God made us for His noble purpose in the Garden of Eden, however, since the fall of Adam and Eve humanity has been easily deceived by the tricks of the ole’ serpent, the devil. Jesus came to set us free from the work of the devil; along with the sinful ways of the world. Let us all repent of the ways of the world and choose the ways of God!

1 John 3:6-10, “6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

Ephesians 2:1-10, “1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

THE MESSAGE OF GRACE

  1. Born Dead vs Made Alive in Christ (v. 1 & vs. 4-5)
  2. The Ways of the World vs. The Ways of God (v. 2)
  3. Cravings of the Flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit (v. 3).
  4. Cursed by Works vs. Saved by Grace (vs. 4-9)
  5. God’s Masterpiece (v. 10)

PRINCE, RULER and GOD OF THIS AGE

  1. PRINCE OF THIS WORLD: John 12:31-32, “31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
  2. GOD OF THIS AGE: 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
  3. RULER OF THE KINGDOM OF THE AIR: Ephesians 2:2, “In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

THE WAYS OF THE WORLD

1 John 2:15-17, “15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

  1. THE LUST OF THE FLESH: Galatians 5:19-21, “19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
  2. THE LUST OF THE EYES: Proverbs 27:20, “Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.”
  3. THE PRIDE OF LIFE: Psalms 10:4, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”

THE WAYS OF WORLD ARE TREACHEROUS

  1. WE FIGHT AGAINST IT: Ephesians 6:10-12, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
  2. PEOPLE FORSAKE GOD FOR IT: 2 Timothy 4:9-10, “9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.”
  3. PEOPLE CHEAT ON GOD WITH IT: James 4:4-5, “4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?”

TEMPTED BY SATAN WITH THE WAYS OF THE WORLD

When Satan tempted Eve he got her to think she could be her own god and guided her into the three ways of the world (notice Eve came to the three desires of sin on her own- Genesis 3:6). When Satan tempted Jesus he tempted him directly with the three things of the world, but thankfully Jesus- the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), didn’t give into temptation but spoke the Word of God.

The Lust of the Flesh

  • Eve: Genesis 3:6, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food…”
  • Jesus: Luke 4:3-4, “3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

The Lust of the Eyes

  • Eve: Genesis 3:6, “…pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom…”
  • Jesus: Luke 4:5-8, “5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

The Pride of Life

  • Eve: Genesis 3:6, “…she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
  • Jesus: Luke 4:9-12, “9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

THE WAYS OF GOD

  1. LOVE instead of the LUST OF FLESH: 1 John 2:5-6, “5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
  2. KINGDOM VISION instead of the LUST OF THE EYES: Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
  3. HUMILITY instead of the PRIDE OF LIFE: James 4:6-10, “6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”