TCW Short Take #5: What is the lesson in the Joshua Harris story for Christians?

What is the lesson here in the story of Joshua Harris. For those who call themselves Christians part one, part two or part B of the question is how do we examine our own hearts to know whether we are truly saved you. I will try to bargain and put together a wonderful lesson for us lot a lesson to learn more widely broadleaf beheading we need to grow in wisdom and discernment about what appears to be commendable. Our evangelical culture. I think for so many decades we been taught that big numbers best-selling books conference platforms fan followers charisma hype all the rest. We love that stuff is American evangelicals love popularity and fame and fortune and influence, and we seem always to be caught up in that trap that took a honey trap were enamored with that stuff. And I think I think we need to be stopping so gullible realize once again that not all the glitters is gold and put our heads and our hearts back into our Bibles, which is going to direct us back to devoting our energies to our local churches obviously were going to be looking around to what's happening in the wider world and will never stop doing that. But in our efforts and or energies need to be poured into making disciples, which happens in and through the local church are great commission. So I think I think we have evangelicals we learned that, and then as we put our heads in our hearts back into scripture and devote ourselves to discipling other Christians and evangelizing non-Christian we have to come back to salvation is by the grace of God alone through faith alone.

It's in Christ alone and there are some people I mean three years.

Judas Iscariot walked around with all the other disciples sitting at Jesus feet learning all the things they're learning thing all the things they're saying he was sent out. Luke chapter 9 along with the other 12 for the other 11 to preach the kingdom of God and he did coordinate what we can tell he performed miracles by the power the spirit all the stuff happening in the life of Judas Iscariot. So much so that in John 13 when Peter asked who is a new they're all asking who is the betrayer who the betrayer is a me Lord is a meal or they don't know nobody, nobody said, I think of Judas that he was the last one from their mind. So I think we just need to get our eyes off of maybe all the external signs and and look to look to Scripture look to salvation by the grace of God alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Do we need to emphasize once again, you must be born again we need to expect expect that those who are born again have the ingredients 517 Avenue nature in Christ.

The old has gone in the new has come. Those of the new nature they will not continue in sin.

They're not going to continue living in the world and being worldly. They're going to bear the fruit of that new nature and at the fruit that's produced by the Holy Spirit, Galatians 522, love, joy, peace, patient kindness, goodness, faithful is generally a self-control. If you define all those fruits biblically you'll see it's impossible for the old nature for any non-Christian to produce those that have to have to be produced by the Holy Spirit and were in a watch that produce to the very end. There were lots of people endure. So how do we examine our own hearts, while objectively do we believe the gospel, and I'm not talking just about intellectual understanding or dissent to its truthfulness. But do we embrace the gospel with our heart without embracing of the gospel is core change in my affection that I find within my heart, a love and devotion to Jesus Christ or love his word like like the psalmist says in Psalm 119.

Oh how I love your law, do we in swimming completely upstream against this culture.

We love to obey the word of God, we find that our pleasure and our joy that we find God to be our great reward.

Are we satisfied in him and him alone or do we always craved something else refining greater obedience and fruit bearing our lives here produce fruit.

And all the rest.

I think it comes down to those kind of things we hope this will berate you progress to hear the full program is ministering to visit the Christian worldview.I'm David