Successfully Fighting Sin Through Submission Part 5

VII. Beware of making a false god of riches since this opens a trap door of temptation. 1TI 6:9-10. A. This is a warning against covetousness, which is idolatry. COL 3:5. B. Justly acquired riches are only evil when they displace God. 1TI 6:17-18 c/w LUK 12:21. C. Work, earn, save, enjoy and share your wealth but don’t make it your first love. D. Steer between “gain is sin” and “gain is godliness.” 1TI 6:5. E. Even our thoughts about money need to be submitted to God for successful resistance of Satan, per JAM 4:7. VIII. A close companion of covetousness is pride (JAM 4:6). This too is an area of corrupt thinking that must be forsaken or it will lead to condemnation. 1TI 3:6. A. pride: A high or overweening opinion of one's own qualities, attainments, or estate, which gives rise to a feeling and attitude of superiority over and contempt for others. 1. A believer is not to “...THINK of himself more highly than he ought to THINK...” (ROM 12:3). 2. Pride may underlie covetousness, envy or theft: you can't bear to think of yourself as being less attractive, strong, happy, rich, smart, etc. than others. 3. Pride may underlie blame-shifting, cheating and lying: you don't want to appear weak, inferior or imperfect to others so you cheat to get ahead, blame someone else for your faults, or lie about something you did wrong. 4. Pride may underlie your propensity for strife. PRO 13:10. 5. Pride may underlie your despite of others: you fancy yourself more righteous than them. LUK 18:9-11. 6. Pride may underlie the fleshly work of emulation (endeavour to equal or surpass others in any achievement or quality). GAL 5:20. 7. Pride leads to a fall. PRO 16:18; 29:23. 8. Pride may even underlie your refusal to accept God's forgiveness; you secretly wish that you weren't so beholden to God's mercy. B. Consider the steps that led up to Peter's sin of denying Christ. 1. Peter did not heed Christ's word but vehemently opposed it. MAR 14:27-31. a. He disbelieved it, dismissed it and did not remember it until it was too late. MAR 14:72. b. Peter was basically implying that Christ was a false prophet and he rejected His judgment to justify himself. c/w JOB 40:8. Successfully Fighting Sin Through Submission 9-3-23 Page 8  c. Peter held too high an opinion of his ability to withstand temptation. d. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1CO 10:12). 2. Peter failed to watch and pray even though Christ had specifically warned him to do so. MAT 26:38-43. 3. His zeal outran his knowledge and he attempted to defend Christ carnally, acting without counsel. JOH 18:10-11. 4. He followed Jesus afar off. LUK 22:54. 5. He hung with the wrong crowd. LUK 22:55. 6. At the root of Peter's sin was unbelief of the word of Christ, the very thing that will lead us all astray. HEB 3:12-13. 7. The good news is that there was yet help for Peter in his advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ. LUK 22:31-32. C. All is not lost when you sin. Our God is ready to take up for you and deliver you from your own mess. 1JO 2:1-2. 1. advocate: One whose profession it is to plead the cause of any one in a court of justice; a counsellor or counsel. fig. and gen. One who pleads, intercedes, or speaks for, or in behalf of, another; a pleader, intercessor, defender. 2. Our advocate is Jesus Christ THE RIGHTEOUS. a. In another court, an unjust advocate may plead for innocent clients but in this Court a Just Advocate pleads for the guilty. b. It is our Advocate's righteousness that is plead in this court. c. The Father loves the righteous and hears the prayers of the righteous. PSA 146:8; PRO 15:29. d. Since our Advocate is “THE RIGHTEOUS,” His pleas for us are certainly heard and answered. JOH 11:41-42. 3. Our advocate is also the propitiation for our sins. a. propitiation: The action or an act of rendering favourably inclined; appeasement, conciliation; atonement, expiation. b. Christ by His blood has appeased (pacified) our offended God. ROM 3:25; COL 1:20. c. Our Advocate pleads with a Judge Who has become inclined to rule in our favor. d. This is all the more reason to apply PRO 28:13. IX. If ever you feel overwhelmed by it all, submit your thoughts and feelings to this truth: A. The most important battle has already been won for you on Calvary. B. Where sin abounded, grace abounded more. ROM 5:20-21. C. Christ Jesus came to save sinners. 1TI 1:15. D. Your heavenly Father knows what you are made of and is pitiful. PSA 103:13-14. Successfully Fighting Sin Through Submission 9-3-23 Page 9