8/2/09
Tim Franklin
Introduction:
· Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard, from Australia who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the service, one of the church officers came to counsel with him in the study. "Dr. Howard," he said, "we don't want you to talk as openly as you do about man's guilt and corruption, because if our boys and girls hear you discussing that subject they will more easily become sinners. Call it a mistake if you will, but do not speak so plainly about sin. "The minister took down a small bottle and showing it to the visitor said, "You see that label? It says strychnine -- and underneath in bold, red letters the word 'Poison!' Do you know, man, what you are asking me to do? You are suggesting that I change the label. Suppose I do, and paste over it the words, 'Essence of Peppermint'; don't you see what might happen? Someone would use it, not knowing the danger involved, and would certainly die. So it is, too, with the matter of sin. The milder you make your label, the more dangerous you make your poison!"
· For last two Sundays I have been talking about sin. The first week I let you feel the offensiveness of sin. Last week I let you know that all have sinned. And there are two responses to sin. Pride that rejects the ways of God and Humility which accepts the ways of God. The way to life is to fear sin, hate it and repent of it.
· I want to break this down for us this morning and show you how to win the battle.
1. The Design of Man
a. God is revealed in three ways. We are made in His image. Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. NKJV So God made us to be like him. God is spirit, God has a mind, and God has a body—Jesus. So God is revealed three ways:
i. God the Father
ii. God the Son/Jesus
iii. God the Holy Spirit
b. Three Parts of Man
i. Body
ii. Soul
iii. Spirit
c. Each has Three Parts
i. Body—flesh, bone, blood
ii. Soul—mind, will, emotions
iii. Spirit—wisdom-truth, communion-fellowship with God, conscience-how you hear from God.
2. The Design of the Battle
a. Battle-- A fight, or encounter between enemies, or opposing armies; a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces; participation in such hostile encounters or engagements. Ie. Light and darkness, police and thugs, parents and children, husband and wife.
i. To have a battle there has to be two opposing forces, or enemies to one another.
ii. They must encounter each other each seeking to get what they want
iii. There is usually something that causes them to meet. Trigger point/stimulus.
b. Two sides to our battlefield—the opposing armies
i. Soul verses the spirit. Bring kids up to help with illustration. On stage right is spirit on stage left is soul.
ii. The spirit is what gets born again. It was dead without Christ but when Jesus comes into your heart your spirit man is made alive. Your conscience is cleansed from dead works (you want to right), you have fellowship with God and you want to talk to him and worship Him.
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV
2. John 3:6-7 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' NKJV
iii. The Soul does not get born again. It is not made a new creature. It has to be renewed.
1. 2 Cor 4:16-18Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NKJV
2. Ephesians 4:2 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, NKJV
3. Colossians 3:10 put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, NKJV
4. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV This happens in the soul.
c. The more the soul of a man can come into agreement with his spirit the more power he will have over his flesh. The deeper the mind gets renewed the more like Jesus one becomes.
i. The Spirit is born again, the soul is not.
ii. The soul has issues
1. It is ignorant of the ways of God.
a. Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. NKJV
b. Romans 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. NKJV
c. 1 Thess 4:13 I do not want you to be ignorant, NKJV
2. It is wounded.
a. We put garbage in our minds. We fill up the hard drive with meaningless material or viruses that are harmful to the operating system as it was designed by God. Mans ways verses God’s ways.
b. Will—the power of choice. It is a gift of God given to man so that we can freely love Him. But if we sit in the driver seat of our will we will most likely not be following God.
c. Emotions—get wounded by the words and actions of others. Sometimes this is intentionally done, at other times it is not but it is still wounds.
i. Rejection—causes soul wounds that make us fearful, lacking self-confidence, always putting up walls.
ii. Abuse—both emotional and physical, leads to mistrust.
iii. Sarcasm –humor at others expense.
3. It is immature
a. 1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. NKJV
b. Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NKJV
iii. If the spirit is made new and the soul is not renewed we have the making of a battlefield in which we and others can get hurt. Let me show you how this works.
3. The Moment of Choice
a. The moment of choice occurs when someone or something triggers something in us that requires a response. It can be anything.
i. Someone says something that hurts you. Ie. Zap! How do I respond.
ii. Someone pushes your button. Family members are really good at this since they know us best.
iii. Someone does something to you…cut you off in traffic, gesture you in traffic, etc. The moment of choice occurs when someone or something triggers something in us that requires a response! To love or not to love! To be kind or not be kind!
b. So we have the spirit on stage right and the soul on stage left.
i. The trigger is hit.
ii. And the trigger sends us into the narrow valley of decision the battlefield of the spirit and mind. Two things going on in the moment of choice. The spirit and the soul are warring against each other for the opportunity to make that choice. With every event of the day we have a choice to make and a response to that event.
iii. It thus requires a response/choice/decision.
1. Ie. You keep bugging your mom to go over to your friends house. She says no. You keep bugging her until she finally goes postal. “You are not going today, you will not go tomorrow and you will not go next week!” You now have a decision to make.
2. Ie. Cold shoulder treatment is the result of a soulish choice.
iv. If we have our minds set on things below we will be ruled by the soul. Col 3:1-4. But if we have been meditating night and day like Joshua 1:9-11 says we will prosper in the things of God and make right choices resulting in life.
c. So the process is trigger, moment of choice, response. The question is: Are you winning the battles? If not you are having revealed to you the condition of your soul—a soul in need of being renewed and sanctified.
i. Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, NKJV
ii. John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV
d. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. NKJV
i. If the mind is renewed we have right thoughts
ii. If we have right thoughts we will have right actions
iii. If we have right actions we will have rights habits.
Conclusion:
· God desire that we hate sin. And if we truly hate sin we will renew our minds and sanctify ourselves as we wait for His appearing.
· Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; NKJV
· Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." NKJV
