2 Samuel 22:1-7 NLT

David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. “The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.

• World’s culture always has a current that tries to drag you into the opposite direction.

John 16:33 (NLT)

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Two keys (Manifestations) to be able to go Against the Current:

#1) GODLY CONVICTION

• Conviction is a healthy response to guilt, a thought, or a situation.
• Conviction is our moving force for change, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus.
• Convictions brings us closer to repentance and change of behavior.

John 16:8-11 NLT

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

John 14:1 (NLT)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

• Having Godly conviction is to trust God above everything else.

• To have Godly convictions, you must have the Holy Spirit in you. There must be an exchange.
  • Works for you— Justification/Born-again
  • Works in you— Regeneration/currently working in your character
  • Works through you— Reveal fruitfulness

1 John 5:1-5 (NLT)

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Our convictions reflect our love for God and our fear of God.

Titus 2:11-12 (ESV)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

• Without conviction, the current will take you to places where you thought you would never go and should never go.

Convictions are the immovable pillars of your character.

#2) CRITICAL THINKING

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

If our thoughts don’t submit to the Lord, we are welcoming hell to reign in our lives!

Romans 8:6 (ESV)

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

If as a child of God you are struggling with peace, it may be that your mind is filled with thoughts that are not of the Lord and need to be replaced by His Word.

Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

• Lack of critical thinking limits our worldview.

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 (NLT)

12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

• The spirit of this world does not want you to use your mind and critically think.

CONCLUSION

Psalm 18:15-16 NLT

Then at your command, O LORD, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.

• The breath of His Holy Spirit will reveal everything. There’s no current in existence that can escape His breath.