Music...
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn
and we welcome you once again
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to Guarding Grace.
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This is Seminar Number 2.
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I hope you got to see Number 1,
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we expanded our
definition of grace...
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we looked at
the Covenants of God
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and we realized that the
Ten Commandments are still part
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of our... and a
critical part of our lives.
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When we think about grace,
we looked at our last Seminar
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at God's three
greatest gifts of grace...
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Jesus... the Holy
Spirit... and the Word...
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and you
understand those gifts...
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you understand the effects.
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Grace rescues us
from sin and death.
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Grace renews a
right Spirit within us
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and grace restores
us to moral purity.
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Today, we're going to
consider three questions.
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First: Are God's
Covenant Promises conditional?
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Secondly: What
happens if we are faithless?
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And then, Third: Can we
have assurance of salvation?
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Let's pray, "Heavenly
Father, we come before you
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in the name of Jesus Christ...
the name above all names...
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we praise You O Lord,
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we love you and we
want to know Your Word,
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so, I ask today as
we study Your Word...
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reveal to us Your truths
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in a way that
we've never seen before,
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let the Holy
Spirit be our Teacher,
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in Jesus' name, amen. "
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So, first question: Are
God's promises conditional?
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You can be assured that
God's love is unconditional.
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You can also be assured that
God's promises are conditioned
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upon obedience.
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God asks that we walk
in love and loyalty to Him
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and if we love Him, we
will submit to His will
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our obedience will
be motivated by love
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and empowered
by the Holy Spirit.
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To stay in covenant
relationship with the Lord,
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we are obligated to
keep His conditions.
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God keeps covenant with those
who keep covenant with Him.
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Deuteronomy 7:9 says,
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"Therefore, know that
the Lord your God, He is God,
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the faithful God who
keeps covenant and mercy
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for a thousand generations
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with those who love Him
and keep His commandments. "
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In Nehemiah 1:5,
Nehemiah is praying and he says,
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"O great and awesome God,
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You who keep covenant and
mercy with those who love You
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and observe Your
commandments... "
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and Daniel 9:4 echoes almost
the very words of Nehemiah.
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What does this Old Testament
have to do with us today?
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Let me tell you something,
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God says, "I am the
Lord, I change not... "
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The Bible says... Jesus Christ
is the same yesterday, today,
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and forever.
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So, what we see is that
the spiritual principles
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outlined in the Old Testament
are echoed in the New Testament.
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Let me give you a
couple of examples.
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Ezekiel 33:18 through 20,
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Ezekiel 33:18 to 20...
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God says, "When the righteous
turns from his righteousness
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and commits iniquity,
he shall die because of it.
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But when the wicked
turns from his wickedness
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and does what is
lawful and right,
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he shall live because of it.
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I will judge every one of
you according to his own ways. "
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Jesus echoes this
principle in John 15:6,
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he says, "If anyone
does not abide in Me... "
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remain in Him...
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"he is cast out as
a branch and withered;
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and they gather them and
throw them into the fire,
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and they are burned. "
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Then Paul in
Romans 11:21 through 23
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echoes this again,
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he says, "If God did not
spare the natural branches... "
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he's talking of Israel the
biological seed of Abraham,
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"He may not spare you either. "
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Spiritual seed of Abraham...
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"Therefore consider the
goodness and severity of God:
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on those who fell... "
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those who broke
covenant with Him
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"severity... but
toward you, goodness,
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if... " this is Paul's word...
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"if" that's the
biggest two-letter word
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in the whole language...
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"if you
continue in His goodness.
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Otherwise you
also will be cut off.
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And they also, if they do
not continue in disbelief,
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will be grafted in,
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for God is able to
graft them in again. "
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God's message is
consistent throughout Scripture.
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Exodus 32:33, "The
Lord said to Moses,
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'Whoever has sinned against Me,
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I will blot his
name out of the book. '"
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He's speaking of
the Book of life...
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the registry of the redeemed.
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Then Jesus echoes the same
principle in the New Testament
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in Revelation 3:5...
He's saying it in the negative
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but He says, "He who overcomes
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shall be clothed
in white garments,
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and I will not
blot out his name... "
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I will not blot out
the name of the overcomers
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from the Book of Life;
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"but I will confess
his name before My Father
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and before His angels. "
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Is it possible to enter into
Covenant relationship with God,
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be saved by grace...
accept His gift of salvation
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and then,
carelessly toss it away?
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Walk away from it?
Leave it in the dirt?
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Apathy is a
dangerous heart condition.
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So, our second question then...
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what happens if we're faithless?
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Let me tell you, God
never violates our free will.
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He offers the gift of salvation,
it's up to us to receive it
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but it's also our
choice to remain in Christ.
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We can change our mind in
the direction of our life.
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We've seen people
who have apostatized.
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The Bible is full of examples
of religious unfaithfulness...
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sinning against the
Lord... intentional rebellion...
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falling away and backsliding.
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In his first
letter to the Corinthians,
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the Apostle Paul gives a
brief history of the wanderings
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of the nation of
Israel... God's elect people
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and Paul tells of
their transgression
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and how they finally
exhausted the Lord's patience
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and Paul explained
that God's judgment
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against this
wilderness generation
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is a warning to Christians.
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He concluded in
1st Corinthians 10:12,
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it says, "Therefore let
him who thinks he stands
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take heed lest he fall. "
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That's a warning
we need to remember.
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Do we think we stand?
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Let's take heed
before... lest we fall.
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In 2nd Peter,
here's another warning.
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The Apostle
issues a strong alert
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against the potential danger
of falling away from the Lord.
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He warns that the
seduction of false teachers
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who speak with great
swelling words of emptiness
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and corrupt good morals
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and you know what their allure
is... these false teachers?
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How they attract
people to them...
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they have lofty expressions of
liberty from God's restrictions.
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They teach people... Peter
says to walk after the flesh
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and they delude Christians
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who one time
adhered to the truth
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turning them aside, he says,
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"from the way of righteousness
and the holy Commandment. "
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Then he concludes...
in chapter 2 verse 20,
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this is 2nd Peter 2
we'll read verse 20 through 22.
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"For if, after they escaped
the pollutions of the world
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through the knowledge of the
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
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they are again
entangled in them and overcome,
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the latter end is worse
for them than the beginning.
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For it would have been better
for them not to have known
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the way of righteousness,
than having known it,
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to turn away from the holy
commandment delivered to them.
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But it has happened to them
according to the true proverb:
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'A dog returns
to his own vomit,'
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and, 'a sow, having been washed,
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to her wallowing in the mire. '"
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Hooo... Peter
goes on in chapter 3...
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2nd Peter 3:16 and 18...
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here he's talking
about Paul's writings
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and he says, "Yeah, some of them
are kind of hard to understand"
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but he says,
"untaught and unstable people
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twist them to
their own destruction
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as they also do the
rest of the Scriptures...
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you, therefore, beloved... "
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he's talking to Christians,
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"beware, lest you fall
from your own steadfastness,
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being led away with
the error of the wicked. "
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Oh, we have to beware...
we need to check everything
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according to Scripture.
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He says, "Grow in
grace and the knowledge
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of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
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Oh... beware.
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Now, let's consider some
of the warnings in Hebrews.
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Hebrews 3:12
says, "Beware brethren,
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lest there be any of you
with an evil heart of unbelief
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in departing
from the living God. "
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What's happening
here... the author of Hebrews
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is concerned
about the possibility
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of us detouring from
God's narrow path of life...
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walking away from
the source of grace,
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if we draw back from following
the footsteps of Jesus,
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we depart from the Father.
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Now, the Author in
verse... in chapter 10...
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Hebrews 10:28 and 31 says,
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"Anyone who has
rejected Moses' law
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dies without
mercy on the testimony
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of two or three witnesses.
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Of how much worse
punishment, do you suppose,
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will he be thought worthy
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who has trampled the
Son of God underfoot,
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counted the blood
of the covenant... "
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the ever... the blood of
the everlasting covenant...
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the Lamb who was slain
from the foundation of the world
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"who has counted the
blood of the covenant
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by which he was
sanctified a common thing,
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and insulted the Spirit...
the Holy Spirit of grace. "
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Christ's blood
ratified the new covenant.
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Only His blood can
cleanse us from sin
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and if we turn
away from His sacrifice,
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there's nothing...
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no other alternative
for sacrifice for sin
00:11:52.71\00:11:57.48
but now, listen to this,
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Hebrews 10
continues in verse 36,
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he's talking about drawing
back from living by faith,
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listen to what he
says, Hebrews 10:36,
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"You have need of endurance,
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so that after you have
done the will of God...
00:12:15.10\00:12:20.17
after you have
done the will of God...
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you will
receive the promise... "
00:12:23.37\00:12:26.07
and here is the promise...
00:12:26.11\00:12:27.44
he's going to quote what
God says... and this is it...
00:12:27.48\00:12:31.91
this is what God said,
00:12:31.95\00:12:33.75
"For yet a little while,
00:12:33.82\00:12:35.55
And He who is coming
will come and will not tarry.
00:12:35.58\00:12:38.12
Now the just
shall live by faith;
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.66
but if anyone draws back,
00:12:40.72\00:12:44.23
My soul has no
pleasure in him. "
00:12:44.26\00:12:48.33
Woooo... we must
remain in Christ.
00:12:48.36\00:12:51.87
We must not draw away from Him.
00:12:51.90\00:12:55.30
We've got to follow
in Christ's footsteps...
00:12:55.37\00:12:59.21
follow... obeying
God's holy Commandments...
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remember what we
talked about yesterday...
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we even obey by grace...
00:13:05.58\00:13:08.38
it is God... the
Holy Spirit working in us
00:13:08.42\00:13:11.82
to will and to do
His good pleasure.
00:13:11.85\00:13:14.72
We cannot sin willfully
00:13:14.76\00:13:17.73
or we are
breaking covenant with God.
00:13:17.76\00:13:20.86
Now, let's
consider 2nd Timothy...
00:13:20.90\00:13:23.97
oooh... this one's a good one.
00:13:24.00\00:13:26.03
Paul's writing to 2nd Timothy.
00:13:26.07\00:13:28.04
Let me just read through it
first... then we'll unpack it.
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2nd Timothy chapter
2 verses 11 through 13,
00:13:31.14\00:13:35.84
Paul says, "This
is a faithful saying:
00:13:35.88\00:13:39.88
if we died with Him, we
shall also live with Him.
00:13:39.91\00:13:43.59
If we endure, we
shall also reign with Him.
00:13:43.62\00:13:47.92
If we deny Him, He
will also denies us.
00:13:47.96\00:13:52.23
If we are
faithless, He remains faithful
00:13:52.26\00:13:56.53
because He
cannot deny Himself. "
00:13:56.56\00:13:58.60
Now, let's unpack that.
00:13:58.63\00:14:00.87
If we died with Him, we
shall also live with Him.
00:14:00.90\00:14:05.57
This is
referring to the doctrine
00:14:05.61\00:14:08.21
of substitutionary sacrifice
of Jesus Christ on the cross.
00:14:08.24\00:14:12.98
He nailed that old
sin nature to the cross
00:14:13.01\00:14:15.78
and we have to die to self,
00:14:15.82\00:14:18.75
he said, "Pick up
your cross daily. "
00:14:18.79\00:14:21.72
We have to die to
self and die to sin.
00:14:21.76\00:14:24.63
We accept Him as our Savior.
00:14:24.66\00:14:29.00
Being born again...
00:14:29.03\00:14:30.57
being regenerated
by the Holy Spirit,
00:14:30.60\00:14:34.07
we are alive to God
in this re-created life.
00:14:34.10\00:14:38.04
Then he says in
verse 12, 2nd Timothy 2:12,
00:14:38.07\00:14:41.88
"If we endure... we
shall also reign with Him. "
00:14:41.91\00:14:45.25
Remember what Jesus
said in Matthew 24:13?
00:14:45.28\00:14:48.82
"He who endures to the
end... shall be saved. "
00:14:48.85\00:14:54.09
This is not a sprint...
00:14:54.12\00:14:56.46
the Christian walk's not
a sprint... it's a marathon.
00:14:56.52\00:15:00.03
We have to endure...
00:15:00.10\00:15:02.46
We already read Hebrews 10:36,
00:15:02.50\00:15:05.00
it says that we
have needed endurance
00:15:05.03\00:15:07.97
so that after we've
done the will of God...
00:15:08.00\00:15:12.54
the revealed will of God...
00:15:12.57\00:15:15.81
we will receive the promise.
00:15:15.84\00:15:19.05
So, we've got this
promise of reigning with Christ
00:15:19.08\00:15:25.45
in this life and in the next
00:15:25.49\00:15:27.49
but now he
says, "If we deny Him,
00:15:27.52\00:15:30.99
He will also deny us. "
00:15:31.03\00:15:32.66
Did you know that
"Deny Him" here in the Greek
00:15:32.69\00:15:37.10
the verb is in the future tense.
00:15:37.13\00:15:39.33
If we shall deny Him...
00:15:39.37\00:15:42.80
"Denying Christ" does not
demand a verbal rejection.
00:15:42.84\00:15:49.24
Habitual disregard of God's
commandments and deliberate sin
00:15:49.31\00:15:57.19
is a denial of Christ.
00:15:57.22\00:16:00.89
If we reject His authority
and refuse to abide in Him...
00:16:00.92\00:16:06.93
to remain in Him,
00:16:06.96\00:16:08.30
with the power of His grace,
00:16:08.33\00:16:10.37
we are
consequently disowning Him.
00:16:10.40\00:16:14.27
Paul identifies people
of this mindset saying,
00:16:14.30\00:16:19.21
"They profess to know God
00:16:19.24\00:16:21.11
but in their
works, they deny Him. "
00:16:21.14\00:16:25.31
He calls them "disobedient"
this is Titus 1:16...
00:16:25.35\00:16:29.98
he calls them
disobedient and disqualified.
00:16:30.02\00:16:34.22
Let me tell you something.
00:16:34.26\00:16:35.89
The two greatest
heresies in Christianity are
00:16:35.92\00:16:40.60
that we can save
ourself by works...
00:16:40.63\00:16:44.80
that's what all
pagan religions teach...
00:16:44.83\00:16:48.97
that's what all cults teach
00:16:49.00\00:16:50.97
that you can save
yourself by works.
00:16:51.01\00:16:53.11
We saw yesterday...
00:16:53.14\00:16:54.54
there's nothing we
can do to save ourself
00:16:54.58\00:16:58.05
but another great
heresy in Christianity
00:16:58.08\00:17:01.88
is that grace is
a license to sin.
00:17:01.92\00:17:05.05
We saw yesterday,
00:17:05.09\00:17:07.26
there could not be
anything further from the truth.
00:17:07.29\00:17:10.23
Jude 1:3 through
5... Jude reads this,
00:17:10.26\00:17:14.73
he says... or writes this...
00:17:14.76\00:17:17.27
"Contend earnestly for the faith
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.73
which was once for all
delivered to the saints.
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.37
For certain men have crept
in unnoticed... ungodly men...
00:17:22.40\00:17:28.51
who turn the grace
of God into lewdness...
00:17:28.54\00:17:34.58
unbridled lust...
00:17:34.62\00:17:37.02
and they deny the only Lord God,
00:17:37.05\00:17:43.19
and our Lord Jesus Christ. "
00:17:43.22\00:17:45.36
Remember Jesus said that if
we deny Him... He'll deny us.
00:17:45.39\00:17:49.30
I guarantee you,
00:17:49.33\00:17:51.17
this is something
that we have to remember:
00:17:51.20\00:17:54.14
Grace does not
give us a license to sin
00:17:54.17\00:17:57.04
but then he goes on and He says,
00:17:57.07\00:18:00.08
"I want to remind
you that the Lord...
00:18:00.11\00:18:01.74
having saved the people
out of the land of Egypt,
00:18:01.78\00:18:05.28
afterward... He destroyed
those who did not believe. "
00:18:05.31\00:18:10.05
I heard of a church
where someone came and preached
00:18:10.09\00:18:14.76
on the topic of grace
00:18:14.79\00:18:17.33
and afterward, a
man walked out and said,
00:18:17.39\00:18:20.53
"Hallelujah, I'm set free,
00:18:20.56\00:18:22.86
I can bring my
pornography out of the closet...
00:18:22.93\00:18:26.17
I am saved by grace. "
00:18:26.20\00:18:28.44
That is turning the grace of
our Lord God into lewdness...
00:18:28.47\00:18:32.47
into unbridled lust...
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.78
that's denying the Lord.
00:18:34.81\00:18:38.01
Jesus said in Matthew 10:33,
00:18:38.05\00:18:40.85
"Whoever denies Me before men,
00:18:40.88\00:18:43.62
him I will also deny before
My Father who is in heaven. "
00:18:43.65\00:18:47.06
Now, this isn't
a temporary lapse
00:18:47.09\00:18:49.69
like Peter when
he said something
00:18:49.72\00:18:51.79
and then repented right away,
00:18:51.86\00:18:53.86
he's talking
about falling away...
00:18:53.90\00:18:57.53
about an apostasy and
there is the fearful reality
00:18:57.57\00:19:03.34
if we turn away from Christ,
00:19:03.37\00:19:05.41
He'll deny us before the Father.
00:19:05.44\00:19:07.48
Then 2nd Timothy 2:13 says,
00:19:07.51\00:19:10.55
"If we are
faithless, He remains faithful;
00:19:10.58\00:19:16.02
He cannot deny Himself. "
00:19:16.08\00:19:18.89
You know, some people take
comfort in this Scripture...
00:19:18.92\00:19:22.42
it's not a word of comfort...
it is a word of warning.
00:19:22.46\00:19:25.89
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful...
00:19:25.93\00:19:29.83
He cannot deny Himself.
00:19:29.86\00:19:31.63
God is faithful to His promises.
00:19:31.67\00:19:34.07
He is faithful to His
warnings of punishment.
00:19:34.10\00:19:39.37
He cannot act
contrary to His nature.
00:19:39.41\00:19:44.01
He is a God of mercy...
00:19:44.05\00:19:46.41
His compassions
are new every morning
00:19:46.48\00:19:48.75
but He is a God of justice.
00:19:48.78\00:19:52.25
If we don't believe in God's
power to save us from sin...
00:19:52.29\00:19:58.23
if we are unfaithful to Him...
00:19:58.26\00:20:01.00
He cannot help
but remain faithful
00:20:01.03\00:20:04.73
to His righteous
character and His sure Word.
00:20:04.77\00:20:08.64
His promises are trustworthy.
00:20:08.67\00:20:11.67
He will
faithfully deliver everyone
00:20:11.71\00:20:15.64
who walks and
lives by His divine grace
00:20:15.68\00:20:19.55
but He will be equally faithful
00:20:19.58\00:20:22.42
to his promises of
punishment for the wicked.
00:20:22.45\00:20:25.62
Did you know God anguishes
00:20:25.65\00:20:28.59
over every person who
breaks covenant with Him.
00:20:28.62\00:20:33.19
It deeply saddens Him.
00:20:33.23\00:20:36.77
The loss of relationship
is something that...
00:20:36.80\00:20:40.50
you were created for
a relationship with God
00:20:40.54\00:20:44.17
but He cannot deny His Word.
00:20:44.21\00:20:48.18
Christ promises in John 10:20,
00:20:48.21\00:20:52.15
"no one can snatch us
00:20:52.18\00:20:53.98
from our heavenly
Father's protective hand. "
00:20:54.02\00:20:57.59
Paul said in
Romans 8:35 through 39,
00:20:57.62\00:21:02.62
he says that absolutely nothing
00:21:02.66\00:21:06.19
can separate us
from the love of God.
00:21:06.23\00:21:09.50
Peter says in 1st Peter 1:5,
00:21:09.53\00:21:13.03
"through our faith in
the provision of His grace,
00:21:13.07\00:21:17.41
we are kept by the power of...
by His power for salvation"
00:21:17.44\00:21:24.85
but even so, grace does
not eliminate free will.
00:21:24.88\00:21:29.95
God will never
violate your free will.
00:21:29.98\00:21:34.39
To do that would be to
violate the principle of love.
00:21:34.42\00:21:38.06
It is possible to
have a form of godliness
00:21:38.09\00:21:42.53
and deny its power.
00:21:42.56\00:21:44.13
It is possible to
cast off Christ's yoke
00:21:44.17\00:21:48.10
and walk away
breaking covenant with Him
00:21:48.14\00:21:52.11
and breaking the
heart of our loving God.
00:21:52.14\00:21:56.51
It is possible to
grieve... to resist...
00:21:56.54\00:22:00.92
even to quench the Holy Spirit.
00:22:00.95\00:22:04.55
Jesus said in
Matthew 7:21 through 23,
00:22:04.59\00:22:09.06
"Not everyone who
says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
00:22:09.09\00:22:12.13
shall enter the
kingdom of heaven,
00:22:12.16\00:22:13.53
but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven.
00:22:13.60\00:22:16.87
Many will say to Me in that day,
00:22:16.90\00:22:18.97
'Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your Name,
00:22:19.00\00:22:24.21
cast out demons in Your name,
00:22:24.24\00:22:26.54
and done many
wonders in Your name?'
00:22:26.57\00:22:30.31
And then I will declare to them,
00:22:30.35\00:22:34.05
'I never knew you;
00:22:34.08\00:22:35.88
depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness!'"
00:22:35.92\00:22:38.99
Oh... oh can you
imagine hearing that?
00:22:39.02\00:22:42.16
Thinking you're
walking in a Christian life
00:22:42.19\00:22:44.49
and then Jesus says
to you at the end...
00:22:44.53\00:22:46.76
instead of "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant"
00:22:46.80\00:22:49.33
"Depart from me, you
who practice lawlessness. "
00:22:49.36\00:22:54.04
What is lawlessness?
00:22:54.07\00:22:55.84
1st John 3:4 says,
"Whoever commits sin
00:22:55.87\00:22:58.97
commits lawlessness...
sin is lawlessness... "
00:22:59.01\00:23:02.64
and what is the penalty for sin?
00:23:02.68\00:23:04.78
The second death.
00:23:04.81\00:23:06.25
You know, some people act
00:23:06.28\00:23:08.52
as if God never
wrote the Ten Commandments.
00:23:08.55\00:23:11.65
They ignore God's law.
00:23:11.69\00:23:14.96
We proved yesterday
00:23:14.99\00:23:18.19
that the Ten Commandments
are not the Old Covenant,
00:23:18.23\00:23:20.96
they were the
heart of the Old Covenant
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.90
and they are the
heart of the New Covenant.
00:23:23.93\00:23:26.80
Do we think we stand?
00:23:26.84\00:23:28.87
Let us take heed
that we don't fall.
00:23:28.90\00:23:32.37
To abuse the covenant
love relationship of grace
00:23:32.41\00:23:38.55
by disobedience is to
break covenant with God.
00:23:38.58\00:23:44.52
Let me repeat that,
00:23:44.55\00:23:45.89
"To abuse the
covenant love relationship
00:23:45.92\00:23:49.52
between us and
God by disobedience
00:23:49.59\00:23:52.96
is to break
covenant with God... "
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.76
and we know God
only keeps covenant
00:23:55.80\00:23:58.27
with those who
keep covenant with Him.
00:23:58.30\00:24:00.74
We must be watchful...
00:24:00.77\00:24:03.47
we must guard our relationship
with the Lord of grace.
00:24:03.51\00:24:08.51
We must pray for grace
for God's divine assistance.
00:24:08.54\00:24:13.52
Yes it takes some effort, but
it's a Spirit-empowered effort.
00:24:13.55\00:24:17.72
You know, Paul said
in Philippians 2:12,
00:24:17.75\00:24:20.19
"work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling... "
00:24:20.22\00:24:23.12
I used to...
00:24:23.16\00:24:24.79
my knees would knock trying
to work out my own salvation...
00:24:24.83\00:24:28.10
I didn't understand grace
00:24:28.13\00:24:29.90
but I didn't see the
next Scripture either,
00:24:29.93\00:24:32.53
I don't think they
should have been divided...
00:24:32.57\00:24:35.10
he says, "work
out your own salvation
00:24:35.14\00:24:37.77
with fear and trembling...
" but not in your own strength
00:24:37.81\00:24:40.81
"for it is God who
works in you to will and to do
00:24:40.84\00:24:46.01
His good pleasure. "
00:24:46.05\00:24:47.72
Every morning I pray, "Lord,
fill me with the Holy Spirit. "
00:24:47.75\00:24:51.39
I actually pray that
more often than once a day
00:24:51.42\00:24:55.29
but I'm praying that God...
by the power of the Holy Spirit
00:24:55.32\00:25:00.56
will empower me to obey.
00:25:00.60\00:25:02.96
Obedience is by grace.
00:25:03.00\00:25:05.27
Let us stand in
grace... grow in grace
00:25:05.30\00:25:09.24
and find our strength in grace.
00:25:09.27\00:25:11.51
Now, our third question:
00:25:11.54\00:25:13.48
Can we have
assurance of salvation?
00:25:13.51\00:25:16.01
Absolutely...
00:25:16.04\00:25:18.41
absolutely you can
have assurance of salvation.
00:25:18.45\00:25:22.38
As long as we are living
in union with Christ Jesus,
00:25:22.42\00:25:28.92
you can take comfort
00:25:28.96\00:25:31.79
because abiding in Him...
00:25:31.83\00:25:33.80
you have absolute
assurance of salvation.
00:25:33.83\00:25:37.63
Let me read 1st
John 5:11 through 13,
00:25:37.67\00:25:41.40
boy, some people don't
underline their Bible... I do...
00:25:41.44\00:25:45.61
this one's underlined...
1st John 5:11 through 13 says,
00:25:45.64\00:25:49.74
"This is the testimony:
00:25:49.78\00:25:51.58
that God has
given us eternal life,
00:25:51.61\00:25:55.45
and this life is in His Son. "
00:25:55.48\00:25:58.45
Who has it? Listen, verse 12,
00:25:58.52\00:26:01.46
1st John 5 verse 12,
00:26:01.52\00:26:04.69
"He who has the
Son of God has life;
00:26:04.73\00:26:08.26
he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life. "
00:26:08.30\00:26:11.87
How simple is that?
00:26:11.90\00:26:13.54
Do you have Jesus?
00:26:13.60\00:26:15.17
Are you abiding in Him?
00:26:15.20\00:26:17.17
Are you walking
in His footsteps?
00:26:17.21\00:26:18.97
He says, "These
things I have written to you
00:26:19.01\00:26:20.98
who believe in the
name of the Son of God,
00:26:21.04\00:26:23.31
that you may know
that you have eternal life,
00:26:23.35\00:26:25.58
and that you may continue
00:26:25.61\00:26:27.78
to believe in the
name of the Son of God. "
00:26:27.82\00:26:32.49
What does he mean by
"believing in the Son of God?"
00:26:32.52\00:26:36.89
It's not mental assent.
00:26:36.93\00:26:39.03
Even the demons
believe and shudder...
00:26:39.09\00:26:42.80
to believe in Jesus...
00:26:42.83\00:26:46.40
believing in Jesus is
to be living in Jesus.
00:26:46.43\00:26:52.97
If you have the Son... you
have assurance of salvation.
00:26:53.01\00:26:57.81
Listen to what Ellen G. White
wrote in: The Faith I live By.
00:26:57.85\00:27:01.58
This is from page 100,
00:27:01.62\00:27:03.82
"It is not God's will
that you should be distrustful
00:27:03.85\00:27:07.09
and torture your soul
00:27:07.12\00:27:08.46
with the fear that
God would not accept you
00:27:08.49\00:27:11.13
because you are
sinful and unworthy. "
00:27:11.16\00:27:14.16
You can say, "I
know I'm a sinner...
00:27:14.20\00:27:17.60
that is the
reason I need a Savior.
00:27:17.63\00:27:20.94
I have no merit or goodness
whereby I may claim salvation
00:27:20.97\00:27:26.98
but I present before
God the all-atoning blood
00:27:27.01\00:27:31.75
of the spotless Lamb of God,
00:27:31.78\00:27:34.62
which taketh away
the sin of the world.
00:27:34.65\00:27:38.92
This is my only plea. "
00:27:38.95\00:27:42.92
That's Ellen G. White,
The Faith I Live By, page 100.
00:27:42.96\00:27:47.36
Let this be our
pledge and our affirmation.
00:27:47.40\00:27:53.20
Hebrews 10:39 says,
00:27:53.23\00:27:56.71
"But we are not of those
who draw back to perdition,
00:27:56.74\00:27:59.27
but of those who believe
to the saving of the soul. "
00:27:59.34\00:28:01.84
As long as we walk by faith,
00:28:01.88\00:28:05.61
no trial can take us
from God's protective hand.
00:28:05.65\00:28:09.92
As long as we love the
truth and abide in the truth,
00:28:09.95\00:28:14.22
we're not going
to seek teachings
00:28:14.26\00:28:17.13
that please our itching ear
00:28:17.16\00:28:19.06
or twist Scripture
to our own destruction.
00:28:19.09\00:28:22.93
As long as we walk in
the light of God's Word
00:28:22.96\00:28:26.70
with a heart that is renewed by
the quickening grace of Christ,
00:28:26.74\00:28:30.54
imputed and
imparted righteousness
00:28:30.57\00:28:35.48
asking to be filled
daily with the Holy Spirit,
00:28:35.51\00:28:39.45
we will remain
faithful to our Lord
00:28:39.48\00:28:43.02
and He will
remain faithful to us.
00:28:43.05\00:28:46.55
By His grace we
can be overcomers
00:28:46.59\00:28:49.99
and not blot it
out of the Book of Life
00:28:50.03\00:28:53.93
if we guard
grace... trust and obey.
00:28:53.96\00:28:57.83