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Sermon:
Edulcorate
[ih-duhl-kuh-reyt] ...a
sermon about purification
by Chris Cumming
MP3 printer-friendly
On the 18th of January of
this year (2020),
I presented to you the sermon, “Double Down” which shared with you a
hands-on perspective to repentance. I began that sermon with this
statement:
“Back in July and August of 2014, I gave
four sermons as part of a Holiness series. You can see all these
sermons at the Las Vegas site. This sermon is the fourth in that
series. Each is a stand-alone sermon on the same overall subject:
Holiness.”
So “Double-down” is part of the Holiness series of four (4) sermons.
From this one sermon, I have put together fourteen (14) sermons in what
I call the, “Salvation series.” You can see these sermon titles and
subjects on the Schedule page of the Las Vegas site. Each sermon has a
key verse or two you heard in “Double-down.” Today is the fourth sermon
in this series. Let us begin.
The name of this sermon is “Edulcorate.” Let us breakdown this title.
Edulcorate
[ih-duhl-kuh-reyt]
to free from acids, salts, or impurities by washing; purify.
Linked words:
Chasten, clean, decontaminate, disinfect, purge, sanctify, wash.
Purify: …and I found a verse for
each of the definitions
1]
to make pure; free from anything that debases, pollutes, adulterates, or
contaminates: ~to
purify metals.
Psalm 66:10
For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
2]
to free from foreign, extraneous, or objectionable elements: ~to
purify a language.
James 4:8*
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
3]
to free from guilt or evil.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
4]
to clear or purge (usually
followed by of or from).
1 Corinthians 5:7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
verb
(used
without object),
pu·ri·fied, pu·ri·fy·ing.
1]
to become pure.
1 John 3:3
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he
is pure.
Our key
verse, selected from the sermon, “Double Down” is:
1 Peter 1:22-23*
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the
truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that
ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Double-down Phrases:
--Purified your souls.
--Obeying the truth.
--Love one another.
--Manifest fervency.
Definitions:
---Purify:
free from foreign, extraneous or objectionable elements, such as the sin
or negative element. Purge.
---Obey:
comply to commands and instructions.
---Fervency:
intensity; enthusiasm; zeal; gusto.
Let’s immerse ourselves in this verse.
1]
Seeing ye have purified your souls
Purify your souls
This set of scriptures will take us full circle. These
scriptures will reveal just how we get purified.
John 15:3
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you.
John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:19-20
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be
sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe
on me through their word;
Acts 15:9
And put no difference between us and them (Jews
and Gentiles),
purifying their hearts by faith.
Note:
If you read from the beginning of this chapter, you see the Pharisees
saying one must be circumcised to enter the Body of Christ. Paul and
Barnabas meet with the elders in Jerusalem and their was much disputing
on this matter until Peter stood to speak. He made it clear that the
Gentiles were being called to the Body of Christ and being given the
Holy Spirit. Having this Holy Spirit results there being no difference
among the brethren. Notice the commentary for the phrase, “by faith.”
By faith
- By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. This demonstrated that the plan
on which God was now about to show favor to people was not by external
rites and ceremonies, but by a scheme which required faith as the only
condition of acceptance. It is further implied here that there is no
true faith which does not purify the heart.
~Barnes
Notes
Wow, faith purifies the heart. And this is done by more than just
having faith but by exercise of faith or what we call, “manifesting
faith.” Here is an example of what I mean: I have a great belief in
the power of edification. But edification is nothing unless we manifest
or perform acts of edification. Every time we do an act of faith, the
heart is directly purified.
Romans 6:16-17
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you.
Note:
the phrase in verse 16 says, “of obedience unto righteousness.” How is
this done? Obey what? These questions are answered in verse 17. We
obey doctrine. By obeying doctrine, we are obeying Almighty God. This
process is purifying.
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Note:
The verse says that God has called us to salvation and this is
accomplished by Him with a purifying process that has two elements: The
Holy Spirit and the Word of God. One of the definitions of
“sanctification” is “to purify or free from sin.” God is purifying us
in the salvation process by immersing us in the Word of God. He does
this by the power of God which He places in us.
James 4:8*
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
How do we draw nigh to God? Notice the Barnes Notes commentary:
We may address him directly in
prayer;
we may approach him by
meditation
on his character; we may draw near to him in the
ordinances
of religion.
~Barnes
Notes
2]
In obeying the truth
(1 Peter
1:22)
Obey the truth
James 1:18
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a
kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Note:
God makes us firstfruits (occupants
of the salvation proves)
or begats us into that process by the Word of God. We are firstfruits
by the Word of God. Notice what the next 7 verses say:
James 1:19-25*
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow
to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,
and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is
able to save your souls.
22 But be ye
doers of the
word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a
man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and
continueth therein,
he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of
the work,
this man shall be blessed in his deed.
~emphasis
mine
So, God takes the first, all-important step. He calls us
to the salvation process and immerses us in His Word. Then comes our
part:
1] Repent. Lay aside all sin and all things negative (verse 21).
2] Receive the Word of God (verse 21).
3] Be doers of the Word. Manifest the principles of God. Do good
works. Exercise faith. (Verse 22).
4] Continually look into the perfect Word of God. Hear it. Manifest it.
(Verse 25).
All these things make up the purification process. God is purifying us.
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey
God rather than men.
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.
3]
Through the Spirit
(1 Peter
1:22)
Exercise the Spirit of God
The Holy Spirit is represented as a fire, because it is [God’s]
province to enlighten and quicken the soul; and to purge, purify, and
refine [the
soul through this power].
~Adam Clarke
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:5
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:5
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord.
4]
Unto unfeigned love of the brethren
(1 Peter
1:22)
Love the brethren with unfeigned love
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love
as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
John
13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love
one to another.
Romans 12:9-10
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to
that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour
preferring one another;
Hebrews 13:1
Let brotherly love continue.
1 John
4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
5]
See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently
(1 Peter 1:22)
Love one another fervently. Manifest fervency.
Philippians 1:9
And this I pray, that your love
may abound
yet
more and more
in
knowledge and in all judgment.
~emphasis mine
1 Thessalonians 3:12
And the Lord make you
to increase
and abound
in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward
you.
~emphasis mine
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it
is meet, because that
your faith
groweth exceedingly,
and the charity of every one of you all toward each other
aboundeth.
~emphasis mine
6]
Being born again
(1 Peter
1:23)
Be begotten of God
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
7]
Not of corruptible seed
(1 Peter
1:23)
Rid yourself of corruption
Galatians 6:8
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but
he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
2 Peter 1:4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
Romans 8:14-21
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by
reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
The word “creature” refers to the renewed nature of the Christian, or to
the Christian as renewed.
8]
But of incorruptible
(seed)
(1 Peter 1:23)
Be incorruptible
Notice that the implication here is of “seed.” We
clearly see that from the previous phrase, “not of corruptible seed.”
What God is alluding to here is the fact that with our initial calling
to repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands, we are a planted
“seed.” A well-planted seed grows to maturity and the eventual
harvest. God tells us so:
1 Corinthians 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
The “seed”, now a fully mature, fruitful plant is harvested.
9]
By the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
(1 Peter 1:23)
Immerse yourself in the Word of God
[see
sermon,
Full Immersion]
The Word of God is alive. That is because it is Spirit. Spirit abides
forever. God’s Word is Spirit. Anything made of Spirit abides forever.
Hebrews
4:12
For the word of
God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.
The Word of God is a descerner
of thoughts and our intents. So we find not only God’s will but our own
in the Word of God.
1 Peter
1:25
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which
by the gospel is preached unto you.
Matthew
24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words
that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Let me finish with another key verse from the sermon, “Double Down.”
This verse answers some key questions for us:
1] What made the salvation process possible?
2] What is a primary mission of Jesus Christ regarding humans?
3] What does Jesus Christ want to do with humans?
4] What does Jesus Christ and God want to instill in the humans they
work with?
Turn to the second chapter of Titus.
Titus 2:14*
[see
Lesson]
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
So go now and continue in this wonderful purification process.
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