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The Rock Family Worship Center
Taking The Church Outside The Walls
The Rock Family Worship Center
Behavior vs Identity
This episode focuses on shifting the understanding of sin from a behavior-based perspective to one rooted in identity. Listeners will explore the biblical implications of sin, misconceptions around sanctification, and the importance of recognizing their true identity in Christ to overcome sin consciousness.
• Examining the true meaning of sin beyond mere behavior
• Discussing legalistic views of sin and salvation
• Understanding the influence of a legalistic mindset on identity
• Highlighting the finish work theology and its implications
• Exploring the misconceptions surrounding sanctification
• Addressing the importance of renewing the mind for identity realization
But what I'm going to speak to you about this morning is kind of a piggybacking off of what I talked about last week, and today we're going to go into looking at behavior versus identity and I've made the comment often that understanding the true meaning of sin and I don't talk about sin a lot, but I do recently because I'm talking about it in the true context of what sin really is. I'm not talking about what I used to believe it was or what a lot of other people still believe it is. I'm not talking about it from that standpoint. I'm talking about what the true biblical understanding of sin is. But I believe that if we understand that true meaning of sin, that it would clear so many misconceptions up in the Bible and so many misinterpretations in the Bible. It would clear those things up. I was talking to somebody and I think I've said this to a couple of different people but I really believe that with what we're teaching, it's hard to know that when you're witnessing to somebody or you're just sharing what's going on in your life and what's going on in your church and stuff and you're trying to share it with people, we cover a huge range of stuff, so it's hard sometimes to talk to somebody and kind of know where to start at and I've said this several times to people just start at the understanding of sin versus identity. Because if you can get them to see what sin really is and I'm talking about going all the way back to what we talked about a long time ago, that word harmatia Going back and looking at that word and understanding that it's not about behavioral things, it's not about actions that we're doing, but it's about an identity. So if somebody can see that, I truly believe it'll change the misconceptions that we have and the mistranslation that we so often have when we're reading the Word.
Speaker 1:Many people see sin still primarily as behavior rather than identity. Most people that you're going to talk to around here is going to see sin as behavior. Around here is going to see sin as behavior. Actually, other than the people in this church and people we're connected to from other churches, there's not many people I talk to around Alma that don't see sin as behavior. Why? Because I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm saying that they see it like that because that's what we've always been taught. That's what I was always taught coming up, and most of you as well.
Speaker 1:But the reason they're taught this and the reason they see it primarily as behavior and not looking at it as identity, is because their theological framework often emphasizes the ongoing struggle. How many times have we heard that? The ongoing struggle between good and evil and the idea of a yet to come Listen to that, a yet to come redemption plan. I'm going to try to slow down a minute because I want you to get this and I'm trying so hard and I'm praying and saying God, teach me how to teach this, show me the easiest way to put this. And I'm trying, I'm trying so hard and I'm praying and saying God, teach me how to teach this, show me the easiest way to put this out there so it's easy to see and it's easy to understand.
Speaker 1:So I want to look this morning at a a few reasons why some people hold this view. What view? That is behavior and not identity, real, simple Behavior versus identity. So why do some people hold this view, despite tons and tons of biblical evidence to support a finished work, tons of biblical evidence that supports it, but we still say it's behavior? That's bothered me for years.
Speaker 1:Trying to figure that out, I've often made the comment I said I don't know why people would rather go through pain than have peace and joy. It don't make any sense. If you've got a Bible, why would you rather take the hard parts out of it and apply to your life? But you don't want to take the peace, you don't want to take the joy, you don't want to take the righteousness, you don't want to take the grace, all the things that he gave us when he climbed up on the cross. We don't. It's oftentimes we reject it and we grab on to all the hate. I know that's a word a lot of people don't want to use, but the hate and the anger and the wrath, that's what we grab on to. It don't make any sense. But I believe one of the reasons is this. Number one there's about four of them, but I'm going to just go through them and let you take a look at them.
Speaker 1:A legalistic view of sin and salvation. If we have a legalistic view of sin and salvation, many people still operate under a legal mindset where sin is seen as breaking God's moral laws. That's the way we look at it. We're doing something bad, we're saying a dirty word or we're doing something that we shouldn't be doing and we're breaking the moral law of God. They see that as sin rather than a distortion of identity. That's what we teach. We teach that sin is a distorted identity, a distorted mindset. They emphasize forgiveness of sins but often fail to see that christ didn't just forgive sin, and this goes back to ties in with something I preached a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 1:He did not climb on the cross just to forgive sins. He removed the root issue. We can't just say he died to forgive us of our sins. Yes, he did that. We're not denying that. We're not denying what happened on the cross, but what we're saying is it was not denying that. We're not. We're not denying what happened on the cross, but what we're saying is it was not just that simple. He did more than just die for sin. He died for the root cause of sin, which was the old nature, the old mindset, the old image that I had of myself that was based on the garden. He died because of that. He said you're not going to have this anymore. I'm going to die, you're going to die with me. The old man is going to die, the old nature is going to pass away. Behold, all things are going to become new. What is that all thing, my image, my mindset, the way I see myself, the way I see God, the way I see other people Everything is going to change. Why? Because I'm dead to the old stuff.
Speaker 1:Romans 6 and 6 and some of these verses I'm just going to read to you. I didn't put back here for Ronnie to put up. Romans 6 and 6 says the some of these verses I'm just going to read to you. I didn't put back here for Ronnie to put up. But Romans 6 and 6 says the old self was crucified. There's no other way. I'm reading straight from Scripture, I'm paraphrasing it, but that's what Romans 6 and 6 says the old self was crucified, meaning sin is no longer a nature in us. It is no longer. Does sin still exist? Absolutely, it still exists.
Speaker 1:Walk outside this church and look at yourself and say I'm just an old sinner saved by grace. I'm not worthy of what God has for me. And you are sinning Because your image is distorted from what he said. That's sinning. It's not a behavior you're doing, it's a distorted image of yourself. You are created in the image and the likeness of God. Anything that causes you to think otherwise is sinning. Because why? Again? Romans 6.6 says the old self was crucified.
Speaker 1:2 Corinthians 5.17 declares that believers are new creations. So I'm just showing you these verses together because the old self was crucified. We are new creations, yet many often focus more on behavior correction or behavior modification than living from a new identity. Those two verses right there are so important. That's a springboard right there. Where can I start at? You can start right there by saying the old man was crucified. We have a new beginning right now as believers, new creation.
Speaker 1:If we see salvation as an ongoing process, then we still view sin. Listen, if we see salvation as an ongoing process, we still view sin as an act of force that we have to wake up and fight every day, rather than a finished reality that we walk in. You can fight or you can rest. I won't choose rest. We have the option. You can wake up and fight every day something that's already defeated, and that is where you slap out, trying to get to a place that you're already at. It don't make sense, but we do it every single day.
Speaker 1:Second one there that causes people to focus more on behavior than on identity is influence of the already not yet mindset. Now, think about that just a minute Already, but not yet. What does that mean? If you just take those words, take that saying right there and ask yourself what does that mean? That means there's some things that we have, but it's not complete. That's what most of the church believes.
Speaker 1:We talk a lot about the futurist theology. That's what the futurist theology believes. If some things are already done, he's already died on the cross. We know that there's not a person in any church in Bacon County. That's not saying we're waiting on him to die on the cross. We know that's complete, okay, but there are certain things tied to that that they feel like is still to come. So it's already done but not yet finished. We step into the finished work. That's where the finished work theology comes in at. We believe that it is already done and what he said he'd done is actually already complete. Okay, there's the difference between complete. Okay, there's the difference between it. Okay. We're not saying anybody else is wrong if they don't believe this. We just got to look at. It's a different theology of how you choose to look at it. So, influence of the already not yet mindset.
Speaker 1:Many believe that, although Jesus accomplished redemption at the cross, the full effects of His work will not be complete until the second coming. This is a sticky topic right here. You can really mess some people up talking about this, but I believe it's one of those things that we got to talk about If we want to truly understand what God, what Jesus, has done for us and what we're entitled to. I believe we got to have some of these hard discussions. We got to be willing to look and say what does this really mean? Is it? Some is finished but we're still waiting on other stuff, or is it all complete? When he died on the cross and he said it is finished, did he still waiting on other stuff, or is it all complete? When he died on the cross and he said it is finished, did he really mean it or not? That's really simplifies it, but that's how simple I really believe it is. But we make it difficult. We may I mean churches make it so hard. Teachers of the Word make it so hard.
Speaker 1:The problem with this believing that the redemptive work is done but the rest of it's not going to be complete until the second coming. There's a problem with that. The problem is that it causes us to believe that sin is still fully active in the world and in a believer's life, making sanctification an ongoing battle. I'm going to get into that in a minute. I didn't have that in my notes until about 20 minutes before I started leaving to come to church and it messed me up too. Man, if you see sanctification as an ongoing battle rather than a revelation of an already completed work, that can be tough.
Speaker 1:Look at this verse with me, a couple of verses Colossians 2, verse 9 and 10. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are Everybody read that word Complete, not just about complete. Not one day will be complete. You are complete in Him. He's not coming back to do it again. He said it's finished. He said it's done. He said I've done everything, father, that you've sent me to do. We are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Hebrews 10 and 14. For by one offering what was that offering Jesus on the cross? For by one offering and I love this. If you study this out, this is going back and it's referring to the Old Testament. It's referring to the old law of giving the sacrifices and everything like that, the offerings that had to be given many times, over and over and over again to make everything right. He says no, not anymore. By one offering. He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Speaker 1:Think about it If salvation is partially realized but not fully complete, our focus will be on fighting sin rather than recognizing that the battle's already won. We're going to wake up every day and we're going to fight. We're going to fight the enemy that's already defeated and it becomes a head game. Then we blame too much on the devil. That poor old devil is looking back saying it ain't me, I'm already defeated. It's you, it's your thinking. Jesus already defeated me. Now does that mean the devil don't put plants? I'm not saying that the devil don't work, roaming around seeking whom he may devour. But what's he seeking for? He's seeking for the weak minded. He's seeking for the people whose mind has not been renewed to their true identity in Christ. Because the ones whose mind have not been renewed, he can grab them and say, just like he did with Eve did God really say that? Did God really say you were righteous? Did God really say you were created in His image? Did God really say this? And it begins to cause us to question things. I'm trying to move through this part quick because I want to get down to a specific part.
Speaker 1:But the third thing a misunderstanding of sanctification. This word here, boy, we're going to bog down right here a minute, because I bogged down this morning big time. I was just looking something up and this come up and I'm telling you I could not get off of it. Because I'm going to tell you what I've been taught my entire church life, from the time I was a kid all the way through as an adult.
Speaker 1:What I've been taught is salvation and sanctification. We get saved instantly because we say a prayer and then we spend the rest of our life trying to get sanctified. What does that mean? We're trying to clean ourselves up? It don't even make sense when you say it. What does that mean? We're trying to clean ourself up? It don't even make sense when you say it, when you really think about it. Saved and sanctified. We're getting saved. It's a done deal and then we're going to spend the rest of our life trying to clean up good enough to meet the requirements of the salvation we say we already got. It don't even make sense. But I've always been told that You've got to be sanctified, you've got to do this and you've got to do that You've got to.
Speaker 1:Some are often confused. They confuse progressive sanctification, which is the idea that we gradually become more holy, we gradually become more righteous. They confuse this with the finished work, which declares we are already holy, you are already righteous, which declares we're already holy, you're already righteous. They believe that, since they still see sinful actions in ourselves, because you're not perfect, you're perfect in Christ, but you still make mistakes in the world, and because I still see sinful actions in myself, or I'm looking around the church and I'm saying, oh, I know what he did last week. So we're still seeing sinful actions in the church. So automatically my mindset says we got to continue to be sanctified, got to get that mess straightened out, they need oil poured on them, they need this, they need that. We need to, you know, start a prayer group. We need to do all these things because we need to get that devil out of them. That's the sanctification process that we talk about, that we got to go through. Okay, so, because of these sinful actions, sanctification must be a lifelong process of overcoming sin through effort, through discipline, through repentance.
Speaker 1:We use these words to say this is what you've got to do. Do, that's the key word. This is what you've got to do to meet the requirements of something you've already received. You've already received it, but now you've got to work for it. It was an advance. They gave it to you in advance, but if you don't work for it and you don't get good enough for it, he will snatch it away from you. See how dumb that sounds? It really does when you sit down and just really look at it sounds. It really does when you sit down and just really look at it. It really just don't make any sense.
Speaker 1:So what did I do? I went and I made a mistake this morning. I know what sanctified means. I know what I've always been taught, but the way my brain works, I said I got to look up the word sanctified. I got to see what is sanctification. So I looked it up. You can look it up, just Google it Sanctified, sanctification, whatever. And it's got two definitions that go with it To be set apart and to be made holy. To be set apart and to be made holy. Now you can do a deeper dive in there and you can see it. I can't the Greek word, for it is a long word. I can't pronounce it. I didn't even write it down because I knew I'd butcher it, but there's a Greek word in there so you can do a Greek study on it and I'm sure you can go a little deeper into it. I just I'm keeping it on the surface To be set apart and to be made holy.
Speaker 1:Now there's two verses that I looked at that I shouldn't have looked at this morning because it messed me up, but I did. I looked at them anyway, and the reason I did is because I had one already down here and I was going to talk about it, but then it led me to another one, because then I started doing a comparison and contrasting and all that, and I said this is crazy. And, ronnie, don't have to put these up here, I'm just going to mention them. This is going to be with you. What came to me this morning In John 17 and 19 compared to Hebrews 10.10. I challenge you to take those two verses, john 17 and 19, and compare it to Hebrews 10.10. Actually, I don't know if I gave you John, john, but can you pull them, john 17 and 19, and for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they may also be sanctified by the truth. Now go to Hebrews 10 10 just a minute and then we're going to come back right here. I'm going to show you this. By that, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Now let's go back to the other one just a minute John 17, 19.
Speaker 1:Because this is where I got stuck at this morning and I could not get off of it. This is where we've got to go back and we've got to say what does sanctification mean? Because we believe sanctification to mean you got to get yourself cleaned up through a process. To do what? To get holy, to get righteous. Well, jesus says, right here, I sanctify myself. Well, jesus says right here, I sanctify myself. There was no reason for Jesus to have to get holy. He was already holy, he was without sin. So I'm saying, when you look at these verses, you automatically can look and say that definition don't fit to be made holy Because Jesus had no reason to sanctify himself, because he was already holy. But we can see right here that he did sanctify himself. He said I sanctify myself.
Speaker 1:So I started looking at that and said well, okay, what does this really mean? So I said well, you got to do context. Who's talking here? Go back and study, you'll see Jesus is talking. This is where Jesus this is pre-cross, obviously, because it's Jesus talking. It was pre-Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus was at a point and he was praying before he went into the garden and he said I'm praying for my disciples. He was talking to who was the audience? God, because he was praying to God. And he says I'm coming to you, father, on behalf of my disciples. So context is Jesus is speaking, he's praying to the Father on behalf of the disciples. So context is Jesus is speaking, he's praying to the Father on behalf of the disciples and he's saying I am going to sanctify myself so that they, who the disciples, may be sanctified. You've got to see the context of it. He was praying for the disciples. Go back and read the whole thing there and you'll see it.
Speaker 1:So he was saying I want to sanctify myself so that they can be sanctified. What did he do? He set himself apart. That's that other definition for what we're talking about here. That's the second definition of it. Not to be made holy, because he didn't have to be made holy. But what did he do? He set Himself apart and he said I will pull Myself away from the rest and I will send Myself to the cross and I will bear all of that for all of humanity. I will take it on myself. It's on me. So he set Himself apart so that His disciples could do what Set themselves apart and be holy, because they weren't holy like he was. So he accomplished the whole thing. When you look at the definition of it, okay.
Speaker 1:But then when you go back and you look at 1010 in Hebrews, by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all? It happened one time. He went to the cross once. It happened for all people. All people were sanctified, ed, past tense they were sanctified. This is later on. Now we don't truly know who the author of Hebrews is, but some people believe it's Paul, some people believe it's different ones. It don't really matter here. We know what was being said. Okay, look at the word I mean when we talk about you have been sanctified because you're so good. No, it ain't got nothing to do with you. You were sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. It was Him that did that, it wasn't you. You didn't have a choice in it. Well, how do you know that Because you wasn't here, you did not have a choice in what he did for you.
Speaker 1:And then you get to the point where somebody will say well, what about Romans 12 2? Romans 12 2 says that we are not conformed ED past tense but to be conformed. Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by renewing of the mind. Okay, so some people will argue that sanctification is an ongoing process and they'll use Romans 12 2 to try to argue that that we have to continue to do this. Being transformed by renewing of the mind that Romans 12, too, talks about, is not the same as sanctification. Okay, this is not about sanctification. Romans 12, 2 is about mind renewal Totally different subject. But I use that to tell you, you in a process, that you've got to continue to do this. We use the word to try to say something that the word never said. I can't use that verse to justify sanctification. It's a process, not even talking about the same thing. Sanctification is instant and complete. It's done because of what Jesus has done.
Speaker 1:Transformation that we talk about so often happens as we grow into the knowledge of our sanctification. When I know I'm sanctified now my mindset can begin to renew. When I know I'm sanctified and I know what he did for me. Now I can begin to think differently. Why don't we see so many people?
Speaker 1:We look around the church and we talk about being transformed by renewing of the mind, and I'm telling you, I've done it. I've looked around and said these folks ain't being transformed. There's been times in my life I've looked and said Lord, help me. I'm not being transformed. I'm trying, I'm hearing the Word. I'm not being transformed. I'm trying, I'm hearing the Word, I'm studying and I'm doing all this, but I don't see my life and my mind being transformed. And now I know why. Because without sanctification, without understanding that you are sanctified, if I think I'm still going after this and it's going to happen through a gradual process of behavior modification I'm never going to be able to renew my mind to the truth. I believe transformation is happening on a daily basis in people's lives, but what are they transforming their mind into? Because if I'm talking about negative things and I'm looking at myself in a way that God never intended for me to look at myself, I can transform my mind in that direction too.
Speaker 1:You can convince yourself that you are a, too. You can convince yourself that you are a nobody. You can convince yourself that you're just a dirty old sinner. You can convince yourself that you're not worthy. Or you can just say let's see what the Word says and I can convince myself based on the Word, because that's what I put right here. But let's look at what Word says and I can convince myself based on the Word, because that's what I put right here.
Speaker 1:But let's look at what Scripture says. We look at Hebrews 10. We've got to pull it back up. It says you've been sanctified through the offering of Jesus Christ once and for all. But then 1 Corinthians 1.30. I want to show you this. 1 Corinthians 1.30 says this but of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. I've been redeemed.
Speaker 1:People will say that in a second I've been redeemed. He got on the cross. You've also been sanctified, according to this verse. You've also been sanctified according to this verse. You've also been made righteous. According to this verse, you also have wisdom. Oh Lord, I just pray that you grant me. You have wisdom, use it. We've got to see it. And if I don't see myself that way, then I won't use the wisdom. Why? Because I don't even know I have it. If I don't see myself in this way, then I won't see myself as righteous and I'll continue to act in an unrighteous way. If I continue to call myself unrighteous, I will act out on it. It's like we talked about last week. If you yourself an addict and you're going to keep thinking, acting, talking like an addict, you are not an addict anymore, you are not unrighteous anymore, you are not unsanctified anymore. Stop seeing yourself that way and when you understand that it's already happened, you have been sanctified. Now I can begin to renew my mind around what the truth, not what so-and-so said, but I can renew my mind around the truth of God's Word and what it really said.
Speaker 1:Instead of teaching people about renewing their minds to their completed righteousness, many are taught sin consciousness. We've taught that for years Sin consciousness which really, if you think about it, it keeps people, keeps believers, in a constant struggle rather than just realizing they're free. Have you ever wondered why this is taught? Why do we keep teaching people to focus on sin? One major reason some resist the finished work perspective is fear. That's the reason I think a lot of things are taught in church is fear. They worry that if believers truly accept that they are righteous and sin is defeated, then they will live a careless life. So then they say well, we're just looking out for you, we're just trying to help you Because, see, if you think you can see yourself in a new identity in Christ, and you see yourself as righteous and you see yourself as holy and you take on these things, then you're just going to get out there and live however you want to live. So I'm protecting you.
Speaker 1:I'm keeping in the front of your brain, just like you do in AA, what do they say Once an addict, always an addict. Why they keep it in the front of your brain that I know what happened. That's how quick you can fall. That's the mindset behind it. That's the idea, and it's not a bad idea, I understand it. But that's the idea that they keep there is. All it takes is one decision and you're right back. Okay, that's kind of the same thing here.
Speaker 1:I'm going to keep sin in the front of your brain so that you know not to do it, because if you do, you're going to be right back where you were. Funny thing is, jesus is going to be there with me, because he said he'd never leave me no faith. Look at that one out there. He's going to go into an eternal conscious torment. He said no matter where I go, he said, even if you go into the depths of hell, I'll be there with you. That's one we got to fight with. That don't make sense. Just little there would you. That's one we got to fight with. That don't make sense. Just little verses that start coming up and you're saying you just start scratching your head and saying this just don't make sense.
Speaker 1:I believed it for years because Pastor So-and-So said it and I really like Pastor So-and-So and I thought he was a good man and I still. Probably there's some of them I really think is good people. But I don't necessarily agree with what they taught me. And I'll even go further. There's a lot of things I've taught in the past years that I hope somebody comes back one day and says shame on you for teaching me that. And I'll apologize to them and say come to church now. I mean, I appreciate it when Tommy Tommy's not here today, but when Tommy came in one day, he used to come out to First Community with us years and years ago and after they started coming for a couple of times.
Speaker 1:He talked to him at the back one day. He said, man, he said you have changed your teaching. It is different. And I took that as a compliment. Because it is different, because and I took that as a compliment Because it is different, because I want to do what? Step into what that verse said, that wisdom. I don't want to stay in the same place. I hope next year something else changes. I hope we go deeper and we have a greater understanding. Let me see. So they do. They create that fear in us that you're only one bad decision away from no longer being a Christian. Think about that a minute. Salvation is done. One bad mistake, one bad mistake, one dumb decision and it's gone.
Speaker 1:They worry that believers will live carelessly if they believe sin is defeated, even though you can read in the Bible the words that Paul addressed. See, paul addressed this. That's why I always go back to it when people say that. What do they call it over the years? Greasy grace. We're teaching a greasy grace. You can just get out there and do what you want to do.
Speaker 1:Romans 6, verse 1 and 2. Look at what Paul says here. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live in sin any longer? He explains it. He addresses this fear-based theology that is being taught in the church. He addressed it a long time ago. Titus we don't go into Titus too much, but go to Titus 2, just a minute 11 and 12. For the grace of God that brings salvation, can you say that in church has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should have lived soberly, righteously and godly in the present age. Again, one of those verses that'll mess with you.
Speaker 1:People that rely so heavily on external rules and accountability resist the idea that believers will live righteous simply by believing their true identity in christ. They struggle with that. That's what makes this message so difficult is because people cannot fathom the idea that just simply believing what he said about me and believing I have a new identity in Christ can keep me from falling away. That ain't going to work. I've got to do this and I've got to do that and I've got to keep seeing on your mind and I've got to tell you what price you're going to pay if you do fall. That's the things that we've, the techniques that's used in the church, but it's techniques that don't line up with the word, because that's not what the word says. They feel more comfortable with rules and effort than trusting the Holy Spirit's work on the inside of them. We always got to work for something. We always got to put an extra effort in instead of just relying on the Holy Spirit. This next one is the last one. I left it for the last because it's a big one, it's a tough one, and then I'm going to end with this one.
Speaker 1:There's often an overemphasis on future judgment. You want to stir up a quick Christian debate. Start talking about this, challenge somebody's theology on the judgment. When we focus so much on a future day of judgment, we maintain a fear-based motivation for living holy. It's based on fear. I've got to live a certain way because I'm going to be judged Instead of seeing the finished work of Christ as already fulfilling God's justice. So what do I mean by that?
Speaker 1:It's often taught that believers still need to strive for righteousness to avoid judgment. However, once again we've got to go to Scripture. We've got to say what the Scriptures say on this topic John 5 and 24. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my Word and believes in Him who sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment. But the church teaches us to continue to do this and do that and do that. Why? Because we're waiting on a final judgment.
Speaker 1:Somebody lied here, either the Bible or the people teaching it. I'm sorry, somebody misinterpreted I just. Sometimes I get so excited about it. Somebody misinterpreted and shall not come into judgment, but has passed. Why? Why will you not come into judgment? It tells you in the next right after the comma, you will not come into judgment. Because why you? In the next right after the comma. You will not come into judgment because while you have passed from death into life already, 1 John 4 and 17.
Speaker 1:I got to read you this. We know this. We talked about it so often. Love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness. I'm doing this one because this is the one that somebody's going to bring up and say wait a minute, you're saying there's no judgment. That verse just said did it say that there's no judgment? Did the other verse say that? Yes, it did. Now this is saying don't be scared in the day of judgment.
Speaker 1:I can take these two verses and say there's a contradiction? There's not. I don't have time to go into it today, but I'm just showing you the two verses. How these can get so confusing. It's saying that you may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is is so are we in this world. As he is, righteous, sanctified, holy as he is, so are you in this world. But that's one you can look at. That's a good study area right there. Take those two verses and say wait a minute, why is it saying there's no judgment right here? Go back to John 5, 24. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me, has everlasting life and shall not. Am I reading that right man? When I said that, y'all looked at me like I was crazy. When I said that that's what it said. Shall not come into judgment.
Speaker 1:People that still have performance-based thinking still see sin as something that needs to be dealt with in the future rather than something that's already conquered. Why do we teach what we teach and I'm talking here, why do we teach what we teach here? Because there's a lot of people, even in this building right now, who don't necessarily agree. I'm okay with that. Hang around, keep listening, keep studying, keep asking questions. But I can tell you there's a lot of people out there that's not in here every Sunday that definitely don't agree with what we teach. But why do we teach it anyway? Because there is a huge need for the mind to be renewed. There is a huge need for the church to have a renewing of the mind. Some focus on behavior because they see sin as an ongoing battle rather than a defeated enemy. They struggle to accept that the work of Christ has already restored our true image because they are conditioned to believe in the process over completion.
Speaker 1:You've got to go through a process. I'm just going to take Him at His word and I'm going to have faith that he really meant what he said. That's my justification for this now. I'm just going to have faith. You believe what you want to believe. I'm not taking your process away from you. If you feel like you've got to spend the rest of your life trying to get righteous and sanctified, then go on, do it. It's not going to work because you're already sanctified and you can't do anything to add to it. But if you want to do that, if you want to believe that, then go ahead and do that. I'm just going to believe what Jesus said, and believe that he told the truth and he meant what he said. That's my justification for it. Now, simple as that. What's the solution? We'll end right here. What's the solution? Renewing the mind. Renewing the mind Romans 12.2. Renewing the mind.
Speaker 1:Instead of trying to overcome sin, believers need to simply believe and walk in their true identity as already righteous, already sanctified, already holy sons of God. Easy to say that, but can I grab on to it and walk in? You can stand Next week, please come next week. We're going to dive into something. We're going to go dive in a little deeper and answer three common questions. This is what I've been thinking about and this is really what my sermon was going to be on today. Three common questions that people always have when you present them with a finished work perspective.
Speaker 1:When I start saying I believe in the finished work and I start explaining the finished work to somebody that don't go to church here, that don't hear this teaching, there's always specific questions that come up. So how do we address them? What are they and how do we address them? That's what I was going to teach you on and, as I was studying that all this other stuff come up. So I'm going to try to hit that next week. It's going to be good because there are specifically three. There's a lot of questions, but the three main kind of sums it up. One of them I already kind of touched on this morning is people automatically say well, how can it be complete when there's still sin in the world? That's the number one. We're going to go a little bit deeper into that, and then there's a couple more. We're going to touch on bit deeper into that, and then there's a couple more.
Speaker 1:We're going to touch on these messages. I want you to start seeing them as a practical message. They make sense, but sometimes you got to go back and study it out yourself. Don't trust what I say. I mean trust what I say, but don't just believe it because I say it. I'm not up here purposely trying to lie to you. But go back and study it for yourself and say what am I getting out of? This Is what I'm reading, lining up with what he's saying, and if it's not, don't get mad and leave church. Just come and say, hey, I'm not getting that same thing, where are you getting that from? I've done that before when we used to listen to Tommy all the time, you know, tommy would preach something and I'd say I didn't get that, I didn't see that, didn't know where it was coming from, but he was digging deep to get some of this stuff. I was still up here, so I wasn't understanding some of it. I want us to understand it because as we begin to understand this, as wisdom becomes through this, it's going to start making sense, a lot more sense.
Speaker 1:The bad thing, the downside to that is I don't see it as a downside, but some people would is you get a lot more questions, because any time I start studying what happened, I start asking questions to myself. I start questioning the word not as is it real or is it true? What's the meaning of this? What's the context of this? What did God really intend? Right here, again, it's not what Pastor Brian said or any other pastor said. What did God intend to say when he said this? That's the truth in it. So as we get more into that, it's going to hopefully cause you to start asking more questions, and the more questions you ask. That's what happened to me this morning.
Speaker 1:I started asking questions and I started Googling and I started, and by that time I'd had three sermons set up for the next three weeks, a day next week and the following week. I'll probably change it, I'm sure, at some point, but I've got enough material, let me put it like that Enough stuff, because I could have took I could have took John 17 and 19 and Hebrews 10 and 10 and we could have preached the whole sermon on those two verses. So I gave you the surface level stuff on it. Go study. So I gave you the surface level stuff on it. Go study it out, dig in it. Go study out what some of these sanctification is. You know what you've been taught that it was. Just go study it out for yourself and see. Go look up the Greek word of it and look and see. Go look up the Greek word of it and look and see. I would say any questions at that time, but we will have Wednesday night. I'll be back Wednesday night. I've been gone the last two Wednesdays but I'll be back Wednesday night.
Speaker 1:Have some questions. If you do have some, something comes up, come and ask. Come, let's talk about it, because it don't do you no good to walk around confused and that's why I told you earlier. I pray that God helps me, shows me how to better teach this, because I don't want to confuse anybody. I don't mind offending you, offending your theology and offending your religion. I don't mind doing that at all, but I don't want to confuse you. So if you are confused, come ask questions, because I can tell you a lot of it. I'm confused on too.
Speaker 1:I got notes here. If I just turned these notes over and tried to talk out of my head, I'd have you all messed up. So I have to kind of follow along. I'm learning it too as we go. Some of this I would not have been able to teach last week because I didn't know it. That's where the prophetic comes in at. God is speaking some things that I didn't know last week I didn't speaking. Some things that I didn't know last week I didn't have an understanding, I didn't have a wisdom of, I didn't see certain things in a verse that I may see now. And that's what we got to do is say I want to go deeper into this. I'm tired of being a surface level Christian. Anybody can do that. Anybody can do that. Anybody can do that. But I want more. There's got to be more.
Speaker 1:That song that Monica sung this morning and one of the lines in it was when he looks at me, what was it? When he looks at me, there's nothing he won't change, wouldn't change a thing. I was sitting there thinking about that, I had it wrote down and I erased it. I didn't want to get into it this morning, but I will now. Do you know how many Christians don't believe that? Most Christians do not believe that that if he looked at me, there's nothing he would change. Why? Because religion teaches me there's a lot that I need to change, just something to think of.