COMFORT DOCTRINES 9 How Can I Find True

“COMFORT DOCTRINES” (9) How Can I Find True Comfort? (2)

COMFORT DOCTRINE: A teaching designed to give comfort and remove the fear of consequences to one who refuses to repent of sinful activity.

“CHEAP GRACE” • Our goal – to impress in our minds that sin is NOT acceptable to God! • Lest we minimize the need to change • Lest we skew our perception of God • Romans 6: 1 -4

“COMFORT DOCTRINES” You CANNOT teach that God will overlook or fail to hold us accountable for our sins and still condemn those who refuse to totally submit to Him!

“COMFORT DOCTRINES” Are “comfort doctrines” closer than we think? • Do we think we are the exception? • Do we use faulty reasoning? • Do we examine for ourselves? • Do we avoid certain subjects? • Are we worldly/materialistic?

WHAT MUST I DO? KNOW that God can be pleased! • Psalm 149: 4, Heb. 11: 5 • If God can be pleased, His expectations are not impossible • 2 Cor. 5: 9

WHAT MUST I DO? Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God • Matt. 6: 33 • This IS the key! • Matt. 16: 24, Lk. 14: 26 -33

WHAT MUST I DO? Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God • Col. 1: 18 – does He have preeminence? • Consider Paul - Phil. 1: 21, 3: 7 -11 2 Tim. 1: 12 -13, 4: 6 -8

WHAT MUST I DO? Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God • How many today want salvation but they don’t want to put Him first? Attendance, giving, sacrifices in life, associations, etc?

WHAT MUST I DO? Reverence & Glorify God! • Rom. 1: 20 -23 • At core of many failures is a lack of “awe” toward our heavenly Father • He is good AND severe – Rom. 11: 22

WHAT MUST I DO? Reverence & Glorify God! • Psa. 147: 11, Heb. 12: 28 -29 • He doesn’t change – Mal. 3: 6, Jas. 1: 17

WHAT MUST I DO? Seek to know that you are right! • Study His word! Hos. 4: 6, Eph. 5: 17, 2 Tim. 2: 15

WHAT MUST I DO? Seek to know that you are right! • Can I know? • 1 Jn. 2: 3 – keep His commandments • 1 Jn. 2: 29 – practice righteousness • 1 Jn. 3: 14 – love the brethren

WHAT MUST I DO? Seek to know that you are right! • Can I know? • 1 Jn. 3: 18 -20 – love in deed and in truth (unhypocritical) • 1 Jn. 4: 13 – His spirit is in us • DON’T doubt! Rom. 14: 22 -23

WHAT MUST I DO? Be careful who you associate with • Avoid those who will drag you down – Prov. 6: 27, 1 Cor. 15: 33, Eph. 5: 11, 2 Cor. 6: 14 -17, 2 John 9 -11

WHAT MUST I DO? Be careful who you associate with • Seek those who will build you up – 1 Thess. 5: 11, Heb. 10: 24, 3: 13, Rom. 12: 16

WHAT MUST I DO? Be faithful! • NEVER give up! • Gal. 6: 9 • Rev. 2: 10, Matt. 25: 21

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR COMFORT? Will you come to God on His terms?