Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: 11POFCM
Program Code: 11POFCM000019
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00:47 Well welcome back to another incredible message that we're
00:52 going to receive from Shelley Quinn. 00:55 How many of you know Shelley? 00:57 She's been around here for quite a while now 00:59 and many of you have asked me where she's been. 01:02 Shelly is a gad about. Did ya'll know that? 01:04 She just came back from South Africa. 01:07 Of course, she was ministering at a Camp Meeting 01:09 in South Africa. A few weeks ago she and J.D. were over there. 01:13 Now they were in North Carolina at a Camp Meeting 01:15 just up until yesterday. 01:17 And she came home because she missed us so badly. 01:20 And so now she's going to minister to us this afternoon 01:26 on Experiencing Salvation. 01:29 And I'm really looking forward to that. 01:31 Not only is Shelly a very received, very respected, 01:35 and very gifted speaker and teacher 01:38 she's also a great author. 01:40 How many of you have got her current book The Grace Pipeline? 01:45 This is an incredible book, and it will just encourage you 01:48 and build you up. But before Shelley comes to share 01:51 one of my favorite singers at 3ABN is going to minister to us 01:56 next. Tammy, if you will come on out... 01:57 She's going to minister a beautiful song: 01:59 I Think About Home. And she was telling me 02:03 that, you know, we have a couple that are usually here. 02:06 They usually sit over in that area... 02:07 Merle and LaVerne Johnson. They're from Texas. 02:10 A lot of you may have missed them. 02:12 I had already missed them this year. 02:14 Well, Merle called Tammy and asked her to sing this song. 02:17 It's a beautiful song, so Tammy we look forward to it. 02:20 Well, and I want to say "hi" to Merle and LaVerne 02:22 and we're sorry that you couldn't be here. 02:25 And if you want me to sing Thinking About Home, I will. 02:28 And also my husband - I think he's in the back somewhere - 02:32 we're going to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary 02:35 in a few weeks, and this is his favorite song. 02:39 And he always says: "Why won't you sing the song? 02:41 Why won't you? " And I... "Well, I've got a different song... 02:43 a new song. " "No, no, I like that song. " 02:46 So I guess I can do it for him for thirty-five years. 03:04 "A penny for your thoughts, " I said to the old man 03:11 as he sat there on the park bench all alone. 03:18 With silver hair, wrinkled brow, 03:22 eyes gleaming 03:26 he smiled and said: "I'm thinkin' about my home. " 03:33 I sat down and we shared some laughs together. 03:40 And the cinema of remembrance it did roll. 03:47 We talked about life's gains 03:51 and its losses, 03:55 but mostly we just talked about his home. 04:01 He said: "I'm thinkin' 'bout home, 04:05 thinkin' about goin' home. 04:09 Thinkin' about leavin' here, 04:13 ready to be movin' on... 04:17 It won't be long before the sun will set 04:22 and I'll be gone. But until then 04:27 I'll be thinkin' 'bout home. " 04:31 I said: "Tell me, old man, where's your home 04:36 and what's it like? " 04:39 He said: "Oh, ain't nothin' 'round here that compares. " 04:46 He said: "A king had it built 04:50 and gave the deed to me. 04:54 And all of God's family will be there. " 05:01 He said: "I'm thinkin' 'bout home, 05:05 thinkin' about goin' home. 05:09 Dreamin' about leavin' here, 05:12 ready to be movin' on... 05:17 It won't be long before the sun will set 05:22 and I'll be gone. But until then 05:27 I'll be thinkin' 'bout home. " 05:32 It won't be long before the sun will set 05:37 and I'll be gone. But until then 05:42 I'll be thinkin' 'bout home. " 05:46 Oooh, oooh, oooh... 05:50 Thinkin' 'bout home. 05:53 Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm... 05:57 thinkin' 'bout my home. 06:06 Amen. Amen. 06:09 Thank you, Tammy. 06:11 That was a beautiful song. That's J.D.'s favorite song 06:15 I think of all. 06:16 And where is our home? 06:19 In heaven! We are not citizens of this world 06:21 but we are citizens of heaven. 06:24 You know, when we were given this assignment 06:28 C.A. said that this was supposed to be a little bit more 06:31 philosophical this year. 06:33 And so boy, I've had some hard time figuring out 06:36 what to do with this message on experiencing salvation. 06:39 I took philosophy when I was in college 06:42 and kind of had... it was kind of interesting. 06:45 But I thought as I was working on this message 06:48 I though well, maybe I ought to revisit what the definition 06:53 of philosophy. And as I did, it says that it is 06:57 "the systematic examination of basic concepts 07:01 like truth and existence, reality, causality. 07:05 the cause and effect. " 07:07 And you know what I found out? 07:09 I'm a philosopher and I didn't know it. 07:12 I thought: "I just wrote a 200-page book: 07:15 The Grace Pipeline. " 07:16 And this is what it was was a systematic examination 07:20 of the basic concepts of salvation. 07:24 Now, in Colossians 2:8 Paul says 07:27 "Beware of philosophy and empty deceit 07:33 according to the traditions of man 07:35 and not according to Christ. " 07:37 So when we talk about philosophy in the church 07:40 where are we going to find our truth 07:44 and our systematic principles? 07:47 Right here. So we're going to be doing a lot of looking things up 07:51 as we're going through here. 07:53 As a matter of fact, why don't you turn to Revelation chapter 7 07:56 and put your finger there? 07:58 So I thought that since we are going to... since I had to 08:02 examine what it meant about philosophy 08:05 that it would be good for us to examine... See, 08:08 I took philosophy. I thought I knew what it meant. 08:11 But my definition of philosophy was a little bit off. 08:14 So I thought maybe we ought to look 08:17 at God's system of salvation 08:20 and define that and define grace for us 08:24 to make sure that we've got this right 08:27 because it is very important. 08:29 We have to have a personal experience with the grace of God 08:33 to have a personal experience with His salvation. 08:38 In the Old Testament King David wrote in Psalm 3:8 08:43 "salvation belongs to the Lord. " 08:46 Now look at Revelation 7- we're going to look at verse 9- 08:50 because John echoes this truth. 08:54 John says... Revelation 7:9: 08:56 "After these things I looked 08:59 and behold the great multitude which no one could number 09:02 of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues 09:04 standing before the throne and before the Lamb 09:07 clothed with white robes with palm branches in their hands 09:11 and crying out with a loud voice saying: 09:14 "salvation belongs to... " 09:18 it comes from, it is due to 09:21 "... our God who sits on the throne and the Lamb. " 09:26 The dominant theme in the entire Bible 09:30 is salvation by grace through the substitutionary death 09:34 and the resurrected life of Jesus Christ 09:38 and of - the required action of us - 09:42 of receiving by faith His righteousness. 09:47 His imputed righteousness and His imparted righteousness. 09:52 God's method of salvation has always been by grace. 09:57 I wish I had time to prove that to you right now. 09:59 But He says in Malachi 3:6: "I am the Lord... 10:03 I change not. " 10:05 Jesus said that "I am the same yesterday, 10:09 today and forever. " 10:11 As a matter of fact, where do we find the first gospel promise 10:15 of the Messiah? Do you know? 10:18 Genesis 3:15... where the Lord says 10:22 that the serpent would bruise the heel of the Messiah 10:26 but the Messiah's going to bruise what? His head. 10:29 He is going to crush Satan under His feet. 10:33 And a beautiful picture of this... 10:36 And that is, by the way, a beautiful picture of salvation 10:38 by grace... But I love - you don't have to turn there - 10:42 but I love this line from Psalm 85. It's verse 10. 10:46 And it says: "Mercy and truth have met together; 10:51 righteousness and peace have kissed. " 10:54 The gateway to salvation is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 11:00 Sinful man deserved to be destroyed, 11:04 and the holiness of God demanded justice... 11:08 but the love of God demanded mercy. 11:12 And in His love - in spite of our hostility, 11:16 in spite of our rebellion - 11:18 in His love God sent His Son 11:22 to die for us while we were yet sinners. 11:24 Hallelujah! So justice and grace collided 11:29 at the cross of Calvary... 11:32 evidencing both the holiness and the love of God. 11:36 So how does God's system of grace work? 11:40 Love is the compelling force 11:44 behind the grace of God. 11:47 God's heart overflows. It just wells up 11:52 and overflows with love for us. 11:55 He has loved us with an everlasting love, 12:00 and He draws us with loving- kindness. 12:02 And here's how as I was seeking the Lord to understand grace 12:07 here's how He showed me it works. 12:10 From this well of love there is this huge pipeline 12:14 that comes down from heaven: the grace pipeline. 12:19 And everything that you and I receive, 12:23 every good and perfect gift, 12:25 comes to us from our heavenly Father on high. 12:29 It comes down to us through His grace pipeline. 12:34 Everything is by grace. 12:36 We are called by grace. We are saved by grace. 12:39 Justified, sanctified by grace. 12:41 We repent by grace. 12:43 Did you know we even love by grace? 12:46 Everything comes to us by the grace of God: 12:51 the giver of every good and perfect gift. 12:54 How to we tap in to this grace pipeline? 12:57 We tap in by faith. 13:00 Romans 5:2 says that it is by... through Jesus Christ 13:06 and by our faith that we have access 13:11 into this grace in which we now stand. 13:14 So think of faith as the faucet 13:18 where we can tap into the various places around 13:21 in this big grace pipeline. 13:24 And you know, some people have faith to tap in 13:26 for justification but maybe not faith to 13:30 tap in for sanctification. 13:32 There's different places along the way. 13:36 You might have faith to celebrate His Sabbath 13:40 but not have faith to tap in when He talks about tithing 13:44 and tithes and offerings and how He will bless it. 13:47 But see, we've got to... How does faith come? 13:50 By hearing and hearing by the Word of God. 13:54 So we tap in by faith, 13:57 but the handle on that faith faucet is prayer. 14:03 Faith regulates and our prayers regulate 14:09 the release of God's grace to us. 14:11 We have to tap in by faith, 14:14 and it is the prayer of faith, that earnest prayer. 14:18 Now prayer... If prayer is the handle, 14:22 the... what is the foundation for the prayer of faith? 14:28 Trust. We have to trust in the Lord with all of our heart 14:32 and lean not on our own understanding. 14:34 Whose understanding are we going to lean on? 14:36 God's. And I have to tell you 14:40 little Word = little faith. 14:43 You've got to get into the Word of God. 14:47 Get His promises into your heart 14:49 and that's what builds your faith. Amen? 14:53 So trust - the foundation for trust - is relationship. 14:59 Did you know? God wants to have an intimate relationship 15:04 with you. He wants it to be that of father and child... 15:10 one where we cry out "Abba Father. " 15:13 So what is the foundation for relationship? 15:16 Love... love. The more we recognize 15:21 how much God loves us, 15:25 how much we are worth to Him - 15:27 and you're worth nothing less than the price He paid for you 15:30 with the precious blood of Jesus... 15:32 The more we recognize how much He loves us 15:35 the more intimate our relationship becomes 15:39 because we love Him because He first loved us. 15:42 And the more intimate our relationship, the more we learn 15:47 to trust the Lord. And the more we trust Him 15:49 the greater our prayer of faith will become. 15:52 We'll open up that faith faucet and access His grace. 15:57 Hallelujah! Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. 16:01 Ephesians chapter 2. 16:04 If anyone appreciated the benefits of grace, 16:07 it was the apostle Paul. 16:09 He was a Pharisee of Pharisees 16:11 who thought that his pedigree and his religious practices 16:16 earned him favor with God. 16:18 That is, until the moment that he had 16:23 an encounter with the Master of grace. 16:27 He was lacking the love of God within. 16:30 Spiritually destitute until this time, actually. 16:33 Did you know Paul was actually commissioned by 16:35 the Sanhedrin to destroy anyone who followed Christ? 16:41 So here he is out breathing murderous threats against 16:45 Christians. He - the Shekinah glory of Christ - 16:49 just knocks him right off his high horse. 16:51 And grace awakened in Paul an emotion 16:56 that could not be suppressed. 17:00 He had difficulty even expressing it. 17:03 But Paul became God's most ardent ambassador 17:07 for grace. In Ephesians 2 let's look at verse 4. 17:12 We'll begin with verse 4. 17:14 Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus 17:17 and here's what he says: 17:19 "But God who is rich in mercy 17:23 because of His great love" - 17:26 the compelling force behind His grace - 17:29 "because of His great love with which He loved us 17:33 even when we were dead in trespasses 17:36 He made us alive together with Christ. 17:40 By grace you have been saved, " Paul says. 17:45 "He raised us up together and made us sit in the heavenly 17:48 places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come 17:51 He might show the exceeding riches of His grace 17:54 in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. " 17:58 Now as if you didn't notice in verse 5 18:01 that he said "by grace you have been saved, " 18:04 he's going to make sure that you get this again. 18:07 "For by grace you have been saved through faith 18:11 and that not of yourselves. 18:13 It is a gift of God, 18:15 not of works lest any should boast. 18:17 For we are His workmanship. " 18:22 You are God's workmanship. 18:25 His work of art. "Created in Christ Jesus" - 18:29 actually re-created as a new creature in Christ. 18:33 For what purpose? 18:35 "for good works which God prepared beforehand 18:40 that we should walk in Him. " 18:44 Now turn to Galatians chapter 3. 18:47 You know, it has been said that Judaism 18:50 was the cradle of Christianity. 18:53 And it was almost likewise, very nearly its grave as well. 18:59 And what happened in the churches of Galatia 19:02 is some Judaizers came in. 19:04 And these Judaizers who professed to know Christ as Lord 19:09 began telling the Gentiles that they had to keep 19:12 the Mosaic law to be justified. 19:15 That they could not be justified by faith. 19:17 And Paul attacks what he calls their "different gospel" - 19:21 their gospel of works - 19:23 saying that it perverted the gospel of divine grace 19:26 through faith. And he proves in the book of Galatians 19:30 that our true experience of salvation 19:33 results in our total dependence upon God - 19:38 Our TOTAL dependence upon God - 19:41 and that our freedom in Christ 19:43 results in a Spirit-led life 19:47 that produces fruits of righteousness. 19:50 Now look at Galatians chapter 3 and verse 3. 19:55 Paul's writing to them saying: "How can you 19:57 accept another gospel? " 19:59 And here's what he says: "Are you so foolish? 20:03 Having begun in the Spirit are you now 20:08 being made perfect by the flesh? " 20:11 Let me ask you: 20:12 anybody in here besides me ever try to perfect your walk 20:18 by the flesh? 20:21 Paul says you can't do it. 20:24 Having begun in the Spirit 20:26 you've got to continue in the Spirit. 20:28 Turn to chapter 5 of Galatians 20:31 and let me show you why this is so important. 20:34 In Galatians 5 and verse 4 20:38 Paul is telling these same ones who are trying to work out 20:42 their own justification, he said: 20:45 "You have become estranged from grace 20:49 you who attempt to be justified by law. 20:52 You have.. " What? "fallen from grace. " 20:58 It is true. We can fall from grace. 21:01 You know, grace puts us on that highway of holiness... 21:07 that path of life where we find joy in the presence of the Lord. 21:12 But we can either go a little to the left 21:16 or a little to the right. 21:18 And if we go off that pathway 21:21 either by trying to save ourself through works 21:24 or by getting - how can I say it? - 21:29 by looking at grace as if it were cheap 21:32 and we don't think we have to worry about obedience... 21:35 If we get off on either side, the devil has a snare 21:39 on either side. And boy I'll tell you what: 21:41 those steel teeth of that snare will get around your... 21:45 around your ankle and hang on. 21:48 Now, turn to Philippians chapter 2. 21:52 Here's Paul saying "don't fall from grace. " 21:56 "Don't... don't think that you can work your way to heaven. 22:00 Salvation is a gift from God. 22:04 There is absolutely nothing you can do to earn it! " 22:07 Now here a few years later he's writing to the Philippians 22:11 and in chapter 2 and verse 12 he says: 22:15 "Therefore, my beloved, 22:18 my beloved Philippians, as you have always obeyed 22:22 not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence" 22:26 So he's putting some emphasis on obedience here, isn't he? 22:30 "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. " 22:36 Now wait a minute, Paul. 22:38 Are you preaching a different gospel? 22:41 Is this a gospel of works? 22:45 What does he mean "work out your own salvation 22:48 with fear and trembling? " 22:50 There's not even a hint of a gospel of works in this. 22:55 You know what it is? 22:57 You cannot... He hasn't finished his sentence yet. 22:59 Some people stop at Philippians 2:12. 23:01 I used to, and my knees would knock and I'd tremble 23:05 before the Lord 'cause I was trying to work out my 23:08 own salvation not by the power of the Holy Spirit 23:11 but in my flesh. 23:12 But Paul is saying in the next scripture 23:16 which is part of the same sentence 23:19 "not in your own strength 23:22 for it is... " Who? "God who works in you 23:26 to... " What? "to will and to do His good pleasure. " 23:32 So what we see is a picture of salvation by grace 23:36 that is accompanied by some cooperative effort 23:40 on our part. But it is a Spirit-empowered effort. 23:45 Paul paints a picture of those who have experienced 23:49 the justification of salvation 23:51 and who are experiencing the sanctification of salvation. 23:57 It is absolutely appropriate to say "I have been saved, " 24:03 "I am being saved, " 24:06 and "I will be saved. " 24:09 Past, present, and future. 24:11 Let's visit and define salvation so we can make this clear. 24:16 If you had to... If you met somebody on an airplane 24:20 and they said: "Well, I don't know anything about salvation, 24:23 what is it? " How would you define salvation? 24:26 Have you ever thought of that? 24:28 Salvation, if I were to say it in one sentence, I would say: 24:34 "It is the rescue from the penalty, 24:39 the power, and the presence of sin and eternal death. " 24:46 And those are three different stages. 24:49 So how does God rescue us from the penalty 24:54 of death? The penalty of sin? 24:58 I heard it... Justification! 25:01 Absolutely. That is the first stage of salvation. 25:05 Justification is an act of God. 25:08 It happens when we confess our sins 25:11 and by faith we accept the imputed righteousness 25:17 of Christ Jesus. 25:19 What does that mean? 25:21 It means that the perfect moral character 25:25 and the perfect record of obedience 25:29 that belong to Jesus is given to us. 25:33 It is credited to our account. 25:35 Hallelujah! This is an act of God. 25:40 There's nothing you and I can do other than confess our sins 25:43 and know that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 25:46 and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Amen? 25:50 So this is the rescue from the penalty of sin 25:55 and eternal death. Takes but a moment. 25:58 And once we've confessed it's past tense. 26:02 We are justified. 26:03 I have been saved from the penalty of death. 26:07 But now the second stage is sanctification, 26:11 and this is rescue from the power of sin. 26:16 Sanctification. Do you know what that word means? 26:20 Holy! It means holy. Thank you, Richard. 26:25 He said it loud enough where we could all hear it, too. 26:28 Sanctification means holiness. 26:32 It means being separated from sin. 26:34 This isn't in my notes, but flip over to I Thessalonians 3:12 26:38 real quick 'cause I've just got to share this with you. 26:41 This is one of my favorite... my new favorite scriptures. 26:45 I Thessalonians 3... let's begin with verse 12. 26:51 I Thessalonians 3:12: "May the Lord 26:58 make you increase and abound in love 27:03 to one another and to all just as we do to you... " 27:07 For what purpose? 27:08 "so that He may establish your hearts 27:14 blameless in holiness before our God and Father 27:18 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. " 27:20 Do you realize what that says? 27:24 Grow in love you grow in holiness. 27:28 I don't know what your picture of holiness is 27:30 but God's picture of holiness is having a character like Him. 27:35 God is love. 27:37 And so when the Holy Spirit - who is the Spirit of holiness 27:42 and the Spirit of love - fills our hearts 27:45 we will grow in love. 27:48 So sanctification... we're going to look at this 27:51 a little more closely in a minute. 27:53 But it is a progressive work through the power of Christ's 27:57 imparted righteousness. 27:59 Holiness is not the cause of our salvation... 28:01 it is the consequence of our salvation. 28:04 As God works in us to renew a right spirit within us, 28:08 restore us to more purity, 28:10 and renew our character to lead a life 28:13 that is morally pleasing to Him, 28:15 this is rescue from the power of sin 28:18 and it's the work of a lifetime. 28:19 So it is present tense: "I am being saved. " 28:23 Now glorification... ah-ha! 28:25 The grace of glorification is the future. 28:29 This is I Corinthians 15 and verses 51-54. 28:33 When we who are dead in Christ come up from the grave 28:38 and those who alive are caught up in the air with us 28:41 and we put on immortality; 28:45 when God transforms us in the twinkling of an eye 28:48 to receive this immortal body 28:51 that is not subject to sin and death 28:53 and to an inheritance that will never fade away... 28:56 this will be rescue from the presence of sin, 29:02 and that's future tense. 29:04 Now, here's the question that I have to ask you: 29:08 can we experience the grace of sanctification... 29:12 excuse me, can we experience the grace of justification 29:17 and fall from grace because we fail to experience 29:20 the grace of sanctification? 29:23 Let's look at it. 29:24 Turn to Matthew 25. 29:28 Jude wrote in Jude 1... Well, there's only one chapter in Jude 29:33 In Jude 3 and 4 Jude wrote: "Contend honestly for the 29:37 faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 29:39 For certain men have crept in unnoticed who long ago were 29:42 marked out for this condemnation. 29:44 Ungodly men who turn the grace of our Lord Jesus 29:47 into lewdness and deny the only Lord God, 29:51 our Lord Jesus Christ. " 29:53 Recently someone said to me 29:57 because they heard a bad teaching 29:59 "I can enjoy my pornography 30:02 because I'm saved by grace. " 30:08 Look at Matthew 25. This is a parable that cautions us 30:12 for the need to be prepared for the uncertain time 30:14 of Christ's return... His second coming. 30:18 Matthew 25. 30:20 And this parable... You have to understand: 30:24 there was a Jewish custom of the day - 30:27 it was of their culture - that the groom would come 30:31 late at night, attended by his groomsmen. 30:33 The bride had made herself ready 30:35 and the bridesmaids would be out there waiting for the groom 30:39 with their lamps to usher him to the bride 30:42 so that he then could usher them to his home. 30:45 So in scripture, who's the bride? 30:48 The church is the bride. 30:50 Who's the bridegroom? 30:51 Christ. So He's telling about His second coming. 30:54 In Matthew 25 He says: 30:56 "The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins. " 31:01 Ha! You know, the church is always presented as 31:06 a virtuous woman... one un- defiled by other relationships. 31:09 So when He's talking about ten virgins, who are these? 31:12 Church members. 31:15 Church members who took their lamps. What's the lamps? 31:18 "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. " 31:22 They took their lamps and they went out to meet the bridegroom. 31:25 "Now 5 of them were wise and 5 were foolish. " 31:28 Two different classes of church members. 31:30 "Those that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil... " 31:34 Who's the oil? The Holy Spirit... "with them. 31:37 But the wise took oil in their vessels. " 31:41 These vessels were little flasks that they had 31:45 for... to hold a supply of oil. 31:48 That represents our heart. 31:50 "So they took oil in their vessels with their lamps but 31:53 while the bridegroom was delayed they all slumbered and slept. " 31:56 A spiritual weariness set in... a certain apathy. 32:00 "And at midnight a loud cry pierced the air: 32:05 'behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet Him. ' 32:09 Then all of those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 32:12 And the foolish said to the wise: 'Give us some of your oil 32:15 for our lamps are going out. ' 32:16 But the wise answered saying: 32:19 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and for you. 32:22 But go rather to those who sell and buy for yourself. ' " 32:25 You know, the oil of the Holy Spirit 32:27 in this parable is also by inference the character 32:31 that the wise virgins gained by His influence in their lives. 32:37 They couldn't. It wasn't being selfish. 32:39 They couldn't share their oil. 32:42 You have to have a personal relationship 32:45 with the Holy Spirit. 32:46 "And while they went to buy the bridegroom came and 32:49 those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding 32:52 and the door was shut. And afterward the other virgins 32:55 came also saying: 'Lord, Lord, open to us. ' " 32:57 Ah... "But He answered and said: 33:01 'Assuredly I say to you I do not know you. ' " 33:07 Then Jesus gives us this warning: 33:08 "Watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour 33:11 in which the Son of Man is coming. " 33:13 Did you notice that Jesus doesn't say 33:18 there's wise virgins and foolish maidens. 33:24 They're all members of the church. 33:27 He referred to all of them as virgins. 33:31 That leads us to believe that the foolish virgins 33:34 were not hypocrites. 33:37 They had... They were members of His church who had their 33:41 spiritual progress stifled. And as I studied this out 33:46 as I was writing The Grace Pipeline 33:49 boy, it hit me like a ton of bricks. 33:53 What Jesus is saying here is that each of these 10 virgins 33:58 had an experience with the grace of salvation. 34:03 The foolish virgins had been justified. 34:07 Had accepted Christ as their Savior... repented. 34:11 They joined the church, but they refused to tap into God's 34:15 grace pipeline for sanctification. 34:18 Either because they had a fixed rebellious attitude 34:21 or perhaps because they'd heard and erroneous teaching. 34:27 So, their ill-judged rejection of God's will... 34:33 And what is God's will for your life? 34:35 What does it say in I Thessalonians 4:3? 34:38 "This is the will of God... your sanctification. " 34:43 Their ill-judged rejection of God's grace 34:47 shuts the door of eternal salvation. 34:50 Jesus warned His followers for many generations saying this 34:55 in Matthew 7:21-23. 34:58 He says: "Not everyone who says to Me 35:01 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven 35:04 but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ' " 35:10 "Many will say to Me in that day 'Lord, Lord. 35:13 Have we not prophesied in Your name? 35:14 Cast out demons in Your name? 35:16 And done many wonders in Your name? ' 35:18 And I will say to them 35:21 'I never knew you. 35:23 Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness. ' " 35:27 So justification by grace is rather easy to grasp. 35:33 We confess our sins; given the gift of repentance; 35:37 it's an act of God... a sovereign act. 35:40 He credits Christ's record to us so our record is clean. 35:46 That's imputed righteousness. 35:47 But now the confusion comes with sanctification. 35:52 Turn to I Thessalonians chapter 5. 35:56 I Thessalonians chapter 5. 35:59 You know, Peter said that some things Paul wrote 36:01 were hard to understand. 36:03 He said that unstable, untaught people 36:08 twist the scriptures to their own destruction. 36:11 And he says: "Therefore beware lest you fall from your own 36:17 steadfastness... being led away with the error of the wicked. " 36:21 But he says in II Peter 3:18 36:25 "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior 36:29 Jesus Christ. " So let's look at I Thessalonians 5 verse 23. 36:35 I Thessalonians 5 verse 23. 36:39 If sanctification is so important and salvation 36:43 belongs to God but we're sitting here talking about 36:45 our cooperative effort, how do we explain this? 36:48 I Thessalonians 5:23 is a beautiful scripture! 36:53 And what Paul writes is this: "Now may the God of peace 36:58 Himself sanctify you completely 37:02 and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved 37:06 blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. " 37:10 He who calls you is faithful... 37:14 He will do it! 37:18 Hallelujah! Do you realize salvation belongs to the Lord? 37:23 It isn't just the salvation of justification, 37:27 it is the salvation of sanctification. 37:29 God will work in us 37:33 to will and to do His good pleasure. 37:35 God will sanctify us. 37:38 And to experience this daily process of sanctification 37:42 by grace we need to understand God's 3 greatest gifts of grace. 37:48 So let's look at those 37:50 because when we understand the 3 greatest gifts of grace 37:56 we will understand the effects of grace 37:59 to rescue us from sin and death, 38:02 to renew a right spirit with us, 38:04 and to restore us to moral purity. 38:08 Number 1: the greatest gift of God's grace. 38:13 We find it in John chapter 4. 38:16 When a woman - a Samaritan woman - had come to the well 38:20 and she had an encounter with Jesus. 38:24 And Jesus said to her... 38:28 In John chapter 4 and verse 10 38:35 He said to her: "If only you knew the gift of God 38:40 and who it is that speaks to you 38:44 you would ask Him and He would give you living water 38:48 that would well up within you a fountain of water 38:51 that springs up to everlasting life. " 38:54 In my mind's eye, this is how I see Jesus saying that 39:00 to this precious woman who'd had five husbands before, 39:05 living with a sixth man who was not her husband, 39:08 and now meets man #7... the Man of perfection. 39:13 And here's Jesus... and He looks at her 39:18 and He spreads His arms widely 39:21 and He says: "If only you knew 39:25 the gift of God and who it is that's speaking to you. " 39:31 His arms were spread wide in an embrace of love 39:36 and perhaps in the sign of the posture He would assume 39:42 on the cross. What He was saying to her is: 39:46 "If only you knew, I am the gift of God. " 39:52 "For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. " 39:58 "I am the gift of God... 40:01 the Lamb who was slain from the foundations of the world 40:06 who will take away the sins of the world. " 40:10 Jesus Christ is the greatest gift 40:14 God has ever given to humanity. 40:18 And God demonstrated His love for us 40:20 in that while we were yet sinners He sent Jesus. 40:24 Paul wrote to the Corinthians. In I Corinthians 1:30 40:28 he said: "It is because of Him" - because of God - 40:31 "that you are in Christ Jesus who has" - Christ has - 40:36 "become our wisdom from God, 40:41 our righteousness... our sanctification... 40:45 and our redemption. " Hallelujah! 40:48 Christ in you is your only hope of glory. 40:54 Your only hope of attaining to the character of God. 40:59 So if Jesus is the greatest gift, who is the second 41:03 greatest gift? 41:05 The Holy Spirit. 41:08 When... when... Turn to Thessalonians chapter 2. 41:12 Just keep your finger there. 41:15 When Peter was preaching on the Day of Pentecost 41:19 he said... And those who are taking notes you might want to 41:22 just note this: Acts 2:38-39... 41:25 Peter said to the people: "Repent and let every one of you 41:29 be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins 41:34 and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 41:38 For the promise is for you and to your children, 41:43 to all who are afar off... 41:44 as many as the Lord our God will call. " 41:48 Later Peter wrote in I Peter 1:2 41:51 that we receive... He says: "You are the elect 41:56 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father 41:58 in sanctification of the Spirit 42:02 for obedience of Jesus Christ. " 42:06 Now let's look what Paul says. 42:09 II Thessalonians 2:13. 42:12 II Thessalonians 2:13. 42:17 Paul says: "We are bound to give thanks to God always 42:22 for you brethren beloved by the Lord 42:24 because God from the beginning chose you for salvation 42:31 through sanctification 42:35 by the Spirit and belief in the truth. " 42:40 Sanctification is what those foolish virgins missed out on. 42:48 God sent Christ as our wonderful gift. 42:53 He sent the Holy Spirit. Doesn't it amaze you 42:57 that the Spirit of the Living God 43:01 that God chose us to be His living temples? 43:04 Hallelujah! And the sanctifying activity of the Holy Spirit 43:09 leads to perfect submission of the will of God. 43:14 Which is what? Your sanctification and obedience 43:19 like Christ. 43:21 Romans 8. Why don't you turn there very quickly 43:25 because I want to show you this scripture. 43:27 Romans chapter 8. 43:29 See, what we're going to see here in just a moment 43:34 Christ lives in our hearts by faith. 43:37 We'll look at that scripture. 43:39 And His imparted righteousness comes to us 43:43 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 43:46 And also one more gift that we'll look at. 43:48 But let's continue looking at the Holy Spirit. 43:51 Romans 8:13 says: 43:54 "If you live according to the flesh... " 43:58 What's going to happen? 43:59 "you will die. " 44:00 If you're justified and you continue to live 44:04 according to the flesh, what do you think is going to happen? 44:06 "But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds 44:12 of your flesh... " and notice, there's two parties here 44:16 working in cooperation... 44:18 It is by the power of the Holy Spirit, 44:21 but He's not going to force you to do it... 44:23 It's you putting to death the misdeeds of your flesh. 44:26 You can't do it on your own 44:28 any more than you could change... a leopard can change 44:32 its spots. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, 44:35 if you put to death the misdeeds of your flesh 44:38 you will live. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God 44:42 these are the sons of God. 44:44 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage 44:48 you came to fear but you received the spirit of 44:50 adoption by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father. ' " 44:54 Now turn to Ephesians chapter 3 44:57 because it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit 45:01 that we can put to death the misdeeds of our flesh. 45:06 And that's what sanctification's all about, folks, 45:09 is putting to death the misdeeds of our flesh. 45:12 Ephesians chapter 3. 45:16 We're going to look at verses 16 through 20. 45:22 Paul writes to the Ephesians saying that he's praying that 45:25 "He would grant you... " - God would grant you - 45:28 "according to the riches of His glory 45:31 to be strengthened with might. " That's dunamis - 45:36 that's the dynamite power of God. 45:38 "Strengthened with might through... " Whom? 45:42 "Through His Spirit... " Where? 45:45 "In your inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts 45:50 through faith. " It is only when the Holy Spirit 45:54 is dwelling in you that Christ can dwell in you. 45:59 And only then that you can be rooted and grounded in love 46:04 "and may be able to comprehend with all of the saints 46:07 what is the width, the length, the depth, and height 46:11 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge 46:15 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. " 46:20 So how is God gonna do this? 46:23 He's going to do it by the power of His Holy Spirit in us. 46:27 And he goes on in verse 20 and says: 46:29 "Oh, now to Him who is able to do exceedingly 46:33 abundantly above all that we would ask or think... " 46:36 How? "according to the power that works in us. " 46:41 It is by the power of the Holy Spirit. 46:45 Jesus is the #1 most important gift of grace. 46:50 The Holy Spirit is God's second greatest gift of grace. 46:55 What do you think might be the third greatest gift of grace? 46:59 Turn to II Peter if you will. II Peter. 47:04 The Bible says... Paul wrote to Timothy and he says: 47:07 "All scripture is given... " It is a gift to you. 47:11 "by inspiration of God. It is profitable 47:13 for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 47:16 instruction of righteousness that the man of God 47:19 may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. " 47:23 But now look at what this Word will do. 47:27 II Peter. 47:29 Why is this gift - this wonderful gift of grace - 47:35 so powerful? 47:38 II Peter chapter 1. Let's look at verses 3 and 4. 47:45 Peter writes and he says: "His divine power... " - 47:49 God's divine power - 47:51 "has given to us... " - by grace - 47:56 "all things... " How many things? 47:59 "all things that pertain to life and godliness 48:05 through the knowledge of Him who called us 48:09 by glory and virtue 48:12 by which... " - by His glory and virtue - 48:15 have been given to us exceedingly great 48:19 and precious promises so that... " 48:23 This is the reason why He gave us His exceedingly 48:26 great and precious promises: 48:27 "so that through these you may be partakers 48:34 of the divine nature and escape the corruption 48:37 that is in the world through lust. " 48:40 There is transforming power in the Word of God. 48:47 James says in James 1:21 that when this Word 48:50 is planted in your heart the implanted Word 48:54 has the power to save your soul. 49:01 Why? Why does the Psalmist say 49:04 "Thy Word I have hidden in my heart 49:07 that I might not sin against You. " 49:12 Paul wrote - I believe that's I Corinthians 2:14- 49:16 he wrote to the Corinthians saying: 49:19 "You have the mind of Christ. " 49:22 He's writing to all of us. 49:25 We have been given the mind of Christ. 49:29 Here it is. 49:30 Every one of these words was inspired by the Holy Spirit 49:35 as He recorded God's wishes. 49:37 And Jesus said in the garden: 49:40 "Oh, Lord, sanctify them. " 49:42 Set them apart from evil. 49:44 "Make them holy by Your truth. 49:48 Your Word is truth. " 49:50 So the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit 49:54 and the sanctifying power of the Word 49:57 and the impart... is how the righteousness of 50:01 Jesus Christ is imparted to us 50:04 and Christ lives in us by faith. 50:08 No wonder... Can you see by grace 50:13 how God provides His divine assistance 50:17 and His supernatural power for salvation? 50:20 For your sanctification? 50:23 No wonder Paul heard these words from Jesus: 50:28 "My grace is sufficient for you 50:33 for My power is made perfect in your weakness. " 50:38 As we recognize these gifts of grace 50:42 we begin to recognize the effects of grace. 50:45 Through the gift of Christ's overflowing life, 50:48 the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, and the Word 50:52 God recreates us in His image. 50:55 Salvation belongs to God. 51:00 And now... When this begins happening, we have the hope 51:05 of attaining the character of Christ as we grow in grace... 51:10 as we mature in our Christian experience. 51:13 Let me give you the definition 51:16 that as I studied out grace - 51:18 and I have spend many years studying this to make sure... 51:21 God had to do a lot to correct my beliefs - 51:24 divine grace we usually say is "unmerited favor. " 51:30 Well what is that? That's the unearned, undeserved 51:33 gift of God. 51:34 So we've just seen... Did we do anything to deserve 51:38 the gift of Jesus Christ? No. 51:40 Did we do anything to deserve the gift of the Holy Spirit? No. 51:43 What did we do to deserve that God would write to us 51:48 such a precious love letter as His Bible? 51:50 See, divine grace is the unearned, undeserved 51:55 gift of God bestowed by a God of infinite love 52:00 that produce His divine assistance 52:05 and supernatural power of salvation. 52:08 That's why Paul said in I Corinthians 15:10 52:12 "I am what I am by the grace of God 52:16 and His grace for me was not in vain, but I labored more 52:21 more abundantly than they all. 52:23 Yet not I, but the grace of God that was in me. " 52:27 Turn to Titus 2. 52:30 Titus 2. 52:32 That's over there with the T's. 52:35 Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus. 52:38 Paul wrote this to Titus, and I think it's important 52:42 for us to see 52:44 because there is a very dangerous 52:49 encroachment in our very own church. 52:53 We hear from time to time 52:55 that it is being preached by some 52:59 that anyone who mentions obedience is legalistic 53:04 and unlearned in grace. 53:06 Let me tell you something. 53:08 God is very serious about purifying His people. Amen. 53:14 Let's look at Titus 2 and we'll begin with verse 11. 53:19 In Titus 2:11 the Bible says - Paul writes to Titus saying: 53:23 "For the grace of God that brings salvation 53:27 has appeared to all men teaching us... " 53:30 here's the lesson of grace - 53:34 "teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts 53:38 we should live soberly, righteously, and godly 53:42 in the present age... " 53:43 Sounds like sanctification to me. How about to you? 53:46 "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing 53:52 of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. " 53:56 See when Paul wrote and said: "Work out your own salvation 54:00 in fear and trembling, 54:02 but not in your own strength 54:06 for it is God who works in you to will and to do 54:09 according to His good pleasure. " 54:11 What Paul was saying is 54:14 not only is justification important - 54:18 being delivered from the penalty of sin - 54:20 but Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. 54:23 He came to sanctify us. 54:27 The Bible says we're sanctified by His body, 54:30 by His blood. We're sanctified by the Holy Spirit 54:33 for the purpose of obedience to God's will. 54:37 We're sanctified by His Word. 54:39 So what we've got to do is open our hearts and say: 54:43 "Lord, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. " 54:45 Day by day. And we've got to say: "Father, 54:49 help me to have an unquenchable desire for Your Word. 54:52 Let me get these promises in there. 54:54 Digest them, hide them in my heart 54:57 that I may be partaker of Your divine nature. 55:00 And let me work out the salvation that You put 55:03 into my heart. Not by my own power 55:07 but let me put to death the misdeeds of my flesh 55:09 by the power of the Holy Spirit. " 55:13 Now is the time to awaken to all 55:17 that God has to give to us by grace. 55:21 Are you allowing God to develop your full potential by grace? 55:27 Soon we will hear the clarion call: 55:29 "Behold, the bridegroom comes. " 55:34 Will we be like those wise virgins 55:39 who... yes, they slept... but they had had a real experience 55:44 with Christ, with the sanctification of salvation. 55:50 They had welcomed the Holy Spirit into their heart. 55:54 They weren't yet perfected. 55:56 They may not have been one of the 144,000 55:59 but they had a true relationship with God. 56:03 So when the call came 56:06 how many of the virgins woke up? 56:08 All of them. 56:10 They all recognized and said: 56:13 "He's coming; He's coming! " 56:17 But it will happen with a loud trump, 56:20 in the twinkling of an eye. 56:22 Every eye will see Him. 56:25 And there's not time at that point to say: "Okay, Lord, 56:28 I'm one of those foolish ones who never surrendered to You. 56:31 Yes, I prayed that prayer before to ask for forgiveness 56:35 but, Lord, I never did. I accepted Christ 56:40 as Savior but I never accepted Him as Lord. " 56:44 Oh, please. I don't know what your experience is 56:50 with salvation. Have you experienced only justification 56:55 or have you experienced sanctification? 56:59 Be like that wise virgin... 57:02 those wise virgins who opened their hearts to God. 57:05 And it all comes by tapping into His grace pipeline. 57:11 By faith... trusting in the Lord... 57:15 understanding how much He loves us... 57:19 and learning to walk in the power of surrender 57:24 as God works in us to will and to do His good pleasure. |
Revised 2014-12-17