"SELF-FOR-SELF OR
SELF-FOR-CHRIST?"
Sunday, August 23, 1998 pm MF Blume
Job 2:1-5 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Defintion of INTEGRITY:
- UNDIVIDED.
- COMPLETE.
- UPRIGHT AND HONEST.
The term "SKIN-FOR-SKIN" means SELF-FOR-SELF.
- I wondered what this term meant, until I came across a man who understood the principle of "SELF-FOR-SELF" and the plight of man's sinfulness, and then I connected that with "SKIN-FOR-SKIN" in Job.
Satan clearly was a "self-for-self" creature.
- God did not make him that way, but he certainly became that way.
- In glory, Lucifer sought to lift himself up.
- He saw his beauty and he saw his wisdom.
Ezek 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Isaiah recounts:
Isai 14:13-14 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
The SELF emphasis was so clearly Satan's new personality.
He filled the hearts of Adam and Eve with the same attitude and disposition.
- He disguised his self-for-self personality and nature, that was actually transferable, in the form of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
- Adam and the woman ate the fruit and Adam blamed the trouble on Eve and Eve blamed the serpent.
- They became SELF-FOR-SELF
Satan pointed out what the tree of forbidden fruit could do for HER.
Gene 3:5-6 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
He spoke things of SELF-FOR-SELF to her.
She began considering the self advantages the tree offered her.
- Satan successfully turned them into SELF-FOR-SELF people.
Gene 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Satan found that putting people into a self-for-self personality-grouping would render them lost and without God as it rendered him lost.
- Their infatuation with self would not allow them to suffer for Christ's sake.
- Their infatuation with self would not allow them to deny self.
Matt 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
People who "look out for number one," meaning "look out for themselves," would never be able to live for God.
- This world pumps a self-for-self spirit.
- "Do what feels good to you to do."
- "Who cares what others think."
- It is a "skin for skin" mentality.
- SELF-FOR-SELF.
Satan felt that no one existed who was SELF-FOR-OTHERS or SELF-FOR-CHRIST.
- He felt that no one could love God unreservedly.
- He tested Job and destroyed all he had, and his children.
Job 1:9-12 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
- All Job's cattle servants and CHILDREN were slain.
- But Job kept standing for God.
Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job stood strong.
- Job was torn inside.
- He rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell to the ground.
- But he did a very unexpected thing.
- He WORSHIPPED GOD!
- Satan could not imagine it.
- How could anyone love God that much?
- Surely he cannot truly love God.
- And Satan realized that Job was not touched himself.
- Satan felt that Job was probably glad his kids died instead of him, but if he should suffer himself...
- Perhaps Job was more selfish than Satan gave him credit for.
- So he charged Job saying that if Job was hurt and touched to suffer himself, Job would quit.
- (Many would quit at that point)
So Job was hurt directly. - His body was covered with boils.
- His wife told him to curse God and die.
- His wife was his own flesh.
Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Job still stood strong.
- Satan could not believe it!
- In the midst of suffering, there was something Job loved more than himself.
- He loved God.
- He was not SKIN-FOR-SKIN, or SELF-FOR-SELF, but he was Self-for-God.
Job became the first real type of Jesus Christ. - Satan tried to bruise the heel of Jesus Christ.
- But Satan found that when he bruised Jesus' heel, Jesus bruised his head.
- His plot was foiled.
It is like the Pharaoh who tried to stop the Israelites from multiplying so he afflicted them, but the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied. Satan worked against Job, and it only turned out that Job became stronger for God.
- Recently we ministered the truths that God let Satan remain in this world in order to make us stronger.
- When we are afflicted we multiply more.
- When the church was persecuted for preaching, it went and preached to more places.
- When we are cast down we only rise again in resurrection.
The believer who loves God will be thrown into circumstances that will move them to become stronger. - The Spirit of glory rests upon those who suffer.
1Pet 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Paul found that GRACE and the SPIRIT OF RESURRECTION only work when death strikes children of God. - He prayed for God to remove thorns of demonic oppression.
- But God said, "NO."
2Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul knew that glory works when we suffer.
- God's strength is made perfect in weakness (Se the sermon entitled, ACTIVATING GRACE)
- Paul said that if God's power works when I am weakened, then let the infirmities come!
God allowed Satan to do what he did. - God allowed Satan to use his friends, his wife and sickness!
- GOD ALLOWED IT.
- ALWAYS REMEMBER, GOD ALLOWS UNFAIR THINGS TO HAPPEN TO YOU.
- IT IS HIS WILL.
If you are filled with integrity, then you will only be made stronger. - But if you are skin-for-skin, you will fail and wilt and fade away
When Job was finished, he was blessed TWICE AS MUCH AS BEFOREHAND! Job's friends came by and tried to comfort him, but they were really sent by the devil.
- And God cursed them.
- Job prayed for them.
- And then we read...
Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
God not only wants us to be SELF-FOR-CHRIST but also SELF-FOR-OTHERS.
As with Jesus, the devil made a great mistake.
- He only enhanced Job's blessing and Jesus' blessing!
Notice the PROGRESSION of the following STAGES of our christian life.
1Joh 2:12-14 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
LITTLE CHILDREN
YOUNG MEN
FATHERS
LITTLE CHILDREN
- "your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. "
- "ye have known the Father"
- Things that are DONE BY GOD FOR THE CHRISTIAN.
- God is Father, but seems pretty distant and so new to you when you are a little child and newly born again.
YOUNG MEN - " ye have overcome the wicked one"
- "ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one."
- Things the young man does.
- Things focused around the young man himself.
- We know that CHRIST IS IN US at this stage and the POWER we have.
- We are then used in miracles and so forth.
- We then overcome the devil.
- But that is not the goal.
FATHERS - "ye have known him [that is] from the beginning"
- "ye have known him [that is] from the beginning"
- They know God deeply.
- It is stressed that they know God.
- Paul did not say, "Oh, that I might perform miracles."
- That was the young man stage.
- Paul longed to KNOW CHRIST.
- "Fathers" implies multiplication.
- It is the thing that Jesus will look for in us when we seek to enter the doorway into the kingdom.
Little children know Christ as CHRIST FOR THEM - What did Christ do for me?
Young men know CHRIST IN THEM. - They have the power for miracles.
- They overcome the devil.
- They have Christ but Christ does not really have them.
- Among the people who say they cast out devils but did not know Jesus will be these people.
FATHERS know CHRIST AS THEM. - God has these fathers.
- When you are more concerned with knowing Jesus than you are what YOU can do for God, then you are beginning to enter the MATURE STAGE.
- JESUS becomes all in all to you.
- YOU ARE SELF-FOR-CHRIST.
- And you enter into SELF-FOR-OTHERS
- You are amazed and thankful for the miracles you see.
- It is amazing how God confirms things.
- But your real amazement is GOD, HIMSELF!
FATHERS are filled with integrity. - They are total in their living for God.
- They are there to live for HIM.
Paul was SELF-FOR-CHRIST. Phil 3:4-10 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Gala 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Give everything to Christ!
- This is true repentance.
- The reason people repent and then backslide the next week is because they really did not repent.
- I long to see souls repent who really repent.
- Their lives are SOLD OUT to Jesus.
- They play no more games.
- You can live for God, supposedly, for years, and then one day REALLY REPENT and for the first time LIVE FOR GOD.
- Not for self.