal attraction to God substitutes and to help others escape this dead end that will never produce life!
Even though people had this general revelation of God through the testimony of creation (from without) and through the testimony of conscience (from within), they “neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (v.21).
Paul says that two things immediately result when a person suppresses the knowledge of God.
1. People Fail to Glorify God as God
What does this mean? Even though they had the knowledge of God, they did not honor Him and value Him as God. This is really the fundamental problem with the human race. People do not honor God by first acknowledging Him, and second, by valuing Him
as God.
2. People Fail to Give Thanks to God
People who fail to glorify God, who do not honor Him are ingrates. The great sin of living apart from God is that you buy into the big lie that you are the center of the universe, the creator of all that is good in your life, the master of your destiny. This delusional state we call human pride. God says of human pride that shuts Him out, “I hate pride and arrogance” (Prov. 8:13). There is a kind of pride that will cause a person to care about himself or herself and his or her surroundings. A kind of pride that gives a person a sense of what they ought to do. But there is a worldly pride that deludes man into thinking that He is the center of the universe. All things revolve around him. All good things happen because of him.
As it was in Paul’s day, so it is still true in our day. The twin sins of our day our man’s refusal to glorify His creator and to give thanks to God, acting as if God does not even exist. Question: Are you living a God-centered life? Seeking to please God in every area of your life? Are you living with a grateful heart to God? Gratitude to God is evidence that you know Him and are seeking to glorify Him. This shouldn’t be surprising as the words “grace” and “gratitude” are related in Scripture. Gratitude is the outflow of a heart that knows grace.
The Basic Problem: A Failure to Honor God (1:21)
Because people are in this condition, there are several things that Paul says occur. Here is the natural devolution of the person who will not glorify God or consequently be thankful.
This fatal attraction to God substitutes leads to . . .
1. Empty Speculation (v.21)
“Their thinking became futile.” Futile means empty, vain, useless. God created us with the ability to reason, to imagine, to speculate. He did so that we might use our mind to know Him, to glorify Him, to build a world that will honor Him. But when we use our mind apart from God, our plans and dreams are empty because we ourselves are empty. Paul is saying that their thinking process became “dialogismos,” speculation without perception, empty reasoning. Speculation that does not acknowledge God leads to God substitutes.
This fatal attraction leads to . . .
2. Living in the Dark (v.21)
“Their foolish hearts were darkened.” People who leave God out are destined to live in the dark because they lack spiritual understanding (1 Cor. 2:14). Why is the heart darkened when people exchange the glory of God for other things? The answer is that the only light in the universe that can fill the heart with light is the glory of God – the light of God Himself.
There is no light-producing element in the heart. All light comes from outside, namely, from the glory of God. Jesus is the spiritual light of the world (Jn. 14:6) because “he is the glory as of the only begotten from the Father” (Jn. 1:14). This is why Paul prayed that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened” because only the prayer-hearing God can enlighten the heart (Eph. 1:19).
And in 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” The only light in the universe that can bring light to the heart is the glory of God. If we exchange it for other things, we will live in darkness, no matter how brilliant we are or how many fires we may build or candles we may light.
This fatal attraction to God substitutes leads to . . .
3. False Wisdom (v.22)
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” People who leave God out of life live foolishly although they are perfectly content with the thought that they are very wise. Foolishness in the Bible has to do with moral deficiency rather than intellectual ability. Many intelligent people are parading around as wise people, but are living foolishly. Why do people without God think they are so wise? To the natural person, nothing seems more normal than devising a system of living on your own. What could be more natural to a person than to create their own god?
This temptation to be your own god is powerful and it has been a temptation from the very beginning. What did the serpent promise Eve in the garden? “You will be like God!” (Gen. 3:5-6). This desire to be your own God is so powerful because we are convinced it is the way of wisdom. But in reality it is a false wisdom, a devilish wisdom, a wisdom that condemns men rather than liberates them.
Where does this path lead a person (v.23)?
This fatal attraction to God substitutes leads to . . .
4. Exchanging the True God for a god (1:23-25)
Having rejected the sovereign creator who has made the heavens and the earth, man without God decides he is smarter than God, so he worships a poor substitute for God that is not God. The folly of idolatry is that you exchange the glorious for the inglorious, the mighty for the weak. The living for the dead. The immortal for the mortal. The eternal for the temporal. Accepting God substitutes is insanity. There is a downward progression to idolatry that we see in verse 23. Here we see how infinite the difference there is between the true God and a god.
Paul shows that this exchange is foolish by emphasizing the infinite difference in value between what you trade away and what you get in its place. Literally, verse 23 states: “They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a likeness of an image of corruptible man” (v.23). Notice how Paul highlights the tremendous difference in this poor exchange that we make when we fail to glorify God. According to Genesis 1:26-27, man is created in the “image of God” and not God. But that is not what the exchange of God gets. Rather, it is for an image of man and not even that, it is for “a likeness of an image of man” who himself is an image. Paul is basically saying, “You sell the original masterpiece for a copy of a copy of a copy!” We might say, “Why settle for Xerox copy of a copy when you can possess the real document?”
Instead of believing the lie, worshiping the creation rather than the creator, making poor exchanges for God, let’s determine that we will glorify Him and give Him thanks! When we do that, we will live lives filled with meaning instead of empty speculation. We will live in the light instead of the darkness. We will be following the path of true wisdom rather than the path of error. We will be honoring the true God rather than a poor substitute that can never be God.
John Piper relates the story of Secretary of State William Seward. He states, “let’s be like Secretary of State William Seward in 1867 who helped America buy Alaska from the Russians for $7,200,000. Some people ridiculed William Seward and they called this transaction, ‘Seward’s Folly,’ exchanging seven million dollars for ice! Well we know that in the last 140 plus years Alaska has yielded billions upon billions of dollars in resources to the United States. Things are not always what they seem. Do not exchange God for anything. Instead, exchange everything for Him.” Only then will we find our lives full of purpose and meaning.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:21-25 (Pew Bible, 757)
Last week we looked at the truth that man needs God because . . .
I. There Is Moral Order in the World (1:18-25)
This moral order is seen in the testimony of God’s creation and in human conscience. Because we suppress this truth about God; that is, the truth about His moral order revealed in creation and in our conscience, a vacuum is created. And as we know, nature abhors a vacuum! This leaves us with the problem that we are spiritual beings without a God to worship. What do we do? We exchange the glory of the true God for images – God substitutes (vv.23, 25).
Man needs God . . .
II. Because of Man’s Fatal Attraction to God Substitutes
Apart from God’s grace, we possess a fatal attraction to God substitutes. This is why Paul deals with this exchange, this inclination that we have to substitute the real God for idols. God wants us to know the truth because it is God’s truth that sets us free. He wants us to flee from this fatal attraction to God substitutes and to help others escape this dead end that will never produce life!
Even though people had this general revelation of God through the testimony of creation (from without) and through the testimony of conscience (from within), they “neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (v.21).
Paul says that two things immediately result when a person suppresses the knowledge of God.
1. People Fail to Glorify God as God
What does this mean? Even though they had the knowledge of God, they did not honor Him and value Him as God. This is really the fundamental problem with the human race. People do not honor God by first acknowledging Him, and second, by valuing Him
as God.
2. People Fail to Give Thanks to God
People who fail to glorify God, who do not honor Him are ingrates. The great sin of living apart from God is that you buy into the big lie that you are the center of the universe, the creator of all that is good in your life, the master of your destiny. This delusional state we call human pride. God says of human pride that shuts Him out, “I hate pride and arrogance” (Prov. 8:13). There is a kind of pride that will cause a person to care about himself or herself and his or her surroundings. A kind of pride that gives a person a sense of what they ought to do. But there is a worldly pride that deludes man into thinking that He is the center of the universe. All things revolve around him. All good things happen because of him.
As it was in Paul’s day, so it is still true in our day. The twin sins of our day our man’s refusal to glorify His creator and to give thanks to God, acting as if God does not even exist. Question: Are you living a God-centered life? Seeking to please God in every area of your life? Are you living with a grateful heart to God? Gratitude to God is evidence that you know Him and are seeking to glorify Him. This shouldn’t be surprising as the words “grace” and “gratitude” are related in Scripture. Gratitude is the outflow of a heart that knows grace.
The Basic Problem: A Failure to Honor God (1:21)
Because people are in this condition, there are several things that Paul says occur. Here is the natural devolution of the person who will not glorify God or consequently be thankful.
This fatal attraction to God substitutes leads to . . .
1. Empty Speculation (v.21)
“Their thinking became futile.” Futile means empty, vain, useless. God created us with the ability to reason, to imagine, to speculate. He did so that we might use our mind to know Him, to glorify Him, to build a world that will honor Him. But when we use our mind apart from God, our plans and dreams are empty because we ourselves are empty. Paul is saying that their thinking process became “dialogismos,” speculation without perception, empty reasoning. Speculation that does not acknowledge God leads to God substitutes.
This fatal attraction leads to . . .
2. Living in the Dark (v.21)
“Their foolish hearts were darkened.” People who leave God out are destined to live in the dark because they lack spiritual understanding (1 Cor. 2:14). Why is the heart darkened when people exchange the glory of God for other things? The answer is that the only light in the universe that can fill the heart with light is the glory of God – the light of God Himself.
There is no light-producing element in the heart. All light comes from outside, namely, from the glory of God. Jesus is the spiritual light of the world (Jn. 14:6) because “he is the glory as of the only begotten from the Father” (Jn. 1:14). This is why Paul prayed that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened” because only the prayer-hearing God can enlighten the heart (Eph. 1:19).
And in 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” The only light in the universe that can bring light to the heart is the glory of God. If we exchange it for other things, we will live in darkness, no matter how brilliant we are or how many fires we may build or candles we may light.
This fatal attraction to God substitutes leads to . . .
3. False Wisdom (v.22)
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” People who leave God out of life live foolishly although they are perfectly content with the thought that they are very wise. Foolishness in the Bible has to do with moral deficiency rather than intellectual ability. Many intelligent people are parading around as wise people, but are living foolishly. Why do people without God think they are so wise? To the natural person, nothing seems more normal than devising a system of living on your own. What could be more natural to a person than to create their own god?
This temptation to be your own god is powerful and it has been a temptation from the very beginning. What did the serpent promise Eve in the garden? “You will be like God!” (Gen. 3:5-6). This desire to be your own God is so powerful because we are convinced it is the way of wisdom. But in reality it is a false wisdom, a devilish wisdom, a wisdom that condemns men rather than liberates them.
Where does this path lead a person (v.23)?
This fatal attraction to God substitutes leads to . . .
4. Exchanging the True God for a god (1:23-25)
Having rejected the sovereign creator who has made the heavens and the earth, man without God decides he is smarter than God, so he worships a poor substitute for God that is not God. The folly of idolatry is that you exchange the glorious for the inglorious, the mighty for the weak. The living for the dead. The immortal for the mortal. The eternal for the temporal. Accepting God substitutes is insanity. There is a downward progression to idolatry that we see in verse 23. Here we see how infinite the difference there is between the true God and a god.
Paul shows that this exchange is foolish by emphasizing the infinite difference in value between what you trade away and what you get in its place. Literally, verse 23 states: “They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a likeness of an image of corruptible man” (v.23). Notice how Paul highlights the tremendous difference in this poor exchange that we make when we fail to glorify God. According to Genesis 1:26-27, man is created in the “image of God” and not God. But that is not what the exchange of God gets. Rather, it is for an image of man and not even that, it is for “a likeness of an image of man” who himself is an image. Paul is basically saying, “You sell the original masterpiece for a copy of a copy of a copy!” We might say, “Why settle for Xerox copy of a copy when you can possess the real document?”
Instead of believing the lie, worshiping the creation rather than the creator, making poor exchanges for God, let’s determine that we will glorify Him and give Him thanks! When we do that, we will live lives filled with meaning instead of empty speculation. We will live in the light instead of the darkness. We will be following the path of true wisdom rather than the path of error. We will be honoring the true God rather than a poor substitute that can never be God.
John Piper relates the story of Secretary of State William Seward. He states, “let’s be like Secretary of State William Seward in 1867 who helped America buy Alaska from the Russians for $7,200,000. Some people ridiculed William Seward and they called this transaction, ‘Seward’s Folly,’ exchanging seven million dollars for ice! Well we know that in the last 140 plus years Alaska has yielded billions upon billions of dollars in resources to the United States. Things are not always what they seem. Do not exchange God for anything. Instead, exchange everything for Him.” Only then will we find our lives full of purpose and meaning.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Can Man Live Without God? Part I Romans 1:18-25
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:18-25 (Pew Bible, 757)
Can man live without God? Yes, if you believe what the atheists say. According to the American Atheists, “An Atheist loves himself and his fellowman instead of a god. An Atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now - here on earth - for all men together to enjoy. An Atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and to enjoy it. An Atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment. (http://www.atheists.org, my emphasis; unless noted, quotations in this article were taken from the official website of the American Atheists Organization.)
Atheists “accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them.” Furthermore, Atheists gladly concede that the individual alone is the determiner of what is right and wrong. Atheists contend that they are inner-directed “in distinction to being outer-directed as the theist is. We rely on ourselves for the solutions to our problems . . . we cannot rely on supernatural intervention into our problem - solving processes.”
A great number of people today are living lives without God. They may even profess faith in God, but they are living as practical Atheists. They may not be card-carrying members of the American Atheists Organization; but nevertheless, they have subscribed to its basic tenants: that man does not really need a god; that man is the center of the universe; and that humans alone can solve the world’s problems. However, increasingly many people are discovering the moral bankruptcy of this philosophy of living - it simply will not work!
Can man truly live without God? Central Truth: In Romans 1:18-32 the apostle Paul set forth the truth that all people need God and His salvation because all people are left to the consequences of their own freely chosen course of action, and unless this tendency is reversed by divine grace, their situation will go from bad to worse.
Never has the dimension of evil in the world been probed more profoundly than by Paul in this passage. It is a form of open-heart surgery that some people will chose not to undertake. It is bound to offend some people whose analysis concludes that human nature is essentially good and that humans alone must rely upon themselves for the solutions to man’s problems. While the world pledges allegiance to evolution (that man started low and climbed high), this passage teaches devolution: man started high and because of sin, sank into the depths of sin and degradation.
Why does man need God? Romans chapter one provides some relevant answers. First, man needs God because of . . .
1. The Truth about God’s Wrath (1:18)
We need to note that wrath is not anger as in the emotion that we experience. God isn’t sitting in heaven fuming or plotting revenge or throwing down lightning bolts. Wrath is the execution of God’s perfection. Because God is perfect, He must not tolerate sin or He would no longer be perfect.
Because God is God, because He is characteristically holy, God cannot tolerate sin, and the wrath of God is His “annihilating reaction” against sin.” God’s wrath is the display of His perfect justice. God’s disapproval of sin is not an arbitrary matter, for His very nature is one of holiness; it automatically rejects sin. You might say God’s character is such that He is “allergic to sin.”
The prophets in the OT spoke of the wrath of God in connection with the moral order that God had ordained in the world. This moral order is the present wrath of God at work. Wrath is both present, “being revealed” and ultimately future. God’s moral order is the expression of His wrath “being revealed” in the present. In other words, God made this world in such a way that we break God’s laws at our peril. Sin’s consequences are automatic responses to mankind violating God’s moral order. Now if we were left solely at the mercy of God’s unchanging moral order, there could be nothing for us but death and destruction. The world is made in such a way that the soul that sins must die. But Gospel of Jesus means that in this dilemma there comes the love of God, and that love of God by an act of unbelievable free grace, lifts man out of the consequences of sin and saves him from the wrath that he should have incurred.
What is God’s wrath directed against? God’s wrath is directed . . .
(1) Against “Godlessness” – Rejection “Godlessness” has to do with man’s rebellion and rejection of God.
(2) Against “Wickedness” – Injustice “Wickedness” has to do with man’s injustice to other men. Paul uses the two terms to show the failure of mankind in terms of God’s requirements in the original law – the Ten Commandments. Mankind is guilty of breaking both tablets of the Ten Commandments. We rebel against God and reject Him (1st tablet1-4) and we mistreat and murder one another (2nd tablet 5-10). Why do we need God? Because of the truth about God’s wrath. All men are under God’s wrath now. All people are guilty before God and therefore, God is completely just in His judgement of all men. See John 3:18, 36. The Gospel is God’s power to rescue us from wrath!
Man also needs God because of . . .
2. The Testimony of Creation (1:19-20)
Creation points to the creator who is worthy of worship. Creation, the world that we live in bears clear witness to its maker, and the evidence is “plain to them” (v.19). What is it that Paul says is plain? “God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature” (v.20). Nature reveals a powerful and wise creator who we are accountable to.
The fact that we can see God’s “invisible qualities” manifested in nature is sometimes called general or natural revelation. General revelation is what can be known about God by all people at all times. Since the beginning of time people have been able to know that there is a master designer – a creator behind what we see. Therefore, all people are without excuse. Next week we will look at what man does as a result of suppressing the truth about God. Man ends up worshiping creation instead of the creator.
Man also needs God because of . . .
3. The Testimony of Conscience (1:18, 21, 25)
Our conscience points to a standard of right and wrong and ultimately to the one who created us. Webster’s defines conscience as “the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good.” We see evidence of conscience in this text in the following phrases: “suppress the truth” (v.18), “although they knew God . . .” (v.21), “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (v.25).
What Paul demonstrates here is that all people have a sense of right and what is wrong. We have some inner knowledge of what is right and wrong. We have a sense of justice and injustice. This is universal although in some places among some people, the truth of conscience has been so suppressed that good has become bad and bad has become good. But that only illustrates the truth that when man rejects truth revealed in his conscience he descends ever lower into darkness and error.
R.C.H. Lenski describes this spiritual struggle that is going on in the hearts of men and women, the struggle that Paul is alluding to: “Whenever the truth starts to exert itself and makes them feel uneasy in their moral nature, they hold it down, suppress it. Some drown its voice by rushing into their immoralities; others strangle the disturbing voice by argument and denial.” How true! For most people, belief in God is not an intellectual problem, it’s a moral problem. People do not want to submit to God’s moral authority.
The truth is, we are hard wired for God but we suppress (hold down) the truth (v.18). Today, people are trying to remove God out of every area of life: out of the government, the schools, the workplace, out of all public areas. But they cannot remove God out of their mind – their conscience. Why is that? Because “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men” (Eccl. 3:11). The Bible declares that all people are created “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:26). What does that mean?
Rational – Think
Emotional – Feel
Social – Relate to Each Other
Volitional – Make Choices (this is where we lose the humanists and the atheists)
Spiritual – Relate to God
Moral – Knowledge of Good and Evil
If there is right and wrong, there must be a standard by which we make those judgements and that standard brings us back to our creator.
There are some characteristics about this testimony about God’s creation and human conscience that Paul brings out in this passage.
This testimony about creation and conscience is . . .
1. A Clear Testimony – “plain” (v.19, used 2x)
Look around and look inside.
2. A Conclusive Testimony – “understood” (v.20)
God says that people can perceive what I have created, they are able to reflect on what is created and they have the ability to reason and conclude that there must be a creator behind what is seen. People do have this innate sense of right and wrong.
3. A Constant Testimony – “since the creation of the world” (v.20)
See Acts 14:15-17; Psalm 19:1-6. Note the constancy of God’s testimony in creation with the words, “Declare,” “Proclaim,” “Day after Day,” “Night after Night.” There is no place where they (i.e., the sun and moon) are not heard (19:3). Their voice (testimony) is heard everywhere and at all times (19:4)! The message from nature about the power and glory of God reaches all nations, and is equally intelligible to them all.
4. A Conditional Testimony – “His eternal power and divine nature” (v.20)
This testimony in creation reflects certain aspects of God’s divine nature (v.20). In creation we have evidence of a powerful creator, a creator that sustains His creation (rain, crops grow), but we have to look elsewhere for the revelation (the knowledge) of God’s love, His grace, His mercy, and His salvation. For that knowledge we must look to Scripture, God’s special revelation of God in Christ (Jn. 1:1, 14; Heb. 11:1-3).
General revelation is sufficient to make all people responsible before God, but it is insufficient by itself to accomplish God’s salvation. However, God is just in condemning those who have never heard the Gospel in the full and formal sense. No one is completely without opportunity. All have known God; if they have not perceived him, it is because they have suppressed the truth. Thus all are responsible and are accountable to the knowledge that they do have. They are “without excuse” (v.20).
Recovering Our Sight (Rom. 1:16-17)
This passage then is a powerful motivation to us who are saved. To first see the lost condition of our world, of people without Christ under judgement. And to share the Gospel, the power of God. The Gospel glasses allow people to see clearly their sin and the savior (2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4, 6). This brings us back to the passage that is central to the entire message of Romans, 1:16-17. The Gospel is the power of God because when someone believes the Gospel, he or she is rescued from sin and brought into a right relationship with God. In this new relationship with God we are no longer under the wrath of God. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for not letting us continue without hope in our sinful condition. Thank you that you have provided grace and mercy so that we may be rescued from our sin and made right with you so that we are no longer under Your wrath. Give us a sense of urgency to share the Gospel which is Your power to rescue and make right people who are lost in sin and darkness. Amen.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Can man live without God? Yes, if you believe what the atheists say. According to the American Atheists, “An Atheist loves himself and his fellowman instead of a god. An Atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now - here on earth - for all men together to enjoy. An Atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and to enjoy it. An Atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment. (http://www.atheists.org, my emphasis; unless noted, quotations in this article were taken from the official website of the American Atheists Organization.)
Atheists “accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them.” Furthermore, Atheists gladly concede that the individual alone is the determiner of what is right and wrong. Atheists contend that they are inner-directed “in distinction to being outer-directed as the theist is. We rely on ourselves for the solutions to our problems . . . we cannot rely on supernatural intervention into our problem - solving processes.”
A great number of people today are living lives without God. They may even profess faith in God, but they are living as practical Atheists. They may not be card-carrying members of the American Atheists Organization; but nevertheless, they have subscribed to its basic tenants: that man does not really need a god; that man is the center of the universe; and that humans alone can solve the world’s problems. However, increasingly many people are discovering the moral bankruptcy of this philosophy of living - it simply will not work!
Can man truly live without God? Central Truth: In Romans 1:18-32 the apostle Paul set forth the truth that all people need God and His salvation because all people are left to the consequences of their own freely chosen course of action, and unless this tendency is reversed by divine grace, their situation will go from bad to worse.
Never has the dimension of evil in the world been probed more profoundly than by Paul in this passage. It is a form of open-heart surgery that some people will chose not to undertake. It is bound to offend some people whose analysis concludes that human nature is essentially good and that humans alone must rely upon themselves for the solutions to man’s problems. While the world pledges allegiance to evolution (that man started low and climbed high), this passage teaches devolution: man started high and because of sin, sank into the depths of sin and degradation.
Why does man need God? Romans chapter one provides some relevant answers. First, man needs God because of . . .
1. The Truth about God’s Wrath (1:18)
We need to note that wrath is not anger as in the emotion that we experience. God isn’t sitting in heaven fuming or plotting revenge or throwing down lightning bolts. Wrath is the execution of God’s perfection. Because God is perfect, He must not tolerate sin or He would no longer be perfect.
Because God is God, because He is characteristically holy, God cannot tolerate sin, and the wrath of God is His “annihilating reaction” against sin.” God’s wrath is the display of His perfect justice. God’s disapproval of sin is not an arbitrary matter, for His very nature is one of holiness; it automatically rejects sin. You might say God’s character is such that He is “allergic to sin.”
The prophets in the OT spoke of the wrath of God in connection with the moral order that God had ordained in the world. This moral order is the present wrath of God at work. Wrath is both present, “being revealed” and ultimately future. God’s moral order is the expression of His wrath “being revealed” in the present. In other words, God made this world in such a way that we break God’s laws at our peril. Sin’s consequences are automatic responses to mankind violating God’s moral order. Now if we were left solely at the mercy of God’s unchanging moral order, there could be nothing for us but death and destruction. The world is made in such a way that the soul that sins must die. But Gospel of Jesus means that in this dilemma there comes the love of God, and that love of God by an act of unbelievable free grace, lifts man out of the consequences of sin and saves him from the wrath that he should have incurred.
What is God’s wrath directed against? God’s wrath is directed . . .
(1) Against “Godlessness” – Rejection “Godlessness” has to do with man’s rebellion and rejection of God.
(2) Against “Wickedness” – Injustice “Wickedness” has to do with man’s injustice to other men. Paul uses the two terms to show the failure of mankind in terms of God’s requirements in the original law – the Ten Commandments. Mankind is guilty of breaking both tablets of the Ten Commandments. We rebel against God and reject Him (1st tablet1-4) and we mistreat and murder one another (2nd tablet 5-10). Why do we need God? Because of the truth about God’s wrath. All men are under God’s wrath now. All people are guilty before God and therefore, God is completely just in His judgement of all men. See John 3:18, 36. The Gospel is God’s power to rescue us from wrath!
Man also needs God because of . . .
2. The Testimony of Creation (1:19-20)
Creation points to the creator who is worthy of worship. Creation, the world that we live in bears clear witness to its maker, and the evidence is “plain to them” (v.19). What is it that Paul says is plain? “God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature” (v.20). Nature reveals a powerful and wise creator who we are accountable to.
The fact that we can see God’s “invisible qualities” manifested in nature is sometimes called general or natural revelation. General revelation is what can be known about God by all people at all times. Since the beginning of time people have been able to know that there is a master designer – a creator behind what we see. Therefore, all people are without excuse. Next week we will look at what man does as a result of suppressing the truth about God. Man ends up worshiping creation instead of the creator.
Man also needs God because of . . .
3. The Testimony of Conscience (1:18, 21, 25)
Our conscience points to a standard of right and wrong and ultimately to the one who created us. Webster’s defines conscience as “the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good.” We see evidence of conscience in this text in the following phrases: “suppress the truth” (v.18), “although they knew God . . .” (v.21), “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (v.25).
What Paul demonstrates here is that all people have a sense of right and what is wrong. We have some inner knowledge of what is right and wrong. We have a sense of justice and injustice. This is universal although in some places among some people, the truth of conscience has been so suppressed that good has become bad and bad has become good. But that only illustrates the truth that when man rejects truth revealed in his conscience he descends ever lower into darkness and error.
R.C.H. Lenski describes this spiritual struggle that is going on in the hearts of men and women, the struggle that Paul is alluding to: “Whenever the truth starts to exert itself and makes them feel uneasy in their moral nature, they hold it down, suppress it. Some drown its voice by rushing into their immoralities; others strangle the disturbing voice by argument and denial.” How true! For most people, belief in God is not an intellectual problem, it’s a moral problem. People do not want to submit to God’s moral authority.
The truth is, we are hard wired for God but we suppress (hold down) the truth (v.18). Today, people are trying to remove God out of every area of life: out of the government, the schools, the workplace, out of all public areas. But they cannot remove God out of their mind – their conscience. Why is that? Because “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men” (Eccl. 3:11). The Bible declares that all people are created “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:26). What does that mean?
Rational – Think
Emotional – Feel
Social – Relate to Each Other
Volitional – Make Choices (this is where we lose the humanists and the atheists)
Spiritual – Relate to God
Moral – Knowledge of Good and Evil
If there is right and wrong, there must be a standard by which we make those judgements and that standard brings us back to our creator.
There are some characteristics about this testimony about God’s creation and human conscience that Paul brings out in this passage.
This testimony about creation and conscience is . . .
1. A Clear Testimony – “plain” (v.19, used 2x)
Look around and look inside.
2. A Conclusive Testimony – “understood” (v.20)
God says that people can perceive what I have created, they are able to reflect on what is created and they have the ability to reason and conclude that there must be a creator behind what is seen. People do have this innate sense of right and wrong.
3. A Constant Testimony – “since the creation of the world” (v.20)
See Acts 14:15-17; Psalm 19:1-6. Note the constancy of God’s testimony in creation with the words, “Declare,” “Proclaim,” “Day after Day,” “Night after Night.” There is no place where they (i.e., the sun and moon) are not heard (19:3). Their voice (testimony) is heard everywhere and at all times (19:4)! The message from nature about the power and glory of God reaches all nations, and is equally intelligible to them all.
4. A Conditional Testimony – “His eternal power and divine nature” (v.20)
This testimony in creation reflects certain aspects of God’s divine nature (v.20). In creation we have evidence of a powerful creator, a creator that sustains His creation (rain, crops grow), but we have to look elsewhere for the revelation (the knowledge) of God’s love, His grace, His mercy, and His salvation. For that knowledge we must look to Scripture, God’s special revelation of God in Christ (Jn. 1:1, 14; Heb. 11:1-3).
General revelation is sufficient to make all people responsible before God, but it is insufficient by itself to accomplish God’s salvation. However, God is just in condemning those who have never heard the Gospel in the full and formal sense. No one is completely without opportunity. All have known God; if they have not perceived him, it is because they have suppressed the truth. Thus all are responsible and are accountable to the knowledge that they do have. They are “without excuse” (v.20).
Recovering Our Sight (Rom. 1:16-17)
This passage then is a powerful motivation to us who are saved. To first see the lost condition of our world, of people without Christ under judgement. And to share the Gospel, the power of God. The Gospel glasses allow people to see clearly their sin and the savior (2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4, 6). This brings us back to the passage that is central to the entire message of Romans, 1:16-17. The Gospel is the power of God because when someone believes the Gospel, he or she is rescued from sin and brought into a right relationship with God. In this new relationship with God we are no longer under the wrath of God. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for not letting us continue without hope in our sinful condition. Thank you that you have provided grace and mercy so that we may be rescued from our sin and made right with you so that we are no longer under Your wrath. Give us a sense of urgency to share the Gospel which is Your power to rescue and make right people who are lost in sin and darkness. Amen.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
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