A Spiritual Check-Up (James 4:7-8)

27 September 2015
Pastor Art Brammer, Tay Street Baptist Church
http://www.taystreetbaptist.org.nz
By identifying and confronting a spiritual problem early on we may save
ourselves great grief.
I. "Submit to God"
A. What do I want to do? versus what does God want me to do?
B. We submit to God by obeying His Word (Luke 6:46).
C. Knowing our humble position before God is the basis for this command
to submit (v. 6, 10).
1. Active submission (I am yours. I want to glorify You.)
2. Passive submission (accepting the conditions of your life as His
will for you; 2 Cor 12:7).
II. Resist the devil
A. Resisting the devil includes resisting the other two enemies of the world
and the flesh.
1. Know your own weaknesses (besetting sins, Heb 12:1).
2. Know your enemy 2 Cor. 2:11.
3. Know that you dont have to sin 1 Cor 10:13.
B. Keep as far away from sin as possible (1 Thess 5:22).
III. Draw near to God
A. Take quality time each day to commune with God.
God responds to us based on our actions (2 Chron 15:2).
B. If we feel some distance between us and God, it is us who have moved.
IV. Cleanse your hands
A. holy hands (1 Tim. 2:8) = a holy life (1 John 1:9)
B. The reasoning behind this command Is 59:1-2; Ps 66:18
V. Purify your hearts
A. double-minded = heading in two diverse directions.
B. We need to be single-minded: value what God values.