1 Thessalonians 5:19-28 (Part C)

This week I was looking for without faith it is impossible to please God.

Abraham believed I believe him when he says the son, Jesus Christ. If he says you are clean. You are clean. Indeed, I believe I accepted by faith is nothing Hell can do against it because it's written in heaven. It's been said by St. now with the Lord Jesus does not parole us hardens loss.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Thessalonians. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of first Thessalonians chapter 5 with today's edition of cross reference radio say to our children when they do something we don't approve which you get that from mailing to somebody churches for the head with kids ministry going back to that certain mortgage exit medicating them bears overreact. Sometimes you teach your children stand with AR like a lily among thorns.

Anyway, beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone into the world. We don't test with the spirit of suspicion. You know, until God sets it right, it's wrong.

That's how I approach things but once God sets it right then this time be loyal and supportive, and edify and build up and do something with this, but some never lose that critical spirit. They remain judgmental and self-righteous.

Their entire sourpuss Christian life is toes are said to been baptized in vinegar mindset lemon juice. I think I upgraded to vinegar but it's a free upgrade anyway hold fast what is good, that's old school hold on to what is good. He does all things good. This is what Jeremiah said, thus says Jehovah stand in the ways and see. Ask for the old paths with the good way is and walking it then you will find rest for your souls. But they said we will not walk in it you.

Not all school are old school goes back to eternity past. That's how far it goes all again. Are you so foolish, having begun in the spirit you now being made perfect in the flesh. Can you imagine the day they read that letter and the Galatian churches and they get to that line. Are you that foolish. I think there was a lot of hearts repenting at that moment.

We hold fast to what is good because there are forces that move against us to force us off the path to the right or to the left just to get us off the straight and narrow. Joshua chapter 1 verse seven God says to this mighty man of God is his only be strong and very courageous does what God is saying to Joshua and to us that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you.

Do not turn from it to the right hand to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go, what Christian does not want that then verse 22 says, abstain from every form of evil. The older King James translation has abstain from all appearances of evil, which was rightly both are that word. Therefore, every form in the new King James and appearances in the old King James, the Greek word means a look or an appearance but listen to what the Greek scholar A-T Robinson says, quoting another Greek scholar and agreeing with them. He says if so taken, it is not semblance as opposed to reality. In other words, don't touch the stuff don't have any evil is this is toxic its nuclear radiates evil. Stay away from it. Avoid contact avoid appearance don't even inhale it.

You say will. Satan uses sin against is absolutely the Bible teaches that very clearly. That's the name Satan is a title, it means he's the enemy that's what it means or you think of a prosecuting if you if you're the innocent guy on trial, the prosecutor is trying to take away your freedom or your life.

That is the prosecutor out.

That's acceptable when justice is being administered, but Satan. Satan is the cause of it all is because of him is accusing us instead of a guy like that that's what it is I never did that and God to give you you the one that did look to see that happen to reread Revelation 1210 the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. That time will come not here yet is all he needs to do to prosecute us every single one of us is tell the truth about us the whole truth even when he's telling the truth. He's lying is again is withholding all the information that he is capitalist but listen to what Scripture says who shall bring a charge against God's elect. It is God who justifies.

It is the prerogative of God to deal with sinners.

The way he sees fit and he's told us how he deals with them and he is invited us to partake what is made available. We need to deliver. There is only one there is only one to whom we can go for deliverance from our guilt. There is no other Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18 all Christians know this verse come now, let us reason together, says Jehovah.

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. I'm in a make you look like a little white lamb that staying that bloodsoaked staying all over your wool because of what sin has done. I'm going to wash it clean.

The New Testament picks it up. Acts chapter 4 verse 12 the message of the New Testament church to which we belong, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Romans chapter 4 verse three what does the Scripture say Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. That's what God was looking for without faith it is impossible to please God.

Abraham believed him. I believe him when he says the son, Jesus Christ. If he says you are clean. You are clean.

Indeed, I believe it accepted by faith and is nothing Hell can do against it because it's written in heaven is been said by St. now with the Lord Jesus does not parole us keep hardens us. Thank God there is no purgatory there's no go to step be. It's either you're right with Christ or you're not. That's what Jesus said he was not with me scatters abroad, you're either with me or you are not in his work is finished work is complete work. John is gospel chapter 1 verse 12 but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name. It's a gift. Ephesians chapter 2. For by grace you have been saved through faith, listen to what he goes on to say that not of yourselves is the gift of God, you can save yourself to messed up. I am to we cannot save ourselves with.

There's one who does. There's one who will.

His name is Jesus Christ, except that by faith. If you do not like it and you reject it you go beyond quenching the spirit you go into blasphemy. So again, you may say it is too good to be true, it's a lie from hell. God says it is too good to reject. That's the gospel.

Verse 23 Paul continues. How may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ completely.

This know all your almost there. I've already made the point, you either are washed in the blood or are not God is the only one the God of the Bible, the Lord of the New Testament the only one that can completely sanctify us to separate us from all the filth of sin and its condemnation unto himself.

We call it heaven.

Now he makes another point that's doctrinal though what he says your whole spirit, soul and body man is an inferior Trinity. There are three things that really make us tick a body that is physical, the tent palpable soul that is the mind and the feelings in the spirit that is an awakened conscience to God. Not all have spirit is the immaterial part of man that worships and communes and has friendship with God. It gives us God consciousness in Ephesians chapter 2 all made it clear that before Christ. Your spirit is dead, but the spirit is that part of me that interacts with God without my spirit alive. I cannot speak to God as opposed to the soul so men worship and serve God with the spirit, not the soul. That's why Jesus said those words God was worship in spirit and in truth. Notice he did not say it worship him in love while you get the truth in your spirit is alive is all love. It's taken for granted. Romans chapter 1 verse nine for God is my witness whom I serve with mice. Here it in the gospel of his son. You can serve the Lord without the spirit being alive. Proverbs chapter 20 verse 27 spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord's Jehovah lamp of Jehovah searching all the inner depths of his heart.

Those outside of Christ are spiritually dead, even if they are spiritually active in other words men can be used. We all get a Ouija board or on any of the occult practices or any other false religions of the world of spiritual things according to definition but his spirit is still dead got the wrong God is no life in him, and let me point this out for again from Scripture a bill. The sub is critical. Originally God breathed his own life, his own spirit into man in Genesis 27 God formed man of the clay of the earth and read that word breathed in the Hebrew is borrower look for spirit, God breathed his spirit into man in the Scripture says, and man became a living being. That was Adam.

No sin. God spirit was in him.

God made man to be indwelt by God than sin came in the spirit of God and man died when God said in the day that you eat of the street you will die of the eighth of that tree and they did not drop dead. That did happen. The body did suffer victim to the spirit. Also what spiritually they died. And so when Paul talks in the Ephesian letter. He says that man died in the spirit of the devil came alive and I need to read that from Ephesians 22 so you understand the strength of the language verse to review all the start of verse one. Ephesians chapter 2 and you he made alive. See that's what happens when you're born again you come to life spiritually, he says, who were dead in trespasses and sins. He continues in which you once walked according to the cause of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. This is Satan.

Listen to this, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

When Adam and Eve send the spirit of Satan began to dominate to influence them and we call it the flesh we call it the carnal nature call it the natural man. The natural man is man without God just born spiritual man is one who is born again as I mentioned man was created to receive God and that means now that he was created to receive God when he disobeyed God spirit of Satan is now the influence of man now has a bit of heaven and hell in him.

When he is born again, that's why you struggle with the flesh, God in his genius. Of course knows this and is made a provision that if you sin you have an advocate with the father and his name is Jesus Christ.

So now there is no temptation that is overtaking you none.

There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Because the spiritual man hate sin may enjoy the sensations that hates the fact that they enjoy the sensations and for all the right reasons. Because Jesus said so that's why were as a man, not of Christ. They may hate what sin is done to them because they want control over their lives in the lives lost it. Jesus is not their motivation. And so the spirit is distinguished from the soul. Hebrews chapter 412 of the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and the spirit. The division of the two. So we come now to the soul man is triune inferior Trinity's body soul and spirit would cover the spirit. Now we talk about the soul that is also immaterial. It is the seat of the will of the affections of personality is that part of you and me that interacts with each other. Is that part of you and me that will live forever is intermediate between the body and the spirit and it continues after we die with you accept Christ are not just where will it continue. That is the question to reject God is to have your soul perish. To dwell in hell forever. We read in Revelation 69 when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God. The testimony which they held and so you see the soul of man is who we are that personality is what goes to heaven and is it is our feelings are our intellect is essential to life of a human being and we who believe in Christ is all over hell will ever have to go through this and what AW Tojo writes about the thesis. When Jesus spoke of the soul in his time he was speaking about that part of man's being, which is endless, which lives on and on. So safety of the soul, not of the body that God is concerned with. That's what martyrs are made out of.

Now we come to the body.

The body is material.

It is the only part of us that is physical serial. As I mentioned the soul and spirit or not.

You cannot x-ray them.

There is a link.

Of course that between the soul spirit in the body, but it is created by God, and it is an instrument of the soul. And once you're born again. It is an instrument of the spirit and it is also been an instrument of the Holy Spirit and it is the part of us that interacts with the physical universe we would be disembodied souls. Had we not a physical body and it will perish and we will receive a glorified body once week leave this life to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. And this is what we love. Well second Corinthians chapter 5.

We know that if our earthly house. This tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven. I love that never have to worry again, it's eternal. That's the Trinity of man.

He says be preserved blameless at the coming of the Lord Christ right with God when we see that's what he's talking about death. Jettison's the body. The soul lives on and where it goes is up living spirit in man or the lack thereof. First Corinthians 15. You can look at up verse 24 he who calls you is faithful, who also will do it by Christian struggle with living through it to persevere, to do what to live in the spirit to be sanctified, as he tells us in verse 23, to be completely sanctified to God to trust God blessed assurance. The best scriptural statement on blessed assurance I think is first John chapter 5 verse 13 quote it now was running out of time but I made the reference, but I want to give to others that have to do with our blessed assurance being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work and you will completed until the day of Jesus Christ.

Yet to worry about is the Lord Jesus is my Lord, there's no other. I love him and the salvation found nowhere else. But in him and I agree with everything he says about himself and about me and about everybody else that's being born again is a but I still fail. That's with the blood of Christ is for it does not like okay the blood of Christ wants to know you're safe. Don't you mess up again because amount of blood you can't get any more washings. It's a one time shot is not what the Bible teaches at all. In the Greek and on the Greek the richer language in many ways it has this thing called the aorta's tense one speaks about salvation. It speaks about it being ongoing when he speaks of cleansing and the blood watching us these ongoing events.

We are set aside even for future sins now does not bar us from rejecting Christ. We never lose our free will.

Contrary I'll care who it to me is one of the stupidest things. Smart people are falling free will is everything without it you have crime scenes. Every sin is an act of going against the will of God love, there's no such thing as love agape love cannot be overrated. All the others can stroke a are also fire Leo all those can be overrated. They have their place can be overrated.

So Paul says this when he's nearing his martyrdom's last writings second Timothy chapter 1 verse 12. This is for this reason, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him until that day I'm persuaded I'm done here. I'm convicted. It's got me and Paul was not the kind to say but you know I'm the apostle Paul, I've suffered for Christ you haven't so what you've confessed him he's going to blessed me, but not you, because you're not as good as I am would never make such a foolish thought course, but saying like that.

So my point is you do not have to be a theologian to be right with God. You have to simply be right with God. Verse 25 says brethren, pray for us, with all the God did through him and for him.

Paul still knew how to ask for prayer.

He still knew he had needs. He still felt he belong to the body of Christ locally and universally. He was not a hermit under the guise of I do it better. Your honey Christians are. They have no fruit whatsoever but it doesn't stop them from criticizing those who do this like a rug or something sent. Who do you think you I just show up with all of these things all of us to fix. Accordingly, you get guys underlining with you. I don't get it sometimes doesn't mean that if you have read your right you can never be wrong doesn't mean that all it does mean though we belong to each other not so that we can beat up on each other. We have to understand prerogatives that belong within the house of God within any structure for it to exist. Well, verse 26 he continues to greet all the brethren with a holy kiss and shake will do with me. It's cold and flu season. I'm into that told you know Asian bowing thing don't need hand sanitizer. You know how much money we saved a yearly like $10 if we just bowed and set of that whole okay back to verse 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren who I love this verse. This is serious business command is, it did not need a committee or board or bishop to do anything he know what his role was in the church and he did it and those who served with him. Love it to be so when he dispatched Timothy and Titus and Silas.

Those men were off and running. And when they came back it was the power of the Holy Spirit was over there ministry. You cannot get anything done with those who are rolling in a different direction than where the captain says to go, you can't do it. Satan knows he finds Christians all the time that were just willing to kick into moment complainant to fight against God instead of with him in God's name were all susceptible to this anyway continues here. He tells them that this letter be read to all the holy brothers the local church. Now he's talking about.

I am at this moment reading this letter complying with this charge in the dark ages of Europe, the law was to corrupt the church they made. Kingsley broke Kings. They were a dominant influence the word of God was kept from the people. So serious were they about keeping the word away from the people that they made it so you had to read it in Latin.

What were they thinking whatever it was, it did not come from God. There were those that were persecuted for daring to read the Scripture or for daring to memorize Scripture verses in the name of Christ, and yet we have people that criminalize God's word.

To this day, and they call themselves Christians don't back down from Holger ground if it comes up in a single looking for them. But if it comes up, you don't owe them peace I think was Winston Churchill us is in appeaser is one that feeds a crocodile, hoping that the crocodile would eat him last. That's one in appeaser does the going to beat the just trying to get to the end of the line that he had to pee and preach the gospel. Verse 28 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. What a glorious conclusion first Thessalonian letter move. Thanks for tuning into cross reference radio for this study in the book of first Thessalonians cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from pastorate. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast app as well. That's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. It's pastorate continues to teach through the book of first Thessalonians, right here on cross reference rate