WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:24.879 right in. I know, see, in the daily life of the 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:28.519 believer, this is the contention we have every 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:33.159 single day. The fight we fight every day is a 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:35.340 fight to believe what God has said concerns us, 00:00:35.479 --> 00:00:39.039 concerns our lives, concerns everything that 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:42.219 has to do with us. And we are faced with challenges. 00:00:42.619 --> 00:00:45.799 We are faced with trials. We are faced with temptations. 00:00:46.020 --> 00:00:50.280 We are faced with contrary opinions. We are faced 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.359 with contrary doctrines and teachings. We are 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:56.359 exposed by the media. We are exposed by every 00:00:56.359 --> 00:01:00.539 opportunity with information. that seems to speak 00:01:00.539 --> 00:01:03.219 contrary to what God has done, that seeks to 00:01:03.219 --> 00:01:06.480 speak contrary to what God has done in us and 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.760 what God is doing in us. Hallelujah. This is 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:16.439 the daily fight that the believer fights. Amen. 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.900 That we walk in that which God has done for us 00:01:19.900 --> 00:01:22.840 in Christ Jesus. That we walk in the realities 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:26.840 of the things that God has made available for 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:30.280 us in the Spirit. Of course, we flip through 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.000 the pages of scriptures every day and we see 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:35.879 these things, we are taught these things. We 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:38.060 are taught about our identity. We are taught 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:41.340 about all that we have in the spirit. But oftentimes, 00:01:41.579 --> 00:01:46.299 we don't see this in reality in our lives. And 00:01:46.299 --> 00:01:48.540 it's not because they are not in us. Hallelujah. 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:51.019 It's not because God has not achieved these things 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:56.980 for us or in us. But rather, we find ourselves 00:01:56.980 --> 00:02:01.319 faced with challenging information that seems 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:06.659 to either discredit what God has done or give 00:02:06.659 --> 00:02:09.620 us an opinion that is contrary to what God has 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:16.819 done. Hallelujah. 1 Timothy 6, verse 12. 1 Timothy 00:02:16.819 --> 00:02:23.539 6, verse 12. Paul speaking to Timothy, he says, 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:27.210 fight the good fight of faith. Hallelujah. Now, 00:02:27.270 --> 00:02:28.610 I want you to understand that, first of all, 00:02:28.650 --> 00:02:31.030 he's writing to someone that, number one, is 00:02:31.030 --> 00:02:34.250 a believer, is a Christian. He's addressing a 00:02:34.250 --> 00:02:36.229 young believer and a minister of the gospel. 00:02:36.770 --> 00:02:40.169 And what he's saying to him is to fight the good 00:02:40.169 --> 00:02:46.050 fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to 00:02:46.050 --> 00:02:48.550 which you were also called, that is, he has been 00:02:48.550 --> 00:02:52.330 called into eternal life, and have confessed 00:02:52.330 --> 00:02:55.210 good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 00:02:55.949 --> 00:02:59.930 And Paul is calling him to fight a good fight 00:02:59.930 --> 00:03:04.849 of faith. To fight a good fight of faith. And 00:03:04.849 --> 00:03:07.590 each and every one of us are faced with similar 00:03:07.590 --> 00:03:09.969 situation every single day. In case you don't 00:03:09.969 --> 00:03:13.689 know, we always emphasize this, that the day 00:03:13.689 --> 00:03:16.969 you become a believer is the day that you enter 00:03:16.969 --> 00:03:20.569 a battle. And the battle is not a battle for 00:03:20.569 --> 00:03:25.500 your salvation. It's a battle... for you to live 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:28.719 in the reality of what God has achieved in Christ. 00:03:29.620 --> 00:03:32.520 Hallelujah. That you begin to see all that God 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.400 has achieved for you in Christ, has made available 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:40.099 for you in Christ, manifest. So for Paul and 00:03:40.099 --> 00:03:43.039 Timothy, Paul is telling Timothy to fight the 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:48.219 good. It means there is a fight for the faith 00:03:48.219 --> 00:03:51.979 that we have professed. There is a fight for 00:03:51.979 --> 00:03:54.199 the faith that we have professed. and have received 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.860 in our hearts and daily as we as we as we live 00:03:57.860 --> 00:04:01.020 the christian life it's expected that we realize 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:05.240 that we understand the context of the fight that 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:07.659 we are faced with every day now if you don't 00:04:07.659 --> 00:04:09.340 know that you are fighting a fight then it simply 00:04:09.340 --> 00:04:13.599 means that you are living in defeat so it's equally 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.919 important for us to understand that there is 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.339 a fight and it's not just a fight but it is a 00:04:18.339 --> 00:04:22.939 good fight of faith hallelujah There is a good 00:04:22.939 --> 00:04:25.839 fight of faith. And from this text, the word 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:30.959 fight is translated from a Greek word. Let me 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:37.060 spell the Greek word. A -G -O -N -I -Z -O -M 00:04:37.060 --> 00:04:43.920 -A -I. Agonizomai. And it means to struggle, 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:48.319 right? It means to struggle in literal sense, 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:51.540 you know, to compete for a prize. that's one 00:04:51.540 --> 00:04:53.079 of the variation of the meaning of the word in 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:56.740 the greek to compete for a price and this word 00:04:56.740 --> 00:05:00.819 agonizomai can be used figuratively to mean to 00:05:00.819 --> 00:05:05.240 content with an adversary to content with what 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:08.920 with an adversary and opposition to content with 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:12.639 an adversary and another way to which this word 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:17.079 is used in a generative case to endeavor to accomplish 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:19.300 something you know to endeavor to accomplish 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:21.810 something to fight to label to you know, fervently 00:05:21.810 --> 00:05:26.290 strive to achieve something. But in this context, 00:05:26.509 --> 00:05:30.550 the writer here to Timothy Paul is using this 00:05:30.550 --> 00:05:35.730 word fight in a figurative sense. That is for 00:05:35.730 --> 00:05:40.430 him to contend with an adversity. Fight simply 00:05:40.430 --> 00:05:43.949 means he's contending with an adversity. Fight 00:05:43.949 --> 00:05:47.610 the good fight of faith. Lay hold of an eternal 00:05:47.610 --> 00:05:52.680 life to which you were also called and also have 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:55.180 confessed the good confession in the presence 00:05:55.180 --> 00:05:57.040 of many witnesses so what paul is saying is this 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.439 see you've professed faith in christ jesus before 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:04.300 many witnesses you believe in jesus christ and 00:06:04.300 --> 00:06:07.360 as a matter of fact you are living in the realities 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:10.060 of what god has done in christ jesus and as a 00:06:10.060 --> 00:06:13.620 young minister as a young believer you must fight 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:18.540 the fight of faith And we must understand that 00:06:18.540 --> 00:06:22.939 we have also a fight of faith to fight. Paul 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:25.220 later on will say in subsequent chapters in his 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:27.300 writings still to the same person, Paul will 00:06:27.300 --> 00:06:30.819 later on, you know, will say that he has fought 00:06:30.819 --> 00:06:32.920 the good fight of faith himself in 2 Timothy 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.160 4 verse 7. You see where he's making comments 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:38.600 and making an example of himself. 2 Timothy 4 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:43.879 verse 7. 2 Timothy 4 verse 7. Or let me read 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.329 from verse 6. I've already been poured out. As 00:06:47.329 --> 00:06:50.829 a drink offering. And a time for my departure 00:06:50.829 --> 00:06:54.329 is at hand. And this is his testimony. What is 00:06:54.329 --> 00:06:57.310 his testimony? I have fought the good fight. 00:06:58.870 --> 00:07:03.009 I have finished the race. I have what? I have 00:07:03.009 --> 00:07:06.649 kept the faith. Hallelujah. So Paul here is saying 00:07:06.649 --> 00:07:12.089 that he has fought the good fight. I have finished 00:07:12.089 --> 00:07:17.680 the race. I have kept the faith. So Paul here 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:19.899 establishes that he has fought that particular 00:07:19.899 --> 00:07:23.879 fight of faith. And of course, he has come to 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:26.800 a closure, or let's say to the end of his course 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:31.120 for the walk. What walk? The walk of faith. And 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:33.180 this walk of faith is what all of us have been 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:35.980 called to, all of us believers. As long as you 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:37.939 believe in Jesus Christ, you've been called into 00:07:37.939 --> 00:07:42.720 this, this walk of faith. And he went on to say 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:45.439 that he has kept the faith. Now, the context 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:47.480 of Paul's communication here, if you look critically, 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:51.759 is about the preaching of the gospel. All right? 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.579 It's about the preaching of the gospel. Keeping 00:07:54.579 --> 00:07:57.920 the faith here has to be with the sound doctrine. 00:07:58.699 --> 00:08:01.220 Because in his communication to Timothy, in the 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:03.899 previous verses we read, and even now, the context 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:09.259 of what he has kept is a faith, the sound doctrine. 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:13.550 Hallelujah. Now, Apostle Jude also will use a 00:08:13.550 --> 00:08:21.170 similar word. Jude 1 verse 3. I'm trying to build 00:08:21.170 --> 00:08:24.050 a case for us to see and also to be reminded 00:08:24.050 --> 00:08:27.009 that we have a fight to fight daily. And listen, 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:30.009 we are not fighting from a place of defeat. Amen? 00:08:30.410 --> 00:08:33.710 We are fighting from the place of victory. What 00:08:33.710 --> 00:08:35.830 we are doing is that we are bringing to manifestation 00:08:35.830 --> 00:08:41.769 that which Christ has won for us. Jude. Verse 00:08:41.769 --> 00:08:47.429 3 to 4. Yes. Beloved, while I was very diligent 00:08:47.429 --> 00:08:50.409 to write to you concerning our common salvation, 00:08:50.750 --> 00:08:53.629 he calls it a common salvation, I found it necessary 00:08:53.629 --> 00:08:58.190 to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly. 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:03.350 Here's what contend. To contend earnestly for 00:09:03.350 --> 00:09:07.389 the faith which was once for all delivered to 00:09:07.389 --> 00:09:12.059 the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed 00:09:12.059 --> 00:09:17.600 who long ago were mapped out for this condemnation 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.759 on the women who turned the grace of god into 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:24.500 lewness and denied only lord god and our lord 00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:29.820 jesus christ hallelujah again content you see 00:09:29.820 --> 00:09:32.740 the word fight for the faith content for the 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:35.019 faith is something that you have to do on a daily 00:09:35.019 --> 00:09:37.879 basis and here judy speaking concerning some 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:39.639 men that have tripped into the church into the 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:43.080 body of christ And they brought in another conversation 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:47.279 contrary to the faith. Now, the reason why you 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:51.220 must contend for the faith is because there is 00:09:51.220 --> 00:09:55.480 an opposition to the faith. Hallelujah. There 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:58.740 is an opposition to the precious faith that you've 00:09:58.740 --> 00:10:02.600 been given. And you are the one responsible to 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:08.159 contend, to fight, to preserve, to protect, and 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:11.279 to bring into manifestation. Of that which God 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:16.860 has given you as a gift. So, Jude here is saying 00:10:16.860 --> 00:10:20.980 that they must contend because in verse 4, there 00:10:20.980 --> 00:10:23.139 is an opposition that has risen for the sake 00:10:23.139 --> 00:10:27.700 of the faith. There is an opposition that has 00:10:27.700 --> 00:10:30.440 risen because some men here have clipped into 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:33.759 the body of Christ, the family of God, and they 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:35.700 are bringing in information that is contrary 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:40.480 to the faith. Therefore, it is necessary that 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.639 the believer must what? Must contend. Contending 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:45.879 simply means that you are rejecting what they 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:48.519 are bringing and you are upholding what you've 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:51.220 learned. You are protecting what you've learned. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:53.320 You are believing what you've learned. You are 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:55.259 practicing what you've learned. You are not practicing 00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:58.379 anything contrary to what you've learned. That 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:04.100 is how we contend for the faith. So, contend 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:09.610 here is a word, epagonizomai. e -p -a -g -o -n 00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:13.990 -i -z -o -m -a -i let me spell again e -p -a 00:11:13.990 --> 00:11:20.370 -g -o -n -i -z -o -m -a -i and it's from the 00:11:20.370 --> 00:11:22.909 same word as fight for the faith as we saw earlier 00:11:22.909 --> 00:11:26.669 on you know from the same word as fight it means 00:11:26.669 --> 00:11:31.169 to content endlessly it just emphasizes the the 00:11:31.169 --> 00:11:33.450 the effort that you have to do as an individual 00:11:33.450 --> 00:11:36.809 remember on sunday I tried to make some basic 00:11:36.809 --> 00:11:40.470 clarification about the fact that the believer 00:11:40.470 --> 00:11:43.190 has faith. Hallelujah. And I tried to make a 00:11:43.190 --> 00:11:45.149 clarity concerning some of the misconceptions 00:11:45.149 --> 00:11:48.929 that we may have found in the book of, I think, 00:11:48.950 --> 00:11:52.289 in the book of James, right? Concerning works. 00:11:52.809 --> 00:11:55.110 Okay? Now, when we are saying you're contending 00:11:55.110 --> 00:11:57.309 for the faith, you are not trying to do something 00:11:57.309 --> 00:12:00.690 to end something. Hallelujah. You're only bringing, 00:12:00.850 --> 00:12:04.190 or you're only bringing to manifestation that 00:12:04.190 --> 00:12:07.720 which God... in christ has done hallelujah so 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:09.980 the content content here the contending here 00:12:09.980 --> 00:12:14.620 is to honestly honestly effortly you know ensure 00:12:14.620 --> 00:12:17.360 that you are protecting that which you have and 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:20.500 also we see from this context also in the book 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:23.539 of jude here the context is about the gospel 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:26.960 the message which the believer must content for 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:30.179 because as i said earlier on there is an opposition 00:12:30.179 --> 00:12:34.820 hallelujah the devil is against what you believe 00:12:34.820 --> 00:12:39.279 in the devil is against your status as a believer 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:43.779 and all he desires every single day is that you 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:48.820 will not manifest hallelujah the devil doesn't 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:51.340 doesn't worry yes he has lost you already a believer 00:12:51.340 --> 00:12:55.700 he cannot undo that which have been done in you 00:12:55.700 --> 00:12:58.700 but one thing that the enemy will ensure he makes 00:12:58.700 --> 00:13:02.039 sure he doesn't you don't do is to bring to reality 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:06.940 your identity Hallelujah. And all that you are 00:13:06.940 --> 00:13:10.740 is found within the pages of the gospel. So you 00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:13.940 see here, some people will come with a different 00:13:13.940 --> 00:13:16.639 message. Why will they bring a different message? 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:18.960 They bring a different message so that they will 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:21.080 sway away people from believing what has been 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:23.679 taught, which is true. From practicing what has 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:25.799 been taught, which is true, to another doctrine, 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.720 which there is no another doctrine. Hallelujah. 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:32.500 To practicing things that are contrary to what 00:13:32.500 --> 00:13:34.990 has been taught. to what has brought it into 00:13:34.990 --> 00:13:38.830 salvation so you the believer must what must 00:13:38.830 --> 00:13:43.789 content for for that which you've been given 00:13:43.789 --> 00:13:48.289 hallelujah so what is the faith we have in our 00:13:48.289 --> 00:13:51.970 hearts as we see on sunday and previously that 00:13:51.970 --> 00:13:57.889 faith is operational in our hearts okay faith 00:13:57.889 --> 00:14:02.179 is operational in our mouth hallelujah and we 00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:04.019 emphasize also that faith should be operational 00:14:04.019 --> 00:14:07.279 in our conduct so wherever it is that we need 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:12.720 to see the operation of faith we are called to 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:17.080 fight the good fight of faith hallelujah because 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:19.879 in our mind in our hearts or say our mind or 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:22.940 our heart the devil will ensure that he puts 00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:24.879 something in our mind that is contrary to what 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:30.139 god has in the gospel so the fight of faith is 00:14:30.139 --> 00:14:33.830 for us to bring Into manifestation. And also 00:14:33.830 --> 00:14:36.509 to allow that which God has worked in us. To 00:14:36.509 --> 00:14:39.850 come into display. Hallelujah. So this fight 00:14:39.850 --> 00:14:42.690 of faith is not you alone. It's not for you alone. 00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:47.009 It's not fighting as an individual. Amen. We 00:14:47.009 --> 00:14:49.870 are fighting together as a community. Philippians 00:14:49.870 --> 00:15:03.620 1 verse 27. Philippians 1 verse 27. Only, give 00:15:03.620 --> 00:15:07.720 me verse 26, then verse 27. That your rejoicing 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:11.080 for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:16.720 my coming to you again. Only, which means that 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:18.059 he was speaking to a community of people. He 00:15:18.059 --> 00:15:21.759 said, only let your conduct be worthy of the 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:25.720 gospel of Christ. Let your conduct be what? Be 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:28.460 worthy of the gospel of Christ. This is actually 00:15:28.460 --> 00:15:31.460 living by faith. Hallelujah. This is actually 00:15:31.460 --> 00:15:33.600 living by faith. Your conduct is worthy of the 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:36.440 gospel, is living by faith. Living by faith is 00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:37.960 not just having something in your heart alone, 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:40.600 okay? But it's bringing it to manifestation. 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:43.419 So only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel 00:15:43.419 --> 00:15:47.100 of Christ, so that whether I come and see you 00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:51.759 or I'm absent, I may hear of your affairs, that 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:56.000 you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, 00:15:56.100 --> 00:15:59.899 and use the word here, it is similar to fighting. 00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:03.860 which is similar to contending, striving together, 00:16:04.139 --> 00:16:08.600 okay? Striving together for the faith of the 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:11.679 gospel. Remember what the apostle was saying 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:14.700 about community, about other believers. Amen. 00:16:15.820 --> 00:16:19.779 Striving together for that faith of the gospel 00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:25.860 that we've received. Hallelujah. So the fight 00:16:25.860 --> 00:16:31.370 of faith cannot be done in the flesh. Even though 00:16:31.370 --> 00:16:33.669 we are confronted daily, as I said earlier on, 00:16:33.690 --> 00:16:38.269 in the natural. In our daily lives, we cannot 00:16:38.269 --> 00:16:41.389 fight the fight of faith in the natural way. 00:16:42.309 --> 00:16:47.750 Amen? The confrontation is natural. Are we together? 00:16:48.529 --> 00:16:50.889 The things that comes against what we have in 00:16:50.889 --> 00:16:53.590 our heart, they are physical things. But the 00:16:53.590 --> 00:16:56.529 way we fight them is not in the physical way. 00:16:57.509 --> 00:17:01.419 I just explained. Corinthians 10 verse 3. Let's 00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:03.840 look at that text. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 3. 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:07.960 Though we walk in the flesh, we saw it last on 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:11.380 Sunday. It says, for though we walk in the flesh, 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:14.579 for though we are in the physical, for though 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:19.980 we are in the natural, okay, we do not walk according 00:17:19.980 --> 00:17:26.440 to the flesh. For the weapons, and it's what 00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:31.210 we use, for our warfare, against those things 00:17:31.210 --> 00:17:34.509 that comes for our faith. Okay? For the weapons 00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:37.650 of our warfare are not what? Are not physical. 00:17:39.170 --> 00:17:41.369 But even though they are not physical, they are 00:17:41.369 --> 00:17:45.589 not things we can see, they are very mighty in 00:17:45.589 --> 00:17:49.369 God. For what? For pulling down strongholds. 00:17:49.490 --> 00:17:53.710 Okay? What are these strongholds? Casting down 00:17:53.710 --> 00:17:57.150 arguments. I told you before that what is in 00:17:57.150 --> 00:17:59.230 your heart? The things that will come forward 00:17:59.230 --> 00:18:05.049 in your hearts are arguments. Okay? That message 00:18:05.049 --> 00:18:08.869 that those people are preaching in Jude are arguments. 00:18:09.849 --> 00:18:11.630 Are we together? They are bringing arguments. 00:18:13.029 --> 00:18:17.150 Casting down arguments. And everything that is 00:18:17.150 --> 00:18:19.970 exalting itself is making itself more prominent 00:18:19.970 --> 00:18:25.470 against the knowledge of God. Against the knowledge 00:18:25.470 --> 00:18:29.029 of God's word. Against everything that God has 00:18:29.029 --> 00:18:33.069 said concerning you. Against everything that 00:18:33.069 --> 00:18:36.269 God has said concerning the believer. Bringing 00:18:36.269 --> 00:18:39.930 every thought. This thought can come from any 00:18:39.930 --> 00:18:43.970 direction. This thought can even come from good 00:18:43.970 --> 00:18:48.890 counsel. This thought can even come from supposedly 00:18:48.890 --> 00:18:55.250 place of love. Every thought into captivity to 00:18:55.250 --> 00:19:02.059 the obedience of Christ. Ephesians 6 verse 12, 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:08.680 obviously, will tell us that, you know, for we 00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:10.960 are not wrestling against what? Against human 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:16.180 beings, okay? But against principalities, all 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:18.539 right? So even though we know that it is a natural, 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:21.819 they come in a natural, but the software behind 00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:24.759 that operation is what? It's supernatural. Are 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:28.299 we together? The person that will come and preach, 00:19:29.069 --> 00:19:31.430 The first gospel to you. The force behind that 00:19:31.430 --> 00:19:36.109 is supernatural. We wrestle against principalities, 00:19:36.269 --> 00:19:41.329 against powers, against rulers of what? Of darkness 00:19:41.329 --> 00:19:45.190 of this age. Against spiritual hosts of wickedness 00:19:45.190 --> 00:19:52.710 in the heavenly. So, Paul made mention of wicked 00:19:52.710 --> 00:19:56.869 and ungodly men who oppose him in 2 Thessalonians 00:19:56.869 --> 00:20:05.200 3, verse 2. And that we may be delivered. From 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:08.140 what? From unreasonable and wicked men. But how 00:20:08.140 --> 00:20:10.279 will they be delivered? By prayer. All right? 00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:14.200 Give me verse 1. Verse 1. Yes, verse 1. It says, 00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:17.539 finally, pray for us. That what? That the word 00:20:17.539 --> 00:20:20.579 of God or the word of the Lord may run swiftly 00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:26.039 and be glorified. Just as it is with you. Verse 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:30.220 2. And that we may be delivered from unreasonable 00:20:30.220 --> 00:20:34.799 men. Unreasonable and wicked men, for not all 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:38.740 have faith. Hallelujah. For not all have faith. 00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:42.880 So there is an opposition to the prosperity of 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:45.000 the word. There is an opposition to that word 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:48.740 that is a word of faith. And the way Paul was 00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:51.539 asking for help is not by bringing bodyguards. 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:56.319 It's by praying that there will be deliverance 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.730 from this set of people. So to fight or contend 00:21:00.730 --> 00:21:03.450 for the faith, we must understand the nature 00:21:03.450 --> 00:21:07.789 of this fight. Okay? Where the fight is fought 00:21:07.789 --> 00:21:11.450 and the weapons for the fight, we must understand 00:21:11.450 --> 00:21:13.849 the nature of this fight. We must understand 00:21:13.849 --> 00:21:17.750 what this fight is all about. We must also understand 00:21:17.750 --> 00:21:23.109 the enemy and his devices. Okay? We must understand 00:21:23.109 --> 00:21:28.630 the enemy and his devices. And we must not be 00:21:28.630 --> 00:21:31.650 ignorant of them. 2 Corinthians 2 .11 says that 00:21:31.650 --> 00:21:36.509 we are not ignorant of what? Of the devices of 00:21:36.509 --> 00:21:40.730 the devil, of the enemy. Let Satan take advantage 00:21:40.730 --> 00:21:45.309 of us. Speaking to a church. For we are not ignorant 00:21:45.309 --> 00:21:49.410 of what? Of the devices. So the enemy, the devil, 00:21:49.430 --> 00:21:53.109 has devices. He has methods. He has schemes. 00:21:53.450 --> 00:21:56.710 He has technology by which he... He operates 00:21:56.710 --> 00:22:02.309 in order to what? To sabotage the work of God 00:22:02.309 --> 00:22:05.730 in our lives. And God has given us the ability. 00:22:06.009 --> 00:22:09.009 Hallelujah. He has given to us the power, the 00:22:09.009 --> 00:22:12.210 will, to ensure that we bring to nothing the 00:22:12.210 --> 00:22:14.910 plan and the work of the devil. He has given 00:22:14.910 --> 00:22:18.289 us authority. He has given us power to do what? 00:22:18.329 --> 00:22:20.690 To bring to nothing the plan and the works of 00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:25.289 the enemy. So we can fight the spiritual war 00:22:25.289 --> 00:22:27.559 by, by using physical means we've said around 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:32.940 this fight okay of faith is located in our hearts 00:22:32.940 --> 00:22:37.920 first and foremost all right let's begin from 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:40.160 the heart first of all we see it in the heart 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:47.460 we've seen that primarily faith operates in the 00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:52.640 heart of man and in our words and of course in 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:57.210 our actions Romans chapter 10 verse 9. How we 00:22:57.210 --> 00:22:59.710 come to know Jesus Christ and accept and be part 00:22:59.710 --> 00:23:03.329 of the family. Romans chapter 10 verse 9 and 00:23:03.329 --> 00:23:09.769 10. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord 00:23:09.769 --> 00:23:13.150 Jesus Christ and what? And believe where? Where 00:23:13.150 --> 00:23:15.630 do you believe? You believe in the heart, right? 00:23:16.049 --> 00:23:18.450 You confess it's in your lips and it's in your 00:23:18.450 --> 00:23:21.430 heart. What do you confess and what do you believe? 00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:24.630 that god has raised him from the death you will 00:23:24.630 --> 00:23:28.589 be saved verse 10 for with the heart with the 00:23:28.589 --> 00:23:32.730 heart all right what happened one believes unto 00:23:32.730 --> 00:23:35.809 righteousness and with the mouth what happened 00:23:35.809 --> 00:23:41.150 confession is made into unto salvation so we 00:23:41.150 --> 00:23:44.809 can see the operation of faith in the heart and 00:23:44.809 --> 00:23:50.759 also in the profession of a man hallelujah 2 00:23:50.759 --> 00:23:55.539 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 13. We're just trying 00:23:55.539 --> 00:23:58.859 to betray the fact that we'll find faith in operation 00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:02.140 in the heart and also in our words, in our mouth. 00:24:02.420 --> 00:24:06.220 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according 00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:10.259 to what is written, I believe. And therefore, 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:14.599 what do I do? I speak. We also believe and therefore 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:16.579 we speak. So there's a believing that is in the 00:24:16.579 --> 00:24:19.339 heart. And then, of course, we see the profession 00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:24.779 that is in words. Acts 11, verse 23. Mark 11, 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:31.920 23. For surely I say to you, whoever says to 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:34.880 this mountain, be removed and be cast into the 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:39.460 sea and does not doubt. Where? Where does he 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:43.200 doubt? In his heart. So where does doubt operate? 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:49.319 Doubts operate in the heart. All right? Equally, 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:51.819 what beliefs, where does faith also operate? 00:24:52.059 --> 00:24:56.980 Faith also operates where? In the heart. So it 00:24:56.980 --> 00:25:00.099 seems to me that the heart is a place where either 00:25:00.099 --> 00:25:03.819 faith will operate or doubt will operate. It 00:25:03.819 --> 00:25:07.579 depends on what is given chance to operate. But 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:10.279 beliefs, that those things he says will be done, 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:17.519 he will have whatever he says. Amen? So, Just 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:19.019 of a sudden you begin to have a story in your 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:21.839 heart that a brother besides you needs to be 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:25.380 laid hand upon to be healed. And suddenly you 00:25:25.380 --> 00:25:27.299 turn and you look at the person by your left 00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:30.019 and you're by your right side. If I lay hand 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:31.200 on this person and he doesn't get healed, what 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:34.400 will happen? Then you begin to doubt. Pastor 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:36.140 Carson is smiling because he knows what I'm saying. 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:40.039 Then you begin to doubt, all right? And then 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:42.259 you don't lay hand on him. What has happened 00:25:42.259 --> 00:25:46.660 at that moment? Faith wants to manifest. but 00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:50.440 doubt. So there's a conflict where we cannot 00:25:50.440 --> 00:25:52.079 see with our eyes, but there's a war happening 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:55.940 in your heart. Faith and doubt. And whatever 00:25:55.940 --> 00:26:00.859 you allow to manifest will take the place. Hallelujah. 00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:04.759 So we have a responsibility always to do what? 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:08.960 To allow faith to have expression through us. 00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:16.140 Amen? So what does the Bible say about our hearts? 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:18.400 What does the Bible say about our hearts? Firstly, 00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:20.960 we saw that a man is born again from the heart. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:24.579 Salvation is from the heart, alright? Romans 00:26:24.579 --> 00:26:27.920 10, verse 9 and 10, we saw that a man is born 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:31.000 again from the heart. The changes are, of course, 00:26:31.140 --> 00:26:34.140 we don't see with our physical eyes. It's in 00:26:34.140 --> 00:26:36.079 the heart of that man that the man becomes born 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:39.460 again. That is a spiritual part of that man. 00:26:42.730 --> 00:26:45.230 Verse 9 says that if you confess with your mouth 00:26:45.230 --> 00:26:48.369 the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart, that 00:26:48.369 --> 00:26:51.990 heart, the word heart in the Greek is the word 00:26:51.990 --> 00:26:59.710 kardia. K -A -R -D -I -A. And it is figuratively 00:26:59.710 --> 00:27:02.990 used here. We're not talking about the heart 00:27:02.990 --> 00:27:07.329 that pumps blood. We're not talking about your 00:27:07.329 --> 00:27:10.690 heart that is pumping blood. But it's a figurative 00:27:10.690 --> 00:27:14.099 statement here, the heart. figuratively means 00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:16.279 the truths or the feelings sometimes you see 00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:20.299 interchangeably the mind it is that affective 00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:22.519 center of your being that your core of a man 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:27.579 that has the capacity of what of of making choices 00:27:27.579 --> 00:27:34.240 moral preference the heart and in the bible the 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:37.660 word card here is mentioned over 800 times in 00:27:37.660 --> 00:27:41.359 the scripture But never will we see it referring 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:44.059 to any literal or physical part of our body that 00:27:44.059 --> 00:27:47.180 is pumping blood. That is, the heart is only 00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:50.680 used figuratively, right? It's oftentimes used 00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:53.579 in scriptures figuratively. Figuratively for 00:27:53.579 --> 00:27:55.500 what? For that particular part of a man that 00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:59.299 is the core of his being. So the Bible presents 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:03.039 the heart as the inner core of man. So that is 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:05.480 where the fight happens. That is where the battle 00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:09.769 happens. That is where, you know, this... Conversation 00:28:09.769 --> 00:28:13.730 happens. The heart of a man. Not merely the physical 00:28:13.730 --> 00:28:19.230 organ or emotions. The word heart is descriptive. 00:28:20.190 --> 00:28:23.789 It's a descriptive term that is used to explain 00:28:23.789 --> 00:28:26.789 a person's motives. That's the way your motive 00:28:26.789 --> 00:28:30.309 is. You know, your conviction is found in your 00:28:30.309 --> 00:28:34.970 heart. Your persuasion. You see, you have to 00:28:34.970 --> 00:28:37.230 come to a place of persuasion about a certain 00:28:37.230 --> 00:28:41.059 thing. That's when doubt does not work again. 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:43.839 For example, now, I know that I cannot come to 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:45.200 Pastor Emmanuel and tell him, Pastor Emmanuel, 00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:47.759 Jesus is not God. And then he will begin to wonder. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:51.680 He has reached a place of persuasion that there's 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:54.380 no amount of doubt that can come and convince 00:28:54.380 --> 00:28:58.299 that Jesus is not God. Hallelujah. So also, all 00:28:58.299 --> 00:29:01.400 of us, that we should come to a place of persuasion 00:29:01.400 --> 00:29:04.480 concerning everything that God has said concerning 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:07.900 you. concerning everything that the word of God 00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:11.660 says about us, about what we should do, about 00:29:11.660 --> 00:29:16.259 how we should live our life, we must reach to 00:29:16.259 --> 00:29:17.980 this place of persuasion. And our persuasion 00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:21.200 is in our heart, not only in our lips, on our 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:25.539 lips. If what we say on our lips, the songs we 00:29:25.539 --> 00:29:29.039 sing, we dance to, are actually the things that 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:31.440 we have persuasions in our heart about, then 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:35.650 we will see our conduct, what we do. will reflect 00:29:35.650 --> 00:29:38.509 the persuasions of our hearts, also the things 00:29:38.509 --> 00:29:40.750 that we see on our mouths, hallelujah, in our 00:29:40.750 --> 00:29:46.269 lips. So we see the scripture repeatedly places 00:29:46.269 --> 00:29:49.750 emphasis on the heart, on the heart of man. For 00:29:49.750 --> 00:29:52.569 example, in Proverbs 4, verse 23, Proverbs 4, 00:29:52.630 --> 00:29:57.670 23, will teach us a very important thing. Proverbs 00:29:57.670 --> 00:30:01.230 4, verse 23, it says, keep your heart with all 00:30:01.230 --> 00:30:05.750 diligence. For all of it springs the issues of 00:30:05.750 --> 00:30:07.849 life. I want you to give me this in NLT. Do we 00:30:07.849 --> 00:30:14.190 have that? Yes. It says, guard your heart above 00:30:14.190 --> 00:30:19.029 all else. Why? For it determines the course of 00:30:19.029 --> 00:30:23.089 your life. Your heart determines the course of 00:30:23.089 --> 00:30:25.809 your life. Whether your life will go left or 00:30:25.809 --> 00:30:29.990 your life will go right, your heart is the core. 00:30:30.349 --> 00:30:32.730 so if your heart is a central processing system 00:30:32.730 --> 00:30:37.750 of your body of your life so you have the responsibility 00:30:37.750 --> 00:30:39.470 not that someone will come and got your heart 00:30:39.470 --> 00:30:42.230 for you you will do what will got your heart 00:30:42.230 --> 00:30:46.769 that is the fight of faith you have a responsibility 00:30:46.769 --> 00:30:51.170 to do what to lay a guard on your heart because 00:30:51.170 --> 00:30:52.910 that is the way many think that's the way the 00:30:52.910 --> 00:30:58.609 core of a man is from it we see the course of 00:30:58.609 --> 00:31:05.890 your life Hallelujah. 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. We 00:31:05.890 --> 00:31:10.109 see when the prophet came to anoint and he said 00:31:10.109 --> 00:31:13.009 something concerning David. 1 Samuel, give me 00:31:13.009 --> 00:31:16.029 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. He said, but the Lord said 00:31:16.029 --> 00:31:20.349 to Samuel, don't judge by his appearance because 00:31:20.349 --> 00:31:23.150 there's a way we can judge people by their appearance. 00:31:26.529 --> 00:31:29.609 Don't judge by his appearance or height. So I 00:31:29.609 --> 00:31:33.690 have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things 00:31:33.690 --> 00:31:38.369 the way you see them. People judge by outward 00:31:38.369 --> 00:31:41.690 appearance, but the Lord looks at what? Where 00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:44.630 does the Lord look at? He looks at the core of 00:31:44.630 --> 00:31:46.410 the man, the invisible part that we cannot see 00:31:46.410 --> 00:31:50.789 with our physical eyes. Hallelujah. That is where 00:31:50.789 --> 00:31:55.950 the battle for faith happens. Matthew 12, verse 00:31:55.950 --> 00:32:03.069 24. Matthew 12, verse 24. Conviction is in the 00:32:03.069 --> 00:32:06.549 heart. Persuasion is in your heart. All right? 00:32:07.150 --> 00:32:10.289 Even, you know, to receive by the Spirit is from 00:32:10.289 --> 00:32:15.650 your heart. It says, How can you, being evil, 00:32:15.890 --> 00:32:19.089 right? Where does that evil nature come from? 00:32:19.549 --> 00:32:23.230 Can you, being evil, speak good things? Evil 00:32:23.230 --> 00:32:26.410 is from the heart. How can you, who are evil, 00:32:26.430 --> 00:32:29.079 speak good things? For out of the abundance of 00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:31.559 the heart, what will happen? The mouth will speak. 00:32:32.259 --> 00:32:35.519 Okay? So if the heart is good, what will happen? 00:32:35.799 --> 00:32:39.319 Good things will come out. Alright? If the heart 00:32:39.319 --> 00:32:41.960 is evil, what will we see? Evil things will come 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:43.920 out. So if you are good and you are speaking 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:47.960 evil things, is there no confusion there? You 00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:49.259 are a believer, which means that you are a good 00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:52.299 person. God has made you good. But every time 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:54.299 we hear what we hear from your words are not 00:32:54.299 --> 00:32:56.789 faithful words. It means that there's a disconnection 00:32:56.789 --> 00:32:59.789 somewhere. There's a corruption somewhere. Luke 00:32:59.789 --> 00:33:06.450 chapter 6, verse 45. Luke 6, verse 45. All these 00:33:06.450 --> 00:33:08.690 two texts reveal that what comes out of a person's 00:33:08.690 --> 00:33:11.549 mouth proceeds from what fills his heart, from 00:33:11.549 --> 00:33:15.049 his nature, from his identity. A good man, what 00:33:15.049 --> 00:33:17.930 happened for him? Out of the good treasure of 00:33:17.930 --> 00:33:21.529 where? Of his heart, his core, his being. Out 00:33:21.529 --> 00:33:24.490 of the treasures of his heart brings forth good. 00:33:25.829 --> 00:33:27.970 Okay? Out of the treasures of his heart, what 00:33:27.970 --> 00:33:31.250 happens? He brings out good. And an evil man, 00:33:31.430 --> 00:33:35.150 out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings 00:33:35.150 --> 00:33:39.269 forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, 00:33:39.390 --> 00:33:42.890 his mouth, what? His mouth speaks. So the heart 00:33:42.890 --> 00:33:46.130 is very, very vital in the direction. You see, 00:33:46.150 --> 00:33:47.950 there's a place we're going to read about words. 00:33:48.130 --> 00:33:49.710 We're going to look at words. How powerful words 00:33:49.710 --> 00:33:51.589 are. The apostle used to make emphasis about 00:33:51.589 --> 00:33:54.309 words. The gem to talk about words. The tongue 00:33:54.309 --> 00:33:59.119 is what? It's like fire. That's how we describe 00:33:59.119 --> 00:34:03.039 it, right? And if you know how to use it, the 00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:05.680 Bible says you eat the fruit of it. But what 00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:08.679 you say must be faith -filled words. Hallelujah. 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:11.880 For you to be able to benefit from what? From 00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:14.840 the treasures of what are in God's word. So we're 00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:16.239 not talking about the tongue yet. The tongue 00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:18.960 will be another discussion, all right? The tongue 00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:20.320 will be another discussion. We're talking about 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:22.599 the heart, where the battle is, where the fight 00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:25.000 is. and when we come to begin to analyze how 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:28.679 we can sport of faith and see the manifestation 00:34:28.679 --> 00:34:33.860 of those that we speak hallelujah so there the 00:34:33.860 --> 00:34:35.940 heart therefore describes the inner man do we 00:34:35.940 --> 00:34:38.360 agree we've seen that the heart is a cold man 00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:42.920 and and in romans 2 29 paul speaks of the circumcision 00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:46.039 that cannot be seen outwardly romans chapter 00:34:46.039 --> 00:34:53.190 2 verse 29 romans 2 29 Paul speaks of the circumcision 00:34:53.190 --> 00:34:55.750 that cannot be seen outwardly, but takes place 00:34:55.750 --> 00:35:01.389 in the heart that shows that God's work is done. 00:35:01.630 --> 00:35:09.250 But he is a Jew, right? One who is one inwardly. 00:35:09.369 --> 00:35:12.550 So the argument of Paul here is that a Jew is 00:35:12.550 --> 00:35:16.849 a Jew in the heart, not just by outward appearance. 00:35:17.110 --> 00:35:21.099 And circumcision is that of where? Of the heart. 00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:24.440 Alright? So circumcision is an analogy for what 00:35:24.440 --> 00:35:27.599 God will do in the heart. Physical circumcision. 00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:32.119 Paul is using it here as a figurative of what 00:35:32.119 --> 00:35:34.659 God will do in the heart. The cutting off of 00:35:34.659 --> 00:35:37.059 the flesh, which has to do with what? The separation 00:35:37.059 --> 00:35:40.119 of the spirit. The engulfing of the spirit in 00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:43.420 man. In the spirit. Okay. He says, but he is 00:35:43.420 --> 00:35:46.500 a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision is 00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:49.090 that of the heart. In the spirit. So circumcision 00:35:49.090 --> 00:35:53.250 is done in the spirit, not in the letter. Whose 00:35:53.250 --> 00:35:57.309 praise is from men? Not from men, but from God. 00:35:57.349 --> 00:36:03.650 Hallelujah. 1 Peter 3, verse 3. Also we'll see 00:36:03.650 --> 00:36:07.309 a writer here speaking about the hidden person 00:36:07.309 --> 00:36:10.650 of the heart, linking it to the inward spirit 00:36:10.650 --> 00:36:16.989 life of man. Give me 1 Peter 3, verse 3. So we're 00:36:16.989 --> 00:36:19.449 just trying to build a case concerning the issue 00:36:19.449 --> 00:36:24.929 of the heart and where we face opposition and 00:36:24.929 --> 00:36:28.289 how we can deal with that. It says, do not let 00:36:28.289 --> 00:36:31.650 your adornment, talking about the women here, 00:36:31.829 --> 00:36:35.369 do not let your adornment be merely what? Hard 00:36:35.369 --> 00:36:38.630 work arranging of hair, doing makeups and doing 00:36:38.630 --> 00:36:41.010 your nails, wearing golds or putting on fine 00:36:41.010 --> 00:36:46.289 apparel. Rather, let it be what? The hidden person 00:36:46.289 --> 00:36:49.730 of the heart, which means that there's a part 00:36:49.730 --> 00:36:51.449 of you that is called the heart. That is the 00:36:51.449 --> 00:36:55.210 real you. That is you. That is a man that is 00:36:55.210 --> 00:36:58.409 born again. Hallelujah. The real person of the 00:36:58.409 --> 00:37:01.010 heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle 00:37:01.010 --> 00:37:04.289 and a quiet spirit, which is very precious, very 00:37:04.289 --> 00:37:08.230 precious on the side of God. Hallelujah. So we 00:37:08.230 --> 00:37:11.650 have established that faith and doubt, all right, 00:37:11.710 --> 00:37:15.280 operates, can operate. it operates in the heart 00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:19.940 faith and doubt where do they operate they operate 00:37:19.940 --> 00:37:23.760 in the heart therefore we must guard our hearts 00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:28.639 or diligently diligently the activity of doubt 00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:32.980 can be found in the heart can be found in the 00:37:32.980 --> 00:37:35.539 heart mark chapter 11 verse 23 we read it earlier 00:37:35.539 --> 00:37:42.889 on the word doubt Doubt, yes. For surely I say 00:37:42.889 --> 00:37:44.849 to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed 00:37:44.849 --> 00:37:48.929 and be cast into the sea and does not doubt in 00:37:48.929 --> 00:37:52.269 his heart. So where does doubt happen? Doubt 00:37:52.269 --> 00:37:55.449 happens in the heart. So what does it mean to 00:37:55.449 --> 00:37:58.670 doubt? Now we understand what the heart is, right? 00:37:58.849 --> 00:38:01.730 That is the core. That is the real you. That 00:38:01.730 --> 00:38:04.010 is the you that we know. That by the spirit we 00:38:04.010 --> 00:38:08.090 know. Doubt occurs there. So what is doubt? What 00:38:08.090 --> 00:38:14.099 is doubt? Now the Greek word for that doubt is 00:38:14.099 --> 00:38:23.940 diacrino. D -I -A -K -R -I -N -O. Diacrino. And 00:38:23.940 --> 00:38:28.980 it appears in the New Testament many times and 00:38:28.980 --> 00:38:36.320 carries an important idea about a person. Diacrino. 00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:43.809 It means to... To separate. Another way. The 00:38:43.809 --> 00:38:46.610 word can mean many things in scriptures. So I'm 00:38:46.610 --> 00:38:48.690 just going to call. It's rendition in scriptures. 00:38:49.090 --> 00:38:53.110 It can mean to separate. Or it means to separate. 00:38:53.849 --> 00:39:00.590 It means to distinguish. Diacrino. To separate. 00:39:00.829 --> 00:39:07.949 To distinguish. To judge between. Diacrino is 00:39:07.949 --> 00:39:13.840 also. discern to discern diacrino also means 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:21.260 hesitate and it also means to become divided 00:39:21.260 --> 00:39:24.460 within oneself to become divided within oneself 00:39:24.460 --> 00:39:27.300 is a phrase so the word comes from two different 00:39:27.300 --> 00:39:31.840 words uh dia and krino dia means true or between 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:35.300 and then krino to judge or to decide to judge 00:39:35.300 --> 00:39:38.780 or to decide so to to centrally the idea is to 00:39:38.780 --> 00:39:43.159 separate things right separation of things mentally 00:39:43.159 --> 00:39:47.039 you know separation of an idea separation of 00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:49.400 a thing mentally in order to arrive at the conclusion 00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:56.820 that is the idea diacrino okay so depending on 00:39:56.820 --> 00:40:01.679 the context this photos can either produce discernment 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:06.000 diacrino it can either produce discernment or 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:08.119 internal division or doubt, what we call doubt. 00:40:10.260 --> 00:40:12.380 Based on the context of its application, the 00:40:12.380 --> 00:40:15.559 word diacrino can mean discernment or what? Or 00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:18.239 doubt. So where does it happen? It happens in 00:40:18.239 --> 00:40:21.920 the heart. Between trying to discern, discernment 00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:24.420 happens in the heart. Doubt happens in the heart. 00:40:24.420 --> 00:40:29.360 So the word diacrino. So we'll see the word diacrino 00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:31.920 applied in various contexts in scripture. For 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:35.889 example, number one. Diacrino is used as discernment. 00:40:37.389 --> 00:40:40.849 Discernment. Distinguishing correctly. Distinguishing 00:40:40.849 --> 00:40:44.409 correctly. That's one of the positive use of 00:40:44.409 --> 00:40:48.369 diacrino. It means to distinguish rightly or 00:40:48.369 --> 00:40:52.789 perceive accurately. Discernment. To distinguish 00:40:52.789 --> 00:40:56.150 rightly or perceive accurately. And we see Paul 00:40:56.150 --> 00:40:59.650 use it in text in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 29. 00:41:00.809 --> 00:41:04.530 1 Corinthians 11 verse 29. It says, for anyone 00:41:04.530 --> 00:41:08.190 who eats and drinks without discerning the body, 00:41:08.349 --> 00:41:11.829 eats and drinks judgment on himself. The word 00:41:11.829 --> 00:41:13.989 discerning the body, the word discerning here 00:41:13.989 --> 00:41:20.269 is actually diacrino. Okay? Diacrino. Paul teaches 00:41:20.269 --> 00:41:23.309 our believers must recognize what? Spiritual 00:41:23.309 --> 00:41:26.809 realities properly. So in this text, diacrino 00:41:26.809 --> 00:41:30.769 means to distinguish truth correctly. To discern, 00:41:30.849 --> 00:41:33.460 discernment is not just it's not just suspicious 00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:37.400 just suspicion but proper spiritual judgment 00:41:37.400 --> 00:41:39.980 so we see the context of the use of the word 00:41:39.980 --> 00:41:43.860 here to distinguish properly to discern all right 00:41:43.860 --> 00:41:49.860 another application of the word diacrino is internal 00:41:49.860 --> 00:41:52.800 division or what we call doubt in in the heart 00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:55.920 so the same what we see is application differently 00:41:55.920 --> 00:42:03.360 it can also describe what a divided heart james 00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:06.760 write about the gems one verse six gems of the 00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:11.019 one verse six but let him ask in faith talking 00:42:11.019 --> 00:42:14.460 about asking we know what with no doubting without 00:42:14.460 --> 00:42:17.400 doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of 00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:19.800 the sea driven and tossed by the wind so that 00:42:19.800 --> 00:42:22.619 word doubt or doubting is a word like like we 00:42:22.619 --> 00:42:27.599 know so this is not just simply meaning you know 00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:31.190 without asking questions You know, let him what? 00:42:32.510 --> 00:42:37.090 Let him ask in faith with no doubting. For he 00:42:37.090 --> 00:42:40.409 who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven 00:42:40.409 --> 00:42:45.210 thus and fro. So doubt in scripture is not the 00:42:45.210 --> 00:42:49.510 absence of information. Doubt is not the absence 00:42:49.510 --> 00:42:53.789 of information. But it is having competing persuasions 00:42:53.789 --> 00:42:58.650 within you. Okay? Having what? Competing persuasions. 00:42:59.859 --> 00:43:02.800 Two different ideas in your heart. Let me give 00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:06.239 you an instance. The word of God says you are 00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:10.059 forgiven. Listen to this. The word of God says 00:43:10.059 --> 00:43:12.420 you are forgiven. But in your heart, you are 00:43:12.420 --> 00:43:14.880 doubting whether you are truly forgiven. So where 00:43:14.880 --> 00:43:19.420 is the doubt coming from? It's coming from outside. 00:43:19.539 --> 00:43:21.739 It's not your being. Where is the doubt coming 00:43:21.739 --> 00:43:26.599 from? It's coming from Satan. So in your heart, 00:43:26.619 --> 00:43:29.059 there's a conflict between I am forgiven eternally 00:43:29.059 --> 00:43:32.880 and what? And I'm condemned or I'm not forgiven. 00:43:33.179 --> 00:43:35.320 So there's a conflict that happens in the heart. 00:43:35.460 --> 00:43:38.280 But you have to be taught the word of God, all 00:43:38.280 --> 00:43:41.199 right? You have to be trained in the word of 00:43:41.199 --> 00:43:43.159 God. We're going to look at how we can fight 00:43:43.159 --> 00:43:45.659 that later on. You have to be trained in the 00:43:45.659 --> 00:43:49.300 word to know, to reach to a place, knowledge, 00:43:49.659 --> 00:43:57.260 okay? To the place of what? Of persuasion. persuasion 00:43:57.260 --> 00:44:03.440 hallelujah so James continues in chapter 1 verse 00:44:03.440 --> 00:44:07.539 8 he says a double -minded man he is a double 00:44:07.539 --> 00:44:12.000 -minded man unstable in all his ways a double 00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:16.199 -minded man a double -minded man is a man that 00:44:16.199 --> 00:44:20.380 has various opinions in his heart and is dividing 00:44:20.380 --> 00:44:22.659 him in between meaning a divided heart produces 00:44:22.659 --> 00:44:27.590 what It produces instability in a man. Hallelujah. 00:44:28.650 --> 00:44:32.909 So Paul used the same word for Abraham. For example, 00:44:32.909 --> 00:44:37.389 in Romans 4 .20, we'll see that Abraham staggered 00:44:37.389 --> 00:44:39.769 not at the promises of God through unbelief. 00:44:40.389 --> 00:44:44.889 Romans 8, 4 .20, sorry. He says he did not waver. 00:44:45.349 --> 00:44:47.070 Some translation would use the word stagger. 00:44:47.409 --> 00:44:50.789 He did not waver at the promises of God. He did 00:44:50.789 --> 00:44:53.559 not doubt. That word weaver, check the meaning 00:44:53.559 --> 00:44:56.980 of the word. He did not doubt at the premise 00:44:56.980 --> 00:45:01.199 of God through unbelief, okay? But was strengthened 00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:06.440 in faith, giving glory to God. So Abraham did 00:45:06.440 --> 00:45:09.380 not become divided internally concerning God's 00:45:09.380 --> 00:45:12.920 promise. That's what it means. All right? That 00:45:12.920 --> 00:45:16.619 word weaver or staggered, diacrino. Abraham did 00:45:16.619 --> 00:45:20.480 not become divided internally in his heart. This 00:45:20.480 --> 00:45:23.420 is what God said. okay but this is the nature 00:45:23.420 --> 00:45:28.559 of my body so the the the reality of his biology 00:45:28.559 --> 00:45:32.599 is contrary to what god is saying but the bible 00:45:32.599 --> 00:45:36.099 says that abraham did not work did not stagger 00:45:36.099 --> 00:45:40.480 or he did not weaver in faith he did not have 00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:43.599 a divided heart even though there is a reality 00:45:43.599 --> 00:45:46.079 that speaks against the truth of what god have 00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:50.119 said he had external difficulties But inwardly 00:45:50.119 --> 00:45:54.619 there is a persuasion in him. Faith therefore 00:45:54.619 --> 00:46:00.719 is not the absence of challenge. Okay? This is 00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:02.840 what God has said concerning your life. This 00:46:02.840 --> 00:46:04.320 is what God has said concerning the believer. 00:46:05.059 --> 00:46:08.039 Will the external environment always align to 00:46:08.039 --> 00:46:11.599 what God has said? No. But does it take away 00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:16.380 the reality of what God has said? No. Hallelujah. 00:46:19.369 --> 00:46:24.530 Faith is refusing internal division after God's 00:46:24.530 --> 00:46:28.269 word has been spoken. Listen, when the serpent 00:46:28.269 --> 00:46:32.949 came to Eve, see, this is what happened. He came 00:46:32.949 --> 00:46:37.030 to her and he asked her, what have God said? 00:46:38.730 --> 00:46:40.750 Because faith will always come for the word, 00:46:40.869 --> 00:46:46.210 right? Doubt will always come for the word. Whatever 00:46:46.210 --> 00:46:50.199 God has said, the devil will bring doubt. And 00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:51.960 the reason for doubt is that you will not be 00:46:51.960 --> 00:46:54.000 able to live out that reality that God has said 00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:59.000 concerning what you said. As God said. And for 00:46:59.000 --> 00:47:04.099 Abraham here, the natural situation can speak 00:47:04.099 --> 00:47:06.340 doubt into his heart. The devil can use that 00:47:06.340 --> 00:47:09.960 as a device to speak doubt into his heart. And 00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:12.260 then he will now doubt the word of God. And when 00:47:12.260 --> 00:47:14.559 he doubts the word of God, that is not sin. Doubt 00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:19.300 is not a sin. Alright? Remember that man? that 00:47:19.300 --> 00:47:24.380 was sinking he screamed and there was deliverance 00:47:24.380 --> 00:47:29.860 doubt on his own is not seen but to walk in doubt 00:47:29.860 --> 00:47:34.500 is unbelief are we together to walk in doubt 00:47:34.500 --> 00:47:39.320 that is now unbelief so can there be conflicting 00:47:39.320 --> 00:47:42.820 ideas in our heart obviously every day we have 00:47:42.820 --> 00:47:47.360 conflicting ideas but we must be persuaded we 00:47:47.360 --> 00:47:49.400 must that's why we must see the fight of faith 00:47:49.400 --> 00:47:52.800 resisting the devil and his devices and allowing 00:47:52.800 --> 00:47:55.360 the work of god and what god have said concerning 00:47:55.360 --> 00:47:59.199 us to find expression daily in our lives hallelujah 00:47:59.199 --> 00:48:05.800 so another application of the old diacrino is 00:48:05.800 --> 00:48:12.780 is a hesitation hesitation acts of the 10 verse 00:48:12.780 --> 00:48:19.199 20 and god was speaking to peter Acts chapter 00:48:19.199 --> 00:48:22.719 10 verse 20. Arise therefore, go down and go 00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:26.679 with them, doubting nothing. For I have sent 00:48:26.679 --> 00:48:31.920 them. Do not hesitate. Do not argue internally 00:48:31.920 --> 00:48:33.900 against what God has already made clear. That's 00:48:33.900 --> 00:48:38.139 what the revelation for Peter there. So therefore, 00:48:38.179 --> 00:48:40.400 doubt is not simply the absence of faith as I've 00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:44.179 said. It is often division within the heart. 00:48:44.880 --> 00:48:48.730 Okay? It is often the division that happens with 00:48:48.730 --> 00:48:52.989 within your heart within my heart a person is 00:48:52.989 --> 00:48:56.469 pulled in two judgments you know you're judging 00:48:56.469 --> 00:49:00.090 between what god has said and what and what the 00:49:00.090 --> 00:49:02.829 other idea is bringing the devil two convictions 00:49:02.829 --> 00:49:07.369 or two voices since the heart is a center of 00:49:07.369 --> 00:49:10.329 persuasion and decision what enters and occupy 00:49:10.329 --> 00:49:13.829 the heart determines whether you will walk in 00:49:13.829 --> 00:49:17.750 faith or become unstable Do you understand what 00:49:17.750 --> 00:49:21.409 I said? What determines how you live your life 00:49:21.409 --> 00:49:24.510 is what you allow to find expression from your 00:49:24.510 --> 00:49:28.289 heart. So what enters and occupies the heart 00:49:28.289 --> 00:49:31.650 determines whether a person walks in faith or 00:49:31.650 --> 00:49:35.090 becomes unstable, living in unbelief. Today you 00:49:35.090 --> 00:49:36.909 are there, tomorrow you are down. Tomorrow is 00:49:36.909 --> 00:49:40.949 not consistency in your life. Because you are 00:49:40.949 --> 00:49:43.590 allowing your heart, you are not allowing your 00:49:43.590 --> 00:49:48.019 heart to be influenced by What God has allowed 00:49:48.019 --> 00:49:50.840 your heart to be influenced with so that you 00:49:50.840 --> 00:49:53.260 will be strong enough, you will be equipped enough 00:49:53.260 --> 00:49:57.300 to be persuaded. Persuasion comes by knowledge. 00:49:58.360 --> 00:50:03.219 It's not a miracle. It's by knowledge. We can't 00:50:03.219 --> 00:50:07.239 lay hands on you to be persuaded. Unpersuadedness 00:50:07.239 --> 00:50:13.619 is unbelief. It's a choice. Hallelujah. So, we 00:50:13.619 --> 00:50:21.469 must... Know our responsibility. Satan is majorly 00:50:21.469 --> 00:50:25.309 at war against your faith. So I close. Satan 00:50:25.309 --> 00:50:30.190 is majorly at war against our faith. He majorly 00:50:30.190 --> 00:50:33.150 attacks us through circumstances. Circumstances 00:50:33.150 --> 00:50:36.429 are orchestrations from the kingdom of darkness. 00:50:37.269 --> 00:50:40.949 I mean some evil circumstances will happen and 00:50:40.949 --> 00:50:43.780 the devil wants to use that to speak. Louder 00:50:43.780 --> 00:50:51.820 than what God is saying. Our experiences, what 00:50:51.820 --> 00:50:56.559 we've passed through in life. You know, I've 00:50:56.559 --> 00:50:58.440 had some people, they believe that God can never 00:50:58.440 --> 00:51:03.559 use them. Even though they are believers. And 00:51:03.559 --> 00:51:05.480 that's not true because they've had previous 00:51:05.480 --> 00:51:07.639 experiences. So they think that the experiences 00:51:07.639 --> 00:51:10.380 they have is stronger than what God is saying. 00:51:10.840 --> 00:51:13.500 The word of God is too good to be true about 00:51:13.500 --> 00:51:17.980 what the identity is. And if you are here, the 00:51:17.980 --> 00:51:19.440 word of God for you is that God is interested 00:51:19.440 --> 00:51:23.840 in your life, no matter what you've become in 00:51:23.840 --> 00:51:27.840 the past. A man in Christ is precious on the 00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:30.699 side of God, and he's a man or a woman that God 00:51:30.699 --> 00:51:33.440 wants to use for his glory. So our experiences 00:51:33.440 --> 00:51:38.260 in the past should not speak louder than what 00:51:38.260 --> 00:51:43.969 God is saying concerning us. You should not speak 00:51:43.969 --> 00:51:46.190 louder. Doctrines, teachings that come against 00:51:46.190 --> 00:51:49.230 the faith. I just want you to pray for yourself. 00:51:54.590 --> 00:51:59.969 That I'm able to guard my heart. Because we come 00:51:59.969 --> 00:52:02.550 to realize that, see, this fight of faith is 00:52:02.550 --> 00:52:07.510 not, it's not something that is done occasionally. 00:52:07.570 --> 00:52:12.570 No, daily, as you wake up, You are confronted 00:52:12.570 --> 00:52:23.489 by a devil that is working 24 hours. And his 00:52:23.489 --> 00:52:27.170 goal is to ensure that you don't become what 00:52:27.170 --> 00:52:30.909 God has made you. And let's just pray for yourself 00:52:30.909 --> 00:52:33.909 that you are diligent, that you are contending 00:52:33.909 --> 00:52:37.929 for the faith. We appreciate you being here today. 00:52:38.619 --> 00:52:40.719 We hope you carry this word with you throughout 00:52:40.719 --> 00:52:43.619 your week. Don't forget to check the show notes 00:52:43.619 --> 00:52:46.360 for additional insights. Stay connected with 00:52:46.360 --> 00:52:49.059 us through our website or follow us on social 00:52:49.059 --> 00:52:52.739 media. If you are encouraged, share this message 00:52:52.739 --> 00:52:55.739 with someone you care about. Until next time, 00:52:55.780 --> 00:52:56.739 stay blessed.