If a man dies,
shall he live again?
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What does it mean to
be absent from the body,
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and present with the Lord?
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Did Jesus go with the thief
to paradise on Good Friday?
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Did the souls of
dead people really cry out
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from below the altar?
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Pastor Bohr answers
these questions and more
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in the amazing series:
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Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Our Father in
heaven, what a joy it is
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to be in Your presence today.
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How wonderful it
is to have Your Word,
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especially in these last
days of the history of the world
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when everything seems to
be spinning out of control.
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And Father, as we begin this
series about what happens when a
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person dies, and the glorious
hope of the resurrection
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we ask for the
presence of Your Holy Spirit.
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I ask, Lord, that You will give
us hearts that are willing to
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receive the truth
as it is in Jesus.
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And we thank you, Father, for
hearing and answering our prayer
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for we ask it in
Jesus' name. Amen.
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Throughout the course
of the history of the world
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there have been different
concepts about what happens
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when a person dies.
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There are those who believe in
what is called philosophically
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nihilism. Basically, it's
the idea that when a person dies
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that's it. They
return to the ground.
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They return to the
dust, and they live no more.
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Then there are those
who have New Age ideas.
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Basically it's the idea that
when a person dies they go back
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and join what is
called the universal,
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or the cosmic consciousness.
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Then we have those who believe
that man was given an immortal
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soul when he was created,
and that when a person dies,
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if he was good, or if she was
good, the soul goes to heaven.
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If the person was bad
the soul goes to hell.
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And there's at least one
church in the world that teaches
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that if the soul was not exactly
good or bad it needs to go to
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purgatory for
awhile to cleanse itself.
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And also that same church
believes in what theologians
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call limbo. And then there are
those who believe that when a
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person dies they simply go
to an unconscious state until
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the moment of the resurrection.
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Now the question is, what
is the Biblical view of death
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and life? During the next
twelve lectures we're going to
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study this subject. We're
not going to study it according
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to the concepts
of the philosophers.
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We're not going to
look at it from the concept
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of the theologians. We are
going to look at this subject
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from the
perspective of God's Holy Word.
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The title of our
subject for today is
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The Right To the Tree of Life.
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And what I would like to do
is begin where the Bible begins
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in Genesis 2:7 where we
find a description of the origin
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of life. Genesis 2:7.
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And we'll be coming back to
this verse many times during
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the course of these
lectures. It says there:
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That's the
physical nature of man.
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The physical nature
was made out of dust;
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the body, in other words.
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And then it says:
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Now we use our
nostrils to breathe.
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In other words, God gave that
body the capacity to breathe.
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And then I want you to notice
the last part of the verse.
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It says: It's very important to
realize that the text does not
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say that man has a soul.
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Neither does the text
say that God gave man a soul.
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The verse is very explicit
when it says that man became
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a living soul, or as the
New King James translates it,
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became a living being.
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We can notice, for example,
in the New International Version
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that many, many times
when the word soul appears
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it is translated person.
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In other words, the
combination of the body of dust,
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and the breath of life,
gave as a result a person,
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or a living being. Now I'd
like us, as we begin, to compare
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two verses of scripture so
that we can see that the soul
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is the person in
his or her entirety.
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First of all, I would
like to read Matthew 16:26.
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And then I want
to go to Luke 9:25.
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So I invite you to go in
your Bibles to Matthew 16:26,
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and please keep a finger there,
and look up also Luke 9:25.
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We're going to
compare these two verses.
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By the way, in these two verses
you find the same teaching
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of Jesus from the perspective
of two different gospel writers.
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And so we'll read
first of all Matthew 16:26.
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Here Jesus says, For what profit
is it to a man if he gains
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the whole world
and loses his own soul?
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Or what will a man give
in exchange for his soul?
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Now notice that this
verse says, What will a man gain
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if he gains the whole
world and loses his soul?
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Now what does that
mean, loses his soul?
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Well, Luke 9:25
explains what the soul is.
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Remember it's the
same teaching of Jesus,
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but it's expressed
in different words.
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It says there in Luke 9:25,
For what profit is it to a man
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if he gains the whole world,
and now notice, and is himself
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destroyed or lost? Did you
notice that by comparing these
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two verses; in one verse it
speaks about losing his soul.
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In the other verse it
speaks about losing himself.
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So what is the soul?
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The soul is the self.
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The soul, in other
words, is the person.
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Now there's something that
we need to take into careful
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account when we study
the story of creation.
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God created man with a perfect
body; this is before sin.
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And He placed man in
a perfect environment.
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And He gave man perfect
laws to conserve health.
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So, once again, the three key
factors: God gave man a perfect
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body, to live in a perfect
environment, to live in harmony
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with perfect laws. But
there's an additional factor
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which is extremely important,
and that is that God also placed
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in the garden of
Eden a very special tree.
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It's known as the tree of life.
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I would like to read the
description of this tree in
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Genesis 2:9;
Genesis 2:9. It says there:
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Now a little bit later on we're
going to talk about the tree of
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the knowledge of good and evil,
but for now I want us to focus
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on the tree of life.
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Basically, scripture
teaches that in order for man
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to continue living he
had to continue eating
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from the tree of life.
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In other words, the
life of man was contingent.
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The life of man was dependent.
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It was not inherent.
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In other words, it
did not belong to himself.
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It was conditional.
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And the tree of life was
actually like a battery charger.
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In other words, man would
have to go every so often,
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and before we end
the presentation today,
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I'm going to suggest that
he had to go there every month,
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and I'll show you the
Biblical evidence for that.
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But every month he had to go
to the tree of life to partake
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of the leaves, and to partake
of the fruit so that his battery
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could be charged. Now
allow me to read you some very
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interesting statements.
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The first statement is by a
scholar well known in the world
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of scholars. His
name is Wheeler Robinson.
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In his book, The Christian
Doctrine of Man, page 122,
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he had this to say
about the tree of life.
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He's speaking about
Paul's concept. He says:
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Paul conceived man to be
mortal by his original nature.
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That's interesting coming
from a theologian who's not a
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a Seventh-day Adventist.
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Paul conceived man to be
mortal by his original nature,
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but with the
prospect of immortality.
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This, however, he forfeited when
he was driven forth from Eden,
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and therefore from the tree of
life, which would have nourished
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immortality in him.
Thus came death through sin.
00:10:08.83\00:10:14.81
In other words, the tree was
to nourish immortality in man.
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I would also like to
read a couple of statements
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from the
writings of Ellen White.
00:10:22.73\00:10:25.16
She has some very interesting
descriptions of this particular
00:10:25.19\00:10:30.51
tree, and what
the tree did for man.
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In her book, Testimonies for
the Church, Volume 8, page 288,
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she said this: The
fruit of the tree of life...
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And I'm going to prove this
in a few moments from scripture.
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In another statement, which we
find in Patriarchs and Prophets,
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that wonderful book that
describes history from the fall
00:11:08.60\00:11:12.54
of Lucifer in heaven, all the
way to the period of the kings,
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Ellen White said this:
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Notice that it was a continuous
thing, not a once in a lifetime
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thing. And so
she continues saying:
00:11:31.42\00:11:34.51
So we have these four
factors: perfect body,
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in a perfect environment, living
in harmony with perfect laws,
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and having access
to the tree of life.
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But now we need to speak
about the origin of death.
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That tragic phenomenon
that reaches every human being
00:12:00.56\00:12:04.94
on Planet Earth. You see,
God had placed another tree
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in the garden of Eden.
00:12:08.87\00:12:10.20
It is known as the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.
00:12:10.23\00:12:13.27
And God told Adam and Eve
not to eat from that tree.
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They were to continuously
eat from the tree of life,
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as a battery charger to continue
refurbishing their vitality,
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but they were not to eat
from the tree of the knowledge
00:12:25.27\00:12:27.56
of good and evil.
Let's read about that tree
00:12:27.59\00:12:30.06
in Genesis
2:15-17. Genesis 2:15-17.
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Then the Lord God took the
man and put him in the garden
00:12:38.00\00:12:42.70
of Eden to tend and keep it.
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Notice that God didn't
say, If you eat of this tree
00:13:02.87\00:13:05.52
of the knowledge of
good and evil you might die,
00:13:05.55\00:13:07.83
or perhaps you'll
die, or you'll die.
00:13:07.86\00:13:10.25
God said, You will surely
die if you eat from this tree.
00:13:10.28\00:13:16.32
Now in the garden we find
the presence also of the ancient
00:13:16.35\00:13:22.30
serpent, the devil and Satan.
00:13:22.33\00:13:24.37
And it's interesting to
notice that the devil directly
00:13:24.40\00:13:27.69
contradicted what God said.
00:13:27.72\00:13:29.57
In Genesis 3:4 we catch a part
of the conversation of the devil
00:13:29.60\00:13:36.59
with Eve. He explicitly
told her there in Genesis 3:4:
00:13:36.62\00:13:41.81
In other words, God said, You
will die because you are mortal.
00:13:48.33\00:13:52.98
On the other hand the
serpent said, You will not die,
00:13:53.01\00:13:57.23
because you are immortal.
00:13:57.26\00:13:59.97
Now the question
is who was right?
00:14:00.00\00:14:03.01
Was God right that man would
die, and therefore did not have
00:14:03.04\00:14:07.74
an immortal soul, or was the
devil right that man would never
00:14:07.77\00:14:11.59
die because he
had an immortal soul?
00:14:11.62\00:14:14.84
Well, let's look at
the Biblical testimony.
00:14:14.87\00:14:17.11
Remember, we're not going
here by what theologians say,
00:14:17.14\00:14:20.31
by what ministers say, by what
philosophers say, we're going by
00:14:20.34\00:14:24.68
what the Holy
Word of God has to say.
00:14:24.71\00:14:27.57
That is our source of authority.
00:14:27.60\00:14:29.58
Notice Genesis 3:6. Did Adam and
Eve disobey the command of God?
00:14:29.61\00:14:36.31
They most certainly did.
00:14:36.34\00:14:37.80
Notice Genesis 3:6.
00:14:37.83\00:14:40.76
So the question is, did
they disobey the command of God,
00:15:01.83\00:15:05.04
and did they eat from the
tree of the knowledge of good
00:15:05.07\00:15:08.11
and evil? Yes, they did.
00:15:08.14\00:15:09.94
And God had said, In the
day that you eat of this tree,
00:15:09.97\00:15:13.84
you will surely die.
00:15:13.87\00:15:16.62
Now let's read the sentence
that God pronounced upon them.
00:15:16.65\00:15:20.60
Genesis 3:19. This is after sin.
00:15:20.63\00:15:25.03
Genesis 3:19. God is speaking
here to the man and He says:
00:15:25.06\00:15:31.50
Notice that He doesn't
say till your body returns
00:15:38.70\00:15:41.32
to the ground. He says:
00:15:41.35\00:15:43.04
Return means to the condition
he was in before he was created.
00:15:45.39\00:15:50.29
So it says:
00:15:50.33\00:15:51.42
So it's not only talking about
the body, it's talking about
00:16:02.97\00:16:06.30
the total being who is
going to go to the dust.
00:16:06.33\00:16:10.03
Now, a little while ago I
brought up the idea that man
00:16:10.06\00:16:14.57
had to continue eating
from the tree of life in order
00:16:14.60\00:16:18.21
to continue living forever.
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.73
In other words, the fact that
the life of man was contingent,
00:16:20.76\00:16:23.69
it was dependent, upon partaking
from the tree which had
00:16:23.72\00:16:27.99
supernatural virtue.
00:16:28.02\00:16:29.97
In other words, in the
tree there was miraculous power
00:16:30.00\00:16:33.54
to perpetuate life. You say,
where does the Bible teach that?
00:16:33.57\00:16:38.17
Well, go with
me to Genesis 3:22.
00:16:38.20\00:16:42.67
This is after sin. When Adam and
Eve sinned, of course, we know
00:16:42.70\00:16:48.39
that God cast them
out of the garden of Eden.
00:16:48.42\00:16:52.41
And let's notice why God cast
them out of the garden of Eden.
00:16:52.44\00:16:56.26
It says there in Genesis 3:22:
00:16:56.29\00:17:00.50
Now wait a minute. What does
this text say? so that man will
00:17:19.96\00:17:25.12
not stretch forth his
hand, and partake of the fruit,
00:17:25.15\00:17:29.02
and live forever. That must mean
that if he could not partake
00:17:29.05\00:17:34.19
of the fruit he would not what?
00:17:34.22\00:17:36.18
He would not live forever.
00:17:36.21\00:17:38.05
He had to eat from the
fruit to live forever. Verse 23:
00:17:38.08\00:17:42.89
Notice this: to what?
00:17:59.32\00:18:01.54
Now we need to
ask two questions.
00:18:07.21\00:18:10.16
Question 1. If man was already
immortal, what good would it
00:18:10.19\00:18:15.71
have done for God to
tell him that he couldn't eat
00:18:15.74\00:18:17.72
from the tree? The fact is that
because he could not eat from
00:18:17.75\00:18:21.94
the tree, he was going to die.
00:18:21.97\00:18:24.04
If he ate from the tree
he would continue living.
00:18:24.07\00:18:27.58
The fact is that it would
not have done any good for God
00:18:27.61\00:18:31.44
to forbid the man from eating
from the tree if man was already
00:18:31.47\00:18:35.23
immortal. But there's a more
serious question, and it's this:
00:18:35.26\00:18:39.64
If Adam and Eve were immortal
then why would Jesus have to die
00:18:39.67\00:18:46.97
to give them what
they already possessed?
00:18:47.00\00:18:49.96
In other words, the death
of Christ is made unnecessary
00:18:49.99\00:18:55.42
by the doctrine of the
immortality of the soul,
00:18:55.45\00:18:57.48
because if you are already
immortal, why would Jesus
00:18:57.51\00:19:00.83
have to die in order to give you
immortality, which supposedly,
00:19:00.86\00:19:05.97
you already possessed?
00:19:06.00\00:19:07.83
In other words, this doctrine
of the immortality of the soul
00:19:07.86\00:19:11.75
actually reduces the need that
people have for Jesus Christ
00:19:11.78\00:19:17.36
as the source of life.
00:19:17.39\00:19:19.07
So after man sins
several changes take place.
00:19:19.10\00:19:23.33
1. The body now
begins to deteriorate.
00:19:23.36\00:19:27.84
2. The environment
begins to deteriorate.
00:19:27.87\00:19:32.30
3. Man who lived in perfect
obedience to the laws of God
00:19:32.33\00:19:36.88
now begins
disobeying the laws of God.
00:19:36.91\00:19:39.74
4. Man can no longer
partake of the tree of life.
00:19:39.77\00:19:44.92
Even if man had lived
in a perfect environment,
00:19:44.95\00:19:48.89
with a perfect body; even if
he had lived in harmony with the
00:19:48.92\00:19:52.95
laws of health. But if he had
no access to the tree of life,
00:19:52.98\00:19:56.02
eventually, who knows after
how many thousands, or perhaps
00:19:56.05\00:20:00.36
millions of years that had gone
by, the life of man would have
00:20:00.39\00:20:04.36
become extinct. Now let's take a
look at the life spans of those
00:20:04.39\00:20:10.58
great heroes who
lived before the flood.
00:20:10.61\00:20:13.28
Their life spans are
mentioned in Genesis 5.
00:20:13.31\00:20:17.26
This is after sin, and
this is before the flood.
00:20:17.29\00:20:20.56
By the way, this period is a
period of 1,600 years between
00:20:20.59\00:20:27.50
creation and the flood.
00:20:27.53\00:20:28.88
And we're not going to read all
of the verses, but I just want
00:20:28.91\00:20:31.50
to mention the ages of the
individuals who lived between
00:20:31.53\00:20:34.91
creation and the flood: 930,
912, 905, 910, 895, 962, 969,
00:20:34.94\00:20:50.75
the Grand Daddy of all!
00:20:50.78\00:20:52.14
Methuselah lived
almost a thousand years.
00:20:52.17\00:20:54.98
777 and 950 years. Why is
it that these individuals lived
00:20:55.01\00:21:04.14
to be so old compared to
the people who live in the world
00:21:04.17\00:21:09.18
today? The fact is, folks,
the reason is because they were
00:21:09.21\00:21:15.12
closer to the time that Adam
and Eve had their battery fully
00:21:15.15\00:21:20.94
and completely charged.
00:21:20.97\00:21:23.53
In other words, they were close
to the time when Adam and Eve
00:21:23.56\00:21:28.08
had the battery
completely and totally charged,
00:21:28.11\00:21:32.57
and therefore the battery had
not discharged as much as the
00:21:32.60\00:21:37.45
battery has discharged over so
many thousands of years today.
00:21:37.48\00:21:42.62
But even though those people
before the flood lived to be
00:21:42.65\00:21:47.19
almost a thousand years
old, there is one thing which
00:21:47.22\00:21:50.85
Genesis 5 makes
absolutely certain.
00:21:50.88\00:21:53.87
And that is that eight
times in Genesis 5, and one time
00:21:53.90\00:21:59.70
in Genesis 9:29 the
formula is used: And he died.
00:21:59.73\00:22:09.02
You can read it
there in Genesis 5.
00:22:09.05\00:22:11.67
Eight times you can read it
regarding Noah in Genesis 9:29.
00:22:11.70\00:22:16.98
It says he died. There's only
one exception and that is Enoch.
00:22:17.01\00:22:21.99
It says there in Genesis 5 that
he was translated to be with God
00:22:22.02\00:22:26.97
without suffering death.
00:22:27.00\00:22:29.41
So let me ask you, was
the Word of God proved true?
00:22:29.44\00:22:32.94
Yes, because Genesis 5
says that even though they were
00:22:32.97\00:22:36.89
closer to the time when
the battery was fully charged,
00:22:36.92\00:22:39.83
eventually, after living close
to a thousand years, they died.
00:22:39.86\00:22:46.33
What God said later
in Romans 6:23 was proved
00:22:46.36\00:22:51.83
absolutely true. And that text
says, the wages of sin is death.
00:22:51.86\00:22:59.65
Allow me to read you a
statement that we find in the
00:22:59.68\00:23:02.60
Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, Volume 7, page 988.
00:23:02.63\00:23:07.71
This is also from the
pen of Ellen White regarding
00:23:07.74\00:23:11.36
the lifespan of those
who lived before the flood.
00:23:11.39\00:23:14.19
She says this: As Adam
and Eve ate of this tree
00:23:14.22\00:23:19.71
they acknowledged
their dependence upon God.
00:23:19.74\00:23:22.37
It's talking
about the tree of life.
00:23:22.40\00:23:23.78
The tree of life possessed
the power to perpetuate life,
00:23:23.81\00:23:30.44
and as long as they ate
of it they could not die.
00:23:30.47\00:23:36.79
Where was their source of life?
00:23:36.82\00:23:38.60
In some immortal soul
that they possessed? No!
00:23:38.63\00:23:41.77
The source of life was in
this miraculous tree of God.
00:23:41.80\00:23:46.19
You say, Well did the
tree itself have virtue?
00:23:46.22\00:23:48.76
It must have had, because God
forbade Adam and Eve from eating
00:23:48.79\00:23:52.32
from it. So the tree must have
had some supernatural virtue.
00:23:52.35\00:23:56.21
She continues saying this, The
lives of the antediluvians were
00:23:56.24\00:24:01.54
protracted, in other words, they
were very long, because of the
00:24:01.57\00:24:05.22
life giving power of this tree,
which was transmitted to them
00:24:05.25\00:24:11.12
from Adam and Eve. You know very
well that a battery lasts a lot
00:24:11.15\00:24:17.33
longer when it's
been fully charged.
00:24:17.36\00:24:19.34
As time goes by the battery
becomes less and less powerful.
00:24:19.37\00:24:24.86
And that's exactly what
happened after the flood.
00:24:24.89\00:24:28.32
Allow me to mention the
life spans of the people who
00:24:28.35\00:24:31.93
lived after the flood.
00:24:31.96\00:24:33.54
These, by the way, are
contained in Genesis 11.
00:24:33.57\00:24:37.29
And we're not going
to look up the verses.
00:24:37.32\00:24:39.86
You can go to chapter 11
and you can read about the ten
00:24:39.89\00:24:43.86
patriarchs that
are mentioned there.
00:24:43.89\00:24:45.54
By the way, they go from
the times of Noah all the way
00:24:45.57\00:24:49.45
till the time of Abraham.
00:24:49.48\00:24:51.04
Here are the life
spans: 600, 438, 433, 464, 239.
00:24:51.07\00:25:04.03
Then there was
another person who lived 239.
00:25:04.06\00:25:07.27
230, 148, 205, and of course,
Abraham, the last one in the
00:25:07.30\00:25:16.48
list, lived to be 175 years old.
00:25:16.51\00:25:21.45
Now the body of man
had deteriorated much more.
00:25:21.48\00:25:27.31
Now the environment
had become much worse
00:25:27.34\00:25:31.62
as a result of the flood.
00:25:31.65\00:25:33.33
Now man had no access to
the tree of life to recharge
00:25:33.36\00:25:40.61
this battery of original life
that God had given to Adam and
00:25:40.64\00:25:45.27
Eve. And of course, man
was violating freely the laws
00:25:45.30\00:25:49.86
of health that
God had established.
00:25:49.89\00:25:52.04
By the way, by the time
we get to the days of Moses
00:25:52.07\00:25:55.93
the lifespan had
diminished to about 120 years.
00:25:55.96\00:26:00.31
We can find that
in Deuteronomy 34:7.
00:26:00.34\00:26:05.44
And by the time we
get to the days of David,
00:26:05.47\00:26:08.69
we're told in Psalm 90:10
the following. Psalm 90:10:
00:26:08.72\00:26:15.53
So David is saying 70
or 80 years at the most.
00:26:32.89\00:26:38.12
Now we need to ask the question,
So was there no hope for man?
00:26:38.15\00:26:45.42
Was there no hope of
regaining life and immortality?
00:26:45.45\00:26:50.30
Was there no hope that
death would be overcome,
00:26:50.33\00:26:54.19
and man could once again
be blessed with the gift of
00:26:54.22\00:26:57.80
immortality? The
answer is absolutely yes.
00:26:57.83\00:27:01.51
But it was not something that
man had, it was a plan that God
00:27:01.54\00:27:06.51
had devised, and God
was going to implement.
00:27:06.54\00:27:09.20
Let's go back to Genesis 2:17,
and let's read that verse again
00:27:09.23\00:27:15.77
underlining and
emphasizing one specific phrase.
00:27:15.80\00:27:20.64
Genesis 2:17. It says there:
00:27:20.67\00:27:25.79
930 years after you eat
of it, you shall surely die.
00:27:33.76\00:27:38.36
Now I see you
snickering out there.
00:27:38.39\00:27:41.48
Well, the fact is that it
doesn't say after 930 years
00:27:41.51\00:27:45.45
you shall die. God said,
In the day that you eat of it,
00:27:45.48\00:27:50.77
you shall surely die.
00:27:50.80\00:27:53.74
Of course, Adam did
not die that very day.
00:27:53.77\00:27:57.06
Some people say,
Well, he died spiritually.
00:27:57.09\00:27:59.60
That's true. He
had to be converted.
00:27:59.63\00:28:01.78
He had to be born again.
00:28:01.81\00:28:02.84
Some people say, Well,
his body started to die.
00:28:02.87\00:28:06.10
But the fact is that when the
Bible says, You shall surely die
00:28:06.13\00:28:10.46
it's not talking
about physical death.
00:28:10.49\00:28:12.67
It is talking about
final, irrevocable death;
00:28:12.71\00:28:16.15
what the book of Revelation
calls the second death.
00:28:16.18\00:28:20.32
Now the question is,
Why didn't Adam and Eve die
00:28:20.35\00:28:24.46
that very day as God had said?
00:28:24.49\00:28:26.65
Did God lie to them?
00:28:26.69\00:28:28.52
Absolutely not!
Genesis 3:21 has the answer.
00:28:28.55\00:28:34.61
You know that Adam and Eve after
they sinned found themselves
00:28:34.64\00:28:38.18
naked, and they covered
themselves with fig leaves.
00:28:38.21\00:28:42.30
But something else happened
to cover their nakedness,
00:28:42.33\00:28:46.03
which is very important.
00:28:46.06\00:28:47.30
Genesis 3:21. It says there:
00:28:47.33\00:28:52.91
polyester and clothed them.
00:29:01.24\00:29:03.92
Oh, sorry, I got that wrong.
00:29:05.33\00:29:09.31
Also for Adam and his wife the
Lord God made tunics of cotton
00:29:09.34\00:29:16.52
and clothed them.
That's not what it says.
00:29:16.55\00:29:19.77
It says that God made tunics,
or garments of skin, and clothed
00:29:19.80\00:29:25.71
them. The question is, what
needs to happen in order for you
00:29:25.74\00:29:29.64
to get the skin of an animal?
00:29:29.67\00:29:31.85
The animal has to die.
00:29:31.88\00:29:34.36
And because it says skins,
plural, it seems to indicate
00:29:34.39\00:29:37.95
that on that day two animals
died to cover the nakedness
00:29:37.98\00:29:44.98
of Adam and Eve. You see, before
sin Adam and Eve were clothed
00:29:45.01\00:29:49.64
with the robe of light.
00:29:49.67\00:29:50.70
They were naked when it came
to human clothes, but they were
00:29:50.73\00:29:53.79
covered with the
glorious light of God.
00:29:53.82\00:29:55.51
When they sinned, God
says now, you're going to die.
00:29:55.54\00:29:58.82
They were naked, but then
they are covered with the skins,
00:29:58.85\00:30:03.28
probably of
lambs, probably of sheep.
00:30:03.31\00:30:06.32
What was God trying
to teach through that?
00:30:06.35\00:30:09.56
Well, the fact is folks, that we
usually think of Jesus dying on
00:30:09.59\00:30:13.87
the cross about 2,000
years ago, but the Bible teaches
00:30:13.90\00:30:19.50
that at least in promise, Jesus
was slain from the foundation
00:30:19.53\00:30:24.07
of the world. In other words,
the plan was devised even before
00:30:24.10\00:30:27.53
sin. And the plan was
implemented as soon as Adam
00:30:27.56\00:30:31.27
and Eve sinned. Jesus Christ
presented Himself and He said,
00:30:31.30\00:30:35.00
I will die in place of
man so that he will live.
00:30:35.03\00:30:40.76
In other words, the earthly
announcement of that was in the
00:30:40.79\00:30:44.70
sacrifice of those two lambs,
because we know that the lambs
00:30:44.73\00:30:48.59
represent Jesus Christ.
00:30:48.62\00:30:50.28
Behold the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world.
00:30:50.31\00:30:54.57
Allow me to read you two
passages from the New Testament
00:30:54.60\00:30:57.52
that say that the plan
of salvation was devised
00:30:57.55\00:31:00.33
long before Jesus
actually died on the cross.
00:31:00.36\00:31:03.53
1 Peter
1:18-20. 1 Peter 1:18-20.
00:31:03.56\00:31:11.06
Here the Apostle Peter, inspired
by the Holy Spirit, says this:
00:31:11.09\00:31:14.67
Knowing that you were not
redeemed with corruptible things
00:31:14.70\00:31:19.15
like silver or gold, from
your aimless conduct received by
00:31:19.18\00:31:23.84
tradition from your fathers,
but you were redeemed with the
00:31:23.87\00:31:27.36
precious blood of
Christ, as of a what?
00:31:27.39\00:31:31.50
Ah, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot.
00:31:31.53\00:31:37.07
He indeed, notice this, was
foreordained as the lamb of God.
00:31:37.10\00:31:43.64
He was foreordained before
the foundation of the world,
00:31:43.67\00:31:48.44
but was manifest in
these last times for you;
00:31:48.47\00:31:52.68
the plan ordained, the
plan manifested when Jesus came.
00:31:52.71\00:31:58.15
The other text is
in Revelation 13:8.
00:31:58.18\00:32:01.87
It's speaking about
those who worship the beast
00:32:01.90\00:32:04.66
in the end time. And that's
not the point that I'm going to
00:32:04.69\00:32:07.38
emphasize. I'm going to
emphasize the fact that Jesus
00:32:07.41\00:32:10.11
was slain from the
foundation of the world.
00:32:10.14\00:32:11.87
It says there, in Revelation 13:
8, All who dwell on the earth
00:32:11.90\00:32:17.66
will worship him, that is
the beast, whose names have not
00:32:17.69\00:32:21.79
been written in the Book Of Life
of the Lamb slain from when?
00:32:21.82\00:32:26.66
Slain from the
foundation of the world.
00:32:26.69\00:32:29.71
In other words, the plan
was devised from the foundation
00:32:29.74\00:32:32.40
of the world. It was actually
implemented when Jesus came
00:32:32.43\00:32:36.69
to this earth and died
on the cross of Calvary.
00:32:36.72\00:32:40.16
In fact we're told in the New
Testament, in 2 Timothy 1:10,
00:32:40.19\00:32:45.06
2 Timothy 1:10.
00:32:45.09\00:32:47.74
Notice this: who
has abolished death.
00:32:54.81\00:32:58.61
Why do people still die then?
00:32:58.64\00:33:01.36
We'll come back to that.
00:33:01.39\00:33:02.92
Why would He bring life and
immortality through the gospel,
00:33:11.45\00:33:15.74
if man already had life and
immortality before the gospel?
00:33:15.77\00:33:21.17
The fact is that Jesus
brings life and immortality
00:33:21.20\00:33:25.81
to light through the gospel
of His perfect life, His death,
00:33:25.84\00:33:30.20
and His resurrection from death.
00:33:30.23\00:33:32.28
Furthermore, in Romans 2:6,
7 we find that immortality is
00:33:32.31\00:33:38.88
something that we
are supposed to seek for.
00:33:38.91\00:33:41.43
If we're supposed to seek
for it, then we don't have it
00:33:41.46\00:33:45.31
inherently. Let's read that.
00:33:45.34\00:33:47.20
Romans 2:6. Who will render to
each one according to his deeds.
00:33:47.23\00:33:53.76
Eternal life to those who
by patient continuance in doing
00:33:53.79\00:33:59.92
good seek for glory,
honor, and immortality.
00:33:59.95\00:34:06.95
Let me ask you, Why
would I seek for immortality
00:34:06.98\00:34:09.42
if I already have it?
00:34:09.45\00:34:10.52
The fact is that immortality
is not something inherent that I
00:34:10.55\00:34:15.58
own, it is something that
is derived from Jesus Christ,
00:34:15.61\00:34:19.33
and it will always be
derived from Jesus Christ.
00:34:19.36\00:34:22.79
And yet we find
that people still die.
00:34:22.82\00:34:26.45
How are we to understand
what the Apostle Paul says about
00:34:26.48\00:34:31.09
Jesus; that He abolished death?
00:34:31.12\00:34:33.61
The fact is that friends of
ours, and relatives of ours,
00:34:33.64\00:34:37.85
die every day; people who
have accepted Jesus Christ
00:34:37.88\00:34:41.82
as Savior and Lord. So
how are we to understand this?
00:34:41.85\00:34:45.71
Why do they die? Well, I can
tell you for sure the reason why
00:34:45.74\00:34:49.15
they die is because they don't
have access to the tree of life.
00:34:49.18\00:34:53.25
Isn't it a sobering thought to
think that if God had not cast
00:34:53.28\00:34:58.08
Adam and Eve out of the garden
of Eden, this world would be
00:34:58.11\00:35:01.60
filled with a whole
bunch of immortal sinners?
00:35:01.63\00:35:05.24
Would you like to see this world
in the condition that it's in
00:35:05.27\00:35:09.24
with people immortal, who cannot
die because they have access to
00:35:09.27\00:35:13.88
the tree of life? I think God
was very, very wise in barring
00:35:13.91\00:35:18.10
sinful man from
access to the tree of life.
00:35:18.13\00:35:21.40
The fact is, that people
die because they no longer have
00:35:21.43\00:35:25.50
access to the tree of life.
00:35:25.53\00:35:27.21
Now some people live
longer, other people live less.
00:35:27.24\00:35:31.18
It all depends on the
condition of their body.
00:35:31.21\00:35:33.52
It depends on their environment.
00:35:33.55\00:35:35.31
It depends on many different
factors: how well they lived
00:35:35.34\00:35:38.78
in harmony with
the laws of health,
00:35:38.81\00:35:40.59
the inheritance that they
received from their ancestors,
00:35:40.62\00:35:43.37
but ultimately the real reason
is because they do not have
00:35:43.40\00:35:48.17
access to the tree of life.
00:35:48.20\00:35:50.65
Now the question is, When will
we have the gift of immortality?
00:35:50.68\00:35:57.89
We're told that Jesus abolished
death, and brought life and
00:35:57.92\00:36:01.66
immortality to light through
the gospel, but when will we
00:36:01.69\00:36:05.04
actually receive the
touch of immortality?
00:36:05.07\00:36:08.34
Is it the moment when we die;
when our soul flies out from
00:36:08.37\00:36:11.61
the body and goes to
heaven if the person was good,
00:36:11.64\00:36:14.29
or goes into everlasting
torment and torture in hell
00:36:14.32\00:36:17.75
when a person dies
if the person was bad?
00:36:17.78\00:36:20.11
Is that what the Bible teaches?
00:36:20.14\00:36:21.77
That is not what
the Bible teaches.
00:36:21.80\00:36:23.45
The Bible teaches that those
individuals who have received
00:36:23.48\00:36:27.93
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord,
will receive the final touch
00:36:27.96\00:36:31.29
of immortality when Jesus comes.
00:36:31.32\00:36:34.13
Let's read about it in
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.
00:36:34.16\00:36:39.48
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, and
there's two little words that
00:36:39.51\00:36:44.34
I want us to underline
as we read this passage.
00:36:44.37\00:36:47.18
It says there: For this we say
to you by the Word of the Lord,
00:36:47.21\00:36:51.77
that we who are alive and remain
until the coming of the Lord
00:36:51.80\00:36:56.02
will by no means precede those
who are asleep, for the Lord
00:36:56.05\00:37:00.69
himself will descend from heaven
with the voice of the archangel,
00:37:00.72\00:37:06.14
and with the trumpet of
God, and now notice this,
00:37:06.17\00:37:09.86
and the dead in Christ,...
00:37:09.89\00:37:11.84
I want you to remember that.
00:37:11.88\00:37:13.79
The dead in Christ...
00:37:13.83\00:37:15.17
So there are dead in
Christ, and there are dead what?
00:37:15.20\00:37:17.94
outside of Christ. It doesn't
say so here, but if there are
00:37:17.97\00:37:22.04
dead in Christ, that means
that there are dead outside
00:37:22.07\00:37:24.23
of Christ. It says: the
dead in Christ will rise first.
00:37:24.26\00:37:28.22
Then, we who are alive
and remain, shall be caught up
00:37:28.25\00:37:32.94
together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air,
00:37:33.00\00:37:36.30
and thus we shall
always be with the Lord.
00:37:36.33\00:37:39.28
Question, Who
goes to heaven first?
00:37:39.31\00:37:41.11
Those who are alive when
Jesus comes, or those who died?
00:37:41.14\00:37:45.11
Ah, that's a good answer.
00:37:45.14\00:37:48.69
The fact is that it says
we shall be caught up together
00:37:48.72\00:37:52.77
with them, that is with the
living saints, those who died,
00:37:52.80\00:37:56.47
and the living saints, will be
caught up together to meet the
00:37:56.50\00:37:59.43
Lord in the air, and then
we will ever be with the Lord.
00:37:59.46\00:38:02.78
The fact is that if the
dead in Christ who resurrected,
00:38:02.81\00:38:08.82
and those who are alive are
caught up in the cloud together,
00:38:08.85\00:38:11.96
it must mean that the dead
in Christ did not go to heaven
00:38:11.99\00:38:15.10
when they died.
It's that simple.
00:38:15.13\00:38:17.21
Now let's go also
to 1 Corinthians 15:51.
00:38:17.24\00:38:23.64
This is another classic
resurrection passage from
00:38:23.67\00:38:26.74
scripture. 1
Corinthians 15:52, 53.
00:38:26.77\00:38:32.03
Notice when we are
going to receive the touch
00:38:32.06\00:38:35.41
of immortality. It says there,
the Apostle Paul is speaking.
00:38:35.44\00:38:39.10
By the way, that means
that we're not all going to die.
00:38:44.13\00:38:46.54
When is it that
we're going to be changed?
00:38:55.80\00:38:57.31
When we die or
at the last trumpet?
00:38:57.34\00:39:00.24
At the last trumpet.
00:39:00.27\00:39:01.66
This what? I didn't get that.
00:39:16.41\00:39:18.27
What was that. This what?
00:39:18.30\00:39:20.13
So are we mortal? Of
course, it says so here.
00:39:21.84\00:39:25.40
Why would you have to put
it on if you already had it?
00:39:29.00\00:39:30.94
When do we put on immortality
according to this passage?
00:39:30.97\00:39:35.31
When the trumpet sounds when
Jesus comes. And so it says:
00:39:35.34\00:39:38.64
So when is it that God's
people, those who are in Christ,
00:40:04.06\00:40:08.48
are going to receive the touch
of immortality and eternal life?
00:40:08.51\00:40:12.46
It's at the
moment that Jesus comes.
00:40:12.49\00:40:15.32
He lets out a shout.
00:40:15.35\00:40:16.74
He comes with
the trumpet of God.
00:40:16.77\00:40:19.02
Then this corruptible
and this mortal must put on
00:40:19.05\00:40:22.79
incorruptibility
and immortality.
00:40:22.82\00:40:26.67
Now one time I was talking with
a friend who didn't see things
00:40:26.70\00:40:31.17
exactly the way that I
do, and he believed, actually,
00:40:31.20\00:40:34.81
that the soul of man
is immortal by nature.
00:40:34.84\00:40:37.80
And so I asked him, Do you
believe that man is omnipotent?
00:40:37.83\00:40:43.30
That means all powerful.
00:40:43.33\00:40:46.80
He said, No, I don't think that.
00:40:46.83\00:40:48.15
The Bible says
that only God is that.
00:40:48.18\00:40:49.85
I said, Okay, do you
believe that man is omnipresent?
00:40:49.88\00:40:53.06
That is that he can
be present everywhere.
00:40:53.09\00:40:55.93
He said, Of course not.
00:40:55.96\00:40:56.99
The Bible says that
only God is in all places.
00:40:57.02\00:40:59.21
I said, Do you believe
that man is omniscient;
00:40:59.24\00:41:04.02
that is that he
knows all things?
00:41:04.05\00:41:05.65
He said, Of course not.
00:41:05.68\00:41:07.17
The Bible says that
only God knows all things.
00:41:07.20\00:41:09.90
I said, Do you believe
then that man is immortal?
00:41:09.93\00:41:12.85
He said, Yeah, I
believe man is immortal.
00:41:12.88\00:41:17.11
I said, Now wait a minute!
00:41:17.14\00:41:18.56
Immortality is of the same
category of attributes of God
00:41:18.59\00:41:23.46
as His
omnipotence, His omniscience,
00:41:23.49\00:41:26.59
and His omnipresence.
00:41:26.62\00:41:27.80
In other words, these are
qualities that belong explicitly
00:41:27.83\00:41:32.38
to whom? And only to
God, including immortality.
00:41:32.41\00:41:36.82
He said, Where
does the Bible say that?
00:41:36.85\00:41:38.56
So I went to 1 Timothy 6:13-17.
00:41:38.59\00:41:42.97
1 Timothy 6:13-17. Here the
Apostle Paul, inspired by the
00:41:43.00\00:41:49.40
Holy Spirit says this: I
urge you, in the sight of God,
00:41:49.43\00:41:53.04
who gives life to all
things, and before Christ Jesus,
00:41:53.07\00:41:57.43
who witnessed the
good confession before
00:41:57.46\00:42:00.08
Pontius Pilate. That you keep
this commandment without spot,
00:42:00.11\00:42:03.98
blameless, until our
Lord Jesus Christ's appearing:
00:42:04.01\00:42:07.55
which he will manifest in his
own time, he who is the blessed
00:42:07.58\00:42:12.88
and only Potentate, the King
of kings, and Lord of lords;
00:42:12.91\00:42:17.66
who alone has immortality.
00:42:17.69\00:42:25.34
Now what part of the word
alone don't you understand?
00:42:25.37\00:42:28.22
If I say that I am alone in this
place, it means that there was
00:42:28.25\00:42:32.95
no one else. And so it
says, who alone has immortality,
00:42:32.98\00:42:38.22
dwelling in unapproachable
light, whom no man has seen,
00:42:38.25\00:42:42.82
or can see: to whom be honor
and everlasting power. Amen.
00:42:42.85\00:42:48.16
And then when God's people
receive the touch of immortality
00:42:48.19\00:42:54.86
when Jesus comes, guess what
we're going to be able to do
00:42:54.89\00:42:59.22
again? We will be restored
once again to the tree of life.
00:42:59.25\00:43:05.35
In fact, let's read about that.
00:43:05.38\00:43:07.90
First of all, Revelation 21:4.
00:43:07.93\00:43:11.32
You see, it wouldn't do God
any good to give us the touch of
00:43:11.35\00:43:14.57
immortality if we
couldn't eat from the tree.
00:43:14.60\00:43:17.40
And by the way, when I say that
He has given us the touch of
00:43:17.43\00:43:20.67
immortality it doesn't mean
that we are by nature immortal.
00:43:20.70\00:43:24.11
It means that we are
conditionally immortal on the
00:43:24.14\00:43:27.36
basis of eating
from the tree of life.
00:43:27.39\00:43:29.64
We're going to notice
that in the book of Revelation.
00:43:29.67\00:43:32.30
Revelation 21:4. This is
speaking about when God makes
00:43:32.33\00:43:37.27
a new earth and a
new heavens. It says:
00:43:37.30\00:43:39.71
Isn't that good news?
00:43:48.43\00:43:49.97
There shall be no more death.
00:43:50.00\00:43:52.20
Undertakers will
be without a job.
00:43:52.23\00:43:54.55
Praise the Lord! No more
medical doctors, no more nurses,
00:43:54.58\00:43:58.56
no more
accidents, no more death.
00:43:58.59\00:44:02.86
Wonderful! So it says:
00:44:02.89\00:44:04.42
And then in the new
earth, I want you to notice,
00:44:13.51\00:44:15.65
what God's
people are going to do.
00:44:15.68\00:44:17.75
Isaiah 66:22,
23. Isaiah 66:22, 23.
00:44:17.78\00:44:24.19
Why won't there
be any more death?
00:44:24.22\00:44:26.22
Well, why wasn't there
death in the garden of Eden?
00:44:26.25\00:44:29.43
Simply because they
were obedient to God,
00:44:29.46\00:44:31.40
and they were able to
partake of the tree of life.
00:44:31.43\00:44:33.89
When God barred them from the
tree of life many of them lived
00:44:33.92\00:44:37.37
a long period of time, but
the battery ran out; they died.
00:44:37.40\00:44:40.30
After the flood they
lived a shorter period of time.
00:44:40.33\00:44:43.17
The battery died
out, and they died.
00:44:43.20\00:44:45.39
After that Moses, and David.
00:44:45.42\00:44:48.63
Their life was greatly reduced,
but still ultimately it led
00:44:48.66\00:44:52.58
to death, because they had
no access to the tree of life.
00:44:52.61\00:44:56.20
But now I want you to notice
that God's people are going to
00:44:56.23\00:44:59.79
continuously go from New
Moon to New Moon, or from month
00:44:59.82\00:45:04.04
to month, to do
something very special.
00:45:04.07\00:45:07.22
Notice Isaiah 66:22, 23.
00:45:07.25\00:45:10.71
Notice it's talking about a
new heavens and a new earth.
00:45:16.94\00:45:18.92
The same expression that we
find in Revelation 21 and 22.
00:45:18.95\00:45:22.46
Now don't let that throw you off
from one New Moon to another.
00:45:32.08\00:45:35.36
Many Bible versions
translate from month to month.
00:45:35.39\00:45:38.95
In fact, in the Spanish
version it's de mes en mes.
00:45:38.98\00:45:43.33
From month to month,
because the month was determined
00:45:43.36\00:45:45.95
by the New Moon in
Israel. And so it says:
00:45:45.98\00:45:48.80
month to another,
and now notice this:
00:45:50.74\00:45:53.91
the Jews come and worship
before Me, says the LORD.
00:45:58.00\00:46:00.82
Oh, that's right,
that's not what it says.
00:46:00.85\00:46:04.60
It doesn't say all the Jews,
it says, all flesh shall come
00:46:04.63\00:46:09.14
to worship before
me, says the LORD.
00:46:09.17\00:46:11.10
So we're going to make a weekly
visit, and we're going to make a
00:46:11.13\00:46:14.66
monthly visit to
worship before the Lord.
00:46:14.69\00:46:16.91
Now we know the
reason for the weekly visit.
00:46:16.94\00:46:19.34
It's to observe God's
holy Sabbath in commemoration
00:46:19.37\00:46:22.45
of the creation of the
new heavens and the new earth.
00:46:22.48\00:46:25.46
But why would we go
from month to month?
00:46:25.49\00:46:28.72
Notice Revelation 22:1, 2.
00:46:28.75\00:46:32.91
This is the reason why I believe
that originally man was going to
00:46:32.94\00:46:36.30
eat from the tree
of life every month.
00:46:36.33\00:46:38.39
In other words, there
was a monthly appointment
00:46:38.42\00:46:40.90
at the tree of life, because
that's the way it's going to be
00:46:40.93\00:46:44.01
in the earth made new.
00:46:44.04\00:46:45.28
Revelation 22:1, 2. It says:
00:46:45.31\00:46:48.43
Is that the same tree of life
that was in the garden of Eden?
00:47:06.77\00:47:09.39
Of course! was the tree of life.
00:47:09.42\00:47:11.67
So how frequently does
the tree produce its fruit?
00:47:30.43\00:47:33.49
Every month. Why would it
produce its fruit every month?
00:47:33.52\00:47:37.68
Because we are going to
go there from month to month,
00:47:37.71\00:47:41.69
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
to worship before the Lord,
00:47:41.72\00:47:44.61
undoubtedly to eat
from the tree of life.
00:47:44.64\00:47:47.10
Somebody might say, Well, but
it doesn't say there actually
00:47:47.13\00:47:50.05
that we're going
to eat from the tree.
00:47:50.08\00:47:51.81
It says that it bore twelve
fruits, one fruit every month.
00:47:51.84\00:47:56.19
Well, go with me
to Revelation 2:7.
00:47:56.22\00:47:58.92
Revelation 2:7. Here is the
promise that God makes to His
00:47:58.95\00:48:04.33
people. It says there:
00:48:04.36\00:48:06.02
Are God's people going to
eat from the tree of life?
00:48:24.50\00:48:27.57
Yes. How frequently?
00:48:27.60\00:48:29.07
Every month, because the tree
produces its fruit every month.
00:48:29.10\00:48:34.44
By the way, there's another text
in Revelation that speaks about
00:48:34.47\00:48:37.89
the tree of life, and those
who will be able to partake
00:48:37.92\00:48:40.96
of the tree of life.
Revelation 22:14, 15.
00:48:40.99\00:48:45.54
It says there, and I'm reading
from the New King James Version.
00:48:45.58\00:48:53.64
Which commandments? All ten, but
one of them has been changed.
00:48:59.57\00:49:06.81
Right? No, no.
00:49:06.85\00:49:09.29
So are we going to
eat from the tree of life,
00:49:19.32\00:49:20.83
if we have the
right to it? Of course.
00:49:20.86\00:49:23.22
So those who eat from the tree
of life are those who obey God.
00:49:29.51\00:49:32.74
Adam and Eve were cast out
of the garden because they what?
00:49:32.77\00:49:35.96
Because they disobeyed God.
00:49:36.00\00:49:38.44
And then it says in verse 15:
00:49:38.47\00:49:40.84
But outside... See in contrast
to those who are inside,
00:49:40.88\00:49:44.59
are the
commandment breakers outside.
00:49:44.62\00:49:46.43
By the way, this
list describes violations
00:49:57.50\00:50:01.84
of the ten commandments.
00:50:01.87\00:50:03.56
Lying is thou shalt not bear
false witness; sexually immoral,
00:50:03.59\00:50:08.11
thou shalt not commit adultery;
murders, thou shalt not kill,
00:50:08.14\00:50:12.26
etc. In other words, those who
are obedient to God are inside
00:50:12.30\00:50:16.42
like at the beginning.
00:50:16.45\00:50:17.51
Adam and Eve were inside.
00:50:17.55\00:50:18.58
Those who are
disobedient to God are outside,
00:50:18.61\00:50:21.56
and they have no
access to the tree of life,
00:50:21.59\00:50:24.01
and therefore they will what?
00:50:24.04\00:50:26.41
Therefore they will die.
00:50:26.44\00:50:28.89
Now the big question is this:
How can I have the guarantee
00:50:28.92\00:50:34.12
of life, that life, if
I should die even today?
00:50:34.16\00:50:39.42
How can I have the assurance
that Jesus will give me the
00:50:39.46\00:50:43.37
touch of immortality, and
that He will give me access to
00:50:43.40\00:50:47.24
the tree of life so that as Adam
and Eve in God's original plan,
00:50:47.28\00:50:51.28
I can live forever and ever?
00:50:51.32\00:50:53.76
The fact is the
Bible has the clear answer,
00:50:53.80\00:50:56.78
and that most famous
verse of the whole Bible,
00:50:56.82\00:51:00.03
you see it behind the
gold posts at football games.
00:51:00.06\00:51:03.20
John 3:16 For God so loved
the world that he gave his only
00:51:03.24\00:51:10.18
begotten Son, that whosoever
believes in him should not
00:51:10.21\00:51:17.12
perish, but have
everlasting life.
00:51:17.15\00:51:19.87
In other words, the
secret to receiving the touch of
00:51:19.90\00:51:24.05
immortality once again being
restored to the garden of God,
00:51:24.08\00:51:27.83
and having the privilege of
eating from the tree of life
00:51:27.87\00:51:32.42
and thus living forever, is
found in receiving Jesus Christ
00:51:32.46\00:51:36.98
as Savior and Lord.
00:51:37.01\00:51:38.84
Now the question is, how
do we receive Jesus Christ
00:51:38.88\00:51:43.18
as Savior and
Lord? It's very simple.
00:51:43.21\00:51:46.31
We have to go through the same
process that Jesus went through.
00:51:46.35\00:51:50.04
You see, Jesus lived,
He died, He was buried,
00:51:50.07\00:51:56.42
and He resurrected. We have to
go through that same experience;
00:51:56.45\00:52:01.46
not physically, but spiritually.
00:52:01.49\00:52:05.20
Notice Galatians 3:26, 27.
00:52:05.23\00:52:10.33
Remember that the dead in Christ
are the ones who are going to
00:52:10.36\00:52:13.22
arise. Now how do
we become in Christ?
00:52:13.25\00:52:16.80
How do we join Christ?
00:52:16.83\00:52:18.23
How do we participate in His
experience so that we can have
00:52:18.27\00:52:21.87
His life? Notice
Galatians 3:26, 27.
00:52:21.91\00:52:25.41
For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.
00:52:25.44\00:52:31.59
Now notice this: for as many of
you as were baptized into Christ
00:52:31.63\00:52:38.72
have put on Christ.
00:52:38.75\00:52:42.45
When is it that
we put on Christ?
00:52:42.49\00:52:44.99
It's the moment that we receive
Him and when we are what?
00:52:45.02\00:52:48.60
When we are baptized.
00:52:48.64\00:52:49.74
Do you know what baptism does?
00:52:49.77\00:52:51.27
Baptism
incorporates us into Jesus.
00:52:51.31\00:52:54.64
When I'm baptized God no longer
looks at me; He looks at Jesus.
00:52:54.67\00:53:00.28
And because Jesus
lives, I will live also.
00:53:00.31\00:53:03.92
In fact, God could not have
chosen a better ceremony than
00:53:03.95\00:53:07.67
burying a
person under the water.
00:53:07.71\00:53:09.39
By the way, this is lost
by those who do baptism by
00:53:09.42\00:53:12.84
infusion, and those who
do baptism by aspersion,
00:53:12.88\00:53:15.93
or by sprinkling. You
lose the beautiful symbolism,
00:53:15.97\00:53:18.95
because what happens in baptism
by immersion is a person is
00:53:18.99\00:53:22.70
standing there alive, that's the
old man, the old self who hasn't
00:53:22.73\00:53:27.48
died. And then the
minister takes that individual,
00:53:27.51\00:53:30.98
and places that
individual under the water.
00:53:31.01\00:53:34.54
In other words, that person
is buried under the water.
00:53:34.58\00:53:37.29
The person has spiritually died
with Christ, and then the person
00:53:37.32\00:53:41.58
comes forth out the water,
Ah, and breathes new life.
00:53:41.61\00:53:46.30
By the way, it's interesting
that this is really a mini
00:53:46.33\00:53:50.98
spiritual representation of
life, death, and resurrection,
00:53:51.01\00:53:54.77
because you're
alive before you go in.
00:53:54.81\00:53:56.81
When you go in you stop
breathing, as when you die,
00:53:56.84\00:54:00.45
and then when you come
forth, Ah, you breathe again.
00:54:00.49\00:54:04.03
In other words, at the moment of
baptism we are incorporated into
00:54:04.06\00:54:08.24
Jesus Christ. And when we're
incorporated into Jesus Christ,
00:54:08.28\00:54:12.04
we have the
assurance of everlasting life.
00:54:12.08\00:54:15.67
And Jesus, when He comes, will
give us the touch of immortality
00:54:15.71\00:54:19.34
and we will have the privilege
of partaking forever of the tree
00:54:19.38\00:54:23.38
of life from month to month, and
we shall live forever in a world
00:54:23.42\00:54:27.39
where there shall be no
more suffering, no more sorrow,
00:54:27.42\00:54:30.28
no more pain, and no more death.
00:54:30.32\00:54:33.00
You know, I find it amazing that
so many Christians believe that
00:54:33.03\00:54:37.84
the hope of life is
found in some immortal soul
00:54:37.88\00:54:40.63
that people have inside.
00:54:40.67\00:54:42.11
That even God could not
destroy that immortal soul,
00:54:42.14\00:54:46.91
because it is
by nature immortal.
00:54:46.94\00:54:48.95
The fact is the Bible
makes it very, very clear folks,
00:54:48.98\00:54:52.31
that the only way in which
we can have life is by receiving
00:54:52.34\00:54:58.00
Jesus Christ as our
Savior, and as our Lord.
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In 1 John 5:11, 12 we find
these explicitly clear words.
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Here John,
inspired by the Holy Spirit,
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1 John 5:11, 12, says this:
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Did you notice that?
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It doesn't say He will
give us, it says He has given us
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eternal life. But I want you to
notice that eternal life is not
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in some immortal
soul within ourselves.
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The text continues saying:
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our immortal soul. No! It says:
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Where is our life? Our
eternal life is not in us.
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Our life is in His Son.
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And then in verse 12 it says:
He who has the Son has life.
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He who does not have the
Son of God, does not have life.
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Now what part of
that don't you understand?
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Does not have life? If
you're outside of Jesus Christ
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you can have no life,
because life is found in Jesus.
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Our life, if we should die, is
hid in Christ, and our name is
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secure in heaven. God writes
next to our name, eternal life,
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and we can have the
assurance that when Jesus comes
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He will give us the touch of
immortality, to live with Him
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forever and ever. But even,
folks, in the earth made new
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our eternal life, our
immortality, will be contingent.
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It will not belong to ourselves,
it will be found in His tree.
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It will be found in the tree
which represents a connection
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with Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord.
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In other words, our source
of life will not be inside,
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our source of life will
be outside in our Lord and
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Savior, Jesus Christ.
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It is my prayer that as
we've heard this presentation
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that we will choose to
make a commitment of our life
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to Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord.
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