LIVING THE
Scripture
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality and so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely, you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in that attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
INTRODUCTION:
How much would you be willing to pay for a piece of fruit? In
Christians have fruit that is far more precious than the Densuke watermelon. It is called the fruit of the Spirit. Consider this basket of fruit from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5:
· Love
· Joy
· Peace
· Longsuffering
· Kindness
· Goodness
· Faithfulness
· Gentleness
· Self-control (Gal. -23).
Each “fruit” is a different aspect of Christlikeness.
In the Gospels, we see how Christ exemplified these virtues.
Now He wants to produce them in our hearts—
· in what we say,
· how we think,
· how we relate to others,
· and how we respond to life’s challenges (John 15:1-4).
A rare and delicious fruit may bring a premium price in the marketplace, but Christlike character is of far greater worth.
As we confess all known sin and yield to God’s indwelling Spirit, our lives will be transformed to the likeness of Christ (1 John 1:9; Eph. ). This spiritual fruit will:
· fill our lives with joy,
· bless those around us,
and last into eternity. 1
This morning I want to contrast the light and darkness, the truth and the life of sin and the life of righteousness.
(CONTRAST THE GREEK CULTURE
I. THE OLD
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that
· you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,
in the futility of their thinking.
They are darkened in their understanding
and separated from the life of God
· because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
· Having lost all sensitivity,
they have given themselves over to sensuality and
so as to indulge in every kind of impurity,
with a continual lust for more.
Romans 1: 18-32 Paul writes, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God, nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”
(This is not just the apostle Paul being homophobic. God told Moses, “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.” “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable” (Leviticus 18:4, 22). It is God Himself who is homophobic!
Romans 12:28—Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind; to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of
· wickedness
· evil
· greed
· murder
· strife
· deceit
· malice
· They are gossips
· slanderers
· God-haters
· insolent
· arrogant and boastful
· they invent ways of doing evil
· they disobey parents
· they are senseless
· faithless
· heartless
· ruthless
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
II. LEARNING THE MESSIAH (-24)
A. Knowing the Christ and Jesus (-21).
You, however,
did not come to know Christ that way.
Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance
· with the truth that is in Jesus.
This is talking about knowing the mind of Christ
1 Cor. 2: 14-16 says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
There are two ways to develop the mind of Christ within us.
1. By DEVOTING TIME TO BE intimate with God and absorbing the essence of His
2. By absorbing God’s Word: HOW?
· Hear God’s Word proclaimed by regularly attending Church and
I. Sunday School
· Read God’s Word daily, using a Bible reading guide is helpful.
a. Our Daily Bread
b. Secret Place
c. In Touch
d. Upper Room, Etc.
· Study God’s Word, personally gleaning its truths.
1. What is it saying?
2. Put it in your own words
3. How can I apply it to my life?
4. What other things have I learned in the Word and in life that are saying the same thing to me?
· Memorize God’s Word as a discipline.
· Meditate on God’s Word as an application of it to your life
(How does this passage of Scripture apply to my situation, my aspirations, my relationships, my activities?)
LEARN JESUS BY IMITATING HIS
B. Old Being to New Being (22-24). THREE IMPERITIVES
· You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
· to put off your old self,
which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires?
· to be made new in that attitude of your minds;
· and to put on the new self,
· created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Can we really put off the old being and put on the new?
To ask this is to ask about the truth of Christianity,
for if we cannot do so,
the Christian faith is meaningless no matter how nice its teaching, it will not deal with the core of our problem, or our own sin.
How can I put off:
· what I am?
· my personality?
· and my desires?
· Therefore each of you must put off falsehood
· and speak truthfully to his neighbor,
· for we are all members of one body.
In your anger do not sin.” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
· Get rid of all bitterness,
· rage and
· anger,
· brawling and
· slander,
· along with every form of malice.
· Be kind and compassionate to one another,
· forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and
live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us
as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
“Fruitfulness for Christ depends on fellowship with Christ”
Think not alone of outward form
Its beauty will depart
But cultivate the Spirit’s fruits
That grow within the heart. –D. DeHaan
______________________________________
1. Precious Fruit,” Dennis Fisher, Our Daily Bread ;
