Live This Year Fixing Your Eyes On Jesus - Zac Poonen
Visit our website for more information: www.cfcindia.com
Summary
The speaker encourages a yearly spiritual checkup to ensure continuous progress in the Christian life. He draws parallels between the temptation in the Garden of Eden and modern temptations, warning against believing the devil's lies, such as that sin is not punished or that one can be like God. The central message is that true transformation and becoming like Christ must come through personal choice and direct connection with God, not through human mediators or false teachings.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Conducting a spiritual checkup at the start of a new yearJust as children are promoted in school each year, we should check whether we have made spiritual progress and grown further ahead than we were a year ago.
Recognizing Satan's tactics from the garden of EdenWe should not be ignorant of Satan's schemes, which began in Genesis by leading Eve astray with the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The first lie and the illusion of becoming like GodSatan's first lie was that sin will not be punished, and his second temptation was that humans could be like God in authority and power rather than in character.Genesis 3:4–5
The proof of our hope is daily purificationThe evidence that we possess the hope of becoming like Christ when He appears is that we actively purify ourselves every single day.1 John 3:2–3
Fearing God by not judging according to sight or soundA key mark of the fear of the Lord is that we do not judge or make decisions based solely on what our eyes see or our ears hear.
Jesus sought the Father's will instead of human successAfter a night of great revival and healing in Peter's hometown, Jesus left to pray and follow the Father's leading rather than staying just because human senses dictated it.Luke 4:38–43
Running the marathon race of the Christian lifeThe Christian life is a marathon race from the starting line of new birth to the finishing line of becoming like Christ, requiring endurance and focus.Hebrews 12:1–2
The tree of life as simple devotion to ChristSecond Corinthians defines the tree of life as simple, pure devotion to Christ, which the devil constantly tries to distract us from.2 Corinthians 11:3
Allowing the sword to fall on our self-lifeJust as a sword was placed before the tree of life in Genesis, we must allow the sword to fall on our self-life daily through self-denial to follow Christ.Genesis 3:24
Closing prayer for a glorious year of shining lightThe speaker closes in prayer, asking the Heavenly Father to keep believers alert to Satan's schemes and to make the coming year shine brighter and brighter.
