Dichotomy Of Life

THIS IS A REWRITE OF A SERMON OUTLINE FROM 2013

Dichotomy of Life

September 27, 2020 Morning Service

Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK

Rick Boyne

Message Point: For believers, there is no distinction between the secular and the sacred; we belong to God.

Focus Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:23-31

Supplemental Passage: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:22-23 NASB)

Introduction: The world is separated into the secular and the sacred. There is a “Separation of Church and State” as interpreted by the Supreme Court based on their understanding of the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Thomas Jefferson first used this phrase in an 1801 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association echoing the sentiments of Roger Williamson who had written in 1644 about a “hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world.” Christians have mistakenly used this to dichotomize their own lives between the secular and the sacred, when it is clear that the entirety of our lives are wholly sacred.

I. Secular

a. Activity

i. Music, concerts, casinos, sports, sex, friends, immorality, smoking, drinking, drugs, etc

ii. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB)

b. Attitude

i. Grudges, griping, complaining, bitterness, gossip, anger, lust, etc

II. Sacred

a. Activity

i. Church attendance, Bible reading, baptism, evangelism, VBS, church camp, etc

b. Attitude

i. Holiness, righteousness, peace, love, understanding, hospitality, generosity, etc

ii. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)

III. Summary

a. Activity

i. Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)

ii. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, (Colossians 3:23 NASB)

iii. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12 NASB)

iv. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1 Peter 1:14-16 NASB)

b. Attitude

i. and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor 10:5)

ii. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9 NASB)

Invitation: Christians are called to be holy, not to be separated into secular and sacred parts. BE HOLY! Perhaps you've slipped from holiness into worldliness. REPENT! Come to the throne of Jesus and tell Him all about it! Perhaps you've never entered the sacred life, but only been playing church. Today is the day of salvation! The Bible says "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 NASB)