Transcript Document

Title Page
Lesson Three
Romans 12:1-2
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
II Corinthians 6:14-16
II Corinthians 6:14-16
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living
God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and
walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people.
II Corinthians 6:17-18
II Corinthians 6:17-18
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be
my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
II Corinthians 7:1
II Corinthians 7:1
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.
I Peter 1:15-16
I Peter 1:15-16
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be
ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I
am holy.
I John 2:15
I John 2:15
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in him.
Focus Verse
II Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you.
Focus Thought
We are in a culture war, and society will
take us to hell unless we separate
ourselves from its philosophy. To live for
God, we must renounce the world, sin,
and the devil.
Introduction
Introduction
Certain chemical elements just do not mix.
Although oil and water are in the same container,
they will not coalesce or blend. They retain their
individual identity even when brought into contact.
Introduction
Likewise, God and sin will not mix or blend under
any circumstances. The nature of God is holy, and
sin is inherently evil. Therefore, it is necessary for
a believer to separate himself from the world and
its lusts. As Christians, we should be aware that our
bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit of God. If
God is to remain residing in our souls, it is
necessary for us to live godly even in the midst of a
perverse society.
Introduction
Although sin and ungodliness are as old as the
history of mankind, the Scriptures admonish us to
come out of the world and separate ourselves from
its sinful lifestyle. The origin of sin was pride,
rebellion, and disobedience, which caused mankind
to fall in Eden in the beginning by disobeying the
commandment of God.
Introduction
However, God has restored fellowship between
Him and mankind through redemption. Individuals
should forsake the old life of sin in order to fully
appreciate and maintain that holy fellowship.
Introduction
When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt,
God gave them His law and ordinances, which He
required them to obey if they were to please Him.
The dispensation of the law existed then for many
centuries until the Cross, which opened the way to
redemption through the grace of God.
Introduction
While the nations around Israel worshiped many
idols, the people of God were called to worship
only the one true God as a separated, unique
people. Their neighboring nations were given to
lives of debauchery and licentious behavior, but
they were to live separated lives unto the Lord.
Through Israel, God was establishing a pattern for
His people to be a holy, separated nation.
The Corinthian Society
I. TheA.Corinthian
Society (A)
World’s Most
Licentious City
In its time, Corinth was associated with every kind
of vile behavior imaginable. Near the infamous
Temple of Aphrodite, one thousand religious
prostitutes carried on their activities surrounded by
bars, brothels, gambling, and amusements.
Prostitution—both
male Society
and female—was
rampant
I. The
Corinthian
(A)
in that wealthy merchant and navy town. Worldly
minded people from all over the Mediterranean
area came there to indulge their lusts because of its
lack of standards and morality. Sporting events
were also a major part of their lives. Every two
years, the Isthmian games were held in honor of
the pagan god Poseidon, god of the sea.
Romans 5:20
“But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound” (Romans 5:20).
TheCorinthian
light of the gospel often
shines the (A)
brightest
I. The
Society
where the night is the darkest. The disillusionment
and despair of sin leaves people hungry for
deliverance from bondage. After establishing a
church in Corinth, Paul wrote two epistles to the
believers that included instructions and principles
that are part of the inspired Word of God. It
appears that the Corinthians had difficulty with
carnality, separation from their old lifestyles,
adultery, and gluttony.
TheCorinthian
sound teachings of Paul
to the Corinthian
I. The
Society
(A)
church provide us with exhortations and guidelines
for godly living today. Moreover, the Corinthian
society could be synonymous with modern times
because the same sins are rampant in our world.
B. Sinners
I. TheCalling
Corinthian
Society
(B)
someone a sinner
has almost become
archaic in North American culture, but it still
describes the scriptural plight of mankind. Corinth
was a city filled with sinners who needed God,
and Paul preached Jesus Christ crucified to them.
I. TheTheCorinthian
Society
parallels between Corinth
and our (B)
world today
are numerous. As Corinth was given to pleasure
seeking, so is our world today. All over North
America casinos are being built to hold the
throngs of people seeking the chance and thrill of
gambling.
I. TheAlso,Corinthian
Society
as Corinth was given
to sports, so(B)
is North
America and many other nations of the world.
There exists in our world a mad, headlong plunge
to indulge in sporting events from the time
children are in preschool throughout the rest of
their lives. To many people, the world of sports
dominates their lives and is an addiction.
I. TheSadly,
Corinthian
Society
our society excuses
adultery and(B)
extramarital affairs as normal, and multi-tudes
parade homosexuality in the streets and
throughout the media. The wild pursuit of fleshly
pleasures dominates music, clothing fashions, and
worldly entertainment. Certainly, the casualties of
a culture war are plunging the souls of
unredeemed mankind headlong into a certain
eternity of damnation.
I. ThePaulCorinthian
Society
was disturbed that the
Corinthian (B)
believers
could not discern between carnality and
spirituality. It seemed that they had been so
conditioned by their surroundings that sin no
longer shocked them. They were condoning
outright sin and living as if it were perfectly
acceptable and right. However, sin is still wrong!
It is nasty, vile, and dirty. Individuals must repent
of their sins or they will perish. (See Luke 13:3,
5.)
I. TheTrueCorinthian
Society
(B) sin
believers in Jesus Christ
should renounce
in this world! They must name it, hate it, preach
against it, cease from it, and separate from it, or
they will be lost. Certainly, we live in this world,
but we are not to be of the world.
The Unequal Yoke
II. The
Unequal
Yoke Lifestyles
(A)
A. Two
Incompatible
Paul used the analogy of a yoke to describe a
person trying to live for God while united with
unbelievers. In this situation, two people are pulling
in different directions and creating mass confusion
and pain. We cannot be yoked together in
relationships with unbelievers without creating
serious problems.
a spouse
turns to God
and experiences
II. Often
The
Unequal
Yoke
(A)
salvation while the other remains living in sin,
which can cause misery for the one who is living
for the Lord. Whether the unbelieving spouse
comes to salvation or not, the marriage bond
remains a holy obligation. Often the believing
spouse will win the unbelieving spouse to Christ.
a believer
chooses to goYoke
outside the(A)
faith and
II. Ifmarry
The
Unequal
an unbeliever, however, he or she is violating
the teachings of Scripture. Untold numbers of heartwrenching stories exist where a man or a woman
married someone outside the church with the intent
of winning the individual to God later, but instead
the believer lived a life of heartache and regret.
weUnequal
are living for God,
our bodies
become
II. When
The
Yoke
(A)
temples of the Holy Ghost (I Corinthians 6:19). We
live a life that contrasts with that of the sinner
because Jesus is our Lord and Master. A sinner
serves sin, the devil, and the flesh, but the desires of
a believer are different because he is a new creation
in Christ Jesus through the new-birth experience.
Therefore, the two contrasting lifestyles will never
mix any more than light and darkness; one dispels
the other.
analogy
of the unequal
yoke also
applies to
II. Paul’s
The
Unequal
Yoke
(A)
other areas of our lives. Many believers have found
themselves in serious trouble when they formed
business partnerships with unbelievers. We all
desire friendships, and we win others to the Lord by
befriending them. Even Jesus was a friend to the
publicans and sinners.
we should be cautious
and(A)
certain that we
II. However,
The
Unequal
Yoke
affect our friends to lead them to the Lord instead of
the friendships affecting us to lead us astray. These
kinds of friendships exist for the purpose of
providing spiritual assistance and leading the lost to
salvation, not for the purpose of mutual fellowship.
fellowship
can exist Yoke
only between
those who
II. True
The
Unequal
(A)
share a mutual, spiritual bond and experience.
Hence, we should carefully choose our closest
friends, constantly questioning whether we are
affecting our world or whether it is affecting us.
LotUnequal
moved near Sodom,
he kept
his distance
II. When
The
Yoke
(A)
at first and was vexed with the perverted living.
After a time, however, he was enticed more and
more by Sodom, moved into Sodom, and eventually
was elevated to a place of authority in the city. He
not only moved into Sodom to live, but Sodom’s
philosophy got into his family.
daughters
were affected
by the prevailing
II. His
The
Unequal
Yoke
(A)
attitudes until they were able to excuse incest with
their father after leaving the city. His wife left her
heart there, and upon leaving she turned back for a
fateful look that took her life and made her a
memorial to the consequences of sin.
theUnequal
Israelites left Egypt,
they had
lived there
II. When
The
Yoke
(A)
so long that they pined for it when they were in the
wilderness. They had left Egypt, but Egypt was still
in their hearts. They also took with them from
Egypt a mixed multitude that created problems for
them later. They did not make a clean break with
Egypt, and thereby they later longed to return.
Scriptures
admonish us
to come (A)
out from the
II. The
The
Unequal
Yoke
world and be separate. We should make a clean
break with the sinful past. We should not unequally
yoke ourselves by trying to hold onto both worlds.
wiseUnequal
military leader led
his army(A)
away from
II. One
The
Yoke
their ships inland to conquer, but he reminded them
that they would not be turning back even in the face
of difficulties. When they turned to look back at the
harbor, they saw their ships burning. There would
be no turning back. They had to go forward.
II.
B. Motive for Pursuing
Holiness
The Unequal Yoke (B)
“Jesus answered and said unto
him, If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode
with him” (John 14:23).
The strongest
motive forYoke
pursuing holiness
II. The
Unequal
(B) should
be our love for the Lord. What an awesome
privilege to think that God called us out of sin!
When we think of the masses who refuse to heed
the gospel and how we had the opportunity to
accept or reject it, we are humbly appreciative.
Somewhere in our lives we met truth, and our
obedience to it is a blessing that we will cherish
throughout eternity.
We are not
motivated to separate
sin and the
II. The
Unequal
Yokefrom
(B)
world to conform to some legalistic set of rules.
Rather, we love Jesus Christ so much that we want
to please Him in every aspect of our lives. It
grieves Him for us to live in sin and carnality.
Even though life is more than adhering to rigid
guidelines and rules, we do not desire to abuse His
grace and mercy by living recklessly without
boundaries. Love compels us to bear a cross and
live separated from worldly practices and pleasure.
What is Unequal
worldliness? What
is worldly?
The
II. The
Yoke
(B)
physical world that God created—the majestic
mountains, the wildflowers, and the countryside—
is beautiful, and it declares the glory of God.
However, when the Scriptures speak of
worldliness, it means something entirely different.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines
worldly as “devoted to this world and its pursuits
rather than to religion or spiritual affairs.”
It is commendable
to have
goals and(B)
to desire
II. The
Unequal
Yoke
certain possessions and achievements as long as
we maintain balance and perspective. We should
remember that this world is not our final
destination, and our motives must be in
accordance with the will of God.
The purpose
of our lives Yoke
is not merely
to
II. The
Unequal
(B)
accumulate possessions but to further the kingdom
of God in the earth. We are to be witnesses of what
God has done for us and wants to do for others.
We are living, breathing witnesses; evangelism of
our world should be our heartbeat.
Matthew 6:24
“No man can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon”
(Matthew 6:24).
Mammon
is material wealth
and possessions.
II. The
Unequal
Yoke
(B) To
be worldly is to be earthy, such as Esau, who did
not care about his birthright. Therefore, he sold it
for something that would temporarily satisfy his
earthly craving. The rich fool wanted to tear down
his barns and build bigger ones because
possessions ruled his life. The rich young ruler
went away from Jesus sorrowful because of his
possessions, which evidently controlled him.
Luke 12:15
“And he said unto them, Take heed,
and beware of covetousness: for a
man’s life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he
possesseth” (Luke 12:15).
Matthew 6:19
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal” (Matthew 6:19).
The
Principle
III. The Principle of
of
Separation
from
Separation (A)
the World
A. Love Not the World
It is impossible to love God and the world at the
same time. This is not speaking of the physical
world that God has created, but it refers to the
spirit of worldliness.
The works
of the
flesh and the fruit
III.
The
Principle
ofof the Spirit
contrast with each other. The worldly mind
Separation
focuses
on the things (A)
of the flesh and its desires,
but the believer bears the fruit of Christ that dwells
within. Selfishness is the spirit of the world. When
we read the list of the various works of the flesh,
we see selfishness as the motivating force behind
them all.
John described
the three areas inof
which we were
III.
The Principle
not to love the world: “the lust of the flesh, and the
Separation
(A)
lust
of the eyes, and the
pride of life” (I John
2:16). A war is going on within us trying to bring
us back into the captivity of sin by yielding to the
lusts of the flesh.
We should
resist
these fleshly passions:
III.
The
Principle
of
“fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection,
Separation
(A)
evil
concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is
idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). We should constantly
allow the Holy Ghost to renew us to fight the good
fight of faith and overcome these fleshly
tendencies.
The lust
of the Principle
eyes is certainly rampant
III.
The
of in our
affluent society. Companies spend huge sums of
Separation
money
to advertise in(A)
every possible medium to
capitalize on the nature of mankind to lust after
what he sees with his eyes. It is nearly impossible
to go anywhere in public without being
bombarded with advertising designed to capture
the eyes.
PeopleThe
sit in boardrooms
of tall buildings
III.
Principle
of devising
schemes to exploit the tendencies of various age
Separation
groups
to lust for what(A)
they can visualize.
Certainly, covetousness is common in our culture
war.
The pride
of life
was the third category
III.
The
Principle
of about
which John wrote, and it also is prevalent in our
Separation
(A) to start his mutiny in
world.
Pride caused Lucifer
heaven. The Book of Proverbs listed it as one of
the things that God hates (Proverbs 6:17). It is an
inner sense of superiority and arrogance that
manifests itself in one who is in love with the
world and spirit of the age. Pride leads a person on
a broad road downward to destruction. (See
Proverbs 16:18.)
The pride
of life
may cause someone
III.
The
Principle
of to seek
power and excessive recognition, or to achieve
Separation
(A)
positions
and influence.
Furthermore, vanity and
pride have caused many people never to bow at an
altar in humble submission to God and seek
forgiveness.
B. Be Not Conformed
III. The Principle of
Coming out of the world does not mean that we
Separation
isolate
ourselves from(B)
society and live in
communes as hermits. The prayer of Jesus in the
Gospel of John did not ask that God should take
them out of the world, but that they would be kept
from the evil and sin surrounding them. (See John
17:15.) As believers, we are the light of the world
and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).
III. The Principle of
Our light shines brightest in dark places. By not
Separation
(B)
contaminating
ourselves
and partaking of society’s
evil, our lights will shine and dispel the darkness.
Like salt preserves meat when it comes into
contact with it, our testimony and purity leave a
strong, positive impression on sinful people when
we live among them.
III. The Principle of
When Israel desired a king, they wanted to
Separation
(B) and become like the
conform
to their surroundings
other nations. They forgot that they were to remain
a separated people that God had chosen. (See I
Peter 2:9.) Likewise, we sometimes forget who we
are and desire to blend in with our world
unnoticed. However, it is impossible for light to go
unnoticed in dark surroundings.
III. The Principle of
Our conversation is different from others’ since we
Separation
(B)
do
not fill our sentences
with cursing and
filthiness. Our outward appearance contrasts with
the lewd dress styles of today. We do not frequent
worldly entertainment nightspots and gambling
casinos. Corrupt lyrics of worldly music do not
bombard our ears, and we do not talk about the
latest Hollywood movie craze. We do not conform
to the world around us because we are a separated
people.
III. The Principle of
Our desire is to be like Jesus instead of the world,
(B)
toSeparation
be transformed from
a life ruled by our flesh,
and to present ourselves as a living sacrifice that is
acceptable to God. Self no longer occupies the
throne of our lives, for we have vacated that place
and allowed Christ to be the Lord and Master of
our hearts. Consequently, we prove what is the
good, acceptable, and perfect will of God in our
walk with Him.
C. Cleanse Ourselves
III. The Principle of
Living for God is a process of growth and
Separation
maturity.
Conversion (C)
is a miracle of the moment,
but becoming like Jesus Christ is a lifetime
experience. When we come to God, the born-again
experience places us in the body of Christ as
newborn babies.
III. The Principle of
At first, we desire the sincere milk of the Word to
Separation
(C) but we grow and
begin
our growing experience,
begin to eat the stronger meat of the Word. We
initially make drastic changes in our behavior as
we realize that our actions displease God. That is
the result of repentance—turning about-face and
going in the opposite direction. However, the
cleansing and growing process is part of maturing
in Christ over a period of time.
III. The Principle of
Some may ask why it is necessary to live a
Separation
(C) found in the Scriptures
separated
life. One analogy
compares God’s people to a chaste woman. The
Book of Hosea illustrates this principle in the lives
of Hosea and Gomer. Gomer was an unfaithful
wife who brought shame to her husband while at
the same time Hosea continued to love her and
plead with her to be faithful.
III. The Principle of
God chose Israel to be His people, but they had a
Separation
(C)unfaithfulness. God
rocky
history of occasional
was trying to get Israel to be a chaste people and
forsake idolatry.
III. The Principle of
Consequently, the Lord turned to the Gentiles to
Separation
(C)spend eternity with
call
out a bride who would
Him in heaven. The Bible compares the church
with a bride who has made herself ready for her
bridegroom and has kept herself pure and ready
for her heavenly Bridegroom. Jesus is coming to
receive a bride without spot, wrinkle, or blemish.
III. The Principle of
Believers are in the process of cleansing
Separation
(C)of the flesh and spirit
themselves
of all filthiness
by separating themselves from sin and
worldliness. No man wants to marry a soiled
woman who has allowed her virginity to be
exploited. Neither does any husband want his wife
to be unfaithful to him. Therefore, as the espoused
bride of Christ, we keep ourselves true to our
heavenly Bridegroom, who is soon to return to
take us to be with Him forever.
III. The Principle of
Since everyone must work out his own salvation
Separation
(C)
with
fear and trembling,
the responsibility of
personal cleansing lies primarily on each
individual. (See Philippians 2:12.) Even though
we are our brother’s keeper and are a part of the
body of Christ, we will answer to God for our own
lives.
III. The Principle of
Several things assist us in our cleansing from the
Separation
(C)at church services,
world.
Regular attendance
where we worship with other believers and hear
the preaching of the Word, is essential. Private
devotions are also part of the process that enables
believers to remain unspotted from the world.
III. The Principle of
Knowledge of the Scriptures is essential to know
Separation
what
the Lord requires(C)
of us and what displeases
Him. Finally, walking in the Spirit and meditating
on righteous things instead of earthly things help
to keep our focus straight.
Perfecting
Holiness
IV. Perfecting Holiness
“Therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on unto perfection; not laying
again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and
of faith toward God” (Hebrews
6:1).
Perfecting
holiness is anHoliness
ongoing process and not
IV.
Perfecting
a definitive, earthly destination. Holiness involves
both the inward person and his outward
appearance. However, it is possible to look holy in
appearance and have a bad spirit, which brings a
reproach on the Lord instead of a good testimony.
Still, that in no way excuses us from being godly
in behavior, dress, and appearance.
In our
flesh dwells no good
thing, and carnal
IV.
Perfecting
Holiness
living directly opposes holiness. (See Romans
7:18.) Holiness begins with a life that is dedicated
to the Lord in which a person lives and walks
according to the Holy Spirit that dwells within
him, and it also radiates to the outward and affects
how he dresses and conducts himself.
As Christians,
we should
strive to be inwardly
IV.
Perfecting
Holiness
pure so we do not grieve the Holy Spirit. The
Scriptures command us to be honest in our
lifestyles, which speak volumes about the
condition of our hearts. The music we listen to and
the places we frequent reveal to the world that we
mind heavenly things. God is indeed holy and
heaven is a holy place. If we intend to live
eternally in heaven with the Lord, we should live
holy in this life now.
Reflections
Mankind’s history reveals his struggle to live godly
in his surroundings. When mankind fell in Eden, sin
entered the human race and the culture war between
good and evil began. After the Flood, the
descendants of Noah fell into the same patterns that
preceded the great deluge. Rebellion and idolatry
was rampant.
Reflections
God saw a man named Abram and called him out of
Babylon to be the father of a chosen people. He was
not to remain living in that cesspool of iniquity but
to be the beginning of what would become the
people of Israel.
Reflections
God established a covenant with the Israelites that
they would be His people, and they were to keep
themselves pure and holy. They were to worship
Jehovah only and not to intermarry with the nations
around them. He then gave them the law on Sinai
and specific ordinances of how to live as a holy,
separated people and as a light to the rest of the
world.
Reflections
At Calvary, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law, and the
dispensation of grace began on the Day of
Pentecost. Where the law did not provide the inner
power to live holy, the new-birth experience
transforms us and we become new creations in
Christ. While we live in this world, we are not of
the world. We may still have to contend with our
carnal natures, but God has given us His Spirit to
provide overcoming power to live holy in an unholy
world.
Reflections
We cannot live worldly and maintain a walk with
God, for God and the world are at enmity with each
other and we cannot serve both. As the light of the
world and the salt of the earth, we remain in this
world to be witnesses and light to those around us.
At the same time, we are in the process of
perfecting holiness and growing into spiritual
maturity by abstaining from worldly living.