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Matt 7:23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
I. Who Practiced Lawlessness?
- In the context, it was the Pharisees.
- Many believe in Christ, come to church, attend and serve for years but have never professed Him as Lord or profess Him to be one of the many Gods; those who are following Jesus and serving Him out of tradition and not out of a personal relationship with Him. Then there are those who find it difficult to let go of their old habits, ways of thinking and traditions even after professing Christ to be Lord and Savior.
- Can we be Christians and practice lawlessness? Some clues in kingdom scriptures. Matt 5: 17ff.
In the kingdom, lawlessness is of the heart rather than of outward actions or even words. Matt 5: 17; Heb 8: 10; Mark 12:29. What really matters is “how do we keep ourselves from a lawless heart?”
III. How Do We Keep Ourselves From A Lawless Heart?
III. How Do We Keep Ourselves From A Lawless Heart?
John 15: 5. When we truly abide in the vine (Jesus) and allow Him to abide in us...meaning when the lawgiver Himself lives in us, it is impossible to be lawless! However, sometimes the heart is way to hardened. 1 Tim 4:4. How do we know that we are abiding in Him? Jesus says that it is through the fruit that we produce. What is the fruit? It is the fruit of the spirit.
IV. WALKING IN THE SPIRIT (Gal 5:16-25)
The most primary way of walking in the spirit is walking in reliance of the Holy Spirit which is to be dominated and controlled by the Holy Spirit! We practice lawlessness when we fail to give room to the Holy Spirit to move in our lives.
Sometimes we are even well meaning and try to put to death the deeds of our flesh (lawlessness). We try to “self prune”. The key to fruitfulness is not trying to get rid of the darkness; it is by allowing the Holy Spirit to work! Rom 8: 13
We then produce the fruit of the Spirit which is really Christ-likeness. One day when we stand face to face with Him we shall be like Him. 1 John 3: 2; Rom 8:29.
AS WE WALK IN THE SPIRIT, THE LAWGIVER IN US KEEPS US FROM A LAWLESS HEART.
IV. WALKING IN THE SPIRIT (Gal 5:16-25)
The most primary way of walking in the spirit is walking in reliance of the Holy Spirit which is to be dominated and controlled by the Holy Spirit! We practice lawlessness when we fail to give room to the Holy Spirit to move in our lives.
Sometimes we are even well meaning and try to put to death the deeds of our flesh (lawlessness). We try to “self prune”. The key to fruitfulness is not trying to get rid of the darkness; it is by allowing the Holy Spirit to work! Rom 8: 13
We then produce the fruit of the Spirit which is really Christ-likeness. One day when we stand face to face with Him we shall be like Him. 1 John 3: 2; Rom 8:29.
AS WE WALK IN THE SPIRIT, THE LAWGIVER IN US KEEPS US FROM A LAWLESS HEART.
John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
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