And this is the record
00:00:11.27\00:00:13.38
that God hath
given to us eternal life
00:00:13.41\00:00:16.68
and this life is in His Son.
00:00:16.71\00:00:20.42
Welcome to 3ABN
Australia Homecoming.
00:00:20.45\00:00:24.32
Welcome to our program today
00:00:30.99\00:00:33.36
and I know I always
say welcome, but I mean it.
00:00:33.40\00:00:36.10
Welcome.
00:00:36.13\00:00:37.47
This is number eight
00:00:37.50\00:00:39.70
of our 3ABN
Australia Homecoming, 2020,
00:00:39.73\00:00:43.77
and we're going to
be looking at Chapter 8
00:00:43.81\00:00:46.21
of the book Steps to Christ
00:00:46.24\00:00:48.41
in our preparing for eternity,
00:00:48.44\00:00:52.38
because knowing
Christ is our preparation.
00:00:52.41\00:00:56.18
The verse we
have is 1 John 5:11,
00:00:56.22\00:00:58.42
you would have heard
that in the open, it says,
00:00:58.45\00:01:00.16
"And this is the record
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that God hath
given to us eternal life
00:01:02.12\00:01:05.03
and this life is in His Son."
00:01:05.06\00:01:07.73
So if you know Jesus,
you have eternal life.
00:01:07.76\00:01:11.37
It is going to be
yours when He comes back.
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Our previous program
with Pastor Peter Watts
00:01:14.60\00:01:18.51
on Chapter 7,
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The Test of Discipleship,
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and these are the summary points
00:01:22.68\00:01:24.48
that he had for his talk.
00:01:24.51\00:01:26.11
Number one,
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disciples are new
creations in Christ.
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Number two,
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disciples love
to dwell on Christ,
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His will and His Word.
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Number three,
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disciples exhibit
the fruit of the Spirit.
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Four, obedience is
the fruit of the spirit,
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of fruit of faith, sorry. And
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five, love is the motivation.
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The love of God
is what motivates us
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to obey Him and
to love Him back.
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And I just want to thank
our audience for being with us.
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I know you'll be blessed
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by what Pastor Geoff
Youlden brings to us today
00:02:04.42\00:02:08.59
with Chapter 8,
Growing up into Christ.
00:02:08.62\00:02:12.19
But before we
listen to Pastor Geoff,
00:02:12.23\00:02:15.86
we're going to have
Marleta Fong sing for us
00:02:15.90\00:02:19.30
and Sanja
Kitevski playing piano,
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and they're going to
present the beautiful old song,
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Precious Lord, Take My Hand.
00:02:27.21\00:02:29.81
Precious Lord, take my hand
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Lead me on, let me stand
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I'm tired, I'm weak
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I'm lone
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Through the storm
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Through the night
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Lead me on to the light
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Take my hand precious Lord
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Lead me home
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When my way grows drear
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Precious Lord linger near
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When my light
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Is almost gone
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Hear my cry, hear my call
00:04:04.34\00:04:09.08
Hold my hand lest I fall
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Take my hand precious Lord
00:04:14.18\00:04:19.39
Lead me home
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Precious Lord, take my hand
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Lead me on, let me stand
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I'm tired, I'm weak
00:04:35.20\00:04:40.34
I'm lone
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Through the storm
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Through the night
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Lead me on to the light
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Take my hand precious Lord
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Lead me home
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When that bright dawn breaks
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And heavens trumpet sounds forth
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And my Lord in our hearts
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I'm satisfied
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The desire of ages
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Still got my
feet and hold my hand
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Take my hand
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Precious Lord
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Lead me on
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Precious Lord, take my hand
00:05:45.84\00:05:50.51
Lead me on, and let me stand
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I'm tired, and I'm weak
00:05:55.45\00:06:00.36
I'm lone
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Through the
storm Through the night
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Lead me on to the light
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Take my hand
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Precious Lord
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Lead me home
00:06:20.41\00:06:25.78
Take my hand
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Precious Lord
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Lead me home
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Well, thank you
very much indeed, Mars,
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I'm sure all of us
were tremendously blessed
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by that beautiful song.
00:07:00.32\00:07:04.99
Let's suggest that
you want to buy a house
00:07:05.02\00:07:09.12
and you go along to
the real estate agent
00:07:09.16\00:07:11.16
and explain that, want
to purchase this house,
00:07:11.19\00:07:17.27
but unfortunately,
you say to the agent,
00:07:17.30\00:07:19.37
"I don't have enough
money for a deposit."
00:07:19.40\00:07:24.24
And the agent says,
00:07:24.27\00:07:25.71
"Well, that's
really not possible."
00:07:25.74\00:07:28.98
But he said, "I do
have a house myself
00:07:29.01\00:07:33.21
that I'd be willing to sell."
00:07:33.25\00:07:35.05
And he said,
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"Furthermore, I'll
not only sell it to you
00:07:36.45\00:07:38.25
without a deposit,
00:07:38.29\00:07:39.62
but I will even
pay the stamp duty."
00:07:39.65\00:07:43.39
So you're very excited
about that possibility.
00:07:43.43\00:07:47.46
And then you say to him,
00:07:47.50\00:07:49.86
"Well, how much do I
have to pay per month
00:07:49.90\00:07:53.77
in paying it back?"
00:07:53.80\00:07:55.97
And he said,
"Well, $7,000 a month."
00:07:56.00\00:08:01.24
Now, heaven and salvation
00:08:01.28\00:08:04.41
that is offered to us
free sounds wonderful.
00:08:04.45\00:08:09.45
But if the down payments,
00:08:09.48\00:08:12.95
the nitty-gritty of
living the Christian life
00:08:12.99\00:08:15.86
is going to knock us out.
00:08:15.89\00:08:18.59
Then the free
gift loses its shine.
00:08:18.63\00:08:23.43
And I'm going to
suggest to you today
00:08:23.47\00:08:25.73
that if Christ has
provided to us salvation
00:08:25.77\00:08:31.91
as a free gift,
00:08:31.94\00:08:33.54
but then we're not
going to be able to pay
00:08:33.58\00:08:38.08
the regular payments,
00:08:38.11\00:08:40.12
and we're going to go bankrupt,
00:08:40.15\00:08:42.15
then the free gift
has lost its shine.
00:08:42.18\00:08:46.15
And today I want to talk to you
00:08:46.19\00:08:47.52
on the subject of
growing up into Christ.
00:08:47.56\00:08:50.53
I want to talk to you about
00:08:50.56\00:08:51.89
how to live the Christian life.
00:08:51.93\00:08:54.56
In fact, I'm
going to suggest that
00:08:54.60\00:08:56.06
as the diagram
is on the screen now
00:08:56.10\00:08:58.93
that there are three
aspects to the Christian life.
00:08:58.97\00:09:04.37
First of all,
00:09:04.41\00:09:05.74
there is justification by faith.
00:09:05.77\00:09:08.58
Now, that is the foundation,
00:09:08.61\00:09:10.28
that's why I've put it on
the bottom of the triangle,
00:09:10.31\00:09:13.45
because that is the foundation,
00:09:13.48\00:09:15.45
that is the
bottom line of salvation
00:09:15.48\00:09:19.15
that we are justified by faith.
00:09:19.19\00:09:21.42
Now, the word
justified is a big word.
00:09:21.46\00:09:24.46
And for some of us
we may not understand
00:09:24.49\00:09:27.26
what it means.
00:09:27.30\00:09:28.63
The simple meaning is
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that we are just as
if I'd never sinned.
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In other words, God
through His death on the cross
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regards us
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as never sinning
in the first place
00:09:38.31\00:09:41.34
once we accept Jesus,
00:09:41.38\00:09:43.04
isn't that a
wonderful, exciting gift?
00:09:43.08\00:09:47.85
But the good
news even gets better.
00:09:47.88\00:09:51.45
Because the second
aspect of the gospel
00:09:51.49\00:09:54.56
goes beyond the understanding
00:09:54.59\00:09:56.62
that Jesus has
forgiven our sins.
00:09:56.66\00:10:00.00
And actually says that
God has now provided us
00:10:00.03\00:10:03.50
power to stop us
sinning in the future,
00:10:03.53\00:10:07.57
so that we can overcome
our faults and our failures
00:10:07.60\00:10:10.77
and our mistakes.
00:10:10.81\00:10:12.14
That's why it's called a
gospel of sanctification.
00:10:12.17\00:10:16.54
Now, that's another big word,
00:10:16.58\00:10:18.25
but it simply
means to be made holy.
00:10:18.28\00:10:22.55
And God not only
wants us ask to understand
00:10:22.58\00:10:24.92
that our sins are forgiven,
00:10:24.95\00:10:26.49
but He wants us
to live a holy life.
00:10:26.52\00:10:29.09
You see, if God only forgives me
00:10:29.12\00:10:30.86
my sins,
00:10:30.89\00:10:32.23
it doesn't help me too much.
00:10:32.26\00:10:34.00
For I'll tell you
why, because tomorrow,
00:10:34.03\00:10:37.07
and the next
day, and the next day,
00:10:37.10\00:10:39.50
and the next day,
00:10:39.53\00:10:40.87
I'm going to continue
on doing the same things.
00:10:40.90\00:10:43.51
Because I need
more than forgiveness,
00:10:43.54\00:10:46.11
I need a power to stop
me doing the wrong things
00:10:46.14\00:10:50.71
in the future, isn't that true?
00:10:50.75\00:10:53.62
And forgiveness is wonderful.
00:10:53.65\00:10:55.22
And as I said,
is the foundation.
00:10:55.25\00:10:57.15
But there's more to the
gospel than just forgiveness,
00:10:57.19\00:11:01.62
wonderful as that is.
00:11:01.66\00:11:04.03
And the third
aspect of the gospel
00:11:04.06\00:11:05.79
is also good news,
00:11:05.83\00:11:07.66
because the Bible says
00:11:07.70\00:11:09.96
that Jesus is
coming back very soon
00:11:10.00\00:11:13.94
and so, He's going to
right the wrongs in this world
00:11:13.97\00:11:18.37
and that's why we call
this glorification by faith
00:11:18.41\00:11:22.94
when God returns a second time,
00:11:22.98\00:11:26.31
and provides us
00:11:26.35\00:11:27.68
with a new
heavens and a new earth.
00:11:27.72\00:11:29.98
Now, some Christians today
00:11:30.02\00:11:31.79
emphasize the matter
of justification by faith
00:11:31.82\00:11:35.56
when they talk about the gospel.
00:11:35.59\00:11:38.99
Other people, a growing number
00:11:39.03\00:11:40.76
are talking about glorification.
00:11:40.80\00:11:43.13
That is the time
00:11:43.16\00:11:44.50
when Jesus comes
back the second time,
00:11:44.53\00:11:47.54
but I find there are
very, very few Christians today
00:11:47.57\00:11:52.97
that are talking about
sanctification by faith,
00:11:53.01\00:11:58.15
that is becoming holy.
00:11:58.18\00:12:00.62
And if you, I read the Bible,
and if you read the Bible,
00:12:00.65\00:12:03.99
particularly the
Book of Revelation,
00:12:04.02\00:12:06.19
it tells us there that
there's a special message
00:12:06.22\00:12:08.62
that's going to be
given in the last days,
00:12:08.66\00:12:10.73
just before Jesus returns.
00:12:10.76\00:12:13.06
And this message goes beyond
what the reformers taught,
00:12:13.09\00:12:16.83
because the
reformers taught very clearly,
00:12:16.87\00:12:19.33
justification by faith
and forgiveness of sins.
00:12:19.37\00:12:23.00
But this message
according to the Bible
00:12:23.04\00:12:25.44
goes a step beyond that,
00:12:25.47\00:12:27.48
and explains that
build upon that foundation
00:12:27.51\00:12:31.88
is the truth of
becoming holy, by Christ,
00:12:31.91\00:12:37.75
living his life through us.
00:12:37.79\00:12:39.52
Let me read you the scriptures
that support what I'm saying.
00:12:39.55\00:12:42.39
1 John 1:9 makes it very clear.
00:12:42.42\00:12:46.53
And many of us will know
this verse because it says,
00:12:46.56\00:12:49.96
"If we confess our sins,
00:12:50.00\00:12:53.64
He is faithful
00:12:53.67\00:12:55.00
and just to
forgive us our sins,"
00:12:55.04\00:12:58.17
that's justification by faith,
00:12:58.21\00:13:00.18
"to forgive us our sins,"
00:13:00.21\00:13:01.74
and then the
little word and links
00:13:01.78\00:13:06.18
what's being said,
00:13:06.21\00:13:07.55
with what's
going to be said now,
00:13:07.58\00:13:09.08
"and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
00:13:09.12\00:13:14.12
Notice that little word all.
00:13:14.16\00:13:16.09
So the Bible teaches
00:13:16.12\00:13:17.46
that not only does
God want to forgive me
00:13:17.49\00:13:19.26
for my sins,
00:13:19.29\00:13:20.63
but He wants to
cleanse me also from all sin.
00:13:20.66\00:13:25.57
And He wants not only
to purify our records,
00:13:25.60\00:13:28.47
but He wants to purify
our hearts and our lives.
00:13:28.50\00:13:33.94
When you pick up
the Book of Revelation,
00:13:33.98\00:13:35.51
there are two words that occur
over and over and over again.
00:13:35.54\00:13:40.88
The two words
are this, overcoming.
00:13:40.92\00:13:45.09
You can't help read
the fact of overcoming
00:13:45.12\00:13:49.12
in the first few
chapters of Revelation,
00:13:49.16\00:13:52.66
and then the
other word is victory.
00:13:52.69\00:13:56.20
And just a casual
reading of the book
00:13:56.23\00:13:58.33
will very clearly reveal that.
00:13:58.37\00:14:00.27
And Jesus had a lot
to say about the gospel.
00:14:00.30\00:14:06.07
He talked about
His death on the cross,
00:14:06.11\00:14:08.28
and He talked about
forgiveness of sins.
00:14:08.31\00:14:12.15
But He also
talked about the fact
00:14:12.18\00:14:15.18
that Christ
wanted to live in us.
00:14:15.22\00:14:16.92
In fact, there is twice
as much emphasis by Jesus
00:14:16.95\00:14:21.72
on the area of
sanctification by faith
00:14:21.76\00:14:25.09
as there is on
justification by faith, twice,
00:14:25.13\00:14:29.46
at least twice as much,
00:14:29.50\00:14:31.83
maybe three or
even four times as much,
00:14:31.87\00:14:35.14
but I'm being
conservative by saying twice,
00:14:35.17\00:14:37.34
twice as much.
00:14:37.37\00:14:38.71
And I have seen
this over the years
00:14:38.74\00:14:40.34
in the work that I have done
in preaching around the world,
00:14:40.38\00:14:44.91
I have found that I have seen
00:14:44.95\00:14:46.88
thousands and
thousands of people
00:14:46.92\00:14:50.19
who have accepted
Jesus as their Savior.
00:14:50.22\00:14:55.36
But those same people
00:14:55.39\00:14:57.39
when it's pointed
out from the same Bible
00:14:57.43\00:15:01.33
that Jesus said,
00:15:01.36\00:15:02.83
"I want you to take up My cross
00:15:02.86\00:15:06.77
and follow Me."
00:15:06.80\00:15:09.84
And we talk about commitment
00:15:09.87\00:15:11.84
and we talk about obedience,
00:15:11.87\00:15:14.38
suddenly,
00:15:14.41\00:15:16.75
a large number of
those people drop away.
00:15:16.78\00:15:21.55
Because the Bible
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.65
not only talks
about forgiveness,
00:15:23.69\00:15:26.29
it's talking about a commitment.
00:15:26.32\00:15:29.66
We must take Jesus' cross,
00:15:29.69\00:15:31.86
as He said, "If you love Me,
you'll keep My commandments."
00:15:31.89\00:15:35.56
So there is an act of obedience.
00:15:35.60\00:15:38.20
And I want to
talk to you about that.
00:15:38.23\00:15:40.04
In fact, over here
in the Book of Peter,
00:15:40.07\00:15:42.70
1 Peter, in fact, 2:21,
00:15:42.74\00:15:46.51
Peter makes this
statement where he says,
00:15:46.54\00:15:48.64
"For to this you were called,
00:15:48.68\00:15:51.38
because Christ
also suffered for us,
00:15:51.41\00:15:54.88
leaving us,"
00:15:54.92\00:15:57.09
notice what it says,
00:15:57.12\00:15:59.12
"an example,
00:15:59.15\00:16:01.89
that you should
follow His steps."
00:16:01.92\00:16:04.16
In other words,
Jesus came to this earth
00:16:04.19\00:16:07.50
not only to die for us,
00:16:07.53\00:16:10.27
but to show us how to live.
00:16:10.30\00:16:12.40
That's why Peter's
saying, He is an example for us.
00:16:12.43\00:16:16.94
Now, Jesus is not an
example for us in justification.
00:16:16.97\00:16:22.64
Because Jesus didn't,
doesn't need justification,
00:16:22.68\00:16:25.55
is that right?
00:16:25.58\00:16:26.92
Because He never sinned.
00:16:26.95\00:16:29.65
The example that Jesus is for us
00:16:29.68\00:16:31.99
is in
sanctification, in obedience,
00:16:32.02\00:16:35.52
in victory and overcoming.
00:16:35.56\00:16:38.29
Let me read that to you too,
00:16:38.33\00:16:39.66
from the Book of Revelation
00:16:39.69\00:16:41.03
in the third
chapter, and verse 21.
00:16:41.06\00:16:44.27
It says this, Revelation 3:21,
00:16:44.30\00:16:49.04
where it says this,
"To him who overcomes
00:16:49.07\00:16:53.21
I will grant to sit
with Me on My throne,
00:16:53.24\00:16:58.68
as I also overcame and sat down
00:16:58.71\00:17:04.59
with My Father on His throne."
00:17:04.62\00:17:07.86
So when it comes
to Christian living,
00:17:07.89\00:17:11.33
Jesus is our example.
00:17:11.36\00:17:13.83
That's why He came to
live on the earth for 33 years.
00:17:13.86\00:17:16.77
If He just came to die,
00:17:16.80\00:17:18.13
He could have come
down Thursday afternoon,
00:17:18.17\00:17:19.67
and gone back to
heaven on Sunday morning.
00:17:19.70\00:17:23.00
But Jesus came to do
more than to die for us
00:17:23.04\00:17:26.17
and to be resurrected.
00:17:26.21\00:17:27.54
Foundational and
exciting and wonderful
00:17:27.58\00:17:30.41
as that truth is,
00:17:30.45\00:17:31.78
it's also true
that He came to live
00:17:31.81\00:17:34.48
and to show us how to live.
00:17:34.52\00:17:36.82
And that's what
Revelation here is,
00:17:36.85\00:17:39.15
is talking about.
00:17:39.19\00:17:41.49
He overcame, as
we are to overcome.
00:17:41.52\00:17:46.76
In other words,
00:17:46.80\00:17:48.13
the same dependency that
Jesus had upon His Father,
00:17:48.16\00:17:53.27
you and I are invited to
have the same relationship.
00:17:53.30\00:17:57.44
You know, the devil has,
00:17:57.47\00:17:59.91
I guess, many traps,
but two main traps for us
00:17:59.94\00:18:02.54
when it comes to
the study of the Bible.
00:18:02.58\00:18:06.01
And especially the big subjects,
00:18:06.05\00:18:07.82
and we are talking today
00:18:07.85\00:18:09.35
about one of
the biggest subjects
00:18:09.38\00:18:11.42
in the Bible.
00:18:11.45\00:18:13.86
And he has two traps.
00:18:13.89\00:18:16.42
The first trap
00:18:16.46\00:18:17.79
is that people
will completely ignore
00:18:17.83\00:18:23.06
the subject,
00:18:23.10\00:18:25.37
and not even consider it.
00:18:25.40\00:18:26.74
That's the first trap.
00:18:26.77\00:18:28.37
But the second trap
00:18:28.40\00:18:29.74
is particularly for
those who do study the Bible.
00:18:29.77\00:18:34.94
The trap is
that he will get them
00:18:34.98\00:18:37.21
to emphasize one aspect of truth
00:18:37.25\00:18:40.75
and forget the rest.
00:18:40.78\00:18:44.52
Because error can be
taught by an overemphasis
00:18:44.55\00:18:48.99
on one aspect of truth
00:18:49.02\00:18:51.06
to the neglect of the other.
00:18:51.09\00:18:52.43
Can you
understand what I'm saying?
00:18:52.46\00:18:55.16
And it's very important
00:18:55.20\00:18:56.67
that we don't fall
into either of those traps.
00:18:56.70\00:19:00.17
And as we look back
again at our diagram
00:19:00.20\00:19:04.34
just to remind ourselves,
00:19:04.37\00:19:05.84
we find here that
00:19:05.87\00:19:07.31
the gospel of
justification by faith.
00:19:07.34\00:19:10.31
This is all the gospel.
00:19:10.35\00:19:11.81
There are three
aspects to the gospel,
00:19:11.85\00:19:15.58
not just one,
00:19:15.62\00:19:16.95
it's not just
justification by faith,
00:19:16.99\00:19:19.72
because to
emphasize that over the others
00:19:19.75\00:19:23.22
is to distort
the wonderful truth
00:19:23.26\00:19:25.29
of the gospel.
00:19:25.33\00:19:27.26
Then there is the gospel
of sanctification by faith,
00:19:27.30\00:19:31.63
whereby Jesus changes our life
00:19:31.67\00:19:35.80
and gives us a desire
00:19:35.84\00:19:37.24
to want to do
what He wants us to do.
00:19:37.27\00:19:40.68
And people are thrilled to know
00:19:40.71\00:19:42.38
that Jesus forgives our sins
00:19:42.41\00:19:44.21
and, of course, all of us are.
00:19:44.25\00:19:46.61
Where will we be
without the basic understanding
00:19:46.65\00:19:50.22
that we are just as
if we had never sinned?
00:19:50.25\00:19:53.29
What a wonderful
exciting truth that is,
00:19:53.32\00:19:56.96
but that's not where it ends
00:19:56.99\00:19:59.53
because then there is,
00:19:59.56\00:20:01.23
it's just as thrilling to know
00:20:01.26\00:20:02.76
that Jesus
provides us with power
00:20:02.80\00:20:07.10
to want to do
what He wants us to do,
00:20:07.14\00:20:09.84
and gives us that power
00:20:09.87\00:20:11.21
through the agency
of the Holy Spirit.
00:20:11.24\00:20:13.38
And it's also thrilling to know
00:20:13.41\00:20:16.14
the gospel of
glorification that one day soon,
00:20:16.18\00:20:20.02
Jesus is coming
back to this earth
00:20:20.05\00:20:22.05
to make a world where
there are no more tears,
00:20:22.08\00:20:24.69
no more
heartaches, no more death,
00:20:24.72\00:20:27.69
no more sorrow, what
an exciting world that is.
00:20:27.72\00:20:32.96
And for those of
us who have lost,
00:20:32.99\00:20:34.63
lost loved ones,
and that's all of us.
00:20:34.66\00:20:38.13
One day, we're going
to have the privilege
00:20:38.17\00:20:40.44
of seeing those
loved ones again.
00:20:40.47\00:20:42.67
Surely that is some of
the most exciting truth
00:20:42.70\00:20:45.27
that you could ever understand.
00:20:45.31\00:20:48.58
And that's part of the gospel.
00:20:48.61\00:20:50.55
And it's these three aspects
00:20:50.58\00:20:53.31
that we need to understand
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.48
and not neglect some
00:20:55.52\00:20:57.89
at the expense of emphasis
00:20:57.92\00:21:00.42
on one over the others.
00:21:00.46\00:21:02.59
Because it's a
perfect triangle of truth,
00:21:02.62\00:21:08.36
build upon the foundation
of justification by faith.
00:21:08.40\00:21:13.97
Now, I want to be practical
in our chat together today
00:21:14.00\00:21:18.27
as we study the Bible,
00:21:18.31\00:21:19.64
because we have been talking
more about the theory of it,
00:21:19.67\00:21:22.94
so that we can
understand where we're going.
00:21:22.98\00:21:25.41
But now, I would
like to put some emphasis
00:21:25.45\00:21:28.02
on the practical
side of Christian living
00:21:28.05\00:21:30.99
because Christian
living is not just a theory.
00:21:31.02\00:21:34.39
It's not just something
that appeals to our head.
00:21:34.42\00:21:37.69
Christ wants to
change our lives.
00:21:37.73\00:21:40.63
And He wants us to have the joy
00:21:40.66\00:21:44.03
and the satisfaction of
knowing Jesus as our Savior.
00:21:44.07\00:21:48.40
Jesus came to Nicodemus one day
00:21:48.44\00:21:51.11
when Nicodemus
actually met Jesus,
00:21:51.14\00:21:53.27
and you'll
remember it was by night
00:21:53.31\00:21:55.18
because
Nicodemus wasn't very proud
00:21:55.21\00:21:58.31
of meeting Jesus,
00:21:58.35\00:21:59.68
but he felt that Jesus
had something that he needed.
00:21:59.71\00:22:03.35
And in the third
chapter of John, and verse 3,
00:22:03.39\00:22:07.72
Jesus made a statement to
him and this is what he said,
00:22:07.76\00:22:10.36
"Jesus answered and said to him,
00:22:10.39\00:22:12.86
that's Nicodemus.
00:22:12.89\00:22:14.63
'Most assuredly, I say to you,
00:22:14.66\00:22:18.50
unless one is born again,
00:22:18.53\00:22:23.07
he cannot see
the kingdom of God.'"
00:22:23.10\00:22:26.34
So this statement
00:22:26.37\00:22:30.51
that Jesus made to Nicodemus
00:22:30.55\00:22:32.21
implies that
there's something wrong
00:22:32.25\00:22:35.48
with my first birth.
00:22:35.52\00:22:37.55
If I've got to be born again,
00:22:37.59\00:22:40.36
that implies
that birth number one
00:22:40.39\00:22:43.26
was a problem.
00:22:43.29\00:22:47.13
In fact the
problem is simply this
00:22:47.16\00:22:50.30
and all of us
who have had children
00:22:50.33\00:22:52.60
will identify with
what I'm going to say now,
00:22:52.63\00:22:55.77
you've never had to
teach your child to be naughty.
00:22:55.80\00:22:59.81
Is that right?
00:22:59.84\00:23:01.18
None of us have
ever had to teach
00:23:01.21\00:23:02.54
our children to be naughty.
00:23:02.58\00:23:04.31
They do it automatically, why?
00:23:04.35\00:23:09.15
Because that's the nature
00:23:09.18\00:23:10.85
that you as their
parents gave them.
00:23:10.89\00:23:14.59
And that's been inherited
00:23:14.62\00:23:16.22
from the fallen
nature of Adam and Eve.
00:23:16.26\00:23:19.93
And so every child
that's born into the world
00:23:19.96\00:23:23.00
has a fallen sinful nature.
00:23:23.03\00:23:28.20
And we see that in our
whole attitude to life,
00:23:28.24\00:23:34.41
and to say we see
it from our children.
00:23:34.44\00:23:37.71
And imagine if God was
to take someone into heaven,
00:23:37.75\00:23:42.48
there whose
nature was not changed.
00:23:42.52\00:23:46.39
And the nature was just like
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.12
the nature we have
before we meet Jesus
00:23:48.16\00:23:51.36
and took us into heaven.
00:23:51.39\00:23:53.29
What's the first
thing that would happen?
00:23:53.33\00:23:56.63
When they walked
in through the gold,
00:23:56.67\00:23:58.63
the beautiful gates of heaven?
00:23:58.67\00:24:03.14
And then they look
00:24:03.17\00:24:04.51
and they see the golden streets.
00:24:04.54\00:24:06.57
What do you think will happen?
00:24:06.61\00:24:08.81
What would you think
would go through their mind?
00:24:08.84\00:24:11.91
What would go
through a person's mind
00:24:11.95\00:24:13.72
if the streets
out here in Morisset
00:24:13.75\00:24:15.95
were made with gold?
00:24:15.98\00:24:20.69
Yes, because that's,
that's the nature that we have.
00:24:20.72\00:24:25.29
And that's exactly
what would happen in heaven.
00:24:25.33\00:24:27.73
That's why it's important
that God forgives us our sins.
00:24:27.76\00:24:32.03
And we
understand that, of course.
00:24:32.07\00:24:34.94
But there's
more to it than that.
00:24:34.97\00:24:36.67
We've got to
experience the new birth,
00:24:36.71\00:24:39.67
because unless our
natures are changed,
00:24:39.71\00:24:42.44
we would take the
same problems here,
00:24:42.48\00:24:45.95
up there.
00:24:45.98\00:24:47.95
And so I need
more than forgiveness.
00:24:47.98\00:24:50.22
And besides being
justified by faith,
00:24:50.25\00:24:53.89
I need to be born again,
00:24:53.92\00:24:56.26
according to what Jesus said,
00:24:56.29\00:24:57.89
and I can't go to
heaven without it.
00:24:57.93\00:25:01.70
No person will enter heaven
00:25:01.73\00:25:03.80
unless they're born again
according to what Jesus says.
00:25:03.83\00:25:07.54
And being born again
00:25:07.57\00:25:09.07
is simply the
supernatural activity
00:25:09.10\00:25:11.97
of the Holy Spirit
00:25:12.01\00:25:14.51
in which he changes my attitude.
00:25:14.54\00:25:17.81
He changes my life,
00:25:17.85\00:25:19.71
so that I want to
do the right thing.
00:25:19.75\00:25:24.85
Before conversion, for example,
00:25:24.89\00:25:26.96
I have no interest
in the things of God.
00:25:26.99\00:25:30.83
Neither does anyone else.
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.50
In fact, if you had
someone come in here,
00:25:33.53\00:25:36.56
you drag them into this meeting,
00:25:36.60\00:25:38.90
I would
guarantee that before long,
00:25:38.93\00:25:41.84
they would want to get out
00:25:41.87\00:25:44.37
if they're not born again,
00:25:44.41\00:25:45.74
because we don't have a capacity
00:25:45.77\00:25:48.34
to understand the things of God
00:25:48.38\00:25:50.05
unless our hearts
have been changed.
00:25:50.08\00:25:54.75
And only God can do that,
00:25:54.78\00:25:56.35
you and I can't change our life.
00:25:56.38\00:25:58.65
Only Jesus can do that.
00:25:58.69\00:26:00.42
And so He gives us the ability
00:26:00.46\00:26:02.96
to study the Bible and enjoy it.
00:26:02.99\00:26:05.66
And some of us
will remember the time
00:26:05.69\00:26:08.00
before we became Christians,
00:26:08.03\00:26:10.10
the idea of studying the Bible
00:26:10.13\00:26:11.83
and sitting
through a Bible study,
00:26:11.87\00:26:14.27
or through a sermon or
through something like that,
00:26:14.30\00:26:17.97
we're just
about driven us crazy.
00:26:18.01\00:26:21.68
But now, we can't
get enough of the Bible,
00:26:21.71\00:26:24.68
we love to study the Bible,
00:26:24.71\00:26:26.65
because our
hearts have been changed.
00:26:26.68\00:26:30.09
And we have a new capacity.
00:26:30.12\00:26:31.82
And that
capacity is the new birth.
00:26:31.85\00:26:34.79
And that doesn't
happen overnight.
00:26:34.82\00:26:37.39
Unfortunately, in many ways,
00:26:37.43\00:26:39.89
we would all love
to have an instant tea,
00:26:39.93\00:26:42.30
you know, we live in an
instant world, don't we?
00:26:42.33\00:26:44.40
Everything instant,
instant this, instant that.
00:26:44.43\00:26:47.44
And so we've been brought up
00:26:47.47\00:26:48.90
in the
gratification of instant things.
00:26:48.94\00:26:54.21
The Christian pathway
is not an instant thing.
00:26:54.24\00:27:00.32
In fact, if you come
over to the book of Mark 4:28.
00:27:00.35\00:27:06.92
Mark 4:28, Jesus
made the statement.
00:27:06.96\00:27:12.56
He said,
00:27:12.59\00:27:15.43
"For the earth
yields crops by itself,
00:27:15.46\00:27:19.77
first the blade, then the head,
00:27:19.80\00:27:24.87
after that the
full grain of the head."
00:27:24.91\00:27:28.74
So what is Jesus teaching here,
00:27:28.78\00:27:30.98
just like we all understand
00:27:31.01\00:27:33.38
that when we throw
the seed in the ground,
00:27:33.42\00:27:36.38
then we go out and we
look for the first shoot,
00:27:36.42\00:27:39.45
that's coming up to
make sure it's still alive.
00:27:39.49\00:27:42.42
And then we keep
watering, we keep fertilizing,
00:27:42.46\00:27:46.26
so that we nurture
the growth of the seed
00:27:46.29\00:27:49.56
until it grows up
into the full grain,
00:27:49.60\00:27:52.63
as Jesus says here.
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.27
Now, that is
exactly an illustration.
00:27:54.30\00:27:56.50
And that's what Jesus
is talking about here.
00:27:56.54\00:27:59.01
He's not giving us a
lecture on agriculture.
00:27:59.04\00:28:01.38
What He's doing here,
00:28:01.41\00:28:02.74
He's giving us an insight
00:28:02.78\00:28:04.41
into the spiritual side of life
00:28:04.45\00:28:06.98
that it happens
exactly the same way.
00:28:07.02\00:28:09.02
First of all, we have the blade,
00:28:09.05\00:28:12.62
the spiritual growth,
00:28:12.65\00:28:14.32
and just as a sprouting seed
00:28:14.36\00:28:16.52
is the evidence
of physical growth.
00:28:16.56\00:28:19.29
So the change of a person's life
00:28:19.33\00:28:22.46
is indicative of the change
00:28:22.50\00:28:26.17
that's taking place in
their life, the new birth.
00:28:26.20\00:28:30.57
And although God gives
me a new heart instantly,
00:28:30.61\00:28:36.21
that happens instantly.
00:28:36.24\00:28:39.55
The new life takes a long time
00:28:39.58\00:28:45.25
to take place to change,
00:28:45.29\00:28:46.96
because our whole
lifestyle needs to change.
00:28:46.99\00:28:51.79
Our habits need to change.
00:28:51.83\00:28:53.63
You don't change
your habit overnight.
00:28:53.66\00:28:55.33
Let me tell you.
00:28:55.36\00:28:56.90
In fact, those who have studied
the nature of human being,
00:28:56.93\00:29:01.60
say changes
takes about three weeks
00:29:01.64\00:29:05.44
to be able to change a
habit into a new habit.
00:29:05.47\00:29:11.51
At least three weeks.
00:29:11.55\00:29:13.72
So that's not instant.
00:29:13.75\00:29:15.25
But God gives us
the new birth instantly,
00:29:15.28\00:29:18.45
but the new life
that's got to take place
00:29:18.49\00:29:21.66
is a process.
00:29:21.69\00:29:24.03
You'll remember the
story of the prodigal son
00:29:24.06\00:29:27.60
and how he was converted
down there in the pigpen.
00:29:27.63\00:29:31.30
And he changed his life.
00:29:31.33\00:29:34.00
As he went toward
his father's house,
00:29:34.04\00:29:37.41
he had a tremendous change
in attitude toward his father.
00:29:37.44\00:29:42.38
But we must never forget
00:29:42.41\00:29:44.18
that when conversion took place
00:29:44.21\00:29:47.65
with the prodigal
son, where was he?
00:29:47.68\00:29:51.85
He was still in the pigpen,
00:29:51.89\00:29:54.02
and the journey
back to his father's home
00:29:57.43\00:30:00.46
was a long, long journey.
00:30:00.50\00:30:03.90
Sure, he changed his attitude,
00:30:03.93\00:30:06.13
he changed toward
facing his father's home.
00:30:06.17\00:30:09.54
But it was a long journey home.
00:30:09.57\00:30:11.31
And so we must
not be discouraged
00:30:14.34\00:30:18.01
when we first become Christians.
00:30:18.05\00:30:20.72
And we accept the fact
that Jesus has justified us
00:30:20.75\00:30:25.49
and forgiven us,
00:30:25.52\00:30:27.96
and we're
accepted in the beloved.
00:30:27.99\00:30:30.09
But there is more yet,
00:30:30.13\00:30:32.03
there's more exciting
parts of the Christian life,
00:30:32.06\00:30:36.23
that are part of the gospel,
00:30:36.26\00:30:37.60
and that is that
God wants to change
00:30:37.63\00:30:39.27
our nature.
00:30:39.30\00:30:40.64
Now, the question is,
00:30:40.67\00:30:42.17
how do I live
the Christian life?
00:30:42.20\00:30:46.24
How do I follow the nitty-gritty
00:30:46.27\00:30:48.41
of Christian living day by day?
00:30:48.44\00:30:50.75
Well, let's say
that we've asked God
00:30:50.78\00:30:52.45
to forgive us our sins,
00:30:52.48\00:30:53.88
and we have been
justified by faith.
00:30:53.92\00:30:59.15
And the new birth is beginning
to take place in our life,
00:30:59.19\00:31:03.59
a change of our attitude
is beginning to take place.
00:31:03.63\00:31:07.60
And we're taking steps
now toward our father's home.
00:31:07.63\00:31:12.40
The best scripture
that I know in the Bible
00:31:12.43\00:31:16.47
that illustrates this point
00:31:16.50\00:31:19.21
is in the Chapter 15
of the Gospel of John.
00:31:19.24\00:31:23.75
I don't know of anything
that's more clear and simple,
00:31:23.78\00:31:27.88
even a child
really can understand
00:31:27.92\00:31:30.09
what Jesus is talking about.
00:31:30.12\00:31:31.75
That's why I love to
study what Jesus said,
00:31:31.79\00:31:34.12
because Jesus didn't deal
in deep theological language.
00:31:34.16\00:31:39.19
He used simple terms,
00:31:39.23\00:31:40.93
things that
everybody understands
00:31:40.96\00:31:43.23
to make the gospel
message very clear.
00:31:43.26\00:31:46.87
And as I said,
00:31:46.90\00:31:48.24
the clearest
scripture is John 15.
00:31:48.27\00:31:50.01
And it teaches that
what God wants us to do,
00:31:50.04\00:31:54.91
is natural, and
it's spontaneous.
00:31:54.94\00:32:00.08
And He teaches there
that obedience to all
00:32:00.12\00:32:02.65
that God requires us to do
00:32:02.68\00:32:05.35
is unforced.
00:32:05.39\00:32:09.79
It's the result
of something else.
00:32:09.82\00:32:11.53
In fact, let me
read you verse 4,
00:32:11.56\00:32:13.70
where it says
this, "Abide in me,"
00:32:13.73\00:32:16.77
this is John 15:4, "Abide in Me,
00:32:16.80\00:32:21.30
and I in you.
00:32:21.34\00:32:23.97
As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
00:32:24.01\00:32:28.61
unless it abides in the vine,
00:32:28.64\00:32:31.51
neither can you
unless you abide in Me."
00:32:31.55\00:32:36.35
Now you think about that verse.
00:32:36.38\00:32:39.69
And what Jesus is saying here.
00:32:39.72\00:32:41.66
Abiding, what does it
mean to abide with Christ?
00:32:41.69\00:32:47.10
He uses this word, abide.
00:32:47.13\00:32:48.96
What's another word
that we could use for abide?
00:32:49.00\00:32:51.70
Because sometimes,
when we use biblical terms,
00:32:51.73\00:32:55.30
we've heard them so often
00:32:55.34\00:32:57.44
that they can
shoot over our head.
00:32:57.47\00:33:00.38
And we can repeat them,
00:33:00.41\00:33:01.74
because we've
heard it many times.
00:33:01.78\00:33:03.85
But the meaning of it
00:33:03.88\00:33:05.21
doesn't always
settle in our minds.
00:33:05.25\00:33:06.65
What does it
mean to abide in me,
00:33:06.68\00:33:10.99
as Jesus speaks
here, abide in Him?
00:33:11.02\00:33:15.46
What's that mean?
00:33:15.49\00:33:19.09
Yes, if I was to use
the word relationship,
00:33:19.13\00:33:22.76
would that help us?
00:33:22.80\00:33:25.00
That Christ wants to be
in a relationship with us.
00:33:25.03\00:33:30.87
If you abide with
someone in your home,
00:33:30.91\00:33:33.44
that means
you're living with them.
00:33:33.48\00:33:37.88
Now, the same is
true here with Jesus,
00:33:37.91\00:33:40.72
He wants to live in us.
00:33:40.75\00:33:43.82
He wants to abide in us,
00:33:43.85\00:33:47.36
and to be in a
relationship with Christ.
00:33:47.39\00:33:49.96
And He wants us
to continue that way.
00:33:49.99\00:33:53.26
There are two
things that I noticed
00:33:53.29\00:33:55.23
as I read the 15th
Chapter of John through
00:33:55.26\00:33:58.93
that are very, very important.
00:33:58.97\00:34:01.37
The first is to come to Jesus.
00:34:01.40\00:34:04.37
That's the first
very, very important thing
00:34:04.41\00:34:07.21
to understand that
Jesus forgives me for my sins.
00:34:07.24\00:34:10.35
I come to Jesus, I
accept Him in my life.
00:34:10.38\00:34:15.68
But the second point
00:34:15.72\00:34:17.05
is just as
important as the first point,
00:34:17.09\00:34:19.49
and that is to stay with Jesus,
00:34:19.52\00:34:23.32
because there's no
good coming to Jesus,
00:34:23.36\00:34:25.46
if I don't stay with Him.
00:34:25.49\00:34:29.76
Anymore in a
married relationship,
00:34:29.80\00:34:32.43
you might get married,
00:34:32.47\00:34:34.04
but if you have no
relationship from then on,
00:34:34.07\00:34:37.71
there is no marriage.
00:34:37.74\00:34:39.07
Is that right?
00:34:39.11\00:34:40.44
And that's what
Jesus is saying here
00:34:40.48\00:34:42.64
that it might as I said,
00:34:42.68\00:34:44.58
might seem very
basic what I'm saying now,
00:34:44.61\00:34:47.78
except the fact
00:34:47.82\00:34:49.15
that the vast
majority of Christians
00:34:49.18\00:34:51.09
do not understand this,
00:34:51.12\00:34:53.66
because they are
under the delusion
00:34:53.69\00:34:56.02
that once you come to
Jesus and get with Him,
00:34:56.06\00:34:58.69
then everything is fine
from that point onwards,
00:34:58.73\00:35:02.53
but that's not true.
00:35:02.56\00:35:04.60
Because all of us
have got a sin problem.
00:35:04.63\00:35:09.17
How are we going to deal
00:35:09.20\00:35:10.71
with the sin
problem in our life?
00:35:10.74\00:35:13.81
And the only way that I
know as I read the Bible.
00:35:13.84\00:35:17.15
And I think you'll come to
exactly the same conclusion
00:35:17.18\00:35:19.61
if you study the Bible
00:35:19.65\00:35:20.98
is to abide with Christ
00:35:21.02\00:35:22.88
to be in a
continual relationship
00:35:22.92\00:35:24.99
with Him.
00:35:25.02\00:35:27.16
I need to stay with
Jesus and the union.
00:35:27.19\00:35:30.03
If I keep in union
with Jesus and abide in Him,
00:35:30.06\00:35:33.70
then He will take
care of the sin problem.
00:35:33.73\00:35:39.00
Now, how do I do that?
00:35:39.03\00:35:42.14
Colossians 2:6 makes
00:35:42.17\00:35:45.51
a very, very
important statement,
00:35:45.54\00:35:47.71
particularly those
who just want to emphasize
00:35:47.74\00:35:50.95
justification by faith
or one aspect of the gospel.
00:35:50.98\00:35:56.08
Colossians 2:6.
00:35:56.12\00:36:00.36
And this is what it says,
00:36:00.39\00:36:03.19
"As you therefore have received
00:36:03.22\00:36:07.86
Christ Jesus."
00:36:07.90\00:36:10.90
So how do we
receive Christ Jesus?
00:36:10.93\00:36:14.17
By faith, we accept His death
00:36:14.20\00:36:17.61
on the cross by
faith, isn't it right?
00:36:17.64\00:36:20.18
We're justified by faith,
00:36:20.21\00:36:22.31
as therefore you have
received Christ Jesus.
00:36:22.34\00:36:26.48
What does the rest of
the verse go on to say?
00:36:26.51\00:36:28.42
"So walk in Him."
00:36:28.45\00:36:31.82
In other words,
the walk with Jesus,
00:36:31.85\00:36:35.69
the staying with Jesus is
done in exactly the same way,
00:36:35.72\00:36:41.40
as coming to Jesus by faith.
00:36:41.43\00:36:46.17
I walk by faith,
00:36:46.20\00:36:48.04
sanctification is by faith,
00:36:48.07\00:36:50.34
the same as
justification is by faith.
00:36:50.37\00:36:55.31
And the word faith,
00:36:55.34\00:36:56.68
the best word that I believe
00:36:56.71\00:36:59.71
that you can come up with
00:36:59.75\00:37:01.08
when it comes to
describing faith.
00:37:01.12\00:37:03.02
Because I often have
people say to me, what is faith?
00:37:03.05\00:37:05.79
The Bible talks about, I
hear talked about so often,
00:37:05.82\00:37:08.46
what is faith?
00:37:08.49\00:37:11.93
The best
illustration that I know
00:37:11.96\00:37:14.03
is simply the word trust.
00:37:14.06\00:37:18.03
Because faith,
people say faith is belief.
00:37:18.07\00:37:20.80
Yes, it is belief.
00:37:20.84\00:37:22.37
But it's more than just that.
00:37:22.40\00:37:24.04
It's not just an
intellectual thing.
00:37:24.07\00:37:27.11
It's the word trust,
that you trust someone,
00:37:27.14\00:37:33.21
because I can believe someone.
00:37:33.25\00:37:38.25
But unless I'm
willing to trust them,
00:37:38.29\00:37:40.99
I really don't
believe them fully.
00:37:41.02\00:37:44.96
And that's what the
Bible talks here about faith,
00:37:44.99\00:37:48.26
it's talking about trust.
00:37:48.30\00:37:49.66
Every time we talk about faith,
00:37:49.70\00:37:51.57
you can substitute
in your mind trust,
00:37:51.60\00:37:55.00
just put the word trust there.
00:37:55.04\00:37:56.60
And that, that
helps us to understand
00:37:56.64\00:37:59.34
what the Bible means by faith.
00:37:59.37\00:38:01.51
It's not just an
intellectual thing.
00:38:01.54\00:38:06.18
It includes
understanding, of course,
00:38:06.21\00:38:09.32
and an intellectual side of it.
00:38:09.35\00:38:11.22
But it's vastly more than that.
00:38:11.25\00:38:12.95
It's to deal with trusting.
00:38:12.99\00:38:16.76
And in a relationship,
00:38:16.79\00:38:18.33
you've got to have trust
in that person, haven't you,
00:38:18.36\00:38:22.46
for it to work.
00:38:22.50\00:38:23.83
In fact, we walk
with Him by faith,
00:38:26.80\00:38:32.27
the same as we
come to Christ by faith.
00:38:32.31\00:38:35.88
In other words,
obedience is by faith alone,
00:38:35.91\00:38:41.18
the same as
forgiveness is by faith alone.
00:38:41.22\00:38:46.02
It's exactly the same.
00:38:46.05\00:38:49.39
And as we move along,
in the next few moments,
00:38:49.42\00:38:51.59
I'm going to explain
why that is so important.
00:38:51.63\00:38:53.73
Just have a look at
John Chapter 15 again,
00:38:53.76\00:38:56.46
and this time,
verse 4, where it says,
00:38:56.50\00:39:00.80
"Abide in me, and I in you.
00:39:00.84\00:39:02.90
As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,"
00:39:02.94\00:39:09.01
now that's very,
very important to notice,
00:39:09.04\00:39:11.91
"the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
00:39:11.95\00:39:15.38
unless it's connected or abides,
00:39:15.42\00:39:21.66
or in a
relationship with the vine,
00:39:21.69\00:39:25.16
neither can you
unless you abide in Me."
00:39:25.19\00:39:29.03
So it's very
important here to remember
00:39:29.06\00:39:31.70
that the fruitage that
Jesus is talking about here
00:39:31.73\00:39:35.60
is the fruit of the branch,
or is it the fruit of the vine?
00:39:35.64\00:39:41.11
What does the text say?
00:39:41.14\00:39:42.48
This is very
important to understand
00:39:42.51\00:39:44.85
at this particular point.
00:39:44.88\00:39:46.58
The fruitage,
00:39:46.61\00:39:47.95
is it of a branch
or is it of the vine?
00:39:47.98\00:39:51.32
It's of the vine.
00:39:51.35\00:39:54.92
Because Christ is the vine,
00:39:54.96\00:39:57.99
you and I are the
branches, isn't that right?
00:39:58.03\00:40:02.63
And it's not our fruit.
00:40:02.66\00:40:05.10
It's the fruit of Christ.
00:40:05.13\00:40:07.07
It's the fruit of the vine.
00:40:07.10\00:40:09.30
In other words, our obedience,
00:40:09.34\00:40:10.97
whatever we do in
the Christian life
00:40:11.01\00:40:12.97
is not our own righteousness.
00:40:13.01\00:40:15.21
It's the righteousness
of the vine of Christ.
00:40:15.24\00:40:20.78
And God wants us
to produce fruit,
00:40:20.82\00:40:23.45
because He,
originally He created us
00:40:23.49\00:40:26.19
in His image,
00:40:26.22\00:40:28.39
and He wants to work with us
00:40:28.42\00:40:30.19
and to produce fruit through us.
00:40:30.23\00:40:32.69
And if I try to
produce fruit as the branch,
00:40:32.73\00:40:39.63
and the branch is
detached from the vine,
00:40:39.67\00:40:42.94
as Jesus goes on to
say in John 15 here,
00:40:42.97\00:40:46.78
"The branch
will wither and die."
00:40:46.81\00:40:52.45
The only fruitage
00:40:52.48\00:40:54.82
that takes place is
the fruit of the vine.
00:40:54.85\00:40:59.45
And Jesus wants us
00:40:59.49\00:41:00.82
to be continually
connected to the vine.
00:41:00.86\00:41:03.16
And as long as we're
connected to the vine,
00:41:03.19\00:41:05.29
it's actually the fruit,
00:41:05.33\00:41:07.30
whatever righteousness
or whatever good deeds,
00:41:07.33\00:41:10.00
whatever we do, it's
not our righteousness.
00:41:10.03\00:41:14.04
It's actually the
righteousness of Christ
00:41:14.07\00:41:17.14
working through us.
00:41:17.17\00:41:20.24
In fact, have a look at verse 5,
00:41:20.28\00:41:23.98
where it goes on to say this.
00:41:24.01\00:41:26.21
"I am the vine,
you are the branches."
00:41:26.25\00:41:30.89
There it's very, very clear.
00:41:30.92\00:41:33.49
"He who abides in Me
00:41:33.52\00:41:35.86
and I in him bears much fruit,
00:41:35.89\00:41:39.63
for without Me
00:41:39.66\00:41:41.00
you can do nothing."
00:41:41.03\00:41:46.67
God wants us to produce fruit.
00:41:46.70\00:41:48.54
And He wants us to bear fruit.
00:41:48.57\00:41:51.34
And the context here
00:41:51.37\00:41:52.77
is that we can't do anything
toward producing the fruit,
00:41:52.81\00:41:57.65
except we abide in Jesus.
00:41:57.68\00:41:59.25
Now, if I want to
understand this subject
00:41:59.28\00:42:02.08
of righteousness by faith,
00:42:02.12\00:42:04.09
there are two
texts that sum it all up.
00:42:04.12\00:42:06.62
And if you just
remember these two verses,
00:42:06.65\00:42:09.12
you'll understand
righteousness by faith.
00:42:09.16\00:42:11.09
The first verse is,
00:42:11.13\00:42:12.53
"Without Me you can do nothing."
00:42:12.56\00:42:14.80
I just read it.
00:42:14.83\00:42:16.56
The second text
is Philippians 4:13,
00:42:16.60\00:42:19.03
"I can do all
things through Christ,
00:42:19.07\00:42:21.20
who strengthens me."
00:42:21.24\00:42:22.57
That's the summary of
righteousness by faith.
00:42:22.60\00:42:26.17
So the whole purpose
of the Christian life
00:42:26.21\00:42:28.54
is to produce fruitage.
00:42:28.58\00:42:34.05
And to live as
God wants us to live,
00:42:34.08\00:42:39.15
but our righteousness,
00:42:39.19\00:42:40.52
according to
Isaiah is as filthy rags.
00:42:40.56\00:42:42.49
So there's
nothing that I can do.
00:42:42.52\00:42:45.19
Even my best intentions,
00:42:45.23\00:42:46.86
even the most
helpful, wonderful,
00:42:46.90\00:42:50.07
good things that I do
and you do as individuals,
00:42:50.10\00:42:53.54
the Bible says,
00:42:53.57\00:42:54.90
our best endeavors
are filthy, filthy rags.
00:42:54.94\00:43:01.38
That's why none
of us can ever earn,
00:43:01.41\00:43:04.81
can ever do
anything to contribute
00:43:04.85\00:43:07.12
toward our salvation,
00:43:07.15\00:43:08.48
because there's nothing
00:43:08.52\00:43:09.85
that we've got
that can contribute.
00:43:09.88\00:43:11.22
And let me ask you this.
00:43:14.29\00:43:15.66
If we go over now to
the Book of Galatians 2:20,
00:43:15.69\00:43:20.30
I wanna read a verse
00:43:20.33\00:43:21.66
and then I want
to ask a question.
00:43:21.70\00:43:24.43
Galatians 2:20, which says this,
00:43:24.47\00:43:29.04
"I have been
crucified with Christ,
00:43:29.07\00:43:32.64
it is no longer I who live,
00:43:32.67\00:43:35.71
but Christ lives in me."
00:43:35.74\00:43:41.48
Once again, let's pause
00:43:41.52\00:43:42.85
as we think about
every word in this verse.
00:43:42.88\00:43:45.89
"And the life which I
now live in the flesh,
00:43:45.92\00:43:47.79
I live by faith
in the Son of God,
00:43:47.82\00:43:50.09
who loved me and
gave Himself for me."
00:43:50.13\00:43:53.70
Now the question I want to ask
00:43:53.73\00:43:55.66
as we think about
that, verse is this.
00:43:55.70\00:43:58.07
If Christ dwells in my heart,
00:44:02.07\00:44:04.77
and He dwells in your heart,
00:44:04.81\00:44:08.44
will He produce
an imperfect life?
00:44:08.48\00:44:13.55
If Christ is dwelling in me,
as we just read in our verse,
00:44:13.58\00:44:17.05
it's not I that live,
but Christ lives in me.
00:44:17.09\00:44:20.42
If Christ is in my heart,
00:44:20.46\00:44:21.96
will He produce
an imperfect life?
00:44:21.99\00:44:25.76
If the Holy Spirit
is dwelling in my life,
00:44:25.79\00:44:28.66
is He going to muck my life up?
00:44:28.70\00:44:32.43
Is He going to be imperfect?
00:44:32.47\00:44:34.47
Absolutely not,
00:44:34.50\00:44:36.17
because it is not I
that live according to Paul,
00:44:36.20\00:44:39.41
it is Christ that
takes over my life.
00:44:39.44\00:44:43.48
And then the question is asked,
00:44:43.51\00:44:47.25
is it possible then to
be obedient and to obey,
00:44:47.28\00:44:50.55
obey all that
God wants me to do?
00:44:50.59\00:44:54.32
Is it?
00:44:54.36\00:44:55.76
Absolutely,
00:44:55.79\00:44:57.76
because it's not
me that's doing it,
00:44:57.79\00:45:00.26
it is Christ dwelling in me.
00:45:00.30\00:45:04.27
And He couldn't
do anything else,
00:45:04.30\00:45:06.07
but live a perfect life,
00:45:06.10\00:45:09.30
it would be impossible.
00:45:09.34\00:45:11.84
If the Holy
Spirit lives in my life,
00:45:11.87\00:45:13.84
it is possible to
produce real obedience.
00:45:13.88\00:45:19.18
And if I take the truth
00:45:19.21\00:45:20.55
that when Jesus
died on the cross
00:45:20.58\00:45:22.68
and He made a
provision for me 2000 years ago,
00:45:22.72\00:45:27.52
and then I take the position
00:45:27.56\00:45:29.29
that living the Christian life
00:45:29.32\00:45:31.26
is totally my responsibility.
00:45:31.29\00:45:33.93
And so I start,
00:45:33.96\00:45:35.30
I've accepted justification
by faith as a gift.
00:45:35.33\00:45:38.83
But then the idea of
living the Christian life
00:45:38.87\00:45:41.60
now is up to me.
00:45:41.64\00:45:43.00
So I grit my teeth, I
get into my strong will.
00:45:43.04\00:45:48.24
And I determined
that I'm going to do this
00:45:48.28\00:45:50.51
and to do that.
00:45:50.55\00:45:53.72
It'll never work.
00:45:53.75\00:45:55.82
Because obedience,
00:45:55.85\00:45:57.29
no matter even if you
overcame certain bad habits,
00:45:57.32\00:46:01.56
or whatever other is
the problem in your life,
00:46:01.59\00:46:04.29
even if you did overcome it,
00:46:04.33\00:46:05.79
it's still regarded
by God as filthy rags.
00:46:05.83\00:46:09.70
Because it's only Christ
00:46:09.73\00:46:11.20
that can produce
true righteousness.
00:46:11.23\00:46:15.50
On the other hand,
00:46:15.54\00:46:16.87
I can still believe
that Christ took my place
00:46:16.91\00:46:18.54
on the cross
00:46:18.57\00:46:19.91
and made it possible
to have my sins forgiven,
00:46:19.94\00:46:24.55
yet when it comes to
the Christian living,
00:46:24.58\00:46:26.82
I also believe that
I cannot save myself
00:46:26.85\00:46:30.05
any more than I
could have saved myself
00:46:30.09\00:46:32.59
when Jesus died on at Golgotha.
00:46:32.62\00:46:35.96
He is able to produce obedience.
00:46:35.99\00:46:38.49
He is able to produce
righteousness which I cannot.
00:46:38.53\00:46:41.53
So the obedience
that comes from my life
00:46:41.56\00:46:44.27
comes by faith by
trusting in Jesus,
00:46:44.30\00:46:47.90
who will change my
life from the inside out.
00:46:47.94\00:46:52.57
That's the righteousness
00:46:52.61\00:46:54.34
that the Bible talks
about and wants us to have.
00:46:54.38\00:46:58.55
In fact, I noticed
if you read Timothy,
00:46:58.58\00:47:00.65
you'll find that Paul talks
when he's talking to Timothy,
00:47:00.68\00:47:03.89
about two fights.
00:47:03.92\00:47:05.69
There's the fight of sin,
00:47:05.72\00:47:07.99
and then there's
the fight of faith.
00:47:08.02\00:47:11.79
The fight of sin is the fight
00:47:11.83\00:47:13.40
that most of us
want to get into.
00:47:13.43\00:47:15.86
We recognize that
there are so many things
00:47:15.90\00:47:17.80
about our life that
are not really good,
00:47:17.83\00:47:19.97
and we got bad
habits, and so forth,
00:47:20.00\00:47:23.67
we set about
trying to fight them.
00:47:23.71\00:47:26.61
But all of us know that
that is a one way street
00:47:26.64\00:47:29.64
we can never overcome, it might.
00:47:29.68\00:47:31.18
Let me give you an example.
00:47:31.21\00:47:32.58
We might decide that
we're going to give up
00:47:32.61\00:47:34.15
eating sugar,
00:47:34.18\00:47:35.52
we know that it's
not very good for us.
00:47:35.55\00:47:37.02
And so I make a determination,
no more sugar in my life.
00:47:37.05\00:47:41.79
And, of course,
I love chocolate.
00:47:41.82\00:47:44.16
That's a major problem.
00:47:44.19\00:47:47.60
And so I grit my teeth.
00:47:47.63\00:47:50.10
And I try to determine
that I'm not going to do it.
00:47:50.13\00:47:54.27
But it always ends in failure,
00:47:54.30\00:47:56.44
because that's the fight of sin,
00:47:56.47\00:47:58.91
which none of us can ever fight
00:47:58.94\00:48:00.61
because we're fighting an enemy
00:48:00.64\00:48:02.34
that's so much
bigger and stronger,
00:48:02.38\00:48:04.65
and it's got more ability
than any of us will ever have.
00:48:04.68\00:48:09.32
He's been around a lot longer
00:48:09.35\00:48:10.69
than you and I have been around.
00:48:10.72\00:48:12.89
But the other fight
that Paul talks to Timothy,
00:48:12.92\00:48:16.16
he said is the fight of faith.
00:48:16.19\00:48:20.03
That's the fight that
God wants us to fight.
00:48:20.06\00:48:22.36
The fight of faith
is where we spend time
00:48:22.40\00:48:24.67
getting to know Jesus.
00:48:24.70\00:48:26.03
The fight of faith is to
spend enough time each day
00:48:26.07\00:48:29.40
getting to know Jesus,
00:48:29.44\00:48:30.77
so that He dwells in our
heart and drives out sin,
00:48:30.81\00:48:35.18
because it's impossible
to have light and darkness
00:48:35.21\00:48:37.65
at the same time.
00:48:37.68\00:48:41.32
The fruits of the
Spirit become natural.
00:48:41.35\00:48:44.85
When we have
Christ in our hearts,
00:48:44.89\00:48:46.89
the fruitage of
the Christian pathway
00:48:46.92\00:48:51.39
becomes natural,
and becomes automatic.
00:48:51.43\00:48:56.13
And more of us are
going to spend time
00:48:56.16\00:48:58.93
weeping often
about our failures,
00:48:58.97\00:49:02.27
because all of us know
00:49:02.30\00:49:05.14
that that fighting
trying to fight sin
00:49:05.17\00:49:07.81
is a losing battle,
00:49:07.84\00:49:10.51
but the fight of faith.
00:49:10.55\00:49:12.18
Let me read you something.
00:49:12.21\00:49:13.55
You know the story
that over here in Luke 17.
00:49:13.58\00:49:16.22
You know, when
Peter asked Jesus,
00:49:16.25\00:49:18.29
how many times
have I got to forgive?
00:49:18.32\00:49:21.22
And you remember what he said?
00:49:21.26\00:49:23.53
Seventy times seven.
00:49:23.56\00:49:26.23
Now, once again,
we glib over that.
00:49:26.26\00:49:29.40
But I want to suggest to
you here in Luke Chapter 17,
00:49:29.43\00:49:33.64
where Jesus says,
"Take heed yourselves.
00:49:33.67\00:49:35.57
If your brother
sins against you,
00:49:35.60\00:49:37.17
rebuke him, and if
he repents forgive him.
00:49:37.21\00:49:39.34
And if he sins against
you seven times in a day,
00:49:39.37\00:49:43.78
and seven times in a
day returns to you saying,
00:49:43.81\00:49:46.18
'I repent, you
shall forgive him.'"
00:49:46.21\00:49:50.02
Could you do that?
00:49:50.05\00:49:51.75
If someone has, is
trying to disgrace you,
00:49:51.79\00:49:57.13
and he does it seven times,
00:49:57.16\00:49:58.59
and he comes back
and ask you to forgive.
00:49:58.63\00:50:00.53
It's not within
our hearts to do that.
00:50:00.56\00:50:04.33
That's why the
disciples the next verses,
00:50:04.37\00:50:06.37
and the disciples said,
well, who then can be saved?
00:50:06.40\00:50:10.34
And God has made him a standard
00:50:10.37\00:50:13.81
that is impossible for us
00:50:13.84\00:50:15.31
to ever reach in
our own strength.
00:50:15.34\00:50:19.15
That's impossible.
00:50:19.18\00:50:21.08
Because someone forget,
00:50:21.12\00:50:22.58
you might forget
them once but to come back
00:50:22.62\00:50:24.65
and do it seven
times in the one day?
00:50:24.69\00:50:28.92
I don't think so.
00:50:28.96\00:50:32.26
And so, it's impossible
to live by that standard.
00:50:32.29\00:50:37.07
A few years ago, I
planted a fig tree in my house
00:50:37.10\00:50:40.64
and we love figs and last
year, we had abundance of figs.
00:50:40.67\00:50:46.04
But I've never
noticed that my fig tree
00:50:46.07\00:50:48.24
has to labor to produce figs,
00:50:48.28\00:50:49.81
it doesn't automatically.
00:50:49.84\00:50:51.65
As long as I prune it,
00:50:51.68\00:50:53.35
and then I
fertilize it and I water it,
00:50:53.38\00:50:56.42
the figs naturally appear.
00:50:56.45\00:51:00.22
And that's the way it
is in the Christian life.
00:51:00.26\00:51:02.16
God wants us to
spend time with Him
00:51:02.19\00:51:04.69
and automatically it
will change our life.
00:51:04.73\00:51:08.93
Let me read you a
statement that I think is just
00:51:08.96\00:51:12.80
such an amazing statement
00:51:12.83\00:51:14.94
from a book called
The Desire of Ages.
00:51:14.97\00:51:21.41
And Desire of Ages says this.
00:51:21.44\00:51:24.55
This is, to my
mind the greatest book
00:51:24.58\00:51:27.05
that's ever been
written outside the Bible
00:51:27.08\00:51:29.15
on the life of Christ.
00:51:29.18\00:51:30.89
And if you haven't got
this book in your library,
00:51:30.92\00:51:33.25
you must get it.
00:51:33.29\00:51:34.92
Write to 3ABN, and
they'll help you get it.
00:51:34.96\00:51:38.29
This is what is said,
00:51:38.33\00:51:39.83
"All true obedience
comes from the heart.
00:51:39.86\00:51:45.90
It was heart work with Christ.
00:51:45.93\00:51:47.97
And if we consent,
00:51:48.00\00:51:49.34
He will so identify Himself
with our thoughts and names,
00:51:49.37\00:51:52.34
so blend our hearts and minds
into conformity to His will,
00:51:52.37\00:51:56.61
that when obeying Him
we shall be carrying out,"
00:51:56.64\00:51:59.68
what?
00:51:59.71\00:52:01.15
"Our own impulses?"
00:52:01.18\00:52:02.72
How would you like to
have obedience like that,
00:52:02.75\00:52:05.05
that you were
doing it naturally?
00:52:05.09\00:52:07.76
That's what the aim says.
00:52:07.79\00:52:10.96
And then the
statement goes on to say,
00:52:10.99\00:52:13.33
"The will,
refined and sanctified,
00:52:13.36\00:52:16.13
will find its highest
delight in doing His service.
00:52:16.16\00:52:19.53
When we know God
00:52:19.57\00:52:21.47
as it is our
privilege to know Him,
00:52:21.50\00:52:25.21
our life will be
a life of," what?
00:52:25.24\00:52:28.58
"Continual obedience.
00:52:28.61\00:52:32.08
Through an appreciation
of the character of Christ,
00:52:32.11\00:52:34.38
through communion with God,
sin will become hateful to us."
00:52:34.42\00:52:41.02
And then I can read you
00:52:41.06\00:52:42.86
so the Bible says, if
I spend time with God,
00:52:42.89\00:52:46.06
sin will become hateful to me,
00:52:46.09\00:52:47.93
then is it
going to be a struggle
00:52:47.96\00:52:49.53
for me to give up sin
if it's hateful to me?
00:52:49.56\00:52:52.97
Of course not.
00:52:53.00\00:52:54.50
But I need to
spend time with God.
00:52:54.54\00:52:56.57
Let me read you
another verse from the Bible,
00:52:56.60\00:52:58.31
which says the same thing.
00:52:58.34\00:52:59.87
This is 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.
00:52:59.91\00:53:04.61
It says, "For the
weapons of our warfare
00:53:04.65\00:53:06.98
are not carnal
00:53:07.02\00:53:08.35
but mighty in God for
pulling down strongholds,
00:53:08.38\00:53:11.52
casting down arguments
00:53:11.55\00:53:12.89
and every high
thing that exalts itself
00:53:12.92\00:53:14.69
against the knowledge of God,
00:53:14.72\00:53:16.06
bringing every
thought into captivity
00:53:16.09\00:53:19.89
to the obedience of Christ."
00:53:19.93\00:53:21.60
Every thought Paul says,
00:53:21.63\00:53:23.83
so it's possible.
00:53:23.87\00:53:25.97
But apart from
Christ, it is impossible.
00:53:26.00\00:53:30.14
And in Matthew 5:16,
00:53:30.17\00:53:32.61
we're told that the reason
00:53:32.64\00:53:33.98
why that we come to Christ
00:53:34.01\00:53:38.18
so that we can bring
glory and honor to God.
00:53:38.21\00:53:41.78
And God is asking us
to be faithful to Him.
00:53:41.82\00:53:46.39
And as we read
back in Revelation 3:21,
00:53:46.42\00:53:51.29
where it says,
00:53:51.33\00:53:52.66
"You are to
overcome as I overcame."
00:53:52.69\00:53:56.53
People say to me,
"Well, Geoff, I can't obey."
00:53:56.56\00:54:01.17
Well, my answer is,
neither could the paralytic.
00:54:01.20\00:54:04.57
But Jesus gave him the
power to be able to walk.
00:54:04.61\00:54:08.48
You remember
the story of Joshua,
00:54:08.51\00:54:10.05
he couldn't make
the son stand still.
00:54:10.08\00:54:12.55
But he did, because
of the power of God.
00:54:12.58\00:54:15.42
And so God is inviting
us to spend time with Him
00:54:15.45\00:54:18.65
and I want to
make one challenge.
00:54:18.69\00:54:20.69
And that is to us all,
00:54:20.72\00:54:22.46
that we spend time every day
00:54:22.49\00:54:24.49
getting to know Jesus.
00:54:24.53\00:54:25.96
And I promise you
that if you do that,
00:54:25.99\00:54:28.73
then God will give you obedience
00:54:28.76\00:54:30.67
and give you victory,
00:54:30.70\00:54:32.03
and you'll be an overcomer
exactly what Jesus said.
00:54:32.07\00:54:35.50