S1: See. Don't forget these things. Don't forget about the goodness
S1: of God. Don't forget about the glory of God. Don't
S1: forget about the grace of God. Because if we do,
S1: it leads us to our sinful tendency.
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 as we continue
S2: our message, the inner me enemy and pastor, because we
S2: do have the sin nature, uh, because the flesh does
S2: have this tendency to want to sin. As you so
S2: rightly point out, we need to be reminding ourselves daily
S2: of the gospel. In fact, uh, there's a phrase I
S2: picked up a number of years ago. I thought it
S2: was so helpful. I need to be preaching the gospel
S2: to myself each and every day.
S1: Amen. You certainly do. Well, I mean, when you think
S1: about it, uh, if I have a glass and the
S1: glass is supposed to be empty, but it's really not
S1: because it has air in it. Yeah. Now, my question
S1: to you, Steve, would be how do I get rid
S1: of the air that's in that glass?
S2: You got to put something else in that glass.
S1: I've got to put something else in that glass, and
S1: I'll get rid of the air in direct proportion to
S1: the glass. In other words, if I fill it half
S1: full of water, then I've got water and air. Yeah.
S1: And the more water I put in it, the less
S1: air I'm going to have. And so that's it. You know,
S1: there can't be this coexistence. So when you have the
S1: glory of God and you have the grace of God
S1: and the goodness of God, your glass is filled. Yeah.
S1: There's no room for the flesh, you see. And that's
S1: why Paul said in the book of Galatians, walk in
S1: the spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of
S1: the flesh. So it's like oil and water. They will
S1: not mix. And so that's why I've got to continue
S1: on a daily basis, as you often say, uh, filling
S1: myself with God's Word, uh, filling my room or my
S1: prayer closet with prayer and filling my life with positive
S1: ministry and allowing, uh, individuals who have a good impact
S1: on me, uh, in my life. Because I say it
S1: all the time. You know, if you see a preacher
S1: and a drunk together, you know something? If they're together
S1: all the time, you either know that the drunk is
S1: a preacher or the preacher is a drunk, you see.
S1: And so, first Corinthians 1533, evil companions corrupt good morals.
S1: And so, even with the people that we hang with,
S1: you know, even that fills our life with positive things.
S1: So if you're listening today, how many positive things are
S1: you filling your life with so that as you fill
S1: your life with those good things, the flesh becomes less
S1: of an impact and an influence over you?
S2: Yeah. And one of the other things that I found
S2: so helpful was to realize that if I am struggling
S2: to get rid of the thing, the sin in my life,
S2: it's because I like that sin in some way. We
S2: talked about that in a previous broadcast, and the way
S2: that has been so useful and helpful for me is
S2: to realize that Thomas Chalmers, uh, old pastor, preached a
S2: message called the Expulsive power of a New Affection. The
S2: more you fall in love with Jesus, the more time
S2: you spend with him, the more repulsive that sin is
S2: going to be. You're going to replace that love of
S2: sin with the love of Christ. And so to to
S2: spend time with him and to fall more deeply in
S2: love with him, You're going to be able to say
S2: no to that soon.
S1: Oh, yeah. Amen.
S2: Well, let's, uh, get to James chapter one. As we
S2: continue our message, the inner me enemy here is Pastor Ford.
S1: Don't forget about the goodness of God. Don't forget about
S1: the glory of God. Don't forget about the grace of God.
S1: Because if we do, it leads us to our sinful tendencies.
S1: So I share with you the passages. We didn't go
S1: over em, but Israel was our example. He kept telling Israel,
S1: when you go in the land, don't forget you're living
S1: in houses that you didn't build. Don't forget that you're
S1: eating from fruit trees that you didn't plant. Don't forget
S1: that everything you have I gave you even the victory.
S1: The battle was mine. And so what does it mean
S1: when I allow my sinful proclivities to lead me to sin?
S1: I have forgotten these three things. I've forgotten the goodness
S1: of God. I've forgotten the glory of God, and I've
S1: forgotten the grace of God. And so here now, Secondly,
S1: not just in his creation, but in his character. What's
S1: he talking about? Immutability. That God is not only incandescent
S1: in his character, he is immutable in his character. What
S1: does it mean? Malachi 36I am Yahweh, I change not.
S1: He doesn't change. Now what ought that to do? See,
S1: you got to connect stuff. If he's talking about sinful
S1: tendencies and he's saying, listen, all you got to do
S1: is you got to focus on the goodness, the glory
S1: and the grace of God. And then he says, God's immutable.
S1: He doesn't change. You can have confidence that no matter
S1: what you're going through, no matter what is drawing you
S1: to it, you can depend upon the goodness, the glory,
S1: and the grace of God. He's never going to let
S1: you down. Okay, let me jump back to chapter one
S1: real quick. Watch this. When he's talking about trials. Now
S1: remember now we switch right. One through 12 talks about
S1: trials on the outside 13 through 18 trials on the inside.
S1: So then one through 12 is talking about circumstances 13
S1: through 18. He's talking about cravings. You know when you
S1: are wanting and wanting and wanting and want. Now watch this.
S1: He's talking about trials and tribulations. My brother in law joy,
S1: when you fall into divers temptation, knowing this, that the
S1: trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have
S1: her perfect work, that you may be complete and entire,
S1: lacking nothing. What are trials to do? Teach us, teach us?
S1: What else? Train us? What else? Take us to maturity.
S1: On and on it goes. Then he says in verse five,
S1: if any man, woman, boy or girl is anthropos any man, woman, boy,
S1: a girl lack wisdom, let him ask of God who
S1: gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not. I know
S1: that's King James. Anybody have NIV anybody have NIV? Nearly
S1: inspired version. Anybody got that version? No. No. Okay. All right.
S1: Check this out. Here's what it means. That God is
S1: not going to say I'm not giving you any more
S1: wisdom because you didn't use the wisdom that I gave
S1: you before. Now that shouts me. I got goosebumps because
S1: there's a lot of things that God has granted to me,
S1: gifted to me, grace to me, glory to me. And
S1: I didn't take advantage of it. Yet I can still
S1: go to him and say, you know what? I need
S1: wisdom in this situation. And he's not going to say,
S1: I'm not giving you wisdom because you didn't use the
S1: wisdom I gave you the last time. That's what he's
S1: trying to get us to see. When he says that
S1: he does not change that God. God does not change.
S1: There's no shadow of turning with him. And so he
S1: uses it. He uses the sun because the sun doesn't change.
S1: And since he cannot change, we should never doubt his love.
S1: So verse 16, let me say it again. Look ahead
S1: and see the judgment of sin. Verse 17 look around
S1: and see how good God's been. Now verse 18, look
S1: inside and see how you've been born from above and
S1: possess the divine nature. So here it is. Here's the
S1: last one. He says, the third aspect of God is
S1: not just the gifts of God, the glory of God.
S1: He says in verse 18, the grace of God. I
S1: like the way he does it. So remember he said,
S1: look ahead, see the conclusion. Remember, a A temptation is
S1: an opportunity to do a good thing in a bad way.
S1: It's the devil's perversion of God's good. He's not original.
S1: He can only pervert what God has created because he
S1: can't create anything. So God said. Sex within marriage is good.
S1: And the devil said had premarital and extramarital. Enjoy yourself
S1: outside of the will of God. Food is good. But
S1: he says, no, don't. Don't buffet your body. Buffet your body. Yeah,
S1: sleep is good. But he says, yeah, be lazy, sleep
S1: all day. So on and on. Money is good. He
S1: says love it. So he perverts what God has done.
S1: But notice what he says. Now here it is. I
S1: gotta drop these real quick. Notice in verse 18 of
S1: his own will begot he us. That is God's plan. Notice.
S1: with the word of truth. That's God's power, that we
S1: should be a kind of firstfruits of his creature. That's
S1: God's purpose. Grace has a plan. Grace has a power.
S1: Grace has a purpose. Everybody still with me? So? So
S1: here's what you have. It's emphatic. It literally in the Greek. Uh,
S1: his own will is first his and his alone. That's grace.
S1: First Corinthians 1510 Paul said three times. It was the
S1: grace of God. It was the grace of God. It
S1: was the grace of God. So if you look at
S1: all three of them in first Corinthians 1510, let me
S1: just read it in first Corinthians 1510. I want to
S1: take time to do it because I want to I
S1: want to wrap this up right. First Corinthians 1510. Here's
S1: what Paul says. Paul says, but by the grace of God,
S1: I am what I am, and his grace which was
S1: bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored
S1: more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the
S1: grace of God which was with me. Now get this.
S1: The first grace is the grace that saves me. The
S1: second grace is the grace that shapes me. And the
S1: third grace is the grace that strengthens me. So then
S1: the first grace is for pardon. The second grace is
S1: for production. And the third grace is for power, so
S1: that it is the grace of God that is first
S1: of all in me. It converts me. That's my salvation.
S1: It's the grace of God. Secondly, that's on me. It
S1: conforms me. That's my sanctification, and it's the grace of
S1: God through me that conveys my service for him. He
S1: wants us to understand that it was God's plan to
S1: save us by his grace.
S2: And what a plan that is. You're listening to Treasure
S2: Truth with Pastor Ford, but maybe as you've been listening,
S2: you realize that that's not true of you. You've never
S2: been saved like Pastor Ford is talking about. But you'd
S2: like to know more about that. Or maybe you're even
S2: ready to begin a relationship with Jesus today. There's a
S2: toll free number you can call, and someone is ready
S2: to talk with you, or pray with you, or answer
S2: questions you may have about experiencing God's grace. That number
S2: is one 888. Need him again. That's one 888 need him.
S2: Back to the message. Once again, here is Pastor Ford.
S1: And so that Grace then is what? That grace is universal.
S1: It doesn't matter who you are. That grace is unconditional.
S1: It doesn't matter what you've done. That the grace is unlimited.
S1: It's the kindness of God that that grace is ubiquitous.
S1: It doesn't matter where you are. So grace then, here
S1: is universal. It's unconditional. It's unlimited. It's ubiquitous. Everything we
S1: do is by grace. So we are sought by grace.
S1: Titus 211 through 13. We're saved by grace. Ephesians two
S1: eight and nine, where sons and daughters, by grace. Ephesians
S1: one three. We're summoned by grace. Galatians 115. We're shaped
S1: by grace. First Corinthians 15 nine and ten. We're sanctified
S1: by grace. Romans 520. We're spiritually gifted by grace. Ephesians 411.
S1: We're supplied by grace. Second Corinthians 12 nine. Our speech
S1: is by grace. Colossians four six. We're stimulated in our
S1: growth by grace. Hebrews 1319. We are serving by grace.
S1: Second Peter 318. We're stabilized by grace. Hebrews 1317 and
S1: we're sustained by grace. Hebrews 416. Let us then come
S1: boldly to the throne of grace, that we may be
S1: able to find mercy and grace to help us in
S1: time of need. Wow. Come boldly. I wish I could
S1: talk about grace, but all I can say is amazing grace.
S1: How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me.
S1: I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind.
S1: But now I see. And grace will always be my
S1: song of praise. For it was grace that brought my liberty. Mm.
S1: And so we did it. You heard this before? Of
S1: his own will. His plan in eternity. He planned it
S1: in the Old Testament. He promised it in the Gospels.
S1: He paid for it in the epistles. He proclaimed it
S1: in Hebrews. He's processing it the day you believe he
S1: provided it. And in revelation he will perfect it. Mm. Well,
S1: what's your point? Two men live in me, an old
S1: man and a new man. When temptation knocks at the door,
S1: somebody has the answer. Send Jesus to the door. Then
S1: his power begotten by the word. What does that mean?
S1: Why do you say power? Why do you say precept?
S1: Because he's talking about power. What was it that begot
S1: us into our common. It was the word. That's what
S1: it was. Just. Just write these down first. Peter chapter 123.
S1: First Peter chapter 123 or 22 through chapter two, verse two.
S1: Let me just give you the bottom line. Here's what
S1: verse 22 says. It's the word that informs you. Verse
S1: 23 says, it's the word that transformed you. It says
S1: in verse one, it's the word that reforms you. In
S1: verse two says, it's the word that conforms you. And
S1: so the Word of God informs, transforms, reforms, and conforms
S1: because the Bible that's falling apart. D.L. Moody said, is
S1: usually owned by a Christian who is not. Mm. And
S1: so the Bible will keep you from sin, or sin
S1: will keep you from the Bible. Psalm one 1911. Wherewith
S1: verse nine. Let me start at verse nine. Wherewithal shall
S1: a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto
S1: according to thy truth? Thy word is truth. With my
S1: whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not
S1: wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in
S1: my heart that I might not sin against thee. So
S1: what are we to do? Well, we're to listen to
S1: the word eagerly. We're to look for the word enthusiastically.
S1: We're to love it eternally. We're to learn from it expectantly.
S1: We're to languish in it entirely, and we ought to
S1: let it work in us effectively. Then he gives us
S1: the purpose. First fruits. What is the first fruits? Now
S1: you remember I told you what they would do. Go
S1: into the field. And the first crop was a barley crop.
S1: And so you get three sheaves. Bind them individually and
S1: then bring them together corporately. Three distinct units in one sheaf.
S1: Then you wave it before the Lord. Now here's what
S1: you were saying. God, this is praise to your person.
S1: I'm praising you. I'm thanking you for the provision. I'm
S1: bringing you the first because you're my priority. I'm bringing
S1: you this to show that I understand possession, that you
S1: are the owner and I am the steward. I bring
S1: it because you have purposes for giving me this and
S1: I want to fulfill it. So then what does a
S1: first fruit offering mean? Praise. Provision. Priority. Possession and purpose.
S1: You see, I want to tell you something. You know,
S1: I pick up stuff. I try to make myself a
S1: better preacher. And so, like Good Friday, whenever those brothers preach. Done.
S1: Brothers preach. I told them that's the first time I
S1: ever felt like I was a novice preacher. Them boys
S1: tore it up, but I noticed something about some of
S1: their preaching. So I've already put it in mine. No,
S1: not whooping, not whooping, not whooping, but I already put
S1: it in mine. I II do that. That's how I learn.
S1: You know, I learn, you say, uh, somebody told me, man,
S1: you really know how to illustrate. I learned that from
S1: Tony Evans. I said, what's he do that's different from
S1: everybody else? Make his illustration so good. I call it
S1: milking the metaphor. Just don't apply it one way. Apply
S1: it five or 6 or 7 ways, you know, stretch
S1: that thing out. Make it full Orbed do that. I
S1: listen to an orator by the name of Gardner C Taylor,
S1: and I said, wow, I don't do oratory. I'm a
S1: I'm a concrete, uh, text, word by word expositor. Uh,
S1: but I need to get some of this concept stuff in.
S1: And so I put that in. There's a preacher, uh,
S1: in Dallas, Texas. I heard Freddie Haynes. He talks to
S1: inanimate objects. So I've been doing it since I heard him.
S1: If he could do it, I could do it, too.
S1: And so guess what happened? My grandson Jaden came to me.
S1: He was at our house from school. Papa. My pencil.
S1: I need it sharpened so I could do my homework.
S1: So I said, oh, yeah, I have it in my office.
S1: So we're down in my den. He was doing homework
S1: in my den, and I took the pencil from me.
S1: And on the way up, the pencil talked to me.
S1: The pencil said, Pastor Ford, please, please, please don't. Don't
S1: cut me up like this. I don't want to be
S1: cut up. How you know I'm going to cut you up.
S1: You said that you were taking me to a pencil sharpener.
S1: That means I'm going to get cut. Yeah, but, see,
S1: you need to understand something. See how you are right now. Uh,
S1: your designer made you for a purpose. But because you
S1: have a flat end, you can't fulfill that purpose. You see,
S1: what's in you has to be on the outside of
S1: you in order to make an impact. So what I'm
S1: going to do is cut some stuff off of you
S1: that keeps you from becoming what you need to become
S1: to fulfill your purpose. So yes, it's going to hurt,
S1: but when I'm done with you, you are going to
S1: be able to fulfill the purpose that is in the
S1: hands of my grandson. You're going to help him maintain
S1: his A average, but it's going to hurt. Yes it is.
S1: And I'm about to hurt you right now. But it's
S1: pain with purpose. Somebody came in here, and you're going
S1: through something right now. But you need to understand that
S1: because of our sinful tendencies, we have surrounded us ourselves
S1: with stuff that precludes us from the purpose for which
S1: God called us. And he's got to cut away all
S1: those sinful tendencies. And it hurts. So I put him in.
S1: He's hollering, oh, hurts and hurts. And then all of
S1: a sudden he said, stop hurting. I said, yeah, I
S1: gotta pull you out now because I don't hear any noise.
S1: Which means everything that needs to be cut off has
S1: been cut off. And now you're ready to roll. You're
S1: ready to fulfill the purpose for which you were made.
S1: So as I handed him to my grandson, he said,
S1: I don't ever want to see you again. I said,
S1: I bet you I'll see you in another two hours. Uh,
S1: because he's going to wear your point down and you're
S1: going to have to be cut again. Bless the truth
S1: to our hearts, our father, we pray in Christ's name.
S2: Amen. That is Pastor Ford today wrapping up our series
S2: The Enemy Enemy. It's been a great look at James
S2: chapter one. And if you've missed any of the broadcasts
S2: in the series, you'll find them online. Simply come to
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