3ABN presents The
Robe with Stephen Bohr.
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Welcome... welcome to The Robe.
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The series The
Robe, brought to you from
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Three Angels
Broadcasting Network
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direct from southern
Illinois to all the world.
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It is truly amazing to consider
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that the signal from
here goes up to two satellites
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another satellite, another
satellite, another satellite
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till it reaches the
world with ten satellites.
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Glory be to God!
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And we can expect to receive
a blessing in this service
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for the next hour. You
have come to the place where you
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can study God's
Word with assurance
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that you will
receive a blessing.
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We have been
privileged to be on the air
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for many years
broadcasting God's truth
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through Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
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We encourage you to
pray for this ministry
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and support this
ministry that is doing so much
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to bring God's good
news to every kindred,
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tongue, and people.
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We are receiving
letters, e- mails, phone calls
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from different
countries letting us know
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how they are being blessed
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through Three Angels
Broadcasting ministry.
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It's amazing to hear
some of those reports.
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We even hear of
atheists saying they're watching
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and they see that we
are preaching God's Word.
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Isn't that amazing?
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We have seen drug
addicts, we have seen witches -
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people that practice
witchcraft, come to the Lord.
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And it is only because
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there is power when
you preach God's Word.
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And today we have
God's servant with us,
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Pastor Stephen Bohr, who
is the director and speaker
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for Secrets Unsealed.
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This is topic number four
of a series of five sermons
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through the
series called The Robe.
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At this particular time we
have a message from God's Word
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that is entitled
Wearing the Robe.
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Wearing the Robe.
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So we hope you prepare
your hearts and your minds
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to study God's Word together.
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We have a wonderful
group of God's children here.
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And we know there are
thousands and perhaps millions
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watching in
different parts of the world.
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So we are going to
ask God for His blessing,
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and Pastor Bohr will
be leading us in prayer
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and in the study of God's Word.
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So thank you for being with us,
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and we know you will be blessed.
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And those that are
watching in different places
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don't turn to another page
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as they say on the Internet.
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Don't go to another channel
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because God wants you here
to receive His blessing for you.
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So at this time, Pastor Bohr,
we leave the rest of the time
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with you. And may God bless
us together as we study His Word
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which is rich in
truth for everyone of us.
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Thank you very much, John.
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Appreciate that introduction.
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It's good to have you
all here again this afternoon
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to continue studying
this very important series
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on The Robe... The Robe of Life.
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Before we begin our
study this afternoon,
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we do want to ask
for the Lord's blessing.
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And so I invite you to bow
your heads with me as we pray.
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Father in Heaven,
what a joy it has been
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to be in Your presence.
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There is no better
place to be on planet earth
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than in Your presence.
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And Father, we ask that
as we open Your Holy Word
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this afternoon, that Your
Holy Spirit will be present
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through the
ministration of the angels.
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We ask, Father, that You
will give us clarity of thought
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and that You will give
us willing hearts to receive
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the seed of truth.
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I ask, Father that You will
bless those who are watching
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on television, those who
are listening on the radio.
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I ask that You will
touch their hearts as well.
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And Father, we thank you
for the privilege of approaching
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Your throne in prayer
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and we thank you for hearing us.
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For we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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I'd like to begin
this afternoon by reading
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a statement that we
find in the Review & Herald
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June 4, 1895.
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It's a statement
written by Ellen White,
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and I'm sure you probably
have read this statement before.
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Here Ellen White -
inspired by God's Spirit -
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said this:
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You see, we need imputed
AND imparted righteousness.
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The imputed righteousness
is our title to heaven.
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The imparted righteousness
is our fitness for heaven.
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Now we're going to discover
in our study this afternoon
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that these two
dimensions of righteousness
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can be distinguished but
they cannot be separated.
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It's like you can't separate
a fountain from a stream.
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And so you can't
separate imputed and imparted
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righteousness.
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Now let's review briefly
what we've studied so far.
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We've studied mostly about
Christ's imputed righteousness.
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That when the Lord
leads us to repentance,
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we confess our sin.
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We trust and
believe in Jesus Christ.
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And it's a faith that
is dynamic and active,
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and we're baptized.
Jesus takes His life
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and His death and
credits these to our account.
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And God looks upon us
as if we had never sinned.
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We are accepted in the beloved.
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This is the imputed
righteousness of Christ.
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But in our topic this
afternoon we want to study
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about the imparted
righteousness of Jesus Christ
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which flows from an experience
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of having the imputed
righteousness of Jesus.
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You see, Jesus not only
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wanted to live for us
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but Jesus also
wants to live in us.
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Jesus not only
wants us to be in Him...
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He wants to be in us.
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Jesus not only
lived and died for us
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but Jesus wants to live in us.
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Now some people say:
"No, righteousness that
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Jesus gives us is
only imputed righteousness.
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I beg to differ
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because
scripture clearly tells us
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that the robe of righteousness
does not only include
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Christ's imputed righteousness
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but also the imparted
righteousness of Christ
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that leads us to act right.
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Now allow me to read you
a passage from scripture:
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Revelation chapter 19
and verses 6 through 8.
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Revelation 19
verses 6 through 8.
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Here it's speaking
about that great group
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that will
eventually be in the kingdom
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singing praises to God.
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It says this:
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"And I heard as it were
the voice of a great multitude
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as the sound of many waters
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and as the sound
of mighty thunderings.
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saying: 'Hallelujah,
for the Lord God omnipotent
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reigns. Let us
be glad and rejoice
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and give Him glory for the
marriage of the Lamb has come
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and his wife has
made herself ready. '
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And to her it was
granted to be arrayed
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in fine linen,
clean and bright. "
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Now notice what
that fine linen is.
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It says: "For the fine
linen is the righteous acts
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of the saints. "
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Interesting. What
is the white linen?
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The righteous acts of whom?
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Of saints. Now, what
John is trying to say
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inspired by the Holy
Spirit is not that the righteous
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acts are ours.
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It is Jesus acting
and living through us.
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It is still His righteousness.
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It is not our righteousness
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because we have no righteousness
whether it's imputed
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or imparted. And by the way,
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imparted righteousness
is not meritorious.
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The meritorious righteousness
is the righteousness
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that Jesus Christ imputes to us.
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And then as a result we
have imparted righteousness
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that leads to holy living.
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The apostle Paul
expressed it by saying:
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"I don't live anymore;
Jesus Christ lives in me. "
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Galatians
chapter 2 and verse 20.
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So if it's Christ living in me
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then for whom is the glory?
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The glory is not for me.
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The glory is for Jesus
who is living His life in me.
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Now allow me to read
you an interesting passage
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from the book
Christ Object Lessons.
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Once again, the last
chapter of Christ Object Lessons
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where Ellen White
describes this robe of imparted
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righteousness. Christ
Object Lessons page 311 and 312.
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Not only impute but
impart she continues saying.
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"By His perfect obedience
He has made it possible
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for every human being to
obey God's commandments. "
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Now the question is:
how can this be done?
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Ellen White now explains.
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"When we submit ourselves
to Christ" - there's the key -
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"When we submit ourselves
to Christ, the heart is united
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with His heart. The will
is merged with His will. "
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Not our life... His life!
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And then she says:
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See, we live His life.
This is what it means to be
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clothed with the
garment of His righteousness.
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It's still His... not mine.
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Then she continues saying:
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What a marvelous statement.
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Now the question is:
how do we submit to Jesus?
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How is that we can
live the life of Jesus
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and enjoy fully His
imparted righteousness?
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In order to understand
this, we need to understand
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certain things
about God's holy law.
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Now I'd like to begin
by asking: What is sin
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according to the scriptures?
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Every Adventist knows
the answer to that question.
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I John chapter 3 and verse 4,
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and I'm reading this
from the King James version
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which I like the
best in this case.
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It says in I John 3:4:
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"Whoever committeth sin
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transgresseth also the law
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for sin is the
transgression of the law. "
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And you know when we read that
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immediately as Adventists
what comes to our mind is
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that sin is
breaking the Ten Commandments
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written on tables of stone.
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But that's only
part of the story.
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You see, as
Adventists we usually think
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of the Ten Commandments
written on tables of stone.
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But the Ten Commandments
are merely a written transcript
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of who God is in His person.
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And so if the Ten Commandments
are a written transcript
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of who God is in His
character and in His person
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to transgress the
Ten Commandments means to
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transgress against God
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who is reflected in
the Ten Commandments
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written on tables of stone.
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Let me exemplify what I mean.
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One of my favorite national
parks of the United States
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is Grand Teton National Park
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out in northwest
Wyoming. Spectacular!
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I used to go there every year
when I was pastoring in Wyoming.
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They would send us
pastors to preach up in the park
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to all of the tourists -
Adventist tourists - that came.
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And one of my favorite
places there at Grand Teton
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is a location where
you have these beautiful,
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ragged mountains
in the background
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and you have
beautiful, beautiful pine trees
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in the foreground, and then
you have a crystal clear lake.
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And one of my favorite
activities was to go real early
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in the morning when
there was absolutely no wind
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and everything was
calm and just sit there
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next to the lake and look
in the lake at the perfect
00:14:44.37\00:14:47.84
reflection of the
mountains and the trees
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in that lake.
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And you know, I have pictures
of that specific location.
00:14:54.95\00:14:59.55
It's spectacular! But you
know, this was when you had to
00:14:59.65\00:15:02.21
develop pictures... now
you have digital pictures.
00:15:02.41\00:15:04.09
But when you had to
develop the pictures
00:15:04.29\00:15:05.72
I had them in hard-copy form.
00:15:05.92\00:15:07.21
And you know, even today
when I look at the picture
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I don't know which side
is up and which side is down
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because the
reflection is so perfect
00:15:14.12\00:15:16.93
that you don't know
which is the original
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and which is the reflection.
00:15:20.21\00:15:21.40
That is the relationship between
00:15:21.60\00:15:24.91
God and His law.
00:15:25.11\00:15:27.46
You see, the law is
Jesus Christ in written form.
00:15:27.76\00:15:31.95
And when we
transgress the written law
00:15:32.26\00:15:34.97
we're transgressing
against Jesus as a person.
00:15:35.17\00:15:38.87
In fact, allow me to read
you an interesting statement
00:15:39.17\00:15:41.93
from Ellen White: SDA
Bible Commentary volume 5
00:15:42.13\00:15:45.42
page 1131.
00:15:45.62\00:15:48.05
This is a
magnificent statement. She says:
00:15:48.35\00:15:51.09
That's amazing.
00:15:57.40\00:15:59.04
God thinks and Jesus
speaks the thoughts of God.
00:15:59.24\00:16:02.54
And then she continues saying:
00:16:02.84\00:16:05.69
And now comes the portion that
00:16:30.39\00:16:31.61
I want us to particularly
reflect on. She says:
00:16:31.81\00:16:34.67
What does embodiment mean?
00:16:49.44\00:16:52.60
It means that Jesus is
the law in living form.
00:16:52.90\00:16:58.04
Jesus is the law in bodily form.
00:16:58.54\00:17:02.40
He is the
embodiment of the law of God.
00:17:02.70\00:17:06.76
In other words, Jesus
lived the law in His life.
00:17:07.06\00:17:11.47
He was a living illustration of
what the written law of God is.
00:17:11.77\00:17:17.36
The written law of God
is simply the reflection
00:17:17.66\00:17:20.31
in the lake - so to
speak - of Jesus and what He is
00:17:20.51\00:17:24.00
in His person. Notice
Psalm 40 and verses 7-8
00:17:24.20\00:17:29.86
where Jesus - in a Messianic
passage -is spoken about.
00:17:30.06\00:17:34.71
Psalm 40 and verses 7 and 8.
00:17:35.01\00:17:38.56
By the way, this is
the Messiah speaking
00:17:38.86\00:17:40.88
long before He was born.
00:17:41.08\00:17:42.77
So the law was actually
incarnate in Jesus Christ.
00:18:02.11\00:18:07.40
The written law -
the Ten Commandments -
00:18:07.50\00:18:09.83
were written in flesh
00:18:09.93\00:18:12.62
and Jesus lived out
the Ten Commandments.
00:18:12.72\00:18:15.53
You see, one of the problems
that we have as Adventists
00:18:15.73\00:18:18.39
is we have the
tendency to think that sin
00:18:18.60\00:18:20.91
means breaking a
list of ten rules.
00:18:21.11\00:18:24.68
That sin means breaking a law
00:18:24.98\00:18:27.12
that is written
on tables of stone.
00:18:27.32\00:18:29.27
But scripture
makes it clear that sin
00:18:29.57\00:18:32.10
is not only breaking command-
ments on tablets of stone.
00:18:32.30\00:18:36.02
Sin is against a
person who is reflected
00:18:36.22\00:18:40.00
in those Ten
Commandments. Sin is PERSONAL.
00:18:40.20\00:18:43.85
Let me give you some
Biblical examples of this.
00:18:44.15\00:18:47.18
You remember the
story of Joseph, right?
00:18:47.48\00:18:49.94
How Potiphar's wife
came to Joseph and tried
00:18:50.25\00:18:53.60
to entice him into
committing adultery.
00:18:53.70\00:18:55.67
Let me ask you: if
Joseph had committed adultery,
00:18:55.87\00:18:58.30
would he have been breaking
the 7th commandment that says
00:18:58.50\00:19:00.84
"Thou shalt not
commit adultery? "
00:19:01.04\00:19:02.40
Yes. Would he have been
breaking the commandment
00:19:02.60\00:19:04.81
that says "Thou
shalt not covet? "
00:19:04.91\00:19:06.86
Absolutely. But notice that
when she tried to entice Joseph
00:19:07.06\00:19:10.20
Joseph didn't
say: "How can I do this
00:19:10.40\00:19:13.56
and break the 7th commandment? "
00:19:13.76\00:19:16.01
"How could I do this and
break the 10th commandment? "
00:19:16.31\00:19:19.39
No! Notice
Genesis 39 and verse 9.
00:19:19.69\00:19:23.34
Genesis 39 and verse
9... here Joseph is speaking:
00:19:23.54\00:19:28.53
"against the 7th commandment.
" That's not what it says.
00:19:43.73\00:19:47.41
Sin against who? Against
You. Because when we break
00:19:47.71\00:19:51.42
the written law we're
sinning against the person
00:19:51.52\00:19:54.18
who is reflected
in that written law.
00:19:54.38\00:19:57.24
You know when the plague
of locusts fell upon Egypt
00:19:58.57\00:20:01.18
we find in Exodus
chapter 10 verse 16
00:20:02.07\00:20:05.05
that even Pharaoh recognized
that sin was not merely breaking
00:20:05.25\00:20:08.96
a list of rules
on tables of stone.
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.22
He recognized that sin
was against a person... God...
00:20:11.42\00:20:14.19
because God is
reflected in His law.
00:20:14.39\00:20:16.20
He calls Moses and he says:
00:20:16.50\00:20:18.29
Once again, sin
is against a person.
00:20:24.10\00:20:28.85
And of course you remember when
Israel worshiped the golden calf
00:20:29.15\00:20:33.28
Moses went to the
top of the mountain
00:20:33.48\00:20:35.54
and he pleaded for the life
of Israel because God had said:
00:20:35.74\00:20:38.85
"I'm going to
wipe out these people
00:20:39.02\00:20:40.53
and I'm going to
choose another people
00:20:40.73\00:20:42.93
that will be obedient to Me. "
00:20:43.13\00:20:44.42
Moses interceded for
Israel, and I want you to notice
00:20:44.72\00:20:48.41
what God said to Moses.
00:20:48.61\00:20:50.77
This is in Exodus 32 verse 33.
00:20:50.97\00:20:53.52
By the way, had they
broken the commandment
00:21:01.74\00:21:03.67
"Thou shalt have no
other gods before Me? "
00:21:03.87\00:21:05.38
Had they broken the commandment
00:21:05.58\00:21:06.94
"Thou shalt not
make any graven image? "
00:21:07.05\00:21:08.84
Absolutely. They had
broken the written law
00:21:08.94\00:21:11.12
but Jesus says... but God says:
00:21:11.32\00:21:13.88
"Whoever has sinned against Me
00:21:14.08\00:21:16.90
I will blot out of My book. "
00:21:17.11\00:21:19.14
You remember the sin of Achan
00:21:19.24\00:21:21.88
when Israel
entered the Promised Land?
00:21:22.18\00:21:24.02
That he took some
gold and some silver
00:21:24.12\00:21:25.73
and a precious
Babylonian garment?
00:21:25.93\00:21:28.36
You know, when he
was finally discovered
00:21:28.66\00:21:30.40
notice what Achan had to say.
00:21:30.60\00:21:32.40
By the way, had he
broken the commandment
00:21:32.60\00:21:34.05
"Thou shalt not covet? "
00:21:34.15\00:21:35.25
Had he broken the commandment
"Thou shalt not steal"
00:21:35.45\00:21:37.93
in the written law? Yes, but
notice what Achan had to say.
00:21:38.03\00:21:41.08
Joshua 7 and verse 20:
00:21:41.28\00:21:44.14
"Indeed I have sinned
against the Ten Commandments. "
00:21:47.92\00:21:52.44
No, he says:
00:21:52.64\00:21:54.40
His sin was breaking
the 10th commandment.
00:22:01.11\00:22:03.63
It was breaking the commandment
"Thou shalt not steal, "
00:22:03.83\00:22:06.25
but the sin was against whom?
00:22:06.45\00:22:08.79
Was against God because
God is reflected in His law.
00:22:08.99\00:22:12.39
His sin was not against the
list of rules and regulations.
00:22:12.59\00:22:16.19
His sin was against a person.
00:22:16.39\00:22:20.16
Now you remember when
David committed adultery
00:22:20.46\00:22:23.67
and also for all practical
purposes committed murder
00:22:23.97\00:22:28.03
that David wrote Psalm 51.
00:22:28.24\00:22:32.41
Even David understood
that even though he had broken
00:22:32.71\00:22:35.88
the 7th commandment,
00:22:35.98\00:22:37.00
even though he had
broken the 6th commandment
00:22:37.20\00:22:38.81
that said "Thou shalt
not kill, " he realized that
00:22:39.01\00:22:41.39
his sin was
really against the Lord.
00:22:41.59\00:22:44.31
And so in Psalm 51 and verse 4
00:22:44.52\00:22:47.49
we find these words
of David written to God:
00:22:47.69\00:22:52.27
Who did David sin against?
Only 10 written commandments?
00:22:58.64\00:23:02.55
No! "Against You, You
only, have I sinned... "
00:23:02.75\00:23:06.84
Let me give you one... a
couple of final examples -
00:23:16.92\00:23:19.50
one from the Old Testament and
another from the New Testament -
00:23:19.70\00:23:22.98
on how sin is personal.
00:23:23.18\00:23:25.34
It's against a person.
00:23:25.54\00:23:26.63
When we break the written law
00:23:26.83\00:23:28.11
we're sinning
against God as a person
00:23:28.31\00:23:29.99
because God is
original in His character.
00:23:30.19\00:23:35.31
In living flesh is what
the Ten Commandments say.
00:23:35.51\00:23:39.89
You remember
Daniel's penitential prayer
00:23:40.10\00:23:43.50
in Daniel 9:10 and 11
where is pouring out his heart
00:23:43.70\00:23:46.90
to God and he's saying: "God,
please fulfill Your promise.
00:23:47.10\00:23:50.03
After 70 years restore
Your people to their land. "
00:23:50.23\00:23:52.91
I want you to notice there's
an interesting interchange
00:23:53.11\00:23:56.12
of concepts in verses 10 and 11.
00:23:56.32\00:23:58.55
Notice what it says.
00:23:58.75\00:24:00.07
Daniel speaking to
God in prayer says:
00:24:00.37\00:24:03.03
So breaking the law... It
said that the broke the law.
00:24:34.73\00:24:37.48
It's mentioned twice.
But at the end of verse 11
00:24:37.51\00:24:41.24
it says: "We have
sinned against" whom?
00:24:41.45\00:24:44.74
"We have sinned against
Him... " against the Lord.
00:24:44.94\00:24:47.82
You remember the
story of the prodigal son?
00:24:48.12\00:24:49.85
Did he break the
commandment that says:
00:24:50.15\00:24:52.25
"Honor your
father and your mother? "
00:24:52.45\00:24:53.88
You better believe he did.
00:24:54.08\00:24:55.15
Did he break the
commandment "Thou shalt not
00:24:55.35\00:24:56.47
commit adultery? " At
least his brother said
00:24:56.67\00:24:58.60
that he went out
with the harlots.
00:24:58.80\00:25:00.28
So evidently he broke
the 7th commandment too.
00:25:00.58\00:25:02.67
And yet when he comes back home
00:25:02.97\00:25:05.64
he doesn't say: "Father,
00:25:05.84\00:25:08.05
I have sinned by breaking
the commandment that says
00:25:08.25\00:25:12.34
"Honor your
father and your mother. "
00:25:12.54\00:25:13.62
"I have sinned, Father,
00:25:13.82\00:25:16.84
by sleeping with harlots. "
00:25:17.04\00:25:20.46
What did he say?
00:25:20.76\00:25:21.96
"I have sinned against
heaven and against" who?
00:25:22.17\00:25:25.47
"Against you! And I am no more
worthy to be called your son. "
00:25:25.67\00:25:30.01
Are you understanding
the relationship between
00:25:30.31\00:25:33.40
God and His law?
00:25:33.61\00:25:35.53
You see, God is
the law in living form.
00:25:35.83\00:25:41.30
Jesus came to this world. The
law was written in His heart.
00:25:41.60\00:25:44.84
The written law was in
the tables of His heart
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.81
and therefore Jesus
lived what the law is.
00:25:48.01\00:25:51.90
You see, folks, when we
break merely a written code...
00:25:52.20\00:25:56.52
Stone is cold... inanimate.
00:25:56.82\00:26:01.56
Unfeeling... hard.
00:26:01.86\00:26:06.24
When you break
the Ten Commandments
00:26:06.54\00:26:08.00
the Ten
Commandments cannot shed tears.
00:26:08.20\00:26:10.99
The Ten Commandments
cannot say: "I forgive you"
00:26:11.29\00:26:14.73
because the Ten Commandments
are simply the reflection
00:26:15.04\00:26:18.31
of who God is in His person.
00:26:18.42\00:26:20.45
But when you sin you
do hurt the heart of God.
00:26:20.65\00:26:24.43
God does shed tears,
00:26:24.73\00:26:27.24
and God can say:
"I forgive you. "
00:26:27.44\00:26:29.97
Do you know, there's something
that I've never been able
00:26:30.27\00:26:33.07
to understand, and that is
that there are many Christians
00:26:33.27\00:26:36.48
who say that the law
was nailed to the cross.
00:26:36.68\00:26:40.18
Now allow me to read
you an interesting statement
00:26:40.48\00:26:43.78
from the book
The Great Controversy
00:26:43.98\00:26:46.11
where Ellen White is talking
about the sin of the Jewish
00:26:47.27\00:26:51.30
nation and the sin of
the Christian world today.
00:26:51.40\00:26:54.12
I used to read this and
I thought that they were
00:26:54.33\00:26:56.04
two different sins. But
really they're the same sin
00:26:56.24\00:26:58.69
looked at from different angles.
00:26:58.89\00:27:00.88
Notice Great
Controversy page 22:
00:27:01.18\00:27:04.03
Did they claim to
uphold the law of God?
00:27:08.84\00:27:11.34
Yes, they
claimed to uphold the law
00:27:11.54\00:27:14.84
but they rejected Jesus
who is a personal reflection
00:27:15.04\00:27:19.35
of the law. Now what
about the Christian world?
00:27:19.55\00:27:22.26
She continues saying:
00:27:22.56\00:27:23.84
Interesting!
00:27:33.20\00:27:35.41
The Jews upheld the law
and they rejected Jesus.
00:27:35.62\00:27:38.61
The Christian world
claims to uphold Jesus
00:27:38.81\00:27:41.41
and rejects the law.
00:27:41.61\00:27:43.38
And by the way,
when you crucify the law
00:27:43.68\00:27:46.36
you are crucifying
Jesus because Jesus
00:27:46.56\00:27:49.04
is reflected in the law.
00:27:49.24\00:27:51.44
So crucifying the law
means crucifying whom?
00:27:51.74\00:27:54.87
Means crucifying Jesus.
00:27:55.17\00:27:57.33
You cannot love
Jesus and crucify the law
00:27:57.63\00:28:00.37
because the law is a
reflection of who Jesus is.
00:28:00.57\00:28:03.23
So when you crucify the law
you're really crucifying Jesus
00:28:03.53\00:28:08.24
Himself.
00:28:08.45\00:28:09.90
You see, folks,
00:28:10.30\00:28:13.03
the true Christian
feels love and hatred
00:28:13.33\00:28:18.79
at the same time. You
say "Now wait a minute. "
00:28:18.99\00:28:21.90
Say the Christian feels
love and hatred? Absolutely!
00:28:22.11\00:28:25.38
Jesus did.
00:28:25.68\00:28:28.23
Notice Hebrews
chapter 1 and verse 9.
00:28:28.54\00:28:31.26
Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 9.
00:28:31.57\00:28:34.06
Here it's speaking about Jesus.
00:28:34.36\00:28:37.16
And it says: "You
have loved righteousness
00:28:37.36\00:28:42.75
and hated" what? "Lawlessness. "
00:28:42.95\00:28:48.05
Same word... transgression
of the law in I John 3:4.
00:28:48.35\00:28:52.00
Therefore God, your God,
has anointed you with oil
00:28:52.30\00:28:56.47
of gladness more
than your companions. "
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.89
What did Jesus love?
00:29:00.19\00:29:02.21
Righteousness.
00:29:02.51\00:29:03.81
What did He hate?
00:29:03.91\00:29:05.53
Lawlessness or the
breaking of the law.
00:29:05.83\00:29:08.80
Now Ellen White amplifies this
00:29:09.10\00:29:12.25
love/hate idea
concerning Jesus and us.
00:29:12.45\00:29:16.37
You know, usually what we do is
00:29:16.67\00:29:18.77
we love the sin
and hate the sinner.
00:29:18.97\00:29:21.13
But with Jesus He hated
sin and He loved the sinner.
00:29:22.76\00:29:26.39
Notice Selected
Messages volume 1 page 254.
00:29:26.69\00:29:30.52
"Never before had there
been a being upon the earth
00:29:30.82\00:29:36.26
who hated sin with so perfect
a hatred as did Christ. "
00:29:36.46\00:29:42.19
Because He was
the law in person.
00:29:42.49\00:29:45.05
And the law of God and
sin cannot live together.
00:29:45.35\00:29:48.10
She continues saying:
00:29:48.41\00:29:49.99
"He had seen its
deceiving, infatuating
00:29:50.29\00:29:54.06
power upon the holy angels,
00:29:54.26\00:29:55.96
and all His powers
were enlisted against it. "
00:29:56.16\00:30:00.82
But then in the devotional
book This Day With God
00:30:01.12\00:30:04.63
page 279 she says:
"While He hated sin
00:30:04.83\00:30:09.24
with a perfect hatred" - because
He was the law in living form;
00:30:09.34\00:30:13.79
He was the law in bodily
form, incompatible with sin -
00:30:13.99\00:30:17.39
she says: "While He
hated sin with a perfect hatred
00:30:17.59\00:30:20.67
He could weep over the sinner. "
00:30:20.88\00:30:23.85
You see, folks, sin is deeper
than breaking a list of rules
00:30:25.32\00:30:28.92
and regulations.
00:30:29.12\00:30:30.45
Sin is more than just
breaking the written law.
00:30:30.65\00:30:33.83
Now I'm not saying that it's
not breaking the written law.
00:30:34.13\00:30:36.44
But the written law is
given because there are people
00:30:36.75\00:30:39.41
to have relationships.
00:30:39.61\00:30:41.29
Isn't it true that when we break
the law we break relationships?
00:30:41.59\00:30:44.55
Notice Isaiah 59 and verse 2.
00:30:44.85\00:30:47.78
Isaiah 59 and verse 2.
00:30:48.08\00:30:50.49
Here, Isaiah - the
gospel prophet - says:
00:30:50.79\00:30:54.51
"And God... " He's
actually quoting God...
00:30:54.71\00:30:56.73
What does iniquity do? It what?
00:31:01.89\00:31:05.22
Separates us from our God.
00:31:05.52\00:31:07.59
And so when we break the
law what are we breaking?
00:31:18.05\00:31:21.20
Relationships.
00:31:21.50\00:31:23.02
Because the law
describes perfect relationships.
00:31:23.32\00:31:25.95
Let me ask you: what
good would it do to say
00:31:26.06\00:31:28.03
"Thou shalt not kill"
if there's no one to kill?
00:31:28.23\00:31:30.25
What good would it do to say:
"Thou shalt not commit adultery"
00:31:31.75\00:31:34.74
if there's no one to
commit adultery with?
00:31:34.94\00:31:36.97
What good would it do to
say "Thou shalt not covet"
00:31:37.27\00:31:40.42
if there's no one
whose possessions or wife
00:31:40.62\00:31:44.93
there is to covet?
00:31:45.13\00:31:46.53
What good would it do... to say:
00:31:46.73\00:31:48.75
"Keep the Sabbath of the Lord"
00:31:48.96\00:31:50.22
if there was no
Lord of the Sabbath?
00:31:50.42\00:31:52.23
In other words, the
law describes perfect
00:31:52.53\00:31:55.59
interpersonal relationships.
00:31:55.79\00:31:57.46
And when we break the law,
we break our relationship with
00:31:57.76\00:32:00.62
God because God is
the personification
00:32:00.82\00:32:04.58
of the law. Are you under-
standing me this afternoon?
00:32:04.78\00:32:07.48
Let me give you an
example so we can understand
00:32:07.78\00:32:10.49
a little bit better.
00:32:10.69\00:32:11.78
I grew up in the
country of Venezuela.
00:32:12.08\00:32:14.44
I lived there from
the time that I was 5
00:32:14.89\00:32:17.60
till the time that I was 14.
00:32:17.80\00:32:19.59
And I did all of my
primary education in a
00:32:19.82\00:32:22.23
Seventh-day Adventist school
there in the city of Caracas
00:32:22.33\00:32:24.89
called El Ricardo Greenidge
which is the name of the school.
00:32:25.19\00:32:27.77
And at that time my dad
was the conference president...
00:32:28.07\00:32:30.29
the East Venezuela
Conference president.
00:32:30.49\00:32:32.25
And the school where I studied
00:32:32.55\00:32:33.56
on the first floor was the
school; on the second floor
00:32:33.76\00:32:36.06
were the offices of
the conference where my dad
00:32:36.26\00:32:38.79
was president.
And so once in a while
00:32:38.99\00:32:41.38
during recess I would... I
would go up to my dad's office.
00:32:41.58\00:32:44.83
After all, all I had to
do was go up the stairs.
00:32:45.03\00:32:47.12
And my dad was on a trip, and
I would sit there in the chair
00:32:47.32\00:32:51.68
behind his desk and I
would put my legs up on the desk
00:32:51.88\00:32:55.82
like I saw him do.
And, you know, I played
00:32:56.02\00:32:58.60
like I was president of the
conference as I watched him do.
00:32:58.80\00:33:01.81
And once in a while I would
go through the trash basket
00:33:02.11\00:33:05.06
to see if there was anything
interesting that the secretary
00:33:05.26\00:33:07.75
was throwing away. Well,
one day I went through the
00:33:07.85\00:33:10.02
waste basket and I found an
envelope. And the envelope had
00:33:10.22\00:33:12.78
a bill that was
worth twenty bolivars.
00:33:12.89\00:33:17.24
Now that was... the
dollar to the bolivar was
00:33:17.54\00:33:20.36
three bolivars and
30 cents per dollar,
00:33:20.56\00:33:24.02
and at that time
it was a lot of money.
00:33:24.12\00:33:25.43
This was in the early 60's
00:33:25.63\00:33:27.15
and, you know, I didn't
usually see that much money.
00:33:27.45\00:33:30.06
And now I knew that the
secretary had thrown it there
00:33:30.36\00:33:32.66
by accident. Nobody
throws away a bill like that.
00:33:32.69\00:33:35.62
But, you know, even though
I knew, my conscience told me
00:33:35.92\00:33:39.78
that it was
thrown there by accident,
00:33:39.88\00:33:41.99
you know, I thought well
finders keepers/losers weepers.
00:33:42.19\00:33:45.70
You know the saying... you know.
00:33:46.01\00:33:47.85
If she didn't
want to throw it away,
00:33:48.05\00:33:49.30
why is it in the waste basket?
00:33:49.50\00:33:50.90
And I rationalized, and so
00:33:51.10\00:33:53.21
I took the 20 bolivar bill
and I found a friend of mine...
00:33:53.41\00:33:57.07
you know, I didn't
want to sin by myself
00:33:57.27\00:33:58.99
so I said to him: "Hey, would
you like to have 10 bolivars
00:33:59.09\00:34:01.84
for yourself? "
He says: "Yeah! "
00:34:02.04\00:34:03.84
Says: "Where'd you get
it? " I said: "I found it. "
00:34:04.15\00:34:06.45
"Oh, great. " So I
changed the 20 bolivar bill
00:34:06.75\00:34:09.85
and each of us had 10.
00:34:10.05\00:34:11.19
Now during the
recess what would happen is
00:34:11.39\00:34:13.64
they had all kinds of
salesmen that would come outside
00:34:13.74\00:34:15.77
the fence. They sold sodas,
00:34:15.98\00:34:18.82
you know, we call
them pop up in Wisconsin,
00:34:19.02\00:34:21.89
they sold pop and they
sold chips and they sold candy.
00:34:22.10\00:34:27.15
Just all kinds of stuff that
you really shouldn't eat anyway.
00:34:27.45\00:34:30.69
And so we went out
during recess and we were the
00:34:30.99\00:34:34.33
millionaires
there at the school.
00:34:34.53\00:34:36.05
We were buying pop
and we were buying chips
00:34:36.25\00:34:38.85
and we were buying candy.
00:34:39.06\00:34:40.23
We bought
everything under the sun.
00:34:40.43\00:34:42.26
But of course, the
principal of the school
00:34:42.56\00:34:44.67
was watching what we were doing.
00:34:44.87\00:34:46.61
Where did these
guys get so much money?
00:34:46.92\00:34:49.45
So he called us to his office
00:34:49.75\00:34:51.24
and he says: "Where
did you get the money? "
00:34:51.54\00:34:54.47
And then you know you
always add one sin to another.
00:34:54.77\00:34:57.62
I said: "Well, my
mother gave it to me. "
00:34:57.92\00:35:00.43
He says: "Oh, if that's the case
I'm going to call your mother. "
00:35:00.73\00:35:03.56
Oh, oh... I was in trouble now.
00:35:03.86\00:35:05.66
I didn't really think about it.
00:35:05.87\00:35:07.04
And I said: "No, no, you
don't have to call my mother. "
00:35:07.25\00:35:08.91
He says: "Oh, yes,
I'm going to call her. "
00:35:09.11\00:35:10.49
So he called my mother.
00:35:10.79\00:35:12.63
Now do you know
what? I was sorry.
00:35:12.93\00:35:17.23
Do you know
what I was sorry for?
00:35:17.43\00:35:20.24
That I got caught!
00:35:20.54\00:35:22.83
And I was sorry
because of the punishment that
00:35:23.24\00:35:25.77
I was going to receive
00:35:25.87\00:35:27.92
because I had
broken the commandment
00:35:28.12\00:35:29.85
"Thou shalt not steal"
and "Thou shalt not covet. "
00:35:30.05\00:35:33.24
I had broken the
written commandments.
00:35:33.54\00:35:35.97
And I was really sad because
I knew that I was going to be
00:35:36.27\00:35:38.97
punished at school by being
suspended for several days -
00:35:39.07\00:35:41.65
which I was -
and when I got home
00:35:41.85\00:35:44.03
I was going to be punished.
00:35:44.13\00:35:45.25
I was repentant because
of the results of my sin.
00:35:45.45\00:35:49.10
Well I got home
that afternoon...
00:35:50.24\00:35:52.39
had a key. Very
quietly I went to the door
00:35:52.59\00:35:55.64
to open the door with
the key and what do you know?
00:35:55.85\00:35:59.61
When the door opened,
there was my mother standing
00:36:00.67\00:36:03.93
at the door. I expected
to see her with the belt.
00:36:04.13\00:36:08.05
I expected to get the
punishment but what I saw
00:36:08.35\00:36:12.29
totally blew me away.
00:36:12.49\00:36:14.62
My mom was
standing there in the door
00:36:14.92\00:36:18.93
and there were tears
rolling down her cheeks
00:36:19.13\00:36:23.06
and she could hardly talk.
00:36:24.49\00:36:26.41
She said: "Son, this is not
what we've taught you to do.
00:36:26.71\00:36:31.74
I'm deeply
disappointed in what you did. "
00:36:32.04\00:36:37.54
Folks, I would have
liked to have a thousand lashes
00:36:37.85\00:36:42.41
and not see my mother crying
00:36:42.71\00:36:46.62
over the sin
that I had committed.
00:36:46.82\00:36:49.71
And I made up my mind that day
00:36:49.91\00:36:51.74
that because my
sin hurt my mother -
00:36:51.94\00:36:55.62
which by the way afterwards
reflecting I realized that
00:36:55.82\00:36:58.73
it had hurt God more
than it had hurt my mother -
00:36:58.94\00:37:01.48
I made my decision that
I would not steal any more.
00:37:01.78\00:37:06.87
Not because I was
afraid of the punishment.
00:37:08.24\00:37:10.73
Not because the law
says "Thou shalt not steal, "
00:37:10.93\00:37:14.84
but because what I had
done had hurt my mother
00:37:15.14\00:37:18.15
and had hurt my God.
00:37:18.35\00:37:20.39
Let me ask you: when a husband
goes out and commits adultery,
00:37:21.85\00:37:27.04
breaks the commandment that says
"Thou shalt not commit adultery"
00:37:27.34\00:37:30.25
as well as the commandment that
says "Thou shalt not covet, "
00:37:30.45\00:37:33.76
let me ask you:
does that hurt people?
00:37:33.96\00:37:36.89
Does it hurt the
spouse? Yes it does.
00:37:37.19\00:37:40.44
Does that hurt the children?
It most certainly does.
00:37:40.54\00:37:43.28
Does it hurt the church? It
most certainly hurts the church.
00:37:43.58\00:37:48.47
Does it hurt the
individual himself?
00:37:48.67\00:37:51.62
Absolutely.
00:37:51.82\00:37:53.31
He doesn't feel like praying.
Doesn't feel like witnessing.
00:37:53.51\00:37:56.81
Doesn't feel
like reading the Bible
00:37:57.11\00:37:59.38
because his sin has
separated him from God.
00:37:59.68\00:38:02.42
Breaking the written law
has broken a relationship
00:38:02.72\00:38:06.71
with Jesus.
00:38:06.91\00:38:09.46
When we go to the movie theater,
00:38:09.76\00:38:11.76
and by the way, I
find it unconscionable
00:38:12.06\00:38:14.57
that some youth leaders
in the Adventist church even
00:38:14.77\00:38:17.85
take their young
people to the theater
00:38:18.05\00:38:20.30
to watch movies these
days. It's incredible.
00:38:20.40\00:38:22.86
When you go to the movie
theater and you watch violence
00:38:23.16\00:38:27.07
and you watch sex and cheating
and lying and spiritualism...
00:38:27.27\00:38:31.81
which everything is saturated
with spiritualism these days...
00:38:32.02\00:38:34.67
does that make
you more like Jesus?
00:38:34.97\00:38:37.85
Does that make you want to have
a close, intimate relationship
00:38:38.16\00:38:41.91
with Jesus? No! It
makes you unlike Jesus!
00:38:42.11\00:38:44.76
It's not only breaking
the written commandments
00:38:45.06\00:38:48.15
but it's making
you unlike Jesus Christ
00:38:48.35\00:38:51.17
and therefore we
should set it aside.
00:38:51.57\00:38:53.72
You know, you take
the Sabbath for example.
00:38:53.92\00:38:56.00
People think these days
that they can do anything
00:38:56.30\00:38:58.78
on the Sabbath.
00:38:58.88\00:38:59.88
Does breaking the
Sabbath affect your relationship
00:39:00.19\00:39:03.80
with Jesus Christ? Why
did God give us the Sabbath?
00:39:04.00\00:39:07.05
Not so that we would be
idle and not do anything
00:39:07.35\00:39:10.80
and be miserable on the Sabbath.
00:39:11.00\00:39:12.40
The purpose of the
Sabbath is relationship.
00:39:12.60\00:39:14.91
You know why I don't
go to the store and buy
00:39:15.21\00:39:17.82
and why I don't go to work
and I don't do all these things?
00:39:18.02\00:39:20.97
Because this is the
time that I've set aside
00:39:21.17\00:39:23.63
to enhance my
relationship with Jesus.
00:39:23.83\00:39:26.71
It's not because the
4th commandment says:
00:39:27.01\00:39:29.35
"don't work on the Sabbath. "
00:39:29.55\00:39:31.34
It's because I'm too busy
fellowshipping with the Lord
00:39:31.54\00:39:34.51
Jesus Christ. And when
you don't keep the Sabbath,
00:39:34.71\00:39:37.63
when you break the Sabbath,
00:39:37.83\00:39:38.88
you're not only
breaking the commandment...
00:39:39.08\00:39:40.53
you're breaking your
relationship with Jesus
00:39:40.56\00:39:42.96
because Jesus wants to
have fellowship with you
00:39:43.16\00:39:45.70
all day Sabbath.
00:39:45.90\00:39:48.23
You see, folks, sin is
transgression of the law
00:39:49.70\00:39:52.50
but it's transgression
against God as a person
00:39:52.80\00:39:55.79
because the law is a reflection,
00:39:55.99\00:39:58.40
a written
reflection of who God is!
00:39:58.60\00:40:01.26
Reminds me of Adam and Eve.
00:40:01.56\00:40:04.31
Were they repentant at first?
00:40:04.61\00:40:07.69
Are you kidding?
00:40:07.99\00:40:09.46
They tried to justify their sin.
00:40:09.76\00:40:11.24
"The woman that
You gave to me... "
00:40:11.54\00:40:13.46
"Huh... the
serpent that You made... "
00:40:13.76\00:40:16.29
"If it hadn't been for
You giving me the woman
00:40:16.59\00:40:19.34
and the woman tempting
me I would be sinless... "
00:40:19.64\00:40:22.94
"If it wasn't for the fact that
You made that nasty serpent,
00:40:23.17\00:40:26.88
I would be sinless.
You're to blame, Lord,
00:40:27.08\00:40:29.49
and the woman is to blame
and the serpent is to blame. "
00:40:29.69\00:40:32.75
Everybody is casting blame!
00:40:32.95\00:40:34.78
When were Adam and Eve
actually sorry for their sin?
00:40:35.08\00:40:40.14
They were sorry for their
sin when they had to sacrifice
00:40:41.59\00:40:44.33
the first lamb. And listen...
that must have been torture
00:40:44.53\00:40:48.11
because we're told in the book
Conflict and Courage page 22...
00:40:48.41\00:40:52.59
Listen to this...
just the falling of a leaf.
00:40:52.79\00:40:54.88
Ellen White says:
00:40:56.53\00:40:57.84
Imagine mourning over
flowers and leaves that fall
00:41:17.51\00:41:20.35
and now they have
to kill an animal.
00:41:20.58\00:41:22.45
And then their Creator
said: "That lamb represents Me.
00:41:22.65\00:41:27.72
Your sin is going
to cause Me to go.
00:41:28.02\00:41:31.75
I'm going to bear your sin
00:41:31.95\00:41:33.02
and I'm going to
suffer the terrible penalty. "
00:41:33.22\00:41:35.33
You think Adam and Eve now said:
"We don't want anything more
00:41:35.63\00:41:37.89
to do with sin? "
00:41:38.09\00:41:39.11
Yes, because it hurt
their beloved Friend:
00:41:39.31\00:41:42.55
their Creator Jesus Christ.
00:41:42.85\00:41:44.98
I love the text in Zechariah
chapter 12 and verse 10.
00:41:45.08\00:41:48.96
Zechariah
chapter 12 and verse 10
00:41:49.26\00:41:51.10
where it speaks about
what happens when people catch
00:41:51.40\00:41:53.87
a glimpse of Jesus the Messiah.
00:41:53.97\00:41:55.96
Of the law in living color;
00:41:56.16\00:41:58.18
of the law
incarnate, if you please.
00:41:58.21\00:42:00.77
It says there:
00:42:00.97\00:42:02.07
You see, folks, the
way that we overcome sin
00:42:28.90\00:42:31.92
in our life is not
by looking at the law
00:42:32.13\00:42:35.69
but by looking at Jesus.
00:42:35.99\00:42:37.96
Because when we look at Jesus
00:42:38.26\00:42:40.12
we see absolute,
sinless perfection.
00:42:40.33\00:42:43.01
One that deserves life.
00:42:43.32\00:42:45.11
And then we see
Jesus hanging on the cross
00:42:45.41\00:42:48.20
naked, decrepit, with wounds
00:42:48.50\00:42:52.49
on different parts of His body
00:42:52.69\00:42:54.35
and we say: "Jesus, why
did this happen to You? "
00:42:54.55\00:42:57.42
Jesus says: "Because of
your transgression of the law.
00:42:57.62\00:43:01.50
Because your sins have
made separation between
00:43:01.80\00:43:04.97
Me and you. Because
I bore your penalty. "
00:43:05.17\00:43:07.20
And when I see
that sin is personal,
00:43:07.40\00:43:09.34
when I see that sin is not
only breaking a list of rules
00:43:09.64\00:43:12.94
and regulations but it's
actually sinning against the
00:43:13.14\00:43:15.78
character of someone,
I say: "Jesus, I hate sin
00:43:15.98\00:43:19.30
and I love You. "
00:43:19.60\00:43:21.77
The reason why
we're not overcoming sin
00:43:21.97\00:43:23.82
is because we're looking
at everything except Jesus.
00:43:24.02\00:43:28.34
Now this reminds me about
the experience of Simon Peter.
00:43:29.70\00:43:33.65
There were two men who
denied Jesus: Peter and Judas.
00:43:34.84\00:43:38.49
Peter denied Jesus
and he betrayed Him
00:43:40.05\00:43:44.87
and he denied
Him how many times?
00:43:45.07\00:43:47.97
Three times. And the last time
00:43:48.27\00:43:50.85
he used profanity to deny
his relationship with Jesus.
00:43:51.05\00:43:56.26
And listen, it wasn't because
Peter was afraid of dying.
00:43:56.56\00:43:59.98
It wasn't because he was
a coward and afraid of dying
00:44:00.28\00:44:02.90
because just a short while
before he'd taken out his sword
00:44:03.10\00:44:06.50
and he was willing to
defend the kingdom of Jesus
00:44:06.70\00:44:09.16
with the sword. Do you
know the real reason why Peter
00:44:09.36\00:44:12.28
denied Jesus? The
worst reason of all:
00:44:12.48\00:44:16.02
he was embarrassed to
be associated with Jesus.
00:44:16.05\00:44:20.02
Allow me to read you
Desire of Ages... that classic
00:44:21.38\00:44:23.85
book on the life
of Christ page 712.
00:44:24.05\00:44:26.79
"If he had been called
to fight for his Master,
00:44:28.07\00:44:31.57
he would have been
a courageous soldier.
00:44:31.78\00:44:34.71
But when the finger of
scorn was pointed at him
00:44:35.01\00:44:39.92
he proved himself a coward.
00:44:40.12\00:44:43.38
Many who do not shrink from
active warfare for their Lord
00:44:43.68\00:44:48.15
are driven by
ridicule to deny their faith. "
00:44:48.36\00:44:52.52
"Oh, so you were
with that man Jesus.
00:44:52.92\00:44:55.38
Is that your Messiah? "
00:44:55.58\00:44:57.01
And he felt the
scorn and the ridicule
00:44:57.31\00:44:59.61
and he denied Jesus...
the worst kind of treason
00:44:59.81\00:45:02.39
against the Lord!
00:45:02.69\00:45:04.02
But fortunately
Jesus had told Peter...
00:45:04.32\00:45:07.47
this is found in
Luke chapter 22...
00:45:07.67\00:45:09.78
"When you are converted... "
00:45:10.08\00:45:14.72
See, Peter wasn't converted.
00:45:15.02\00:45:16.38
Jesus says: "You are
going to be converted. "
00:45:16.68\00:45:18.31
Now let me ask you: what was it
that led Peter to be converted?
00:45:18.61\00:45:22.98
Did he look at the
Ten Commandments and say:
00:45:23.28\00:45:24.72
"Oh, I have sinned
against the Ten Commandments? "
00:45:24.82\00:45:27.28
No. Allow me to read you
00:45:27.51\00:45:30.95
from Luke 22 verses
60 through 62 the story.
00:45:31.15\00:45:36.12
It tells us the moment
when Peter was converted.
00:45:36.42\00:45:39.27
"But Peter said: 'Man, I do
not know what you are saying. '
00:45:40.08\00:45:45.83
Immediately while he was still
speaking the rooster crowed
00:45:46.04\00:45:49.91
and the Lord turned
and looked at Peter.
00:45:50.21\00:45:54.83
Their eyes met, and Peter
remembered the word of the Lord
00:45:56.06\00:46:01.41
how He had said to him:
'Before the rooster crows
00:46:01.61\00:46:05.59
you will deny Me three times. '
00:46:05.79\00:46:07.26
And Peter went out
and wept bitterly. "
00:46:07.46\00:46:13.12
What was it that led to
the conversion of Peter?
00:46:13.42\00:46:16.02
Looking at the law as a
code or looking at Jesus?
00:46:16.22\00:46:20.66
It was looking at
Jesus Christ and what his sin
00:46:20.96\00:46:24.30
had done to
Jesus... his best Friend. "
00:46:24.50\00:46:27.47
In the book Christ
Objects Lessons page 154
00:46:27.77\00:46:31.73
we find these wonderful
words describing the experience
00:46:32.03\00:46:36.01
of Peter. She says:
"When the crowing of the cock
00:46:36.21\00:46:38.81
reminded him of
the words of Christ,
00:46:39.01\00:46:41.89
surprised and shocked
at what he had just done
00:46:41.92\00:46:47.08
he turned and
looked at his Master.
00:46:47.28\00:46:50.13
At that moment
Christ looked at Peter
00:46:50.43\00:46:53.60
and beneath that grieved look
00:46:53.80\00:46:57.04
in which compassion and
love for him were blended... "
00:46:57.24\00:47:01.92
It was a grieved
look, it said, but
00:47:02.12\00:47:05.47
compassion and love
for him were blended.
00:47:05.67\00:47:08.02
"Peter understood himself. "
00:47:08.22\00:47:12.65
When do we understand
ourselves and the nature of sin?
00:47:12.95\00:47:15.76
When our eyes
meet the eyes of whom?
00:47:16.07\00:47:18.83
Jesus! "Peter
understood himself.
00:47:19.03\00:47:21.79
He went out and wept bitterly.
00:47:21.99\00:47:24.45
That look of
Christ's broke his heart.
00:47:24.75\00:47:28.93
Peter had come
to the turning point
00:47:29.23\00:47:32.74
and bitterly did
he repent his sin. "
00:47:33.04\00:47:37.54
Not the consequences... his sin!
00:47:37.84\00:47:40.25
"He was like the
publican in his contrition
00:47:40.55\00:47:43.66
and repentance, and like
the publican he found mercy.
00:47:43.86\00:47:47.50
The look of Christ
assured him of pardon. "
00:47:47.81\00:47:51.88
So what was it that led
to the conversion of Peter?
00:47:53.43\00:47:55.88
Beholding Jesus
00:47:56.28\00:47:59.44
and what his sin
was doing to Jesus.
00:47:59.74\00:48:02.72
Judas was the opposite.
00:48:03.02\00:48:05.37
The Bible says
that Judas repented,
00:48:05.68\00:48:07.98
but do you know
what he repented of?
00:48:08.28\00:48:09.49
He repented of the
consequences of his sin.
00:48:09.80\00:48:12.92
You see, his plan backfired.
00:48:13.23\00:48:14.59
You know, this idea that
it was the purpose of Judas
00:48:14.69\00:48:18.51
to betray Jesus to
death... It was not the purpose
00:48:18.71\00:48:21.38
of Judas that Jesus should die.
00:48:21.59\00:48:23.48
He was trying to pressure Jesus
00:48:23.78\00:48:25.90
into escaping and
proclaiming Himself King.
00:48:26.10\00:48:29.01
But when he saw that Jesus
allowed Himself to be arrested
00:48:29.31\00:48:32.50
and mistreated
and led to the cross,
00:48:32.70\00:48:35.33
he said: "My plan backfired!
00:48:35.53\00:48:37.29
I didn't get what I wanted. "
00:48:37.49\00:48:39.39
And the evidence that he really
did not intend to betray Jesus
00:48:39.69\00:48:42.57
to death is in the fact
that he went back and he threw
00:48:42.77\00:48:45.01
the money and he said: "I
have betrayed innocent blood. "
00:48:45.16\00:48:47.93
And the Bible says that
he went and he hung himself.
00:48:48.23\00:48:50.69
What a difference
between the death of Peter
00:48:51.00\00:48:52.74
and the death of Judas.
00:48:52.84\00:48:54.19
Where Peter was going to
be crucified according to
00:48:54.39\00:48:56.57
Acts of the Apostles
they were going to crucify him
00:48:56.77\00:48:59.67
with his head up.
He said: "No, no, no.
00:48:59.87\00:49:01.09
I'm unworthy to
die like my Master.
00:49:01.29\00:49:03.35
Crucify me with my head down. "
00:49:03.66\00:49:06.57
And the Bible tells us
that Judas - who repented
00:49:06.97\00:49:10.00
over the consequences of his sin
00:49:10.10\00:49:11.87
and not what the
sin did to Jesus -
00:49:12.07\00:49:14.42
went out and he
committed suicide.
00:49:14.62\00:49:17.74
You see, folks,
what God wants to do,
00:49:18.04\00:49:21.54
what Jesus wants to do, is
to write His law on our hearts
00:49:21.74\00:49:25.48
and on our minds.
00:49:25.68\00:49:26.92
You see, He wants the
law to be embodied in us.
00:49:27.22\00:49:30.51
He doesn't want the law
simply to be on tables of stone
00:49:31.74\00:49:34.31
and me comparing my life
with the tables of stone.
00:49:34.41\00:49:36.56
No. He wants to take the
law and He wants to write it
00:49:36.76\00:49:39.34
on the tables of my heart.
00:49:39.54\00:49:40.77
He promises first of
all to give me a new heart.
00:49:41.07\00:49:43.68
Notice Ezekiel
36 verses 26 and 27.
00:49:43.98\00:49:48.65
Ezekiel 36:26-27.
00:49:48.95\00:49:51.55
This is a wonderful promise.
00:49:51.75\00:49:53.40
By the way, this is
an instantaneous work...
00:49:53.60\00:49:56.29
the change of
heart is instantaneous,
00:49:56.49\00:49:58.57
and God does not
do bypass operations.
00:49:58.77\00:50:01.83
He does not do valve changes
or He doesn't put in pacemakers.
00:50:02.03\00:50:05.76
He only does transplants.
00:50:06.16\00:50:08.34
It says:
00:50:08.64\00:50:09.76
Notice: He says "I'll
give you a new heart and
00:50:27.19\00:50:29.19
then you'll perform
what the law requires. "
00:50:29.39\00:50:31.55
"I will give a
new spirit within you"
00:50:31.85\00:50:34.35
and then He says
"and, as a result
00:50:34.55\00:50:37.27
you will walk in My statutes
00:50:37.47\00:50:39.57
and you will keep My
judgments and do them. "
00:50:39.77\00:50:43.14
So God promises to
take out our old heart
00:50:43.44\00:50:46.38
and give us a new
heart for the asking.
00:50:46.58\00:50:49.08
But listen up: the
writing of the law in our hearts
00:50:49.38\00:50:52.88
is a process...
00:50:53.08\00:50:55.39
a life-long process
once we have our new heart.
00:50:55.69\00:50:59.83
Notice what we find in
Jeremiah 31 verses 31-33.
00:51:00.81\00:51:04.80
Beautiful promise.
00:51:05.00\00:51:06.00
God doesn't want the
Ten Commandments only to be
00:51:45.58\00:51:47.55
on tables of stone.
00:51:47.65\00:51:48.62
He wants to write the
Ten Commandments on the
00:51:48.75\00:51:50.51
tablets of our hearts
00:51:50.61\00:51:52.38
like they were written in the
tablets of the heart of Jesus.
00:51:52.58\00:51:56.44
Now the question
is: How does God write
00:51:57.66\00:51:59.74
the Ten
Commandments on our hearts?
00:51:59.94\00:52:02.41
The apostle Paul has the answer.
00:52:02.71\00:52:05.23
II Corinthians
chapter 3 and verse 18.
00:52:05.83\00:52:08.29
The more time we
spend with Jesus in prayer
00:52:08.49\00:52:10.68
the more time we spend
with Jesus in Bible study
00:52:10.88\00:52:13.31
the more time we
spend telling about Jesus
00:52:13.51\00:52:16.13
the closer we draw to Jesus
because we are beholding Him.
00:52:16.33\00:52:20.63
"By beholding
Him we are changed. "
00:52:20.83\00:52:23.53
That's how His
life becomes our life.
00:52:23.73\00:52:27.18
That's how His
character becomes our character.
00:52:27.39\00:52:29.54
And by the way, this is revealed
00:52:29.84\00:52:30.85
in the holy
place of the sanctuary.
00:52:30.95\00:52:32.56
The altar of
incense represents prayer.
00:52:32.86\00:52:35.84
The table of
shewbread represents the study
00:52:36.14\00:52:39.32
of God's Holy Word.
00:52:39.42\00:52:41.05
And the candlestick
which gives light represents
00:52:41.35\00:52:43.95
the fact that God gives
us the oil so that we can
00:52:44.15\00:52:47.02
enlighten the
world through His Spirit.
00:52:47.22\00:52:49.83
In other words, we have
what I call the triangle
00:52:50.03\00:52:52.05
of sanctification: prayer,
Bible study, and witnessing
00:52:52.25\00:52:56.50
which leads to a
balanced Christian life
00:52:56.70\00:52:59.58
and a close
relationship with Jesus.
00:52:59.78\00:53:01.48
II Corinthians 3:18 says:
00:53:01.68\00:53:03.26
In the book Sons and
Daughters of God page 337
00:53:25.89\00:53:29.21
Ellen White
amplifies and explains
00:53:29.41\00:53:33.65
this text from II
Corinthians 3:18. She says:
00:53:33.85\00:53:37.01
See, we're contemplating
the law in a living person.
00:53:47.34\00:53:51.58
And then she says:
00:53:52.08\00:53:53.65
So what is the
secret for overcoming sin
00:54:13.38\00:54:15.91
and having Christ's
imparted righteousness?
00:54:16.11\00:54:18.50
He imparts it to us daily as
we are in fellowship with Him.
00:54:18.80\00:54:22.93
Through prayer, through
Bible study, through witnessing,
00:54:23.23\00:54:26.65
through contemplating Him and
leaving everything else aside.
00:54:26.85\00:54:30.62
Kind of reminds me of
an experience that I had.
00:54:31.06\00:54:32.97
You know, I taught
theology for six years
00:54:33.17\00:54:35.02
in our university
in Medellin, Colombia.
00:54:35.22\00:54:37.55
I had one student
that was exceptional.
00:54:37.65\00:54:39.52
The best
student that I ever had.
00:54:39.72\00:54:41.45
He would sit
always on the first row
00:54:41.75\00:54:43.69
with his Bible
open, with his notebook.
00:54:43.90\00:54:46.47
And when I started teaching
the class he would look at me
00:54:46.67\00:54:50.02
and he would not take his eyes
off of me except to write down
00:54:50.22\00:54:54.13
in his notebook what
I was saying in class.
00:54:54.33\00:54:56.50
Stellar student;
always got perfect grades.
00:54:56.80\00:54:59.48
A few years ago I was
preaching in a certain place
00:54:59.78\00:55:03.73
and after I finished my sermon -
00:55:03.93\00:55:06.10
by the way, I had this
group for three years -
00:55:06.30\00:55:08.33
a lady came to me.
She said: "Pastor Bohr,
00:55:08.73\00:55:10.75
do you know so and so? "
00:55:10.95\00:55:12.81
She mentioned the
name of this student.
00:55:12.91\00:55:14.55
I said: "Yeah, I
sure do know him. "
00:55:14.75\00:55:17.10
She said: "Well you
preach just like he does. "
00:55:17.20\00:55:19.59
And I looked at her and I smiled
00:55:24.87\00:55:27.08
and I said: "Well, you know,
00:55:27.38\00:55:28.59
he was my student
for three years. "
00:55:28.79\00:55:30.63
She said: "Oh,
I'm sorry, Pastor. "
00:55:30.97\00:55:32.86
You know, she was
kind of embarrassed.
00:55:33.16\00:55:35.08
I said: "Don't be embarrassed. "
00:55:35.28\00:55:36.64
I said: "When you spend
three years in a classroom
00:55:36.84\00:55:39.94
beholding
someone, you are changed. "
00:55:40.14\00:55:44.22
And even till this
day... He came to one of our
00:55:44.52\00:55:46.93
retreats - family retreats
- up in Yosemite National Park
00:55:47.13\00:55:50.43
a few years ago, and my
church members that went...
00:55:50.73\00:55:54.58
I wasn't able to go...
They came to me and said:
00:55:54.78\00:55:56.32
"Pastor Bohr, he
preaches just like you.
00:55:56.52\00:55:59.36
He moves his arms like you.
00:55:59.66\00:56:01.74
The tone of his
voice is like you.
00:56:01.94\00:56:03.87
The way that he moves
his body is like you. "
00:56:04.07\00:56:06.96
Says: "Man, he's
just like a copy! "
00:56:07.26\00:56:09.83
Why? Because by
beholding we are changed.
00:56:10.73\00:56:15.89
And this is a law of life.
00:56:17.42\00:56:19.69
We are composed
physically of what we eat.
00:56:19.89\00:56:23.03
We are composed
spiritually of what we eat,
00:56:23.33\00:56:26.21
and we eat through our
eyes and through our ears.
00:56:26.41\00:56:29.46
And each day as we
behold Jesus through prayer,
00:56:29.76\00:56:33.07
through Bible
study, through witnessing
00:56:33.27\00:56:35.24
and talking about
how wonderful He is,
00:56:35.44\00:56:37.29
we are changed
into His same image...
00:56:37.49\00:56:41.17
into His same likeness.
00:56:41.47\00:56:43.60
And His imparted character -
00:56:43.80\00:56:46.50
the robe of His
imparted righteousness -
00:56:46.70\00:56:48.92
comes into our
life. We submit to Him.
00:56:49.12\00:56:51.36
His thoughts
become our thoughts.
00:56:51.56\00:56:53.85
His will becomes our will.
00:56:54.05\00:56:55.71
His mind becomes our
mind and we are one with Him.
00:56:56.01\00:57:00.77
This is the reason
why Ellen White said
00:57:01.07\00:57:05.46
that it would be well for
us to spend a thoughtful hour
00:57:05.76\00:57:09.58
each day contemplating
the life of Christ.
00:57:09.78\00:57:13.75
And she says that as we do that
00:57:14.25\00:57:16.66
we will come... our
love will be quickened
00:57:16.96\00:57:21.01
and we shall be more
deeply imbued with His Spirit
00:57:21.04\00:57:24.93
and we'll come in
penitence and humiliation
00:57:25.13\00:57:28.76
to the foot of the cross.
00:57:28.96\00:57:31.02