It’s Not Complicated
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Intro: Man has a tendency to make complicated what God has made so simple.
It never ceases to amaze me at how simple man can take a simple truth and make it so convoluted and complicated.
There’s nothing more ridiculous than putting a question mark where God put a period.
There’s nothing more insulting to God than to take what He’s already worked out and make it a problem again.
Those that second-guess God’s plan and God’s way make it so much harder than it has to be.
- Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
A. The Concern of the Man of God – vs. 1-3a “But I fear,…”
Paul called it folly in verse 1.
The possessive nature of a man of God over the flock.
Paul had a great love for the church of Corinth. He cared!
- Paul’s Possessiveness of them – “I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy…”
- Paul’s Preaching to them – “…for I have espoused you…”
- Paul’s Preparation of them – “…to one husband…”
- Paul’s Presentation of them – “…that I may present you…”
- Paul’s Plans for them – “…a chaste virgin to Christ.”
B. The Corruption of their Minds – vs. 3b “…as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted…”
Satan is a master deceiver.
C. The Counterfeiting of the Message – vs. 3c-15 “…from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
1. Another Jesus
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
John the Baptist wondered if Jesus was the Messiah, or if they should seek another.
Matthew 11
- 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
- 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
- 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
- 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
NOTE: There will never be another like Him!!
2. Another spirit
- 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
3. Another gospel
Galatians 1
- 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
- 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
- 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
- 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
I. The Simplicity of our Reception of Christ
Luke 18
- 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
- 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
John 1
- 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
- 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
- 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
- 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
- John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Matthew 11
- 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
- 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
II. The Simplicity of our Regeneration through Christ
ILLUSTRATION: In 2 Kings chapter 5, we find that Naaman was a leper. He needed healing. God had a way to accomplish that. Naaman didn’t like it. He got angry at the simple way; he wanted something difficult.
2 Kings 5
- 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
- 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
- 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
- 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
- 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
ILLUSTRATION: Cain and Abel’s sacrifice. Cain chose the hard way. Abel chose God’s way.
Genesis 4
- 2 …And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
- 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
- 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
- 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect…
Titus 3
- 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
- 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
- 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
- 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
I Peter 1
- 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
- 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Why would you try to purchase something that has already been paid for?
From the beginning of time, man has chosen to work for what God has already provided.
The songwriter said it like this – “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.”
Conclusion: The religions of the world have succeeded in corrupting the minds of billions through their subtilty.
- Salvation is Furnished
- Salvation is Free
- Salvation is Final
- Salvation is Forever
- Salvation is For everyone
It’s just that simple.