Sunday 10/28/18
Series: For Edification
Message – Producing the Righteousness of God
Podcast: Download (169.3MB)
Producing the Righteousness of God
Last week we learned about seeds and fruit bearing, learning about it from both the positive…
When you take that planted WORD (that thought, that suggestion, that influence) and think on it – set your mind or affections on it – it will have all the fuel it needs to grow and produce!
- If it is a Word from God – it will produce LIFE – UNION with God and bearing His likeness.
- If it is a Word from satan – it will produce death – separation from koinonia with God and bearing the image and likeness of satan – the rebeller.
We spent the greatest portion of our time in James 1:15-18, which says,
“(15) Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin (EVIL FRUIT – PROOF of UNION), and when sin is finished, it brings forth death. (16) Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. (17) Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. (18) By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.”
- James warns us about desire because OURS is a journey of desire! Only, we need to set our affections on the right things and in the right places.
- We learned that God calls our desires for other things – adultery and friendship.
How many of you are wary of people who come at you with an agenda?
Well, we need to REMEMBER that Jesus warned us that our enemy HAS AN AGENDA! He ONLY (can anyone say ONLY)…He ONLY comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10).
OURS is a journey of desire and there is NOTHING wrong with desire! Only, we need to set our affections on the right things and in the right places. Which is why Paul tell us in Col. 3:1-17, “(1) So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set your minds and your affections (the words “set your minds” mans to be mindful of and devoted to) on what is above, not on what is on the earth. (3) For you have died (THAT body Paul wanted to be set free from has been rendered inoperative – powerless), and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.
In the same way in those verses we looked at last week in James – he is telling us that the good and perfect gift is to become like your Maker – to be fully reborn in His image – spirit, soul & body! ANY OTHER THING will produce NOT union with God (LIFE) but separation (death).
THIS Is where our desires and affections must lie!
This is what we must NOT be deceived about!
James is telling us to not be deceived by fleshly desires. They are promising satisfaction and fulfillment – but they cannot deliver. The only thing which will satisfy is Jesus!
We were created for union and oneness with God through Christ Jesus both now and forever! Amen?!
For the time being however, (what Paul called “this present distress”) we are perplexed and pressed from every side with desires which attempt to supplant our desires for Christ in us – with temporal and temporary satisfaction from our flesh.
We ended last week by allowing King David to summarize our lesson in Psa 17:1-15,
Of which I will just read the last three verses…
“(13) Arise, O LORD, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, (14) With Your hand from men, O LORD, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes. (15) BUT As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
Now, this week we are going to leave the lesson of desires right here and look at this same truth of fruit bearing from another angle as it is found in John 15.
At this point I had everyone turn to John 15, but then felt a strong impulse to stay where we were and continue through James 1 which was not in my notes so I will offer a few notes here, but you will have to listen rather than follow along in writing this week. My apologies for not taking the time to write it out, but it is what it is.
James 1:17-25, NKJV “(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (19) So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; (20) for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (21) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (22) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; (24) for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. (25) But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
2Cor. 5:17-21, NKJV “(17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (18) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Rom. 7:16-23, NKJV “(16) If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. (17) But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. (19) For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. (20) Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (21) I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. (22) For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
This service had content that is NOT written out here, so I would encourage you to listen to it WHILE you read…Blessings!
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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