Our Father, I thank you for this day. Lord, I thank you for each and every precious person that you brought in today, every person. Lord, precious and wonderful before you. Lord, I pray today as we look at your precious word that you would help us and guide us and direct us. Lord, that your name would be exalted. Father, I pray that we would have humble hearts. We would have hearts that are ready to receive your word. Lord, that we would be obedient, because we know that you love us. Father, I thank you for being our precious and holy Savior. I ask, Lord, that you would guide and direct our every thought. Lord, guide my thoughts, guide the words that I speak, that I would speak with graciousness and love and compassion. Lord, you take over. We ask for your presence. Lord, I pray that we would have revival. or revival in our hearts. God, getting back, pray for healing for so many that are sick. Lord, you take over, I love you. In Jesus' precious name I pray, amen. Would you turn with me in your Bibles to 1 John chapter two. We're gonna read verses three through 11 this morning. and obedience seeks Christ's lifestyle. I've been talking a lot the last two weeks. I've been kind of, as I was looking at this passage of scripture, I wanted to lay some foundation that obedience ultimately is to trust. And I've been trying to understand this, that I've just talked about the principle of obedience, the first part of this sermon. And last week, that if I call Jesus my savior, he's also ought to be my Lord. I ought to obey and follow him. This week, I'm gonna talk about his lifestyle and being holy. And I'm gonna talk about some things that I intend no harm. It's not a, I'm against anyone. My desire in this sermon, and I have been praying a lot, My desire is that we would see what God says and every one of you would realize God's perfect plan for your life. That's the desire. I want to ask you some questions. 1 John 2, verses 3 through 11, as we read this at this time. 1 John 2, verse 3, if you have your Bible. 1 John 2. I'll give you a second to turn there. But I want to ask you, who do you allow in your life to dictate what is right and wrong in your life? Is it society? Is it your feelings, your passions, your kids? How do you determine what is acceptable? Do you believe that Jesus Christ has the best plans for how you conduct your life? Do you believe that he has set up how things ought to be and I have a choice whether I'm going to accept it or reject it? Psalm 1611, thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. 1 John 2, verse 3, if you found your place. But it says there in Psalm 16, 11, thou wilt show me the path of life. Now I want to ask you this morning, are you actually looking for God's path for your life? In 1 John 2, this is the epistle, so it's near Revelation. But 1 John 2, verse 3, and hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abide in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you. Because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth, he that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. Do you truly believe that God's wisdom is best? In Proverbs chapter two, verse six, excuse me. For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge, and understanding. In John chapter 15, if you look at the book of John, the gospel of John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, John chapter 15 verses 3 through 4. This is just my introduction this morning. And the commands of Christ are your and mine spiritual vitality. It can happen in our lives that we can so easily be distracted. We can lose our vitality. We can lose the luster. We can lose the passion for Christ. when you're first saved, or maybe you get right in your life, and man, you're on fire for God. You're excited, and God's working, and then all of a sudden, life, you begin to live life, and other things get in, and it seems like it wasn't the same desire, it wasn't the same, I mean, passion, it wasn't the same feelings of peace and joy that you once had. Can I tell you, as we looked in this passage in 1 John, and now here in John chapter 15, Verse three, now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can ye, except ye abide in me. And then in verse five, I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth, what does it say? Much fruit. But without me, you can do nothing. I was talking to someone, as I mentioned, and they're saying, I'm trying so hard in my Christian life, and it's so hard. Man, I want to please Christ, and I'm working so hard. Can I tell you, in our own self-effort, he just says, abide. Just get to know him. And you know what? As you get to know him, and you get to know this book, You know what, it's not gonna be your trying. You're gonna wanna do it. There's a difference because when I have his heart, I wanna do what his heart has. But if I don't know him very well, I'm gonna look at this and say, well, I know Christians are supposed to do this and Christians are supposed to do this and this, and you know what you're gonna do? You're gonna put a lot of burdens on yourself and you're gonna fail. He's saying, abide. Just get to know me. Just make a passion to know who I am. You see, Christians ought to reach a point in their lives where deviating from God's will bothers you. We know that it grieves the Lord and produces a less than desirable outcome. You know, we ought to have so much love for Him that it matters more to us that I please Him than I please myself. Do you have such a love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that even if there is a sin that you enjoy, We all have things that we enjoy, but we know it's not right. But because I love Jesus, and I know His way is best, I'll say, Jesus, I'll follow you. In 2 Corinthians, would you look with me at 2 Corinthians 5 this morning, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14. This is my introduction. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14. Christian, it is when we keep Christ's commands and we follow him, it is of the utmost importance to the declaration to the world that I belong to him. Religion gives a lot of edicts and a lot of things you ought to do. We need to step back from that. And there in Revelation chapter three, he tells the church of Ephesus, you left your first love. You forgot something. You forgot me. You know, in the Christian life, we can get so busy about all the things we're trying to do for God that I forgot just to spend time with him. And when I can learn to just abide and be with him, I'm in the word of God. He tells us his word here in 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 14 for the love of Christ constraineth us Because we thus judge that if one died for all then we're all dead and that he died for all That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves But into him which died for them and rose again. I The greatest of all motives is the constraining love of Christ. Not our love for Him, which is poor and weak at best, but His love for us. This is the constraining compulsion that makes us live and love and witness for Him. Because He loved us so much, we no longer live for ourselves, but unto Him who died for us. End quotes, days of praise. And as I begin where we left off, a true believer seeks the lifestyle of Jesus, going back to the book of 1 John. Actually, look with 1 John and then also turn with me to Luke 6. Luke 6, you can hold your place in 1 John, but look with me at Luke 6, verse 46. My desire in all of this is being very methodical and walking you through this idea that We can say, Jesus is my Savior. Jesus is the Creator. But God is not aloof. He's not distant. He's not separate. It says, draw an eye to God and He will draw an eye to you. Right? Resist the devil. And God's desire is to be close. His Spirit lives within you if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. In Luke 6, verse 46-49, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built a house and dig deep and laid the foundation on a rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it for it was pounded upon a rock. Listen here, he's saying, listen, when the storms of life come against you, the trials, the temptations, the hardship, people are cruel and evil to you, the storms of life, you won't be shaken. But he that heareth and doeth not, you can hear, but you gotta do. It's like a man that without a foundation built in house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of the house was great. So many Christians, they have a head knowledge of God, they have a head knowledge of what God wants, but they don't do it. They may seek it because it, but here's the thing, when I hear and I do, produces a security, a significance, and a value for yourself that far surpasses all other options. You surrender and submit your will because you're confident in His leadership and wisdom is superior to all others. I want you to notice in this passage of scripture the connection between stability in life and obedience. You see, so many of us are fighting to obey. I'll have no one tell me what to do. Maybe you had some parents or guardians or someone in your life growing up and they weren't very kind to you or you had some authority that treated you poorly and I will not submit. You're going to submit to someone, if even it's yourself. and choosing to build our lives on something other than the Lord's teachings and obedience to Him will result in the chaos and emotional damage that we find in this very verse. As we go back to 1 John, 1 John chapter 2, He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, that word keeping here, keepeth not his commandments, you realize that keeping doesn't demand that you and I are perfect. It doesn't demand that I never mess up, that I never sin. Romans chapter 7, the Apostle Paul says, For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. The good that I would, I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it. but sin that dwelleth in me. What's Paul saying? He said, man, I want to do right. But I find myself struggling. There's a battle inside. And I don't know about you, but I sure know about me that there's times in my life, and I'm knowing God wants me to do it. And I'm fighting. I'm like, I don't want to do it. It's kind of like a little kid. And they're clinging. You're like, hey, jump off the pool. And maybe you're trying to pull them in. And they're just grasping a bar. And they're holding on for dear life. No! They're trying to take him and maybe they don't want to leave the house and so they're holding on. But we find something here in verse six. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk. As I looked in our passage of scripture in Hebrews 12, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which is so easily beset us. What is that sin in your life? You're saying, that besetting sin is a sin that you keep repeating and it's holding you. It's holding on to you. And you're like, ah! And maybe it's even bitterness against someone that's hurt you. And it's like, I will never forgive them. I don't know what happened in your life, but it can be, man, I know in my own personal life, bitterness was one of the greatest things that hindered my spiritual growth. People had hurt me, parents, and I was hurt. And I'd make spiritual progress for God and all of a sudden Satan would just throw a fiery dart and it would reignite that bitter flame inside. And I'd want to just lash out and come out in anger. In verse 2 of Hebrews 12, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. You know what God calls you to do? A life of relinquishment. You've got to relinquish control of your life. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ gives believers commands that we may not like, we may not want to do, and we may even be inclined against, but they're still correct. If you have your Bible, I want to give you a couple commands of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then I'll get to the thrust of my message today. But I'm telling you, when Jesus gives us commands, He's not doing it because He's trying to take away our fun. He's not doing it because He's trying to be some eternal killjoy. I'm telling you there's a God in heaven that formed and fashioned you and made you. And he knows our fears. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our quirks. And every one of us, man, we all have our own oddities. We all have things that we're just, people are like, huh, that's a little different. At least I do. I don't know about you, but at least I have those that I know in my life. And Jesus, when he's given us these things, he says you abide in him, but you also have to walk in him. In Matthew 5, 28, but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. What's God saying? He's saying men and women. Man, if I look upon a woman, it's not to have a desire for physical intimacy. She is a blessed child of God. She is one made in God's image. I ought not to have the selfish thoughts. I want you to understand that if we deviate from God's plans for our life, you resume the leadership. You're seeking authority over what God has already established. Man, God, He says, listen, He says it is a beautiful thing in marriage, but He says if you're looking at someone else with lust in your eyes, He says you're sinning. Matthew 5, 21 and 22, look with me here. Jesus gives another one. Man, isn't that amazing? In that there in verse 28, he's saying, have a respect for someone else beyond just your own selfish purposes. What if we regarded every woman and every man in this church with a dignity and the respect and the love that Christ has for them? I'm not looking at them as some form of physical affection. outside of brother or sister in the Lord. In Matthew 5, 21 and 22, you have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shall not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raka, shall be in danger of the counsel. But whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. He's saying avoid harsh, angry words against someone else. Look with me at Matthew 5, 44, another verse. My command of the Lord Jesus Christ, but I say to you, love your enemies. Uh-oh. Bless them that curse you. I don't like that one. Do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That one hurts, that one hurts a lot. Why is he saying love and not hate? Hatred of our enemies is to hate an individual made in the image and likeness of Christ. Now I understand there's individuals, I hate their actions. But he says pray. In Matthew chapter 20 verses 26 through 28, whosoever will chief among you, let him be your servant. What does Jesus say? He says serve other people. Look at me at Hebrews chapter 10, 23 through 25. There in the book of Hebrews in your Bible, Here's some commands that Jesus has given to us. Now, you can say, I don't like them. That's one thing. And some of them, the love your enemies. I'm the pastor, but I, Lord, help me. I don't have it. I'm not perfect. I'm still working on it. I'm still growing to be more like Christ, and so are you. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 23, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Hebrews 10 23 for he is faithful that promise verse 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto Love the good works. He's saying hey in the church. We're we're I want man I I desire people to be all that they can be for Jesus Christ and And then he says, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. Man, you're encouraging, lifting up, nourishing. So it'll be all that God wants him to be. And so much the more, as you see the day approaching, what's he saying? He says, be faithful to church. In Matthew chapter 28, he says, go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Lo, I'm with you all the way, even to the end of the world, amen. He's witness and disciple to others. First Corinthians 10, 31, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Man, all the things that I do that are good, everything that happens in my life, it's not Chris doing it, it's God doing it. And I just let God get the glory. If someone says, Chris, you're so smart or whatever, and I say, well, praise God. God gave the wisdom to do that. God gave you wisdom. Every one of you have unique talents and God's given that to you. But we gotta apply it. And then another one, God calls in Malachi 3.8, will a man rob God? Yet have you robbed me? But ye say wherein have we robbed thee in tithes and offerings? Luke 6.38, give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over. It shall have been given to your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet with all, it shall be measured to you again. 1 Corinthians 9 14 also talks about even so at the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel there is a giving to the Lord in his church, but As we find here's just some of the commands that God's given and there's a whole lot more. I'm not doing an exhaustive study Now here's where I really want to get into the crux of this look with me in your Bibles at 1st Corinthians chapter 6 And 1st Corinthians chapter 6 This passage, man, I have gone through it and through it and through it and through it. You know, so often people are like, well, so and so says this, but I don't really agree with them. It's not whether you agree with someone else, it is what does God say? What does the Bible say? It's all day long, what does the Bible say? I can say something. I could maybe even say something wrong. And just because I say it doesn't make it right if it doesn't have the backing of God's word. This is our authority. This is the very book that gave me the truth that led me to salvation. This is the book from the author. The author, I was reading a book one time and it said, The Bible is the only book that the author is there with you. Isn't that pretty cool? In 1 Corinthians 6, 11, let's look at verses 9 through 11. Know ye not, 1 Corinthians 6, 9, know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. So it starts off with sexual things. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. He says you're washed, you're clean. He said this is what you used to be. The church in Corinth was a church with a lot of problems. People's lifestyles that were contrary to God and he's saying listen, you were that. Man, I'm set apart, I'm justified, I'm forgiven. The choice of salvation was to accept Christ. We're a new creature, different from the person I was before salvation. Consider a farmer tending his crops. Every morning he rises before the sun, watering and nurturing his plants while surrounded by weeds. He understands the necessity of distinction, and his efforts ensure a fruitful harvest. Similarly, Christians are called to cultivate their faith intentionally, making choices that reflect their beliefs and set them apart from the distractions and values of the world around them. I want you to look with me at something here, going further in this very same passage, verse 15, 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6. Verse 11, and such were some of you. Verses 19 and 20 of the same passage talks about the Holy Spirit of God lives in you. You're not your own, you're bought with a price. But look with me at verse 15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What know you not that he which is joined to and harlot is one body for to say if he shall be one flesh But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit flee fornication And every sin that a man do it was without the body, but he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body What is he saying here he says listen There are sins. There's the the lying and the all the reviling but they said there's some sexual sins and it's egregious He says you're sinning against your own body You see, righteousness is the motivation behind what you do and whom you seek to please. I'm gonna mention some things here when it talks about this harlot. It's having sex outside of marriage. That is the only place God designed it, between a man and a woman, to have sex within the confines of marriage alone. That's all God designed. Now, I understand I'm talking about this, but we'll come back here. But in John chapter 8, Jesus deals with the woman caught in adultery. And again, I hope, I'm not trying to offend anyone, but I want us to say that God says your body belongs to God. In John 8, when Jesus had lifted up himself and saw a nun, here's all these Pharisees and scribes coming and condemning her, and man, they want to kill her. John 8, verses 10 and 11, and saw none but the woman. He said unto her, Woman, where are thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man. What did she say? Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. Jesus still called it sin. He says, Go and sin no more. He forgave her. But he says, Don't keep living the way you're doing. And Jesus is her authority, not the religious hypocrites that are there to kill her. A change of authority results in her calling Christ Lord. Can I tell you on this very thing, I want to see what God designed. What did God design? Look with me at Genesis chapter 2. God, as I look at this, and such were some of you, why does He start off there in that list in verses 9 and 10 with those very things that are sexual? Because these are the things that can remove us from abiding in Christ. What did God design? We've got to look at what God designed. And our desire is to mimic and follow what God designed. Not what I'm saying, but what God designed. Because I want to abide. Man, I want to walk with Him. I want people to see that there's a Christian. That there's a Christian. In Genesis chapter 2, verse 24, there in your first book of the Bible, This is what God designed. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. A man is to leave his parents and live on his own. A man then cleaves to his wife there at the marriage ceremony. They move in together in marriage, and then it says they become one flesh. That's the sexual part. Sex doesn't come until after marriage. And there they are together, leaving, cleaving, and becoming. This is what God designed. And I understand that it is becoming of one flesh. Now it mentions in 1 Corinthians 6 about becoming one flesh with the harlot. That is the physical aspect. And God's desire, as he says in 1 Corinthians 7, verse 1, if you're still there in 1 Corinthians, if you find, look with me in 1 Corinthians 7, as he's in this idea of holiness and abiding with Christ. He says, and such were some of you. Well, if that's what I used to be, what does God want me to be? 1 Corinthians 7, verse 1. I'm telling you, God has a plan. And we have a choice whether I want his plan or not for my life. It's not, and again, I understand we all have, we've all had things in our life that I'm not proud of. Maybe you're not proud of either. And Jesus, just as he saw this woman in this position, he says, neither do I condemn thee. He's like, I'm not gonna sentence you to death. I understand the Jewish law, but he says, I forgive you. Go and sin no more. He says, don't continue doing this though. In 1 Corinthians chapter 7, right after, it talks about our body being the Lord's. 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, verse 7. Chapter 7, verse 1 of 1 Corinthians. God's saying, listen. He says, it's my body. He says, I love you. He says, I want you. But he says, if we want to allow this, whether it's even Matthew 5.28, my thought life, that is against the Lord and lusting in my heart. He says, you've committed adultery with you already in your heart from your thought life. He's saying, man, God wants to do something and wants us to be pure and holy to Him. Why? So you can be used of God. So I can be close to Him and near to Him. And I'm not, this is not a condemning, I hope this doesn't come across as condemning in any way. But believer, I want us to desire to abide in Christ. The Bible says in Hebrews 13, four, marriage is honorable and all in the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. And the thing is, is if we, as he mentioned there, and such were some of you, the idea is if I deviate from the way God designed things, there's always collateral damage. There's always hurt. And that's my desire for any of you. I don't know if this is applicable or not, but he says something He says the Spirit of God lives within you. Can you imagine whatever actions we're doing? I'm gonna go on to the next point, a life of honesty. That she may walk honestly toward them that are out, 1 Thessalonians 4, 11 and 12. He says, can I there be lying to someone? God's Spirit lives within you. You realize, look with me at Revelation chapter 21. God says, be holy for I am holy, as the scriptures talk about. And again, I understand we're all growing. We're all dealing with things. Some people, it might be lying. Another person, it might be anger. Another person, it doesn't matter what it is. We're all growing. I mean, the Apostle Paul says, I want to do good, and when I'm wanting to do good, I don't find myself doing good. So again, it's not condemnation, but I've got to look inside and say, God's spirit lives with inside me. And am I doing actions? there with God right beside me, and what is he thinking about it? And if I'm acting and living and thinking in a way, even as Jesus said there in Matthew 5, 28, I love my enemy. Man, it's hard. But I grieve the Spirit of God. He's not pleased. Revelation 21, verses 7 and 8. He that overcometh shall inherit all things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. He's saying, listen, if I don't understand that the sin in my life. Now again, I'm not talking, I'm talking, this is talking to those who are not saved, never accepted Christ as their Savior. There's a place of judgment. But as a Christian, there's a place when I'm living and doing it and outside of God's will, it's going to bring grief in my heart. It's going to bring an emotional instability. A life of honesty. So there's a life of separation, there's a life of honesty, there's a life of contentment. Look with me in your Bible at 1 Timothy chapter 6. All the tea books, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. So go with me to 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 10. My desire in what I'm preaching today is that we would just ask in our lives, what did God design? Right? What did God design? And am I living according to what God designed or am I living according to what I think is right? Because, again, we can all get to a place in our life where we're saying, I'm not sure about this. Well, what does the Bible say? And I understand we're all growing and we're learning, and sometimes we're doing things we don't realize is wrong, and God understands that. We're growing, just like your baby might be doing things, and you have to teach it. But as we look here at 1 Timothy, Chapter 6, verses 10 through 12. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. What's he saying here? The love of money will pierce yourselves through with many sorrows. You know what, I need to have a life of contentment. It's not money that's gonna make me happy, it's Jesus that'll make me happy. Man, I can be pursuing the almighty dollar, and I have in my own personal life. And it was some painful days. I made good money there. As an engineer and there in the military, I made good money. It wasn't a ton, but it was good money. But you know what, it never produced the same peace that just walking with Jesus did. In my last point this morning, a true believer seeks unity with other genuine believers. In the early church, there was a significance, going back to our main passage of scripture, there in 1 John 2, verses 7-11. In the early church, there was a significant division between Jews and Gentiles, and Paul emphasized that in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, as seen in Ephesians 2, 14-16. This profound truth illustrates that Christian unity transcends cultural and ethnic boundaries. As we come together as a body, we fulfill the command in 1 John 2, 7 to love one another just as Christ loved us. You know what, in John chapter 13, verses 34 and 35, Jesus said, a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Jesus said, if Christians there in the church, if they can't get along, they're showing they're not really a disciple of Christ, it's all about me. We'll have to be moving in the same direction, moving to love Christ. Now, unity doesn't mean compromise, 2 John verse 10. But it is also, as we look at verse 9 of 1 John 2, he that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother. Man, this is a strong aversion, a hatred. All that he's saying here, he says, if you love me, you'll follow my commandments. If you love me, you'll love a believer in Christ. Now there are those that profess Christ and maybe they don't know Him and then there are those who generally profess Christ and I understand we have personalities that we get along with better than others. I understand we're all different. There ought not to be a hatred in my heart. A hatred and unforgiveness of a brother or sister, what does it say here? It places a believer in darkness. You know what? Unforgiveness. You're going to go to a dark place. You're going to go to a place in your life that is not comfortable. And then in verse 10, he that loveth his brother abideth in the light. Man, true love. True love, a light with love. I'm not approving. And there were things in my life when I was younger in the ministry and there in the not ministry in the military. And I was making some decisions and even in ministry I've got a mentor and a guy that comes along and encourages me and I ask him and sometimes he'll ask me some hard questions. You know what it's doing? It's helping me in these questions to say, Chris, let's get back into the light. Maybe you've gotten distracted. We find in verse 11, but he that hateth his brothers in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes, and then understanding here in verse 10, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him, this stumbling is a device for catching someone alive, a trap. I'm seeking, I'm doing something in my life that is maybe causing someone to go astray. Causing them to be weak in their faith. You realize in James chapter two, verses three and four, and you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing. Now he's talking here, shining and splendid. Someone comes in really rich, and man, you give them all the attention, and someone comes in poor clothes and not dressed very well, and we treat them, ah, okay, I'll deal with them later. He's saying, you know, and he goes on, in verse four, James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, are you then not partial in yourselves and become judges of evil thoughts? Our tongues in chapter 3 of James is not to be used to tear others apart. Then in verse 11, there's a consistent testimony of knowing Christ. How do I know this? Look with me in Matthew chapter 5. I'm getting close to being done here. Matthew chapter 5. I'm mentioning just several things this morning. It's been on my heart as I've been studying for this. And again, if there's anything in our life that is not right, we come to Christ and say, God, forgive me. And you know what? 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins. God's not against you. Just because truth is presented, God isn't against you. God loves you. And I'm so thankful for each and every one of you as we look in Matthew chapter 5, verse 23. What does he say here? In Matthew 5, 23, Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while he's out on the way, lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. What's he saying? Unforgiveness will put, if you don't forgive. God says, I don't want your offering. I don't want your gifts. I don't want any sacrifices from you. I want nothing from you because human relationships that are out of line. He says it matters. God's really concerned with relationships. With him. And with others vertically and horizontally. And then he says, if you don't forgive, I'll deliver you. To the adversary. Into a place. Of torment of mind. For myself in a place of bitterness in my own life, man, it took me through some dark valleys. Some hurtful times. God's desire is to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and he's long-suffering, he bears up under provocation, he endeavors, and we ought to have, as Acts 24, 16, and herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and toward men. A conscience pleasing to God, pleasing to men. And I understand some, Jesus talked about people are, they persecuted me, they'll persecute you. So I understand we can't please everyone. I'm concerned about pleasing Him. If I know I've done something wrong, I ask for forgiveness, and I try to, and they may not forgive you. If they don't forgive you, it's not your fault. But as I draw this to a close, I'd like you to look with me at Revelation 22. I hope it's been impressed upon you that there is a desire, number one, to love Christ. That there's a desire, Lord, help me love you more. And number two, Lord, help me to follow you. I know it's not always easy, and I understand we all have different patterns of life, and the older we are, sometimes the stronger that pattern is in our life, and it's hard to break it. I'm not against you. I love every one of you. And I'm thankful for you. And many of you I pray for regularly. But as we look at this idea here, Revelation 22, 7. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings. That idea of sayings there translates into the Word, the Bible. of the prophecy of this book, and I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then said he unto me, see thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book, worship God. What's he saying? That word sayings there is logos, the term for word. And Jesus' blessings are promised to those who obey the Bible. If you call yourself a Christian, And you've professed Christ as your Savior. In John 15, 4, abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. If we seek to be law-doers, and I'm trying my best to do it for God, we can't do it. Because I'm still trying to do it in my own strength. I've just got to come to the place, and I submit, and I say, God, I'm sorry. I've tried so hard. Would you forgive me? Help me to know you. Just ask God, help me to know you. Help me to follow you. The general attitude and tenor of the life of the believer is one of obedience, while the general attitude and tenor of the life of the unbeliever is one of disobedience and self-will. I'm gonna read a final statement and I'm done. I know I've gone longer this morning. Corrie ten Boom once saw the man she hated in a church in Munich. The year was 1947 and she had come to a recently defeated Germany from Holland, a country that had known the full rigors of German occupation and Gestapo rule. She had come to proclaim the message that God loves and forgives. She recognized the man, recognized him at once. How could she ever forget him? had been one of the most brutal guards at the Ravensbrook concentration camp where she had been in prison and where her sister died. At the close of the service, at which she had been speaking of the love of God and of his willingness to forgive, the man, an SS soldier, approached her. A former SS soldier, he wore a brown hat and an overcoat, but her mind's eye saw him as she had last seen him, in his black uniform and wearing the cap with its skull and crossbones. Her blood ran cold. came up to her and spoke, I have become a Christian, he said. She dragged her mind back to the present. God has forgiven me for all the cruel things I did in that camp. I've come to ask you to forgive me too, the soldier said to her. It seemed to the missionary that time stood still as she struggled with her heart. How could she forgive this man? When her sister's dear emaciated face came between them, she lost her sister. because the SS, the Nazis, and her sister died in camp. She thought of the cruel death that her sister had died, and a coldness lay on an icy hand upon her heart. The man held out his hand, and the second seemed like centuries. Then the indwelling Christ prompted the response. She reached out her hand and took his. Warmth, supernatural and sublime, flooded her heart. Tears came to her eyes as she said, I forgive you my brother with all of my heart. Here's a man responsible for the death of her sister. Christian, this book, the commands of the Lord Jesus are not to be grievous, not to be harsh. You know what this book does most of all? It lets me know the one that died for me. And when I know him, it also has what he wants me to do with my life. Christian, none of us are perfect. We all have holes in our lives. We all have things that we've messed up. It doesn't matter what I've done wrong, you know what matters? There's always a path back to the cross. And God's desire for you, he says, abide in me. And if you abide in me, you'll happily follow me. You'll happily keep my commandments. They're not gonna be grievous. As we think on these truths this morning, as I come to the invitation period, we'll sing a song, My Jesus, I Love Thee, 332, but I just wanna give some time between you and the Lord to just pray and talk with him. God wants us to be separate. He wants us to be honest. He wants us to have a relinquished, submitted will. It's not blindly following, it's I get to know Him, and I love Him, and as I love Him, I follow Him. Christian, I don't know what's in your life this morning. I don't know what you're challenged and struggling with. One thing I do want to challenge you is, are you abiding in Christ? If you're a Christian, are you abiding in him? Number two, if you don't know Christ, you've never accepted him. You've never accepted the love of Christ. You've never accepted that on a cross, a cruel cross, he died so that I could be united with the one who created and made me. God is jealous for a relationship with you. And if you've never accepted the gift of Jesus Christ by faith alone, I'd love to show you from the Bible how you can know. As the music will play this morning, I invite you to take some time to just pray in your pew and talk with God with heads bowed and eyes closed.