MATURITY-Knowing the Truth
MATURITY-DRESSING FOR SUCCESS
REVIEW:
We have been talking about Hebrews 5-6; the foundational principles of Christ. Those are
1. Repentance from dead works
2. Faith in God
3. Instruction about Baptisms
4. Laying on of Hands
5. Resurrection from the dead
6. Eternal Judgment
7. On to Maturity
We stressed that the important thing is not learning these doctrines only, BUT DOING THEM. Add these to your life. On to maturity will now be a continuing theme that we look at in light of having VICTORY IN LIFE.
WHERE ARE WE HEADED?
We are helping you to put on Christ and at some point real soon I’m going to show you how to shut the enemy of your soul down in your life. You need the teaching to maintain and establish your victory. You need to learn to stay free, not just get free.
-You need to know how to resist and stand against your enemy. You need to keep Him out.
DRESSING FOR SUCCESS
-The Bible has a lot to say about putting off and putting on.
-I have a classic example of an apartment. A new Christian moves in to an old house. It takes time to change the apartment to fit the new guy.
-We dress for character then for battle.
-Let’s look first at character.
CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST
Ephesians 4
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
17 ¶ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.
26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
-Notice that your character or lack of it can give the devil a foothold.
-I watched a show about pornography this week that so shook me that I ordered 5 videos. We are seeing a generation of perverts and rapists and wife abusers raised up before our very eyes.
-You can have a character flaw that you refuse to correct that can open you to the deception of the enemy.
-One of the meanings for Terry is “smooth polished stone”. I like that. I like to think of myself as a slick stone that the devil can’t get a foothold in.
Ro 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. {Or the flesh}
1Pe 5:5 ¶ Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." {Prov. 3:34}
Colossians 3
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 ¶ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8 ¶ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 ¶ Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
-That speaks about putting off and putting on.
-We are called to clothe ourselves with Christ.
-That simply means to put off what Jesus wouldn’t do and put on what Jesus would do.
-This is very significant when it comes to spiritual warfare.
-The devil can only stay where he is welcome.
-Certain actions and attitudes welcome him and certain actions and attitudes resist him.
-Notice we are to submit to God, then resist the devil.
-Submitting to God is following Jesus. It is submitting your character to Him.
-Really, putting on Christ is the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5
14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbour as yourself."
15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
-We first get dressed for success by clothing ourselves with Christ.
-Its like when you get up in the morning and you put off bad breath, take a shower, and comb your hair.
-Part of nature as a human being is that if you just sit around long enough, something will get on you.
-You don’t have to be a dirty person to have lice and critters get on you.
PUT THEM OFF
-Then you go to the closet and get clean clothes and put them on.
-That is Christianity….put off/put on.
PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD
-You dress for character but you don’t stop there. You also have to dress for battle.
1Pe 5:8 ¶ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Joh 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
2Co 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
Ephesians 6
10 ¶ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 ¶ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing.
22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
-Watchman Nee wrote a book and I preached a series on Ephesians called, SIT/WALK/STAND.
-The point is that first you are seated in Christ then you walk it out in you life and finally you stand against the enemies.
-The idea here is to get dressed for a fight.
-The picture is that of a Roman soldier in his armor ready to go into battle.
-He has his armor in place ready to face the enemy.
· BELT OF TRUTH
· BREASTPLACE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
· FEET FITTED WITH THE READINESS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
· SHIELD OF FAITH
· HELMET OF SALVATION
· SWORD OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD
· PRAYER
-With these weapons you are equipped to face and stand down the devil.
-He doesn’t have the power to overwhelm you when you are strong in God’s power.