God gives grace to the humble.John Farley
Pastor-Teacher Sunday, July 24, 2016 Practical Christianity: For those becoming more pure in heart, how they live … …how they live starts to line up more and more with what they claim to believe. Jesus, James, and Paul are in COMPLETE AGREEMENT about what the GOAL is! Loving the Lord with all our mind, heart, soul and strength. Loving one another as Christ has loved us. Visiting orphans and widows in their distress. Living righteously, unstained by the world. And controlling our tongues!!! We all need to be provoked from time to time so we don’t think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Tit 2:11-14 Tit 2:13-14 … to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, … to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. We will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and be recompensed for the deeds done in the body. 2Co 5:10 Jam 2:15-16 There is a huge disconnect between what you say and what you do here. You SAY you want your brother or sister to have a full belly, … …but you DO NOT GIVE THEM the food that would actually give them that full belly! Tit 1:16 James is very concerned about Christians becoming pure in heart and not remaining hypocrites – and also about making sure unbelievers get convicted of their need for the Savior. – and also – like Paul and Jesus -making sure unbelievers get convicted of their need for the Savior. Each of us needs to be convicted about which one we are – believer or unbeliever, … … what our need is - redemption (born again) and/or sanctification (purified) …. …. and then humbly receive the remedy: the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the ministry of the Spirit. 1Co 1:30-31 Jam 4:1-10 Having wrong motives is the opposite of being pure in heart. An adulteress is a two-timer. "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Purify your hearts, you double-minded.
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