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• Obeying God• Seeking God’s direction• Shooting for holiness

The Line God Draws(Holiness)

Obedience

• You shall therefore obey the Lord your God, and do His

commandments and His statutes which I command you today

• Deuteronomy 27:10

The EXTRALine We Draw

(Legalism)

The added line (legalism)

• The actual line God Draws

Why its drawn - Fear

• To be very safe – protection• To not disappoint God• Perhaps a belief it keeps God happy with us • -------• Perhaps good motives but misrepresents God• Our chalk line, unlike God’s boundary, changes • Faith focus becomes what instead of who

What John 3:16 Doesn’t say

• For God so loved the laws, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever keeps the laws shall not

perish, but have eternal life.

What John 3:16 Doesn’t say

• For God so loved the laws, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever keeps the laws shall not

perish, but have eternal life.

This twisting is a WORLD of Difference

What John 3:16 Doesn’t say

• For God so loved the laws, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever keeps the laws shall not

perish, but have eternal life.

What John 3:16 DOES say

• For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

When the “what” and “rule” is the focus, the

natural progression...

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Luke 18:11-12

When the “what” and “rule” is the focus, the

natural progression... Pride

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Luke 18:11-12

When the “what” and “rule” is the focus, the

natural progression... Pride

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Luke 18:11-12

When the “what” and “rule” is the focus, the

natural progression... Pride

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Luke 18:11-12

Paraphrase... Thank you I am so good. I have no NEED of a saviour – I’m not like other people

The Line Judges – PhariseesLuke 11:42-44

Luke 11:42“They major on the minors and

minor on the majors”

The Line Judges – PhariseesLuke 11:42-44

Luke 11:43“They need to be

the center of attention”

The Line Judges – PhariseesLuke 11:42-44

Luke 11:44“They’re lifelessness

trips up others”

Saying there is no line

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly,

righteously and godly in the present age

(Titus 2:11)

Saying there is no lineFollowing our own desires without hesitation

But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken

beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were

saying to you, “In the last time there shall be mockers, following after

their own ungodly lusts” (Jude 17-18).

Saying there is no lineFollowing our own desires without hesitationThinking sin is no big deal

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might

increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? . . .

Romans 6:1-2

The gift of adoption and all that it implies.

So How do we live?

Others focused

• 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under he Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;

Others focused

• ..shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under

compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; ...proving to be examples

to the flock. • 1 Peter 5:3

Grace Driven: 1 Corinthians 9

• 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;

Grace Driven: 1 Corinthians 9

• 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

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