The New Life, Part 2

With JD Greer, the gospel is not just the diving board which really pulled Christianity is also how you start off with God. Also how you will be with God. The gospel doesn't just save us from the bill of your sins and the past and take us to happen in the future. The gospel empowers us to say no to patients in our presence. The Bible teaching ministry author theologian JD Greer.

As always, I'm your host Molly benefits. You've probably noticed that most religions share the same basic moral code theory on certain points and nuances, but for the most part, we all agree that it's bad to lie and steal and murder and we've all met good, kind people from other religions. Quite frankly, that's what makes spiritual discussions so difficult at times that we seem to be so similar. So if that's the case, how is Christianity different from any other faith.

Why should we bother telling people about Jesus ascertaining answers that all-important question today as he continues her series called mystery and clarity. Turn your Bible to Ephesians chapter 4 and my story, ascertaining verse 17 we start verse 70 the best I say and testify the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do when Paul says Gentiles here is not referring to people of a certain race is referring to anyone who doesn't know God. That is about to give you a description of what those people are like and know what we were like before he met Jesus and I want us to work backwards. So let's start verse 19 is the end of that description and then work back backwards back upwards of verse 19 he says they have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity, that's the language of crazy, greedy, these are people who feel enslaved to their desires that where does Paul say that these cravings come from this verse 18. They come because we are alienated from the life of God. These cravings arise from the absence of God in our lives. In his absence.

Our hearts are restless and make it so we fill our lives and cover ourselves with cheap substitutes.

Here's the next question. What is this alienation from God come from and why do we stay that way watches were safety. They are alien in the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. We stay alienated from God because were it is more self is caused by something. What causes that ignorance number safety that ignorance is this due to their hardness of heart, we see God not as users but as we want him to be the strangest thing happens when God softened you up and opened your eyes that you suddenly start to see him everywhere.

Skeptic says I can't see God and some of us look around and think how can you not see God. You always understand him. But you see the evidences of him everywhere since his presence there will always describe the problem because the human heart is alienated from God crave said he can't see God or since him or know him because it is too hard or deadened or blackened by sin that that's not to say by the way that Gentiles are not religious people, but the religious tendencies of the human heart are not born out of a love for or a delight in God more than that religion is an attempt to use God. It's something that is done because we receive something back from God, for it is entirely self-interested.

You give to God because God will bless your life. Thank you, Paul says, verse 24 that what God is after look at this is true righteousness and true holiness.

So our problem is we have an ignorant dead heart.

The double what God over the solution be we need two things solution part of the award winning verse 21 a new knowledge of God. So not ignorant of him. Verse 23. We need a renewed heart to delight in that knowledge so we can receive that knowledge we can grasp it. We need a new. In other words, we need a new vision of God and we need new eyes to see that vision with its awareness is knowledge of God and where does this renewed heart to see it come from two different places. Verse 21. This is a good assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus. In other words, the new knowledge of God comes to us through the story of Jesus and seeing the beauty of God revealed in the story of Jesus we are changed for the something else relate verse 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds.

We need a spiritual renewal theater summary did your definition of biblical change will change the spirit of God using the story of God to make the beauty of God come alive in our hearts give you six axioms of billable change six axioms of biblical change that make Christian morality unique and throughout this I will show you how this shows up and there's more prescriptions that are given universal 25 to 32, number one gospel change is fundamentally a change of desire. You do truth because you love truth is she one of the biggest substitute for true gospel change gets this is what we call moralism more. Here's a definition of moralism. Moralism is teaching people that external behavior matters more than internal disposition. For example, how do you motivate a kid to quit lying right couple ways we try to do. We talk to don't lie.

You don't.

If you live you get caught need to get in trouble for other people to think badly of you if you get caught live. So what you created him as a fear of punishment or projection, and he becomes honest because he doesn't want to be punished and he wants to be accepted by others. For most of us, by the way, don't lie.

If you fear being punished or fear losing face run of a sense of pride. This is were better than everybody else. The problem is neither of those make us love the truth.

The gospel motivates us differently to create in our hearts allow for truth. You might get people you see to change the moralism but you can't really change them in the hearts it was Jesus analogy for this is Mark seven. You get the country come alive by just hanging fruit on it, you have weeds in our flowerbeds in our yard. I hate weeks, my wife hates the weeds and sends me out every Saturday to take care of the weeds out the other two ways you can do it right one is you can pull them up by the roots, which is the way that you probably ought to do it the other ways you can nuke them with Roundup right like napalm for plants and and I much prefer that because it is so much easier.

The problem is you do it so much saturated the crown so much that killed a number of our bushes. You can order your house and he's got Brown looking things in different parts of her dark and my wife rightly so. She complains so she complains to me I'm like yeah I understand are some bushes that are dead that's unsightly so I go out to Kroger and I get a dozen roses and I come back I think these roses that I stapled them on the dissident plant but fixed it. Beautiful rosebush now that's crazy right most of the techniques for change that you read about all those stapling techniques moralism. That's what is portrayed by every religion in the world and unfortunately in most churches you thought about growing churches where you word regression to watch R-rated movies. Real Christians don't say a word. Real Christians don't revere real Christians vote Republican brokers boy music as of the external behavior matters more than internal disposition. Moralism not gospel here's number two gospel change begins with site gospel change begins with the gospel is what we always preach in here is coming back to it.

We keep telling the story of Christianity. Many of us grew up in churches where we were taught that the gospel is simply the entry right into Christianity is the prayer you prayed to begin your relationship with God it is that yes, but it is not just that it is also the way that you grow up in Jesus. Verse 21 is what it says this is when you are taught in him, then you'll put off your old self gospel is not just the diving board, of which we leap into the pool of Christianity is also the pull. It's how you start off with God. It's also how you repeat with God. The gospel doesn't just save us from the penalty of our sins.

In the past and take us to heaven in the future. The gospel empowers us to say no to the temptations in our presence, so I want you to study the story of Jesus here with me in spirit, small groups in the time when you have this you will gotta want you to study deeply, not like the seminarian studies it like you study a sunset that leaves you speechless like the man who is passionately in love with his wife would study her until he is so captivated by her that his enthronement with her has driven out all the enticements of other women. I want you to study the God revealed in Jesus because the beauty of that God revealed in the story of Jesus changes you, but also by the way, what we paid our efforts here in prayer.

That is until the spirit of God gives you. I see the beauty of God. You'll never see your blind man before rain know the spirit of God can open your eyes. Here's number three gospel change is a response to grace and not an attempt to earn God's favor gospel changes a response to grace and not an attempt to earn God's favor.

All throughout this passage 25 to 32.

Although this passage, God reminds them that he is already forgiven them first 32 pieces just as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Verse 30 your sealed or guaranteed salvation to the day of redemption. Jump chapter 5, verse one, Paul reminds them that God is already made us his beloved children to the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.

This passage is built on something that we call gift righteousness. Righteousness given to us, not because we own it, but because of God's love given to us freely as a gift we will receive it. You see, every religion in the world tells you if you obey enough you will be accepted.

The gospel reverses that it says you have been accepted not because of what you do, but because of what Christ has done in response to that you should obey. Ephesians 289 for by grace you have been saved through faith, not of works, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, that nobody could boast is the only way to change see as long as your acceptance before God is tied to how good you are. You will always have a self-interest in being good. So the gospel changes us by telling us of God's love and acceptance of us and invites us to love him in return. Some of you that is what you most need to hear this morning is that right now right at this moment… Love you more than he does. Even if you never are able to overcome this pornography problem. Even if you never become the great husband a great father. The great Christian the person who is so consistent in all the Christian disciplines that does not affect how much or whether God loves you. God's love for you is given to you as a gift. It's his gift to you that when you receive it, and I'm telling you you're gonna try to change to earn that you will never get there but if you will accept it as his gift and received that whether or not you ever live victoriously God's love for you is given to you than that gift becomes the basis of how you will achieve victory. Whether or not you struggle with pornography. This week does not affect God's love for you receive it, embrace it and be embraced by its number four gospel changes intimately connected to a person. Gospel changes intimately connected to a person what this verse 30 in the middle of all these moral commands both yours and this'll command not to grieve a person. He says grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, you go to the next chapter again to stratify real quick that fibers one is be imitators of God, therefore, dearly beloved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us to see that he tied our joyful obedience to every member of the Trinity we do good because were children of God the father and we love what her daddy loves for me to see this amount gives my kids have a tendency love the things I love the pull for the things I pull for they love that love with her daddy loves pieces doing a response to God the son poured out himself or you do that for others. We do good in response to God the Spirit because he lives in us and we love his presence and his friendship in our hearts gospel changes intimately connected to a person reference a recent movie that when I do so bring my manhood seriously into question some of you young Victoria.

It's about the courtship and the marriage of Albert and Queen Victoria base. The gist is this when he comes when Albert comes into her life. See really is kind of annoyed by him because she has no intention of ever getting married. She is scared of being controlled with people of all throughout her life tried to control her and so you know, EEC should like to be tension that is showing to her, but patiently he courts her and Bob are all about to get married. Okay, so I deferred it in there to win back some respect from the guys, however, happily married tensions between Albert Victoria starkly merge she wants him to be obedient and to do her every whim and he will do it to get this argument.

One afternoon, and she demands that he leaves later, they're both riding later that afternoon to the streets together in a carriage and a crazy man comes out of the crowd tries to kill or troubleshoot. He throws himself in front of her between her and this crazy guy badly wounded almost killed shot by the danger that he put himself in for her and amazed by the strength and the power and the grace of his love.

This leads to an entire life change for her. That's gospel kind of change, so you say well find somebody like that out for me. I become a nice person to you have to God has loved you with a love more intense than is ever entered into the heart of any other person, and he has done more to save you that he is any human has ever sacrifice for anybody else in all of human history, and as you come to know that love your life produces these spiritual fruits: Paul says, spiritual fruits, what that means is you don't, you don't generate spiritual fruit. I think you got happy you got have patient got happy patient you don't do that got have self-control got have self-control give me self-control not that's not how it works. Spiritual fruit is just a physical fruit spiritual fruit is the offspring of an intimate, loving interaction with Jesus Christ, the fruit of that intimacy is the spiritual fruits of all talking about number five gospel changes more powerful than religious change gospel change so much more powerful than religious Jake gospel change produces deeper more genuine sacrificial love than simply resolving to do better to quick examples from front program is real quick 1 verse 32.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you, is not just forgiveness is not just you not being angry at you got to love them and forgive them the way the crisis forgiven you. And the only way you will ever learn to do that is to saturate your heart and how much God has loved you are forgiven.

But here's the other verse 26 be angry and do not sin. Notice it under say don't be angry moralist.

It's more than that, he commands you to be angry he commands you to be angry in a loving way to anger is always a part of love.

Whenever you love something you were angry at the thing that destroys it. For example, my daughter's last see the traits of lying and violence and selfishness relatedness in them. It makes me angry because what it's doing to me, but because what I see it's doing to them, thought I love them.

I hate the things that are going to destroy their lives. If you love somebody you hate the cancer that is destroying their body. If I love the personnel hate be angry at the moral cancer that is destroying their soul. The problem, Paul says, with her anger is that it is selfish anger you want to get them back for what they did to you they hate you so you angrily hit him back may be punishable yelling ready to publish some of the silent treatment but cut you off in traffic and punishable noise from your Hort. Your anger is a desire for vindication pulses boldly selfishly angry that simple anger have loving anger like Jesus. Jesus got angry and confronted Sam rebuked it even drove it out with whips when it came time for punishment.

Jesus took it all pulses is how you are to be angry when your spouse offends you when your boss takes you all don't be angry about what they've done to you and that you should absorbed that your self and forgive them. Like Jesus forgave you any anger you directed at them should be loving broken hearted anger anger what their sin is doing to them to do. If he's not talking about simply ceasing to lose your temper talking about the entire structure of your heart be transformed so that even your anger is not selfish is loving real quick. This is too good to pass up. Bullying gives you a test to know without your anger is simple, loving verse 26… On that on your anger when you're selfishly angry. It stays with you. It simmers you mull it over. When you love somebody anger quickly dissipates again.

For example, my children when they do something to make me mad. I do it and then I'm overcome with love again for them. It's when somebody does something to me that I'm personally wounded by nonmobile it over night and I can't sleep that selfish anger. The test is if you can't get rid of it before you go to bed. That is a guarantee that that is selfish anger, not loving you say this is all a little a marriage counselor that the verses that you discuss and talk about will take nothing but the bed.

Try benefit talk but I'll still to talk about because clearly she did to submit right there so your write up is wrong with it was like the person would not realize this is a sign that my anger is not loving anger but was his number six gospel changes total gospel changes total in these chapters, Paul watches as he's told his names. All these areas like this Paul talks about communication emotions, relationship sexuality material is nonmanagement your careful report that family support employee relations of marriage.

The world not one square inch of your life is unaffected. God covers them all the result of encountering Jesus is all of you changes.

Paul talks about the further the spirit uses the singular fruit not fruits but the many is that the flowers you stayed on the bush but singular.

The fruit of the spirit was that of your Christian life is compartmentalized and I know that it is for many of us younger little church attendance thing on, then he gives money is there that you will obey my taxes this relations overheat over here. That's not really right understand you are sleeping together, but no big deal. That's okay. Maybe like yeah I'm going to church now starting to build a more moral but temper under control, but I'm not really what you call a generous person.

That's what's happening to you. It's all compartmentalized and whatever is happening you is not gospel change your state when honor is the result of being in love.

Total transformation is a response to grace. Have you experienced this in your life. We pray that this program would be a catalyst in your journey towards nailing Jesus more fully if you've missed any part of Pastor Janie Greer's six axioms of gospel change here on Senate life.

You can find this message and a complete transcript JD Greer.com all of the online resources are available without cost. Getting in the way because people like you have donated to support this ministry. When you get to Senate life, you're getting to people across the country, even around the world who are in search of solid gospel centered biblical truth as our way of saying thanks for your gift today will see new and explicit new Senate life Bible study that coincides with our current teaching series of mystery and clarity of Ephesians in this resource you will gain an understanding of God's love for you and also I better understanding of who you are in you can work through this nine part Bible study at whatever pace works best for you. Each session includes a new company press, Scripture memory, along with commentary study question personal applications and a prayer guide. One of the best ways to allow Scripture to speak into our lives is to commit to memory that we can dwelling any time. Remember, that was one of our goals for 2021.

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