7 Dec 2009
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WELCOME BACK. I AM PASTOR DOUG. WE NOW CONTINUE WITH PART 157 IN OUR SERIES ENTITLED PAUL'S LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS.
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Deity is never diminished. There is nothing that Deity must do in order to be sustained. It was through Deity and by Deity that all things were created and sustained.
There is nothing that the believer can or needs to do in order to maximize the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit that works through him/her.
God the Holy Spirit, and His enabling power, indwells the body of the born again believer (Titus 3:5) from the moment of salvation.
The ONLY thing a Church Age believer does need to do is to see to it that he/she is Spirit-filled when attempting to accomplish anything in the spiritual realm.
As we have learned in the past there is a significant difference between being indwelled and being filled by God the Holy Spirit.
All born again believers are Spirit indwelled at the moment of salvation and remain so at all times. To be spirit filled, however, means that the individual believer is under the controlling power of God the Holy Spirit.
Post salvation sin does not result in the loss of salvation, but does result in the loss of fellowship and the filling of God the Holy Spirit. Fellowship with God and the restoration of the filling of God the Holy Spirit is restored when all known sins have been confessed to God in prayer.
The period of time that a born again believer is out of fellowship with God can be as brief as the time it takes to confess the known sin, or for as long as the rest of one's post salvation spiritual life.
This principle underscores the self-induced devastation of one's post salvation spiritual life if and when he/she refuses to confess and or to forsake the known sin.
The born again believer is assured of the filling of God the Holy Spirit by naming and citing any known sin that he/she has not confessed to God (1John 1:9).
When we closed our last session, we were taking a look at how hunger, involuntary due to circumstances, or voluntary due to fasting, affects the environment of discipleship.
Note that these incidents in which fasting were an issue, took place BEFORE the Church Age, and therefore before the indwelling and filling of the Spirit became a universal experience of all believers.
Whatever benefits there may or may not be in fasting, it must be understood that fasting has nothing to do with salvation and does NOT make anyone more spiritual than those who do not.
If you are following along with a Bible please turn to 2 Corinthians 6:6 where we will continue with our exegesis.
Purity is an English translation of the Greek word h-a-g-n-o-t-e-t-i that usually refers to purity or chastity.
In this verse, however, it refers to the pureness of Paul’s motivation and ministry that was brought under scrutiny by his adversaries in Corinth.
As one identifies and develops his/her spiritual gift and the accompanying ministry, there will be times when others will question the believer’s reason(s) for getting involved in that area of ministry.
Satan and his spokespersons will certainly raise questions as to one’s worthiness or qualifications to serve God.
The truth is that none of us are worthy, and whatever qualifications that Scripture requires come from God who chooses the gift and accompanying ministry of our post-salvation spiritual lives (1Corinthians12:18).
While we are not to allow the negative assumptions or facts noted by others to discourage us, it IS worthwhile to examine ourselves to make sure that our motivation is pure and that we have not wandered into something that would legitimately discredit our ministry.
It should be comforting to know that no matter what disasters we and or our ministries may incur, the gifts of God are irrevocable, and the fact that we are still here on earth is evidence in itself that God is not done with us yet.
Suffering from association includes associating with those with whom we have no realistic choice but to have frequent interaction with.
Relatives, neighbors, and work associates are good examples of people with whom we must interact with from time to time, regardless of how we do or don’t get along.
Among such persons, there are going to be those who are hostile towards God and the things of God (Romans 8:7).
One cannot be an advancing disciple and not be at odds with the thoughts and behavior of those who function according to human viewpoint.
The John 3:3 phrase born again has been so grossly perverted by the modern day media that when it is mentioned by Christians, many people immediately associate it with the religious fruitcakes that Ephesians 6:12 forces use to bring negative attention to the Christian community at large.
Disciples will also have to deal with the legitimate shortcomings that the Ephesians 6:12 forces will use to discredit the Christian Community as a whole.
As long as the Christian community is comprised of human beings there will always be scandals in which negative publicity is cast upon the Christian community at large.
While I am not condoning misbehavior, especially when it involves those in positions of leadership, if sinless perfection were to be a requirement for service, then none of those the Lord chose to be His apostles would have been called.
As in the case of many of the Old Testament personalities, and in the case of the Apostle Paul, some of the greatest sinners eventually became some of the greatest men and women of God.
Dealing with our own shortcomings and with the shortcomings of others is a part of our calling.
Discipleship is NOT a matter of where one came from, as ever since the Fall of Man, we have all come into this world spiritually dead (Psalms 51:5) and headed for Hell (Revelation 20:15).
Success in discipleship is not measured by how many times we fail along the way. Success in discipleship is evaluated by the finished product that we are upon our arrival in heaven.
Pastor Doug Laird
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