Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn. 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.76 Does the Bible say we can fall from grace? 00:00:02.76\00:00:04.83 Can a loving God keep our feet from slipping off 00:00:04.83\00:00:07.87 His straight and narrow path of salvation? 00:00:07.87\00:00:10.54 Join us now to learn what the Bible says 00:00:10.54\00:00:12.94 about holding on to God's hand so that we don't slip. 00:00:12.94\00:00:17.21 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:38.30\00:00:40.17 On our last program, we looked 00:00:40.17\00:00:42.20 at what the Bible had to say about guarding grace. 00:00:42.20\00:00:46.17 And today we will examine Bible evidence. 00:00:46.17\00:00:49.18 Why it is important to do so? 00:00:49.18\00:00:51.81 As you may already know, 00:00:51.81\00:00:53.21 this series is following the journey through scripture, 00:00:53.21\00:00:56.69 found in the book by the same title "The Grace Pipeline," 00:00:56.69\00:00:59.85 which was my great privilege to write. 00:00:59.85\00:01:02.09 If you're following along in the companion book, 00:01:02.09\00:01:04.43 we're beginning on the last half of chapter 11 on page 182. 00:01:04.43\00:01:09.76 Today's study is important and should by the end of it 00:01:09.76\00:01:13.90 bring great peace to your heart. 00:01:13.90\00:01:16.17 So let's get started with this critical question. 00:01:16.17\00:01:20.41 Is it possible to fall from grace? 00:01:20.41\00:01:23.38 We will see in a moment. 00:01:23.38\00:01:24.98 But let me put your heart at rest right from the start. 00:01:24.98\00:01:28.48 We have a loving Heavenly Father who invites us to hold His hand, 00:01:28.48\00:01:33.79 promising He will help us to make it 00:01:33.79\00:01:36.36 through our often difficult journey. 00:01:36.36\00:01:39.13 We have learned it is His great love 00:01:39.13\00:01:41.36 that is a compelling force behind His great grace. 00:01:41.36\00:01:44.77 Salvation and every good and perfect gift 00:01:44.77\00:01:47.50 comes from our Lord of infinite love, 00:01:47.50\00:01:50.14 through His grace pipeline ride into our lives 00:01:50.14\00:01:53.31 if we accept them by faith. 00:01:53.31\00:01:55.44 And as we tap in by faith, 00:01:55.44\00:01:57.51 God pours out all of His blessings on His children. 00:01:57.51\00:02:00.95 God has delivered us from the dark power of sin 00:02:00.95\00:02:04.49 into His marvelous light. 00:02:04.49\00:02:06.25 Because of the hope we have from learning the truth 00:02:06.25\00:02:09.29 of His Gospel of Grace, we should stay in His light 00:02:09.29\00:02:12.99 that we maybe filled with the knowledge of His will 00:02:12.99\00:02:15.86 and walk worthy of our Lord. 00:02:15.86\00:02:18.07 He will strengthen us by the power 00:02:18.07\00:02:20.37 of the Holy Spirit and the Word. 00:02:20.37\00:02:23.00 And in this way, we will bring glory to Christ 00:02:23.00\00:02:27.14 who gives us access into this faith, 00:02:27.14\00:02:30.28 this grace by which we stand. 00:02:30.28\00:02:33.08 The source of the New Testament grace 00:02:33.08\00:02:35.82 is the same source of Old Testament grace. 00:02:35.82\00:02:39.05 And it includes the wonderful law of God 00:02:39.05\00:02:42.49 written not on stone, but in our hearts. 00:02:42.49\00:02:45.83 As He speaks to us in Hebrews 8:8-10, 00:02:45.83\00:02:50.60 the Lord says, "The days are coming, says the Lord, 00:02:50.60\00:02:55.20 when I will make a new covenant. 00:02:55.20\00:02:57.44 For this is the covenant that I will make, says the Lord. 00:02:57.44\00:02:59.94 I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts 00:02:59.94\00:03:04.78 and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." 00:03:04.78\00:03:10.45 When the Old Testament prophet Daniel 00:03:10.45\00:03:13.22 was praying in Daniel 9:4, he cried out, 00:03:13.22\00:03:17.59 "Oh, Lord, great and awesome God, 00:03:17.59\00:03:20.70 who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him 00:03:20.70\00:03:25.47 and with those who keep His commandments." 00:03:25.47\00:03:29.04 God keeps covenant with those who keep covenant with Him. 00:03:29.04\00:03:33.78 Everything that He asks of us, He first provides by grace. 00:03:33.78\00:03:38.91 He is faithful in His part of the agreement 00:03:38.91\00:03:41.82 and He expects us to be faithful in response. 00:03:41.82\00:03:45.45 The three greatest gifts of God's grace 00:03:45.45\00:03:48.62 which we have identified in this series 00:03:48.62\00:03:50.96 as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 00:03:50.96\00:03:53.53 the Holy Spirit, and the Word. 00:03:53.53\00:03:56.03 These three work in it-- within us 00:03:56.03\00:03:58.87 to cause our will to line up with God's will. 00:03:58.87\00:04:03.24 And further, these three great gifts 00:04:03.24\00:04:05.97 empower us to do His will. 00:04:05.97\00:04:08.88 Yoked with Christ, grace grants us 00:04:08.88\00:04:11.91 the supernatural power of salvation 00:04:11.91\00:04:14.68 and His divine assistance. 00:04:14.68\00:04:16.75 And Christ is the author of eternal salvation 00:04:16.75\00:04:20.32 for all who keep covenant with Him by obedience. 00:04:20.32\00:04:23.59 This is not my thought. 00:04:23.59\00:04:25.23 It is what scripture tells us in Hebrews 5:6-9. 00:04:25.23\00:04:30.67 "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience 00:04:30.67\00:04:34.17 by the things which He suffered. 00:04:34.17\00:04:36.24 And having been perfected, 00:04:36.24\00:04:37.97 He became the author of eternal salvation 00:04:37.97\00:04:41.14 to all who obey Him." 00:04:41.14\00:04:44.38 You see, there are certain God ordained parameters 00:04:44.38\00:04:48.25 for the lives of His recreated children. 00:04:48.25\00:04:51.39 Obedience through the power of His grace 00:04:51.39\00:04:54.42 and by our faith is chief among these parameters. 00:04:54.42\00:04:58.96 Christ did not obey to become the Son of God. 00:04:58.96\00:05:02.40 He obeyed because He was the Son. 00:05:02.40\00:05:05.27 Likewise, we don't obey to become His children. 00:05:05.27\00:05:09.00 We should heed the warning 00:05:09.00\00:05:10.77 that if we attempt to be justified 00:05:10.77\00:05:13.01 by obedience to the law, 00:05:13.01\00:05:14.94 we are actually substituting our actions 00:05:14.94\00:05:18.78 for the sacrificial death of Christ. 00:05:18.78\00:05:21.52 Self-reliance has tragic results. 00:05:21.52\00:05:25.22 We actually sever our relationship with grace 00:05:25.22\00:05:28.69 and become alienated from the Savior. 00:05:28.69\00:05:31.66 Listen to Paul's words from Galatians 5:4. 00:05:31.66\00:05:35.26 He says, "You have become estranged from Christ, 00:05:35.26\00:05:40.50 you who attempt to be justified by law. 00:05:40.50\00:05:44.41 You have fallen from grace." 00:05:44.41\00:05:47.91 Christians are to obey out of respect and honor 00:05:47.91\00:05:52.25 for our Father because we are His children. 00:05:52.25\00:05:56.12 His grace gives us both the desire and the power 00:05:56.12\00:06:01.79 to obey His commandments. 00:06:01.79\00:06:03.76 Obedience is merely an expression of our love 00:06:03.76\00:06:06.70 for Him and our appreciation 00:06:06.70\00:06:09.63 of His indescribable gift, Christ Jesus. 00:06:09.63\00:06:13.30 How can we not follow 00:06:13.30\00:06:15.50 in Christ's footsteps of obedience 00:06:15.50\00:06:17.77 if we are submitted to His yoke and walking with Him? 00:06:17.77\00:06:23.11 You know, Jesus said to us in John 15:5, 6, 00:06:23.11\00:06:28.88 "I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:06:28.88\00:06:32.15 He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, 00:06:32.15\00:06:36.96 for without Me you can do nothing. 00:06:36.96\00:06:39.23 If anyone does not abide in Me, 00:06:39.23\00:06:40.96 he is cast out as a branch and is withered. 00:06:40.96\00:06:43.73 And they gather them and throw them 00:06:43.73\00:06:45.40 into the fire and they are burned." 00:06:45.40\00:06:48.80 Living in Christ, we will obey, not by our power. 00:06:48.80\00:06:53.58 For apart from Him, we can do nothing. 00:06:53.58\00:06:56.98 But we will obey by grace. If we deny His power to obey, 00:06:56.98\00:07:04.02 we are no longer abiding in Him. 00:07:04.02\00:07:06.99 In Hebrews 12:14, 15, Paul provides 00:07:06.99\00:07:10.53 an imperative instruction for the child of God. 00:07:10.53\00:07:13.46 Verse 14 says, "Pursue peace with all people, 00:07:13.46\00:07:17.43 and pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." 00:07:17.43\00:07:22.40 And then verse 15 goes on to say. 00:07:22.40\00:07:24.81 "Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the glory of God, 00:07:24.81\00:07:29.94 lest any root of bitterness springing up 00:07:29.94\00:07:33.48 would cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." 00:07:33.48\00:07:38.15 Some Christians are not aware 00:07:38.15\00:07:40.59 that Jesus told us in Luke 13:24, 00:07:40.59\00:07:44.33 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, 00:07:44.33\00:07:47.66 for many, I say to you, 00:07:47.66\00:07:49.90 will seek to enter and will not be able." 00:07:49.90\00:07:55.10 When you think about it, an athlete does not cross 00:07:55.10\00:07:59.17 the finish line without some striving. 00:07:59.17\00:08:02.21 Likewise, Jesus is saying here 00:08:02.21\00:08:04.75 that a halfhearted effort does not get us into heaven. 00:08:04.75\00:08:08.15 We must strive to enter through the narrow gate of salvation 00:08:08.15\00:08:12.45 by simply seeking to cooperate 00:08:12.45\00:08:15.06 with God's process of sanctifying us, 00:08:15.06\00:08:18.03 setting us apart from sin. 00:08:18.03\00:08:20.73 We must become sanctification seekers, 00:08:20.73\00:08:24.70 which means exactly the same 00:08:24.70\00:08:26.70 as being one who pursues holiness. 00:08:26.70\00:08:30.04 Sanctification and holiness are synonyms. 00:08:30.04\00:08:33.27 They mean exactly the same thing, 00:08:33.27\00:08:35.14 and that is simply to be set apart from sin. 00:08:35.14\00:08:40.12 Many sincere Christians are not aware 00:08:40.12\00:08:42.88 we need to guard against falling short of the grace of God. 00:08:42.88\00:08:47.39 Some tragically resist the idea of pursuing holiness 00:08:47.39\00:08:51.73 as a consequence of hearing an unbalanced teaching on grace. 00:08:51.73\00:08:55.63 They have been swayed by unstable teachers 00:08:55.63\00:08:59.37 who did not understand God's full plan of salvation, 00:08:59.37\00:09:03.04 who've twisted the scriptures, 00:09:03.04\00:09:05.37 presenting God's act of justification 00:09:05.37\00:09:08.64 as the only need for salvation. 00:09:08.64\00:09:11.65 Justification is the legal process 00:09:11.65\00:09:14.58 by which God pardons us of sin and it is by God's grace, 00:09:14.58\00:09:19.52 based on the merits of the imputed righteousness 00:09:19.52\00:09:22.42 of Jesus Christ, our substitute. 00:09:22.42\00:09:25.39 In God's act of justification, 00:09:25.39\00:09:28.20 He declares us innocent of our sins 00:09:28.20\00:09:30.57 when we confess and repent, 00:09:30.57\00:09:32.80 but justification is only the first stage 00:09:32.80\00:09:36.64 of the grace of salvation. 00:09:36.64\00:09:38.41 We need to tap into God's grace pipeline 00:09:38.41\00:09:42.01 for all that He makes available to us. 00:09:42.01\00:09:45.08 Don't be deceived into thinking sanctification or holiness, 00:09:45.08\00:09:50.29 being set apart from sin is not required by our holy God. 00:09:50.29\00:09:54.99 He continues the salvation process 00:09:54.99\00:09:58.19 by His work of sanctification. 00:09:58.19\00:10:00.60 And He expects our full cooperation with Him. 00:10:00.60\00:10:04.87 Beware of being led way from the living Lord 00:10:04.87\00:10:08.87 with the spiritually lethal error of believing, 00:10:08.87\00:10:12.64 once saved always saved. 00:10:12.64\00:10:14.88 Grace can be received in vain. 00:10:14.88\00:10:17.71 As Paul points out in 2 Corinthians 6:1, 00:10:17.71\00:10:22.62 where he says that there is no advancement. 00:10:22.62\00:10:26.35 If there's no advancement in the development 00:10:26.35\00:10:28.39 of a Christ-like character in our lives, 00:10:28.39\00:10:31.09 if we don't go beyond having our past sins forgiven, 00:10:31.09\00:10:36.06 then we have received the grace of God in vain. 00:10:36.06\00:10:40.50 Sin can cancel out God's grace. 00:10:40.50\00:10:44.11 Paul clearly points out 00:10:44.11\00:10:45.97 that obedience leads to righteousness, 00:10:45.97\00:10:48.78 but sin leads to death. 00:10:48.78\00:10:50.95 In Roman 6:16, listen to this. 00:10:50.95\00:10:54.28 He says, "Do you not know 00:10:54.28\00:10:56.58 that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, 00:10:56.58\00:10:59.79 you are that one's slaves whom you obey, 00:10:59.79\00:11:02.66 whether of sin leading to death, 00:11:02.66\00:11:05.29 or of obedience leading to righteousness?" 00:11:05.29\00:11:08.46 And just as Paul pointed out in Galatians 5:4 00:11:08.46\00:11:11.73 that we can fall from grace by attempting 00:11:11.73\00:11:13.94 to be justified by the law, 00:11:13.94\00:11:16.04 we can, likewise, fall from grace 00:11:16.04\00:11:18.57 if we do not obey the righteous requirements of God's law. 00:11:18.57\00:11:22.88 Empowered by the Holy Spirit and by the word of God, 00:11:22.88\00:11:26.55 we are to walk in the footsteps of Christ. 00:11:26.55\00:11:29.68 As Paul tells us in Colossians 2:6-10, 00:11:29.68\00:11:33.96 where he says, "As you therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, 00:11:33.96\00:11:38.96 so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him 00:11:38.96\00:11:41.83 and established in the faith, as you have been taught, 00:11:41.83\00:11:45.23 abounding in it with thanksgiving. 00:11:45.23\00:11:47.84 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy 00:11:47.84\00:11:51.57 and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, 00:11:51.57\00:11:55.14 according to the basic principles of the world, 00:11:55.14\00:11:57.81 and not according to Christ. 00:11:57.81\00:11:59.95 For in Him dwells all the fullness 00:11:59.95\00:12:02.78 of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him." 00:12:02.78\00:12:09.02 The grace of God, those unearned, undeserved gifts 00:12:09.02\00:12:13.26 bestowed by our Heavenly Father of infinite love 00:12:13.26\00:12:16.67 which provide His divine assistance 00:12:16.67\00:12:18.93 and supernatural power of salvation, 00:12:18.93\00:12:21.60 teaches us to deny ungodly actions and worldly lusts. 00:12:21.60\00:12:27.41 In Titus 2:11-14, the Bible says, 00:12:27.41\00:12:32.21 "For the grace of God that brings salvation 00:12:32.21\00:12:35.98 has appeared to all men, teaching us that, 00:12:35.98\00:12:39.75 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 00:12:39.75\00:12:42.69 we should live soberly, righteously, 00:12:42.69\00:12:44.93 and godly in the present age, 00:12:44.93\00:12:47.40 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing 00:12:47.40\00:12:50.80 of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 00:12:50.80\00:12:53.67 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us 00:12:53.67\00:12:57.67 from every lawless deed and purify for Himself 00:12:57.67\00:13:01.71 His own special people, zealous for good works." 00:13:01.71\00:13:06.92 Our Savior came not only to redeem us, 00:13:06.92\00:13:10.42 but for the purpose of purifying us. 00:13:10.42\00:13:14.16 Christ painted a word picture of His second coming 00:13:14.16\00:13:17.26 through His Parable of the Ten Virgins 00:13:17.26\00:13:19.49 which we studied in an earlier program. 00:13:19.49\00:13:22.26 Tragically in today's Christian culture, 00:13:22.26\00:13:25.13 many can be compared to the five foolish virgins 00:13:25.13\00:13:29.00 who had an experience with the justification of grace 00:13:29.00\00:13:33.71 but refused the sanctification of grace. 00:13:33.71\00:13:37.48 They did not make it across the finish line. 00:13:37.48\00:13:41.32 How sad it is to think about anyone 00:13:41.32\00:13:43.89 who had once tasted the goodness of grace 00:13:43.89\00:13:47.02 and then just lazily drifted away, unaware. 00:13:47.02\00:13:51.49 It is all the more devastating 00:13:51.49\00:13:53.60 when someone has been deceived and their spiritual progress 00:13:53.60\00:13:56.43 has been hindered by a blind guide 00:13:56.43\00:13:59.30 who presents an unbalanced teaching on grace, 00:13:59.30\00:14:03.04 setting aside the word of God 00:14:03.04\00:14:05.27 like the religious rulers of Christ's day. 00:14:05.27\00:14:08.51 These unlearned teachers present vain arguments 00:14:08.51\00:14:12.65 that grace grants us liberty from obedience, 00:14:12.65\00:14:16.45 ignoring Christ's warning that every tree 00:14:16.45\00:14:19.32 that does not bear good fruit 00:14:19.32\00:14:21.59 will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 00:14:21.59\00:14:24.26 In the same passage of scripture 00:14:24.26\00:14:26.39 that I'm referring to, our Lord added His indictment 00:14:26.39\00:14:29.86 against disobedient Christians. 00:14:29.86\00:14:31.93 In Matthew 7:21-27, he says, 00:14:31.93\00:14:36.50 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' 00:14:36.50\00:14:39.81 shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 00:14:39.81\00:14:42.21 but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 00:14:42.21\00:14:47.32 Many will say to Me in that day, 00:14:47.32\00:14:49.32 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, 00:14:49.32\00:14:51.92 cast out demons in Your name, 00:14:51.92\00:14:53.92 and done many wonders in Your name?' 00:14:53.92\00:14:56.69 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. 00:14:56.69\00:15:00.96 Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'" 00:15:00.96\00:15:05.50 You know, the Bible tells us in 1 John 3:4 00:15:07.84\00:15:11.17 that "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness," 00:15:11.17\00:15:15.14 saying that sin is lawlessness. 00:15:15.14\00:15:17.61 Of course, we know that Paul said in Roman 6:23 00:15:17.61\00:15:21.18 that "The wages of sin is death, 00:15:21.18\00:15:23.42 but the gift of God is eternal life 00:15:23.42\00:15:26.25 in Christ Jesus our Lord." 00:15:26.25\00:15:28.19 The wages of sin have always been eternal death. 00:15:28.19\00:15:32.03 As revealed in the Lord's word to Moses in Exodus 32:33 00:15:32.03\00:15:39.53 where he said, "Whoever has sinned against Me, 00:15:39.53\00:15:43.27 I will blot him out of My book." 00:15:43.27\00:15:47.18 This message is echoed by Christ 00:15:47.18\00:15:49.94 in the manner of a promise to keep us by His power. 00:15:49.94\00:15:54.38 And that is found in Revelation 3:5 where he says, 00:15:54.38\00:15:59.29 "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, 00:15:59.29\00:16:03.36 and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, 00:16:03.36\00:16:08.56 but I will confess his name 00:16:08.56\00:16:10.30 before My Father and before His angels." 00:16:10.30\00:16:13.97 It is clear, sinners will not enter 00:16:13.97\00:16:16.37 the holy city foursquare. 00:16:16.37\00:16:18.31 For the message of Revelation 21:27 says, 00:16:18.31\00:16:22.24 "There shall be by no means enter in anything 00:16:22.24\00:16:27.05 that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, 00:16:27.05\00:16:30.72 but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." 00:16:30.72\00:16:36.62 My dear, brother and sister, how important it is 00:16:36.62\00:16:40.26 that we heed the message of Hebrews 2:1-3 which says, 00:16:40.26\00:16:46.27 "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed 00:16:46.27\00:16:50.14 to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 00:16:50.14\00:16:54.68 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, 00:16:54.68\00:16:59.25 and every transgression and disobedience 00:16:59.25\00:17:02.52 received a just reward, how shall we escape 00:17:02.52\00:17:07.06 if we neglect so great a salvation." 00:17:07.06\00:17:12.26 You know, just going with the flow 00:17:12.26\00:17:15.63 won't get us into heaven. 00:17:15.63\00:17:17.47 If we don't make an earnest effort to cooperate with God 00:17:17.47\00:17:21.34 in the process of our sanctification, 00:17:21.34\00:17:24.51 we will drift away from Him. 00:17:24.51\00:17:27.14 Do we think we stand? 00:17:27.14\00:17:29.31 Let us take heed that we don't fall. 00:17:29.31\00:17:32.78 Grace is the ink of Christ's blood 00:17:32.78\00:17:36.08 that writes your name in God's Book of Life. 00:17:36.08\00:17:39.25 To abuse a relationship of grace by disobedience 00:17:39.25\00:17:43.26 is to abuse our gentle Master. 00:17:43.26\00:17:46.36 Be watchful and guard the precious relationship 00:17:46.36\00:17:49.90 you have with the Lord. 00:17:49.90\00:17:51.47 Pray for grace, for God's divine assistance 00:17:51.47\00:17:54.70 and supernatural power and to salvation 00:17:54.70\00:17:57.27 to grow in Christian virtues. 00:17:57.27\00:18:00.44 Yes, it requires a personal effort, 00:18:00.44\00:18:03.04 but as we have studied, it is a spirit empowered effort. 00:18:03.04\00:18:08.18 Let us grow in grace. 00:18:08.18\00:18:10.59 Find our strength in grace. Stand in grace. 00:18:10.59\00:18:14.86 The Apostle Paul said, "That the night is far spent, 00:18:14.86\00:18:18.26 and the day is at hand. 00:18:18.26\00:18:19.66 Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, 00:18:19.66\00:18:22.63 and let us put on the armor of God." 00:18:22.63\00:18:25.50 God commanded light to shine out of darkness 00:18:25.50\00:18:29.37 and into our hearts by the knowledge of His glory 00:18:29.37\00:18:33.07 and the face of Jesus Christ. 00:18:33.07\00:18:35.61 We are brought into relationship with God through grace. 00:18:35.61\00:18:40.12 Accepting the yoke of relationship 00:18:40.12\00:18:42.98 our burden is eased. 00:18:42.98\00:18:45.25 Personal contact with Christ brings us perfect confidence. 00:18:45.25\00:18:50.23 He guides us to walk in the light of God's word, 00:18:50.23\00:18:54.20 showing us the path of life. 00:18:54.20\00:18:56.53 And in His presence we find joy and peace 00:18:56.53\00:19:00.37 and our hearts overflow with hope. 00:19:00.37\00:19:03.17 Paul instructs us in Colossians 3:2, 3. 00:19:03.17\00:19:08.21 He says, "Set your mind on things above, 00:19:08.21\00:19:11.18 not on things on the earth. 00:19:11.18\00:19:14.18 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." 00:19:14.18\00:19:21.52 Our security is that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. 00:19:21.52\00:19:27.60 And because He lives, we live also. 00:19:27.60\00:19:31.47 Now we are concealed with Christ, 00:19:31.47\00:19:34.97 clothed with His righteousness and encompassed by His love. 00:19:34.97\00:19:39.77 He is our hiding place and in Him 00:19:39.77\00:19:42.61 we live and move and have our being. 00:19:42.61\00:19:45.88 We have entered His rest of absolute dependence upon Him. 00:19:45.88\00:19:52.39 We are dead to the world. 00:19:52.39\00:19:54.39 Our old life was buried with Him in death, 00:19:54.39\00:19:57.59 but we are alive to God. 00:19:57.59\00:20:00.03 Our new life is resurrected with Him. 00:20:00.03\00:20:03.57 Look at the promise of 1 John 5:11, 12. 00:20:03.57\00:20:08.57 "This is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, 00:20:08.57\00:20:13.21 and this life is in His Son. 00:20:13.21\00:20:15.68 He who has the Son has life." 00:20:15.68\00:20:19.71 Our Savoir secures our eternal life. 00:20:19.71\00:20:22.95 As long as we remain in Him, 00:20:22.95\00:20:25.25 the treasure of our reward is stored in heaven with God. 00:20:25.25\00:20:29.86 Soon we will be revealed with Christ 00:20:29.86\00:20:33.60 when He returns for all those 00:20:33.60\00:20:35.93 who identified with God by relationship 00:20:35.93\00:20:39.23 and sanctified by Him who is faithful. 00:20:39.23\00:20:42.20 As the beautiful promise of 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24 00:20:42.20\00:20:46.98 assures us saying, "Now may the God of peace Himself." 00:20:46.98\00:20:51.61 Whose work is this? 00:20:51.61\00:20:53.01 "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely 00:20:53.01\00:20:57.02 and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless 00:20:57.02\00:21:02.12 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:21:02.12\00:21:05.73 He who calls you," that's God, 00:21:05.73\00:21:08.33 "is faithful, who will also do it." 00:21:08.33\00:21:12.27 Listen to the words of the Lord found in Isaiah 41:13, 00:21:12.27\00:21:17.07 where he says, "For I, the Lord, will hold your right hand, 00:21:17.07\00:21:23.01 saying to you, Fear not, I will help you." 00:21:23.01\00:21:27.12 May your heart sing at the thought of it 00:21:27.12\00:21:30.15 as did the temple musician and Psalmist Asaph 00:21:30.15\00:21:34.12 who said to the Lord in Psalms 73:23-28. 00:21:34.12\00:21:40.96 Asaph said, "I am continually with You. 00:21:40.96\00:21:44.43 You hold me by my right hand. 00:21:44.43\00:21:46.97 You will guide me with your counsel, 00:21:46.97\00:21:49.64 and afterward receive me to glory. 00:21:49.64\00:21:53.61 God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 00:21:53.61\00:21:58.31 I have put my trust in the Lord God." 00:21:58.31\00:22:04.12 You can like Asaph put your trust in the Lord. 00:22:04.12\00:22:09.36 You know, the mystery of God's unfailing love is unfathomable. 00:22:09.36\00:22:14.93 I don't know how to explain divine love 00:22:14.93\00:22:18.70 because I yet have come to totally understand it. 00:22:18.70\00:22:22.20 But I hope that like me your heart cry will be, 00:22:22.20\00:22:27.01 "Lord, I want more of You. 00:22:27.01\00:22:29.41 I want to understand Your love better." 00:22:29.41\00:22:34.15 Because as we understand His love, 00:22:34.15\00:22:37.62 it is the natural heart response that we will love Him in return. 00:22:37.62\00:22:43.76 I do know one thing. 00:22:43.76\00:22:45.46 The overflowing riches of His grace constantly amaze me. 00:22:45.46\00:22:51.50 Please recognize you can depend upon Him. 00:22:51.50\00:22:54.84 If you keep your hand in His 00:22:54.84\00:22:57.54 and walk in relationship with Him daily, 00:22:57.54\00:23:00.78 yoked to Christ, trust Him, 00:23:00.78\00:23:03.58 His grace will give you the victory. 00:23:03.58\00:23:07.35 The Lord promises that he will perfect that which concerns you. 00:23:07.35\00:23:13.52 And I hope that in this series 00:23:13.52\00:23:16.49 as we have considered the three most important gifts 00:23:16.49\00:23:20.33 through which God manifests His grace, 00:23:20.33\00:23:23.16 our Savior, the Holy Spirit, and the Word, 00:23:23.16\00:23:26.57 I hope that this journey through scripture 00:23:26.57\00:23:29.74 has magnified the sense of grace in your heart. 00:23:29.74\00:23:33.44 I hope that your mind is more settled in understanding 00:23:33.44\00:23:37.75 and having a well-balanced understanding on grace. 00:23:37.75\00:23:41.52 Through the blood of the everlasting covenant 00:23:41.52\00:23:44.25 and His gifts of grace, God will make you complete 00:23:44.25\00:23:48.26 in every good work to do His will. 00:23:48.26\00:23:50.76 Working in you what is well pleasing 00:23:50.76\00:23:53.93 in His sight through Jesus Christ. 00:23:53.93\00:23:57.63 There remain so many more gifts to be explored 00:23:57.63\00:24:02.64 in the continued study of God's awe inspiring grace. 00:24:02.64\00:24:07.21 All of God's promises are yours if you're abiding in Christ. 00:24:07.21\00:24:11.78 I hope you will invest time 00:24:11.78\00:24:14.28 to learn all that your loving Heavenly Father 00:24:14.28\00:24:16.95 wants to give to you. 00:24:16.95\00:24:18.69 The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of grace 00:24:18.69\00:24:21.82 with its immeasurable riches and power. 00:24:21.82\00:24:25.46 God is the giver of every good and perfect gift 00:24:25.46\00:24:29.13 which flow to you freely from the Father of lights 00:24:29.13\00:24:33.10 through His grace pipeline. 00:24:33.10\00:24:35.44 Indeed, the love of God is the compelling force 00:24:35.44\00:24:39.24 behind the grace of God. 00:24:39.24\00:24:41.31 And the greater our understanding 00:24:41.31\00:24:43.31 of God's love for us, 00:24:43.31\00:24:45.21 the greater our love will be for Him. 00:24:45.21\00:24:47.98 We love Him because He first loved us. 00:24:47.98\00:24:50.99 The greater our love, the more intimate 00:24:50.99\00:24:54.39 our relationship will become with Him. 00:24:54.39\00:24:57.29 And the more intimate that our relationship is, 00:24:57.29\00:25:01.63 the greater our trust will be in our Heavenly Father. 00:25:01.63\00:25:05.37 We'll lean not on our own understanding, 00:25:05.37\00:25:08.44 but we'll lean on what His word says. 00:25:08.44\00:25:10.97 And the greater our trust, 00:25:10.97\00:25:12.74 the more persistent our prayer of faith will become. 00:25:12.74\00:25:17.11 The more persistent that prayer is, 00:25:17.11\00:25:20.05 the greater our actions of faith will develop. 00:25:20.05\00:25:23.69 And the greater our faith, the more we will tap 00:25:23.69\00:25:26.49 into the various area of God's grace. 00:25:26.49\00:25:30.29 And as we do, as we access God's grace pipeline, 00:25:30.29\00:25:35.70 the greater blessings will flow. 00:25:35.70\00:25:39.47 God's streams of grace flow from His heavenly pipeline 00:25:39.47\00:25:44.27 without any shortage of supply, and will turn our dry and dusty 00:25:44.27\00:25:48.94 life experiences into a spiritual oasis. 00:25:48.94\00:25:53.18 You can triumph in and by God's sustaining grace. 00:25:53.18\00:25:57.82 Will you tap into His grace pipeline by faith? 00:25:57.82\00:26:01.39 Let's pray. 00:26:01.39\00:26:02.96 Our loving Father, we thank you for this opportunity. 00:26:02.96\00:26:06.56 Lord, to have spent time in Your word. 00:26:06.56\00:26:10.47 And, Father, we come in the name of Jesus Christ, 00:26:10.47\00:26:14.30 approaching your throne boldly. 00:26:14.30\00:26:17.44 And I pray, Lord, that every person 00:26:17.44\00:26:19.64 within the range of my voice, every person, Father, 00:26:19.64\00:26:24.48 who is struggling and wondering 00:26:24.48\00:26:28.22 about their relationship for You--with You, 00:26:28.22\00:26:31.35 I ask in the name of Jesus, Father, 00:26:31.35\00:26:34.09 that even now by the power of Your Holy Spirit, 00:26:34.09\00:26:37.99 You would touch their hearts, 00:26:37.99\00:26:40.40 convict and convince them, Father. 00:26:40.40\00:26:43.13 Convict them of their sin 00:26:43.13\00:26:45.07 and convince them of Your great love. 00:26:45.07\00:26:47.77 I ask in the name of Jesus, Father, 00:26:47.77\00:26:50.41 that You would grant them repentance, 00:26:50.41\00:26:53.07 that they would turn around 00:26:53.07\00:26:55.68 and turn full faced to You, Father. 00:26:55.68\00:26:59.05 That they might receive the abundant life 00:26:59.05\00:27:03.79 that Jesus Christ came to give them. 00:27:03.79\00:27:07.26 I pray that You will break us free 00:27:07.26\00:27:10.76 from the chains that bind us. 00:27:10.76\00:27:13.19 And I ask in the name of Jesus, Father, 00:27:13.19\00:27:16.03 that for my brothers and my sisters 00:27:16.03\00:27:19.63 that today will be the day that they recognize 00:27:19.63\00:27:24.01 You are the God of new beginnings. 00:27:24.01\00:27:26.47 And, Father, that they will put their hand into Your right hand, 00:27:26.47\00:27:31.61 and that You will guide them in that walk, 00:27:31.61\00:27:35.95 Lord, that joy, the experience of salvation 00:27:35.95\00:27:40.36 along the narrow path. 00:27:40.36\00:27:42.72 Father, You are our God and our love. 00:27:42.72\00:27:48.73 And we thank You. 00:27:48.73\00:27:50.47 We ask these things in the name of Jesus 00:27:50.47\00:27:52.80 and receive them in the name of Jesus. 00:27:52.80\00:27:55.04 Amen. 00:27:55.04\00:27:56.44 Now grow in grace and in the knowledge 00:27:56.44\00:27:58.97 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:27:58.97\00:28:01.31