Whatever Is Not of the Love of God... Is of the World and Its Spirit.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of discerning between the love of God and the spirit of the world in our lives and actions.
Andrew Murray emphasizes the necessity of examining our hearts and the church in the light of God, recognizing that the spirit of the world can infiltrate our faith. He warns against self-confidence and urges believers to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance to discern what in us may still reflect worldly values. Murray identifies three ways this worldliness can manifest: through selfish religion, a desire for worldly enjoyments, and the adoption of worldly wisdom in our practices. Ultimately, he asserts that anything not rooted in the love of God and the Spirit of Christ is influenced by the world and its spirit.
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If it is true that the prince of darkness came as an angel of light, deceiving the very elect, that the god of this world blinds the eyes, how we need in the enquiry as to the state of the church and our own state to set aside all self-confidence, and to place ourselves very honestly and persistently in the very light of God, to have the Holy Spirit show us what the divine meaning is of Christ's 'ye are not of the world,' and what of the spirit of the world, there may be still in us. The world seeks the gratification of self, and seeks that in the things of the world, and seeks according to methods and principles which the wisdom of this world inspires and approves.
In any of these three respects our religion or our church may have the spirit of the world. Our religion may be selfish, seeking our own salvation and happiness alone. Or our religion may be, in a stricter sense, worldly, seeking to have with it just as much as we can of its enjoyments and possessions as possible. Or the worldliness may manifest itself in the modes of thought and action, in the principles and practices which are of the wisdom of this world, being allowed to rule and to guide in the work of Christ and the worship of God. Whatever is not of the love of God and of the Spirit of Christ is of the world and its spirit.
(Excerpted from The Coming Revival, by Andrew Murray , pg. 31).
Sermon Outline
- The Spirit of the World
- The Spirit of the World in the Church
- The Test for the Spirit of the World
- Selfish religion
- Worldly religion
- Seeking worldly enjoyments and possessions
- Allowing worldly principles and practices to rule
- Whatever is not of the love of God is of the world
Key Quotes
“Whatever is not of the love of God and of the Spirit of Christ is of the world and its spirit.” — Andrew Murray
“The world seeks the gratification of self, and seeks that in the things of the world, and seeks according to methods and principles which the wisdom of this world inspires and approves.” — Andrew Murray
Application Points
- We must be honest with ourselves and seek the light of God to guide us in our lives and actions.
- We should examine our motivations and actions to see if they align with the love of God or the wisdom of the world.
- We must prioritize the love of God and the Spirit of Christ in our lives and actions.