LIVING FAR FROM THE EDGE
BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 CHRONICLES 26: 1 - 23
Picture taken from Google
Lesson Prepared by: Krisha of
Solomon’s Wisdom FB page
Lesson
ideas taken from: https://www.openthoumineeyes.com/bible-answers/separation
MARCH 28, 2021
MEMORY VERSE
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove them.
EPHESIANS 5:11
INTRODUCTION:
Many Christians fail in the area of separation. Most often,
they will not separate themselves from the things of this world and separates
themselves unto God. They want the comfort of knowing they will go to heaven,
but their sincerity is lacking. They will not separate from the places they
should not be. They want to dress like and look like the world. Their desire is
to fit in like everyone else.
I remember the struggles I faced when I stepped up to
college. In the area of how I should
look was hard; I don’t want to look weird. So, I understand the struggle of
fitting in but if you failed to this part you would fail to the other area
therefore, we need to overcome this. I experienced also the struggles at work
(tell some of the struggles).
Too often Christians are more interested in fitting in with
the world than they are fitting in with God. We should not strive to fit in and
appear like everyone else. Remember when your mom would say to you scolding you
for something, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it?” We did
not like her admonishment, but too many are doing that spiritually. We are doing
what everyone does around us. Too many are following the world, rather than
leading the world by a Christ-like example.
I remember what pastor Rod had said in some of her devotions, “You would
not be happy in a place you did not belong with.” For example, the fishes,
they would not be happy on the land; the right place for them is in water.
The question, or place of confusion for many is, “Well, what is it I
should be separated from? What are the ungodly, works of wicked I am to
keep away from?”
Reading the Bible will reveal the main source of what should be avoided
— sin. There are more sins than those found in the Ten Commandments (Ex.
20). One man counted over 600 sins. One will not know what they should
keep away from if they do not read in the Bible and learn what they are.
“Well, a lot of the sins are for Old Testament times,” is often the
retort. The Old Testament, particularly the Law, is the schoolmaster (Gal.
3:24) that teaches us what God likes and dislikes. Since God never changes,
what was sin to Him in those days, unless there is a retraction or permission
given in the New Testament, is still sin today.
People feel more comfortable with a list of sins. However, because
of man’s devices, dealings, and different times, sins change. A list of
sins from Old Testament times would not apply today. Scales no longer have
weights, so the sin about “false balances” would not be valid for most
today. However, the principle behind that sin, cheating and deceiving,
still can be applied today. There were no guns in 1200 BC, but fatally shooting
someone with one today is still a sin. Murder has always been sin, with a gun
or a stone. Alcoholic beer is not mentioned in the Bible; however, drunkenness
is to be avoided according to God’s Word. Abortion also is not mentioned
in the Bible, but the principle of not killing another and taking one’s life is
clearly sin. Many insist the dress codes and standards of the Old Testament are
only for by-gone days, but the principle that honors the differences in the
sexes God created has not changed.
Many justify sin and lack of separation with the excuse, “Today is
different.” Sin is sin and always has been. The principles of what
is sin need to be learned from God’s Word and applied.
Man’s lifestyle
and possessions are always changing. A list of what not to do will never
be accurate for more than several years. It is the spirit of the doing
the right things that must be established, and then an attitude of discernment
will hold true and guide one no matter what changes in the world. It is the
“spirit” of God’s law that needs to be the ruler to measure what is right and
wrong, not just being on God’s list of sins (“the letter” of the law).
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the
letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
II Cor. 3:6
https://www.openthoumineeyes.com/bible-answers/separation
Our title for today is “Living Far From the Edge”; What does this mean?
From the picture shown, we can see the edge of the cliff. When one lives a life
far from the edge which means far of being “wrong or sinful”. Why we need to
live far from the edge?
LESSON OUTLINE:
1. IT PROTECTS US FROM BEING TEMPTED AND
FALLING INTO SIN (1 THESS. 5:22)
Abstain from all appearance of evil (1
Thessalonians 5:22).
Many Christians do not want to live the separated
life, yet they still want to have an appearance of being a Christian. They are
so close to sin, that it takes very little to unbalance them spiritually.
A pastor illustrated this by
stumbling off the line he was walking and tripped down the steps. “But” he
went on to illustrate, “Those that have learned the wisdom that they need to
stay away from anything that would tempt them or even give an appearance of
their doing sin, get far away from that ‘tolerable’ line.” He moved
far away from the imaginary line separating right and wrong. As he
continued, he pointed out that, “As I get farther away the questionable ‘gray’
area, you will see that I am getting closer to God.” That is what living
far from the edge of right and wrong does; it protects us from being tempted
and falling into sin.
He went back to the line of
“what-one-can-get-away-with-and-still-not-be-involved-in-sin.” As the
preacher tried to balance on the line again, he warned, “Those that live close
to the edge of where they were before they were saved, and what they know is
sin, cannot lose their salvation when they get too close to their old
lifestyle, but they can get involved in sin. They may lose their testimony that may take a long time, if ever, to
get back. Their witness as a godly example will be ruined.
“When one refers to Christian
hypocrites it is those that got to close to the edge and fell into sin that are
being referred to. It is much safer to get as far from the edge, and get
close to God. If it is questionable, give God the benefit of the doubt,
and stay away from its involvement.”
That is what separation is all
about, separating oneself from anything that will make one fall. That is
why God wants us to separate from many things of this world and, of course,
from sin. God loves us and does not want His children hurt by sin or weakened
by its temptation. Separate yourself from the world and unto God.
We have read the life of King Uzziah; he began well, but success and power went
to his head and caused him to stop being faithful (summarize the story if
needed upon explaining). But when
he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was false to the LORD
his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of
incense. In the ministry, sometimes we think that it’s
better for us to do the work because we are like the description “worthy or
fit” doing it. It’s possible we think that way because of our position:
possible we are the leader, ministry leader, assistant, friend of the pastor’s
wife, or the pastor’s son.
On a
similar theme, there is a temptation, as you get older, to become casual and to
assume that you have now learned how to handle pressures and temptations. You
may then begin to loosen your standards and to think that it is safe for you to
cut corners slightly, or to compromise a little on ethical issues relating to
money, sex, work, relationships, or your use of power. It is precisely when you
think you cannot, or will not, fall that you are in greatest danger of falling.
A person
who is aware of their weakness, and concerned that they may fall, will take
care to avoid tempting situations. But a person who has begun to trust
themselves is in great danger. Therefore, never trust yourself. Never consider
yourself to be above temptation, or immune to falling into any kind of sin,
especially the ones that you feel drawn to, or about which you have ever felt
tempted to compromise. Those are the very areas where you particularly need to
redouble your vigilance and keep yourself on a short lead. As Malachi puts it,
we need to guard ourselves: (https://realchristianity.com/dont-become-complacent-later/)
2. WE CANNOT LIVE IN TWO WORLDS (1 JOHN
2:15-17)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the
world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God
abides forever.
· We have a great tendency of neglecting God’s purpose and design for us,
and we end up glorifying all the wrong things: Giving all our
money to entertainment, and actors, and holidays, Glorifying movie stars, and filthy musicians, and authors, Worshipping money and possessions and God calls
this world unworthy of our love and worship (Gal 1:4)
· We are the objects of God’s
great love (Eph 2:4-7). Therefore, the appropriate responses we should have
toward God is to praise Him, adore Him, magnify Him and fellowship with Him, at
all times (Ps 34:1; 62:8).
· The Bible teaches us that
God is a jealous God, and He is jealous of whatever takes us away from Him.
· Brethren, God's jealousy
for us is the basis of being separated from sin unto Him. God wants every
believer to be separate from everything that would draw our allegiance, our
attention, our confidence away from Him.
· If God does not have all of
us, He is jealous of what takes us away from Him. Biblical separation is
separating ourselves from that which we have allowed to take us away from God,
and simply returning unto Him. It is taught throughout the Bible and needs to
be seriously practiced by Christians today (Exodus 34:14).
God demands our separation from wicked places,
practices, and people. He knows if we participate in these things, we will
limit Him in our lives. Listen to me! Because God is a pure, holy, and
righteous God, we cannot live long if we continue living in sin (Rom 6:23).
Therefore, separation (putting some distance between our lives and the ways of
this world) is not an option, but a survival act.
CONLUSION:
How To
Live Separate Without Going OUT of this World
1. By Choice - It is a Choice –
YOUR Choice. It is called repentance
· God’s choice was to draw
you and I close to Himself (Dt 7:6-8)
· Our choice must be to go
ahead and draw close (James 4:8)
· Since Christians are no
longer children of the devil, we are commanded to walk and abide in the light
of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:8 / Ephesians 5:11 — separation verse for sure/Romans 13:12-14
·
It involves putting distance between our eyes and ears, and the filth of
this world (Lev 20:24-26)
What are the
things we do: so much on your TV, so much of today’s music, even so much of the
newspaper – so dark and un-educational – all only filth
You need to know what is
good and clean and wholesome, and what is filthy and dirty and wrong – and keep
it away from your eyes, and the eyes and ears of your children! It not only
means protecting your eyes and ears, but your minds! It means bringing every
thought into subjection to its design (2Cor 10:5,6) – They must be used for
praise, and preaching, and encouragement, and edifying, and rebuking in love!
2. By
Constant Cleansing
· by constantly reading and
meditating on God’s word (John 15:3; 17:17)
· Then by quickly confessing
and apologising for all transgressions – never being stubborn (1John 1:9;
king Saul taught you that)
· Then by claiming the
cleansing power of the eternal blood of Christ (Heb 9:13,14) to wash every
stain away (1John 1:7)
3. By
Fearing God (2Cor 7:1)
Just suffice it to say,
that when we truly get back to fearing God, and knowing that He will always
direct His attention at removing every sin in our lives, then that will help
motivate us to keep “short accounts” with Him, and stay clean, and right with
Him
Illustration:
One day a farmer grabbed his shot gun to shoot at a flock of pesky
crows. Unfortunately, he didn’t see his sociable parrot that had joined the
crows. After firing a few shots, he walked over to the fallen birds and was
surprised to find his parrot badly ruffled with a broken wing. When the
farmer’s children saw the injured bird, they asked, “Dad, what happened?” The farmer
simply replied, “Bad company.”
Scripture often warns us to avoid harmful influences. Regardless of our
age or spiritual strength, over time, unwise influences will negatively affect
our walk with the Lord. Satan is determined to pull us into sin and wreck our
lives, and he often uses wrong influences to accomplish his goal.
Source: Unknown
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove them.
EPHESIANS 5:11
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