See. Don't forget these things. Don't forget about the goodness of God. Don't forget about the glory of God. Don't forget about the grace of God. Because if we do, it leads us to our sinful tendency.
Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us as we continue our message, the inner me enemy and pastor, because we do have the sin nature, uh, because the flesh does have this tendency to want to sin. As you so rightly point out, we need to be reminding ourselves daily of the gospel. In fact, uh, there's a phrase I picked up a number of years ago. I thought it
was so helpful. I need to be preaching the gospel to myself each and every day.
Amen. You certainly do. Well, I mean, when you think about it, uh, if I have a glass and the glass is supposed to be empty, but it's really not because it has air in it. Yeah. Now, my question to you, Steve, would be how do I get rid of the air that's in that glass?
You got to put something else in that glass.
I've got to put something else in that glass, and I'll get rid of the air in direct proportion to the glass. In other words, if I fill it half full of water, then I've got water and air. Yeah. And the more water I put in it, the less air I'm going to have. And so that's it. You know, there can't be this coexistence. So when you have the glory of God and you have the grace of God and the goodness of God, your glass is filled. Yeah.
There's no room for the flesh, you see. And that's why Paul said in the book of Galatians, walk in the spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So it's like oil and water. They will not mix. And so that's why I've got to continue on a daily basis, as you often say, uh, filling myself with God's Word, uh, filling my room or my prayer closet with prayer and filling my life with positive ministry and allowing, uh, individuals who have a good impact
on me, uh, in my life. Because I say it all the time. You know, if you see a preacher and a drunk together, you know something? If they're together all the time, you either know that the drunk is a preacher or the preacher is a drunk, you see. And so, first Corinthians 1533, evil companions corrupt good morals. And so, even with the people that we hang with, you know, even that fills our life with positive things.
So if you're listening today, how many positive things are you filling your life with so that as you fill your life with those good things, the flesh becomes less of an impact and an influence over you?
Yeah. And one of the other things that I found so helpful was to realize that if I am struggling to get rid of the thing, the sin in my life, it's because I like that sin in some way. We talked about that in a previous broadcast, and the way that has been so useful and helpful for me is to realize that Thomas Chalmers, uh, old pastor, preached a
message called the Expulsive power of a New Affection. The more you fall in love with Jesus, the more time you spend with him, the more repulsive that sin is going to be. You're going to replace that love of sin with the love of Christ. And so to to spend time with him and to fall more deeply in love with him, You're going to be able to say no to that soon.
Oh, yeah. Amen.
Well, let's, uh, get to James chapter one. As we continue our message, the inner me enemy here is Pastor Ford.
Don't forget about the goodness of God. Don't forget about the glory of God. Don't forget about the grace of God. Because if we do, it leads us to our sinful tendencies. So I share with you the passages. We didn't go over em, but Israel was our example. He kept telling Israel, when you go in the land, don't forget you're living in houses that you didn't build. Don't forget that you're
eating from fruit trees that you didn't plant. Don't forget that everything you have I gave you even the victory. The battle was mine. And so what does it mean when I allow my sinful proclivities to lead me to sin? I have forgotten these three things. I've forgotten the goodness of God. I've forgotten the glory of God, and I've forgotten the grace of God. And so here now, Secondly, not just in his creation, but in his character. What's
he talking about? Immutability. That God is not only incandescent in his character, he is immutable in his character. What does it mean? Malachi 36I am Yahweh, I change not. He doesn't change. Now what ought that to do? See, you got to connect stuff. If he's talking about sinful tendencies and he's saying, listen, all you got to do is you got to focus on the goodness, the glory and the grace of God. And then he says, God's immutable.
He doesn't change. You can have confidence that no matter what you're going through, no matter what is drawing you to it, you can depend upon the goodness, the glory, and the grace of God. He's never going to let you down. Okay, let me jump back to chapter one real quick. Watch this. When he's talking about trials. Now remember now we switch right. One through 12 talks about trials on the outside 13 through 18 trials on the inside. So then one through 12 is talking about circumstances 13
through 18. He's talking about cravings. You know when you are wanting and wanting and wanting and want. Now watch this. He's talking about trials and tribulations. My brother in law joy, when you fall into divers temptation, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be complete and entire, lacking nothing. What are trials to do? Teach us, teach us? What else? Train us? What else? Take us to maturity.
On and on it goes. Then he says in verse five, if any man, woman, boy or girl is anthropos any man, woman, boy, a girl lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not. I know that's King James. Anybody have NIV anybody have NIV? Nearly inspired version. Anybody got that version? No. No. Okay. All right. Check this out. Here's what it means. That God is not going to say I'm not giving you any more wisdom because you didn't use the wisdom that I gave
you before. Now that shouts me. I got goosebumps because there's a lot of things that God has granted to me, gifted to me, grace to me, glory to me. And I didn't take advantage of it. Yet I can still go to him and say, you know what? I need wisdom in this situation. And he's not going to say, I'm not giving you wisdom because you didn't use the wisdom I gave you the last time. That's what he's trying to get us to see. When he says that he does not change that God. God does not change.
There's no shadow of turning with him. And so he uses it. He uses the sun because the sun doesn't change. And since he cannot change, we should never doubt his love. So verse 16, let me say it again. Look ahead and see the judgment of sin. Verse 17 look around and see how good God's been. Now verse 18, look inside and see how you've been born from above and possess the divine nature. So here it is. Here's the
last one. He says, the third aspect of God is not just the gifts of God, the glory of God. He says in verse 18, the grace of God. I like the way he does it. So remember he said, look ahead, see the conclusion. Remember, a A temptation is an opportunity to do a good thing in a bad way. It's the devil's perversion of God's good. He's not original. He can only pervert what God has created because he can't create anything. So God said. Sex within marriage is good.
And the devil said had premarital and extramarital. Enjoy yourself outside of the will of God. Food is good. But he says, no, don't. Don't buffet your body. Buffet your body. Yeah, sleep is good. But he says, yeah, be lazy, sleep all day. So on and on. Money is good. He says love it. So he perverts what God has done. But notice what he says. Now here it is. I gotta drop these real quick. Notice in verse 18 of his own will begot he us. That is God's plan. Notice.
with the word of truth. That's God's power, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creature. That's God's purpose. Grace has a plan. Grace has a power. Grace has a purpose. Everybody still with me? So? So here's what you have. It's emphatic. It literally in the Greek. Uh, his own will is first his and his alone. That's grace. First Corinthians 1510 Paul said three times. It was the grace of God. It was the grace of God. It
was the grace of God. So if you look at all three of them in first Corinthians 1510, let me just read it in first Corinthians 1510. I want to take time to do it because I want to I want to wrap this up right. First Corinthians 1510. Here's what Paul says. Paul says, but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Now get this.
The first grace is the grace that saves me. The second grace is the grace that shapes me. And the third grace is the grace that strengthens me. So then the first grace is for pardon. The second grace is for production. And the third grace is for power, so that it is the grace of God that is first of all in me. It converts me. That's my salvation. It's the grace of God. Secondly, that's on me. It conforms me. That's my sanctification, and it's the grace of
God through me that conveys my service for him. He wants us to understand that it was God's plan to save us by his grace.
And what a plan that is. You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford, but maybe as you've been listening, you realize that that's not true of you. You've never been saved like Pastor Ford is talking about. But you'd like to know more about that. Or maybe you're even ready to begin a relationship with Jesus today. There's a toll free number you can call, and someone is ready to talk with you, or pray with you, or answer questions you may have about experiencing God's grace. That number
is one 888. Need him again. That's one 888 need him. Back to the message. Once again, here is Pastor Ford.
And so that Grace then is what? That grace is universal. It doesn't matter who you are. That grace is unconditional. It doesn't matter what you've done. That the grace is unlimited. It's the kindness of God that that grace is ubiquitous. It doesn't matter where you are. So grace then, here is universal. It's unconditional. It's unlimited. It's ubiquitous. Everything we do is by grace. So we are sought by grace. Titus 211 through 13. We're saved by grace. Ephesians two
eight and nine, where sons and daughters, by grace. Ephesians one three. We're summoned by grace. Galatians 115. We're shaped by grace. First Corinthians 15 nine and ten. We're sanctified by grace. Romans 520. We're spiritually gifted by grace. Ephesians 411. We're supplied by grace. Second Corinthians 12 nine. Our speech is by grace. Colossians four six. We're stimulated in our growth by grace. Hebrews 1319. We are serving by grace. Second Peter 318. We're stabilized by grace. Hebrews 1317 and
we're sustained by grace. Hebrews 416. Let us then come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may be able to find mercy and grace to help us in time of need. Wow. Come boldly. I wish I could talk about grace, but all I can say is amazing grace. How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind. But now I see. And grace will always be my song of praise. For it was grace that brought my liberty. Mm. And so we did it. You heard this before? Of
his own will. His plan in eternity. He planned it in the Old Testament. He promised it in the Gospels. He paid for it in the epistles. He proclaimed it in Hebrews. He's processing it the day you believe he provided it. And in revelation he will perfect it. Mm. Well, what's your point? Two men live in me, an old man and a new man. When temptation knocks at the door, somebody has the answer. Send Jesus to the door. Then his power begotten by the word. What does that mean?
Why do you say power? Why do you say precept? Because he's talking about power. What was it that begot us into our common. It was the word. That's what it was. Just. Just write these down first. Peter chapter 123. First Peter chapter 123 or 22 through chapter two, verse two. Let me just give you the bottom line. Here's what verse 22 says. It's the word that informs you. Verse 23 says, it's the word that transformed you. It says in verse one, it's the word that reforms you. In
verse two says, it's the word that conforms you. And so the Word of God informs, transforms, reforms, and conforms because the Bible that's falling apart. D.L. Moody said, is usually owned by a Christian who is not. Mm. And so the Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Psalm one 1911. Wherewith verse nine. Let me start at verse nine. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto
according to thy truth? Thy word is truth. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. So what are we to do? Well, we're to listen to the word eagerly. We're to look for the word enthusiastically. We're to love it eternally. We're to learn from it expectantly. We're to languish in it entirely, and we ought to let it work in us effectively. Then he gives us
the purpose. First fruits. What is the first fruits? Now you remember I told you what they would do. Go into the field. And the first crop was a barley crop. And so you get three sheaves. Bind them individually and then bring them together corporately. Three distinct units in one sheaf. Then you wave it before the Lord. Now here's what you were saying. God, this is praise to your person. I'm praising you. I'm thanking you for the provision. I'm
bringing you the first because you're my priority. I'm bringing you this to show that I understand possession, that you are the owner and I am the steward. I bring it because you have purposes for giving me this and I want to fulfill it. So then what does a first fruit offering mean? Praise. Provision. Priority. Possession and purpose. You see, I want to tell you something. You know, I pick up stuff. I try to make myself a
better preacher. And so, like Good Friday, whenever those brothers preach. Done. Brothers preach. I told them that's the first time I ever felt like I was a novice preacher. Them boys tore it up, but I noticed something about some of their preaching. So I've already put it in mine. No, not whooping, not whooping, not whooping, but I already put it in mine. I II do that. That's how I learn. You know, I learn, you say, uh, somebody told me, man,
you really know how to illustrate. I learned that from Tony Evans. I said, what's he do that's different from everybody else? Make his illustration so good. I call it milking the metaphor. Just don't apply it one way. Apply it five or 6 or 7 ways, you know, stretch that thing out. Make it full Orbed do that. I listen to an orator by the name of Gardner C Taylor, and I said, wow, I don't do oratory. I'm a
I'm a concrete, uh, text, word by word expositor. Uh, but I need to get some of this concept stuff in. And so I put that in. There's a preacher, uh, in Dallas, Texas. I heard Freddie Haynes. He talks to inanimate objects. So I've been doing it since I heard him. If he could do it, I could do it, too. And so guess what happened? My grandson Jaden came to me. He was at our house from school. Papa. My pencil. I need it sharpened so I could do my homework.
So I said, oh, yeah, I have it in my office. So we're down in my den. He was doing homework in my den, and I took the pencil from me. And on the way up, the pencil talked to me. The pencil said, Pastor Ford, please, please, please don't. Don't cut me up like this. I don't want to be cut up. How you know I'm going to cut you up. You said that you were taking me to a pencil sharpener. That means I'm going to get cut. Yeah, but, see, you need to understand something. See how you are right now. Uh,
your designer made you for a purpose. But because you have a flat end, you can't fulfill that purpose. You see, what's in you has to be on the outside of you in order to make an impact. So what I'm going to do is cut some stuff off of you that keeps you from becoming what you need to become to fulfill your purpose. So yes, it's going to hurt, but when I'm done with you, you are going to be able to fulfill the purpose that is in the hands of my grandson. You're going to help him maintain
his A average, but it's going to hurt. Yes it is. And I'm about to hurt you right now. But it's pain with purpose. Somebody came in here, and you're going through something right now. But you need to understand that because of our sinful tendencies, we have surrounded us ourselves with stuff that precludes us from the purpose for which God called us. And he's got to cut away all those sinful tendencies. And it hurts. So I put him in. He's hollering, oh, hurts and hurts. And then all of
a sudden he said, stop hurting. I said, yeah, I gotta pull you out now because I don't hear any noise. Which means everything that needs to be cut off has been cut off. And now you're ready to roll. You're ready to fulfill the purpose for which you were made. So as I handed him to my grandson, he said, I don't ever want to see you again. I said, I bet you I'll see you in another two hours. Uh, because he's going to wear your point down and you're
going to have to be cut again. Bless the truth to our hearts, our father, we pray in Christ's name.
Amen. That is Pastor Ford today wrapping up our series The Enemy Enemy. It's been a great look at James chapter one. And if you've missed any of the broadcasts in the series, you'll find them online. Simply come to our website. It's treasure truth Radio.com. You can stream programs. You can download or order copies of this broadcast on CD. Another way to find the program is if you have the Moody Radio app, and that's a really convenient way to listen. If you're ever away from your radio, you
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