Second Timothy three, Paul here
is instructing Timothy against the false message of false religion. And we're going to pick up today
with verse 10. He said, but thou hast fully
known my doctrine, not doctrines doctrine. What was Paul's doctrine? It was the same as all the other
apostles' doctrine. It was the same as every child
of God's doctrine. It's the same as our doctrine.
One word, Christ. The teaching, I wrote this in
my notes, and I was going back over this this morning, and I
entered into it really and truly, because I have people ask me
all the time, what do y'all preach down there? And what do you believe
down there? And what is your statement of
faith down there? All those things, okay? Well,
the teaching of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ
is our doctrine. What do y'all preach down there?
The person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What's your
faith? The person and the work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we preach. The person
and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's our doctrine.
Hold your place right here and look at 2 John just before Revelation. Second John, verse nine says, whoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ. What is the transgression? It is not abiding in the doctrine
of Christ. Whoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. If there come any of you and
bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither
bid him Godspeed. For he that biddeth him Godspeed
is partaker of his evil deeds. There is one doctrine, there
is one teaching, and it's Christ. Anything other than Christ is
evil. It's evil. All right, go back
to 2 Timothy 3. Verse 10. But thou hast fully known my
doctrine, My manner of life, that means conduct, and that
is very important for Paul to remind us of and for us to consider
based on what he's about to say. I really want to point that out,
okay? Stick that in your back pocket for a minute. He said,
you know my conduct. Verse 10. Thou hast fully known
my doctrine, my manner of life, My purpose, that means what I've
set out to do. He said in verse 10, my faith,
who and what I believe. Who is what we believe, Christ,
what we believe about Christ. Verse 10, he said, my long-suffering,
that means my constancy, my consistency, my continuance in the ministry. Verse 10, he said, my charity,
that means love, my love, you've known my love. Verse 10, my patience,
that means cheerful endurance, cheerful waiting on the Lord. Verse 11, he said, you've also
fully known my persecutions, the attacks that have come to
me. My afflictions, that's the suffering, the hurt, the pain
that has come to me, all for preaching the gospel of Christ.
All of this is because he preached the gospel of Christ. It's all
because this world naturally does not want to hear the truth
concerning Christ. That is so sad to me. The world does not want to hear
the truth concerning Christ. It doesn't want to hear the truth
concerning God. It doesn't want to hear the truth concerning
man. It doesn't want to hear the truth concerning salvation. So he said, you fully heard and
known, verse 11, my persecutions, my afflictions, which came unto
me at Antioch and Iconium and Lystra, what persecutions I endured,
but out of them all The Lord delivered me, and that's the
truth concerning salvation. Man is in a bad way, and we are
all included in man. Man, woman, man is in a bad way,
and deliverance is of the Lord. Deliverance is only of the Lord. And Paul said, the Lord delivered
me from everything that I needed to be delivered from. But, he
said in verse 12, Yea, and all that will live godly
in Christ, godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. He said every person, not just
every preacher, but every person who lives godly in Christ is
going to suffer persecution for it. Now, that's the subject for
our Bible study this morning. Godly living. Living godly in Christ. Living godly in Christ. What
is it to live godly? And let me just say that this
is a very important Bible study. I almost swapped this with the
morning message. I don't know why. I guess I felt
like more people might hear it. I didn't. But I almost just thought,
let's have a Bible study for our morning message because this
is so important. I believe you will be interested
to hear this. We all need to hear this. But this is so important. I'm
gonna get right to the point on this and then I'm gonna prove
it by the word. And I want to point out that
this is the subject matter that brought persecution and affliction
to Paul for teaching it. This right here. This is the subject matter that
false religion hates the most. All right, this is it right here.
They cannot fathom this. They can't stand to hear this
because it completely removes the glory from them and gives
it all to Jesus Christ. So our reaction to this ought
to be very telling to us, whether we believe the truth concerning
Christ The truth concerning God, the truth concerning man, the
truth concerning salvation, or is our belief in a false religion? This ought to be very telling.
As the scripture says, examine yourselves, okay? Examine yourself.
Godly living. What is godly living? Living godly in Christ. First,
let me tell you what it's not. Verse 12 does not say, yea, and
all that will live godly in the flesh. Doesn't say that, does it? Paul did not say that. He did
not say all that will live godly in the flesh. He said godly in
Christ. Godly in Christ. Living godly
is something that can only happen in Christ. It can only take place in Christ.
The definition of the word godly is reverent toward God. Pious, that means moral toward
God. Devout toward God. dutiful, you know, fulfilling
your duties, dutiful toward God. The only way that can be accomplished
is in Christ, truly. In Christ, it cannot be accomplished
in the flesh of man. Where false religion is going
wrong is, and I mean every false religion, Google religious denominations. Okay? If I'm not mistaken, there
are 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 denominations of Baptists out there. Of all the Google responses you
get, you know, I don't know, say it's 20,000. 19,999 of them
are going to be wrong. There's only one truth. There's only one truth. If a
man doesn't come, who's with us? Those who cling to Christ,
those who honor Christ, give Christ all the glory. If a man
comes preaching Christ, he's with us. If a man brings any other doctrine
than that, don't bid him Godspeed, don't welcome him into your house. We're all a false religion. Religion is wrong. Religion is
wrong. Religion is false. And where all of it is going
wrong is it's trying to mix the Spirit of God with the flesh
of man. It's trying to rationalize the things of God and the Spirit
of God with the flesh of man. And it cannot be done. It can't
be done. Our Lord said in John 3, that
which is flesh is flesh and that which is spirit is spirit. The two will never mix. Everybody's so confused because
they're trying to rationalize the things of the spirit of God.
God is spirit. Those who worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth. And man is trying to figure out,
how do I get that in here? Never going to happen. It's never
going to happen. The two will never mix. If we
are trying to see the things of God's spirit in the flesh
of man, number one, we're in a false religion. And number
two, we're trying to see something that is never going to be seen.
Never going to be seen. The error of all false religion
comes from trying to take the things that the scripture plainly
tells us can only be seen in Christ. Because they only belong to the
spirit of Christ. The error comes from thinking
that we are supposed to see those things in man. That's where the
error comes from. The error of false religion is
in thinking that the scripture is talking about man. These are they which testify
of Christ. The flesh of man, the spirit
of man, rather than the flesh of Christ, the spirit of Christ.
We're never going to see the perfection of Christ in the flesh
of man. The only place that we are going
to see the perfection of Christ is in Christ. As long as we're in the sinful
flesh of this world, we are never going to be what we're gonna
be in glory. Now, we are going to be conformed
to the image of Christ. We are, God's people are, but
not until the day of glory. That's the day that our vile
body, that's what the scripture says, this is a vile body. Is
Christ vile? No. God forbid. The day of glory, that's the
day that our vile body will be fashioned like unto his glorious
body. That's the day that this corruption, that's what this
is, corruption, That's the day it'll put on incorruption. But
until that day, there is none good, no, not one. And realizing that, and seeing
that, and believing that, and acknowledging that, and looking
to that, and pleading that, and declaring that is living godly. Not fleshly but godly, not having
the focus and the attention on the flesh but on God, godly,
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing our righteousness
to be in the flesh is living fleshly. Seeing our righteousness to be
in Christ is living godly. See in our sanctification, that
means our holiness, to be in the flesh is living fleshly. See in our sanctification to
be in Christ is living godly. Having assurance and confidence
and hope by what we see in our flesh is living fleshly. Having
our assurance and confidence and hope by what we see in Christ
is living godly. Does this make sense? It turns the mind and the heart
from man to God. That's what it does. Walking
through this life with our eyes on Christ, His work, His perfection,
His sacrifice, His obedience, His accomplishment, His glory,
that's living godly. living godly. Now let's prove
the fact that I'm not lying. All right, let's prove the fact
that that is indeed what God's word says. Turn with me to Colossians
2. Colossians 2. Verse 6, as you have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. How do we do that? How do we walk through this life
in Christ? Paul is about to tell us you
do that by not walking in self. To walk in Christ, is to not
walk in self, it's to walk in Him. It's to live in Him. Verse 6, as you have therefore
received Christ Jesus the Lord, how did you receive Christ Jesus
the Lord? God did it. It was of God, by
God. As you received Him, just keep
walking just like that. God did it. It was of God, by
God. Walk in Him, all right? Verse
7, he said, here's how you walk in Him. You're rooted and built
up in Him, not in the law, in Him. You're established in the
faith. What does faith do? It looks
to Him. as you have been taught abounding
therein." Right there. Staying right there with Thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain lies,
vain deceit after the tradition of men. After the rudiments of the world
and not after Christ, for in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in him, which is
the head of all principality and power. That's walking in
him. It's saying I am complete in
him. I don't need to complete anything
in my flesh because I'm complete in Him. I tell you what, now
you better do this and you'd better. No, I'm complete in Him.
I'm complete in Christ. That's walking in Him, living
godly. All right, turn over to Romans
8. Verse one says, there is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk,
that word means live, not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh, and you know, what this
means is God's law is good. We're not against it, we're for
it. Problem is, is we're sinners and we can't do it. You know
what this law says? Lust not. You know what this law says?
Don't get angry at your brother. You better not get angry at your
brother. You know what this law says? In everything that comes
your way, you better rejoice in it. You better give thanks
for it. Whatever it is, you better give
thanks. Okay, we can't do it. The law
is wonderful. With David, we say, I love your
law. I'm just a sinner against it. I can't do it. Romans 7, that's what Paul said.
I can't do it. But it says in verse 3, what
the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh.
The law couldn't justify us. The law couldn't bring us to
God because we were sinners against it. Because that couldn't happen,
God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
by a sacrifice for sin, if you have a margin in your Bible,
that's what it says, He condemned sin in the flesh. Now watch verse
four. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. Is this not man? Is this not
the world? Is this not false religion? They're
always thinking about the flesh. They're always talking about
the flesh. They're always looking to the
flesh. They're always looking at the
flesh. Verse five, they that are after
the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are
after the spirit, the things of the spirit, they're always
thinking about the spirit. They're always looking to the
spirit of Christ. It's the spirit of Christ. Verse
six, for to be carnally minded, if you have a center margin,
you see that means the minding of the flesh. looking to man's
flesh is death, eternal death. But to be spiritually minded,
looking to Christ, is life and peace. Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God, or it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be. So they that are in the flesh,
trying to please God in the flesh, trying to be sanctified, and
that means holy in the flesh before God, trying to be righteous, perfect indeed before God in
the flesh, he said they cannot please God. Those who do that
cannot please God. Verse nine, but you are not in
the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God
dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because
of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors, not to the flesh to live after the flesh. You
know, people in the bondage of religion, they're just constantly
killing themselves, wrecking themselves over the cold. I need
to do better, you know, I need to, I need to serve this flesh
better, more holy. We're not debtors to the flesh.
Verse 12, therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh
to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh,
you shall die. But if you through the spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, people think that means if you
stop sinning, it's not what it means. It means kill the deeds
of the body. Kill your works. Kill the works
of the flesh before God that you think God is so happy with. He said, if God gives you the
ability to do that, you shall live. We see what this word is
saying to us. Let me say it this way, okay?
This is, let me say it this way. God is not looking to the flesh
of man for any good standing before him. Okay? God is not looking to the flesh
of man for any good standing before him. So us doing that
is not godly. Does that make sense? Us doing
that is not godly. That's not us living godly because
that's not what God does. God looks to Christ. God the Father is the first one
who trusted in Christ. That's what Ephesians 1 says.
God looks to Christ. So if we're going to live godly,
then we have to do the same thing. We have to look to Christ. Now,
the false religionist hears that and says, and this is my last
page of notes for whatever it's worth. The false religionist
hears that and says, if you don't look to your flesh, what's going
to stop you from sinning? If you don't look to your flesh,
then what's going to stop you from sinning? Here's the answer.
Nothing is going to stop a sinner from sinning. Well, Gabe, it sounds like you
are a promoter of sin. That's an impossible. Everybody
is a thousand percent sin already. It's impossible for a sinner
to stop sinning in his flesh, okay? But if the question is,
where does the restraint come from? All right, where does the
restraint come from? Paul started this by saying,
you know my conduct. I'm not in jail right now, okay? By the grace of God. I'm not
in prison right now by the grace of God. If God took his finger
off of me, I would do anything that any sinner on this earth
is capable of doing because that's what I am. I'm a sinner. All
right, but you know my conduct. I know your conduct. Paul said, you know my conduct.
You know my manner of life. You know how I've conducted myself
in society. If the question is what constrains
a child of God from giving in to the vilest sins that he or
she is capable of committing, here's the answer. The love of
Christ constrains us. Love for Christ, respect for
Christ, the desire to be like Christ even though we're not
in the flesh. The desire to be like Christ constrains us. The
utter hatred of the sin that we are constrains us. I'd be
the first one to tell you that I'm a sinner. And I'd be the
first one to tell you that I hate my sin. I don't love it. I don't cherish it. I don't relish
it. I hate it. I hate what I am. Job said, I loathe myself. And it's that hatred of what
I am that constrains me. And our Lord is the one who put
that love and that desire in us for Christ. He did that. And
he's the one who put that hate in us toward our own sin. He
did that. So ultimately, he's the one constraining
us. He is the one constraining us.
As much as he will allow us to be constrained, he's the one
constraining us. And for that, we give all the
glory to him. This is where all of the glory
for all of it ends up going to him. All of it, it goes to him,
which according to the scripture, is living godly. All of it going to him, all the
glory to him. I pray, I really do pray the
Lord will teach us and cause us to live like that. Live like
that, not as debtors to the flesh or debtors to the law, but debtors
to thankfulness to Christ for what he's done, what he's accomplished
for us. All right, amen.