Go On To Perfection

Go To Meeting

Durrell Brown—April 29, 2022

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Here we are one week after the seven days of Unleavened Bread, which pictures putting sin out of our lives. I want to concentrate on just:

• how we go about doing that
• what the process is
• what our part is
• what God's part is

in ridding ourselves of sin!

It's amazing how 'quickly time has passed, and I trust that most of us did discover some leavening during these seven days, whether spiritual and/or physical.

I want to point out the purpose that perhaps we haven't emphasized enough about why God set in His plan—His seven day plan—of salvation emphasizes the fact that we during the days of Unleavened Bread are to put sin out for us seven days.

Actually, this period pictures in the process of salvation something that we are to continue throughout our lives overcoming sin.

I want to emphasize that that is the aim of this section of the days of Unleavened Bread. That we are to get into the process and habit of continually overcoming sin. That is the goal and the aim. So, we are going to look at just what our part is in the process of overcoming sin, and what God's part is.

I think is important for us see what is required of us in the putting out of sin, recognizing it and what God's part is. We're going to look at that challenge, just how difficult it is and actually how easy it will be IF we're following the procedures that God has instructed us to follow, and what those who have come before us have accomplished and endured to the end.

Let's see what Paul instructed Timothy on what we're supposed to be doing:

2-Timothy 4:7: "I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course I have kept the faith."

He hadn't died, yet. He had been a minister a long time and suffered many afflictions and things going through the growth process. But he said that he was ready to be offered.

Verse 6: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand."

He sensed in his being that he was over the end of his sojourn. He was convince as we see in:

Verse 7: "I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course I have kept the faith."

In the instruction and teaching we can learn through Paul's writings—he was inspired to write most of the New Testament for us—instructing us in righteousness and how to overcome sin.

Verse 8: "From this time forward, a crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day—and not to me only, but also to all who love His appearing."

Here we have gotten into the process of overcoming sin during the days of Unleavened Bread, searching for it and repenting of it. So, we then need to continue this process; that is our goal, overcoming sin. We're going to look at:

• how to recognize it
• how to identify its source
• how God will help us to repent of it and overcome it

I'll be looking at the examples that we have seen in the Bible of those who have successfully completed the course.

We know that Jesus Christ set the perfect example. None other has done that, but Jesus Christ's example is the perfect model for us. We're familiar with all He went through, what He says and teaches as to how we're to overcome sin and keep it out.

But first there are some things we need to do after we've been called and our mind has been opened and we've been convicted of our sins through the Spirit of God will touch and interact with the spirit in man and bring us to see and understand that we have been created in God's image for a tremendous purpose. That we must submit ourselves to this process of growing us into the kind of being that He intended in the creation.

We will look at what we must have first after we've been called. What is the first thing we must do after we've been illuminated. It has been made clear to us that God created us, that He loves us, and He wants us to repent of our sins. We must first have a willing mind to repent andexercise our free moral agency to begin the process of putting sin out.

2-Corinthians 8:12: "For if there is a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."

God takes into consideration our abilities, talents and where we are in life. But we must first have a willing mind once our mind has been opened and we've been convicted of sin and given an opportunity to repent of it.

If we first have a willing mind to accept and enter into the process, then God will give us sufficient of His Spirit to repent of our sins, be baptized and received God's Holy Spirit, which gives us the spiritual power to continue the process.

That's the emphasis on what the seven days of Unleavened Bread is supposed to teach us. The fact that through the empowerment of God's Holy Spirit and that willing mind He can grow us into beings like Himself and His Son.

It is a tremendous challenge, but it can be very easy if we submit ourselves to the process. We can see that there's God's part in the process, and then there is our part in the process.

Matthew 11:27: "All things were delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son personally chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are overly burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (vs 27-30).

You may perhaps not agree with that considering all the trials, tribulations and trials that we've gone through in the process of trying to obey God and keep His commandments and qualify. But He says,  "…My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." We are going to see how that burden can be light. It depends on how much we're putting forth and how willing we are.

2-Cor. 8:12 tells us we must first have a willing mind to do what we're instructed to do and go through the process that all the teaching and Scriptures show us we're to go through.

To accomplish this task of overcoming sin and growing into the fullness of the measure and stature of Christ so that willing mind is the first effort that we have to put forth. That could be a struggle for many, and we see that in the passages that show how God calls. He takes that into consideration. Many are called but few are chosen!

I trust the most of us that are listening to this message have been called and chosen and have begun the process of putting out sin and understand that we must continue this process until the Kingdom comes.

2-Timothy 2:15: "Diligently study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of the Truth."

God has given us sufficient in His Bible, all of the instructions and principles, all the things that are our part in the salvation process and all the things that He will do if we're faith and diligent and "…rightly dividing the Word of the Truth."

Verse 21 shows what we were doing during the days of Unleavened Bread, and are to continue throughout our lives:

Verse 21: "Therefore, if anyone has purged himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, having been sanctified and made serviceable to the Master, and having been prepared for every good work."

There are works that we who are called and chosen are to be constantly engaged in. God is preparing us for a great work in the other phases in His salvation process. We have been privileged to be called at this time as the firstfruits. Jesus Christ is the First of the firstfruits, and we are the firstfruits of those who have had the privilege of going through the process of growing into beings that can be made immortal just like Jesus Christ.

Then he shows us the things that have been put off:

Verse 22: "But flee youthful lusts; and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who are calling on the Lord out of a pure heart."

We have to have the pure heart and showing what that looks like. There are so many of these instructions that we have to look further into the Bible. We will eventually get through the specifics of what all of this looks like.

• What does a pure heart look like?
• How does he function in the world today?

Verse 23: "But foolish and ignorant speculations reject, knowing that they engender arguments. Now, it is obligatory that a servant of the Lord not be argumentative, but gentle toward all, competent to teach, forbearing" (vs 23-24).

These are all things we are to grow into being after we're called, chosen and yielding ourselves through God's Holy Spirit that we received. We're being prepared as vessels who will be competent to bring the message of salvation to those who survive into the world tomorrow into the Millennial phase. So, we have a lot of work ahead of us! We're to be growing and repenting and being that kind of example to the rest of the Church.

1-Timothy 4:1: "Now, the Spirit tells us explicitly that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, and shall follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."

We must be aware of these temptations and problems; these voices from other ministries and things of this sort.

Verse 2: "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, their consciences having been cauterized with a hot iron;  forbidding to marry" (vs 2-3).—and all kinds o things that God has supposedly said!

Verse 6: "If you are teaching these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, being nourished by the words of the faith and of the good doctrines that you have closely followed."

So, we as the called, especially those of us in the ministry, have the responsibility of leading the way and setting the example just as Jesus Christ did as to how to put sin out and keep it out and endure.

Verse 13: "Until I come, devote yourself to reading, to encouragement, and to doctrine. Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you…" (vs 13-14).

God has empowered us with His Holy Spirit and we're to be growing through our obedience into a greater usage by Him. We're to recognize the spiritual gifts that God has placed in us. To not only set the example of what enduring to the end and what overcoming sin, putting it out, living spiritually and becoming Christ-like is. But we're to be an example to others in that process.

So, don't neglect the spiritual gift that is in you. I recall that it was a long time in my service and membership in the Church before I realized that we should recognize the spiritual gifts that have been imparted to us by God's Holy Spirit. To be using them and serving the Body of Christ in areas of our spiritual gifts.

Verse 14: "Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elderhood. Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them so that your growth in the faith may be apparent to all" (vs 14-15).

This is a responsibility that has been placed upon all of us through this calling and choosing. Many are called, but few are chosen! That's one of the principles that we've come to see and understand. We have been placed in a very special class. We opened our ears and minds and have responded to the calling. We repented sufficiently that we have received God's Holy Spirit, which is that spiritual empowerment with the mind of Christ and the Father to understand just what overcoming, growing and righteous living looks like and feels like.

Verse 15: "Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them so that your growth in the faith may be apparent to all."

We're to be not only examples to the Church, but also to the world!

Verse 16: "Be diligent with yourself and with the doctrines; continue in them. For in doing this, you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

God has given us a tremendous responsibility with this calling to put sin out of our lives and be growing with His help and with our submitting to the process. Growing into the kind of beings that He will make immortal and work with Him in the finishing of this phase of the work that He has made clear that He is going to do. We are to give ourselves to reading, studying, exercising and using the spiritual gifts. Let's see what the spiritual gifts are and how we are to be exercising them.

1-Corinthians 12:7: "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the benefit of all."

The Holy Spirit that we have been imbued with—and I hope and trust are filled with—has been "…given to each one of us for the benefit of all."

Verse 8: "For to one, a word of wisdom is given by the Spirit…."

We need a great deal of Godly wisdom to function as Godly servants in this world. So, wisdom is given and the definition of wisdom is coming to know the best, right Godly thing is to do, and actually, with the help of the Spirit of God doing the best right Godly thing continually.

"…and to another, a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit" (v 8).

God has inspired Fred, our senior pastor, to come to see, understand and rightly divide this Word of Truth so that we can have the knowledge of just how to do these things that God has instructed us to do. Not only on a physical level but on a spiritual level! So, the same Spirit will give us wisdom and faith!

Verse 9: "And to a different one, faith by the same Spirit…" It's always amazed me people who have such tremendous faith!

"…and to another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit; and to another, the working of miracles…" (vs 9-10).

I recall years ago when I first came into the Church, it seemed like most of the people who were anointed were healed. It amazed me! We had a lady that breast cancer and both of her breasts had rotten off. The ladies who had time to assist her would clean her up and re-bandage her, and she had a son that was about nine years old and she was a widow. He was horsing around with her one day and hit her in her bandaged breast and he reacted and thought he had hurt her. She looked and both breasts had been fully restored!

So, we do know—I know and have seen—that God does respond and does heal. So, she was anointed and healed completely.

"…and to another, prophecy; and to another, discerning of spirits…" (v 10).

In times past we've had some periods of spirits and people being troubled by demons and spiritual problems in that way. I remember how effective our work was in dealing with those problems.

IF we're filled with God's Spirit and are allowing His Spirit to work with our spirit and mind and natural talents then we can be of greater service to the Body of Christ and function in the Body in the place where He has called us to and put us.

"… and to a different one, various languages; and to another, the interpretation of languages. But the one and the same Spirit is operating in all these things, dividing separately to each one as God Himself desires. For even as the body is one and has many members, yet, all the members of the one body, though many, are one body; so also is Christ" (vs 10-12).

Unity should be one of the evidences that we are growing in grace and knowledge, and God's Spirit is leading us to be the Body of Christ here on the earth that is accomplishing the work that He has given us to do.

Verse 13: "For indeed, by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…"

Verse 27: Now you are the Body of Christ, and you are all individual members. And God Himself has placed certain ones in the Church: first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers; then miracles; then gifts of healings; helps; governments; various languages" (vs 27-28).

Verse 31: "But earnestly desire the more edifying gifts; and yet, I show you a way far surpassing all these."

We have to personally grow in grace and knowledge, and overcome sin to the point where we have sufficient empowerment of the Holy Spirit that we have love, prophecy and all these other spiritual gifts.

1-Corinthians 13:13: "And now, these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love"—the love of God!

God has called us and has given us power through His Holy Spirit, through instruction on how to overcome sin and keep it out of our lives. Our part and His part. We are to be doing that continually.

We're talking about the empowerment of God's Holy Spirit, which if we are overcoming sin sufficiently and properly, growing in grace and knowledge, being enabled to be of greater use in God's plan and purpose, we're told:

2-Peter 1:3: "According as His Divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness… [that's an amazing assurance, isn't it?] …through the knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and virtue."

We can see how Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, perfectly overcame sin and it never entered His life, never sinning once.

Verse 4: "Through which He has given to us the greatest and most precious promises…"

God has called us to be grown into beings that He can entrust with the rest of eternity. That's an amazing calling! We should take it seriously!

We really don't have any excuse for not overcoming sin and putting it out. We have 66 books in the Bible that gives us the process, what's required of us, what we must do, what God is going to do. So, we have no excuse.

Verse 4: "Through which He has given to us the greatest and most precious promises that through these you may become partakers of the Divine nature…"

What a tremendous calling God has given to us! The impact of this alone should make us so zealous to keep sin out of our lives that we shouldn't be able to stand ourselves at all.

"…having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And for this very reason also, having applied all diligence besides… [our part in the process] … add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge" (vs 4-5).

We're to be the real deal; a real Godly person! Everybody should be able to see that.

Verse 6: "And to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, Godliness."

This is our part in the process of keeping sin out of our lives with the help of God's Holy Spirit. We're empowered to endure and to control ourselves.

Verse 7: "And to Godliness, brotherly love; and to brotherly love, the love of God. For if these things exist and abound in you, they will cause you to be neither lacking effort nor lacking fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 7-8).

Not only has the knowledge of salvation been placed in print, and we've been given the Spirit to understand it, we must access it and act on it. So, we have to add to our faith. We come to have faith:

Oh yeah, there's a God and I believe there's a God, there has to be a God. No way could this stuff come into existence from just nothing.

Someone explained it this way. He was a Christian and he was a teacher of math. He says,

Do you know one of the fundamentals of mathematics is zero plus zero equals zero; nothing plus nothing equals zero. Nothing times nothing equals nothing. But we can all see that there is something.

And there's a whole lot of something! So there had to be something awfully big and powerful that has always existed for anything to be existing.

I thought that was a good explanation that there has to be a God Who has created all of these things, and is orchestrating these things taking place in the universe.

We have to add to our faith as we grow in our understanding of what God's plan and purpose is for us.

Verse 8: "For if these things exist and abound in you, they will cause you to be neither lacking effort nor lacking fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the one in whom these things are not present is spiritually blind—so short-sighted that he has forgotten that he was purified from his old sins" (vs 8-9).

We have to continue to grow in grace and knowledge, and in the surrender to the power of God's Holy Spirit, as He gives us more of it, as we overcome more sin.

Verse 10: "For this reason, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure; because if you are doing these things, you will never fall at any time. For in this way, you will be richly granted an entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, I will not neglect to make you always mindful of these things, although you already know them and have been established in the present Truth" (vs 10-12).

We have instruction from the Apostle Peter, the leading apostle, what the process is and that we are to contribute to the process of keeping sin out, and what God will do. We see the spiritual gifts that we have been given and we need to stir them up!

If you are not aware of possibly what your spiritual gifts are, and you don't know what you're doing or supposed to be doing…

My daddy used to tell me when I would 'mess up' and break one of his tools I was using, 'Son, if you don't know what you're doing, ask somebody!'

So, we can ask God; we can go to His Word to see just how to accomplish the process of putting sin out. Let's see how to add to our faith these qualities and God's Spirit will give us what we lack and need.

We're in a race, and we need to win this race. We like to come in winners.

1-Corinthians 9:24: "Don't you know that those whorun a race all run, but only one receives the prize? That is the way you are to run in order that you may obtain the prize."

We've got to run as though we are hoping and intending to win the race!

Verse 25: "For everyone who is striving for mastery controls himself in all things…"

That's our contribution to the salvation process and overcoming sin. We have to control ourselves and we've been empowered with God's Spirit to do that.

"…of course, they do this so that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we are striving for an incorruptible crown. I therefore, so run, not as one who is uncertain; so also I fight, not as beating the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, after preaching to others, I myself might be rejected" (vs 25-27).

Paul is telling us her in this passage that we have to—with the help of God's Spirit and setting our mind to only do God's will continually—keep our selves in subjection to that process. Rom. 7 tells us why we constantly need God's help.

Romans 7:14: "For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am carnal, having been sold as a slave under sin."

We repented because God called us and opened our mind and exercised our free moral agency and we started on this process.

Verse 15: "Because what I am working out myself, I do not know. For what I do not desire to do, this I do; moreover, what I hate, this is what I do. But if I am doing what I do not desire to do, I agree with the Law that it is good. So then, I am no longer working it out myself; rather, it is sin that is dwelling within me" (vs 15-17).

The message today is how do we recognize sin after we've been called and chosen, and how do we put it out.

Verse 18: "Because I fully understand that there is not dwelling within me—that is, within my fleshly being—any good. For the desire to do good is present within me…"

We can see that something is wrong here and the Spirit will convict us!

"…but how to work out that which is good, I do not find. For the good that I desire to do, I am not doing; but the evil that I do not desire to do, this I am doing. But if I do what I do not desire to do, I am no longer working it out myself, but sin that is dwelling within me" (vs 18-20).

Verse 21: "Consequently, I find this law…" The law of sin and death! Recognize it's power and how Satan uses it.

"…that when I desire to do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; but I see another law within my own members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin that is within my own members. O what a wretched man I am! Who shall save me from the body of this death?" (vs 21-24).

He came to see his salvation; v 25: "I thank God for His salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, on the one hand, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind; but on the other hand, with the flesh, I serve the law of sin."

Romans 8:1: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; because the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and death. For what was impossible for the Law to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh; in order that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (vs 1-4).

We have the fact, and understand that God, through Jesus Christ, has given us the power to have His mind, His faith, and to be able to overcome walking according to the fleshly mind.

Verse 5: "For those who walk according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who walk according to the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God; neither indeed can it be. But those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (vs 5-8).

Verse 9: "However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. But if Christ be within you, the body is indeed dead because of sin; however, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Now, if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies because of His Spirit that dwells within you. So then, brethren, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; because if you are living according to the flesh, you shall die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" (vs 9-14).

How can we know that we are the sons of God and:

• that we're moving forward?
• that we're pleasing God?
• that we're putting sin our of our lives and keeping it out?
• that we're recognizing it and repenting of it?

Verse 16: The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God."

That's assurance that we can go with if we are doing our part, which is required of us:

• studying
• praying
• examining ourselves
• looking for sin and putting it out

As these days of Unleavened Bread gave us the momentum to begin doing and see what it's like, putting both the physical and the spiritual sin out!

If we're doing these things, God's Holy Spirit will testify to our spirit and give us the conviction and the understanding and comfort that we are pleasing God.

God is on our side and willing to say that if we keep our mind fixed on Jesus—our Lord and Savior—and His example…

1-Corinthians 12:7[transcriber's correction]: "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the benefit of all."

We may not all have realized that. The Holy Spirit is not only give to us for our benefit.

Verse 8: "For to one, a word of wisdom is given by the Spirit; and to another, a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;

We can all be edified and spiritually built up. Since we are the Body of Christ then we can set the example through His Spirit, being filled with His Spirit. We can set the example not only to the world and the other members of the Church who see the success we have in growing and overcoming, but keep sin out of our lives and endure to the end.

Scriptural References:

• 2 Timothy 4:7, 6-8
• 2 Corinthians 8:12
• Matthew 11:27-30
• 2 Timothy 2:15, 21-24
• 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 6, 13-16
• 1 Corinthians 12:7-13, 27-28, 31
• 1 Corinthians 13:13
• 2 Peter 1:3-12
• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
• Romans 7:14-25
• Romans 8:1-14, 16
• 1 Corinthians 12:7-8

DB:bo
Transcribed: 5/9/22

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