Dealing with Private Sins

Go to be a holy person.

If you're going to be a righteous person.

It's going to have to take place in your own heart. That's where the battle has to be, if you're losing the battle on the inside. Nobody knows where nobody sees will show man or woman, young or old, if you're a Christian, you are already in a constant struggle with an unseen foe. That foe is temptation. So how do you win the battle today on grace to you. John MacArthur is going to give you a clear-cut strategy for dealing with private sin as he continues his series called a course for life. It's a study that looks at foundational spiritual principles for high school or college students, and frankly, for anyone, so no matter what stage of life you're in, you're going to want to stay here and find out what it takes to fight sin and pursue holiness. And now here's John in a message he originally delivered to students at the Masters University talking about holiness, talking about purity of life is a course absolute critical it is the desire of the Lord, that we be conformed to the image of his son. It is the word of Scripture that if you say you abide in Christ you walk away he walked. And of course he walked without sin.

That is, of course, the whole point of sanctification and dealing with this is is really critical, particularly in your youth. Although I'll never forget being in the hospital room man was 78 years old was dying of heart failure and I stood and leaned over his bed and I said are you ready to go to heaven and he was weeping and I was a little bit concerned about his condition. I've known them for number of years.

He said what my trust is in Jesus Christ, 78 years old but he said I just never got victory over pornography 78 years old I was fairly well shocked by that because he hadn't even lived in this generation didn't even have a computer nor was the film industry anything like it is her television today in the years he cultivated habits apparently has access to that kind of stuff for him and here he was 78 years old and that was that deep wound. In a sense that he was carrying into meeting the Lord in heaven.

If you win that battle. I want to tell you today where you have to win it when you get right down to the nitty-gritty of where the battle has to be one, and I want to start with an illustration of a man named Joe. You remember Job. I'm sure Job you need to turn to for a minute, all turning their later Joe was 75. God's own attesting a righteous man. In fact, in the first chapter of Job 1st part of the first chapter, please identify this one of the most righteous, if not the most righteous man on earth.

The purest man holiest man that's against the grain of what you might expect because that's way back before the revelation of Scripture was even written down.

You would've lived in the patriarchal. In the time of the Genesis so he wouldn't have had any Scripture to read certainly wouldn't of had all of the nuances of New Testament sanctification to lean on and didn't he did. He knew it was to love his Lord with all his heart and soul and it impacted his life to the point that God commands them is the most righteous man, and then everything went south in his life is such children.

His family all went over to have dinner at one of the sons houses and civilians came in and raided the place and slaughtered his entire family. All of his children, and then it went from there to his crops and his animals, and then his own physical health and he got these terrible boils all over him me and talk about disaster one disaster after another, and the question of course that arises in your mind is if this is what happens to the most righteous man in the world. What does Blessing mean if being righteous is supposed to produce Blessing. How does this work anyway. Job is in a dire situation. The only person left in his life in immediate family as his wife and she's frankly a pain. He says to them, curse God and die with his pretty terrible advice and his friends course know about this horrifying disaster and so they come to comfort him and his friends sit for seven days never say anything. They were dead silent for seven days. It took them seven days of just flat out morning in silence to reach a point where they thought they could say anything. That's how profound the suffering was all they could do was just agonize with them at the end of seven days. They gave speeches not during the seven days they were infinitely wise because they said nothing stupid soon as they open their mouth all wisdom left, and they gave these ridiculous speeches and the bottom line was well this is evidence that you are a sinful man.

This is proof positive Job that there's something really rotten in your life and obviously we don't know about it.

Now remember, none of them knew about the conversation that God was having with Satan that brought it about.

None of them knew God's assessment of Joe because that was in the secret councils of heaven so they gave the standard deal that most people give if you're having that kind of problem in life you must be a bad person and so they give their silly speeches and Job listens to them dutifully and he answers them in the 31st chapter of Joe by doing a little bit of inventory. He says well I made a covenant with my eyes so I haven't been gazing at virgins. If I have walked with falsehood in my foot has hastened after deceit, then let God show me that because I look at my situation and I have integrity if my heart has been enticed by a woman or I have lurked at my neighbor's door way.

You know that's a peeping Tom. May my wife grind for another man what my my wife leave me in cook for somebody else that would be a lustful crime if I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves when they filed a complaint against me if I haven't you to my employees right then. Then she let God show me if I've kept the poor from their desire because the eyes of the widow to to fail. No dropping her head in despair because you would need the widows need it. If I put my confidence in gold. If I rejoiced at the death of my enemy and he's going down a litany of all the possible things he could have done wrong and the end of it, since I I just I just don't see any of this and so 30 32 verse one so wonderful. Then these three men ceased answering Job listen to this because he was righteous in his own eyes when that is underlined that Mark that that's really critical Job 32 one. He was righteous in his own eyes.

It wasn't a matter of what people thought about them. They were dead wrong. They hadn't seen any of the sins he said if I've done any of this. Tell me they just assumed it because things were going very well, but at the end of the day he takes his stand not on what God knows because he didn't know what God knows not what they think because they don't think right at the end of all of it.

He is righteous in his own eyes. He has done an assessment of his own heart and is been exonerated. That is critical.

We put it to you simply going to be a holy person.

If you're going to be a righteous person.

It's going to have to take place in your own heart. That's where the battle has to be fought. You have to be able to say what Job said I'm righteous. I looked at myself I've examine myself looked at my motives. I looked at my heart and I don't buy your accusations. Because if it's anything less than that. It's gonna blow up. I promise you if you didn't win the battle on the inside, sooner or later it will show up on the outside, you can't keep the lid on it is impossible.

You're not that clever and you're not that alert you're not that discipline if you're losing the battle on the inside when nobody knows where nobody sees and you know you're not righteous there, it will show up. Be sure your sins will what bind you out to get you another man in the New Testament turn to second Corinthians chapter 1, second Corinthians chapter 1 and feel this is one of my favorite books written by in my judgment, the greatest leader that ever lived humanly. The apostle Paul is the model of his leadership is in this epistle, insight and cribbage get a better look at the heart of Paul than you do anywhere anywhere in the New Testament and the reason you do is because he's under attack.

Same thing with Job is under attack. Only this time it's not his friends.

It's his enemies with Job it was his friends who were attacking his credibility and his integrity, and Job stood the test by saying I've examine my life and I'm telling you I'm righteous will Paul is being attacked by enemies. They they false teachers combination of Greek philosophy and Greek oratory sort of wed together with the Judaizing elements of of Judaism invading the church the false teachers came in to the Trinity church. They wanted to teach lies this false teachers always do their agents of Satan and they bring doctrines of demons and you know there like the clock that doesn't run the right price today and that some credibility and they came into Corinth and they knew that if they're going to teach their lies and upset the gospel and tear up the church and destroy evangelism rent have to get rid of the confidence people had in Paul so they decided to attack Paul if they could discredit Paul, thank you totally undermine Paul happens all the time people do it to their pastors.

You know nobody who decides they want to bring it as some new teaching into the church or some new power structure into the church do everything they can undermine the pastor destroy the pastor happens not just in church as it happens in any environment.

That's what happens they started attacking Paul and that they basically said and I'll show you the key here is over chapter 4 and verse 72. He says we renounce the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness, or adulterating the word of God hears what they were accusing him they were accusing him and and and if it can go to the whole book to put all the pieces of this together. They were accusing him of sexual sin. There accusing him of the material greed they were accusing him of being in the ministry for money and favors from women there were accusing him of falsifying his apostolic credentials they were accusing him of overestimating his ministry impact and effectiveness. They were accusing him, primarily, of having a secret hidden life of shame. In other words, he was a phony. He was a hypocrite.

He came on as if he was the servant of God and the man of God, but under the surface. Was this hidden, shameful, wretched, wicked life that he was walking in craftiness that is he was a deceiver that he was not true to the word of God. He was adulterating it. I mean that's the sum of that's the worst that could be said underneath the surface of this apparently godly faithful old proclaimer of the gospel. There was a secret hidden life of shame and he was nothing but a hypocrite. You know there are people in the ministry of for whom that is true there in their preaching and teaching and under the surface there is a hidden life of Shane just uncovered a pastor back in the Midwest to preach in his church for over 20 years.

That means that that he had probably people who were in the church when they were born and had grown into their 20s when he was there on through their life under his leadership. They found out the church for almost 20 years been giving him money and been giving him money because he had a desire to give money to poor families in the area as a witness for the church in a given cash so he could give it to the poor families begin to do a little bit of the study and they found out that the poor families never got that with the local prostitute got it over. That's secret hidden life Shane. He was exposed in a course then immediately people who sat under his ministry 20 years ago retroactively go back and wonder what in the world is this 20 years been if this man without the power and influence of the Spirit of God has been my teacher horrific things like that happen from time to time. There are those who have a hidden life, shame, and you know that you've experienced some things like that as well. Sometimes it's even your parents who or somebody in your family who puts on a show for people in church, but underneath it said like the whited sepulchers full of dead men's bones, so they said that a call when you see Paul's answer chapter 1 verse 12 because I think this gets back to the core of what were talking about here. Second Corinthians 112 this this is the heart and soul of the issue are proud confidence.

Is this how Paul says look I got to answer these accusations now I want you to understand Paul as a humble man. We know that very clearly it's good comes through everything he writes is a selfless man is a Christ exalting man. He wants to do nothing but exalt Jesus Christ and him crucified the heat when asking for his apostolic credentials. He says I was beaten more than you. I was shipwrecked and all of that stone and left for dead.

He looked at his suffering is the true badge of his apostleship, because in it was the essence of his humiliation for the sake of the gospel is not a proud man but he was willing to defend himself against false accusations because he didn't want people to believe what was not true, and therefore discredit his ministry and therefore shut themselves off from the truth which he preached so reluctantly. He hates this and you see that all the way through this epistle. He hates to have to defend himself, but he will do it. He will do it and how will he do it I was flying across America in one of the leading religious evangelical: quote preachers TV preacher set down behind the jet proceeded to drink too much and get to the point where he was inebriated, and he saw me and he knew who I was no need for whatever reason, didn't like me and so he decided that in his lack of self-control to let me know that and he just unloaded on me and I said to him I so will this is very interesting that you were sitting there talking to me because I am right now writing a review of your book for magazine, so maybe I could ask you a few personal questions make sure I get this right.

I was pretty stunning providential meeting all then he launched into some furor and use of profane words at me. I went ahead and wrote the review and it was published later on about two weeks after this incident on the plane I received a thick envelope of that thick from him full of 15 letters written by everybody on his staff knew him telling me what a wonderful person he was. I work with this guy he is and it went on a paragraphs of the 15 page 15 letters on different letterhead from all these different people in his organization. You know what and by that I didn't buy that was that I saw was in his heart. We got under the influence.

The real deal became manifest. So what talking to do to defend themselves going to say here's 15 letters from my 15 buddies you say I have a hidden life of shame. No I don't and here's 15 letters no wicked verse 12 is our confidence.

The testimony of our conscience, luck, Paul says, I'm telling you I looked inside and here's the testimony of my own conscience that in the holiness and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God. In other words, this holiness and this godly sincerity comes by the grace of God, not by the wisdom of my flesh, but I am telling you my conscience tells me that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you in a way that is holy and godly with a some folks can't say that you got a problem. You really have a problem because it's only a question of time before that gets manifests you not able to say with Job. I have done a full examination and I'm telling you I am righteous, as righteous as a man can be before God. If you can't say that you have a serious problem because you lose the battle on the inside will show up on the outside because I think in your heart so you and if they come at you and they say you've got a secret hidden life of shame if somebody came to you and pinned you to the corner and said other secret things in your life shameful things that only you know about the church want to cover and so for the sake you stand up with the apostle Paul and say look, my proud confidence is this that my conscience tells me that I have conducted myself in the world. That means in the world outside the church when nobody's looking, and I have conducted myself in the church right with you in such a fashion that my conscience tells me I have conducted myself in holiness and godly sincerity, not by my own fleshly ability, but by the grace of God at work in me there.

You have been. That's that that's the safest place shall ever be and that's the highest earthly court. God is the highest heavenly court. The highest earthly court is conscience. Sometimes people say to me, while you know John, who are you accountable to who are you accountable to the huge lists of people. I'm accountable to you unaccountably. You you expect a certain kind of conduct out of me. Don't you unaccountably you believe me you have expectations that I as a man of God as a teacher of the word of God is the president of the college to bear the name of Jesus Christ, you have expectations of me that legitimately would establish the fact that I should live a godly life. I should live in holiness and godly sincerity you have that expectation to meet that expectation of me is a is a point of accountability and if you have it in your here for a time and gone and the faculty are here all the time. They have a on an enduring basis and then there are people around me people that I work with. They have expectations of me so to the other people I work with in the various ministries so to the elders of Grace Church sodas the congregation.

There are a lot of accountability there. My wife she thinks that I should do everything I preach perfectly. I tell her hand reach a better message than I can live up to give me some slack. Just a little. That's a lot of accountability my children hold me accountable. Do you think they have an expectation for me. Course they do.

My grandchildren hold me accountable and expect me to live a life that supports what I say I believe, and those people are at an ovarian levels around me moving into very very intimate levels where people work very closely with me of seeing me in every situation.

I'm always amazed I was in an elevator in a foreign country. Not long ago and I said to a person something like no which floor is such and such and somebody spun around. I know that moisture John MacArthur all you have is to be quite a bit walking on the street somewhere in some other part of the world. People now have accountability limitation. Nobody on this planet knows what's in my heart.

Nobody and nobody can hold me accountable.

There. That is where the battle for lost and if you losing it. There are going to lose it on the outside because you can't keep a lid on that this is grace to you with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us. Today's lesson is part of a series of messages.

John preached during chapel at the Masters University. It's titled a course for life John today. You said that the most persistent accountability that we have in the fight against sin comes not from other people, not from people around us, but from our own conscience, and so were in big trouble if we weaken the conscience. So John talked about the danger of a seared conscience. How does that happen and why is it so dangerous. The conscience depends on two things. It depends on sensitivity, but it depends on truth.

I suppose that a terrorist who sets off a bomb and kills people, is doing that because his conscience is clear. Why is this conscience clear why this is conscience allow them to do that because it's been misinformed. He's been given a warped corrupted form of belief that he's bought into.

So you would say that is an unconscionable thing for a terrorist to blow up a bunch of people, but not for him. So the first thing to be said about the conscience.

Is it has to be built on the truth.

People do things literally freed by their conscience because they're so misinformed, so the conscience in itself is not moral.

It just reacts to whatever our set of convictions are so the first thing to know about the conscience as your conscience only functions the way God intends it to function when you're dealing with the truth. The second thing to know is you wanted always to be sensitive, you don't want to override it and when you have a seared conscience. It means you've ignored it and ignored it and ignored it and ignored it pushed back pushed back it's it's as if you've scarred it and when you scar tissue, you lose it sensitivity you should response with the first restraint that you launched in the direction of us in the first restraint of your conscience to be enough to stop you but if you go past that and pass that in past that past that you basically putting layers of scar tissue on your conscience.

So those are the two dangers.

One miss informing the conscience with lies and to scarring the conscience by ignoring it when it tells you the truth, and if you want to be an effective godly person. You have to be informed by the truth and respond with sensitivity to your conscience want to tell you about a book on my favorite books of all the ones I written called the vanishing conscience the vanishing conscience powerful powerful book. I remember Phil we send it to all the congressmen and all the Senators in Washington some years ago the vanishing conscience what your conscience is all about reasonably price you can order it from Grace to you today. This book will help you in your daily battle with temptation and sin arming you with the tools you'll need to keep your conscience clean to order the vanishing conscience. Contact us today call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org. The vanishing conscience is available for $11 and shipping is free to get your copy, call 855 grace or you can order online@tty.org. And of course to make sure your conscience is sharp need to know and apply God's word to help with that. Let me encourage you to get our flagship resource. The MacArthur study Bible.

It has introductions to each book of the Bible. Dozens of maps and charts and the standout feature. The best thing of all 25,000 study notes from John with detailed explanations that will help you know what each passage means, and it will help unlock the life-changing power of Scripture in your life to get the MacArthur study Bible available in the English standard new King James and new American Standard version. Call 855 grace or visit our website TTY.org now for John MacArthur in the entire grace to you. Staff I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television this Sunday. Check your local listings for channeling times and then be here Monday for another half hour of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on grace to