Sermon: Maculate
by Chris Cumming
I was taking a survey of my posted sermons the other day and
found a number of them to be about righteousness and specifically either
bringing in the good or forcing out the bad elements from our hearts, minds and
lives. Take a look at what I found as I encourage all of us to avoid
defilement.
Avoid getting defiled.
Sermon |
Content |
Affinity |
This is a serious sermon about kinship and at the
same time discusses the concept of impure religion and the fact there
can be nothing in our ultimate character that would defile us. Our
religion must be pure. |
We discussed the principles of purging, cleaning
and purifying ourselves. We read scriptures where we do these things to
ourselves and other scriptures where God does the same things in us.
Examples: |
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In this one we gave the warning from God about
avoiding vain jangling or false doctrine. Notice scripture from that
sermon: |
|
This is a sermon about wolves in sheep’s clothing: |
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This is a sermon about
Fervency, Diligence, Zeal
and Perseverance. Here is just one verse from this sermon: |
|
Foul Language – Parts 1-5 |
This is a series of sermons in which we are
admonished to get rid of negative language and engage solely in positive
and uplifting language. We are taught to bring in the good to overcome
the bad: |
This is a sermon about striving for the high
calling God has given to us. |
|
In this sermon we learn about continually
practicing righteousness and then repeating it. |
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This is a sermon about destroying evil thoughts and
images from our mind. |
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This sermon focuses on 1 Timothy 1:6 |
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This sermon is about fleeing apostasy, heresy,
false doctrine and false teachers. The Word of God states this would
happen. |
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The Pathway lights sermons bring in all the
scriptures of light and all the admonitions to stay in that light. |
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A sermon on Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
|
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Piety is a sermon about holiness. |
|
Pure Occasions is a sermon about striving for
spiritual purity. Here is a key verse: |
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The specific purpose of this sermon was, “Cleanse
yourself.” |
|
This is a sermon about sanctification or
sanctifying yourself before God. In there I make the statement, “We
find purpose in becoming like Christ.” |
|
In this sermon we see what God is doing with us in
the salvation process. |
|
This two-part sermon is about firstfruits having
the same faith God has. It is about filling yourself up with faith and
casting out all doubt. The key verse is Mark 11: and verse 22: |
|
This sermon covers just
about every element of righteousness from God the Father, Christ and
down to the individual firstfruit. It was difficult picking a key
scripture or two here. I chose those that speak to the element of
righteousness coming into you. Proverbs 13:6a Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way:
|
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…or how not to become a
thrall [one who is enslaved by any negative element]. This is a
purposeful sermon on how to force negative elements out of your life
using the power of the Holy Spirit in you. |
|
The purpose of this
sermon is to thwart the enemy. |
|
The verse 28 in
question is in Romans 8. |
|
This sermon carries
with it the admonition to be a living sacrifice before God. |
|
This is a sermon with
the admonition to invoke discipline in our lives. |
So now you have a quick reference to these 27 sermons on bringing in the good
elements of God and thereby forcing out the negative elements of Satan, the
world and our own human nature; all of which defile the firstfruit human being.
This sermon is about defilement and the elements that would defile us in the
judgment we are currently going through.
As we have discussed many times, God is judging us on just two things:
1] What we believe.
2] Our theology or how we arrived at those beliefs.
Neither of these can be tainted or with spot. We are in a process where we are
bringing both to a place of white linen or the character of Jesus Christ. Let
us take an excerpt from the first sermon I gave you in this list, “Affinity.”
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from
the world.
Most skip right over the first part of this to focus on what comes after the
comma, but notice what the commentaries say…
[Pure religion] The phrase "pure religion" means that which is genuine and sincere, or which is free from any improper mixture.
[And
undefiled before God and the Father] That which
God sees to be pure and undefiled.
Note: God
wants our love, devotion, and reverence to Him to be pure and free from any
improper mixture. ~end quote from the sermon
This is a serious subject simply because so many things can defile our
religion. There can be defilement in an action, a thought, an attitude or a
belief. There is a large biblical list of things that can defile us and in
which we can defile. For a few examples:
1] false doctrines can defile our religion. [see 2 Peter 2:1-3—false
teachers bringing in damnable heresies]
2] bitterness or hatred of a brother can defile our hearts and minds. [see
Hebrews 12:15—root of bitterness]
3] we can defile the Sabbath. [see Ezekiel 20:24—pollute my Sabbaths]
4] all manner of sin can defile us mentally, emotionally, physically and
spiritually. [see 2 Corinthians 7:1-- let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness]
This concept of defilement is right there in the title of this sermon, which is
“Maculate.” God is admonishing us; commanding us not to become maculated. Let
us look at this and related words:
Word |
Meaning |
Defile |
verb (used with object), defiled, defiling. 1. to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint;
debase. |
Maculate |
Adjective |
Pollute |
1. to make morally unclean. |
Unclean |
1. morally impure; evil; vile. |
Let us look at a key scripture:
Mark 7:20-23
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
I told you there were a number of things listed in the Bible that could defile
the man. I want to finish the sermon now by going through some biblical
passages that speak to defilement.
Matthew 15:16-20
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into
the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart;
and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man.
James 3:1-6
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn
about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce
winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the
governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how
great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our
members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of
nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Revelation 21:22-27 …speaking of New Jerusalem
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the
temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and
the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no
night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in
the Lamb's book of life.
Hebrews 12:11-15
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out
of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
~emphasis mine
Let us close with some scripture from Colossians 3
which includes both an admonition and a prayer.
Colossians 3:1-4
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him
in glory.
Let us finish that race to glory together.