KEEPING SPOTLESS AND HOLY IN A CORRUPT WORLD

TEXT:

Phil. 2:15; Gal. 1:4; Titus 2:12; Thess. 2:10; Deu. 31:29.

MEMORY VERSE: "But as He which had called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy"


CENTRAL TRUTH

A Christian is called out into a heavenly inheritance. He must therefore live a life devoid of sin and reproach.

INTRODUCTION

Christ is coming to take to Himself a church without spot or wrinkle. Events around us are pointing to the fact that the coming of the Lord is at hand. If so, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness (2 Pet. 3:11). Many people in the world are living carelessly as though the promises of His coming would not be fulfilled (2 Pet. 3:3, 4). The Christian in the world needs to know the evil and danger of the world, be on his guard and pursue a course totally at variance with the world.

1. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CORRUPT WORLD

Gal. 1:4; John. 14:30; Matt.24:38; Eph. 4:18-19)
The world represents all the values and norms that are very antithesis of what Christ stand for. Satan is referred to in the scriptures severally as "the god of this world" ( 2 Cor. 4:4), The prince of the power of the air" ( Eph. 2:2) and "the prince of the world" ( John 14:30). The world blurs the vision of man to the perception of God (Matt. 24:38; 2 Cor. 4:4) such that the people of the world are alienated from God by living in the sinful lusts of the flesh, corruption and depravity (Eph. 4: 18, 19). The snares of the world with many tentacles are able to pull out those already in the truth, they are thorns that rake the world out of the babies in the Lord (Matt. 13:22; 2 Tim 4:10). The world is full of wickenedss and works of evil (deceit, violence, murde, envy, formication and adultery, idolatry) which are engendered by Satan and his cohorts.

2. THE CHRISTIAN: A PILGRIM IN THE WORLD


Jn. 17:14-16; Col. 3:1-3; Hen 11:10, 13, 16; 1 Pet. 2:9, 11
A Christian is called out of the world into the heavenly inheritance. He must therefore live a life devoid of sin and reproach. He must also have had the second work of grace done in his life, thereby possessing both inward and outward holiness. We must be conscious of ourselves as sojourners on earth moving towards the city whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10, 14-16). We must see ourselves as Christian pilgrims, wayfaring men on the highway of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). We must remember that we are in the world, but not of the world (John. 17:16, 16).
We should not love the world and its allurements (1 John. 2:15-17) but must have our gaze steadily fixed on things above ( Psalm 5:7; Col. 3:1-3).

3. CHRISTIAN WALK IN THE CORRUPT WORLD


2Cor. 6:14; John. 17:16; Eze. 36:25, 26; Psalm 93:5; Gen. 17:1; 1 Pet. 1:15; Rev. 21:27.

Holiness and spotless living make up the qualification for entering into the kingdom of God (Heb. 12:14). The Christian pilgrim is therefore called to walk in the steps of the master ( 1 Pet. 2:21)
The following will help the Christian pilgrim to live as a citizen of heaven while yet in this world of perverseness:
1. Separation from the world ( 2 Cor. 6:14-17; 1 John 2:15-17).
2. Light to the dark world (Matt.5:16)
3. Prayerfulness (Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17)
4. Watchfulness (Matt. 12:42; 1 Pet. 5:8)
5. Steadfastness in doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16)
6. Christ-likeness (Col. 2:6; Phil. 2:5-8, 15)
7. Daily self examination (2 Cor. 13:5)
8. Setting a watch over your tongue (Psalm 141:3)

"Wherefore beloved, seeing ye look for such things, be ye diligent that ye be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless" (2 Pet. 3:14)

QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ANSWER


1. Why is the world a "Corrupt World"?
2. What are some characteristics of this present world?
3. A Christian is a pilgrim in the world, why?
4. How should the believer live in a perverse world?

I don't know whether you are still living in the world as if you are of the world...

I don't know whether you know that you are a pilgrim in this sin Sick world....But my earnest prayer is that God should continually draw you to Himself and make you to always remember that you are a pilgrim in this sin sick world...Amen

My name is Ubong Kingsley Nsini. I am a preacher in Bible Christian Evangelical Church Inc. I am called by God to preach His good news and to help other preachers spread the good news all over the world.

Comments

Ubong Nsini said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
13 April 2016 at 01:26
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PREPARATION FOR STREET PREACHING AND VILLAGE CRUSADE.

TEXT: Mark 16: 15-20; Lk. 14:28-32; Prov. 24:27. The great commission of Christ covers every person, people and place. Since the fall of man, God has been providing ways of restoring the fallen man to Himself. The only perfect way came eventually i.e Christ “the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29). The gospel of Christ is the POWER of God unto salvation to EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH (Rom. 1:16-17). Therefore the whole gospel must be preached to the whole world. To reach the world with the gospel requires planning. Planning in the means and the method to adopt. The men God can use to carry out this great task. Bringing men to Christ is a great task: “or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house” (Matt. 12:29). This therefore calls for a crusade a campaign against something believed to be bad (sin) and the preaching of the gospel for the salvation f
Read more

CONSERVING THE FRUITS OF EVANGELISM

CONSERVING THE FRUITS OF EVANGELISM  TEXT: Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-20; Acts 2:41-47.  INTRODUCTION There are two parts of the great commission which was given to the church by Our Lord Jesus Christ. The first one is to preach the gospel to every creature and make disciples of the nations, while the second is teaching the disciples that have been made all that Christ has commanded us. This we generally refer to as follow up. Without giving proper attention to this second part of the Great commission all our labour in evangelization may not produce much fruit. Consequently, there will not be much growth in the Church. Therefore, for the Church to grow as God desires, there must be proper conservation of the fruits of evangelism.  1. MEANING OF FOLLOW-UP.  Follow-up has been defined as the conservation, maturation and multiplication of the fruits of evangelism. Winning and building are inseparably linked together in Scriptures. The new convert requires parental guidance a
Read more

WITNESSING TO A LOST SOCIETY

TOPIC: WITNESSING TO A LOST SOCIETY TEXT: Acts 17:16-33  MEMORY VERSE: Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry - Acts 1 7.16. CENTRAL TRUTH: Christians have the God ordained responsibility to declare the truth of the Gospel to an ungodly society. The truth of the Gospel is the message of life to the lost and hope to the hopeless from the living God. We are living in a society given to idolatry and other abominations and therefore needs the power of God to bring it back to life. it is only the potent power of God that can quicken men's dead consciousness. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord", we need to persuade men by proclaiming the true God, teaching them repentance from dead works and faith in the living God. READ ALSO: The Place of Prayer in Evangelism REACHING OUT TO THE “SHUT-INS” WINNING NOMINAL CHRISTIANS FOR  CHRIST 1. DEALING WITH THE LOST SOCIETY -Acts 17:16
Read more