Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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If righteousness is by faith
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and I believe
with all of my heart
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that righteousness by faith
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is the only true
righteousness there is.
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Then, why did the Apostle Paul
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write that "obedience
leads to righteousness?"
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Join us now on
"The Grace Pipeline."
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As we uncover the answer
to this question and more.
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Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline."
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In this series, we are learning
that salvation belongs to God.
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And there is nothing that
we can do, to save ourselves.
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We have spent four episodes
talking about the grace of God,
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who provides our
justification by faith.
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In our last
program, we began to examine,
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how grace plays a key
role in sanctification.
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Today, we will continue
with the topic of sanctification
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which means simply to be
set apart for God and made holy.
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And we will begin to see,
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how we can live a life of
victorious obedience to God.
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If you're following along
in the series companion book,
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"The Grace Pipeline" our
study today begins on page 95.
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The Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit
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are actively involved in
the grace of sanctification,
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performing an
inward spiritual work.
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Primarily, through
Christ imparted righteousness,
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the renewal of the Holy
Spirit, and the word of God.
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Sanctification is
the means by which
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we become one with Him.
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As Paul stated in
1 Corinthians 16:17,
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"He who is joined the
Lord is one spirit with Him."
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As we are joined to the Lord,
we partake of His divine nature.
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He imparts His
righteousness to us
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through the Holy
Spirit, through His word.
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And this righteousness by faith
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produces a mysterious
transformation in our purpose,
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our thoughts, and actions.
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We know from Paul's
letter to the Galatians
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that they were
misguided by Judaizers,
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who placed their emphasis
on the works of the law.
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And the Galatians fell off into
the ditch of salvation by works.
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Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14,
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"Wide is the gate
and broad is the way
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that leads to destruction,
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but the way that leads to
eternal life is a narrow gate
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and there are few who find it."
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The devil doesn't care if he
can get you off the narrow way
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by making you fall to the right
by becoming too legalistic,
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or making you fall to the left
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by enticing you
to be too liberal.
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When Paul
learned, how the Galatians
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had abandoned
righteousness by faith.
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He wrote to them
with tender affection,
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addressing them as
his little children,
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and in an
expression of emotional agony
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found in Galatians 4:19.
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He compared it to trying
to rebirth them in the truth,
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until he writes quote,
"Christ is formed in you."
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More than any
other gospel writer Paul,
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God's ambassador of grace,
thought that if Christ dwells
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within our hearts through faith.
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We develop the same
love and mind of Christ.
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And Jesus lives out
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His own perfect life
through our lives until,
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we eventually reach
the full stature of Christ.
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Paul was
constantly guarding grace,
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teaching that
receiving righteousness by faith
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meant it wouldn't-
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we would not try to
save ourselves through works.
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But that we
would walk with Christ
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in His path
practicing righteousness.
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He wrote in Colossians 2:6-10,
"As you have therefore received
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Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him,
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rooted and built up in Him
and established in the faith,
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as you have been taught,
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abounding in it
with thanksgiving.
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Beware lest anyone
cheat you through philosophy
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and empty deceit, according
to the tradition of men,
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according to the basic
principles of the world,
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and not according to Christ.
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For in Him dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily,
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and you are complete in Him,
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who is the head of all
principality and power."
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Hallelujah! In
Christ we are made complete.
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1 Peter 2:24 says,
"By His righteousness
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we obtain a precious faith
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that acknowledges
we have died to sin
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that we might live
for righteousness."
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If we accept the yoke of
Christ and are united with Him,
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our conduct cannot
help, but to conform
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to God's right way
of being and doing.
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We are made righteous by faith,
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in order to practice
righteousness by faith.
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All of the Bible authors agree.
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Let's consider the
words of the Apostle John
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who wrote in 1
John 2:29 and 3:7,
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let's look at it.
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In 1 John 2:29 he says,
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"If you know
that He is righteous,
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you know that everyone
who practices righteousness
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is born of Him."
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And then in
Chapter 3 verse 7 he says,
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"Little children,
let no one deceive you.
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He who practices
righteousness is righteous,
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just as He is righteous."
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It is the
practice of righteousness
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that leads to sanctification,
according to Romans 6:19,
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where we are commanded,
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"So now yield your
bodily members and faculties
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once for all to be
servants of righteousness."
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That's the right
way of being and doing.
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God's way which leads
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to sanctification,
the scripture says.
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Sanctification is
not an instantaneous act.
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It is lived out by faith,
day by day, moment by moment.
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As we grow in grace,
maturing in purity and holiness.
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In 1 Peter 1:13-19,
here's what Peter counsel's us,
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"Therefore, rest your hope fully
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upon the grace that
is to be brought to you
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at the
revelation of Jesus Christ,
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as obedient children as
He who called you is holy,
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you also be holy
in all your conduct,
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because it is written,
"Be holy, for I am holy."
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And if you call on the
Father, who without partiality
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judges according
to each one's work,
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conduct yourselves
throughout the time
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of your stay here in fear,
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knowing that you were redeemed
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with the
precious blood of Jesus.
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"Be holy, for I am holy."
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God's command is imperative.
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He is holy,
completely separated from sin.
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Can it be true that these
poor earthen vessels of ours
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can be holy as our
heavenly Father is holy?
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Absolutely, through the
saving gift of sanctification
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and the enabling
power of God's grace.
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God will work out this
same separation from sin,
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in His dedicated
and obedient children,
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creating in them a personal
dimension of His holiness.
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God does not
command us to be anything
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that He will not cause us to be.
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Paul, shares the
key to unlocking this
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mysterious process
in Colossians 1:27,
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where he says, "Christ
in you, the hope of glory."
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What is the glory
for which we hope?
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In Exodus 33 and 34,
the Bible gives an account
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of Moses going back up to
Mount Sinai after he'd broken
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the first two tablets
of the Ten Commandments.
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And when Moses
asked to see God's glory,
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the Lord hid him
in the cleft of a rock
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and He passed before Moses
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proclaiming His
character traits.
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Moses asked to see God's glory,
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God proclaimed His
own character traits.
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Then God recorded
again with His own finger,
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the Ten Commandments
reflecting His character
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on the second
set of stone tablets.
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God's character is His glory.
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And the Ten Commandments are
a reflection of His character.
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With Christ abiding in
our hearts through faith,
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we have the hope of
attaining alike character.
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The Sermon on the Mount
was Christ's inaugural address
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as King of the
kingdom of divine grace.
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And in this sermon
that served as the platform
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to launch His ministry,
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He proclaims His main
objective is to restore
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the lost happiness of
Eden, to the hearts of men.
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Let's consider a
couple of the beatitudes,
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the first one being
found in Matthew 5:6,
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He said, "Blessed are those
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who hunger and
thirst for righteousness,
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for they shall be filled."
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Hunger and thirst are metaphors
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for a disciple's fervent
desire for righteousness.
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Jesus speaks of the
hunger and thirst of the soul,
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which was like
David's experience,
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recorded in Psalm
42, where he describes
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his thirsty soul
panting for God like a deer.
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A thirsty deer pants for water.
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No earthly source can satisfy
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the hunger and
thirst of the soul.
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King Solomon tried
to fill his emptiness
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with material riches,
profound philosophies,
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satisfying his
physical appetites,
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and with honor and power.
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And you know what he
concluded, that all is vanity.
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None of these things
bring the satisfaction
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and happiness that we long for.
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Solomon finally realized.
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It was
recognition of our Creator
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and cooperation with Him
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that provided
enduring satisfaction.
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We are made righteous with God,
through faith in Christ Jesus.
00:10:56.38\00:11:01.36
His imputed righteousness
brings justification.
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His imparted righteousness
brings sanctification.
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As we grow in grace, walking
not according to the flesh,
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but according to the Spirit.
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Only those who
long for righteousness
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with the same
eagerness, a starving man
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without food or water
has- only those will find it.
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The longing of our
hearts for righteousness
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is evidence that Christ has
already begun His work there.
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This beatitude
said, "Blessed are those
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who hunger and
thirst for righteousness,
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for they shall be filled."
00:11:39.69\00:11:42.40
The words "shall be filled"
are in the passive voice.
00:11:42.40\00:11:46.57
That indicates that
righteousness is not
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something that disciples can
achieve by their own efforts.
00:11:49.50\00:11:53.48
The verb here is
"a divine passive."
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It describes an act of God.
00:11:56.81\00:11:59.38
He alone imparts
the righteousness
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for which
disciples hunger and thirst.
00:12:02.32\00:12:05.42
This is so
crucial to understanding
00:12:05.42\00:12:08.22
the theology on the Sermon
on the Mount because in this,
00:12:08.22\00:12:11.99
in Matthew 5:19, Jesus
required for His disciples
00:12:11.99\00:12:15.66
to keep the least
of the commandments.
00:12:15.66\00:12:18.30
And in Matthew 5:20,
He called upon them to
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surpass the righteousness of
the scribes and the Pharisees.
00:12:21.30\00:12:25.07
And in Matthew 5:48 He says,
00:12:25.07\00:12:27.98
"Be perfect as your
heavenly Father is perfect."
00:12:27.98\00:12:31.78
You know, such demands can
be twisted into a false theology
00:12:31.78\00:12:37.39
where righteousness
is achieved by works.
00:12:37.39\00:12:41.69
But the righteousness
Jesus demands of us is actually,
00:12:41.69\00:12:46.19
a divine gift
given to His followers.
00:12:46.19\00:12:49.80
Now, let's
consider another beatitude
00:12:49.80\00:12:52.77
and this one's
Matthew 5:8, He says,
00:12:52.77\00:12:56.47
"Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God."
00:12:56.47\00:13:02.51
The words "pure in
heart" refer to someone
00:13:02.51\00:13:06.55
who is authentically,
righteous in their inner person.
00:13:06.55\00:13:11.79
You know,
righteousness can be faked.
00:13:11.79\00:13:14.26
Just consider the Pharisees.
00:13:14.26\00:13:16.99
Jesus said, "True
purity is attained
00:13:16.99\00:13:20.90
when God grants it to the person
who hungers and thirsts for it."
00:13:20.90\00:13:26.13
The complete fulfillment
of this divine promise
00:13:26.13\00:13:29.80
will occur at Jesus' return.
00:13:29.80\00:13:32.17
But the
identification of His disciples,
00:13:32.17\00:13:35.38
as those who are pure
00:13:35.38\00:13:37.45
shows that
dramatic transformation
00:13:37.45\00:13:40.82
occurs even in this lifetime.
00:13:40.82\00:13:43.45
The word translated "heart"
designates the intellect,
00:13:43.45\00:13:47.59
the conscience, the inner man.
00:13:47.59\00:13:49.86
And the pure in heart
00:13:49.86\00:13:51.59
are clothed with the robe
of Christ's righteousness.
00:13:51.59\00:13:55.80
Pure hearts have forsaken sin,
00:13:55.80\00:13:58.83
as the ruling
principles of their lives.
00:13:58.83\00:14:02.24
Pure hearts consecrate their
lives to God without reserve.
00:14:02.24\00:14:07.74
This doesn't mean that
they're absolutely sinless.
00:14:07.74\00:14:11.31
It means their
motives are right.
00:14:11.31\00:14:13.75
And if their motives are
pure, the life will be pure.
00:14:13.75\00:14:17.39
When we are pure in heart,
00:14:17.39\00:14:19.02
we will turn our
back on past mistakes,
00:14:19.02\00:14:22.36
and press forward to the mark
of perfection in Christ Jesus.
00:14:22.36\00:14:27.66
For the pure in
heart, divine grace
00:14:27.66\00:14:29.86
has opened
their eyes to seek God
00:14:29.86\00:14:32.43
with spiritual sight
through eyes of faith now.
00:14:32.43\00:14:35.84
And later, with physical
sight in the glorious kingdom
00:14:35.84\00:14:39.84
when we see Him face to
face just as Jesus taught,
00:14:39.84\00:14:44.38
it is essential we
recognize our purity in life
00:14:44.38\00:14:47.95
is vitally important to God.
00:14:47.95\00:14:50.65
Are you disinterested
in the life of purity?
00:14:50.65\00:14:53.69
I want to encourage you to pray
00:14:53.69\00:14:56.29
for an honest hunger and
thirst for righteousness.
00:14:56.29\00:14:59.96
This is an appeal.
God is eager to fulfill.
00:14:59.96\00:15:03.67
He can make the person
00:15:03.67\00:15:05.23
who disdains and
resists righteousness.
00:15:05.23\00:15:08.90
Love and long for it.
00:15:08.90\00:15:10.94
And as He develops that
divine attitude within us,
00:15:10.94\00:15:14.61
the vessel of our
heart opens to receive
00:15:14.61\00:15:17.25
Christ's promise to be
filled with His righteousness.
00:15:17.25\00:15:22.92
We need to remember who
is working the change in us.
00:15:22.92\00:15:27.89
You know, I use this
scripture quite often,
00:15:27.89\00:15:30.09
Jeremiah 13:23
says, "Can the Ethiopian
00:15:30.09\00:15:34.56
change his skin or the
leopard change his spots."
00:15:34.56\00:15:37.80
And then God says,
"If so, then may you also
00:15:37.80\00:15:41.67
who do good, who are
accustomed to doing evil."
00:15:41.67\00:15:46.24
What does this
scripture tell us?
00:15:46.24\00:15:48.21
We can not change ourselves.
00:15:48.21\00:15:50.55
But don't become discouraged,
salvation belongs to our Lord.
00:15:50.55\00:15:55.78
God's part is to do
the work of sanctification.
00:15:55.78\00:15:59.69
Our part is to
consecrate our lives to Him
00:15:59.69\00:16:03.59
and cooperate by faith.
00:16:03.59\00:16:06.13
You know, Paul
wrote in Ephesians 2:10,
00:16:06.13\00:16:09.50
"For we are His workmanship."
00:16:09.50\00:16:13.47
We are created in
Christ Jesus for good works,
00:16:13.47\00:16:17.07
which God prepared before hand
that we should lock in them.
00:16:17.07\00:16:21.98
By His grace,
God will fashion us
00:16:21.98\00:16:25.78
into His genuine work of art,
recreating in us a character
00:16:25.78\00:16:30.99
that responds to His
love by doing the good works,
00:16:30.99\00:16:35.56
He has planned for us.
00:16:35.56\00:16:37.43
Now let's look at another
of my favorite Bible promises.
00:16:37.43\00:16:41.40
I have a lot. But this
is Philippians 2:12-13.
00:16:41.40\00:16:45.67
And I'm going to read it to
you from the amplified version.
00:16:45.67\00:16:50.24
Philippians 2:12-13 says,
00:16:50.24\00:16:53.04
"Work out
cultivate, carry out the goal,
00:16:53.04\00:16:56.54
and fully complete your
own salvation with reverence
00:16:56.54\00:17:00.28
and awe and
trembling with self-distrust,
00:17:00.28\00:17:03.39
serious caution,
tenderness of conscience,
00:17:03.39\00:17:07.19
watchfulness against temptation,
timidly shrinking from whatever
00:17:07.19\00:17:11.73
might offend God and
discredit the name of Christ."
00:17:11.73\00:17:15.33
Aw, but,
00:17:15.33\00:17:16.83
"Not in your own
strength for it is God
00:17:16.83\00:17:21.10
Who is all the while
effectually at work in you,
00:17:21.10\00:17:24.77
energizing and creating
in you the power and desire,
00:17:24.77\00:17:29.61
both to will and to
work for His good pleasure
00:17:29.61\00:17:34.32
and satisfaction and delight."
00:17:34.32\00:17:39.85
You know, the thought of
working out my own salvation,
00:17:39.85\00:17:44.59
is what Paul
instructs in verse 12.
00:17:44.59\00:17:47.10
At one time, it filled
my cringing heart with fear
00:17:47.10\00:17:51.47
not understanding
God's plan of sanctification.
00:17:51.47\00:17:54.54
I did not perceive the power of
His promise found in verse 13.
00:17:54.54\00:18:00.84
It is God, who effectually
works in us to desire His will.
00:18:00.84\00:18:06.68
Through sanctification
He changes the desires
00:18:06.68\00:18:10.75
of our heart and aligns our
will in perfect order with His.
00:18:10.75\00:18:16.56
Once our minds have been
restored to His way of thinking,
00:18:16.56\00:18:21.06
our part is just to step
out in the faith of obedience.
00:18:21.06\00:18:26.27
God will not force us to act,
but as we take that first step
00:18:26.27\00:18:31.64
to put Christ's
righteousness into practice.
00:18:31.64\00:18:35.28
God pours out His
promised power and works in us,
00:18:35.28\00:18:40.45
to live in the
ways that please Him.
00:18:40.45\00:18:43.49
Hallelujah!
00:18:43.49\00:18:45.02
Now I do need to add
this cautionary note.
00:18:45.02\00:18:48.62
If you don't see, your great
need for God to work in you,
00:18:48.62\00:18:52.69
both to will and to
do for His good pleasure.
00:18:52.69\00:18:56.06
You are deceived
and sadly blinded
00:18:56.06\00:18:59.03
to your own sinful condition.
00:18:59.03\00:19:01.64
The more sanctified we become.
00:19:01.64\00:19:04.31
The more
sensitive we are to sin.
00:19:04.31\00:19:06.57
Our own moral
imperfections are magnified.
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.91
And we become
increasingly humbled
00:19:09.91\00:19:12.51
by our need for our
Savior, causing us to cling
00:19:12.51\00:19:16.02
all the more closely to
Christ for His righteousness.
00:19:16.02\00:19:20.96
Isaiah 32:17 gives us this hope,
00:19:20.96\00:19:26.49
"The work of
righteousness will be peace,
00:19:26.49\00:19:29.96
and the effect of righteousness,
00:19:29.96\00:19:32.07
will be quietness
and assurance forever."
00:19:32.07\00:19:36.17
A positive
transformation of our character
00:19:36.17\00:19:39.77
requires our cooperative effort,
00:19:39.77\00:19:42.91
but it is a
spirit empowered effort.
00:19:42.91\00:19:47.42
With personal trust in God and
confident reliance on His power,
00:19:47.42\00:19:52.72
we can do a
work of righteousness
00:19:52.72\00:19:55.42
that keeps us abiding in Christ.
00:19:55.42\00:19:57.99
Sanctification and assurance
of salvation will be ours.
00:19:57.99\00:20:02.06
We must like the Apostle Paul,
00:20:02.06\00:20:04.07
cherish the
privilege of pursuit.
00:20:04.07\00:20:07.57
I'll explain that just a moment.
00:20:07.57\00:20:09.24
But for now, we know that
Christ abides in our hearts
00:20:09.24\00:20:13.68
through faith, and the
Holy Spirit indwells us,
00:20:13.68\00:20:17.18
and carries on to perfection,
00:20:17.18\00:20:19.38
the renewing work of God
that began at regeneration.
00:20:19.38\00:20:23.59
God takes the initial acts
of granting righteousness to us.
00:20:23.59\00:20:29.22
Then it's our turn to act.
00:20:29.22\00:20:31.59
We must work out
that sanctifying grace
00:20:31.59\00:20:35.40
that He puts in our heart,
00:20:35.40\00:20:36.97
not depending
on our own ability,
00:20:36.97\00:20:40.10
but on His power, poured out
from on high by the Holy Spirit.
00:20:40.10\00:20:45.17
Paul instructed
Timothy, his young co-laborer,
00:20:45.17\00:20:49.14
in 1 Timothy 6:11-12, he says
00:20:49.14\00:20:53.78
"Pursue
righteousness, godliness,
00:20:53.78\00:20:56.85
faith, love,
patience, gentleness.
00:20:56.85\00:21:00.26
Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life,
00:21:00.26\00:21:04.79
to which you were also called."
00:21:04.79\00:21:07.60
What? Fight the
good fight of faith,
00:21:07.60\00:21:10.40
grip eternal life
tightly and don't let go?
00:21:10.40\00:21:13.90
Was not the evangelist
Timothy saved by grace?
00:21:13.90\00:21:17.64
Is Paul saying,
there is a constant
00:21:17.64\00:21:20.38
spiritual battle occurring
in our earthly existence
00:21:20.38\00:21:24.25
that could cause us to release
our grip on eternal life?
00:21:24.25\00:21:28.62
Yes. We must
have an active faith
00:21:28.62\00:21:32.59
that works to
overcome the old nature.
00:21:32.59\00:21:36.12
Paul, the great
messenger of grace
00:21:36.12\00:21:39.46
says in Romans 6:4 that he
calls to all who are in Christ,
00:21:39.46\00:21:44.37
"to walk in newness of life."
00:21:44.37\00:21:47.14
And he instructs
us in Romans 6:16,
00:21:47.14\00:21:51.31
he says, "Do you not know
00:21:51.31\00:21:53.68
that to whom you present
yourselves slaves to obey,
00:21:53.68\00:21:58.25
you are that one's
slaves whom you obey,
00:21:58.25\00:22:01.82
whether of sin leading to death,
00:22:01.82\00:22:04.79
or of obedience
leading to righteousness?"
00:22:04.79\00:22:10.29
Obedience that
leads to righteousness,
00:22:10.29\00:22:13.09
does that do away
with righteousness by faith
00:22:13.09\00:22:16.56
and the grace of
God? Absolutely not.
00:22:16.56\00:22:19.87
For as we reviewed today
00:22:19.87\00:22:21.77
it is God, who is working in us,
00:22:21.77\00:22:23.81
to will and to do
His good pleasure,
00:22:23.81\00:22:26.41
even obedience is by grace.
00:22:26.41\00:22:30.41
After counseling
us to work obedience
00:22:30.41\00:22:33.31
that leads to righteousness,
he says in Romans 6:18 that,
00:22:33.31\00:22:38.45
"We present ourselves as slaves
of righteousness for holiness."
00:22:38.45\00:22:44.09
And finally, he concludes
00:22:44.09\00:22:46.26
with the reason for
these actions in Romans 6:22
00:22:46.26\00:22:52.00
saying, that is "so we may
enjoy our fruit to holiness
00:22:52.00\00:22:57.64
and the end
thereof, everlasting life."
00:22:57.64\00:23:01.78
Christ called Paul to
testify, to the gospel of grace.
00:23:01.78\00:23:07.65
And he gratefully
fulfilled his calling.
00:23:07.65\00:23:10.72
Paul's most
powerful defense of grace
00:23:10.72\00:23:13.92
is found in his
letter to the church at Rome.
00:23:13.92\00:23:17.16
In chapters 3 through 5,
00:23:17.16\00:23:19.93
he presents
justification by grace.
00:23:19.93\00:23:23.33
Then from
Romans 6:1 through 7:6,
00:23:23.33\00:23:30.27
Paul persuasively argues
00:23:30.27\00:23:32.84
the Christian's
duty to be sanctified.
00:23:32.84\00:23:35.88
And as he continues
from Romans 7:7 through 8:11,
00:23:35.88\00:23:43.05
he points out it is only through
the work of the Holy Spirit
00:23:43.05\00:23:47.69
that a regenerated
person can be sanctified.
00:23:47.69\00:23:51.39
And from Romans
8:12-30, Paul pours out
00:23:51.39\00:23:55.66
glorious proof of this
certain completion of God's
00:23:55.66\00:23:59.20
sanctifying work in
all who depend on Him,
00:23:59.20\00:24:03.10
right up to the crowning moment
00:24:03.10\00:24:05.34
of the final
glorification of the saints.
00:24:05.34\00:24:09.04
The Apostle Paul was God's most
passionate defender of grace,
00:24:09.04\00:24:14.28
wanting the body of
Christ to stand perfect
00:24:14.28\00:24:17.29
and complete in
all the will of God.
00:24:17.29\00:24:20.69
Seeing it as a privilege,
to pursue the God of grace,
00:24:20.69\00:24:25.53
this is what he
wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:1,
00:24:25.53\00:24:30.83
"Therefore, having
these promises, beloved,
00:24:30.83\00:24:34.77
let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh
00:24:34.77\00:24:38.71
and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God."
00:24:38.71\00:24:44.78
God's most enthusiastic
evangelist for grace
00:24:44.78\00:24:49.15
would certainly be
confused, by some of
00:24:49.15\00:24:52.05
todays watered down
teachings on the topic.
00:24:52.05\00:24:55.02
Can you imagine what
his response would be,
00:24:55.02\00:24:58.13
to those who twist his words,
00:24:58.13\00:25:00.76
misleading so many souls
to shrug off the blessings,
00:25:00.76\00:25:05.00
and eternal benefits of
sanctification by grace?
00:25:05.00\00:25:10.11
Paul fought the good fight
00:25:10.11\00:25:12.11
declaring in 1
Corinthians 9:26-27,
00:25:12.11\00:25:16.14
"I discipline my body
and bring it into subjection,
00:25:16.14\00:25:19.65
lest when I have
preached to others
00:25:19.65\00:25:22.02
I myself should
become disqualified."
00:25:22.02\00:25:24.89
And by the grace
of God, he steadily
00:25:24.89\00:25:27.76
progressed in the
ongoing process of salvation.
00:25:27.76\00:25:31.49
He taught others to
strive, to perfect holiness,
00:25:31.49\00:25:35.36
knowing absolute perfection
of character will only be ours,
00:25:35.36\00:25:39.40
at the time of
our glorification,
00:25:39.40\00:25:41.47
when we put on
immortality and Jesus returns.
00:25:41.47\00:25:45.54
In Philippians 3:12-14, he says,
00:25:45.54\00:25:49.08
"Not that I have
already attained,
00:25:49.08\00:25:52.21
or am already
perfected, but I press on,
00:25:52.21\00:25:56.95
that I may lay
hold of that for which
00:25:56.95\00:26:00.89
Christ Jesus has
also laid hold of me.
00:26:00.89\00:26:05.29
Brethren, I do not count
myself to have apprehended,
00:26:05.29\00:26:09.20
but one thing I do,
forgetting those things
00:26:09.20\00:26:12.80
which are behind and
reaching forward to those things
00:26:12.80\00:26:16.30
which are ahead, I
press toward the goal
00:26:16.30\00:26:19.64
for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus."
00:26:19.64\00:26:26.72
Paul was
motivated by God's grace
00:26:26.72\00:26:29.72
and encouraged by his
own personal faith efforts.
00:26:29.72\00:26:33.36
He ran the race with
endurance, looking unto Jesus,
00:26:33.36\00:26:37.49
the author and
finisher of his faith.
00:26:37.49\00:26:40.30
And with complete
assurance of salvation,
00:26:40.30\00:26:43.47
Paul confidently relied on God,
00:26:43.47\00:26:47.20
to complete the
good work He had begun,
00:26:47.20\00:26:50.44
in this humble
preacher of grace.
00:26:50.44\00:26:53.07
I want to take just a
second to explain that.
00:26:53.07\00:26:55.98
In Philippians
2:12 when he says,
00:26:55.98\00:26:58.71
"Work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling"
00:26:58.71\00:27:02.45
and then he says,
"Not in your own strength
00:27:02.45\00:27:04.55
for it's God who works
in you to will and to do."
00:27:04.55\00:27:07.89
What is he saying? First,
as God's Spirit is in you,
00:27:07.89\00:27:12.33
He will line your
desires up with God's desires,
00:27:12.33\00:27:16.06
as you read the word.
00:27:16.06\00:27:17.53
And He changes your heart.
00:27:17.53\00:27:19.27
But He's not going
to force you to act.
00:27:19.27\00:27:21.94
You have to step out in faith.
00:27:21.94\00:27:25.74
And when you do the power
of the Holy Spirit shows up
00:27:25.74\00:27:29.58
and God works in you to act.
00:27:29.58\00:27:31.78
Paul grasped
God's supreme purposes
00:27:31.78\00:27:35.58
and he had a true understanding
of salvation by grace.
00:27:35.58\00:27:40.89
Paul understood the
privilege of pursuit.
00:27:40.89\00:27:44.23
He pressed
forward with persistence,
00:27:44.23\00:27:48.26
practicing righteousness
00:27:48.26\00:27:50.30
and growing in the
grace of sanctification.
00:27:50.30\00:27:53.23
We hope you can join
us on our next program,
00:27:53.23\00:27:55.57
where we will
consider the awesome work
00:27:55.57\00:27:58.61
of the refiner's fire, bye-bye.
00:27:58.61\00:28:02.01