A visiting gentleman approached me at church a few Sunday's ago and asked me, "Is God everywhere?" I briefly explained to him that yes, Gods Spirit is everywhere in the world 24 hours a day, but He isn't abiding within every person. He only resides with His special people who have obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live a life honoring Him, 24 hours a day. The gentleman scratched his head in disbelief walking away wondering how such a loving God would reject some and not others.
This is a common misunderstanding of Gods nature, that He will just accept everyone no matter what lifestyle they live. He desires that everyone be saved but, He is a "Just & Holy God" with conditions we must meet to be His. This lesson will help bear these truths out.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."
I. Self-improvement books abound. People constantly look for means wherein they can make themselves better.
A. “Better” in most people’s books
means - Happiness.
B. Ingrid Law captured the idea when she
wrote, “You can’t get rid of a part that makes you you and be happy.”
C. But compare this to what Christ said -
Matthew 16:24-27
1. To gain heaven, you
have to deny yourself.
2. You can gain the whole
world and it isn’t as valuable as your own soul.
D. Daniel W. Blair said, “Man in his
spiritual pride has exchanged God’s method of self-denial for Satan’s plan of
self–improvement.”
II. Self
denial is not deciding to give up something
A. Catholics practice self-denial each
spring in giving up something they like for lent.
B. Priest give up marriage - Despite
Paul’s statement- 1 Timothy 4:1-3
C. Monks give up contact with the world,
though Jesus says - John 17:15
D. Each is a denial of something from
self, but each is a self-imposed denial - Colossians 2:20-23
1. A denial of religion
2. A denial of pride
3. A denial of physical
needs
4. It sounds good, but the
problem is that man makes the demands, not God.
III. God’s
grace teaches us - Titus 2:11-12
A. The same grace that brought us
salvation - 1 Timothy 2:4
B. The same grace that appears to everyone -
Luke 3:6
C. God’s grace teaches us (paideuousa)
1. It means to train,
teach, correct, or to chastise
2. It includes the hard
things in life - Hebrews 12:6-7; Revelation 3:19
3. Not a judgment, but a
developing and refining of the character.
D. It is God’s grace that teaches us to
deny ungodliness
1. Finding out what God
wants - Ephesians 5:8-10
2. Self denial is living
for God - 1 Peter 4:2
3. It is a focus on doing
the will of someone higher and greater - 2 Timothy 2:4
4. It is a denial of what I want or
desire because what God wants is more important - Romans 6:19
Leonard Bernstein, the
celebrated orchestra conductor, was asked, what is the hardest instrument to
play. He replied without hesitation: "Second fiddle. I can always get
plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as
much enthusiasm or second French horn or second flute, now that's a problem.
And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony."
5. Being a Christian is
choosing to be second fiddle to God.
E. God’s grace teaches us to deny worldly
lusts
1. The world is under
Satan’s control - 1 John 5:19
2. We are not to love this
world - 1 John 2:15-16
3. Not conformed to former
lusts - 1 Peter 1:14-15
4. Self denial is not following after the
lusts we once chased - Ephesians 2:1-3
5. God called us to be
holy - 1 Thessalonians 4:7
6. Put to death the
members on earth - Colossians 3:5-7
IV. It isn’t
just giving things up, God’s grace teaches us - Titus 2:12
A. To live soberly (sophronos) - having a
sound mind, prudent, sensible
1. This is service to
ourselves.
2. Yes, ironically, self
denial leads to serving yourself in a beneficial way.
3. For men and women -
Titus 2:1-3
4. The best thing you can
do for yourself is to keep your mind clear and reasonable
B. To live righteously (dikalos) - being
just and fair
1. This is service to
those around us, our neighbors
2. Being upright with
others - 1 Thessalonians 2:10
3. Wronging no one - 2 Corinthians 7:2
4. Being an example -
Titus 2:7-8
C. To live godly (eusebos) - It means to
fall before out of fear and respect
1. This is service to God
- Hebrews 12:28
V. So many
problems come from an inability to deny oneself
A. “God wants me to be happy!” Being the
reason for continuing sin
B. Why self-control needs to be one of the
first lessons taught - Acts 24:25
C. We have to be willing to leave all for
Christ - Matthew 19:2
Podcast of this lesson: click LINK
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