No Flesh Should Glory In His Presence

 Temple Baptist Church - 4-16-2025

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Introduction: 

 

A.  When writing to the most carnal of the churches in Asia Minor, the Holy Ghost twice admonished the people about glorying in the flesh instead of glorying in the Lord.  As they grew in the Lord, self-pride became problematic and could lead to Pharisaism, the “look at me” syndrome.  I do not like for people to constantly tell me their convictions.

 

B.  It is essential to note that anything that man adds to the gospel (including his education and oratory) takes away from the effectiveness of his preaching and hinders the sinners and the saints. 

 

1 Corinthians 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

 

C.  Salvation belongs to the Lord, and no one should ever receive credit. 

 

1 Corinthians 3:5-8  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?  (6)  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  (7)  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.  (8)  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

 

D.  Probably the greatest of all believers’ sins is pride.  The Book of Proverbs has much to say on the subject.

 

1.  Pride shows a lack of fear of the Lord.  Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

 

2.  Pride ends in shame.  Proverbs 11:2  When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

 

3.  Pride causes contention.  Proverbs 13:10  Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

 

4.  Pride causes the believer to fall.  Proverbs 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

 

5.  Pride is sin.  Proverbs 21:4  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

 

6.  Pride will bring the strongest down.  Proverbs 29:23  A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

 

E.  In our humanity, we are prone to think more highly of ourselves than we should.

 

Romans 12:1-3   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.  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.  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.  (The context found here is separation from the world!)

 

F.  We should never forget some things:

 

1.  We Should Never Forget Where We Came From – vs. 26  (That will take the wind out of your spiritual sails!)

 

1 Timothy 1:12-17  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

1 Corinthians 15:9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

 

2.  We Should Never Forget What We Are – vs. 27  (We are still nothing apart from the grace of God!)

 

1 Corinthians 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

 

1 Timothy 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

 

1 Corinthians 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

 

1 Corinthians 4:7   For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

 

Ephesians 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of 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.

 

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 

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

 

3.  We Should Never Forget Who He Is – vs. 27 – “but God” – (He is God!  He is sovereign!  It is He who hath made us). 

 

Psalms 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 

 

Exodus 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  (“I am what I am” vs. “I AM THAT I AM”)

 

John 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease.  (Said by the greatest man born of woman.)

 

Matthew 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

 

Psalms 72:19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

 

1 Timothy 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Jude 25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

4.  We Should Never Forget What He has done – vs. 30 - (Were it not for the love of God, we would all be eternally lost without hope!)

 

Ephesians 2:1-6  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

 

Romans 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

 

Psalms 72:18  Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

 

Philippians 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

A Right Perception Of Self

Temple Baptist Church - 2-3-2019

Romans 12:3

Introduction:  

A.  Self-esteem, an enemy to the child of God!  The heretic, Robert Schuler, wrote a book titled Self Esteem.  His book was nothing more than a religious rendition of humanism. 

B.  The Bible not only does not teach self-esteem but teaches to the contrary.  This does not mean that we are to spend out time belittling ourselves, but that we should have a proper perspective of who we are and why we are what we are. 

C.  Three different looks at self covers it all.

1.  A High-minded look.  People who think that they are superior.  Self-esteem, or self worth, is simply pride.  This extreme will divide the local church and is detrimental to its mission.

Philippians 2:3  "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

2.  A Hopeless-minded look.  This represents the opposite extreme.  I know of a preacher, saved from a life of wickedness, who could never get past this past.  He always had a hopeless sense of unworthiness.

Luke 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (I understand this verse but wanted us to look at the “standing afar off, would not life up so much as his eyes.”  A practical application as we are to come boldly before the throne of Grace.)

3.  A Humble-minded look.  This is a right mind.  It is neither foolish pride nor is it false humility, it is a right perspective concerning self.

D.  I find this verse interesting in that it follows verses 1-2.  The context is holiness and separation.  Separation and holiness are right and good in God’s sight, but can lead to serious problems when they become a source of pride. 

E.  A right perspective of self glorifies God.  A wrong perspective of self glorifies man.

1.  A Wrong Perceptive Of Self Brings About Pride  (When someone begins to tell me how separated that they are, I sense pride!  Their separation is between them and God.  Separation is a very personal thing.)

a.  Pride Is Sin - 1 John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

b.  Pride Is Defiling - Mark 7:18-23  And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;  Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?  And he said, That which cometh out (Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh) of the man, that defileth the man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

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

c.  Pride Is Phariseeism - Luke 18: 10-14  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

d.  Pride Is Dangerous - Proverbs 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23  A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

2.  A Right Perception Of Self Brings Glory

            a.  We Are Nothing (just dirt!)

1)  Our Flesh Is Wicked - Romans 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

2)  Our Heart Is Wicked - Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

3)  Our Righteousness Is Wicked - Isaiah 6:5-6  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

            b.  He Is Everything

1)  He Was Before Everything - Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

2)  He Created Everything - Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

3)  He Sustains Everything - Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

            c.  Without Him We Can Do Nothing

Philippians 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Philippians 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 1Corinthians 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Ephesians 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

            d.  Therefore, It All Glorifies Him

Romans 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12  Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.