The Last Mile (2)
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Conversion is a turning into the right road; the next thing is to walk in it. The daily going on in that road is as essential as the first starting if you would reach the desired end. To strike the first blow is not all the battle; to him that overcomes the crown is promised. To start in the race is nothing, many have done that who have failed; but to hold out till you reach the winning post is the great point of the matter. Perseverance is as necessary to a man’s salvation as conversion.
Life’s Need And Maintenance, Volume 22, Sermon #1300 - Psalm 22:29
Charles Spurgeon
LETTING DOWN ON THE LAST MILE
LETTING DOWN ON THE LAST MILE
There are many things our flesh is attracted to, so we must constantly remain on guard.
the world will continue to try and pull us away from God
not only from God but away from:
our daily walk with him
our prayer life
our fastings
our stand to Holiness
our witness
we understand that while the initial conversion experience and starting out this walk is so very important and necessary....
the follow through is just as important..the daily walk and the pursuit of Godly principles and directions
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
without the follow through It Could Cost You Your Soul
Lust, from a biblical perspective, is defined as a desire.
we live in a world that is seemingly all about the lust of the flesh and the freedom to do whatever the individual person feels is right.
to identify in whatever way a person wants to.
there is no accountability to anyone…let alone God.
2 tim 3.2
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
this is an age of self love and worship
There are two stereotypes of a lustful person:
One makes a show of what he or she is able to get away with.
The other secretly lusts and denies it.
today there is no question of the intent....blatant disrespect for authority and from what has been typically right and wrong
Jesus spoke of the deceitfulness of worldly desire in the parable of the Sower.
18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Jesus said if something tempts you, cut it off.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
I do not believe He is instructing people to defile the temple of God by literally gouging out your eye or cutting off your hand.
But He is instructing us to take the old human nature to the “slaughter site” (the Hebrew word for altar) and sacrifice it.
by doing this, we cut off the power of sin in our lives....we separate ourselves from it
we weaken the power of the enemy and strengthen the power of God
Usually when the desires of the past rise within us, it is because we are not praying, and we have lost our first love.
4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
It Could Cost You Souls in Your Family
When the Lord conquered Jericho and Israel entered the city, they were forbidden to take anything from that city.
Everything in the city was to be devoted to the Lord.
But Achan coveted a wedge of gold, two hundred shekels of silver, and a good-looking Babylonian garment among the spoils of the city.
Even though he knew God had forbidden him to take anything out of the city, he took it anyway:
21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
Little did he realize that his lust for material possessions would cause his death and the death of his entire family.
24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Sin never affects only you.
If your faith in God can be bought by anyone or anything, Paul has a suggestion for you:
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Also, he reminded us of our crown.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
what is a christian to do in these last days and how are we to act and live
what is a christian to do in these last days and how are we to act and live
32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
God will do a mighty work in the last days through who?
through those that know their God…they shall be strong
and do Great exploits..
we must know our God...
not just know that he exists but to be active in that pursuit...
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
we should seek to know him on an intimate level
i don’t want to get in depth with this subject of knowing God...
i’m working on a bible study about that very subject.
it will be called “Know your God”
living for God is not merely a relationship with God...but having an intimate relationship with God...a relationship from the most inner part of man.
CONCLUSION
Heaven Stands as an Open Gate before Us
Heaven Stands as an Open Gate before Us
No one but ourselves can keep us from going there.
every thing that God is to us and our success walking this Christian road comes down to one thing.....the choices that we make.
the things we hold as dear and precious and needful
We must realize the brevity of what is before us....is there not a cause
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”
David acted in a completely unselfish manner…rather than regarding himself, he embraced the cause of God...
the issues that we must address in our lives are those that would keep us from God, those which are at the root of our success.
for a person that knows not God, the answer would be to be born again..
to us which are born again, it would be perfecting our walk
removing the things in our lives that would be a detriment to our walk
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Jesus did not give that young man a formula for eternal life that day.
Instead, He personally addressed an issue in the heart of that young man that would have kept him out of the Kingdom, no matter what the formula.
we can give a person the formula to salvation all we want…but if that person is not willing to walk in this way…nothing else will work.
In addressing salvation…we must address the sin.
if a person is not willing to give up their sinful ways and except Gods way…the plan of salvation will always be in conflict.
for the plan of salvation is separation from this world and the sins of it.
11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
I cannot think of anything worse than to lose out with God the last mile of the way.
to come down to that final lap but never cross the finish line.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
I have finish the race
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
when all is said and done....nothing will be worth losing heaven for....
when we’ve been there a thousand years, eternity will have just begun.