Let Us Not Be Weary in Well Doing - Part 3

Temple Baptist Church - 9-22-2024

Galatians 6:1-10

 

Introduction:

A.  Over the past couple of weeks, we have been exploring the importance of our context as it speaks of three states of believers.  The key word of our context is the word “Brethren!” 

 

Galatians 6:1  Brethren …

 

2 Thessalonians 3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

 

1.  Paul writes to and about saved people when he classifies them as:  Carnal, Spiritual, and Weary in well doing.

 

2.  I believe that the Bible teaches that there are degrees in each:

 

a) Carnal – you do not get overtaken in one step but there is a process of decline that leads to it.

 

b)  Weary – you do not just suddenly for from spiritual to weary, thus a process of slow decline.

 

c)  Spiritual – not everyone is an Apostle Paul, though we can be such, but there is a slow spiritual growth involved. 

 

3.  If God only used a Paul or Peter, then He would have very few to work with.  So, if you and I are not a Paul or Peter, we can still be used of God in His work.

 

B.  Everyone of us fits into one of these three categories.  It is not up to me to determine where each of you fit into these verses.  It is up to me to determine where I am this morning.

 

C.  Life is hard and full of disappointments and discouragements.  Then, we live in the days of “fat bodies and lean souls.”  But God’s grace and strength are still available!

 

D.  We have discussed the carnal believer.  He is in an ALMOST helpless condition.  There are exceptions who see their condition, repent and get back right with God, but these are the few and not the majority.  The majority of carnal believers need a little help from their friends and brethren to recover.

 

E.  We have discovered the “weary in well doing.”  This believer is slowing down then slipping down then stumbling down then falling.  He/she will eventually become the carnal believer overtaken in a fault if this state is not corrected.

 

F.  Now, let us look at the context.  Who is the Apostle Paul speaking to?  Not the carnal or already getting weary believers, but the spiritual believers.  He is warning of the possibilities of slipping, stumbling, and falling while helping them to guard their spiritual state.

 

G.  Now, you may not think that you are spiritual this morning. 

 

1.  I have often said that I never met a spiritual person who thought that he or she was spiritual! 

 

Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

 

2.  Why?  Because the more you give up of this world and get closer to God, the more that you see the things in your life that need to be corrected.  The closer to the Light the brighter the Light the more dirt becomes apparent.

 

3.  When we think that we are somebody, we become nobody.  When we think that we are nobody, we become somebody because it is then that we rely upon Christ and Christ alone.

 

H.  Spiritual is a descriptive term used for both men and women.  Who is this spiritual man or woman?  Believers who “walk in the Spirit.”  Obedient to the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

 

J.  How do they maintain spirituality? 

 

1.  By being Faithful.  Proverbs 20:6  Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

 

a.  We live in days of unfaithful people, both saved and lost.  People who cannot be depended upon to either be here or to serve.  Not trying to discourage you, but just stating a visible fact.

 

b.  By faithful, I mean a “steady roller” as we used to say in the mines.  These were always there on the job.  Some say that the greatest assets of an individual are availability and dependability.

 

2.  By being Busy.  Luke 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

a.  Two things are found in this verse:  “having put his hand to the plough” and not “looking back.”  Spiritual believers are busy “ploughing!” 

 

1)  A spiritual believer is one that Ploughs.  Interesting term because ploughing is tilling the ground.  In the parable of the Sower, we see four types of ground that produce different “fruit.”

 

2)  There was only one ground that produced and that was “good ground,” ground that was prepared by someone who ploughed it.  One sows, one waters, and God is able to give the increase.

 

3)  The work of the Lord is multifaceted and needs everyone to do his or her part in ploughing the field of the world!  Who will go and work in God’s vineyard today?

 

b.  A spiritual believer is one that is Purposed.  He or she has their eyes on the Point. 

 

1)  Ploughing straight furrows in long fields requires one to pick a point in the distance and keep their eyes on the point.  The purpose is to plough straight furrows!

 

2)  The Point of the spiritual believer is the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we keep our eyes on Him, we will plough right.  When we get our eyes off Him, we plough crooked rows. 

 

Hebrews 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

3.  By being a Sower!  Not to sow right is to end up in one of the other two spiritual conditions found in our text: overtaken in a fault or weary in well doing. 

 

a.  The Direction Of Sowing – 8  “To the Spirit” 

 

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

 

The inward fruit of the Spirit is a result to sowing to the Spirit.  Hearing him speak in a “small still voice” that only the child of God can recognize.

 

John 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

 

b.  The Desire Of Sowing – 8  “Shall of the Spirit reap” 

 

Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

 

Sowing to the Spirit is a desire live for Christ and not the world.  Being heavenly minded and of much earthly good.

 

John 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

 

c.  The Dividends Of Sowing - 8  “Life everlasting” 

 

Galatians 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

 

Sowing to the Spirit is trading the temporal for the eternal, the corruptible for the incorruptible.

 

2 Corinthians 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

 

Matthew 6:19-20  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  (20)  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 

d.  The Discipline Of Sowing - 9 “Let us not be weary ... faint not” 

 

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

 

Sowing to the Spirit takes spiritual discipline which brings about spiritual integrity which brings about spiritual character.  Living for Christ is a hard road and one less often traveled.

 

e.  The Dereliction Of Sowing - 9          “Weary in well doing

 

James 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

 

Sowing to the Spirit is often hard and lonesome.  Many get tired along the way.

 

Isaiah 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

f.  The Duty Of Sowing – 10  “Good unto all men ... especially ... household of faith”

 

1 John 3:13-19  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

Overcoming Evil With Good

Temple Baptist Church - 2-24-2019

Romans 12:19-21

Introduction:

A.  I guess the 12th chapter of Romans could be called a college course on Christian ethics. 

1.  Before we get started, I want to say that there has only been one perfect man in this world, and they crucified Him.  If you ever get perfect, and you won’t, they would crucify you also! 

2.  Though perfection is not possible in this life, I do believe that we should earnestly strive to be so.  We often us human frailty as an excuse for sinfulness.

B.  I have often said that life is hard and often unjust.  Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people but, thank the LORD, neither normally stay that way.

Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

C.  And, if you live a consistent life for the Lord, the world will not be your friend.  The world hated and continues to hate Christ and those who live for Christ.

John 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

2 Timothy 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

D.  Therefore, though you try to live for Christ, people will try to hurt you or your family.  I do not like it when people try to hurt but it causes a different reaction from me when they try to hurt my family.

E.  Vengeance defined:  infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person.  The human reaction is to get back at or get even with those who hurt you.  Those who desire vengeance try to justify it with scripture.

Exodus 21:24  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (This verse is found in the realm of Civil Law, not vengeance.)

F.  In verse 19, the Bible expressly states in our text that vengeance belongs to God and He will repay.  It may not be on my time or in your time, but He will not forget and, in His time, will judge all sinfulness.

G.  Look at Verse 21 with me.

1.  There is a Perilous Possibility.  “Be not overcome with evil.”  Verse 19 – “Avenge not yourselves.”  Hurt turns into anger and anger into wrath and the wrath of man worketh not the rightness of God!

Hebrews 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

2.  There is a Positive Proceeding.  “But overcome evil with good.”  Verse 20 – “But overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Matthew 5:43-45  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  (44)  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  (45)  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

3.  There is a Plain Purpose.  “With good.”  Verse 20 says, “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.”

Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Conclusion:

1.  God does not want His children to be overcome with evil.  This is evil from within, not without.  Not overcome by evil but with evil.

2.  God does not want His children to react wrong.  Vengeance belongs to God and make no mistake, He will avenge all wrong.  God wants us to overcome the potential evil of our flesh.  React right!

3.  God wants us to do good and do good to our enemies.  The Golden Rule:  Do unto others as you would have others to do unto you.

Justification By Works or Faith

Temple Baptist Church - 10-29-2017

Romans 4:1-16

Introduction:

A.  Last week, we saw that our father, Abraham, (Verse 11) was justified by faith without the works of the Law.  If Abraham was justified by works, according to verse 2, “he hath whereof to glory.”  This would be contradictory to other verses of scripture. 

1 Corinthians 1:29-31  That no flesh should glory in his presence.  (30)  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:  (31)  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.  (As it is written refers us back to the Old Testament.)

Jeremiah 9:23-24  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:  (24)  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Romans 3:24-28  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  (25)  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  (26)  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  (27)  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.  (28)  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

B.  Abraham’s faith was unique in that God’s salvation is the only “religion” in the world that excludes personal sacrifice or merit.  I want to give a general breakdown of Abraham’s righteousness imputed.

1.  What Abraham received – vs. 1-5  A canceled sin debt.  God Himself canceled it and declared an unrighteous man righteous through imputation.  Through the finished work of Christ to come, his sin was atoned for in the Old Testament and done away at Calvary.

2.  How Abraham received – vs 1-5  Through faith apart from works.  Abraham simply believed God!  I am not sure why this is so difficult to some.  God said it and, to Abraham, that settled it!

3.  When Abraham received – vs. 9-16  The moment he believed God, instantaneous and complete.

a)  Before he was circumcised – vs. 9-12

b)  Before the Law was given – vs. 13-16

C.  I want to give a short but biblical over view of saving faith.  Verse 3 declares that it was Abraham’s faith that saved him, not his works. This chapter explains how God justifies (declares righteous) ungodly people through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1.  Justification Is by Faith, Not Works (4:1-8).

a.  We have seen that the Old Testament saint was saved by faith in the coming of Messiah and the propitiation that would take place. 

b.  Acts 15:5-11  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, (Saved but misguided) saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.  (6)  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.  (7)  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.  (8)  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;  (9)  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.  (10)  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples,which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  (11)  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

c.  These verses declare that Jew, Gentile, and Old Testament believers were saved by faith without the keeping of the Law.  No man has ever been able to keep the Law as it is a perfect standard.  Those who have believed on Christ but taught that they must keep the Law must try to figure out what is a “big” sin and what is a “little” sin because they are still imperfect in the flesh.

2.  Justification Is by Grace, Not Law (4:9-17)

a.  Before the Law - Romans 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

b.  Under the Law - Romans 4:5-6  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  (6)  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,(“Even as David” ties King David’s faith to the faith of Abraham.

c.  After the Law - Romans 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised:that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Romans 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham;who is the father of us all,

d.  Works and Law cannot co-exist in saving faith.  They are like oil and water: shake them up if you wish but the oil will separate and come to the top.

Romans 11:5-6  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.  (6)  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

1)  If salvation is all of grace, it is mixed with no works.  If it is a mixture of grace and works, it is not grace.

2)  If salvation is of works, it has nothing to do with grace because works demands a payday or reward.  Grace, which means that we do not deserve it, would do away with works, which means that we do deserve it.

3)  Works for salvation frustrates the grace of God and Christ died in vain.  Galatians 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Galatians 5:1-4  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  (2)  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  (3)  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  (4)  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

3.  Justification Is by Resurrection Power, Not Human Effort (4:18-25) Salvation is not “do.”  Salvation is “done.”  It is a finished work: death, burial, and resurrection.

a.  Verse 17 says that it is God who quickens the dead.

1)  Jesus was declared to be God with power by the resurrection from the dead.  Romans 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

2)  We were declared righteous with power by our resurrection from the dead.  Ephesians 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

b.  Verse 19 says that God quickened the loins of Abraham and the womb of Sarah.

1)  When the flesh is dead, only God can bring forth life through resurrection power.

2)  Romans 4:18-22  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.  (19)  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:  (20)  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  (21)  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.  (22)  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

3)  When the spirit is dead, only God can bring forth life through resurrection power.

4)  Romans 6:3-5  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  (4)  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:

5)  The likeness of our Lord’s resurrection is that of absolute holiness which requires imputation. 

6)  Romans 4:22-25  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.  (23)  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;  (24)  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;  (25)  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.