Aug. 1 "The things God Hates" /Lust

Prayer

I want to wrestle with your conscious this morning.

We are in the final lap of the series, “the things that God hates.”

(1) pride, (2) greed, or covetousness,

(3), envy (4), gluttony

(5), anger, wrath (6), sloth

And this week we are going to look at the topic of Lust.

Lust: desire

Desire under the will of God or for the glory of God is a Godly lust.

See a desire for something outside of God’s boundaries would be considered and ungodly Lust.

Our bodies: are not sinful in itself, but when driven by sinful desires, Our bodies become objects of Lust (The flesh).

Then when you get a community functioning outside of the boundaries of God’s will, this community becomes what Paul considers (The world).

So what we see in the New Testament, is that the (World) and the (flesh), are often seen as negative aspects and they are often in connection with Lust.

1 John 2:15–16

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Let us look at Eve’s, the mother of us all.

1. It was a “delight to the eyes” (the lust of the eyes: the desire to have something apart from God’s will, i.e., possess the beautiful fruit).

2. She saw that the tree was “good for food” (the lust of the flesh: the desire to do something contrary to God’s will, i.e., eat the tasty fruit).

3. It was “desirable to make one wise” (the pride of life: the desire to be something apart from God’s will, i.e., as wise as God). It was the quest for wisdom that led Eve to disobey God.

So, what we see here: Eve saw the fruit, she coveted the fruit, and then she took matter into her own hands

And what’s Adam’s part in this great blunder.

1.He failed to lead his wife.

2. He failed to protect his wife.

3. Lastly, he no longer desired to be under God’s authority.

Galatians 4:19-5:1

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic.

This could be rendered an allegory: meaning, (an event or a story that has a hidden meaning).

For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren,

You who do not bear!

Break forth and shout,

You who are not in labor!

For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Notice again, the word lust was not fund in any of the Gelatin 4 , Yet, the principal saturates the text.

I want to wrestle with your conscious this morning.

I want you to understand the threat; the war is real; and I pray, that you will come to find the answer is in our savior.

But before we can win the war, we must understand the opponent.

So, the battlefield is lust and our opponent is our heart and our minds.

When it comes to lust, we can’t say, “The devil made me do it.”

I'm convinced, that the root of each and every sin we’ve talked about in this series, is found in the heart of mankind.

Yes, we must understand that Satan is the origin of evil. He is the father of lies, he is the known as the tempter” Matthew 4:3 “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Satan is the ruler of the demons, “evil one” (Matt. 13:38), “enemy” (Matt. 13:39), “the father of lies” (John 8:44), “a murderer” (John 8:44), and “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).

I want to you to think about this, Did the devil make David committee his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba

“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her,

We think, then lust, then act

We think, then lust, then act

I really want you to understand, by the end of this message and the conclusion of this series.

The battle is spiritual.

What I’m saying is this. what we do physically, is a manifestation of who we are spiritually.

Ok, let me deliver it to you in another way.

Slavery is a big buzz word today because of it’s negative connotation.

Remember what I stated earlier, what we do physically, is a manifestation of who we are spiritually.

Well, God gives us a spiritual definition of the word. On one hand, Jesus stated, in John 8:34 “whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

And on the other hand, Jesus also stated, Mark 8:34

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Here’s what Jesus is stating:

On one hand, those who live in sin are slaves to sin. And on the other, those who deny the flesh are worthy to be called Christ’s disciples (or as the Apostle Paul declares, a bondservant of Christ).

I want to say it again, you are either a slave to sin, or a bond servant of Christ.

This is the thesis of Galatians 4

I am convinced that we cannot win this war or even fight well, unless we know who’s we are.

Let me say it again

I am convinced that we cannot win this war or even fight well, unless we know who’s we are.

Wrestle with me now.

The apostle Paul makes sure that we understand that the story of Abraham is both literal (meaning, this is real life account, and that this is also an allegory). Meaning, that this story has a hidden meaning. Not only is this normative but this also has a spiritual meaning.

Remember I stated: we are either, a slave to sin or a bond servant of Christ.

Galatians 4:19-22 monitions the five major characters in this allegory, and each one plays an significant part. And I pray that the Holy Spirit will allow you to see the truth that lies within spiritual aspect of the two natures.

Look with at Galatians 4:22

For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

Note here that verse 22 declares a bondwoman (Hagar) and a free woman (Sarah).

Look at verse 23

But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

So now we see their children: One born a slave (Ishmael) and the other born free (Isaac).

Here is what Paul wants us to grasp, here we are presented with two covenants.

1. The first covenant is that of the law

2. the second covenant is that of Grace.

We must understand that the law is not bad in itself, but we must understand that the law was added.

In other words, When God created man in His image, He didn’t give him law, He gave him a covenant. See, A covenant is a binding arrangement between two or more parties that governs their relationship.

So when God communicated the severity of eating from the tree of knowledge, God knew that the results would crush the relationship between the Creator and the created.

Let us look at Abraham in Genesis 12:2

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

I want you to know that Abraham was 75 years old when God first gave him this promise. I really want you to think about this. By Gen. 16, Abraham was 86 years old, and God had not fulfilled His promise of heir.

If God would have given Abraham and Sarah a child at 60, that's a possibility, 70 or 80, that's pushing it, but 99, that’s impossible.

Romans 4:19 (NKJV)

19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

In other words, the son that came through Abraham and Sarah is the child of promise (Isaac).

This is what I want us to get out of today’s message. See, Isaac was a child born out of impossibilities. Think about it Sarah is 90, Abraham is 99. Only God can work a miracle of that sorts.

But let us not forget, Abraham has another son, His first son, but this son (Ishmael) is born out of the flesh.

See when God gave the promise: “one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” , Sarah and Abraham starting putting things into perspective. God said that you would have a child Abraham, but I’m old. Lets take my hand-servant as your wife.

This might seem odd to us today, but I want you to know that this was legal.

See God gives us precepts, Man, the flesh, the world, gives us law.

In other words, it was never the will of God that Abraham would have two wives, but under the law, he took matters into his own hands.

And what did they get out of this, a young boy by the name of Ishmael. Who is a symbol of flesh.

Here’s what I want us to get out of this. The law was given to expose our sinfulness. The old Covenant.

The new covenant that comes through the blood of Christ, is a covenant of grace.

See with the law (the flesh, the world) comes the marriage of slavery.

Hagar is a picture of a slave who was under the heavy hand of her master. Remember she fled while she was pregnant because Sarah became a harsh taskmaster.

Then her son, Ishmael, born of the flesh.

Romans 7:5 “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.”

See, Ishmael is a symbol of disobedience. Moses declared him a (wild man) wild donkey. Meaning, he lived emotions, and ultimately he rebelled against the father.

When I lived by the flesh, I was driven by emotions. One day up, the next day down. To sum it all up, I was a slave to the flesh and the desires that lead to death.

Thanks God for 2 Pet 3:9

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Now, Under the covenant of grace, we have freedom. God showed grace toward Sarah, blessing her with a son, even when her womb was dead

Isaac, on the other hand is a picture of grace. Isaac is a picture of obedience. Meaning, Ismael did things that upset the father (division, strife, anger, trouble). While, Isaac sought to please the father. Even if it meant giving up his life.

I want to ask you this morning, are you obedient to the father?

I love how Warren Wiresbe states it, “The old nature knows no law, the new nature needs no law.”

So if you see division anywhere among people or among the saints. You can put your money on it, somebody is walking in the flesh.

So the question arises, why did God allow Abraham to step outside of the Will of God?

Well understand this: Christ is the chef cornerstone. This is the history of a Triune God and Christ is the center of the story.

Theologians like to state that this story like all of God’s word, is Christogical (meaning, it points back to Christ).

Yes, the life and story of Abraham and Sarah, is a type and shadow of what God will do through His only begotten Son, Jesus.

I want to bring something else to your attention: Have you noticed, God rejected the first-born Ismael and accepted the second child Isaac.

I want you to grasp this truth, God rejected the child born into slavery and accepted the child born by grace.

This is the spiritual pattern found all throughout scripture. God rejects any work done by man alone, and he accepts the work done in His will.

1. This is what we have here. Ismael born of a slave woman and born under the law.

2. Isaac born by grace and born by the miraculous hand of God.

See, God rejected Cain and accepted Able. God rejected Esau and accepted Jacob. Got rejected all the first born in Egypt. And God also rejects your first birth.

This precept exists to this day. If you are born once, you will die twice. You will die a physical death, and you will die a spiritual death. See if your born once, you have a greater problem: you are at war with God. As Scripture states, you are at enmity with God, you are an enemy of God. Read Romans Chapter 5.

Brother and sisters, Jesus is clear, you must be born again, Read John Chapter 3.

Remember I am wrestling with your soul this morning.

See the law shows no mercy. There is no way that you can live under the authority of sin and law, and say you are free.

1 Corinthians 15:56

“The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

I really want you to grasp this idea, Hagar was a slave. She had no say on the affairs of life. She was given direction and she was required to follow. So the child that she had was born a slave.

So if we get down to the root of all of our sinfulness, we are all born Ismael.

And like Isaac, we need something miraculous to happen in order for us to have victory over sin.

I'm going to give it to you plain and simple: We need Jesus.

Hebrews 9:11 “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.”

I want you to know that sin is nullified by blood. Not by our blood because it tainted by sin, nor by the blood of bulls and rams because they suffer because all of creation suffers from sin. But from a perfect sacrifice.

Hebrews 7:23–28

“Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.”

I urge you today brothers and sisters, if you have not given your life to Christ today, I pray that you put all of your trust in Him.

1 John 3:23–24

“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

The answer might sound elementary: but it is.

The answer is Jesus Christ

The answer to defeating sin is Jesus Christ.

The answer to loving God with all of your heart, mind, and soul: is Jesus Christ.

The answer to loving your spouse as Christ loved the Church: is Jesus Christ.

The answer to walking in the spirit and not in the flesh: is Jesus Christ.

Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”