Don’t remember what I said, but I began to think about that in the weeks to come. So, my friends, let me ask you this morning, how’s your walk with the savior?
4 levels of relationship with God
in Christ, as revealed in the scripture.
The whole of human history, both
national and individual, is there to help us to change more and more into the
likeness of Him who does not change. To deepen our relationship with Jesus
Christ.
As Wayne Watson said, “I
want to grow so close to Christ that His return brings no great change to my
personal walk with Him”.
Relational Maturity – OT-NT-Kingdom - Progressive Revelation
Loving Enemies is a primary indicator of walking in
Sonship and heir of God in Christ. And it sort of comes full circle from being
an enemy to being a son where you love those individuals who are still enemies.
Luke 6:27 ¶ “But I tell you who hear me: Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray
for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him
the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your
tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to
you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Homework - Write the people you consider, or who consider
you, their enemies. These are people for whom Christ died, so how can you love
them in real terms?
We prefer those who love us and it should be fair, right?
I have my rights after all! Don’t I?
Luke 6:32 ¶ “If you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love
them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that
to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from
whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even
‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in
full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be
sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The index of leading indictors says….
- Are my priorities God and Others centered or me centered?
- How does my day reflect God’s priorities? Really.
Phil. 3:13 Brothers, I do
not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
KJV - Phil. 3:14 I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Our priorities are the primary
indicators of which of these relational maturity levels we live in. Although we
can have aspects of our relationship with Christ that are involved in all 4.
Loving our enemies is an indicator
of the highest level of relationship, sonship.
Rom. 5:6 ¶ You see, at
just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man
someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us
in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. 9 ¶ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how
much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, when
we were God’s enemies, we were
reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been
reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Yup. Romans 5 shows how amazing grace really is! It saved
a wretch, an enemy like me. Praise God!
Who do you consider an enemy of
God? What if they received Christ?
Would we be happy or would be
Jonah about it? Ninevah
Jonah 4:1 ¶ But Jonah
was greatly displeased and became angry. :2 He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said
when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I
knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding
in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. :3 Now, O LORD, take
away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Where does the blood of Christ
lay? Mine and yours.
Amazing Grace!
Sorry. It’s all God and truly is Amazing!
Legalism – What can I get
away with to satisfy myself and still be OK with God? How far can I go for myself (as opposed to what can I do to
please God) Israel in the OT.
Just inside the door…
1Cor. 3:12 If any man
builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or
straw, 13 his work will be shown
for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed
with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If
what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up,
he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through
the flames.
1Cor. 5:1 ¶ It is
actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that
does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 3 And you
are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put
out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in
spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if
I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am
with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man
over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved
on the day of the Lord.
On being a servant. For whose sake do we do it?
Usually, ours!
- Temporal, earthly foundations but just inside the
gates…
- 1 Cor 3:12 – saved, but as one escaping flames
- Better than outside, but just the starting place.
Let’s move forward
Was Paul Passing Judgment?
Am I my brothers keeper?
1Cor. 12:27 ¶ Now you
are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We are part of one another.
No islands in Christ
Health is everyone’s job!
Rom. 12:5 so in Christ we
who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
- The point is to be loving, not judging in the flesh
- Part of being loving is being my brothers keeper!
Romans
12:5 – we belong to one another
1
Cor. 12:27 – we are one(!) body of Christ
John 15:9 ¶ “As the Father has loved me, so
have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will
remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain
in his love. 11 I have told you
this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other
as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his
life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s
business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned
from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then
the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command:
Love each other.
Greatest Commands – The law
and epistles are fulfilled in the 2 great commands. Relationship!
John 15:9 – Moving from Servant to Friend means WWJD is WWID (what will I do). Good thing Jesus is a forgiving friend! Amazing grace.
How does this love manifest itself?
Rom. 8:12 ¶ Therefore,
brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to
live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you
will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you
will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of
God. 15 For you did not receive a
spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of
sonship. And by him we cry,
“Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s
children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and
co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may
also share in his glory.
Luke 6: 35 But love your enemies,
do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then
your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is
kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is
merciful.
Romans 8 – Walk in the Spirit and you are
God’s son.
Galatians 5 – Sons manifest the Fruit of the Spirit. By the fruit, Jesus said, you will know them!
Gal. 5:22 ¶ But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,
Gal. 5:23 gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Tabernacle – The Pathway To
The Throne of God – Alienation, Justification, Sanctification,
Glorification
Alienation – Outer
Darkness -
Justification – The light of
the Altar
Sanctification – The light
of the candles
Glorification – The Only
Light is the Light of Christ – New Jerusalem – The City which hath
foundations
Application –
“Where are you at in your
walk with the savior?” Which of the 4 relationship categories dominates
your life? Have you experienced being His friend or progressed to walking in
the Spirit as His son?
Starting a friendship with God is
as simple as answering the call and saying Yes to Christ’s leadership in
your life. As simple as acknowledging you need Him to save you and give you the
abundant life He promised!
If you want to move deeper in God, He is ready. He is faithful. The body is ready and wants to help you. We are one body, one faith and serve one AMAZING Savior, Lord, Friend and Brother.
If you are an enemy, you need a Savior and Lord.
If you are an servant, you need a Friend.
If you are a friend, move deeper to be a Son!
If you’ve experienced that
relationship with Christ but you want to go deeper with Him into the experience
of Sonship, being led by and filled with the Spirit, then the New Testament
example is for a believer to pray with you, laying on their hands and asking
God to empower you with His Holy Spirit, the comforter, the one who leads you
into all truth and brings the words of Jesus to you.
So, friends, how’s your walk with the savior?