Shall we bow our heads for prayer? 00:01:12.83\00:01:14.02 Our Father and our God, what a joy it has been for the last 00:01:14.05\00:01:21.35 several sessions to open Your Word, and to study about 00:01:21.38\00:01:26.84 the book of Genesis. 00:01:27.12\00:01:28.35 We've been amazed to see how Your plan is revealed so clearly 00:01:28.38\00:01:33.52 in this first book of the Bible. 00:01:33.55\00:01:35.89 And as we study in our lecture today, Creation's Travail 00:01:35.92\00:01:43.49 and Deliverance, we ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. 00:01:43.52\00:01:48.82 Help us to understand that this world is not our home; 00:01:48.85\00:01:51.68 that this world will soon come to an end. 00:01:51.71\00:01:54.76 And then those who are faithful to You, who have received Jesus 00:01:54.79\00:01:59.74 as Savior and Lord, will be able to inhabit that kingdom 00:01:59.77\00:02:03.86 where there will be no more sorrow, no more suffering, 00:02:03.89\00:02:07.18 and no more death. 00:02:07.21\00:02:08.50 I ask that You will give us this strong, and blessed hope 00:02:08.53\00:02:12.51 in our hearts as we study. 00:02:12.54\00:02:13.89 We pray this in the precious name of Your beloved 00:02:13.92\00:02:17.40 Son, Jesus, Amen. 00:02:17.76\00:02:20.07 I'd like to begin our study today by going back to Genesis 1 00:02:20.10\00:02:27.50 where we find the story of creation. 00:02:27.53\00:02:30.48 Now I'm not going to review all the story of creation. 00:02:30.51\00:02:36.20 I'm just going to go to one verse which summarizes 00:02:36.23\00:02:40.29 the conclusion of the creation story. 00:02:40.32\00:02:43.04 It says in Genesis 1:31 that God saw all that He had made, 00:02:43.07\00:02:51.25 and behold, it was very good. 00:02:51.28\00:02:58.16 But as we've studied, God placed a test in the garden of Eden. 00:02:58.19\00:03:04.64 That test was found in a tree, and He expected Adam and Eve 00:03:04.67\00:03:09.76 to live in harmony with the specifications that 00:03:09.79\00:03:13.58 He had laid down. 00:03:13.61\00:03:14.64 Now we know from our study, that Adam and Eve failed the test. 00:03:14.67\00:03:21.11 They ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 00:03:21.14\00:03:24.43 And as a result they sinned, and the consequences of their sin 00:03:24.46\00:03:29.92 were death, and suffering, and sorrow. 00:03:29.95\00:03:34.56 Now I would like us to just reflect upon the law 00:03:34.59\00:03:40.51 of God for a moment. 00:03:40.54\00:03:41.87 The law of God, the ten commandments, 00:03:41.90\00:03:47.40 demands perfection. 00:03:47.43\00:03:51.07 It requires perfect conformity to its specifications. 00:03:51.10\00:03:57.42 Now if perfect conformity is not given to the ten commandments 00:03:57.45\00:04:04.05 then they require the death of the individual 00:04:04.08\00:04:09.51 who transgresses them. 00:04:09.54\00:04:11.36 And, of course, Adam and Eve failed the test. 00:04:11.39\00:04:15.56 They failed to offer a life of perfect obedience to the law, 00:04:15.59\00:04:21.54 and therefore they became subject to death. 00:04:21.57\00:04:26.92 But not only were Adam and Eve impacted by sin, 00:04:26.95\00:04:32.30 we actually find, as the story moves along in the book of 00:04:32.33\00:04:37.10 Genesis, that all of creation, all of nature, was impacted 00:04:37.13\00:04:42.49 by Adam and Eve's sin. 00:04:42.52\00:04:45.98 Not only do we find the death sentence falling upon man, 00:04:46.01\00:04:51.78 but also death came into all of creation in consequence of sin. 00:04:51.81\00:04:58.50 All nature began to decay and to die. 00:04:58.53\00:05:03.71 Now the only way in which creation could be restored 00:05:03.74\00:05:08.68 to the condition that it was in originally, is if man offered 00:05:08.71\00:05:14.84 a perfect life of obedience to the law, because the law says 00:05:14.87\00:05:19.49 obey and live. Adam and Eve, and their descendents, could not 00:05:19.52\00:05:24.68 offer this. And because Adam and Eve, and all of their 00:05:24.71\00:05:29.19 descendents sinned, and they could not offer that perfect 00:05:29.22\00:05:33.29 life, the law pronounced against them the sentence of death. 00:05:33.32\00:05:39.48 The human race needed someone who could offer the law 00:05:39.51\00:05:45.86 a perfect life in place of man, who had sinned, 00:05:45.89\00:05:51.54 and who would suffer the penalty of death in place 00:05:51.57\00:05:55.73 of all of humanity. 00:05:55.76\00:05:57.00 The only person who could do that was the Creator of all. 00:05:57.03\00:06:04.66 You see, only the Creator of all could offer to take the place 00:06:04.69\00:06:09.83 of all. Only He could offer a perfect life in place of the 00:06:09.86\00:06:15.48 imperfect lives of sinners. 00:06:15.51\00:06:18.76 Only He could suffer the death that every single human being 00:06:18.79\00:06:24.99 on planet earth deserves. 00:06:25.02\00:06:27.55 Only the Creator could take the place of His creatures. 00:06:27.58\00:06:32.78 And so He had to come to this world, and He had to live a 00:06:32.81\00:06:36.76 perfect life in place of His creatures, so that He could 00:06:36.79\00:06:40.30 offer this to the demands of the law. 00:06:40.33\00:06:42.53 And He had to come, and after living a perfect life, 00:06:42.56\00:06:45.95 He had to offer His life a sacrifice for all of the sins 00:06:45.98\00:06:50.58 of the human race. 00:06:50.61\00:06:51.68 And in this way the demands of the law would be satisfied, 00:06:51.71\00:06:56.30 and man instead of dying, could live. 00:06:56.33\00:07:00.30 Now I would like us to turn in our Bibles to the book of 00:07:00.33\00:07:04.24 Romans 8:3, 4, Romans 8:3, 4. It says here: 00:07:04.27\00:07:14.93 Notice the law could not justify man, because man lived a 00:07:21.77\00:07:25.83 fleshly existence; a life of sin, in other words. 00:07:25.86\00:07:29.75 The law demanded righteousness. 00:07:29.78\00:07:32.07 Man could not off that righteousness. 00:07:32.10\00:07:34.34 And so the law was weak because of our fleshly nature, 00:07:34.37\00:07:38.97 or our selfish nature. 00:07:39.00\00:07:40.47 So it says, for what the law could not do in that it was 00:07:40.50\00:07:44.72 weak through the flesh,... 00:07:44.75\00:07:46.12 See, what the law could not do, God did. 00:07:47.94\00:07:51.09 And how did He do it? 00:07:51.12\00:07:52.55 Did you notice that it didn't say, in the likeness of 00:08:00.42\00:08:04.18 Adam's sinless flesh? 00:08:05.23\00:08:06.43 It says in the likeness of sinful flesh. 00:08:06.46\00:08:11.19 And now notice,... 00:08:11.22\00:08:12.53 In other words, Jesus came to this world 00:08:31.81\00:08:34.64 to live a perfect life. 00:08:34.67\00:08:35.95 He came to this world to suffer death. 00:08:35.98\00:08:39.38 He came in the likeness of our sinful flesh. 00:08:39.41\00:08:44.06 He came with a sinful nature. 00:08:44.09\00:08:46.67 And the purpose of doing that was to condemn sin in the flesh, 00:08:46.70\00:08:51.44 that He could serve as our righteousness. 00:08:51.47\00:08:55.68 Now do you know what that means? 00:08:55.71\00:08:58.08 It, basically, means that the law demands perfection. 00:08:58.11\00:09:02.13 I can't give it, so when I receive Jesus, Jesus offers the 00:09:02.16\00:09:06.86 perfection that I cannot offer. 00:09:06.89\00:09:08.99 It also means that because I should suffer death, 00:09:09.02\00:09:12.80 the law demands my death, because I'm a sinner. 00:09:12.83\00:09:15.28 Jesus takes my place. 00:09:15.31\00:09:17.09 He died in my place, therefore I don't have to die, 00:09:17.12\00:09:20.61 because He took upon Himself my death. 00:09:20.64\00:09:24.00 But there's more! 00:09:24.03\00:09:25.23 Jesus, by His perfect life, is also able to imbue my life 00:09:25.26\00:09:30.99 with His life, so that I no longer walk according to the 00:09:31.02\00:09:34.75 flesh, but I walk according to the Spirit, as it says here. 00:09:34.78\00:09:39.02 Now I want to jump down to verse 14 of Romans 8, 00:09:39.05\00:09:46.41 and we're going to study the consequences of what Jesus 00:09:46.44\00:09:50.71 did in coming to this world in sinful flesh, to condemn sin, 00:09:50.74\00:09:55.37 and to suffer death, and to live a righteous, perfect life. 00:09:55.40\00:09:59.39 It says there in Romans 8:14: 00:09:59.42\00:10:03.82 Actually, a better translation is, as many as are being led. 00:10:06.76\00:10:12.55 It is a continuous tense. 00:10:12.58\00:10:14.87 Now let's go on to verse 15, because it's linked 00:10:26.93\00:10:30.20 with verse 14. It says there: 00:10:30.23\00:10:32.80 For, because we're the sons of God. 00:10:32.83\00:10:35.74 Now there's several things in verse 15 00:10:51.43\00:10:54.11 that I want to underline. 00:10:54.14\00:10:55.21 It says here that we no longer have the spirit of bondage. 00:10:55.24\00:11:02.92 Basically this is telling us that before we became sons, 00:11:02.95\00:11:08.33 we were what? We were slaves. 00:11:08.36\00:11:12.32 We were bond slaves. 00:11:12.35\00:11:14.91 In other words, we were not Sons of God. 00:11:14.94\00:11:17.50 We were slaves. 00:11:17.53\00:11:18.97 Now as a result of what Jesus did, we can be what? 00:11:19.00\00:11:27.43 adopted into God's family. 00:11:27.46\00:11:30.69 Now let's take a look at this. 00:11:30.72\00:11:32.32 When you're going to adopt a child, does that child have 00:11:32.35\00:11:38.64 to belong, first of all, to another family other than yours? 00:11:38.67\00:11:44.34 Of course! If you're going to adopt a child that child 00:11:44.37\00:11:49.07 previously belonged to a different family. 00:11:49.10\00:11:51.83 And so, if we are going to be adopted as Sons of God, 00:11:51.86\00:11:56.92 or as children of God, must we have belonged to a different 00:11:56.95\00:12:01.12 family before that fact? Obviously, yes. 00:12:01.15\00:12:05.13 And so the question is, what family did we belong to before 00:12:05.16\00:12:10.22 we actually were adopted into the family of God? 00:12:10.25\00:12:14.79 The answer is that before this we were slaves. 00:12:14.82\00:12:20.70 We belonged to the family of the sinful Adam. 00:12:20.73\00:12:26.61 We were doomed to death because of our sinfulness. 00:12:26.64\00:12:31.59 In other words, we belonged to the family of the slaves. 00:12:31.62\00:12:36.23 But then Jesus came along and He offered to take us from the 00:12:36.26\00:12:42.37 family of the slaves, and adopt us as children of 00:12:42.40\00:12:46.61 His very own family, and thus we changed families by adoption. 00:12:46.64\00:12:54.48 By the way, I want you to notice, and this is very 00:12:54.51\00:12:57.45 important; I want you to notice that this verse, verse 15, 00:12:57.48\00:13:02.39 tells us that we are presently Sons of God. 00:13:02.42\00:13:07.95 It doesn't say that some day we will be Sons of God, it says in 00:13:07.98\00:13:12.63 consequence of what Jesus did, we are now the Sons of God, 00:13:12.66\00:13:17.92 and we can address our God as Abba Father. 00:13:17.95\00:13:22.68 Abba is a very tender term. 00:13:22.71\00:13:25.13 Some people think it means Daddy. 00:13:25.16\00:13:27.76 We can address our heavenly Father as Daddy now, 00:13:27.79\00:13:30.99 because we have been adopted into His family. 00:13:31.02\00:13:35.24 We are no longer slaves, born into the family of Adam, 00:13:35.27\00:13:39.57 but we are now free children born into the family of God. 00:13:39.60\00:13:45.26 Notice Romans 7:14. 00:13:45.29\00:13:48.64 Here we find a description of how we were born originally. 00:13:48.67\00:13:53.08 It says: 00:13:53.11\00:13:54.14 By the way, that word carnal is the same word flesh that is 00:13:59.50\00:14:03.16 used in Romans 8. 00:14:03.19\00:14:04.67 In other words, we have sold ourselves as slaves to what? 00:14:10.47\00:14:14.35 to sin. We belong to the family of the first Adam. 00:14:14.38\00:14:18.19 But in consequence of what Jesus did, living a perfect life 00:14:18.22\00:14:23.29 in my place, offering to die, and actually dying in my place, 00:14:23.32\00:14:28.61 He offers these to me, and now as a result, I can be adopted 00:14:28.64\00:14:34.46 into God's family, and leave that old family of slaves 00:14:34.49\00:14:40.34 that I used to belong to. 00:14:40.37\00:14:41.82 Isn't this good news? 00:14:41.85\00:14:43.90 This is wonderful news. 00:14:43.93\00:14:45.87 Now lets go on to Romans 8:16, 17. It says here: 00:14:45.90\00:14:53.02 Notice once again, it doesn't say will be, it says... 00:15:00.10\00:15:03.09 What are we now as a result of what Jesus did? 00:15:06.44\00:15:09.32 Now let me ask you, do slaves inherit anything? 00:15:12.14\00:15:16.04 Slaves don't inherit because they're slaves. 00:15:16.07\00:15:20.85 Who are the ones who inherit? 00:15:20.88\00:15:23.03 children: sons and daughters. 00:15:23.06\00:15:27.41 Now notice what it continues saying. 00:15:27.44\00:15:29.89 Because we're Sons of God, we are children. 00:15:32.82\00:15:35.25 Do we have a right to inherit as children? 00:15:40.01\00:15:42.88 We most certainly do, because we've changed families. 00:15:42.91\00:15:45.69 We're no longer slaves. 00:15:45.72\00:15:47.04 We are sons and daughters of God. 00:15:47.07\00:15:49.88 And so it says, and if children, then heirs. 00:15:49.91\00:15:53.15 Now notice this: heirs of God... 00:15:53.18\00:15:56.59 Actually, who is the one who gives us the inheritance? 00:16:00.26\00:16:02.94 It is God the Father. 00:16:02.97\00:16:05.36 We're heirs of God, and we receive the inheritance 00:16:05.39\00:16:09.88 along with whom? with Jesus. 00:16:09.92\00:16:12.28 In other words, the Father gives the inheritance to Jesus, 00:16:12.31\00:16:16.26 and to us. And we're going to find a little bit later that 00:16:16.29\00:16:20.61 the reason why God the Father gives the inheritance to Jesus, 00:16:20.64\00:16:25.02 and to us, is because Jesus is the Son of God, and when we 00:16:25.05\00:16:29.22 join Jesus, we become brothers and sisters of Jesus, 00:16:29.25\00:16:32.81 and thus Sons and Daughters of God. 00:16:32.84\00:16:36.21 In other words, through Jesus we have the right to inherit 00:16:36.24\00:16:39.87 that which was lost originally. 00:16:39.90\00:16:42.65 But now there's another condition. 00:16:42.68\00:16:44.85 Notice once again verse 17. 00:16:44.88\00:16:47.29 See, there's the condition. 00:16:55.45\00:16:57.99 There's two points of time here. 00:17:07.39\00:17:09.37 Suffer with Him now, that we might be someday what? 00:17:09.40\00:17:13.84 glorified with Him. 00:17:13.87\00:17:15.28 Let me ask you, did Jesus suffer when He was on this earth? 00:17:15.31\00:17:19.30 Did He enter His glory after His victory? Yes, He did. 00:17:19.33\00:17:24.84 Now if we're following in the footsteps of Jesus, 00:17:24.87\00:17:27.76 must we suffer in this life? 00:17:27.79\00:17:30.35 We must follow the same footsteps of Jesus. 00:17:30.38\00:17:33.43 And if we overcome, as Jesus overcame, what is awaiting 00:17:33.46\00:17:37.38 for us? The glory is waiting for us, just like it was waiting for 00:17:37.41\00:17:42.27 Him. And so we have this condition. 00:17:42.30\00:17:44.93 It says, we are Sons of God, we will inherit if, indeed, 00:17:44.96\00:17:50.91 we suffer with Him. 00:17:50.94\00:17:52.70 Then someday we will be glorified with Him. 00:17:52.73\00:17:56.11 Now this theme of suffering and glory appears many times 00:17:56.14\00:18:00.86 in Holy Scripture. 00:18:00.89\00:18:02.03 Notice, for example, Matthew 5: 10, Matthew 5:10. 00:18:02.06\00:18:07.89 Let's examine some verses that speak about this idea 00:18:07.92\00:18:12.08 of suffering now, and having the glorious kingdom then. 00:18:12.11\00:18:15.81 This is one of the beatitudes that Jesus spoke 00:18:15.84\00:18:19.96 on the mount of blessing. It says here: 00:18:19.99\00:18:23.30 Did you catch that? 00:18:33.22\00:18:34.25 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness 00:18:34.28\00:18:38.20 sake, for theirs is what? the kingdom of heaven. 00:18:38.23\00:18:41.43 There you have the idea; suffering now, 00:18:41.46\00:18:43.42 and being heirs of the kingdom. 00:18:43.45\00:18:45.79 Notice 2 Timothy 2:11, 12. 00:18:45.82\00:18:49.09 Folks, when we suffer and go through tribulations, 00:18:49.12\00:18:51.98 we shouldn't grumble and complain. 00:18:52.46\00:18:53.92 We're going over the same ground that Jesus went over. 00:18:53.95\00:18:56.63 We're following in His footsteps. 00:18:56.66\00:18:59.24 You see, there's no crown of glory without a crown of thorns. 00:18:59.27\00:19:03.72 Jesus says, that we need to pick up our cross daily, 00:19:03.75\00:19:08.39 and follow Him. We have to follow in His footsteps. 00:19:08.42\00:19:11.15 And suffering is actually a blessing, because it teaches us 00:19:11.18\00:19:14.97 to depend upon God, as Jesus learned to depend upon God 00:19:15.00\00:19:19.37 in His sufferings. 00:19:19.40\00:19:20.71 It says in 2 Timothy 2:11, 12: 00:19:20.74\00:19:24.02 By the way, that the same word, the patience of the saints, 00:19:39.22\00:19:42.07 in Revelation. 00:19:42.10\00:19:43.13 But then it warns us. 00:19:49.19\00:19:50.88 Notice also Romans 8:18, Romans 8:18. 00:19:58.31\00:20:06.48 Here the apostle Paul says this: 00:20:06.51\00:20:08.97 By the way, was the apostle Paul a great sufferer? 00:20:14.67\00:20:17.83 Ha, you just read the story of his life! 00:20:17.86\00:20:22.36 He suffered from the moment that he received Jesus Christ 00:20:22.39\00:20:26.38 as his Savior and Lord. 00:20:26.41\00:20:27.85 He was shipwrecked. 00:20:27.88\00:20:29.12 They tried to stone him. 00:20:29.15\00:20:30.65 They took him for dead. 00:20:30.68\00:20:32.42 He was constantly suffering, cold, and he was constantly 00:20:32.45\00:20:38.37 having to sleep outdoors. 00:20:38.40\00:20:39.83 You know, he gives this catalog of His sufferings. 00:20:39.86\00:20:42.55 In fact, he had a physical affliction. 00:20:42.58\00:20:44.26 We don't exactly know what it was. 00:20:44.29\00:20:45.91 And he begged the Lord three times to take this affliction 00:20:45.94\00:20:49.06 away from him, and God said, My grace is sufficient for you. 00:20:49.09\00:20:53.42 So the apostle Paul says: 00:20:53.45\00:20:56.74 Do you see the idea, once again? 00:21:06.45\00:21:08.05 The sufferings of the present moment are nothing compared 00:21:08.08\00:21:12.66 to the glory which is coming in the future. 00:21:12.69\00:21:15.20 In fact, in the book, Early Writings, Ellen White had this 00:21:15.23\00:21:19.39 vision where she was transported to heaven. 00:21:19.42\00:21:23.53 And this, you know, she was transported, actually, into the 00:21:23.56\00:21:26.59 future, after Jesus comes. 00:21:26.62\00:21:28.98 And she says that they tried to remember the most trying moments 00:21:29.01\00:21:32.67 that they had while they were on this earth, and they paled into 00:21:32.70\00:21:36.99 insignificance compared to the glory of heaven where they were. 00:21:37.02\00:21:42.71 Now I want you to notice 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18; 00:21:42.74\00:21:46.91 the same idea coming through. It says there: 00:21:46.94\00:21:50.14 You say, what do you mean, Pastor Bohr, a moment? 00:21:58.69\00:22:02.37 I've been suffering for years. 00:22:02.40\00:22:06.76 Let me ask you, what are years in the context of eternity? 00:22:06.79\00:22:10.85 Ha ha, it's but a little moment, right? 00:22:12.30\00:22:15.57 For our light affliction... 00:22:15.60\00:22:17.79 What is working for us? 00:22:24.27\00:22:26.02 Our light affliction, right? 00:22:26.05\00:22:27.50 And then he says: 00:22:35.39\00:22:37.60 That's the present moment. 00:22:46.11\00:22:47.71 So what does the apostle Paul tell us? 00:23:01.14\00:23:03.28 He says, listen folks, don't worry about a little suffering 00:23:03.31\00:23:08.24 now, a little affliction, going through the same experiences 00:23:08.27\00:23:11.45 that Jesus went through. 00:23:11.48\00:23:13.10 He says, this is actually rehearsal. 00:23:13.13\00:23:15.61 This is a practice, and someday it's all going 00:23:15.64\00:23:19.37 to come to an end. 00:23:19.40\00:23:20.48 If you suffer with Jesus, you will reign with Jesus. 00:23:20.79\00:23:25.50 That's a divine promise. 00:23:25.53\00:23:27.27 We can take it to the bank. 00:23:27.30\00:23:28.88 Notice also Colossians 1:27, this same idea. 00:23:28.91\00:23:34.06 Who? When is Christ in you, later or now? Now! 00:23:51.03\00:23:55.78 So if Christ is in you now, what hope do you have? 00:23:55.81\00:24:04.15 You have the hope of glory. 00:24:04.18\00:24:07.21 Now let's go to Romans 8:19. 00:24:07.24\00:24:10.64 We're moving along the book of Romans 8, because it has so many 00:24:10.67\00:24:14.94 beautiful truths, and in a moment we're going to find 00:24:14.97\00:24:17.24 the connection with creation. 00:24:17.27\00:24:19.21 It says there in Romans 8:19: 00:24:19.24\00:24:21.76 What is creation waiting for? 00:24:32.12\00:24:33.76 Creation is waiting for the revealing of the Sons of God. 00:24:33.79\00:24:39.34 What does that mean that creation is waiting for the 00:24:39.37\00:24:42.27 revealing of the Sons of God? 00:24:42.30\00:24:43.98 Well, that little word that is translated revealing here, 00:24:44.01\00:24:49.41 is really the word apocalypse. 00:24:49.44\00:24:53.88 In other words, creation is waiting for the apocalypse 00:24:53.91\00:24:58.38 of the Sons of God. 00:24:58.41\00:24:59.59 You say, what does that mean, the apocalypse 00:24:59.62\00:25:01.99 of the Sons of God? 00:25:02.02\00:25:03.05 It means the moment when the Sons of God, we're going to 00:25:03.08\00:25:06.94 notice in the succeeding context the moment when the Sons of God 00:25:06.97\00:25:11.22 are transformed in their bodies, and they move into 00:25:11.25\00:25:16.11 Christ's glorious kingdom. 00:25:16.14\00:25:17.71 The creation is waiting that moment: 00:25:17.74\00:25:20.51 the unveiling of the Sons of God, the apocalypse of the 00:25:20.54\00:25:26.46 Sons of God, if you please. 00:25:26.49\00:25:28.35 By the way, the expression, earnest expectation, 00:25:28.38\00:25:32.96 really means, in the Greek, to await with the 00:25:32.99\00:25:37.14 head outstretched. 00:25:37.17\00:25:39.41 To await with the head outstretched. 00:25:39.44\00:25:42.57 Now have you ever had the experience that you're waiting 00:25:42.60\00:25:46.47 for someone to come, at an airport, for example, and you're 00:25:46.50\00:25:52.88 standing there on the balcony, and you want to see when they 00:25:52.91\00:25:56.35 come out of the plane. 00:25:56.38\00:25:57.41 And what you do, you stretch out your head to see 00:25:57.44\00:26:00.18 if they're coming. 00:26:00.21\00:26:01.24 You're anxious! It's an earnest expectation. 00:26:01.27\00:26:05.31 That's what this is talking about. 00:26:05.34\00:26:06.75 All creation is stretching out it's head awaiting the moment 00:26:06.78\00:26:11.19 of redemption. In fact, notice Luke 21:28. 00:26:11.22\00:26:16.92 This is a very well known verse. 00:26:16.95\00:26:18.72 This chapter is talking about the signs of the second coming 00:26:18.75\00:26:21.46 of Christ. And it says here: Now when these things begin 00:26:21.49\00:26:26.74 to happen, that is the signs, look up and do what? 00:26:26.77\00:26:32.46 and lift up your heads for your what? for your redemption 00:26:32.49\00:26:39.25 draweth nigh. See, there it is, the earnest expectation, 00:26:39.28\00:26:44.92 sticking the neck out, just waiting for your hope 00:26:44.95\00:26:49.51 to be fulfilled. All of creation is waiting for this moment. 00:26:49.54\00:26:54.06 Now lets go to Romans 8:20. 00:26:54.09\00:26:57.42 This is a powerful verse. 00:26:57.45\00:26:58.99 There's several things that we need to say about it. 00:26:59.02\00:27:01.75 It says there: 00:27:01.78\00:27:02.81 Let me stop there for a moment. 00:27:07.02\00:27:09.30 The creation was. Is this a past moment? Was? Yes. 00:27:09.33\00:27:15.76 In fact in the Greek it is a punctiliar past. 00:27:15.79\00:27:19.54 It happened at a specific moment in the past. 00:27:19.57\00:27:23.84 So notice, For the creation was, at a specific point in the past. 00:27:23.87\00:27:29.45 What happened with it? 00:27:29.48\00:27:31.31 It was what? subjected, notice it was subjected. 00:27:31.34\00:27:36.97 What does that mean, it was subjected? 00:27:37.00\00:27:39.78 It means that somebody else what? somebody else subjected 00:27:39.81\00:27:44.98 creation. It did not subject itself. 00:27:45.01\00:27:47.63 In other words, what happened at creation, was not the fault 00:27:47.66\00:27:50.15 of creation. It was the fault of someone else. 00:27:50.18\00:27:53.70 And so it says, for the creation was at a specific point 00:27:53.73\00:27:58.06 in the past subjected to what? to futility. 00:27:58.09\00:28:04.59 What happened with creation at a certain point in the past? 00:28:04.62\00:28:08.18 It was subjected by someone to what? to futility. 00:28:08.21\00:28:12.64 Now allow me to give you some synonyms of what futility means. 00:28:12.67\00:28:17.44 It means, and these are synonyms that the Greek Lexicon gives; 00:28:17.47\00:28:22.85 the Greek dictionary. 00:28:22.88\00:28:24.30 It means aimlessness, frustration, vanity, 00:28:24.33\00:28:32.67 meaninglessness, emptiness, purposelessness. 00:28:34.00\00:28:42.43 In other words, creation was subjected at a moment past 00:28:42.46\00:28:48.01 by someone to aimlessness, frustration, vanity, 00:28:48.04\00:28:53.85 meaninglessness, emptiness, purposelessness. 00:28:53.88\00:28:58.28 And now what does the verse say? 00:28:58.31\00:29:00.72 What is the next expression? 00:29:00.75\00:29:02.05 Not what? Not willingly. 00:29:02.08\00:29:05.78 Is nature to blame for this? 00:29:05.81\00:29:08.38 Is creation to blame for this? 00:29:08.41\00:29:10.73 No, somebody did something in the punctiliar past that led 00:29:10.76\00:29:16.02 creation to futility, and it was not the will of creation 00:29:16.05\00:29:21.26 that this happened. 00:29:21.29\00:29:22.32 And so it says, not willingly, but because of him 00:29:22.35\00:29:28.86 who subjected it. 00:29:28.89\00:29:30.34 Was there someone who subjected creation to futility? 00:29:30.37\00:29:33.77 Absolutely. But was it really subjected to 00:29:33.80\00:29:37.71 futility without hope? 00:29:37.74\00:29:39.27 No, because the last part of the verse says that it was 00:29:39.30\00:29:42.87 subjected in what? 00:29:42.90\00:29:46.00 It was subjected in hope. 00:29:46.03\00:29:49.61 In other words, the aimlessness, the purposelessness, the vanity 00:29:49.64\00:29:54.83 that is taking place in creation is not going to end 00:29:54.86\00:30:00.49 on a negative note, on a sour note, because it was subjected 00:30:00.52\00:30:04.95 by this person in the past, in hope. 00:30:04.98\00:30:08.25 Now who was this individual who subjected creation to futility, 00:30:08.28\00:30:13.60 or to purposelessness, or to aimlessness, 00:30:13.63\00:30:16.70 or to vanity, or to emptiness? 00:30:16.73\00:30:19.07 It was actually a man called Adam. 00:30:19.10\00:30:23.88 Notice Romans 5:12, Romans 5:12. It says there: 00:30:25.25\00:30:33.45 Let me ask you, how was it that sin entered into the world 00:30:51.13\00:30:55.73 and led creation to futility? 00:30:55.76\00:30:58.96 It was through the sin of what? of one man, and after he sinned, 00:30:58.99\00:31:04.74 all of humanity also what? also sinned. 00:31:04.77\00:31:09.99 Now allow me to read you a very interesting statement that we 00:31:10.02\00:31:13.26 find in our second textbook, Patriarchs and Prophets, 00:31:13.29\00:31:16.43 page 62. This is a real sad statement. 00:31:16.46\00:31:21.85 It makes me sad when I read it, because I can imagine what it 00:31:21.88\00:31:25.80 must have been for Adam. 00:31:25.83\00:31:26.86 You know, he lived in the garden of Eden with Eve. 00:31:26.89\00:31:29.27 Everything was perfect. 00:31:29.30\00:31:30.53 Everything was beautiful. 00:31:30.56\00:31:31.92 There was no suffering. 00:31:31.95\00:31:33.08 There was no death. 00:31:33.11\00:31:34.14 And then suddenly we have this. 00:31:34.17\00:31:36.04 Once again, page 62. 00:31:36.07\00:31:38.05 As they, witnessed in drooping flower, 00:31:38.08\00:31:44.72 and falling leaf the first signs of decay, Adam and his companion 00:31:44.75\00:31:53.62 mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead. 00:31:53.65\00:31:59.58 Did you catch that? 00:31:59.61\00:32:02.17 Just, according to this, from the drooping flower, 00:32:02.20\00:32:07.03 and the falling leaf. 00:32:07.06\00:32:08.09 They mourned more than we mourn for our dead, because they lived 00:32:08.12\00:32:14.79 in a perfect world. 00:32:14.82\00:32:15.85 Imagine what it must have been like for Adam to sacrifice 00:32:15.88\00:32:18.58 those first animals for sin. 00:32:18.61\00:32:20.76 It was terrible! 00:32:20.79\00:32:22.63 She continues saying, that death of the frail, delicate flowers 00:32:22.66\00:32:28.25 was indeed a cause of sorrow, but when the goodly trees cast 00:32:28.28\00:32:34.79 off their leaves, the scene brought vividly to mind 00:32:34.82\00:32:39.06 the stern fact that death is the portion of every living thing. 00:32:39.09\00:32:45.86 You see, the sin of Adam and Eve impacted all of creation. 00:32:45.89\00:32:52.10 You know, right before I came to the lecture tonight, 00:32:52.13\00:32:55.27 my wife came to me, actually yesterday morning, 00:32:55.30\00:32:57.69 just to give you a little context. 00:32:57.72\00:32:59.01 Yesterday morning my wife and I, we do yard work, and we were 00:32:59.34\00:33:03.18 outside and, you know, she wanted to rearrange some of the 00:33:03.21\00:33:07.84 branches of a rose bush that runs across the top of a 00:33:07.87\00:33:12.71 kind of a trestle type thing, and when she was moving it 00:33:12.74\00:33:16.77 she noticed that there was a birds nest. 00:33:16.80\00:33:19.26 But it was too late, and so she pushed the nest, and a little, 00:33:19.29\00:33:23.26 little tiny bird, just a little baby bird, fell out of the nest. 00:33:23.29\00:33:28.01 But interestingly enough, he got caught in the rose bush 00:33:28.04\00:33:31.80 by his beak, and he was just hanging there. 00:33:31.83\00:33:36.29 And my wife, you know, called me urgently to come and rescue 00:33:36.32\00:33:40.26 the little bird. And so I got the ladder. 00:33:40.29\00:33:43.77 I came, I took the little bird and I went up the ladder, 00:33:43.80\00:33:47.96 of course, and I looked inside the nest, and there was another 00:33:47.99\00:33:50.54 little bird there. 00:33:50.57\00:33:51.60 And so I put that little bird next to the other one, and they 00:33:51.63\00:33:54.79 were there, and a little bit later on the mother came, 00:33:54.83\00:33:57.00 and we said, well, this is so wonderful. 00:33:57.03\00:33:58.79 And you say, well, this is a wonderful story. 00:33:58.82\00:34:01.32 I wish I could tell you that the story ends this way. 00:34:01.35\00:34:04.76 But right before I came here, my wife said that our cat 00:34:04.79\00:34:08.88 Ghandi, somehow got up there and killed the two little birds. 00:34:08.91\00:34:14.76 Now I don't know about you, but that really makes me suffer. 00:34:14.79\00:34:19.08 Do you know that even God suffers when a bird 00:34:19.11\00:34:21.82 falls out of a tree? 00:34:21.85\00:34:22.88 You know, when I look at this cat that comes out here. 00:34:22.91\00:34:26.35 You've probably seen this cat. 00:34:26.38\00:34:27.87 You know, I have my class on Sabbath morning, and that cat 00:34:27.90\00:34:31.51 comes and wants to be fed. 00:34:31.54\00:34:34.47 I don't know whether it's just that she wants to be fed, 00:34:34.50\00:34:37.75 or she loves me. But anyway, probably a combination 00:34:37.78\00:34:40.31 of both things, because she comes and she lays down, 00:34:40.34\00:34:43.06 and I pet her, you know, I pet her belly. 00:34:43.09\00:34:45.36 She's a real nice cat, real kind cat. 00:34:45.39\00:34:48.14 But when you think that she sleeps outside every night, 00:34:48.17\00:34:53.40 is that the way that God planned it? that she be dirty, 00:34:53.43\00:34:57.55 and starving if somebody doesn't feed her? 00:34:57.58\00:35:00.32 Of course not. And, by the way, if my wife had her way we'd have 00:35:00.35\00:35:04.50 adopted this cat a long time ago. 00:35:04.53\00:35:07.65 We used to have seven. 00:35:07.68\00:35:09.46 Three of them died. 00:35:09.49\00:35:10.74 We still have four. 00:35:10.77\00:35:11.86 And we have a rat, and we have a mouse, and I don't know what 00:35:11.89\00:35:15.74 other kinds of animals we have in the house, 00:35:15.77\00:35:17.67 because my daughter, Jennifer, she was able to keep two of 00:35:17.70\00:35:22.66 those cats we have now, which are adults; 00:35:22.69\00:35:24.64 she was able to keep them under wraps in her bedroom for a whole 00:35:24.67\00:35:29.13 month before I even knew that they were there. 00:35:29.17\00:35:32.19 And one day here comes running out these two little cats. 00:35:32.22\00:35:36.62 I said, Where did these come from? 00:35:36.65\00:35:38.61 And then she told me the story of how she had adopted the two 00:35:38.64\00:35:42.65 kittens. And, of course, we have the two. 00:35:42.69\00:35:45.27 One of them is Ghandi and the other one's name is Alien, 00:35:45.30\00:35:49.29 believe it or not. 00:35:49.32\00:35:50.68 But anyway, it wasn't God's plan that cats kill birds, 00:35:50.71\00:35:56.40 and that animals slaughter one another. 00:35:56.44\00:35:59.61 It was Adam's sin that led all of creation to futility, 00:35:59.64\00:36:05.45 and to suffering, and to sorrow, and to death. 00:36:05.48\00:36:09.01 Now let's go to Romans 8:21, Romans 8:21. It says here: 00:36:09.05\00:36:18.95 Because the creation itself also will be what? 00:36:18.98\00:36:25.73 Not only will human beings, but it says the creation itself 00:36:25.76\00:36:30.98 also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the 00:36:31.02\00:36:36.21 glorious liberty of the children of God. 00:36:36.24\00:36:38.86 What happens when the children of God enter into that glorious 00:36:38.89\00:36:43.19 liberty? All of creation will what? 00:36:43.22\00:36:46.15 All of creation will also itself be delivered from bondage. 00:36:46.18\00:36:52.04 Are you looking forward to that day? 00:36:52.08\00:36:54.01 Can you imagine the day when a lamb and a lion 00:36:54.04\00:36:58.62 lie down together? 00:36:58.66\00:37:00.62 Can you imagine when a child, like it says in Isaiah, 00:37:00.65\00:37:06.16 picks up a poisonous snake, and the poisonous snake doesn't 00:37:06.20\00:37:10.76 do anything to the little child? 00:37:10.79\00:37:12.63 That's the way things are going to be once again, 00:37:12.66\00:37:15.56 like they were originally, because when the children of 00:37:15.60\00:37:19.89 God are restored, all of creation will also be restored. 00:37:19.92\00:37:24.18 When Adam sinned all of creation was subjected 00:37:24.21\00:37:27.71 by Adam to futility. 00:37:27.74\00:37:30.39 In Revelation 21:4 we have this wonderful verse about what 00:37:30.43\00:37:35.77 that time will be like. 00:37:35.80\00:37:37.30 The glorious moment when creation will be restored 00:37:37.34\00:37:42.66 and redeemed by Jesus. 00:37:42.69\00:37:46.09 It says there in Revelation 21:4: 00:37:46.12\00:37:49.14 Are you looking forward to that day? 00:37:54.54\00:37:56.70 You know, since I've been in this church there's been a lot 00:37:56.73\00:37:59.71 of tears; a lot of saints that have died in the Lord. 00:37:59.75\00:38:02.53 And at funerals there are a lot of tears, but I tell you what, 00:38:02.56\00:38:05.70 there is hope. For those who have died in Christ 00:38:05.74\00:38:08.98 there is hope, because it says God will wipe away every 00:38:09.01\00:38:12.24 tear from their eyes. 00:38:12.28\00:38:13.82 Isn't that wonderful? 00:38:23.61\00:38:25.28 No more pain pills! 00:38:25.31\00:38:26.91 The pharmacy's will be out of business! 00:38:26.94\00:38:29.80 No more hospital visits, no more HMO's, no more nurses. 00:38:29.84\00:38:35.81 Elaine will be out of work. 00:38:35.84\00:38:39.57 No more medical doctors. 00:38:39.60\00:38:43.28 But there will be Bible teachers, because we'll tell 00:38:43.32\00:38:49.30 the story of redemption in the far away worlds. 00:38:49.33\00:38:54.07 We'll explain what it means to be redeemed. 00:38:54.10\00:38:58.81 And they'll hear it with their ears, and they won't be able to 00:38:58.84\00:39:02.07 fully understand it, because they have not gone through 00:39:02.10\00:39:05.80 the experience. And it says, there shall be no more pain, 00:39:05.83\00:39:09.67 for the former things have passed away. 00:39:09.70\00:39:15.11 And now notice chapter 8 and verse 22: 00:39:15.14\00:39:18.91 What condition is creation in? 00:39:30.83\00:39:32.90 It is groaning and moaning, because it is 00:39:32.93\00:39:36.06 having birth pangs. 00:39:36.09\00:39:37.76 Let me ask you, is childbirth a painful experience 00:39:37.80\00:39:41.62 to those women who have been through it? 00:39:41.65\00:39:43.21 It most certainly is. 00:39:43.25\00:39:45.26 But is the end result worth it? Absolutely! 00:39:45.29\00:39:49.78 Is creation going through pain and agony, and suffering, 00:39:49.81\00:39:54.43 and travail now? It is! 00:39:54.46\00:39:56.40 But someday it will enter the deliverance, 00:39:56.43\00:39:59.65 the glorious deliverance, along with the children of God. 00:39:59.68\00:40:03.95 Incidentally, as we look at the world today, all creation seems 00:40:03.98\00:40:09.90 to be falling apart. 00:40:09.93\00:40:10.96 Everything seems to be subject to death, and to decay. 00:40:10.99\00:40:16.88 Animals kill each other. 00:40:16.91\00:40:19.02 Waterways are polluted. 00:40:19.05\00:40:22.28 The air is poisoned. 00:40:22.31\00:40:25.24 The ozone layer is destroyed. 00:40:25.27\00:40:28.08 Natural disasters proliferate, like the Tsunami; 00:40:28.12\00:40:32.37 incredible pictures! 00:40:32.41\00:40:34.35 You know, I've never seen anything like that. 00:40:34.38\00:40:37.29 It seemed like it was the days of Noah all over again. 00:40:37.32\00:40:40.33 Accidents take place, wars between nations, famines, 00:40:40.36\00:40:46.69 diseases, all nature seems to be moving to disintegration and 00:40:46.72\00:40:51.42 annilation. Nature is groaning and is in travail waiting 00:40:51.45\00:40:57.64 for the moment of the redemption of God's people, 00:40:57.67\00:40:59.88 because when God's people are redeemed, nature and creation 00:40:59.91\00:41:03.84 will be redeemed along with them. 00:41:03.87\00:41:06.41 Notice Romans 8:23, Romans 8:23. 00:41:06.44\00:41:12.15 We apparently have a contradiction here 00:41:12.18\00:41:14.59 with something that we studied before. 00:41:14.62\00:41:16.38 Notice what it says in Romans 8:23: 00:41:16.41\00:41:19.73 Not only creation; not only is creation groaning... 00:41:21.25\00:41:24.23 Now do you see the problem here? 00:41:45.34\00:41:47.86 We already read that we have been adopted as God's children, 00:41:47.89\00:41:52.97 but here it says that we are groaning and awaiting the moment 00:41:53.00\00:41:58.04 of our what? of our adoption, which is the redemption 00:41:58.07\00:42:02.88 of our body. You say, how do you understand that we were adopted, 00:42:02.91\00:42:07.45 and yet we're eagerly groaning and waiting for the moment 00:42:07.48\00:42:10.76 of our adoption, which is the redemption of our body? 00:42:10.79\00:42:14.06 It's actually very simple to explain. 00:42:15.06\00:42:16.84 You see, we have already been legally adopted by Jesus. 00:42:16.87\00:42:22.00 If we receive Jesus as our Savior, and as our Lord, 00:42:22.03\00:42:26.04 His life stands in place of our lives. 00:42:26.07\00:42:29.42 His death stands in place of our death. 00:42:29.45\00:42:32.80 We have the first fruits of the Spirit. 00:42:32.83\00:42:35.51 In other words, we have Jesus. 00:42:35.54\00:42:38.04 We have the guarantee that someday Jesus is going 00:42:38.07\00:42:41.88 to take us home, so the adoption ceremony, 00:42:41.91\00:42:45.00 the legal papers have been signed. 00:42:45.03\00:42:47.48 It's just a matter of Jesus coming to the orphanage 00:42:47.51\00:42:51.18 and taking His children home. 00:42:51.21\00:42:53.22 How about it? So we have been legally adopted. 00:42:53.25\00:42:56.81 We have the first fruits of the Spirit, but we're just awaiting 00:42:56.84\00:43:01.53 the moment when Jesus comes to take His children home. 00:43:01.56\00:43:06.02 Praise the Lord! Allow me to read you some Biblical passages 00:43:06.06\00:43:11.13 about this glorious moment; the redemption of our body. 00:43:11.16\00:43:15.22 You know the Greeks could never buy this idea. 00:43:15.25\00:43:17.82 The redemption of the body? 00:43:17.85\00:43:20.14 Who wants a body to be redeemed? 00:43:20.17\00:43:22.55 They said the soul, that's what really counts. 00:43:22.59\00:43:25.76 Notice what Job had to say. 00:43:25.79\00:43:27.64 Job 19:25-27, Job 19:25-27. Here Job says: 00:43:27.67\00:43:35.09 In the connection with what we just studied; we're waiting for 00:43:39.32\00:43:42.23 the what? for the redemption of our body. Job says: 00:43:42.27\00:43:45.70 Was Job groaning for the moment of the redemption of his body? 00:44:14.51\00:44:19.91 He most certainly was. 00:44:19.94\00:44:21.36 And he says, I know my redeemer lives, and even though my skin 00:44:21.39\00:44:26.20 and my body disintegrates, he says, I know that I will 00:44:26.23\00:44:30.33 very soon, someday, see God. 00:44:30.36\00:44:32.80 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 describes this moment of the 00:44:32.84\00:44:38.09 redemption of our body. 00:44:38.13\00:44:39.89 And when our body is redeemed all nature will be redeemed. 00:44:39.92\00:44:43.79 The apostle Paul says, Now this I say, brethren,... 00:44:43.82\00:44:47.13 You know, that's what God's people are going to sing 00:45:39.36\00:45:41.64 when they come forth from the grave. 00:45:41.67\00:45:43.89 They're actually going to say, Oh death, where is your sting? 00:45:43.93\00:45:47.90 Oh Hades...(or Oh grave), where is your victory? 00:45:47.93\00:45:52.34 One of the texts, which is my absolute favorites in scripture, 00:45:52.37\00:45:56.77 (I have two or three that are really favorites, and this is 00:45:56.80\00:45:59.59 one of them), Philippians 3:20, 21. 00:45:59.63\00:46:03.76 It describes the same moment of the redemption of our body, 00:46:03.80\00:46:07.47 when, actually, Jesus is going to take His children home. 00:46:07.50\00:46:11.00 The children that He legally adopted by what He did when He 00:46:11.03\00:46:14.01 came to this world, by condemning sin in the flesh, 00:46:14.04\00:46:16.82 by suffering our death, by living a perfect life. 00:46:16.86\00:46:19.61 At this moment He's actually going to take His people home. 00:46:19.74\00:46:24.58 It says in Philippians 3:20: 00:46:24.62\00:46:26.96 Where is our citizenship? in heaven. 00:46:30.94\00:46:35.07 What does it say next? 00:46:38.75\00:46:40.08 See, there's the same expression of Romans 8. 00:46:42.74\00:46:45.07 Our body will be transformed into the likeness 00:47:05.36\00:47:09.39 of His glorious body. 00:47:09.43\00:47:11.08 Now here's the question: how can we be sure that this is true? 00:47:11.11\00:47:16.65 How can we be sure that the moment is coming when Jesus 00:47:16.68\00:47:21.52 is going to transform this lowly, corrupted, weak, 00:47:21.56\00:47:26.51 mortal body, into the likeness of His glorious body? 00:47:26.54\00:47:29.73 Is this just some type of wishful thinking? 00:47:29.77\00:47:33.56 The answer is no. 00:47:33.59\00:47:37.09 You see, it says in Romans 8 that God has given us 00:47:37.12\00:47:41.92 the first fruits. Do you know what the first fruits is? 00:47:41.95\00:47:46.83 Go with me to 1 Corinthians 15: 23, 1 Corinthians 15:23. 00:47:46.86\00:47:54.07 God has given us the first fruits, and this guarantees 00:47:54.10\00:47:57.73 that what He has promised is going to take place. 00:47:57.76\00:48:00.68 It says there in 1 Corinthians 15:23: 00:48:00.71\00:48:03.93 Who is the first fruits? 00:48:16.05\00:48:17.83 The first fruits is Jesus. 00:48:17.87\00:48:19.61 Let me ask you, did Jesus go to the grave? He did. 00:48:19.64\00:48:23.63 Did He come forth from the grave glorified? 00:48:23.66\00:48:27.44 Yes, because Jesus lives, we will what? 00:48:27.48\00:48:31.26 we will live also. 00:48:31.29\00:48:32.97 In other words, the resurrection of Jesus as the first fruits, 00:48:33.00\00:48:37.87 is really the security deposit. 00:48:37.91\00:48:41.74 It is the down payment. 00:48:44.55\00:48:46.80 It is the guarantee, if you please, that when He comes, 00:48:46.83\00:48:52.40 we will go through His same experience. 00:48:52.43\00:48:54.94 In other words, what He did in the past determines 00:48:54.97\00:48:58.36 what He will do in the future. 00:48:58.39\00:49:00.59 He's made the down payment. 00:49:00.83\00:49:03.15 He is the first fruits. 00:49:03.18\00:49:04.91 He went to the grave. 00:49:04.94\00:49:06.09 He took the keys. 00:49:06.12\00:49:07.42 He opened the grave from the inside, and He came out 00:49:07.45\00:49:10.92 and said, I am the resurrection and the life, and therefore we 00:49:10.95\00:49:14.59 know that because He lives, we will also live, 00:49:14.62\00:49:18.42 though we die. This is wonderful news. 00:49:18.45\00:49:22.25 Notice Ephesians 1:13, 14, Ephesians 1:13, 14. 00:49:22.29\00:49:27.78 Here we have the idea of the down payment. 00:49:27.81\00:49:33.27 Do you know what the down payment is? 00:49:33.30\00:49:34.76 It's the Holy Spirit. 00:49:34.79\00:49:36.74 How does Jesus abide in us? 00:49:36.77\00:49:39.31 Jesus abides in us through whom? through the Holy Spirit. 00:49:39.34\00:49:44.71 So Christ is the first fruits and He abides in our hearts 00:49:44.74\00:49:48.66 through the Holy Spirit, and this gives us the guarantee 00:49:48.69\00:49:51.78 that He's going to come through. 00:49:51.81\00:49:53.93 By the way, do you think Jesus is going to 00:49:53.97\00:49:56.04 lose His down payment? 00:49:56.07\00:49:57.10 Do you think Jesus is going to lose His security deposit? 00:49:57.13\00:50:01.81 Of course not! If He paid, He's going to take His people home. 00:50:01.84\00:50:06.11 Notice Ephesians 1:13, 14. 00:50:06.14\00:50:09.28 Now this is the key. 00:50:22.98\00:50:24.14 What is the down payment, or the deposit that Jesus has 00:50:44.54\00:50:48.58 placed as a guarantee that someday we will get the lost 00:50:48.61\00:50:53.27 possession? It is according to this, the Holy Spirit. 00:50:53.30\00:50:58.94 Jesus has put down the down payment. 00:50:58.97\00:51:02.04 Notice Romans 8:11, Romans 8:11 bears this same idea. It says: 00:51:02.07\00:51:10.80 Notice, if the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead 00:51:19.39\00:51:22.95 dwells in us. Does that have any implications for us? 00:51:22.98\00:51:27.28 Notice what it continues saying. 00:51:27.32\00:51:29.38 In other words, this text says, if the Spirit that resurrected 00:51:39.75\00:51:44.12 Jesus is in you, that same Spirit, very soon, if you should 00:51:44.15\00:51:48.92 die, will what? will resurrect you from the dead as well. 00:51:48.95\00:51:53.71 And that's the reason why we shouldn't fear death. 00:51:53.75\00:51:57.29 You know some people are so afraid of death. 00:51:57.33\00:52:00.61 Listen, if we're in Christ, we have no reason to fear death. 00:52:00.64\00:52:04.35 And you know, actually, when people die in the Lord, 00:52:04.38\00:52:08.69 you know, sometimes it's a good experience for them, 00:52:08.72\00:52:12.91 because they rest from their labors, according to what 00:52:12.94\00:52:16.14 Revelation 14:13 has to say. 00:52:16.18\00:52:19.26 You know, the way some Christians behave at funerals, 00:52:19.29\00:52:22.89 makes me wonder. 00:52:22.92\00:52:23.95 You know, they cry in Latin America particularly? 00:52:23.98\00:52:27.13 I've seen some Adventists who have come and they've actually 00:52:27.17\00:52:30.73 grabbed onto the casket, and they don't want the casket 00:52:30.76\00:52:35.09 to be buried. And the fact is that the person who died, 00:52:35.12\00:52:39.51 you know, that they died in Jesus. 00:52:39.54\00:52:42.19 And so we don't have to fear, because the time of the 00:52:42.22\00:52:45.07 redemption of our body, the glorious redemption of the 00:52:45.11\00:52:47.96 Sons of God is coming. 00:52:47.99\00:52:49.41 And, by the way, when the glorious day of the resurrection 00:52:49.45\00:52:53.03 comes, then creation will also be restored to it's original 00:52:53.06\00:52:59.55 condition. Let's go to Romans 8: 24, Romans 8:24. 00:52:59.58\00:53:06.56 Here the apostle Paul says this: 00:53:06.60\00:53:08.91 See, we were saved, that's past, in this hope, 00:53:12.18\00:53:17.14 that's future, but now notice: 00:53:17.17\00:53:20.33 In other words, if we were already in heaven, 00:53:30.62\00:53:33.79 would we need hope? 00:53:33.83\00:53:35.12 You know, if we are already in heaven, and I say, Oh, I hope 00:53:35.15\00:53:38.97 I get to heaven someday. 00:53:39.00\00:53:40.48 See, that's ridiculous, because you don't have to hope for 00:53:40.51\00:53:44.44 what you already have. 00:53:44.48\00:53:45.82 You don't have to hope for that which you see, you hope for 00:53:45.85\00:53:50.23 that which you cannot see. 00:53:50.26\00:53:51.58 But I want you to notice that this hope is built upon a solid 00:53:51.61\00:53:56.19 foundation of what Jesus has done, and the fact that He has 00:53:56.23\00:54:00.77 given us His Holy Spirit. 00:54:00.81\00:54:03.11 Notice Romans 8:25, Romans 8:25. 00:54:03.14\00:54:09.54 The apostle Paul continues this idea of hope. He says: 00:54:09.58\00:54:12.70 By the way, that's the future kingdom, 00:54:16.63\00:54:18.53 the redemption of the body. 00:54:18.56\00:54:20.20 Do you know what that word perseverance is? 00:54:32.70\00:54:35.24 It's the Greek word hupomone, which means enduring patience. 00:54:35.27\00:54:42.43 It's the same word that is translated in Revelation 13:9 00:54:42.46\00:54:49.61 and Revelation 14:12, Here is the patience of the saints. 00:54:49.64\00:54:55.97 In other words, it is a perseverance, according to this. 00:54:56.00\00:55:00.29 And so the apostle Paul is saying, If we hope for what we 00:55:00.32\00:55:04.83 do not see, which is the kingdom that is going to come, 00:55:04.86\00:55:07.67 we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 00:55:07.70\00:55:11.63 In other words, we don't give up. 00:55:11.66\00:55:13.44 We hang in there, no matter the trials, and tribulations, 00:55:13.48\00:55:16.60 and sufferings, and difficulties, we hang in there, 00:55:16.63\00:55:18.95 because Jesus has guaranteed it through giving us 00:55:18.98\00:55:22.65 the down payment of His Holy Spirit. 00:55:22.68\00:55:25.17 Finally, let's go to verses 29 and 32, verses 29 and 32. 00:55:25.20\00:55:32.01 It says here: 00:55:32.04\00:55:33.48 See, there's going to be a group of people who are going to be 00:55:40.73\00:55:43.21 conformed to the image of Christ. 00:55:43.24\00:55:45.33 Does Jesus have brothers and sisters? Does He? Yes. 00:55:52.58\00:55:58.23 And I've mentioned this before. 00:55:58.27\00:55:59.48 This is a marvelous thing. 00:55:59.51\00:56:00.83 See, when I get baptized, and I receive Jesus as my Savior, 00:56:00.86\00:56:04.96 I become the brother, or the sister of Jesus. 00:56:04.99\00:56:07.56 Then Jesus comes to His Father and He says, Father, I have a 00:56:07.59\00:56:10.04 new brother. I have a new sister. 00:56:10.07\00:56:12.91 The Father says, Oh, is that right? 00:56:12.94\00:56:14.20 You have a new brother, a new sister? 00:56:14.23\00:56:15.49 Well, if he's your Brother, and You're my Son, 00:56:15.52\00:56:19.28 then he's my Son, too. 00:56:19.31\00:56:21.11 If she's your sister, and You're her brother, than she also 00:56:21.15\00:56:28.27 is my child. That's what Jesus meant when He said, 00:56:28.30\00:56:31.21 I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:56:31.24\00:56:34.29 No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. 00:56:34.33\00:56:37.35 We become brothers and sisters of Jesus, and through Jesus 00:56:37.38\00:56:41.36 we become Sons and Daughters of God. 00:56:41.39\00:56:44.81 And finally, verse 32: He who did not... 00:56:44.84\00:56:49.40 See, He did it for us all. 00:56:55.84\00:56:58.16 What Jesus did was in our place. 00:56:58.19\00:57:00.64 ...some things. Ah, thank you very much. 00:57:10.32\00:57:14.63 Why, if He gave His own Son, and we're the brothers and 00:57:14.67\00:57:19.37 sisters of Jesus, why will He not give us all things? 00:57:19.40\00:57:24.07