Living For The Pleasure S24e12 1Jn3:22

Our capacity for self-deception is infinite. God's capacity for deception is ZERO. He knows everything and accurately sees both the outside and the inside; the hands and the heart.

Interior love is proven by exterior action.
The love of God is manifested by love of his people.
We should find a trail of tenderness when we follow the breadcrumbs of behavior of a Christian.
We assess ourselves not just by our head but by our hands; not just by our intentions but by our possessions; and not just by our words  but by our works.

If we do this right we live a pleasing life. By having a correlation of the exterior to the interior, this is a life that can PLEASE GOD. 
It may please Him for you to come back tomorrow by going to Apple Podcasts or bewithme.us and subscribing for more.

Transcript

Michael Smith: 0:01

Good morning, my brothers and sisters, welcome to episode 12, in the book of First John, going to title today living for the pleasure. Now that's not the pleasure of self, but the pleasure of God. And if we follow the breadcrumb, breadcrumbs of behavior from a Christian, we should find there, a trail of tenderness that's rooted in Christ and resembles Christ. And today that pleases Christ. So living in such a way that pleases God. We're going to section where it's very practical, the soundbite is Christian is as Christian does. The interior life is proven by external exterior, external action. And the love of God is practically manifested by the love of his people. So our love for God is practically manifested by our love for His people. And the affection for Jesus can be seen by the affection that we have for the knuckle hood, that is the brotherhood and true transformation leaves a trail of tenderness that is love for the Brotherhood, we should be able to see it. So I'm going to continue with that thought from this is that was all from earlier in First John chapter three. And now I'm going to start in verse 16. First John 316. And I'm going to say the verse and then just give a little explanation of that and work down to verse 22, verse 16, by this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. So our knowledge, here's my comment, our our knowledge, Christian conversion is evidenced by knowledge, knowing that Jesus laid down his life for us, but that interior knowledge doesn't stop there, then it's exampled by laying down our life for our brothers. So our knowledge is evidenced by what we do with with that knowledge, which is supposed to be lay down your life for your brother, for 17. But if anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet closes as hard against him, how does God's love abide in him? So the point is, that robust relationship with God is displayed by what you do with your stuff. And your hidden heart is exposed for better or for worse by what you do with the world's good with the stuff that God has given you. So it's kind of like not as what's in your wallet, but what do you do with the stuff that's in your wallet? Verse 18, Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but indeed, and in truth. So again, making that big point the reality of love isn't in Word or talk or in theory, but is the in the truth of our deeds. Verse 19, by this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our hearts before him. So the first person that meat needs to be made known about the reality of our Christianity is me. So the point here is that the capacity for self deception and thinking that hey, I'm okay, and you're okay. The capacity for self deception is infinite. So we shall know that we are of the truth how we know it, by our life, by our stuff, by our deeds by our practical so how do I reassure myself, but ratio? How do I reassure my heart to myself before God? Well, I look at my actions I look at my doings. I look at the evidences. And then here's the contrary verse is that for whatever, whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. So God's capacity for deception is zero. To compare our capacity for deception, which is infinite, God's capacity for deception is zero. He knows every everything he sees, yes, the inside posture, and he also sees the outside practice. And if this assessment leaves you short on action, and devoid of deeds, and if your goods have made visible, the invisibility of a true interior life, that is like you're either not converted, or you're not acting like it. And if your life betrays the lies that you've been telling yourself, then should we just like give up the, you know, the hope here? No, the point of this is, be convicted and embrace that conviction, in fact, run to the conviction, because there's something much, much, much worse than the Lord's conviction, and that is, his indifference is indifference. The Romans one talks about it where God gets gets to the point of God gave them up. And this this passage speaks specifically sounds like something God is not doing. He's not giving up on you. In fact, if I could, you know, say what I hear God doing is God is leaning in. This is a wake up call. And I think God is saying, Hey, you say you have this a God within? And does your life without outside? Does it demonstrate it? Not that demonstrated on another continent continent, but with the brothers and sisters and the knuckleheads that he's surrounded you with. So this is life with God, not in theory, not just in your head, but in your hands, not just in your intentions, but in your possessions, then not just in your words, but your works. Verse 21, Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have competence before God. So this is kind of the good if you're not condemned before God, then we're supposed to have a confidence. And it's manifested by this asking and receiving in a relationship that pleases Him. Verse 22, and whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases Him. So if you knew if you really, really knew that God cares about you, and that God hears your please. What would you ask? I'm going to leave that that's a great question for today. Hold your thought, because I got one more verse. All right. So you're, you're a God that I want to see, I want to serve at your pleasure, verse 22. Whatever we ask we receive for him because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him. So doing what pleases Him. That's where I get the title today, living the pleasure. So we are doing stuff, external stuff that pleases God, then these practical truths can please God, what I know, what I do, how I think and how I live, what I decide, and what I do, what goes on in my head, and also what goes on in my hands, what goes on in my intentions, but also with my possessions. What goes on with my words, but also with my works? These things can please God, don't fake face the condemnation of action lessness and sin, but please God by our behaviors, let's live for the pleasure of God by what we do. Thanks for listening.