How Confident Are We That We Are Serving In God's Will?
Text:
Rom 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. [Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth].
Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: [for whatsoever is not of faith is sin].
We should ask ourselves if God is pleased with His Church of today?
After all, we spend much more of our time whining and griping and comparing ourselves with other Christians, or other churches or even comparing our pastors with other pastors than we do serving and in worship to Our Lord.
This thing is contagious!
We look at how other churches do things and how they worship instead of "how does God want our own local church where God has placed us to worship".
There may be changes from time to time to keep our worship relevant and fresh but constant dissatisfaction is a symptom of something deeper and something sinful.
Unless we dedicate ourselves to our own church under the guidelines of the Bible "we will never know how each church or each house of prayer fits into God's Plan"!
Decisions can never be made unless we do it in a prayerful and a biblical manner, without compromising the TRUTH of God's Word!
Remember God's Word is settled in Heaven, it's not up to us to change what God says!
Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
We should begin with the best translation of the scriptures for our own language. The Old Testament scriptures were in Hebrew and the New Testament scriptures were in Greek. I speak English so I need to find the best English translation of those original scriptures. I personally believe that to be the KJV.
We all need to research to be sure we have the best translation in our own language!
So, let's look into God's guidelines:
First let's clear that word "damned" up in our text. A "Born Again" child of God cannot be "damned" to "eternal damnation", but we can still suffer "condemnation" and "judgment" for the things we do that do not line up with the Word of God.
Both God and each believer should "condemn" ungodly acts that are done by the doubtful believer!
An We Need To Realize That Things that are done against our own conscience are sin "even if some other believer has a clear conscience of the matter".
When your conscience tells you that what you are doing is wrong for you then it is worng and it is sin if you go against your own conscience!
All things are, indeed, legal for a true Christian but the main criteria that must be met is "Does it please the Lord"?
Some of these things should include the way we worship, the music we listen too and allow in our worship services, and also smoking, movies, drinking, drugs, marriage, just living together, dancing and many other such things.
The Bible teaches us that we must govern our own behavior in consideration of our other brothers and sisters in Christ!
So what are God's guidelines?
In out text verse we see a big one:
*****1.) We have to have full confidence that what we are doing is pleasing Our Lord!
Our "faith" must be unquestionable!
So what else do we need to know?
*****2.) Does what I am about to do have a positive Christian value, without question or doubt, pleasing to the Lord?
Proof scripture:
1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, [but all things edify not].
1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, [but every man another's wealth].
Does what we are about to do "edify" or "build up" other persons, or are we just thinking about ourselves?
Proof scripture:
Col 4:5 [Walk in wisdom toward them that are without], redeeming the time.
How does what I am doing or about to do look to those that are lost. Our goal is to reach out to the lost so we need redeem the time. Time is our most valuable possession and lost time can never be regained.
Our Christian lives are always shorter than our physical lives. We just do not have much time to reach out to those of this lost world and every time we damage our ability to witness we are not redeeming that time.
If what we are doing puts more distance between us and any lost person, then we should not do it!
*****3.) Is what I am about to do consistent with my Christian life?
Proof scripture:
2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, [that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves], but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
It must be our love for Jesus Christ that is to be our guide in all our actions!
Jesus must be at the beginning of every decision we make!
Proof scripture:
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, [seek those things which are above], where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 [Set your affection on things above], not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, [who is our life], shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Will what I am about to do gain a reward from the Lord?
Proof Scripture:
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth "entangleth himself with the affairs of this life"; [that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier].
We should ask ourselves, "if I get entangled in this" how does it affect my battle within my own self to remain pure and will I still be able to be on the front lines in God's Army?
*****4.) Can I absolutely sense the positive leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit?
Proof Scripture:
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: [therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's].
Do my actions glorify God or myself?
Proof Scripture:
Gal 5:16 This I say then, [Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh].
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: [so that ye cannot do the things that ye would].
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
If what you are about to do is something that you use to do before you were saved, then you must be sure that it is the Holy Spirit that is your guide!
In fact we must always be sure the Holy Spirit is our guide in all our actions!
2Co 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,
To be a Christian is to leave behind that old life!
We must walk away from that old life or we have not understood what it is to "repent"!
To repent is to have a complete change of mind!
*****5.) Will what I am about to do diminish my Christian influence?
Proof Scripture:
Rom 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: [but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean].
We must realize, that as Christians the world is always looking at us to see if a Christian is truly different from the world!
Proof Scripture:
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing [whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak].
We must also realize that there is always some one in the church that has their eyes on us and it is most likely a young child or a member of our own family but could be a new convert or any brother or sister in Christ!
Proof Scripture:
1Co 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
1Co 8:9 [But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak].
1Co 8:10 [For if any man see thee] which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
1Co 8:11 [And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish], for whom Christ died?
Jesus Christ died for every sinner that has ever been born and if our actions cause just one them to remain lost and they end up in hell, we can be sure we will suffer some loss at the Bema Seat of Christ!
Proof Scripture:
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
We must absolutely abstain from anything that has any appearance of evil!
*****6.) Could what I am about to do pose a danger that I could become addicted to it?
This could be a long list for most of us!
Proof Scripture:
1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, [but I will not be brought under the power of any].
If we do anything that comes between us and our Lord it is sin!
Any substance or Anything that can control our mind or our actions fit this description!
Proof Scripture:
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
This verse does not say it OK to drink wine but it does say that the Holy Spirit is the "ONLY" mind altering influence that we should partake of.
Proof Scripture:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Our greatest enemy is our own selves!
Our mind will make up a million reasons to tell us what we are about to do is OK!
*****7.) A question we should always ask is, Would Jesus Do This ?
To be saved is to have the "mind of Christ"!
Proof Scripture:
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, [leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps]:
1Pe 2:22 [Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth]:
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
With Jesus as our example then we need to learn how Jesus walked and be more like Him!
*****8.) If I am confident that my actions will glorify God then I should proceed.
Proof Scripture:
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, [do all to the glory of God].
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, [do it heartily, as to the Lord], and not unto men;
Col 3:24 [Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance]: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
So let's go back to an earlier verse and have a clearer understanding of what it says:
1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, [but all things are not expedient]: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Carnal desires are the "root" and the "source" of sin!
And our "goal" MUST be to Glorify God in everything we do!
Amen
Text:
Rom 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. [Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth].
Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: [for whatsoever is not of faith is sin].
We should ask ourselves if God is pleased with His Church of today?
After all, we spend much more of our time whining and griping and comparing ourselves with other Christians, or other churches or even comparing our pastors with other pastors than we do serving and in worship to Our Lord.
This thing is contagious!
We look at how other churches do things and how they worship instead of "how does God want our own local church where God has placed us to worship".
There may be changes from time to time to keep our worship relevant and fresh but constant dissatisfaction is a symptom of something deeper and something sinful.
Unless we dedicate ourselves to our own church under the guidelines of the Bible "we will never know how each church or each house of prayer fits into God's Plan"!
Decisions can never be made unless we do it in a prayerful and a biblical manner, without compromising the TRUTH of God's Word!
Remember God's Word is settled in Heaven, it's not up to us to change what God says!
Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
We should begin with the best translation of the scriptures for our own language. The Old Testament scriptures were in Hebrew and the New Testament scriptures were in Greek. I speak English so I need to find the best English translation of those original scriptures. I personally believe that to be the KJV.
We all need to research to be sure we have the best translation in our own language!
So, let's look into God's guidelines:
First let's clear that word "damned" up in our text. A "Born Again" child of God cannot be "damned" to "eternal damnation", but we can still suffer "condemnation" and "judgment" for the things we do that do not line up with the Word of God.
Both God and each believer should "condemn" ungodly acts that are done by the doubtful believer!
An We Need To Realize That Things that are done against our own conscience are sin "even if some other believer has a clear conscience of the matter".
When your conscience tells you that what you are doing is wrong for you then it is worng and it is sin if you go against your own conscience!
All things are, indeed, legal for a true Christian but the main criteria that must be met is "Does it please the Lord"?
Some of these things should include the way we worship, the music we listen too and allow in our worship services, and also smoking, movies, drinking, drugs, marriage, just living together, dancing and many other such things.
The Bible teaches us that we must govern our own behavior in consideration of our other brothers and sisters in Christ!
So what are God's guidelines?
In out text verse we see a big one:
*****1.) We have to have full confidence that what we are doing is pleasing Our Lord!
Our "faith" must be unquestionable!
So what else do we need to know?
*****2.) Does what I am about to do have a positive Christian value, without question or doubt, pleasing to the Lord?
Proof scripture:
1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, [but all things edify not].
1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, [but every man another's wealth].
Does what we are about to do "edify" or "build up" other persons, or are we just thinking about ourselves?
Proof scripture:
Col 4:5 [Walk in wisdom toward them that are without], redeeming the time.
How does what I am doing or about to do look to those that are lost. Our goal is to reach out to the lost so we need redeem the time. Time is our most valuable possession and lost time can never be regained.
Our Christian lives are always shorter than our physical lives. We just do not have much time to reach out to those of this lost world and every time we damage our ability to witness we are not redeeming that time.
If what we are doing puts more distance between us and any lost person, then we should not do it!
*****3.) Is what I am about to do consistent with my Christian life?
Proof scripture:
2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, [that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves], but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
It must be our love for Jesus Christ that is to be our guide in all our actions!
Jesus must be at the beginning of every decision we make!
Proof scripture:
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, [seek those things which are above], where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 [Set your affection on things above], not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, [who is our life], shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Will what I am about to do gain a reward from the Lord?
Proof Scripture:
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth "entangleth himself with the affairs of this life"; [that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier].
We should ask ourselves, "if I get entangled in this" how does it affect my battle within my own self to remain pure and will I still be able to be on the front lines in God's Army?
*****4.) Can I absolutely sense the positive leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit?
Proof Scripture:
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: [therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's].
Do my actions glorify God or myself?
Proof Scripture:
Gal 5:16 This I say then, [Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh].
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: [so that ye cannot do the things that ye would].
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
If what you are about to do is something that you use to do before you were saved, then you must be sure that it is the Holy Spirit that is your guide!
In fact we must always be sure the Holy Spirit is our guide in all our actions!
2Co 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,
To be a Christian is to leave behind that old life!
We must walk away from that old life or we have not understood what it is to "repent"!
To repent is to have a complete change of mind!
*****5.) Will what I am about to do diminish my Christian influence?
Proof Scripture:
Rom 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: [but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean].
We must realize, that as Christians the world is always looking at us to see if a Christian is truly different from the world!
Proof Scripture:
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing [whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak].
We must also realize that there is always some one in the church that has their eyes on us and it is most likely a young child or a member of our own family but could be a new convert or any brother or sister in Christ!
Proof Scripture:
1Co 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
1Co 8:9 [But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak].
1Co 8:10 [For if any man see thee] which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
1Co 8:11 [And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish], for whom Christ died?
Jesus Christ died for every sinner that has ever been born and if our actions cause just one them to remain lost and they end up in hell, we can be sure we will suffer some loss at the Bema Seat of Christ!
Proof Scripture:
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
We must absolutely abstain from anything that has any appearance of evil!
*****6.) Could what I am about to do pose a danger that I could become addicted to it?
This could be a long list for most of us!
Proof Scripture:
1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, [but I will not be brought under the power of any].
If we do anything that comes between us and our Lord it is sin!
Any substance or Anything that can control our mind or our actions fit this description!
Proof Scripture:
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
This verse does not say it OK to drink wine but it does say that the Holy Spirit is the "ONLY" mind altering influence that we should partake of.
Proof Scripture:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Our greatest enemy is our own selves!
Our mind will make up a million reasons to tell us what we are about to do is OK!
*****7.) A question we should always ask is, Would Jesus Do This ?
To be saved is to have the "mind of Christ"!
Proof Scripture:
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, [leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps]:
1Pe 2:22 [Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth]:
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
With Jesus as our example then we need to learn how Jesus walked and be more like Him!
*****8.) If I am confident that my actions will glorify God then I should proceed.
Proof Scripture:
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, [do all to the glory of God].
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, [do it heartily, as to the Lord], and not unto men;
Col 3:24 [Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance]: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
So let's go back to an earlier verse and have a clearer understanding of what it says:
1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, [but all things are not expedient]: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Carnal desires are the "root" and the "source" of sin!
And our "goal" MUST be to Glorify God in everything we do!
Amen
