Thank you for joining us at Key Life Fellowship for her Pulpit
Ministry, podcast. Each sermon on this podcast is
from our 11 a.m. Sunday service.
We are glad that you have joined us digitally, but would love to
see you in person on Sunday mornings at either 9 a.m. or 11
a.m. Now, let's open God's word and
ask him to reveal his truths for our lives.
If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn with me and I am
excited about being back here to the Gospel of John.
We have been traveling through the Gospel of John for some time
now. And I can tell you this to me
the Gospel of John just continually gets better and
better and better with every verse that you look at.
And today, in our journey in the Gospel of John, we are going to
look at just one verse and I don't like to do that without
contextualizing where we are so that you kind of have an idea.
I know that we have had the break during Christmas, where we
observe the Lord's birth and reminded you that he didn't stay
that babe in a Manger as the world wanted him to and wants
him to. But then he grew to be the
savior of all who would believe and trust in him where he died
upon the cross. He was buried.
He rose again. But we see in John's 14th
chapter here, after our break. Is that our before I break?
Excuse me, we looked at the promise that Jesus made to his
disciples, after telling them that Peter was going to deny
Christ. And after Jesus, predicting the
Betrayal of Judas, and after Jesus telling his disciples in
chapter 12, that he was going to die, and how he was going to die
in an 13, he washed their feet as we know, and in 14, he told
them do not let your hearts be troubled and we looked At a
message concerning our troubled hearts and to know and to
understand that it's trust in Christ that frees us from the
Troubles of our hearts in this world.
And he gave them great Assurance.
Those true believers who were still there in that Upper Room
on the night, that Jesus was betrayed.
And Jesus is going to continue to teach here and verse 15 and
he's going to teach a very powerful lesson.
In very few words, just before he gives them the promise of the
Holy Spirit. And In the context of him
speaking to only his true followers.
He's going to say this to them. In verse 15 of chapter 14.
He says this and I want you to pay close attention to it.
He says, if you love me, you will obey what I Command Jesus,
here in this one. Verse is speaking of love, not
just spoken. But love shown as we look at a
message entitled, true love's for Christ, expressed by
obedience, I assure you. This Jesus is saying just as
that title has indicated. He is saying if you have true
love for me, it will be expressed in your life as
obedience to the commands of Christ.
It is action-based love. I want everyone to understand
that a People claim to love Christ with no action in your
life. To back that up is just empty.
Talk it is the equivalent of you telling your husband or your
wife that you love them verbally using your words to say that I
love you but then making them doubt with every single thing
that you do you show? Absolutely no love to them.
It won't Glowing I assure you this for that person who you
tell that you love and you show that you don't it won't take
long for them to figure out. You are just a bunch of hot air
saying one thing but denying what you say by your actions
because we know this That the whole world is going to Define
Us by our actions, aren't they? And so, Jesus is making this
very clear to his disciples that obedience toward and love for
Christ are inseparable. Are you write that down?
They are in separable. They are like faith and
repentance. Did you know?
You can't have one without the other.
You can't have faith without repentance and you can't repent
without true Faith. They are the The opposite sides
of a coin. It would be like taking the head
side of a quarter and the tail side of the quarter and
splitting them into and we all know this at that point in time
you don't have a quarter. Any longer you have a piece of
metal that is useless. And so when we look at this
obedience toward and love for Christ, we must see that they
are inseparable. In fact, Jesus has already
indicated and we will reiterate many times today, the gauged, by
which you measure your love for Christ.
Is what comes out of your life. It is your obedience to his
commands. And so we come to this difficult
verse in this difficult section of scripture for us to grasp.
Because what it does, it quickly grabs our attention doesn't it?
There's never been a time in my life and my own personal study
or and preparing a sermon, like today.
When I came to this verse and I didn't stop after reading it,
And examine my own life. For fear that I might have an
empty claim without any proof. When I would ask that you would
do today, is that you would do the same.
As we hear these words, if you love me, you will obey my
commands now so that we have kind of an understanding of what
it would mean to obey the commands of Christ.
I want us to go all the way back to the Old Testament.
And I want us to go back to Exodus chapter 20.
Where many people remove this portion of scripture.
From the Bible, we remove it from courtrooms, we remove it
from classrooms. It is what we know as the
decalogue are the Ten Commandments deck up, meaning 10
and the ten laws that God gave to Moses, these are the 10
things, revealing God's holiness, and his standard for
Perfection. What are the Lord's commands?
Well, I assure you this, if you have been studying John with us
for any amount of time, you know, this in the beginning,
John 1:1 was the word and the Word was with God and the Word
was God, we know 1:14, the word became flesh.
Fish and dwelt Among Us. The one who gave the very
commands to Moses there on Sinai.
I assure you, this was the word of God.
And so, when we look at the world, the Lord's commands here.
We see that the Lord's commands are defined by the word.
We can't just remove the Ten Commandments.
We can't just erase the decalogue from scripture.
We must see. What does it mean to a New
Testament follower of Christ? And so let's bring ourselves up
to speed because we live in a culture where many of This would
be embarrassed if we were asked to name maybe perhaps six out of
the ten. Let's look at all 10 and we'll
look at them briefly and then we will look at what we are going
to look at today. Mainly being true, love for
Christ expressed by obedience. He says this in Exodus chapter
20 he says you shall have no other gods before me rightly, so
because he is the one true. God, the only one worthy of any
adoration and worship. We can agree with that.
He goes on to say you shall make a no Idols don't.
Don't make any Graven. Even images, or Idols for
yourself to worship them. Why?
Because they're not real at all. There's no life in them at all.
They are not truly gods. The third command, he said You
shall and not take the name of the Lord.
God, the Lord your God in vain. What does that mean?
That could be an abbreviation on your text messages.
Right? You know the abbreviation that
I'm talking about where you use the lord's name in vain, it
could be a little attachment. Your curse word that you find
yourself doing from time to time, But it could be this, it
could be you using the lord's name in vain.
Many people do this. Now in the Christian circles,
they say God told me to tell you this.
God didn't tell you to tell anything to anyone else.
Let me assure you that his word is full of all the instruction
that they need for life and godliness.
Stop telling people that That's using the lord's name in vain.
You want that person to be unit manipulated by your psychology.
So you blame God for it stop it's not biblical.
That's using the lord's name in vain, he goes on and we see
there is another command next to keep the Sabbath day.
Holy and how do we keep the Sabbath day?
Holy as a new testament body of Believers?
How do we keep the Sabbath day? Holy it's not meeting on
Saturday, when the Sabbath was, it is to enter into the rest of
Christ. He is the one who is that
Sabbath rest? We know that, he fulfilled that
in himself. That's why Jesus said come unto
me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you
what rest. He is the Sabbath.
So honor Christ and abide in him.
Command 5, he said, honor your father and your mother honor,
your father, and your mother. And we seemingly think that this
is not a big deal. In today's time that it's even
actually optional from a lot of the parents that I see rearing
children. Obedience was never an option
around my house. I don't know about.
You is ever an option. You obeyed your mother and your
father and if you didn't obey your mother, you were dealt with
by your father. It's just the way that it works.
Many people think. Well, that's not that big of a
deal. Well, it's not that big of a
deal. Why would Paul, right?
Timothy and saying, the last days is that children will be
disobedient to their parents. It is a sign of the End of Time.
What's a big deal? It is basic human nature.
Does not obey my parents, why? Because they're the first
god-given Authority in my life, even before the church?
Was my parents. They're an authority.
My life that God has given me. I didn't ask for them.
I was graced with them. He says that we should honor our
fathers and mothers and you shall not commit murder.
Commit murder and everybody in here.
Says, well, I'm good with that most of us, I hope. but the fact
the scripture confirms this, that if we hold anger and
animosity and hatred in our heart for another brother, it's
the same thing, It's the same thing as you're just one step
away from it. You're just one step away from
committing that action. That's why we are to forgive as
we've been forgiven. And to forgive 7 times, 70 and
not hold those grudges hold on to that anger.
You shall not commit adultery. I realize as I'm finding that
area or are you because did you know this every time you look at
that pornographic image, that's adultery.
You are actually in your mind lusting after a woman at Jesus
himself said this if you look after a woman and you've lost,
you've committed, adultery in your heart, you've already taken
all of the steps except for the physical act, please pay
attention to that. Because we live in a society
that is inundated by pornography industry.
That is bringing in billions upon billions upon billions of
dollars each year because men are committing adultery
pretending like it's no big deal.
It goes on to say, you shall not steal.
That is. It means from the IRS since it's
tax time. I'll just throw that out there.
Fudge on your taxes. Don't steal.
Don't take something that doesn't belong to you.
This is basic. He goes on and he says, you
shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Don't slander, don't gossip. Don't lie about someone else.
And he says, you shall not covet, he's not covered.
Even when you go to someone's house is nicer than yours.
And they have better decorations in you and Why can't you have
that? Well why can't you just Rejoice
that day have it? And be thankful that God blessed
them with it and you be content with what you have.
That seems like that's the biblical approach but yet we
find ourselves Coveting. Whether that's Someone else's
home their possession, their vehicles.
Well, their wives their husbands or their children or was my
children. Would behave like their children
to make them behave? Pretty simple.
And they would know since coveting other people's children
who are obedient So we look at the Ten Commandments and we look
at the Ten Commandments not to say, of course that this is some
standard, by which we are to live because as you were looking
at that. So was I and I realized I failed
many times and these command But it's Christ.
Who saved me not so that I can continue to ignore those
commands. But so that I can now obediently
walk in those commands. And we're gonna see how that
happens as we unfold this in one package, this message today.
And so what we have to do, in order to understand that in New
Testament, light, and please understand this, the New
Testament gives greater light to God's desired commands and for
us fulfilling them that greater light.
Of course, we know is Christ coming to this earth and Christ
simplified things for us in Matthew chapter 22, by way of
introduction, we're going to look at This.
And then we're going to get back to John 14:15 for the remaining
time that we have together. The Matthew chapter 22 verse
verse 37, says, Jesus replied. Love the Lord, your God with all
your heart. And with all your soul, and with
all your mind, this is the first and greatest commandment.
The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself
and then he says this all the law and the prophets hang on,
these two commands, all the law, Oh, and the prophets, hang on,
these two commands, love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as your self.
So we see this, The law in the Light of Christ.
Is not corrected, right? He didn't say the law is is
useless and throw it out, but in Christ, the law is perfected.
It so what I'm saying when I say that it's love for God and love
for others because Christ, first loved you does everybody
understand how that works. In fact the Apostle John said
this and I won't go back and preach the first John I've done
that before but he says this this is love, not that.
We loved God. But that he?
What loved us. And because he loves us, we now
know what true love really is. And what I want us to do today.
I want us to examine Our Lives to see if we really have true
love for Christ in light of these things.
Because I assure you of this, the perfect law of God, how many
at does? If the Ten Commandments Were
Somehow flawed, can I assure you this The Ten Commandments
weren't flawed, you are The psalmist calls it, the perfect
law of God, it is God's perfect standard.
There's nothing wrong with it at all, but everything wrong with
us. And so when we see this that it
is the perfect law of God and that it hasn't failed because it
couldn't Is God, never fails. It was actually fulfilled in
Love by God as he loved us and demonstrated his love for us in
Christ at Calvary. Remember Romans 5:8.
God demonstrates his love for us in that.
While we were sinners Christ died for us.
And so what Christ is teaching, here is the law of love.
Now, when we apply the law of love that, God, loved us first.
Not that we loved him. I assure you.
That we despise him. We hated his commands.
We hated his statutes. We were total, unbelievers, at
enmity with God. Enemies of God, Scripture says,
but that he loved us and in saying that love a proper
response. How do you see the sacrificial?
Love of Jesus Christ? And not love the Lord, your God
with all your heart, soul and mind and your neighbor as
yourself. That's exactly what Jesus is
teaching us here. But when we get to John chapter
14, where we will spend our time today, I want you to see this
before we go into it. he is not saying, he's not saying that if
you obey the commands, Then that will be accredited to you as
righteousness. But what he is saying is this
because that would be legalism before someone accuses me of
being a legalists that's legalism that I'm justified by
works of obedience. I'm not I fall short, I assure
you But what Jesus is teaching here today and I want to make
this very clear because if a preacher preaches on obedient,
holy living these days, he's immediately thrown into a
category of legalist or Saya, say it is said about him that he
preaches legalism. And I'm not preaching, legalism
to you. I assure you.
I am an advocate and I believe, scripture declares that it is by
grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
If you haven't heard me, say that 42 million times.
You've not been here much. But what Jesus is preaching and
what I am going to speak on today, in light of Jesus, is
this? Though, we can't be made
righteous by. Obeying God's commands.
If we have been made righteous, it will be proven by the fact
that we obey God's commands. So we're not promoting obedience
to the law to be saved. Pay attention to this, but we
are promoting obedience to the law Giver because we are saved.
Does everybody understand that? So we get the 14th verse 15 and
I know that was a long intro, but I don't want anyone to beat
misled about what I am. Preaching today, I'm not
preaching to you morality and I'm not preaching to you
legalism. I am preaching to you as
Believers and I'm saying this examine your life.
You claim to truly love Christ to that I would say in light of
what we're going to look at today, do you?
Do you do you really love Christ because Christ says this in John
14:15 as we've already said, if you love me if oh Jesus teaching
concerning true love expressed by obedience, watch his right
Leigh provides Assurance. It rightly provides Assurance of
Salvation. If you love me, What a big word,
only consisting of two letters. If If you love me.
In that one statement. he is saying I'm about to provide for
you evidence and Assurance of true faith in that one little
word if Obedience to Christ commands.
I want you to understand as defined by Jesus himself, I
don't care what anyone else wants to tell you.
We're looking at what Christ said obedience to Christ
commands. Proves it proves your true love
for him and in that you can have great assurance that you have
true. Saving Faith, you can't nor.
Should you ever have Assurance of salvation?
Vision Without obedience to Christ, let me say that again
you can't nor. Should you ever have Assurance
of true salvation without obedience to Christ?
It is what true faith is going to produce.
James himself said this faith without works is what dead?
It's dead. It's just a false claim.
We know this when we look at Jesus teaching here concerning
true, love expressed by obedience, it rightly provides
Assurance for who why? I promise you.
This you don't have to assure God if anything he already knows
those of you who are foolishly thinking that you're going to
trick him by some type of insincere love toward him.
You're sadly mistaken. He already knows that it's
phony. But what it does do, it gives
Assurance for yourself as a True Believer.
Now, I'm going to do this and I don't do this to embarrass.
Anyone have any of you as Believers ever doubted
salvation? Maybe that was for a moment.
Maybe that was for a season. Have you ever doubted salvation?
Just do it real fast? So you don't incriminate
yourself? Okay, put it down.
Why because your human mind can cause you to doubt things that
are absolutely positively, true canted.
But we see this what Jesus is teaching here.
It rightly provides Assurance. He says if you're going to know
that you're truly saved, you can examine your own life and how do
you examine your own life? What areas should I look at a?
My obedient to the commands of Christ pretty plain and simple.
I love that Jesus. Simplifies it so that we can
understand it a, my obedient to the commands of Christ.
And if I am obedient to the commands of Christ, that brings
great assurance. Those commands and being
obedient to those commands won't save me.
But what they are, is they are proof that I am truly saved
first. John 2:3 says this and we know
that we have come to know him if we obey his commands, you want
to know if you truly know Christ, if you truly love
Christ, are you actively Desiring and fulfilling
obedience to his commands. That's plain and simple verse 5
of that. Same text.
I don't intentionally jump over for but I'm going to come back
and grab it later and first John but first John chapter 2 verse 5
it says but if anyone obeys his word God's love is truly made
complete in him. He said you get the love of God.
Oh, isn't it? The love of God, that propels us
to obedience and Christ for sure.
It is. This is how we know we are in
him. How do we know that we are in
him? If we obey his what is word?
If you obey the teachings of Christ, you can have full
confidence that you're in Christ.
To let me say this, if you have a claim to be in Christ, in a
claim to love Christ, truly But you're yet, you're not obedient
to the things that his word commands.
You're attempting to deceive your own self.
You have no insurance at all. But when we have that true love
expressed by obedience we can have Assurance for ourselves is
in that moment that we examine our lives and we confirm our own
salvation. It is in that moment that we do
is scriptures as we work it out. We work out our own salvation
with fear and trembling, what does that mean?
We hash through it, we live it, we see am.
I really living in obedient life unto Christ or am I just
claiming to love Christ and my life doesn't show.
Just as that husband, who would say I love you honey and then He
would turn around and abused her every moment.
There's no true love there at all, don't be deceived.
In fact, John says in his epistle in first John, same
John, who's writing, the gospel that we're looking at here.
He says in chapter 3 verse 23 and this is his command to
believe in the name of his son. Jesus Christ.
That's Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone,
but watch this and to love one. Another, as he has commanded us,
those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.
And this is how we know that he lives in us.
We know it by the spirit he gave us now.
I promise you this, at the end dwelling, Holy Spirit lives in
you, he is not leading you to disobedience in Christ.
Is constantly leading you to obedience in Christ confirming
and giving you the assurance that you are truly in Christ.
You can say, then that I truly love Christ.
And how do I know this? Because I can't sin anymore
because I know this, I know that when I do sin, when I doosan, I
find myself grieving over that. I can't send comfortably as I
once did. I find myself grieving knowing
this that it is, that's in, it is, that's in that nail.
My Savior to the cross. It is that's in that bore pain
and Agony upon his body that's in that belonged to me was
pressed upon him and I don't want to see the fact that my
savior who loved me so much suffered for me.
And so what I do is this, I Repent of it and I turned from
it and I confess it Lord that sin is to send that nailed you
to the cross and I desire obedience.
Why? Because you're pleased with
obedience. You're pleased with obedience
through faith. It gives great Assurance for the
believer to realize that obedience is required by Christ,
philo's Christ. It's going to come forth out of
my life. If I don't, the opposite is
going to come forth out of my life.
Now, let me tell you what, I'm not preaching to you today.
I'm not preaching to you sinless, perfection. what I am
preaching to you, is this, there is no True Believer who can
enjoy sin and any amount Any dose of sin offends, the True
Believer in your life and in the lives of others.
Why? Because the Holy Spirit Bears
witness to the opposite of that, he Bears witness to
righteousness and Holiness, and obedience to the commands of God
for the believer to hold onto sin in their life is to be a
miserable, miserable person in my prayer today is that you
would trust Christ to free you from that misery today as you
confess, that thing, whatever it may be.
As you walk in the assurance, that Christ wants us to have
that Assurance comes as he said, if you love me, you will obey.
If you love me Assurance for yourself, but not only insurance
for yourself. Did you notice as Christians, we
all live in some type of fish bowl, don't we?
Right. The moment that the Lost World
Hears, someone say I'm a Christian You know what they're
looking for? That time where you mess up so
that they can throw it right back in your face.
They're looking for that time. What I would say to you is
Christians, why do we give them so many excuses?
Why do we not see the importance of living a holy and obedient
life to the commands of the word of God?
And I know what you said but I can't you couldn't apart from
Christ but the indwelling Holy Spirit who lives in you as you
yield to him I assure you of this he is going to lead you
into loving the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul and
mind, and love. Your neighbor as yourself and in
doing that, you will obey the commands of God.
It will bring great Assurance, not only to you but to others.
I just yesterday preached, a funeral of a man that I dearly
loved as a child and I love the testimony that many gave of him.
He was no preacher at all. He was an example of Christ in
his life. Here's example by the life that
he lived. Was it a perfect life know.
We got involved in it it became imperfect at that point in time.
I assure you until we are glorified, there will be no
Perfection why he is the author and he is the Perfecter of our
faith. He is going to do the whole
thing. But what I loved about this is
the testimony is were his life. Not just the things that came
off his lips. He was consistent in his life.
If you love me, Jesus said you obey me, it brings Assurance for
yourself and insurance for others.
Gives others validity to your claim of Faith.
They look at you and they say, you know what, that person is
not all talk. Why?
Because I saw them do what the word of God commands us do.
I saw them do that when they didn't have to do that, I saw
them. Do that knowing full.
Well, that I knew them before they claim.
To be Christians and they wouldn't have done that.
Gives Assurance to other people that you truly are what you say
that you are. Because others are examining Our
Lives. I assure you.
And when they examine your life, They can't see your thought in
word, love for Christ. All they see is what comes out.
All they see is what comes out, they see your outward.
Either a Disobedience confirming that you are lost or your
obedience, conforming that confirming that you are truly
one of his so it brings as it rightly should assurance
insurance for yourself, insurance for others.
So, as I Varley already, clearly stated, let me say it again.
Obedience to Christ is not the path to Salvation.
But the proof of Salvation to you and to those around you.
So examine yourself today, examine your life today and see
if there is confirmation that you truly do love Christ because
Jesus is teaching here again. True love will be expressed by
our obedience to his commands. So love for Christ expressed by
obedience to his commands. Offers hope and Assurance
ourselves and others. The next thing that we see is
this, as we look at the teaching of Jesus, here, in this, one
particular verse Jesus, teaching concerning true love expressed
by obedience, number 2, rejects perverse, antinomianism.
Now I know what you're going to do.
You're going to say anti no Mia. What?
I've told you often, I will tell you.
Again, I will not be the pastor who dumps things down so that
you can't come to a clear understanding of the truths of
Theology and scripture, but I will be the pastor, who, when we
get to these difficult things in these new terms.
I will explain to you exactly what they mean.
So that you can leave here with some understanding that you
didn't have, and some insight into scripture.
And so Jesus, teaching concerning love expressed by
obedience. We see rightly proves Assurance
but it rejects perverse antinomianism, and what Is Aunt.
I know me, anism. Well, Jesus says this and 14 15.
He says you will. Don't you love that?
Not, you might, or you should or may I suggest something to you
and you should take it into consideration.
He said you will obey what I command.
Now, what is anti, know me, anism anti know me, an ism is a
term that Is an old dialogical term, that many times.
We don't like to talk about because we see it so prevalent
in our Christian culture. It is a term meaning no law or
against law, or the fact that a person believes that the
commands of God, no longer apply because of Grace, and they use
Grace as a license to sin. We all understand antinomianism.
And it's Smaller understanding, right?
It goes like this. You're riding with a friend in
his car. You're going through a speed
zone of 70 miles an hour. He's rolling about 85 you say to
your believing friend, you say, hey man, it's 70 through here.
You might want to slow down and you're hyper spiritual friend,
who is anti know me and says to you, man I'm not under law.
But under grace about the time, the law turns their blue and red
lights on and reminds him. You are under the laws of the
State of Texas and Paul, I'm over and writes him.
A ticket based on that Authority now.
We do that. And we see that so many times
and this modern Church age, where we abuse Grace by our
sinful Disobedience, that is anti, no me anism.
It's the idea that because I've been saved by grace alone,
through faith alone in Christ alone.
I can ignore the commands of God and live in any way that I want
to live and still make it to the Pearly Gates.
The fact of the matter is is it's heresy, it's not biblical
and it is abuse of the grace of God.
It is the fact that these anti, no means have done this.
They have confused justification, and
sanctification. And let me just tell you this,
you can't have one without the other but his justification that
saves you. It is sanctification that proves
as you are being made, holy that you truly have been saved.
And so know this. If you are here today and you
have received the grace of God by grace alone, through faith
alone in Christ alone, and you are saved.
That is no excuse for you to sin.
In fact, Paul understood that people would think, like this in
Romans chapter 6, he wrote this to the Roman Church.
He says, in verse 15, What then shall we sin?
Because we are not under the law, but under grace and he
answers by no means don't, you know that when you offer
yourself to someone to obey him a slaves, you are slaves to the
one whom you obey, whether you are slaves to sin which leads to
death or to obedience which leads to righteousness, watch
what he says next. But thanks be to God that.
Do you used to be slaves to sin or he talks about their slavery
to sin in the past though? You used to live any way that
you wanted to live because you were controlled by your own lust
of your flesh and your sin nature.
He says that's the way you used to live, but thanks be to God
that no, you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly
obeyed. The form of teaching to which
you were entrusted. You have been Free from sin and
have become slaves to righteousness, so pay attention
to that church slave to righteousness.
And what does that? That is righteous acts, that is
obedience to the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is loving the Lord, your God with all your heart.
Soul and mind, that is loving your neighbor as yourself and
fulfilling the law of God in your very life as you walk in
the love of Christ verse 19. He says, I put this in human
terms because you are weak in your natural selves.
Just as you used to offer the parts of your body.
D and slavery to impurity and ever-increasing wickedness.
So now offer them in slavery to righteousness, leading to
Holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you
were free from the control of righteousness.
What benefit did you reap? At the time?
From the things, you are now ashamed of no benefit, right?
We're ashamed of those sins. They've benefited us not at all.
They were a path of Destruction. Those things result in death,
but now verse 22 says that you have been set free from sin.
You have and have become slaves. To God the benefit, you reap
leads to holiness. Cleanest, what does it lead to
holiness? If your life is not constantly
being conformed to the image of Christ and of Holiness, you need
to really examine. Do you have true love for
Christ? Why?
If you love me? You will obey what I have
commanded. The benefit that you read leads
to Holiness in the result is eternal life for the wages of
sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ. Jesus, our lord.
What is Paul saying there? He's saying this the gift of
grace through faith, Jesus Christ that you've been given.
That gift comes with something and it comes with this, your new
responsibility not to live the old way that you used to live in
your sin and your pride and in your sinful nature.
But it is to live in righteousness, and Holiness and
bringing glory and honor to God through Jesus Christ.
And what a privilege it is that we get to live a life of
obedience. I don't know about you, but I'm
tired of Christians who they want to.
Get way out on the edge. How much can I still get away
with and not abuse the grace of God?
That's not a question that we should be asking.
We should go back to the heart of God, to the Ten Commandments
and say, Here's what pleases God, lord, remove any area in my
life that does not, please you show me what it is.
Lead Me In obedience to that area.
Oh, the antinomian abuses Grace, by their sinful disobedience.
They abused Grace because they have no true.
Understanding of Grace in the price, that was paid for them at
the cross. Oh, how could we abuse the
Glorious sacrifice of Jesus Christ that he has graced us
with? How can we abuse that by living
any way that we want to live, you know, with the attitude that
so many Christians have? I would rather ask for
forgiveness than permission and just go ahead and do what you
want to do anyways and not really worry about all the
people that you're going to hurt in the process and all the
Fallout. It's going to come from your
Disobedience and how your testimony that testimony of
Christ. That is so beautiful that we've
been given that, we don't deserve how you will drag that
through the mud and make a mockery of him.
Well, may you hear the word of the Lord today?
Where he says, if you love me, You'll obey what I command you
want. Abused my grace.
Jesus, teaching concerning true love expressed by obedience
projects-- perverse antinomianism.
That is the abuse of Grace by sinful Disobedience, but it is
also the abolishment of God's commands.
In the name of Freedom, the antinomian wants to abolish the
name. I mean abolish the commands of
God in the name of Freedom, all you were here, him all the time.
I have freedom in Christ to do, whatever it is that I want to do
unfortunate thing, is they forget what?
Scripture says, Grace is 5:13. Here's what it says.
You my brothers were called to be free, but do not use your
freedom to indulge in the sinful nature, rather serve one another
in love. Here's that loving one.
Another thing that Jesus, Promoted he says the entire law
is summed up in a single command, love your neighbor as
yourself. Well how important it is that we
see that how important it is that we see at Freedom in
Christ. It's not freedom to do, whatever
it is that we want to do. Many people think that freedom
is in Christ is freedom to sin. I said it before and I'll say it
again. It's not freedom to sin, freedom
from sin. Why would Christ free you from
your old life of sin? Only to have you in the name of
Freedom abuse Grace in return back to it.
It's absolutely contrary to the teachings of the word of God and
the teachings of the New Testament Church.
Christ said, if you love me. You'll be my commands.
Peter says this in First Peter chapter 2.
He says live as free men but do not use your freedom as a
cover-up for evil live as Servants of God.
How will people know that your Servants of God I assure you
this if you look just like the world you act like the world,
you talk like the world. You go to the places of the
world, you consume the substances of the world, you
party with the world. You do all the things that the
world does. They don't really think that
you're anything other than the world.
He says, don't don't use your freedom as a cover-up but live
as Servants of God. Why watch what he says show?
Proper respect to everyone. Why?
Because everyone's watching you show them that you truly love
Christ. Let it be more than just words.
He says love the Brotherhood of Believers show them that you
love the church right in a day and time where people are
telling you that you don't have to love the church and be a part
of a church to love Christ. I say this to you.
Yes, you do forsake. Not the Assembly of the saying.
Let's go to church symbol with other believers and express your
love to Christ together in obedience to his commands.
He's a show proper respect to everyone, love the Brotherhood
of Believers fear, God, there's that love for God, loved him
with all your heart, soul and mind.
He says, honor the king respect, the authorities that God has
plays. When you do this, people are
going to see you and they're going to see you as a true
Christian who does not abuse Grace, right?
Going to see you as some perverse antinomian abolishing
God's commands for your convenience.
Isn't that what people love to do today?
But I enjoy this and so I'm going to fudge in this area of
my life. You know what?
You're saying listen to me. You love that sin more than you
love Christ. He said that's harsh.
Well, that's real. That's truth.
Jesus said if you love me you will obey what?
I command. We cannot live like perverse
anti. No means because what Jesus
says, rejection reverse antinomian.
And antinomianism. We cannot abuse Grace just
because we have freedom. Cannot abolish, God's commands.
Just because we have Grace, and freedom will see the importance
of them working together and I assure you this, any teaching,
you write this down, any teaching that removes, or erases
required obedience to the Lord's commands, into the teaching of
the word of God. Any teaching, it says, you were
free to do what you want to do, is contrary.
Read to biblical sound teaching walk out when they say that.
It's not important that we as Christians are obedient to the
commands of God. Why?
Because it directly contradicts what Jesus says.
And this one particular verse that were looking at today I
know some of you at this point in time, your minds are bungled
because I threw a new word at you just rest you'll get it.
I don't want to move to the last in the final portion of this.
Jesus teaching concerning true love expressed by obedience
rightly provides Assurance. It rejects perverse
antinomianism or an abuse of Grace.
But I want you to see this because this is important today
and I want you to examine your own lines in light of this.
Thirdly, it reveals pseudo, affection pseudo, affection.
And what I want to do here is I want to do a reversal of
Scripture. A lot of times in interpreting
texts and understanding something.
It's a good practice to reverse that scripture.
And what I mean by that is to take the scripture and to look
at it in reverse order. And for example, we are looking
at John 14:15 and it says this if you love me, you will obey
what I command. Let's reverse the order of that.
In the - it says, if you don't keep my commands, you don't
truly love me. If you don't keep my commands,
you don't truly love me now we know that's not what the Lord
said the. Lord said, if you love me,
you'll keep my commands. But if we reverse, that will
see, there's also truth there to be uncovered.
And so we should examine our lives in line of that.
Because Jesus teaching concerning true love expressed
by obedience, reveals pseudo affection.
Oh doesnít reveal that to us. If our love for Christ is not
true. It is confirmed by a disobedient
lifestyle proving this. Proving that are love that we
claim to have is at best fake and phony.
Let me just assure you this. Nobody likes a fake, or a phony,
even the lost world hates a friend who has to face, right?
You'll hear them use that term often because they're phony,
they say one thing in front of their face and then they stabbed
him in the back when they're away from them.
No one likes that. That's why we why would we
expect the Lord to like that as well?
No understand this. He wants us today to examine Our
Lives because when we examine our lives in light of what he
has said, it could reveal that some of you could reveal that
even I Have a pseudo affection for Christ, the pseudo
affection, a fallacy of farce Adlai.
It's make believe it is a claim without any substance.
First John chapter 2. I told you I would get back to
verse 4. Let's get back there and see
what it says. It says the man who says I know
him but does not do what he commands is a liar.
It doesn't get any more clear than that and the truth is not
in him. Now again I'm telling you that's
not to say if you obey him he will see that as good and he
will save you. I'm saying this, if he saves
you, he will lead you into obedience and for you to think
that you can claim to love Christ.
And have no obedience to his commands living the same sinful
life that you've always lived continually trying to cover it
up as if it's not there. I say this to you, you have a
pseudo affection for Christ. It is no true.
Love at all for the Savior. I say this in love, I don't say
this because I'm upset, I don't say this to try to get you to
doubt salvation, I say this today, so that you can leave
here with full Assurance of Salvation.
As you bend the need to Christ and you cry out to him as Lord
and Savior and as he takes over your miserable life and he
forgives you of all your sins and grants to you the eternal
life that he and he alone has promise.
I say this to you. So that if you are walking in
the deception of pseudo affection for Christ, meaning
this are you love the idea of Jesus?
Well, you might even love the thought benefits of Jesus.
You might even love coming to church and seeing all your
friend. But when you walk out of here,
You consistently live exactly like the world?
In their sin and in their selfishness and in their
Darkness. Can I say this to you friend?
Please hear my voice that is pseudo affection for Christ.
It is not real. It is only a claim.
How do I know that Jesus said, if you do really love me, You
obey my commands. And when we reverse that, if you
don't obey his commands, you don't really love him.
You say, well, who do you think you are?
I'm a nobody, I assure you of that.
All I have been entrusted to do is to deliver the message of
Christ in here. It is John 14:15.
If you love him you will obey. Him is your love for him.
Just words is it pseudo affection?
Is it authentic? How do we know how do we know if
it's just mere talk, right? That's the question that we
would ask if we begin to examine our life today.
Watch this. You want to know if your
affection for Christ is pseudo, affection, it will be marked by
works of sin. Instead of works of
righteousness, works of sin, instead of works of
righteousness. Luke chapter 6 verse 43.
The Lord himself said this, no good tree Bears.
Bad fruit nor does a bad tree bear.
Good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its
own fruit. People do not pick figs from
thornbushes or grapes from Breyers.
What is the Lord saying here in agrarian terms?
What is he meaning? He's saying this, we all know
this, we get apples from an apple tree.
We don't get grapes from an apple tree.
We don't get lemons. From a kiwi tree.
He's saying the tree Bears, the proper fruit.
Is your claim to know Christ? Bearing the fruit of Christ and
what is the fruit of Priceless obedience to his commands?
Just as he said, if you love me, you will obey my commands.
Or if you were to look at your life today.
I know sometimes it's scary to do.
I pray that you would if you were to look at your life today,
Is your claim to love for Christ?
True love proven by obedience or is it pseudo love proven by the
fact that you were still wrapped up in your own sin and your own
self-deceit, many claim to love Jesus but yet deny him by their
lives. But wasn't that an epidemic and
Christianity my prayers this that it would stop today and
that we would as Jesus did call for believers to live.
Holy lives. Set apart from a lost and Dying
World. Isn't that?
Not what eat command. Of course he does even when we
go back to the promise of Abraham that we have been
engrafted into in Christ, the promise to Abraham was that God
was going to raise up a people for his name and for his glory
he would not raise up a people who were not obedient to the
things that he has commanded. I assure you of that pseudo
affection to Christ will be marked by works of sin.
Instead of works of righteousness, your life will be
inundated with sin. You will be the same person that
you've always been. And this is false love for
Christ and no true Faith at all. I would say be aware of this,
we're seeing is accepted more and more and more in our
culture. There is no love for Christ and
disdain for sin. Any longer proven by are
obedient and righteous lives. We can live any way that we want
to live. Claim that we're on the path to
eternal life and I assure you again of what the Lord said he
says, wide is the gate and wide is the road that leads to
destruction. But narrow is the gate and
narrow is the road that leads to life and few find it.
Or you're one of the, are you one of the few today who truly
love Christ and is it proven by obedience to his word and his
commands? Pseudo affection, for Christ,
should be marked by your works of sin.
Instead of works of righteousness, but it will also
be marked by words without obedience words, without
obedience Luke 6:46. Lord says this.
Why do you call me? Lord Lord, and do not do what I
say. What a statement?
What a thought-provoking statement?
Because we would never call anyone Lord that we did not obey
and the Lord rightfully. So in Luke chapter 6, ask this
question, why do you call me Lord, Lord.
And then you turn around and you deny that by not following my
instruction. I would say this to you today.
Why are you calling Lord? Lord and do not do what he says.
Because in doing that, you revealed that he is not bored at
all. That is pseudo affection?
You really don't love Christ. You say, well, you can't say
that I really don't love Christ. No, but Christ came.
And he said it and if you love him, you will obey his commands.
And that if you don't obey his commands, you don't, truly love
him. You are that person who calls
him, Lord, Lord and does not do what he says.
You are one of those persons with words.
Mere words. With no accompanying obedience
mere talkers, empty, talkers as Peter calls him in second, Peter
chapter 2 when he says this, these men are Springs without
water and Miss driven by a storm blackest.
Darkness is reserved for them for their mouth, empty boastful
words and by appealing to them the lustful desires of sinful
human nature. They enticed people who are just
escaping from those who live in error, they promised them
Freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity for man
is a Slave To whatever has mastered him.
He's speaking of those false teachers, and false prophets in
his day. And he's saying this.
He's saying that these people claimed to know Christ and claim
to love Christ and claim to have freedom in Christ.
But it's only words, they're empty talkers, Jude calls these
same Pretenders clouds Without Rain, if you study the small
book of Jude, we've all witnessed this, haven't we?
Those of us who live on the Texas coast, when we're down
there with our family on the beach.
You know how beautiful the beaches are if you like muddy
sand? You're down there and that storm
blows in off the Gulf and you see it those big black clouds,
man, they develop out there in the the ocean and they began
moving too short and you're picking up kids and you're
flinging Cheetos and blankets and towels and all this stuff
and you got to get back to the car because the rains coming.
You get back to the car and never the first drop of rain,
hits the ground and that cloud blows over you and it doesn't
form rain. So it gets way Inland.
But man, you freaked out. That was a cloud Without Rain.
It was just a facade. It was a pseudo rainstorm
coming. Some of you have accepted this
pseudo, affection for Christ, Your clouds Without Rain your
talk without action, your hot air.
Nothing backing your claim. Jesus says this to you.
Are you listening? It's Gonna Hurt.
Let me warn you. You don't truly love me.
You don't really love me because if you did love me.
You would obey. What I have commanded. so, as
your love for Christ, is it authentic Or is it just pseudo
affection? How do you know examine your
life today? But I'm not going to examine
your life because I promise you this I'm going to be busy.
Examine time. Why?
Because I don't want to settle for pseudo affection because
pseudo, affection falls short I want to love God with all my
heart soul and mind love my neighbor as myself not so that I
can be saved, but because I am truly saved and I want to see
that in every area of my life and I don't mind the Holy Spirit
showing me, I assure you of that when I missed the mark so that I
can what confess that sin and repent of that sin and a lion
with the commands of Jesus Christ.
My Lord and my savior who love me because of his love, for me,
I now can love him in return and how do I express that love.
It's not in just living any way that I want to live with with
but Will disregard to his commands.
I express that love in obedience to his commands.
Did you appreciate Christ then live a life that shows that you
appreciate Christ by being obedient to his command?
The close with this? will obedience to Christ save,
you know, Don't ever leave here and say that I said anything of
the sort. Obedience to Christ will not
save you. However, It will confirm in does
confirmed those who are truly saved a saved person will have a
desire to obey the Savior that they love person that says he or
she has a love for Christ. But has no desire to follow his
will or his commands is only deceiving themselves though.
I think of that person who makes the profession of Faith saying
that they love Christ. And then when you try to get
them in the baptismal pool in obedience to the Lord's,
command, as a, no, I don't want to do that.
What do you mean? You don't want to do that?
That is the First Command that he gives to a Believer to follow
him and Believers baptism, you don't have an option.
Why? Because if you love him, you
will obey his commands. Oh, begins there.
But it continues in our lives where we obeying his word as he
unfolds it to us, as we see those things in our life that we
are deficient in. If we confess those things, it's
as Sin. And entrust in the Holy Spirit
to walk us and carry us into obedience for the glory of God.
Do you love Christ this morning? Do you love Christ this morning?
A fair question in light of the one verse that we read.
Do you love Christ? I would ask that you not examine
your husband to see your wife to see your children or your
neighbor. You would examine yourself
today. You would ask yourself.
Do I have a true love for Christ?
Confirmed by obedience to what it is that he has commanded.
Do I love the Lord? My God with all my heart soul
and mind. Am I loving my neighbor as
myself in that I assure you you will fulfill the decalogue The
Ten Commandments you will walk in obedience to those things.
Just as Christ died for you to walk in obedience to those
things. You stand your feet.
Every head bowed, every eye closed.
Father, we do love you today and we thank you so much for your
word. Lord Jesus.
We thank you that in your word. There is life.
Lord, I pray for the person who's here today and they are
dead spiritually that they have heard the Word of Life today.
I pray that as they examine their lives and they see that
they fall short as Sinners, condemned by sin, that they
would cry out to Christ, the lord Jesus.
The only one who can free them from that.
Condemnation, Lord today as they cry out to you, Lord, as your
grace Usher's, them into new and eternal life.
Lord, that you would Empower them to repent, believe, and
trust in you. And that they would leave here
changed Forever by what you did for them on the cross, where
you've died, where you were, Read and where you Rose again,
giving New Life to all who will believe.
God, I pray that your will would be done today that the seed of
your word would not fall on unfertile ground. but that it
would fall on the hearts that you have prepared today to
receive salvation and on those who are here to rejoice in the
Salvation that they already have received in you, but your will
be done in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you for listening to the key Life Fellowship, Pulpit
Ministry podcast. If you would like to talk with
one of our pastors, please email us at info at Key Life
Fellowship, dot org or call us at 28 1689 1604.
Or you can also visit our website at www.keytime.com
shape.com. We hope and pray.
You have a blessed week and remember, you are light in the
dark. Or you can also visit our
website at www.keytime.com shape.com.
We hope and pray. You have a blessed week and
remember, you are light in the dark.