7 Essentials In The Christian Life. When it comes to our physical bodies there are three things that are absolutely essential for us to sustain life.

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1 Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, April 12, 2015 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister TOPIC: Christian Living 7 Essentials In The Christian Life The title of my message this morning is 7 Essentials In The Christian Life. When it comes to our physical bodies there are three things that are absolutely essential for us to sustain life. For one, we need OXYGEN to breathe. Though it varies from person to person, on average, three minutes is the maximum time someone can live without oxygen. Oxygen is essential to life. We also need WATER to live. Our human bodies are made up of 65% water, and we need water for digestion, and temperature control, and hydration, and many other important life processes. Thus we cannot live without water for more than 3-5 days. Water is essential to life. And of course we also need FOOD in order to live. When one doesn't eat, the body starts using up stored nutrients to get energy. And as these nutrients get depleted, vital bodily functions start dying. An average person can live without food for 3-4 weeks. Food is essential to life. Oxygen...water...and food are all essential to sustaining physical life. None of them are indespensable, for without any one of them we will die.

2 In the New Testament we find seven things that are essential to spiritual life. Let's take a look at these seven essentials. The first essential in the Christian life is this... I. Without The Shedding of BLOOD There Is No FORGIVENESS Hebrews 9:22 (NKJV) And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 1. There is no truth more plain than this in all the New Testament. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission or no forgiveness of sins. 2. I want you to think about this. If you only committed one solitary sin your whole life, just one, all of your righteous acts combined could not erase the guilt of that sin. A thousand Sundays in Church, nor a thousand good deeds, nor a thousand prayers could take away your sins or mine. 3. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. You see, it wasn't Christ's teachings that brought the forgiveness of sins. It wasn't His miracles that brought the forgiveness of sins. It wasn't His holy life that brought us the forgiveness of sins. It was HIS BLOOD...HIS PRECIOUS CLEANSING BLOOD. 4. Until we bring our sins under the blood of Jesus, we have no forgiveness...we have no hope of eternal life...we are still dead in our sins. The blood of Jesus is the only thing...i repeat, the only thing GOD WILL ACCEPT as payment for our sins. WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS.

3 The second essential in the Christian life is this... II. Without FAITH It Is Impossible To PLEASE God Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 1. Isn't it true that in the most important relationships in our lives we want to do what pleases the one we love? * When a child loves his or her parents, they want to do what pleases them. * When a husband truly loves his wife, he desires to do what pleases her. And when a wife truly loves her husband, she wants to do what pleases him. 2. If we truly love God, our Heavenly Father, we should desire more than anything else in the world, to do what pleases Him. 3. And just what it is it that pleases GOD more than anything? OUR FAITH! In fact, without faith, it is impossible to please God. And what is faith? Verse 1 of Hebrews 11 tells us, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 4. What kind of FAITH is it that pleases God? First, it is the kind of faith that BELIEVES IN HIS EXISTENCE. FAITH believes in the existence of GOD even though we cannot perceive Him with any of our five senses. We can't SEE HIM...HEAR HIM...TOUCH HIM...TASTE HIM... or SMELL HIM, but yet we believe He exists! That kind of FAITH pleases God!

4 5. FAITH that pleases GOD also BELIEVES GOD REWARDS THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. If Satan can't get you and me to doubt God's existence, he will do everything he can to get us to doubt God's goodness. 6. It is one thing to proclaim we have faith in God when times are good, but if you want to see how deep and how strong your faith really is, look at how you respond when you go through difficult trials...look at how you respond when it seems like your whole world is crashing down all around you. 7. You see, REAL FAITH...the kind of faith that pleases GOD keeps believing in GOD, keeps trusting in GOD, and keeps leaning on GOD, regardless of how hopeless the situation may be. REAL FAITH believes GOD works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 8. This kind of faith is absolutely essential in the Christian life. The third essential in the Christian life is this: (NEXT PAGE)

5 III. Without WORKS Our Faith Is DEAD James 2:26 (NKJV) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 1. Boy, it just doesn't get any plainer than that does it? Faith without works is like a corpse. -A corpse is lifeless. So is faith without works. -A corpse is ice cold. So is faith without works. -A corpse is empty. So is faith without works. FAITH without works is dead, and WORKS without FAITH is dead. The two are inseparable! 2. When should you or I be concerned that our faith might be dead? -We should be concerned when there is no evidence of a changed life. -We should be concerned when we cling to secret sins or openly practice sin with no remorse or repentance. -We should be concerned when we bear no spiritual fruit and produce no good works for the benefit of others. -We should be concerned when we reject the word of God, rebel against the will of God, and resist the Holy Spirit of God. 3. If you suspect your faith is a dead faith, the time to do something about it is NOW, not tomorrow, not next week, but now! You need to tend to this matter today, this very hour and get right with God.

6 The fourth essential in the Christian life is this: IV. Without HOLINESS No Man Shall See The LORD Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the LORD. 1. Holiness is NOT optional in the Christian life, it is essential if we are to see the LORD at His return. 2. Holiness does NOT save us, but is one of the evidences we have truly been saved. I John 3:6 (NKJV) Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Holiness distinguishes true believers from make believers. A true believer does not and will not practice sin as a way of life. A make-believer on the other hand will expose himself as an impostor by his unholy lifestyle...and unholy habits...and unholy speech and unholy character. 3. Many people try to produce or manufacture their own holiness by trying to be a good, decent, moral human being. This kind of holiness results in a selfrighteous, holier-than-thou attitude. This kind of holiness shouts look at me...look at what a great Christian I am!

7 4. The kind of holiness God requires is not produced by our own self-effort, but rather it is the product of being in a saved relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:21-24 (New Living Translation) 21Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God truly righteous and holy. 5. If we desire to see the LORD in eternity, it is absolutely essential that we live lives of holiness while here on earth. ********************************************************************** The fifth essential in the Christian life is this: V. Without LOVE I Am NOTHING I Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 1. As with all the other things I have mentioned before, LOVE is not optional in the Christian life, it is absolutely essential.

8 2. LOVE is the most excellent quality in the Christian life. LOVE surpasses everything else! LOVE is greater than the ability to speak the languages of men or angels. LOVE is greater than being able to understand all mysteries. LOVE is greater than FAITH, LOVE is greater than the virtue of giving away all of one's goods to feed the poor. LOVE is even greater than laying down one's life as a martyr for the cause of Christ. As great as all these things are, they are worthless unless LOVE is our motive in doing them. I John 4:7, 8 (NKJV) Beloved, let us LOVE one another, for LOVE is of God; and everyone who LOVES is born of God and knows God. He who does not LOVE does not know God. 3. God's supreme desire for us is that we experience His love for us and then that we show His love and share His love with others. ************************************************************ The sixth essential in the Christian life is this: VI. Without DISCIPLINE I Am Not One of God's CHILDREN Hebrews 12:8 (NKJV) But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 1. One of the toughest things any parent has to do is to discipline one of our children when they have done wrong. We don't discipline them because we hate them, but because we love them. We don't discipline them to tear them down, but to build them up. We don't discipline them to crush them, but to mould their character.

9 But a child doesn't see discipline the same way a parent sees it does he? A child hates discipline and correction. A child interprets discipline to mean the parent doesn't love them. 2. Do you know when you are disciplined by God that is evidence you are one of His children and that He loves you? God's discipline is essential if you and I are to grow and mature into Christlikeness. 3. Just like a child, we may whine and complain when we go through trials and hardships. We may interpret our difficult or unpleasant circumstances to mean God doesn't love us, when nothing could be further from the truth. Those trials and hardships we go through are God's way of lovingly disciplining us. When we don't spend time in prayer and studying the scriptures as we should, God will allow us to go through a difficult circumstance that will drive us to our knees and into His word. When there are sinful attitudes or sinful habits in our lives, God will allow us to feel the sting of His rebuke until we let go of that sinful attitude or habit. 5. The next time you go through a difficult trial, instead of whining and complaining about it, thank your heavenly Father for loving you enough to discipline you.

10 The seventh and final essential in the Christian life is this: VII. Without CHRIST I Can Do NOTHING John 15:5 (NKJV) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 1. One of the great dangers that must be avoided in the Christian life is the danger of self-reliance. 2. Many Christians do a lot of good works but for all the wrong reasons. -They do good works to receive glory for themselves, rather than to bring glory to Christ. -Or they may do good works to look good in the eyes of others, rather than out of LOVE. 3. We must realize that all of our skills, and all of our resources, and all of our strength to do good works comes from the LORD, and if it weren't for Christ we could do nothing of any lasting, eternal value. ************************************************************************ C O N C L U S I O N When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, "I do not want to be like a Paul...or any mere man. I want to be like Christ...I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints...oh, to be more like Christ!"

11 As Christians, that should be our greatest desire in life; to become more and more like Jesus Christ. In order for that to happen we need all seven of the essential ingredients we have looked at here this morning. All seven are indespensable! Without the SHEDDING OF BLOOD there is NO FORGIVENESS. Without FAITH it is impossible to PLEASE GOD. Without WORKS our FAITH is DEAD. Without HOLINESS no man shall see THE LORD. Without LOVE I am NOTHING. Without DISCIPLINE I am not one of God's CHILDREN. Without CHRIST I can do NOTHING.