In the men's small group that I host from my church in Boulder; Calvary Bible group we had a great discussion around heart issues being the real problem of sin in our lives and the root of our exterior behavioral sin. We need to address the heart issues with the truth and hope of the gospel and not just try to manage the behaviors.
And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."
(Mark 7:14, 15 ESV)
"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."
(Luke 6:43-49 ESV)
Analogy: Taping fruit and branches on dead trees. Whitewashed tombs like the pharisees. How can we be like that? How am I like that?
How do we address heart issues? Not just behavior management but heart transformation. Also points to need of savior, we are sinners.
Tangible:
We want something we don't have or can't get.
Get to root by looking at who wants what?
Stop yourself in moment and be self aware and management
Ask lots of questions
Identity issues,
Know triggers.
Expectations are huge, but I am not in control
Pray
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
(James 4:1-4 ESV)
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26, 27 ESV)
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1, 2 ESV)
How do we know if we are real and healthy trees with right hearts.
How do law and gospel fit into this sin and heart issues?
Law sheds light on sin? Convicts us of sin
Personal laws: ex don't be late. Ex drinking less than 3
Law has no power to change us.
How do we change our hearts?
Examples: tax collector and zaccheus
We can't change our hearts. That is only work of Holy Spirit
But also avoiding temptation
How long should it take?
Over time generally should be process of sanctification increasing holiness over time
Trend up but huge fluctuation
Bumps can lead to new growth up
If we ever say we don't struggle or aren't tempted then we have an idol of ourselves: pride
Sanctification?
Romans 6
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
(Romans 6:1-4, 15, 16 ESV)
Suffering draws us near to the cross
What external behaviors are we managing to look good and avoid hard work of heart transformation.
Church
Reward system: ex rosary making up for sin
Evangelism, outreach
2 Peter 1:5-9
How to remember forgiveness and cleansed from past sins
Confess specific sins, repent and believe specific gospel truth in that area
Ex acceptance, identity, status, pleasure,
Things I feel convicted of that I want to work on the heart issues:
My snappy heart attitude and unhealthy emotional management
Being unattached from things. Give up anything offer it when someone likes something I have.
Performance
Lust
Pride
Lord in those areas I pray for your Holy Spirit to be at work convicting and bringing real heart repentance and transformation by believing gospel truth and affirming my identity in Christ.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment