2012-03-04 - Jon Benson - PM message

These are notes from Jon's message tonight. He very clearly deals with what it means for us to be pure. It is definitely worth serious thought and obedience.

From Evernote:

2012-03-04 - Jon Benson - PM message

1 John 2:28-3:3 - 28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. 1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

• We are positionally pure - made pure in Christ
• We have a responsibility - we must purify ourselves
• 3:2 - When we see Him, we will be like Him
• If we have that hope, we must purify ourselves
• We cannot just wait around for Him to do it
• The Holy Spirit will work in us to purify us, but we must seek to be pure

James 1:13-18 - Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the sword of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

• We can desire something and not have it be a temptation
• The things that distract us are there, but need not tempt us
• To dwell on it is to be tempted, then, when we act on it, it is sin
• The world is going to offer us everything we think we want
• We must not be deceived and be tempted into sin
• This world has everything we want and nothing that we need
• 1 John 2:15-17 - Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
• We were made for a relationship with God
• James reminds us that friendship with the world is enmity with God
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
• We cannot say that the temptation is too much
• God will provide a way of escape

James 1:19-25 - So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

• Be doers of the word and not hearers only
• We need to learn God's Word and follow it
• It takes intentional action to allow the Word of God and the Spirit of God work in our lives to purify us