Participants: Pr. Mike Thompson
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021424
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:48 I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE TUNING IN - WHETHER THIS IS YOUR FIRST 00:51 TIME OR YOU ARE A DIE-HARD VIEWER, WE ARE JUST SO EXCITED 00:55 TO HAVE YOU AND IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE BACK. 00:59 I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND PASTOR DOUG HAS BEEN 01:03 SO GRACIOUS AND SAID THAT I CAN GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT 01:06 I'VE BEEN UP TO SO I'M GOING TO START RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DON'T 01:10 HAVE VERY MUCH TIME. AS YOU'LL SEE IN THIS PICTURE 01:12 RIGHT UP HERE, I HAVE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITH ANOTHER 01:16 PHOTOGRAPHER - WE WENT WITH A SMALL GROUP - TO DOCUMENT 01:19 DIFFERENT BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL LOCATIONS 01:23 FOR A COMPANY HERE IN TOWN THAT IS GOING TO BE DOING 01:26 AN INTERACTIVE APP, A WEB SITE, AND A MAGAZINE ON 01:28 DIFFERENT BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES. 01:31 SO WE WERE TRAVELING AROUND TURKEY, JORDAN, AND ISRAEL 01:35 AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS THAT JUST 01:37 BRING THE BIBLE ALIVE. 01:39 AND IT WAS SO EXCITING TO ACTUALLY SEE THESE PLACES. 01:41 AND THE FIRST ONE - WE WERE IN EASTERN TURKEY - RIGHT ABOUT 01:46 TWENTY MILES FROM THE IRANIAN BORDER AND IT IS VERY MUCH HOW I 01:51 IMAGINE IT WAS IN THE BIBLE TIMES. 01:52 SHEEP, SHEPHERDS, ROLLING HILLS, BLUE SKY. 01:57 IT WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS AND OUR FIRST STOP WAS NOAH'S ARK. 02:02 THIS IS A PLACE THAT MANY ARCHAEOLOGISTS THINK THAT THIS 02:08 IS A VERY IMPORTANT, SIGNIFICANT, ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE 02:11 AND SO WE WERE DOCUMENTING NOAH'S ARK. 02:14 IT IS NOT ON MOUNT ARARAT, BUT IT'S ACROSS THE VALLEY FROM 02:18 MOUNT ARARAT, WHICH ITSELF IS ABOUT 17,000 FEET. 02:22 IT IS A VOLCANIC MOUNTAIN SO ANY WOODEN STRUCTURE WOULD, 02:26 OBVIOUSLY, NOT HAVE SURVIVED ON MOUNT ARARAT, BUT IN THE 02:29 MOUNTAINS OF ARARAT - LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS - 02:31 THE ARK CAME TO REST. AND SO THIS IS RIGHT ACROSS THE 02:33 VALLEY FROM ARARAT. IT HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A 02:37 MUDFLOW AND IS DEFINITELY A VERY INTERESTING OBJECT. 02:41 THE NEXT PICTURE YOU'LL SEE PUTS THIS INTO - THE SIZE INTO 02:45 PERSPECTIVE - THAT'S ME - THE LITTLE TINY DOT AT THE END OF 02:49 THIS BIG BOAT STRUCTURE AND WALKING AROUND TAKES A VERY LONG 02:54 TIME AND THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THEY COULD HAVE FIT 02:57 THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS IN SOMETHING THAT BIG. 02:59 IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HUGE AND ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. 03:02 THIS NEXT PICTURE IS OUR GROUP WALKING ON THE ARK AND 03:08 THERE'S MOUNT ARARAT IN THE DISTANCE. 03:09 AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE LAVA - THE DARK STUFF - HAS ALL COME 03:13 DOWN THE VALLEY FROM MOUNT ARARAT. 03:15 AND THEN WE ALSO SAW THESE THINGS CALLED 'ANCHOR STONES'. 03:19 THESE ARE LOCATED IN VARIOUS PLACES AROUND - IN THE VALLEY 03:23 AND OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THEY BELIEVE THAT THESE WERE 03:26 TIED TO THE ARK, NOT AS ANCHORS BUT TO STABILIZE IT. 03:29 SO THEY WERE TIED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE ARK AND THERE'S 03:31 PLACES WHERE YOU FIND THESE - YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE ROPE WOULD 03:34 HAVE - OR THE WHATEVER - WOULD HAVE HELD IT ONTO THE ARK - IS 03:37 UP THERE AT THE TOP. SO HUGE BIG ROCKS AND VERY 03:41 INTERESTING - SO THEY ARE ALL OVER IN DIFFERENT VALLEYS. 03:44 ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VALLEY FROM NOAH'S ARK, DOWN IN THE 03:47 BOTTOM, IS THIS - HUGE BIG FOSSIL DEPOSITS - MASSIVE 03:51 BOULDERS JUST FULL OF FOSSILS. THIS IS A SAND DOLLAR THAT 03:56 CLEARLY DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THE ARK BECAUSE HE IS A FOSSIL NOW 03:58 AND HAS BEEN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. 04:01 AND THERE'S JUST HUGE ROCKS FULL OF SAND DOLLARS AND ALL KINDS OF 04:06 LITTLE SEA CREATURES THAT ARE ALL NOW DEPOSITED DOWN THERE. 04:10 SO IT WAS VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT THERE'S SO MUCH EVIDENCE OF 04:14 A FLOOD AT 7,000 FEET WHERE THE ARK IS. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF 04:19 LITTLE SEA CREATURES SO IT'S VERY, VERY COOL. 04:22 THEN WE STOPPED BY, IN JORDAN, MOUNT NEBO, WHICH YOU REMEMBER, 04:26 MOUNT NEBO IS WHERE MOSES - HE DIED THERE - BUT IT WAS ALSO 04:29 WHERE GOD SHOWED HIM THE PROMISED LAND AND FROM UP THERE 04:32 HE COULD SEE WHERE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE GOING RIGHT 04:35 BEFORE THEY CROSSED OVER JORDAN RIVER. 04:37 FROM THERE YOU CAN SEE JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM AND JERICHO AND 04:42 BACK THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LUSH AND GREEN, I'M TOLD, BUT 04:45 RIGHT NOW IT'S DESERT AND VERY, VERY DRY. 04:48 SO THAT WAS MOUNT NEBO. THE NEXT PLACE IS GOMORRAH - 04:52 YOU'VE HEARD OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH? 04:54 AND GOD DESTROYED THEM WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE AND THIS IS 04:57 GOMORRAH, THEY BELIEVE. HERE YOU CAN FIND ALL KINDS OF 05:01 SULPHUR BALLS, WHICH THIS IS WHAT SULPHUR BALLS LOOK LIKE. 05:06 THEY MAKE GREAT SOUVENIRS - PRESENTS TO BRING BACK. 05:09 THEY'RE FREE AND THEY'RE GOOD CONVERSATIONAL PIECES. 05:11 SO I BROUGHT BACK SOME SULPHUR BALLS. 05:15 THE NEXT PLACE IS WADI RUM. WADI RUM IS IN SOUTHERN JORDAN. 05:20 IT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE SITE WHERE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL 05:24 HUNG OUT IN THEIR WANDERINGS IN THE WILDERNESS FOR 40 YEARS. 05:27 IT IS A VERY LARGE AREA BUT IT'S PROTECTED BY HIGH STONE CLIFFS 05:32 AND IT WAS DEFINITELY LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, 05:36 A MILLION-PLUS PEOPLE SO THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE. 05:39 NOW IT'S JUST A DESERT POPULATED BY CAMELS AND BEDOUINS AND THE 05:43 FEW ODD TERRORISTS, BUT IT IS BEAUTIFUL. AND THE LAST PLACE 05:47 I WANT TO SHOW YOU WAS OUR VISIT TO JERUSALEM. 05:50 AND ONE OF THE PLACES I GOT TO GO TO WAS THE GARDEN TOMB. 05:56 ARCHAEOLOGISTS BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE GARDEN TOMB WHERE JESUS' 05:58 BODY WAS LAID BECAUSE IT FITS THE CRITERIA - THAT IT WAS 06:02 OUTSIDE OF THE CITY WALLS, IT WAS IN A GARDEN, IT WAS A RICH 06:05 MAN'S TOMB - CLEARLY NOT EVERYBODY HAD LOVELY PLACES LIKE 06:08 THIS. IT WAS ALSO NEAR THE CRUCIFIXION 06:11 SITE, WHICH WAS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY BY THE DAMASCUS GATE, AND 06:15 THE MAJOR TRADE ROAD CAME THROUGH 06:18 THAT GATE TO JERICHO AND IT WAS RIGHT NEAR THIS SITE. 06:21 SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT 06:25 PROOF THAT IT IS BUT, YOU KNOW, IT FITS CRITERIA 06:28 AND IT SEEMS LIKE A LOGICAL PLACE FOR IT. 06:31 THE REALLY INTERESTING THING, IN THE NEXT PICTURE, IS YOU CAN SEE 06:36 THIS TROUGH AND THAT'S IN FRONT OF IT WHERE THE BIG MASSIVE 06:40 STONE WAS ROLLED TO CLOSE OFF THE TOMB WOULD HAVE BEEN. 06:44 THEY BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HEWN FROM THE ROCK TO THE LEFT 06:47 AND THEN ROLLED ON THIS TROUGH AND THEN PUT IN PLACE. 06:51 AT THE END - AND YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT - THERE'S A BIG 06:53 PIECE OF ROCK THAT WOULD PREVENT IT FROM GOING PAST THE OPENING 06:57 AND THEN IN THE WALL ON THE LEFT THERE WAS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN 07:00 SEE THERE WAS AN IRON NAIL - NAILED INTO THE ROCK - 07:04 LIKE THE ROMAN SEAL - TO STOP IT BEING OPENED AND 07:07 COMING BACK THE OTHER WAY. THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING. 07:10 THE NEXT PICTURE IS INSIDE. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 07:15 THERE'S - IT WAS A FAMILY BURIAL PLOT FOR TWO ADULTS 07:18 AND ONE CHILD RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. 07:20 BUT THEY BELIEVE JESUS WAS PLACED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AND 07:24 YOU CAN SEE IN THE NEXT PICTURE - IT'S EASIER - OVER IN THE TOP 07:29 LEFT HAND CORNER THERE'S THAT GRAY ROCK AREA - THE REASON THAT 07:34 THEY THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE JESUS WAS IS BECAUSE IT WAS A 07:38 BORROWED TOMB AND THEY NEEDED TO QUICKLY MAKE IT TO 07:42 FIT HIS BODY AND IT, OBVIOUSLY, HADN'T BEEN MADE FOR LONGER 07:44 INDIVIDUALS SO THAT IT WAS QUICKLY HEWN OUT OF THE ROCK 07:48 AND, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T GET IT ALL NICE AND NEAT. 07:50 SO THAT'S THE THINKING - THAT THAT'S WHERE JESUS WAS. 07:55 SO IT WAS JUST VERY, VERY COOL TO BE INSIDE OF THERE. 07:58 SO AS I WAS STANDING IN THERE, IT SUDDENLY OCCURRED TO ME THAT 08:08 I VISITED, YOU KNOW, SO MANY GRAVES AND MONUMENTS AND TOMBS 08:12 TO OTHER RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, FAMOUS HISTORICAL PEOPLE AROUND 08:17 THE WORLD, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT IS. 08:20 THERE LIES THEIR BODY - AND THAT'S COOL - THERE THEY ARE, 08:24 WAITING UNTIL THE RESURRECTION - BUT I SUDDENLY - IT JUST 08:27 OCCURRED TO ME - AND I'VE KNOWN THIS ALL MY LIFE - YOU ALL KNOW 08:29 IT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE STANDING INSIDE OF THIS EMPTY TOMB, IT IS 08:35 THE ONLY PLACE ON THE PLANET THAT'S EMPTY - 08:40 THAT BELONGED OR WAS USED BY A RELIGIOUS LEADER. 08:45 AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN SAY 'OUR LEADER 08:50 IS NOT DEAD WAITING FOR THE RESURRECTION. 08:53 HE IS ALIVE AND ON THE DOOR INSIDE OF IT WAS AWESOME. 08:58 THE SIGN SAYS, 'HE IS NOT HERE - FOR HE IS RISEN'. 09:02 AND THAT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE - ONE OF THOSE 'AH!' MOMENTS. 09:06 I'M STANDING INSIDE OF THERE REALIZING, 'WOW, THIS IS WHERE 09:11 THE ANGEL CAME, THIS IS WHERE HIS BODY WAS. 09:14 RESURRECTION MORNING THAT BIG STONE WHICH WAS EIGHT FEET 09:16 ACROSS AND MASSIVE - I MEAN, IT'S NOT THERE - 09:19 THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WENT. YOU KNOW, PICKED IT UP AND MOVED 09:21 IT - YOU KNOW, BUT THAT TOMB IS EMPTY AND, AS CHRISTIANS, THAT 09:27 SHOULD BE AN ASSURANCE AND EXCITEMENT. THERE'S PROOF. 09:32 HE ISN'T HERE. HE IS RISEN. SO ON THAT NOTE, THAT WAS MY 09:35 QUICK TRIP AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST AND I WOULD LOVE US TO SING 09:39 A SONG THAT TIES RIGHT IN WITH THAT - #166 - SO JOIN WITH US - 09:50 'CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY'. 09:52 (MUSIC) 12:00 >>THANK YOU TO WARREN IN AUSTRALIA, SELENA, JONATHAN AND 12:03 RUT IN THE NETHERLANDS, AND VICKY AND VERONICA IN TRINIDAD 12:06 AND TOBAGO FOR PICKING THAT SONG WITH US. AT THIS TIME, 12:09 LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. FATHER IN HEAVEN, YOU ARE ALIVE 12:14 AND YOU ARE COMING BACK ONE DAY TO GET US VERY, VERY SOON. 12:19 WE HAVE ASSURANCE - WE HAVE HOPE - BECAUSE YOUR TOMB IS EMPTY AND 12:25 ON THE DOOR IS A SIGN THAT SAYS, 'HE IS NOT HERE - HE IS RISEN' 12:29 AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS THE TRUTH. 12:31 I PRAY THAT YOU'LL BE WITH US TODAY AS WE OPEN UP YOUR WORD 12:34 AND WE STUDY TOGETHER. PLEASE BE WITH OUR SPEAKER. 12:36 BE WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD AND GIVE US THE 12:41 BLESSING THAT YOU HAVE FOR US. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 12:46 AT THIS TIME OUR LESSON STUDY IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US - OH, 12:49 THERE HE IS - BY PASTOR MIKE THOMPSON. 12:51 HE IS OUR HEALTH AND VISITATION PASTOR HERE AT CENTRAL CHURCH. 12:56 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH LADIES AND A HAPPY DAY TO YOU ALL. 13:01 WELCOME TO CENTRAL STUDY HOUR. 13:04 WE HAVE A FREE GIFT TODAY - IT'S A VERY GOOD ONE - 'SATAN'S 13:08 CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS' - FOR EVERY GOOD THING THAT GOD HAS 13:12 GIVEN TO US THE DEVIL'S GOT SOME PHONY - WHATEVER YOU WANT TO 13:17 CALL IT - TO TRY AND PAWN THAT OFF IN PLACE OF THE GENUINE. 13:20 WELL, THIS IS OFFER #191 AND IF YOU CALL 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 13:29 1-866-788-3966, AMAZING FACTS WILL SEND YOU THIS BOOK. 13:35 AND WE'RE ON THE LESSON - LESSON #11 - 'THE APOSTLES AND THE LAW' 13:43 - AND THE MEMORY TEXT IS FROM ROMANS 7:12 - FROM PAUL'S 13:48 EPISTLE THERE IT SAYS, "THEREFORE THE LAW IS HOLY, AND 13:51 THE COMMANDMENT HOLY AND JUST AND GOOD." 13:56 SO HAVING READ THAT, I WANT TO ACTUALLY READ THE INTRODUCTION 14:01 ON SABBATH AFTERNOON'S PAGE. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD, 14:04 I THINK, TO DO THAT. IT GIVES US A CLEAR OVERVIEW OF 14:07 WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO GO IN THE LESSON. 14:11 SO I READ THE FOLLOWING, "WITH SO MUCH EVIDENCE FOR THE 14:15 CONTINUED VALIDITY OF GOD'S LAW, WHY DO SO MANY CHRISTIANS ARGUE 14:20 AGAINST IT?" - AND THEY DO. AND THE AUTHOR LISTS THREE 14:26 THINGS HERE: FIRST, SOME, AS WE HAVE SEEN, LOOK AT CERTAIN NEW 14:31 TESTAMENT TEXTS THAT CONDEMN A FALSE UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW'S 14:36 FUNCTION BUT CONCLUDE THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LAW ITSELF. 14:41 AS A RESULT, THEY CLAIM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT OBLIGATORY 14:44 FOR THOSE UNDER THE NEW COVENANT - YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT. 14:49 SECOND POINT: OTHERS ARE SO CONVINCED THAT THE SABBATH IS 14:53 NOT BINDING ON CHRISTIANS THAT IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THIS 14:57 POSITION, THEY CLAIM THAT ALL THE COMMANDMENTS HAVE BEEN 15:00 CRUCIFIED WITH JESUS ON THE CROSS. 15:04 YOU'VE HEARD THAT TOO AS WELL, I'M SURE. 15:06 AND THE THIRD ONE - THIRD - SOME ARGUE THAT THE OTHER NINE 15:10 COMMANDMENTS ARE IN EFFECT, BUT THAT THE FOURTH - I WONDER WHY 15:16 THE FOURTH - THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH - HAS BEEN SUPERCEDED BY 15:19 SUNDAY, WHICH IS KEPT IN HONOR OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS 15:23 CHRIST. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL BE THE 15:26 FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. 15:30 ANYWAY, NUMEROUS PROBLEMS EXIST WITH ALL THESE POSITIONS - 15:33 AND THEY DO. THIS WEEK WE'LL LOOK AT THE 15:36 ATTITUDE OF CHRIST'S APOSTLES. HERE'S WHERE WE GET SOME GOOD 15:40 CONCRETE EVIDENCE FROM FIRST CENTURY WITNESSES AND ACTUAL 15:44 ONES WHO KNEW CHRIST. THIS WEEK WE'LL LOOK AT THE 15:47 ATTITUDE OF CHRIST'S APOSTLES CONCERNING THE LAW BECAUSE 15:50 SURELY, IF IT WERE TO HAVE BEEN NULLED OR MODIFIED AFTER 15:56 CHRIST'S DEATH - THE APOSTLES WOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING ABOUT 15:59 IT - AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING TO ASSUME, DON'T YOU 16:02 THINK? SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GOING TO 16:04 LOOK HERE INTO SUNDAY'S LESSON, 'PAUL AND THE LAW'. 16:10 AND THE FACT THAT PAUL WROTE ALMOST HALF OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 16:16 - THERE'S A REASON WHY HE'S PROBABLY THE MOST CITED WHEN 16:19 THESE ISSUES COME UP CONCERNING THE LAW OF GOD AND THIS SECTION 16:26 ON SUNDAY FEATURES SOME OF THE PRIME PASSAGES FROM PAUL'S 16:30 EPISTLES, WHICH ARE USED BY PEOPLE THAT WE CALL 16:33 'ANTINOMIANISTS' - ANTI - THAT IS 'AGAINST' OR 'IN PLACE OF' - 16:40 NOMIANIST - IT'S FROM THE GREEK WORD 'NOMOS' - WHICH MEANS LAW. 16:44 SO WE CALL THEM ANTINOMIANISTS - PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THE LAW, FOR 16:47 ONE REASON OR ANOTHER - HAS BEEN DONE AWAY WITH. 16:51 SO AS WE LOOK AT THESE PASSAGES USED BY THE ANTINOMIANISTS TO 16:56 PROVE, SUPPOSEDLY, THAT THE LAW HAS BEEN ABOLISHED, 16:59 WE'LL FIND IT'S NOT THE CASE. 17:01 WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THESE AND WE'LL LOOK AT THEM, FIRST OF 17:05 ALL, IN ISOLATION - OUT OF CONTEXT. 17:08 THEN WE'LL PUT THEM IN THEIR CONTEXT AND WE'LL SEE THAT THE 17:14 ANTINOMIANIST ARGUMENT JUST SPREADS ITS LITTLE WINGS AND 17:17 FLIES AWAY - JUST DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. 17:20 WE COME UP WITH THE EXACT OPPOSITE - THE LAW HAS NOT BEEN 17:23 ABOLISHED, IT'S ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED. 17:26 SO A WELL-KNOWN ONE IN ROMANS 3:28 - AND THIS IS PAUL WRITING 17:32 THIS, "THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE THAT A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH 17:37 WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW." DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 17:42 YOU SHOULD, IT'S IN THE BIBLE. 17:43 YEP, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE - 'THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE THAT A 17:47 MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.' 17:50 BUT, OF COURSE, IT'S NOT THE WHOLE STORY, IS IT? 17:54 BUT THAT FINAL CONCLUSION - BUT WHAT FINAL CONCLUSION DO WE DRAW 17:59 WHEN WE READ, ALONG WITH THIS, ROMANS 3:31 WHERE THE SAME 18:06 APOSTLE, IN THE SAME CHAPTER SAYS, "DO WE MAKE THEN VOID THE 18:11 LAW BY FAITH?" - QUESTION: DO WE MAKE THEN THE 18:15 LAW VOID BY FAITH? 18:17 - AND THE ANSWER IS, "GOD FORBID" - HE SAYS, 'GOD FORBID' 18:22 - NO, HE SAYS, 'WE ESTABLISH THE LAW. 18:25 SO ANOTHER QUESTION: HOW IS IT THEN THAT FAITH - FAITH - OR 18:33 FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - DOES NOT CANCEL OUT THE LAW BUT ACTUALLY 18:37 ESTABLISHES IT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 18:39 SO I WANT TO READ TO YOU FROM THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BIBLE 18:42 COMMENTARY, WHICH IS ABBREVIATED, VERY CONVENIENTLY, 18:47 AS SDABC - VOLUME 6, PAGE 510 - IT SAYS, "THE PLAN OF 18:54 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH REVEALS GOD'S REGARD FOR HIS LAW IN 19:03 DEMANDING AND PROVIDING THE ATONING SACRIFICE." 19:07 - DO YOU FOLLOW THAT? 19:09 - "IF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ABOLISHES LAW, THEN THERE IS NO 19:14 NEED FOR THE ATONING DEATH OF CHRIST TO RELEASE THE SINNER 19:17 FROM HIS SINS AND, THUS, RESTORE HIM TO PEACE WITH GOD." 19:24 SO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THIS DOCTRINE - JUSTIFICATION BY 19:29 FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - WE NEED THAT BECAUSE THERE IS A LAW 19:35 THAT, IF WE GET OUT OF LINE WITH IT, CONDEMNS US. 19:41 SO THE WHOLE FACT THAT WE SPEAK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH IN 19:45 JESUS CHRIST CLEARLY IMPLIES THEN THERE'S GOT TO BE A LAW - 19:50 WE'VE GOT TO NEED SOMEBODY TO SPARE US FROM THE CONSEQUENCES 19:53 OF THAT LAW. THAT'S VERY CLEARLY IMPLIED. 19:56 AND, OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT JUST DEALING WITH IMPLICATIONS HERE, 19:58 WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME STATEMENTS LATER ON, WHICH TELL 20:00 US, VERY CLEARLY, THERE IS A LAW - PLAIN AS THAT. 20:03 NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER TEXT, WHEN READ OUT OF CONTEXT, 20:08 ALSO APPEARS TO NEGATE THE LAW. 20:10 THERE WE ARE AGAIN WITH PAUL - WE'RE LOOKING AT PAUL IN 20:13 SUNDAY'S SECTION - ROMANS CHAPTER 6 AND VERSE 14 - IT 20:18 SAYS, "FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU: FOR YE ARE 20:24 NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE." IS THAT TRUE? 20:29 IT'S IN THE BIBLE, OF COURSE IT'S TRUE. 20:32 YOU'RE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE. 20:35 BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE PUT IT IN ITS FULLER CONTEXT, WE READ THE NEXT 20:42 VERSE, ROMANS 15 - SORRY, ROMANS 6:15 - AND THIS ANTINOMIANIST 20:50 ARGUMENT DISAPPEARS. ROMANS 6:15 - PAUL SAYS, 20:55 "WHAT THEN? SHALL WE SIN," - WHAT IS SIN? OKAY, SO LET'S READ 21:03 VERSE 14 AGAIN - "FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU: 21:06 FOR YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE." 21:08 - BUT THEN THE NEXT VERSE SAYS, "WHAT THEN? 21:11 SHALL WE SIN," - SHALL WE BREAK THE LAW? 21:14 IT SAYS, "BECAUSE WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE?" 21:18 - AND AGAIN HE SAYS, "GOD FORBID." 21:20 PAUL IS SIMPLY TEACHING HERE THAT THE LAW STILL STANDS. 21:25 BUT THE REFERENCE OF NOT BEING UNDER THE LAW IS IN RESPECT TO 21:29 NOT BEING UNDER ITS CONDEMNATION. 21:30 I THINK WE'VE MENTIONED THIS I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES, 21:32 DURING THE SERIES OF THESE LESSONS THIS QUARTER. 21:37 WE'RE NOT UNDER ITS CONDEMNATION BECAUSE JESUS TOOK OUR GUILT AND 21:45 CONDEMNATION UPON HIMSELF WHEN HE DIED UPON THE CROSS. 21:50 SO WE CAN STAND BEFORE THAT LAW THAT STILL EXISTS - WE CAN STAND 21:56 BEFORE IT - BUT NO LONGER BE UNDER ITS CONDEMNATION. 22:01 PRETTY CLEAR, RIGHT? SO PAUL, NOWHERE, TEACHES THAT 22:05 CHRIST'S DEATH ABOLISHES THE LAW AND AS NEW TESTAMENT CREATURES - 22:10 CHRISTIANS - WELL, WE'RE CREATURES - WE'RE NO LONGER 22:15 UNDER ITS - WE'RE STILL UNDER ITS JURISDICTION. 22:19 NOW, PERHAPS, PAUL'S GREATEST AFFIRMATION OF THE LAW - 22:21 AFFIRMATION OF THE LAW - IS OUR MEMORY VERSE, 22:23 WHICH I READ EARLIER ON FROM ROMANS 7:12. 22:26 HE SAYS, "WHEREFORE THE LAW IS HOLY AND THE COMMANDMENT HOLY, 22:30 AND JUST AND GOOD." IS THERE ANYTHING AMBIGUOUS 22:32 ABOUT THAT? NO, I SHOULD HOPE NOT. 22:36 AND THEN, FURTHER, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 8 - SAME APOSTLE GOES ON 22:43 TO TEACH THAT THE PRECEPTS OF THIS HOLY AND JUST LAW CAN 22:47 ACTUALLY BE LIVED OUT IN OUR LIVES AS WE ENTER INTO THE 22:52 EXPERIENCE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. 22:57 LET'S READ ROMANS 8, VERSE 4 - THERE'S NO DOING AWAY WITH THE 23:02 LAW HERE - IT'S ESTABLISHING THE LAW AND ACTUALLY SHOWING THROUGH 23:05 CHRIST HOW THOSE RIGHTEOUS PRINCIPLES CAN BE ACTUALLY LIVED 23:09 OUT IN OUR LIVES AS WE TRUST CHRIST AS OUR 23:12 LORD AND SAVIOR. ROMANS 8, VERSE 4, 23:15 "THAT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED IN US," - 23:20 NOT FOR US - NOT JUST FOR US BUT IN US, 23:25 "WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT." 23:30 NOTICE AGAIN, THE SPIRIT CONVERSION PLAYS A CRUCIAL PART 23:36 IN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. SO MOVING ON - 23:40 A LOT MORE WE CAN SAY THERE BUT I'M GOING TO TRY AND ACTUALLY 23:42 GET THROUGH THE LESSON THIS WEEK, IF I CAN, 23:45 AND SEE HOW WE DO. LET'S GO ON TO MONDAY - IF I DO 23:49 IT WILL BE A FIRST, MICHAEL. 'PETER AND THE LAW' - AGAIN, 23:56 FROM THE INTRODUCTION IN THE LESSON - NO, ACTUALLY, I TAKE 24:00 THAT BACK - I'M GOING STRAIGHT INTO A PASSAGE HERE FROM 1 24:02 PETER 2:9 - 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 9. 24:07 PETER SAYS - SPEAKING OF GOD'S CHILDREN - "BUT YE ARE A CHOSEN 24:13 GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, AN HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR 24:20 PEOPLE;" - THAT DOESN'T MEAN STRANGE - WELL, ACTUALLY, IT 24:23 DOES, IN A SENSE. WE SHOULD BE A LITTLE STRANGE IN 24:26 THIS WORLD COMPARED TO THE SECULAR MIND. 24:29 THERE'S A MARGINAL READING, ACTUALLY, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 24:32 THERE FOR PECULIAR - IT MEANS 'PURCHASED' - 24:36 SO WE'RE A PURCHASED PEOPLE. IS THAT TRUE? 24:40 WHAT HAVE WE BEEN PURCHASED WITH? 24:43 PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST AS A LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH AND 24:48 WITHOUT SPOT. SO IT COST GOD DEARLY AND YET IT 24:53 COSTS US NOTHING. AMAZING. SO WHEN PETER SAYS THIS: "BUT YE 24:59 ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, AN HOLY NATION" - 25:05 HE'S ACTUALLY ECHOING A DECLARATION THAT GOD MADE ABOUT 25:11 HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL AT MOUNT SINAI. 25:14 LET'S GO BACK TO EXODUS 19 AND VERSE 6 - EXODUS 19 AND VERSE 6 25:21 - THIS IS WHAT GOD SAID A LONG TIME BEFORE - 25:26 ABOUT 3,500 YEARS BEFORE. 25:31 GOD SAYS HERE, JUST BEFORE HE DECLARES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - 25:35 EXODUS 19:6 - "YE SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND AN 25:41 HOLY NATION." - HE SAYS, 'YOU WILL BE THAT'. 25:47 AND GOD'S BIDDINGS, OF COURSE, ARE ENABLINGS - GOD GIVES GRACE. 25:52 BUT WHEN GOD SAYS, 'YOU SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND 25:58 AN HOLY NATION, AT THE SAME TIME, GOD ALSO DECLARED A 26:02 CERTAIN TWO - TWO PARTICULAR CONDITIONS THAT ISRAEL WOULD 26:07 HAVE TO MEET IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED BY HIM AS A KINGDOM OF 26:13 PRIESTS AND AN HOLY NATION. 26:14 STILL IN EXODUS 19 - LET'S GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS VERSE - 26:19 VERSE 5 - NOTICE HERE TWO MAJOR PRECONDITIONS - SEE IF YOU CAN 26:23 NOTICE THEM, "NOW THEREFORE, IF YOU WILL OBEY MY VOICE 26:29 INDEED...THEN YE SHALL BE A PECULIAR TREASURE UNTO ME ABOVE 26:35 ALL PEOPLE:" - NOW, THERE'S TWO THINGS HERE AND, ACTUALLY I 26:41 MISSED A LITTLE BIT - I MISSED A BIT OUT HERE. 26:44 LET ME GO BACK TO - I'M JUST READING FROM MY NOTES BUT I 26:47 WANTED TO READ FROM EXODUS 19:5 BECAUSE I MISSED A LITTLE BIT 26:51 OUT THERE. EXODUS 19, VERSE 5, "NOW THEREFORE, IF YE WILL OBEY 26:58 MY VOICE INDEED," - IS THAT A CONDITION? YEAH - "AND KEEP 27:06 MY COVENANT" - WOULD YOU SAY THAT WAS A CONDITION? 27:11 YES - "THEN" - HE SAYS - "THEY SHALL BE A PECULIAR TREASURE 27:17 UNTO ME ABOVE ALL PEOPLE: FOR ALL THE EARTH IS MINE:" - SO 27:24 THEREFORE THERE ARE CONDITIONS. IT WAS NOT FOR THEM TO WALK 27:27 AROUND AND SAY, 'OH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS. 27:30 OH, WE'RE SUCH A HOLY NATION.' WELL, THEY NEEDED TO BE BUT 27:36 ACTUALLY THEY WEREN'T MOST OF THE TIME. 27:41 BUT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN IF THEY'D FULFILLED THOSE TWO 27:45 PRECONDITIONS: OBEY ME; KEEP MY COVENANT - AND THE GRACE WAS 27:50 THERE ALL THE TIME, SAME AS THAT GRACE IS HERE WITH US EVEN NOW. 27:55 SO THOSE CONDITIONS NOT ONLY APPLY TO ISRAEL - CONDITIONS 28:01 ABOUT HOW YOU COULD BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION - NOT 28:05 ONLY APPLIED TO ISRAEL ABOUT 3,500 YEARS AGO - NOT ONLY 28:10 APPLIED TO THE CHRISTIANS IN PETER'S DAY 2,000 YEARS AGO, BUT 28:16 THEY ALSO APPLY TO US TODAY WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THE SOON RETURN 28:20 OF JESUS, RIGHT? ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD? 28:23 A HOLY NATION? I SHOULD THINK SO, YEAH. THEY WERE - THE 28:31 ISRAELITES WERE RIGHT ON THE BORDERS OF THE PROMISED LAND - 28:34 THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY GO IN BECAUSE THEY MESSED UP. 28:36 BUT THEY'RE RIGHT ON THE BORDERS OF THE PROMISED LAND AND 28:38 GOD SAYS YOU NEED TO BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION. 28:41 WE ARE RIGHT ON THE BORDERS, ALSO, OF THE HEAVENLY CANAAN, 28:47 AND IF EVER THERE WAS A GENERATION THAT NEEDED TO BE A 28:49 ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND A HOLY NATION, IT'S THIS ONE - 28:52 IT'S YOU AND IT'S ME. 28:54 I WON'T GET INTO WHAT HAPPENED AT BAAL-PEOR - 28:57 THAT'S ANOTHER STORY IN ITSELF - BUT HERE WE ARE. 29:00 WE'RE THE REMNANT CHURCH - THE LAST CHURCH FROM THE BOLT OF 29:06 CLOTH, IF YOU LIKE, THAT'S BEEN UNRAVELED OVER THE YEARS WITH 29:09 GENERATIONS OF CHRISTIANS. WE'RE THE REMNANT. 29:12 IN REVELATION 14:12 THAT REMNANT IS SUPPOSED TO BE HOLY. 29:16 THEY ARE THEY THAT KEEP WHAT? THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD - 29:19 IS THAT A CONDITION? YES, TO BEING A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD 29:23 AND A HOLY NATION - AND HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS. 29:27 IS THAT A CONDITION? YES, IT IS. 29:29 YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT A CONDITION. 29:30 IF YOU DON'T HAVE FAITH IN JESUS IT'S A CONDITION. 29:33 YOU CANNOT BE PART OF GOD'S REMNANT CHURCH. 29:36 YOU CANNOT BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND A HOLY NATION. 29:39 AND SO, TO MEASURE UP TO SUCH A STANDARD, WE MUST ACT - 29:43 I'M SORRY - WE MUST ACCEPT AND ACT UPON THE ADMONITION THAT 29:48 PETER GAVE TO THE CHURCH IN HIS DAY. 1 PETER 2:11 - 29:54 THIS IS WHAT HE SAID - HE SAYS, "DEARLY BELOVED," - IF YOU WANT 29:57 TO BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND A HOLY NATION HE SAYS, "DEARLY 29:59 BELOVED," - 1 PETER 2:11 - "I BESEECH YOU AS STRANGERS AND 30:04 PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE 30:10 SOUL;" HERE'S WHERE IT'S AT MY FRIENDS. 30:15 I WON'T - IT'S A TEMPTATION TO GO TO BAAL-PEOR BUT I WON'T, 30:18 BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE. THEY GAVE WAY TO 30:21 FLESHLY LUSTS THAT WAR AGAINST THE SOUL AND OUR HUMAN NATURES 30:28 ARE NO DIFFERENT. IN FACT, THEY HAD 3,500 YEARS - 30:33 THEY WERE 3,500 YEARS CLOSER TO BEING THE OFFSPRING OF ADAM. 30:39 THEY WERE PERVERTED ENOUGH BUT HERE WE'RE 3,500 YEARS FURTHER 30:44 DOWNSTREAM SO WE'RE EVEN MORE WEAK. AND YET WE HAVE 30:48 THIS CHALLENGE AND THIS ADMONITION TO BE A ROYAL 30:50 PRIESTHOOD AND A HOLY NATION, SO WE HAVE TO MEASURE UP TO THAT. 30:55 BUT GOD'S BIDDINGS ARE GOD'S ENABLINGS. 30:57 BUT LISTEN TO THIS - LISTEN TO THIS - THIS APPLIES TO US. 31:02 AND LISTEN TO COUNCILS ON HEALTH PAGE 568, PARAGRAPH 2. 31:11 THERE'S A LITTLE SUBTITLE - 'PATTERNS OF PIETY' - THE 31:14 PUBLISHERS PUT THAT IN, BUT THIS IS WHAT THE SERVANT OF THE LORD 31:18 SAYS, "SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS" - NOW WHO ARE THOSE? 31:24 ARE YOU A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST? THEN THIS IS FOR YOU AND FOR ME. 31:31 "SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, ABOVE ALL OTHER PEOPLE" - 31:38 ABOVE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE? - ALL - "ALL OTHER PEOPLE IN THE 31:42 WORLD SHOULD BE PATTERNS OF PIETY, HOLY IN HEART AND IN 31:48 CONVERSATION. SHOULD THEY WHO MAKE SO 31:55 HIGH A PROFESSION INDULGE IN SIN AND INIQUITY, THEIR GUILT WOULD 32:01 BE VERY GREAT." - NOW OUR GUILT WOULD BE GREATER 32:07 - WOULD IT BE GREATER THAN BAPTISTS? I THINK SO. 32:11 WE HAVE MORE LIGHT. WOULD OUR GUILT BE GREATER THAN 32:15 CATHOLICS? I BELIEVE SO. THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT 32:20 AND WRONG, BUT WE HAVE MORE LIGHT THAN ANYBODY ELSE. 32:24 SO THEIR GUILT - OUR GUILT WOULD BE VERY GREAT. 32:28 THOSE WHO DO NOT CONTROL THEIR BASE PASSIONS CANNOT APPRECIATE 32:34 THE ATONEMENT OR PLACE A RIGHT VALUE UPON THE SOUL - 32:40 EVEN THEIR OWN SOUL." YOU KNOW THAT'S A FACT? 32:45 YOU CAN INDULGE SO MUCH IN SIN YOUR CONSCIENCE IS SO BLUNTED, 32:50 YOUR MIND IS SO FUZZY AND DUMBED DOWN, YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT 32:55 YOURSELF. BUT IF THAT MIND COULD BE 33:00 CLEARED THROUGH HEALTHFUL LIVING AND YOU HAD THAT ACUITY AND 33:04 CLARITY BACK, YOU WOULD REALIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR OWN SOUL AND 33:10 YOU WOULD SEE MORE CLEARLY THE PERIL THAT YOUR OWN SOUL IS IN 33:16 AND YOU WOULD TREMBLE. THIS IS WHY SATAN LEADS PEOPLE 33:20 INTO SIN BECAUSE THEY BECOME CARELESS - BECOME NUMB AND DUMB 33:26 - AND THEY CAN HEAR A PREACHER SPEAK - 33:28 EVEN A GOOD OLD SOUTHERN BAPTIST PREACHER PREACH ABOUT HELLFIRE. 33:33 IT DOESN'T PHASE THEM, THEY JUST GO ON THEIR WAY 33:36 LOOKING FOR THEIR NEXT FORBIDDEN PLEASURE. 33:39 SO WE, TOO, CAN GET JUST AS DUMBED DOWN AND NOT BE ABLE TO 33:44 APPRECIATE - PUT A RIGHT VALUE ON OUR OWN SOUL - SALVATION IS 33:49 NOT APPRECIATED OR UNDERSTOOD BY THEM - BY US. 33:54 - "THE GRATIFICATION OF ANIMAL PASSION IS THE HIGHEST AMBITION 33:58 OF THEIR LIVES." CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? 34:02 SOME PEOPLE, THEIR HIGHEST AMBITION IS TO JUST USE SOME 34:08 ORGANS - WHETHER IT'S THEIR STOMACH OR THEIR SEXUAL ORGANS - 34:11 THAT'S ALL THEY LIVE FOR - THE NEXT THRILL OR PLEASURE FROM 34:15 SOME ORGAN OF THEIR BODY MADE OF FLESH THAT'S GETTING OLD - WILL 34:19 DECAY - MIGHT EVEN BECOME CANCEROUS - BUT THEY DON'T CARE. 34:22 THAT'S ALL THEY LIVE FOR. ANIMALS HAVE MORE OF AN EXCUSE, 34:27 VERY OFTEN, THAN HUMAN BEINGS. IT'S A FACT. 34:32 THE GRATIFICATION OF ANIMAL PASSION IS THE HIGHEST AMBITION 34:35 OF THEIR LIVES. GOD WILL ACCEPT NOTHING BUT 34:39 PURITY AND HOLINESS. ONE SPOT, ONE WRINKLE, ONE 34:48 DEFECT IN THE CHARACTER, WILL FOREVER DEBAR THEM FROM HEAVEN 34:52 WITH ALL ITS GLORIES AND TREASURES." 34:56 SO TO BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, WE'VE GOT TO BE 35:00 SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SLAVES TO APPETITE AND PASSION. 35:04 AND WE'RE ALL PRONE TO IT - WE'RE ALL - I REMEMBER, ONCE, 35:07 READING SOMETHING BY ELLEN WHITE. 35:10 SHE KNEW THIS LADY WHO LIKED TO SMOKE A PIPE AND THIS LADY HEARD 35:16 THAT SHE COULDN'T SMOKE A PIPE IN HEAVEN AND SHE SAID, 'I DON'T 35:19 WANT TO GO.' CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? 35:23 'IF I CAN'T TAKE MY PIPE TO HEAVEN, I DON'T WANT TO GO.' SO 35:28 I GUESS SHE DIDN'T GO. YOU KNOW WHAT? 35:31 SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SMOKE A PIPE IN HELL EITHER. 35:33 SO, YOU KNOW, SO WHY NOT GIVE IT UP AND GO TO A NICER PLACE? 35:41 SOLEMN ADMONITION, BUT - BUT THERE IS HOPE. 35:47 THERE'S ALWAYS - YOU KNOW, GOD KNOCKS US DOWN SOMETIMES, RIGHT? 35:55 HIS WORD JUST CUTS US OFF BY THE KNEES SOMETIMES AND WE NEED IT. 35:58 BUT GOD IS GOOD AND KIND AND MERCIFUL. 36:01 WITH THE SAME HAND HE CUTS US OFF BY THE KNEES, HE PICKS US UP 36:04 AND ENCOURAGES US. JESUS IS A GREAT ENCOURAGER AND 36:07 SO IS HIS SERVANT ELLEN WHITE. IN THE VERY NEXT PARAGRAPH I 36:11 READ THIS: "AMPLE PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR ALL WHO 36:15 SINCERELY AND EARNESTLY AND THOROUGHLY SET ABOUT THE WORK OF 36:21 PERFECTING HOLINESS IN THE FEAR OF GOD. 36:25 STRENGTH, GRACE, AND GLORY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED, THROUGH CHRIST, 36:31 TO BE BROUGHT BY MINISTERING ANGELS TO THE HEIRS OF 36:35 SALVATION." - DOESN'T THAT SOUND GOOD? - 36:37 "NONE IS SO LOW, CORRUPT AND VILE THAT THEY CANNOT FIND, 36:42 IN JESUS WHO DIED FOR THEM, STRENGTH, 36:45 PURITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. IF THEY WILL PUT AWAY THEIR 36:49 SINS" - OR JUST AT LEAST BE WILLING - SAY, 'LORD, HELP ME DO 36:52 THE REST' - HE'LL HELP YOU - "IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO PUT 36:56 AWAY THEIR SINS, CEASE THEIR COURSE 36:58 OF INIQUITY, AND TURN WITH FULL PURPOSE OF HEART TO THE LIVING 37:02 GOD." CAN YOU SAY 'AMEN'? AMEN. OKAY, I'M TRYING TO BE GOOD. 37:06 I'M MOVING ON TO TUESDAY. I CAN SAY AN AWFUL LOT MORE 37:10 RIGHT THERE BUT LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY. 37:12 I'M GOING TO READ FROM TUESDAY'S LESSON - A LITTLE BIT FROM THE 37:16 FIRST PARAGRAPH. WE'RE LOOKING AT JOHN - 'JOHN AND THE LAW'. 37:21 JOHN KNEW A LOT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT JESUS - 37:26 AND HE SURELY DID. SURELY ONE WHO WAS AS CLOSE TO 37:31 JESUS AS JOHN WOULD HAVE KNOWN IF JESUS HAD SET ASIDE 37:36 GOD'S LAW. AND I THINK THERE'S ABSOLUTELY A 37:38 HUNDRED PERCENT TRUTH IN THAT, DON'T YOU? 37:40 IF ANYBODY WOULD HAVE KNOWN, JOHN WOULD. 37:42 WELL, IT'S VERY CLEAR IN JOHN'S GOSPEL AND HIS EPISTLES THAT 37:47 JESUS NEVER DECLARED ANY SUCH INTENT TO AS BELOVED A DISCIPLE 37:53 AS JOHN THAT HE WAS GOING TO ABOLISH THE LAW - NOTHING. 37:58 I'M GOING TO READ FROM JOHN 15:10 HERE. 38:02 THIS IS WHAT JESUS SAID AND JOHN WROTE IT DOWN. JESUS SAID, 38:07 "IF YOU LOVE" - SORRY - "IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS 38:11 YE SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE." CLEAR AS ANYTHING, RIGHT? 38:16 'IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS YOU SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE,' JOHN 38:20 15:10 - BUT THEN IN JOHN 14:15 HE SAYS, "IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY 38:25 COMMANDMENTS. SO WHAT COMES FIRST? 38:29 IS THAT A FAIR QUESTION? WHAT COMES FIRST, KEEPING GOD'S 38:32 COMMANDMENTS AND ABIDING IN HIS LOVE OR LOVING CHRIST AND THEN 38:36 KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS? ANYTHING COME FIRST? 38:39 WELL, THERE'S NO CONTRADICTION HERE, BUT THERE IS A SEQUENCE 38:43 THROUGH WHICH LOVING JESUS AND OBEYING JESUS - BOTH OF THESE 38:49 THINGS COME PERFECTLY TOGETHER - LOVING HIM AND KEEPING HIS 38:53 COMMANDMENTS AND KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS BECAUSE WE LOVE 38:58 HIM. AND THE UNITING FACTOR THAT 39:02 BRINGS THIS ALL TOGETHER IS FOUND IN THE TERM 'ABIDE'. 39:07 YOU'VE HEARD THAT TERM BEFORE, ABIDE. 39:11 IN JOHN CHAPTER 15, IN THE FIRST 11 VERSES - WE'RE NOT GOING TO 39:15 READ IT ALL, BUT HAVE A LOOK AFTERWARDS IF YOU WANT. 39:19 JESUS USES THE WORD OR THE TERM 'ABIDE' NINE TIMES. 39:24 THAT'S QUITE SIGNIFICANT. AND, ALSO, THE TERM 'ABIDE' IS 39:29 IMPLIED AS WELL. IF YOU GO THROUGH IT YOU'LL SEE 39:31 THAT IT'S IMPLIED IN SEVERAL INSTANCES. 39:34 LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE: IN JOHN 15, VERSE 4 - COUNT HOW 39:39 MANY TIMES 'ABIDE' COMES IN HERE. 39:42 HERE'S WHERE WE START PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER. 39:45 JESUS SAID, "ABIDE IN ME AND I IN YOU." - OKAY, SO THERE'S AN 39:50 IMPLIED 'ABIDE', RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? 39:53 HE SAYS, "ABIDE IN ME AND I (ABIDE) IN YOU." 39:56 - SO THERE'S TWO - "AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT OF 40:00 ITSELF, EXCEPT IT ABIDE IN THE VINE; NO MORE CAN YE, 40:05 EXCEPT YE" - WHAT? - "ABIDE IN ME." 40:07 SO THAT'S FOUR REFERENCES TO THE WORD - THE TERM - 'ABIDE' THERE. 40:12 AND IF WE UNDERSTAND ABIDING IN CHRIST TO MEAN THAT THE 40:18 GLORIOUS, GLORIOUS MYSTERY - WONDEROUS MYSTERY OF CONVERSION 40:23 - WHERE HE DWELLS IN US AND, MYSTERIOUSLY, WE BECOME ONE WITH 40:28 HIM, WE DWELL IN HIM AND HIM IN US, THEN THE FOLLOWING WILL 40:36 NATURALLY TAKE PLACE. NOW LISTEN TO THIS: 40:39 "IF YOU ABIDE IN ME" - THERE WE HAVE IT AGAIN - 40:44 "AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU" - SO WHEN JESUS COMES AND 40:46 HE ABIDES IN US, HE BRINGS HIS WORDS AND HIS WORDS ABIDE IN US 40:51 AS WELL. AND WHAT ARE JESUS' WORDS? IT'S HIS TEACHINGS. 40:55 IT'S HIS LAW, RIGHT? IT'S THE WORDS OF HIS LAW. 41:00 THEY COME AND HE PUTS THEM IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS. 41:04 AND HERE IS WHERE THE SEQUENCE THEN BEGINS: IF YOU ABIDE IN 41:10 CHRIST THROUGH CONVERSION, HIS WORDS - HIS TEACHING AND HIS LAW 41:16 - ABIDE IN US AS HE FULFILLS IN US THE NEW TESTAMENT PROMISE 41:22 WHERE HE SAYS HE'LL WRITE HIS LAW IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS. 41:24 LET ME READ IT, HEBREWS 10:16 - HE SAYS, "THIS IS THE COVENANT 41:29 THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAITH THE LORD, I 41:34 WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND IN THEIR MINDS WILL 41:37 I WRITE THEM;" SO WE ABIDE IN CHRIST THROUGH CONVERSION - HIS 41:44 WORD - HE BRINGS HIS WORD WITH US AND FULFILLS HIS NEW 41:47 TESTAMENT PROMISE THAT HE'LL PUT HIS LAW IN US. 41:49 THEN, BECAUSE WE'RE CONVERTED AND FILLED WITH A LOVE FOR JESUS 41:53 CHRIST, AND HIS WORD BECOMES - HIS WORD BECOMES OUR DESIRE AND 41:57 IT'S OUR JOY TO WALK IN THE WAYS OF HIS COMMANDMENTS AND, 42:01 THEREFORE, IT BECOMES NATURAL. HE SAYS, 'IF YOU LOVE ME' - 42:04 'LORD, I DO' - 'THEN KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS' - 'I WANT TO' - 42:08 SO IT ALL FITS TOGETHER. IF WE ABIDE IN HIM, YOU SEE, 42:12 THERE'S REALLY NOTHING MYSTERIOUS ABOUT BEING A 42:17 CHRISTIAN AND HAVING A CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 42:20 YOU GO TO JESUS, YOU SAY, 'LORD, I WANT TO BE ONE WITH YOU. 42:27 I KNOW A LITTLE BIT OF THE BIBLE - I DON'T KNOW A LOT, BUT SHOW 42:30 ME.' AND HE'LL SEND AN ANGEL OR SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT OR SEND 42:34 SOMEBODY INTO YOUR LIFE TO SHOW YOU, AS A LITTLE CHILD, HOW YOU 42:37 CAN BECOME A CHRISTIAN. IT'S NOT HARD. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING. 42:44 BUT THEN THIS EXPERIENCE OF US ABIDING IN CHRIST AND WE KEEP 42:51 HIS WORD BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM AND - WELL, YOU KNOW, I DID IT TWO 42:57 WAYS AROUND - BUT THIS EXPERIENCE GOES FURTHER THAN 43:02 LIVING TO SIMPLY RECIPROCATE OUR LOVE FOR GOD BECAUSE 43:07 HE LOVES US. HE MOVES UPON US TO ALSO MAKE US 43:12 A CHANNEL OF HIS LOVE TOWARD OTHERS. 43:16 AND HERE'S THE THING: A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN IS 43:21 SUPERNATURALLY FILLED WITH A NEW JOYOUS, INSTINCTIVE DESIRE TO 43:28 SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE - TO SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS - WITH 43:32 OTHERS AND TO LABOR FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS. 43:36 YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 43:38 I REMEMBER THE DAY AFTER I WAS BAPTIZED, I WAS LIVING - I MOVED 43:43 INTO THIS APARTMENT BY MYSELF - RIGHT BY THE RIVER - JUST AT THE 43:47 END OF THE STREET THERE WAS A RIVER. 43:49 AND THAT SUNDAY MORNING I GOT UP AND - BEEN BAPTIZED THE DAY 43:52 BEFORE AND 'WOW, I'M A BRAND-NEW SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST AND JESUS 43:56 IS IN MY HEART' - AND I WAS JUST HAPPY AND I JUST COULDN'T SIT IN 43:59 THAT ROOM. I WANTED TO GO OUT AND TELL SOMEBODY. 44:01 SO I GOT A FEW TRACTS AND I WAS A LITTLE SCARED BECAUSE IT WAS 44:04 NEW TO ME BUT, WALKING BY THE RIVER, SOMEBODY COMES BY AND 44:07 'HEY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS.' THEN I'D MOVE ON, 44:10 YOU KNOW? BUT I GOT BACK TO MY APARTMENT 44:12 AND I THOUGHT, 'I SHARED THE LOVE OF JESUS.' 44:15 IT SHOULD BE NATURAL, YOU SEE. AND IT SHOULD BECOME SO NATURAL 44:18 THAT IT BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE - THAT WE'LL DO IT UNCONSCIOUSLY. 44:24 LET'S SEE HOW JESUS CITED THE FACT THAT WE WILL DO IT 44:28 UNCONSCIOUSLY. MATTHEW 25 - YOU KNOW THIS PASSAGE VERY WELL. 44:36 LET'S LOOK AT IT AGAIN - MATTHEW 25, VERSES 31 THROUGH 40. 44:41 THESE ARE THOSE THAT JESUS COMMENDS IN THE JUDGMENT. 44:47 IT SAYS - MATTHEW 25:31-40, "WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES IN 44:53 HIS GLORY, AND ALL THE HOLY ANGELS WITH HIM, THEN HE WILL 44:57 SIT UPON THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY: ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE 45:01 GATHERED BEFORE HIM, AND HE WILL SEPARATE THEM ONE FROM ANOTHER, 45:05 AS A SHEPHERD DIVIDES HIS SHEEP FROM THE GOATS:" - NOW WE'RE 45:11 LOOKING AT THE SHEEP THIS MORNING - "AND HE WILL SET THE 45:13 SHEEP ON HIS RIGHT HAND, BUT THE GOATS ON THE LEFT. 45:16 THEN THE KING WILL SAY TO THOSE ON HIS RIGHT HAND, 'COME, YOU 45:20 BLESSED OF MY FATHER, INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU 45:24 FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD:'" - IT SAYS - "'I WAS 45:28 HUNGRY, AND YOU GAVE ME FOOD; I WAS THIRSTY, AND YOU GAVE ME 45:35 DRINK; I WAS A STRANGER, AND YOU TOOK ME IN; I WAS NAKED AND YOU 45:43 CLOTHED ME; I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME; I WAS IN PRISON, AND 45:47 YOU CAME TO ME.' THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL ANSWER HIM, 45:51 SAYING, 'LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY AND FEED YOU, OR 45:56 THIRSTY AND GIVE YOU DRINK? WHEN DID WE SEE YOU A STRANGER 46:02 AND TAKE YOU IN, OR NAKED AND CLOTHE YOU? 46:04 OR WHEN DID WE SEE YOU SICK, OR IN PRISON, AND COME TO YOU?'" 46:09 - WHY? BECAUSE IT'S JUST A WAY OF LIFE 46:13 - "AND THEN THE KING" - VERSE 40 - "SHALL ANSWER AND SAY UNTO 46:17 THEM, 'VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, INASMUCH AS YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO 46:21 ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO 46:24 ME.'" AND THESE PEOPLE STAND THERE AND THINK, 'WELL, I NEVER 46:29 REALIZED HALF OF IT.' IT'S JUST A WAY OF BEING. 46:34 I READ A STATEMENT JUST A FEW DAYS AGO WHERE IT SAYS A SIGN OF 46:37 OUR CHARACTERS PERFECTING - GETTING TO PERFECTION - IS WE 46:41 INSTINCTIVELY JUST FILL WITH THE DESIRE TO DO THINGS FOR PEOPLE. 46:47 THAT'S WHAT HEAVEN'S LIKE. IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE 46:49 INSTINCTIVELY DO STUFF FOR OTHERS. 46:51 OKAY, WEDNESDAY - LET'S MOVE ON -'JAMES AND THE LAW'. 46:55 AGAIN, IN THE LESSON - IN THE INTRODUCTION - IT SAYS, "AGAIN, 47:00 IF JESUS HAD INTENDED TO ABROGATE OR DO AWAY WITH THE 47:04 DIVINE LAW, HIS OWN BROTHER, JAMES, CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE 47:09 KNOWN." JAMES WAS THE BROTHER OF JESUS 47:13 AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT JESUS' BROTHER JAMES WOULD HAVE KNOWN 47:16 SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT JAMES - NOT A WORD TO SAY ABOUT IT. 47:20 WELL, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT JESUS MADE NO SUCH DECLARATION TO HIS 47:24 BROTHER BECAUSE JAMES ALSO STRONGLY UPHOLDS THE LAW. 47:27 AND IN JAMES 2, VERSES 8 THROUGH 11 - I'LL READ THIS QUICKLY 47:31 HERE. IT SAYS, "IF YE FULFILL THE 47:34 ROYAL LAW ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, THOU SHALT LOVE THY 47:38 NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF, YE DO WELL: BUT IF YE HAVE RESPECT TO 47:43 PERSONS, YE COMMIT SIN," - WHAT IS SIN? 47:46 TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW, OKAY - "AND ARE CONVICTED OF THE LAW AS 47:51 TRANSGRESSORS, FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, AND 47:54 YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL. 47:57 FOR HE THAT SAID, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,' SAID ALSO, 'DO NOT 48:01 KILL.' NOW IF THOU COMMIT NO ADULTERY, YET IF THOU KILL, THOU 48:05 ART BECOME A TRANSGRESSOR OF THE LAW." 48:08 SO THERE ARE SOME WHO MISTAKENLY BELIEVE THAT JAMES IS TOTALLY 48:13 OUT OF SYNC WITH PAUL. WE READ PAUL - PAUL MAKES IT 48:15 VERY CLEAR THAT THE LAW IS IN EFFECT. 48:18 SOME PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, MARTIN LUTHER CALLED THE APOSTLE 48:22 OF - THE EPISTLE OF JAMES AN EPISTLE OF STRAW. 48:27 BUT HE'S NOT OUT OF SYNC WITH THE GREAT APOSTLE PAUL. 48:33 PAUL VERY MUCH SO EMPHASIZED THAT WE'RE SAVED BY GRACE - 48:37 WE'RE SAVED THROUGH GRACE AND NOT BY WORKS AND - BUT, HOWEVER, 48:44 PAUL DID EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE - I'M SORRY - 48:48 HOWEVER, WHILE PAUL EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF SALVATION BY 48:52 GRACE THROUGH FAITH, HE IN NO WAY RELEGATED OBEDIENCE TO THE 48:58 LAW TO A SECONDARY PLACE OF IMPORTANCE. HE DIDN'T DO THAT. 49:02 AGAIN, CITING OUR MEMORY VERSE, ROMANS 7:12, "WHEREFORE THE 49:06 COMMANDMENT IS HOLY AND JUST AND GOOD." 49:08 AND HERE'S A REAL CLINCHER FROM PAUL - WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JAMES 49:11 BUT WE'RE JUST CONTRASTING HIM WITH PAUL FOR A MOMENT. 49:15 ROMANS 2:13 - PAUL SAYS, "FOR NOT THE HEARERS OF THE LAW ARE 49:19 JUST BEFORE GOD, BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW SHALL BE JUSTIFIED." 49:24 SO HERE IN ROMANS 2:13 PAUL IS ON THE SAME PAGE EXACTLY - 49:30 TAKING THE SAME APPROACH TO THE LAW AS JAMES IS IN CHAPTER 2. 49:34 THEY'RE BOTH SAYING, 'HERE'S THE LAW. 49:36 YOU CAN'T BE JUSTIFIED IF YOU NEGLECT IT AND YOU REJECT IT AND 49:41 YOU CAST IT AWAY AND YOU WILLFULLY VIOLATE IT. 49:43 YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT. NOW RETURNING AGAIN TO JAMES 49:47 CHAPTER 2, VERSE 12, HE SAYS, "SO SPEAK YE AND SO DO AS THEY 49:54 THAT SHALL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY." 49:57 REMEMBER, WE JUST READ JAMES 8 THROUGH 11 ABOUT THE LAW AND NOW 50:01 HE CONTINUES ON HERE, "SO SPEAK YE AND DO AS THEY THAT 50:05 SHALL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY." 50:08 SO HERE, TOO, JAMES SOLIDLY AFFIRMS THE LAW AS HE CITES IT 50:13 AS THE GREAT MORAL STANDARD BY WHICH WE WILL ALL BE JUDGED. 50:20 AND WE COULD REPHRASE JAMES' STATEMENT AS FOLLOWS - FIRST OF 50:26 ALL, LET ME READ THE ORIGINAL ONE - HE SAYS, "SO SPEAK YE AND 50:29 DO AS THEY THAT SHALL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY." 50:32 WE COULD REPHRASE THAT AND SAY THAT JAMES IS SAYING, 'OBEY 50:35 GOD'S COMMANDMENTS BECAUSE YOU WILL BE JUDGED BY IT ONE DAY.' 50:38 WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT. WE ARE JUSTIFIED IN DOING THAT. 50:42 AND IN GIVING THIS TESTIMONY, WHAT JAMES SAID IS IN ABSOLUTE 50:50 PERFECT HARMONY WITH THE FIRST ANGEL'S MESSAGE - REVELATION 50:56 14:6 AND 7 - ESPECIALLY VERSE 7. IT SAYS IN REVELATION 14:7 - IT 51:03 SAYS, "FEAR GOD, AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM; FOR" - WHAT? 51:09 - "THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME" WE COULD REPHRASE THAT - 51:15 REVELATION 14:7 - WE COULD REPHRASE IT AND SAY, 'OBEY GOD'S 51:20 COMMANDMENTS AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM FOR THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT 51:23 IS COME.' AND THEN THE REPHRASED ONE OF JAMES IS 'OBEY GOD'S 51:27 COMMANDMENTS FOR YOU WILL BE JUDGED BY THEM ONE DAY.' SO WHAT 51:30 JAMES IS SAYING IS IN TOTAL HARMONY WITH THE FIRST ANGEL'S 51:33 MESSAGE AND IN TOTAL HARMONY WITH WHAT PAUL SAYS, BUT WHAT I 51:37 NEED TO DO IS GIVE YOU SOME CITE HERE - THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE 51:40 THAT ENABLES US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE TERM 'FEAR GOD' AND 51:46 SHOW THAT IT'S SYNONYMOUS WITH KEEPING HIS LAW. 51:48 I HOPE YOU'RE FOLLOWING ME HERE. 51:51 BACK THERE IN EXODUS - EXODUS 20 - WHERE GOD HAD LISTED ALL THE 51:56 TEN COMMANDMENTS AND HE WENT FROM EXODUS 20, VERSE 1 ALL THE 52:01 WAY DOWN TO VERSE 17, IMMEDIATELY ALMOST AFTERWARDS IN 52:07 VERSE 20, WE READ THESE WORDS: "AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, 52:13 'FEAR NOT FOR GOD HAS COME TO PROVE YOU THAT HIS FEAR MAY BE 52:19 BEFORE YOUR FACES THAT YOU SIN NOT." SO TO FEAR GOD MEANS TO 52:25 SIN NOT AND TO SIN NOT IS WHAT? TO NOT BREAK THE LAW, RIGHT? 52:31 SO WE CAN SAY THAT MOSES SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, 'FEAR NOT FOR 52:36 GOD IS COME TO PROVE YOU THAT YOU - THAT HIS FEAR MAY BE 52:41 BEFORE YOU THAT YOU KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.' SO, ECCLESIASTES 52:53 12, VERSE 13 - THIS KIND OF VERY CLEARLY TIES ALL THIS UP HERE - 53:01 ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 12, VERSES 13 AND 14 - IT SAYS, "LET US 53:09 HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND" - WHAT? 53:15 - "KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." AGAIN, WE SEE THERE THAT 'FEAR 53:18 GOD' MEANS IT'S SYNONYMOUS WITH KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS. 53:21 "FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. 53:23 FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. 53:26 FOR GOD SHALL BRING EVERY WORK INTO JUDGMENT WITH EVERY SECRET 53:30 THING, WHETHER IT BE GOOD OR WHETHER IT BE EVIL." 53:36 SO JAMES IS RIGHT ON WHEN HE SAYS THAT FAITH IS OKAY BUT 53:41 YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE WORKS OF THE LAW WITH IT AS WELL. 53:45 AND I'LL JUST CONCLUDE THIS SECTION BY READING, 53:47 AGAIN, FROM JAMES CHAPTER 2. 53:50 HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ON AS OUR GOOD FRIEND HERE, JAMES - JAMES 53:55 2, VERSE 20 - HE SAYS, "BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT 53:59 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS" - THAT IS, WITHOUT THE LAW - "IS DEAD?" 54:04 AND HE ALSO SAYS, IN VERSE 26, "FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE 54:09 SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD ALSO." 54:13 AND THEN HE SAYS IN VERSE 12, "SO SPEAK YE, AND SO DO, AS THEY 54:19 THAT SHALL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY." VERY CLEAR. 54:26 AND AS IN JAMES WE ARE GIVEN A PICTURE OF JUDGMENT, IN JUDE TOO 54:34 WE ALSO GET A PICTURE OF JUDGMENT AS WELL. 54:37 HE DOESN'T MENTION LAW BUT HE BRINGS JUDGMENT IN, WHICH TELLS 54:39 US THERE HAS TO BE A LAW. THERE HAS TO BE A LAW BECAUSE IF 54:45 THERE WAS NO LAW THERE COULD BE NO SIN. 54:47 NOTHING COULD BE DESIGNATED AS SIN AND IT ONLY CAN BE 54:51 DESIGNATED AS SIN BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT 54:53 THE LAW IS IN EFFECT. 54:56 SO TO SUMMARIZE: IF THERE'S NO SIN, THERE'S NO GUILT. 55:00 IF THERE'S NO GUILT, WHY DO WE NEED TO HAVE A JUDGMENT? 55:04 THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE A JUDGMENT, BECAUSE IF STEALING 55:09 AND MURDERING IS NOT A SIN WE CAN REMAIN IN A STATE OF 55:14 PERPETUAL INNOCENCE AND HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO GO TO HEAVEN AND 55:18 LIVE UP THERE JUST ANY OLD WAY WE PLEASE THAT WE HAVE DOWN HERE 55:21 UPON THIS EARTH. SILLY REASONING, ISN'T IT? 55:26 BUT THAT IS ACTUALLY THE REASONING THAT PEOPLE HAVE OUT 55:29 THERE THAT SAY, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, 'NO, THE LAW HAS 55:33 BEEN ABOLISHED - TOTALLY ABOLISHED.' BUT GOD DOES, 55:36 INDEED, HAVE A HOLY AND A SACRED LAW AND THERE ARE DIRE 55:40 CONSEQUENCES AWAITING THOSE WHO TURN FROM THE DECALOGUE 55:45 REGARDLESS OF HOW HIGHLY REGARDED THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BY 55:48 GOD. THIS IS FROM JUDE 5 - HERE'S THE 55:52 ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT - HE DOESN'T MENTION THE LAW BUT HE 55:57 CERTAINLY SPEAKS ABOUT JUDGMENT AND TRANSGRESSION, WHICH MEANS 56:00 THERE HAS TO BE A LAW. VERSE 5, "I WILL THEREFORE PUT 56:04 YOU IN REMEMBRANCE, THOUGH YE ONCE KNEW THIS, HOW THAT THE 56:07 LORD, HAVING SAVED THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, 56:11 AFTERWARD DESTROYED THEM THAT BELIEVED NOT. 56:15 AND THE ANGELS WHICH KEPT NOT THEIR FIRST ESTATE, BUT LEFT 56:18 THEIR OWN HABITATION, HE HATH RESERVED IN EVERLASTING CHAINS 56:23 UNDER DARKNESS UNTO THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT DAY." 56:27 - AND THE GREAT MORAL STANDARD IN THE JUDGMENT IS THE LAW - 56:30 VERSE 7, "EVEN AS SODOM AND GOMORRAH, AND THE CITIES ABOUT 56:34 THEM IN LIKE MANNER, GIVING THEMSELVES OVER TO FORNICATION, 56:37 AND GOING AFTER STRANGE FLESH," - HE'S SPEAKING THERE OF 56:40 HOMOSEXUALITY - "ARE SET FORTH FOR AN EXAMPLE, SUFFERING THE 56:46 VENGEANCE OF ETERNAL FIRE." SO, IS IT VERY CLEAR THAT THERE 56:53 IS A JUDGMENT? IF THERE'S NO LAW THERE COULD BE 56:57 NO JUDGMENT - AND OUR TIME IS GONE. 56:59 BUT WE'VE LOOKED AT PAUL, LOOKED AT JOHN, LOOKED AT JAMES, WE'VE 57:06 LOOKED AT JUDE, AND WE'D LOOK A LITTLE FURTHER IF WE COULD 57:09 BUT OUR TIME IS GONE THIS MORNING. 57:13 >>HAVE YOU EVER WISHED YOU COULD DO MORE TO LEAD SOMEONE TO 57:16 JESUS? HAVE YOU EVER FELT THE NEED FOR 57:18 REVIVAL IN YOUR OWN LIFE? WELL, AFCOE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. 57:23 THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM HAS INCREDIBLE 57:26 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A 57:29 DYNAMIC AND EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNER. 57:31 THIS COMING FALL, AMAZING FACTS WILL BE CONDUCTING AN 57:35 INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH AFCOE EVANGELISM TRAINING PROGRAM IN 57:38 ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. FROM AUGUST 14 TO NOVEMBER 23 57:43 WE'RE GOING TO COVER A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS INCLUDING 57:46 PERSONAL EVANGELISM, PUBLIC EVANGELISM, PREACHING, BIBLE 57:49 DOCTRINES, PROPHETIC STUDIES, AND MUCH MORE. 57:52 STUDENTS WILL ALSO RECEIVE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN GIVING 57:56 BIBLE STUDIES, HEALTH MINISTRY TRAINING, AND DOING COMMUNITY 57:59 OUTREACH IN CONDUCTING A CITY-WIDE NET EVANGELISTIC 58:04 SEMINAR. GO TO OUR WEBSITE - 'AFCOE.COM' OR CALL US AT (916) 58:13 209-7249. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17