The Ruling Disposition of Heart

Driving home: lowliness found no place in heathen ethics since it was thought of as a form of abject groveling. ... That it became a primary Christian virtue is entirely due to the example and teaching of the Lord Jesus

The four lines of biblical evidence for the ruling disposition of heart are likened to four streams flowing into a common meeting place, forming a pool from which peacemaking activity is drawn.

We must start with the state and the condition of the heart. And as we do, I want to set before you tonight four lines of biblical evidence with respect to what constitutes that ruling disposition of heart which we are to seek and to cultivate. And perhaps we might liken these to four streams that flow into a common meeting place and form a pool out of which we are to seek and to cultivate. We are able to legal the peacemaking activity.

11:33 - 12:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine if unmortified self-importance and self-will are causing dissonance and discord in your relationships.

A commentator's quote is used to explain that 'lowliness' was not valued in heathen ethics, highlighting its unique status as a primary Christian virtue due to Christ's example.

of lowliness and an equally meager measure of meekness, but with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering coming alongside and forbearing one another in love, giving diligence. These four graces are essential if our diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is in any way to be effectual. If, therefore, we are to be in any sense truly peacemakers, then the ruling disposition of heart to be sought and cultivated is in the first place a disposition of Christ-like lowliness and meekness. And lowliness and meekness not in meager measures, but in abounding measures. One o...

15:23 - 16:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine if unmortified self-importance and self-will are causing dissonance and discord in your relationships.

John 13:4 is cited as an example of Jesus' lowliness, where He performed the task of a menial servant, illustrating practical humility.

of abject groveling. The word used here for lowliness is one that no self-respecting heathen would use with respect to himself. That it became a primary Christian virtue is entirely due to the existence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a self-respecting heathen. The Holy Spirit is not a self-respecting heathen. The Holy Spirit is not a self-respecting heathen. The Holy Spirit is not a self-respecting heathen. The example and teaching of the Lord Jesus, the example John 13, 4 and following is cited by this commentator where Jesus girds himself with a towel and does the task of a menia...

16:43 - 17:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine if unmortified self-importance and self-will are causing dissonance and discord in your relationships.

The common conflicts between children and parents over small matters (room neatness, curfew, chores) are used to illustrate how self-importance and self-will destroy peace in the home.

this disposition of Christ-like lowliness and meekness. And surely you can see why. No one can go far in being a peacemaker who has large pockets of unmortified, self-importance on the one hand, the opposite of lowliness, and self-will, the opposite of meekness, on the other hand. When there is a man, a woman, a boy or girl, with large pockets or a fundamentally never-mortified sense of self-importance and self-will, that individual is always on a collision course, causing dissonance, causing discord, wherever he or she goes. Because in every situation, his or her will, his or her desires, his...

20:07 - 21:35 Read in full sermon

Driving home: forgiving each other even as, God also in Christ forgave you.

When someone seeks forgiveness, the heart should not be like granite needing a sledgehammer, but soft, warm, and responsive like a baby's cheek, illustrating tenderheartedness.

He knows that with remaining sins still present in the hearts of the Ephesians, in spite of all of the marvelous privileges connected with their calling, described in the first three chapters, chosen in him before the foundation of the world, predestined unto sonship, redeemed by blood, sealed by the Spirit, quickened from death, new creatures created in Christ under good works, part of the new humanity in which the middle wall of partition has been broken down, all of the marvelous redemptive realities of Ephesians 1 to 3, notwithstanding, Paul is the realist who knows remaining sin is still ...

30:46 - 32:14 Read in full sermon

Driving home: forgiving each other even as, God also in Christ forgave you.

The father in the parable of the prodigal son is used to illustrate God's unfettered, lavish, and free forgiveness, contrasting with the squinty-eyed, cynical reaction of the elder brother.

Was it tentative? Those of you who heard our brother preach on the prodigal son a few weeks ago, you know the answer to that. I hope you know it without having heard that sermon, but that certainly exemplified it so powerfully. When the father saw the son a great way off, he didn't stand there squinty-eyed and cynical and say, what's he want?

33:20 - 33:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not hold grudges for even one minute, but forgive as God forgives you.

The account of David's confession of sin and Nathan's immediate declaration of God's forgiveness is used to illustrate God's swift and complete forgiveness upon true repentance.

David had committed the horrible sins of adultery and murder by proxy and approximately a year of living in hypocrisy before the people in his kingdom in spiritual barrenness and dullness. But when the prophet comes to him as recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 12, no sooner does the parable get to David's emotions and then the application gets to his conscience and David cries out, I have sinned. The very next word is this, the Lord has put away thy sin. The very next word.

36:21 - 37:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not harp upon matters or agitate, but instead have fervent love that produces blankets to cover the multitude of sins that do not warrant reproof or confrontation.

The analogy of picking at a small zit until it becomes infected and a big problem is used to illustrate how 'harping on a matter' (Proverbs 17:9) aggravates minor sins instead of covering them with love.

to produce the coverings for the multitudes of sins that do not come into the category of that which warrants reproof rebuke confrontation this is why first Corinthians 13 5 a parallel passage says concerning love it keeps no record of wrong it keeps no record of wrong love doesn't have a ledger into which it puts every little wrong that i behold in another every little wrong that another has done to me or one of mine no love takes no account of evil that is it keeps no record of wrong it delights to throw the blanket of love over the multitude of sins the opposite of that proverbs 17 9 he tha...

55:34 - 57:04 Read in full sermon