S1: Our struggle is greater with God than it is with
S1: the devil. Why? Because it's a lot easier to give
S1: into temptation than to resist it. But our biggest problem
S1: is not with the devil, and it's not with God.
S1: My biggest problem is with myself.
S2: Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford,
S2: junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us today as we're
S2: beginning a message called The Inner Me enemy and Pastor.
S2: As you point out, our struggle with God is greater
S2: than it is with the devil. But you said our
S2: greatest struggle is actually with ourselves. What do you mean
S2: by that?
S1: Well, I mean, usually I am my own worst enemy.
S2: Okay?
S1: Because, you know, when I got saved, I became a
S1: new creature in Christ, but wasn't perfect. The sin nature
S1: still resides in me. Sure, it's like the old story
S1: about the Indian was asked. He was a believer and asked, well,
S1: who wins the spirit or the flesh? His answer was
S1: whichever one you feed the most. Right, you see. And
S1: so what happens? You know, it's it's if I feed
S1: my flesh, it's going to be hard to overcome it.
S1: It's an enemy. And I like to say it this way.
S1: The enemy. Enemy, you know. Right. And I am. I'm
S1: my worst enemy.
S2: And I think many of us can relate to that
S2: or understand that. We know that deep down, what's inside
S2: of us is pretty dark. But there may be some
S2: listening today who would say, you know what? Actually, I
S2: kind of like who I am, and I don't see
S2: the problem with me. I get that we live in
S2: a very messed up world, and there are some evil
S2: people out there. But how can I be my own
S2: worst enemy? I'm a good person.
S1: Well, it takes more than just being a good person, Steve.
S1: It takes the working of God in the life of
S1: a believer in order to fulfill his goal. See, here's
S1: the thing. If your goal is just to be a
S1: good person, then you're missing the mark because that's not
S1: God's goal. His goal is to conform us into the
S1: image of Jesus Christ. That's a greater goal. And let
S1: me tell you something, Steve. I know I look good,
S1: but I don't look anything like Jesus Christ. I'm telling you, Amen.
S1: And I'm talking about in terms of lifestyle and all
S1: the other things as well. I've been walking this Christian
S1: walk a long time, and there's been a whole lot
S1: of things that God has given me the power to
S1: overcome in my life, but yet, um, ever matriculating but
S1: never graduating. I won't be transformed totally until I'm in
S1: that grave in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
S2: And I think for some people, it's actually kind of
S2: encouraging to hear you say that the fact that this
S2: is a life long struggle that we're engaged in. Uh,
S2: I know there may be some who have had this
S2: misconception that I became a Christian. Life gets easy. I'm
S2: not going to sin or I'm hardly going to sin.
S2: And that is not the way it is.
S1: It is not. And all you have to do is
S1: read Romans six, seven and eight. The second greatest Christian
S1: who ever lived said, when I would do good, evil
S1: was always present with me. And the good I would
S1: do that I do not. And the evil I don't
S1: want to do, that's what I'm doing. Paul said that?
S2: Yeah. Yeah. Well, we're going to be, uh, not in
S2: a book that Paul wrote today, but James, we're in
S2: James chapter one. So join us there as we begin
S2: a message called the Inner Me enemy. Here is Pastor Ford.
S1: The greatest struggle that we have is not with the devil.
S1: I don't know about you, but I have a bigger
S1: struggle with God. You say, wait a minute, wait a minute.
S1: What do you mean? You have a bigger struggle with
S1: God than you do the devil? Well, because it's easier
S1: to sin than to surrender. See, the devil wants me
S1: to sin, and God wants me to surrender. I guess
S1: I'm all by myself when I say it's easier to
S1: sin than to surrender. And so you know, if you
S1: can't say amen, say ouch. It's easier to live for
S1: self than to live for the Savior. It's easier to
S1: live for self than to die to self. I'm trying
S1: to set this thing up so you'll see I have
S1: a bigger problem with God than I do with the devil,
S1: because of what God demands of me in terms of
S1: my commitment to him and what and how I should
S1: be living. So God says, turn the other cheek. Satan says, yeah,
S1: turn theirs. God says, the first shall be last, and
S1: the last shall be first. And Satan says, the first
S1: shall be last, and the last shall get the leftovers.
S1: You better be first. God says. Pay now, enjoy. Later.
S1: The devil says, live now, pay later. So our struggle
S1: is greater with God than it is with the devil. Why?
S1: Because it's a lot easier to give in to temptation
S1: than to resist it. But our biggest problem is not
S1: with the devil, and it's not with God. My biggest
S1: problem is with myself. Go ahead, Pastor Ford. Tell the truth.
S1: The enemy in me. Now, I share this with you
S1: once before. I don't remember when. I don't remember where,
S1: but I remember sharing with you about my son Nate
S1: and him watching me shaving. And let me tell you,
S1: like Paul Harvey, the rest of the story, he was
S1: watching me shaving and I said, oh no. Mhm. I said,
S1: you're not old enough. You don't have anything. Don't mess
S1: with this. Oh. He started. Okay, dad. Next morning, I
S1: get them up for school. This boy doesn't shave. I said,
S1: didn't I tell you? You don't mess with my razor.
S1: I mess with your razor. Yes. You did. No I didn't.
S1: I said, yes, you did. And I'm whooping your behind.
S1: And I'm giving you a whooping twice. Once for lying
S1: to me, once for disobeying me. And so I spanked
S1: his behind. He kept crying. Dad, how do you know
S1: I use your shaver? I don't have no hair on
S1: my face. You shave your eyebrows off. He shaved his
S1: eyebrows off and said he found hair. He found some hair.
S1: And here's what he told me. Here's the rest of
S1: the story. I'll never forget it. I said see you.
S1: You got what you deserve. Yeah. And here's what he said.
S1: Quote I told me not to do it, but I
S1: didn't listen to me. That's powerful stuff. That's profound. That's me. Okay.
S1: I'm just speaking for myself. That's me. Yeah. I tell myself, man,
S1: you know, don't succumb to this. And then all of
S1: a sudden, you're doing it anyway. And so what happens
S1: in James and in chapter one one through 12, he's
S1: talking about temptation as a noun. Now in 13 through 18,
S1: he's talking about temptation as a verb. Everybody still with me?
S1: So in one through 12 he's talking about temptation as
S1: a problem. But now he's going to show you that
S1: temptation is not just a problem. Temptation is a passion.
S1: Help me somebody. So it's like, what is an affair?
S1: An addiction to a person. That's what it is. And
S1: so it's a passion. Uh, so here's what James wants
S1: us to understand. Don't let the stuff on the outside
S1: get into your inside. So remember, you can't help what
S1: you see, but you control what you look at. You
S1: can't control what you hear, but you control what you
S1: listen to. And so he's going to talk to us,
S1: and he's going to give us the digression of our sin.
S1: He's going to talk about, uh, the inception of sin,
S1: the reception of sin, the deception of sin, and the
S1: conception of sin. Let me say it again. James is
S1: going to talk about the inception of sin, the reception
S1: of sin, the deception of sin, and the conception of sin.
S1: So he begins by talking about the inception of the
S1: sin of the flesh. Verse 13, let no man say,
S1: when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For
S1: God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.
S1: He says, don't blame God. Now, now here's the contrast.
S1: Remember we studied this, uh, last year, uh, sometime James,
S1: a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ
S1: to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. Greeting. So
S1: we said that the word scattered was diaspora or diaspora.
S1: It literally means seed sown, that wherever you are and
S1: whatever you're going through, remember that God strategically placed you.
S1: It's a word picture, uh, that talks about a farmer
S1: who has pulled up all the weeds and, and and
S1: broke up the fallow ground and watered it to receive
S1: the seed and then put the seed in. He did
S1: everything carefully. That's the picture that he gives us. Whatever
S1: you came in here going through, God wants you to
S1: know it's either God authorized or God allowed. So now
S1: why now? You tell us. Then, as we're going through this,
S1: God either authorized it or allowed it. Why are you
S1: telling us now that God does not test us or
S1: tempt us to do evil? Because he wants you to
S1: understand that even though God may be source, he's not agent.
S1: So let's take job, for example. Uh, job went through it.
S1: God didn't put him through it. The devil put him
S1: through it. And so he's the agent, even though God
S1: is the source because God allowed it. The devil cannot
S1: do anything to us unless Yahweh God allows it. So
S1: in other words, he's saying it's in the middle voice,
S1: which means stop an action already going on. Stop blaming God.
S1: There's nothing in God to receive sin. There's nothing in
S1: God to sin. To sin. God his chief Characteristic. According
S1: to Isaiah, is what his holiness he didn't say loving, loving, loving.
S1: They didn't say, even though he is. They didn't say voracious, voracious, voracious,
S1: even though he is. They didn't say immutable, immutable, immutable
S1: even though he is. They said, Holy, holy, holy, Lord
S1: God Almighty, who is, who, art and who is to come.
S1: And so the holiness of God. John chapter 14, verse 30.
S1: Jesus talks about his own impeccability just a $50 theological
S1: term that we learned in seminary. And since I paid
S1: the money, I gotta drop it on you. In the
S1: doctrine of Empacar teaches that Jesus could not have sinned. Why?
S1: Because he did not have a sin nature. And so
S1: he circumvented the sin nature because he was born of
S1: the Virgin, his humanity from Mary, his deity, from the
S1: Holy Spirit, and so he does not have sin. First
S1: Peter 222. Hebrews 415.
S2: That's some great stuff, isn't it? And we're going to
S2: get back to this teaching in just one moment. Our
S2: message is called the enemy. Enemy. And maybe something you've
S2: heard on a broadcast raises a question. We can always
S2: ask your question of Pastor Ford. Simply come to our website, npr.org.
S2: Click on the contact link, give us your feedback or
S2: ask that question. Who knows? That might be answered on
S2: a future broadcast. And if you ever want to hear
S2: Pastor Ford speak live and you're in the Chicago area,
S2: you can get all the info you need by coming
S2: to our website and clicking on the about link. Again,
S2: our website address is treasure. Truth, Radio.com. Again, here's Pastor Ford.
S1: So here's what James is saying. Don't blame God. Don't
S1: blame the devil. It's you. It's me. Look at your
S1: neighbor and say it's you. That's right. Even though it's
S1: Bible study, it's you. As a matter of fact. Romans
S1: chapter one. Remember we talked about it before I was
S1: interviewed by, uh, the Christian brother who's, uh, on, uh,
S1: on ABC news, and he came in the sanctuary. They
S1: set it up and they set up over there, and
S1: they said, we want you to walk in like you're
S1: getting ready. So I had to go all the way
S1: over here, walk in, walk up to the pulpit, walk down. And, uh,
S1: they asked me what I thought about the Supreme Court decision, uh,
S1: about marriage. And and that's what I dropped on him.
S1: Romans chapter one. So I'm not surprised. We're living in
S1: the last days. It's part of what uh, Paul said
S1: to Timothy is going to be happen. And and then
S1: he said, so. So how do you think it came about?
S1: I said, I'm so glad you asked me. It's Romans
S1: chapter one. Here's what Romans chapter one says. First, sin
S1: is tolerated, then sin is moderated, then sin is abdicated,
S1: then sin is mandated, then sin is legislated, then sin
S1: is celebrated. And that's what happens. And so what happens.
S1: He talks about the inception. Now we know what we do.
S1: Come on I just told you what are the three
S1: things Adam did with his sin. Come on, holler it
S1: out real quick. He tried to hide it, cover it
S1: and blame. Those are three things that we do. But
S1: here's what James is trying to get us to see. Uh,
S1: Satan can tempt us, but he can't make us sin.
S1: I mean, you know, uh, those of us who dealt
S1: with drugs and all that kind of stuff say we
S1: got to get these drug pushers. What? The drug pusher
S1: didn't make you buy it, and the drug pusher didn't
S1: make you use it. So a drug pusher is like
S1: the devil. The devil comes to you and he tempts you,
S1: but the desire for it has to come from you. Remember,
S1: you need two things to sin. That's desire and opportunity.
S1: And so you have sisters who? And I'm just picking
S1: on sisters. But, you know, uh, it's one I'm thinking
S1: about because she came to me and she said, boy,
S1: I can't wait till this testimony. What testimony? That he
S1: kind of stepped at me. I said, speak to the hand.
S1: My soul don't understand. I already have a man. His
S1: name is Jesus. And I said, were you telling me
S1: about somebody you didn't want? You come back and share
S1: that testimony when it's somebody you want it. When he
S1: got everything that you wanted in a man but he
S1: ain't saved, then come back and tell me, I told him,
S1: speak to the hand. And so what does the devil do?
S1: Listen to this. This. This is the theology of temptation.
S1: Here it is. First thing he does, he calls our
S1: attention to sin. We see it. Secondly, then he causes
S1: our attraction to sin. Well, let me go back. Let
S1: me back up. Let me. Let me show you something.
S1: He calls our attention to sin. That's through the eyes.
S1: We see it. Then he causes our attraction to sin.
S1: That's in the mind. We sense it because. Listen, before
S1: you ever did it, you thought it. You better. You
S1: better help me. Yeah, yeah. Now, now, sometimes we men
S1: don't think about things. You know, if a man get
S1: into something, he ain't thought about it. We we just.
S1: We just stupid. We just, you know, we like the
S1: governor who who had a girlfriend and text her when
S1: his phone was linked to his wife. iPad. That's how.
S1: That's how she found out he was cheating. His phone
S1: was synced to her iPad. So he thought he was
S1: texting his girlfriend, and he was texting his wife. Man,
S1: we men are stupid. But I guarantee you, if a
S1: woman does it. She done thought that thing out. Jack. Okay.
S1: And so he calls our attention to send the eyes.
S1: We see it. He causes our attraction to send the mind.
S1: We sense it, then he causes our affection for it.
S1: That's our emotions. We settle for it. Then he corrupts
S1: our ambition in sin. That's our volition, our will. We
S1: serve it. So Romans Paul said in Romans chapter seven,
S1: verse 14 and following he said, hey, this is Paul.
S1: You know Paul who wrote half the New Testament. You
S1: know Paul who met Jesus personally on the Damascus Road,
S1: you know, Paul the apostle that was born out of
S1: you know, Paul, the one who founded churches all over
S1: the known, you know, Paul the great theologian, the deep
S1: brother that even Peter said his scriptures are hard to comprehend,
S1: that Paul, he said, when I would do good, evil
S1: is always present with me, so that the good I
S1: would do, I do not. And the evil I don't
S1: want to do. That's what I do. It's like the
S1: little boy who is standing in front of a fruit stand,
S1: and he's just staring and staring at them. Big red
S1: Washington apples. Shiny, bright owner came out and said, young man,
S1: are you trying to steal one of my apples? He said, no, sir,
S1: I'm trying not to. And that's us. There are things.
S1: And you say, oh, that's not me. Well, well, the
S1: thing that tempts you ain't came along yet. That's what
S1: it is. But keep on living. It's coming. Yeah. It's coming. Jack.
S1: And so inherent in this statement is what we call
S1: original sin. We're born with a proclivity to sin. Psalm
S1: 51 five. So it's not external circumstances. It's internal desires.
S1: It always has to be an internal desire. Why? Because
S1: it's our own lusts. It's closed now, but on 71st
S1: Street there used to be a bakery. And my mama,
S1: my mama made some cold blooded bread pudding. It was
S1: one of my favorites. Now, some people don't even know
S1: how to make bread pudding. They say, I know how to.
S1: I say, what do you start with? They say bread.
S1: I said, what kind of bread? Bread. Bread? No. The
S1: best bread pudding starts with moldy bread. If you don't
S1: make it with moldy bread, you don't know what you're doing.
S1: I don't care what you say. Mama made it with
S1: moldy bread, boy, knock your socks off. And so there
S1: was a bakery on 71st, and I used to go
S1: up there and buffet my body, and he said, hey,
S1: why don't you try some of my bread pudding? I said, no,
S1: because nobody makes bread pudding like my mama. He said,
S1: I tell you what, I'm gonna give you two pieces free.
S1: He gave me two pieces free, along with my dozen
S1: doughnuts that I was taking back to all my family.
S1: I said, let me taste this. I knew as soon
S1: as I tasted it. I went back in, you know,
S1: I got on my car. I went back in because I,
S1: you know, you know, you never get them home before
S1: you start eating them. I said, you made this with
S1: moldy bread. He said, there's no other way to make bread.
S1: But I said.
S3: Man, man.
S1: I told him, I said, you know what? I used
S1: to push drugs, and you just did to me what
S1: I would do to everybody else if I had somebody
S1: who never got high before they first high was free,
S1: because I knew that once they had what I had,
S1: they be coming back. I told them, I know what
S1: you trying to do. You trying to get me up
S1: here at 3:00 in the morning saying where the bread
S1: pudding dog. Where the bread pudding man you know. But
S1: that's it. That's it. Remember the old Chinese proverbs? First
S1: the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink.
S1: Then the drink takes the man. That's us. So whatever
S1: it is, your proclivity. Because everybody la dee da dee
S1: and everybody in here has some proclivity to some sin.
S1: Look at it. Looking all innocent like not me. Mhm.
S1: You're a halo. Going to become your new sun. I
S1: told you that plenty of times. But it's our own lust. Man,
S1: one of the things I hate to hear is he
S1: made me hit him. Oh, yeah, she made me hit her.
S1: He made me hit her. What? Nobody makes you do anything.
S1: You do it yourself. You did it. You did it.
S1: So the inception of sin comes from our flesh and
S1: my flesh. There's no good thing. And remember, when it
S1: comes to salvation, Jesus Christ is God in the flesh,
S1: who died, was buried, and rose again the third day.
S1: As a matter of fact, uh, when we look at
S1: the resurrection, it is the capstone of Christianity, and we
S1: know that. And so you say, what's going on here?
S1: He says. The inception of it has to do with
S1: our own lust.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth and the beginning of a
S2: series called The Inner Me. Enemy, really? A look at
S2: James chapter one in today's broadcast. And this is going
S2: to be a powerful series about the battle against sin.
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