Living in Victory
June 24, 2012
Hebrews 13:2
Introduction
- Last week we started the message we will be continuing today
- We saw that the process of sin is outlined in James 1:13-15
- Sin starts as a thought, which we dwell upon and which finally becomes an action
- So the way to deal with sin, is not in concentrating on not doing certain activities
- The way to deal with deeply ingrained weaknesses, is to go back to the root of the matter, our mind
- But how do we do this?
When did the problem start?
- Let’s take an example
- John was the nicest guy possible
- But John had one weakness
- His weakness was that if he saw money lying around, he would take it for himself
- John knew he was stealing, and he hated himself for doing it
- But somehow it seemed so hard to not take the money lying right there in front of him
- How should John deal with this?
- In John’s case, the problem started when he was eight
- John remembered the time
- He was living in a family where there never seemed to be enough money
- He did not recognize it at the time, but looking back, he recognized that his family was poor
- His parents weren’t able to buy the new clothes a growing youngster needed
- He grew up with the idea that he was less than the kids around him
- He felt a need to show others he was as good as they were
- He did notr want to feel poor
Identify the wrong thought
- The next step John should take is to examine his thoughts
- Psalm 139:23 – search me and know my thoughts
- God is able to show us the source of the problem
- So we test our thoughts, are they according to God’s word?
- John doesn’t know what is wrong, but God does
- So John asks God to show him where he is going wrong
- He recognizes that there is a lie in his thinking
- I am not good enough
- I am poor
- I can’t trust God to take care of me
- As he asks God to help him see where he is going wrong a verse keeps popping into his mind – “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you as well”
- He recognizes this verse – Matthew 6:33
- Then he remembers another verse – “My God will supply all your need” – Phil 4:19
Study what God’s word says
- As John continues thinking about what God spoke to him, he starts studying the subject of God supplying our needs in the Bible
- He takes a Bible Concordance and looks up various words related to this
- He lists these verses, and writes them out
- He asks someone who knows the Bible well, to help him find these verses, and others
- Gradually he builds up a considerable list which defined the subject, based on the Bible
Read these verses daily
- John now writes out these verses, and starts reading them daily
- Each morning, during his devotional time, he takes those verses, reads them and thinks about them
- David did this
- Psalm 118:147-148 – meditate
- David thinks about what he reads in God’s word
- As we read these words, they are soaking into our thinking
- They become part of our memory bank
- John 14:26 – The Holy Spirit will bring all things to remembrance
These verses tell the truth
- Jesus tells us in John 17, “Thy Word is truth”
- The Bible defines truth
- The verses John has written out are now becoming a part of his thinking
- He sees that if he puts God first in his life, God will provide for his needs
- As he is obedient to God’s financial laws, God promises to bless him
- God promises to supply all his need
- On top of that, God has made John his child
- He is no less than the person next to him
- In fact, one of the verses he wrote out, is that “he would be the head and not the tail” – Deut 28:13
- He starts to see that he is a person of value to God
The result
- One day, John sees some cash lying on the counter at work
- He immediately is reminded of a verse he wrote out – “Steal no longer” – rather have something to share with those in need – Ephesians 4:28
- Verses start coming back to him
- “Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” – Romans 12:21
- John’s heart has changed
- He doesn’t need that cash on the counter
- Instead, when he hears of someone in need, he becomes generous and helps them in their time of need!
- He has moved beyond the tight fisted person he used to be, into someone who is generous and giving, just as God is to him
Summary
- So the way to deal with these issues is:
- 1. When did the problem start?
- 2. Identify the lie
- 3. Find the truth in God’s Word
- 4. Make the truth a part of your thinking
- 5. Overcome evil with good
Conclusion
- Each of us can deal with our deep-seated issues in this way
- It doesn’t matter what the issue, this method of using God’s word will work
- God’s word will not return to him void – Isaiah 55:11
Next week we will look at the role of the Holy Spirit in our overcoming
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