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Sanctification - Part 1 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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So, I've been looking forward to tonight for a long time.
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We've been doing the gospel this entire semester,
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and we've been focusing on all these different aspects of salvation,
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! from justification to adoption to ransom to all these different things.
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And tonight, we've come to the culmination of salvation,
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and that being the topic of sanctification.
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It is a vast topic that we will never exhaust,
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even if we did two semesters of just sanctification.
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So, tonight's probably going to be just,
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it's more of like a survey than it is like an exposition.
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It's going to be just kind of a survey of things,
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a survey of questions that I hope will result in you guys taking this stuff home,
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taking verses home, taking things you hear home,
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and studying them for yourself.
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Okay?
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So, hopefully that's what happens,
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is you guys leave feeling more inquisitive than when you came,
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and leave feeling like you want to dive into this topic more and more.
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It is the joy of my life to seek the Lord for sanctification,
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to seek the Lord for His glory, for my joy,
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and that is the whole essence of what this topic is about.
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So, let me tell you guys where we're going to go in the next two weeks.
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Because I'm going to do this for two weeks now.
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I'm just going to pose six questions total that I think are really relevant,
1:29
hot topic questions that everybody probably here in some degree wants to know about.
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These are questions that I think are really just kind of pertinent to all of us.
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Things that I've heard asked and things that I myself have asked as I've studied this.
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I'm just going to read them to you so we can just, again, have an idea of where we're tracking.
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The first question is going to be this.
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I see more failure in my life than victory.
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Am I still being sanctified?
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Number two is what about that one besetting sin in my life that I just can't seem to shake?
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Number three, I know God desires for me to be sanctified,
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but I honestly don't know how to be.
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So, we're going to talk about how.
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And then next week we're going to do these three.
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If no matter what I do, I can't lose my salvation,
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then why should I even care to be sanctified?
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Number five, where should I start?
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And number six, what should I be expecting?
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Okay, so we're just going to, it's a really broad,
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those are really broad questions that are not going to,
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we're not going to cover everything in detail,
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but we're just going to try to touch on some of the main elements, I think,
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that are very, very important.
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I'm just going to begin with a definition,
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a simple definition of what it means to be sanctified.
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It's a big word that describes something that's very, very essential for you to understand.
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The first definition is this,
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to be sanctified is to grow in one's genuine imitation of Christ.
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To be sanctified is to grow in one's genuine imitation of Christ.
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One old pastor said it like this,
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because we are justified,
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which means to be declared righteous in the sight of God, right?
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We've talked about that.
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To be declared righteous, to be declared innocent,
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to be declared unguilty in the sight of God.
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So, because we are justified, we are to be holy.
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Separated from sin.
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Separated to God.
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Not as a mere indication that our faith is real,
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and that therefore we are legally safe,
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but because we were justified for this very purpose,
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that we might be holy.
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Now, what is he saying?
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He is saying that the only reason,
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the main reason why you were saved,
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was to be made holy.
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To be made holy.
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To be purified.
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To be set apart for God.
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That is huge.
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I'll show you in Scripture.
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In 1 Peter 2,
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verse 24,
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he says this,
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and he himself,
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we're speaking to Jesus here,
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and he himself
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bore our sins in his body on the cross.
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Why?
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That we might die to sin
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and live to righteousness,
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for by his wounds you were healed.
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So Jesus died
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to make you holy.
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That you might
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release and relinquish
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sin in your life,
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and that you might
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cling on to God in holiness.
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Titus 2,
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another corroborating verse,
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verse 14,
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Titus 2, 14,
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says,
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speaking of Jesus again,
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who gave himself for us,
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that he might redeem us
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from every lawless deed,
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and purify for himself
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a people for his own possession,
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zealous for good deeds.
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So Jesus Christ gave himself up,
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he died on the cross,
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he spread his arms,
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he was crucified,
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that he might redeem for himself
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a people
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that were zealous for good deeds,
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that were holy.
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That is why you were saved.
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That is why it is so ridiculous
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and insane
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for you to think
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that a Christian
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can be saved
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and yet have no degree
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of sanctification happening
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in their life.
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There is no such thing
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as a
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habitually sinful,
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carnal Christian
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that has no affection
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for Christ
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and does not walk
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in the commandments
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of the Lord Jesus
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in some degree.
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Because that is the only reason
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why God saved you
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was to make you holy,
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to save you for himself.
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And I have proven that
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from scripture,
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you can't deny that.
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So really,
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the entire Christian life
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is summed up
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in that one word,
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sanctification.
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That is what it is all about.
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A buddy of mine said,
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we are saved
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in an instant,
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but we are sanctified
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over a lifetime.
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Justification happens
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in a moment
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and costs you
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nothing.
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Sanctification
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happens
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over your whole life
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and it costs you
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everything.
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Okay?
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The Greek word
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is
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hagiadzo
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and it implies
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being set apart
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to God
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in holiness
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and purity.
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So when you see
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that word in the Bible,
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when you see
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sanctify,
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it's hagiadzo.
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Probably a terrible
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rendering of that,
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but nobody here
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knows Greek,
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so you don't know anyway.
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Sanctification,
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according to the
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Westminster Shorter
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Catechism,
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which is a
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reliable source,
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you could say,
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is
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the work
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of God's,
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so sanctification
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is the work
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of God's
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free grace.
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So it's the work
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of God,
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whereby we are
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renewed in the
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whole man
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after the image
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of God
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and are enabled
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more and more
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to die unto sin
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and to live
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unto righteousness.
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J.I. Packer
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said this,
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regeneration,
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we've talked about
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that too,
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regeneration,
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right?
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Being born again
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in Christ.
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regeneration
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is birth.
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Sanctification
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is growth.
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In regeneration,
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so when you
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are born again,
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God implants
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desires that
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were not there
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before.
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Desire for God,
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for holiness,
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and for the
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hallowing and the
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glorifying of
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God's name in
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this world.
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Desire to pray,
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desire to worship,
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love, serve,
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honor, and please
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God.
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Desire to show
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love and bring
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benefit to others.
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In sanctification,
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however,
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the Holy Spirit
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works in you
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and acts in you
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according to the
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purpose of God.
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What He does
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is prompt you
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to work out
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your salvation
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or to express
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your salvation
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in action
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by fulfilling
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those new desires.
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Do you get that?
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Okay, so you're saved.
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God redeems you.
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God regenerates your heart
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and gives you new
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desires, new affections,
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new loves,
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new passions for Him,
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for His glory.
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Then the Holy Spirit
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is given to you
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who then empowers you
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to actually act that out.
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It's the energy
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that enables you
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to do that work.
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Christians become
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increasingly Christ-like
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as the moral profile
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of Jesus
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or the fruit of the Spirit,
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those qualities of the Spirit,
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is progressively formed
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in them.
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Let me read Philippians 2
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real quick to you.
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Turn there if you want.
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Philippians 2.
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Because I want you to see
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this dichotomous relationship.
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It's both.
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It's
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sanctification.
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Hear me say this
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from the beginning.
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Sanctification
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is
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100%
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your effort.
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and
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it is
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100%
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God's effort.
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There is no
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let go and let God
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mentality in sanctification.
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There is no
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I've got to do everything
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in sanctification.
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It is God
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working through you.
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It is God
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working in you.
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It is God's Spirit
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energizing your soul
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and enabling you
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to love God
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and to obey God
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and to serve God.
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But it's also
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you striving.
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It's also
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you resisting.
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It's also
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you enduring.
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It's also
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you
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blessing
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when you're
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cursed against.
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It's also
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you
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loving
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when you're
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hated.
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It's
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all those things.
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It's the commandments
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of God
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but it's the commandments
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of God
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obeyed by you
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in the Spirit
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of God.
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You can't get your
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mind around that.
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That's the reality
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of it though.
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I'm going to prove
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this right here
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in a couple of verses.
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So Philippians 2
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verse 12 and 13
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look at the very end
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of verse 12.
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It says
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work out your salvation
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with fear and trembling.
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Okay, that's my part, right?
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It says that
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work out your salvation
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with fear and trembling.
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That's a command.
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Then it says in 13
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for it is God
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who is at work in you
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both to will
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and to work
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for His good pleasure.
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So right there
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in that verse
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you see
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that
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what the Spirit
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has given to me
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for is to
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act out
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these new desires.
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To act out
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this new love
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that God's given to me.
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Okay, so look
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that's kind of
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the definition.
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That's what
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sanctification is.
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It's holiness.
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It's growing in grace.
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It's learning
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how to love
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and obey Christ.
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So our first question.
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This may be many of you.
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I see more failure
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in my life
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than victory.
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Am I still being
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sanctified?
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There are three different
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types of people
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that ask this question.
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The first type
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is a new believer.
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And I would say
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this is probably
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the most common
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type of person
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that asks this question.
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a new believer
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who's struggling
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with sins
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that were common
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to him
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or common
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to her
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before Christ.
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Oftentimes
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you're going to hear
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them ask this question.
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And in their case,
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okay,
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in this new believer's case
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who's struggling
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with a lot of sins
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from their past,
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the answer
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to our question
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is yes,
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you are still
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being sanctified.
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Yes, you are.
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as Christ
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opens the eyes
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of a sinner
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to see their sin
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for what it is,
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they see it as evil,
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they see it as offensive,
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they see it as deliberately
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malicious
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against God,
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they see it as rebellion,
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they feel overwhelmed
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with that guilt,
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right?
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That shame
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just comes down
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upon them,
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it weighs down
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upon them heavily,
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and this terror
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that they feel
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soon leads them
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to the cross
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of Christ
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where they lose
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that burden,
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they look at Jesus
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in faith
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and they see Him
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and He's glorious
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to them
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and He's wonderful
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to them.
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He sees the glory
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of Christ
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and the sacrifice
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of the cross,
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he claims
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that grace
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as their own
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and he praises Christ
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for purchasing
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their salvation
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with His blood.
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The thought
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at that point
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in time
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of ever trading
13:11
that love
13:12
that you see
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for the world's
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counterfeits
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is ridiculous,
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right?
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We've all experienced
13:19
this in some way
13:19
if you're a Christian.
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That newness
13:22
of your salvation
13:23
that is just so sweet
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to your taste
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and God is so rich
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and so palpable
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you can just feel Him.
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And the thought
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of trading that
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is just grotesque
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and it's unimaginable.
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And then it happens,
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right?
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You sin.
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You fall into sin
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again and again
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and again
13:42
and again
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and again
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and you just feel
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discouraged
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and beaten up
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and downtrodden
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and you wonder
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how can I be a Christian?
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if I so often fail
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in loving Christ well.
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The beginning stages
14:03
of sanctification,
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okay,
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listen to this.
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This is a really,
14:07
really good illustration
14:07
I learned from Matt Chandler.
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Forte's of the New Year's conference.
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Do you guys want to go?
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The beginning stages
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of sanctification
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are kind of like
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a baby
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learning to walk.
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Okay?
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Now what happens
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initially with the baby
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learning to walk?
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They're not good at it.
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I mean,
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they start wobbly,
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they start,
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you know,
14:31
trying to prop themselves up
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then they kind of
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move along really slowly.
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They're looking up
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for approval
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then they move along
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really slowly
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and sure enough
14:37
if they take their hands off
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they just,
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their head is normally
14:40
so big at that point in time
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they just kind of
14:41
topple over and fall,
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right?
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And they just,
14:43
you know,
14:43
lose balance
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and they take one step
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and they slip
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on their butt,
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on their belly,
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whatever,
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just back and forth.
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They're constantly falling.
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Okay?
14:51
And now for you to think
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that God
14:53
is like a father
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who says,
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what the heck
14:58
are you doing?
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Get up.
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Walk like a man.
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Get up.
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You know,
15:08
and yells at his kid
15:09
and makes fun of his kid
15:10
and sits back
15:10
with his wife
15:11
and says,
15:11
look at this idiot
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right here.
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To think that God
15:17
is like that
15:18
is ridiculous.
15:18
Right?
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I mean,
15:20
he's taking a step.
15:21
You know,
15:21
you're excited.
15:22
What do you do?
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I mean,
15:23
you call your wife
15:23
in there.
15:24
You're trying to find
15:24
the video camera.
15:25
You're trying to tweet
15:26
your friends.
15:26
You're trying to put it
15:27
on Facebook.
15:28
You're YouTubing it.
15:30
You know,
15:30
you're super excited.
15:31
I mean,
15:31
I've seen an iPhone
15:32
commercial where they
15:33
actually have that
15:34
as like the promo.
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You know,
15:37
I mean,
15:38
like capturing this
15:39
special moment.
15:42
Right?
15:42
They're not thinking
15:42
about the fact
15:43
that he can't walk
15:44
at all.
15:44
I mean,
15:44
he's,
15:44
you know,
15:46
relatively speaking,
15:46
he's doing wonderful.
15:47
And they're rejoicing
15:49
in you.
15:50
Right?
15:51
So God is
15:51
the same way.
15:53
In the beginning
15:54
of your sanctification
15:55
when you're a new believer,
15:56
he's not furious
15:57
with you
15:58
because you're not
15:58
walking perfectly.
16:00
He's not enraged
16:02
at your inability
16:03
to do things
16:03
the right way
16:04
the first time.
16:06
He's patient with you.
16:07
Right?
16:07
He's loving.
16:08
He's kind.
16:09
He's rejoicing.
16:10
He's nudging the Holy Spirit
16:11
and Jesus at the same time
16:12
and saying,
16:13
look at this,
16:13
you know,
16:13
he's taking his first steps.
16:15
He's beginning to believe.
16:16
He's beginning to trust
16:17
in my promises.
16:18
He's not afraid anymore
16:21
like he once was.
16:22
He's battling,
16:23
you know?
16:25
That's just how
16:26
you need to think of God.
16:27
So if you're sitting here
16:28
and you're a relatively
16:29
new believer
16:30
and this is you,
16:31
you struggle with sins
16:32
and you're frustrated
16:33
because you know
16:34
that you suck a lot
16:35
and the more
16:36
that you're growing
16:36
in this,
16:37
you know,
16:37
your knowledge
16:37
of the Word of God,
16:38
you're seeing more
16:39
and more and more
16:39
of the sin.
16:40
God is wanting
16:41
to say to you tonight
16:42
through this text
16:43
and through that illustration,
16:44
I love you.
16:45
and I'm still happy
16:48
with you.
16:52
So be encouraged.
16:54
1 Thessalonians 5 says,
16:56
encourage the faint-hearted.
16:57
So if that's you,
16:58
be encouraged.
16:59
the truth is,
17:11
you are having victories.
17:12
You are being sanctified.
17:14
You are beginning to walk
17:15
in a manner that is
17:15
pleasing to God.
17:16
You're beginning to.
17:19
But Satan would have you
17:20
believe that your failure
17:21
proves your faithlessness
17:23
and it proves
17:24
your hopelessness.
17:26
And he accuses you,
17:27
doesn't he?
17:28
You will never do it right.
17:30
You will never get it.
17:32
You will never learn
17:33
the Bible like you need to.
17:34
You will never evangelize
17:35
the right way.
17:35
You will never know enough.
17:37
You will never be enough.
17:38
You will never do
17:38
the right thing
17:39
at the right time.
17:43
And he accuses you
17:44
and he lies to you
17:45
and he slanders you.
17:47
That's what the devil does.
17:50
If you see more failure
17:51
in your life than victory,
17:53
then you may be a baby,
17:54
but you're not a corpse.
17:59
You may not be walking well,
18:01
but it's merely
18:02
a matter of time.
18:05
Rejoice in the fact
18:05
that your father
18:06
is pleased with the progress
18:08
and not with the perfection.
18:12
He's pleased with progress.
18:13
He's not pleased
18:14
with perfection.
18:15
Nobody's perfect.
18:15
Paul wasn't perfect.
18:16
You won't be.
18:17
Secondly,
18:21
the second person
18:22
that might ask this question,
18:24
I'm going to read it again
18:24
because I've forgotten it myself.
18:26
I see more failure
18:27
in my life than victory.
18:29
Am I still being sanctified?
18:33
The second person
18:34
that might ask this
18:34
is a mature believer.
18:37
Okay?
18:38
Or a maturing believer
18:39
whom God is revealing
18:41
more sin to.
18:43
And the answer to them
18:45
is also yes.
18:45
You are still being sanctified.
18:49
Throughout the Christian life,
18:50
God reveals more
18:51
and more and more
18:52
of your sin.
18:54
Okay?
18:55
Oftentimes,
18:55
you might hear
18:56
a mature believer praying,
18:57
Lord, reveal to me
18:58
more of my sin.
19:00
Because they hate it
19:01
and they want to get rid of it
19:02
at any cost possible.
19:07
But with that realization,
19:08
oftentimes comes
19:09
this kind of question.
19:10
It comes sometimes
19:11
if you don't have
19:11
the right perspective,
19:12
doubt and confusion
19:13
and fear.
19:14
this anxiety
19:16
that just wells up
19:17
within you
19:17
because you feel like,
19:18
man,
19:18
I'm failing a lot more
19:19
than I'm doing good things.
19:21
You know?
19:22
I've heard J-Mac say one time
19:24
that the holier you become,
19:26
the worse you feel.
19:31
Because the more sin you feel,
19:32
the more sin you see,
19:34
the more hopelessness you see
19:35
in yourself
19:37
and this idea of self-reliance
19:39
becomes ridiculous.
19:43
Right?
19:43
But that's when Christ
19:44
gets better as well.
19:48
Turn to Psalm 38.
19:49
I want to show you
19:50
a wonderful,
19:52
wonderful illustration of this.
19:55
David,
19:55
who is an obviously
19:56
mature believer,
19:57
he's writing this.
20:04
Psalm 38 is a prayer
20:05
of a suffering penitent,
20:07
as my Bible calls it.
20:09
He's remorseful
20:10
over some sin
20:11
that he had committed.
20:13
Psalm 38,
20:14
verses 2-4.
20:17
He's crying out to God.
20:19
He says,
20:19
For your arrows
20:20
have sunk deep into me,
20:23
and your hand
20:25
is pressed down upon me.
20:27
There is no soundness
20:28
in my flesh
20:29
because of your indignation.
20:30
There is no health
20:31
in my bones
20:31
because of my sin.
20:35
For my iniquities
20:36
are gone over my head
20:38
as a heavy burden
20:39
they weigh too much for me.
20:42
Okay?
20:42
So David is in this psalm
20:44
really aware of his sin.
20:47
And it's weighing down
20:49
upon him deeply.
20:49
He calls it like an arrow.
20:51
It's sunk deep into me.
20:53
It's like a weight
20:54
that's too much for me to carry.
20:55
It's like I'm getting crushed.
20:56
I can't hardly take the pressure
20:57
of what I'm feeling.
20:58
It's just this,
20:59
he's crying out to God.
21:02
It's very serious for him.
21:04
But then,
21:05
look at Psalm 40.
21:08
Psalm 40.
21:12
Verses 1-3.
21:15
Same guy.
21:17
Two psalms later.
21:19
I waited patiently for the Lord
21:21
and He inclined to me
21:23
and He heard my cry.
21:25
He brought me up
21:26
out of the pit of destruction,
21:27
out of the miry clay,
21:29
and He set my feet upon a rock,
21:31
making my footsteps firm.
21:33
And He put a new song in my mouth,
21:35
a song of praise to our God.
21:37
Many will see and fear
21:39
and will trust in the Lord.
21:41
He went from despair,
21:42
two psalms earlier,
21:43
to this bold confidence.
21:45
Many will see me in fear,
21:47
He says,
21:48
and will trust in the Lord
21:51
as a result of my witness.
21:55
I waited patiently
21:56
and God heard my cry.
21:59
Okay?
22:00
This is the prayers
22:01
of a mature believer.
22:02
It looks like that.
22:03
It's common for God
22:07
to expose you
22:08
and then to humble you
22:09
and then to strengthen you
22:10
and then to overcome that sin
22:11
or, excuse me,
22:13
to strengthen you
22:14
to overcome that sin
22:14
and then expose you again
22:15
in some new way.
22:17
That's kind of what
22:17
the Christian life is about.
22:18
It's like these ebbs and flows.
22:19
It's like, you know,
22:20
He teaches you one thing
22:21
and you gain a little bit of victory
22:22
and then He shows you something new
22:23
and He's like,
22:24
you're continually gaining ground,
22:26
you're going up,
22:26
but it's like this, you know?
22:28
It's not like, you know,
22:30
Superman just flying over the...
22:33
That was dumb.
22:33
I'm not going to...
22:34
That's stupid.
22:35
That's not in my notes.
22:36
That was just dumb.
22:39
But you get the idea.
22:43
And there's never an end
22:44
to this process.
22:45
Okay, Paul, again,
22:46
I quote him from Philippians 3, 12.
22:48
He says,
22:49
Not that I've already obtained it
22:50
or have already become perfect.
22:54
This is the same guy that says,
22:56
I'm not really conscious
22:56
of anything against myself.
22:57
You know,
22:59
I don't know of any sin
23:00
that I'm not confessing.
23:01
He says that elsewhere in Scripture,
23:02
but he's admitting here,
23:03
like, I haven't already obtained it.
23:04
I'm not perfect.
23:06
You know,
23:07
so nobody is ever going to be that.
23:15
Thirdly,
23:16
wait, never mind.
23:21
No sin is tolerable to God, okay?
23:23
Even thought sins,
23:24
excuse me,
23:25
even thought sins
23:26
that never result in action
23:27
must be purged out of us.
23:29
And so this process
23:30
of continually being shown
23:32
our weakness
23:32
and inability
23:34
can be despairing.
23:35
And if your perspective
23:36
is lost in the middle of it,
23:38
it can lead to doubt.
23:40
And it can lead to
23:41
our question.
23:44
Okay?
23:44
But when the believer's conscience
23:46
is most agitated
23:47
and when Satan's accusations
23:49
are most forceful
23:50
against you,
23:51
it's then
23:52
that the gospel of Christ
23:53
will be most satisfying
23:55
to you.
23:59
And the Father
24:00
intends it to be that way.
24:06
To prove to you again,
24:07
and to prove to you again,
24:09
and again,
24:09
and again,
24:10
the inexhaustibleness
24:11
of his love.
24:15
Okay?
24:15
So,
24:16
a side of one's sin,
24:18
a vivid side of one's sin,
24:19
which is disgusting,
24:20
which is,
24:20
you know,
24:22
repulsive,
24:23
you don't want anything
24:24
to do with it,
24:26
it seems to have
24:27
a way of deepening
24:29
your understanding
24:30
of God's mercy
24:31
and of God's grace.
24:33
And it seems to
24:34
educate you
24:36
so you can appreciate
24:37
the gospel more.
24:41
Charles Spurgeon said this,
24:48
I am the subject
24:49
of depressions of spirit
24:51
so fearful
24:52
that I hope
24:54
none of you ever gets
24:54
to such extremes
24:55
of wretchedness
24:56
as I go.
24:58
So Spurgeon,
24:58
who was this amazing,
24:59
amazing,
24:59
amazing,
25:00
amazing
25:00
biblical scholar,
25:03
pastor,
25:04
whatever,
25:04
back in the 1800s,
25:05
was a man of depression.
25:06
Okay?
25:07
He struggled
25:07
really,
25:08
really badly
25:09
with depression.
25:10
It almost,
25:11
he was bedridden
25:12
sometimes as a result
25:13
of how deep
25:14
his depressions were.
25:15
So he says
25:16
that I am the subject
25:17
of these depressions
25:18
of spirit
25:18
so fearful
25:18
that I hope
25:19
none of you
25:19
ever gets
25:19
in such extremes
25:21
as I undergo.
25:23
But I always
25:24
get back again
25:25
by this.
25:26
I know I trust Christ.
25:29
I have no reliance
25:30
but in Him.
25:31
If He falls,
25:32
I shall fall.
25:33
But if He does not fall,
25:35
I shall not.
25:35
Because He lives,
25:38
I shall live also
25:39
and I spring
25:40
to my legs again
25:41
and I fight
25:42
with my depressions
25:42
of spirit
25:43
and my downcast soul
25:44
and I get the victory
25:46
through it.
25:47
So may you do
25:48
and so you must
25:50
for there is no other
25:51
way of escaping
25:52
from it.
25:53
In your most
25:54
depressed seasons,
25:55
you are to get joy
25:56
and peace
25:57
in believing.
25:58
Hell
26:00
and my sins
26:02
obstruct my path
26:03
but hell
26:04
and sins
26:05
are conquered foes.
26:07
My Jesus
26:08
nailed them
26:08
to His cross
26:09
and sang the triumph
26:10
as He rose.
26:14
Okay?
26:15
It's an encouraging word.
26:17
There's a third
26:17
kind of person
26:18
that would
26:18
ask this question.
26:20
And that is the man
26:25
who was for a little while
26:26
called himself a Christian.
26:30
And yet he finds himself
26:31
in a
26:32
keyword
26:33
willing state
26:34
of continual failure
26:37
to various sins.
26:40
This is a person
26:41
who calls himself
26:42
a Christian,
26:43
a professor of Christ
26:44
who yet finds himself
26:46
in a
26:47
willing state
26:48
of continual sin.
26:50
in unrepentant state.
26:55
This man does not
26:56
hate his sin
26:57
nor love Christ.
27:00
He has sufficient
27:01
knowledge
27:01
to disguise himself
27:02
but sin
27:05
is still
27:05
in a lot of ways
27:06
and in almost
27:07
every way
27:07
is master.
27:09
Okay?
27:10
If you,
27:11
if that is you
27:11
tonight
27:12
and if you know
27:14
that to be true
27:14
of you tonight,
27:15
if you don't feel
27:16
any of this love
27:17
for Christ
27:17
do you have
27:20
no regenerated heart
27:21
that has any new
27:21
desires for him
27:22
and you've just been
27:24
kind of hiding
27:25
behind this facade
27:26
of intellect
27:27
or knowledge
27:28
about God
27:29
or the Bible
27:29
or whatever else,
27:30
you've been taught
27:30
some things
27:31
to kind of get by.
27:34
Maybe you're
27:34
seeking God
27:36
for all the wrong reasons.
27:36
I'm not even going
27:37
to go into all that.
27:40
Then I want to
27:41
warn you
27:42
that God
27:43
does not dwell
27:44
in you
27:44
and that you have
27:46
thusly no means
27:47
of being sanctified
27:48
and your sin
27:49
will,
27:50
as Numbers 32 says,
27:52
find you out.
27:54
All your sin
27:55
will find you out.
27:56
That guy
27:57
from Penn State,
27:58
you probably heard of him.
28:00
He tried to hide
28:01
for 30 years
28:02
and he was
28:04
eventually found out.
28:05
All your sin
28:06
will find you out.
28:09
You are a child
28:10
of the devil
28:10
if that is you.
28:11
And you do the deeds
28:12
of your father.
28:13
You lie.
28:13
You cheat.
28:14
You steal.
28:15
You do not love others.
28:16
You have no endurance
28:17
in faith.
28:17
You have no defense
28:18
against sin.
28:19
Your religion
28:19
is but a form.
28:20
It has no substance
28:21
to it.
28:22
You do not love God.
28:23
You do not fear God.
28:24
You do not serve Him.
28:26
And the only reason
28:26
why you would serve Him
28:27
is predicated upon
28:28
the fact that you might
28:29
get something from Him.
28:32
You may fear
28:35
the idea of hell
28:36
but you despise
28:37
the idea
28:37
of eternally
28:38
worshiping Jesus
28:39
in heaven.
28:42
He is not precious
28:43
to you.
28:44
You do not pray
28:44
to Him.
28:45
You do not treasure
28:46
His commandments.
28:47
You have never
28:47
entrusted your life
28:48
to Him.
28:49
If offered a choice,
28:50
you would prefer
28:51
the world's pleasures
28:52
of fame and sex
28:53
and wealth
28:54
over the life
28:55
of joyful obedience
28:55
to Christ.
28:57
You do what is
28:58
only necessary
28:59
to hide yourself
29:00
from being found out.
29:01
But if Christ
29:01
was not cool,
29:02
then you would not care.
29:07
And the description
29:08
could continue.
29:10
Your sins may have changed
29:12
but you serve
29:14
your flesh still.
29:18
Allow me the privilege
29:19
of introducing you tonight
29:20
to a man named
29:20
John Owen.
29:22
He is a scholar
29:23
of scholars
29:24
and he is awesome.
29:26
He says this,
29:30
Every lust,
29:31
every lust
29:33
that you feel
29:36
is a depraved
29:38
habit
29:38
or disposition.
29:41
Every lust
29:42
continually
29:42
inclining
29:43
the heart
29:45
to evil.
29:45
then,
29:50
or this then
29:53
is that description
29:54
of Him
29:55
who has no lust
29:56
mortified.
29:57
Mortified is a fancy
29:58
word of saying killed.
29:59
This then
30:00
is a description
30:00
of Him
30:01
who has no lust
30:01
killed.
30:02
And if you are not
30:03
being sanctified,
30:04
you are not of God.
30:05
Okay,
30:05
just keep that in your mind.
30:06
So if you have
30:07
no lust killed,
30:08
you are not of God.
30:10
This is a description
30:11
of Him
30:12
from the Scriptures,
30:12
Genesis 6-5.
30:14
Every imagination
30:14
of the thoughts
30:15
of His heart
30:16
is only evil
30:18
continually.
30:20
He is always
30:21
under the power
30:21
of a strong bent
30:22
and inclination
30:23
to sin.
30:24
And the reason
30:24
why a natural,
30:25
this is awesome,
30:26
and the reason
30:26
why a natural man
30:27
is not always
30:29
perpetually
30:29
in the pursuit
30:30
of some one lust
30:32
night and day
30:34
is because
30:36
He has many
30:36
to serve.
30:40
Everyone crying
30:41
to be satisfied
30:42
therefore He
30:43
has carried on
30:44
with great variety
30:45
but still in general
30:46
He lies toward
30:48
the satisfaction
30:49
of self.
30:49
So what is He
30:50
saying there?
30:50
He's saying,
30:51
A,
30:52
if you have no lust
30:53
mortified,
30:53
then you're like
30:54
the person
30:54
described in Genesis 6.
30:56
Your heart is only
30:57
inclined to evil
30:57
always.
31:00
Secondly,
31:00
the reason why
31:01
you don't always
31:01
do the same thing,
31:02
you're not always
31:03
sitting in the
31:03
very same way,
31:04
maybe you have
31:05
seasons of victory
31:08
if you want to
31:09
call it that
31:09
for you.
31:11
You know,
31:11
maybe you
31:12
really get down
31:13
in the dumps
31:14
and you're drinking
31:14
all the time
31:15
and you're getting
31:15
wasted all the time
31:17
and so you're like,
31:19
man,
31:19
I just need to
31:19
stop that,
31:20
like that is not
31:20
good for me,
31:21
that's not good
31:21
for what I need,
31:22
you know,
31:22
it's always me
31:24
centered when you
31:24
try to respond
31:25
morally as an
31:27
ungenerate man.
31:29
So you have this
31:30
season of sobriety,
31:32
right?
31:33
But that doesn't
31:34
mean you're not
31:34
sinning during the
31:35
time,
31:35
it just means you're
31:36
not serving that
31:36
one master.
31:37
You have many
31:38
masters,
31:38
you have many
31:38
different varieties
31:40
of ways and
31:40
avenues of sin.
31:44
I'll read it
31:44
again.
31:46
The reason why
31:47
a natural man is
31:48
not always perpetually
31:49
in the pursuit of
31:50
someone lust night
31:50
and day is because
31:52
he has many to
31:52
serve,
31:53
every one of them
31:54
crying to be
31:54
satisfied,
31:55
therefore he is
31:56
carried on with
31:56
great variety,
31:58
but still in general
31:59
he lies for the
31:59
satisfaction of
32:00
self.
32:02
That characterizes
32:03
a lot of people
32:05
you know,
32:06
that think they're
32:07
Christians and
32:08
yet all they do
32:10
is serve
32:10
themselves.
32:14
If you're
32:15
unrepentant,
32:15
if you're
32:16
unbroken,
32:16
if you're
32:16
unnerved by
32:17
your sin,
32:18
if your conscience
32:19
is rarely agitated,
32:21
if you think
32:21
little of Christ
32:22
and you think
32:23
much of yourself,
32:25
then you are
32:26
not a Christian.
32:28
You are not
32:29
a Christian.
32:30
You need to
32:31
repent of your
32:32
sin.
32:33
And I hope God
32:34
saves you through
32:34
this indictment
32:35
against you.
32:36
That's what
32:37
Paul did.
32:37
He preached
32:38
the same
32:39
gospel.
32:39
He preached
32:40
this damnation
32:42
of sinners
32:43
and need
32:44
for Savior.
32:47
But again,
32:48
going back to
32:48
what we just
32:49
said earlier,
32:49
the more you
32:50
see your sin,
32:51
the more glorious
32:51
that Savior
32:52
becomes.
32:53
So it's not
32:53
necessarily a bad
32:54
thing.
32:54
It's a good
32:55
thing.
32:55
It's a necessary
32:55
thing.
32:57
Okay,
32:58
second question.
32:59
That was the
33:00
longest one.
33:03
What about
33:04
that one
33:04
besetting sin
33:05
in my life
33:06
that I just
33:07
can't seem
33:07
to shake?
33:09
How many
33:10
of you
33:11
are like
33:12
this?
33:15
You have
33:15
that one
33:16
thing,
33:16
right?
33:17
There's that
33:17
one thing
33:18
that just
33:18
continually
33:19
trips you
33:19
up.
33:20
You always
33:20
succumb to
33:21
it.
33:22
It's like
33:22
you can't
33:23
get rid
33:23
of it.
33:23
It's like
33:23
I know
33:24
I've been
33:24
set free
33:24
in Christ
33:25
but this
33:25
thing is
33:26
still
33:26
shackled
33:27
to me.
33:27
We all
33:32
feel this
33:32
way in
33:32
some way.
33:33
What
33:33
category
33:34
of sin
33:34
is it
33:34
for you?
33:35
Lust,
33:36
pride,
33:36
vanity,
33:37
approval,
33:38
laziness,
33:39
apathy,
33:40
fear,
33:40
doubt,
33:40
anxiety,
33:41
gluttony?
33:43
What about
33:44
vices?
33:44
What about
33:45
guilty pleasures?
33:46
What about
33:46
bad habits?
33:49
And
33:49
specific sins?
33:50
What about
33:50
those two?
33:52
Pornography,
33:53
arrogance,
33:55
idolatry of
33:55
your own
33:56
image,
33:56
creature
33:58
worship,
34:00
needing to
34:00
feel needed,
34:02
an overabundance
34:04
of television
34:05
or video
34:05
games or
34:06
HGTV,
34:07
questioning
34:07
God's
34:08
goodness,
34:10
afraid of
34:10
rejection,
34:13
a lack of
34:13
self-control
34:13
with food,
34:15
sleep,
34:15
schoolwork,
34:17
immoral
34:17
amusements,
34:18
angry thoughts.
34:22
Those are
34:22
specific things
34:23
that I'm sure
34:24
all of us
34:24
can.
34:25
I swear to
34:25
that a lot.
34:26
I need a lot
34:28
of grace in
34:28
that area
34:29
of my life.
34:30
The question
34:31
here is,
34:33
is it possible
34:33
for a
34:34
Christian to
34:35
struggle their
34:36
whole life
34:37
with a certain
34:38
sin and
34:39
still be
34:40
saved?
34:42
Is it
34:43
possible?
34:44
contrary to
34:50
what I think I
34:51
initially feel
34:52
as an answer
34:55
to that
34:55
question,
34:56
the biblical
34:57
answer is
34:58
yes.
35:02
To some
35:03
degree,
35:03
it is a
35:03
possibility.
35:05
It is not
35:05
likely,
35:07
but it is a
35:08
possibility that a
35:09
person can
35:10
struggle with
35:11
some sin,
35:12
some category
35:14
of sin
35:14
their whole
35:16
life,
35:19
and yet
35:19
still be a
35:19
believer,
35:20
still be
35:20
saved when
35:21
they die.
35:22
Now,
35:22
I'm saying
35:23
that carefully
35:24
because I
35:25
know that
35:25
within you
35:26
it's like,
35:26
1 John,
35:28
that would
35:29
contradict you.
35:30
well,
35:31
just hear me
35:34
out.
35:36
I kind of
35:37
believe in
35:37
somebody
35:40
persisting in
35:40
a certain
35:41
sin their
35:42
whole life
35:42
in varying
35:43
degrees,
35:45
and then
35:45
being saved
35:45
when they
35:46
die.
35:46
I kind
35:46
of liken
35:49
that in a
35:49
sense,
35:50
or believe
35:50
that to be
35:51
like a
35:51
deathbed
35:52
conversion,
35:53
you know,
35:53
like the
35:54
thief on
35:54
the cross,
35:54
like that
35:55
happened one
35:55
time in
35:55
scripture,
35:56
okay?
35:57
And I
35:57
think the
35:57
proportion is
35:58
right.
35:59
I don't
35:59
think that
36:00
happens often.
36:00
I don't
36:00
think people
36:00
on their
36:01
deathbed
36:02
come to
36:02
know Christ
36:02
often.
36:04
I think
36:04
there's a
36:05
lot of
36:05
empty
36:05
professions
36:06
made on
36:06
their
36:06
deathbeds
36:07
because
36:07
they're
36:07
afraid of
36:08
hell,
36:08
they're
36:08
afraid of
36:08
whatever.
36:09
I don't
36:09
think there's
36:10
a lot of
36:10
genuine
36:10
conversions
36:11
happening
36:11
during that
36:12
time.
36:12
I think
36:12
they can
36:13
happen.
36:13
We see
36:14
that in
36:14
the
36:14
thief on
36:14
the
36:14
cross.
36:14
They
36:14
can
36:15
happen,
36:15
but it's
36:16
not
36:16
often.
36:17
This is
36:17
kind of
36:17
the same
36:17
thing.
36:18
I think
36:18
there are
36:18
people that
36:20
are genuinely
36:20
in love
36:21
with Christ
36:21
that struggle
36:22
in their
36:24
life,
36:25
their whole
36:25
life,
36:26
with something,
36:26
some kind
36:27
of sin,
36:28
and yet
36:28
are still
36:28
saved when
36:29
they die.
36:32
And the
36:33
big question
36:33
kind of
36:34
behind the
36:34
question is
36:35
this.
36:36
Is it
36:36
that this
36:37
person has
36:38
no faith?
36:41
Has no
36:42
faith?
36:43
And what
36:44
you are
36:45
seeing,
36:45
the sin
36:46
that you are
36:46
seeing,
36:46
is a
36:46
manifestation
36:47
of that.
36:48
They have
36:48
no faith.
36:49
They're not
36:49
saved.
36:50
They don't
36:50
believe.
36:51
And so
36:51
they're
36:51
sinning
36:52
by
36:55
unbelief,
36:55
which is
36:56
the
36:56
unpardonable
36:56
sin,
36:56
if you
36:57
don't
36:57
know.
36:58
If you
36:58
wonder
36:58
about
36:58
that,
36:58
what's
36:59
that
36:59
unpardonable
36:59
sin?
36:59
It's
37:00
unbelief.
37:02
Okay?
37:03
Or is
37:03
it that
37:04
what you're
37:04
seeing is
37:05
a
37:05
manifestation
37:06
of a
37:06
small and
37:07
a weak
37:08
and a
37:08
little
37:08
faith?
37:13
Okay?
37:14
That's
37:15
the question.
37:15
Is it
37:15
just a
37:16
little
37:16
bit of,
37:16
they're
37:17
not
37:17
exercising
37:17
much
37:18
faith.
37:18
They
37:18
don't
37:18
really
37:18
trust the
37:19
Lord
37:19
very much.
37:20
They
37:20
trust the
37:20
Lord to a
37:21
degree,
37:21
but it's
37:21
not a
37:22
lot.
37:23
Okay?
37:24
That's
37:24
really the
37:25
crux of
37:25
the matter,
37:25
I think.
37:28
Let me
37:28
prove this
37:28
to you
37:29
biblically.
37:30
Nobody in
37:31
here in
37:31
their right
37:31
mind would
37:32
say Solomon
37:33
was
37:35
unregenerate.
37:37
Okay?
37:37
He wrote
37:37
three books
37:38
in the Old
37:39
Testament.
37:40
God
37:41
answered his
37:41
prayers
37:42
specifically
37:43
and audibly.
37:44
Okay?
37:46
So I
37:46
don't
37:46
think
37:47
Solomon
37:47
would
37:47
be
37:47
classified
37:48
as
37:48
an
37:48
unbeliever
37:49
by anybody
37:49
in here
37:49
rationally.
37:51
However,
37:52
1 Kings
37:53
chapter 11
37:54
verse 1
37:54
through 4
37:55
says this,
37:55
Now King
37:56
Solomon
37:56
loved many
37:57
foreign women
37:58
along with
37:59
the daughter
37:59
of Pharaoh,
38:01
Moabite,
38:02
Ammonite,
38:02
Edomite,
38:03
Sidonianite,
38:04
and Hittite
38:05
women from
38:06
the nations
38:06
concerning which
38:07
the Lord
38:07
had said to
38:07
the sons
38:08
of Israel,
38:08
you shall
38:09
not associate
38:09
with them,
38:10
neither shall
38:11
they associate
38:11
with you,
38:12
for they will
38:12
surely turn
38:13
your heart
38:13
away after
38:14
other gods.
38:16
Solomon held
38:17
fast to
38:17
these in
38:18
love,
38:19
and he
38:19
had 700
38:20
wives,
38:22
princesses,
38:23
and 300
38:24
concubines.
38:26
And his
38:27
wives turned
38:28
his heart
38:29
away.
38:33
For it
38:34
came about
38:34
when Solomon
38:35
was old
38:35
that his
38:36
wives turned
38:36
his heart
38:36
away after
38:37
other gods,
38:38
and his
38:38
heart was
38:38
not wholly
38:39
devoted to
38:39
the Lord
38:40
his God,
38:40
as the
38:41
heart of
38:42
David his
38:42
father had
38:43
been.
38:43
He
38:48
wrote three
38:49
books in
38:49
the Old
38:49
Testament,
38:50
and that's
38:53
something written
38:54
of his
38:55
life.
38:57
What was
38:57
the result
38:58
of this
38:59
disobedience
39:00
and this
39:00
lack of
39:01
faith in
39:01
the commandments
39:03
of God
39:04
and the
39:04
mandates of
39:04
God?
39:05
Verse 11,
39:06
later on in
39:06
that same
39:07
chapter of
39:07
11,
39:08
says this,
39:09
so the
39:09
Lord said
39:09
to Solomon,
39:11
because you
39:11
have done
39:12
this,
39:12
and you
39:12
have not
39:13
kept my
39:13
commandments
39:13
and my
39:14
statutes,
39:15
which I
39:15
have
39:15
commanded
39:16
you,
39:16
I will
39:16
surely tear
39:17
the kingdom
39:18
from you
39:18
and will
39:19
give it to
39:19
your servant.
39:21
And then the
39:21
Lord raised
39:22
up an
39:22
adversary to
39:23
Solomon.
39:26
Okay?
39:28
It may be the
39:29
same with us.
39:31
If you don't
39:32
exercise by the
39:33
power of the
39:33
Holy Spirit
39:34
inside of you,
39:35
faith in
39:36
Christ.
39:36
Christ,
39:37
although every
39:42
true believer
39:42
has been
39:42
freed from
39:43
the power
39:43
and the
39:44
dominion of
39:44
sin,
39:45
some of
39:46
you,
39:47
I am
39:47
sad to
39:48
say,
39:50
still seem,
39:51
and I
39:51
myself in
39:52
ways,
39:52
still seem
39:53
to voluntarily
39:54
chain myself
39:56
up again
39:56
to old
39:58
sins.
40:01
Now,
40:02
envision that,
40:03
okay?
40:04
This is a
40:05
great illustration
40:05
I learned a
40:06
couple of
40:06
years ago
40:06
in the
40:07
Beach Project.
40:08
If you're
40:09
in a black
40:09
cell,
40:11
a prison
40:11
cell,
40:12
and you're
40:14
chained up
40:14
within that
40:15
prison cell,
40:15
you're a
40:16
prisoner of
40:17
that cell,
40:17
right?
40:17
And then all
40:18
of a sudden,
40:19
let's say God
40:20
just punches a
40:21
hole in the
40:21
wall,
40:22
and you can
40:22
see out,
40:23
and you're
40:23
free,
40:23
like it's
40:24
big enough
40:24
for you to
40:24
crawl through,
40:25
and you find
40:25
that your
40:26
chains have
40:26
fallen off,
40:27
and you
40:28
kind of,
40:28
you know,
40:28
you get up,
40:29
and you
40:29
waddle over,
40:29
and your
40:30
eyes are
40:30
freaking out
40:31
because you
40:31
haven't seen
40:32
light in a
40:32
long time,
40:32
and you
40:32
look out,
40:33
and you
40:33
see these
40:33
beautiful
40:33
meadows,
40:34
and lakes,
40:34
and mountains,
40:35
and it's
40:35
like,
40:35
wow,
40:35
this is
40:36
incredible,
40:36
and you
40:37
see Jesus
40:37
saying,
40:38
come on,
40:38
come on,
40:38
come on,
40:39
come on,
40:39
let's go,
40:40
I'm busting
40:40
you out,
40:41
and then you're
40:44
like,
40:44
ah,
40:44
ah,
40:45
no,
40:46
you go sit
40:47
back in the
40:47
corner,
40:48
and you try
40:48
to shackle
40:49
yourself back
40:50
up.
40:53
Well,
40:54
the meadow's
40:55
open,
40:56
the field is
40:56
open,
40:57
your freedom
40:57
is right
40:58
there,
40:58
but you
40:59
choose to
40:59
remain in
41:00
the shackle,
41:01
and the
41:04
thing that
41:05
you're lacking
41:05
is faith.
41:08
That faith
41:09
is what
41:10
enables you
41:11
to climb out
41:12
and to go
41:13
enjoy what
41:13
God has
41:13
given to
41:14
you.
41:16
He's given
41:16
you so much,
41:17
He's given
41:17
you freedom
41:17
to all
41:18
these things,
41:18
there's no
41:19
sin that
41:21
still binds
41:22
you,
41:22
it has
41:22
dominion
41:22
over you,
41:23
but the
41:23
reason why
41:24
we sin
41:24
is because
41:25
we don't
41:25
exercise
41:26
faith in
41:27
God.
41:29
We're like
41:31
the guy
41:32
in Mark 9
41:32
who's like,
41:32
I believe,
41:33
but you've
41:33
got to help
41:33
my unbelief.
41:35
I believe,
41:36
Lord,
41:36
but I'm
41:36
weak,
41:36
man,
41:37
I'm weak
41:37
in faith,
41:37
I need
41:37
your strength,
41:38
please,
41:39
you know,
41:39
cry out
41:39
like David
41:40
was crying,
41:40
help me,
41:41
God,
41:42
come,
41:43
you know,
41:44
help me,
41:45
fill me up
41:46
with faith.
41:49
Let me
41:50
briefly describe
41:50
why this
41:51
is perilous,
41:52
why this
41:52
is dangerous
41:53
to your
41:54
soul,
41:55
if this
41:56
is you,
41:57
okay?
41:59
I want
42:00
to dissuade
42:02
you,
42:02
in a sense,
42:03
from believing
42:04
that,
42:05
hey,
42:05
you know,
42:05
John just
42:06
said,
42:06
and you
42:07
know,
42:07
the scripture
42:07
seems to
42:08
kind of
42:08
validate,
42:08
like if I
42:09
keep these
42:09
sins in
42:09
my life,
42:11
then I
42:11
can still,
42:12
you know,
42:12
I can
42:12
kind of
42:12
have my
42:12
cake
42:13
and eat
42:13
it too,
42:13
I can
42:13
be in
42:15
heaven one
42:15
day with
42:16
Jesus,
42:16
you know,
42:17
maybe it's
42:17
not going
42:17
to be
42:17
Paul's
42:18
heaven,
42:18
but it's
42:18
going to
42:18
be,
42:19
you know,
42:19
it's
42:19
going to
42:19
be good,
42:20
and yet I
42:21
can still
42:21
do what
42:21
I
42:21
want to
42:29
are keeping
42:30
some pet
42:30
sin.
42:32
No true
42:32
believer will
42:33
ever delight
42:34
in sin.
42:36
Ever.
42:37
If it
42:38
pleases you
42:38
to think
42:39
that you
42:39
can have
42:39
Christ and
42:40
your sins,
42:40
then you're
42:41
not a
42:41
believer.
42:44
Okay?
42:46
The believer
42:47
may sin in
42:48
some certain
42:49
way their
42:49
whole life,
42:50
but it
42:50
will never
42:51
be enjoyed.
42:54
Bitterness
42:54
will be the
42:56
taste of
42:57
their every
42:57
indulgence in
42:58
that sin,
42:59
and as
42:59
the proverb
43:00
says,
43:01
Proverbs
43:01
20,
43:01
17 says,
43:03
bread obtained
43:04
by falsehood
43:05
is sweet
43:05
to a man,
43:06
but afterwards
43:07
his mouth
43:08
will be
43:08
filled with
43:08
gravel.
43:11
You may
43:11
enjoy it
43:12
for a
43:12
moment,
43:12
but it
43:13
will leave
43:13
you with
43:13
a
43:13
gravelly
43:14
taste in
43:15
your mouth.
43:16
You will
43:17
never enjoy
43:17
it.
43:21
You will
43:21
be miserable
43:22
all of your
43:23
days if
43:24
you are a
43:25
Christian and
43:25
you persist
43:26
in this sin.
43:27
You will
43:28
be miserable
43:29
God will
43:30
starve you
43:31
intentionally
43:32
of peace
43:33
and joy
43:33
and hope.
43:38
John
43:38
Owen said
43:39
this as
43:39
well,
43:40
not to be
43:40
daily employing
43:41
the spirit
43:42
and new
43:43
nature
43:43
for the
43:45
mortifying or
43:46
killing of
43:46
sin is to
43:48
neglect that
43:49
excellent aid
43:50
which God has
43:51
given us
43:52
against our
43:52
greatest enemy.
43:53
if we
43:55
neglect to
43:55
make use of
43:56
what we
43:56
have received,
43:57
God may
43:58
justly hold
43:59
his hand
44:00
from giving
44:00
us more.
44:02
His
44:03
graces as
44:03
well as
44:04
his gifts
44:04
are bestowed
44:06
on us to
44:07
use,
44:08
exercise,
44:08
and trade
44:09
with.
44:10
Not to be
44:11
daily killing
44:12
sin is to
44:13
sin against
44:14
the goodness,
44:15
kindness,
44:16
wisdom,
44:17
grace,
44:18
and love
44:18
of God
44:19
who has
44:20
furnished us
44:21
with the
44:21
principle
44:22
of doing
44:23
it.
44:26
That's a
44:27
loaded quote.
44:29
Sin has an
44:29
effect like
44:30
gravity has a
44:31
pull.
44:33
It doesn't
44:34
matter who
44:34
you are,
44:35
it doesn't
44:35
matter what
44:35
size you
44:36
are,
44:36
it doesn't
44:36
matter what
44:37
color you
44:37
are,
44:37
if you
44:38
jump up,
44:38
you will
44:39
come down.
44:41
If you're
44:41
on heroin
44:41
and you jump
44:42
up a building
44:42
and you're
44:43
super high
44:43
and you think
44:44
you can fly,
44:44
you're going
44:45
to fall to
44:45
the ground.
44:48
It doesn't
44:48
matter what
44:49
you think,
44:49
it doesn't
44:49
change,
44:50
gravity is
44:50
unbiased
44:52
and impartial.
44:56
Sin is
44:56
the same
44:57
way.
44:59
If you're
44:59
saved,
45:00
it's not
45:01
like you
45:01
get a,
45:03
you know,
45:05
it's not
45:06
like you
45:06
get a,
45:07
I want to
45:08
say get
45:08
out of
45:08
something
45:09
free card,
45:10
but it's,
45:10
I don't
45:10
know what
45:10
the word
45:11
is,
45:11
but I'll
45:12
explain it
45:12
to you.
45:13
So,
45:13
the scripture
45:16
says in
45:16
Galatians 6,
45:17
7 and 8,
45:18
that you
45:19
will reap
45:19
what you
45:19
sow.
45:21
You will
45:22
reap what
45:22
you sow.
45:23
Okay,
45:23
that is the
45:23
same biblical
45:24
principle,
45:26
or biblical
45:27
law you
45:27
could say,
45:28
as nature's
45:30
law of
45:30
gravity.
45:31
It's
45:31
impartial,
45:32
right?
45:32
Well,
45:33
sin is the
45:33
same way.
45:34
If you
45:34
sin,
45:35
you will
45:35
reap the
45:36
consequences
45:36
of that
45:37
sin.
45:39
You will
45:40
reap the
45:40
consequences.
45:41
And you
45:42
may not
45:42
know the
45:42
consequences
45:43
until you're
45:43
older,
45:45
or until
45:45
you die.
45:47
there are
45:49
things you
45:49
are robbing
45:50
yourself of
45:50
in Christ,
45:52
in heaven,
45:52
that you
45:53
will not
45:53
know until
45:53
you get
45:54
there.
45:55
And that
45:56
should make
45:56
us fear
45:57
sin all the
45:58
more,
45:58
and hate
45:59
sin all the
45:59
more,
46:00
because it
46:00
keeps us
46:01
from what
46:02
Christ has
46:02
purchased for
46:03
us with
46:04
His blood.
46:07
You get
46:08
that?
46:10
If you
46:10
continue in
46:11
some sin,
46:11
you're going
46:11
to reap the
46:12
destruction,
46:12
and the
46:12
misery,
46:13
and the
46:13
shame of
46:13
that sin.
46:14
A good
46:14
father,
46:15
right?
46:15
A good
46:15
earthly father
46:16
disciplines his
46:17
children,
46:17
that they
46:18
might learn
46:18
what is
46:19
right,
46:19
and what is
46:20
good,
46:20
versus what
46:21
is wrong,
46:21
what is
46:21
bad.
46:24
God loves
46:24
you a
46:26
thousand times
46:27
too much to
46:28
ever allow you
46:29
just to persist in
46:30
some sin.
46:30
That's what He
46:30
does to those
46:31
that He
46:32
despises.
46:33
Read Romans 1
46:34
and see what He
46:34
does.
46:35
See what the
46:35
worst wrath of
46:37
God in the
46:38
New Testament
46:38
is.
46:39
The wrath of
46:40
abandonment.
46:41
It's when
46:44
God says,
46:45
go your own
46:45
way.
46:47
When God
46:47
says,
46:48
okay America,
46:49
go your own
46:49
way.
46:51
I'm not going
46:52
to do
46:52
anything.
46:52
I'm not going
46:53
to stop
46:53
anything anymore.
46:54
I'm not going
46:55
to send you
46:55
earthquakes like
46:56
I send other
46:57
places in the
46:57
world.
46:58
I'm just going
46:58
to let you
46:58
go your own
46:59
way and enjoy
47:00
your sin and
47:01
fill up,
47:02
as Romans 2
47:03
says,
47:03
fill up your
47:05
wrath.
47:09
I'm just adding
47:10
more to it
47:10
every day.
47:11
There's going
47:11
to come a
47:11
day when I
47:12
reckon with
47:13
you.
47:15
That's the
47:15
worst wrath
47:16
that God
47:17
has,
47:17
is this
47:18
wrath of
47:18
abandonment.
47:19
The idea
47:20
here is that
47:21
God's children
47:22
are not
47:22
afforded that.
47:25
He will
47:25
never forget
47:26
about you.
47:26
He will
47:26
never stop
47:27
loving you.
47:28
And so as a
47:28
result of that,
47:29
He will
47:29
discipline you.
47:31
When you
47:32
sin, you
47:33
will be
47:34
disciplined.
47:36
And that is
47:37
for your good.
47:38
He wants to
47:38
teach you not
47:38
to blaspheme.
47:39
He wants to
47:40
align your
47:41
steps so
47:41
that you
47:42
walk in
47:42
obedience,
47:43
so that you
47:43
reap the
47:43
blessings of
47:44
faith,
47:45
that you
47:46
reap the
47:46
blessings of
47:46
the Holy
47:47
Spirit inside
47:47
of you,
47:47
that love
47:48
and joy
47:48
and peace
47:48
and patience
47:49
and all.
47:49
We talk
47:49
about that
47:50
all the time.
47:50
God wants
47:51
those things
47:51
for you to
47:52
the greatest
47:52
extent.
47:53
He says,
47:53
I have not
47:53
come,
47:55
He says,
47:56
Satan has
47:57
come to
47:57
steal,
47:58
to kill,
47:58
and to
47:58
destroy.
48:00
I have
48:00
come,
48:00
on the other
48:00
hand,
48:01
to give you
48:01
life that is
48:03
abundant.
48:03
Now,
48:05
part of
48:06
Him giving
48:06
you that
48:07
is teaching
48:07
you how
48:08
to get
48:08
it,
48:08
and that
48:09
comes
48:09
through
48:09
discipline.
48:12
Okay.
48:16
Another thing
48:17
that I just
48:17
want to really
48:18
point out here
48:18
to dissuade
48:20
you,
48:20
again,
48:21
if that is
48:21
you,
48:23
you cannot
48:24
ever be sure
48:25
of your
48:25
salvation.
48:25
salvation.
48:28
Okay.
48:30
And honestly,
48:31
like,
48:32
the line,
48:32
like,
48:33
it's so
48:33
gray,
48:34
it's so
48:34
like,
48:35
you know,
48:35
like,
48:35
I mean,
48:36
the difference
48:36
between you
48:37
who have
48:39
very,
48:40
very,
48:40
very little
48:40
faith,
48:41
and at times
48:41
when I have
48:41
very,
48:42
very,
48:42
very little
48:42
faith,
48:43
and then an
48:43
unbeliever
48:43
who has no
48:44
faith,
48:44
is basically
48:45
nothing.
48:47
It's really
48:47
small,
48:48
it's just a
48:49
very thin line
48:50
of God's
48:50
grace,
48:51
is what
48:51
separates
48:52
you.
48:54
Okay,
48:54
and you,
48:55
honestly,
48:55
if you
48:56
persist in
48:56
sin all
48:57
of your
48:57
life,
48:57
how can
48:57
you possibly
48:58
be confident
48:59
of your
48:59
salvation?
49:00
Now,
49:01
I'm not
49:01
saying that
49:01
we're not
49:02
going to
49:02
always be
49:02
warring
49:04
against sin,
49:04
like,
49:05
there's going
49:05
to be,
49:05
we're always
49:06
going to have
49:06
to war
49:07
against it,
49:07
it's always
49:07
going to be
49:07
an issue
49:08
in our
49:09
lives,
49:09
in our
49:09
hearts,
49:10
Paul testifies
49:10
of that,
49:12
we're always
49:12
going to be
49:12
fighting against
49:13
it,
49:13
but if there's
49:13
no measure
49:14
of victory
49:15
which you're
49:15
experiencing,
49:16
if there's
49:16
no growing
49:18
in grace,
49:19
growing in
49:19
love,
49:20
growing in
49:20
obedience,
49:21
growing in
49:21
wisdom,
49:22
if there's
49:22
no,
49:23
honestly,
49:25
putting off
49:25
of the old
49:25
man and
49:26
putting on
49:26
of the new,
49:27
as we see
49:27
in Colossians,
49:29
how can you
49:30
have assurance?
49:31
Now,
49:31
you may still
49:31
be saved,
49:32
I'm not saying
49:32
that the people
49:33
that don't have
49:33
assurance can't
49:34
be saved,
49:35
I'm saying
49:35
that you
49:37
can't really
49:38
have it,
49:39
that's the
49:39
blessing of
49:40
obedience is
49:41
assurance,
49:43
you know,
49:44
I mean,
49:44
read 1 Peter 1
49:45
to see that,
49:47
talks about that,
49:48
you know,
49:49
God puts you
49:49
through trials
49:50
and temptations
49:51
to purify you
49:54
of fire,
49:55
but when you
49:55
come out,
49:56
it's like,
49:56
man,
49:56
that's that
49:58
gold,
49:58
he says,
49:59
it's that
49:59
precious stone
50:01
which can't
50:02
be taken away
50:02
from me,
50:03
it's that
50:03
imperishable
50:04
thing which
50:04
I just cling
50:05
to,
50:05
you know,
50:06
and I think
50:07
every Christian
50:08
here is going
50:08
to be,
50:09
by God's
50:09
grace,
50:10
afforded times
50:11
when you do
50:11
endure and
50:12
when you do
50:12
see fruit
50:14
being,
50:14
you know,
50:16
barren in
50:17
your life,
50:18
it's a grace
50:20
of God as
50:20
well.
50:27
You will
50:28
not be allowed
50:28
by the spirit
50:29
within you
50:29
to enjoy the
50:30
evil of your
50:32
sin,
50:33
and yet,
50:34
you will not
50:34
allow yourself
50:35
the privilege
50:36
of enjoying
50:37
the good.
50:40
That's you.
50:41
You won't allow
50:41
yourself to enjoy
50:42
the good.
50:43
It's not that
50:43
God is keeping
50:44
things from you,
50:45
it's that you,
50:47
by the littleness
50:48
of your faith,
50:49
or keeping
50:50
things from
50:50
yourself.
50:53
So believe
50:54
in the promises
50:54
of God.
50:55
When you come
50:55
to Him in the
50:56
Word of God,
50:56
believe Him.
50:58
Believe Him.
50:59
Believe Him.
51:10
Amen.
51:15
Turn to
51:16
Matthew 12.
51:36
Verse 20.
51:37
A battered reed
51:44
he will not
51:45
break off
51:46
in a smoldering
51:48
wick he will
51:49
not put out
51:49
until he leads
51:51
justice
51:52
to victory.
51:57
Spurgeon,
51:57
in this book
51:58
I'm reading,
52:00
likened that
52:01
to a battered
52:02
reed.
52:03
A battered
52:04
reed
52:03
is a picture
52:08
of the poor
52:09
sinner
52:09
when first
52:11
God begins
52:12
His operation
52:12
upon the soul.
52:13
He is a bruised
52:14
reed,
52:14
almost entirely
52:15
broken and
52:16
consumed.
52:17
There is but
52:17
little strength
52:18
in him.
52:20
Then he says
52:20
of this
52:21
smoldering
52:22
wick,
52:23
which is like
52:23
a candle
52:25
that has
52:25
a really,
52:26
really small
52:26
flicker.
52:27
That's a
52:28
smoldering
52:28
wick.
52:29
He says
52:33
the smoking
52:34
flax,
52:34
listen to this,
52:36
the smoldering
52:36
wick,
52:37
I take to be
52:37
a backsliding
52:38
Christian.
52:41
One who has
52:41
been a burning
52:42
and shining
52:43
light in his
52:44
day,
52:44
but by neglect
52:45
of the means
52:46
of grace,
52:48
the withdrawal
52:49
of God's
52:50
spirit,
52:51
and falling
52:51
into sin,
52:53
his light
52:53
has almost
52:54
gone out.
52:55
Not quite
52:55
completely
52:56
can it go
52:57
out,
52:57
for Christ
52:58
says,
52:58
I will not
52:59
quench it,
53:00
but it
53:01
becomes like
53:01
a lamp
53:02
when ill
53:02
supplied
53:02
with oil,
53:03
almost useless.
53:05
It is not
53:05
extinguished,
53:06
it still
53:06
smokes.
53:07
It was a
53:08
useful lamp
53:08
once,
53:09
but now
53:09
it has
53:10
become as
53:11
smoking
53:11
flax.
53:14
So that
53:15
verse is
53:15
another just
53:16
biblical,
53:17
I think,
53:17
proof text
53:18
of this
53:19
reality.
53:20
There are
53:20
people,
53:21
there are
53:21
Christians,
53:22
that because
53:25
of their
53:25
backsliding,
53:27
because of
53:27
their refusal
53:28
to kill
53:28
sin through
53:29
the means
53:30
that God
53:30
has given
53:30
them,
53:31
which is
53:31
the Holy
53:31
Spirit.
53:34
They become
53:35
like this
53:35
smordering
53:36
wick,
53:37
useless
53:38
really,
53:39
smoking,
53:39
but not
53:40
really
53:40
flaming.
53:41
they need
53:45
to repent.
53:46
Praise,
53:47
signing
53:47
grace.
53:49
Third
53:50
question.
53:52
I know
53:53
God desires
53:53
for me to
53:54
be sanctified,
53:55
but I
53:55
honestly don't
53:56
know how
53:56
to be.
53:58
Okay,
53:59
this is the
53:59
exciting,
54:01
how to be
54:01
sanctified
54:02
question.
54:04
1 Thessalonians
54:05
4,
54:06
3 just
54:06
confirms that,
54:07
okay,
54:07
it is the
54:08
will of
54:08
God,
54:08
He says,
54:09
that you
54:09
be sanctified.
54:10
That's
54:10
literally what
54:12
it says.
54:12
I mean,
54:12
it's the
54:13
will of
54:13
God.
54:13
It's very
54:13
clearly said
54:14
in Scripture.
54:15
1 Thessalonians
54:15
4,
54:16
3.
54:16
The most
54:17
important
54:17
question of
54:18
the night
54:19
is how
54:19
am I
54:20
sanctified?
54:22
Sanctification,
54:23
listen to this,
54:24
is a work of
54:24
the Holy
54:25
Spirit.
54:25
We've said
54:25
that in
54:26
you and
54:27
through
54:27
your grace
54:28
driven
54:29
effort,
54:30
by which
54:31
sin is
54:31
killed and
54:32
your soul
54:33
is purified
54:34
by the
54:35
transformation
54:36
which takes
54:36
place as
54:37
your mind
54:38
is renewed
54:38
by the
54:39
Word.
54:40
That's a
54:41
lie,
54:41
it's a
54:41
mouthful,
54:41
I know
54:41
that,
54:42
but there
54:42
are a
54:42
thousand
54:43
facets
54:43
involved
54:44
in
54:44
sanctification.
54:44
I can't
54:45
discuss all
54:45
of them
54:45
right now.
54:47
It's truly
54:48
inexhaustible,
54:49
this topic
54:50
is,
54:50
but Christ,
54:51
okay,
54:51
He knew
54:52
that it was
54:53
just overwhelming
54:53
probably to the
54:54
disciples in
54:55
their minds
54:56
and He prays
54:56
in John 17
54:57
and He
54:58
explains the
54:59
heart and
54:59
the foundation
55:00
of sanctification
55:01
in verse
55:01
17 of that
55:02
chapter.
55:04
John 17,
55:04
17,
55:05
and He
55:05
prays this,
55:06
He prays,
55:06
sanctify them,
55:08
in truth.
55:09
Your Word
55:10
is truth.
55:12
If you leave
55:13
and you don't
55:14
remember anything
55:14
else tonight,
55:15
remember this,
55:16
God's Word,
55:18
God's truth,
55:19
the truth about
55:20
Christ is how
55:21
you will be
55:22
sanctified.
55:23
It is how you
55:23
will kill sin,
55:24
it is how you
55:25
will learn to
55:25
obey Christ,
55:26
it is how you
55:27
will be strengthened
55:28
to fight against
55:28
the devil when
55:29
he comes and
55:30
when he accuses
55:30
you,
55:31
when he tries to
55:31
thwart your
55:32
plans,
55:32
when he tries to
55:33
afflict you,
55:34
it is how you
55:35
will learn to
55:36
love Christ more
55:37
in your daily
55:38
life.
55:38
It is the key
55:39
to everything
55:40
is the Word
55:40
of God.
55:42
Sanctify them
55:43
in truth,
55:43
your Word is
55:43
truth.
55:44
The truth of
55:44
God's Word
55:45
is the key
55:45
to this whole
55:46
issue.
55:47
Sanctification
55:48
happens as
55:49
God's truth is
55:50
understood and
55:51
obeyed.
55:51
It is that
55:52
simple.
55:54
There is a
55:54
million things
55:55
to say in
55:55
that,
55:55
but it is
55:56
that fundamentally
55:57
simple.
56:00
Christ is
56:01
the Word.
56:02
God's Word.
56:03
John 1.
56:06
That's Jesus
56:07
Christ in
56:08
Word form,
56:09
right?
56:11
His incarnation
56:11
was in fleshly
56:12
form.
56:13
His Word is in
56:14
Word form.
56:17
Christ is the
56:18
Word.
56:18
And His Word
56:19
embodies who He
56:20
is.
56:20
It reveals His
56:20
glory like no
56:21
other medium that
56:22
we have.
56:22
If you wish to
56:23
know God and
56:24
you wish to
56:24
become like God,
56:25
you wish to
56:26
grow in that
56:26
genuine image
56:27
that we talked
56:27
about at the
56:28
beginning,
56:28
then know
56:29
God's Word.
56:31
There's so many
56:32
good verses to
56:33
quote right now
56:33
to just affirm
56:35
that.
56:37
The Spirit of
56:38
God,
56:38
listen to this,
56:39
okay?
56:39
This is the
56:40
sole function of
56:41
the Holy Spirit.
56:42
The Spirit of
56:43
God has been
56:43
given to you
56:44
to teach you
56:45
about Christ.
56:50
To teach you
56:50
about Christ.
56:51
How to love
56:51
Him,
56:52
how He hates,
56:52
what He hates,
56:53
what is pleasing
56:54
to Him,
56:55
what is not
56:55
pleasing to Him,
56:56
when and how
56:56
to obey Him,
56:57
and so on.
56:58
And how does
56:58
the Spirit
56:59
teach us
56:59
these things
57:00
by bringing
57:01
to our
57:01
remembrance
57:01
what Christ
57:02
has said?
57:03
That's John
57:04
14,
57:04
26.
57:05
It is straight
57:06
out of the
57:06
Scriptures.
57:07
The Spirit
57:07
of God
57:07
teaches you
57:08
by reminding
57:09
you of the
57:10
things that
57:10
He has
57:11
said.
57:13
So cling
57:14
to the
57:14
Word of
57:14
God.
57:16
Cling to
57:17
the Word
57:17
of God.
57:18
Let it be
57:18
the most
57:18
important thing
57:19
in your
57:19
life.
57:23
Don't lose
57:24
me here at
57:24
the end,
57:24
okay?
57:24
We have a
57:25
couple minutes
57:25
left.
57:25
I'm almost
57:26
finished.
57:26
I promise.
57:27
Don't lose
57:28
me here.
57:28
This is so,
57:28
so vital.
57:31
John 14,
57:31
21 says this,
57:32
He who has
57:33
my commandments
57:33
and keeps
57:35
them,
57:37
He is who
57:38
loves me.
57:39
And he who
57:40
loves me
57:40
shall be loved
57:40
by my Father,
57:41
and I will
57:42
love him and
57:43
will disclose
57:43
myself to him.
57:44
I will reveal
57:44
myself more to
57:45
him.
57:46
I will manifest
57:47
myself to him.
57:49
To who?
57:50
To the person
57:50
that has my
57:51
commandments and
57:51
keeps him.
57:52
God.
57:55
So that is
57:55
a verse that
57:56
says,
57:56
Jesus is
57:57
saying,
57:58
there is a
57:58
direct correlation
57:59
between you
58:00
experiencing and
58:01
being satisfied
58:02
in me and
58:04
knowing the
58:04
Word of God.
58:06
You know
58:07
my Word and
58:07
you keep that
58:08
Word,
58:09
then you get
58:10
more of me.
58:13
That's the
58:14
heart of
58:15
sanctification.
58:15
Okay,
58:15
now I have
58:16
six things
58:17
that I'm just
58:18
going to fly
58:18
through here at
58:19
the end.
58:19
It will be
58:20
done in
58:20
five minutes.
58:22
Six things
58:23
regarding how
58:24
a person is
58:25
sanctified.
58:26
And they all
58:27
start with
58:27
the word
58:28
be and then
58:29
they have an
58:29
R word
58:30
just to,
58:31
you know,
58:32
make it
58:32
memorable or
58:34
whatever the
58:36
word is.
58:37
So the first
58:38
one is,
58:39
this is how
58:39
a person is
58:40
sanctified.
58:40
The first
58:40
one is be
58:41
redeemed.
58:43
Okay?
58:43
Sanctification
58:44
cannot happen
58:45
apart from the
58:46
Holy Spirit.
58:48
Okay?
58:49
It cannot
58:49
happen apart
58:50
from you
58:50
being saved
58:51
and being
58:51
given the
58:52
Holy Spirit.
58:52
If you
58:52
are not
58:53
redeemed,
58:53
if you
58:54
do not
58:54
know
58:54
Christ,
58:55
then you
58:55
need to
58:55
check out
58:56
right now
58:56
and search
58:58
your heart
58:59
and plead
59:00
to God
59:01
for salvation.
59:02
Okay?
59:03
Because you
59:03
can't go any
59:04
further.
59:06
Those who
59:06
are in the
59:06
flesh,
59:07
the scripture
59:07
says in
59:08
Romans 8,
59:08
cannot
59:09
please God.
59:12
It says,
59:13
however,
59:13
you are not
59:13
in the flesh
59:14
but in the
59:14
spirit.
59:15
If in need,
59:15
the spirit
59:15
of God
59:16
dwells in
59:16
you.
59:16
But if
59:16
anyone does
59:17
not have
59:17
the spirit
59:18
of Christ,
59:18
he does
59:20
not belong
59:20
to him.
59:22
Secondly,
59:23
be repenting.
59:26
Repent of
59:26
your sin
59:27
on the
59:27
regular,
59:28
not for
59:28
forgiveness
59:28
of sins.
59:29
Okay?
59:29
People,
59:29
Christians make
59:30
this mistake
59:30
a lot.
59:31
Okay?
59:31
They pray,
59:32
Father,
59:32
forgive me
59:32
for this
59:33
sin.
59:34
He already
59:35
has.
59:36
Why are you
59:37
asking for
59:38
something he's
59:38
already given
59:38
you?
59:40
He's already
59:41
forgiven you of
59:42
all your sins.
59:42
He's already
59:43
absolved you of
59:43
all your sins.
59:44
forgiveness.
59:45
So don't
59:45
pray for
59:46
forgiveness.
59:46
You pray
59:47
about sin
59:50
just simply
59:52
admitting to
59:52
it.
59:53
It's a
59:53
recognition of
59:54
your sin.
59:54
God,
59:55
I again
59:56
recognize today
59:57
that I am in
59:58
need of your
59:59
grace because
59:59
my sin is
1:00:00
great.
1:00:02
Thank you for
1:00:03
your forgiveness.
1:00:03
Praise him for
1:00:04
that.
1:00:05
So be
1:00:06
repenting.
1:00:08
Okay?
1:00:09
Repentance
1:00:09
glorifies God.
1:00:12
Joshua 7
1:00:13
19 proves
1:00:14
that.
1:00:17
So be
1:00:17
repenting of
1:00:18
your sin,
1:00:18
but also be
1:00:19
laying aside
1:00:20
your sin.
1:00:24
Okay?
1:00:24
Starve them
1:00:25
with all
1:00:25
your heart
1:00:26
and soul
1:00:27
and mind
1:00:27
and strength.
1:00:28
Starve your
1:00:28
lust.
1:00:29
I heard
1:00:29
John Owen
1:00:30
describe
1:00:30
the work
1:00:33
of killing
1:00:33
your lust
1:00:34
as a man
1:00:37
being crucified.
1:00:38
Right?
1:00:38
Imagine your
1:00:39
lust.
1:00:39
Imagine
1:00:39
your sin,
1:00:40
your old man
1:00:41
in a sense
1:00:41
that the Bible
1:00:42
talks about.
1:00:42
Imagine that
1:00:43
as a person
1:00:44
on the cross
1:00:45
being crucified.
1:00:46
Right?
1:00:47
And they're
1:00:47
initially,
1:00:48
when they're
1:00:48
initially killed,
1:00:50
they're initially
1:00:50
not killed,
1:00:51
but initially
1:00:52
crucified,
1:00:53
there's blood
1:00:53
spewing on
1:00:54
everywhere and
1:00:54
they're up there
1:00:55
gyrating all
1:00:56
over the place
1:00:57
and they're
1:00:57
probably screaming
1:00:57
out and yelling.
1:00:58
But as time
1:00:59
goes on and
1:01:00
that person
1:01:00
loses more and
1:01:01
more and more
1:01:02
and more and
1:01:02
more of their
1:01:02
blood,
1:01:04
they don't
1:01:05
really say
1:01:05
very much.
1:01:07
Right?
1:01:08
So you
1:01:09
keep your
1:01:10
sin starved,
1:01:12
you keep your
1:01:12
sin crucified
1:01:13
like that.
1:01:15
I know
1:01:15
initially it's
1:01:16
going to be
1:01:16
like,
1:01:16
man,
1:01:16
this thing
1:01:17
is just
1:01:17
coming at
1:01:17
me and
1:01:17
coming at
1:01:18
me and
1:01:18
yelling at
1:01:19
me and
1:01:19
my sin
1:01:19
is just
1:01:20
in my
1:01:20
face.
1:01:21
But then
1:01:21
over time,
1:01:23
as you
1:01:23
continue to
1:01:24
starve your
1:01:24
lusts,
1:01:26
it will
1:01:27
subside,
1:01:28
it will
1:01:28
die,
1:01:28
it will
1:01:28
lose strength,
1:01:29
it will
1:01:29
lose energy,
1:01:30
it will
1:01:30
grow weaker
1:01:31
and weaker
1:01:31
and weaker
1:01:32
and weaker.
1:01:32
Another good
1:01:33
illustration,
1:01:34
this is funny
1:01:35
I think,
1:01:36
if you guys
1:01:37
seen Monty Python
1:01:39
and the Holy
1:01:39
Grail,
1:01:41
hilarious movie,
1:01:41
right?
1:01:42
There's that
1:01:42
one scene
1:01:43
when he comes
1:01:43
up,
1:01:44
kind of
1:01:45
sacrilegious,
1:01:46
I know,
1:01:46
but there's
1:01:47
that one scene
1:01:47
where he comes
1:01:48
up,
1:01:48
he's at the
1:01:49
bridge and
1:01:49
there's that
1:01:49
black,
1:01:50
like dark
1:01:50
knight,
1:01:50
right?
1:01:51
He's like,
1:01:52
you know,
1:01:52
he's like,
1:01:52
I gotta pass
1:01:53
this way,
1:01:53
and he's like,
1:01:53
none shall
1:01:54
pass,
1:01:54
and they get
1:01:54
into this
1:01:55
sword fight,
1:01:56
and he cuts
1:01:56
off his
1:01:56
right arm
1:01:57
and like,
1:01:58
fate blood is
1:01:59
skewed out of
1:01:59
his arm,
1:02:02
at first,
1:02:03
and he's like,
1:02:03
alright,
1:02:04
you know,
1:02:04
you're defeated,
1:02:04
and he says,
1:02:05
he's like,
1:02:05
no I'm not,
1:02:06
but you know,
1:02:06
where's my
1:02:08
sword,
1:02:08
and he picks
1:02:08
it up and
1:02:09
starts fighting
1:02:09
with his left
1:02:10
hand,
1:02:10
he's all clumsy,
1:02:11
cuts off the
1:02:11
left arm,
1:02:12
cuts off the
1:02:12
left leg,
1:02:13
right leg,
1:02:14
and at last,
1:02:15
he's like,
1:02:15
just hobbling
1:02:16
around like
1:02:16
this,
1:02:17
you know,
1:02:17
he has no
1:02:17
arms,
1:02:17
no legs,
1:02:18
just this
1:02:18
torso and
1:02:19
a head,
1:02:20
and the
1:02:22
guy's like,
1:02:24
there's nothing
1:02:25
left for you
1:02:26
to fight with,
1:02:27
and he's like,
1:02:28
you know,
1:02:28
come here,
1:02:28
I'm gonna
1:02:28
bite you,
1:02:29
whatever,
1:02:29
it's hilarious,
1:02:30
like,
1:02:31
that's kind of
1:02:31
the same idea
1:02:32
as killing
1:02:33
your sin,
1:02:35
you know,
1:02:35
like,
1:02:36
I mean,
1:02:36
if you continue
1:02:37
to just fight
1:02:37
it,
1:02:38
and stab
1:02:38
it,
1:02:38
and wound
1:02:39
it,
1:02:39
and you
1:02:40
don't give
1:02:40
it any,
1:02:40
you don't give
1:02:42
it any leeway
1:02:42
with you,
1:02:43
you don't give
1:02:43
it any ground
1:02:43
with you,
1:02:44
eventually,
1:02:45
your lust
1:02:45
is gonna be
1:02:46
like this
1:02:46
torso and
1:02:49
head,
1:02:50
I mean,
1:02:50
it's still
1:02:50
alive,
1:02:51
like,
1:02:51
I mean,
1:02:51
you're not,
1:02:52
I mean,
1:02:52
yeah,
1:02:52
it's still
1:02:52
like a lust
1:02:53
in your life,
1:02:54
it's still
1:02:54
like a thing
1:02:55
to be,
1:02:55
I guess,
1:02:56
aware of,
1:02:56
but it has
1:02:57
no power,
1:02:59
you know,
1:02:59
just kick it
1:02:59
over and
1:03:00
walk by,
1:03:02
all right,
1:03:02
that's the
1:03:03
idea,
1:03:03
I mean,
1:03:04
like,
1:03:04
that's what
1:03:04
sanctification
1:03:05
does,
1:03:05
when you
1:03:06
employ the
1:03:07
Holy Spirit
1:03:07
and you
1:03:07
employ the
1:03:09
work of
1:03:10
that Spirit
1:03:10
by faith,
1:03:11
you will
1:03:12
see your
1:03:12
lusts,
1:03:13
as John
1:03:14
Owen is
1:03:14
about to
1:03:15
say,
1:03:15
dead at
1:03:16
your feet,
1:03:19
just kick
1:03:20
it over,
1:03:22
thirdly,
1:03:23
be remembering
1:03:25
God's
1:03:25
word,
1:03:27
be remembering
1:03:27
God's
1:03:28
word,
1:03:29
memorize the
1:03:30
heck out of
1:03:30
scripture,
1:03:31
okay,
1:03:32
let the
1:03:32
word of
1:03:32
Christ richly
1:03:34
dwell within
1:03:35
you,
1:03:35
Colossians
1:03:35
316,
1:03:37
Psalm 119,
1:03:38
11,
1:03:38
says,
1:03:39
I have
1:03:39
hidden your
1:03:39
word in
1:03:40
my heart,
1:03:41
that I
1:03:41
might not
1:03:42
sin against
1:03:42
you,
1:03:44
Psalm 119,
1:03:45
11,
1:03:46
I'm telling
1:03:49
you,
1:03:49
I'm telling
1:03:49
you,
1:03:50
okay,
1:03:50
you've heard
1:03:50
it before,
1:03:51
you didn't
1:03:51
believe it
1:03:51
then,
1:03:52
believe it
1:03:52
now,
1:03:52
the word
1:03:53
of God
1:03:54
is the
1:03:54
key to
1:03:55
everything,
1:03:56
you learn
1:03:58
the word
1:03:59
of God,
1:03:59
you put
1:04:00
this stuff
1:04:00
in your
1:04:00
mind,
1:04:01
you're
1:04:01
going to
1:04:01
find the
1:04:02
sin that
1:04:02
you want
1:04:03
to struggle
1:04:03
with,
1:04:03
not that
1:04:04
bad,
1:04:05
you wave
1:04:08
by it as
1:04:09
you continue
1:04:09
down the
1:04:09
narrow road,
1:04:12
you kick
1:04:13
it under
1:04:13
your feet,
1:04:17
God
1:04:17
says in
1:04:18
1 John
1:04:18
4,
1:04:19
4,
1:04:19
what?
1:04:21
Does
1:04:22
anybody know
1:04:22
that?
1:04:22
greater
1:04:24
is he
1:04:25
who's
1:04:25
in you
1:04:25
than
1:04:26
he
1:04:26
who's
1:04:27
in
1:04:27
the
1:04:27
world.
1:04:29
Greater
1:04:29
is he
1:04:30
who's
1:04:30
in you,
1:04:31
Christian,
1:04:31
than
1:04:31
he
1:04:32
who's
1:04:32
in the
1:04:32
world.
1:04:33
I
1:04:33
can't
1:04:34
get over
1:04:35
this
1:04:35
sin,
1:04:35
it's
1:04:35
in my
1:04:36
life,
1:04:36
it's
1:04:36
so
1:04:36
strong.
1:04:38
No,
1:04:39
greater
1:04:40
is he
1:04:40
who's
1:04:40
in you
1:04:40
than
1:04:40
he
1:04:41
who's
1:04:41
in
1:04:41
the
1:04:41
world.
1:04:44
The
1:04:44
Holy
1:04:44
Spirit
1:04:44
within
1:04:45
you
1:04:45
is
1:04:45
greater
1:04:46
than
1:04:46
that
1:04:46
sin.
1:04:46
And
1:04:47
when you
1:04:48
believe
1:04:48
that,
1:04:50
you
1:04:50
will
1:04:50
see it
1:04:51
come about.
1:04:54
Fourthly,
1:04:54
three more
1:04:55
real quick,
1:04:55
be relentless,
1:04:57
be relentless,
1:04:58
be relentless in your pursuit of God's glory.
1:05:01
Psalm 86,
1:05:02
11 and 12
1:05:03
says this,
1:05:04
teach me your way,
1:05:05
O Lord,
1:05:05
I will walk in your truth.
1:05:07
There it is again.
1:05:09
Truth,
1:05:09
I will walk in your truth,
1:05:11
your word.
1:05:13
Unite my heart to fear your name,
1:05:15
he says,
1:05:15
I will give thanks to you,
1:05:16
O Lord,
1:05:17
my God,
1:05:17
with all my heart,
1:05:20
and will glorify your name forever.
1:05:23
The psalmist
1:05:24
was resilient.
1:05:26
He was relentless in his pursuit of God's glory.
1:05:30
Every temptation that you face
1:05:31
is
1:05:32
surmountable,
1:05:34
is
1:05:34
defeatable.
1:05:37
No temptation has ever taken you,
1:05:38
but such as is common to man.
1:05:40
And God is faithful
1:05:41
and will not allow you to be tempted
1:05:42
beyond what you can bear.
1:05:46
It's a promise.
1:05:48
But,
1:05:48
with every temptation,
1:05:50
He will provide a way of escape
1:05:51
that you might be able to endure.
1:05:55
1 Corinthians 10, 13.
1:05:58
That's a promise.
1:06:02
Spurgeon said this,
1:06:04
or
1:06:04
John Owen said this,
1:06:05
Set faith at work on Christ
1:06:07
for the killing of your sin.
1:06:09
His blood is the great sovereign remedy
1:06:11
for sin-sick souls.
1:06:13
Live in this,
1:06:14
and you will die a conqueror.
1:06:16
Yes,
1:06:16
you will,
1:06:17
through the good providence of God,
1:06:19
live to see your lusts
1:06:21
dead at your feet.
1:06:25
This is signification.
1:06:27
Fifthly,
1:06:28
whoa,
1:06:29
wait a second,
1:06:30
Matthew 26, 41.
1:06:31
I've got to interject this.
1:06:34
Matthew 26, 41 says,
1:06:36
keep watching and praying.
1:06:39
Really,
1:06:40
keep watching and keep praying continually.
1:06:45
There is a vigilance,
1:06:49
a steadfastness,
1:06:51
in this sanctification.
1:06:53
Matthew 7, 14
1:06:57
says to enter by the narrow gate,
1:07:00
right?
1:07:01
It says that the way is hard,
1:07:03
and it's narrow,
1:07:04
that leads to eternal life,
1:07:05
and few there be that find it.
1:07:08
That word hard,
1:07:10
okay,
1:07:10
means troubling,
1:07:11
it means distressful.
1:07:14
So I say this,
1:07:15
only those
1:07:16
with the aid of the Holy Spirit
1:07:18
can make it.
1:07:19
Only those
1:07:20
who have seen Christ by faith
1:07:23
will endure.
1:07:27
This relentlessness
1:07:28
that we're talking about right here
1:07:29
is going to be
1:07:30
what leads to your assurance.
1:07:34
If you find yourself
1:07:35
losing all confidence in you
1:07:38
and putting all confidence in Christ,
1:07:40
you will find yourself victorious.
1:07:43
You will find yourself relentless.
1:07:44
And you will find yourself
1:07:49
enduring to the end
1:07:50
and being saved triumphantly.
1:07:53
And being confident when you die.
1:07:57
And being confident as you live
1:07:59
in God.
1:08:02
Fifthly,
1:08:03
be rejoicing.
1:08:06
Be rejoicing.
1:08:08
Paul beckons us
1:08:09
in Philippians 4, 4.
1:08:11
Rejoice in the Lord always.
1:08:12
Again, I say rejoice.
1:08:16
The Christian
1:08:16
can always
1:08:18
rejoice.
1:08:21
You say,
1:08:22
that's impossible.
1:08:24
Life sucks sometimes.
1:08:26
The Christian
1:08:27
can always
1:08:28
rejoice.
1:08:29
Why?
1:08:30
Because Christ
1:08:31
is always
1:08:32
His Savior.
1:08:35
That trumps
1:08:36
every trial.
1:08:40
There is never a moment
1:08:42
to despair.
1:08:42
Is your soul
1:08:43
sick with sin?
1:08:45
Rejoice in the same
1:08:46
Savior
1:08:46
as the chief of sinners.
1:08:49
Are you downtrodden?
1:08:50
Are you heavy hearted?
1:08:51
Rejoice.
1:08:52
Our Savior
1:08:52
was Himself
1:08:53
well acquainted
1:08:54
with grief
1:08:55
and with many sorrows
1:08:56
and yet He overcame
1:08:57
all of them
1:08:59
for you.
1:09:01
In the words of Nehemiah
1:09:03
chapter 8
1:09:04
verse 10
1:09:05
The joy
1:09:07
of the Lord
1:09:07
is your strength.
1:09:09
The joy of the Lord
1:09:13
is your strength.
1:09:15
It's a beautiful
1:09:16
Old Testament verse.
1:09:17
It's hidden back there
1:09:18
in Nehemiah.
1:09:20
Lastly,
1:09:21
this is for fun,
1:09:22
be reminding
1:09:23
be reminding
1:09:25
be reminding
1:09:26
Satan
1:09:27
as often as you like
1:09:28
that he is an already
1:09:30
defeated foe.
1:09:32
Say with Paul,
1:09:35
if God is for us,
1:09:37
who can be against us?
1:09:38
What can mere man
1:09:41
do to me?
1:09:43
It's kind of this arrogance
1:09:44
but he says,
1:09:45
hey,
1:09:45
if you're going to boast,
1:09:45
boast in Christ.
1:09:46
So I'm kind of arrogant
1:09:47
right now.
1:09:49
And I'm not going to
1:09:50
repent of that.
1:09:52
You feel that confidence
1:09:54
welling up within you?
1:09:56
That is merely
1:09:57
the Spirit
1:09:58
energizing your soul
1:09:59
for the slaughtering
1:10:00
of Satan
1:10:01
and of your lusts
1:10:03
and readying your heart
1:10:04
for praise
1:10:05
of our conquering Christ.
1:10:08
I'm going to end
1:10:08
with a quote
1:10:09
and then we're done.
1:10:10
I'll wait in ten minutes.
1:10:11
Sorry.
1:10:12
Remember,
1:10:13
you are God's sword.
1:10:16
His instrument.
1:10:18
I trust a chosen vessel
1:10:20
unto Him
1:10:20
to bear His name.
1:10:24
In greatest measure,
1:10:25
according to the purity
1:10:25
and the perfection
1:10:26
of the instrument.
1:10:27
Hear that again.
1:10:28
In greatest measure,
1:10:29
according to the purity
1:10:30
and the perfection
1:10:31
of the instrument
1:10:31
will be the success.
1:10:34
It is not great talents.
1:10:36
God blesses so much
1:10:38
as likeness to Jesus.
1:10:43
You need to cling to that.
1:10:45
It is not great talents
1:10:47
that God blesses so much
1:10:49
as likeness to Jesus.
1:10:51
A holy man
1:10:55
is an awful weapon
1:10:56
in the hand of God.
1:11:00
In Philippians 1.6
1:11:01
it says,
1:11:03
He that began
1:11:04
a good work in you
1:11:05
will perfect them
1:11:07
until the day of Christ Jesus.
1:11:09
So if you're a Christian,
1:11:11
what I'm talking about,
1:11:12
although it seems lofty
1:11:13
and crazy,
1:11:13
is a sure thing.
1:11:15
He's a dream.
1:11:16
He's a dream.
1:11:17
He's a dream.
1:11:17
He's a dream.
1:11:17
Thank you.