The Basic Principles of the World

INTRO: As we face the future and striving for the KOG we all desire to grow spiritually, to mature (to go on to perfection).  We want to be in the resurrection and the family of God forever. That is our daily goal.

BENEFIT STATEMENT: FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: WHERE DOES OUR MIND LIVE?  Our thoughts, motives, attitudes and actions that spring from them. What fundamental approach can we use to overcome!

SPS: We must FIRST grasp and USE the Weapons God grants His People to resist the BASIC Principles Of the WORLD

BODY: Going back into the world and; not be OF it, we must recognize and resist what is not of God

1. The World’s Principles: Self-defined priorities we use to replace GOD’S LIFE Design.

Colossians 2:6-10 (NKJV) 6  As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8  Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Humans are not Designed, Created, Enabled to originate Righteousness. Only God is Good.

Matthew 19:16-17 (NKJV) 16  Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

Philippians 3:7-16 (NKJV) 7  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9  and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16  Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

Sin is not first against the Sinai Law, but primarily against God, BY rejecting God’s Superiority

((((Acts 11:18 (NKJV) 18  When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

((((Acts 26:20-23 (NKJV) 20  but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21  For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22  Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come-- 23  that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

God resists the Proud:  James 4:6 (NKJV) 6  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."  (quoting Prov 3.34)

Look at what pride does on the human level

1. It is a fixation with the self.
2. The opposite of humility – recognize our worth compared to God.
3. the sin of pride manifests itself in selfish motives,
4. an exaggerated ego, a low opinion of others,
5. and lack of respect for God.
6. It can lead to other sins against God. For example: robbing God of the glory He is due, and it can and does distort your perception of reality.

Many in history believed that with physical obedience, they were in good stead with their God. Right?

The LAW is written primarily as a Guide for civilization within God’s Creation AND a Prophecy. Clearly there is MORE to the subject of obedience to God’s Way than mere physical “good”.

Matthew 5:17-18 (NKJV) 17  "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Exodus 20:1-17 (NKJV) 1  And God spoke all these words, saying: 2  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3  You shall have no other gods before Me. 4  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5  you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6  but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7  "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 8  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10  but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 12  "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 13  "You shall not murder. 14  "You shall not commit adultery. 15  "You shall not steal. 16  "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17  "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

1. The Principles of the World are from the father of lies and murderer from the beginning.

John 8:42-47 (NKJV) 42  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. 43  Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46  Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

NET Ephesians 2:1-3  ¶ And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  2 in which you formerly lived according to this world's present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing [Gr. energeo] the sons of disobedience,  3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…

Satan is the power behind the spirit of the world—the source of negative spiritual energy. He motivates by lust, vanity and fear.

NET 1 John 2:15 ¶ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.

“In this case, the material security of one's life and possessions produces a boastful overconfidence. This understanding better fits the context here: The focus is on people who operate purely on a human level and have no spiritual dimension to their existence. This is the person who loves the world, whose affections are all centered on the world, who has no love for God or spiritual things ("the love of the Father is not in him," 2:15)” (NET notes).

• Satan tempts – God test us.  Satan tries to solicit us to sin or to do evil.  He wants to tear us down and destroy us.  God will test our metal to see what we are made of.  God wants to help us to grow, to change and become like Him.
• A temptation is not a sin.  (Christ was tempted in all points as we are – yet He never sinned)  We are tempted by Satan and by our own lusts or desires.

• The greatest difficulty that we have is spiritual lethargy and apathy. 
• We compromise with our relationship with God.  To have a proper relationship with must stay close to God.  We live at such a fast pace that something has to give – generally it is heartfelt prayer and diligent Bible Study.
• (Heb. 3:12-13).  One area where Satan has been able to gain a foothold is through the influence of the society around us.  Could it be that we are not as sensitive to sin and what is wrong, as we have been in the past?
  • Sin can harden us – it is a deceiver.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV) 3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

• CASTING DOWN ARGUMENTS – Any thought or reasoning that exalts itself against the knowledge of God or goes contrary to the knowledge of God.
• CASTING DOWN EVERY HIGH THING – Systems of thought that keep us from the knowledge of God.
• Examples in society today:
• Evolution – The philosophy that to so called thinking people God is only for the mentally weak, the uninformed, the unthinking, and the unscientific.  Our young people run into this in school.
• Humanistic approach – called in the Bible the Pride of life.  We can solve our own problems – we can work it out. 
• The whole political system is based on this.  All we need is more research and more money and we can solve man’s problems.  The way to solve man’s problems is to acknowledge we don’t have the answers and only God does.
• Our battle is against demonically sourced worldviews, mindsets, arguments, intellectual and emotional walls of defense that keep us from the knowledge of God and the truth.
• What are some of the thoughts or reasons that we as Christians wrestle with? – that sometimes have a grip on us?
  1. Hodge-podge of religious ideas – it is Babylon.
  2. It shows up in our minds and hearts as unresolved guilt.  That no matter how many times we confess our sin, there is no release.  We still feel guilty.  Why?  Because we feel that we are so bad that God can’t possibly forgive me.
  3. We think how could God really love me.  I am unlovable.  If people really knew me, they would know how bad I am.
  4. I am not sure I’m good enough for God to accept me.  This is called God’s grace.  No one is good on his own.  When we repent, God forgives.
  5. I haven’t done enough to please God – there is so much more that I should do.
  6. If you knew who I really am, you wouldn’t love me.  Since God knows what really goes on inside my heart, how could He love me?

1. During the Life granted AFTER repentance and baptism, we grow as a fetus grows in new life.

1 Peter 1:22-23 (NKJV) 22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,    

Colossians 3:1-17 (NKJV) 1  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5  Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7  in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8  But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11  where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Philippians 4:4-9 (NKJV) 4  Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5  Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Ephesians 4:1-7 (NKJV) 1  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6  one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

                       2 Cor. 10:4  OUR WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY.

• 4 “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
  • V. 14 – Christ in us.  He is our strength – Gal. 2:20
  • Rom.5:10 – We are saved by His life.  He must live in us.

Heb.4:12-13.  The Bible (truth) is given to us to fight with.  It is an offensive weapon.

• Heb.11:6 – Without faith
• Above all use the power of God
  1. 2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV) 2  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3  as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4  by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.. Can escape the depravity in the world.

1. ((((1 Jn.4:4 – God is greater
2. 1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) 14  Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. –

Ask for help.

1. We will not pull down strongholds unless we stay close to God.
2. Human reason may say we don’t have to pray as much, or study as much.

Submit to God.

James 4:6-10 (NKJV) 6  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 7  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9  Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

1. The word “submit” is a military term. It has the literal meaning “to rank under”. Since this verb is in the passive voice, it suggests that our submission here is not forced, but voluntary. The command here is to willingly and joyfully submit to God.
2. The word “resists” or “is opposed to” are also military terms. They describe a full army ready for battle. James indicates that God is in full battle array against the proud; they are already in His scope and His aim is perfect.
3. V. 8 – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!
4. Here is the key for spiritual growth – we must be close to God.
5. HOW DO YOU DRAW NEAR TO GOD!

James 4:7 – Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

• HOW DO YOU RESIST THE DEVIL?  What do you have to do?
• Resist (39:18)   1 Peter 5:8-11 (NKJV) 8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• Withstand or to resist in the evil day – Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV) 13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand..
  1. to resist by actively opposing pressure or power—‘to resist.’

Let’s take a look at these two approaches and discuss HOW DO WE RESIST THE DEVIL AND HOW DO WE DRAW NEAR TO GOD.

• To submit to God as your new Master is to resist your former master, the devil. So these first two commands work in tandem. Submit to God, resist the devil. It’s like one fluid motion.
•  To resist literally means “to stand against”. It has the same basic force as to what God does with the proud – He resists them, He opposes them. Now God is saying through James, you do the same with the devil and his temptations.
• For believers, this is a matter of spiritual life and death! Resisting the devil is not a trivial matter. This has to do with your private thought life and your personal morality in light of your obedience to God’s Word.
• How did JC resist the devil?
  1. He was close to God – prayer and bible study
  2. He quoted scriptures as an example to show us how to use the scriptures.
  3. Do we remember scripture principles and verses when a temptation or trial comes around?  Do we remind ourselves of God’s promises and the values and standards that God sets.
     1. Memorize scriptures
     2. Like having ammunition to fight the lion that stalks you.
  4. We all have some problem – could be a deep problem we are working on.
  5. This is where Satan will attack us – at our weak point.
  6. (((((1 Pet.5:8-9 – A lion will go after the weak.
     1. Resist in the faith – (to believe the scriptures, God’s direction and to associate with those who do believe).
• We can never defeat the tempter if we:
  1. If we are loners – An animal cut off from the herd has no chance.  There is strength in the herd – in the body of Christ.
  2. If we give in a little!  Easy to think we have not sinned if we don’t go all the way with some sin or temptation.
  3. We must listen to our leader – Jesus Christ.  We follow our Head who tells us how to live.
• The way to conquer a temptation is attack the cause – not just the effect!  Or results or penalty of the sin or temptation.

Drawing near to God is not a statement about your proximity to God – as if God were physically distant and you should move closer.

1. This is a statement about the orientation of your heart and your mind. Saturate your thoughts with God’s Word. Do what God says in His Word.
2. Think about God and meditate on His word.  Think about what you have read.
3. Where does you mind live?  We need to guard our mind.
4. We are all influenced BY the internet, images, temptations, the culture and society around us.
5. Take time throughout your day to pray to God.

Colossians 3:17 (NKJV) 17  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) 23  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,  

1. Obviously we all have jobs, drive cars, and have to concentrate on what we are doing.
2. Be instant in prayer.
3. Start the day off with drawing near to God.

Purify our hearts you DOUBLE MINDED.

1. DOUBLE MINDED: in a general sense as an unstable person (James 4:8). Such a person suffers from divided loyalties. On the one hand, he wishes to maintain a religious confession and desires the presence of God in his life; on the other hand, he loves the ways of the world and prefers to live according to its mores and ethics.[2]

CONCLUSION:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV) 3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

– Bring every thought into obedience

• The World’s Principles: Self-defined priorities we use to replace GOD’S LIFE Design
• The Principles of the World are from the father of lies and murderer from the beginning
• During the Life granted AFTER repentance and baptism, we grow as a fetus grows in new life.

CLOSE: God will do His part.

The Great God is on our side.  He has given us everything we need to storm the castles of pride and lust and to flatten them.

God did not create you or me to fail.  He has given us the tools  and power we need to be in the KOG.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV) 5  Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6  So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" –

CHOOSE God’s Priorities …and deny Satan’s Counterfeit “Most Important” worries of life …Choose God’s LIFE