Where is the Seat of Religion?

1. Where is the Seat of Religion? Seat The place or center in which something is located. Where is the center of religion located in man?

2. Is it in the intellect, the feelings or the will? Brainy Smurf Handy Smurf Happy Smurf

3. Some say in the Intellect.

4. Others disagree!

5. Some say in the Emotions. “God has found it necessary to take advantage of the excitability there is in mankind, to produce powerful excitements among them, before he can lead them to obey…There must be excitement sufficient to wake up the dormant moral powers, and roll back the tide of degradation and sin.” (Charles Finney)

6. Others disagree! They say feelings are unreliable and unimportant.

7. Some say the Will.

8. Others disagree!

9. Disproportionate Christianity Singular Focus on Contemplation Singular Focus on Volition Singular Focus on Emotion Socker Bopper Christianity Bobble headed Christianity Heart Sleeved Christianity

10. What does the Lord require of you? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but • to do justice, (volition) • and to love kindness, (emotion) • and to walk humbly with your God? (contemplation) Micah 6:8

11. There are 613 laws in the Torah and 1,050 more laws in the NT. Which is the greatest?

12. True Religion is Seated in the Heart Orthopraxy Orthopathy Ps. 4.7; Ps 37.4 Rom. 2:13 Jas. 1:27; Orthodoxy John 17.3; Heb. 11:6 The heart controls the intellect, the feelings and the will, thus it is his heart that man must give to the Lord. Dt. 30.6

13. How much do we love God and our neighbor?

14. Testing Our Intellectual Love • List the 10 Commandments • List the 9 Fruits of the Spirit • List the 8 Beatitudes • List the 8 Things Paul tell us to think about. • List the 16 Attributes of Love

15. 10 Commandments • No other gods • No carved images • Don’t take God’s name in vain. • Remember Sabbath • Honor parents • Don’t murder • Don’t commit adultery • Don’t steal • Don’t bear false testimony • Don’t covet Fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control

16. 8 Beatitudes Blessed Are: • Poor in spirit • Those who mourn • The meek • Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness • The merciful • Pure in heart • The peacemakers • Those persecuted for righteousness 8 Things to Think About Whatever is: 1. True 2. Honorable 3. Just 4. Pure 5. Lovely 6. Commendable 7. Excellent 8. Worthy of praise

17. 16 Attributes of Love • It’s patient • It’s kind • It does not envy • It does not boast • It’s not arrogant • It’s not rude • It doesn’t insist on it’s own way. • It is not irritable • It is not resentful • It does not rejoice at wrongdoing • It rejoices with the truth • It bears all things • It believes all things • It hopes all things • It endures all things • It never ends

18. Testing Our Emotional Love • What should a Christian hate/love? • What should a Christian desire? • What are some sinful emotions? • What are some godly emotions? • What should a Christian do if he doesn’t feel godly emotions? • List as many idols as you can think of: 1 Jn 5.21

19. Commanded to Be and Feel • Be Glad • Be Content • Be compassionate • Be merciful • Be thankful • Be at peace • Be patient • Be grave • Be hopeful • Be kind • Be fervent of spirit • Be of good comfort • Be angry + don’t sin • Be tenderhearted • Be gentle • Be afflicted and mourn • Be ashamed of your sin • Be humble • Be sympathetic • Be cheerful in giving • Be not afraid of men • Be not of doubtful mind • Be not afraid of terror • Be not troubled • Be not conceited • Be not overcome by evil • Be not weary in doing good • Be not ashamed of God • Do not be bitter • Do not despised God • Do not covet • Do not lust • Do not love in word only • Do not be full of wrath • Do not desire vain glory • Do not envy • Let us fear losing the soul • Rejoice in the Lord • Rejoice in suffering • Don’t worry about your life • Don’t worry about food/drink • Don’t’ worry about clothes • Do not despise little ones • Love your neighbor • Desire spiritual gifts • Desire milk of the Word

20. To Determine Heart IdolatryAnswer these diagnostic questions: • What is my greatest fear? What do I worry about most? • What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live? What keeps me going? • What do I rely on or comfort my self with when things go bad or get difficult? • What do I think most easily about? Where does my mind go to when I am free? What pre-occupies me? • What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God? • What makes me feel the most self-worth? What am I the proudest of? • What do I really want and expect out of life? What would really make me happy? • What makes me angry? What is it that causes me to fight others?

21. Testing Our Volitional Love • I won’t ask you to list all the commands to do something, but • List as many as you can of the 100 “one another” commands in the New Testament.

22. 100 “One Another” Commands • Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50) • Don’t grumble among one another (Jn 6.43) • Be of the same mind w/ one another (Rom 12.6; 15.5) • Accept one another (Rom 15.7) • Wait for one another to take communion (1 Cor 11.33) • Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another (Gal 5.15) • Don’t challenge or envy one another (Gal 5.26) • Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Eph 4.2) • Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Eph 4.32) • Bear with and forgive one another (Col 3.13) • Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil (1 Th 5.15) • Don’t complain against one another (Jas 4.11; 5.9) • Confess sins to one another (Jas 5.16) • Love one another (Jn 13.34; 15.12, 17; Rom 13.8; 1 Th 3.12, 4.9; 1 Pet 1.22; 1 Jn 3.11; 4.7, 11; 2 Jn 5 • Through love, serve one another (Gal 5.13) • Tolerate one another in love (Eph. 4.2) • Greet one another with a kiss of love (1 Pet. 5.14) • Be devoted to one another in love (Rom 12.10) • Wash one another’s feet (Jn 13.14) • Give Preference to one another in honor (Rom 12.10) • Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind (Rom 12.16) • Serve one another (Gal. 5.13) • Be subject to one another (Eph 5.21) • Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2.3) • Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Pet 5.5) • Don’t judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Rom 14.13) • Greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom 16.16; 1 Cor 16.20; 2 Cor 13.12) • Husbands and wives: don’t deprive one another of physical intimacy (1 Cor. 7.5) • Bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6.2) • Speak truth to one another (Eph 4.25) • Don’t lie to one another (Col 3.9) • Comfort one another concerning the resurrection (1 Th 4.18) • Encourage and build up one another (1 Thess 5.11) • Spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10.24) • Pray for one another (Jas 5.16) • Be hospitable to one another ( 1 Pet. 4.9) • Teach and admonish one another with songs, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3.16)

23. 7 Corporate Works of Mercy

24. Other Works 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy • To instruct the ignorant. • To counsel the doubtful. • To admonish sinners. • To bear wrongs patiently. • To forgive offences willingly. • To comfort the afflicted. • To pray for the living 6 Works of Piety • Prayer (congregational, family, private) • Searching the Scriptures (hearing, reading, meditating) • Holy Communion • Fasting • Christian Community (holy conversation) • Healthy Living.

25. Jesus’ Answer • Believe all these things, feel all these things and do all these things and you shall inherit eternal life. • We don’t believe half the time, and don’t know much of God’s law by heart. We don’t delight in God’s ways as we should and don’t love our neighbors as we should. We also haven’t dedicated ourselves to good works. What is wrong with us?

26. How the Fall Affected Our Hearts • How did the fall affect our mind? (Romans 1:21: Romans 1:28; Romans 8:6-7; Ephesians 4:17-18) • How did the fall affect our will? (John 8:34; Romans 6:16) • How did the fall affect our emotions? (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:9; John 3:19) • Man in his fallen state is pervasively ruined by sin in his mind, his will, and his emotions. Only redemption in Jesus Christ can begin the restoration project, rebuilding the ruins caused by sin. This reconstructive project begins with the new birth and is carried forward in sanctification.