Hello, friends, and welcome
to another Wednesday night
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Sharper Focus Bible study
here in Thompsonville, Illinois
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at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Thank you for
tuning in, and by the way
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Happy New Year to those of you
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who are joining us for
the first time in 2013.
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Actually, this is
our first broadcast
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for 2013,
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can you imagine we are in 2013,
can you all say amen to that.
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The Lord has seen fit to
sustain us for a new year
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and also for a new walk in Him.
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So join us for
the study tonight.
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We're continuing and hopefully
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finalizing our
lesson on "Carry my Cross."
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If you'd like a copy of
that, go to our website,
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don't put www, put asf.3abn.org
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and download lesson number 12.
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And follow along
with us, get your Bibles,
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get your pens
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and we are going to
tackle the Word of God together.
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But before we do anything else,
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we always invite the
presence of God to be with us,
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so bow your heads as we
go to the Lord in prayer.
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Heavenly Father, thank You
for the opportunity tonight
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to study Your Word.
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We know that we need
to study the Word of God.
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It is our only
source of strength.
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We know that in the Word of
God we find not only information
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but we find the living,
nurturing, strengthening,
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bread of life
that every one of us
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is in need of.
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And if Christ needed the word
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to be victorious
against the enemy,
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how much more do we
need the word in our lives.
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So come near to us Lord
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and speak to us of
the importance of carrying
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the cross of Christ day by day,
we pray in Christ's name, amen.
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Now once again, lesson number 12
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is the lesson we're
starting on tonight.
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Actually, the one
that we are finishing
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and we're going to
begin with question number 12,
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how many...
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what question did I say?
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I actually meant
question number ten.
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You know, I had the number 12
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in my head from
the lesson number,
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but we're going to begin
with question number ten.
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Let me lay just a
little bit of foundation
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why this lesson is
so vitally important.
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A lot of times we talk
about the cross and people say,
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"Well, this is the cross
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that God has called me to bear,"
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and sometimes they're
talking about their trials,
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their difficulties,
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there could be
financial, spiritual,
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relational, all those...
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those incidences that
are part of our daily life.
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However, the cross
that Christ calls us to bear
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is not so much our trials alone,
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those are the things
that are going to happen
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because of the results
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and the presence
of sin in the world.
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So I want to be able
to answer the question,
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what does it really
mean to carry the cross.
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"Well, when you think about it,
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what did it mean to Christ
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when He carried
and bore the cross
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that really did
not belonged to Him
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but belonged to us.
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I'm going to ask a big question,
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I want you to all think
about this before you answer,
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but where was Christ going
if the cross was ahead of Him,
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where was He going?
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Well, that's been
a really easy one.
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He was going to be...
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Let's try that
again with someone.
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He was going to be crucified.
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He was going to the crucifixion.
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If the cross is ahead of Him
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and Christ was
going to the cross,
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the question is
where was He going
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if the cross was ahead of Him?
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He was going to His crucifixion.
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What many of us
don't know is day by day
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there is a cross waiting for us
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when we wake up in the morning.
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What did Christ do
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when He was nailed to the cross?
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What happened to Him?
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Say it again. He died.
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And on that cross is
where Christ met death.
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The death that He
died really was our death.
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The life that He
lives now is by His blessing
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and gift to us His life.
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He died our death, now
He extends to us His life.
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And so in order for us to
have this victorious life,
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we have to find
out how to do that,
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but before we do anything
else we should sing a song,
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what do you think?
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Want to sing a song?
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Let's sing our song tonight,
the song is Victory in Jesus.
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I almost forgot
because we hadn't done this
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since last year, but
a long time ago, right?
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But let's sing our song tonight,
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the victory that
we have in Christ.
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If you want to join us,
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listen as we sing
the song together,
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Victory in Jesus.
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sins
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And won the victory
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Together.
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Oh victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me 'ere
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I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet day
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I'll sing up there
the song of victory
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Key change.
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Oh victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me 'ere
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I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Amen.
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Now it feels more
complete, don't you think?
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We missed our song
that really infuses us
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and reminds us of our theme
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and if you
forgot our overall theme
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that's how to live a
spiritual life in a what?
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In a natural body.
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Who, you guys?
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It's cold here in
Thompsonville by the way,
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if it's warm where you
are, send us some heat,
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we really need it.
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But tonight I'd
like you to turn with me
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to question number ten,
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that's where
we're beginning tonight
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and the title is,
How to carry my cross?
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How to carry my cross?
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Question number
ten is as follows:
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At what point in the plan
of salvation are we reconciled?
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And we're going
to go to Romans 5:10.
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Romans 5:10, and
as you know the answer
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will be on the screen.
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By the way if you want
to send us any questions
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you can also send questions
from our website there,
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asf.3abn.org
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or if you have
3ABN's regular website,
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just click on the
link that shows you
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where A Sharper
Focus is located.
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But at what point in the plan
of salvation are we reconciled?
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This is really
important because when you think
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about a will,
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when you think about a
will, a last will in testament,
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the last will in testament
often goes in effect when?
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When the person who
wrote the will dies, right?
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So I want you to
keep that in your mind
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because the plan was
in place for a long time.
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But the question is...
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And we'll answer this
after this question is answered.
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At what point was
the plan effective?
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The plan was in
place for a long time
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but at what point
was the plan effective?
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Well, let's first
answer the question.
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At what point in
the plan of salvation
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were we reconciled?
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Romans 5:10 reads as follows.
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And it says, let's read
this first one together,
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are you ready, here we go.
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"For if when we were," what?
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"Enemies we were
reconciled to God
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through the death of His Son,"
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I like the next
two words, "much more,
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having been
reconciled, we shall be," what?
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"Saved by His life."
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In other words if
the Lord brought you in
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when you were an enemy,
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if the Lord
extended His grace to you
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when we were not
even in harmony with Him,
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if the Lord
extended His salvation to us
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in the gift when we were at odds
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with each other,
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how much better
will He treat us now
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that we are reconciled together.
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So let's give a great example.
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You know there's
this big argument now
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in Congress and in
society in general,
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it's all about rights.
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People are saying,
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well, everybody in America
should have the right to,
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and then they
state what they feel
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they should have the
right to do right now.
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I don't really
want to talk about it,
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but there's these
issues over marriage,
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who has the right to marry
whom and what the genders are,
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and it's just a
very sad atmosphere.
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And the whole issue
that they base it on
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is everybody
should have the right.
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But what this is in
essence saying to us
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is before we even had the right,
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the Lord had extended to us
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the opportunity
to be reconciled.
00:10:11.94\00:10:14.34
He says, in other
words, your name is there
00:10:14.38\00:10:17.38
but in order for
the plan of salvation
00:10:17.41\00:10:20.22
to be a benefit to you,
00:10:20.25\00:10:23.79
you have to accept the
plan of reconciliation.
00:10:23.82\00:10:27.29
In other words, the
Bill of Rights is there
00:10:27.32\00:10:30.63
for every American citizen,
00:10:30.66\00:10:32.16
but in order for
it to benefit you,
00:10:32.19\00:10:33.53
you have to be an
American citizen, right?
00:10:33.56\00:10:37.03
People that come
from foreign countries,
00:10:37.07\00:10:39.40
when they are on American soil
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they have to abide by
all of America's laws,
00:10:41.50\00:10:44.21
but they don't
get all the benefits
00:10:44.24\00:10:45.77
of an American citizen.
00:10:45.81\00:10:48.44
When we become
citizens of the kingdom,
00:10:48.48\00:10:50.31
all the benefits that Christ
00:10:50.35\00:10:51.68
has available are
made available to us,
00:10:51.71\00:10:53.65
can you say amen to that.
00:10:53.68\00:10:55.35
All of the benefits
are made available to us
00:10:55.38\00:10:58.05
while we're citizens,
00:10:58.09\00:10:59.49
but if we look at
this text, it's saying,
00:10:59.52\00:11:01.42
we're on the right
soil, we've been reconciled,
00:11:01.46\00:11:05.03
we're on the right soil
but the benefit is greater
00:11:05.06\00:11:09.20
after we have been reconciled.
00:11:09.23\00:11:11.47
But here's the answer,
00:11:11.50\00:11:12.83
at what point of
the plan of salvation
00:11:12.87\00:11:14.50
were we reconciled?
00:11:14.54\00:11:15.94
The answer is
highlighted in yellow.
00:11:15.97\00:11:17.44
Write that yellow answer
down. When we were, what?
00:11:17.47\00:11:22.24
Enemies, when we were enemies.
00:11:22.28\00:11:25.75
Wow, you think about that.
00:11:25.78\00:11:29.05
It reminds me of a story
00:11:29.08\00:11:30.42
and I cannot
remember the year it was,
00:11:30.45\00:11:31.92
but it was in the early
1900s during Christmas time
00:11:31.95\00:11:35.22
when the war was
still going on overseas
00:11:35.26\00:11:38.93
and this was on the
continent of Europe.
00:11:38.96\00:11:41.43
For a brief moment
00:11:41.46\00:11:43.70
they on December
24th that evening,
00:11:43.73\00:11:47.24
they declared a truce
between all the two fractions
00:11:47.27\00:11:51.41
that were warring
against each other.
00:11:51.44\00:11:53.07
They declared a truce.
00:11:53.11\00:11:54.74
And so the enemies
came out of their foxholes.
00:11:54.78\00:11:58.85
And for one brief moment,
a few hours during that night
00:11:58.88\00:12:04.32
they got
together traded stories,
00:12:04.35\00:12:07.89
there's a pictures I
have of that particular,
00:12:07.92\00:12:10.43
they got together,
00:12:10.46\00:12:11.79
traded stories
and for a brief moment
00:12:11.83\00:12:14.13
they were just men on
a different continent,
00:12:14.16\00:12:17.43
men on two sides of
a conflicting issue,
00:12:17.47\00:12:22.00
but they had pictures
of them hugging together,
00:12:22.04\00:12:24.37
they were smoking together,
they were drinking together,
00:12:24.41\00:12:26.84
they were singing songs together
00:12:26.88\00:12:28.88
and they were
celebrating Christmas together
00:12:28.91\00:12:32.31
and when the command came
the next day to go back to war,
00:12:32.35\00:12:37.02
many of them couldn't do it.
00:12:37.05\00:12:39.09
They couldn't do it.
00:12:39.12\00:12:40.46
So in order to get
the war started back up,
00:12:40.49\00:12:43.19
the generals on both sides
of this conflict sent new men
00:12:43.22\00:12:47.26
to the front lines
that had no camaraderie,
00:12:47.30\00:12:50.13
you know what that says?
00:12:50.17\00:12:51.50
When we find a
place of camaraderie.
00:12:51.53\00:12:53.34
it's hard to be
enemies with each other.
00:12:53.37\00:12:57.74
And when you look at
this the Lord is saying,
00:12:57.77\00:12:59.37
if we were reconciled
when you were an enemy,
00:12:59.41\00:13:03.01
how much greater now
and how much more blessing
00:13:03.04\00:13:05.48
is the reconciliation
now that we are not enemies,
00:13:05.51\00:13:08.02
we are one with Christ.
00:13:08.05\00:13:09.38
But I want you to see something,
00:13:09.42\00:13:10.75
go to verse 8 in
Romans Chapter 5.
00:13:10.79\00:13:12.65
Romans 5:8, this gives you
an even more beautiful picture,
00:13:12.69\00:13:18.03
but notice this.
00:13:18.06\00:13:20.56
Oh, let's start with verse 6.
00:13:20.60\00:13:24.63
"For when we were
still without," what?
00:13:24.67\00:13:27.97
Strength.
00:13:28.00\00:13:29.34
Romans 5:6, for
when we were still
00:13:29.37\00:13:31.27
without strength in due
time, what did Christ do?
00:13:31.31\00:13:35.81
He died for the ungodly.
00:13:35.84\00:13:38.51
And this puts it
together wonderfully.
00:13:38.55\00:13:40.25
For scarcely for a righteous man
00:13:40.28\00:13:43.49
will one die, yet perhaps,
00:13:43.52\00:13:46.29
just got to work
that word, yet perhaps,
00:13:46.32\00:13:48.46
maybe, maybe for a good man
someone would even dare to die.
00:13:48.49\00:13:54.76
In other words they're saying,
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.13
give me a reason why
I should die for you,
00:13:56.16\00:13:57.50
what good have you done
00:13:57.53\00:13:58.87
that I should
give my life for you.
00:13:58.90\00:14:00.40
Christ didn't
even ask that question.
00:14:00.44\00:14:02.04
He says, look at the
verse that follows, but...
00:14:02.07\00:14:06.47
Verse 8, "But God demonstrated
His own love towards us
00:14:06.51\00:14:12.78
in that while
we were yet," what?
00:14:12.81\00:14:16.38
"Sinners, Christ died for us."
00:14:16.42\00:14:21.76
Isn't that an amazing thing?
00:14:21.79\00:14:23.43
While we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
00:14:23.46\00:14:25.56
He didn't wait for
everything to be reconciled,
00:14:25.59\00:14:27.50
He didn't wait for us
to get good, Pastor Jim.
00:14:27.53\00:14:29.86
He said, "You need help now."
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.97
And when you realize the help
that has been extended to you,
00:14:33.00\00:14:36.00
then the
relationship will begin.
00:14:36.04\00:14:39.07
Matter of fact the text
that we all repeat so often,
00:14:39.11\00:14:42.04
I like you to go with
me to Revelation 13:8,
00:14:42.08\00:14:44.75
this is not the text,
00:14:44.78\00:14:46.21
but the text
that we often repeat,
00:14:46.25\00:14:48.35
the text that goes
around in our mind over and over
00:14:48.38\00:14:51.09
and over is one that
tells us the true story,
00:14:51.12\00:14:54.39
for God so loved the...
00:14:54.42\00:14:56.93
How much of the
world did God love?
00:14:56.96\00:14:59.13
How much of the
world did He love?
00:14:59.16\00:15:01.26
All the world.
00:15:01.30\00:15:02.63
How much of His
salvation is made available,
00:15:02.66\00:15:04.10
to how many people
00:15:04.13\00:15:05.47
is His salvation made available,
00:15:05.50\00:15:06.84
to how much?
00:15:06.87\00:15:08.20
To the whole world.
00:15:08.24\00:15:09.90
The grace of God
that brings salvation,
00:15:09.94\00:15:12.87
Paul says, has
appeared to all men.
00:15:12.91\00:15:16.51
So there is no...
00:15:16.54\00:15:17.88
There is no narrow
plan, but I want to show you
00:15:17.91\00:15:20.12
that the plan was
in place a long time,
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.15
but the reason why some
people have not received
00:15:23.18\00:15:25.05
the benefits of the plan
00:15:25.09\00:15:26.76
is because they
have not received
00:15:26.79\00:15:28.69
the invitation to
be reconciled with God.
00:15:28.72\00:15:32.43
As a matter of
fact, as ambassadors,
00:15:32.46\00:15:34.16
Paul says, that's our message
to be reconciled with God.
00:15:34.20\00:15:37.53
We go forth our message
00:15:37.57\00:15:39.23
should be to
those who don't know,
00:15:39.27\00:15:40.60
do not know Christ
be reconciled to God.
00:15:40.64\00:15:43.81
See, but look
at Revelation 13:8,
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.97
tells you how long
this plan was in place.
00:15:46.01\00:15:48.78
Revelation 13:8
reads as follows.
00:15:48.81\00:15:52.68
We're not going to
get into the whole lamb
00:15:52.71\00:15:54.05
or the beast and all
that but notice this,
00:15:54.08\00:15:56.38
"And all who dwell on
the earth will worship him
00:15:56.42\00:15:58.39
whose names
have not been written
00:15:58.42\00:16:00.96
in the book of
life of the Lamb,"
00:16:00.99\00:16:03.32
read the next part with
me, "slain from the" when?
00:16:03.36\00:16:07.00
"Foundation of the
world." Got to ask the question.
00:16:07.03\00:16:11.10
Did Jesus die at the
foundation of the world?
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.47
Yes or no.
Absolutely not, He didn't.
00:16:13.50\00:16:16.81
So what is this text saying?
00:16:16.84\00:16:19.04
It's saying the plan,
00:16:19.07\00:16:20.98
the plan was in
place from the time
00:16:21.01\00:16:23.18
the world was established.
00:16:23.21\00:16:25.18
God did not wait for
the emergency to arise
00:16:25.21\00:16:28.88
for the plan to be put in place,
00:16:28.92\00:16:30.82
God put the plan in place
00:16:30.85\00:16:32.19
from the
foundation of the world.
00:16:32.22\00:16:34.22
So in other words
when do you put the...
00:16:34.26\00:16:36.32
When is the best time to
put the plumbing system in
00:16:36.36\00:16:38.46
as you build a house?
00:16:38.49\00:16:40.30
Come on, somebody tell me.
00:16:40.33\00:16:43.13
First, from the foundation?
00:16:43.16\00:16:45.13
Can you imagine
building a house and say,
00:16:45.17\00:16:46.50
"Oh, you know what?
00:16:46.53\00:16:47.87
Forgot, we
don't have any water."
00:16:47.90\00:16:49.80
And then say,
00:16:49.84\00:16:51.17
"Well, how are
you going to do that?"
00:16:51.21\00:16:52.54
You got to break
up the foundation.
00:16:52.57\00:16:53.91
At best drill
holes in all the walls
00:16:53.94\00:16:55.61
around the side of the house
00:16:55.64\00:16:56.98
to get the pipes to come
in, the Lord did not wait,
00:16:57.01\00:16:59.68
but for the emergency
to arise He put everything
00:16:59.71\00:17:02.32
that would be needed,
00:17:02.35\00:17:04.12
if man chose the course
that was chosen by Lucifer,
00:17:04.15\00:17:07.66
He gave them everything
they would need in the event
00:17:07.69\00:17:10.46
that man would sin
00:17:10.49\00:17:12.46
from the
foundation of the world.
00:17:12.49\00:17:14.60
Okay, let's go to number
11, number 11, all right.
00:17:14.63\00:17:18.87
And the answer by the way
is while we were yet sinners.
00:17:18.90\00:17:21.44
The number 11,
here is the question.
00:17:21.47\00:17:23.54
What difference
should reconciliation make
00:17:23.57\00:17:26.44
in our characters?
00:17:26.47\00:17:27.81
This is a very good question
to start the new year with.
00:17:27.84\00:17:30.61
What difference
should reconciliation make
00:17:30.65\00:17:32.98
in our characters?
00:17:33.01\00:17:34.45
I always like to
challenge the congregation
00:17:34.48\00:17:39.32
whether there are
local congregation
00:17:39.35\00:17:41.32
or those tuning
and viewing on Sabbath.
00:17:41.36\00:17:44.69
I always like to challenge them,
00:17:44.73\00:17:46.73
but there
should be a difference,
00:17:46.76\00:17:48.36
you know, we wait
often times for the new year
00:17:48.40\00:17:51.63
to begin to establish
our New Year's resolution.
00:17:51.67\00:17:55.90
We'll say, okay,
for the new year,
00:17:55.94\00:17:57.27
here's what I'm going to do.
00:17:57.31\00:17:58.64
And at best we try all we can
00:17:58.67\00:18:02.41
and all the commercials
start coming on television.
00:18:02.44\00:18:05.71
What's the number one thing
00:18:05.75\00:18:07.08
that people want us to
do when the new year begins?
00:18:07.12\00:18:09.58
Say it again,
everybody wants to lose weight,
00:18:09.62\00:18:12.55
everybody wants to get in
shape and right now, two for one
00:18:12.59\00:18:15.72
and, you know,
the prices are cut low
00:18:15.76\00:18:17.69
for everybody to act now
and then even the stores say,
00:18:17.73\00:18:21.26
the sale is between 8 and
11 and then between 2 and 3
00:18:21.30\00:18:24.17
it is going to go up
high, in between 3 and 5
00:18:24.20\00:18:25.73
it's going to be
back to normal prices.
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.30
They all aim at things that...
00:18:28.34\00:18:29.70
because they know that people
like to make new resolutions
00:18:29.74\00:18:33.38
when the new year begins.
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.48
What's
wonderful about this text,
00:18:35.51\00:18:38.51
it's saying that,
00:18:38.55\00:18:39.88
as the marketers know
that there is a difference
00:18:39.91\00:18:43.92
in our mindset
when the new year begins
00:18:43.95\00:18:45.49
as compared to when
the old year is leaving,
00:18:45.52\00:18:48.52
they try to
capitalize on the new mindset.
00:18:48.56\00:18:51.49
So in the very same way
there should be a difference
00:18:51.53\00:18:54.56
that those who
are reconciled to God
00:18:54.60\00:18:57.37
should display in their lives.
00:18:57.40\00:18:58.93
What difference does it make?
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.80
Let me ask you in
a very simple way.
00:19:00.84\00:19:02.64
What difference
would it make to you Glenn
00:19:02.67\00:19:04.41
if somebody treated you nicely?
00:19:04.44\00:19:06.01
Would you want to
treat them nicely?
00:19:06.04\00:19:07.98
Okay, so what
difference should it make
00:19:08.01\00:19:10.35
when we think about
the gift of eternal life?
00:19:10.38\00:19:13.21
Let's look at the
text, Colossians 1:21-22,
00:19:13.25\00:19:17.99
Colossians 1:21-22.
00:19:18.02\00:19:22.42
All right, and on
the screen here it is,
00:19:22.46\00:19:25.63
21-22, and it says, "And you..."
00:19:25.66\00:19:28.16
I could see that Paul
pointing his finger out.
00:19:28.20\00:19:30.57
"And you, who once were," what?
00:19:30.60\00:19:34.04
"Alienated and enemies
in your mind," and why?
00:19:34.07\00:19:39.91
"By wicked works, yet
now he has done," what?
00:19:39.94\00:19:44.51
"Reconciled in
the body of his flesh
00:19:44.55\00:19:48.52
through death to," what?
00:19:48.55\00:19:51.42
"Present you..."
00:19:51.45\00:19:52.79
Let's say this
together, "holy and blameless,
00:19:52.82\00:19:55.39
and above
reproach in His sight."
00:19:55.42\00:19:59.39
So when you think of
this plan of reconciliation,
00:19:59.43\00:20:01.76
he is saying that
because of our wicked works,
00:20:01.80\00:20:03.93
we were enemies.
00:20:03.97\00:20:05.43
I want to go back
on this very quickly,
00:20:05.47\00:20:07.10
just so that we
could look at this here,
00:20:07.14\00:20:08.64
because of our wicked
works we were alienated
00:20:08.67\00:20:12.07
and enemies in our
mind by our wicked works.
00:20:12.11\00:20:15.11
In other words, the
works that we had were showing
00:20:15.14\00:20:17.45
that we were enemies with God.
00:20:17.48\00:20:19.58
The question is what
difference did it make?
00:20:19.61\00:20:22.48
So where should
the difference show up,
00:20:22.52\00:20:24.65
in our minds or in our work?
00:20:24.69\00:20:27.22
Think about it.
00:20:27.26\00:20:28.59
Where should the
difference show up,
00:20:28.62\00:20:30.23
in our mind or in our work?
00:20:30.26\00:20:32.29
Well, since you
can't read my mind
00:20:36.20\00:20:37.53
where should it show up?
00:20:37.57\00:20:41.40
I know you guys, ah, pastor,
now where should it show up.
00:20:41.44\00:20:46.17
Exactly.
00:20:46.21\00:20:49.31
I specifically
phrased it that way,
00:20:49.34\00:20:51.88
where should it show up?
00:20:51.91\00:20:53.82
Because a lot of people say,
00:20:53.85\00:20:55.75
you don't know
what's in my heart,
00:20:55.78\00:20:57.69
you know how I
know, how do I know?
00:20:57.72\00:21:00.22
By your works.
00:21:00.26\00:21:01.59
Let's go to
Matthew, let's go to Matthew.
00:21:01.62\00:21:04.03
Go with me to Matthew.
00:21:04.06\00:21:05.39
Lot of people say,
00:21:05.43\00:21:06.76
well, you don't
know what's in my mind,
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.86
I don't need to
know what's in your mind.
00:21:08.90\00:21:10.87
The Lord doesn't
call us to read minds,
00:21:10.90\00:21:12.83
He calls us to
examine fruit, right?
00:21:12.87\00:21:16.40
Matthew 7.
00:21:16.44\00:21:18.61
Matthew 7, so what
difference should reconciliation
00:21:18.64\00:21:21.88
make in our character?
00:21:21.91\00:21:23.31
The difference
should be in our works.
00:21:23.35\00:21:25.51
If you want to
answer that, in our works,
00:21:25.55\00:21:28.02
that's where the
difference should be.
00:21:28.05\00:21:29.92
In other words,
don't say one thing
00:21:29.95\00:21:32.09
and do another,
00:21:32.12\00:21:33.69
all right here it
is, Matthew chapter 7,
00:21:33.72\00:21:36.62
and let's start with verse 16.
00:21:36.66\00:21:39.39
"You will know
them by their" what?
00:21:42.46\00:21:44.57
"By their fruits.
00:21:44.60\00:21:45.93
Do men gather
grapes from thorn bushes
00:21:45.97\00:21:48.94
or figs from thistles?"
00:21:48.97\00:21:50.34
And the answer is what? "No.
00:21:50.37\00:21:52.77
Even so every good tree
00:21:52.81\00:21:57.71
bears good fruit,
00:21:57.75\00:22:00.25
but a bad tree bears," what?
00:22:00.28\00:22:02.25
"Bad fruit.
00:22:02.28\00:22:03.62
A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit,
00:22:03.65\00:22:05.99
nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit.
00:22:06.02\00:22:09.29
Every tree that
does not bear good fruit
00:22:09.32\00:22:11.29
is cut down and
thrown into the fire."
00:22:11.33\00:22:13.80
Let's read the
verse 20 together.
00:22:13.83\00:22:16.30
"Therefore, by their
fruits you are," what?
00:22:16.33\00:22:19.17
"Know them."
00:22:19.20\00:22:20.54
So people are not
called to read our minds,
00:22:20.57\00:22:24.07
but brothers and
sisters, first of all,
00:22:24.11\00:22:25.57
let's put this
into categorization
00:22:25.61\00:22:26.98
because a lot of times,
I've heard people say this
00:22:27.01\00:22:29.28
and this always
kind of makes me,
00:22:29.31\00:22:32.21
maybe make me uncomfortable
for this particular reason.
00:22:32.25\00:22:34.75
I've heard people say,
and sometimes in churches
00:22:34.78\00:22:36.85
we as members have
conflicts with each other.
00:22:36.89\00:22:39.15
And I've heard
people that are kind of,
00:22:39.19\00:22:41.46
I call this the parachute
of excuses, they would say,
00:22:41.49\00:22:44.66
"I could go to that club in town
00:22:44.69\00:22:46.93
or the bar in town and
people treat me nicer there
00:22:46.96\00:22:49.23
than they do in church."
00:22:49.26\00:22:51.80
Well, you know why?
00:22:51.83\00:22:53.20
Because the devil is not
having a fight down at the bar.
00:22:53.23\00:22:56.94
He's fighting where?
00:22:56.97\00:22:58.31
In the church,
00:22:58.34\00:22:59.67
because he doesn't
want these works to show up
00:22:59.71\00:23:02.38
where they should
show up, he wants the place
00:23:02.41\00:23:04.81
that we should not
be looked like the place
00:23:04.85\00:23:07.35
that we are welcomed.
00:23:07.38\00:23:08.95
And he wants the place
where we should be welcomed
00:23:08.98\00:23:11.05
looked like a place
where we should not be
00:23:11.09\00:23:12.99
and where does he do it?
00:23:13.02\00:23:14.36
He makes those who say
00:23:14.39\00:23:16.06
they are good
trees bear bad fruit.
00:23:16.09\00:23:20.73
What did Jesus
say about the vine?
00:23:20.76\00:23:22.13
I am the vine,
you are the, what?
00:23:22.16\00:23:24.40
Branches.
00:23:24.43\00:23:25.77
How much can you do
if you abide in Him?
00:23:25.80\00:23:28.37
How much can we do
if we abide in Him?
00:23:28.40\00:23:30.71
Okay, everything. You
got to listen tonight.
00:23:30.74\00:23:33.64
We can do
everything if we abide in Him,
00:23:33.68\00:23:35.74
but if we don't abide
in Him how much can we do?
00:23:35.78\00:23:38.61
Nothing.
00:23:38.65\00:23:39.98
As I say, "Man, my car
ran out of gas five feet
00:23:40.02\00:23:44.79
from the gas station."
00:23:44.82\00:23:46.69
Now is your car going to run
00:23:46.72\00:23:48.06
because it's close
to the gas station?
00:23:48.09\00:23:50.33
Absolutely not.
00:23:50.36\00:23:51.69
You can run out two
feet from the gas pump
00:23:51.73\00:23:54.30
and it's not going to move
00:23:54.33\00:23:56.77
until there's a
connection between the power
00:23:56.80\00:23:59.03
that is available in that fuel
00:23:59.07\00:24:03.57
when it's put into that vehicle.
00:24:03.61\00:24:05.67
So we could say
we are with Christ
00:24:05.71\00:24:07.21
but unless there's a
connection between us
00:24:07.24\00:24:08.64
and Christ these
things that should be removed
00:24:08.68\00:24:11.88
from our lives as the text says,
00:24:11.91\00:24:13.95
the wicked works that are there,
00:24:13.98\00:24:15.35
first happen that the
transformation takes where?
00:24:15.38\00:24:18.49
First of all in the
mind, we all know that, right?
00:24:18.52\00:24:20.76
If the mind is renewed,
00:24:20.79\00:24:22.22
then the body begins to act out
00:24:22.26\00:24:26.09
what is resident in the mind.
00:24:26.13\00:24:29.83
If the heart is transformed,
00:24:29.86\00:24:31.77
the mouth begins to
communicate what's in the heart.
00:24:31.80\00:24:35.27
The Bible makes that clear.
00:24:35.30\00:24:36.64
Out of the
abundance of the heart
00:24:36.67\00:24:38.47
the mouth speaks.
00:24:38.51\00:24:39.97
So when people say things,
they, well, I don't mean that,
00:24:40.01\00:24:41.74
well, it came out, so that means
00:24:41.78\00:24:43.65
they had to be in there, right?
00:24:43.68\00:24:46.28
So what the Lord wants us to do,
00:24:46.31\00:24:47.88
the difference
that should be made
00:24:47.92\00:24:49.25
in our lives.
00:24:49.28\00:24:50.62
And I want to just emphasize
00:24:50.65\00:24:51.99
just a little bit more
to our viewing audience
00:24:52.02\00:24:53.36
and listening audience.
00:24:53.39\00:24:54.76
For this new year we've got
to make some spiritual goals.
00:24:54.79\00:24:57.56
If our spiritual
goals are not on paper
00:24:57.59\00:25:00.63
or if we're not praying
about our spiritual goals,
00:25:00.66\00:25:03.23
I always say to
people, if you have no goals,
00:25:03.26\00:25:06.13
don't get upset if you
don't reach those goals.
00:25:06.17\00:25:09.10
You cannot reach
goals that you don't have.
00:25:09.14\00:25:12.87
You cannot say, Lord,
00:25:12.91\00:25:14.24
I want to have a
stronger study life
00:25:14.28\00:25:15.61
or a stronger prayer
life or I want to have
00:25:15.64\00:25:17.38
a more victorious walk
with You unless we know that
00:25:17.41\00:25:20.75
and begin to plot
our course spiritually
00:25:20.78\00:25:25.02
to experience that.
00:25:25.05\00:25:26.42
Because what we say
00:25:26.45\00:25:27.79
and what we do are
not always the same thing,
00:25:27.82\00:25:29.82
that's what
verse 21 talks about.
00:25:29.86\00:25:31.63
But let's go to
question number 12,
00:25:31.66\00:25:33.90
all right?
00:25:33.93\00:25:36.43
What difference
should reconciliation make
00:25:36.46\00:25:37.97
in our character?
00:25:38.00\00:25:39.33
We saw that just a moment ago.
00:25:39.37\00:25:40.70
Now let's go to
question number 12,
00:25:40.74\00:25:42.50
and here's the question.
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.91
What act on our part is involved
00:25:44.94\00:25:47.58
in declaring us righteous?
00:25:47.61\00:25:49.31
In other words,
00:25:49.34\00:25:50.68
what do we have to
do, what must we do.
00:25:50.71\00:25:55.58
Okay, and we're going
00:25:55.62\00:25:57.35
to look together...
00:25:57.39\00:25:58.72
At Romans 5:17.
00:26:01.92\00:26:03.76
What do we do,
00:26:03.79\00:26:05.46
while we're preparing
to answer the question,
00:26:05.49\00:26:07.76
where does
righteousness come from?
00:26:07.80\00:26:09.30
Somebody tell me.
00:26:09.33\00:26:10.83
From whom does
righteousness come?
00:26:10.87\00:26:12.83
From Christ, all right. So
it's not ours first of all.
00:26:12.87\00:26:15.94
So if somebody comes to you,
00:26:15.97\00:26:17.31
well, Christmas just
passes a perfect setting.
00:26:17.34\00:26:19.37
If somebody comes to
you, Hannah, and says,
00:26:19.41\00:26:21.21
I have a gift for you.
00:26:21.24\00:26:23.98
What do you have to do
for the gift to be yours?
00:26:24.01\00:26:27.35
Accept it.
00:26:27.38\00:26:28.72
Okay, okay, we're
getting somewhere,
00:26:28.75\00:26:30.09
you have to do what?
00:26:30.12\00:26:31.45
Accept it. Accept it.
00:26:31.49\00:26:32.82
Now let's go to
the text, Romans 5:17.
00:26:32.85\00:26:34.99
The gift is
available, what you have to do?
00:26:35.02\00:26:37.59
You got accept a gift.
00:26:37.63\00:26:38.96
Here it is, Romans
5:17, what act on our part,
00:26:38.99\00:26:42.40
it says, "For if by one
man's offense death reigned
00:26:42.43\00:26:46.37
through the one,"
00:26:46.40\00:26:47.74
in other words if
death reigned through Adam,
00:26:47.77\00:26:49.40
and let me ask the question,
has death reigned through Adam?
00:26:49.44\00:26:53.44
On everyone,
"much more those who,"
00:26:53.48\00:26:58.95
say the next word,
00:26:58.98\00:27:00.98
"receive abundance of grace
00:27:01.02\00:27:05.59
and of the gift of righteousness
00:27:05.62\00:27:09.36
will reign in life
through One, Jesus Christ."
00:27:09.39\00:27:13.80
Let me break that down
and make it very, very clear.
00:27:13.83\00:27:16.16
Each one of us
00:27:16.20\00:27:17.53
has either one
father or the other.
00:27:17.57\00:27:19.77
Somebody tell me
what our father's name is?
00:27:19.80\00:27:22.34
What's your father's name?
00:27:22.37\00:27:26.01
What was your
first father's name?
00:27:26.04\00:27:28.88
Oh, thank you,
say it again. Adam.
00:27:28.91\00:27:32.58
If you go to 1
Corinthians Chapter 15,
00:27:32.61\00:27:34.58
you'll find that,
00:27:34.62\00:27:35.95
your first father's name is Adam
00:27:35.98\00:27:37.85
and your last
father's name is Adam,
00:27:37.89\00:27:40.96
the first Adam
and the last Adam.
00:27:40.99\00:27:44.19
Some people say second,
but there's no more after him.
00:27:44.23\00:27:47.96
The first is the Adam,
00:27:48.00\00:27:49.46
the natural man, the sinful man.
00:27:49.50\00:27:52.23
Go with me to 1 Corinthians,
I want you to see this,
00:27:52.27\00:27:54.84
1 Corinthians Chapter 15.
00:27:54.87\00:27:57.47
You want to
write the answer down.
00:27:57.51\00:27:59.11
What act in our part is involved
00:27:59.14\00:28:00.48
in declaring us righteous?
00:28:00.51\00:28:02.18
Put the answer down, "Receive."
00:28:02.21\00:28:04.45
We must
receive, we must receive.
00:28:04.48\00:28:08.15
The gift is available
but you have to receive it.
00:28:08.18\00:28:11.32
That's why a lot of times
00:28:11.35\00:28:13.32
when you think
about a package coming,
00:28:13.36\00:28:15.26
how many of you ever stay home
00:28:15.29\00:28:16.62
when you know this
very important package
00:28:16.66\00:28:17.99
is coming.
00:28:18.03\00:28:19.59
You kind of put
notes out on the door.
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.50
Leave the
package on my front door,
00:28:22.53\00:28:23.87
I'm waiting for this you
get that slip, you missed it,
00:28:23.90\00:28:28.10
and what do you do?
00:28:28.14\00:28:30.97
Can I come and pick it up.
00:28:31.01\00:28:32.57
We get excited
about temporary things,
00:28:32.61\00:28:35.24
we get excited about things
00:28:35.28\00:28:37.81
that are going to lose its value
00:28:37.85\00:28:39.51
in the course of time,
00:28:39.55\00:28:41.05
but this is a gift
that does not lose its value
00:28:41.08\00:28:43.65
in the course of time.
00:28:43.69\00:28:45.02
Let's look at our two fathers.
00:28:45.05\00:28:46.45
1 Corinthians,
most of you are there,
00:28:46.49\00:28:49.02
I'm on my way there.
00:28:49.06\00:28:50.49
1 Corinthians Chapter
15, let's look at the two.
00:28:50.53\00:28:52.93
We can only have
one of two categories.
00:28:52.96\00:28:55.30
We can only have one
of two fathers, all right?
00:28:55.33\00:29:00.47
1 Corinthians, 15:45.
00:29:00.50\00:29:03.07
Verse 45 reads as
follows, "And so it is written,"
00:29:08.91\00:29:11.81
the Bible says, "the first man,
00:29:11.85\00:29:16.28
Adam became a living," what?
00:29:16.32\00:29:18.45
"A living being, the
last Adam became a," what?
00:29:18.49\00:29:22.66
"Life giving spirit."
00:29:22.69\00:29:25.39
Go to verse 47,
00:29:25.43\00:29:26.80
see if the first
Adam and the last Adam,
00:29:26.83\00:29:29.06
you get it?
00:29:29.10\00:29:30.43
Look at verse 47.
00:29:30.47\00:29:32.43
"The first man was of
the earth made of dust,
00:29:32.47\00:29:36.34
the second man is the," who?
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.31
"Lord," from where?
"Heaven and get this."
00:29:38.34\00:29:41.71
That's why this is...
00:29:41.74\00:29:43.08
What difference should it make?
00:29:43.11\00:29:44.75
Verse 48.
00:29:44.78\00:29:46.88
As was the man of dust,
00:29:46.92\00:29:49.98
so also are those
who are made of dust
00:29:50.02\00:29:54.89
and as is the heavenly man,
00:29:54.92\00:29:57.63
so also are
those who are heavenly
00:29:57.66\00:30:01.06
and here is the wonderful gift.
00:30:01.10\00:30:03.87
As we have borne the
image of the man of dust,
00:30:03.90\00:30:07.00
we shall also bear
the image of the, who?
00:30:07.04\00:30:09.87
Heavenly Man.
00:30:09.90\00:30:11.24
So should there be a difference
00:30:11.27\00:30:12.81
if we say that
we're connected to Christ.
00:30:12.84\00:30:14.28
Should there be a difference
in our lives, yes or no?
00:30:14.31\00:30:16.58
As we look like the first man,
00:30:16.61\00:30:18.28
because we were
connected to the first man,
00:30:18.31\00:30:20.02
we should look
like the second one
00:30:20.05\00:30:22.28
or the last one.
00:30:22.32\00:30:23.65
If we look like
Adam, the earthly one,
00:30:23.69\00:30:26.65
our lives should
now resemble Christ,
00:30:26.69\00:30:29.46
the heavenly one,
you get the following.
00:30:29.49\00:30:33.46
So people should be
able to look at life and say,
00:30:33.50\00:30:37.60
not that your
works or your boast,
00:30:37.63\00:30:39.80
because it is Christ
who works in us both to will
00:30:39.83\00:30:42.54
and to do of His good pleasure,
00:30:42.57\00:30:44.54
but our works should be evidence
00:30:44.57\00:30:46.64
that we are not
connected anymore
00:30:46.68\00:30:48.01
to the earthly man,
00:30:48.04\00:30:49.38
but we are now
connected to the who?
00:30:49.41\00:30:51.11
To the Heavenly Man.
00:30:51.15\00:30:52.91
By their fruits,
finish it, you will know.
00:30:52.95\00:30:56.18
So when people say,
00:30:56.22\00:30:57.65
you don't know
what's in my heart,
00:30:57.69\00:30:59.02
I don't have to know, right Bud?
00:30:59.05\00:31:01.59
Don't have to know,
right Dan? Don't have to know.
00:31:01.62\00:31:04.23
If I see the works,
it's impossible to say
00:31:04.26\00:31:07.53
that you are
connected to the Heavenly Man,
00:31:07.56\00:31:12.00
yet your works are
fruits of the earthly man.
00:31:12.03\00:31:16.71
Go with me to Romans Chapter 7.
00:31:16.74\00:31:20.78
Lord is pointing me
to verses in the Bible
00:31:20.81\00:31:22.88
that are so significant.
00:31:22.91\00:31:24.68
See the last Adam and
the first Adam, only two.
00:31:24.71\00:31:27.65
And I like that statement
where Ellen White talks about,
00:31:27.68\00:31:31.65
"In the kingdom made new,
00:31:31.69\00:31:34.96
there's going to be a
meeting of the first Adam
00:31:34.99\00:31:37.26
and the last Adam."
00:31:37.29\00:31:39.16
What a meeting
that's going to be.
00:31:39.19\00:31:40.53
Adam, the one who failed
us is going to meet Christ,
00:31:40.56\00:31:43.60
the One who redeemed us.
00:31:43.63\00:31:46.10
What a reconciliation
that's going to be.
00:31:46.13\00:31:47.67
What did I say to
go, Romans chapter, what?
00:31:47.70\00:31:50.17
Romans Chapter 7, all right?
00:31:50.21\00:31:53.04
Romans Chapter 7, and
this is why you read this,
00:31:53.07\00:31:55.14
and I want you to
get this very quickly,
00:31:55.18\00:31:56.51
Romans Chapter 7 verse...
00:31:56.54\00:32:00.05
I don't want to
give you too much of it.
00:32:00.08\00:32:04.95
Okay, verse 2-4, right.
00:32:04.99\00:32:10.63
Okay, good, verse 2-4.
00:32:10.66\00:32:12.09
Remember by their
fruits, you will, what?
00:32:12.13\00:32:15.10
Know Him, all right.
00:32:15.13\00:32:16.46
Okay, now what do you need to...
00:32:16.50\00:32:18.10
Okay, I want to just pull
00:32:18.13\00:32:19.47
this out little
bit Dan, look up,
00:32:19.50\00:32:20.84
just look up, everybody look up.
00:32:20.87\00:32:22.40
When you eat a fruit,
00:32:22.44\00:32:23.77
what do you find on
the inside of the fruit
00:32:23.81\00:32:25.14
that you don't eat.
00:32:25.17\00:32:26.51
Seed. Okay.
00:32:26.54\00:32:27.88
Now what does that seed
have the capacity to do.
00:32:27.91\00:32:31.18
Create more fruit.
00:32:31.21\00:32:32.55
So if you held that
seed, if you plant that seed,
00:32:32.58\00:32:35.58
is there a
chance that more fruit
00:32:35.62\00:32:37.15
is going to grow.
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.69
Why? Because
that seed does what?
00:32:38.72\00:32:40.59
Produce fruit,
00:32:40.62\00:32:42.39
that's what it's for, all right.
00:32:42.42\00:32:44.86
We have to keep
this in mind, each of us,
00:32:44.89\00:32:47.46
there's a seed that
has been planted in us
00:32:47.50\00:32:51.07
from the time we were born.
00:32:51.10\00:32:53.40
The seed was, the Bible
refers to the corrupt seed.
00:32:53.44\00:32:58.34
But when we are
partakers of a new nature,
00:32:58.37\00:33:00.81
when Christ now becomes
the new man in our lives.
00:33:00.84\00:33:04.78
That's a
different seed all together.
00:33:04.81\00:33:06.38
So follow this very carefully.
00:33:06.41\00:33:08.88
Would it make sense
00:33:08.92\00:33:10.25
that I say I'm
married to Christ,
00:33:10.29\00:33:12.95
yet the seed produce fruit
00:33:12.99\00:33:15.52
that doesn't
resemble Christ, yes or no?
00:33:15.56\00:33:18.13
Does it make sense?
00:33:18.16\00:33:19.49
So somebody say,
00:33:19.53\00:33:20.86
"Well, look at the fruit,
they say, that's an apple,
00:33:20.90\00:33:22.23
I thought you said you
got that from an orange tree."
00:33:22.26\00:33:24.43
I did.
00:33:24.47\00:33:26.07
There's no possible way,
00:33:26.10\00:33:27.87
as you cannot get an
apple from an orange tree,
00:33:27.90\00:33:29.77
don't go too far with this
00:33:29.80\00:33:31.14
those of you are
thinking of grafting,
00:33:31.17\00:33:32.51
I understand, I could hear you.
00:33:32.54\00:33:33.88
Some of these guys a technical.
00:33:33.91\00:33:35.84
Well, if you graft it together,
00:33:35.88\00:33:37.21
we're not talking about
a, what do you call it...
00:33:37.25\00:33:41.18
We're not talking
about apple orange,
00:33:41.22\00:33:43.22
we're talking
about an orange tree
00:33:43.25\00:33:44.59
and an apple tree.
00:33:44.62\00:33:46.09
You can't get an apple
00:33:46.12\00:33:47.46
from an orange
tree and vice versa,
00:33:47.49\00:33:49.39
but look what has to happen
in order for these to show up,
00:33:49.42\00:33:52.26
and this is
where the cross comes
00:33:52.29\00:33:53.63
into the picture.
00:33:53.66\00:33:55.00
Look at verse 2.
00:33:55.03\00:33:56.60
"For the woman who
has a husband is bound
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.83
by the law to her husband
as long as he does," what?
00:33:58.87\00:34:02.10
"As long as he
lives." Romans 7:2.
00:34:02.14\00:34:04.87
"But if the husband dies,
00:34:04.91\00:34:06.64
she is released from
the law of her husband."
00:34:06.68\00:34:08.88
So in other words,
00:34:08.91\00:34:10.25
as long as that
husband is alive,
00:34:10.28\00:34:11.61
what is she connected to?
00:34:11.65\00:34:13.08
How is she
connected to her husband?
00:34:13.11\00:34:15.02
How is she
connected to her husband?
00:34:15.05\00:34:16.69
Three letter word, you read it.
00:34:16.72\00:34:19.02
Say it again,
00:34:19.05\00:34:20.39
by law she is
connected to her husband.
00:34:20.42\00:34:22.46
What has to
happen in order for her
00:34:22.49\00:34:24.16
to be
disconnected from her husband?
00:34:24.19\00:34:26.39
He has to die,
and then what happens,
00:34:26.43\00:34:28.30
what no longer binds
them together, the law.
00:34:28.33\00:34:32.07
Lot of people read
that text and say, see,
00:34:32.10\00:34:34.07
that's why God's law
has been done away with.
00:34:34.10\00:34:36.17
That's not what
it's talking about,
00:34:36.20\00:34:37.54
a different law all together.
00:34:37.57\00:34:39.17
Look at verse 3.
00:34:39.21\00:34:40.54
"So then, if
while her husband lives,
00:34:40.58\00:34:43.85
she marries another man,
00:34:43.88\00:34:46.11
she will be
called an adulteress,
00:34:46.15\00:34:48.48
but if her husband
dies," she is what?
00:34:48.52\00:34:51.79
"Free from that law so
that she is no adulteress
00:34:51.82\00:34:58.69
though she has
married another man."
00:34:58.73\00:35:02.00
So what has to
happen in order for her
00:35:02.03\00:35:03.37
to be free now?
00:35:03.40\00:35:05.17
Let's go ahead and
put the picture together,
00:35:05.20\00:35:07.20
in order for us to be
free, to be connected to Christ,
00:35:07.24\00:35:11.97
what has to happen?
00:35:12.01\00:35:14.44
We all know, we just
said it. The man dies.
00:35:14.48\00:35:17.58
The man dies, which man dies?
00:35:17.61\00:35:19.35
I just gave you his name
a moment ago, say it again.
00:35:19.38\00:35:22.82
The first Adam has to die
in order for us to be married
00:35:22.85\00:35:26.96
to the second Adam,
00:35:26.99\00:35:29.56
the last Adam, thank you, honey.
00:35:29.59\00:35:31.53
So now let's go to
the very next verse,
00:35:31.56\00:35:33.23
the very next verse.
00:35:33.26\00:35:35.06
Verse 4,
"Therefore, my brethren,
00:35:35.10\00:35:39.40
you also have
become dead to the law
00:35:39.43\00:35:44.21
through the body of Christ
00:35:44.24\00:35:46.68
that you may be
married to another,
00:35:46.71\00:35:49.71
even to him who was
raised from the dead,"
00:35:49.74\00:35:53.62
that we should do what?
00:35:53.65\00:35:55.32
"Bear fruit to God."
00:35:55.35\00:35:58.19
Now the reason
why this is brought up
00:35:58.22\00:35:59.55
in this chapter about
Christ in being dead, the man...
00:35:59.59\00:36:03.99
How many people,
this is an old term
00:36:04.03\00:36:05.36
that we used to use
back in the '90s, '80s.
00:36:05.39\00:36:07.33
I don't want to go too far back,
00:36:07.36\00:36:09.16
because I'm a child
of the '70s and '80s,
00:36:09.20\00:36:13.34
that's when I was in
my heyday teenage years.
00:36:13.37\00:36:16.50
There's a phrase
that we used to use in...
00:36:16.54\00:36:18.64
Girls mostly used to
use that and she would say,
00:36:18.67\00:36:21.84
I'm going home to my...
00:36:21.88\00:36:25.28
Come on, say it
honey, to my old man.
00:36:25.31\00:36:27.32
How is your old man?
00:36:27.35\00:36:28.68
People said, how's
your old man doing?
00:36:28.72\00:36:30.05
Ever heard that phrase before,
00:36:30.09\00:36:31.42
it's an old kind of
phrase of affection,
00:36:31.45\00:36:32.79
how's your old man doing?
00:36:32.82\00:36:34.16
He's fine. Well,
let's go to Romans 6.
00:36:34.19\00:36:37.46
Where did you get this now,
00:36:37.49\00:36:38.83
because I want you to understand
00:36:38.86\00:36:40.20
this whole thing
about death and life,
00:36:40.23\00:36:41.66
in order to enjoy life
you've got to understand
00:36:41.70\00:36:43.73
why death is so necessary,
00:36:43.77\00:36:45.37
that's what the message
of the cross is all about.
00:36:45.40\00:36:47.30
Death is necessary in
order for there to be life.
00:36:47.34\00:36:50.57
Let's go to this death now.
00:36:50.61\00:36:51.94
How do we know about this death?
00:36:51.97\00:36:53.84
Romans 6:3, well, Romans 6:3.
00:36:53.88\00:36:57.81
"Or do you not
know that as many of us
00:37:04.32\00:37:06.25
as were baptized into Christ,
00:37:06.29\00:37:08.16
Jesus were
baptized into His," what?
00:37:08.19\00:37:10.49
"Death.
00:37:10.53\00:37:11.86
Therefore, we
were buried with Him
00:37:11.89\00:37:13.63
through baptism into death
00:37:13.66\00:37:15.53
that just as Christ
was raised from the dead
00:37:15.56\00:37:18.60
by the glory of the Father
00:37:18.63\00:37:20.24
even so we also
should walk in the," what?
00:37:20.27\00:37:23.10
"Newness of life."
00:37:23.14\00:37:24.47
In other words,
when that life is,
00:37:24.51\00:37:25.84
when a person dies
00:37:25.87\00:37:27.21
they can't live
the way they used to,
00:37:27.24\00:37:28.58
it's not possible.
00:37:28.61\00:37:29.94
You can't say that you're
dead and you're living the way
00:37:29.98\00:37:31.31
that you used to
live when you were alive.
00:37:31.35\00:37:32.68
What that simply means
in the spiritual sense is,
00:37:32.71\00:37:34.75
if we say that we are
living then we are the one
00:37:34.78\00:37:37.89
that is doing the work,
00:37:37.92\00:37:39.25
if we say that it's
no longer I who live
00:37:39.29\00:37:41.52
but Christ lives
in me, Galatians 2:20,
00:37:41.56\00:37:44.76
then we said that
Christ is doing the work,
00:37:44.79\00:37:47.00
you get it, but
let's keep going.
00:37:47.03\00:37:51.73
"For if we have
been united, verse 5,
00:37:51.77\00:37:53.94
in the likeness of his death,
00:37:53.97\00:37:55.67
certainly we also shall be
in the likeness of his, what?
00:37:55.70\00:37:58.91
Resurrection,
knowing this that our,
00:37:58.94\00:38:02.74
together, old man
was crucified with him
00:38:02.78\00:38:07.15
that a body of sin
might be done away with
00:38:07.18\00:38:10.09
that we should
no longer be," what?
00:38:10.12\00:38:12.05
"Slaves to sin."
00:38:12.09\00:38:13.42
In verse 7 together,
00:38:13.46\00:38:14.79
"For he who has
died has been" what?
00:38:14.82\00:38:17.23
"Freed from sin."
00:38:17.26\00:38:18.59
That's what Jesus meant
when He said to the Jews
00:38:18.63\00:38:20.23
in John Chapter 8.
00:38:20.26\00:38:24.03
"If the son
therefore shall make you free,
00:38:24.07\00:38:26.60
you shall be" what?
00:38:26.63\00:38:27.97
"Free indeed."
Freedom comes only in Christ.
00:38:28.00\00:38:30.61
When that death is
something that we experience,
00:38:30.64\00:38:32.77
that new life in Christ.
00:38:32.81\00:38:34.58
So when we asked the question,
go to question 13 very quickly.
00:38:34.61\00:38:38.28
Question 13, so the answer
to the question number 12 is,
00:38:38.31\00:38:41.28
what act on our
part, the word is receive.
00:38:41.32\00:38:44.75
Question number 13, here it is.
00:38:44.79\00:38:47.76
What happens to us
00:38:47.79\00:38:49.12
when we decide to
join Christ at the cross?
00:38:49.16\00:38:52.36
All right, Romans 6:6, I
just gave you the answer.
00:38:52.39\00:38:56.87
Okay, Romans 6:6, I
just gave you the answer.
00:38:56.90\00:39:01.30
What happens when we decide
to join Christ at the cross?
00:39:01.34\00:39:04.71
Let's look at
that verse on the...
00:39:04.74\00:39:06.07
Since I just read it to you,
00:39:06.11\00:39:07.44
let me go and show it
to you on the screen, okay.
00:39:07.48\00:39:08.81
Just to save
some time, here it is,
00:39:08.84\00:39:10.81
"Knowing this,
00:39:10.85\00:39:12.18
that our old man
was crucified with Him
00:39:12.21\00:39:13.55
that the body of sin
might be done away with,
00:39:13.58\00:39:16.22
that we should
no longer be," what?
00:39:16.25\00:39:18.69
"Slaves to sin."
00:39:18.72\00:39:20.19
So if you go back
and ask the question,
00:39:20.22\00:39:21.56
what happens to us
00:39:21.59\00:39:22.92
when we decide to
join Christ at the cross?
00:39:22.96\00:39:27.00
The last part.
00:39:27.03\00:39:30.03
No longer slaves to sin.
00:39:30.07\00:39:34.14
You ever hear when
people get excited,
00:39:34.17\00:39:35.74
they say you know what?
00:39:35.77\00:39:38.67
I got delivered
from drugs and alcohol,
00:39:38.71\00:39:42.08
and pornography and cigarettes,
and stealing and lying.
00:39:42.11\00:39:46.55
You know what they're saying,
they are no longer, what?
00:39:46.58\00:39:49.38
Slaves to sin.
But you know what?
00:39:49.42\00:39:53.19
This is even deeper than that,
00:39:53.22\00:39:55.42
this is even
deeper than the act.
00:39:55.46\00:39:57.96
This is going all the
way down to the nature
00:39:57.99\00:40:01.03
because the act is
produced by the nature...
00:40:01.06\00:40:05.80
But when we come
into this new relationship
00:40:08.90\00:40:10.57
with Christ,
00:40:10.61\00:40:12.81
there's only one
thing that survives.
00:40:12.84\00:40:15.94
The baptism, the burial,
00:40:15.98\00:40:18.28
and the
resurrection to new life.
00:40:18.31\00:40:19.65
There's only one
thing that survives that
00:40:19.68\00:40:21.02
and somebody
tell me what that is.
00:40:21.05\00:40:22.48
I guess my point
is not as powerful
00:40:29.62\00:40:30.99
as I wanted it to be.
00:40:31.03\00:40:33.83
The body of sin
might be done away with.
00:40:33.86\00:40:38.53
What body? Whose
body? Whose body?
00:40:38.57\00:40:42.94
Right, these
natural inclinations
00:40:42.97\00:40:45.67
and natural tendencies.
00:40:45.71\00:40:47.04
So now let's get this together,
00:40:47.08\00:40:48.94
I don't want this
text to go over your head.
00:40:48.98\00:40:52.81
The changes that take
place in us, in our thinking,
00:40:52.85\00:40:56.52
in our behavior, happens not
00:40:56.55\00:40:58.65
because we've
learned new behavior,
00:40:58.69\00:41:01.69
but because there's a new nature
00:41:01.72\00:41:05.66
that is in charge.
00:41:05.69\00:41:07.40
The nature that is in
charge is not the old Adam,
00:41:07.43\00:41:09.90
it is the who?
00:41:09.93\00:41:11.53
The new Adam or
the last Adam, Christ.
00:41:11.57\00:41:14.90
So when the Bible
says, Romans Chapter 12,
00:41:14.94\00:41:17.27
turn there very
quickly, this is what happens.
00:41:17.31\00:41:20.28
Romans Chapter 12.
00:41:20.31\00:41:22.84
This is what happens.
00:41:22.88\00:41:24.38
All right, look at
verse 2, this is what happens.
00:41:29.18\00:41:32.62
A lot of times people say,
00:41:32.65\00:41:33.99
I want to know how to
prove what God's will is.
00:41:34.02\00:41:37.49
It says, "Do not be
conformed to this," what?
00:41:37.53\00:41:41.16
"To this world
but be transformed
00:41:41.20\00:41:42.80
by the," what?
00:41:42.83\00:41:44.23
"Renewing of your
mind that you may prove
00:41:44.27\00:41:46.84
what is that good
and acceptable," in what?
00:41:46.87\00:41:50.44
"Perfect will of God."
00:41:50.47\00:41:51.97
What happens is
the mind is renewed,
00:41:52.01\00:41:54.34
you get a new mind.
00:41:54.38\00:41:55.71
Many of you that were here
for our New Year's Eve worship,
00:41:55.74\00:42:01.75
we read that
devotional where it says,
00:42:01.78\00:42:03.65
the Lord gave us a
brand new clean page.
00:42:03.69\00:42:07.66
And it was
unsullied and unstained
00:42:07.69\00:42:09.56
and we said it's up to you
00:42:09.59\00:42:10.93
to write your
story for the new year.
00:42:10.96\00:42:13.23
When the mind is renewed,
00:42:13.26\00:42:15.20
then the works are
going to follow that
00:42:15.23\00:42:17.23
because we read earlier,
00:42:17.27\00:42:18.97
the mind and the wicked works
are connected together, right.
00:42:19.00\00:42:22.37
But when the mind is renewed,
what kind of works are evident,
00:42:22.40\00:42:26.81
huh, righteous works,
00:42:26.84\00:42:30.31
and the fruits of
Christ begin to show up.
00:42:30.35\00:42:32.31
What is the fruit of the spirit?
00:42:32.35\00:42:33.68
Love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness,
00:42:33.72\00:42:36.42
meekness,
patients, the works are there
00:42:36.45\00:42:38.95
because Christ is now
00:42:38.99\00:42:40.46
the one working
through that mind,
00:42:40.49\00:42:42.52
because we have
the mind of Christ.
00:42:42.56\00:42:44.43
As Paul says, let
this mind be where?
00:42:44.46\00:42:46.63
In you which is
also in Christ Jesus,
00:42:46.66\00:42:48.96
very big
question, it is not in here
00:42:49.00\00:42:50.87
but let me ask you the question.
00:42:50.90\00:42:53.23
How do you get to the
mind of Christ to be in here?
00:42:53.27\00:42:55.74
What's the answer?
00:42:59.84\00:43:02.58
Right, this is
where Christ's mind
00:43:02.61\00:43:04.48
is revealed in His Word.
00:43:04.51\00:43:06.38
So think of a hard drive.
00:43:06.41\00:43:09.65
How do you get information
on a hard drive, Lori,
00:43:09.68\00:43:12.35
how do you do it?
00:43:12.39\00:43:14.09
Right, really,
actually uploading.
00:43:14.12\00:43:16.62
Okay, she's real close,
00:43:16.66\00:43:17.99
because she's
technical she said downloading,
00:43:18.03\00:43:19.66
it's downloaded
from Christ to us.
00:43:19.69\00:43:22.56
But is uploaded to us, okay.
00:43:22.60\00:43:25.33
Downloaded from
Him, uploaded to us.
00:43:25.37\00:43:27.50
Am I correct, Dan, is
that the right terminology.
00:43:27.54\00:43:29.80
Six of one, half a
dozen of the other, right?
00:43:29.84\00:43:33.38
Somewhere along
the lines, right?
00:43:33.41\00:43:34.74
The point of the
matter, it doesn't come from us,
00:43:34.78\00:43:36.85
when these words
start to fill that old mind,
00:43:36.88\00:43:42.18
what happens to that old mind?
00:43:42.22\00:43:44.82
It's renewed, it's renewed.
00:43:44.85\00:43:46.99
So how do we begin to
change our behavior, we can't.
00:43:47.02\00:43:51.19
Go with me to James.
00:43:51.23\00:43:53.13
You guys are asking
me too many questions.
00:43:53.16\00:43:57.47
Okay, James talks
about this whole idea.
00:43:57.50\00:44:02.60
Okay, I'm on the way to
James, you guys need be there.
00:44:02.64\00:44:05.51
I'm just about...
00:44:05.54\00:44:09.28
there, okay.
00:44:09.31\00:44:10.65
Oh, I tell you.
00:44:15.78\00:44:17.29
James Chapter 1, okay.
00:44:20.52\00:44:26.16
Talking about
this whole process,
00:44:26.19\00:44:27.53
life and death and birth
and all those everything.
00:44:27.56\00:44:30.23
Okay, verse 13, verse 13.
00:44:30.27\00:44:33.13
James 1:13, we're
moving pretty quickly here,
00:44:33.17\00:44:36.07
but I want to make
sure this topic is clear.
00:44:36.10\00:44:38.21
Let no one say
when he is tempted.
00:44:38.24\00:44:41.34
I am tempted by God.
00:44:41.38\00:44:42.71
God is not a tempter,
the devil is a tempter.
00:44:42.74\00:44:47.22
For God cannot
be tempted by evil
00:44:47.25\00:44:49.08
nor does he
himself tempt anyone,
00:44:49.12\00:44:51.89
so where does
this trouble come from?
00:44:51.92\00:44:54.02
Let's look at
this in James 1:14,
00:44:54.06\00:44:56.09
now it says,
00:44:56.12\00:44:57.46
but each one is
tempted when he is drawn away
00:44:57.49\00:44:59.29
by his own desire, and what?
00:44:59.33\00:45:01.90
Enticed. You know
the word enticed mean?
00:45:01.93\00:45:05.63
You know the word enticed means?
00:45:05.67\00:45:10.97
It's the thing you go like this,
00:45:11.01\00:45:12.61
when you're
about to eat something
00:45:12.64\00:45:14.11
that you realize you are...
00:45:14.14\00:45:15.48
My
brother-in-law always does that,
00:45:18.31\00:45:20.15
when he is excited he goes.
00:45:20.18\00:45:21.52
It's an excitement to do wrong
00:45:24.39\00:45:26.49
that all of a
sudden it springs up.
00:45:26.52\00:45:28.99
Each one is tempted
00:45:29.02\00:45:30.36
when he is drawn away by
his own desires and enticed,
00:45:30.39\00:45:32.63
and look at the process.
00:45:32.66\00:45:34.53
Then when desire has conceived,
it gives birth to what?
00:45:34.56\00:45:39.23
Sin, and sin
when it is full grown
00:45:39.27\00:45:42.34
brings forth what?
00:45:42.37\00:45:43.87
Death. So let's now substitute.
00:45:43.91\00:45:47.41
I'm not going to...
00:45:47.44\00:45:48.78
I'm not going
to add to the Bible
00:45:48.81\00:45:50.15
what it doesn't say,
00:45:50.18\00:45:51.51
but now let's take
out the bad desires
00:45:51.55\00:45:54.85
and put in the good desires,
so look at verse 15 again.
00:45:54.88\00:45:59.35
Then when desire has conceived,
00:45:59.39\00:46:02.66
if the desire is good
would it give birth to sin
00:46:02.69\00:46:05.39
or would it give birth to life?
00:46:05.43\00:46:07.70
Okay, see, so what do you
have to have in order for there
00:46:07.73\00:46:10.33
to be life,
you've got to have what?
00:46:10.37\00:46:12.63
Come on, the world is
there, you got to have what?
00:46:12.67\00:46:15.00
When...
00:46:15.04\00:46:16.37
Say it again, desire.
00:46:16.40\00:46:18.07
So the question
is, what do you desire?
00:46:18.11\00:46:21.94
Your desires will
be shaped by the things
00:46:21.98\00:46:23.91
you expose
yourself to, by the things
00:46:23.95\00:46:25.85
that begin to influence
you, it creates a desire.
00:46:25.88\00:46:28.65
Somebody says, you
have a walk around,
00:46:28.68\00:46:30.09
somebody says, Man, I
need a cigarette, right now.
00:46:30.12\00:46:34.72
Somebody say, man I
need a stake right now,
00:46:34.76\00:46:36.66
somebody walks
past a restaurant,
00:46:36.69\00:46:38.69
man I need some French fries.
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.96
You get my point,
00:46:41.00\00:46:42.33
these desires are
activated by our environment.
00:46:42.36\00:46:45.37
If you put
yourself in the environment
00:46:45.40\00:46:47.34
where your
desires begin to change,
00:46:47.37\00:46:49.64
the outcome is also
going to be different.
00:46:49.67\00:46:52.94
The outcome is also
going to be different,
00:46:52.97\00:46:55.44
because the Lord
does not ever awaken
00:46:55.48\00:46:57.41
within you a
desire for bad things.
00:46:57.45\00:46:59.68
Every good and
every perfect gift
00:46:59.71\00:47:01.38
comes from above.
00:47:01.42\00:47:03.22
Now let's go to
question number 14,
00:47:03.25\00:47:05.99
all right.
00:47:06.02\00:47:08.19
The answer to
question number 13,
00:47:08.22\00:47:09.56
what did you put down.
00:47:09.59\00:47:12.39
Exactly, no
longer slaves to sin.
00:47:12.43\00:47:15.03
We want to break
that slavery connection.
00:47:15.06\00:47:17.10
Question number
14, moving right along.
00:47:17.13\00:47:19.70
How does the Bible describe
00:47:19.73\00:47:21.07
our condition
prior to the cross?
00:47:21.10\00:47:23.20
How does it describe
00:47:23.24\00:47:24.57
our condition
prior to the cross?
00:47:24.61\00:47:26.68
Romans 6, okay,
00:47:26.71\00:47:29.98
Romans 6:20 and 21.
00:47:30.01\00:47:33.82
Okay, see it.
00:47:37.22\00:47:41.22
This is huge and
I'll break it down,
00:47:41.26\00:47:43.39
Romans 6:21 reads as follows.
00:47:43.43\00:47:46.53
"For when you
were slaves of" what?
00:47:46.56\00:47:49.50
"Sin" there on the
screen, "you were" what?
00:47:49.53\00:47:52.70
"Free."
00:47:52.73\00:47:54.07
Now get this, when
you were slaves to sin,
00:47:54.10\00:47:55.44
you were what?
00:47:55.47\00:47:56.81
Free in regard to righteousness.
00:47:56.84\00:48:00.38
What fruit did you
have then in the things
00:48:00.41\00:48:04.25
of which you are now ashamed,
00:48:04.28\00:48:06.82
for the end of
those things is" what?
00:48:06.85\00:48:09.52
"Death."
00:48:09.55\00:48:10.89
Now going back to that,
if you ask the question,
00:48:10.92\00:48:12.85
what does the Bible describe,
00:48:12.89\00:48:14.96
how does the Bible describe
00:48:14.99\00:48:16.42
our condition
prior to the cross?
00:48:16.46\00:48:21.10
What's the last word?
00:48:21.13\00:48:22.46
It simply puts
it, our condition is,
00:48:26.07\00:48:28.60
we were free in
regard to righteousness.
00:48:28.64\00:48:31.41
Now get this, we were
slaves but we were free,
00:48:31.44\00:48:35.21
let me make this clear.
00:48:35.24\00:48:36.58
Paul said and I'll give
you the example of this.
00:48:36.61\00:48:38.41
Let's just say a person
doesn't know Jesus at all.
00:48:38.45\00:48:43.59
He doesn't have any guilt
00:48:43.62\00:48:48.92
in doing what's wrong,
00:48:48.96\00:48:50.76
because it comes out naturally.
00:48:50.79\00:48:54.00
Oh, man.
00:48:54.03\00:48:55.70
Let me just
tell you my own story
00:48:55.73\00:48:57.07
very, very briefly.
00:48:57.10\00:48:58.43
I look back at how I used
to be when I was a young boy,
00:48:58.47\00:49:01.07
and for those of
you who are tuning in,
00:49:01.10\00:49:02.87
this is time for
confession, good for the soul,
00:49:02.90\00:49:04.97
hard on the reputation.
00:49:05.01\00:49:06.34
Dan, when I was young man,
I was a very angry young man.
00:49:06.37\00:49:10.15
I remember buying a guitar,
my wife remembers this guitar,
00:49:10.18\00:49:12.81
I had a blue guitar.
00:49:12.85\00:49:14.72
Sky blue guitar with
sparkles all over it.
00:49:14.75\00:49:17.52
It was imbedded
in the acrylic paint
00:49:17.55\00:49:19.95
and there's a guy
came over my house
00:49:19.99\00:49:21.59
and just before
Christ came in and I told him
00:49:21.62\00:49:26.09
he was about to sit on the
edge of the stool in my bedroom
00:49:26.13\00:49:29.43
there and I said, now
don't sit on my guitar.
00:49:29.46\00:49:32.80
And he threw my
guitar on the floor, Dan,
00:49:32.83\00:49:35.00
and I knocked his
two front teeth in.
00:49:35.04\00:49:37.91
Now let me tell you, I cringe.
00:49:37.94\00:49:41.84
When I think of that,
00:49:41.88\00:49:44.15
I literally cringe to
think did I actually do that.
00:49:44.18\00:49:50.15
I can't even
picture myself today.
00:49:50.19\00:49:55.66
Coming up with any reason
00:49:55.69\00:49:57.03
that I would ever
want to hit somebody
00:49:57.06\00:49:58.39
in their mouth.
00:49:58.43\00:50:01.36
But you know what
this text is saying.
00:50:01.40\00:50:02.93
When you were
slaves, let me go back.
00:50:02.96\00:50:05.80
When we were slaves to sin,
nothing, nothing held us back.
00:50:05.83\00:50:11.91
Nothing held us
back from doing wrong
00:50:11.94\00:50:13.51
because we were slaves to sin.
00:50:13.54\00:50:15.01
In other words, righteousness
wasn't even a thought,
00:50:15.04\00:50:17.98
that's why it says you were free
00:50:18.01\00:50:19.35
in regard to right...
00:50:19.38\00:50:20.72
You could care less
about doing what's good.
00:50:20.75\00:50:25.25
And those things when
you think back on them now
00:50:25.29\00:50:28.62
of which you are now, what?
00:50:28.66\00:50:31.16
That's what that text is saying.
00:50:31.19\00:50:33.16
Did I actually do that,
00:50:33.19\00:50:35.16
when the Lord
comes into our lives,
00:50:35.20\00:50:36.73
there is a godly shame
00:50:36.77\00:50:38.33
that should be
experienced by us,
00:50:38.37\00:50:40.64
if you are truly converted,
00:50:40.67\00:50:42.30
there's a godly shame that says
I cannot believe I did that.
00:50:42.34\00:50:47.61
Now here's the danger.
00:50:47.64\00:50:49.01
If sin is something
that you're not ashamed of,
00:50:49.04\00:50:53.98
then you are not a
son of the last Adam,
00:50:54.02\00:50:58.29
but if sin is
something that is your desire...
00:50:58.32\00:51:01.32
See, am I breaking
this down here clearly.
00:51:01.36\00:51:03.32
If sin is not
something we're ashamed of,
00:51:03.36\00:51:05.59
then we have not yet
been married to Christ.
00:51:05.63\00:51:08.63
And the fruits
of His righteousness
00:51:08.66\00:51:11.37
have no
responsibility of showing up,
00:51:11.40\00:51:14.07
because what we're doing now
00:51:14.10\00:51:15.44
the end of those
things, His death.
00:51:15.47\00:51:17.91
Yet we don't even know about it,
00:51:17.94\00:51:19.27
we don't even care about it
00:51:19.31\00:51:20.64
because we have no desire at all
00:51:20.68\00:51:22.01
to even want to do
anything that's right.
00:51:22.04\00:51:23.48
That's what the attitude
of most of the world is,
00:51:23.51\00:51:25.35
but when they become a Christian
00:51:25.38\00:51:26.72
and they look back a
year and a half later,
00:51:26.75\00:51:28.58
two years later,
five years later,
00:51:28.62\00:51:29.95
ten year later, they say,
00:51:29.98\00:51:31.32
I can't believe
that I used to do that.
00:51:31.35\00:51:35.22
So many people,
00:51:35.26\00:51:36.62
Doug Batchelor,
David Asscherick,
00:51:36.66\00:51:38.33
the list goes on
and on and on of people.
00:51:38.36\00:51:40.40
James Rafferty, I never thought
00:51:40.43\00:51:41.76
that James Rafferty
was a gang member in L.A.
00:51:41.80\00:51:45.00
When he tell me,
there's a James Rafferty,
00:51:45.03\00:51:46.53
don't even look like
00:51:46.57\00:51:47.90
he could have
been a gang member.
00:51:47.94\00:51:49.80
What a change God
makes in our lives.
00:51:49.84\00:51:51.31
Can you say amen to that.
00:51:51.34\00:51:53.21
And you know
what's nice about someone
00:51:53.24\00:51:54.74
who go back to
the original text,
00:51:54.78\00:51:56.28
I want you to catch this now
00:51:56.31\00:51:57.65
because a lot of
times people say,
00:51:57.68\00:51:59.01
well, sooner or later,
I'll be reconciled to God.
00:51:59.05\00:52:00.88
The good news is this,
I want you to catch this.
00:52:00.92\00:52:03.82
The good news is this.
00:52:03.85\00:52:05.22
The Lord opens
the invitation to us
00:52:05.25\00:52:08.36
even before we
accept the invitation.
00:52:08.39\00:52:10.96
He says, "Come on
in, be reconciled.
00:52:10.99\00:52:13.70
I've made provision
for you to be reconciled."
00:52:13.73\00:52:16.67
So here's the question.
00:52:16.70\00:52:18.57
So the answer to number 14 is,
00:52:18.60\00:52:20.24
how does the Bible describe
00:52:20.27\00:52:21.60
our condition
prior to the cross?
00:52:21.64\00:52:23.91
Slaves of sin. Slaves of sin.
00:52:23.94\00:52:27.44
But now let's move
to question number 15,
00:52:27.48\00:52:29.74
question 14, the
answer, how does the Bible
00:52:29.78\00:52:31.41
describe our
condition prior to the cross?
00:52:31.45\00:52:33.72
Slaves to sin.
00:52:33.75\00:52:35.08
Those things that we do,
00:52:35.12\00:52:36.45
we don't really want to do them,
00:52:36.48\00:52:37.95
but that's why
the word slave is used
00:52:37.99\00:52:40.29
because slaves don't want to do
00:52:40.32\00:52:41.66
what they do, but they are what?
00:52:41.69\00:52:43.93
Slaves, all right.
Question number 15, here it is.
00:52:43.96\00:52:49.06
How is our condition
described after the cross?
00:52:49.10\00:52:53.13
That's what we're
all interested in,
00:52:53.17\00:52:54.57
and we're going to
go to Romans 6:22, 23
00:52:54.60\00:52:59.34
to get the answer for that.
00:52:59.37\00:53:00.98
Romans 6:22, 23.
00:53:01.01\00:53:05.11
All right, we talked about
00:53:05.15\00:53:06.48
before the cross we were slaves,
00:53:06.51\00:53:08.35
what about after the cross.
00:53:08.38\00:53:10.02
In the interest of time,
00:53:10.05\00:53:11.39
I'm going to go
right to the answer,
00:53:11.42\00:53:12.75
are you guys okay with that?
00:53:12.79\00:53:14.12
Here we are Romans 6:23...
00:53:14.16\00:53:16.12
22 and 23.
00:53:16.16\00:53:19.46
It starts with one word,
00:53:19.49\00:53:21.30
but it's given
us some good news,
00:53:21.33\00:53:23.40
it's given us news
better than the verse
00:53:23.43\00:53:24.80
that we just read, but
now having been together,
00:53:24.83\00:53:29.74
set free from sin
and having become what?
00:53:29.77\00:53:34.28
Slaves of God, you
have your fruits to, what?
00:53:34.31\00:53:38.85
Holiness, and the end
is what? Everlasting life.
00:53:38.88\00:53:44.02
And this is the context
of the text we often repeat,
00:53:44.05\00:53:47.12
for the wages of sin is what?
00:53:47.16\00:53:49.12
Death, but the gift
of God is eternal life
00:53:49.16\00:53:51.39
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
00:53:51.43\00:53:53.86
So that's what
he's saying to us.
00:53:53.90\00:53:55.46
The answer is,
00:53:55.50\00:53:56.93
how is our condition
described after the cross?
00:53:56.97\00:54:00.34
How is it described?
00:54:00.37\00:54:03.34
Free from sin, slaves of God.
00:54:03.37\00:54:08.14
Why is the word slave
not a bad word in this text?
00:54:08.18\00:54:14.25
Let me give you
the right context.
00:54:14.28\00:54:15.85
When a couple has a baby,
00:54:20.09\00:54:23.22
and the baby comes
out looking like the dad,
00:54:23.26\00:54:26.76
does the wife say,
00:54:26.80\00:54:29.96
"If I wasn't your slave,
he wouldn't look like you."
00:54:30.00\00:54:34.84
Did you say
that to Dan, Cynthia?
00:54:34.87\00:54:37.14
No. What happened there?
00:54:37.17\00:54:38.51
Because the fruit,
00:54:38.54\00:54:40.51
the seed bore
the image of the man,
00:54:40.54\00:54:44.75
therefore the son looked
like the man from which he came,
00:54:44.78\00:54:49.85
that's in essence saying,
00:54:49.88\00:54:51.22
when you look at the
fruit of righteousness,
00:54:51.25\00:54:53.36
you don't say, oh, I
don't want to be God's slave,
00:54:53.39\00:54:55.62
because the fruit of
God is always beautiful.
00:54:55.66\00:54:59.63
The fruit of
God is always right,
00:54:59.66\00:55:01.50
the fruit of God
is always His glory
00:55:01.53\00:55:03.83
being revealed
in us, Amen to that.
00:55:03.87\00:55:06.00
So how does the good
show up in our lives?
00:55:06.03\00:55:08.47
By us giving our lives to Christ
00:55:08.50\00:55:10.64
and then we realize the things
00:55:10.67\00:55:12.71
that show up in
our lives happened
00:55:12.74\00:55:14.91
because it's no
longer us who is doing it
00:55:14.94\00:55:17.08
but Christ who is
doing it within us, right?
00:55:17.11\00:55:20.52
Let's go to this text.
00:55:20.55\00:55:21.88
I don't want to go
to the very next verse.
00:55:21.92\00:55:24.42
How is our condition just
described after the cross?
00:55:24.45\00:55:27.26
We are what? Free from sin.
00:55:27.29\00:55:29.92
We are now slaves of God,
that gift of eternal life.
00:55:29.96\00:55:32.96
Go with me to Galatians 2:20.
00:55:32.99\00:55:36.53
Wish I had my
another Bible here today,
00:55:36.56\00:55:38.03
but it's very important text,
because I want you to see this,
00:55:38.07\00:55:40.50
so much the
Bible talks about seed,
00:55:40.54\00:55:43.24
righteousness,
sin, godliness, okay.
00:55:43.27\00:55:49.81
Here it is.
00:55:49.84\00:55:51.18
That's right honey.
00:55:55.35\00:55:57.52
And when you put the
whole picture together,
00:55:57.55\00:56:00.72
this is this verse,
Galatians 2:20 to me
00:56:00.76\00:56:03.66
is just like
another John 3:16, isn't it?
00:56:03.69\00:56:07.53
Look what it says in verse 20.
00:56:07.56\00:56:09.36
"I have been
crucified with Christ..."
00:56:09.40\00:56:12.63
The King James version
says nevertheless I live,
00:56:12.67\00:56:14.64
I like that.
00:56:14.67\00:56:16.04
"I have been
crucified with Christ,
00:56:16.07\00:56:17.81
it is no longer I who live
but Christ who does," what?
00:56:17.84\00:56:22.18
"Live in me, and the life
which I now live in the flesh,
00:56:22.21\00:56:28.02
this mortal body.
00:56:28.05\00:56:30.59
I live by faith
in the Son of God
00:56:30.62\00:56:34.86
who does what?
00:56:34.89\00:56:36.32
Who did what?
00:56:36.36\00:56:37.69
Loved me and
gave Himself for me.
00:56:37.73\00:56:41.53
So now, what
showing up in my life
00:56:41.56\00:56:44.27
is not because I
found a new way of living
00:56:44.30\00:56:47.14
or a new way of talking,
00:56:47.17\00:56:49.10
is not because I
have adopted a new plan
00:56:49.14\00:56:51.74
or decided to follow
00:56:51.77\00:56:53.84
the seven
highly effective habits
00:56:53.88\00:56:56.18
of successful Christians.
00:56:56.21\00:56:58.91
It's not because I
found a new spiritual guru
00:56:58.95\00:57:01.95
to suggest what kind of behavior
00:57:01.98\00:57:03.32
you should follow in
the pattern of my life,
00:57:03.35\00:57:05.15
but it's because
who's doing the work.
00:57:05.19\00:57:06.69
Come on tell me
who's doing the work?
00:57:06.72\00:57:08.69
It is no longer I who
live, but tell me again,
00:57:08.72\00:57:11.69
but Christ who lives in me.
00:57:11.73\00:57:13.66
So Jeff and April, and Marlina
00:57:13.70\00:57:16.10
and Dan and Hannah
and Cynthia, Angie.
00:57:16.13\00:57:20.04
The list goes on and on.
00:57:20.07\00:57:21.67
What shows up in
our lives shows up
00:57:21.70\00:57:23.67
because Christ is the one
in there living through us.
00:57:23.71\00:57:29.01
So if you've accepted
Christ, go home tonight
00:57:29.04\00:57:32.75
and stand in front of the mirror
00:57:32.78\00:57:34.12
for a little longer
than you normally would
00:57:34.15\00:57:37.29
and just see if you
could see Christ peeking out.
00:57:37.32\00:57:41.66
I'm in here,
don't get discouraged,
00:57:41.69\00:57:43.79
I've started some work,
00:57:43.83\00:57:45.16
you may see some
dust every now and then,
00:57:45.19\00:57:46.70
you may hear some
hammering and sawing
00:57:46.73\00:57:48.30
and some things breaking.
00:57:48.33\00:57:49.86
I'm just getting
rid of the old remnants
00:57:49.90\00:57:51.43
of the old man,
00:57:51.47\00:57:52.90
because Christ is on the inside.
00:57:52.93\00:57:54.50
It's so
wonderful to know friends,
00:57:54.54\00:57:55.94
if you keep your
life in Christ hand,
00:57:55.97\00:57:57.54
what is not clear right now,
00:57:57.57\00:57:58.91
one day will
come into a beautiful
00:57:58.94\00:58:01.11
and wonderful sharper focus.
00:58:01.14\00:58:03.48
God bless you.
00:58:03.51\00:58:04.88