Practice Makes Perfect

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice

Sorry…it’s going to be a bit repetitive again

Reminder: The book is a warning about false teaching!

We have not spent too much time reminding ourselves of that in the last few messages

John Stott observes: The heretics seem to have taught that to the enlightened Christian questions of morality were a matter of indifference; he continues today our sins are excused either by euphemisms like ‘personality problems’ or by the plea of cultural relativity

John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 19, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 125.

Among the heresies of John’s day was that the body was evil; therefore sin didn’t matter

…sort of like “Whose Line Is it Anyway?”

The message this morning revolves around the fact that SIN DOES MATTER!

If we are truly children of God

Adopted into His divine family (last week’s message)

Should we still look like the wandering slaves to sin we once had been?

Why do we” How can we?

…engage in the ...

The Practice of Sinning

Miriam-Webster, practice: to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually

Construction in the original is putting an equal sign (=) between the two practices

Also, sense is “keeps on making a practice....”

Is the Practice of Lawlessness

What is Sin?

A textbook definition

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) (A. The Definition of Sin)

...any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.

Sin is a matter of action, attitude and nature

We gave a list of sins last week—mostly actions, some attitudes (Gal. and Ro.)

We backed a lot of that up with the proper attitude being love for God and mankind

(…love the Lord your God with all.....)

That’s the “royal law” discussed by James in

James 2:8 ESV

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

Actions and attitudes are really driven by our nature

The default position of mankind is sinfulness

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

When we hear the word disobedience, we generally think of the rules, regulations or laws

In comes the idea of lawlessness

To again quote Grudem:

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) A. The Definition of Sin

Sin is directly opposite to all that is good in the character of God, and just as God necessarily and eternally delights in himself and in all that he is, so God necessarily and eternally hates sin. It is, in essence, the contradiction of the excellence of his moral character. It contradicts his holiness, and he must hate it

It contradicts his holiness, and he must hate it

Remedy for Sinfulness/Lawlessness

1 John 3:5 (ESV)

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

This is the Gospel: the sinless Son of God gave up His life on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sin

In the aftermath of His death, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live above the power of sin

A hanging question: How does sin reside in our nature?

Sin began in the angelic realm, with the fall of Satan and the rebellious angels

Satan tempted Eve, thus Adam, with choosing to decide if God was true and sufficient or

Why Paul can say

Romans 5:12 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

So we needed the salvation Christ brought, the sinless dying for the sinners

Reality of Sinfulness/Lawlessness

1 John 3:6 ESV

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

We either repent or we do not

We either abide in Him or we do not

The false teachers who tell us that we can just keep right on sinning and still be saved are feeding us a lie

Those who pray a prayer of confession, with no intent to repent, are fooling themselves

They may fool others as well…they will NOT fool God

The Practice of Righteousness

Starts with our salvation, our repentance

As the Holy Spirit works within us there is the process of transformation

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Hold on that idea of “perfect for a minute

There is a change in our mind, in our attitude, our behavior

The transformation is a process…for some it’s almost instantaneous; for others…slow and agonizing; it should be visible

Should be noticed: “something’s happening to him/her/them”

We should be looking more like Christ each and every day (little Christs)

That’s

Practicing righteousness as He is righteous

Perfect Practice...

Produces Perfect Performance

We will not achieve true perfection until we are in the presence of our Lord

BUT we should be working on it.

2000 reps of right behavior; 5-20 thousand to replace a wrong one with a right one

Here are some recommendations:

Start by knowing the Word of God

Psalm 119:5–6 ESV

Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

We could pour through Ps 119 and find dozens of similar thoughts

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Fill your mind with good things

How can we figure out what these things are?

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What’s that look like?

Good music, good literature, godly people among your circle of friends

If your music, choice of reading material and your friends drag you away from things worthy of praise, there’s a problem

You need a change of attitude

Memory of Guatemala, wannabe missionary, attitudes, habits, etc…

He may well have been a believer…but he didn’t look like Christ

He needed the transformation

Practice Makes Perfect---and we want to get it right

Philippians 2:12 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,