Integrity in Faith: The Fight Against Deceit

Devotional

Day 1: The Daily Battle Against Flesh

Every day, we are faced with choices that either align us with God's will or our own fleshly desires. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans that we are not to conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation is a daily battle against the flesh, but it is a battle we do not fight alone.

Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you had to battle against your fleshly desires. How did you handle it? If you could go back, what would you do differently to ensure you're living according to the Spirit and not the flesh?

Day 2: The Pursuit of Godliness

Godliness is not a destination, but a journey. It is a daily pursuit of aligning our hearts, minds, and actions with God's will. In 1 Timothy, Paul encourages us to train ourselves to be godly, for it holds promise for the present life and the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:8 - "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Reflection: Can you identify an area in your life where you're struggling to pursue godliness? What practical steps can you take to grow in that area, and how can you incorporate these steps into your daily routine?

Day 3: The Deception of Worldly Success

The world often measures success by wealth, power, and prestige. But Jesus warns us in Matthew that gaining the whole world is worthless if we lose our souls in the process.

Matthew 16:26 - "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"

Reflection: Have you ever been tempted to compromise your integrity for worldly success? How did you respond to this temptation, and how can you prepare yourself to resist such temptations in the future?

Day 4: The Expectation of Opposition

As followers of Christ, we should expect opposition. Jesus himself faced opposition, and he warned his disciples that they would face it too. But he also promised that he has overcome the world, giving us hope and courage to stand firm in our faith.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Reflection: Can you recall a time when you faced opposition because of your faith? How did you respond, and how did that experience shape your understanding of what it means to follow Jesus?

Day 5: The Promise of Eternal Life

The promise of eternal life is a powerful motivator in our daily walk with God. It reminds us that our present struggles are temporary and that a glorious future awaits us. In John, Jesus assures us that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Reflection: How does the promise of eternal life motivate you in your daily walk with God? Are there areas in your life where you need to remind yourself of this promise when you're feeling weary or discouraged?

Sermon Summary

In this sermon, I was reminded of the importance of integrity and honesty, even when it seems like deceit and dishonesty are more rewarding. The speaker referenced James 1, emphasizing that sin, when fully grown, brings forth death, and it is not something to be toyed with. The speaker also highlighted the words of Paul to the church in Galatia, warning them not to be deceived, for God is not mocked. Whatever one sows, they will also reap. If one sows to their own flesh, they will reap corruption, but if one sows to the spirit, they will reap eternal life.

The speaker also discussed the concept of fighting the good fight of faith. He referenced 1 Timothy 6, where Paul encourages Timothy to flee from the love of money and instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. The speaker emphasized that the fight is not for our political party, ideals, opinions, or feelings, but rather it is a spiritual fight within us to follow God's way of doing things, even when the world tells us to do the opposite. He also referenced 2 Timothy 4, where Paul, knowing he is about to die, declares that he has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.

Key Takeaways

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Sermon Clips

1. "Pursuing godliness is not easy. Pursuing Holiness or set apartness, pursuing righteousness or right standing with God is not easy. Why? Well, because we want to pursue our feelings. We want to pursue our emotions, our understandings, our desires. But that is not what people who call themselves Christians do. We signed up to bear our cross, we signed up to submit all of those things under God and we made him a lord of our life." - 12:16

2. "Sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. Do not play with sin. It is not to be toyed with. It brings forth death. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption. But the one who sows to the spirit will reap from it eternal life." - 20:00

3. "It's a fight to subdue your flesh, to die to your flesh and say no, I am the righteousness of God, no I'm a representative of Christ, no I am here to take the limits off of the way that people see Jesus, off of the way that they see Faith, off of the way that they see the church. So I'm making a decision to die to myself." - 16:14

4. "When you signed up to be a Christian, you signed up to be a fighter. We have an opposition, we have an enemy, his name is Satan. His whole thing is to steal, to kill, and to destroy your purpose and you. This is just what it is. When you signed up to be a Christian, you signed up to be a fighter." - 00:00

5. "Daily we have to pursue those things that edify our spirit and not our flesh. Daily we have to choose to honor God. Daily we have to choose to build up the kingdom of God. This is how we fight the good fight. And when we do that, in spite of the opposition, in spite of our flesh, in spite of the world, in spite of social media, in spite of the news, we lay hold of or we experience True Life In Christ." - 16:14

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