2 Cor 6:14-7:1

Chad Myhre

2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

0 ratings

· 13 views

Verse by verse through 2 Corinthians

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

SLIDE 2

2 Corinthians 6:14–15 ESV

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

SLIDE 3

2 Cor 6:14

2 Corinthians 6:16–18 ESV

16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

++k

SLIDE 4

2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Years ago I read about a hot deal on a local property…

It’s close by.. it’s a nice 3 bedroom log-cabin.. it’s priced.. in the $130’s..

A steal!!!

The pictures looked great.

And on a side-note.. it adds: “needs some renovation”..

Well, that doesn’t sound bad..

A nice 3 bedroom home.. close by.. priced in the $130’s..

What’s a few renovations with a price like that ?

Well, here’s the real deal..

That house had a fire..

And it’s totally gutted out.

Outwardly… location wise.. price wise..

.. it’s looking pretty good.. ++

But inwardly.. There’s a lot of work to be done… ++

Cruise through the used car lots..

You’ll see a lot of shiny cars..

The tires are sprayed down with silicone..

The engine has been cleaned..

The insides have been vacuumed and fumigated..

They look good.. ++

But looking good.. isn’t the thing that’s going to get you from point A to point B.

Who cares how it runs, as long as it looks good..

Well, it looked good a short time later.. w/a crack in the block..

You know.. it might look good, on the outside..

But inside..

Not the seats.. not the carpet..

No.. under the hood..

How does it look there?

Is it functioning well?

Every time I go overseas.. I see a lot of stuff that looks great.. at a great price.

Clothing. Wow.. there are some great deals on clothing over-seas… a nice name brand shirt… for $2…

Until you get home.. wash it once..

And.. –disappointment.. - It was not name brand… it was counterfeit.

Sometimes.. it actually disintegrates..

I remember a guy who bought a leather belt while in Israel…

… turned out to be made.. completely out of paper…

But it looked so good.. on the outside..

it was a hot deal..

it seemed so right..

.. until.. the part that really matters is revealed.. ++

The inside..

The rooms of the house..

The engine.. under the hood..

The quality of the material..

It’s easy.. in our world.. to focus more on the outward.. than the inward..

it’s easy.. in our lives.. to invest more into the “impression” rather than the “reality”

In our selves..

We make-sure the outside is clean…

And not worry too much, about the inside.

In Paul’s first letter to Corinth.. He addressed both: the outside.. and “the inside”..

He told them.. that things were not good..

Their outward behavior was bad..

And.. their inward motivation.. was skewed.. ++

It was a hard letter..

And Paul was personally.. bummed out because of it..

He didn’t want to inflict pain..

He didn’t want to experience their rejection..

He didn’t want them to hate him.. he wanted them to love him.. as he loved them.. ++

He told them some hard things..

About their flesh.. and their spirit..

Today.. we’ll see.. that Paul received the good news..

He was encouraged to find out.. that they embraced his correction..

And that they.. experienced.. real.. true sorrow.. ++

Not the kind that makes you feel bad..

But the kind that causes change..

The kind that causes.. repentance. ++

In the beginning of chapter 7..

Paul wraps up a thought that began in chapter 6..

And it rings true of this common theme.. ++

True repentance happens..

Not because of outward change..

But rather..

Because of inward change…

The filthiness that needs to be cleansed..

Is not only of the flesh..

But also.. of the spirit..

We’re going to start today by backing up to chapter 6 verse 11

We begin… in chapter 6:14

SLIDE 5

2 Corinthians 6:11–12 ESV

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.

.11

The Corinthians would say to Paul..

We are restricted by your outlandish demands..

We can’t live up to this outward example..

We can’t be consistent in all these things.. like you..

To such a response.. Paul answers:

No.. it’s not me that restricts you..

It’s not my standard… it’s not the high call.. it’s not me..

It is.. in fact.. you

More specifically..

It’s your own affections..

Most of us, who have gone through the painful process of maturing and developing character… have recognized… the thing that holds us back… is generally, something we are holding on to?

Oh, before the maturing and the character… we pointed at outward circumstances…

But as we grew a little, we were able to see with honesty, that it was the actions of our own affections, that caused many of these outward circumstances.

We want to cry out about the ‘effect’… but we don’t want to acknowledge the cause.

We want to say that we are a victim of circumstance… when in fact… often times, it’s not circumstance… - It is simply… consequence.

When we find this stuff out… through humility… through honesty… through character development…

We realize… that we have been… teaming ourselves up.. w/things that are unhealthy.. and not teaming up… with God..

You are teaming ourselves up.. w/things that are unhealthy.. and not of God..

Instead of investing in the spiritual…

Your affections are causing you to team up..

w/other interests.. other hobbies.. passions.. entertainments..

Look again at vs. 14…

SLIDE 6

2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

We read of being “unequally yoked” and we automatically think of : dating or maybe business..

But this goes deeper than that.. ++

Our body.. mind and spirit..

They are to be yoked together..

For a Godly purpose.. ++

But instead.. our body and our mind..

They begin to yoke up..

w/things that are contrary.. ++

It’s the same ol struggle..

it’s the day in and day out battle..

it’s so familiar to us..

We fight it every day..

We find our members.. here in this body.. in this temple of the H.S.

We find our minds.. and our bodies..

Yoking up.. w/impure thoughts.. and worthless activities.. ++

In today’s passage..

Paul will show us.. what victory can look like..

Hey.. I’m going through all the bad stuff that life can bring my way..

But I’m at peace.. I’m cool w/it.. I’m trusting completely in God.. ++

I’m sure.. none of us are completely there..

The rest of us.. are fighting the battle..

Having a knowledge of God… and an understanding of the spiritual… puts us in a place of knowing.

A lot of people don’t know what we know… so they are oblivious. They are carried away in the current… and to them, it’s normal.. and when that current beats them up… they become victims…

And as victims… they are miserable… they are filled with despair, pain, hardship, anger…- They don’t know why they are depressed… they don’t know why they are miserable…

they medicate… they build lies to prop themselves up on… they create straw men to blame so that they can gain a sense of self righteousness…

But we are in a place of knowing. We know of the spiritual battle. We know of the conflict between this fallen world… the fallen people and the fallen systems around us… and our own, frail, and broken fallen flesh that reside in...

We know the battle… because we have been redeemed into a place of spiritual birth… and spiritual awareness.. and spiritual knowing…

So… we fight the good fight…

Trying to drive out.. the broken stuff that is in us… the stuff that hides underneath our clean and shiny outward presentation...

The lawlessness w/in us..

The darkness.. w/in us..

The devils.. w/in us..

The unbeliever.. that is w/in us..

The idols.. that are here.. inside..

Oh.. we are fighting..

And as we fight..

May we find.. the grace which is sufficient..

The message behind vss 14-15 is this: - We are a temple of God. We, corporately as a body of believers… but also, we, as individual believers...

We are a holy sanctuary… that God has chosen to place His HS in…

In the OT… the presence of God resided in the most inner part of the Tabernacle… or the most inner part of the temple…

And it was considered such an incredibly holy and special place… that the priests would only enter into it once a year… and when they did go in… they went fearing. They went with a rope tied around their ankle… unless maybe, the presence of God killed them, and they had to be drug out…

And you remember… when the work of God was finished… the work to redeem man back to God through the cross of Jesus.. when that work finished…

The veil that separated the outside world to the holy of holies… was torn.

Why?

Because God was not going to restrict His dwelling place to the inward part of a temple..

God was now, going to make His home… in the hearts of those who found forgiveness in Christ.

As says… He will grant us to be strengthened with power through His Spirit… - Where? - In our inner being… and it goes on to say in vs. 17

SLIDE 7

Ephesians 3:17–19 ESV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

EPH 3.17-

We are temples of the HS… Christ dwells in our hearts… - God has ripped the veil of the Holy of Holies so that… He could declare us a Holy Temple..

And dwell within us..

And gives us a peek into the benefit of that… - Because we are a temple of the HS…

-we will have the strength to comprehend big things…

-We will know the love of X that surpasses knowledge..

-We will be filled with all the fullness of God

That is some pretty impressive stuff…

Which is why… the idea of being unequally yoked… is so absurd.

There were times in the OT when Israel was under the rule of pagan nations… and one of the ways that these pagan nations would demonstrate their power over Israel… was be defiling their …

And yet… though it be absurd… it’s an all too common scenario that we Christians struggle with.

I think some Christians think of being a temple of the HS as a curse… - Especially when you are lonely and single… and you’re desperate for that form of companionship…

And the Christian dating options are pretty slim… but the non-Christian dating options are great… and you’re lonely… and God will understand...

And that whole idea of being a temple of the HS… well… it just feels like a curse… -God is making my life miserable by not letting me date someone who will eventually make my life more miserable than it is now.

And God is like… “As my temple… you are not cursed… in fact… you are showered with great promises...”

SLIDE 8

2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

I just heard of a hot deal on local property…

It’s close by.. it’s a nice 3 bedroom log-cabin.. it’s priced.. in the $130’s..

A steal in this current market..

And on a side-note.. it adds: “needs some renovation”..

Well, that doesn’t sound bad..

A nice 3 bedroom home.. close by.. priced in the $130’s..

What’s a few renovations with a price like that ?

Well, here’s the real deal..

That house had a fire..

And it’s totally gutted out.

Outwardly… location wise.. price wise..

.. it’s looking pretty good..

But inwardly.. There’s a lot of work to be done…

Cruise through the used car lots..

You’ll see a lot of shiny cars..

The tires are sprayed down with silicone..

The engine has been cleaned..

The insides have been vacuumed and fumigated..

They look good..

But looking good.. isn’t the thing that’s going to get you from point A to point B.

Several years ago / co-workers bought a car / “How’s it run?”

Who cares how it runs, as long as it looks good..

Well, it looked good a short time later.. w/a crack in the block..

You know.. it might look good, on the outside..

But inside..

Not the seats.. not the carpet..

No.. under the hood..

How does it look there?

Is it functioning well?

Every time I go overseas.. I see a lot of stuff that looks great.. at a great price.

Clothing. Wow.. there are some great deals on clothing over-seas.

Until you get home.. wash it once..

And.. –disappointment..

Sometimes.. it actually disintegrates..

Recently heard a story / Leather belt / Israel /

… turned out to be made.. completely out of paper…

But it looked so good.. on the outside..

it was a hot deal..

it seemed so right..

.. until.. the part that really matters is revealed..

The inside..

The rooms of the house..

The engine.. under the hood..

The quality of the material..

It’s easy.. in our world.. to focus more on the outward.. than the inward..

it’s easy.. in our lives.. to invest more in the “impression” rather than the “reality”

It’s the most convenient way to go..

In our selves..

To make-sure the outside is clean…

And not worry too much, about the inside.

In Paul’s first letter to Corinth.. He addressed both: the outside.. and “the inside”..

He told them.. that things were not good..

Their outward behavior was bad..

And.. their inward motivation.. was skewed..

It was a hard letter..

And Paul was personally.. bummed out because of it..

He didn’t want to inflict pain..

He didn’t want to experience their rejection..

He didn’t want them to hate him.. he wanted them to love him.. as he loved them..

He told them some hard things..

About their flesh.. and their spirit..

Today.. we’ll see.. that Paul received the good news..

He was encouraged to find out.. that they embraced his correction..

And that they.. experienced.. real.. true sorrow..

Not the kind that makes you feel bad..

But the kind that causes change..

The kind that causes.. repentance.

Here in the beginning of chapter 7..

Paul wraps up a thought that began in chapter 6..

And it rings true of this common theme..

True repentance happens..

Not because of outward change..

But rather..

Because of inward change…

The filthiness that needs to be cleansed..

Is not only of the flesh..

But also.. of the spirit..

(read)

First off.. to fully understand what’s going on..

we need to ask ourselves..

“What are these promises?”

–look back.

Vs. 16 /

“I will make my dwelling among them”

“I will walk among them”

“I will be their God”

“They shall be my people”

Vs. 17 and 18

“He will welcome us”

“He will be a Father to us.”

Now.. under the system of the law..

strict adherence to the rules was the only way that someone was to be seen as being righteous..

It was.. a transaction. If you performed perfectly according to all the statutes of the law.. then God would, in exchange, look upon you as being righteous.. ++

Was this possible? No.. not for those humans who had w/in them, a sinful nature..

It’s easy, even now, under the grace of perpetual forgiveness that we walk in.. to sometimes think this way.. ++

… we might be tempted to think..

That it is only by my practice of separation..

It is only by being equally yoked..

It is only by being spotless, outwardly and inwardly..

.. only by these things.. will I be able to have these promises listed in vss 16-18… ++

Therefore, because I need to obey the rules..

I must live a pure and righteous life… ++

However.. .. though reasonable and appealing to our own sense of justice..

.. This is not what Paul is getting at here.. ++

He is not saying, that we need to perform lives of purity to attain these promises..

Actually, he’s saying something quite different..

The reality is.. if we are in Christ.. these promises are ours.. ++

We have received them freely.

By no merit of our own flesh.. have we gained them..

No.. we have not attained them..

They have been given to us.. FREELY.. ++

We have so many blessings and so many promises..

It would blow us away to really see and know how blessed and spiritually rich we are..

Yes.. we have them..

Even if our lives are not being lived the way they should be..

WE STILL HAVE God.. dwelling and walking w/us..

WE STILL HAVE God.. receiving us.. and being our Father.. ++

But here’s the deal..

We might have these promises..

But… we might not be experiencing them.

Paul is motivating us to live a life of spiritual and physical obedience..

Not because the law demands it..

But rather.. ++

One: Because we are so thankful / so appreciative / so amazed by what we have been given in God..

Two: Because.. it’s so much better in life..

To experience the blessings..

Rather than.. to just “have” the blessings. ++

This is the ultimate motivation of grace..

Grace is NOT.. our allowance to sin.. or our excuse to take sin lightly..

No way.. Grace.. if we really recognize it for what it is..

Is that thing.. which motivates us to do what is right.. ++

We don’t say:

“Oh grace.. I got grace, so I can just sin again.. and no big deal!”

No way.. that is an attitude of someone who has never recognized what grace truly is..

That’s someone who’s looking at a bunch of diamonds as if it were the salt that you throw on the ice to melt it..

Real grace..

Leads us directly in the conclusion of verse one..

Seeing grace.. causes us to respond… “let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

That’s in vs. 1..

What does this “therefore” lead us into?

“let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh.. and spirit”

Illustration:

Sometimes.. you’ll see on these crime drama’s on TV.. the rich guy who is brought into the police station..

He is not afraid.. In fact.. he’s kind of proud.. he doesn’t think that the charges are a big deal.. ++

He scoffs at them.. WHY? – Because he has the best layers.. the best loop-holes.. the corrupt judges.. the paid for alibis.. every time he gets arrested.. he gets off.. and he keeps on committing his crimes.. ++

This rich criminal is a standard character on the crime shows…

Now.. I’m sure there’s probably people like this in our world..

They look at their connections and their loop-holes as being an excuse..

…. To just.. keep on doing what they do..

They have their.. “attainable means of escape”.. ++

Grace is not.. an “attainable means of escape”..

The blessings we have in God..

The relationship.. / forgiveness / righteousness / promises / wisdom of His Word / all these things..

Are not “attainable means of escape”.. ++

They are in fact.. un-attainable to us..

They do not exist in any loop holes..

No lawyer could ever attain them..

Nobody could ever be bought off to offer them.. ++

Grace is beyond the reaches of Donald Trump.. it’s beyond the reaches of Bill Gates.. It’s beyond the reaches of anyone with great riches…

They cannot attain it.. on their own.. ++

It can only be given.. freely.. by God..

… our natural response.. is Vs. 1..

Notice.. in vs. 1… Paul says: “let us”.. ++

He’s bringing them into his train of thought..

We see how great the promises are..

There is no other way to respond..

Other than..

Cleansing our flesh and spirit..

Out of respect and honor for God.. ++

That we would strive for holiness in all things.

Paul says… “let us cleanse ourselves… “

Cleansing!

When we are filthy.. how do we clean ourselves?

Do we just.. jump and down and hope that the dirt will fall off of us?

Do we try to scratch it off of us w/our fingernail?

Do we scrub our bodies with a dry towel? ++

No way..

We use soap.. and water..

Enough water, all by itself, will generally do the trick.. ++

In high school.. I spent a couple weeks in the BWCA in N.Minnisota.

Canoeing.. portages.. setting up camp..

Sweaty.. dirty.. stinky..

But after a good swim.. –crystal clear water..

You’d come out.. feeling really good. ++

When we’re dirty.. the soap doesn’t work well, w/o the water.. the scrubbing is not too effective.. w/o the water…

The water is the most important part. ++

Pig farm / I would stink / - Tammy Hog Cream / didn’t use it before a shower.. but after..

The cool thing about the water is..

… that it doesn’t require much out of us..

We just have to put ourselves under it..

We have to move around under it..

It does the work of covering us, and rinsing away our filth all by itself.. ++

Now.. in context to what Paul is talking about..

We have something.. that is compared to water.. to help us out.. ++

And in context to what Paul’s talking about..

We’re not going to experience this cleansing.. unless we are in it.. and under it.. ++

In .. Paul told husbands.. to love their wives as X loved the church..

Then he defined that love that X has for the church:

SLIDE 9

Ephesians 5:25–26 ESV

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

(NKJV)

25 kHusbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and lgave Himself for her, 26 that He might 7sanctify and cleanse her mwith the washing of water nby the word, [1]

Christ has sanctified the church… and Christ cleanses the church by the washing of the water with the word...

Knowing the promises.. recognizing grace.. it drives us to be clean..

And in that.. it drives us.. to be in the Word.. ++

Why? So we can know more stories and impress people by our quotations?

No.. it’s so we can be clean… ++

If the Word is coming in regularly..

Like water.. it helps to loosen and wash away the things that don’t belong there…

So this cleansing water of the word… works, in harmony with the Spirit that dwells in these temples…

For the H.S. gives us understanding.. brings conviction.. and gives us the strength.. to let the filth go.

In .. How was the young man to cleanse his way?

By taking heed to the Word.

In .. Jesus told them they were clean.. How?

Through the Words that He spoke..

gives us a picture..

For Naaman was told by Elisha..

If you want to be cleansed of your leporasy..

Dip yourself down.. into the Jordan.. 7 times..

Naaman thought.. “This is crazy”..

But was convinced.. to go ahead and give it a try..

So he did.. ++

7 times.. the number of perfection..

And he came out.. clean..

For Him, it was an act of obedience… for us, it serves as an illustration… if we dip ourselves repeatedly into the cleansing water of the Word… it will change us…

Folks.. the perfect Word.. cleanses..

We just need to keep it pouring into our lives..

Of flesh and spirit..

The fleshly stuff.. that’s easy to recognize..

That’s the outward stuff.. the actions.. The deeds..

Soap and water will clean your body… your face… your hair… your clothes. You don’t stink today, because you used soap and water… Your clothes look nice today, because of soap and water...

We easily give these things attention..

But.. what about the filthiness of spirit?

We can put on an outward display of being clean… but it says nothing about the inside…

Let’s generalize this a bit.. and ask:

The inside… - We attack those stains with the Word..

What about the filthiness.. that’s on the inside..

.. under the hood.. behind the walls.. w/in the fabric.. ???

Bitterness.. lust.. prejudice.. anger.. deceit.. denial… pride… jealousy… greed… arrogance… ++

The things that we mask on Sunday mornings..

The things that are lurking there..

Are we allowing the H.S. to bring the Word into these places?

Some people hear the word… and do nothing..

SLIDE 10

James 1:22 ESV

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

To hear the word, and to not receive it… is self deception.

And what I’ve learned is… that people who deceive themselves… think that they are also deceiving other people. - But Christians who have a listening ear to the HS have this thing called ‘discernment’. - And we are generally not deceived about those who are deceived about themselves.

Usually, the self deceiving people in a congregation find each other… because they are the only ones who give an ear to our complaints

Some of us have built strongholds around our filthiness… and we have built internal spill ways, and diversions, and alternate routes… and detours,..

And immediately.. there will be guys who have learned how to divert the truth away from that little stronghold of filthiness..

I could talk about stewardship..

And immediately.. there will be some, who are experts at diverting the truth away from that little stronghold of filthiness..

I could talk about the specific responsibilities of the wife.. to please her husband..

The word comes towards our call to be giving… and we direct that cleansing water down a pre-constructed detour..

I could talk about the specific things the husband should do.. to obey God by loving His wife..

And there will be some, who know how to divert the water of the word away from that…

The word comes towards our call to be sexually pure in singleness… and we direct that cleansing water down a built in diversion...

The word comes towards our call to sacrificially love our wives as Christ loved the church… and we have an alternate route in place that nullifies our responsibility by highlighting her disobedience.

Why do we have these little strongholds of filthiness?

Is it because we lack will power?

No.

Because we are not real committed and dedicated?

No..

Because we don’t go to church enough and do stuff to help at church?

No.. ++

We have strongholds..

Because we don’t recognize grace.. we don’t see how incredible.. the promises of God are..

We are naturally given to operate according to guilt.. obligation.. and our personal sense of justice..

Sometimes people hear the preaching… and they feel a little guilty..

Because.. the truth in God’s word is revealing a “lack” in their life.. and it makes them feel bad..

they feel.. sorry. ++

But… it’s a shallow sorry..

It’s a sorrow they feel… it’s a shame..

But deep down.. they know.. it’s not a sorrow that’s going to change anything ..

They feel bad about it for a little bit..

But after lunch.. after watching the race.. or taking a nap.. or working in the yard..

The sorrow has passed.. and they are fine.

That’s.. human sorrow..

Not .. Godly sorrow..

And there’s a difference.. ++

Human sorrow.. responds to the law.. the rules.. the standards..

“OH, I’m not living up to the standards.. the good Xtians are going to be disappointed in me.. oh, I’m no good because I’m still doing the same ol things.. .. Oh.. if only I were better!”.. ++

That’s human sorrow.. that’s guilt… not spiritual guilt… just guilt.

It responds to: the rules.. the standards.. the laws..

Godly sorrow responds to: grace!

“Oh.. wow.. God has done so much for me.. He continues to bless me in such an incredible way.. He keeps on loving me and being w/me.. He keeps me forgiven and in His good graces”..

.. it only makes sense.. since I have received so abundantly from Him..

It only makes sense.. that I would also live.. abundantly.. for Him..

And Paul talks about this.. here in chapter 7… we’re going to jump down to vss 9-11… we’ll cover the verses in between in our next study…

SLIDE 11

2 Corinthians 7:9–11 ESV

9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Sometimes we drop ourselves out of fellowship.. because we are doing things that we are ashamed of..

Because of our sin.. we feel sorrow.. it’s a sorrow of shame.. and that shame.. drives us away from God’s Word.. and God’s people.

Is it conviction that keeps us away?

No.

Yes, we’re being convicted..

But it’s our response to that conviction..

Our improper response.. that’s what keeps us away.. ++

We’re sorry…

But that sorrow.. doesn’t generate any change in us..

Worldly sorrow looks in.. and compares ourselves to other people..

Godly sorrow.. looks… w/recognition.. upon grace.

Notice vs. 10..

Godly sorrow.. or grief.. leads to salvation..

Again.. a salvation that can be seen as representing the gospel message..

And the salvation of one who is lost.. and then, in X.. found..

But, for most of us here..

This is a salvation.. to the saved..

Just like the salvation from was..

For the believer… with strongholds of filthiness… for the believer… whose temple is defiled and unequally yoked… - It’s a salvation.. a deliverance.. an escape.. a healing.. from the things in this life..

Which are crippling us spiritually..

What does “grace recognizing”.. Godly sorrow lead to?

In what action.. do we engage and experience the salvation?

In the actions of “repentance”

A word that simply means:

“Changing direction” ++

Maybe the Word is coming into your life… by means of the wrong direction...

You’ve been deceiving yourself by hearing it and not doing it… and it flows in… misses the strongholds of filthiness… and comes roaring out the other side…

Repentance tears those diversions down. It closes the detours.. Repentance opens the spillway… letting that truth hit you, and impact you in the manner that it is intended to..

With the word pouring into our lives… not only will it reveal our sins… but it will open our eyes to God’s grace… and reveal to us, the many ways that we have tried to usurp God’s grace with our own logic.

You might be able to overcome that way..

But.. it’s not according to God’s provision..

Recognizing His Grace

Recognizing His goodness.. His promises.. His grace..

Produces Godly grief..

Godly grief, leads to repentance

A sorrow and a repentance..

This is made possible..

Because the Word is washing us…

and in the Word… we recognize..

Who.. by conviction.. and by His revelation of the Word..

.. helps us to see and recognize..

God’s goodness.. God’s promises.. and His Grace! ++

Notice that?

It’s.. kindof like a circle..

It’s all.. interconnected..

And.. if we keep it all interconnected..

It becomes.. easy.. for us. ++

When we disconnect the Word.. it really falls apart..

We say:

“I don’t want to be in the Word”

Why?

Because I’m just not recognizing the grace..

Why am I not recognizing the grace?

Because of my own personal filthiness..

My own sins..

and.. because by sin is keeping me from the word.. and blurring my perception of grace.. .

I’m not really experiencing the full influence of the H.S.

And I’m not attaining the strength to repent..

Why?

Because it’s the H.S. who gives me the strength..

And I’m just not in touch w/Him right now.

Therefore.. instead of Godly sorrow..

I’m experiencing guilt..

A feeling that won’t help me overcome my problem..

But it will induce shame..

And it will drive me away from the fellowship..

And it will continue to keep me away from the Word.

What do we need to do?

If you’re dirty.. you need the water.. you need the soap..

What do we need to do?

We need to be in the Word…

Read it.. listen to it.. think upon it..

Write down a proverb or two..

Take it with you..

Look down at that proverb during the day..

Meditate on it..

Pick a gospel..

Spend some time.. just reading the words of X

(red letters)

Find one verse to meditate on.. and think about it.. throughout the day..

Read a proverb a day..

Conclusion:

Read through a book of the bible..

One chapter a day..

On Tuesdays and Fridays.. Read a Psalm..

Use your imagination..

Dave has “through the Bible in a year” plans available..

If you want to do that.. follow the plan.. go through it in a year..

Listen to the bible on tape..

Be it one verse.. or 100..

It’s going to be valuable..

It’s going to be.. cleansing..

And it’s going to break up.. and wash away.. the filth.

Conclusion:

There are always going to be areas of weakness.. struggles.. safe harbors of filthiness.. - We are in a spiritual battle… and until we are with the Lord… there will be fights without, and within..

And you’re going to strive to overcome..

You’re going to attempt to be victorious..

And.. honestly.. you should..

You should strive to deny the flesh.. in all things..

Which is why… we should never come to a place in our life where we feel like we don’t need to take in the words of Scripture anymore.

But.. there will also come a time in your life..

When that area of flesh..

Looses it’s power.

How is that?

So… the big challenge from the scriptures today… - That we would recognize… for real… that we are a Temple of the Spirit… and that means something..

Is going to break it up..

And it’s going to start.. to wash away..

It’s the coolest thing..

But one day..

It’s not a curse..

That thing which is a struggle now..

Will be gone.. completely..

Because the Spirit gave strength to you…

And the Word of God.. took strength away from your sin..

This should be our prayer:

It is an incredible privilege… it is an overflowing reality of greater grace… the kind of grace that motivates.

That the H.S would give strength to us..

That the Word of God.. would take strength away from our sin..

Recognizing this… our most appropriate response… is to cleanse ourselves…

What is our best agent of cleansing? It’s the 1-2 punch of the Word and the Holy Spirit.

Now.. you notice that I skipped vs 2-8 and vss 12-16..

I did that on purpose..

Because.. broken up in this chapter.. I found two themes that I wanted to teach on..

One.. was today..

Being cleansed.. and changing directions.. in true Godly sorrow..

But in the next study, we’ll talk about these other verses.. - For the theme there… is comfort. - If you feel like the scriptures beat you up a bit today… - THAT’S GOOD… - Come back… because Paul has some healing words of comfort for us in the remainder of chapter 7.

Today’s topic.. was the exercize and diet part..

Next week’s topic.. is the “rest” part…

Band.. come on up

Invitation!!!!

k , ; ; []

7 set it apart

n [; ; ; ]

[1] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville

Related Media

Related Sermons