My soul

• Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7 – We were made in God’s image.
• John 4:24
• Hebrews 12:9 – We inherit physical characteristics from earthly parents, but spiritual characteristics from God.
• Genesis 9:3, 6 – The difference between humans and animals.
• Acts 7:59 – Stephen prayed for his spirit to be received by God.
• Psalms 90:1-4, 10 – The body lasts for a while, but the spirit flies away.
• I Timothy 4:7-8
• Luke 12:19-20 – Lay up spiritual treasures!
• Mark 12:25 – Nothing can compare to the value of my soul!
• Matthew 16:26 – One soul is worth more than the world!

God’s love

• I Peter 1:3-5, 9, 6 – God is interested in saving our most valuable possession.
• I Thessalonians 4:16-17 – God offers an eternal solution.
• Matthew 25:46 – The righteous will receive eternal life. God wants us to come home forever.
• Romans 8:35-39
• Galatians 5:1-4

Take-aways

• Do the smart thing – save your soul.
• Accept God’s love.

Christ (Romans 3:21-5:21), continued:

Adam vs. Jesus (Romans 5:12-19), continued:

• Romans 5:18-19 – Adam performed his transgression, and it introduced condemnation to all men. Christ performed His act of righteousness (His sacrifice) and it introduced justification to all men. Neither of these happen automatically! See Romans 6:12. Compare Hebrews 5:9.

Grace reigns (Romans 5:20-21)

• When God reveals a law, such as the Law of Moses, it shows people what they are doing wrong. They may not have realized they were sinning, but now they do. See Romans 3:20; 7:7.

Choice (Romans 6-8)

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound (Romans 6:1-14)?

• No! We repented and decided to die to sin. How could we go back to it?
• Romans 6:3-4:

• Hebrews 9:26-28; Romans 8:34
• Romans 6:11 – We must consider ourselves dead to sin!
• Romans 6:13 – Don’t go back in the mud and get dirty again!

Tongues were…

Real languages

• Acts 1:6; 2:1-11
• Acts 10:44-48
• Glossa “tongue” (Acts 2:4, 11) vs. dialektos “language” (Acts 2:6,8)
• I Corinthians 13:1 – Some argue they are speaking the tongues of angels, and thus, not to be understood. That is not the point Paul is making here.

To edify through understandable communication

• I Corinthians 14:1-26 – If you speak in a tongue no one understands, you are not edifying others. Tongues were for a sing to unbelievers. Prophecy was a sign to believers.

Able to be controlled

• I Corinthians 14:27-33 – Things were to be done in an orderly manner. “The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”

Limited to the first century

• I Corinthians 13:8-10 – The spiritual gifts would cease, but love never fails. The “perfect” in I Corinthians 13:10 is teleos, meaning “complete.” When the full revelation of God was available (i.e., the full New Testament), spiritual gifts would go away. Spiritual gifts were like the scaffolding around the New Testament.

Compare Biblical teaching with modern-day practice

• Is it a real language?
• It is edifying others in the assembly because it is understandable communication?
• Is it controlled?
• No modern-day tongue-speaking is in the first century.

What do we do when we encounter immodest behavior?

Where are we most likely to see immodest behavior?

• It’s nearly everywhere!

Principles to consider

• Where does immodesty lead?

  • Example: David and Bathsheba

  • It can cause us to lose our soul.

  • Matthew 5:28

  • Seeing immodesty is nearly unavoidable, but if you keep looking, that leads to trouble.

  • The pornography industry is massive. Pornography will enslave you if you allow it enter your life.

Consider one’s self

• James 1:14-15 – It is our own lust that causes us to sin.
• Genesis 39:9

Convictions to hold

• Be determined not to sin.

  • Hebrews 10:26-39

  • We might be afraid we can’t handle the temptation or that we will miss out on the pleasure of sin.

• Move forward – don’t shrink back.

  • Romans 13:13-14

• Prepare your response to temptation ahead of time!

  • Genesis 39:9

Fighting back

• “I can handle it.”
• James 4:7; I Peter 5:6-9; II Timothy 2:22; I Corinthians 9:27; I Peter 1:13

Everything belongs to God

• Colossians 1:16; Psalms 24:1

What a steward is

• A person who manages another’s property.

Stewardship

• Luke 19:11-27
• Luke 12:16-21
• I Timothy 6:6-10 – Godliness with contentment is great gain. Beware the love of money!

Actions we must take

• I Timothy 6:17-19 – Be generous and ready to share.
• Matthew 6:19-21 – Lay up treasure in heaven.
• Luke 3:11
• Proverbs 11:24-26 – The generous will be blessed.
• II Corinthians 9:6-7
• We must make the effort to understand what people truly need.

Who is rich?

• 2018: Top 1% annual income for the world is $32,400 (datatopics.worldbank.org)

Idle hands

• Proverbs 12:24 – Diligence leads to increase
• Proverbs 10:4-5; 12:11, 24; 14:23; 20:4; 20:13

Honest business

• Proverbs 11:1; 13:11; 16:11; 20:23; 21:6

Generosity

• Proverbs 13:22; 11:24-26; 22:22-23

Building wealth

• Proverbs 13:7

Co-signing

• Proverbs 6:1-5; 17:18; 22:26-27

Debt

• Proverbs 22:7
• The danger of student loans and compounding interest.