Healthy Christians - 17

Are you a spiritually healthy Christian and how do you know it's a good question last week in first Thessalonians 512 through 15 examined Paul's information about how to have a healthy church and one of the things we learned is that healthy churches are made up of healthy Christian. What is a healthy Christian.

What exactly does that look like people have all different kinds of ideas about what that means but like everything else we need to go to the word of God to find the answer to that question. How do Christians develop good spiritual health.

In today's text in first Thessalonians 516 through 22 will help us as we endeavor to understand this this question in a series of rapidfire's staccato commands. Paul shows us the way to healthy Christianity and he indicates that there are two primary areas for healthy development.

What is personal godliness and the other is spiritual discernment, and so how to develop a spiritually healthy personal Christian faith. Number one. Develop personal godliness. What does that look like many people have different ideas about what is godliness what constitutes a godly Christian, what does that look like listen to the inspired words of the apostle Paul.

Here's what it looks like rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you personal godliness of Paul only touches on three areas and there are others that are also needing our development as well and we find them in other parts of God's word but these three are mentioned in this text, and they are prominent and will get these in place. I'm sure many of the others will fall into place much more easily as well. Three areas for personal development number one choose joy. Number two. Cultivate prayer and number three practice Thanksgiving choose joy. Rejoice always, let me see if I can break down that short phrases I point out to you. First of all, that it is a command is not a suggestion, it is not a recommendation is not simply an ideal, it is in the Greek and imperative, that means a command be joyful always rejoice always, it is a command of God. That means, therefore, that it is at least in part based upon a decision and act of the will a choice to either obey or disobey this command. God says do it. We will either obey or we will disobey. We will neglect to do what God has commanded nice and on to say that on the basis of other text. We know that this also depends upon enablement by the spirit of God effectiveness very passage we get into into the item succumb a few verses later we get smack dab into the work of the Spirit of God so it's not far from the verse that were looking at now in verse 16, but nevertheless we are specifically told elsewhere that joy is a fruit of the spirit Galatians 522 but the fruit of the Spirit is love, and then what's number two joy and then peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy. So when Paul says rejoice always.

He's talking to those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit and he says this comes as a result of the new birth, it comes as a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit within. It comes as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit who enables you, it comes as a result of your yielding to that work and not as we will see you in a few verses quenching the spirit you are following what the spirit is teaching you to do. It is an enablement of the Holy Spirit of God is.

Paul also makes clear in Romans 1417 when he says, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit the kingdom of God was to look like what what if you if you got citizens of God's kingdom together. What would you find what would be what would characterize that grant gathering of people's kingdom of God. Well, he tells us here. It is righteousness and peace and joy in the holy spirit enabled by the spirit of God so it is a command rejoice always, it is a decision choice that we make, obey or disobey this command. It is however enablement to the depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit who is indwelling. Every born again Christian and is there to enable every Christian to obey every command that God addresses to us. It is an enablement number four is a lifestyle because not only is this an imperative verb but it's also present imperative. It goes on continuously at all times, which is indicated by that word always be rejoicing continually be rejoicing always be joyful always at all time are you getting the idea that Paul is a spokesman for God directed by his spirit is telling us that Christians are expected to be joyful at all times when I wait a minute I don't think that I don't see how that really is impossible. Says who, not the spirit of God, not the word of the living God, not the inspired apostle who speaks to us is not under the impression that this is not possible. Christians are expected to be joyful at all times. Christians are responsible to be joyful at all times. Christians are responsible to choose to be joyful at all time Christians are responsible to make this being joyful always a reality in our lives at all time. Because you see perpetual sadness demonstrates mistrust in God. Those who are perpetually sad evidently don't trust God's power. They don't think he has the power to protect them and to meet their needs. They mistrust God's providence.

I don't think is wise enough to guide their lives in fruitful ways. They don't trust his forgiveness.

In some cases they they are certain that God has really forgiven their sins. Even though he has promised to forgive the sins of those who trust in Jesus Christ and on it goes in various areas of mistrust and when you are not joyful, you are demonstrating that you are not trustful. You are not believing God the way that you should so that brings me to apply this in a couple of areas and I want to be careful and sensitive biblical and what I say when. First of all I address the condition of depression that weighs down upon many of God's people.

Depression is real. Depression is difficult. Depression is debilitating depression involves varying levels of difficulty in varying levels of personal responsibility, and in each individual case. Only God knows how much of that depression and that particular person is a result of factors that are physical and are indeed beyond their normal control and less God moves in a special way in their lives. But one thing that our text is making clear to us is that we are never in this area. We are never totally helpless victims. We have some park to play in our depression because the command that says be joyful always doesn't say be joyful always unless you have some kind of special condition, in which case you are excused. We are not totally helpless victims. None of us are. We are the objects of many factors and there's no question that some of God's people struggle mightily with issues of depression that do not affect others and its going to make this command harder to obey and it's going to make failure more likely to come frequently in those lives, but nevertheless there must never be the sense that I can only yield to this.

There's nothing I can do about it has come upon me. My hands are tied. There is nothing that I can do to help this when the Bible says very clearly rejoice always a choice, a command rejoice always with the help of the Holy Spirit shows joy. Choose to rejoice.

Do not succumb to this depression as it descends upon you there. Many of God's choice things down through the years who have been plagued by depression.

One of the best examples I suppose is the hymn writer William Cooper spilled copper, but pronounced Cooper, who wrote there's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty statements you know anything about the life of William Cooper. You know that his life was plagued by depression. On one occasion he set out to commit suicide. He walked to the London Bridge and he was going to cast himself off into the River Thames. But the fog London is filled with foggy days and foggy nights in the fog was so heavy and thick.

He lost his way and he didn't get there they couldn't carry out his plans for suicide, but such was his depression that he struggled with all of his life. The providence of God. Later in his life. He was put into partnership with John Newton another hymn writer who wrote amazing Grace, who pastored a church and only England and Cooper lived right next door.

They became friends and Newton was a great help to him and praying to him with him and encouraging him in his depression, God gave him help, but he struggled with that all of his life. Some of you are aware that the great Charles Spurgeon reports that much of his life was spent battling depression but this is something that I've read a number of biographies of Charles Spurgeon of this is something that I have noticed his depression, though very real to him apparently was undetectable to those around him. It was real.

It was within the bore down upon him because he was a healthy Christian who called upon the enabling power of God's spirit. He managed to be joyful and exhibit trust in God and to encourage others and to preach the carry-on. His ministry in a way that those around him did not even know that he was suffering from depression, which I think supports what I'm saying that when we obey the command to be joyful, we can mitigate things like depression, which very well may have a medical source of medical, depression, but I'm not done that only affects a few of you, I suppose, but listen to this. This command also speaks to grumpiness, which is also a choice that somebody was smiling maybe already getting ready describe all right there we go. Grumpiness, that's a choice.

The Bible tells us that we are responsible to be joyful not expect others to accommodate our periods of grumpiness that just the way I am.

You have to understand, just don't expect me to be cheerful before 8 o'clock in the morning just just don't expect me to be cheerful until 10 o'clock.

Just don't expect me to be cheerful until I've had at least one or 2 cups of coffee. I mean that's just the way it is. Yes, I'm grumpy. I know I'm grumpy but you'll just have to accept that yes your grumpy you know you're grumpy and you're just going to have to change that because the Bible says shoes joy. Be joyful always, even before 8 o'clock in the morning on your 1st cup of coffee. What is the matter with him or her today grumpy grumpy if you're feeling down when you answer the phone. People should be able tell any difference between you feeling down and you're feeling up because you're going to choose this to be joyful, rejoice always. It's a choice and that choice is enabled by the Holy Spirit when you make the right choice. This may come as a shock to some people but a dollar attitude is not a manifestation of godliness. Godliness is not a long face of the dollar spirit. Godliness is not doom and gloom. Godliness is not bearing the weight of judgment upon your shoulders at all time, then this is godliness rejoice things that godliness. According to the Bible. That's got shoes, joy, number two, cultivate prayer, pray without ceasing. What is prayer very simple prayers, talking to God.

That's about as simple and definition. As you can possibly have prayers, talking to God in prayer is a practice that according to the Bible is important to spiritual health. Must be something going on. Debbie red is having a medical emergency 911 has been called.

Let's pray for our sister right now.

Heavenly father, we commit our dear sister Debbie read to you in prayer thankful that we can pray to you, and know that you hear us. We ask now that you will minister to her in this time of need to give her the help that she needs that you will strengthen her that you will fill her with joy, even in this time of trial, you will strengthen her faith and that you will use this to bring honor to Christ to be a testimony to those around her as we ask it now in Jesus name. Cultivate prayer purse talking to God that is very important to our spiritual health that we cultivate the life of prayer to pray without ceasing, does not mean to pray incessantly that of course is not possible, even for monks in the monastery withdraw from the world for the purpose of being able to develop many undistracted hours in prayer, but they don't pray 24 seven because that of course is not possible, therefore, is not what Paul is talking about here, but what he's talking about is living in a constant attitude of prayer living in a constant attitude of dependence upon God living in a constant attitude of humility before God, living in a constant attitude of confession of sins before God, so that nothing hinders us going immediately to him in prayer at any moment of any day all day long. To pray constantly is to live lives that are permeated by the presence of God, a consciousness that we are never outside the presence of God consciousness to God is only one word of prayer away. Prayers don't have to be long and eloquent for God to hear them and to for God to use them and bless them, Peter got out of the ship and started walking on that water in his faith failed. He didn't say now Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth ruler sovereign ruler of the universe.

He said Lord that was that was enough. He didn't have to confess his sins first because he lived in an attitude of prayer. He didn't have to prepare his heart to cry out to God for help was living in an attitude of prayer in an attitude of being constantly in the presence of Almighty God and so praying constantly without ceasing his regular communication with God throughout the day as as events arise as needs arise, pray to God to just that he took it so natural. It's a it's a way of life. It is a practice of healthy Christianity. It is what healthy Christians develop and it is a mark of healthy Christianity were talking about what is a healthy Christian. This is a healthy Christian healthy Christian is one who prays often throughout the day and lives in this attitude of prayer. Let these men coming to to Debbie at this time.

Thank you gentlemen for coming helping our dear sister, thankful for men who serve in this capacity is people that we can call times of need like Debbie we love you. Praying for you next time you may be me.

You never know. I know a man who drop dead in the full breach. I'm not making any requests just reporting what can I will healthy Christianity is number one. Choosing joy number two cultivating prayer, how you doing so far lasted the beginning. Are you healthy Christian spiritually healthy how you doing so far. Number three healthy Christian practices Thanksgiving verse 18 in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you and everything give thanks. Choosing joy and praying without ceasing focus primarily upon time.

What we are doing at all times. We are at all times. We are being joyful at all times throughout the day and all events of our lives, and likewise with prayer. This third one Thanksgiving focuses upon circumstances doesn't say at all times. Give thanks though.

It's hard to separate these two ideas completely, but it says in everything give thanks in every circumstance and every event in every difficulty in every thing that comes into our lives. We are instructed to give thanks.

So the third area of healthy Christianity is to cultivate a grateful heart. How do we do that, let me suggest something first of all, we must acknowledge, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God from whom all blessings flow every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the father of lights in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. Acknowledge that God is the source of all blessings. He is the one who gives them number two. This is very important that knowledge sought God's sovereign right of disposal.

B. Storment God is not obligated to bestow any blessing upon anyone that perhaps is the one that comes with difficulty.

To some people they never thought of it that way, we tend to feel entitled the way God owes me this God owes me that if God takes my health away.

That's not right.

God shouldn't of done that he owes me good health to the end of my life. Where did you get that idea by the way how you ever come to the end of your life. Got to see if good health forever to the end of your life unless you want to go up by way of a tragic accident or something of that nature but of course we don't choose duly God is sovereign and his beast elements. It's his choice.

It's his right to decide what he's going to give to each one, and he as the sovereign ruler of the universe has every right to do that we must acknowledge that will have a hard time developing a grateful heart of resisting that truth number three. We need to acknowledge what we truly deserve. We have no claim on any blessing. We don't deserve any of them really we don't we think we do. We don't understand who we are.

We think we do. We don't understand how sinful we are. We think we do.

We don't understand the greatness of our estrangement from God our maker and our sinfulness. Therefore, we need to acknowledge what we truly deserve. And we need to understand that if we are not in the hell we have already God's greatest mercy because that's what I deserve.

I deserve to be in hell.

And so do you. Do you understand that you acknowledge that, can you say that that'll strike a blow at our pride, but it's a true I deserve to be in hell right now by the goodness by the mercy by the blessing of God.

I'm not by the mercy and blessing of God. I never shall be because I have been saved by the grace of God and I'm not going to help but that's what I deserve. I don't pray for God to give me what I deserve.

I get sick I don't say Lord what I do to deserve that deserve far worse than that, I have some other difficulty my life, Lord, what I do to deserve that I deserve far worse than that.

Acknowledge what you truly deserve.

And if you will do those three things, acknowledge, from whom all blessings flow. Acknowledge God's sovereign right of the Storment acknowledge what you truly deserve. That'll that'll get rid of the entitlement mentality that so seems to permeate our society I'm entitled to this I'm entitled to let our entitled to eternal hell that'll help us develop a humble spirit of gratitude. Then any thing in everything we receive from the hand of God is a blessing that is worthy of praise and thanksgiving and giving glory to God and so we must cultivate a grateful heart. More than that, we must cultivate a thankful expression. This doesn't say in everything feel thankful but it says in everything give thanks.

Obviously, that is first and foremost to God in our prayers to him, but it is also to others and in the presence of others. We don't we don't only thank God privately.

We also think in public publicly. It's a shock. Sometimes I'm sure you've experienced the stupid happen to me. Not too many days ago I was in the store and I was going through the checkout in the lady asked me which she probably asked every person to come to the light. Are you having a good day or something similar to that and I said I sure a.m. by the goodness and grace of God, and she looked at me like I was some kind of a kook. I think I was the first person who answered her that way. Yes I'm having a good day. Thank the Lord. Yes I'm having a good day, by the mercy and goodness of God. And that's only why I'm having a good day.

Give thanks. Cultivate a thankful expression. Learn to say thanks regularly to God in the presence of other and we are told here to give thanks not for some things, not for the things we decide are good.

Give thanks in every thing. What give thanks and sickness give thanks in everything give thanks in the death of a loved one. Thanks in everything give thanks in tragedy and financial reversal. Give thanks in everything. Now technically it is in everything and not necessarily for everything and this is a minor difference. We don't necessarily thank God for the difficult event for the good that God brings out that difficult event. We know don't wait is network. Romans 828 says, and we know know we know that all things work together for good.

And so whatever it is we know God is working it for our good. Were his children are called according to his purpose. We know that he's working it for our good. It is not the tragedy, the sickness, the problem that is of itself a good think it's the power, wisdom and goodness of God that is taking that and making it a good thing in my life.

Could I give thanks for that. I sure can in everything. Not necessarily for everything but in everything give thanks.

Look for evidences of Romans 828 and give God thanks you can do that.

We've all done that will I don't know how God can bring good out of this and then the passing of sometimes. Sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few days sometime some weeks and months we can look back and say oh I see the wisdom of God and that OIC, the goodness of God and that OIC what good things God did in my life and that you there is the fulfillment of Romans 828 now the next thing that comes that you haven't seen that yet. Can you believe it by faith that that's what God is going to do is faithfully done that every time in the past and he's going to do that every time in the present. So, in everything give thanks even for those things that you haven't yet seen the good will come will be there because God has promised believe God for future fulfillments and give him thing.

Therefore my heart is filled with thankfulness to him who or my pain who plumbed the depths of my disgrace gave me life again, who crushed my curse of sinfulness and close me in his light and wrote his law of righteousness with power upon my heart. My heart is filled with thankfulness to him who walks beside who floods my weaknesses with strength and causes fear is to fly whose every promise is enough for every step I take, sustaining me with arms of love crowding me with grace heart is filled with thankfulness to him who reigns above wisdom is my perfect peace whose every thought is love for every day I have on earth is given by the king, so I will give my life, my all who love and follow him.

Cultivate thankfulness.

That's healthy.

Christianity and Paul ends this trio of commands with the phrase. This is God's will in Christ Jesus concerning you. Some attached. I just thanksgiving, but it actually in the in the Greek is considered by most scholars to be attached to all three. Choose joy for this is God's will in Christ Jesus concerning you. Cultivate prayer for this is God's will in Christ Jesus concerning you. The constantly thankful for this is God's will in Christ Jesus concerning this is what spiritually healthy Christians look like this is what we need to develop sometimes you hear people talk about being a spirit filled Christian and sometimes what they mean is I've spoken in tongues. This is when a spirit filled Christian looks like heart filled with joy and thanksgiving and prayer, fullness, tongues or no tongues.

You can speak in tongues and be as ordinary as a angry rooster that is not a spirit filled Christian, you can never speak in tongues and have cultivated joy in prayer and thanksgiving in your heart you are manifesting the life of the spirit within, that's a spiritual Christian. But we must hurry on this another whole area to develop and that's exercise spiritual discernment in some of the commands go on verse 19.

Do not quench the Spirit. Verse 20. Do not despise prophecies.

Verse 21 test all things hold fast what is good. Verse 22 abstain from every form of evil. This is a command as well.

Don't quench the spirit throughout the Bible, the spirits activity is likened to fire. Matthew 411. Shawn said I did indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire, and on the day of Pentecost when they were gathered together in one place, and the Holy Spirit came with a rushing mighty wind, then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

There's a lot of other text work work of the Holy Spirit is associated with fire, so since the spirits activity is likened to fire then opposition to the spirits activity is likened to extinguishing or putting out a fire to dampen it to throw water on it to smother it to suppress it. And here we are told don't quench the spirit.

Don't impede the work of the Spirit in your life, as he is convicting you of sin don't impede the life of the spirit of the life of others around you is the Holy Spirit is dealing with them. Don't impede the work of the Spirit in the church is the spirit of God is at work and some people have been guilty of doing these very thing. The problem is not everyone knows every case, what is the work of the Holy Spirit were going to get a little better insight into that in the moment, but this is a general command for us to give careful attention to by God's help and grace that we not be guilty of impeding the work of God's spirit, but that command is no club to stifle every question or doubt about claims of spiritual power.

Some people have used it. Don't you question our practice of tongues or quenching the Spirit, don't you question this. Actually, the next two commands tell us just the opposite will see that but quench not the spirit is a warning. It tells us of the Holy Spirit's active power is possible to impede or stop notes, not because the Holy Spirit is short on power but it is because the Holy Spirit wills will sometimes withdraw his power choose not to operate his power when he sees God's children who are resistant to his work. Remember how tells us when Jesus was in Nazareth that he could do very few miracles there because they didn't believe in.

I had the power to do it chose not but there is another area of development, all in this category of spiritual discernment, and that's don't reject prophecy, verse 20.

Do not despise prophecies. What is prophecy prophecy is the message of the prophet, not necessarily foretelling the future, though the prophet is given divine revelation about the future that it will involve that.

But that's not what prophecy is. Prophecy is the message of the prophet. The Old Testament prophets spoke the word of God, as was given to them many times.

It was a word of warning to people right then and not foretelling the future, but oftentimes was foretelling the future. What you see in the New Testament in the early days there were also profit were apostles there prophets their evangelists and their pastor teachers according to 411 and he that is, Christ gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, and what were New Testament prophets. They were the same as Old Testament prophets.

They work men and in some cases women who were given divine revelation by God to speak to the people of God prophecies the message of the prophet and so in the New Testament prophets proclaimed new covenant truth in New Testament assemblies when there weren't any New Testament Scriptures, they had the Old Testament, but they didn't have the New Testament to bring the greater light and truth and fulfillment of the new covenant to bear upon the old covenant.

So God gave to the churches man who were prophets to be able to speak divine revelation to God would guide them into new covenant truth, and Paul therefore warns this church in these days when prophets were still active. He warns them not to despise prophecy which means don't treat it as know of no account. Don't reject it with contempt. For evidently the misuse of it by some had caused others to reject the legitimate use of Paul's first printing epistle. He indicates that this spiritual gift of prophecy can be misunderstood or misused, and that sometimes people can claim to speak the word of God when in fact they're only speaking their own thoughts.

So yes, it is possible to misuse it. But that doesn't justify throwing out legitimate use of it but there's much evidence that I don't have time to go into now. The prophecy ceased with the death of the apostles and the completion of the Bible the New Testament Scriptures and when the Scriptures were given the things of the prophets were saying in the assemblies was all written down for Christians to read them for preachers to preach. They didn't need prophets to give that to them anymore, and therefore prophecy ceased with the apostle. Today we have prophecy right here. This whole book is prophecy.

This whole book is what the prophets have spoken and in this case written. That's what it is.

It is the words of the prophets, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and therefore the application for this today. Do not despise prophecies is don't reject the word of God to despise or reject prophecy today is to reject unwelcome passages from the Bible because I don't like it because I don't want to accept it because I don't want to believe that I reject that you are in danger of quenching the Spirit of despising prophecy on the river get many years ago and I was at a Bible conference in her John Reisinger dear brother in Christ talking about leading Bible study through the book of Romans and he came to chapter 9. Most of you will know what he was coming to now. And so, in preparation for teaching that day.

He read Romans chapter 9 when he finished one lady spoke of said I don't like what you just said dear lady I haven't said anything yet.

I just read the Bible and she said well I don't like the way you read it, we laugh, but I wonder how many times we have done something similar. I don't like what Paul said about the role of women in the church. I don't like what Paul said about order in the home.

I don't like what Paul said about this.

I don't like what Paul said about that quench not the spirit, despise not prophecies don't reject the word of God spoken to us by the prophets of God, so don't quench the Spirit. Don't reject prophecy and number three.

Don't be gullible versus 21 and 22 test all things hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Examine every claim carefully test all things examine that is proof test for genuineness and purity test everything the claims to be from God because not all the claims to be from God is from God, which is why John said in first John 41 beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets that word prophet again many false prophets. There are two prophets there are false prophets. Many false prophets have gone out into the world, they need to be tested in God's word is the standard and everything must be tested by it. So examine claims carefully and embrace truth deserting Lake hold fast what is good, hold fast retain key hold onto what is, whatever is excellent whatever genuine genuine revelation divine revelation must be embraced. Hold fast. That's a command to to that which is good. You will be judged someday for your acceptance or rejection of that which was given to us by God. But finally reject error decisively abstain from every form of evil.

Evil is that which is destructive that which is malignant can refer to both Dr. and bed teaching and behavior. Bad living bad practice to abstain means to hold a distance scares me to keep away from every form of evil form means an external manifestation of every kind and here's one of those texts that has been misunderstood because of the translation of the King James version, which is really nothing wrong with the trend that translation properly understood, but has been misunderstood and misapplied when the King James says abstain from every what appearance of evil. Some of taken that to me. You not only abstain from what is evil. But even if it looks like it could be evil wherever looks to somebody else like it's evil, then you've got abstain from that to abstain from evil and you abstain from whatever anybody else decides looks like evil and there we go, making rules and regulations like the Pharisees and adding to Scripture that's not what this is saying not avoid whatever looks like evil even when it's not evil that's not what appearance means but avoid evil of every kind, every type, every variety. That's why you test to find out when you find something that is genuinely evil. Then you avoid it.

Avoid every kind of evil. Starting with in the context false prophecy when you find prophecies that don't pass the test you reject though decisively you avoid every kind of evil.

Every false doctrine. Every sinful practice.

We are to be alert to the many forms and ways that evil presents itself and keep away from evil in any of its many forms. Because many forms of evil have infiltrated churches and we are to abstain from everything that is truly evil is tested by word of the living God healthy. Christianity requires development into areas to summarize number one personal godliness into spiritual discernment personal godliness without spiritual discernment leads to error and even fanaticism, zeal without knowledge.

When you see something that looks like cookie Christianity. It's probably being carried out will meaningfully by people who have developed the personal side, but have neglected the doctrinal side the desert and Woodside heaven taken the time to really learn what the Scripture says. And so, in their zeal they keep gravitating to stranger and stranger things out of a desire to be faithful and committed and surrendered willing to sacrifice and willing to be a fool for Christ sake, and so forth. Believe me will always all be fools enough for Christ sake, just being Christians just living like a Christian just being joyful and prayerful and thankful world of evil and not being entitled in the world of evil will be enough without dressing funny and doing all kinds of strange things that people often personal godliness without spiritual discernment leads to error and even fanaticism but spiritual discernment.

Listen to me. In other words, an understanding of doctrine. Spiritual discernment without personal godliness leads to spiritual pride.

Knowledge puffs up, but Paul tells us, whereas love edifies spiritual knowledge coupled with weak fellowship with Christ.

That is orthodoxy without spiritual power or fruit leads to spiritual pride and lack of spiritual power in our lives, lack of spiritual fruit in our churches, but combining both of these together can constitutes healthy Christianity that is both fruitful and effective. Therefore our prayer to be the God will give us an understanding of what is true biblical godliness to develop in our personal relationship with him and true spiritual discernment to understand the word of God and to get rid of those things that are not true that God give us a strong desire for this kind of Christianity and the determination to engage in these areas of development, shall we pray father come to us. Now we are the children we need to be taught.

We are so easily misled not only by voices around us, that would tell us things that are not exactly true while claiming to be your word that we are easily misled from our own wrong thoughts and desires our own heart.

That is not yet fully sanctified, and so father give us a humility that seeks to know you enjoy in prayer and thanksgiving seeks to understand and apply your word to every area of life. As we ask it in Jesus name