Sermon - Things We Need... Innocence - Littleby Baptist Church - January 17, 2021

The Things We Need… Conviction is one of the ways the Holy Spirit works on us and in some ways drives us to our next Things We Need… Innocence.

“¹⁹ The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.” – Romans 16:19

We spent time looking at this verse with Things We Need… Wisdom, so let’s just focus on the end of it. Paul is saying we should be ‘innocent about what is evil.’ Paul is not telling us to be ignorant of what is going on around us. We are not to ignore the abundance of sin in our cities. We are not to turn a blind eye to those in need because of the sin in their lives. That would be counter to the teachings of Jesus in that we are to care for those who are in need.

When Paul is telling us to be Innocent of evil, he is stating that we need to do our best to avoid practicing sin. We are not saved by avoiding sin in our lives as salvation only comes by the Grace of God. As believers, the Things We Need… Innocence is seen in that we are not living in our sin. We are not to go out and get drunk with the guys. We are not to gossip about this person or that person. We are to avoid the ways of this sinful world we live in.

“² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2

If we are living the Things We Need… Innocence, we would not be conformed to this age. People would be able to see a difference in how we live our lives, the activities we participate in, what we do with our time, and so on…

As we are transformed and renewed, we will be able to understand what God wants for our lives. It is not the things the world embraces, it is not the sexual depravity that we see today, it is not the hate and violence that is prevalent everywhere we turn, it is not greed, pride, anger, envy, addiction, and sadly much more.

If we are living the Things We Need… Innocence, if we have been transformed and renewed so that we can discern the perfect will of God, we will see what He really wants for our lives. We will see that we are to Love Him more than anything else. We are to Love Others to the best of our ability. We are to embrace that God has a plan for our lives. We are to let the Holy Spirit work in us which brings out His fruit in our lives.

“²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

As we are transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit, these things will become evident in our lives. They will be ways that people can see that we are not embracing the sin in the world that used to drag us down. They will be signs to those who are watching us, that we are living our lives for our Lord Jesus!

“¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.” – 2 Peter 3:14

There is only One who has been able to live a sinless life and to truly be found ‘without spot or blemish’. While we are unable to achieve that level of perfection, that should not stop us from living better today than we did yesterday. As the Holy Spirit continues to work in us, we should do our best to shave sin off a layer at a time. It is a journey that we embark on that takes the rest of our lives. We will never be sinless, but we should be making every effort to turn from our wicked ways.

This verse in 2^nd Peter chapter 3 comes after verses that talk about the second coming of Jesus. Peter’s intention here is to tell his audience, and us, that knowing that the Lord will return and that their will be no warning before hand, that we should be living our lives in a way that honors Him. We should be making every effort to live as stated in these verses.

“¹¹ Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness” – 2 Peter 3:11

We should be holy in conduct and godliness. To live Holy lives, we are to not conform to the world and its sinful ways. Yes, that will mean to not hang out at the watercooler and gossip with the others. It will mean that that we do not go out to the bar to toss back a few. In will mean not looking at the garage on the internet or in those magazines. As we live Holy lives, we are avoiding the traps of sin.

Doing our best to live with godliness would be seen in how we choose to spend our time. Dedicating time to going to church, reading our Bibles, praying, serving others, and more will show that we place a higher priority on Loving God and Loving Others, than we do in the things of this world.

We will never be able to live without spot of blemish, but that does not mean that we should continue on the path we were on before we met Jesus. The Things We Need… Innocence is seen in how we live our lives each day. People will see that we avoid the ways of the world, but even more they will notice that we give our time to God and to others. That alone is a great reason to live in Innocence and be that living witness to those in your life.

“¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling and arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, ¹⁶ by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.” – Philippians 2:14-16

These verses are providing guidance on how we can live for God each day of our lives and live the Things We Need… Innocence. If we are living for our Lord Jesus we should be filled with His Peace and His Joy which would mean that ‘grumbling’ would not be part of our normal reaction to life around us. If we are Loving Others as we Love Ourselves, we would not be out picking a fight or ‘arguing’ with others. As we do our best to avoid the ‘grumbling and arguing’ and to be at Peace with what our God has given us each day we are living a life that shows God is at work in us.

The Philippian church was told to be ‘blameless and pure’, which of course they could not do. The point being made here is that as followers of Jesus we are to fully live our lives as God grows us from a sinner who knows absolutely nothing about God to a saint, who is still a sinner but has learned to listen to God’s guidance. One way to look at it is a new believer is like a young child just starting to learn the alphabet. They have been told that the different shapes mean something, but they do not understand what they are yet. A new believer has heard that God will help them turn from their sin, but it is hard to believe that anything can give you the strength to walk away from an addiction.

Jump ahead fifteen years and that young child is now a teenager who may be writing essays on why they want to attend a specific university. They have come a long way from leaning what an ‘A’ looks and sounds like to being able to form different letters into words, paragraphs, and essays to convey a point. Jump ahead fifteen years with that new believer who has spent time reading the Word of God, listening to Pastors and Teachers, and learning to listen for that still small voice. They too would have come a long way and shaken some of the sins they fought in those early days. One might say, they have matured spiritually as God worked in their life.

In this context, being ‘blameless and pure’ is the same as the Things We Need… Innocence. It is not about living a perfect sinless life. It is about living for Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit evolve you from a person who does not know any better to one who is seeking God’s will and attempts to live it each day. Never perfect but being shaped by God each step of the way.

As we are shaped by God, as we hold onto the ‘word of life’, as we stand out from the ‘crooked and perverted’ world we live in, we will ‘shine like stars’.

“¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16

If we are living for Jesus our light will shine. A light that will be seen by others. A light that will show the world that we are different. As we live the Things We Need… Innocence our words and actions shine for others to see.

Innocence is one piece of the puzzle that God uses to open the eyes, ears, and hearts of those who do not know Him. It is one way that God lets others know who His people are and gives us the opportunity to share His Word and His Love with them.

The Things We Need… Innocence opens doors for sharing the Gospel with others.

Jesus called the twelve disciples together and prepared them for going out to cast out unclean spirits and to heal the sick. Before He sent them, one of the things He told was that they were going to face challenges out in the world, but they needed to respond with Wisdom and Innocence.

“¹⁶ “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16

As believers we are going to face challenges, we are going to be ‘sheep among wolves’, meaning we cannot stand on our own against the enemy. The devil is going to do everything he can and will use every weapon, fang, or claw at his disposal to get to us. As sheep we have little if any in defensive weapons, which is why we need to be shrewd and innocent.

As we face those challenges, as the devil attacks, we need to have The Things We Need… Wisdom to avoid the traps that are laid before us. Beyond that we need to be ‘innocent as doves’, which was Jesus’ way of telling us that we are not to charge out against the enemy in battle. As Paul tells us in Ephesians Ch. 6, our battle is not against the flesh and blood before us but against the devil and those who serve him. When we need to fight, we need to fight in prayer. We need to use Wisdom and Innocence and know that our best defense and offense is turning to our Lord and Savior in prayer.

The Things We Need… Innocence will keep us from fighting battles that are not ours to fight and will help us avoid sinning in the process.

The Things We Need… Innocence is a critical part of our walk with God. It is a reminder that we need to do our best to avoid living in sin. As we continue our walk with God it will result in us truly being different as we are transformed and renewed as we mature as followers of Jesus. As our priorities change, as our focus shifts to the things of God, as we begin to live our lives different than those around us, it will be noticeable to those around us. Our Light will shine in a world filled with darkness and God will use us to share His love with others.

It is amazing when God is able to use what He has done in our lives to help others take the next step in their faith journey. As amazing as those events are, we will be toe to toe fighting an enemy that we cannot see. If we are to fight these battles as a sheep who are Wise and Innocent, we need to fight in prayer and let God do the rest.

As much as we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus, as much as we give our lives to Him, we are still going to sin. The Awesome part about it is that through Jesus our sin is wiped away. When we stand before our God in judgement our sin no longer exists. The things we did will NOT be held against. Our iniquity will not lead to a guilty verdict and the necessary judgement.

“² How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!” – Psalm 32:2

Through the Blood of Christ all who believe and repent will be found Innocent!

Blessings,

Robert