The Enemy of Our Faith (Part 2)

Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is

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right in. I know, see, in the daily life of the

believer, this is the contention we have every

single day. The fight we fight every day is a

fight to believe what God has said concerns us,

concerns our lives, concerns everything that

has to do with us. And we are faced with challenges.

We are faced with trials. We are faced with temptations.

We are faced with contrary opinions. We are faced

with contrary doctrines and teachings. We are

exposed by the media. We are exposed by every

opportunity with information. that seems to speak

contrary to what God has done, that seeks to

speak contrary to what God has done in us and

what God is doing in us. Hallelujah. This is

the daily fight that the believer fights. Amen.

That we walk in that which God has done for us

in Christ Jesus. That we walk in the realities

of the things that God has made available for

us in the Spirit. Of course, we flip through

the pages of scriptures every day and we see

these things, we are taught these things. We

are taught about our identity. We are taught

about all that we have in the spirit. But oftentimes,

we don't see this in reality in our lives. And

it's not because they are not in us. Hallelujah.

It's not because God has not achieved these things

for us or in us. But rather, we find ourselves

faced with challenging information that seems

to either discredit what God has done or give

us an opinion that is contrary to what God has

done. Hallelujah. 1 Timothy 6, verse 12. 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 6:12 1 Timothy 6:12

6, verse 12. Paul speaking to Timothy, he says,

fight the good fight of faith. Hallelujah. Now,

I want you to understand that, first of all,

he's writing to someone that, number one, is

a believer, is a Christian. He's addressing a

young believer and a minister of the gospel.

And what he's saying to him is to fight the good

fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to

which you were also called, that is, he has been

called into eternal life, and have confessed

good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

And Paul is calling him to fight a good fight

of faith. To fight a good fight of faith. And

each and every one of us are faced with similar

situation every single day. In case you don't

know, we always emphasize this, that the day

you become a believer is the day that you enter

a battle. And the battle is not a battle for

your salvation. It's a battle... for you to live

in the reality of what God has achieved in Christ.

Hallelujah. That you begin to see all that God

has achieved for you in Christ, has made available

for you in Christ, manifest. So for Paul and

Timothy, Paul is telling Timothy to fight the

good. It means there is a fight for the faith

that we have professed. There is a fight for

the faith that we have professed. and have received

in our hearts and daily as we as we as we live

the christian life it's expected that we realize

that we understand the context of the fight that

we are faced with every day now if you don't

know that you are fighting a fight then it simply

means that you are living in defeat so it's equally

important for us to understand that there is

a fight and it's not just a fight but it is a

good fight of faith hallelujah There is a good

fight of faith. And from this text, the word

fight is translated from a Greek word. Let me

spell the Greek word. A -G -O -N -I -Z -O -M

-A -I. Agonizomai. And it means to struggle,

right? It means to struggle in literal sense,

you know, to compete for a prize. that's one

of the variation of the meaning of the word in

the greek to compete for a price and this word

agonizomai can be used figuratively to mean to

content with an adversary to content with what

with an adversary and opposition to content with

an adversary and another way to which this word

is used in a generative case to endeavor to accomplish

something you know to endeavor to accomplish

something to fight to label to you know, fervently

strive to achieve something. But in this context,

the writer here to Timothy Paul is using this

word fight in a figurative sense. That is for

him to contend with an adversity. Fight simply

means he's contending with an adversity. Fight

the good fight of faith. Lay hold of an eternal

life to which you were also called and also have

confessed the good confession in the presence

of many witnesses so what paul is saying is this

see you've professed faith in christ jesus before

many witnesses you believe in jesus christ and

as a matter of fact you are living in the realities

of what god has done in christ jesus and as a

young minister as a young believer you must fight

the fight of faith And we must understand that

we have also a fight of faith to fight. Paul

later on will say in subsequent chapters in his

writings still to the same person, Paul will

later on, you know, will say that he has fought

the good fight of faith himself in 2 Timothy

2 Timothy 4:7

4 verse 7. You see where he's making comments

and making an example of himself. 2 Timothy 4

2 Timothy 4:7

verse 7. 2 Timothy 4 verse 7. Or let me read

2 Timothy 4:7

from verse 6. I've already been poured out. As

a drink offering. And a time for my departure

is at hand. And this is his testimony. What is

his testimony? I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race. I have what? I have

kept the faith. Hallelujah. So Paul here is saying

that he has fought the good fight. I have finished

the race. I have kept the faith. So Paul here

establishes that he has fought that particular

fight of faith. And of course, he has come to

a closure, or let's say to the end of his course

for the walk. What walk? The walk of faith. And

this walk of faith is what all of us have been

called to, all of us believers. As long as you

believe in Jesus Christ, you've been called into

this, this walk of faith. And he went on to say

that he has kept the faith. Now, the context

of Paul's communication here, if you look critically,

is about the preaching of the gospel. All right?

It's about the preaching of the gospel. Keeping

the faith here has to be with the sound doctrine.

Because in his communication to Timothy, in the

previous verses we read, and even now, the context

of what he has kept is a faith, the sound doctrine.

Hallelujah. Now, Apostle Jude also will use a

similar word. Jude 1 verse 3. I'm trying to build

Jude 1:3

a case for us to see and also to be reminded

that we have a fight to fight daily. And listen,

we are not fighting from a place of defeat. Amen?

We are fighting from the place of victory. What

we are doing is that we are bringing to manifestation

that which Christ has won for us. Jude. Verse

3 to 4. Yes. Beloved, while I was very diligent

to write to you concerning our common salvation,

he calls it a common salvation, I found it necessary

to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly.

Here's what contend. To contend earnestly for

the faith which was once for all delivered to

the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed

who long ago were mapped out for this condemnation

on the women who turned the grace of god into

lewness and denied only lord god and our lord

jesus christ hallelujah again content you see

the word fight for the faith content for the

faith is something that you have to do on a daily

basis and here judy speaking concerning some

men that have tripped into the church into the

body of christ And they brought in another conversation

contrary to the faith. Now, the reason why you

must contend for the faith is because there is

an opposition to the faith. Hallelujah. There

is an opposition to the precious faith that you've

been given. And you are the one responsible to

contend, to fight, to preserve, to protect, and

to bring into manifestation. Of that which God

has given you as a gift. So, Jude here is saying

that they must contend because in verse 4, there

is an opposition that has risen for the sake

of the faith. There is an opposition that has

risen because some men here have clipped into

the body of Christ, the family of God, and they

are bringing in information that is contrary

to the faith. Therefore, it is necessary that

the believer must what? Must contend. Contending

simply means that you are rejecting what they

are bringing and you are upholding what you've

learned. You are protecting what you've learned.

You are believing what you've learned. You are

practicing what you've learned. You are not practicing

anything contrary to what you've learned. That

is how we contend for the faith. So, contend

here is a word, epagonizomai. e -p -a -g -o -n

-i -z -o -m -a -i let me spell again e -p -a

-g -o -n -i -z -o -m -a -i and it's from the

same word as fight for the faith as we saw earlier

on you know from the same word as fight it means

to content endlessly it just emphasizes the the

the effort that you have to do as an individual

remember on sunday I tried to make some basic

clarification about the fact that the believer

has faith. Hallelujah. And I tried to make a

clarity concerning some of the misconceptions

that we may have found in the book of, I think,

in the book of James, right? Concerning works.

Okay? Now, when we are saying you're contending

for the faith, you are not trying to do something

to end something. Hallelujah. You're only bringing,

or you're only bringing to manifestation that

which God... in christ has done hallelujah so

the content content here the contending here

is to honestly honestly effortly you know ensure

that you are protecting that which you have and

also we see from this context also in the book

of jude here the context is about the gospel

the message which the believer must content for

because as i said earlier on there is an opposition

hallelujah the devil is against what you believe

in the devil is against your status as a believer

and all he desires every single day is that you

will not manifest hallelujah the devil doesn't

doesn't worry yes he has lost you already a believer

he cannot undo that which have been done in you

but one thing that the enemy will ensure he makes

sure he doesn't you don't do is to bring to reality

your identity Hallelujah. And all that you are

is found within the pages of the gospel. So you

see here, some people will come with a different

message. Why will they bring a different message?

They bring a different message so that they will

sway away people from believing what has been

taught, which is true. From practicing what has

been taught, which is true, to another doctrine,

which there is no another doctrine. Hallelujah.

To practicing things that are contrary to what

has been taught. to what has brought it into

salvation so you the believer must what must

content for for that which you've been given

hallelujah so what is the faith we have in our

hearts as we see on sunday and previously that

faith is operational in our hearts okay faith

is operational in our mouth hallelujah and we

emphasize also that faith should be operational

in our conduct so wherever it is that we need

to see the operation of faith we are called to

fight the good fight of faith hallelujah because

in our mind in our hearts or say our mind or

our heart the devil will ensure that he puts

something in our mind that is contrary to what

god has in the gospel so the fight of faith is

for us to bring Into manifestation. And also

to allow that which God has worked in us. To

come into display. Hallelujah. So this fight

of faith is not you alone. It's not for you alone.

It's not fighting as an individual. Amen. We

are fighting together as a community. Philippians

Philippians 1:27

1 verse 27. Philippians 1 verse 27. Only, give

Philippians 1:27

me verse 26, then verse 27. That your rejoicing

for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by

my coming to you again. Only, which means that

he was speaking to a community of people. He

said, only let your conduct be worthy of the

gospel of Christ. Let your conduct be what? Be

worthy of the gospel of Christ. This is actually

living by faith. Hallelujah. This is actually

living by faith. Your conduct is worthy of the

gospel, is living by faith. Living by faith is

not just having something in your heart alone,

okay? But it's bringing it to manifestation.

So only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel

of Christ, so that whether I come and see you

or I'm absent, I may hear of your affairs, that

you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind,

and use the word here, it is similar to fighting.

which is similar to contending, striving together,

okay? Striving together for the faith of the

gospel. Remember what the apostle was saying

about community, about other believers. Amen.

Striving together for that faith of the gospel

that we've received. Hallelujah. So the fight

of faith cannot be done in the flesh. Even though

we are confronted daily, as I said earlier on,

in the natural. In our daily lives, we cannot

fight the fight of faith in the natural way.

Amen? The confrontation is natural. Are we together?

The things that comes against what we have in

our heart, they are physical things. But the

way we fight them is not in the physical way.

I just explained. Corinthians 10 verse 3. Let's

look at that text. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 3.

2 Corinthians 10:3

Though we walk in the flesh, we saw it last on

Sunday. It says, for though we walk in the flesh,

for though we are in the physical, for though

we are in the natural, okay, we do not walk according

to the flesh. For the weapons, and it's what

we use, for our warfare, against those things

that comes for our faith. Okay? For the weapons

of our warfare are not what? Are not physical.

But even though they are not physical, they are

not things we can see, they are very mighty in

God. For what? For pulling down strongholds.

Okay? What are these strongholds? Casting down

arguments. I told you before that what is in

your heart? The things that will come forward

in your hearts are arguments. Okay? That message

that those people are preaching in Jude are arguments.

Are we together? They are bringing arguments.

Casting down arguments. And everything that is

exalting itself is making itself more prominent

against the knowledge of God. Against the knowledge

of God's word. Against everything that God has

said concerning you. Against everything that

God has said concerning the believer. Bringing

every thought. This thought can come from any

direction. This thought can even come from good

counsel. This thought can even come from supposedly

place of love. Every thought into captivity to

the obedience of Christ. Ephesians 6 verse 12,

Ephesians 6:12

obviously, will tell us that, you know, for we

are not wrestling against what? Against human

beings, okay? But against principalities, all

right? So even though we know that it is a natural,

they come in a natural, but the software behind

that operation is what? It's supernatural. Are

we together? The person that will come and preach,

The first gospel to you. The force behind that

is supernatural. We wrestle against principalities,

against powers, against rulers of what? Of darkness

of this age. Against spiritual hosts of wickedness

in the heavenly. So, Paul made mention of wicked

and ungodly men who oppose him in 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:2

3, verse 2. And that we may be delivered. From

what? From unreasonable and wicked men. But how

will they be delivered? By prayer. All right?

Give me verse 1. Verse 1. Yes, verse 1. It says,

finally, pray for us. That what? That the word

of God or the word of the Lord may run swiftly

and be glorified. Just as it is with you. Verse

2. And that we may be delivered from unreasonable

men. Unreasonable and wicked men, for not all

have faith. Hallelujah. For not all have faith.

So there is an opposition to the prosperity of

the word. There is an opposition to that word

that is a word of faith. And the way Paul was

asking for help is not by bringing bodyguards.

It's by praying that there will be deliverance

from this set of people. So to fight or contend

for the faith, we must understand the nature

of this fight. Okay? Where the fight is fought

and the weapons for the fight, we must understand

the nature of this fight. We must understand

what this fight is all about. We must also understand

the enemy and his devices. Okay? We must understand

the enemy and his devices. And we must not be

ignorant of them. 2 Corinthians 2 .11 says that

we are not ignorant of what? Of the devices of

the devil, of the enemy. Let Satan take advantage

of us. Speaking to a church. For we are not ignorant

of what? Of the devices. So the enemy, the devil,

has devices. He has methods. He has schemes.

He has technology by which he... He operates

in order to what? To sabotage the work of God

in our lives. And God has given us the ability.

Hallelujah. He has given to us the power, the

will, to ensure that we bring to nothing the

plan and the work of the devil. He has given

us authority. He has given us power to do what?

To bring to nothing the plan and the works of

the enemy. So we can fight the spiritual war

by, by using physical means we've said around

this fight okay of faith is located in our hearts

first and foremost all right let's begin from

the heart first of all we see it in the heart

we've seen that primarily faith operates in the

heart of man and in our words and of course in

our actions Romans chapter 10 verse 9. How we

Romans 10:9

come to know Jesus Christ and accept and be part

of the family. Romans chapter 10 verse 9 and

Romans 10:9

10. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord

Jesus Christ and what? And believe where? Where

do you believe? You believe in the heart, right?

You confess it's in your lips and it's in your

heart. What do you confess and what do you believe?

that god has raised him from the death you will

be saved verse 10 for with the heart with the

heart all right what happened one believes unto

righteousness and with the mouth what happened

confession is made into unto salvation so we

can see the operation of faith in the heart and

also in the profession of a man hallelujah 2

2 Corinthians 4:13

Corinthians chapter 4 verse 13. We're just trying

to betray the fact that we'll find faith in operation

in the heart and also in our words, in our mouth.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according

to what is written, I believe. And therefore,

what do I do? I speak. We also believe and therefore

we speak. So there's a believing that is in the

heart. And then, of course, we see the profession

that is in words. Acts 11, verse 23. Mark 11,

Acts 11:23

23. For surely I say to you, whoever says to

this mountain, be removed and be cast into the

sea and does not doubt. Where? Where does he

doubt? In his heart. So where does doubt operate?

Doubts operate in the heart. All right? Equally,

what beliefs, where does faith also operate?

Faith also operates where? In the heart. So it

seems to me that the heart is a place where either

faith will operate or doubt will operate. It

depends on what is given chance to operate. But

beliefs, that those things he says will be done,

he will have whatever he says. Amen? So, Just

of a sudden you begin to have a story in your

heart that a brother besides you needs to be

laid hand upon to be healed. And suddenly you

turn and you look at the person by your left

and you're by your right side. If I lay hand

on this person and he doesn't get healed, what

will happen? Then you begin to doubt. Pastor

Carson is smiling because he knows what I'm saying.

Then you begin to doubt, all right? And then

you don't lay hand on him. What has happened

at that moment? Faith wants to manifest. but

doubt. So there's a conflict where we cannot

see with our eyes, but there's a war happening

in your heart. Faith and doubt. And whatever

you allow to manifest will take the place. Hallelujah.

So we have a responsibility always to do what?

To allow faith to have expression through us.

Amen? So what does the Bible say about our hearts?

What does the Bible say about our hearts? Firstly,

we saw that a man is born again from the heart.

Salvation is from the heart, alright? Romans

Romans 10:9

10, verse 9 and 10, we saw that a man is born

again from the heart. The changes are, of course,

we don't see with our physical eyes. It's in

the heart of that man that the man becomes born

again. That is a spiritual part of that man.

Verse 9 says that if you confess with your mouth

the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart, that

heart, the word heart in the Greek is the word

kardia. K -A -R -D -I -A. And it is figuratively

used here. We're not talking about the heart

that pumps blood. We're not talking about your

heart that is pumping blood. But it's a figurative

statement here, the heart. figuratively means

the truths or the feelings sometimes you see

interchangeably the mind it is that affective

center of your being that your core of a man

that has the capacity of what of of making choices

moral preference the heart and in the bible the

word card here is mentioned over 800 times in

the scripture But never will we see it referring

to any literal or physical part of our body that

is pumping blood. That is, the heart is only

used figuratively, right? It's oftentimes used

in scriptures figuratively. Figuratively for

what? For that particular part of a man that

is the core of his being. So the Bible presents

the heart as the inner core of man. So that is

where the fight happens. That is where the battle

happens. That is where, you know, this... Conversation

happens. The heart of a man. Not merely the physical

organ or emotions. The word heart is descriptive.

It's a descriptive term that is used to explain

a person's motives. That's the way your motive

is. You know, your conviction is found in your

heart. Your persuasion. You see, you have to

come to a place of persuasion about a certain

thing. That's when doubt does not work again.

For example, now, I know that I cannot come to

Pastor Emmanuel and tell him, Pastor Emmanuel,

Jesus is not God. And then he will begin to wonder.

He has reached a place of persuasion that there's

no amount of doubt that can come and convince

that Jesus is not God. Hallelujah. So also, all

of us, that we should come to a place of persuasion

concerning everything that God has said concerning

you. concerning everything that the word of God

says about us, about what we should do, about

how we should live our life, we must reach to

this place of persuasion. And our persuasion

is in our heart, not only in our lips, on our

lips. If what we say on our lips, the songs we

sing, we dance to, are actually the things that

we have persuasions in our heart about, then

we will see our conduct, what we do. will reflect

the persuasions of our hearts, also the things

that we see on our mouths, hallelujah, in our

lips. So we see the scripture repeatedly places

emphasis on the heart, on the heart of man. For

example, in Proverbs 4, verse 23, Proverbs 4,

Proverbs 4:23

23, will teach us a very important thing. Proverbs

Proverbs 4:23

4, verse 23, it says, keep your heart with all

diligence. For all of it springs the issues of

life. I want you to give me this in NLT. Do we

have that? Yes. It says, guard your heart above

all else. Why? For it determines the course of

your life. Your heart determines the course of

your life. Whether your life will go left or

your life will go right, your heart is the core.

so if your heart is a central processing system

of your body of your life so you have the responsibility

not that someone will come and got your heart

for you you will do what will got your heart

that is the fight of faith you have a responsibility

to do what to lay a guard on your heart because

that is the way many think that's the way the

core of a man is from it we see the course of

your life Hallelujah. 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. We

1 Samuel 16:7

see when the prophet came to anoint and he said

something concerning David. 1 Samuel, give me

1 Samuel 16, verse 7. He said, but the Lord said

1 Samuel 16:7

to Samuel, don't judge by his appearance because

there's a way we can judge people by their appearance.

Don't judge by his appearance or height. So I

have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things

the way you see them. People judge by outward

appearance, but the Lord looks at what? Where

does the Lord look at? He looks at the core of

the man, the invisible part that we cannot see

with our physical eyes. Hallelujah. That is where

the battle for faith happens. Matthew 12, verse

Matthew 12:24

24. Matthew 12, verse 24. Conviction is in the

Matthew 12:24

heart. Persuasion is in your heart. All right?

Even, you know, to receive by the Spirit is from

your heart. It says, How can you, being evil,

right? Where does that evil nature come from?

Can you, being evil, speak good things? Evil

is from the heart. How can you, who are evil,

speak good things? For out of the abundance of

the heart, what will happen? The mouth will speak.

Okay? So if the heart is good, what will happen?

Good things will come out. Alright? If the heart

is evil, what will we see? Evil things will come

out. So if you are good and you are speaking

evil things, is there no confusion there? You

are a believer, which means that you are a good

person. God has made you good. But every time

we hear what we hear from your words are not

faithful words. It means that there's a disconnection

somewhere. There's a corruption somewhere. Luke

Luke 6:45

chapter 6, verse 45. Luke 6, verse 45. All these

Luke 6:45

two texts reveal that what comes out of a person's

mouth proceeds from what fills his heart, from

his nature, from his identity. A good man, what

happened for him? Out of the good treasure of

where? Of his heart, his core, his being. Out

of the treasures of his heart brings forth good.

Okay? Out of the treasures of his heart, what

happens? He brings out good. And an evil man,

out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings

forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart,

his mouth, what? His mouth speaks. So the heart

is very, very vital in the direction. You see,

there's a place we're going to read about words.

We're going to look at words. How powerful words

are. The apostle used to make emphasis about

words. The gem to talk about words. The tongue

is what? It's like fire. That's how we describe

it, right? And if you know how to use it, the

Bible says you eat the fruit of it. But what

you say must be faith -filled words. Hallelujah.

For you to be able to benefit from what? From

the treasures of what are in God's word. So we're

not talking about the tongue yet. The tongue

will be another discussion, all right? The tongue

will be another discussion. We're talking about

the heart, where the battle is, where the fight

is. and when we come to begin to analyze how

we can sport of faith and see the manifestation

of those that we speak hallelujah so there the

heart therefore describes the inner man do we

agree we've seen that the heart is a cold man

and and in romans 2 29 paul speaks of the circumcision

that cannot be seen outwardly romans chapter

Romans 2:29

2 verse 29 romans 2 29 Paul speaks of the circumcision

that cannot be seen outwardly, but takes place

in the heart that shows that God's work is done.

But he is a Jew, right? One who is one inwardly.

So the argument of Paul here is that a Jew is

a Jew in the heart, not just by outward appearance.

And circumcision is that of where? Of the heart.

Alright? So circumcision is an analogy for what

God will do in the heart. Physical circumcision.

Paul is using it here as a figurative of what

God will do in the heart. The cutting off of

the flesh, which has to do with what? The separation

of the spirit. The engulfing of the spirit in

man. In the spirit. Okay. He says, but he is

a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision is

that of the heart. In the spirit. So circumcision

is done in the spirit, not in the letter. Whose

praise is from men? Not from men, but from God.

Hallelujah. 1 Peter 3, verse 3. Also we'll see

1 Peter 3:3

a writer here speaking about the hidden person

of the heart, linking it to the inward spirit

life of man. Give me 1 Peter 3, verse 3. So we're

1 Peter 3:3

just trying to build a case concerning the issue

of the heart and where we face opposition and

how we can deal with that. It says, do not let

your adornment, talking about the women here,

do not let your adornment be merely what? Hard

work arranging of hair, doing makeups and doing

your nails, wearing golds or putting on fine

apparel. Rather, let it be what? The hidden person

of the heart, which means that there's a part

of you that is called the heart. That is the

real you. That is you. That is a man that is

born again. Hallelujah. The real person of the

heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle

and a quiet spirit, which is very precious, very

precious on the side of God. Hallelujah. So we

have established that faith and doubt, all right,

operates, can operate. it operates in the heart

faith and doubt where do they operate they operate

in the heart therefore we must guard our hearts

or diligently diligently the activity of doubt

can be found in the heart can be found in the

heart mark chapter 11 verse 23 we read it earlier

Mark 11:23

on the word doubt Doubt, yes. For surely I say

to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed

and be cast into the sea and does not doubt in

his heart. So where does doubt happen? Doubt

happens in the heart. So what does it mean to

doubt? Now we understand what the heart is, right?

That is the core. That is the real you. That

is the you that we know. That by the spirit we

know. Doubt occurs there. So what is doubt? What

is doubt? Now the Greek word for that doubt is

diacrino. D -I -A -K -R -I -N -O. Diacrino. And

it appears in the New Testament many times and

carries an important idea about a person. Diacrino.

It means to... To separate. Another way. The

word can mean many things in scriptures. So I'm

just going to call. It's rendition in scriptures.

It can mean to separate. Or it means to separate.

It means to distinguish. Diacrino. To separate.

To distinguish. To judge between. Diacrino is

also. discern to discern diacrino also means

hesitate and it also means to become divided

within oneself to become divided within oneself

is a phrase so the word comes from two different

words uh dia and krino dia means true or between

and then krino to judge or to decide to judge

or to decide so to to centrally the idea is to

separate things right separation of things mentally

you know separation of an idea separation of

a thing mentally in order to arrive at the conclusion

that is the idea diacrino okay so depending on

the context this photos can either produce discernment

diacrino it can either produce discernment or

internal division or doubt, what we call doubt.

Based on the context of its application, the

word diacrino can mean discernment or what? Or

doubt. So where does it happen? It happens in

the heart. Between trying to discern, discernment

happens in the heart. Doubt happens in the heart.

So the word diacrino. So we'll see the word diacrino

applied in various contexts in scripture. For

example, number one. Diacrino is used as discernment.

Discernment. Distinguishing correctly. Distinguishing

correctly. That's one of the positive use of

diacrino. It means to distinguish rightly or

perceive accurately. Discernment. To distinguish

rightly or perceive accurately. And we see Paul

use it in text in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 29.

1 Corinthians 11:29

1 Corinthians 11 verse 29. It says, for anyone

1 Corinthians 11:29

who eats and drinks without discerning the body,

eats and drinks judgment on himself. The word

discerning the body, the word discerning here

is actually diacrino. Okay? Diacrino. Paul teaches

our believers must recognize what? Spiritual

realities properly. So in this text, diacrino

means to distinguish truth correctly. To discern,

discernment is not just it's not just suspicious

just suspicion but proper spiritual judgment

so we see the context of the use of the word

here to distinguish properly to discern all right

another application of the word diacrino is internal

division or what we call doubt in in the heart

so the same what we see is application differently

it can also describe what a divided heart james

write about the gems one verse six gems of the

one verse six but let him ask in faith talking

about asking we know what with no doubting without

doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of

the sea driven and tossed by the wind so that

word doubt or doubting is a word like like we

know so this is not just simply meaning you know

without asking questions You know, let him what?

Let him ask in faith with no doubting. For he

who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven

thus and fro. So doubt in scripture is not the

absence of information. Doubt is not the absence

of information. But it is having competing persuasions

within you. Okay? Having what? Competing persuasions.

Two different ideas in your heart. Let me give

you an instance. The word of God says you are

forgiven. Listen to this. The word of God says

you are forgiven. But in your heart, you are

doubting whether you are truly forgiven. So where

is the doubt coming from? It's coming from outside.

It's not your being. Where is the doubt coming

from? It's coming from Satan. So in your heart,

there's a conflict between I am forgiven eternally

and what? And I'm condemned or I'm not forgiven.

So there's a conflict that happens in the heart.

But you have to be taught the word of God, all

right? You have to be trained in the word of

God. We're going to look at how we can fight

that later on. You have to be trained in the

word to know, to reach to a place, knowledge,

okay? To the place of what? Of persuasion. persuasion

hallelujah so James continues in chapter 1 verse

8 he says a double -minded man he is a double

-minded man unstable in all his ways a double

-minded man a double -minded man is a man that

has various opinions in his heart and is dividing

him in between meaning a divided heart produces

what It produces instability in a man. Hallelujah.

So Paul used the same word for Abraham. For example,

in Romans 4 .20, we'll see that Abraham staggered

not at the promises of God through unbelief.

Romans 8, 4 .20, sorry. He says he did not waver.

Some translation would use the word stagger.

He did not waver at the promises of God. He did

not doubt. That word weaver, check the meaning

of the word. He did not doubt at the premise

of God through unbelief, okay? But was strengthened

in faith, giving glory to God. So Abraham did

not become divided internally concerning God's

promise. That's what it means. All right? That

word weaver or staggered, diacrino. Abraham did

not become divided internally in his heart. This

is what God said. okay but this is the nature

of my body so the the the reality of his biology

is contrary to what god is saying but the bible

says that abraham did not work did not stagger

or he did not weaver in faith he did not have

a divided heart even though there is a reality

that speaks against the truth of what god have

said he had external difficulties But inwardly

there is a persuasion in him. Faith therefore

is not the absence of challenge. Okay? This is

what God has said concerning your life. This

is what God has said concerning the believer.

Will the external environment always align to

what God has said? No. But does it take away

the reality of what God has said? No. Hallelujah.

Faith is refusing internal division after God's

word has been spoken. Listen, when the serpent

came to Eve, see, this is what happened. He came

to her and he asked her, what have God said?

Because faith will always come for the word,

right? Doubt will always come for the word. Whatever

God has said, the devil will bring doubt. And

the reason for doubt is that you will not be

able to live out that reality that God has said

concerning what you said. As God said. And for

Abraham here, the natural situation can speak

doubt into his heart. The devil can use that

as a device to speak doubt into his heart. And

then he will now doubt the word of God. And when

he doubts the word of God, that is not sin. Doubt

is not a sin. Alright? Remember that man? that

was sinking he screamed and there was deliverance

doubt on his own is not seen but to walk in doubt

is unbelief are we together to walk in doubt

that is now unbelief so can there be conflicting

ideas in our heart obviously every day we have

conflicting ideas but we must be persuaded we

must that's why we must see the fight of faith

resisting the devil and his devices and allowing

the work of god and what god have said concerning

us to find expression daily in our lives hallelujah

so another application of the old diacrino is

is a hesitation hesitation acts of the 10 verse

20 and god was speaking to peter Acts chapter

Acts 10:20

10 verse 20. Arise therefore, go down and go

with them, doubting nothing. For I have sent

them. Do not hesitate. Do not argue internally

against what God has already made clear. That's

what the revelation for Peter there. So therefore,

doubt is not simply the absence of faith as I've

said. It is often division within the heart.

Okay? It is often the division that happens with

within your heart within my heart a person is

pulled in two judgments you know you're judging

between what god has said and what and what the

other idea is bringing the devil two convictions

or two voices since the heart is a center of

persuasion and decision what enters and occupy

the heart determines whether you will walk in

faith or become unstable Do you understand what

I said? What determines how you live your life

is what you allow to find expression from your

heart. So what enters and occupies the heart

determines whether a person walks in faith or

becomes unstable, living in unbelief. Today you

are there, tomorrow you are down. Tomorrow is

not consistency in your life. Because you are

allowing your heart, you are not allowing your

heart to be influenced by What God has allowed

your heart to be influenced with so that you

will be strong enough, you will be equipped enough

to be persuaded. Persuasion comes by knowledge.

It's not a miracle. It's by knowledge. We can't

lay hands on you to be persuaded. Unpersuadedness

is unbelief. It's a choice. Hallelujah. So, we

must... Know our responsibility. Satan is majorly

at war against your faith. So I close. Satan

is majorly at war against our faith. He majorly

attacks us through circumstances. Circumstances

are orchestrations from the kingdom of darkness.

I mean some evil circumstances will happen and

the devil wants to use that to speak. Louder

than what God is saying. Our experiences, what

we've passed through in life. You know, I've

had some people, they believe that God can never

use them. Even though they are believers. And

that's not true because they've had previous

experiences. So they think that the experiences

they have is stronger than what God is saying.

The word of God is too good to be true about

what the identity is. And if you are here, the

word of God for you is that God is interested

in your life, no matter what you've become in

the past. A man in Christ is precious on the

side of God, and he's a man or a woman that God

wants to use for his glory. So our experiences

in the past should not speak louder than what

God is saying concerning us. You should not speak

louder. Doctrines, teachings that come against

the faith. I just want you to pray for yourself.

That I'm able to guard my heart. Because we come

to realize that, see, this fight of faith is

not, it's not something that is done occasionally.

No, daily, as you wake up, You are confronted

by a devil that is working 24 hours. And his

goal is to ensure that you don't become what

God has made you. And let's just pray for yourself

that you are diligent, that you are contending

for the faith. We appreciate you being here today.

We hope you carry this word with you throughout

your week. Don't forget to check the show notes

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stay blessed.