Clinks In Our Armour

THEY ARE HIS WAR TACTICS

HIS DESIGNS AND PLANS FOR DESTROYING US

HIS ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO KEEP US FROM GOD

HE KNOWS HE'S CONDEMNED AND HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED

AND IN HIS BITTERNESS - HE WANTS TO TAKE AS MANY PEOPLE WITH HIM AS HE CAN

HIS TITLE DEFINES ONE OF HIS MAIN WEAPONS:

HE'S THE FATHER OF LIES

SATAN LOVES TO LIE TO US AND TRY TO KEEP US CONFUSED AND OFF BALANCE

KEEPING US FROM SERVING GOD

HIS LIES ARE CONSTANTLY HITTING OUR ARMOR

CONSTANTLY QUESTIONING GOD'S TRUTH

HE ASKED EVE IN THE GARDEN - DID GOD SAY THAT YOU CAN'T EAT FROM THE FRUIT OF THE GARDEN?

IMPLIED IN HIS QUESTION WAS ANOTHER QUESTION: SURELY GOD DIDN'T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK HE MEANT

THE PROBLEM IS - IF WE LISTEN TOO LONG TO HIS LIES - AND DON'T SHARPEN OUR SWORD THROUGH INTERNALIZING GOD'S WORD AND USE IT TO FIGHT OFF HIS ATTACKS

HIS LIES CAN BEGIN TO SOUND LOGICAL AND RATIONAL

AND BEFORE LONG - IF WE HAVE CHINKS IN OUR ARMOR

HIS RATIONALE BECOMES OUR LICENSE

TO SIN

IN Jude, WE READ ABOUT THOSE WHO CHANGE THE GRACE OF GOD INTO A LICENSE FOR IMMORALITY

Gal 5:13

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

(NIV)

ONE OF THE CHINKS IN THIS AREA OF OUR BELIEFS HAS TO DO WITH THE ONGOING STRUGGLE WE ALL FACE

AS WE ATTEMPT TO FIND AND MAINTAIN THE BALANCE BETWEEN LIBERTY AND LEGALISM

A. UNBRIDLED LIBERTY

CALL IT GREASY GRACE - CALL IT WHOLESALING THE GOSPEL

WHAT IT AMOUNTS TO IS SERVING GOD ACCORDING TO OUR TERMS AND NOT HIS

I THINK - FOR THE MOST PART - GRACE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES IS A REACTION TO THE OTHER LY EXTREME - RIGID LEGALISM

MY FRIEND JOHN - NOT HIS REAL NAME - IS ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHO TURNED AWAY FROM GOD

JOHN WAS RAISED IN A HARSH - LEGALISTIC HOME

AND BECAME A REACTION TO HIS UPBRINGING

HE CAME TO BELIEVE THAT HIS ACTIONS REALLY DIDN'T MATTER MUCH -

HIS RATIONALE WAS THAT GOD IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHO HE WAS BECOMING THAT WHAT HE IS DOING

I'VE ASKED JOHN - HOW DO YOU SEPARATE WHO YOU ARE FROM WHAT YOU DO?

NOW - BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO GET UP AND LEAVE

LET ME ASSURE YOU - THAT I TOO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS MORE CONCERNED WITH WHO I AM BECOMING THAT WITH WHAT I AM DOING

BY THIS - I MEAN THAT GOD IS MORE CONCERNED WITH MY MOTIVATION THAN WITH THE ACTIONS THEY PRODUCE

BUT DIDN'T JESUS TELL US THAT OUR ACTIONS ARE PRODUCED BY OUR MOTIVATIONS

FOR BY THEIR FRUIT WE SHALL KNOW THEM

A GOOD TREE PRODUCES GOOD FRUIT - A BAD TREE BAD FRUIT

IF WHAT I AM DOING IS NOT IN LINE WITH GOD'S WILL FOR MY LIFE

I HAVE A HEART PROBLEM

BECAUSE OUT OF MY HEART COMES MY ACTIONS

SO TO DISMISS MY ACTIONS AS UNIMPORTANT TO GOD

IS TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY IN ME

AND ALLOW GOD TO CHANGE ME

MY FRIEND MISSED ALL THE WARNING SIGNALS TELLING HIM TROUBLE WAS BREWING IN HIS HEART

AND THOUGH HE OUTWARDLY LOOKED FREE

INWARDLY - HIS SIN WAS MOUNTING AND HIS GUILT WAS SEPARATING HIM FROM GOD

TODAY - SADLY - JOHN LIVES IN A DITCH - THE ONE JESUS WARNED US ABOUT WHEN THE BLIND FOLLOW THE BLIND

THE FIRST CHINK WE NEED TO CHECK FOR CONCERNS THE LIBERTY WE HAVE WITH OUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST