The fact of the matter is that we far too often flirt with sin.  Sin is like a dark chasm that can so easily swallow us up.  Though we have been warned, we are often like mischievous children, recklessly playing near the edge of the chasm, outwardly trying to prove our strength and bravery, yet inwardly seeking to indulge the lusts of our flesh.  You know what I mean. . .

Perhaps you have been that person who will speak or e-mail those jokes or stories that don’t necessarily have any explicit words, but are laden with impure innuendo.  You like to think you are obeying the Scripture that says, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth” (Eph 4:29), but in the name of humor you are tarnishing the reputation of Christ with your choices.  You once were flirting with impurity, and now you are propagating it.

Perhaps you are a very informed person who relates well with people, and you genuinely enjoy helping and encouraging others.  However, you find it quite easy to use the circumstances and challenges of others as fodder for good conversation.  Because you truly care about those other persons, you like to think that talking about them or their children when they are not present is OK.  Perhaps you even like to think that more people will “pray” for them if they know their challenges.   You may think you are close to the line as regards the sin of gossip, but certainly not crossing it.  In reality, what started out as flirting with gossip and pride crossed the line into sin a long time ago.

Perhaps you are a person who has struggled with lust, and maybe even pornography.  You have put some safeguards in place and you are trying hard to keep your mind and heart pure.  However, you think it is alright to view sultry movies and other media as long as they are not explicitly pornographic.  You think it is alright to view lingerie catalogues and racy shows since there is “technically” no nudity.  The fact of the matter is that flirting with such things has given birth to full blown adultery in your heart, and you need to take more drastic steps to cut yourself off from temptation.

These are just a few examples of how we can all flirt with sin, but I hope you see the pattern I was trying to establish for you.  Flirting with temptation inevitably becomes sin in the heart, and that sin is often born out in one’s actions.  As children of God through faith in Christ, we should never flirt with such spiritual disaster; rather, being mindful of our own weakness, we should stay as far from sin and temptation as possible.   To that end, let me encourage you with the following.

1.  Guard your time with the Lord.  Scripture reading and prayer are the sustaining staples of Christianity.  They nourish your soul with truth and with the very presence of Christ.  They remind you of God’s promises and of the surpassing value of being conformed to Christ.  We make ourselves more susceptible to temptation and sin when we fail to pursue Christ as our first priority.

2.  Seek and cherish accountability.  Whether it comes from your spouse, from an accountability partner, or from your church family, accountability to other Christians who love you is integral to healthy Christianity.  As Ephesians 4:25 says, we are members of one another; none of us is an island unto ourselves.  Thus, we should welcome the insights and even the loving reproofs that come to us from those who love us.

3.  Focus on what will build your spiritual maturity.  1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”  We have freedom in Christ to partake of a great many things, but not all things are profitable.  And, depending on our particular weaknesses, many things that we are free to partake of can open up doors to serious temptation.  Thus, don’t flirt with what may be lawful, yet unprofitable for you.  Focus steadfastly on what will draw you nearer to Christ and increase your joy in holiness!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

As a pastor, I and humbled and honored to be part of a church that practices biblical shepherding and accountability.  Even in Christ, we all still struggle with our flesh and sometimes give in to temptation.  However, this struggle marks the process of sanctification and reminds us daily of the necessity to walk in repentance and faith in Christ.  But sin is insidious, and it is possible for any one of us to be overcome by our own pride and persist in our sin unrepentantly.  In such circumstances, it is comforting and assuring to know that we have brothers and sisters who will care enough to intervene when we are unrepentant and when our judgment is clouded by our sin.  Such accountability helps protect Christ’s reputation through His church, it preserves the purity of the body itself, and it manifests Christ’s rescuing and restoring love on an individual level.

Unfortunately, in churches that practice biblical accountability, there can be a fear that arises from a common misconception.  The misconception is that any sin that requires intervention is automatically made public.  When people believe they are going to be “outed” to the congregation because of their struggles, they withdraw from the body and go to great lengths to hide their problems from others.  They effectively become afraid to seek help from the people that love them the most.  This fear is a weapon of the devil, because it leaves individuals and couples and families writhing alone in spiritual quicksand, eventually given over to depression, divorce, addiction, and ultimately, death.

Thus, let me address the misconception.  First of all, even the most obedient Christians face struggles where they need help and counsel from others.  Thus, every one of us should strive to guard ourselves from the kind of pride that would keep us from seeking such help.  Here at Morningview, we are blessed with many mature, godly men and women who are always ready to offer guidance to others.  Our pastors are excellent resources for godly counsel, and for more serious cases, we have a partnership with the Eastwood counseling center where you can receive professional, biblical counsel at little or no cost.  The help you may need is always available, and your privacy will be honored.  Don’t assume that the problem will fix itself, and don’t let the problem fester over weeks and months before you finally humble yourself and ask for help.  Every single one of our public discipline cases would have never reached the congregational level if the individuals and couples involved would have sought out the help they needed earlier in their struggles.

For cases where individuals or couples are unrepentant and won’t seek help on their own, Christ gave us the process of accountability in Matthew 18:15-17.  According to His own words, accountability begins first with a private confrontation when someone first becomes aware of someone else’s sin.  That first person is then obligated to go, in love, to the one in unrepentant sin and confront them biblically.  This kind of private, loving confrontation should be taking place all the time in a healthy congregation as believers admonish one another and encourage one another in the faith.  In the vast majority of cases, individuals or couples respond penitently and are able to get the help and counsel they need at this first level.  Thus, knowledge of their sin is limited to themselves and the one who came to them in love.

If the individual or couple refuses to listen to the brother or sister who came to them, then the next step is another confrontation with two or three witnesses.  If unrepentance continues, it then goes to the congregational level.  After a season of prayer, if the unrepentance persists, removal from membership becomes necessary.  So as you can see, knowledge of the sin only becomes more public when people persist in unrepentance.  So the only reason anyone should fear church accountability is if they intend to continue on a path of blatant disobedience.

I hope this clears up any misconception that might have kept any of you from seeking out the help you need in a time of crisis.  Remember, as a family of Christ, we are called to love one another fervently, scripturally, and practically.  Never let fear of pride keep you from experiencing the blessing of Christ’s love through your church family.  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

In answering this question, we must consider two different aspects of time and link them to the biblical perspective of God’s sovereignty.  First, in the moment or in the short-term, we must acknowledge that all men (unsaved or saved) continuously fall short of the glory of God.  We sin, and therefore we continually fail to fulfill our purpose of bringing God the glory that He deserves and requires.  When we are saved and the grace of Christ is operative within us, we recover our purpose and our ability to glorify God as His image-bearers, but on this side of heaven, we will often still fall short.

Because sin is an ever-present reality in this world, we must concede that in the short-term or in the moment, God is often not being glorified as He should be.  However, that does not mean that God’s ultimate glory is ever ultimately in question or is ever ultimately diminished.  Our God is sovereign, and therefore He continually operates in the short-term to guide the course of human history toward the accomplishment of His long-term purpose which is His greatest glory.  How does He operate?  By causing all things, whether good or bad from our human perspective, to serve His glory.

Consider the words of Isaiah 46:9-10: “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’.”  Also Lamentations 3:37-39: “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it; Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?”  Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?

What this means is that where we obediently manifest acts of righteousness for the glory of God, we should give thanks to God in Christ who is at work in us to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:12-13)  We are responsible to labor for His glory (verse 12), and it is our delight to reap the blessings and rewards of obedience (1 Cor 3:14), but any good in us originates with Him.

In regards to sin, we are certainly responsible for our own disobedience and the consequences thereof, and we will definitely be held accountable by God for how we failed to glorify Him.  Yet God will still be glorified in how He orchestrates and redeems even our sin and its consequences to serve His sovereign purpose.  Remember, He works ALL THINGS together for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:28) because He is constantly working all things together for His own glory (Isa 48:11); His greatest glory IS our greatest good.

Even as the religious leaders were committing their most heinous sin – the crucifixion of Christ – God was accomplishing through them His most glorious victory.  In Acts 4:27-28, Peter said, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur.”  As Joseph acknowledged before his brothers, what men meant for evil, God used for good. (Gen 50:20).

In theological terms, this means we live in the best-of-all-possible worlds.  At any given time, the choices of 6+ billion people and the circumstances of an infinite number of variables could result in an infinite number of different outcomes and realities.  But our God, who is the Alpha and the Omega, governs the course of history so that He will ultimately receive the greatest glory.  He constantly orchestrates the function of His creation and the free expression of men’s wills to bring about the best-of-all-possible worlds where He receives ultimate glory.

This reality should by no means lead us to a fatalistic sense of irresponsibility in terms of our actions and choices.  On the contrary, it should lead us to rejoice in the glorious purpose of our Father.  We are privileged to know the blessings of His work in us and all around us.  When the harvest of righteousness bursts forth, praise Him.  When we falter and fail, run to Him for forgiveness and praise Him, for His glory is assured!  I love you all.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

As a follow up to Sunday’s sermon, I want to remind us of how Scripture instructs us to do battle with sin in our lives.  And when I say “battle,” I do mean BATTLE.  Hebrews 12:4 says, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.”  We are to embody such a love for God and such a reverence for His righteousness that we would rather shed our blood or even give our lives before we would disobey Him and dishonor His name.  Battling sin is that serious!  Winning that battle begins with one key thing:  We must be properly armed with the Word.

We are all familiar with Psalm 119:11 which says, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.”  We also know from Jesus’ own example that Scripture is our main refuge and response when Satan is tempting us (Matthew 4:1-11).  In Ephesians 6, we see that “the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God” is our only offensive weapon in the battle.  In fact, even all of the defensive armor listed in this passage goes back to being firmly founded in God’s gospel truth.

What this means is that if we are going to be a “holy” people who successfully conquer sin, we must have minds and hearts that are shaped by and saturated with God’s Word.  In terms of practical specifics, when we are face-to-face with sin, we battle it in 5 ways:  (1) Fix your eyes on Jesus; “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:3)  Remember what Scripture teaches us:  that He has conquered sin and death on our behalf and that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  His grace and presence in the Spirit assure us that we do have the power to win the fight.

(2) Bring specific scriptures to bear on specific sins.  If you are struggling with anger, or lust, or materialism, or pride, then memorize Scriptures that deal with anger, or lust, or materialism or pride.  The internalized Word is our sword-at-hand for resisting the evil one and our scalpel for cutting out the cancer of sin that infects our flesh.  Study, meditate, and memorize specific applicable passages, but also keep reading and studying all of Scripture to cultivate a mature love for God.

(3) Trust and believe that the promises of God made to you in the Bible are of far greater worth than the fleeting pleasures of sin.  In God’s presence, there is fullness of joy.  In His right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)  Moses himself considered “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” (Heb 11:26)  When engaged in the battle with sin, we must continually remind ourselves that what God has given us and what God will give us far exceeds and outweighs any earthly pleasure.

(4) The corresponding truth to #3 is that we must also remind ourselves that sinful pleasures take us down the path of death and destruction – “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)  For the true believer, sin takes us down the path of God’s discipline.  He “disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Heb 12:10-11)  God is our loving heavenly Father, but a healthy fear of His fatherly discipline can also be a great help to us when we are facing sin.

(5) Finally, pray God’s Word, and pray according to God’s Word.  As we saw this past Sunday, the final petition of the Disciple’s prayer reminds us that resisting temptation and being delivered from evil is not within our grasp as human beings.  As Jesus said, “Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:41)  It takes supernatural power and intervention to defeat Satan and to overcome our flesh.  Thus, with the Psalmist, we must prayerfully cry out to God: “Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, and keep it with all my heart.  Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it.” (Psa 119:34-35)
This is our call to arms! Fight hard in the battle against sin!  Fight hard for the glory of God!  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

All of us have had difficulty forgiving someone at some point in our lives.  Perhaps we suffered injury over something small; maybe we have held a grudge against someone because of a perceived slight, an unkind word, or a harsh action.  For others, the issues are much, much greater.  Some have suffered incredible forms of abuse, been neglected or abandoned, severely taken advantage of, personally degraded, professionally shunned, or financially ruined.

Regardless of the circumstances or the degree to which we have been injured, the command and call of God upon our lives is to forgive those who have sinned against us.   But forgiveness is not easy; to battle against our fleshly tendencies and extend forgiveness is a struggle common to all believers.  As with every other struggle we face, it is important for us to look to God and His Word for His guidance to meet this challenge.  Thus, I wanted to recap Sunday’s sermon by reiterating some of the practical biblical directives on the subject of forgiveness.

1.  We must forgive because our God is a forgiving God.  As God’s children through faith in Christ, we are called to reflect God’s Person, and because He is a forgiving God, His people must also be characterized by a willingness to forgive.  There is nothing that could ever be done to us that compares to the innumerable number of heinous sins we have committed against God.  Every one of us has blasphemed His name, spit on His grace, and trampled His holiness.  Yet He has forgiven us, though we do not deserve it; so we must likewise extend this same grace to those who have sinned against us.  To harbor bitterness and resentment and unforgiveness against another after being forgiven so much is to act like a lost person, not a saved person.  (Matt 18:23-35, Eph 4:32)

2.  Forgiveness is the clear command of Scripture.  In Matthew 18:21-22, Christ taught Peter that there was no limit to how many times he should forgive the brother who sinned against him.  God has furthermore told us that we are to love our enemies.  He has commanded us to be merciful, kind, and loving.  To withhold forgiveness is to directly disobey God’s Word and to quench His Holy Spirit. To continue unrepentantly in unforgiveness and bitterness invites God’s discipline, and it may mean that you were never truly saved.  On the other hand, to grant forgiveness embodies the very person of Christ who even prayed on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

3.  Unforgiveness does more harm to us than the one who has hurt us.  Some people hurt us without knowing it.  Those who hurt us intentionally and maliciously often don’t care.  In both situations, we can end up harboring a bitterness that literally rots our souls and that even spills over to those around us.  Withholding forgiveness does more harm to us than to our adversaries, so we need to release our bitterness and trust that vengeance belongs to God and that He will protect His children.  Hebrews 12:15 says, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

4.  Forgiveness reflects trust in God’s good sovereignty.  In the last chapters of Genesis, we find the story of Joseph, a young man who was beaten and sold into slavery by his family, falsely accused of rape, imprisoned for years in an Egyptian dungeon, and finally risen to a position of prominence second only to Pharaoh.  After Joseph’s father died, his brothers fear his vengeance, but Joseph expressed to them again his forgiveness and trust in God:  “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.  So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” (Gen 50:20-21)

It is very difficult for us to think that our experiences of suffering and pain are ordained by God to fulfill His purpose, but that is exactly what Scripture teaches us.  Thus, what right do we have to hold a grudge or to be unforgiving when God has ordained our experiences to glorify His name?  Letting our hearts rest in this reality of His sovereign goodness releases us from the bondage of worry and regret and bitterness.  So heed His call and His command, and walk in the freedom of forgiveness!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church