If Satan deceives a Christian and he sins that's one thing. But if he deceives himself, that is a far more serious matter. Many are deceiving themselves into thinking they are saved when they are not (Matt 7:22-23). There are also true believers who are fooling themselves concerning their Christian walk.
- Mark of maturity when a person faces himself honestly, knows himself, and admits his needs.
- Spiritual reality results from the proper relationship to God through His Word (John 17:17)
We have three responsibilities toward God's Word and if we fulfill these responsibilities we will have an honest walk with God and men.
1. Receive the Word (James 1:19-21), swift to hear (Matt 13:9, Rom 10:17), slow to speak (Prov 10:19,17:27), Slow to wrath (Prov 14:29), and a prepared heart (first, confess your sin and ask the Father to forgive us - 1 John 1:9, then by meditating on God's love and grace and asking Him to "plow up" any hardness in our hearts - Jer 4:3, finally have an attitude of meekness/humble (James 1:21, Matt 5:5 AMP, Mat 5:5 MSG). Humble acceptance doesn't argue with the Word, but honors it as the Word of God - not twisting it to conform to your thinking, but letting it renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
2. Practice the Word (James 1:22-25), let it be your mirror for self-examination, not a candid snap-shot but an X-Ray ("Woe is me, I am undone" Isa 6:5, see your sin at the core Luke 5:8, Job 42:6). How the early church did this see James 1:25, Acts 1:14;2:42,46;13:43;14:22;26:22). Practice the law of liberty (James 1:25, Psalm 119:45, John 8:31-32). mirror for restoration, cleansing (John 15:3, Eph 5:26) washed clean (1 Cor 6:9-11; Titus 3:4-6), yet as we walk we need our hands and feet cleaned (John 13:1-11). Lord, wash my feet. The Word promises to cleanse (1 John 1:9). It is the blood of Christ that cleanses the guilt, but the water of the Word helps to wash away the defilement. Mirror for transformation (2 Cor 3:18), God's Word is written on your heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" 1 John 1:8
3. Share the Word (James 1:26-27). Speech AND service - separation from the world (which is godless, Satan is the prince of this world John 14:30). We are sent to win others to Christ (John 17:11-16). The godless world wants to be friends (James 4:4), fall in love (1 John 2:15-17) , be conformed (Rom 12:1-2), and be condemned (1 Cor 11:32). Notice Lot who went toward Sodom, moved in, lost his testimony with his own family, and when judgment fell he lost everything. It was Abraham, the separated believer, the friend of God who had a greater ministry to the people than did Lot, the friend of the world. Jesus was "unspotted" and yet was a friend to sinners (1 Peter 1:19, Matt 9:9-13).
- Implanted Word borrows from the parable of the sower and the soils (Matt 13:1-9,18-23) where God's word is the seed, the human heart is the soil. 4 hearts described as a hard heart (didn't understand), shallow heart (emotional), crowded heart (lacked repentance, sin crowded the word), and the fruitful heart (received the word and allowed it to take root and produce fruit).
- Many church fights are the result of short tempers and hasty words. There is godly anger against sin (Eph 4:26) but man's anger doesn't produce God's righteousness (James 1:20). Anger is the opposite of patience God wants to produce in our lives (James 1:3-4).
The final test of salvation is the fruit, this means changed life. Christian character and conduct, ministry to others to the glory of God.
- Winning souls to Christ (Rom 1:16)
- growing in holy living (Rom 6:22)
- sharing material possessions (Rom 15:28)
- good works (Col 1;10_
- praising the Lord (Heb 13:15)
Real fruit has seed for more fruit so the harvest continues to grow fruit (John 15:1-5). Take head "what" you hear (Mark 4:24) and also "how" you hear (Luke 8:18). A tragic condition is to be "hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Matt 13:13)" or "dull hearing (Heb 5:11)"
- Mark of maturity when a person faces himself honestly, knows himself, and admits his needs.
- Spiritual reality results from the proper relationship to God through His Word (John 17:17)
We have three responsibilities toward God's Word and if we fulfill these responsibilities we will have an honest walk with God and men.
1. Receive the Word (James 1:19-21), swift to hear (Matt 13:9, Rom 10:17), slow to speak (Prov 10:19,17:27), Slow to wrath (Prov 14:29), and a prepared heart (first, confess your sin and ask the Father to forgive us - 1 John 1:9, then by meditating on God's love and grace and asking Him to "plow up" any hardness in our hearts - Jer 4:3, finally have an attitude of meekness/humble (James 1:21, Matt 5:5 AMP, Mat 5:5 MSG). Humble acceptance doesn't argue with the Word, but honors it as the Word of God - not twisting it to conform to your thinking, but letting it renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
2. Practice the Word (James 1:22-25), let it be your mirror for self-examination, not a candid snap-shot but an X-Ray ("Woe is me, I am undone" Isa 6:5, see your sin at the core Luke 5:8, Job 42:6). How the early church did this see James 1:25, Acts 1:14;2:42,46;13:43;14:22;26:22). Practice the law of liberty (James 1:25, Psalm 119:45, John 8:31-32). mirror for restoration, cleansing (John 15:3, Eph 5:26) washed clean (1 Cor 6:9-11; Titus 3:4-6), yet as we walk we need our hands and feet cleaned (John 13:1-11). Lord, wash my feet. The Word promises to cleanse (1 John 1:9). It is the blood of Christ that cleanses the guilt, but the water of the Word helps to wash away the defilement. Mirror for transformation (2 Cor 3:18), God's Word is written on your heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" 1 John 1:8
3. Share the Word (James 1:26-27). Speech AND service - separation from the world (which is godless, Satan is the prince of this world John 14:30). We are sent to win others to Christ (John 17:11-16). The godless world wants to be friends (James 4:4), fall in love (1 John 2:15-17) , be conformed (Rom 12:1-2), and be condemned (1 Cor 11:32). Notice Lot who went toward Sodom, moved in, lost his testimony with his own family, and when judgment fell he lost everything. It was Abraham, the separated believer, the friend of God who had a greater ministry to the people than did Lot, the friend of the world. Jesus was "unspotted" and yet was a friend to sinners (1 Peter 1:19, Matt 9:9-13).
“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners’” - Matt 9:13
- Many church fights are the result of short tempers and hasty words. There is godly anger against sin (Eph 4:26) but man's anger doesn't produce God's righteousness (James 1:20). Anger is the opposite of patience God wants to produce in our lives (James 1:3-4).
The final test of salvation is the fruit, this means changed life. Christian character and conduct, ministry to others to the glory of God.
- Winning souls to Christ (Rom 1:16)
- growing in holy living (Rom 6:22)
- sharing material possessions (Rom 15:28)
- good works (Col 1;10_
- praising the Lord (Heb 13:15)
Real fruit has seed for more fruit so the harvest continues to grow fruit (John 15:1-5). Take head "what" you hear (Mark 4:24) and also "how" you hear (Luke 8:18). A tragic condition is to be "hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Matt 13:13)" or "dull hearing (Heb 5:11)"
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