Jesus Walked in the Spirit -- 12/9/12

Sunday, December 9, 2012

JESUS WALKED IN THE SPIRIT

            Brothers and sisters, I sense that we have arrived at a great crossroads.  With a few interruptions, we have been looking Sunday after Sunday at the ministry of the Holy Spirit for the last six months.  Surely the Lord has taught us many important truths concerning the Spirit.  He is the One who is directly responsible for our spiritual birth.  He is the One who dwells within us as the Comforter, literally "the One called alongside."  As Jesus put it, we are better off having the Spirit dwelling within us than to have Jesus in the flesh standing beside us.  But now we must deal with the question:  "What are we going to do with all this biblical truth?"

            Now the answer to that question has come to us in the words of Gal. 5:16, "Walk in Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh."  Perhaps a more literal and graphic translation would be, "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not bring to completion the evil desire of the flesh."  That word "lust" can mean any kind of desire, but in the scripture it is most often used of evil desires, and we know that all the desires of the flesh are evil, no matter what they may appear to be.  Live your life in the Spirit, and you will not bring to completion the desire of the flesh. 

            Remember the context of chapter 5.  "For freedom Christ has set us free" (5:1, ESV).   Verse 13, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty (freedom); only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."  In our own strength and wisdom, we have the capacity to twist our freedom into something the flesh can use for its own purposes.  With some it comes in the form of license.  "Now that I am free in Christ, I can do whatever I want.  I'm free."  For others, the deceitful distortion comes in the form of legalism, where rules and regulations become the standard by which we must grow and mature.  Paul says, "No, this freedom in Christ is for the purpose of enabling us to serve one another through love."  Before we were in Christ, we weren't capable of serving one another through love.  How do we know?  Because Paul defines love, when he says, "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Even for those of us who are now in Christ, in our own strength we cannot love our neighbor as ourselves.

            Then what are we going to do?  We are free, but it seems we still can't fulfill the law through loving our neighbors as ourselves.  Paul gives the answer:  "Walk in the Spirit."  When we do, instead of fulfilling our own selfish desires, we will increasingly serve one another through love.  We will experience the miracle of loving our neighbors as ourselves.  The crucial question is this:  Will we walk in the Spirit?  Will I walk by the Spirit?  Will you walk by the Spirit?  As a people, will we walk in the Spirit?

I.  A Personal Testimony -- Lack of Example

            What about your pastors in this church?  That would be Norman, Alex, and myself.  Do your pastors walk in the Spirit?  What about this one who stands before you week after week preaching the Word?  With fear and trembling I want to share a word of testimony with you this morning.  I say "with fear and trembling" because there is great danger in talking about me.  Our focus must be upon the Lord Himself.  But on the other hand, there is something you need to understand about me.

            I turned 60 yesterday.  I have been a pastor in this church for 33 1/3 years.  That is one third of a century, and that's a long time.  After all those years of experience and the graciousness of the Lord to me and the love of His people for me, I ought to be a great example to you of walking in the Spirit.  A church needs such an example in a pastor.

            I could tell you lots of stories, but I won't.  Rather, let me tell you one.  I found myself sharing this experience with two different brothers this week; I hope the two of you can bear the repetition.  Those of you who were here then have never heard me tell it, but you lived it.  It happened 23 and a half years ago.  It began with a deep realization that I was not up to the task of being a pastor to such a group of people.  There were strong godly people in this church, and I sensed that I was inadequate to lead them.  So I began to cry out to God.  To the best of my knowledge, my motives were pure and my desire was intense.  The Lord began to work in me.  He gave me a tremendous hunger for His Word and an openness to speak the truth of that Word to my brothers and sisters.  So many things happened within the space of a week that I can't begin to remember them all.  What I know is this:  somewhere about the middle of the week the work of the Lord in me got twisted.  My focus which had been on the Lord began to shift to me.  I can't tell you how it happened, but I know it happened and I know that it had a great deal to do with the lust of the flesh. 

            On the outside things looked pretty good.  I was quoting the Word; I was speaking to people about Christ; I was calling people to action.  I remember knocking on the door of a couple in this church at 6:30 a.m. and challenging them to come here to pray instead of going to work.  I was so excited about it all that I couldn't sleep. 

            During Wednesday evening prayer meeting an idea began to crystallize in the minds of some.  We were getting ready for a World Missions Conference.  The group of churches in our association would be hosting missionaries from New Mexico, the United States, and all around the world.  On Saturday afternoon all these missionaries would be delivered to a particular church in Alamogordo, and then each church would send a couple of representatives to pick up the one missionary for which it was responsible to feed and house during the week.  That Wednesday evening the idea was put forth that on Saturday afternoon at that little meeting I would preach a powerful sermon that would be have influence around the world, since these missionaries would hear it.  The idea sprang from a place which should not have been influential, and it should have been squashed by a godly and discerning pastor.  Instead, the flesh swallowed it up and raced forward.

            On Saturday we assembled here and about 40 of us boarded the church bus to go to that meeting.  But before we got on the bus, two of my precious brothers took me aside and told me candidly that they didn't believe the Lord was in this plan.  Probably not to their satisfaction, but in my own mind I smoothed things over enough that we plunged ahead.  One couple took their car along.  On the way to the meeting, the Lord reminded me of something I needed to do.  Also before boarding that bus, I had confronted a woman about her sin.  It was not in love.  I borrowed the car from this couple and went and apologized to the lady at her house.  I had no sooner got back into the car than the Lord convicted me of something else I had neglected, because I had been so busy with all my spiritual excitement.  When I finished taking care of that, He convicted me of a third thing that demanded immediate attention.  By the time I got back to the meeting, everyone was coming out of the building.  The looks on their faces said, "Where were you?  You got us down here and then didn't even show up in the meeting."  Rhonda had the same look, but she put words to the look on her face, and they were more than appropriate for the occasion.  I asked her to get everyone on the bus.  I tried to apologize for my pride and the fact that I had led them astray.  The only response I remember is a 76 year-old man getting in my face and comforting me with the words of the Psalmist:  "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart , O God, you will not despise" (Ps. 51:17). 

            That was Saturday afternoon.  When we met on Sunday, one of my brothers preached.  Something else happened that morning.  I had been talking to a lady who helped me coach Tracy's soccer team.  I had invited her and her husband numerous times to come to a service here.  They showed up that morning, but they never came back.  She told me later, "Ron, I don't know what was going on that morning, but there was such confusion that we didn't want any part of it." 

            That was the most painful experience of my life, and perhaps it was the darkest of hour in the history of this church.  For a while, a pastor became proud and brought to completion the desire of his flesh.  My brothers and sisters were embarrassed, shamed, and humiliated because I was deceived. 

            Why do I tell that story?  For two reasons.  First of all, I want you to know that a man being a long established leader in a church does not assure that he is walking in the Spirit.  I am not the example I should be.  I wasn't then, and I'm not now.  Some of you haven't been around here too long.  I don't want you to think that the man who preaches to you is something he is not.  But there is a second reason I share that story with you.  There is forgiveness with the Lord.  Praise God that isn't the end of the story.  He forgave me, but the pain continued.  It was a full year before I could talk about it with anyone, including Rhonda.  Again and again I asked the Lord to take away the pain.  He didn't speak in an audible voice, but the message came through loud and clear:  "I will not take away the pain, because you must always remember that you can be deceived and you can deceive others."  I have not forgotten.

            During that year and the years since, no one has ever condemned me for my actions.  Though things were awkward, the people of this church loved me.  Not only did I learn something through the experience, but God is so gracious that through my sin He taught this people something too.  The lesson was simple:  You must never idolize a pastor.  He is a man and has feet of clay. 

            Paul could say, "Follow me, as I follow Christ."  I cannot say that today I am a great example of walking in the Spirit, but I can say this, "Follow me, as I strive to walk in the Spirit day by day."  I have a long way to go, but I praise God that He has given me that desire.  I sense that my fellow-pastor Norman knows more of this walking in the Spirit than I do, but he too would tell you that it is his desire to walk more fully in the Spirit each day.  Alex is much younger than Norman and I, but he is much farther along than I was at his age, and I praise God.  The desire of his heart is also to walk in the Spirit day by day.

II.  Our Perfect Example -- Jesus

            By the grace of God, we will strive to be the examples God wants us to be, but praise God that I can point all of us to the greatest example of all, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Last week we concluded the service with the challenge to pray, "Lord, show us how to walk by the Spirit."  After the service a brother asked me, "Did Jesus walk in the Spirit?"  I replied that He certainly did.  We recently read those passages in Luke about how the Spirit led Jesus, who was filled with the Spirit,  into the desert to be tempted by the devil and then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.  Shortly after in the synagogue of Nazareth, he read to the people these words from the scroll of Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the gospel..."  Yes, Jesus walked in the Spirit.  What better question with which to begin than this:  "How did Jesus walk in the Spirit?"

            So I am asking us this morning:  How did Jesus walk in the Spirit?  In order to answer that question, we have to look at Jesus.  And how do we do that?  There is only one way -- we must look at the Word.  Young ones, where is the primary place we must look, if we want to examine the life of Jesus?  Yes, in the gospels.  Actually, there is only one gospel; it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  But four different men recorded that good news.  They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

            Now let me pause.  There is great advantage in beginning to answer the question, "How do I walk in Spirit?" by looking at Jesus.  We know we are looking in the right direction, because Jesus, speaking of  the Spirit, said, "He will glorify me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you" (John 16:14).  Furthermore, when we look intently at Jesus, we will not be looking at ourselves.  Nothing defeats the flesh like looking away from self.  All lust of the flesh is selfish desire.  That is precisely why we can't defeat the flesh by determination and hard work, for the flesh thrives on such.

            I suppose there is much we could say about how Jesus walked in the Spirit, but this morning I want us to focus on what I am calling "the not/nothing passages."  I have been familiar with these passages through the years, but I had never made a complete list of them.  I ran across such a list, as I was reading Andrew Murray's book Humility.  By the way, it is a great book.  I still have about a quarter of it left to read, but it has been very thought-provoking and helpful.  If you have internet access, you won't need to buy it, as it is readily available online.  You will find this list of verses in your bulletin insert.  Let's look at them in their context...

            In the fifth chapter of John we read about how Jesus healed a man who had been lame for 38 years.  He said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  What a mighty miracle!  But the Jewish leaders had a problem with what Jesus did.  They said to the man who had been healed:  "This is the Sabbath; it isn't lawful for you to carry your bed."  When they found out that it was Jesus who had healed him, the focus shifted from the healed to the Healer.  Now let's pick up the story and read John 5:16-19...

 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."

In that same context Jesus says in verse 30, "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."  Later in the same context, Jesus flatly tells the Jewish leaders that although they search the scriptures, they do not have eternal life in themselves because they refuse to come to the One of whom the scriptures testify.  Now let's read verses 40-44...

But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

            Now come to chapter 6.  This is after Jesus has fed the 5,000 and has come walking on the water to His apostles.  The crowds chased Jesus around to the other side of the sea.  It was there that Jesus told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you..." (John 6:26-27).  From there Jesus began to tell them that He was the bread of life, the bread which came down from heaven.  Listen now to verse 38, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." 

            Chapter 7 begins with the upcoming Feast of Tabernacles.  People were wondering if Jesus would show up at the feast.  As they talked about Him, some said He was a good man; others said He was a deceiver of the people.  Let's read John 7:14-18...

Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?" 16 Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."

            In the context of that same feast we read these words in verses 25-29...

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from." 28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."

            In chapter 8 is recorded an extended discussion between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.  At one point Jesus bluntly told them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world" (vs. 23).  Now let's pick it up and read John 8:25-29...

Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him." 27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. 28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

            Later, when Jesus accused them of doing the deeds of their father (whom He later identified as the devil), another lively discussion followed (John 8:41b-42):  "Then they said to Him, 'We were not born of fornication:  we have one Father--God.'  Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent me.'"  The confrontation became even more heated, as recorded in verses 48-51...

Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" 49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."

            Now let's come all the way over to chapter 14.  Most of you know this chapter well.  Let's just begin in verse 6 and read John 14:6-10...

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works."

Then down in verse 23-24 Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."

Conclusion

            So why take time to read through all those passages?  For starters, we are looking at Jesus.  Don't take that lightly.  The writer of Hebrews says, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:1-2).  That word translated "looking" is a very strong term.  It means to turn your eyes away from other things so that you can fix them on the one object.  If we are going to effective run the race that is set before us, if we are going to walk in the Spirit, we must fix our eyes on Jesus.             

            As we look at these passages, we are not only fixing our eyes on Jesus, but we are discovering what Jesus looked away from and where He fixed His eyes.  He is our example.  Notice again in those passages before you the recurrence of the words nothing and not.  I put them in bold italics, so that we can't miss them.  Every time Jesus speaks of Himself, His teaching, His will, His glory, His words... there is always a not or a nothing.

 "The Son can do nothing of Himself" (John 5: 19).

            "I can of Myself do nothing; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent me" (John 5: 30).                               

            "I do not receive honor [literally 'glory']  from men" (John 5: 41).

            "I have not come... to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me" (John 6:38).

            "My doctrine [teaching] is not Mine, but His who sent me" (John 7:16-18).

            "I am not come of Myself" (John 7:28). 

            "I do nothing of Myself" (John 8:28). 

            "I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true" (John 8: 42).

            "I do not seek My own glory" (John 8:50). 

            "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does the works"  (John 14: 10).

            "The word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me"  (John 14:24). 

            Let's summarize what He says in four brief statements.

 I did not come on my own and I do not seek to do what I want, but only the will of the Father.                                      

 I can do nothing on my own initiative and by my own power, but only what I see the Father do.

 I do not speak on my own, but say only what I hear from the Father.

 I do not seek glory from man, nor do I seek to glorify myself before men.

            During the next two or three weeks I want you to be chewing on these concepts, as we continue to ask the Lord, "How do I walk in the Spirit?"  Yes, we are at a crossroads.  Will we be content to learn more about the Spirit?  Or will we long to walk in the Spirit until it is a reality.  If we are going to walk in the Spirit, we must fix our eyes on Jesus. 

  

Why Walk in the Spirit? -- 12/2/12

Sunday, December 2, 2012

WHY WALK IN THE SPIRIT?

Gal. 5:13-17

            Do we not long for freedom?  From the time we are little, we wanted to be out from under authority.  We think

 thought that if we could just get rid of authority, we would be free.  Of course, that was not the case.  Because of the effects of sin in this world, when human authority is removed, the result is chaos, not freedom.  The Judaizers feared that was the kind of freedom that would result, if the restraint of God's law was taken away.  Without the law to restrain them, people will just do whatever they want to do.  They will go wild. Sin will prevail.

            But there are legitimate freedoms for which we long.  Before we come to God through the death and resurrection of Christ, we begin to long for freedom from the power and penalty of sin.  We begin to realize that even when we try to do better, it's of little use.  Even if we conquer one sin, several more seem to crop up.  At the same time, it begins to dawn on us that the Bible tells us the penalty of sin is death, even eternal death.  Sin weighs us down and will ultimately send us to hell.  We long to get the monkey of sin off our back.

I.  In Christ We Are Called to Freedom

      In that context, we read in Gal. 5:1, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (ESV).  Then again in 5:13, "For you were called to freedom, brothers.  Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." 

            When we were justified through the death of Jesus, we were set free.  Listen to Jesus' words in John 8:30-36...

As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

            Ultimately, Jesus Himself is the truth, for He also said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6).  After saying that the truth would make us free, Jesus then said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).  There is freedom in Christ.  That is what Paul meant when he said, "For you were called to freedom, brothers." 

            We might ask the question, "Freedom from what?"  Did you notice that in the John 8 passage we just read Jesus talked about being a slave to sin.  Before coming to Christ, we were indeed slaves to sin, but in Christ we have gained our freedom.  Not only are we free from the penalty of sin, which is no less than hell itself, but we are also free from the power of sin.  Jesus died and rose to break sin's power in our lives.  Yes, we have been called to freedom, freedom from the power of sin. 

            Now come back to Gal. 5:13.  Notice that Paul doesn't stop with the affirmation that we have been called to freedom; he follows it immediately with a warning which serves as an explanation.  "Only don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh."  What does he mean by that?  As you know, "flesh" is a term that is used often in the New Testament, especially in the letters of Paul.  While it sometimes refers to the physical skin that covers our bones, that is not the usual meaning of the word.  Normally, as is the case here, "flesh" refers to that tendency toward sin that remains in the believer.  Though we are free from the power of sin, that doesn't mean that we never sin.  And the truth is that our flesh becomes the beachhead of sin.  We often think of our enemy as Satan, and he certainly is, but that is only part of the truth.  The flesh is the enemy within, which works in close association with Satan and the world.  One author defines "flesh" like this...

The meaning of "flesh" in the book of Galatians is not the physical part of man, but man's ego which feels a deep emptiness and uses the means within its own power to fill that emptiness. If it is religious, it may use law; if it is irreligious, it may use booze. But one thing is sure: the flesh is not free. It is enslaved to one futile desire after another in its effort to fill an emptiness which only Christ can fill.  (John Piper, sermon on Gal. 5:13-15).

            Paul is telling us that our freedom in Christ should never be used in such a way that it gives an opportunity to the flesh.  I know of no better illustration than what happened to a friend of mine when I was in seminary.  Andy was also a seminary student.  In one of his classes he was fed a heavy diet of how free we are in Christ.  That is certainly the truth, and that is what Paul is emphasizing here.  But somehow he failed to hear the warning about not using freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.  It began small, but it ended up with Andy committing adultery.  He cast off all restraint and yielded to the desire of his flesh.

            Understand that in the pagan world of the first century sin was rampant.  Don't ever get the idea that sin has only been a major problem in the past century or two.  Large cities of that day were no different than what we find today.  Some of the most corrupt practices, including sexual immorality, were associated with the pagan religions.  Paul was dealing with the teachings of the Judaizers, who were concerned about what would happen if the constraints of the law were taken away.  In their view, a man without the law would be ruled by the evil vices of the flesh.

            The Judaizers saw the evil of the flesh in the outward corruption of the pagan world and the failure of many Jews who were not serious about keeping the law.  What they failed to recognize is how the flesh can rule in the lives of those who appear to be the most moral.  Writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul would warn us of both dangers.  Often these two dangers have been summed up with the terms "license" and "legalism."  On the one hand, freedom in Christ can be corrupted by those who turn it into a license to do the outwardly evil deeds, as was true of my friend Andy.  Others twist this freedom God longs to give by smothering it with a legal system that feeds inward pride, as was the case with the Judaizers.

II.  Freedom in Christ Is the Freedom to Love

            Now let's read all of verse 13, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."  Rather than giving an advantage to the flesh, he urges us to serve one another through love.  So we see that there is another option.  Understand that Christ has not set us free to indulge our fleshly desires, whether in the direction of license or legalism, but to lovingly serve one another.  That implies that before Christ set us free, we weren't able to serve one another through love.  Is that true?  Didn't you love other people before you were saved?  Maybe we can do it a little better now, but surely we were able to do this even as non-Christians.  Don't you think so?

            Do you see what's missing here?  We must define what we mean by serving one another through love.  His definition is in the words which immediately follow:  "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (5:14).  This is what it means to serve one another through love -- love your neighbor as yourself.  If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will indeed serve him. 

            Let me remind you of the lawyer (an expert in the law of God) who came to Jesus and said, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus replied, "What does the law say?  How do you understand it?"  The lawyer gave an amazing answer:  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."  You will recall that on another occasion, when a man came and asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment, Jesus gave this exact same answer that the lawyer gave.  So to this expert in God's law, Jesus said, "You have given the right answer; now go do it and you will live -- that is, you will have eternal life."  But then we read these words, "But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'"  Jesus answered with what we call "the story of the good Samaritan."  You know the story.  A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, and on the way he was attacked by bandits who robbed him and left him for dead.  A priest came along, saw the helpless man, and quickly passed by on the other side of the road.  When a Levite came upon the scene, he did the same thing.  But then a Samaritan (whom the Jews hated) came along and had compassion on this stranger.  He bound up his wounds, set him on his own donkey, and transported him to the closest inn.  Before he left the man with the innkeeper, he pulled out two days' wages (something like two or three $100 bills) and said, "Please take care of him.  If it costs more, I will pay you when I get back."  So who was a neighbor to that helpless man?  The one who had compassion on him and helped him.  Our neighbor is whoever is around us with a need. 

            At this point we need to simply pause and let this sink in.  We have heard this little command so many times that we are in danger of losing its effect.  Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  When you got up this morning, did you want to have a good day?  Did you make sure that you got yourself dressed and had some breakfast before you came?  Some of you were especially careful to make sure you had your coffee.  Now here is the question:  Were you concerned that others have a good day?  Did you think about whether or not anyone else had breakfast?  Most of you got in your car and came to the meeting this morning.  Did you have any thoughts at all about those who didn't have any car to transport them?  You came here openly without fear of being arrested?  Did you think about those who risk their safety and maybe even their lives to meet together in the name of Christ?  Do you see?  Loving your neighbor like you love yourself is no small thing.

            Consider our prime example, Jesus Himself.  He knew the truth: He is the truth.  He had fellowship with the Father.  He could say, "I am in the Father, and the Father in me."  Jesus was certainly content and secure in who He was, but that wasn't the end of the story for Jesus.  He longed to see others have that same relationship with the Father that He had.  Jesus had the truth, but He longed for others to understand that truth.  So what did He do about it?  He served others through love.  Instead of secluding Himself in a place of safety, He mixed with the people, spoke the truth about His Father, and expressed genuine concern for everyone He met.  Was it easy?  No.  Most people didn't understand.  They gossiped about Him; they despised Him; they plotted against Him; they accused Him of having a demon; they crucified Him.  Ultimately, Jesus laid down His life for others.  Yes, serving others through love cost Jesus His very life.

            No, the unbeliever cannot love his neighbor as himself.  The good news is that we who are in Christ now have the freedom to do it.  It isn't automatic, but it is now a possibility.  The Lord never asks us to do something that He cannot do through us.  Of course, there is also another possibility, which Paul expresses in verse 15, "But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed of one another."  This kind of behavior goes along with using freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. 

            So let's review:  Christ has set us free for freedom.  He has not called us live in a straitjacket, where we are continually hemmed in by rules and regulations.  No, He has called us to a life of freedom.  In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin.  No, we have been called to freedom.  It is freedom to serve one another through love.  We didn't have that freedom before, because we were in bondage to our own selfish desires.  We were so stuck on ourselves that we could not break out of that bondage to serve others through love.  Yes, we are now free to love our neighbors as ourselves.

III.  How Do We Love Like This?  By Walking in the Spirit

            Now comes the big question:  How do we do it?  So we have the freedom to serve one another through love, but we have discovered that is a tall order, involving loving others as ourselves.  How on earth are we going to accomplish that?  Before we explore how we can indeed love our neighbor as we love self, let me remind us of how NOT to do it.  I mention it because it is so prevalent in our society.  There are well-educated people, including many who profess Christ, who tell us that the secret to loving our neighbors is to learn to love ourselves.  They would say, "I am told to love my neighbor as I love myself.  Therefore, if I don't love myself, then I can't love my neighbor.  Then it follows that the first step in loving my neighbor is to learn to love myself."  That may sound logical, but it is built upon a lie.  The logic crumbles when we understand that we already know how to love ourselves.  Jesus never told us to love ourselves, but to deny ourselves.  If we follow the philosophy that tells us to learn to love ourselves, the focus of our lives will be on self.  That is the very thing from which the Lord can set us free.  The key to proper attitude toward self isn't thinking I am bad, or thinking that I am good, but being free to not have to think of myself period.  That is what we see in Jesus.  He didn't go around putting Himself down or building Himself up.  Jesus wasn't occupied with Himself.  Instead, He spoke these words and lived them out:  "My will is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work" (John 4:34).  That's freedom.

            Come to the positive.  How do we serve one another through love?  How can we love our neighbors as ourselves?   The answer is in the very next verse:  "This I say, then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (5:16).  The answer is not in self, but in the Spirit of God.   This is a great and wonderful promise:  "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desire of the flesh."

            Let's pause for just a minute to look at the meaning of some of these words.  When Paul uses the word "walk," which he does many times, he is speaking of more than just moving from one place to another by the use of our legs.  The word literally means "to walk about."  It is a metaphor for the way we live our lives.  He could just as easily have said, "Live in the Spirit."  The walk speaks of the lifestyle.  Some of your translations will have "by the Spirit" instead of "in the Spirit."  Grammatically, it can be translated either way.  Certainly included in this phrase is the idea of living by the power of the Spirit.  He is the One who must empower us to live out the will of God.  The word translated "fulfill" is not the same word we found in verse 14, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word..."  The word here means "to complete" or "to finish."  That is why some translations read, "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the lust of the flesh."  That is a good translation, especially since it helps us realize that this is a different word.  "Lust" does not always speak of sexual sin.  It simply speaks of strong desire, but most often it is used with a negative connotation, denoting evil desires. 

            You notice the contrast between the Spirit and the flesh.  We are told to walk in (or by) the Spirit, but the flesh has plenty of desires of its own.  We see this conflict spelled out in verse 17:  "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."  Within the believer there is a battle raging.  The desire of the Spirit and that of the flesh are diametrically opposed to one  another.  Though a person is a Christian, redeemed by the blood of Christ, that does not mean that the flesh is going to give up.  It is that principle within us that continues to fight for control, opposing the Spirit at every opportunity. 

            This battle is so fierce, we are do not end up doing the things we want to do.  There is a difference of opinion concerning the precise meaning of this statement.  Paul might be saying that we want to do the will of God, but the flesh is so strong that we are not able to do it.  Or, he might be saying that we want to do pursue our evil desires, but the Spirit restrains us.  Perhaps he has both things in view.  Whichever way we take it, here is the big question:  Is there a way to defeat the desire of the flesh?  Are we at the mercy of the power of the flesh?  Does the big "I" always have to win?

            The answer is a resounding "No."  That is the whole point of verse 16:  "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desire of the flesh."  This is the victory.  This is the only way to have victory over the desire of the flesh, but it is the way.  Do you see the greatness of this promise?  We are not told that perhaps we will not gratify the desire of the flesh, if we walk by the Spirit.  It isn't a "most likely so."  This is an absolute certainly.  As a matter of fact, in the original language a very strong expression is used in this promise.  You will by no means gratify the desires of the flesh.  We don't use double negatives in English, but the Greek speakers did.  "You will not never gratify the desire of the flesh."  Our little granddaughter Salem gets in big trouble when her parents tell her something and she responds with, "No way," but that's basically what this says.  "Walk in the Spirit, and there is no way you will gratify the desire of the flesh."

            We will never defeat the flesh by determination and hard work.  Why not?  Because the determination and hard work that is not produced by the Spirit is the very work of the flesh.  The flesh can never cast out flesh.  Take an example:  Suppose you have a bad habit of taking the Lord's name in vain.  Is that a sin?  Indeed, it is.  It cheapens the name of our Lord, and for that reason it is expressly forbidden in the commandments.  Now let's suppose that you decide that since this is not right, you are not going to do it any more.  That very day you take the name of the Lord in vain seven times.  But by about the fourth day, you have it down to two times.  Within a month you can honestly say that you are no longer taking the name of the Lord in vain.  Is that a good thing?  How could it not be a good thing?  You are obeying the commandment of the Lord.  But who gets the credit for ceasing to take the Lord's name in vain?  You get the credit.  You determined to do it and you did it.  You say, "But the Lord helped me."  The bottom line is this:  You were not walking by the Spirit, and the pride that comes as a result of your accomplishment is more deadly than breaking the commandment in the first place.  This is the deceptive trap of legalism, and it is a gratifying of the desire of the flesh.

Conclusion:  How Do We Walk By the Spirit?

            Now comes the big question:  So how does a believer walk by the Spirit?  That is what I want to challenge you to think on this week.  Let's ask the Lord this simple question:  "Lord, how do I walk in the Spirit (by the Spirit)?"  Let's ask Him to guide us in the scriptures, as we think about this question.  It's obvious that walking by the Spirit is crucial, if we are going to do the will of God, if we are going to please our Father, because that is the only way that we can defeat the flesh.  So it is just as critical that we have some idea of how to do it.

            Brothers and sisters, let's pray this week.  And let's pray with great expectancy that God will answer.  He may not answer in the way we want or the way we expect, but surely He will answer. 

            As we pray, let us understand that we are not studying some theory which doesn't relate to life.  I remember some discussions about the study of calculus.  The general feeling was, "What is the point?  Once I get out of this class, I will never again even consider this stuff."  One who had some appreciation for calculus will quickly point out that the class can be very enjoyable, if the instructor will make it practical, helping the student see that there are all kinds of ways it can be used.  Now there are some calculus students who will remain skeptical about such a possibility.  But when we come to the concept of walking by the Spirit, we must be deeply convicted that we are talking about real everyday life.  Monday morning you will either walk by the Spirit, or you will gratify the desire of the flesh.  This will happen to you.

            I am becoming more aware of this truth every day.  I want you to know that I am not just preaching to you about walking by the Spirit.  This is where I live too.  The Lord is giving me a renewed appreciation for how vital these truths are.  Regardless of what I say to you, I am called to freedom, freedom to serve others through love.  The only way I can do that is to walk by the Spirit.  I may fool you by appearing to serve others through love, and I may even fool myself, but I will not fool God.  I don't want to try to fool God or deceive myself.  God is graciously planting within me a deep desire to live this out in a way that will bring glory to my Father.  May we pray to that end.

Thanksgiving and the Spirit -- 11/25/12

Sunday, November 25, 2012

THANKSGIVING AND THE SPIRIT

I Thes. 5:18; Eph. 5:18-21

            Is the Christian life difficult?  Is it hard to live out the life of Christ on this earth?  Do we find it difficult to follow the precepts laid out by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount?  I don't know who said it, but he put it well when he said, "It is not difficult to live the Sermon on the Mount; it is impossible."  No man can adequately live the Christian life in his own power.  We cannot obey all the commands of Jesus, as the disciple is urged to do.  It is impossible.

            Then what is the solution?  The solution is in God Himself, the God who sent His Son to be our Redeemer and our example.  That same Jesus who went to the cross in our place, taking upon Himself the very wrath of God, rose from the dead, ascended back to the right hand of the Father, and from there sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in those who put their trust in Him.  It is the presence and power of the Spirit in his life which enables him to live the life that God has called him to live.  Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, the living of what we call the Christian life is an absolute impossibility.

            This morning I want us to see a specific example of that truth.  We touched upon a powerful example last week, when we looked at a few verses from Matthew 5.  While a man may have the power not to commit adultery, what man can say that he has never lusted in his heart?  Today we are not going to look at the principles from the Sermon on the Mount, but we are going to be confronted by a command that presents just as much an impossibility.  Let's read it, along with a little bit of its context, in I Thes. 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

            Think about verse 18, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  Some of you are at that age where you might have a tendency to gravitate toward this question:  "What is the will of God for me?"  Rianna, you might ask, "What does the Lord want me to do, when this job ends?"  Katie, perhaps you would ask, "Is it the will of God for me to continue to go to school up on the hill next semester?"  Ruth, have you asked, "Is it God's will for me to be a nurse?"  I can tell you what is the will of God for your lives -- In everything give thanks.  Regardless of where you work or what you will be doing a few years from now, know for certain that it is God's will that you give thanks in everything.  That is true for everyone of us.  Apply this command to yourself:  "It is God's will that I give Him thanks in everything."  Some versions translate it, "Give thanks in all circumstances," and that is the idea. 

            Before we go any further, I want you to notice two ways in which the scripture lends support to this idea of giving thanks in all things.  First of all, notice that this command is in close relation to two other little commands:  "Rejoice always" and "Pray without ceasing."  Right now I want us to pay attention to those two little words, "Rejoice always."  Most of us are more familiar with this command from Phil. 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice."  Rejoicing and giving thanks are linked together because both are intended to flow out of the believer at all times and because they come from deep within.  Both are actions that must be motivated by a sustained attitude.  While thanksgiving is an often repeated theme in the Old Testament, rejoicing is prevalent in the New.  "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (James 1:2).  In Romans 5:3 Paul says that we glory in tribulation, when we are severely squeezed by the pressures of life.  When we are rejoicing, we are giving thanks; when we give thanks, we can rejoice.

            This attitude of giving thanks in all things is also supported by what we read in Eph. 5:20, "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  We will look more carefully at this verse a bit later, but notice for now the word "always" and the phrase "for all things."  When Paul commands us to give thanks in all things (I Thes. 5:18), he means for us to do it all the time.  Some have read I Thes. 5:18 and concluded that the Christian is not necessarily to give thanks for all things, but in all things.  In other words, we are not thankful for the circumstance, but in midst of the circumstance we can thank God for all the good things He has given us.  That sounds really nice, but it ignores Eph. 5:20, where Paul literally says, "Giving thanks always on behalf of all things." 

            With that introduction, let's think this morning about always giving thanks for all things, understanding that this is indeed the will of God for our lives.  By the way, when we are giving thanks always for all things, the will of God in other areas will become much clearer to us.  In order to get at the "all things" of which Paul speaks, I am going to break those things down into three categories.

I.  Give Thanks for the Good Things

            We sometimes sing that familiar hymn "To God Be the Glory."  It begins with the words:  "To God be the glory; great things He hath done."  Though the word "thanks" is not used, it is certainly applicable.  Surely we can thank God for the great things He has done, and we ought to thank God for the things He has done.  Yes, we are commanded to thank God for the good things He has done, because that is a part of thanking Him for all things.

            When it comes to thanksgiving, this is the dominant theme of the Old Testament.  Again and again, we find the Psalmist thanking God for all the wonderful things He has done.  Eight times we find this exact statement:  "For the Lord is good; His mercy endures forever" (1Chron. 16:34; 2 Chron. 5:13; 7:3; Ps. 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29; 136:1).  In six of those eight occurrences, that statement is preceded by the words, "O give thanks unto the Lord."  (In the other two the people praised the Lord with those words -- 2 Chron. 5:13; 7:3).  So repeatedly God's people are urged to give thanks to the Lord because He is good and His mercy (lovingkindness, steadfast love) endures forever.  Let me read Psalm 136, where this theme is greatly emphasized.  Notice the long list of the good things God has done.  Read Ps. 136...

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. 3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: 4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; 6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; 7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever-- 8 The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; 9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever. 10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever; 11 And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever;12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever; 13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever; 14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever; 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever; 16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy endures forever; 17 To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever; 18 And slew famous kings, For His mercy endures forever-- 19 Sihon king of the Amorites, For His mercy endures forever; 20 And Og king of Bashan, For His mercy endures forever-- 21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His mercy endures forever; 22 A heritage to Israel His servant, For His mercy endures forever. 23 Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; 24 And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; 25 Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. 26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever. 

            But surely we don't need to be commanded to thank God for the good things He has done.  We should do that naturally.  So we think, but it is not always true.  In the book of Deuteronomy we find Moses reminding God's people to remember the Lord and what He has done.  Let's read Deut. 8:10-18...

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest--when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end-- 17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' 18 And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

            Though the word "thank" is not used in this passage, the idea is certainly present in the command to bless the Lord for the good land which He had given them.  The Lord had certainly done great things for them, but they were in danger of forgetting that truth.  Why?  It would happen when their hearts were lifted up, that is, when they became proud.  Though they would not say it out loud and perhaps not be fully conscious of what they were thinking in their heart, they were in danger of becoming comfortable with the notion that they themselves were responsible for what was theirs.  If you were to ask them, "Has God done great things for you," they would have said, "Yes, absolutely."  Whenever the Lord warns us about forgetting Him, it is not a matter of not being able to remember.  Rather, the problem is that we don't call these things to remembrance. 

            Brothers and sisters, we face the same danger.  In our minds we are well aware that God has given us hundreds and thousands of good things, but we are in danger of not calling these things to mind.  Whether it is busyness, self-sufficiency, or something else, we need to be reminded to always give God thanks for the good things He has done.

            For just a moment come back to that hymn "To God Be the Glory."  "To God be the glory; great things He hath done."  Now keep going -- "So loved He the world that He gave us His Son."  Of all the things God has given us, the greatest of all are the things we can't see with our eyes, all of which are centered in the great truth that God has given us His Son.  Out of that source comes a multitude of blessings -- eternal life in Him, the presence of the Spirit within, along with the love, joy, and peace He brings.  We could go on and on.  Paul sums it up in Eph. 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

II.  Thank God for the Little Things 

            Now let's take a moment to think about the little things God has given us.  When I use the term "little things," I realize that there really are no little things, but I don't know of a better term.  What I am really talking about are the things which we tend to take for granted.  When we read from Deuteronomy 8, we saw the great things that God had done for Israel, things like rescuing them from snakes in the desert, bringing water out of the rock, and giving them the promised land.  And when we come to our situation, we can never think of anything greater than God giving us His Son.  In comparison with those great blessings, many other things might be thought of as little things.

            Wednesday evening we were thanking God for His blessings.  One sister reminded us of how we need to thank God for what we might consider little things.  Is it not a blessing that we are able to walk and even to breathe.  While those are not really little things, they are the things that we can tend to take for granted.  When we are commanded to thank God for all things, that "all things" include the everyday blessings that we tend to take for granted. 

            Listen to the message of Paul, as he spoke to the educated and cultured people of Athens. Read Acts 17:22-28... 

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

            On the one hand, the Lord made the world and everything in it.  That's big, for sure.  But He also gives us life, breath, and everything else.  He concludes by saying that in Him we live and move and have our being.  We can do absolutely nothing apart from Him.  If the Lord did not continually give you the ability, you could not raise your arm above your head; you could not tie your shoe; you could not rise from your seat.  Yes, in Him we live and move and have our being.  We owe everything to Him.  Therefore, let us thank Him for all things, even the little things we might take for granted.

III.  Thank God for the Difficult Things

            So we have seen that it is possible to fail to thank God for the good things He has done.  It is even more likely that we will neglect to thank Him for the everyday blessings we take for granted.  But what about the difficult things?  To put it another way, can we thank God for the bad things that happen to us?  You might ask, "Should we thank God for the bad things that happen to us?"  As I mentioned earlier, we cannot ignore Eph. 5:20, which speaks of thanking God always for all things.  Yes, "all things" includes the bad things.  I remind you again of how thanking the Lord and rejoicing in Him go hand in hand.  While we don't have so many specifics about thanking God for bad circumstances, we are commanded to rejoice in Him in the midst of severe tribulation.

            Let's take a specific incident as an example.  Paul and Silas were engaged in what we often call "the first missionary journey."  During that campaign they came to the city of Philippi.  You may remember that they shared the good news of Jesus with a woman named Lydia.  As a result, she and her family were saved and baptized.  Best we can tell, her conversion didn't cause any problems for Paul and Silas.  But shortly after, a girl with an evil spirit began to follow them around.  When Paul cast the evil spirit out of her, she was no longer able to practice the Satanic fortune-telling that brought a good income to the men who owned her.  Because they perceived that Paul was the cause of their financial loss, they grabbed him and Silas, beat them, and had them thrown into prison.  The very next words read like this:  "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25).  We are not told that they were giving thanks, but surely that is the attitude that accompanies their rejoicing in the Lord. 

            You might say, "But that doesn't prove they were thanking God for the circumstances, only that they were rejoicing in the circumstances."  You're right.  I cannot prove that Paul and Silas were thanking God for giving them the privilege of sitting in that jail cell, but I believe they were doing just that.  But why?  Why should we thank God when bad things happen to us?  That is a very appropriate question, and it has a very clear answer.

            Please turn to the last part of Romans 8, that passage that is so encouraging to us.  Let's read again Rom. 8:31-39...

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.       

            Praise God that nothing can separate us from His love in Christ.  That does not mean that nothing will try to separation us from God's love in Christ.  According to verse 35, there could be distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword.  Those living beings trying to sever us from God's love include angels, principalities,  and powers.  Though we are secure in the love of God, that does not mean that life will be a picnic.  We know this, and we know it well.  The question is simply this:  How will we view all the bad things that come into our life?  Yes, we are to give thanks in the midst of all those circumstances, but how shall we regard the circumstances themselves?

            That takes us back to Rom. 8:28-29, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."  We have been over this passage numerous times, but its message is so refreshing that it should never cease to amaze us.  According Eph. 5:20, our lifestyle is to be one of giving thanks always for all things.  Why?  Because all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  What could be simpler?  God takes the "all things" that come into our lives, and He uses them for our good.  No matter what confronts you, if you love God and are among those who are called according to His purpose, God will use that circumstance for your good.  Is that not sufficient reason to thank Him for it? 

            Remember that we walk by faith, not by sight.  If we forget that, we begin to think that we have to be able to figure out HOW God can use it for good.  And if I can't figure it out, then just possibly God can't use it for good in my life.  Do I trust my own reasoning, or do I trust the promise of God? 

            The other thing we must do is define the "good" of verse 28.  If God works everything together for our good, then what is our good?  Too often the "good" is defined to mean our comfort or happiness.  Brothers and sisters, we don't have to speculate, because the Lord clearly defines the "good" for us in the next verse:  "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son."  When God chose us to be His own, He predestined that we should become like Jesus.  Suppose someone slanders you and ruins your name and reputation.  If you think the good is your comfort, you will question God.  But if you understand that God is working in everything to make you like Jesus, then you can trust Him to use even this for that glorious purpose.

            I realize there are hard questions involved with this issue.  Am I to thank God for a tragic car wreck that takes the person whom I love the most?  Am I to thank God when cancer strikes me or someone I love?  Am I to thank God that wicked men are persecuting my brothers and sisters and even killing them for their faith?  Those questions seem difficult, until I ask another question:  "Can I thank God for the death of my Lord Jesus Christ?"  Yes, I do indeed thank God that Jesus died for me.  Listen to me.  There is no tragedy, no injustice, that will ever compare with the death of Jesus.  If I can thank God for the crucifixion of Jesus, then I can thank Him for anything and everything.    

            I said we are to thank God for the bad things, but the truth is that ultimately there are no bad things that come into the life of the believer.  Do you know why?  Because nothing will ever confront you that hasn't come through the hand of God.  He only gives you what He will use to conform you to the image of Christ.  We read in Prov. 12:21, "There shall no evil happen to the just."  How can that be?  If God uses it to make us like Jesus, how can it be called evil?  When we are just, when we have the righteousness of Christ, God works everything for our good.  He uses every circumstance to make us like Christ.  What could be more appropriate for us than to always thank Him for all things?

Conclusion

            The wisdom of man would tell us that it is foolish to give thanks always for all things.  It doesn't make sense, says the world.  But from the perspective of the Word of God, who is all wise, it is the only thing that makes sense for the believer.  Anything less is foolishness.

            Having said that, I must now remind us that there is more to the story.  We are commanded to give thanks in all things.  It makes perfect spiritual sense to do so.  But is at this point that we are faced with the reality that apart from Christ, we can do nothing.  It isn't enough to know what is right; the key is doing what is right.  It is one thing to say, "I fully realize that the Lord wants me to give thanks when I lose my job, to give thanks for that difficult trial that confronts me.  It is quite another to actually give thanks in those circumstances." 

            Now let's come back to Ephesians 5.  This time let's begin in verse 18.  Eph. 5:18-21...

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another in the fear of God.

            In verse 18 we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, literally, "Be being filled with the Spirit."  I must confess that I don't know everything about being filled with the Spirit.  It is certainly a condition in which the Spirit has His way in the life of the believer.  What I want you to notice this morning is how being filled with the Spirit is related to verses 19-21.  The only commands in these verses are:  "Don't be drunk with wine" and "Be filled with the Spirit."  There are no commands in verses 19-21.  Translations that turn them into commands are very misleading.  These participial phrases in verses 19-21 do not stand alone; they are dependent upon being filled with the Spirit.

            Some people take it to mean that in order to be filled with the Spirit, we should strive to do these four things.  Be filled with the Spirit by speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, by singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, by giving thanks always for all things, and by submitting to one another in the fear of God.  Others see these four phrases as the evidence that one is being filled with the Spirit.  That is the way I tend to take it, though the first option is also a possibility.  Whichever way you take it, these four activities are closely connected with being filled with the Spirit.

            What this tells us is that it is only through the power of the Spirit in our lives that we can do these things.  Thinking specifically of giving thanks, we must understand that it is impossible to always give thanks for all things apart from the Spirit's work in our lives. 

            Notice that this giving of thanks is in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  "In the name of" is more than a little formula that we recite, just as it true of praying in Jesus' name.  Jesus' name speaks of His character and everything He stands for.  This is another way of saying that we cannot always give thanks for all things in our own strength.  So what is it we need -- the power of Jesus or the filling of the Spirit?  The two cannot be separated, because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. 

            Brothers and sisters, we will never be able to always give thanks for all things through determination and working harder.  It is impossible.  Rather, this is an attitude that springs from within.  It is the overflow of the Spirit pouring the life of Christ through us.  This thanksgiving is a result of continually coming to Jesus and drinking from Him. 

            Let's close with Matt. 26:26-28, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'"   Notice that Jesus took the cup and gave thanks.  This was more than just a ritual thanksgiving blessing over the cup at the Passover meal.  Jesus went on to say, "All of you, drink it, because this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins."  His apostles didn't understand, but Jesus understood perfectly that the cup He was blessing was His own death.  He was thanking God that He would be the sacrifice for our sins.  He was not just thanking God for delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt; He was thanking God that He would be true Passover Lamb who would deliver His people from sin, and that meant going to the cross pouring out His life on our behalf.

            "O Father, make us like Jesus our Lord.  So work in us by your Spirit that we will thank you, as our lives are poured out on behalf of others for your glory."