Participants: Dwayne Lemon, Lance Wilbur
Series Code: TKS
Program Code: TKS000028A
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00:29 Hi, I'm Lance. And I'm Dwayne.
00:31 And welcome to another episode of TKS. 00:34 A True Knowledge of Self, 00:36 where we get to know ourselves from a biblical perspective. 00:40 In our last episode, 00:41 we were looking at the realities of the pillars 00:45 of the hip-hop culture. 00:47 But then we compared it 00:48 to the pillars of the Christian culture, 00:51 and we were able to see definitely 00:52 a vast difference between the two. 00:55 And we were looking at the word of God 00:57 briefly through the Book of 2 Peter Chapter 1 00:59 where it was going through those pillars point by point. 01:04 And, Lance, I think, it's important for us 01:05 to take some time through this episode 01:07 to really kind of give an understanding 01:10 of each of these elements or pillars as we would call it 01:14 of what we read in 2 Peter 1, because, again, 01:17 it's kind of like Proverbs 4:7, 01:19 you know, " Wisdom is the principal thing, 01:21 therefore get wisdom: 01:22 and with all thy getting get understanding." 01:24 It's one thing to mention something, 01:26 it's another thing to understand 01:27 what has been mentioned. 01:29 It's because of that, that we mentioned 01:31 these elements, these wonderful pillars 01:33 of what really constitutes a Christian lifestyle 01:36 which I think is really important, 01:37 so because of that, we wanted to take some time 01:40 in this episode to help our viewers 01:42 to really get a chance to understand, 01:44 you know, how do I apply these wonderful pieces 01:47 of the latter that Peter has pointed out 01:50 that ultimately leads to God Himself. 01:52 How can I make that real in my life 01:55 and in my circumstances? 01:57 So, I'm really excited man. 01:58 I love to talk about practical godliness 02:01 in light of all the events happening in our world so. 02:03 This is gonna be a study 02:04 where we're going to be focusing on that so. 02:06 You know, how can you help us 02:07 get a true understanding of these various points, 02:10 these ladders that are steps on the ladder rather that. 02:14 You know, we can walk on by faith in trusting God. 02:17 Right, so there's basically eight steps, 02:19 we looked at 2 Peter 1:4. 02:22 Well, we looked at I believe verses 2-10. 02:24 And I just want to focus on the latter aspect, 02:27 those principles, those pillars, if you will 02:29 and so I'm going to pick up reading in 2 Peter Chapter 1. 02:32 I'm just going to read verses 4 through 7. 02:34 And we're gonna walk this thing through. 02:37 It says, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great 02:40 and precious promises: 02:41 that by these ye might be partakers 02:44 of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption 02:47 that is in the world through lust." 02:49 And then it goes on to say, "And beside this, 02:52 giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, 02:56 and to virtue knowledge, And to knowledge temperance, 03:00 and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, 03:04 And to godliness brotherly kindness, 03:07 and to brotherly kindness charity." 03:10 So, these are the eight steps if you will on the ladder 03:13 and we just want to spend some time 03:15 walking through point by point, 03:17 step by step, to just say what the Bible says. 03:19 How does the Bible define these words 03:21 because we talked about in a previous episode, 03:22 the importance of defining terms. 03:24 It's one thing to say a word 03:26 and leave everybody to subjectively, 03:28 subjectively interpret that word is another thing 03:30 to allow the Bible to objectively define it so. 03:34 We're going to start right there in order so. 03:36 We're talking about faith first, what is faith? 03:38 Because faith is the first step in the ladder, in the process 03:43 and so we're just gonna look at verses 03:44 many, many places we can go here. 03:46 But, you know, we don't have too much time 03:49 so Romans Chapter 4, Romans Chapter 4 03:52 we're going to read verses 3 to 5 03:54 to look at a simplistic definition of faith. 03:56 So in Romans 4 starting on verse 3, it says, 03:59 "For what say at the scripture? 04:02 Abraham believed God, 04:04 and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 04:07 Now to him that worketh is the reward 04:10 not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 04:13 But to him that worketh not, 04:15 but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, 04:19 his faith is counted for righteousness." 04:23 So the faith is counted for righteousness, 04:26 i.e. belief is counted for righteousness, 04:30 that's why we ultimately call it righteousness by faith. 04:33 Faith is in its most simplistic form is a belief in God. 04:38 God says this and no matter the circumstances, 04:41 no matter the situation I believe it, 04:43 and I'm going to live based on that belief. 04:46 It's not just, you know, intellectual belief. 04:50 It's a belief that, that bears action, 04:53 that warrants action, 04:55 it solicits action, requires action. 04:57 And so that's why, 04:59 there's always the Bible constantly, 05:03 you know, juxtaposes the idea of faith and works, 05:06 so some people get caught up in either extreme. 05:08 So I want to look at another verse in Hebrews Chapter 11, 05:11 the Book of Hebrews and the 11 Chapter of Hebrews. 05:14 And we're going to go ahead and read from verses 6 and 7. 05:18 Hebrews 11:6, 7, it says, "But without faith 05:23 it is impossible to please him..." 05:25 He's talking about God. 05:26 "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, 05:30 and that he is a rewarder of them 05:31 that diligently seek him. 05:34 By faith Noah, 05:36 being warned of God of things not seen as yet, 05:38 moved with fear, 05:40 prepared an ark to the saving of his house, 05:42 by the which he condemned the world, 05:45 and became heir of the righteousness 05:47 which is by faith." 05:48 So, Noah believed, 05:50 he exhibited faith and the faith was exhibited 05:53 through his preparation of the ark. 05:55 The building of the ark is what made the faith genuine. 06:00 If he believed what God said and didn't build the ark, 06:04 then he wouldn't be exhibiting faith, he wouldn't have faith. 06:06 And the Bible says, 06:08 "Without faith, it's impossible to please God." 06:10 So faith is the very first step in the ladder. 06:14 And the Bible says that God has dealt 06:17 to every man a measure of faith. 06:19 That's right. 06:20 So, you know, we all, we all are capable of believing God. 06:25 He has given more than enough evidences that we can do that 06:28 and this becomes foundational. 06:30 It's one of the things I really appreciate about scripture 06:32 because when I think about the Bible, 06:34 God doesn't just tell you what to do? 06:36 God, our Father in heaven truly is a good parent 06:39 because I can remember times. 06:41 You know, it's kind of like a parent telling a child 06:43 behave yourself, behave yourself. 06:44 And the child doesn't behave himself 06:46 and the reason why is because the parent 06:47 never gave him a model. 06:49 They never said, "Here is how you behave yourself. 06:51 Here's a model of good behavior." 06:53 So, a lot of times parents can cripple their children 06:56 by telling them to do things without giving them a model 07:00 and ability to accomplish the thing 07:01 they're telling them to do. 07:03 God in verse 6 says, "Without faith, 07:05 it is impossible to please God 07:07 for he that comes to God must believe that he is. 07:09 And that he is a rewarder of them 07:10 that diligently seek him." 07:12 And God says, now let me give an example of how faith works. 07:14 Then He goes to verse 7. 07:16 "Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen as yet, 07:18 he moved with fear." 07:20 So, that's an action word. 07:21 So, God gives us not only the instruction, 07:24 but He gives us an example of how the instruction works, 07:27 and He did that through Noah. 07:29 So, this is how the Lord is teaching all of us, 07:31 so we can know practically how to demonstrate faith. 07:34 And how really does faith develop anyhow? 07:36 Because, you know, somebody may say, 07:38 okay, well, fine I need faith. 07:40 How do I develop faith? 07:42 You know, and that's a legitimate question. 07:43 Yeah, so basically if we look at a verse 07:46 that comes to mind Romans Chapter 10. 07:48 So, if we look at Roman 10, 07:51 I think it answers that question directly. 07:52 Okay. 07:54 Romans Chapter 10, we're looking at verse 17, 07:56 and Romans 10:17 it says, 07:59 "So then faith cometh by hearing, 08:02 and hearing by the word of God." 08:05 So, faith is obtained from God, 08:07 it's something that comes from God. 08:09 And it's something that can be obtained through His Word. 08:12 That's right. 08:13 In another word, spending time, 08:14 consuming His Word produces faith. 08:17 That's right. 08:18 And faith essentially is that first step in the ladder. 08:20 And this was perhaps the deceptive factor 08:22 that hit me growing up in hip-hop culture 08:24 is that I was not taught to look to the Word, 08:27 I was taught to look to myself. 08:29 And this is where people are constantly being taught 08:31 is that you don't have to look 08:32 to an organized religion or any of that. 08:34 You don't have to look to these various books 08:36 that they claim contradict themselves. 08:38 Just go ahead and consider the fact that you are God, 08:41 you can be the architect of your future. 08:43 And all the devil wants 08:45 is to keep our eyes from this word, 08:48 because as long as our eyes stay off of this Word, 08:50 it is going to be impossible to develop faith, 08:52 which means it's going to be impossible to please God. 08:55 And that is exactly what Satan wants us. 08:57 So, we have to get back to the blueprint. 08:59 We have to get back into the Word, 09:01 so that we can develop a faith, 09:03 and that faith will be settled in Christ, 09:05 and it leads to all the wonderful other privileges 09:08 that we're about to look at through the rest. 09:09 That's right, so, the next step on the ladder is virtue. 09:12 So, what is virtue? 09:14 Essentially the definition of virtue is moral purity. 09:17 That's what the word means literally, so, 09:18 that's what the word in the original language means, 09:20 that's what the English word means moral purity. 09:23 So, the Bible is talking about faith, 09:25 producing moral purity. 09:27 So, I want to look at a verse in Philippians, 09:29 Philippians 2:13, 15 Philippians 2:13, 15. 09:35 It says, "For it is God which worketh in you 09:39 both to will and to do of His good pleasure 09:43 that ye may be blameless and harmless. 09:46 The sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked 09:49 and perverse nation. 09:50 Among whom ye shine as lights in the world." 09:53 So this idea of purity being blameless, 09:56 being harmless, being pure, 09:58 morally pure is something number one 10:01 that comes from God. 10:02 But the only way I can get it essentially is by faith 10:05 according to that outline of Peter's ladder. 10:08 So, faith allows me to have access 10:10 to what God is providing. 10:12 And we've talked about righteousness, 10:14 we've talked about you know, God's commandments, 10:15 God's way, His character. 10:17 The only way that can we can truly obtain it 10:19 is through that first step of faith. 10:21 Once we believe, like we read in 1 John 1:9 it says, 10:25 "For if we confess our sins, He is faithful 10:28 and just to forgive us our sins, 10:30 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 10:33 Essentially to make us righteous, 10:34 to make us pure, 10:36 to give us virtue that is true virtue. 10:38 Virtue is not just fleeting, 10:39 it's not just what I feel like in this moment or that moment. 10:42 You know, it's interesting and we're going to talk 10:43 about this in future episodes here. 10:45 But there's a lot of social unrest going on. 10:48 There's a lot of, of feeling and there's a lot of passion 10:54 toward things that people are perceiving to be wrong. 10:57 Right. 10:59 We need to take a stand because this is wrong. 11:02 I believe some of these things are wrong. 11:06 But who tells us what's wrong or right? 11:07 Where do you get-- 11:09 Where do you get your moral compass? 11:10 If morality is relevant, right? 11:12 And morality is not biblical, 11:14 you know, there's no necessarily 11:16 the saith the Lord to dictate morality. 11:18 Then who is-- 11:20 Who are you to say or who is this group 11:22 or that group to say that this is wrong. 11:23 That's right. People say, "Oh well, this is. 11:26 Well, something has to give you the moral framework 11:29 to make a moral determination, a moral judgment. 11:32 So you can't on one hand say, I'm a moral or moral, 11:35 morality is subjective and there's no absolute truth, 11:39 but on the other hand come out 11:40 and so empathically say, this or that is wrong. 11:42 That's right. 11:43 So, you know, we are comfortable 11:46 with this as Christians, but a lot of people 11:48 have difficulty dealing with that question. 11:51 If morality is not in stone somewhere, 11:54 if morality does not come from somewhere 11:56 and kind of transcends human existence, 11:58 then how can you or whoever else 12:00 say this or that is wrong. 12:02 It just is. Right. 12:04 So, virtue, moral purity 12:06 is something that comes from God. 12:07 And we can only access it through faith. 12:10 And we read Philippians 2:13, 15. 12:14 So, when we go to the next step 12:15 and essentially this is kind of what we're talking about here. 12:18 Fundamentally, it's knowledge. 12:20 So it says, add to your faith virtue 12:23 and to virtue knowledge. 12:25 So, knowledge is something that, 12:28 you know, many people try to obtain. 12:30 Now, knowledge can't necessarily save you. 12:34 Knowing something can't necessarily save you. 12:36 It's how, what you do, 12:38 how you respond to that knowledge. 12:39 But nevertheless, a knowledge is required 12:41 in order to make an intelligent decision. 12:43 That make sense, right? 12:45 So, when we talk about knowledge... 12:48 Well, let's go ahead and look at Hosea 4:6 12:50 Okay. 12:51 Hosea, there in the Old Testament 12:53 as one of the prophets. 12:55 And Hosea 4:6 says the following. 12:59 It says, "My people are destroyed 13:04 for lack of knowledge: 13:07 Because thou hast rejected knowledge. 13:09 I will also reject thee, 13:13 that thou shall be no priest to me: 13:16 Seeing now has forgotten the law of thy God. 13:18 I will also forget thy children." 13:20 That's strong language. Yes, it is. 13:21 Very strong language, but, it is a truth. 13:24 It is a transcendent truth. 13:27 Without the knowledge 13:29 and without the knowledge means you don't have it, 13:31 not because it wasn't there. 13:33 Not because it was inaccessible, 13:34 not because you couldn't have it, 13:35 not because God withheld it. 13:37 It's because when God offered it, 13:38 you rejected it. 13:40 You didn't just rejected once, you rejected twice. 13:41 So if you look in the context, and you look at how God dealt 13:43 with His people through history, 13:45 He gave it to them thousands, millions arguably, 13:48 you know countless times. 13:50 So, knowledge is there, God is knowledge, 13:54 He embodies knowledge, and He's revealed Himself 13:57 continually in countless ways to His creation. 14:02 Our job or our responsibility is to choose 14:06 to either accept it or reject it. 14:08 And if we reject it, we will be destroyed. 14:11 That is a Bible timeless truth. 14:14 If we reject the knowledge that God is offering, 14:16 we will be destroyed. 14:17 If we accept it, we will be saved. 14:20 We will be redeemed. 14:21 We will be given everlasting life. 14:23 And there's an order to knowledge. 14:25 In other words, God is not saying 14:28 that we should just obtain knowledge in every ray 14:32 and every sphere of life, that's not the context 14:34 of what the verses are talking about. 14:36 What the context of the verses 14:37 are talking about is a knowledge of him. 14:40 It's the knowledge of Him and His will. 14:43 He is the object. Yes, right, that's right. 14:44 It's great to have knowledge 14:46 on many, many other subjects of life 14:48 because, you know, it can help us in this world. 14:50 But how much the more important 14:52 that we gain a knowledge of God. 14:54 That was his focus when he's bringing up 14:57 these verses like in 2 Peter 1, Hosea 4:6 etcetera. 15:01 And that's really, when we say true knowledge of self, 15:04 what we're really talking about is true knowledge of God. 15:07 The idea that God made us, 15:09 and He is the only one worthy of worship, 15:11 and He is the object of all our affections, 15:13 and the solution for all of our problems. 15:15 That's right. 15:16 So look at John 17:3 for example. 15:18 Because this is even more profound, 15:20 in the Gospel of John 17: 3 15:24 it says something very interesting here. 15:26 It says, "And this is life eternal, 15:29 that they might know thee the only true God, 15:33 and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." 15:35 So, the knowledge 15:37 that this is God and this is His Son. 15:41 This is the solution for all of life's problems, 15:44 essential the solution for sin. 15:47 This knowledge is eternal life. 15:51 And it's not talking about 15:52 an intellectual knowledge per se, 15:54 it's talking about an intimate knowledge. 15:56 You know, the Bible talks about Adam knowing his wife. 15:59 That's right. And then they had children. 16:02 He is talking about a level of intimacy 16:04 that exists at the highest rung of humanity. 16:07 So, God is even, has a greater level of intimacy 16:10 because He made us with His own hands, 16:12 He breathed into our nostrils the breath of life. 16:15 So, this intimacy that God has and will talk about love, 16:18 but the love that God has for us, 16:20 we can't measure it. 16:21 And I like this because this is again 16:23 another contrast that we do 16:25 unfortunately see between hip-hop culture 16:28 and Christianity, two cultures. 16:30 And one is promoting knowledge but it's the knowledge of God. 16:34 The other is knowledge of self. 16:36 You know, I mean, literally 16:37 it is understanding yourself more 16:40 and exalting yourself to the place of God versus 16:44 understanding yourself more that you are a based 16:47 and you have a true knowledge of our Creator 16:50 and what He desires for the creation 16:53 and it causes a submission unto the Lord that is, 16:55 "We live a life of not my will but Thy will be done." 16:58 Very, very contrast one to the other. 17:00 So this is why, this is an important study 17:02 that we're doing right now to really help people see, 17:04 this is what God wants. 17:06 And this is a growing in knowledge, 17:08 because can you really have faith in God 17:12 which remember faith the first step, 17:13 virtue second and then knowledge third. 17:15 We can't really have a faith in God 17:16 unless you know something about Him obviously. 17:19 So, we get to this third layer right here, 17:21 this is a growing knowledge, 17:22 this is, this is something where... 17:24 An intimate knowledge. Yeah, intimate knowledge. 17:25 In other words, the intellect can be stimulated 17:27 on the foundation, that's okay. 17:29 But it has to become intimate. 17:31 I like how 2 Thessalonians 2 talks about individuals, 17:35 who will be destroyed in the last days. 17:38 And it says, "The reason why 17:40 was because they had not the love of the truth." 17:43 Not just the knowledge of the truth, 17:45 but it says they had not the love of the truth. 17:47 So, God wants knowledge to ultimately produce a love 17:51 that brings us into a place 17:53 where we do keep His commandments. 17:54 We experience true righteousness, 17:56 and we can go home with Him, so this is why faith, 18:00 virtue, knowledge growing in an understanding of God 18:03 in Jesus Christ whom He has sent. 18:04 Yeah. Very powerful. 18:06 And so, when we take that even a step further. 18:10 Jeremiah 9:23 and 24 it says, "Thus saith the Lord, 18:16 let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 18:19 neither let the mighty man glory in his might, 18:22 let not the rich man glory in his riches. 18:25 But let him that glorieth glory in this. 18:28 That he understandeth and knoweth me 18:31 that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, 18:34 judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: 18:36 For in these things 18:37 I delight light saith at the Lord." 18:39 Amen. 18:41 I mean that completely destructs. 18:43 You know, it blows apart this idea of self. 18:47 That's right. 18:48 And there's no glory in anything 18:50 we can generate ourselves and obtain by ourselves. 18:53 The only glory is in the knowledge 18:55 that God is the one who possesses the true virtues, 18:58 the true essence, the true character, 18:59 the true righteousness and when we do this, 19:01 that's the freedom. 19:03 Powerful. 19:04 So, the next step, and the next rung 19:05 in the ladder is temperance. 19:08 Something that's not really talked about a lot, 19:10 especially in today's society. 19:11 So, we're dealing with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance. 19:17 What is temperance? 19:18 I'm just going to, you know, read another verse 19:21 to kind of show the importance of it in kind of, 19:23 I think it gives us a definition if you will 19:25 and we kind of talk more about it. 19:27 So, it says here in 1 Corinthians 9:24 to 27, 19:31 1 Corinthians 9:24 to 27, it says, "Know ye not 19:35 that they which run in a race run all, 19:38 but one receiveth the prize? 19:40 So run, that ye may obtain. 19:43 And every man that striveth for the mastery 19:46 is temperate in all things. 19:48 Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown. 19:51 But we an incorruptible, 19:53 I therefore so run not as uncertainly. 19:57 So fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 20:00 But I keep under my body, 20:02 and bring it into subjection: Less that by any means, 20:06 when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 20:10 Very deep, very profound. Absolutely. 20:12 So, Paul, here is contrasting 20:14 literally professional athletics. 20:16 You know, the Olympic Games 20:18 you know, started way back in the Greek culture. 20:20 The same culture that Paul was ministering in. 20:24 So he's taken professional athletes and he's, 20:27 he's using illustration, 20:28 he's saying look at professional athletes. 20:31 They all run a race, and they're all running to win. 20:34 Nobody's running to lose. 20:35 They're running a race 20:37 and they're willing to sacrifice everything 20:40 to achieve their goal. 20:41 And that goal is that crown, 20:42 that prize, that victory wreath. 20:44 You know, that famous, 20:46 I, you know, that, that, like we see-- 20:50 And what do they call it? 20:52 The winner's crown, the ivy wreath that goes on, 20:57 on the head and he says, "Well, how much more do we, 21:03 who are chasing and running a race 21:05 for an incorruptible crown..." 21:07 essentially eternal life salvation. 21:09 "How much more should we strive for the mastery 21:12 like the professional athlete does for his corruptible crown. 21:16 His perishable crown, we haven't imperishable crown. 21:19 So, we should be temperate in all things 21:21 just like a professional athlete is 21:23 and we can go down the list. 21:24 Some people look at these professional athletes 21:26 and say, "Oh, you know, they want to be 21:28 like LeBron James or whoever else." 21:30 And they think somehow LeBron James 21:32 is just sitting on his couch 21:34 and he goes outside and plays basketball like, 21:36 like people on the street do. 21:38 He has the highest level of science and fitness 21:42 and physiology at his disposal. 21:44 You know, therapy, physical therapy, 21:46 physician's surgery whatever he needs. 21:49 He has the best equipment, he has custom shoes. 21:51 You know, he has luxury facilities. 21:54 He has all of these things. 21:56 And a personal trainer, and a personal chef, 21:59 and a nutrition, a dietician, all that stuff to put his body 22:02 in the best possible condition to go through the taxing 22:06 that's required to get his corruptible crown. 22:09 You can't just walk off the street 22:11 and do what those guys do. 22:12 That's correct. 22:14 Nor can you try to obtain a incorruptible crown, 22:18 eternal life and salvation by just walking off the street 22:21 and calling yourself a Christian, 22:22 and throwing on it like throwing 22:23 on a basketball jersey is going to make you 22:25 an NBA basketball player, this is not going to happen. 22:28 So he says here, 22:30 and this is where the definition come in, 22:32 temperance, right? 22:33 He says in, you know, 22:35 in the closing part of the passage. 22:37 "But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection." 22:42 That's right. 22:43 So, temperance is really the idea of abstinence 22:47 from everything that's going to harm me. 22:49 Just like a professional athlete, 22:50 you know, is not going to do certain things 22:52 and when he is training 22:53 because it's going to give him negative results. 22:55 So, if he wants the best results, 22:57 he needs to abstain from anything 22:58 that's going to harm him. 23:00 And then, moderation in all things that are good. 23:04 It's not moderation in everything, right? 23:06 As I always used to say sometimes that, 23:08 you know, we know things that are bad. 23:10 You know, and for example 23:11 we would never give somebody counsel 23:13 and say, "Oh, it's okay to smoke crack in moderation." 23:15 That would be absurd, and ridiculous to most people. 23:17 That's something that's harmful. 23:19 As a society we've agreed that crack is bad. 23:22 So, we would never say, "It's okay in moderation." 23:24 But yet other things that are more socially acceptable 23:26 like drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, 23:29 you know, and other harmful substances that people... 23:31 Now smoking marijuana. 23:32 Yeah, people consume on the regular basis. 23:34 We say, "Oh, that's okay in moderation." 23:36 Right. You know, just don't do it. 23:38 If it's bad it's not good in moderation. 23:40 It should be, we should abstain 23:42 but if it's good, 23:44 moderation in those things that are good, 23:45 so that's really what temperance is. 23:47 So, it's not Paul is striving 23:49 not like one that's training for a boxing match 23:52 as one that beat at the air. 23:53 But as one that is striving for incorruptible crown, 23:56 that's what temperance is. 23:58 So, when it talks about this idea of faith, virtue, 24:01 knowledge and now temperance 24:02 we see something that's really jelling everything together. 24:05 Now, the reason why this is important 24:06 is because, it kind of brings us back to a point 24:09 we established earlier. 24:10 When we were talking about righteousness by faith, 24:12 we were talking about something God can do for us 24:14 that we cannot do for ourselves. 24:16 That's right. 24:17 And we talked about God's ability 24:19 not only to pardon but to empower. 24:21 This is a great point, 24:22 great time to make this point 24:24 because, temperance is something we need. 24:27 The Bible says, "Tempered in all things." 24:29 So that means, in your physical activities, 24:31 that means in your sleeping, that means in your working, 24:35 in your playing, in all of the different areas of life, 24:38 God wants us to have a self-control. 24:40 Yet, a lot of people try to do that. 24:43 Have success in certain places, but then they fail in others. 24:46 But yet the Bible says, "All things." 24:48 So how do we jell this? The way we do it is simple. 24:52 The Bible says, in Galatians 5:22 and 23. 24:56 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 24:58 joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 25:01 meekness and temperance against such there is no law. 25:05 An individual cannot have total control over themselves 25:10 void of the Spirit of God." 25:12 It is impossible. 25:13 So, we need the spirit of Christ, 25:14 to come within our hearts to enable us 25:17 to live this incredibly controlled life 25:20 in all the areas and dynamics of life. 25:22 This is why I get so notice, 25:24 Temperance is literally pulling us out of ourselves. 25:27 It's calling us out of self, and saying come to God, 25:30 because there's no way you can have this outside of God. 25:33 So this is a liberating and not oppressive. 25:36 And opposite of what we would normally think. 25:38 That's correct. 25:39 We think well, if I got to give all of my rights 25:41 essentially over to someone else. 25:44 I have to completely relinquish my ability to dictate, 25:51 what I'm going to do with my life, 25:52 how I'm going to think, 25:53 how I'm going to do this and that? 25:55 I'm going to be totally dependent on another 25:57 and there's not another person. 25:58 There's not a government, this is not whatever, 26:00 this is on the creator of the universe. 26:03 I got to be completely dependent 26:04 and by doing that I actually achieve freedom and liberty, 26:09 that is something 26:10 that is contrary to all worldly thinking. 26:12 And it is contrary directly even to the principles 26:15 contained in hip-hop culture. 26:17 And this is why God wants to open our eyes, 26:19 to help us see the realities. 26:21 Again, as we stated before it's not that what God wants 26:25 cannot be accomplished. 26:27 This is typically what makes people give up. 26:29 This is what makes them say, "Forget this stuff doesn't work 26:31 you know, I'm just going to try something else." 26:33 It's because, it's not that God's counsel was wrong. 26:37 It was how many of us have approached it. 26:39 God wants us to understand of course, 26:41 anything I tell you to do. 26:42 I read in a little book called, "Christ Object Lessons, 26:44 page 333, which tells us clear as day. 26:47 "All God's biddings are enablings." 26:50 Whatever the Lord calls us to do, He not only bids us, 26:54 He says, "I will enable you to do everything 26:57 that I've called you to do." 26:58 It's for this reason that the Lord wants us 27:00 to start understanding, 27:02 that you cannot do anything without me. 27:06 Not what I'm calling you to do. 27:07 You can do things in life, 27:09 but you can't do anything without me, 27:10 anything that I've called you to do. 27:11 But with me, you can do all things through Christ, 27:15 who will be your strength. 27:16 And so there's a, there's eight steps in the ladder. 27:19 We went through half of them. 27:20 I think is a good place to pause, 27:22 and we're going to have to continue 27:23 in another episode to walk through 27:24 the final steps in Peter's ladder. 27:26 Okay, great. 27:28 Well, friends, again we've have been 27:30 very, very blessed. 27:31 The Lord is helping us to get a true understanding of Him, 27:35 a true knowledge of self. 27:37 And this is all true education. 27:39 And it's a blessing and I'm grateful for the things 27:41 that we're studying right now, 27:43 about how to practically walk up this little ladder 27:46 that we are seeing through the writings 27:48 of the Apostle Peter. 27:49 And I pray that you will just continue to seek God, ask Him. 27:53 Lord, help me to live out these truths in my life 27:56 and tell a friend and encourage others. 27:58 And I believe you will be tremendously blessed. 28:01 Again, thank you for joining us 28:02 and we know that the words of Christ are true 28:05 when he says in Proverbs 2:6. 28:07 "That it is the Lord that gives wisdom 28:09 and out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding." |
Revised 2016-03-28