We have been looking at the role of death and life in the life of the Christian. And death is important for the believer in Jesus Christ: the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the death of self in order to better follow and love God. Believers are to set aside their desires in order to follow God’s desires and commandments. This means that believers are to mortify their members in order to accomplish God’s will in their lives. And believers are to mortify the deeds of the body in order to follow God.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:1, 2 are very well known verses and let us compare something about them with Romans 6:13.

Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

The word that is translated as “present” in Romans 12:1 and the word that is translated as “yield” in Romans 6:13 is the same Greek word. And the idea is the same in both verses: as believers in Jesus Christ we are to present ourselves before God and we are to yield before God. One day, believers will stand before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat and our works will be tried in fire as to our obedience to Christ.

1Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

But remember, we are to present ourselves to God everyday as a living sacrifice to Him. The idea here is that we are to yield to Him – let our will go in order to follow His good, acceptable, and perfect Will. Consider how a sacrifice was made during the Old Testament: a man would come to the Brazen Altar and present a bullock or a lamb to the priest for sacrifice on the altar. The animal would be slain and placed on the altar for burning. The sacrifice of the animal would temporarily atone for the man’s sins. The man had to present the animal to God and he yielded the animal to God – it became God’s to use as God wished, not how man wanted. God wanted the sacrifices performed as a sweet savor to Him. God had no need for the animals, what He wanted was man’s obedience to Him. God wants us to yield ourselves to Him and present ourselves to Him on a daily basis. I repeat the quote by Francis Schaeffer that I read last week. We are to live by faith now as though we were now dead, as though we have already died. We are to live now by faith as though we have now already been raised from the dead [Francis Schaeffer]. It means: That in our thoughts and lives now we are to live as though we had already died, been to Heaven, and come back again as risen [Francis Schaeffer].

That requires, as Paul stated in Romans 12, that we do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds to the things of God. That can only happen when we yield ourselves to God and not to sin. Yielding ourselves to sin will not renew our minds or bring us closer to God. Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. When believers go back to the things of the old man, they are yielding to unrighteousness. When believers go back to the things of the old nature, they are yielding to sin. Once sin is yielded to, it is hard to get back under control. Charles Spurgeon wrote: An officer in India had tamed a leopard. From the time when it was a kitten he had brought it up, till it went about the house like a cat, and everybody played with it. But he was sitting in his chair one day asleep, and the leopard licked his hand. But as he licked, the skin was broken, and the taste of blood came to the leopard. It rushed forth to kill, and was no more at ease till it reached the jungle. That leopard, though tamed, was a leopard still. So a man, sobered by moral motives but unchanged in heart, is a fallen man still, and the taste of blood, I mean the taste of sin, will soon reveal the tiger in him.

As believers, we have to choose to whom or what we are going to yield to – to whom or what are we going to present ourselves to? The old man or to God? Paul wrote:Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Someone wrote about this verse: One of the best men I ever knew said, at eighty years of age, “I find the old man is not dead yet.” Our old man is crucified, but he is long at dying. He is not dead when we think he is. You may live to be very old, but you will have need still to watch against the carnal nature, which remains even in the regenerate [Spurgeon]. As believers in Jesus Christ we must yield ourselves to Him and not to sin.

And our yielding or presenting to God is to be heartfelt and sincere. God does not want us to be hypocritical with Him or anyone else. Going through the motions may fool everybody here on earth, but God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. And what are your actions or inactions saying to others around you? What are your actions or inactions saying about what is important to you? And what are your actions or inactions saying to God about what is important to you? Turn to Isaiah 66.

Isaiah 66:1-4 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (2) For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (3) He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. (4) I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

God wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us, but remember, the earth is His footstool. The earth is not as important to Him compared to His children. The Lord asks, where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? The earthly temple could not contain God. Solomon declared: 1Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built? God does not need an earthly home, for He is far beyond that. So where is at least some of His dwelling place today? In the blood bought, born again believer in Jesus Christ.

1Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

2Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Every believer is the temple of God, so shouldn’t we act that way? In 1 Corinthians 3:17, Paul wrote that the temple of God is holy, so shouldn’t we be holy? Believers are the temple of the living God, so believers should act that way! There should be a difference in our lives and we should behave that way! D.L. Moody said: A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

God is looking to use men and women that realize who they are before the all holy God. God wants men and women that are contrite or broken hearted about their sin and the sin of others. God wants men and women that tremble at the Word of God and have the proper fear and respect of Him. God wants men and women that are obedient to Him, not out of obligation, but out of love for Him.

Isaiah 66:3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

This verse really stuck out to me this week. God wants our sacrifices to be true. If we are presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to Him, then our sacrifices to Him must be true, not hypocritical. Our sacrifices must be done His way, not our own way. Look at again at what the LORD said in verse 2: Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. The Israelites were performing the sacrifices that God had asked for, but they also offered up sacrifices to other gods as well. And when they did sacrifice to the LORD, they chose to do them their own way, not God’s way. Sadly, they were not truly presenting themselves as a living sacrifice to God and they were not yielded to God like they should have been. They were half-heartedly serving God because they were also serving idols and false gods. Half-heartedness consists of serving God in such a way as not to offend the devil. And we do the same today. Are you delighting in what God would call an abomination? Is your heart set on following God and loving Him with all of your heart and soul? Or is your delight in things that are not godly? Or is your time spent in forsaking time with God for other delights? Some people can talk Christianity by the yard, but they cannot walk it by the inch. Look at what God said He would do to those that act as in verse 3:

Isaiah 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

God called for them, but they were so busy with their false sacrifices and false living, that they did not hear. God called, but they did not answer. They chosen to yield themselves to unrighteousness and present themselves to sin rather than to God, so when He came calling, they were not able to answer. Why? Because they were busy doing evil before God’s eyes and chose to do that which God takes no delight in. Note whose standard God is using: His Standard! Too many of us justify our actions, or our words, or our thoughts and use our own standards and pretend they are God’s standards. God has His Own Standards and they are written down in His Book so there can be no mistaking them! Believers must follow His standards, not our own standards. Sin is sin and you hate sin just insofar as you love Christ. Relevation 3 has a similar passage to Isaiah 66:4.

Revelation 3:19-20 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This is not a salvation verse – this is Jesus Christ speaking to believers. Are we listening for Him? Are we looking for His knock? Are we following Him the way He wants us to follow Him?

Romans 6:22-23 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The wages of sin have never been reduced and when believers regularly remember what our sin cost, then believers will look to regularly follow God.
Sin, when viewed by scripture light,

Is a horrid, hateful sight;
But when seen in Satan’s glass,
Then it wears a pleasing face.

For the past few weeks we have looking at the importance of death in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 6, the apostle Paul contrasts what everyone was before salvation, and what believers should be like after salvation. The blessing for the believer is that they no longer have to fear physical death, but now they must die to self – to mortify their members (body parts that can lead to sin) in order to walk in obedience to God. That does not mean believers literally slay their members, but that the believer should set aside their fleshly desires in order to follow God’s desires.

Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Note that Paul points out that covetousness is also idolatry and really, all sin is idolatry because the sinner has decided that they know what is the best way for them to go. The believer should flee from sin in order to properly follow God. However, the Christian life is not about NOT doing certain things. The person cannot declare that they are right with God because they do not do certain things or that they DO certain things. The believer must have the right motivation for the things that they do and have the right motivation for the things they do not do. And that motivation must be because they love God and want to honor and glorify Him. A believer cannot do that if they have idols in their life.

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Thankfully, God has given every believer the means to be able to properly follow God. That means is the Holy Spirit. People are able to mortify their members and the deeds of their body, their people that can lie down on a bed of nails believing that action brings closer to their god. Some people live in monasteries and nunneries and deny themselves marriage and wear uncomfortable clothing believing this brings them closer to God. But God does not require these types of actions by the believers in Jesus Christ. These actions are going beyond what is taught in the Bible. God gives the believer to not sin if they would follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The believer can have triumph of sin if they would continuously follow the Holy Spirit.

J.N. Darby wrote: For there is power of life in Christ to enable us to triumph over sin and death, and not to live unto ourselves, but unto Him who loved us, and died for us, and is now seated at the right hand of God. We are already risen in Him and to be manifested with Him in the glory. Shall I, then, allow any wretched object or idle vanity to occupy me instead of Christ? It may be perhaps some folly, or some piece of self-importance, or some evil disposition, or even the cares of this life!

Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

When believers are not following the Holy Spirit, they are grieving the Holy Spirit. To grieve the Holy Spirit, means to bring pain to Him because we are not following His leading. The Holy Spirit will lead the believer, but the believer must be willing to be led. D.L Moody said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.” Think about this: if you take a dog out for a walk, the dog will want to decide where it wants to go. If the dog is big enough and determined enough it will pull the dog walker all over the place even if it has a leash. The dog will dash to one spot because something smells interesting and then will want to quickly run elsewhere because something has caught its attention. But if the dog is properly trained, no matter how big the dog, the dog walker will be able to decide where the dog will walk. And the first thing that happens is that the dog is trained to follow the will of the walker not the desires of the dog. The dog is trained to obey the dog walker. The same is true for the believer in Jesus Christ – the believer must be trained to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and go where God wants. The believer must humble themselves and walk where God wants, not where the believer wants to go. The believer must be willing to say to God, “Not my will, but thine.”

D.L. Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, “Why do we need this ‘Mr. Moody’? He’s uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?” A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, “No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody.” D.L. Moody desired to be sold out for God and he determined to follow God, not fight God.

Each believer in Jesus Christ must not grieve the Holy Spirit, because when that happens they lose discernment. The longer the believer grieves the Holy Spirit, the less and less discernment they will have in their lives. They will have trouble knowing what is right or wrong in the eyes of God, because they will have stopped praying and have stopped reading their Bible. When the believer grieves the Holy Spirit, then sin is working in the believer’s life and makes it more difficult for him or her to follow God. Sin begets sin and the believer’s neck will stiffen and their heart will harden about the things of God. The believer’s spiritual sense will dim and sin will lead the believer further away from God. This is why the believer must daily die to self and humble themselves before God so they can be led by the Holy Spirit and follow God in love and obedience. The believer must decrease so the God can increase.

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, “How can I get the air out of this glass?” One man shouted, “Suck it out with a pump!” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.” After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There,” he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Go back to Romans 6.

Romans 6:12-13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

In verse 12, Paul warns that believers should not allow sin to control them. Sin is never full for long, once it starts it will continue to grow if the believer does not realize the sin and repent of it. Believers cannot allow sin to control them nor allow it a foothold in their lives. There’s an old story about a man who tried to save the city of Sodom from destruction by warning the citizens. But the people ignored him. One day someone asked, “Why bother everyone? You can’t change them.” “Maybe I can’t,” the man replied, “but I still shout and scream to prevent them from changing me!

In verse 13, Paul warns the believer to decide who or what they are going to yield to: sin or God. Believers have the choice and Paul is urging them to yield to God’s will and not their own will. Believers must look to follow God and not their own desires that are contrary to God. This can only happen when believers humble themselves and do not grieve the Holy Spirit. This means that the believer needs to grow and mature in Jesus Christ and not remain stagnant. J. Vernon McGee wrote: A little girl fell out of bed one night and began to cry. Her mother rushed into her bedroom, picked her up, put her back in bed, and asked her, “Honey, why did you fall out of bed?” And she said, “I think I stayed too close to the place where I got in.” And that’s the reason a great many of us fall, my friend. It is because we are actually yielding ourselves to our old nature. We’re following the dictates of the old nature; that is what gets us into trouble.

Believers are always going to have a sin nature, but believers do not have to choose to yield to it. Remember that: we choose to sin, but we do not have to sin. Romans 6:4-6 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The believer’s old man is his or her sin nature – that desire to please the flesh – but the believer does not have to be the servant of sin. Please remember that sin does not serve us, because sin does not have our best interests at heart. We become servants of sin because once we start, we desire to add to it and build it up. Sin becomes our every thought and our every imagination.

Please remember that the Christian life is not a matter of simply following certain rules and avoiding certain things. Keeping the Law that Moses delivered does not save anyone. J. Vernon McGee wrote: The Christian life is not following certain rules; you can follow rules and regulations and still not be living the Christian life. Somebody asks,”The what is the Christian life?” The Christian life is to be obedient unto Christ. It means communication with Christ. It is not how you walk, but where you walk – are you walking in the light, walking in fellowship with Christ? Sin will break the fellowship, of course, and then we are to confess our sin. The Lord Jesus said to Peter in the upper room, “If I wash you not, you have no part with me (John 13:8)”. We do not have fellowship with Him unless we confess our sins to Him as we go along. Our part is confession; His part is cleansing (see 1 John 1:9). The important thing for you and me is to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to obey Him. Then we will be living the Christian life.

Romans 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

When the believer is dead to sin, then they are free from sin. Why? Because a dead man cannot sin! Furthermore, because the believer has died with Jesus Christ on the cross, was buried, and rose with Jesus Christ, the believer is no longer under the penalty for sin. God looks upon the believer has has declared him or her righteous. The believer is declared not guilty, why? Because Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for the believer.

Romans 6:8-9 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Remember, the three steps for the believer: rejected, slain, risen. Every believer must go through those steps, just as Jesus Christ did for the believer. If the believer died with Jesus Christ then they will also be risen with Him. The believer has newness of life now and the believer will be resurrected one day after they have physically died. Look at verse 9 – what is the first word? Knowing, not hoping, not maybe, not possibly, but KNOWING. Paul wants the believer to realize that they should KNOW death no more has dominion and that Jesus Christ forever lives. As Jesus Christ told the apostle John: Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Romans 6:10-12 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. (11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Jesus Christ died once and will never die again. The believer has the same promise. The believer must realize that they are dead to sin and do not have to choose to sin. If the believer chooses to not sin, then they will live a fuller life following God in love and obedience. That does not mean they will live an easier life, but it will be a life more satisfying. Charles Spurgeon wrote: We are one with Jesus being both dead with Him, and risen in Him; ours therefore it is to live the new life, and view ourselves as dead to all the sinful joys of our former lives. Of for grace to carry this out to the full.

What is the true Christian life? Being a Christian is more than just being born again. A person is only physically born once and then that person can only be born again spiritually once. Being born again is just the beginning, after that the believer is to walk in love and obedience toward God and this is an ongoing process. When the believer stops growing spiritually, they will begin to shrink. Just as a muscle in the body shrinks if it is not exercised, so will the believer’s faith and spirituality shrink if it is not exercised. Spirituality is exercised internally and then shows itself externally. Now, we can exhibit spiritual-looking behavior by going to church, witnessing, saying the right things, but if it is not something that we believe internally, then nothing is truly gained. If we do things just because it is our duty, then that is the wrong motivation. How would you feel if a child of your came to visit you and told you that they only came because they felt it is their duty? Duty is the wrong motivation for the believer in Jesus Christ. We should serve Him because we love Him. If that is not your motivation, then you need to get to your knees and ask God for help. The more time you spend with God, the more your love for Him will grow. And the opposite is true: the less time you spend with God, the less will your love for Him be. You will trust Him less and your faith will shrink.

God is a personal God and He wants your relationship with Him to be more than just the new birth. How many of us would really want a son or daughter than only remained a week old infant for their whole lives? God wants to see His children grow and mature.

Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1,2 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

In the Old Testament God gave ten commandments. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ gave two commandments, which summarized the ten commandments.

Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? (37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus Christ is stating that these two commandments cover all of God’s commandments. The first one He gave about loving the Lord covers the first four commandments, and the second commandment covers the last six. I do want you to note that the Tenth Commandment given by God, in a sense, covers the previous nine commandments.

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

If we are coveting something that our neighbor has – tangible or intangible – then we are not properly loving our neighbor AND we are not trusting God and His decisions for us. My neighbor may have fame and if I desire his fame, then I am covetous and I am lacking faith in God that He rightly decides for me. Why is it that we trust God for salvation and then refuse to trust Him for anything else? If I declare that I trust God, but then my actions do not show that trust, what am I saying to others? I am stating that I do not believe what I say I believe. If I lack trust in Him, what I am really doing is denying in practice that He has a right, as my God, to use me where He wants in the spiritual battle which exists in the seen and unseen world (Francis Schaeffer). If I am coveting, then I am not showing proper love for my fellow man AND I am disobeying God, so now I have broken both of the commandments by Jesus Christ.

Duty alone is a poor reason for doing anything. It was Robert E. Lee who said, “Duty s the sublimest word in the English language.” But though her name may be sublime, Duty’s demands may be harsh and burdensome. “Must” is an unpleasant word. It sometimes speaks of harsh necessity. Jesus Christ said, “The Son of man must be lifted up” (John 3:14; 12:34). God’s Son must be nailed to the cross. Yet there was no drawing back from the obligation, no shirking the necessity. He must be lifted up because He loved, and love, eager to save poor sinners, made His death necessary. He must die because He loved. His submission to the will of God and His love for men were tangent at the cross. In obedience to the will of the Father and because He loved men and willed to redeem them He must die. He had to die. It was necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up because the Son of Man came into the world to save sinners and He must go to the cross to do the work of salvation. He went to the cross willingly. He was bound to the tree not by the nails which impaled Him upon the beam. The God who hid in the earth the iron from which the nails were forged and made the tree of the cross grow from its seed could not have been held by the nails upon the wood against His will. He was bound there by the cords of His own divine love. He gave His life. No man took it from Him (John 10:17,18) (unknown author).

1Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (24) Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

When we place other people’s needs and desires ahead of our own, and doing it for the right reason, then we are not being covetous and we are obeying God. To do things for others with the right motivation requires us to humble ourselves because we are setting aside our needs and desires for someone else’s. 1Corinthians 13:3-5 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Are we truly loving our neighbor, if we are not willing to help them or love them for the right reason? If my focus is on me and what I want, then I am not loving my neighbor and the end result is that I am not loving God. Your neighbor is more than just the person living next door, your neighbor is also your spouse, your child, and your relatives.

Does this mean all desiring and needing is covetousness? No. So when does desire become covetousness? Desire becomes sin when the love of God or man is excluded. When our motivation becomes wrong for desiring something, then it becomes covetousness. If you are not sure then you can examine yourself this way: First: am I content with what God has given me; Second: do I love my neighbor enough that I do not envy them.

First, in regard to God: I am to love God enough to be contented, because otherwise even our natural and proper desires bring us into revolt against God. God has made us with proper desires, but if there is not a proper contentment on my part, to this extent I am in revolt against God and, of course, revolt is the central problem of sin. When I lack proper contentment, I have forgotten that God is God (Francis Schaeffer). And how can you tell that you are not content? When you are not thankful to God for what He has given you.

Ephesians 5:3-4 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; (4) Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:

If I am truly contented than I will also be thankful to God. Furthermore, I will not be partaking in anything that is listed in verses 3 and 4.

The second test about when desire becomes coveting toward our fellow man is when we envy what the other has and we hope to see the man fall. We should not take satisfaction in seeing another person fall down and if we do then we are being covetous and not loving our neighbor as we should. That other person may seem to be succeeding, even if they are doing it through wrong methods, but if we truly love them, then we should be praying for their repentance toward God.

Romans 6:3, 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death

Paul is telling us that as believers, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, in God’s eyes we have died. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:5-9 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (6) For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (7) In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. (8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to die daily to ourselves. This happens when we humble ourselves and look to serve and please God and others first. Paul uses the word “mortify” meaning to bring ourselves under the spiritual control of God – not self control, but spiritual control. So we must be willing to say “No” to ourselves in order to better love God and our fellow man. Instead seeking my good first, I should seek other’s good first. Remember again: 1Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (24) Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. Just because I can do something, does not mean I should do it. Even if it is allowable under God’s Law, if the action may cause my fellow man to stumble, then I should not do it. It means saying, “No” to what we want and, “Yes” to others. We naturally do not want to deny ourselves anything, but we must be willing to say, “No” to ourselves.

Jesus Christ told His disciples: Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. This is the concept of dying daily: deny ourselves in order to follow God. What are we to deny ourselves? Things that are sinful and things that are done in the wrong motivation. For the believer in Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, the believer died on the cross. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is important for the believer. If He had not died on the cross, then the believer’s sins have not been paid for. Jesus Christ was the perfect, sinless sacrifice as the Lamb of God to take away the of the world. He had to died to pay the sin debt that everyone has accumulated, but that debt is only paid for those that have trusted in Him. If everyone is going to Heaven, then there was no reason for Jesus Christ to die on the cross. If everyone could get to Heaven whether they follow Jesus Christ or not, then Jesus Christ did not have to die on the cross of Calvary! Jesus Christ points out in several places in the Gospels the fact that He was going to die for the sins of others. Go to Isaiah 53. Look at the words used: stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: he was afflicted; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

Jesus Christ’s death, His sacrifice, on the cross is absolutely necessary for the salvation of all that come to Him. Because of His death, believers are no longer under the penalty of sin and believers can live lives that honor and please God because they love Him. His death was unlike no other death because it was a substitutionary death. He died for others so that they may live. Jesus Christ died once for all.

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Jesus Christ showed a chronological order here in Luke 9:22 for His upcoming death: rejected, slain, raised. Then we see this same order presented for the believer in Jesus Christ: rejected, slain, raised. Luke 9:23, 24 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. The believer in Jesus Christ should look to follow this order in their lives everyday. It is a matter of again seeking to love and serve God and others before ourselves. Luke 9:25-26 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. As Christ’s rejection and death are the first steps in the order of redemption, so our rejection and death to things and self are the first steps in the order of true and growing spirituality (Francis Schaeffer).

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee, Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him Seems the hardest thing of all. Trust Him, He is ever faithful,

Trust Him, for his will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

The Book of Proverbs is an exhortation to the believer in Jesus Christ that is as true today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written and compiled. The book is a wonderful source for daily obedient living for the believer toward Jesus Christ. Here in Chapter two we are told to seek after wisdom and understanding and then use them every day of our lives. We are to seek God’s wisdom, however, not man’s wisdom. Man’s wisdom will always lead the believer away from Jesus Christ – maybe not right away, but eventually man’s wisdom will pull the believer toward following man. Why does this happen? Because unsaved mankind looks at the cross of Jesus Christ and considers it to be foolishness that one man should die for everyone else. Or for those that claim to believe in Jesus Christ, they look at the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and believe that they must do something more in order to earn salvation or to keep salvation.

1Corinthians 1:18-21 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

God uses the “foolishness” of preaching to get His Word out to others. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith only through the hearing of God’s Word. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, those that are wise by the world’s standards will perish and will not truly know God. 1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Paul states God is far wiser than any man and far stronger than any man, therefore it is wiser for mankind to follow God rather than other men. We must always look to God’s Wisdom over man’s wisdom. Wisdom comes from reading and believing God’s Word, the Bible. I took part in a discussion the other day and a person declared that she had read the Bible from cover to cover and then asked, “What does the Bible have to do with anything?” I replied, “The Bible has everything to do with anything.” Man will always lead you astray at some point, God will never lead you astray.

The doubleheader train was bucking a heavy snowstorm as its engines pulled it west. A woman with a baby wanted to leave the train at one of the little stations along the route. She repeatedly called, “Don’t forget me!” to the brakeman responsible to call out the stations they approached. Her husband was to meet her. The train slowed to a stop, and a fellow traveler said, “Here’s your station.” She hopped from the train into the storm. The train moved on again. Forty-five minutes later, the brakeman came in. “Where’s the woman?” “She got off at the last stop,” the traveler said. “Then she got off to her death,” the brakeman responded. “We stopped only because there was something the matter with the engine.” They called for volunteers to go back and search for the woman and child. When they found her, she was covered with ice and snow. The little boy was protected on her breast. She had followed the man’s directions, but they were wrong-dead wrong.

What had happened in this illustration? When the train stopped, a fellow traveler told her it was her stop – not the brakeman. She did not double check what the traveler had said and paid for it with her life and almost the life of her son. Why? Because she did not wait to hear from the authority – the brakeman who was responsible for calling out the stops. The woman relied on the foolishness of a man

that did not really know what he was talking about. This illustration shows each of us (including me) the dangers of following man’s wisdom rather than God’s. The decisions each of us make affect not only ourselves, but also the others around us. Our loved ones see the choices we make and will base their decisions on what we do. Dr Crowley taught: What is improper that is accepted with limitations by Dad will be acceptable by the son without  limitations. What we show to be important to us, will be accepted as being important to our loved ones or those watching us. What is a priority to us will be a priority to others. Likewise, if we do not show something to be a priority to ourselves, then it will be even less of a priority to others.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

The Book of Proverbs was written to the believer to encourage them to seek knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. The first basic lesson to be learned is found in Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. We see in Proverbs 2:1 that the believer is to learn the words of the father and to study them and know them. Psalm 119:9-11 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Charles Spurgeon wrote this about about Psalm 119:11 – The place for God’s Word is not an outside place, but an inside place. It is infinitely better to have it hidden in your heart than it is to have many copies of it laid among the furniture of your house. It may be that your having the Word of God so plentifully at home may increase your damnation, rather then lead to your salvation. Why Charles Spurgeon speak so harshly? Because he wanted people to use their Bibles for more than dust collectors. If the Bible is not opened and read and studied, then it does not do you or anyone else any good.

Believers cannot not only crack open their Bibles on Sunday and neglect them the rest of the week. George Muller wrote: It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray. A telephone company once used the following as its advertising copy: Born to be battered…the loving phone call book. Underline it, circle things, write in the margins, turn down page corners, the more you use it, the more valuable it gets to be. That is true of the Bible as well: the more we use it, the more valuable it becomes to us. The president of American Bible Society, received a letter asking a question: “What do you recommend for keeping the leather on the back of Bibles from getting stiff, cracking and peeling? His reply was, “There is one oil that is especially good for treatment of leather on Bibles. In fact it will insure your Bible will stay in good condition. It is not sold, but may be found in the palm of the human hand.”

Proverbs 2:1 if thou wilt receive my words,– we are to receive the Word of God and take it into ourselves and store it there – and hide my commandments with thee; We are to keep God’s Words inside us so that we are then able to apply them to situations in our lives and be ready to use them to talk to others and answer their questions. As Peter wrote: 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Incline thine ear unto wisdom means to keep your ear open when listening to the Word of God. J. Vernon McGee wrote: Something is to enter the head through the ear gate, but its final destination is the heart. When the Word of God gets into the heart, it brings understanding.

Proverbs 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

Think about that for moment and think back to your days in high school. Who usually did better in class? Those that came to class prepared and studied and took notes or those that only showed to class? Those that studied and prepared usually received the better grades. The same is true in the life of the believer: those that cry out for knowledge and understanding will receive it. Those that study and read will receive knowledge and understanding. Peter wrote: 1Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: Think about how cats react when they hear a can being opened, they come running. Our cats know when they are about to receive canned cat food and as the can is being opened they stand on the back legs with their front legs reaching up as high as they can in anticipation of food. Think how babies are when they see a bottle in front of them: they excitedly start to flail their arms and kick their legs waiting for the food. That is how the believer should be about the Word of God: we are to cry out for knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding – anxious to be fed the Word of God. You will never be spiritually fed if all you eat is spiritual fast food. If all you read is books and devotionals about the Bible, but never really study the Bible, you will not be fed spiritually.

Proverbs 2:4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

If we look for treasures in the Bible, then we will find them. If we look at Bible reading as drudgery, then that is what we will find. Reading the Bible should be like mining for silver by looking for the vein of silver everywhere until we find it. What we put into our Bible reading is what we will get out of it. While studying in the Holy Lands, a seminary professor met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament–in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days late they sat together in the man’s home. “Where shall we begin?” asked the man. “Psalm 1,” replied my professor, who was an avid student of the psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while the professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, my professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man–he was an atheist! Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn’t even believe in God. (Jack Kuhatschek) Even though this atheist knew the Old Testament better than most Christians, he obviously had not cried out to God for knowledge or sought silver among its pages. The Bible should not just sit on a shelf and seldom be opened. If we are to grow closer to God and have our faith grow, then the Bible must be opened and read and re-read! By every believer!

The new pastor was asked to teach a boys’ class in the absence of the regular teacher. He decided to see what they knew, so he asked who knocked down the walls of Jericho. All the boys denied having done it, and the preacher was appalled by their ignorance. At the next deacons’ meeting he told about the experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the walls of Jericho,” he lamented. The group was silent until finally one long time deacon spoke up. “Preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born and they’re good boys. If they said they didn’t know, I believe them. Let’s just take some money out of the repair and maintenance fund, fix the walls, and let it go at that.”

Proverb 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; (3) Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; (4) If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; (5) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

That is all one sentence, by the way. If the believer in Jesus Christ does what is in the first four verses, then verse 5 comes to pass. Remember Proverb 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Devotional reading is very good, but most devotionals only center around a few verses. To truly study the Word of God, we need to dig in and look for the hidden treasures and the silver; we need to cry out and lift up our voices for knowledge and understanding; we must listen for the wisdom found in the Bible and have God’s Words deep inside of us. If our only Bible reading is only devotionally based, then we will not grow in knowledge, understanding, and in the fear of the Lord.

An unknown writer said, “This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.

The Israelites are now ready to enter the Promised Land. Joshua is now the leader of the Israelites and he sends two spies across the Jordan river to look over the city of Jericho. Jericho was the first large city that the Israelites would encounter after they cross the Jordan river. It was a heavily defended city built on a hill and with large thick walls. This would be a potentially difficult battle with the people of Jericho, however, the Israelites had God fighting for them.

Joshua 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Why did the two spies go to Rahab’s? Rahab was a harlot, the Bible tells us and it is not unusual for strange men to come and go at odd times of the day from a harlot’s house. There is absolutely no indication that the men went to Rahab’s for any other reason than to be able to hide. Rahab provided the spies with shelter when the king of Jericho found about about the spies and where they were staying.

Joshua 2:2, 3 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country. (3) And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.

The king of Jericho sent men to search the house but Rahab had hidden the two Israelites in the roof of her house. And then she told the men of Jericho that the spies had left Jericho.

Joshua 2:4-7 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. (6) But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. (7) And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

When the men of Jericho left Jericho to search for the Israelites, they shut the city’s gate behind them. The gate was the only way in or out of the city. Obviously, Rahab lied to protect the spies – was she correct in doing this? Is it ever right to lie, even when it could save someone’s life? Let me rephrase the question: is it ever right to sin? The Bible makes it very clear that it is never right to sin and lying is a sin. Proverb 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.

Proverb 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

Would the Israelites spies died if Rahab had not lied? Would they still have escaped if Rahab had not lied? We do not know. For all we know, if she had let the men of Jericho inside to look for the spies, perhaps God would have blinded those men to the presence of the spies. The point is that Rahab was not asked to lie by God or the two spies: she chose to lie. Yes, the circumstances worked out very well, the spies were able to leave Jericho and Rahab and her family were protected when the Israelites attacked the city of Jericho. However, the Bible does not record that Rahab was blessed or honored for her lie. Note what was written about her in the Book of Hebrews: Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. Rahab was blessed and honored for her faith in God, not for her lie. It is never right to do wrong to do right. Charles Spurgeon wrote: Rahab had effectually misdirected the pursuers, and lulled to sleep all suspicion against herself. Her success does not, however, justify her deceit. Whether it succeed or fail, falsehood is always wrong.

Austin O’Malley said: A lie has no legs. It requires other lies to support it. Tell one lie and you are forced to tell others to back it up. Stretching the truth won’t make it last any longer. Those that think it permissible to tell white lies soon grow colorblind. John Wesley declared: I would not tell one lie to save the souls of all the world.

Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

God would have still provided for the Israelites even if Rahab had not lied. God’s will would have still been accomplished despite the actions of Rahab.

Romans 14:14-17 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (15) But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. (16) Let not then your good be evil spoken of: (17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

A believer in Jesus Christ has liberty, but they must not abuse their liberty. That abuse may cause a weaker brother to stumble and fall. Liberty is not the same as license. Liberty in Jesus Christ means that the believer is given the ability to choose to do the right thing. The main right thing to do is to glorify God in everything.

Luke 13:10-17 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. (11) And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. (12) And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. (13) And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (14) And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. (15) The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? (16) And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? (17) And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

The right thing for Jesus Christ to do was to heal this woman who had bent over for 18 years. The ruler of the synagogue felt that keeping the Sabbath was of all importance and chastised Jesus Christ for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus Christ points out that these same people will make sure their livestock has water to drink on the Sabbath. Why would these people make sure their livestock has water to drink on the Sabbath? Because they want to take care of their animals. Likewise, Jesus Christ wants to take care of His children and that is why He healed the woman – because He loves His children. It comes back to motivation, why do I do the things I do?

Galatians 5:13, 14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

The next right thing is to not be a stumbling block for others. Just because I have liberty in Jesus Christ does not mean I should exercise it if it is going to be problem for others. Whether I eat meat or do not eat meat does not make me special in the eyes of God. Whether I wear a white shirt or a colored shirt does not make me special in the eyes of God. If I keep every commandment does not make me special in the eyes of God. Just because I keep every commandment does not mean I will be living the Christian life. And the other side of that is that I cannot do as I please and be living the Christian life. Everything we do should be because we love God and then because we love our neighbor.

It is God’s grace and not the Law that frees us to do the right thing and to not do the wrong thing. Grace does not allow the believer to sin, but sets the believer free from sin. The believer should desire to please God, not because he has to but because he wants to and loves God. The believer does what God wants because he or she loves God. The believer serves God, not because of the Law, but because he or she loves Him.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

True obedience to God comes from truly loving God and the desire to serve Him the way He wants to be served. The Law does not accomplish that. The Christian life should not be filled with “I don’t do this. I don’t do that.” It should be filled with, “I do this because I love you, God, and this glorifies you and pleases you.” The believer must use discernment to determine what does please and glorify God. Just because it pleases me, does not mean it pleases God. Just because I am sincere, does not mean it pleases God. If the action goes against what the Bible says, then it will not please God. So how can we know how to please God?

Galatians 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to know what pleases and glorifies God. And how does the believer accomplish that? By reading God’s Word, believing it and following it. By prayer to God for wisdom and guidance. Believers must realize that they cannot live the Christian life on their own, but only because Jesus Christ resides within them.

Galatians 2:19-20 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Our main focus today is going to be verses 11 through 18, but I wanted to give the context of the passage by reading the first 18 verses of Galatians 5. After Paul had started the churches in Galatia, he left to start churches elsewhere. Sadly, Judaizers came in and began teachings the Galatians that aspects of the Law that was given to Moses had to be followed as well. Essentially, they were teaching another Gospel that required works as well as faith for salvation. Paul was saddened and distressed at how quickly the Galatians chose to listen to these false teachers and follow what they taught, rather than cling to the teachings that Paul had founded their churches upon. Go to Galatians 1:

Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9) As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

These are very strong words condemning the misuse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul does not mince words here, the Gospel cannot be changed or added to or have things taken from it, because then it turns the Gospel into a lie. In Galatians chapter 5, Paul is showing that circumcision or no circumcision does not bring a person into a right standing with God.

Galatians 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Once a person decides that they need to keep part of the Law, then they are required to keep all of the Law – there is no picking and choosing. We cannot state that we will keep the dietary portions of the Law and ignore the rest. We cannot state that we will keep the Sabbath, but ignore the Feasts of the Lord. James 2:8-12 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: (9) But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (10) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (11) For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. (12) So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

People will say that The Book of James and the Books that Paul wrote are contradictory, but note what James wrote in verses 8, 9: If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: (9) But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. And what Paul wrote in Galatians: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Both verses discuss loving your neighbor and point out the proper way of treating them. The point is that believers need to choose to live in the liberty of God’s grace or live in the bondage of the Law.

Galatians 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased.

Paul is pointing the position that he is being put into: if Paul preaches that circumcision and other works of the Law doing nothing for salvation, then he is persecuted; and if he were to preach for circumcision, then he is persecuted. The problem is this: the Gospel of Jesus Christ offends the natural man – the unbeliever, the lost person. Whether it is the idea of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross or His shed blood or His burial and resurrection, the truth of the Gospel upsets people. John the Baptist’s message from the wilderness was not, “Smile, God loves you.” It was “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come.” Jeremiah was not put into a miry pit for preaching, “You can have your best life now.” It was for crying against the adultery, idolatry and other wickedness of his nation. Noah’s message from the steps of the ark was not, “Something good is going to happen to you.” He condemned the world and was a preacher of righteousness. Jesus Christ was not crucified for saying, “Consider the lilies, how they grow,” but for saying, “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…children of hell …fools and blind guides … whited sepulchers…generation of vipers.”

then is the offense of the cross ceased. What does that phrase mean? It means that the cross of Jesus Christ is offensive to those who do not truly believe in Him. It is offensive to man because the cross was something that only Jesus Christ could do, and man believes that he has to do something in order to be saved. Billy Sunday told of a man who came to him and said, “I will cut out the booze and get on the water wagon,” “Good; what else?” “Of course, I am a gambler; I will quit gambling and I will never touch a pack of cards.” “All right; what else?” “I am a bad man, and I will live a clean life.” “Good; what else?” He said, “If I quit these things, I think they cover about all. I will quit drinking, swearing, stop gambling, and I will quit being impure.” Billy said, “Good. Give me your hand and say you will accept Jesus Christ as your Savior,” He said, “No, I will not. If I stop those things, I won’t need to do that.” The cross is offensive to man’s pride because God accepts those that are meek and lowly and humble and mankind is not naturally any of those things. The cross is offensive to man because shows him his sinfulness and need for salvation.

Galatians 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you. The Apostle Paul desires that the Judaizers would have nothing to do with the Galatians.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

There are three methods of trying to live the Christian life – two of them will not work. One is a life of legalism, which Paul has been discussing. The other is the life of license, which Paul discussed in Romans 6: After we are saved by grace, can we live in sin? Paul’s answer is:”God forbid.” You cannot live in sin and be a Christian. Now you may fall into sin, but you will get out of it. The Prodigal Son can get in the pig pen, but he won’t settle down there – the pig pen won’t be his forwarding address. He will leave it. The Christian life is neither the life of legalism nor the life of license. (J. Vernon McGee)

All glory and dominion should be to God and God alone. At the beginning of this passage I have read this morning, we see that believers will receive a crown of glory from the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. However, God deserves all the glory and the believer will gratefully give up the crown of glory and place it before the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

As much as believers today state that God deserves all glory, I do not think we can still fully grasp the concept of God’s glory from here on earth. What is glory? The dictionary defines glory as being “brightness, luster, splendor, magnificence.” Peter helps define “glory” in 2 Peter:

2 Peter 1:16-17 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (17) For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This passage is referring to the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, when Peter, James, and John saw Jesus Christ transfigured in all of His glory and speaking with Elijah and Moses. Glory is something that can be seen and felt.

Luke 9:28-32 And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. (29) And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. (30) And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah: (31) Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. (32) But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

If glory can be seen, how big is it? Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Consider how large the universe is and that still does not come anywhere near the full size of God’s glory. Scientists have roughly determined that the universe is 90 billion trillion miles and that is still small compared to the glory of God, especially since He created the universe.

If glory can be seen, what color is it? In the passage about the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, we see that His clothes have become white and glistering – I never noticed that before that the word here is “glister”, which means the same as “glisten” – bright and shiny. And Jesus Christ’s glory shone from within Himself, it was not like a spotlight that shined upon Him: Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And glory is more that just the color white: Matthew 6:28-29 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. The lilies of the field are more than just the color white and they were more colorful than even Solomon in his best robes ever looked. God’s glory is more than we can fully understand here on earth, but it something we should look to do: glorify Him, rather than glorify ourselves. Charles Spurgeon said: If I might have but one prayer, it would be, “O God, glorify thyself in thine own church, and in the salvation of men!” And the wonderful thing about God’s glory is that it does not fade away. If a chair is constantly exposed to the sun, the colors of the chair eventually fade and lose their brightness, but God’s glory never fades and never loses its brightness.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Peter is exhorting his fellow believers to be humble, to be willing to submit to one another. It is very hard to be humble, each of us want to be in control of something in some way, but a proud person cannot know the grace of God. Peter states that the believer should be clothed with humility, meaning that humility should be in every facet of our lives. Believers are special in the eyes of God, but we should not be proud of our specialness. Charles Spurgeon said: I imagine there may be some of you ready to say, “Sir, I am nothing.” Then I shall reply, “You are a young Christian.” There will be others of you who will say, “Sir, I am less than nothing.” And I shall say, “You are an old Christian,” for the older Christians get, the less they become in their own esteem.” “When you are half an inch above the ground, you are that half-inch too high. Your place is to be nothing.”

Before a person can come to Jesus Christ for salvation, they must realize that they are not the center of their universe. The sun does not revolve around each of us. John the Baptist realized this and declared to the Pharisees: John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. It is not about me, it is about Jesus Christ. A long time ago, Nicolaus Copernicus studied the sky and declared, “If man is to know the truth, he must change his thinking! Despite what we have said for years, our earth is not the center of the cosmos-but just one celestial body among many. The sun does not move around us; we move around the sun.” This was a revolutionary idea for his time – people were positive that everything in the universe revolved around the earth. Years later, Jean Piaget studied children and declared, “Each child must experience his or her own ‘Copernican revolution.’They must learn that they are not the center of their world.” This is another revolutionary idea, and one that is not followed today. “After all,” each infant thinks, “My wants have always been met. I want it to always be that way!” “Walls should move out of the way before I run into them. The floor should become soft just as I fall. Everyone should give me their toys if I want them. The rules of games should change so I can always win.” Sooner or later, life does not cooperate and the child is shocked. But what about as adults – have we learned that lesson? Most of us learn it. But Satan urges us to put ourselves back in the center. And we often do, even when we know better.

The message of Jesus Christ to everyone is essentially: “If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must change your thinking! Despite what your sinful nature tells you, you are not the center of your world. To find life, you must know the truth. Accommodate yourself to that; it will make you free!” John 8:28-32 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. (29) And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. (30) As he spake these words, many believed on him. (31) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This is a hard lesson for everyone to learn. The illusion is easier. It justifies selfishness. And we all like being selfish.Too bad that the selfish way is not true.Too bad that it does not bring satisfaction or life. A hard lesson. But an important one. Life goes much better once you have got it.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

The believer in Jesus Christ is to humble himself before God in submission. That means we are to do His Will, not our own will. That means that we are to do things His way, not our own way. If we are not sure what that way is, then we are to pray and read His Word to discover what He desires. Sometimes that means being patient and waiting for Him to show what His Will is. Psalm 27:11-14 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. (12) Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. (13) I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (14) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

God will teach if the student is willing to learn. That means being humble and submissive to God. That means surrendering control to God. A pastor traveling on a train was the sole occupant of a compartment, save for a young man reading a newspaper. The youth was also a Christian, but so weak was his faith, and so many were his temptations, that he told the pastor he did not think he would be able to stand life a week longer. The pastor took from his pocket a Bible and a pen and said, “See, I will make this pen stand up on the cover of this Bible, in spite of the rocking of the train.” The young man, thinking that this was some magic trick, watched the proceeding with interest, saying, “I am afraid that it will not be very easy to do that , sir.” “But,” said the pastor, “I am doing it.” “Oh, but you are holding it,” replied his fellow passenger. “Why of course. Did you ever hear of a pen standing up on its end without being held up?” “I see,” was the young man’s comment. “I see you mean to teach me that I cannot stand unless Christ holds me. Thank you for reminding me of that.”

Think about it for a moment, who has mightier hands than God? Do I? Do you? Does anyone? Of course not. That is exactly why we should put ourselves in His Hands – how can any of us possibly trust anyone else, especially ourselves? The Lord God encouraged Joshua in Joshua 1:9 Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. As D. L. Moody said, “Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.“

Proverb 30:26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

Now we are not completely sure what a cony is, but most scholars guess that it is some sort of rabbit. Rabbits are not strong animals and they cannot defend themselves very well in a fight. People have to be careful how they pick up a rabbit because their backs are fragile and could be broken if they are picked up wrong. A rabbit’s only defense is to run and hide. They are a feeble folk, but look where they choose to hide: the rock. When the cony sees a hawk or an eagle, it does not try to defend itself, instead it runs and hides in the rocks. The cony knows that it is too feeble to fight off a predator, so it lets the rocks protect it. That is what the believer must do as well – we are too weak to defend ourselves against the enemy, we must rely on the Rock: Jesus Christ. Look at how Peter describes the enemy: 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Personally, I do not want to confront a lion and if I had to then I want Jesus Christ as my Rock to hide behind and trust in His Word.

1 Peter 5:6, 7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The only way a believer can cast his or her care upon Jesus Christ is to trust Him with the care. He loves His children and takes care of them. Too often we say, “I trust you, Lord” but then determine things our own way. It is when we decide that we know best, that we run into trouble. Let us say I have a brain tumor. A brain surgeon does not expect me to give him advice when he is conducting surgery. I have to trust that he has learned how to perform the surgery and let him work. The same is true with God: He is the Creator of all things – He is all powerful and all knowing, who better to cast my cares upon than Him? Jesus Christ declared:

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

He promises to give the believer rest, when they rely upon Him. If we cast our care upon Him, as Peter wrote, then we will have rest with God. What a blessing that is to know that God cares for each of us, He just wants us to come to Him. But the only way anyone can come to Him is by humbling ourselves before Him. Looking to do His Will in love and obedience.

God hath not promised skies always blue
Flower strewn pathways, all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptations, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.

1 Peter 5:6, 7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.