R372 Rags or Robes, PT.1

Today we begin a brand-new two part series called rags or little Dr. Don Wilton here on the sea as we had the book of Ephesians.

Once you join us on our website at tewonline.org. You can study along with the today's broadcast and catch up on some old broadcasts as well. It's online at tewonline.org right or wrong which one is it going to be the way rags to all you closing the robes of God's righteousness. One of the most remarkable truths of God's word. Second Corinthians chapter 5 in verse 17 therefore if any man any woman every any boy, any girl is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He or she becomes a new creature all things a foster way. Behold all things are become brand-new gathering Ephesians chapter 4, the apostle Paul tells us that when we trust the Lord Jesus Christ. We, we become grace in the robes of God's righteousness I want. Also, your question today is a rhetorical question that means you don't have to respond in the service. I want you to respond in your own heart. Today, if those people that work with you. From Monday through Friday. If those people that go to school with you and those people that are a college with you where to come and stand here where I'm standing this morning. How would they describe your attire during the week.

What would they say that you are dressed in how do you look to the you see Paul is not talking about physical clothes not talking about the color of our close not talking about the experience of our uniforms. He's talking about the fact that when we come to know Jesus Christ, the Bible say is that we discussed God in Christ Jesus. We literally put today. Our old man. The person that we once were, and then we put all the robes of God's righteousness, and in fact it's a very interesting mentor for the God that Paul uses here under the inspiration of the Lord Jesus Christ. He literally uses the symbolical reference to one stripping off one's garment like you would hurry home to get changed out of your athletic uniform in order to go out on a date and you want to look your best and and and you would rush and you've only got a little bit of time in an and you take all one's sake of attire and you put on another set. I know all of you did that this morning. You took off your pajamas. I don't see anyone in pajamas here, you took off your pajamas and you grace to come to church. Well guess what the Bible says. The Bible says that when you give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. God in his grace and because of his grace enables you to be script order take all the garment of the old man and to put on the robes of God's righteous and you and I within the context of the fabric of our lives in the development of the character we actually become walking demonstrations of people who are rodent and clothing God's righteousness down the first couple of chapters of Paul's letter to the Ephesians as we've already discovered, Paul deals with standing in Christ Jesus carrying the middle section in chapter 4 and five he talks about our walk, what we look like, what is our character as Christian people that you might've heard someone say this before, but we could all ask it in a different way heritages. How do you know that you know that you know that you know that your site how can you tell if someone has had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it because they go to church because they read the Bible because they give the money to the point what what does the Bible say is the law.

All the clothing all the attire of someone who is walking in Christ. That's read together. Ephesians chapter 4 and I want to begin reading at verse 20 verse 20.

Listen to what the Bible says you however did not come to know or to learn about Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus you would talk with regard to your former way of life. There it is, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires living just pulls there for a moment that we talking about a present continuous tense Bible says that that if you have not made Jesus Christ. You all can't continually in the process of being corrupted you all perishing when you receive the Lord Jesus Christ. You are saved once and for all, but you are continually being sorry unto the day of salvation. So look at this verse 22 again you would talk with regard to the former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body in your anger do not sin by the way the King James version. There is perhaps a lot more accurate. It's a cabal be angry but do not sin. Can you imagine that you know that the Bible combines Christian people to get angry. Can you imagine that what in the world could that mean being angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold. He has been stealing must feel no longer, but must work doing something useful with his own hands, that he might have something to share with those in the do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen and do not grieve the Spirit of God. Why because he's the one with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. What a marvelous passage of Scripture are subject to value rags or rose. It seems to me that the more the world infiltrates the church, the more difficult it becomes to distinguish the Christian person from the world all around us we see more and more.

The world is infiltrating the church.

The church is beginning to look more and more like the world and the more that that happens, the more difficult it becomes to distinguish the born-again believer from someone who said no Jesus Christ. Paul tells us that you can distinguish the born-again believer because the born-again believer is a roadblock closed in the robes of God's righteousness and care he he presents a clear contrast between the old self. The way you used to be and what is become to you the new wall is like Christ's same to purposeful wool. The old wall is a self-centered and futile rule. The newborn knows and understands the truth about God, but the old walk is ignorant and rejects truth. The new wall is sensitive to sin, but the old book is spiritually calloused toward sin.

Remember in the preceding verses the hearts are hardened when you walk is renewed in thinking the old rule is depraved in thinking and so Paul here says wait a minute, dear friends, when rags or trains for robes. There are some distinguishing features. Let's look at them very briefly something happens let's understand what it is that happens, there are nine of them and I want you to hear all of them this morning. Number one, there is a hearing and receiving of truth. There is a hearing and receiving of truth. Look at verse 20 and 21 you, however, did not come to learn about Alton.

No or to appropriate or become part of the Lord Jesus Christ. That way, surely you did hear of him to know what Paul says here Paul pulls a theological great coupon on the crowds and he comes to this point and he says you have not ever did not come to know Christ.

This way, but of course if you are close in the roles of God's righteousness of you know truth you have received him, and it's interesting here because Paul does this in such a remarkable way.

In fact, when he says you did not learn about Christ accepting directly and deliberately. He uses a terrorist active indicative which means it happened decisively in time there was a dramatic encounter. It was once and for all you confronted by the righteousness of a loving and a wonderful and a forgiving God and guess what happened when you confronted by him and you became clothed in the robes of God's righteousness and God took your sin and the cost it is far as the east is from the waist and he remembers it no more. Guess what happens you already person in which and through which and about which the truth is made self. Paul says listen God's truth is all the truth of God is all over you.

He says if you want to know that you know that you know that you know that your site if you want to know that you by God's grace have discarded the rags of your sinful life. Just look at the demonstration of the robes of God's righteousness and one of those characteristic marks are going to be that you are a walking public demonstration of a life that is being changed by the truth of God, but they try to further he said there's a second characteristic for one who is rubbing God's righteousness number two there is an understanding of what happened to the old self.

There is an understanding of what happened to the old self. Verse 22 and 23 and 24 Paul uses three infinitives to get his point across. What is he say he says if you are clothed in the robes of God's righteousness.

Number one, you have laid aside the old man number two you have been written you in your mind and number three you have put on the new man, and he says that the mark of the believer is the fact that the believer who has become a part of the truth of God has a deep and profound understanding of his or her old self. You know that you were sin and that you all one saved by the grace of God. You see friends. The born-again believer doesn't like to do will on the sordidness of his life without Christ. He doesn't like to elevate folder magnify what he was. He merely uses he's old self understanding Lee as a testimony to point people to how he made Jesus Christ and what he has become since Jesus Christ came into his heart and life. You have an understanding and wherever you go.

People are literally sign that person is a changed person they once were. But now this is what they have become so we going to come back to our question again if someone who works with you was able to stand here when they stand up and say you know I can tell you one thing about Dan or Susan or Joe whoever it might be man they have changed Think Different they all walking public demonstrations of the truth of God and there is an understanding of what they want were Football is leading up to his deciding, listen friend if you know Jesus Christ your heart is broken because you have a clear understanding of what it means to be lost in your own soul self and how desperate it is that you need to go out until other people about the saving grace of God in Christ Jesus. Number three is 1/3 characteristic about someone who wears the road of God's righteousness number three there is an in acting, there is an in acting. Look at verse 25 Magnus verse. Therefore, each of you. Those of you that have come to know the truth of God in Christ Jesus.

Those of you that have come into a new understanding of what your old self was number three.

They will be in in the act, he says. Therefore, each one of you must put off falsehood.

What is Paul's Paul is saying that there is no more sham pretense as far as a born-again believer's concern. Paul is just simply saying get listen when I person's role in the close of God's righteousness, all pretenses gone. There's no more acting when you encounter Jesus Christ.

Please forgive the interruption, but all that's my story too many times playing the role of the Christian instead of loving Jesus and sing love. I pray that you would understand. God wants to pursue you in this love relationship. He wants to do it on a daily relationship, spending time in God's word. Have you heard about the daily Encouraging Word you not love to be a part daily devotional love to be able to sing The Encouraging Word daily devotion be a part of what God sees to each one of us through his word every day. You can become part of that and receive one your self from me just go online to TW online.org that's TW online.org and get your copy of The Encouraging Word devotion.

Today the number again is 866-899-WORD 9673 now back today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton no more façades.

They mobile wool.

There's no more hypocrisy. There is no more trying to keep up with the next-door neighbors. There's no more trying to pretend that you have a relationship with the God that you've never met. The Bible tells us my friend that I present life is the life that reflects pride in Christ Jesus.

It is evident in other words, I believe you will no longer lie about what he is and who he is, Paul is saying here, my friends, that new creatures will act like new creatures, or that's a tough one is therefore if any man is in Christ is a new creature. Paul is saying wait a minute if you wearing the robes of God's righteousness in your new creature you going to act like a new Jesus put it like this.

He said let your light shine.

He said it's impossible to say that your life is being blinded by the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet, for nobody to see that black shine. It's a contradiction and what Paul is saying here in verse 25. My friend, he's providing icon cross that is so clear. He says you are going to move from aligned to truth there is no longer going to be any pretense or any hypocrisy you can move from a life of hypocrisy to a lack of reality. Why because liars cannot inherit the kingdom of God. How do we know that the put me in Revelation Revelation chapter 21 Turley very quickly. Revelation chapter 21 in verse eight.

Listen what the Bible states. The Bible says in Revelation 21 verse eight but the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile the murderer is the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars.

Why does he use an all-encompassing word concerning lives because liars are living under the pretense of a truth that they don't know. Friend listen to me in America today it is becoming increasingly possible for Americans to live a lie because everywhere we turn even though the courts are against the word of God and even though this is happening against the word of God. We spook contrary to public opinion are able to practice our faith and because of the tractors and because of the opportunities and pull hearsay is all realize their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second day and we know according to God's word in Revelation 20 and verse 14 born-again believers who are clothed in God's robes of righteousness can never suffer.

The second day can never suffer the second day why because of you, given your heart to Jesus you born twice and you're only going to die once you were born your parents just like we will where you were born again of the Spirit of God that Paul talks about in verse 20 and 21 and then you're only gonna die once it Jesus tarries long enough you going to die physically, but the Bible says if you haven't given your heart to Jesus you are born only once, like everybody is, but you gonna die twice going to die physically and then you going to die spiritually and that second day of the spiritual date is the second death that the Bible talks about and the wonderful thing about what Paul is saying here in Ephesians chapter full.

He's saying listen to me, my dear friends, watch me just watch. This is what he sighed. He said listen, would you just pay attention.

A moment I've got something to tell you when you give your heart to Jesus Christ.

God takes those rags and he just throws them away from the presence and he dresses you in the robes of his righteousness, and he makes you a brand-new person. The cost of sin as far as the east is from the Western he remembers it no more, and he writes a new song upon your heart, and he says I tell you where ever you go. There are going to be just anguishing features you all going to be different.

You are going to be a walking example of the truth of God, you are going to be someone who demonstrates practically and in every sense of the word and understanding of your life outside of Christ. Your old self, but he says in the third place will robes are going to be a practical demonstration that there is no more acting and no more pretense as far as you can guarantee you my dear friend, you can go up to any person who's made Jesus and sighed to them, would you like to meet the Lord Jesus Christ and by never going to have any problem telling you that they've made their that's what Paul is talking about but not before there's 1/4 characteristic, that's interesting. There is a change in reaction these roads that we wear on a day-to-day basis. The robe of God's righteousness means that there is a change in our human reaction. Look at verse 26 verse 26 says be angry and do not send now in order to understand what Paul is saying here we go.

To understand the word anger the word anger here is an interesting word because in its root word. It doesn't mean a momentary boiling seizing out-of-control type of rage and anger. That's not what Paul is talking about Paul here is talking about a deep seated rooted conviction directly related to the righteousness and the holiness of God. That's what Paul is sighed, Paul is saying you be angry but do not sin. Why did he say that well. Jesus repeatedly became angry with the Pharisees man they challenged him with everything.

Who were the Pharisees. They were people who were inside the church. They were people who wore their religion on the coat sleeves. They were the people who were so bound in their traditions.

This is what you have to do in order to be spiritual.

Jesus rejected all of that. He said I've come that you might have life and my grace is free and full and I want you to know that I inhabit the praise of my people.

That's what Jesus was trying to teach them and he became angry with them because of their pharisaical approach to their religiosity.

In other words, it didn't matter how well-qualified they might've been Jesus recited them. Listen, friend, you lost, Jesus went into the temple, and he saw the debauchery of God's house and he became angry and he made a whip of small cords and he drove them out of the temple and pull care is saying listen. This emotion called anger can represent good or bad, but it is in direct first bonds to your motive and your purpose.

That's why he issues like a bond followed by a qualification. He says be angry but do not sin. Why does he say that he says listen.

There is a difference between righteous anger and sinful anger and he says there is an obligation for every born-again believer who is wearing the robes of God's righteousness to become an about the and processes of the holiness and the righteousness of God. He said it is possible for a born-again believer to say that you know Jesus Christ and get to turn a blind to the immorality that the world demonstrates all around us and the (section of Almighty God. But Paul says be careful. Christian because I want you to know something that Satan knows that anger is a weak point and if Satan gets a footstool in your anger. He's gonna turn your righteous anger in the sinful anger and when it turns into sinful anger. It is going to displease God because it translates and changes from righteousness to sin and God will not tolerate if you wear the clothes of God's righteousness. You need to be angry about the immorality of the world, but you need to be angry and sin.

What a child.

What makes check is a powerful challenge you been listening to Dr. Don Wilton's been preaching here on The Encouraging Word and now is coming in the studio and I prayed you open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give you in life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right. Dear God, I know that I'm not know that Jesus died for me on the cross today.

I repainted my son and by faith I receive you into my awful Jesus night, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new welcome to the family of God.

Perhaps some of you moments ago prayed along with the pastor to give your life to Christ to rededicate your life to Jesus. Or perhaps you're in a situation where you have questions, let us discover the answers together at 86689. That's her phone number with him to speak with you.

Pray with you, give you some free resources a doctor that wanted to have just gave your life to Christ to rededicate your life again. It's 866-899-9673 were also connecting on our website@tewonline.org that's TE W online.org would love to meet