Sacred Selfie

Topical Text: Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

INTRODUCTION:

• Explain what a selfie is for the older people

• Take a few selfie’s to demonstrate!

• Selfies can be either fun or painful (Sometimes we don’t look like the person we remember in the mirror from the morning)

• If we took a “Sacred Selfie” what would we discover?

I. HOW DO I TAKE A LOOK INSIDE?

A. We measure ourselves by the Word of God

1. Psalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

B. Honesty is the best policy

1. Pray this prayer: “God help me see things about myself that others see that I can’t see.”

C. Examine the fruit (results) your life is producing

Matthew 7:15-20

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

II. WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE WHAT I SEE?

A. We all have a choice!

1. What are we going to do with what we know?

B. There is power in repentance. - 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

1. This passage contrasts Godly sorrow and worldly remorse.

2. Godly sorrow is constructive while worldly remorse is destructive.

3. Both are active in our lives (they are both working)

a) one brings salvation - life

b) one brings - death

III. THE QUESTION OF ETERNAL SECURITY

A. Eternal Security is the doctrine of “Once saved always saved.”

1. Some believe the Bible teaches that it is impossible to lose our salvation after we give our lives to Jesus Christ.

2. Others believe the Bible teaches that we can lose our salvation necessitating the need to return to Christ and recommit our lives to Him.

3. The contending parties have been Calvinists and Arminians; each party, in general, interpreting it according to the views which are held on the question about “falling from grace".

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

B. Several verses speak of God blotting or not blotting names out of the book of life.

1. “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life” (Rv 3:5);

2. “God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Rv 22:19);

3. “...if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.... Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book” (Ex 32:32,33).

• These references to blotting out of the book of life allow only two possibilities:

• 1) Everyone’s name is written in the book of life from eternity past, indicating God’s desire for all to be saved, until they have irrevocably involved themselves in apostasy rejecting Jesus Christ, causing their names to be blotted out; or

• 2) When a person gets saved, their name is placed in the book of life for the first time, and when they later turn against Christ, their names are blotted out.

• Neither of these fit Calvinism. (Proponent of the doctrine of once saved always saved) The first denies that God only intends to save a select few (the elect), and the second denies the eternal security of the redeemed.

C. What about Hebrews 6:4-6?

Hebrews 6:4-6

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

1. The apostle was addressing Christians. He was endeavoring to keep them from apostasy. The object was not to keep those who were awakened and enlightened from apostasy, but it was to preserve those who were already in the Church of Christ, from going back unto perdition.

2. If one returns to Christ it is impossible for them to start over where they began in their first experience with Christ.

Hebrews 6:6 MSG if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can't start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible. Why, they've re-crucified Jesus! They've repudiated him in public!