Things Present in the Life of the
Believer
Titus 2:12
July 31st
2011 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
I.
Introduction
A.
As Christians, we may not be
much to look at, but we have some things worth getting excited about. We have
been given in this life some things that are priceless
B.
Some “realities” – some facts
– some present tense things!
C.
I love how the Bible speaks
1.
There are some things that I
WAS
2.
And there are some things that
I “AM”
3.
One of these days, maybe I
will be able to preach on what we SHALL BE
D.
God can fix your past and your
future – thank God!
E.
But He wants to work in our
present!
1.
Too many people live in the
past
2.
Others only live for the
future
3.
A Bible believing Christian
has some things right now that make them shout, and rejoice, and that make life
worth living!
II.
Background – What I WAS
(Eph 2:11-13; Romans 5:6; Eph 2:1; John 8:44)
A.
Lost
B.
Ungodly
C.
Dead in my Sins
D.
Without God
E.
Without Hope
F.
Without Strength
G.
A Child of the Devil
H.
Doomed – Condemned
I.
THAT’S what every Christian
WAS! There is no real Christian that is like any of that now!
III.
Message – What Every
Born Again Believer IS!
A.
I Am Forgiven
(John 5:24; Rom 4:6,7)
1.
Ah, FORGIVEN! What a wonderful
word!
2.
What a wonderful way to live!
3.
It is in the present –
happening right now. It is not just something I “WANT to be”, but something that
I “AM”!
4.
No longer guilty, under
condemnation – and rightly we were – WE did the crime, and in hell should have
served the time! ETERNITY in punishment for our sins
a.
You all know what it is like
to be guilty – to lose friendships and closeness because of wrong-doings
b.
I hope you know what it is
like being forgiven – having relationships fully restored!
5.
It only happens when Jesus
comes into your life!
6.
Nobody is “born” a Christian.
a.
Remember, we all start off
separated from God
b.
But then you learned about a
Saviour, and as a sinner, asked to be saved from your sins
c.
And that was when you were
born again
7.
Twenty three things happened
when you were born again
a.
You passed from death unto
life
b.
You were given the Holy Spirit
of God
c.
You were at that moment,
blessed with all spiritual blessings that there are
d.
And there are twenty more
things…
e.
But the greatest thing was
that God really and truly did forgive you all trespasses, and iniquities, all
sins!
1)
Burying them in the deepest
sea
2)
Casting them behind His back
3)
Casting them as far as the
east is from the west!
4)
Pretty good thing for us isn’t
it?
f.
That is how everything started
– how life finally begin for us!
8.
The Bible says, “But unto us
which ARE saved…” (1Cor 1:18)
B.
I Have Eternal Life
(John 10:27-30)
1.
It is NOT something I hope to
gain at death – it is something I possess right now
2.
Just as real as I am standing
here right now, alive, and having life, I also HAVE eternal life (Romans 6:23b)!
3.
I received not just
forgiveness, but the gift of eternal life itself!
4.
If I asked 100 people on the
street, “Do you have eternal life – everlasting life, right now” what do you
think most would say?
a.
No. Not yet. Only get that
when you die and go to heaven
b.
Who knows?
c.
I hope to have it one day
5.
Well, the moment I repented,
and received Jesus Christ, I got eternal life!
a.
Too many people worry about
being baptized to get into heaven
b.
And joining a church to get
into heaven
c.
They join charities, and get
involved in doing good works
d.
But a Christian is different!
I got into Jesus Christ! God reached down and took me and put me into a PERSON!
e.
The moment I received HIM, He
received ME (2Cor 5:17)
6.
As of June 15th,
1980, I Am Already in Heaven (Eph 1:20; 2:6)
a.
Where is Jesus right now?
b.
If I am in Him, and he is
already in heaven, then…
c.
As far as GOD is concerned, I
am already home – it is done and dusted!!!
d.
That’s why I know that I can’t
lose my salvation – because it is completed in God’s eyes
e.
All I am waiting for is for my
body to catch up with Jesus!
f.
And it will at the Rapture, or
at the Resurrection!
7.
Isn’t “salvation” wonderful?!
C.
I
Am Washed, and Holy, and Righteous (1Cor 6:11) - Wow!
1.
Washed
a.
I am cleansed from the
filthiness of all my sins – NONE of my sins, no matter how small, were good!
They ALL were filthy, and wicked
b.
I am not trying to wash away
all my sins now – they already have been washed
2.
Sanctified – that means a
Christian is Holy – a SAINT
a.
To be sanctified means made
holy!
b.
Met several monks at an Abbey
at Mt Melleray
1)
Some trying to be holy
2)
Some trying to get away from
the world – I don’t blame them
c.
I have read about many people
who have been “beatified” – made into saints.
d.
But you are looking at a real,
honest-to-God, bona-fide SAINT!
e.
Saints don’t only live in
heaven (Eph 1:1; 2:19) – they live in
f.
Sanctified means made useable
by God
g.
The moment I was born again, I
was washed, and was made useable by God!
h.
So what are you doing with
your life? Is it available to God to use and use up?
i.
I know, I know. Often we don’t
feel very clean, very useable by God, but the blood of Jesus Christ constantly
(PRESENT TENSE) cleanseth us from all sin!
j.
Are you still living like you
are a pig in a sewer, or are you living like the clean, saint that Christ made
you?
3.
Justified
a.
It means made Righteous – as
if you and I had never sinned!
b.
I couldn’t ever earn such
righteousness
c.
God had to provide
righteousness for me
d.
And provide it He did, when He
became a perfect Man and paid for all my and your sins, and offered us the
chance to be pardoned at HIS expense!
4.
95% of the world is working so
hard to
a.
Cleanse their hands and
consciences from sins and guilt
b.
Become saints and holy people
in their religion
c.
Be righteous with God
d.
And yet here we are – all done
and dusted for the person who simply looks to Jesus, and trusts in His
righteousness!
D.
I Am Owned
(1Cor 6:19,20)
1.
Like these guys on world cup
soccer teams – they are OWNED
a.
They are told when to show up
for practice, when to play, what position to play
b.
They are told what to eat,
when to sleep, and even what clothes to wear
c.
Same goes for Olympic
athletes, and boxers and
2.
I Belong to Jesus (1Peter
2:9,10) – Accepted into the beloved!
3.
It didn’t come cheap! I was
bought with a price! A very high price!
4.
I Am Debtor
a.
To no longer live like I used
to
b.
To preach the Gospel (Rom
1:14-16) – not try and hide my light
c.
I live now out of a great debt
that I owe
5.
The Christian life is SERIOUS
Stuff! We belong to Jesus now!
a.
Our hands are not free to do
as they please
b.
Our eyes are not free to watch
what we want
c.
I do things that please Him
who paid off my sin debt (John 8:29) – who freed me from the bondage of my sin
and of the devil!
d.
The reason why you continue to
do as you please, have the same old attitudes, is because you don’t have the
foggiest idea just how much in debt you were to God!
E.
I Am Loved
(Gal 2:20)
1.
The whole world is “looking
for love” Well, I found it!
2.
And by the way, it is a HIM
3.
He IS love (1John 4:7-10)
4.
Jer 31:3 has God loving us
with a love that lasts forever!
5.
Understand that God loves you
Christian, and cannot ever stop loving you
6.
Yes he may need to chasten you
(Heb 12:6) but that only proves that He loves you! If He didn’t correct you, and
humble you, He would be negligent and an absent heavenly Father!
F.
I Am Inhabited
(Gal 2:20)
1.
Wild thought! Ever notice all
the weird movies today about demons and aliens inhabiting people? Freaking
everyone out?
2.
Well, it’s true!
3.
People do get filled with all
kinds of wicked things – all angels are not good angels.
4.
Broken, contrite, hungry
hearted believers are inhabited by the Holy Spirit of God
a.
We are supposed to be FILLED
with Him
b.
Full of HIS thoughts, of HIS
words, full of HIS will
5.
I am never alone anymore. He
loves me enough to stick with me (Heb 13:5; Psalm 23:4)! He is STUCK in me –
sealed inside me is how the Bible describes it!
6.
You better remember THIS next
time you are around people you shouldn’t be with, and watching things that are
sinful, and listening to music that is wicked!
7.
If you are not full of the
Holy Spirit, you will end up being full of something else
a.
Depression
b.
Anger
c.
Wrath
d.
Lust
e.
Covetousness
f.
Jealousy
g.
And the list goes on and on!
G.
I Am Free
(Gal 5:1; John 8:32,36)
1.
From the Penalty of Sin (Rom
8:1)
2.
From the Power of Sin (2Tim
2:19) – we can walk away from sinful habits
3.
One day I will be free from
the very Presence of Sin
4.
Don’t let the devil enslave
you ever again into the bondage of: smoking, drinking, lusting, depression,
wrath, revenge, bitterness, covetousness!
5.
You have been MADE free – so
live that way!
H.
I Am Locked in a
1.
In all areas – physically,
emotionally, and spiritually
2.
The world, the flesh and the
devil won’t let me alone
3.
I cannot escape it!
a.
Oh there will be times when
there are lulls, and quiet times of rest and victory
b.
But most times, there will be
just vicious wrestling and struggles!
4.
I have to constantly cast down
imaginations – present tense
5.
I have to constantly remind
myself of God’s promises
6.
I have to constantly submit to
God so that I can resist the devil’s attacks
7.
Don’t ever forget you are in a
battle
8.
But also, don’t forget, that
one day, that battle will be over! AMEN!
I.
I Am Called
- I Have a Job to Do (2Cor 5:20)
1.
I have been gifted
2.
I am being enabled
3.
I will be rewarded based on
whether I do what God has designed for me to do (2Cor 5:10; Gal 6:7,8)
a.
Samson failed to do what God
designed him to do
b.
David succeeded because he did
God’s will for his life
4.
You and I have a great purpose
to fulfil right now!
a.
Not when you are 50 years old
b.
Not after you have had all
your fun, and are finally tired of all your sin
c.
Not when you are bored
d.
Not when you can’t do anything
else
e.
But RIGHT NOW – PRESENT TENSE
f.
A twelve year old child should
be about the Father’s business!!!
g.
An eight year old should be
king if called upon to be such as was Josiah in 2King 22
5.
Do you even know what God
saved you to be? What He designed you to accomplish with your life?
6.
It’s time to ask God and find
out what it is! And then started being it and doing it!
IV.
Conclusion
A.
God can fix your past and your
future – thank God!
B.
But He wants to work in our
present!
C.
Heb 3:7, God says, “Today, if
you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts”
D.
2Cor 6:2 says, “Now is the
accepted time! To day is the day of salvation!”
E.
Do you remember what you were
before you were born again? Lost, Ungodly, Dead in Sins, Without God, Without
Hope, Without Strength, A Child of the Devil, Doomed – Condemned
F.
THAT’S what every Christian
WAS!
G.
This morning we have looked
at What Every Born Again Believer IS! Not what we
hope to be, but what we ARE!
1.
Forgiven
2.
Possessing Eternal Life
3.
Washed, and Holy, and
Righteous
4.
Owned
5.
Loved
6.
Inhabited
7.
Locked in a
8.
Free
9.
Called
– You and I Have a Job to Do! Let’s get to it!
H.
All of that is THE way to
live!