Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: RT
Program Code: RT000004
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00:04 3ABN presents The Robe with Stephen Bohr.
00:11 Welcome... welcome to The Robe. 00:14 The series The Robe, brought to you from 00:15 Three Angels Broadcasting Network 00:17 direct from southern Illinois to all the world. 00:21 It is truly amazing to consider 00:23 that the signal from here goes up to two satellites 00:26 another satellite, another satellite, another satellite 00:30 till it reaches the world with ten satellites. 00:32 Glory be to God! 00:34 And we can expect to receive a blessing in this service 00:39 for the next hour. You have come to the place where you 00:42 can study God's Word with assurance 00:45 that you will receive a blessing. 00:47 We have been privileged to be on the air 00:51 for many years broadcasting God's truth 00:53 through Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 00:56 We encourage you to pray for this ministry 00:58 and support this ministry that is doing so much 01:01 to bring God's good news to every kindred, 01:05 tongue, and people. 01:06 We are receiving letters, e- mails, phone calls 01:09 from different countries letting us know 01:11 how they are being blessed 01:13 through Three Angels Broadcasting ministry. 01:16 It's amazing to hear some of those reports. 01:18 We even hear of atheists saying they're watching 01:23 and they see that we are preaching God's Word. 01:26 Isn't that amazing? 01:27 We have seen drug addicts, we have seen witches - 01:32 people that practice witchcraft, come to the Lord. 01:35 And it is only because 01:37 there is power when you preach God's Word. 01:40 And today we have God's servant with us, 01:43 Pastor Stephen Bohr, who is the director and speaker 01:46 for Secrets Unsealed. 01:49 This is topic number four of a series of five sermons 01:53 through the series called The Robe. 01:55 At this particular time we have a message from God's Word 01:59 that is entitled Wearing the Robe. 02:02 Wearing the Robe. 02:04 So we hope you prepare your hearts and your minds 02:06 to study God's Word together. 02:09 We have a wonderful group of God's children here. 02:13 And we know there are thousands and perhaps millions 02:15 watching in different parts of the world. 02:18 So we are going to ask God for His blessing, 02:21 and Pastor Bohr will be leading us in prayer 02:24 and in the study of God's Word. 02:26 So thank you for being with us, 02:29 and we know you will be blessed. 02:31 And those that are watching in different places 02:33 don't turn to another page 02:35 as they say on the Internet. 02:37 Don't go to another channel 02:38 because God wants you here to receive His blessing for you. 02:43 So at this time, Pastor Bohr, we leave the rest of the time 02:46 with you. And may God bless us together as we study His Word 02:49 which is rich in truth for everyone of us. 02:57 Thank you very much, John. 02:59 Appreciate that introduction. 03:01 It's good to have you all here again this afternoon 03:05 to continue studying this very important series 03:08 on The Robe... The Robe of Life. 03:12 Before we begin our study this afternoon, 03:14 we do want to ask for the Lord's blessing. 03:16 And so I invite you to bow your heads with me as we pray. 03:20 Father in Heaven, what a joy it has been 03:24 to be in Your presence. 03:26 There is no better place to be on planet earth 03:30 than in Your presence. 03:32 And Father, we ask that as we open Your Holy Word 03:36 this afternoon, that Your Holy Spirit will be present 03:40 through the ministration of the angels. 03:42 We ask, Father, that You will give us clarity of thought 03:46 and that You will give us willing hearts to receive 03:50 the seed of truth. 03:52 I ask, Father that You will bless those who are watching 03:56 on television, those who are listening on the radio. 03:58 I ask that You will touch their hearts as well. 04:02 And Father, we thank you for the privilege of approaching 04:05 Your throne in prayer 04:06 and we thank you for hearing us. 04:08 For we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. 04:13 I'd like to begin this afternoon by reading 04:17 a statement that we find in the Review & Herald 04:21 June 4, 1895. 04:25 It's a statement written by Ellen White, 04:29 and I'm sure you probably have read this statement before. 04:33 Here Ellen White - inspired by God's Spirit - 04:37 said this: 05:11 You see, we need imputed AND imparted righteousness. 05:16 The imputed righteousness is our title to heaven. 05:22 The imparted righteousness is our fitness for heaven. 05:27 Now we're going to discover in our study this afternoon 05:30 that these two dimensions of righteousness 05:35 can be distinguished but they cannot be separated. 05:40 It's like you can't separate a fountain from a stream. 05:44 And so you can't separate imputed and imparted 05:50 righteousness. 05:52 Now let's review briefly what we've studied so far. 05:55 We've studied mostly about Christ's imputed righteousness. 06:00 That when the Lord leads us to repentance, 06:03 we confess our sin. 06:06 We trust and believe in Jesus Christ. 06:10 And it's a faith that is dynamic and active, 06:14 and we're baptized. Jesus takes His life 06:19 and His death and credits these to our account. 06:23 And God looks upon us as if we had never sinned. 06:27 We are accepted in the beloved. 06:30 This is the imputed righteousness of Christ. 06:34 But in our topic this afternoon we want to study 06:39 about the imparted righteousness of Jesus Christ 06:43 which flows from an experience 06:47 of having the imputed righteousness of Jesus. 06:51 You see, Jesus not only 06:55 wanted to live for us 06:58 but Jesus also wants to live in us. 07:03 Jesus not only wants us to be in Him... 07:07 He wants to be in us. 07:10 Jesus not only lived and died for us 07:15 but Jesus wants to live in us. 07:19 Now some people say: "No, righteousness that 07:23 Jesus gives us is only imputed righteousness. 07:27 I beg to differ 07:29 because scripture clearly tells us 07:33 that the robe of righteousness does not only include 07:35 Christ's imputed righteousness 07:38 but also the imparted righteousness of Christ 07:41 that leads us to act right. 07:44 Now allow me to read you a passage from scripture: 07:47 Revelation chapter 19 and verses 6 through 8. 07:52 Revelation 19 verses 6 through 8. 07:55 Here it's speaking about that great group 08:00 that will eventually be in the kingdom 08:02 singing praises to God. 08:04 It says this: 08:05 "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude 08:11 as the sound of many waters 08:14 and as the sound of mighty thunderings. 08:17 saying: 'Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent 08:22 reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice 08:26 and give Him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come 08:31 and his wife has made herself ready. ' 08:34 And to her it was granted to be arrayed 08:39 in fine linen, clean and bright. " 08:43 Now notice what that fine linen is. 08:46 It says: "For the fine linen is the righteous acts 08:51 of the saints. " 08:53 Interesting. What is the white linen? 08:56 The righteous acts of whom? 08:58 Of saints. Now, what John is trying to say 09:02 inspired by the Holy Spirit is not that the righteous 09:04 acts are ours. 09:07 It is Jesus acting and living through us. 09:11 It is still His righteousness. 09:13 It is not our righteousness 09:15 because we have no righteousness whether it's imputed 09:18 or imparted. And by the way, 09:20 imparted righteousness is not meritorious. 09:25 The meritorious righteousness is the righteousness 09:29 that Jesus Christ imputes to us. 09:31 And then as a result we have imparted righteousness 09:35 that leads to holy living. 09:38 The apostle Paul expressed it by saying: 09:40 "I don't live anymore; Jesus Christ lives in me. " 09:46 Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. 09:48 So if it's Christ living in me 09:50 then for whom is the glory? 09:52 The glory is not for me. 09:54 The glory is for Jesus who is living His life in me. 09:59 Now allow me to read you an interesting passage 10:03 from the book Christ Object Lessons. 10:05 Once again, the last chapter of Christ Object Lessons 10:09 where Ellen White describes this robe of imparted 10:14 righteousness. Christ Object Lessons page 311 and 312. 10:43 Not only impute but impart she continues saying. 10:48 "By His perfect obedience He has made it possible 10:53 for every human being to obey God's commandments. " 10:58 Now the question is: how can this be done? 11:01 Ellen White now explains. 11:04 "When we submit ourselves to Christ" - there's the key - 11:08 "When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united 11:13 with His heart. The will is merged with His will. " 11:28 Not our life... His life! 11:30 And then she says: 11:40 See, we live His life. This is what it means to be 11:43 clothed with the garment of His righteousness. 11:45 It's still His... not mine. 11:47 Then she continues saying: 12:08 What a marvelous statement. 12:11 Now the question is: how do we submit to Jesus? 12:17 How is that we can live the life of Jesus 12:20 and enjoy fully His imparted righteousness? 12:24 In order to understand this, we need to understand 12:28 certain things about God's holy law. 12:32 Now I'd like to begin by asking: What is sin 12:38 according to the scriptures? 12:39 Every Adventist knows the answer to that question. 12:43 I John chapter 3 and verse 4, 12:46 and I'm reading this from the King James version 12:50 which I like the best in this case. 12:53 It says in I John 3:4: 12:55 "Whoever committeth sin 12:58 transgresseth also the law 13:01 for sin is the transgression of the law. " 13:06 And you know when we read that 13:08 immediately as Adventists what comes to our mind is 13:11 that sin is breaking the Ten Commandments 13:16 written on tables of stone. 13:21 But that's only part of the story. 13:24 You see, as Adventists we usually think 13:27 of the Ten Commandments written on tables of stone. 13:30 But the Ten Commandments are merely a written transcript 13:36 of who God is in His person. 13:42 And so if the Ten Commandments are a written transcript 13:45 of who God is in His character and in His person 13:49 to transgress the Ten Commandments means to 13:52 transgress against God 13:55 who is reflected in the Ten Commandments 13:58 written on tables of stone. 14:00 Let me exemplify what I mean. 14:02 One of my favorite national parks of the United States 14:05 is Grand Teton National Park 14:07 out in northwest Wyoming. Spectacular! 14:10 I used to go there every year when I was pastoring in Wyoming. 14:14 They would send us pastors to preach up in the park 14:17 to all of the tourists - Adventist tourists - that came. 14:19 And one of my favorite places there at Grand Teton 14:22 is a location where you have these beautiful, 14:26 ragged mountains in the background 14:28 and you have beautiful, beautiful pine trees 14:31 in the foreground, and then you have a crystal clear lake. 14:34 And one of my favorite activities was to go real early 14:37 in the morning when there was absolutely no wind 14:40 and everything was calm and just sit there 14:44 next to the lake and look in the lake at the perfect 14:48 reflection of the mountains and the trees 14:53 in that lake. 14:54 And you know, I have pictures of that specific location. 14:59 It's spectacular! But you know, this was when you had to 15:02 develop pictures... now you have digital pictures. 15:04 But when you had to develop the pictures 15:05 I had them in hard-copy form. 15:07 And you know, even today when I look at the picture 15:10 I don't know which side is up and which side is down 15:14 because the reflection is so perfect 15:17 that you don't know which is the original 15:20 and which is the reflection. 15:21 That is the relationship between 15:25 God and His law. 15:27 You see, the law is Jesus Christ in written form. 15:32 And when we transgress the written law 15:35 we're transgressing against Jesus as a person. 15:39 In fact, allow me to read you an interesting statement 15:42 from Ellen White: SDA Bible Commentary volume 5 15:45 page 1131. 15:48 This is a magnificent statement. She says: 15:57 That's amazing. 15:59 God thinks and Jesus speaks the thoughts of God. 16:02 And then she continues saying: 16:30 And now comes the portion that 16:31 I want us to particularly reflect on. She says: 16:49 What does embodiment mean? 16:52 It means that Jesus is the law in living form. 16:58 Jesus is the law in bodily form. 17:02 He is the embodiment of the law of God. 17:07 In other words, Jesus lived the law in His life. 17:11 He was a living illustration of what the written law of God is. 17:17 The written law of God is simply the reflection 17:20 in the lake - so to speak - of Jesus and what He is 17:24 in His person. Notice Psalm 40 and verses 7-8 17:30 where Jesus - in a Messianic passage -is spoken about. 17:35 Psalm 40 and verses 7 and 8. 17:38 By the way, this is the Messiah speaking 17:41 long before He was born. 18:02 So the law was actually incarnate in Jesus Christ. 18:07 The written law - the Ten Commandments - 18:09 were written in flesh 18:12 and Jesus lived out the Ten Commandments. 18:15 You see, one of the problems that we have as Adventists 18:18 is we have the tendency to think that sin 18:21 means breaking a list of ten rules. 18:24 That sin means breaking a law 18:27 that is written on tables of stone. 18:29 But scripture makes it clear that sin 18:32 is not only breaking command- ments on tablets of stone. 18:36 Sin is against a person who is reflected 18:40 in those Ten Commandments. Sin is PERSONAL. 18:44 Let me give you some Biblical examples of this. 18:47 You remember the story of Joseph, right? 18:50 How Potiphar's wife came to Joseph and tried 18:53 to entice him into committing adultery. 18:55 Let me ask you: if Joseph had committed adultery, 18:58 would he have been breaking the 7th commandment that says 19:01 "Thou shalt not commit adultery? " 19:02 Yes. Would he have been breaking the commandment 19:04 that says "Thou shalt not covet? " 19:07 Absolutely. But notice that when she tried to entice Joseph 19:10 Joseph didn't say: "How can I do this 19:13 and break the 7th commandment? " 19:16 "How could I do this and break the 10th commandment? " 19:19 No! Notice Genesis 39 and verse 9. 19:23 Genesis 39 and verse 9... here Joseph is speaking: 19:43 "against the 7th commandment. " That's not what it says. 19:47 Sin against who? Against You. Because when we break 19:51 the written law we're sinning against the person 19:54 who is reflected in that written law. 19:58 You know when the plague of locusts fell upon Egypt 20:02 we find in Exodus chapter 10 verse 16 20:05 that even Pharaoh recognized that sin was not merely breaking 20:09 a list of rules on tables of stone. 20:11 He recognized that sin was against a person... God... 20:14 because God is reflected in His law. 20:16 He calls Moses and he says: 20:24 Once again, sin is against a person. 20:29 And of course you remember when Israel worshiped the golden calf 20:33 Moses went to the top of the mountain 20:35 and he pleaded for the life of Israel because God had said: 20:39 "I'm going to wipe out these people 20:40 and I'm going to choose another people 20:43 that will be obedient to Me. " 20:44 Moses interceded for Israel, and I want you to notice 20:48 what God said to Moses. 20:50 This is in Exodus 32 verse 33. 21:01 By the way, had they broken the commandment 21:03 "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me? " 21:05 Had they broken the commandment 21:07 "Thou shalt not make any graven image? " 21:08 Absolutely. They had broken the written law 21:11 but Jesus says... but God says: 21:14 "Whoever has sinned against Me 21:17 I will blot out of My book. " 21:19 You remember the sin of Achan 21:22 when Israel entered the Promised Land? 21:24 That he took some gold and some silver 21:25 and a precious Babylonian garment? 21:28 You know, when he was finally discovered 21:30 notice what Achan had to say. 21:32 By the way, had he broken the commandment 21:34 "Thou shalt not covet? " 21:35 Had he broken the commandment "Thou shalt not steal" 21:38 in the written law? Yes, but notice what Achan had to say. 21:41 Joshua 7 and verse 20: 21:47 "Indeed I have sinned against the Ten Commandments. " 21:52 No, he says: 22:01 His sin was breaking the 10th commandment. 22:03 It was breaking the commandment "Thou shalt not steal, " 22:06 but the sin was against whom? 22:08 Was against God because God is reflected in His law. 22:12 His sin was not against the list of rules and regulations. 22:16 His sin was against a person. 22:20 Now you remember when David committed adultery 22:23 and also for all practical purposes committed murder 22:28 that David wrote Psalm 51. 22:32 Even David understood that even though he had broken 22:35 the 7th commandment, 22:37 even though he had broken the 6th commandment 22:39 that said "Thou shalt not kill, " he realized that 22:41 his sin was really against the Lord. 22:44 And so in Psalm 51 and verse 4 22:47 we find these words of David written to God: 22:58 Who did David sin against? Only 10 written commandments? 23:02 No! "Against You, You only, have I sinned... " 23:16 Let me give you one... a couple of final examples - 23:19 one from the Old Testament and another from the New Testament - 23:23 on how sin is personal. 23:25 It's against a person. 23:26 When we break the written law 23:28 we're sinning against God as a person 23:30 because God is original in His character. 23:35 In living flesh is what the Ten Commandments say. 23:40 You remember Daniel's penitential prayer 23:43 in Daniel 9:10 and 11 where is pouring out his heart 23:47 to God and he's saying: "God, please fulfill Your promise. 23:50 After 70 years restore Your people to their land. " 23:53 I want you to notice there's an interesting interchange 23:56 of concepts in verses 10 and 11. 23:58 Notice what it says. 24:00 Daniel speaking to God in prayer says: 24:34 So breaking the law... It said that the broke the law. 24:37 It's mentioned twice. But at the end of verse 11 24:41 it says: "We have sinned against" whom? 24:44 "We have sinned against Him... " against the Lord. 24:48 You remember the story of the prodigal son? 24:50 Did he break the commandment that says: 24:52 "Honor your father and your mother? " 24:54 You better believe he did. 24:55 Did he break the commandment "Thou shalt not 24:56 commit adultery? " At least his brother said 24:58 that he went out with the harlots. 25:00 So evidently he broke the 7th commandment too. 25:02 And yet when he comes back home 25:05 he doesn't say: "Father, 25:08 I have sinned by breaking the commandment that says 25:12 "Honor your father and your mother. " 25:13 "I have sinned, Father, 25:17 by sleeping with harlots. " 25:20 What did he say? 25:22 "I have sinned against heaven and against" who? 25:25 "Against you! And I am no more worthy to be called your son. " 25:30 Are you understanding the relationship between 25:33 God and His law? 25:35 You see, God is the law in living form. 25:41 Jesus came to this world. The law was written in His heart. 25:45 The written law was in the tables of His heart 25:48 and therefore Jesus lived what the law is. 25:52 You see, folks, when we break merely a written code... 25:56 Stone is cold... inanimate. 26:01 Unfeeling... hard. 26:06 When you break the Ten Commandments 26:08 the Ten Commandments cannot shed tears. 26:11 The Ten Commandments cannot say: "I forgive you" 26:15 because the Ten Commandments are simply the reflection 26:18 of who God is in His person. 26:20 But when you sin you do hurt the heart of God. 26:24 God does shed tears, 26:27 and God can say: "I forgive you. " 26:30 Do you know, there's something that I've never been able 26:33 to understand, and that is that there are many Christians 26:36 who say that the law was nailed to the cross. 26:40 Now allow me to read you an interesting statement 26:43 from the book The Great Controversy 26:47 where Ellen White is talking about the sin of the Jewish 26:51 nation and the sin of the Christian world today. 26:54 I used to read this and I thought that they were 26:56 two different sins. But really they're the same sin 26:58 looked at from different angles. 27:01 Notice Great Controversy page 22: 27:08 Did they claim to uphold the law of God? 27:11 Yes, they claimed to uphold the law 27:15 but they rejected Jesus who is a personal reflection 27:19 of the law. Now what about the Christian world? 27:22 She continues saying: 27:33 Interesting! 27:35 The Jews upheld the law and they rejected Jesus. 27:38 The Christian world claims to uphold Jesus 27:41 and rejects the law. 27:43 And by the way, when you crucify the law 27:46 you are crucifying Jesus because Jesus 27:49 is reflected in the law. 27:51 So crucifying the law means crucifying whom? 27:55 Means crucifying Jesus. 27:57 You cannot love Jesus and crucify the law 28:00 because the law is a reflection of who Jesus is. 28:03 So when you crucify the law you're really crucifying Jesus 28:08 Himself. 28:10 You see, folks, 28:13 the true Christian feels love and hatred 28:18 at the same time. You say "Now wait a minute. " 28:22 Say the Christian feels love and hatred? Absolutely! 28:25 Jesus did. 28:28 Notice Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 9. 28:31 Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 9. 28:34 Here it's speaking about Jesus. 28:37 And it says: "You have loved righteousness 28:42 and hated" what? "Lawlessness. " 28:48 Same word... transgression of the law in I John 3:4. 28:52 Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with oil 28:56 of gladness more than your companions. " 29:00 What did Jesus love? 29:02 Righteousness. 29:03 What did He hate? 29:05 Lawlessness or the breaking of the law. 29:09 Now Ellen White amplifies this 29:12 love/hate idea concerning Jesus and us. 29:16 You know, usually what we do is 29:18 we love the sin and hate the sinner. 29:22 But with Jesus He hated sin and He loved the sinner. 29:26 Notice Selected Messages volume 1 page 254. 29:30 "Never before had there been a being upon the earth 29:36 who hated sin with so perfect a hatred as did Christ. " 29:42 Because He was the law in person. 29:45 And the law of God and sin cannot live together. 29:48 She continues saying: 29:50 "He had seen its deceiving, infatuating 29:54 power upon the holy angels, 29:56 and all His powers were enlisted against it. " 30:01 But then in the devotional book This Day With God 30:04 page 279 she says: "While He hated sin 30:09 with a perfect hatred" - because He was the law in living form; 30:13 He was the law in bodily form, incompatible with sin - 30:17 she says: "While He hated sin with a perfect hatred 30:20 He could weep over the sinner. " 30:25 You see, folks, sin is deeper than breaking a list of rules 30:29 and regulations. 30:30 Sin is more than just breaking the written law. 30:34 Now I'm not saying that it's not breaking the written law. 30:36 But the written law is given because there are people 30:39 to have relationships. 30:41 Isn't it true that when we break the law we break relationships? 30:44 Notice Isaiah 59 and verse 2. 30:48 Isaiah 59 and verse 2. 30:50 Here, Isaiah - the gospel prophet - says: 30:54 "And God... " He's actually quoting God... 31:01 What does iniquity do? It what? 31:05 Separates us from our God. 31:18 And so when we break the law what are we breaking? 31:21 Relationships. 31:23 Because the law describes perfect relationships. 31:26 Let me ask you: what good would it do to say 31:28 "Thou shalt not kill" if there's no one to kill? 31:31 What good would it do to say: "Thou shalt not commit adultery" 31:34 if there's no one to commit adultery with? 31:37 What good would it do to say "Thou shalt not covet" 31:40 if there's no one whose possessions or wife 31:45 there is to covet? 31:46 What good would it do... to say: 31:48 "Keep the Sabbath of the Lord" 31:50 if there was no Lord of the Sabbath? 31:52 In other words, the law describes perfect 31:55 interpersonal relationships. 31:57 And when we break the law, we break our relationship with 32:00 God because God is the personification 32:04 of the law. Are you under- standing me this afternoon? 32:07 Let me give you an example so we can understand 32:10 a little bit better. 32:12 I grew up in the country of Venezuela. 32:14 I lived there from the time that I was 5 32:17 till the time that I was 14. 32:19 And I did all of my primary education in a 32:22 Seventh-day Adventist school there in the city of Caracas 32:25 called El Ricardo Greenidge which is the name of the school. 32:28 And at that time my dad was the conference president... 32:30 the East Venezuela Conference president. 32:32 And the school where I studied 32:33 on the first floor was the school; on the second floor 32:36 were the offices of the conference where my dad 32:38 was president. And so once in a while 32:41 during recess I would... I would go up to my dad's office. 32:45 After all, all I had to do was go up the stairs. 32:47 And my dad was on a trip, and I would sit there in the chair 32:51 behind his desk and I would put my legs up on the desk 32:56 like I saw him do. And, you know, I played 32:58 like I was president of the conference as I watched him do. 33:02 And once in a while I would go through the trash basket 33:05 to see if there was anything interesting that the secretary 33:07 was throwing away. Well, one day I went through the 33:10 waste basket and I found an envelope. And the envelope had 33:12 a bill that was worth twenty bolivars. 33:17 Now that was... the dollar to the bolivar was 33:20 three bolivars and 30 cents per dollar, 33:24 and at that time it was a lot of money. 33:25 This was in the early 60's 33:27 and, you know, I didn't usually see that much money. 33:30 And now I knew that the secretary had thrown it there 33:32 by accident. Nobody throws away a bill like that. 33:35 But, you know, even though I knew, my conscience told me 33:39 that it was thrown there by accident, 33:42 you know, I thought well finders keepers/losers weepers. 33:46 You know the saying... you know. 33:48 If she didn't want to throw it away, 33:49 why is it in the waste basket? 33:51 And I rationalized, and so 33:53 I took the 20 bolivar bill and I found a friend of mine... 33:57 you know, I didn't want to sin by myself 33:59 so I said to him: "Hey, would you like to have 10 bolivars 34:02 for yourself? " He says: "Yeah! " 34:04 Says: "Where'd you get it? " I said: "I found it. " 34:06 "Oh, great. " So I changed the 20 bolivar bill 34:10 and each of us had 10. 34:11 Now during the recess what would happen is 34:13 they had all kinds of salesmen that would come outside 34:15 the fence. They sold sodas, 34:19 you know, we call them pop up in Wisconsin, 34:22 they sold pop and they sold chips and they sold candy. 34:27 Just all kinds of stuff that you really shouldn't eat anyway. 34:30 And so we went out during recess and we were the 34:34 millionaires there at the school. 34:36 We were buying pop and we were buying chips 34:39 and we were buying candy. 34:40 We bought everything under the sun. 34:42 But of course, the principal of the school 34:44 was watching what we were doing. 34:46 Where did these guys get so much money? 34:49 So he called us to his office 34:51 and he says: "Where did you get the money? " 34:54 And then you know you always add one sin to another. 34:57 I said: "Well, my mother gave it to me. " 35:00 He says: "Oh, if that's the case I'm going to call your mother. " 35:03 Oh, oh... I was in trouble now. 35:05 I didn't really think about it. 35:07 And I said: "No, no, you don't have to call my mother. " 35:09 He says: "Oh, yes, I'm going to call her. " 35:10 So he called my mother. 35:12 Now do you know what? I was sorry. 35:17 Do you know what I was sorry for? 35:20 That I got caught! 35:23 And I was sorry because of the punishment that 35:25 I was going to receive 35:28 because I had broken the commandment 35:30 "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not covet. " 35:33 I had broken the written commandments. 35:36 And I was really sad because I knew that I was going to be 35:39 punished at school by being suspended for several days - 35:41 which I was - and when I got home 35:44 I was going to be punished. 35:45 I was repentant because of the results of my sin. 35:50 Well I got home that afternoon... 35:52 had a key. Very quietly I went to the door 35:55 to open the door with the key and what do you know? 36:00 When the door opened, there was my mother standing 36:04 at the door. I expected to see her with the belt. 36:08 I expected to get the punishment but what I saw 36:12 totally blew me away. 36:14 My mom was standing there in the door 36:19 and there were tears rolling down her cheeks 36:24 and she could hardly talk. 36:26 She said: "Son, this is not what we've taught you to do. 36:32 I'm deeply disappointed in what you did. " 36:37 Folks, I would have liked to have a thousand lashes 36:42 and not see my mother crying 36:46 over the sin that I had committed. 36:49 And I made up my mind that day 36:51 that because my sin hurt my mother - 36:55 which by the way afterwards reflecting I realized that 36:58 it had hurt God more than it had hurt my mother - 37:01 I made my decision that I would not steal any more. 37:08 Not because I was afraid of the punishment. 37:10 Not because the law says "Thou shalt not steal, " 37:15 but because what I had done had hurt my mother 37:18 and had hurt my God. 37:21 Let me ask you: when a husband goes out and commits adultery, 37:27 breaks the commandment that says "Thou shalt not commit adultery" 37:30 as well as the commandment that says "Thou shalt not covet, " 37:33 let me ask you: does that hurt people? 37:37 Does it hurt the spouse? Yes it does. 37:40 Does that hurt the children? It most certainly does. 37:43 Does it hurt the church? It most certainly hurts the church. 37:48 Does it hurt the individual himself? 37:51 Absolutely. 37:53 He doesn't feel like praying. Doesn't feel like witnessing. 37:57 Doesn't feel like reading the Bible 37:59 because his sin has separated him from God. 38:02 Breaking the written law has broken a relationship 38:06 with Jesus. 38:09 When we go to the movie theater, 38:12 and by the way, I find it unconscionable 38:14 that some youth leaders in the Adventist church even 38:18 take their young people to the theater 38:20 to watch movies these days. It's incredible. 38:23 When you go to the movie theater and you watch violence 38:27 and you watch sex and cheating and lying and spiritualism... 38:32 which everything is saturated with spiritualism these days... 38:34 does that make you more like Jesus? 38:38 Does that make you want to have a close, intimate relationship 38:42 with Jesus? No! It makes you unlike Jesus! 38:45 It's not only breaking the written commandments 38:48 but it's making you unlike Jesus Christ 38:51 and therefore we should set it aside. 38:53 You know, you take the Sabbath for example. 38:56 People think these days that they can do anything 38:58 on the Sabbath. 39:00 Does breaking the Sabbath affect your relationship 39:04 with Jesus Christ? Why did God give us the Sabbath? 39:07 Not so that we would be idle and not do anything 39:11 and be miserable on the Sabbath. 39:12 The purpose of the Sabbath is relationship. 39:15 You know why I don't go to the store and buy 39:18 and why I don't go to work and I don't do all these things? 39:21 Because this is the time that I've set aside 39:23 to enhance my relationship with Jesus. 39:27 It's not because the 4th commandment says: 39:29 "don't work on the Sabbath. " 39:31 It's because I'm too busy fellowshipping with the Lord 39:34 Jesus Christ. And when you don't keep the Sabbath, 39:37 when you break the Sabbath, 39:39 you're not only breaking the commandment... 39:40 you're breaking your relationship with Jesus 39:43 because Jesus wants to have fellowship with you 39:45 all day Sabbath. 39:49 You see, folks, sin is transgression of the law 39:52 but it's transgression against God as a person 39:55 because the law is a reflection, 39:58 a written reflection of who God is! 40:01 Reminds me of Adam and Eve. 40:04 Were they repentant at first? 40:07 Are you kidding? 40:09 They tried to justify their sin. 40:11 "The woman that You gave to me... " 40:13 "Huh... the serpent that You made... " 40:16 "If it hadn't been for You giving me the woman 40:19 and the woman tempting me I would be sinless... " 40:23 "If it wasn't for the fact that You made that nasty serpent, 40:27 I would be sinless. You're to blame, Lord, 40:29 and the woman is to blame and the serpent is to blame. " 40:32 Everybody is casting blame! 40:35 When were Adam and Eve actually sorry for their sin? 40:41 They were sorry for their sin when they had to sacrifice 40:44 the first lamb. And listen... that must have been torture 40:48 because we're told in the book Conflict and Courage page 22... 40:52 Listen to this... just the falling of a leaf. 40:56 Ellen White says: 41:17 Imagine mourning over flowers and leaves that fall 41:20 and now they have to kill an animal. 41:22 And then their Creator said: "That lamb represents Me. 41:28 Your sin is going to cause Me to go. 41:31 I'm going to bear your sin 41:33 and I'm going to suffer the terrible penalty. " 41:35 You think Adam and Eve now said: "We don't want anything more 41:38 to do with sin? " 41:39 Yes, because it hurt their beloved Friend: 41:42 their Creator Jesus Christ. 41:45 I love the text in Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 10. 41:49 Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 10 41:51 where it speaks about what happens when people catch 41:53 a glimpse of Jesus the Messiah. 41:56 Of the law in living color; 41:58 of the law incarnate, if you please. 42:00 It says there: 42:28 You see, folks, the way that we overcome sin 42:32 in our life is not by looking at the law 42:35 but by looking at Jesus. 42:38 Because when we look at Jesus 42:40 we see absolute, sinless perfection. 42:43 One that deserves life. 42:45 And then we see Jesus hanging on the cross 42:48 naked, decrepit, with wounds 42:52 on different parts of His body 42:54 and we say: "Jesus, why did this happen to You? " 42:57 Jesus says: "Because of your transgression of the law. 43:01 Because your sins have made separation between 43:05 Me and you. Because I bore your penalty. " 43:07 And when I see that sin is personal, 43:09 when I see that sin is not only breaking a list of rules 43:13 and regulations but it's actually sinning against the 43:15 character of someone, I say: "Jesus, I hate sin 43:19 and I love You. " 43:21 The reason why we're not overcoming sin 43:24 is because we're looking at everything except Jesus. 43:29 Now this reminds me about the experience of Simon Peter. 43:34 There were two men who denied Jesus: Peter and Judas. 43:40 Peter denied Jesus and he betrayed Him 43:45 and he denied Him how many times? 43:48 Three times. And the last time 43:51 he used profanity to deny his relationship with Jesus. 43:56 And listen, it wasn't because Peter was afraid of dying. 44:00 It wasn't because he was a coward and afraid of dying 44:03 because just a short while before he'd taken out his sword 44:06 and he was willing to defend the kingdom of Jesus 44:09 with the sword. Do you know the real reason why Peter 44:12 denied Jesus? The worst reason of all: 44:16 he was embarrassed to be associated with Jesus. 44:21 Allow me to read you Desire of Ages... that classic 44:24 book on the life of Christ page 712. 44:28 "If he had been called to fight for his Master, 44:31 he would have been a courageous soldier. 44:35 But when the finger of scorn was pointed at him 44:40 he proved himself a coward. 44:43 Many who do not shrink from active warfare for their Lord 44:48 are driven by ridicule to deny their faith. " 44:52 "Oh, so you were with that man Jesus. 44:55 Is that your Messiah? " 44:57 And he felt the scorn and the ridicule 44:59 and he denied Jesus... the worst kind of treason 45:02 against the Lord! 45:04 But fortunately Jesus had told Peter... 45:07 this is found in Luke chapter 22... 45:10 "When you are converted... " 45:15 See, Peter wasn't converted. 45:16 Jesus says: "You are going to be converted. " 45:18 Now let me ask you: what was it that led Peter to be converted? 45:23 Did he look at the Ten Commandments and say: 45:24 "Oh, I have sinned against the Ten Commandments? " 45:27 No. Allow me to read you 45:31 from Luke 22 verses 60 through 62 the story. 45:36 It tells us the moment when Peter was converted. 45:40 "But Peter said: 'Man, I do not know what you are saying. ' 45:46 Immediately while he was still speaking the rooster crowed 45:50 and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. 45:56 Their eyes met, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord 46:01 how He had said to him: 'Before the rooster crows 46:05 you will deny Me three times. ' 46:07 And Peter went out and wept bitterly. " 46:13 What was it that led to the conversion of Peter? 46:16 Looking at the law as a code or looking at Jesus? 46:20 It was looking at Jesus Christ and what his sin 46:24 had done to Jesus... his best Friend. " 46:27 In the book Christ Objects Lessons page 154 46:32 we find these wonderful words describing the experience 46:36 of Peter. She says: "When the crowing of the cock 46:39 reminded him of the words of Christ, 46:41 surprised and shocked at what he had just done 46:47 he turned and looked at his Master. 46:50 At that moment Christ looked at Peter 46:53 and beneath that grieved look 46:57 in which compassion and love for him were blended... " 47:02 It was a grieved look, it said, but 47:05 compassion and love for him were blended. 47:08 "Peter understood himself. " 47:12 When do we understand ourselves and the nature of sin? 47:16 When our eyes meet the eyes of whom? 47:19 Jesus! "Peter understood himself. 47:21 He went out and wept bitterly. 47:24 That look of Christ's broke his heart. 47:29 Peter had come to the turning point 47:33 and bitterly did he repent his sin. " 47:37 Not the consequences... his sin! 47:40 "He was like the publican in his contrition 47:43 and repentance, and like the publican he found mercy. 47:47 The look of Christ assured him of pardon. " 47:53 So what was it that led to the conversion of Peter? 47:56 Beholding Jesus 47:59 and what his sin was doing to Jesus. 48:03 Judas was the opposite. 48:05 The Bible says that Judas repented, 48:08 but do you know what he repented of? 48:09 He repented of the consequences of his sin. 48:13 You see, his plan backfired. 48:14 You know, this idea that it was the purpose of Judas 48:18 to betray Jesus to death... It was not the purpose 48:21 of Judas that Jesus should die. 48:23 He was trying to pressure Jesus 48:26 into escaping and proclaiming Himself King. 48:29 But when he saw that Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested 48:32 and mistreated and led to the cross, 48:35 he said: "My plan backfired! 48:37 I didn't get what I wanted. " 48:39 And the evidence that he really did not intend to betray Jesus 48:42 to death is in the fact that he went back and he threw 48:45 the money and he said: "I have betrayed innocent blood. " 48:48 And the Bible says that he went and he hung himself. 48:51 What a difference between the death of Peter 48:52 and the death of Judas. 48:54 Where Peter was going to be crucified according to 48:56 Acts of the Apostles they were going to crucify him 48:59 with his head up. He said: "No, no, no. 49:01 I'm unworthy to die like my Master. 49:03 Crucify me with my head down. " 49:06 And the Bible tells us that Judas - who repented 49:10 over the consequences of his sin 49:12 and not what the sin did to Jesus - 49:14 went out and he committed suicide. 49:18 You see, folks, what God wants to do, 49:21 what Jesus wants to do, is to write His law on our hearts 49:25 and on our minds. 49:27 You see, He wants the law to be embodied in us. 49:31 He doesn't want the law simply to be on tables of stone 49:34 and me comparing my life with the tables of stone. 49:36 No. He wants to take the law and He wants to write it 49:39 on the tables of my heart. 49:41 He promises first of all to give me a new heart. 49:43 Notice Ezekiel 36 verses 26 and 27. 49:48 Ezekiel 36:26-27. 49:51 This is a wonderful promise. 49:53 By the way, this is an instantaneous work... 49:56 the change of heart is instantaneous, 49:58 and God does not do bypass operations. 50:02 He does not do valve changes or He doesn't put in pacemakers. 50:06 He only does transplants. 50:08 It says: 50:27 Notice: He says "I'll give you a new heart and 50:29 then you'll perform what the law requires. " 50:31 "I will give a new spirit within you" 50:34 and then He says "and, as a result 50:37 you will walk in My statutes 50:39 and you will keep My judgments and do them. " 50:43 So God promises to take out our old heart 50:46 and give us a new heart for the asking. 50:49 But listen up: the writing of the law in our hearts 50:53 is a process... 50:55 a life-long process once we have our new heart. 51:00 Notice what we find in Jeremiah 31 verses 31-33. 51:05 Beautiful promise. 51:45 God doesn't want the Ten Commandments only to be 51:47 on tables of stone. 51:48 He wants to write the Ten Commandments on the 51:50 tablets of our hearts 51:52 like they were written in the tablets of the heart of Jesus. 51:57 Now the question is: How does God write 51:59 the Ten Commandments on our hearts? 52:02 The apostle Paul has the answer. 52:05 II Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18. 52:08 The more time we spend with Jesus in prayer 52:10 the more time we spend with Jesus in Bible study 52:13 the more time we spend telling about Jesus 52:16 the closer we draw to Jesus because we are beholding Him. 52:20 "By beholding Him we are changed. " 52:23 That's how His life becomes our life. 52:27 That's how His character becomes our character. 52:29 And by the way, this is revealed 52:30 in the holy place of the sanctuary. 52:32 The altar of incense represents prayer. 52:36 The table of shewbread represents the study 52:39 of God's Holy Word. 52:41 And the candlestick which gives light represents 52:44 the fact that God gives us the oil so that we can 52:47 enlighten the world through His Spirit. 52:50 In other words, we have what I call the triangle 52:52 of sanctification: prayer, Bible study, and witnessing 52:56 which leads to a balanced Christian life 52:59 and a close relationship with Jesus. 53:01 II Corinthians 3:18 says: 53:25 In the book Sons and Daughters of God page 337 53:29 Ellen White amplifies and explains 53:33 this text from II Corinthians 3:18. She says: 53:47 See, we're contemplating the law in a living person. 53:52 And then she says: 54:13 So what is the secret for overcoming sin 54:16 and having Christ's imparted righteousness? 54:18 He imparts it to us daily as we are in fellowship with Him. 54:23 Through prayer, through Bible study, through witnessing, 54:26 through contemplating Him and leaving everything else aside. 54:31 Kind of reminds me of an experience that I had. 54:33 You know, I taught theology for six years 54:35 in our university in Medellin, Colombia. 54:37 I had one student that was exceptional. 54:39 The best student that I ever had. 54:41 He would sit always on the first row 54:43 with his Bible open, with his notebook. 54:46 And when I started teaching the class he would look at me 54:50 and he would not take his eyes off of me except to write down 54:54 in his notebook what I was saying in class. 54:56 Stellar student; always got perfect grades. 54:59 A few years ago I was preaching in a certain place 55:03 and after I finished my sermon - 55:06 by the way, I had this group for three years - 55:08 a lady came to me. She said: "Pastor Bohr, 55:10 do you know so and so? " 55:12 She mentioned the name of this student. 55:14 I said: "Yeah, I sure do know him. " 55:17 She said: "Well you preach just like he does. " 55:24 And I looked at her and I smiled 55:27 and I said: "Well, you know, 55:28 he was my student for three years. " 55:30 She said: "Oh, I'm sorry, Pastor. " 55:33 You know, she was kind of embarrassed. 55:35 I said: "Don't be embarrassed. " 55:36 I said: "When you spend three years in a classroom 55:40 beholding someone, you are changed. " 55:44 And even till this day... He came to one of our 55:47 retreats - family retreats - up in Yosemite National Park 55:50 a few years ago, and my church members that went... 55:54 I wasn't able to go... They came to me and said: 55:56 "Pastor Bohr, he preaches just like you. 55:59 He moves his arms like you. 56:01 The tone of his voice is like you. 56:04 The way that he moves his body is like you. " 56:07 Says: "Man, he's just like a copy! " 56:10 Why? Because by beholding we are changed. 56:17 And this is a law of life. 56:19 We are composed physically of what we eat. 56:23 We are composed spiritually of what we eat, 56:26 and we eat through our eyes and through our ears. 56:29 And each day as we behold Jesus through prayer, 56:33 through Bible study, through witnessing 56:35 and talking about how wonderful He is, 56:37 we are changed into His same image... 56:41 into His same likeness. 56:43 And His imparted character - 56:46 the robe of His imparted righteousness - 56:49 comes into our life. We submit to Him. 56:51 His thoughts become our thoughts. 56:54 His will becomes our will. 56:56 His mind becomes our mind and we are one with Him. 57:01 This is the reason why Ellen White said 57:05 that it would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour 57:09 each day contemplating the life of Christ. 57:14 And she says that as we do that 57:16 we will come... our love will be quickened 57:21 and we shall be more deeply imbued with His Spirit 57:25 and we'll come in penitence and humiliation 57:28 to the foot of the cross. |
Revised 2014-12-17