The Fruit Of Our Service Is Holiness by Zac Poonen

what should be the result of our serving the Lord let me turn to Romans chapter 6 here we see you verse 22 having been freed from sin that's the first step and enslaved to God that is becoming a slave of God or a servant of God which I trust is what all of you are or seek to be you derive your benefit or you have your fruit from serving God what is that fruit it results in sanctification so if I'm really serving God you know a lot of people will think they are serving God in the world and I've been around 50 years watching such people a lot of people who think they're serving God will discover in the day they stand before the Lord that they were only serving themselves in the in one of the paraphrases of Matthew 7 where it says where Jesus says to those people who did miracles in his name get away from me the paraphrase says you were just using me to promote yourself and there's a lot of that in Christendom today using Jesus to promote oneself but what is the real result that should come from serving the Lord sanctification in other words if I'm really serving the Lord Jesus Christ my life will become holier and holier the more I serve him every year will find me more christ-like as a result of my service and the people closest to me will recognize that if you're married your husband or your wife should be able to see an increase in Christ's likeness in your life or if you're or your colleagues people who live with your work with you if that is not happening we need to ask ourselves why have you missed out on something that is the result of serving the Lord and the outcome finally it says no that verse is eternal life I would encourage you to meditate on that verse sometime and ask God to give you revelation in proverbs 4 in verse 18 it speaks about the part of the righteous we know that in the New Covenant we are justified by faith and the righteous shall live by faith and we become righteous through faith but then after we have become righteous there's a part of the righteous described here in proverbs 4:18 it's compared to the light of the dawn or the Sun rising it's like years and years of darkness in which we were unconverted and then a day came in our life when we were born again that's like the Sun rises and God's plan for our life from that moment onwards till the day Christ returns is compared here to the Sun rising in the sky getting brighter and brighter and brighter and brighter never backsliding the Sun never goes back till the perfect day that's when Christ returns and we shall be like him so if that is not happening in our life according to this verse we are not on the path of the righteous or we have sidetracked or deviated from it somewhere now this doesn't mean that we concentrate we're not supposed to be Hermits and monks just concentrating on becoming holy that's why I had read Romans 6:22 first it's as we serve that sanctification comes it's not buying going and locking ourselves up in a monastery so God's will for us is that and let me turn you to another verse now which is a very well-known verse Romans 8 and verse 28 this is a very well-known verse among most evangelical Christians that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him those who are called according to his purpose I mean that is an absolute statement all things all things means all things there are God in heaven is such a sovereign ruler of this entire universe and he's our Father our dad that he's in control of every event in my life and all the people who come across my path and the good things they do to me and the bad things they do to me and I have discovered in my life God is so much in control that even our mistakes he turns to profit if you have faith for that I have faith for that that even thee not talking about deliberate sins I'm talking about we make so many mistakes in our life I made numerous mistakes in my life but God's turned them for profit in my life I've learned such a lot from it it's humbled me and enabled me to press on more but here it says that God turned makes it work for good and then if our mind is not renewed we don't understand what that good is we can think of some earthly good that if I miss getting something I get something better on earth something earthly if I missed marrying one person I'll marry a better person that's not the good I mean that may happen but that's not the good that God speaking of here the good that God speaking of here is mentioned in the next verse that those whom he foreknew he predestined and to be conformed to the image of his son this is the only predestination that the New Testament speaks of there is no predestination to heaven or hell it is predestination to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ so in other words God has determined what my final destination is to be now the average Christian if you were to ask him what his destination is he'd say heaven but you never find that in Scripture the destination God has planned for us is total conformity to the likeness of Christ and we may go to heaven but that's a secondary it is secondary we don't go to heaven as it were we go to be with Jesus and we'll be conformed to his likeness and even when he returns so that by the way is the good towards which everything is working so good towards which all things are working is not to make my life more comfortable or to give me things that I think will I need or want but to conform me to the likeness of Christ and if I see that as the ultimate good the greatest good that God can do for me is not give me health not give me money that was an Old Testament gospel unfortunately being preached by many today the greatest good that God can do to any of us is to conform me to the image of Jesus Christ His Son and that is the good towards which he makes everything work and that is God's will for us and so when we see that as our destination I look at it like a plane ticket with a destination mentioned on it New York well when I go to the airport I'm gonna look for a flight that takes me to New York I'm not gonna look for the biggest plane or the prettiest plane I'm gonna look for a plane to take me in New York so I must look for that type of fellowship and Christian environment that'll help me to get to my destination which is to become totally like Christ that must be my goal and I must have it fixed on my mind and it is to this goal that God will constantly help me this is the meaning of what it says in Hebrews let us leave the elementary principles of Christ and let us press on to perfection hmm a lot of Christians are afraid of the word perfection we shouldn't be it is God's will it says in Hebrews 6 and verse 1 that we must press on to perfection and it says in 2nd Timothy in chapter 2 chapter 3 sorry verse 16 all scripture is given alternately verse 17 so that the man of God may be perfect so when we see this is the goal we see why the law could never bring us here that's why the the LORD abolished the law and established a new covenant and I have discovered in my travels and in meeting Christians that many Christians have not understood that the Old Covenant has been abolished completely it's obsolete not the Old Testament that's part of the Bible but the Old Covenant the law which God gave to Israel it's been abolished it's obsolete it says in Hebrews 8 and verse 13 when he said a new covenant he has made the first one obsolete it's clear but yet many Christians haven't understood that and that's the reason why there isn't the sanctification that there should be in their life because the law can never sanctify anyone the law could not make anyone perfect there's no such thing as pressing on to perfection in the Old Covenant we need to recognize the Old Covenant is abolished look at the tremendous emphasis there is on tithing in many churches never mentioned in the New Testament never taught by Jesus never taught by the Apostles but not by multitudes of pastors today it's a result of covetousness it's part of the Old Covenant law and there's a man tends to want to go to the law you remember what Jesus said I don't know why it is but Jesus seemed to say that prophetically when he was speaking about the new wine and new wineskins and Luke chapter five and he said when people drink taste the new wine and they say in Luke 5 39 the old is good enough that's amazing the Old Covenant is good enough in the New Covenant take the matter of tithing what Jesus says is give not tithing God loves a cheerful Giver not out of compulsion not out of necessity and not to get a reward but because we love Jesus and that's why we give God loves a cheerful Giver and that's just one area in the Old Covenant also let me show you in Psalm 103 now whenever I speak I quote scripture a lot and part of the reason is so that your faith may not rest in the wisdom of man not in my wisdom or my cleverness but on the word of God so do listen to these scriptures which I'm far more important than what I say Psalm 103 this what David said a thousand years before Christ came was bless the Lord O my soul who has given to me many benefits don't forget all his benefits and he mentions four of the number one verse three he spotted all my iniquities forgiveness of sins that's not a new covenant blessing it's an Old Covenant blessing blessed is the man whose sins are covered and here in psalm 32 and here in Psalm 103 pardons all my iniquities secondly he heals my diseases again not a new covenant blessing a physical healing third redeems my life from the pit of hell deliverance from Hell it's not a new covenant blessing and number four verse five satisfies my ears with many good things material benefits so these are the four benefits of the Old Covenant forgiveness of sins healing from sicknesses deliverance from hell and material blessing does that sound familiar to the gospel that is being preached in many places today it's an Old Covenant gospel but who has the wisdom to understand it in the New Covenant as soon as you open the pages of the New Covenant as soon as you open it the very first page the very first promise goes beyond these four I don't know whether you've noticed it do you know what is the first promise in the New Testament Matthew 1 and verse 21 you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins not he will forgive their sins that is Psalm 103 he will save his people from their sins I've coated this verse to different people and I said have you understood it when you say Jesus is your Savior what is he saved you from has he save you from anger you say no has you has he saved you from lustful thinking no has he saved you from grumbling and complaining no but you're born again right yes then what do you what happens when you do commit all these sins well I confess it to Jesus and he forgives me then call him by the way you know him he's your forgiver he's not your Savior because he hasn't saved you from anything you say he saved you from hell that's in the future but what is he saving you from right now nothing he's forgiving you for giving you forgiving you he's your forgiver but he's meant to be our Savior I'm just trying to show you how the devil has robbed Christians of their inheritance he robbed me of that for 16 years after I was born again I was just like any other believer defeated defeated defeated and preaching as well till God brought me to a point of desperation and I said Lord something got to change I can't continue like this I I was ready to quit the ministry because I was done just being a hypocrite I said lord I really need to experience a genuine infilling of the Holy Spirit so this is the first promise of the New Testament he will save his people from their sins from their sinful ways from their sinful habits and that links up with what the first verse recorded in Romans 6 which is the fruit of our service is sanctification which is increasing salvation from the power of sin so what is the second promise I don't know whether you know no what is the second promise in the New Testament so we're coming into the New Covenant the Old Covenant being abolished the second promise in the New Covenant is Matthew 3 and verse 11 well John the Baptist says in the last part of that verse Jesus he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and Fire now the word baptism has got a religious sort of ring about it but it's not and the reason is because it's not an English word the average english-speaking person doesn't know what baptism is it's a religious word and it's actually a Greek word which is being trans litter ated not translated transliterated means it's been taken into Greek and made into an English word baptizo or bapto has been made into baptised and in the Greek it just means immersed it's a plain word used in everyday Greece 2,000 years ago meaning immersed you'll be immersed in the Holy Spirit or filled with the Holy Spirit is the same thing and that is what changed the Apostles and brought them into the New Covenant now in the Old Covenant the Spirit was upon people many many people even Samson had the spirit upon him David had the spirit upon him but it didn't change their lives Samson lived in adultery most of the time David committed adultery and many of the old covenant people there was no deliverance from sin in their life sanctification was not a part of the Old Covenant but the Spirit is upon them and they could bless Millions I mean there were two million people in the wilderness who Moses led and they were blessed through the anointing upon Moses but it was a pawn not in and I pictured it like if you have a cup of a cup here and a lid on it and the Spirit is poured that Cup is a picture of your heart or your spirit and the Holy Spirit is poured it overflows over you the spirit upon upon upon him it can bless millions but the heart is not changed Samson's heart was not changed and the Old Covenant the hearts of people were not changed but in the New Covenant that lid was removed or if you want a most scriptural picture of that in the Old Covenant there was this tabernacle which symbolized man's person outer court holy place most holy place symbolizing man's body soul and spirit man is a Trinity 1 Thessalonians 5:23 made in the image of God body soul and spirit corresponding to outer court holy place in most holy place in between the more holy place in the most holy place was this veil this thick veil which symbolized that God could not get into man's spirit and man could not get into God's presence God dwelt in that most holy place so until that veil was rent there was no way of penetrating and getting into man's spirit everything that people did in the Old Covenant even their worship was body and soul that's all he remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4 he's the time has now come now when the true worshipers will worship in spirit not just in body and soul like in the Old Covenant body and soul worship is good I do it raised my hands clap my hands use my intellect emotionally moved excited weep when you praise the Lord all very good but if I stop there is still Old Covenant worship but once I allow the Spirit of God to come within and stir my spirit worship comes in the spirit which I think very few Christians have experienced a lot of what is called praise over praise and worship and many Christian churches is the emotion of the soul I'm not against it it's good but God wants more the father seeks jesus said for such people to worship him so when the wheel was rent the spirit could come within man's spirit and that's what happened on the day of Pentecost in John chapter 7 when Jesus spoke about rivers of living water flowing out for many years I used to think of it only as the emphasis in my mind was always rivers rivers rivers but then I was amazed by a verse below that which said in John 7 39 that Jesus was speaking here of the Spirit whom those who believed in him were going to receive and listen to this John 739 in the last part the spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified and then it really puzzled me because there were so many instances in the Old Testament where the Spirit was definitely given so many people that Gideon it says Gideon was clothed with the spirit but his life didn't change he became an idol worshipper later so what does it mean the spirit was not given the spirit was not given in this way in which Jesus had just spoken and the emphasis in verse 38 it was not primarily on the rivers of living water because rivers of living water flowed even from the ministry of Moses and John the Baptist sure look at the millions that were blessed through those prophets and all those men in the Old Testament upon whom the Spirit was but John 7:38 says now it is going to come from the innermost being that's the emphasis here he who believes in me from his innermost being this river is going to flow it's not going to be upon him like the Old Covenant from within he's gonna flow out and so when the veil was rent in the spirit of man was open or the lid was removed from the cup the Holy Spirit would first come and fill man's spirit from within it would overflow and bless Millions and so I often used to wonder look at these many people who stand in the last day before Jesus saying Lord we prophesied in your name we evangelized in your name we did miracles in your name not in the name of some heathen God we did many miracles we cast out demons in your name these are the things that happen wherever evangelism takes place casting out demons and miracles and like you've seen the Acts of the Apostles and yet the Lord says to them depart from me it's almost as saying I don't have anything to do with you your ministry all that you did doesn't impress me because there's sin in your life did you believe that you believe that what Jesus said there that many are going to stand before him in the last day and boast about the amazing things they did for him in Jesus name and for which they thought they would get a great commendation when he finally came back and he turns around says there was sin in your life I can't explain it maybe it was like the Spirit was upon Gideon who became an idolaters or like the Spirit is upon Sampson who lived in sin in his private life maybe that's how those people served but that was not New Covenant service because that service did not bring sanctification like we heard right at the beginning the fruit of your service is sanctification and the outcome eternal life so it's from the innermost being a new covenant ministry is from the innermost being and the first time that Jesus spoke to his disciples about the Holy Spirit was at the Last Supper and he told them if you love me you'll keep my Commandments that sanctification keeping all his Commandments and you just had to go through the Sermon on the Mount Matthew five six and seven to see how tough that is two key never getting angry never lusting with the eyes never telling a lie your yes is yes your noise no loving all your enemies forgiving everyone who's hurt you not loving money not being anxious not judging others doing everything that we do for God in secret without any desire that other people should commend us or know about what we are doing and you know all those things listed in Matthew five six and seven poor in spirit hungering and thirsting after righteousness pure in heart and that's tough if you love me keep my Commandments and the immediate response from my heart is saying I say Lord I want to I love you and if that is the mark of my love I want to keep your Commandments desperately but I can't keep them I'd be honest the flesh is too strong in me even though I know Scripture so much and so the Lord gives an answer to this unspoken question in the very next verse don't worry John 14:16 I will ask the Father and He will give you a helper Wow he'll give me a helper for what for what he said in the previous verse to keep the commandments if you read that in the context it doesn't mean anything else if you love me keep my Commandments and I'll pray the Father he'll give you a helper to keep my Commandments and He will be with you forever and right now verse 17 the last part this helper is only with you outside of you but in that day on the day of Pentecost he will be inside you did you notice that in verse 17 that little preposition makes all the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant with you and in you and then when from within and we allow him to work from within a reverse of living water will flow from our innermost being this is God's purpose and rivers of living waters you know what that speaks of that speaks of service of multitudes being blessed everywhere you shall be my witnesses under the uttermost parts of the earth and the spirit flowing from within sanctifying us and flowing out from within see we cannot bless people only God can bless people but he uses us we got to make sure that the channel is clear that's the main thing clean at all times this is God's will for us turn with me now to second Corinthians in chapter 3 2nd Corinthians 3 in verse 18 in my study of the scriptures in the last 55 years I have found this to be the most complete statement of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in 1 verse and we with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror and in James 1 verse 22 to 25 we see the mirror is the law God's Word so when I look into the mirror in the Old Testament law the law was like a mirror that showed me my sin just like when I look into a mirror in the bathroom I see the dirt on my face the law was like a mirror that showed me my sin but now in the New Covenant when I look into the mirror I see the glory of Jesus it's amazing that's what I'm supposed to see when I read God's Word I'm not supposed to see my sin first no that's living under the law and a preacher who just tells you about your sin is really leading you back to the law you say what about my sin then hang on as I see the glory of Jesus I see my need when did I say I realized he was a man of unclean lips you read in Isaiah chapter 6 he says the day came and I saw the glory of the Lord I didn't say anything he just saw the glory of the Lord and immediately Isaiah was smitten he said woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips that is how we need to be convicted of sin I tell people you must never look inside to see if their sin inside you it'll bring you into bondage ask the Holy Spirit to show you the glory of Jesus and you'll see a lot more inside you than you've ever seen before but it won't discourage you that's the difference because you've seen the glory of the Lord first you haven't been looking inside searching for sins I didn't know all this for years I lived in bondage my life I don't know how many years I live discouraged I was servant of the Lord but I was frequently discouraged frequently gloomy I didn't I did not know how to obey one single command like 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus is the only verse in the entire Bible where we are clearly said this is God's will for you you know that's an area where so many Christians here I'm trying to find out God gonzuela's and I say let's begin with the place where God has already told us what his will is before you discover what is God's will for you as to where you should live and whom you should marry and what job you should take in which country you should go to in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ and I couldn't understand that I'd be depressed by the things I saw inside me till I saw that the Holy Spirit has come to show me the glory of Jesus in the scriptures so I'm not to search the Scriptures to produce a sermon I must confess that my younger days I studied the scriptures to produce sermons I saw that Jesus didn't study the scriptures to produce sermons his sermons came out of his heart out of his life out of what he had lived and so I said Lord I want to study the scriptures for the purpose which you gave it to show me the glory of Jesus Christ and that made all the difference the Holy Spirit has come to show me the glory of Jesus and that can depress me when I see how unlike him I am but he doesn't stop there it says further on in 2nd Corinthians 3:18 he will then change me into that likeness I cannot change myself but he will transform me so here's the double Ministry of the Holy Spirit to show me the glory of Jesus through which I see my own need and then to transform me into that likeness not in one day went from glory to glory just like proverbs 4:18 the path of the righteous brighter and brighter and brighter this is the proverbs 4:18 of the new testament 2nd corinthians 3:18 from glory to glory to glory this is the part that every single believer is supposed to walk and if I'm ministering to others like I have a responsibility for many believers who are under my charge and it is my duty to lead them into this life where they can understand that they can go from glory to glory to glory to glory otherwise I'm not really serving the Lord if I'm just preaching sermons to them impressing them with how much of the Bible I know or perhaps instructing them in the various doctrines and theology and all it's wonderful but if you they're not becoming more like Christ it's not worth it I remember many years ago I was invited to speak at a graduation ceremony of a Bible College in India and the Dean of that College said brother Zak I want you to speak to these people so that they can hear what God can do through someone who's never been to a Bible College so I went and spoke there and I you know that they were distributing prizes also there that day for different students who had done well who are finishing their final year and the person who got the first prize one of those young men came up to me after the meeting he said brother Zak I want to talk to you I said sure and as I was talking to my Austin something I said okay you've understood a little bit about Hebrew and Greek and different different aspects of theology and doctrine and all that and so let me ask you something have you got victory over dirty thoughts I said No I said what's your spiritual state in your walk with the Lord after four years in this Bible school he said brother zach is actually worse than it was when I came I see you got first prize you topped in all these subjects here you know all the answers your mind is clear you're gonna be a pastor in some church what are you going to teach them Hebrew and Greek and different aspects of those guys are struggling with sin in their life you need to deliver them from that Jesus came to save his people from their sins not to teach them theology so I was anyway I'm happy that I could share that with them and encourage them to go in the right way but if he can be gripped by this Lord this is the ultimate goal towards which you're working when we think of the second coming of Christ that's something that we really need to look forward to in our time I was recently sharing with some folks who are disturbed about the trends that they see in the world today and they asked me what I thought about nice and well these are the days of Noah and the days of lot that's what Jesus said the last days would be like the days of Noah and the days of lot and if you look in Genesis chapter 6 there were two characteristics of Noah's time violence which in today's terms would be filled with violence and so the earth was filled with violence and in today's terms we'd say that every day you'd be here hearing about somebody who is using his pistol and shooting people that's violence or you hear about suicide bombers and terrorism and all that the last days will be like that it's no point praying that won't happen it will happen you can't say Lord don't let the last days be like the days of Noah they will be the other thing that was characteristic Noah's day was unnatural sex there we read there about the angels the sons of God are referring to direct creations of God there were angels who wanted to have sex with the pretty women on earth you read that in the first few verses of Genesis 6 now angels don't have sexual ability and the only way they could do that was by possessing a man in the Old Testament there's no instance of demon possession so demon possession was not clearly understood in the Old Testament like it is in the New Testament the first place in the Bible where you read about demon possession is in the New Testament so if that were being written today Genesis 6 I think we've read it like this does the demons possessed a man because they wanted to have sex with some pretty woman there's an unnatural type of sex what was the significant thing about lot style you read that in Genesis 19 - angels came in the form of men and I believe they were extremely good-looking and the people in Sodom saw this these two good-looking men going into Lots house Lots that come into my house and stay here and they banged away at the door of Lots house and said bring those men out we want to have sexual relations with those handsome men and Lord says please don't do that and he goes an amazing step further it was amazing that a father would ever do that how much what a sense of hospitality he had to these strangers he said here are my two virgin daughters you read this in Genesis 19 please take them he says no we don't want those women we want these men the last days will be like the days of lot so when I hear about these things happening in the world around I see well Christ is coming back soon and praise the Lord it excites me I'm not going to be able to make the world a better place only Jesus can do that and he'll do that when he establishes his kingdom here I'm called to be a light in the darkness to stand for the truth of God uncompromisingly in all its brightness proclaiming the entire the whole counsel of God in the midst of a wicked world which is going to get more and more wicked as time goes on so I'm not going to be disturbed when the world goes in a certain direction my Lord has already told me it's going to go in that direction but if the last days are going to be like the days of Noah and lot with a lot of violence and a lot of unnatural sex it also implies that there will be people like Noah in the last days that's the challenge that comes to me a man who walked with God had two people it says in the Old Testament who walked with God Enoch in Genesis five and Noah in Genesis six a man who walked with God there will be people in the last days who walk with God like Noah in 2nd Peter to know is called a preacher of righteousness in the last days there will be a few preachers of righteousness who will hold God's people to the highest standards of righteousness there not many but there will be a few nor was a man who had one passion to build the ark because he knew this is the only thing that's going to survive when the world is destroyed others didn't believe it they're going to be people like Noah in the last days who's one passion will be to build the Church of Jesus Christ the body of Jesus Christ to add people who are godly who want to follow Jesus on earth before going to heaven I don't want to find people who want to go to heaven the whole world is full of people who want to go to heaven I'm looking for people who want to follow Jesus on earth before going to heaven that number is very few and you said the way the life is narrow and very few find it those are the ones I'm looking for who will be a bright shining light in the midst of this darkness no I was like that his passion was to build this church this Ark and the other thing we see about Noah was he was a man who brought up his family right he had three sons all three followed him that's another rare thing it's rare to find men who have children where all the children are following the Lord I remember when I started preaching and I got a family and I had four sons and I said Lord if even one of them is not following you I don't believe I'll be fit to preach according to the qualifications of an elder in 1 Timothy 3 every one of them must follow you they don't have to have my Ministry of preaching that's a gift but they must be your disciples I won't be satisfied with just their having said ok I'm born again they go through baptism and I can get honored in the church over others Acts children are baptized a lot of people seek for that honor to get their children baptized so that they get honor in the church I'm not interested in that I'm interested to see that they follow the Lord because I see that Noah his children I believe his children cooperated in building the ark and they worked with their dad in building the ark and we want our children to work with us in building the church I'm not saying that should all be in full-time Christian work but they should be cooperating in some way according to their own place in the body to build the church and the other thing I see about Noah was he was a man who sacrificed there will be people in the last days who will sacrifice to build a church because imagine when the Lord told naw you got to build a huge ship the first thing that would come to our mind is Lord where's the money going to come from no I didn't ask that question because the Lord had told him from your own pocket where else from you can't get it from anywhere else nobody else believes in the me in this world you got to sell some of your land you got to cut down some of your trees and build my art is it worth it serving the Lord at our own expense there will be people in the last days like Noah who sacrifice and serve the Lord at personal cost won't be like the average run-of-the-mill Christian that you see nowadays the last days will be like the days of Noah in the world around in the last days agree like the days of Noah in people like Noah on the earth and the other thing about Noah he was a godly father who in a wicked world a world full of wickedness selected good wives for his three sons he didn't let them just go and marry any hot girl they fell in love with he taught them that they must marry godly girls and that's why all of them were also in the ark and I believe those girls cooperated in building that Ark as well so that's the thing I mean if the world around can go the way of Noah and lot that's fine what our calling is to be like Noah to be preachers of righteousness to lead people to righteousness so that the Lord can have a people for his name I want to turn now to 1 John in chapter 3 first of all chapter 2 verse 28 begin there here it speaks about two types of people who are going to be there among believers when the Lord returns 1 John 2:28 little children abide in him so that when he appears here are the two categories some will have confidence boldness Wow Lord you've come and there'll be another group that shrinks away from him in shame that is coming why should they shrink away when Christ comes because there are things in their life they've not settled they're not ready to meet the Lord we must always live in readiness to meet the Lord every single day we must live like that I don't know when the Lord is gonna come but I was living readiness every single day I see that the Apostle Paul he lived expecting the Lord to come in his lifetime do you know that he said in 1 Thessalonians 5 we who are alive he doesn't say they who are alive or those who are alive he says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 we who are alive will be caught up together with those who have died in the Crim Christ together we will meet the Lord so he's expecting him himself to be alive a few years later in 2nd Timothy 4 the Lord shows him you're not going to be alive your time of your departure has come then he says ok the time of my departure has come and I'm not going to be alive when the Lord comes so I'm ready to go so what I say is this in that like we sing in that song it is well with my soul it is well it is well with my soul one line says the sky not the grave is my goal I'm 75 years old but my goal is not the grave even if I live to be a hundred my sky will be my my goal I look forward to the coming of Christ and I want to be ready I don't want to be shrink away from him in shame when he comes I want to boldness and he goes on to say in the next two three verses how we can have that boldness on John three verse one see how great a love the father has bestowed upon us that we are already called the children of God that's already taken place but for this reason the world doesn't know us now we are the children of God verse 2 but it has not yet appeared what we are going to be there are many things about that future state in our glorified body which it says it's not clear many things about that future state we can't explain but one thing we do know that when Jesus comes two things will happen not one many people say when he comes we shall be la we shall see him that's only one part of it we shall be like him you know the ultimate destination that God has predestined to be conformed to the image of his son God making all things work together for good so that we can be conformed to the image of his son that's gonna happen we shall be like him and we shall see him as he is so our hope is a dual hope that I shall see Christ face to face and I shall be like him and how do I know that this is not just theory that this is not just an empty theology I have in my head there's only one way I can prove that every one verse three who has this hope which hope of becoming like him when he comes not just of seeing him every one who has this dual hope of seeing him and becoming like him what will he do he will purify himself until he attains Christ's standard of purity you see how all these scriptures are pointing in one direction how do I say I'm waiting for the coming of Christ how do I say this is my living hope I will purify myself again how do i purify myself not sitting in a monastery as long as I live every day of my life I want to serve the Lord I want to have every opportunity to lead people closer to Jesus Christ whether I'm sitting talking to somebody whether I'm writing an email to someone whether I'm speaking to someone on a cell phone or speaking in a church anywhere I want every day of my life to lead someone closer to Christ to become more like him to build a church I will purify myself as he is pure the fruit of my service will be my personal sanctification it's a wonderful gospel and to make it more practical when I am sanctified increasingly as I said it's not it's not a sudden thing we are renewed day by day into the image of Christ like in the first chapter of Genesis when the earth became corrupt God could have in a moment completed the work but he didn't do it in one moment day by day by day he renewed the earth until finally it was perfect and that's a picture of how God renews us from our corruption day by day by day if we submit like the earth did till one day we shall be like Christ fully and to test myself so that I don't deceive myself I read commands like promises for example like sin will not rule over you Romans 6:14 if you are really under grace and not under law if you really come into this new covenant one mark will be that sin will not rule over you you'll rule over sin you may slip up but it won't rule you know sin is supposed to rule me in the New Covenant in everything I will give thanks and I read commands like this let me just take a few examples from Philippians just from one letter rejoice in the Lord always Philippians 4:4 be anxious for nothing Philippians 4:6 I've learned to be content verse 11 in whatever circumstances I'm in rejoicing always anxious for nothing content in whatever state I'm in Philippians 2:14 doing everything without grumbling and disputing I mean that's just from two chapters and Philippians these things will become increasingly real in my life that's the way I can check so that I don't fool myself that I'm becoming like Christ it'll become real in my life and the people in my home will notice it if I'm a father or mother my children will notice it from husband or wife your partner will notice it you work in an office or in a church and a fellowship people will notice it there's a spirit of freedom from anxiety and complaining and murmuring and grumbling in a spirit of thankfulness because we believe in a sovereign God who's in heaven in conclusion I've always been challenged by this verse of the Apostle Paul's testimony in 2nd Corinthians 2 verse 14 thanks be to God who always you know what always means 24/7 leads me in triumph in Christ I said Lord I want that to be true in my life in the midst of everything I do for you it's worthless if I'm not always led in triumph in my personal life there was no man who served like the Apostle Paul he's not talking about sitting in a monastery I'm trying to get victory over sin he served and served and served and served and served risking his life suffering being beaten in prison and all that but in the midst of all that he got sanctification he could rejoice always he could rise sit in a prison and say be anxious for nothing Philippians was written in a prison he could sit in the prison and say rejoice in the Lord always he could sit in a prison and say no murmuring no complaining he could sit in a prison and say I'm content in whatever state I'm in thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph it's he who leads me in triumph I remember when I first began to understand this glorious truth of the New Covenant that sin need not rule over me I used to say finally I discovered how to get victory over sin and the Lord said don't say that say Jesus keeps me from falling same message but it's got a different tone about it when I say I got victory they say Jesus keeps me from falling sin is like the law of gravity it's always pulling us down even if even if it's survival down down down but see right now even though the law of gravity is trying to pull this little book down it can't fall because there's another law the law of life in my body keeps it from falling this is New Testament victory it's not this book getting victory over the law of gravity it's not me getting victory over sin it's Jesus keeping me from falling so that's why we need to point people to Jesus who not only saves us but it'll keep us from falling can we bow our heads for a moment of Prayer search me Oh God show me if there's anything in my life that is making you sad anything that makes you sad show it to me Lord I want to get rid of it I want to be all that you want me to be on this earth in the short life that we have give every one of us grace for that we pray in jesus name amen

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 11,974

Rating: 4.8130841 out of 5

Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Zac Poonen

Id: dkH241Mrj2k

Length: 58min 9sec (3489 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 28 2015