The Imperative of Walking in Truth

Temple Baptist Church - 10-21-2015

2 John 7-8

Introduction:

A.  Our text for tonight begins with the word “For.” 

1.  We believe in the Verbal Inspiration of the Bible thus making every word in the Bible the word of God and vital to the interpretation of a text.  Every word is right and every word is necessary!  That discounts every new translation on the market because they change thousands of words as well as leave our many entire verses or portions of Scripture. 

2.  The word “for” is a preposition: A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.  The reason for the word “For” is found in this sentence: “For many deceivers are entered into the world.”  It ties verse 7 with the preceding verse which says, “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”

B.  John expresses the importance of true love which is in truth.

1.  Today’s “Christian” love is a false love.  We, who are separatists, are called judgmental and unloving.  The love of todays “Christian” (notice that I put “Christian” in quotation marks because to be a real Christian, we are to be like Christ and He never broke the Scriptures) sets aside doctrinal truth.  Today’s deceivers say, “Doctrine divides but love unifies.”  Modern ecumenists set aside doctrinal truth in the pretense of biblical love.  we are called unloving because we are not ecumenical.  True love is always found in walking in truth. 

2.  It is true that we are to love sinners but it is also true that that love is different from the love that unifies us within the realm of truth.  True biblical love is consistent with the commandments of the Bible!  I do not want to spend the night on biblical love but it is essential to understand that biblical love never violates biblical principles!

3.  True love is not found in acceptance - Proverbs 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

4.  True love is found in correction - Proverbs 13:23  Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

C.  Therefore, verse 6 becomes a safeguard against the present apostasy of deceivers in verses 7-8.  We have spent a few weeks dealing with the Truth which is the Bible.  The apostasy of the last days is in full swing and spiritual deceivers are everywhere.  They make a pretense of being prophets of God while violating the very basic doctrines of the Bible.

D.  It is imperative that we walk in truth!  The truth and our Christian love is the glue that binds us to Christ and produces stability in unstable times.

1.  It is imperative that we have God’s Word, not a book that contains it.  If the Bible has errors, then it can only contain God’s Word.  Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

2.  It is imperative that we believe God’s Word.   I am going to give a verse and its interpretation; then I am going to make a practical application. Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;  (In this verse, the truth that is being held in unrighteousness is the truth of creation by God.  The world sees this magnificent, perfect world in which we live and attribute it to random acts of evolution.  This world has God’s “finger print” all over it.  By application, we see the magnificence of the Bible!  No man or men could contrive such a masterpiece!  Scientifically correct, medically correct, historically correct, prophetically correct, in every point correct!

2 Thessalonians 2:10-13  (10)  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  (11)  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  (12)  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  (13)  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

3.  It is imperative that we understand God’s Word.  Nehemiah 8:8  So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,and caused them to understand the reading.  (Notice the problem of not understanding the Bible is exposed in this verse.  It is, generally speaking, a pulpit problem!  I know that the natural man or lost man cannot understand the Bible but we live in a day of shallow pulpits that produce a shallow people who have not spiritually matured.)

Colossians 1:9-11  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;  (10)  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  (11)  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

4.  It is imperative that we walk according to God’s Word.  2 John 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.  (God’s commandment concerning our behavior and fellowship has never changed.  Notice the words “from the beginning!”  Times change, people change, churches change, but God’s commandments NEVER change!  You are either walking in truth or you are walking contrary to truth.  There is no middle ground.)

1 John 1:1, 5-7  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life … (5)  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  (6)  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  (7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Romans 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Conclusion:  You can hear truth; you can know truth; and you can even understand truth, burt failure to walk in truth is devastating.  I fear that this is where most Baptist churches are today.  They have heard truth for most of their lives; they have known what the truth is and have been assured of it; they have understood the ramifications of walking contrary to the truth as well as the blessings of walking in the truth.  Yet, they have chosen to leave the old paths as set forth by our fathers.  Walking in truth keeps us in line with what God says and not what man thinks!

The Imperative of Christian Love

Temple Baptist Church - 10-14-2015

2 John 5-6

Introduction:

A.  Have you noticed how much the Bible says about loving one another in light of the apostasy of our times and the Second Coming of our Lord?  In a context of apostasy and the eminent return of our Lord, we find the commandment of brotherly love or charity.

1.  Charity is a gift of love that God gives to His children.  James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turnin

2.  Love or, in this case, charity is given to God’s children in the person of the Holy Ghost in salvation.  Romans 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

3.  Charity is the greatest of the three remaining gifts of 1 Corinthians 12-13.  1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way…And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

B.  In today’s world, love has been redefined by society.  The greatest definition of love is found in John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (Love here is defined as devotion to the mankind that God created and giving His best for their salvation.)

C.  Biblical love is devotion, not an emotion.  I thank the Lord for emotion in love but a love that will last must be one of devotion.  I have seen it so many times illustrated in nursing homes as men and women push their spouses down the hallways, feed them, bath them, and—even when the mind of their spouse no longer recognizes them—remain faithful.

D.  Devotion defined:  loyalty · faithfulness · fidelity · constancy · commitment

1.  Our love for the Lord needs to be one of devotion.  We need to by loyal, faithful, constantly committed to the Lord.

2.  Our love for family needs to be one of devotion.  We need to by loyal, faithful, constantly committed to our families.

3.  Our love for each other needs to be one of devotion.  We need to by loyal, faithful, constantly committed to each other.

E.  Biblical love or charity is founded in truth and church unity is in the hands of each of us.  There are many things that we can do personally to insure love and unity.  I want to look at some of the results of Christian love that is founded in biblical truth.

John 13:34-35  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  (35)  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

F.  The love of devotion to each other is the love that I want to look at tonight.  Love is many faceted and can be expressed in many different ways.

1.  True Christian love glorifies God instead of self - John 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

2.  True Christian love edifies the church - 1 Corinthians 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

3.  True Christian love evidences spiritual maturity - Colossians 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

4.  True Christian love covers a multitude of sins - 1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

5.  True Christian love prefers one another.  Philippians 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

6.  True Christian love is compassionate toward the unfortunate.  1 John 3:17  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?

7.  True Christian love brings about the forgiveness of others - Ephesians 4:31-32  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  (32)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

8.  True Christian love will help to bear the burdens of others - Galatians 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

9.  True Christian love maintains the unity of purpose - Acts 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

10.  True Christian love will keep your feelings from being hurt - Psalms 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

                       

WHAT IS BROTHERLY LOVE?

It's SILENCE when your words would hurt,

It's PATIENCE when you brother is curt,

It's DEAFNESS when some gossip flows,

It's COMPASSION for a brother's woes,

It's COURAGE when misfortune falls,

It's FIRMNESS when one's duty calls,

It's WILLINGNESS to help another,

It's TRUSTING and especially a brother,

It's RESTITUTION made when due,

It's FORGIVING when asked of you.

Author unknown

G.  The best definition of charity is found in 1 Corinthians 13 with the Word of God giving it these characteristics:

Charity Suffers Long – “Charity suffereth long” 

Charity Is Kind – “and is kind”

Charity Is Happiness For Others - “charity envieth not”

Charity Puts Others First – “charity vaunteth not itself”

Charity Has A Proper Opinion Of Self – “is not puffed up”

Charity Behaves – “Doth not behave itself unseemly”

Charity Does Not Get Mad – “is not easily provoked”

Charity Gives The Benefit Of The Doubt – “thinketh no evil”

Charity Is Broken Hearted Over Sin – “Rejoiceth not in iniquity”

Charity Loves Right – “but rejoiceth in the truth”

Charity Is Forbearing – “Beareth all things”

Charity Hopes For The Best – “hopeth all things”

Charity Remains Constant – “endureth all things”

Charity Never Fails – “Charity never faileth”

Charity Is One Of The Greatest Of Christian Virtues – “the greatest of these is charity”

H.  In 1 Peter 1:22, we see the fervency of such charity: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.”

1.  Love “purified” – to set apart, innocent, clean.  1 Timothy 5:1-2  Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;  (2)  The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

2.  Love “unfeigned” – without hypocrisy, undissembled (the opposite of assembled, thus un-separating), a love that is sincere.  Romans 12:9  Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

3.  Love “fervently” – intently (with the whole heart) and without ceasing.  1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  (If others fail to mortify, putt off, or put on—charity will forgive and keep on loving!)

Proverbs 17:17  A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

I.  How do we have this fervent Christian love?

1.  Fervent Charity Must Be Carefully Cultivated - 2 Peter 1:5-7  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  (Even though it should come natural.)

1 Thessalonians 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

2.  Fervent Charity Must Have A Fertile Growing Place - 1 Timothy 1:5  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

2 Timothy 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

3.  Fervent Charity Must Be constantly Maintained - 1 Corinthians 14:1  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

4.  Fervent Charity Must Be Our Motivation For Fellowship - 1 Corinthians 16:14  Let all your things be done with charity.

1 Peter 5:14  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

5.  Fervent Charity Must Be Consistent Among The Members - 2 Thessalonians 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

The Importance Of Sanctification

Temple Baptist Church - 10-11-2015

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Introduction:

A.  The church at Thessalonica is a great church but, as with all churches, has an uncertain future if it does not grow spiritually.  Spiritual growth is important to the welfare of the local church as well as to the individual believer.

B.  One of the most important of doctrines is that of biblical sanctification.  I saw this quote and thought it appropriate: “The greatest sin of this generation is not the sin of ignorance, but the sin of indifference.”  We have covered this numerous times over the past 28 years but there are actually three distinct areas of sanctification in the life of every believer:

1.  There is Positional Sanctification - 1 Corinthians 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:  (At the moment of salvation, the believer is set apart from the world positionally through Jesus Christ.  He is the believer’s sanctification.  We are baptized into Christ and remain secure!)

Colossians 3:3-4  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  (4)  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

2.  There is Practical Sanctification - 1 Peter 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. (When we are saved, we remain just a sinner saved by the grace of God.  As we mature in the Lord and grow in our faith, we are being constantly changed by both the Spirit of God who indwells us and the Word of God that teaches and guides us.)

3.  There is Perpetual Sanctification - 1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  (We will be forever delivered from the presence of sin at either death or the rapture of the church.) 

C.  Positional and Permanent Sanctification are distinct works of the Lord as He becomes the propitiation for the sinner and ultimately comes to take him or her home to heaven one day.  Practical Sanctification is a work of the saint!  It is the act of separating from the world and unto the Lord; therefore, it is a very positive thing, not a negative one.  Sanctification is obedience to God’s Word and, therefore, to the Son of God.  We are predestined to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Titus 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Unusual, eccentric, strange, odd, uncommon, not the norm, belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing.)

Hebrews 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

D.  Biblical Sanctification defined:  Sanctification refers to the practical experience of separation unto God, being the effect of obedience to the Word of God in one’s life, and is to be pursued by the believer earnestly.

Horatius Bonar said over 200 years ago: “I looked for the Church and I found it in the world, and I looked for the world and I found it in the Church.”

Keith Daniel said: “If we try to win the world by being like the world the world will win you!”

Greg Gordon said, “A peculiar people is a powerful people! God anoints a set apart Church with the Power of His Spirit, there is no other way.  A worldly Church will never win the world.”

E.  Practical Sanctification is an important part of living for the Lord because of the strong pull that the world has upon us.  The world will not leave us alone or be satisfied with us simply straddling the fence.  There is an old saying, “Every drunk wants everyone else drunk.”  There are three areas of Practical Sanctification that I want to briefly look at with each being contingent upon our obedience to the Bible.  These two different aspects of sanctification are essential. 

1.  Personal Sanctification – Practical sanctification is not separation from the world.  It is conformity to God!  Each of us who are save have an obligation to be personally conformed to  the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible says that we are a peculiar people.  We are not trying to be a peculiar people, we are peculiar.  We are to be peculiar in our actions; we are to be peculiar in our deportment; we are to be peculiar in our following; we are to be peculiar in our thinking; we are not to be conformed to this world but we are to renew our minds through the Word of God.  We are special and we are different!  We are saved and we are His!  The world hates Jesus Christ and, if we are right with Jesus Christ, the world will hate us!

Titus 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

a.  Act Right - 2 Corinthians 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

b.  Conform Right - 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.  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. 

c.  Love Right - 1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (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.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

d.  Associate Right - James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

2.  Ecclesiastical Sanctification - We are to remain doctrinally separated and pure.  Our guide is the bible and we are to adhere to it unwaveringly.  We are to allow no one who is not doctrinally correct to teach or preach in our church.  We are not to work in any situation with someone who is not doctrinally correct.  Wrong doctrines or wrong bibles make for disobedient affiliations.  Earnestly contending for the faith does not make one popular with either the world or the religionist.

a.  Separation In Word - Romans 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  (Doctrinal purity must be maintained!  False teachers are a constant problem as they infiltrate local churches.  I have often said that liberals filtrate while fundamentalists separate.)

b.  Separation In Worship - 2 Corinthians 6:14-18  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  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.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  (Our church is not to be yoked in any manner with other churches and denominations that are liberal or impure in their doctrine.  Denominations and conventions lend themselves to such unbiblical unions.  You are who you hold hands with spiritually.  You may think you are straight but if you are supporting or affiliated with liberal churches, you are liberal in your associations!  That’s why we are independent and autonomous!  We are not personally to worship in heretical, liberal, or apostate churches.  If we obey this command, we will be hated and maligned by family and friends but, remember, the Lord Jesus.  Which leads to the last point which overlaps the first two points.)

Conclusion:  We are not our own for we have been bought with a terrible price.  Our responsibility is to be separated unto the Lord which separates us from this present evil world.  In all that we do, we are to glorify God.  Biblical Sanctification is a positive thing, not a negative one.  We are not only separated from something: the world, but we are to be separated unto Someone: our Lord Jesus Christ.