Cpr For A Healthy Walk Part 11 Series

“This World Is Not My Home”

I. Continually cultivate a dynamic relationship with God.

II. Persistently Pursue, develop and maintain meaningful community with the body of Christ.

III. Resolutely restore righteousness and Resist the world the flesh and the devil

A. Renew and purify Your heart

1. The Need for cleansing

Since we were born defiled and live in a defiled world and have made choices of our own which have defiled this temple, we need the cleaning crew of God to make us fit for habitation.

2. The Levels of cleansing

We all need cleansing of two levels. Deep cleaning and daily dusting.

3. The cleaning crew

Every member of the Trinity involves themselves in this powerful purification process.

God calls us also to be continually involved in the cleaning process.

a. The Father cleanses

b. The Holy Spirit cleanses

c. Jesus Cleanses

d. We cleanse ourselves

REPENT –realize personal defilement and the need for purification

CONFESS –assume personal responsibility for sin

BELIEVE

OBEY

WALK IN THE LIGHT

Just as we use several different cleaning agents and rags and brushes and such, so there are many essential elements designed by God for cleansing.

4. The cleansing agents

a. The suffering and death (blood) of Christ

b. The Truth

c. Prayer of faith

5. The motivation to maintain a pure heart

Remembrance of God’s past purifying work

A clearer vision of God

Fruitful teaching ministry

Unhindered prayer

Blessing of a clear conscience

The powerful promises of God.

Eternal perspective

Useful vessel for God

Visible righteous life

Promise of intimate relationship with God

Hope of seeing and being like Christ at his coming

Having addressed uncleanness in the soul, we are ready to take a firms stand against the agents who try to defile the soul. This morning I want to address the enemy called the world. What are the biblical principles that ought to direct our attitudes and actions toward the world?

III. Renounce and resist evil

A. Renew and purify the soul.

B. Refuse conformity with the World

1. A biblical view of the World

a. The entire universe as created by God

passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ Acts 17:23-28

b. Mankind in general

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

c. The theater of human history

Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

d. The devil designed society developed around devil dictated philosophies, principles and practices.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Ephes. 2:1-3

Reference here to a course or philosophy of this world, the ways of Satan and the lust of the flesh. These all work together to capture and defile the soul that it might not reflect the nature of the one who created it. The world in this sense is a society of devil-deceived people.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 Joh 5:19

It is a society based on self-exalting (glorifying) independence rather than God-exalting (glorifying) dependence. It is a society based on self-satisfying lust rather than self-sacrificing love.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

This devil designed system operates on basic lust or desire. John identifies the core longings of the fallen heart. All that is in the world appeals to unbridled pursuit of these appetites rather than the unrivaled pursuit of restored relationship with God.