Sinful Nature

Romans 1:21-32
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

The act of sinful has been brought into this level.

Romans 2:1-4
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

It is easy for us to condemn, but it is hard for our life to follow what bible said. What are we comparing to? What is our standard that we use to compare?
Paul understand that Jews and Gentiles are having this in mind. Jews are chosen one as they are from Abraham lineage, many of them believe that if they have a little sin, they can still inherit kingdom of God.

Romans 7:19
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

When Sin control you, it will make your spirit heavier and make us tired easier.

 Ephesians 5:3
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

 Have I recall things that to satisfied my sinful nature? When the temptation is started, we are already losing it. When we are in the edge of temptation, we are losing battle.

 Bible said if we resist the devil, it will be flee from me.

Feed my spiritual nature, as when we are tempted and fall into sin, we are feeding our sinful nature, which is why we have to feed our spiritual feed to ourself so we can become strong in this.

James 1:13-15
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

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Spiritual Maturity

1 Corinthians 3:2-3 NIV

[2] I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. [3] You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

God expect everyone to grow in spiritual maturity. 

1. Spiritual maturity is not matter of age. 

No one become spiritually mature overnight. 

Luke 2:52 NIV

[52] And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

The danger:

Can get older but not grow to spiritually mature

Some refused to grow up

2. Spiritual maturity is not about appearance

They know how to talk the talk, but the question is they know how to walk the walk.

Some people look holy, they seems to have heaven around them. They might be appearance but not reality. 

Appearance can be deceiving. 

3. Spiritual maturity is not matter of achievement.

Characters make a difference. 

Recognition is what people say about you. 

It's your character that determine who we are. 

5 marks of Christian maturity

1. He is patience in testing (James 1)

James 1:2-4 NIV

[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Whenever you are going thru trials, do not go impulsive or rash. 

How we need to be able to patience. See trials as fertilizer. Going to make something happen in life. The fertilizer of trials worked into the soil start to produce a stalk and that's what James call "perseverance"

2. He practices the truth (James 2)

James 2:14 NIV

[14] What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

Favoritism forbidden. Doing the right deeds. 

3. He has the power Over his tongue ( James 3)

James 3:3-6 NIV

[3] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. [4] Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. [5] Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. [6] The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

It is very strong scripture. 

4. He is peacemaker not troublemaker (James 4)

James 4:3-6 NIV

[3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. [4] You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ? [6] But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

If we want to be mature, we need to be mature and bring it to mature way.  We need to help to resolve conflicts. 

5. He is prayerful in trouble (James 5)

James 5:13-16 NIV

[13] Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Half book of James is command, contain verbs in the imperative form. 

Remain in Jesus

John 15:9-11 NIV
[9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. [10] If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. [11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

What is the purpose that we need to remain in his love? Jesus is the source of our true joy and his joy to be in us.

1. If I have true joy, joy cannot be hidden.
Joy is not the absence of problem but the evidence of God present.
Psalm 4:7 NIV
[7] Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. [8] In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Joy came from God.
Joy is not equal to happiness.

James 1:2-4 NIV
[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Proverbs 17:22 NIV
[22] A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
People who are cheerful able to heal people around them but crush spirit always dries people up, even surrounding happiness will be sucked by crushed spirit.

2. Joy cannot be fake
Joker, bad character from batman, has appear to be smiling but deep down in our heart we are hurting, crying and destroyed.

Psalm 32:3-5 NIV
[3] When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. [4] For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. [5] Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Proverbs 28:13 NIV
[13] Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
We need to be open about our struggle, open about your life, obey the word then you will have joy as god will come to life.