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Subject: The Trials of a Child of God
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 17:34:06 -0800
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From: Pastor Paul
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: The Trials of a Child of God

THE TRIALS OF A CHILD OF GOD
Part 1
JOB 1-3:26

INTRO:
1. The Book of James is the first part of the New Testament God gave
after the Old Testament Book of Malachi. I believe it is signficant
that the first instruction that God gave after over four years of
silence since He completed the Old Testament was:

James 1:2, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience".

2. Trials of all sorts are a normal part of living and especially
living as a child of God.

James says in V13, that God does not tempt man to do evil, but man
is tempted when he is drawn away (enticed) by the lust (or desire )
of his flesh.

God does however test the child of God to prove the quality of his
faith. This is not a solicitation to do wrong, but to do
right. A trial is an opportunity to prove the truth of God's
Word. It is an opportunity for the believer to be a witness and
testimony of the power of God working in a believer's life to
overcome sin.

When a teacher gives a test in school, is to prove whether or not
the student knows the subject matter. It is not intended to provide
an opportunity to make mistakes and put down false
answers. The test is also a means of determining areas which need
further study.

If a chemist tests a formula it is to prove if it will do what the
chemist formulated it to do...if the test fails...then this is
indication that things are not right and attention should be given to
correct the problem.

3. There are I believe three sources or difficulties which come in
the believers life.

(1) Trials allowed by God to test the faith of the believer.

Its goal is to prove the faith of the child of God. It produces
grow, which leads to maturity, and a better life, and reward.

This is what the message will deal with today.

(2) Trials which come from God in the form of chastening of the
disobedient believer. Its goal is to bring the wayward sinner back
from sin and its destructive forces in his life.

Next week in Message # 2, we will deal with trials from sin:

(3) Trails which come by just living our lives in a world dominated
by sin. It comes because of the effects of sin in the world.

EXAMPLE:

Death, it comes to all in time. It comes because of the sin.

EXAMPLE:

Murder, assault, violent crimes:

Source is in living in world with sinful men.

EXAMPLE:Disease:

Again:Randomly, effects people.

Source: effects of sin in the world.

EXAMPLE: Accidents:
Carelessness, neglect.

All these can come by change in the believer's life as well as in
the unbeliever.

The difference is this:

Romans 8:28, "All things together for good to those who love God, and
are called according to his purposes". In other words, no matter
what comes in the life of a believer, IF he loves God...meaning he
lives for God...the ultimate out come will be for the believer's benefit.

I. THE TESTIMONY OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN. JOB 1:1-3,

A. The Bible says Job was blameless, upright and feared God.

1. Blameless does not mean sinless. All men sin.

1 John 1:8, if a man says he does not sin he is a liar, and called God a liar,
because all men sin.

Because Job feared God, and walked upright he fought sin in his
life and confessed it.

Job 1:5, indicates he offered sacrifices to God for his children
because, "they may have sinned against God." This indicates his
attitude toward sin.

2. "Up right": means is followed God, and sincerely tried to live as
God wanted. He was righteous which means he was "right" in that he
separated himself from evil.

Verse 8, says "he shunned evil"

I. WE SHOULD NEVER GROW WEARY OF FIGHTING SIN IN OUR LIVES.

A. V3-4. Christ endured great hostility because he opposed
sin. This hostility was so great they who were offended at his
message sought to kill Him.

1. V4 Sets the attitude for our fighting sin in our lives.

2. We are to keep fighting even if it kills us. In fact the Jewish
believers that the Book of Hebrews addresses were tried and weary and
we on the verge of quitting under the pressure.

3. See Hebrews 10:32-36. READ. Note the promise 10:37-39.

B. Sin is a real force in the life of a believer that he has to deal
with.

1. There are times when there are victories and there is peace.
Things go along smooth. However, equally truth is the fact that
temptations will come also and they could come for a long time.

2. We can grow weary in well doing.

II. THE SOURCE OF MOST TRIALS IS SIN.

A. Some times the trials in our lives are caused by
ourselves. Probably more trials come to us this way than through,
Satan's attempts to defeat us.

1. The Bible says we are sinners. That means everyone.

2. We have a carnal nature. Think for a moment
about the reasoning of the philosophers of today who say that man
is basically good, or has a spark of divinity in him and all you
have to do is give a man the opportunity and he will do right. It
will come out.

3. How foolish is man's attempts to justify himself and to
cover up his failure.

4. Christians should fully understand the carnal nature and what it
is capable of. The more opportunity to sin the more man will sin.

EXAMPLE: Given the change, carnal
man will do cruel and perverted things. Homosexuality is growing
like wild-fire. Man or so ciety has grown from a state of normal
relations to one of perversion. In the Holocaust there were plenty
of people willing to murder the Jews. Mass murders
are happening all=0Aover the world and have been since the world
began. Murders, drugs and crime are increasing. We can not build
prisons fast enough.

Remove the law and people grossly sin. The law
against abortion was declared illegal. The effect over 12 million
babies have been killed.

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