Living For God's Highest Always | Zac Poonen
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Summary
The speaker emphasizes the critical difference between historical accounts and doctrinal teachings in the Bible, warning against deriving doctrine from historical sections. He stresses the need for consistency in scripture study, using examples from Acts and the Gospels to illustrate how picking and choosing verses leads to doctrinal confusion. To avoid deception, the speaker advises believers to actively love the truth about themselves and the Word of God, acknowledging every conviction from the Holy Spirit.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
History versus teaching in ScriptureThe Bible is composed mostly of history and teaching, and a vital rule of study is that we must never try to build doctrines out of historical sections.
The danger of picking and choosing from historyGroups like Pentecostals draw doctrines like speaking in tongues from historical accounts in Acts, while ignoring other practices in the same chapters, which leads to spiritual inconsistency.
The scariest verse in the New TestamentSecond Thessalonians 2:11 warns that God Himself will send a deluding influence upon those who do not love the truth and do not want to be saved from sin.2 Thessalonians 2:11
How to escape deception by loving the truthTo prevent God from ever deluding us, we must love the truth about ourselves by acknowledging personal wrong instead of justifying it, and accept God's Word over our own traditions.
A passionate desire to be saved from sinTrue salvation involves a passionate desire to be saved from all known sin rather than merely seeking forgiveness, protecting us from falling into total deception.
Lessons from the Old Testament on idolatry and sexual purityThe Old Testament reveals that God intensely detests idolatry—putting anything in place of Him—and sexual sin, teaching us to treat these areas with utmost seriousness.
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitableWhile many non-sinful things are lawful, a carnal Christian settles for doing whatever is lawful, whereas a spiritual person chooses only what is profitable for eternity.1 Corinthians 6:12
The minimum versus the maximum life for GodMany believers aim for the minimum necessary to please God and go to heaven, rendering their lives completely useless, whereas Jesus sought the maximum possible for His Father.
Not being mastered by anythingPaul declared he would not be mastered by anything, including food or physical desires, because the body belongs entirely to the Lord twenty-four hours a day.
God is a good father who withholds no good thingPsalm 84:11 promises that no good thing will God ever withhold from those who walk uprightly, dispelling the lie that God is a spoilsport.Psalm 84:11
The testimony of an aging man on righteousnessReflecting on a lifetime of experience, David testified in Psalm 37 that he had never seen a righteous man forsaken by God nor his children begging for bread.
Jesus' life was planned by the Father from birth to deathThroughout the Gospels, Jesus' life steps—from Bethlehem to Egypt and Nazareth—fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, demonstrating a life planned completely by His Father.Matthew 2:15
Every plant the Father did not plant will be uprootedMatthew 15:13 states that every plant the heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted, which is why we must build and participate only in what God initiates.Matthew 15:13
Guarding your crown and living for Christ's approvalJudas lost his assigned crown through unfaithfulness, serving as a warning to hold fast so that no one else takes the crown meant for our faithfulness.
