Download... August 22, 2010. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
God gives us a supernatural witness of a relationship with Him, and not merely of a human source. We can not easily forget “that day”, for we truly know what happened when it changed us.!
TEXT: II CORINTHIANS 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
All things become new! We are not a christian merely because we grew up in a “christian family.”
Based on an actual spiritual transaction of a heavenly birth,.. we truly do become a new creature! It is not something that occurs over a period of time because of an instruction, or training. Those things cannot make us a christian, neither can many diligent good works or deeds. To be a christian, means to be “Christ-like,” and not merely belonging to any official or unofficial religious “organization” or group. If one is truly a christian, Christ will be our overwhelming desire, and our true source of knowledge. Only then will Christ be uniquely divine in our highest and utmost devotion. Christianity will not be considered an “umbrella” that claims to be kind, generous, and etc. It will truly mean that we allow His spirit to be in control.
There are many religions that may have many admirable teachings. Yet to be a christian means I cannot be of any of those, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. or of any “respected” teachings that do not keep Christ as central to all. If I say I am a christian, everything in my life will center around Him. Others need to know and be able to observe some of the evidences of Christ in my life. I need to know that Christ’s gifts are working in my life. Those that have expressed by their relationship with Christ, also express by their actions,.. that fact.
In an illustrated example (like an object lesson), when one is subjected to anesthesia before surgery, the “medical assistants,” may have you count backwards until you have “gone under.” The next thing you know, you are waking up in the recovery room, and slowly become aware of your surroundings. This is a good illustrated example of how a christian came become “lulled into a fog, unaware of their “distance,”... from the evidence of a zealous salvation.
You can not be a christian merely because you want to go to heaven and not hell. It will be an experience based on more than a “recited prayer.” Based only on good intentions and “prescribed” actions is not how it works! Those things can make you a member of an organization, but will not alone bring actual evidence of a true benevolent and spiritual change. There Will be a “difference”,... as night is from day! Without these evidences there will be an ignorance of any real change that might have taken place. Anyone can say, “I am saved.” But it truly only is real if you have a visible evidence of “Christ-like” attributes. God desires us to have that complete clarity. A clearness of awareness.. that a spiritual transformation has taken place. If you are left to “wonder,” you should then desire to seek that clarity.
When you truly love someone, there will an obvious commitment, that cannot be broken. In a human love relationship, when of expressed true love, it will not be based on a mere physical attraction of “sparks” within your humanity. It will be of deep (without fluctuating) emotions and resolve.
The evidence of real salvation, spiritually, will be more than a “brotherly love.” It will be truly, of a sacrificial love and commitment that cannot be broken. Otherwise you will allow a break where there should not be a break. That real evidence will be the same kind of love a person will show their companion, child, or parent, ...that is unconditional. It is of an ordinary love, and not extraordinary,.. because God has provided it for all that will be committed to it. The evidence of salvation will present itself! If I fully endeavor to serve God, I should rightfully expect the manifestations of that. If it becomes broken though, mercifully that experience can be restored. God is in the repair business!
If we have evidences of a broken love with a person, it can be hard to claim to have evidences of love with God. There will be sometimes though, that are complex situations which might make it hard to maintain a relationship in the flesh. There will always be human exceptions with others that are human like us,... but this will never be “the rule.” Yet God can help us to manifest unconditional evidences of our relationship with Him.
Genesis 29: 18-20, 23-28 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
Verse 18 Seven years were promised from Jacob in waiting for Rachael, ..his love was was so great for her. Verse 28 Jacob’s further patience for another seven years,.. were his evidences of a true committed love.
Psalms 32:1-5, 7,11 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
If you turn from sin, and desire to have that commitment, your spiritual relationship can be restored. If we have problems showing the evidence to those we see and claim to love,..how can we have that evidence of love with God, whom we have not seen? (I John 4:20,21 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.)
I John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. An evidence of our Godly love... is having His loving spirit.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: If we do have the evidences of God’s spirit, our spirit will be in agreement with His spirit. When we are saved, ....“old things have passed away,” (again the text scripture.) If we have the evidences of God’s spirit, you would rather die than to fail to serve God. If we claim and truly have that love, there will be the inward evidences of that claim. It will truly mean something to us.
Bro Goble testified of in his past before his salvation, that he saw many that “claimed” to be saved, but their life was anything but godly. To him it was disgusting. When he finally came to the altar for salvation, he truly determined he would rather die than not have the true evidence of God in his life. If a smoker, drunkard, etc. is one who now wants to truly serve God, they will know the need to expect a full deliverance and forsaking of those things,..as an evidence of their salvation.
Galatians 5:22, 23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. These wonderful described proofs of a transformed life spiritually, does not mean that the evidences of our human shortcomings will cease. We will however be free from these scripturally described dark attributes spoken of here ... Galatians 5: 20-21 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. It does not say here, that I will not ever be “grumpy,” (though not a good thing), yet here that would still not define the absence of the scriptural fruits mentioned in verses 22 and 23. Many have suffered with a limitations of their human actions, without a loss of God’s spiritual presence of His fruit. These manifested weaknesses of their fleshly limitations of course are not to be desired, but yet still it is not a reason for that one to be condemned as if there was a loss of their salvation. If one does not care about their weak limitations being manifested, then that would potentially be sin.
Bro Goble used as an example his marriage vows with Sis Helene. It was an commitment to a loving partnership, not to be broken. It did not take away the reality of a potential intemperance or grumpiness, but it did and must cause a humble ability to be sorry, and a tenderness.. to cultivate a healthy relationship. God is in the business of building healthy relationships!
II Corinthians 4:1-4 1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The gods of this world, (of the flesh).. blinds ones spiritual vision. When souls serve gods (of the fleshly attractions) they are servants of their own self (me, myself, and I). They “praise” their “fleshliness,” which is the evidence of one that is does not have God’s salvation. Salvation requires a “brokenness.” Too many people do not understand brokenness. True brokenness requires a manifested evidence. Merely claiming or saying it,.. is not evidence. In brokenness,“my way” no longer matters. Still though, our humanity can manifest itself,.. without breaking the evidence of salvation. If we are stuck on our way, we are not broken with the evidence of the unconditional love.. that only God can give. It is again important to remember that all (saints included) are still human and that God’s ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. I must sacrifice my thoughts and desires...for God’s benevolent control.
Do you have the evidences of salvation? God is in the business of providing us with those evidences!
