Good Morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
As we begin to grow and develop in this world, it’s very simple to become like the world. We all began at a very young age, with siblings or other children at school who’s attributes you tried to share. In order to become a part of the crowd, you wanted to be like them. If they wore a certain fashion or style of clothing, you did too. If they had a certain type of haircut, you got the same one. If they spoke with foul and abusive language, you did too.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
I think as humans, we have a natural tendency to follow others, but as a Christian, we are not to use the world as our example. We are to follow Christ Jesus.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”. Romans 12:2
Following Jesus can provide you with something that the world can never give, eternal life. When we choose His path, we are going to slowly change from the world around us. We will become unlike them in our behaviors and actions. The things that we once shared in common with others, will become alienated by our faith. The Lord Jesus calls sinners from the world,… out of the world.
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19
Being called out of the world is to no longer live the way that the world does. Those who follow the teachings of Christ are going to be dissimilar to those in the world. This is because Jesus calls sinners to become saints.
A cat is very similar to another cat. A rabbit is very similar to another rabbit. A goat is very similar to another goat. But in order to obtain eternal life, we must become transformed into sheep, becoming a completely different creature than what we were in the past.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
1 Peter 4. ³ For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: ⁴ Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: ⁵ Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
Each of us are sinners, who at one time or the other, looked to people of this world as a guidepost of how to live our lives. We tried to become like them. If your neighbor had a certain car, you would buy the same one. If your neighbor had a certain style home, you would focus on getting the same one. Instead of using the world as a reference point, we must turn to the scriptures, looking to Christ Jesus as our guiding example of what He wants us to become. When you do, you will become very different from others in the world. Because we are all sinners, each of us have lived and behaved like the world, but as a Christian, we must begin a new walk. We must become recreated in God’s image, and not allow ourselves to be fashioned according to the world and the sinful past from which we all have come.
1 Peter 1 ¹³ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
Romans 8 ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate ato be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Ephesians 4. ¹⁷ This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, ¹⁸ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: ¹⁹ Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
²⁰ But ye have not so learned Christ;
²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
As a Christian, we are to conform to Christ and His teachings. When we do, we will become similar to Him.
“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” Luke 6:40
Colossians 3 ⁹ Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ¹⁰ And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
We must conform to the will of God, becoming obedient and submissive to His purpose. In the past, we yielded ourselves to the desires of the sinful nature, but now as a Christian we must yield ourselves unto God.
Romans 6 ¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” Romans 6:19
In our past we lived the way the world does, but now we are to make no provision for the flesh.
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Ephesians 2:2
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14
The Christian life is about joining up with others who serve the Lord out of a pure heart. Jesus calls us out of this world, and to have no fellowship with its sinful ways.
2 Corinthians 6. ¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4
As an unbeliever, we behaved and acted like the world, but now we must reject that path and follow Christ. If we desire eternal life, then we must take a new direction, and humbly begin….
….. Conforming to His Will.
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 