The Joy Of Knowing Jesus

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The Joy Of Knowing Jesus
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JUDAIZERS,the threat of legalism

• If we are to rejoice in the Lord we must escape
  those who would lead us away from Jesus Christ.
• Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers,
  beware of the false circumcision for we are the
  true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of
  God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no
  confidence in the flesh..

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PAULa case study in Jewish legalism

• No one was better qualified to expose the
  fallacies of the Judaizers than Paul.
• If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in
  the flesh, I far more circumcised the eighth
  day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of
  Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews as to the Law, a
  Pharisee as to zeal, a persecutor of the church
  as to the righteousness which is in the Law,
  found blameless.

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CHRISTthe source of true joy

• But whatever things were gain to me, those
  things I have counted as loss for the sake of
  Christ. More than that, I count all things to be
  loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing
  Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
  the loss of all things, and count them but
  rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.

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What Paul gained in Christ

• A true righteousness that God grants on the basis
  of faith in Christ
• A new power to put away sin
• A fellowship with Christ based on sharing his
  sufferings
• A real hope of immortality through Christ

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What we can learn from Pauls experience?

• Mere religion cannot bring joy.
• The Christian has joy not because of his ability
  to obey God perfectly, but Christs atonement
  that makes forgiveness possible.
• We must not allow anything earthly to allure us
  from believing in and following Jesus Christ.

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Things, fame, wealth, and even religion, will not
bring true joy to our lives. Only real faith in
Jesus Christ can bring true and lasting joy to
our lives. Do you have this joy?