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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021746A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL 00:37 STUDY HOUR, COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:39 ADVENTIST CHURCH NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:42 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR ONLINE MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO ARE 00:45 JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD - AND ALSO 00:49 TO THE MEMBERS AND THE VISITORS RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY 00:51 CHURCH - ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU COMING OUT A LITTLE EARLY ON 00:54 SABBATH MORNING TO STUDY OUR LESSON TOGETHER. 00:57 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR LESSON STUDY, JUST SOME 01:00 IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US ONLINE. 01:04 WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH OUR LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH 01:06 THE BOOK OF ROMANS. SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN TUNING 01:09 IN FROM WEEK TO WEEK, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A LESSON QUARTERLY, BUT 01:13 YOU CAN STILL STUDY ALONG WITH US. 01:15 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE LESSON FROM THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - IT'S 01:19 JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND TODAY WE'RE ON LESSON #7, WHICH IS 01:24 ENTITLED OVERCOMING SIN - AGAIN, THAT'S LESSON #7 - GO TO THE 01:29 AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE, DOWNLOAD LESSON #7, AND YOU CAN STUDY 01:32 ALONG WITH US. WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR 01:35 STUDY, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BEGIN IN LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG. 01:40 I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE SONG LEADERS TO COME AND THEY'LL LEAD 01:42 US IN OUR MUSIC THIS MORNING. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 01:48 WE'RE GOING TO SING YOUR FAVORITES, LIKE WE DO EVERY 01:51 WEEK. LET'S START WITH JESUS PAID IT 01:54 ALL - #184 IN OUR HYMNALS - AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FIRST, 01:58 SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS - #184. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:00 >>THANK YOU FOR JOINING WITH US AND, AT THIS 04:01 TIME, PASTOR ROSS IS GOING TO HAVE OUR OPENING PRAYER. 04:10 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 04:12 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, ONCE AGAIN WE ARE INDEED GRATEFUL TO 04:15 BE ABLE TO GATHER IN YOUR HOUSE AND OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY. 04:18 IT'S AN IMPORTANT STUDY, LORD, IT'S ONE THAT YOU WANT US TO 04:20 UNDERSTAND, AS REVEALED IN YOUR WORD THROUGH THE BOOK OF ROMANS, 04:24 SO WE PRAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD COME AND GUIDE OUR HEARTS 04:26 AND OUR MINDS, AND MAY WE ALL BE INSPIRED BY THE GOOD NEWS THAT 04:31 JESUS SAVES TO THE UTTERMOST. BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER, FOR WE 04:35 ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS GOING 04:39 TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG. 04:44 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. AND I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY 04:49 - WELCOME THOSE WHO ARE NOT ONLY HERE IN THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH 04:52 IN OUR SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS - THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING - 04:54 BY THE WAY, LET ME JUST LET YOU IN ON A LITTLE INTERNAL SECRET. 04:58 WE HAVE SEVERAL SABBATH SCHOOL CLASSES HAPPENING IN OUR 05:02 FACILITY. WE HAVE ANOTHER ADULT CLASS, WE 05:04 HAVE SOME CHILDREN'S CLASSES, AND SO WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THOSE 05:06 WHO TOLERATE OUR - ALL THAT'S INVOLVED IN RECORDING THIS CLASS 05:12 SO THAT WE CAN SHARE IT WITH MANY OTHERS WHO ARE WATCHING OUT 05:14 THERE. WE ACTUALLY - GRANITE BAY HAS MEMBERS THAT ARE IN ALL 05:18 DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT HAVE NO LOCAL CHURCH THEY 05:21 CAN ATTEND, AND SO, THEY'RE SOME OF OUR ONLINE MEMBERS. 05:24 AND MAYBE YOU'RE IN THAT CATEGORY, WHERE YOU HAVE NO 05:26 ONLINE - OR NO LOCAL CHURCH THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO ATTEND. 05:30 THEN YOU CAN JUST CONTACT US AT GRANITEBAYSDA.ORG AND WE'LL TELL 05:36 YOU WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IF YOU WANT TO BE ONE OF OUR ONLINE 05:39 MEMBERS AND KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT. 05:41 WE'RE CONTINUING OUR STUDY IN THIS MAJESTIC, WONDERFUL BOOK OF 05:46 ROMANS THAT PAUL WROTE TO REALLY SUMMARIZE THE PLAN OF SALVATION. 05:52 AND, TODAY, WE'RE ON LESSON #7 AND IT'S ON JUST THE - OH BOY - 05:58 YOU KNOW, THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT SIN AND SALVATION, AND OUR 06:02 LESSON TODAY IS OVERCOMING SIN . IT'S REALLY GETTING TO 06:06 THE HEART OF THE MATTER. SOME PEOPLE ARE CRINGING RIGHT 06:10 NOW, JUST BY THE TITLE OF THE LESSON - I DID NOT TITLE THE 06:12 LESSON - THIS IS THE TITLE OF THE LESSON. 06:15 I APPRECIATE IT. I'M GLAD FOR IT. 06:18 WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT OVERCOMING SIN, THEY TEND TO 06:22 RECOIL AND CRINGE AND COWER, BECAUSE THEY THINK, 'YOU'RE NOT 06:25 GOING TO, LIKE, TALK TO ME ABOUT SIN AND ME STOPPING IT?' 06:32 IT KIND OF GETS PEOPLE'S ATTENTION BECAUSE OUR BATTLE IS 06:35 WITH SIN. JESUS CAME TO SAVE US FROM OUR 06:37 SINS, AND SO, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THAT TODAY. 06:41 AND OUR STUDY TODAY - WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROMANS CHAPTER 6 06:45 AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DEALING WITH 1 JOHN 1, VERSES 8 06:49 THROUGH 1 JOHN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1. 06:54 OUR MEMORY TEXT TODAY IS ROMANS 6:14; IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR BIBLES, 06:57 I INVITE YOU TO SAY IT WITH ME. I THINK IT'S FROM THE AUTHORIZED 07:00 VERSION - ROMANS 6:14 - ARE YOU READY? 07:04 "SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU, FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER 07:09 THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE." WE ARE NOT UNDER THE 07:13 LAW BUT UNDER GRACE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 07:15 SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU. 07:17 NOW, NORMALLY, WHEN I DO A LESSON, I HAVE ONE PAGE OF 07:22 NOTES. TODAY I HAVE ONE AND 07:24 A HALF PAGES OF NOTES. BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT 07:27 LESSON, THERE'S A LOT TO SAY ON IT. 07:29 SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CHALLENGE, MAYBE, SOME OF WHAT 07:31 I'M GOING TO SAY AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I CAN BACK IT UP AS 07:34 WELL AS POSSIBLE. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I'M GOING 07:37 TO SAY, THEN I'LL SAY IT, THEN I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS I SAID. 07:41 I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT THE GRACE OF JESUS IS SUFFICIENT TO 07:46 NOT ONLY COVER YOUR SIN, BUT TO GIVE YOU VICTORY OVER SIN SO SIN 07:51 DOES NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU - SIN DOES NOT RULE YOUR LIFE 07:55 ANYMORE. HE WANTS TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR 07:58 SIN. NOW, IN SOME CHURCHES TODAY, 08:04 THEY SAY THAT'S LEGALISM TO TALK TO CHRISTIANS AS THOUGH GOD 08:09 EXPECTS US TO STOP SINNING. THEY SAY IT'S LEGALISM. 08:13 I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU THE EVIDENCE; YOU DRAW YOUR OWN 08:15 CONCLUSIONS TODAY, IF GOD CAME AND ASKED US TO CUT DOWN ON SIN 08:21 OR TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN - THAT'S THE QUESTION WE'RE REALLY 08:24 TALKING ABOUT, OKAY? FAIR ENOUGH? 08:27 ALRIGHT, I REMEMBER - YOU'VE GOT THAT VERSE IN THE BIBLE - 08:31 MATTHEW 5:48, "BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT" - JESUS IS SPEAKING - 08:37 "EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT." 08:39 HOW MANY HERE FEEL PERFECT AS THEIR FATHER IN HEAVEN. GOOD. 08:45 I'M - NOTICE MY HAND DIDN'T GO UP. 08:48 SO, DID JESUS MEAN WHAT HE SAID? 'BE YE PERFECT'? 08:55 I REMEMBER ONE TIME - I TRAVEL A LOT AND STAY IN A LOT OF HOTELS 08:59 AND, I DON'T REMEMBER ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT I STAYED IN 09:01 THIS ONE HOTEL WHERE IT JUST WAS NOT A GOOD NIGHT'S REST. 09:05 I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS BECAUSE THE HOTEL WINDOW WAS RIGHT UP 09:08 AGAINST THE INTERSTATE AND I JUST HEARD CARS ALL NIGHT LONG, 09:11 OR IT WAS TOO HOT, OR SOMETHING, BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP AND I 09:14 TOSSED AND I TURNED AND I ROLLED AND WHEN I WOKE UP IN THE 09:18 MORNING - YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT THE COVER SHEET THAT THEY FIRST 09:23 PUT ON THE BED BEFORE THEY PUT THE OTHER SHEETS ON AND IT, 09:26 SORT OF, IS - WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT? 09:27 A FITTED SHEET - GOES AROUND THE EDGES - WELL, I TOSSED AND 09:30 TURNED SO MUCH THAT I WORKED THE FITTED SHEET LOOSE AND I 09:33 ACTUALLY HAD EXPOSED THE MATTRESS UNDERNEATH. 09:36 I MEAN, IT LOOKED LIKE HAD BEEN WRESTLING, AND THE MATTRESS WAS 09:43 CLEAN ENOUGH, BUT I NOTICED THAT I HAD UNCOVERED THE PART OF THE 09:45 MATTRESS WHERE THE LABEL OF THE MATTRESS WAS AND IT SAID, 'SERTA 09:49 PERFECT SLEEPER' AND I WOKE UP WITH A LAUGH. 09:54 I THOUGHT, 'YEAH, RIGHT!' I SAID, 'THAT WAS HARDLY A 09:57 PERFECT NIGHT'S SLEEP.' EVEN THOUGH I WAS ON A PERFECT 10:00 SLEEPER, I DIDN'T SLEEP PERFECTLY. 10:03 AND WHO HERE FEELS PERFECT? AND YET GOD IS CALLING 10:09 US TO PERFECTION. NOW, IF IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL 10:11 ANY BETTER, YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING. 10:13 WHEN JESUS SAYS, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, VERSE 48, "BE YE 10:17 THEREFORE PERFECT EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT." 10:20 - YOU READ LUKE 6:36 AND HE WORDS IT DIFFERENTLY. 10:26 NOW, WE KNOW HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING, BECAUSE THE 10:28 THINGS THAT JESUS SAYS BEFORE THE VERSE IN MATTHEW ARE THE 10:31 SAME DISCUSSION HE HAS BEFORE THE VERSE IN LUKE. 10:34 SO HE'S DOING THE SAME BACKGROUND DISCUSSION ABOUT 10:38 LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AND ALL THIS, BUT LUKE, HE SAYS, 'BE YE 10:40 THEREFORE MERCIFUL EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS MERCIFUL.' 10:46 SO, WHEN GOD SAYS 'BE PERFECT', WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT? 10:49 HE WANTS US TO HAVE PERFECT LOVE - PERFECT MERCY. 10:52 NOW, WHATEVER CHRISTIAN PERFECTION IS, ALL I KNOW IS 10:58 THE BIBLE'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT AS WE ARE LIVING ON THE BORDERS 11:02 OF THE SECOND COMING, WE NEED TO HAVE THE KIND OF FAITH THAT 11:06 SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO HAD, WHERE WE ARE NOT GOING TO 11:10 BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE. 11:12 ARE WE ALL IN AGREEMENT? LET'S SEE IF HANDS GO UP. 11:15 WE NEED TO HAVE THE KIND OF FAITH THAT DANIEL HAD WHEN 11:19 DANIEL SAID, 'I'D RATHER GO TO THE LION'S DEN THAN BREAK ONE OF 11:22 GOD'S COMMANDMENTS.' DO YOU AGREE WITH ME? 11:24 >>AMEN. >>SO, IF YOU'VE GOT THAT KIND 11:27 OF FAITH WHERE YOU'D RATHER DIE THAN KNOWINGLY BREAK ONE OF 11:29 GOD'S COMMANDMENTS, THAT'S THE KIND OF FAITH THAT GOD WANTS US 11:33 TO HAVE. THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS, IT MEANS YOU LOVE GOD SO MUCH, 11:37 YOU LOVE HIM MORE THAN YOUR OWN LIFE. LATER TODAY WE'RE GOING TO 11:40 BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REFORMATION AND IN PREPARING 11:43 FOR THAT MESSAGE I'VE BEEN READING FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS 11:46 AND LOOKING AT WHAT SOME OF THE REFORMERS WENT THROUGH AND, BOY, 11:49 A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED FOR THE TRUTH. 11:52 SOMETIMES FOR VERY SMALL PARTS OF THE SCRIPTURE. 11:55 YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DIED TO DEFEND BAPTISM BY 12:00 IMMERSION, AS OPPOSED TO INFANT BAPTISM. 12:04 THEY BELIEVED SO STRONGLY IN IT, THEY DIED FOR IT. 12:08 I MEAN, THAT TAKES A LOT OF FAITH. 12:11 WELL, THE LORD IS WANTING PEOPLE TO LOVE HIM AND HIS WORD SO MUCH 12:14 THAT WE'LL REST OUR LIVES UPON IT. 12:18 EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1 AND 2, "THEREFORE BE IMITATORS 12:23 OF GOD AS DEAR CHILDREN. AND WALK IN LOVE," - HOW? 12:27 - "AS CHRIST ALSO HAS LOVED US AND GIVEN..." 12:30 US AN EXAMPLE. SO THE BIBLE TELLS US 12:32 THAT A CHRISTIAN IS WHAT? WHAT DOES CHRISTIAN MEAN? 12:36 WHEN YOU SAY, 'HE'S A CHRISTIAN,' WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 12:38 >>ONE WHO FOLLOWS CHRIST. >>THE MODEL FOR THEIR 12:41 LIFE IS TO FOLLOW JESUS. TO JUST SAY, 'WE ACCEPT THE 12:44 BLOOD AND THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS' AND THEN 12:47 LIVE OUR OWN LIVES? OR DO WE PATTERN OUR 12:49 LIVES AFTER HIS LIFE? RIGHT? 12:53 WHAT KIND OF LIFE DID HE LIVE? A HOLY, SINLESS LIFE. 12:58 SO, BY GOD'S GRACE, WE ARE TO DO OUR HUMAN BEST, BY FAITH, TO 13:02 LIVE THE KIND OF LIFE THAT JESUS LIVED. 13:04 ARE WE STILL TOGETHER? IS THAT LEGALISM IF YOU ARE 13:07 TRYING TO BE LIKE JESUS? IF YOU ARE DOING IT TO 13:10 SAVE YOURSELF, IT IS. IF YOU'RE DOING IT BECAUSE 13:13 YOU LOVE HIM, IT'S NOT. IF YOU'RE DOING IT BECAUSE YOU 13:18 BELIEVE IN HIS POWER, THAT'S NOT LEGALISM. YOU WITH ME? 13:22 AM I RIGHT? >>AMEN. 13:24 >>SO, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU SAVE YOURSELF BY DOING IT, 13:26 WE'RE SAYING IF YOU LOVE HIM AND YOU ARE SAVED, THIS IS YOUR 13:29 GOAL. LET ME GIVE YOU MORE VERSES. 13:32 JOHN 13:15, JESUS SAID, "FOR I HAVE GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE, THAT 13:36 YOU SHOULD DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU." 13:41 THE BIBLE TELLS US HE'S OUR EXAMPLE. 13:42 1 PETER 2:21, "FOR TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED, BECAUSE CHRIST ALSO 13:47 SUFFERED FOR US, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, THAT YOU SHOULD FOLLOW 13:50 HIS STEPS:" CAN THAT BE MISUNDERSTOOD? AND 1 JOHN 2:5 13:55 AND 6, "BUT WHOEVER KEEPS HIS WORD, TRULY THE LOVE OF 13:58 GOD...ABIDES IN HIM [HE] OUGHT HIMSELF ALSO TO WALK JUST AS HE 14:02 WALKED." NOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT WALKING AS HE 14:04 WALKED, EVERYBODY'S GOT A DIFFERENT GAIT - WHEN I SAY 14:07 'GAIT' I MEAN A 'WALK' - IT'S AN OLD HORSING TERM. 14:12 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED SOME PEOPLE WALK FUNNY? 14:15 YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THEY WALK, KIND OF, REAL STIFF. 14:18 SOME PEOPLE - I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S GOT A DIFFERENT 14:20 WALK. IN THE BIBLE, WHEN IT TALKS 14:21 ABOUT THE WALK, IT'S TALKING ABOUT YOUR LIFE. 14:24 IT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR GAIT. 14:26 AND SO, WHEN IT SAYS WE SHOULD WALK LIKE HE WALKED, IT MEANS - 14:29 WHEN IT SAYS 'ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD,' 'NOAH WALKED WITH GOD,' 14:35 CHRISTIANS WALK WITH CHRIST IN THE SPIRIT. 14:39 AND THAT MEANS THEIR LIVES REFLECT THAT. 14:43 AMEN? ALRIGHT, LET'S KEEP GOING HERE. 14:46 NOW, BEFORE YOU GET TOTALLY DISCOURAGED, LET ME JUST STATE A 14:50 FACT THAT IS ALSO BIBLICAL. EVERYBODY HAS 14:55 SINNED EXCEPT JESUS. THE BIBLE IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT 14:59 THE WORLD IS FULL OF IMPERFECT PEOPLE. 15:02 THE CHURCH IS FULL OF IMPERFECT PEOPLE - AND THIS IS UNDER THE 15:05 SECTION IN YOUR LESSON WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT SIN ABOUNDING. 15:08 NOW SOMEONE, FOR ME, IN A MOMENT, IS GOING TO READ 15:10 ISAIAH 53:6, OKAY? I'M GOING TO READ ROMANS 5:20, 15:15 "MOREOVER THE LAW ENTERED THAT THE OFFENSE MIGHT ABOUND. 15:19 BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE ABOUNDED MUCH MORE," - CAN YOU 15:24 THINK OF PLACES IN THE BIBLE WHERE GOD'S GRACE ABOUNDED 15:26 TOWARDS SINNERS? NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE LORD 15:33 BECAUSE HE WAS PERFECT. NO, NOAH DRANK, GOT DRUNK, STUMBLED 15:37 AROUND NAKED. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT ABRAHAM OBEYED GOD, BUT WAS 15:45 ABRAHAM OBEYING GOD WHEN HE LIED AND SAID SARAH WAS HIS SISTER? 15:50 I THINK HE DID IT TWICE. YEAH, ISAAC DID IT ONCE. 15:54 MATTER OF FACT, ABRAHAM GOES TO EGYPT AND TELLS THE PHARAOH, 15:57 'YEAH, SHE'S JUST MY SISTER.' THE PHARAOH TAKES SARAH INTO HIS 16:01 HAREM - ABRAHAM DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO RESCUE HER. 16:08 HE THINKS, 'OH WELL, NOW I GOT MYSELF INTO IT.' 16:10 HE DOESN'T STAND UP. THEN, FINALLY, THE PHARAOH FINDS 16:13 OUT THAT WAS HIS WIFE AND HE, BASICALLY, HE BANISHES ABRAHAM 16:17 FROM EGYPT FOR HIS LYING - SENDS HIM OUT WITH GIFTS BECAUSE 16:21 CURSES HAD FALLEN UPON HIM. AND THEN, LATER, HE TAKES HAGAR 16:27 AND TAKES A SURROGATE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE FAITH THAT GOD'S 16:31 GOING TO GIVE HIM THE SON THROUGH SARAH. 16:33 SO YOU CAN POINT TO ABRAHAM AND SAY HE WASN'T PERFECT. 16:36 YOU CAN POINT TO DAVID - WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE ABOUNDS. 16:39 DID SIN ABOUND, AT ONE POINT, IN DAVID'S LIFE? 16:42 DID GOD'S GRACE ABOUND? HE WROTE PSALM 32, PSALM 51. 16:47 NOW, THE ONE WHO I THINK OF, WHERE SIN ABOUNDED THE MOST, WAS 16:51 MANASSEH. MANASSEH, A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT, 16:54 GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON OF DAVID WAS ABOUT THE MOST WICKED 16:58 KING WHO EVER LIVED. HE KILLED THE PROPHETS, HE 17:01 PUT IDOLS IN THE TEMPLE, HE SACRIFICED HIS OWN CHILDREN TO 17:07 THE FIRE GODS - JUST - IT WAS JUST TERRIBLE WHAT HE DID - 17:11 WORSHIPPED ALL THE STARS IN THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN. 17:15 HE WAS CARRIED OFF TO ASSYRIA AND, IN HIS AFFLICTION, HE 17:20 TURNED TO GOD, HE REPENTED, GOD FORGAVE HIM, AND BROUGHT HIM 17:23 BACK TO THE KINGDOM. WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE ABOUNDS. 17:26 MARY MAGDALENE, OUT OF WHOM JESUS CAST SEVEN DEVILS. 17:30 SIN ABOUNDED. BUT GRACE ABOUNDED. 17:32 SHE'S THE FIRST ONE TO ANNOUNCE THE RESURRECTION. 17:35 YOU CAN JUST GO - PETER DENIED CHRIST - GOD'S GRACE ABOUNDED. 17:39 YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE GOD'S GRACE ABOUNDED. 17:41 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE FELT HIS GRACE ABOUND IN YOUR LIFE? 17:45 SO, WE ADMIT THAT. GO AHEAD, READ, FOR US, PLEASE ISAIAH 53. 17:50 >>ISAIAH 53:6, "ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE 17:55 TURNED, EVERY ONE, TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON 17:59 HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL." >>NOTICE THE WORDS: ALL, 18:03 EVERYONE, ALL HAVE GONE ASTRAY - HAVE SINNED - INIQUITY. 18:09 JOB 5:7, "YET MAN IS BORN TO TROUBLE, AS THE SPARKS FLY 18:13 UPWARD." IT'S A LAW OF NATURE. 18:16 SPARKS GO UP IN A FIRE, AND OUR NATURES GO DOWN. 18:21 IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ATTRACTED TO SIN. 18:24 YOU CAN LOOK AT PSALM 119, VERSE 176, "I HAVE GONE ASTRAY LIKE A 18:29 LOST SHEEP..." 1 KINGS 8:46, "WHEN THEY SIN 18:33 AGAINST YOU" - KING SOLOMON'S PRAYING HERE - "(FOR THERE IS NO 18:38 ONE WHO DOES NOT SIN)," - WE ALL AGREE? 18:44 - "AND YOU BECOME ANGRY WITH THEM" - HE TELLS THEM WHAT TO DO 18:46 TO ATONE FOR THEIR SIN - THIS IS SOLOMON PRAYING. 18:49 PSALMS 14, VERSES 2 AND 3, "THE LORD LOOKS DOWN FROM HEAVEN UPON 18:52 THE CHILDREN OF MEN, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY WHO UNDERSTAND, 18:55 WHO SEEK GOD. THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, THEY 18:58 HAVE TOGETHER BECOME CORRUPT; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES 19:01 GOOD, NO, NOT ONE." THERE'S A SONG WE SING, 'NO, NOT 19:05 ONE, NO, NOT ONE' - ECCLESIASTES 7:20, "FOR THERE IS NOT A JUST 19:11 MAN ON THE EARTH WHO DOES GOOD AND DOES NOT SIN." 19:15 THE BIBLE'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT ALL HUMANS, ASIDE FROM CHRIST, 19:18 HAVE SINNED. NOW WE GET TO ROMANS 3:23, "FOR ALL HAVE 19:22 SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD..." JEREMIAH 13:23, 19:27 "CAN THE ETHIOPIAN CHANGE HIS SKIN OR THE LEOPARD ITS SPOTS? 19:31 THEN MAY YOU ALSO DO GOOD WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO DO EVIL." 19:34 JAMES 3:2, "FOR WE ALL STUMBLE IN MANY THINGS." 19:37 - THIS IS NEW TESTAMENT - "FOR WE ALL STUMBLE IN MANY THINGS." 19:41 NOW, STUMBLING'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. 19:43 THE BIBLE SAYS, 'LAY ASIDE EVERY SIN AND THE WEIGHT' - THAT'S 19:46 ALMOST LIKE THERE'S DIFFERENT CATEGORIES - THERE'S JUST 19:47 WEIGHTS THAT WE HAVE AND THEN THERE'S SIN. 19:50 1 JOHN 1, VERSE 8, "IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE 19:55 OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. 19:57 IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US 20:01 OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 20:04 IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR, AND 20:06 HIS WORD IS NOT IN US." SO, THAT'S JUST A FEW SCRIPTURES 20:10 THAT I THINK ESTABLISH THE POINT THAT HUMANS SIN. 20:16 THAT WE - THE HUMAN RACE HAS A RECORD OF SIN, THAT, YOU MIGHT 20:21 SAY, GOD CAN GIVE ALL VICTORY - WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT CASE IN 20:25 A MOMENT - BUT IF A BABY IS BORN IS THAT BABY, IF IT LIVES LONG 20:30 ENOUGH AND REACHES THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, WILL IT SIN? 20:34 >>YES. >>YOU ALL AGREE? 20:36 OTHERWISE, YOU COULDN'T SAY THERE'S ONLY ONE WHO HAS NEVER 20:38 SINNED - BEING JESUS. SO, GOD KNOWS THAT WE'RE 20:42 BORN WITH THIS DISEASED DNA. MAN ORIGINALLY WAS MOTIVATED BY 20:49 LOVE BUT, BECAUSE OF SIN IN OUR NATURE, THAT MOTIVATION WAS 20:53 LOST AND NOW WE'RE NATURALLY MOTIVATED BY SELFISHNESS. 20:56 THE COMPASS NEEDLE GOT TURNED AROUND BACKWARDS AND IT'S ONLY 20:59 THROUGH A MIRACLE WE GET A NEW HEART WHERE WE, ONCE AGAIN, ARE 21:02 MOTIVATED BY LOVE. THAT'S THE CONVERSION 21:05 EXPERIENCE. THAT'S A NEW BIRTH. 21:07 SO, WHEN WE COME TO CHRIST, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM WHERE SIN 21:10 REIGNS IN OUR LIVES - SELFISHNESS REIGNS IN OUR LIVES. 21:14 THROUGH CONVERSION IT'S CHANGED WHERE LOVE REIGNS IN OUR LIVES. 21:19 NOW LET'S GO ON TO THAT SECTION ABOUT WHERE SIN REIGNS. 21:22 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ, FOR ME, ROMANS 6:12. 21:25 ALRIGHT, JUST GET READY AND I'LL READ ROMANS 6:6 FIRST. 21:29 ROMANS 6 IS REALLY WHERE WE'RE STUDYING TODAY. 21:33 KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD MAN WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, THAT THE 21:37 BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DONE AWAY WITH, THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER 21:41 BE SLAVES OF SIN." NOW, DOES HE SAY THERE WOULD 21:44 NEVER BE AN OCCASION OR AN INCIDENT OF SIN? 21:50 NO, WHAT HE'S SAYING IS WHEN YOU'RE SAVED, YOU ARE NO LONGER 21:53 CONTROLLED BY SIN. YOU ARE NO LONGER SLAVES OF SIN. 21:59 GO AHEAD, PLEASE READ THAT FOR ME - ROMANS 6:12. 22:03 >>"LET NOT SIN THEREFORE REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY, THAT YOU 22:07 SHOULD OBEY IT IN THE LUST THEREOF." 22:10 >>AND I'M GOING TO ADD ROMANS 6:14, "FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE 22:14 DOMINION OVER YOU..." - SO YOU'VE GOT ENSLAVED TO 22:18 SIN, SIN REIGNING, SIN HAVING DOMINION - THOSE ARE WORDS THAT 22:24 ARE TALKING ABOUT BEING IN ULTIMATE CONTROL. 22:28 NOW, IN SPITE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN OUR 22:33 GOVERNMENT - PROBABLY ALWAYS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS IN GOVERNMENT 22:38 - I AM THANKFUL THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A DICTATOR THAT HAS 22:44 DOMINION OVER THE GOVERNMENT. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE 22:49 NOT GOING TO HAVE PETTY CRIME. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL 22:53 NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE LIVE. I WAS TALKING TO MY NEIGHBOR 22:56 YESTERDAY, I SAID, 'I'M SO THANKFUL WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD 22:58 THAT'S SO GOOD, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING GOT LEFT ON THE FRONT 23:00 PORCH AND IT'S THERE TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER. 23:02 NOBODY BOTHERED IT.' AND THEY SAID, 'YEAH, WELL, OCCASIONALLY 23:07 WE'VE HAD SOME INCIDENTS, BUT IT'S FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.' - 23:12 WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HAD SOMEONE RANSACKED THEIR MAILBOX 23:16 OR JUST, YOU KNOW, LITTLE PETTY THINGS. 23:18 BUT IT'S A SAFE PLACE. CRIME DOES NOT HAVE 23:22 DOMINION THERE. YOUR LIVES ARE LIKE THAT. 23:26 WHO'S ON THE THRONE? IF JESUS IS ON THE THRONE, THEN 23:30 CHRIST REIGNS IN YOUR LIFE. HE CONTROLS YOUR DECISIONS. 23:34 IT DOESN'T MEAN THERE WON'T BE AN OCCASION OF FALLING, BECAUSE 23:38 YOU SEE THAT IN THE LIFE OF THE APOSTLES. 23:40 LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 23:41 EVERYONE LIKES TO TALK TO PETER - PETER IS, OF COURSE, A NEW 23:43 TESTAMENT EXAMPLE - WERE THE DISCIPLES THOROUGHLY CONVERTED 23:48 BEFORE JESUS SENT THEM OUT PREACHING? 23:52 AFTER PREACHING, JESUS TAUGHT THEM THREE AND A HALF YEARS, 23:55 NEAR THE END OF HIS LIFE JESUS SAYS TO PETER, 'GET BEHIND ME, 24:01 SATAN.' AND THEN HE SAYS, 'WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG YOU GIRDED 24:07 YOURSELF AND YOU' - OH, THAT'S NOT THE VERSE I WANTED - HE 24:10 SAID, 'PETER, WHEN YOU'RE CONVERTED, STRENGTHEN THE 24:13 BRETHREN.' WHEN YOU'RE CONVERTED, STRENGTHEN THE 24:16 BRETHREN. PETER MIGHT HAVE BEEN THINKING, 'WHEN I'M CONVERTED? 24:19 WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'WHEN' I'M CONVERTED? 24:20 I'M OUT PREACHING AND TEACHING AND CASTING OUT DEVILS.' 24:24 AND THEN PETER WAS THOROUGHLY CONVERTED THERE AT HIS 24:26 CONVERSION AND HE WENT OUT AND HE WEPT BITTERLY. 24:31 BUT THEN THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT YOU GET TO THE BOOK OF 24:34 GALATIANS, PAUL HAS TO REBUKE PETER FOR PETER BEING 24:37 HYPOCRITICAL. SO PETER WAS A CONVERTED 24:40 SPIRIT-FILLED MAN, BUT DID HE STILL MAKE OCCASIONAL MISTAKES? 24:44 SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? WAS PAUL THOROUGHLY CONVERTED? 24:48 WHEN HE SAW THE LORD AND HE WEPT AND HE WAS BAPTIZED, FILLED WITH 24:50 THE SPIRIT - PERFORMING MIRACLES - HE AND PETER BOTH 24:53 - BUT THEN PAUL HAS AN ARGUMENT WITH BARNABAS AND HE SAYS, 'I'M 24:56 NOT TAKING MARK WITH ME, HE'S A QUITTER.' AND THEY GOT SO BAD 25:00 THAT THEY JUST - THEY SHOOK THE DUST OFF THEIR FEET AND WALKED 25:03 AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. BARNABAS TOOK MARK AND PAUL TOOK SILAS 25:08 AND GOD ENDED UP WITH TWO MISSIONARY GROUPS THAT GREW OUT 25:10 OF AN ARGUMENT WHERE THEY LOST THEIR TEMPER. WERE THE DISCIPLES 25:14 ARGUING AMONG THEMSELVES WHICH OF THEM WAS GREATEST? 25:18 HAD THE LORD ALREADY SENT THEM OUT PERFORMING MIRACLES BEFORE 25:20 THEY WERE ARGUING WHICH OF THEM WAS THE GREATEST? 25:23 DOES THE LORD SOMETIMES WORK THROUGH US IN SPITE OF OUR 25:27 IMPERFECTIONS? WERE THEY SAVED DURING THAT TIME? I THINK SO. 25:38 WHEN THEY WERE FOLLOWING JESUS THEY SAID, 'LORD, WE LOVE YOU.' 25:43 I BELIEVE THEY WERE IN A SAVED CONDITION AND GOD WAS STILL 25:47 WORKING IN THEIR LIVES AND THEY HAD GROWING LEFT TO DO, BUT THEY 25:50 HAD LEFT EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW CHRIST. 25:53 THEY MISUNDERSTOOD A LOT OF THINGS - FIRST OF ALL, DID THEY 25:56 MISUNDERSTAND THE KINGDOM? THEY WERE SAYING TO JESUS, 25:59 'LORD, WILL YOU NOW ESTABLISH YOUR KINGDOM?' 26:02 THEY THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO FLEX HIS MUSCLES AND OVERTHROW 26:05 THE ROMANS AND SIT ON THE THRONE OF DAVID AND JESUS - THEY 26:08 STILL DIDN'T GET IT. 'SHOW US THE FATHER' - HE SAID, 26:11 'PHILIP, I'VE BEEN WITH YOU THIS LONG AND YOU DON'T KNOW THAT 26:14 I'M SHOWING YOU THE FATHER? AND THERE'S A LOT THEY 26:18 DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. THOMAS DIDN'T EVEN BELIEVE THE 26:20 RESURRECTION AFTER JESUS SAID, SEVERAL TIMES, 'I'M GOING TO DIE 26:23 AND I'M GOING TO RISE AGAIN.' BUT WERE THEY HIS CHURCH? 26:28 WERE THEY HIS FOLLOWERS? WERE THEY SAVED? 26:31 BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVING UP TO THE LIGHT THEY HAD, THE BEST 26:35 THEY HUMANLY COULD. THEY WERE PEOPLE. 26:39 THE BIBLE EVEN SAYS ELIJAH WAS A MAN SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE 26:42 PASSIONS AND STRUGGLES YOU AND I HAVE. 26:43 ELIJAH PRAYS AND FIRE COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN; HE PRAYS AND RAIN 26:47 COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN. THEN, JEZEBEL THREATENS HIM AND 26:50 HE LOSES HIS FAITH AND RUNS. WAS ELIJAH SAVED? 26:56 BUT DID HE STILL HAVE MORTAL WEAKNESS EVERY NOW AND THEN? 27:00 YEAH, HE GOT SCARED AND HE SAID, 'I'M JUST' - WENT UNDER A BROOM 27:04 TREE OUT IN THE DESERT AND PRAYED TO DIE. 27:07 HE GOT DISCOURAGED. I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU WHERE 27:11 ELLEN WHITE SAID THAT WHEN WE LOSE FAITH AND WE'RE 27:12 DISCOURAGED, IT'S A SIN. GOD ENDED UP TAKING HIM TO 27:16 HEAVEN IN A FIERY CHARIOT. SO, FRIENDS, I'M GOING TO TALK 27:20 TO YOU ABOUT GOD WANTING YOU TO BE PERFECT. 27:22 DON'T BE DISCOURAGED. I THINK YOU ALL UNDERSTAND 27:25 WHAT I'M SAYING. IF GOD WAS TO SAY ANYTHING LESS 27:29 TO YOU, BEING A PERFECT GOD, WHAT DO YOU WANT HIM TO SAY? 27:35 HE CAN - HE'S A HOLY GOD - HE CAN ONLY CALL YOU TO HOLINESS. 27:40 DO YOU NOTICE THAT WE ALWAYS - WE SIPHON DOWN TO THE LOWEST 27:44 DENOMINATOR? GOD KNOWS OUR NATURES. 27:47 IF YOU KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOUR TAXES UNTIL THE 15TH, 27:51 YOU START WORKING ON IT JUST A DAY OR TWO BEFORE. 27:55 WE ALWAYS - AND, WHEN GOD TELLS YOU WHAT THE STANDARD IS - I'VE 27:58 SEEN IT SO MANY TIMES - PEOPLE SAY, 'PASTOR DOUG, CAN I JUST 28:02 GIVE UP THIS AND THIS?' 'HOW SHORT CAN I HAVE MY SKIRT 28:06 AND STILL GET TO HEAVEN?' 'CAN I HAVE A - HOW ABOUT AN 28:09 INCH SHORTER, WOULD THAT BE OKAY?' 28:11 AND WE'RE JUST ALWAYS WANTING TO KNOW HOW CLOSE TO THE EDGE CAN I 28:15 GET AND STILL GET INTO THE KINGDOM. 28:18 'IS IT OKAY IF I DO' - 'CAN I HAVE A LITTLE BIT?' 28:20 - AND IT'S LIKE YOU'RE SAYING - HUMAN NATURE IS WE WANT TO KNOW 28:23 HOW MUCH OF THE WORLD CAN WE HAVE AND STILL SQUEEZE THROUGH 28:25 THE GATES? SHOULD THAT BE THE ATTITUDE, OR 28:28 SHOULD WE BE SAYING, 'LORD, HOW CLOSE TO YOU CAN I BE?' 28:31 INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THE 14TH OF APRIL BEFORE YOU THINK 28:34 ABOUT YOUR TAXES. THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT - 28:37 SO GOD SAYS, 'COME TO ME NOW. LIVE A HOLY LIFE.' HE GIVES US 28:42 THE PERFECT IDEAL BECAUSE CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE. 28:45 WAS HE PERFECT? ARE MOST PEOPLE PERFECT? NO. 28:52 HOW DO YOU ACQUIRE JUSTIC - WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? 28:57 - PERFECT JUSTIFICATION? LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT 29:00 I'M TALKING ABOUT. WHEN THE THIEF ON THE CROSS - 29:04 HE'S A THIEF - THE BIBLE ALSO SAYS THEY WERE REBELS. 29:07 THE BIBLE ALSO SAYS THAT THEY WERE MURDERERS. 29:10 SOMEONE HAD BEEN KILLED IN ONE OF THEIR ROBBERIES, EVIDENTLY. 29:13 THEY WERE GUILTY - IT SAYS - YOU READ ALL THREE GOSPELS, THEY 29:16 WERE GUILTY OF MURDER, STEALING, REBELLION, AND SEDITION. 29:21 AND HE TURNS TO JESUS AND SAYS, 'LORD, REMEMBER ME.' JESUS SAID, 29:26 'YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.' WAS THAT THIEF 29:29 PERFECT? YES. WHEN HE ACCEPTED THE 29:34 JUSTIFICATION OF JESUS, [GOD] LOOKED UPON HIM WITH THE 29:39 PERFECTION OF HIS OWN SON. IS THAT RIGHT? 29:45 GOD, THE FATHER, VIEWED HIM AS PERFECT, THROUGH THE SACRIFICE 29:49 OF GOD THE SON. HIS SINS WERE COVERED BY THE 29:53 BLOOD OF THE LAMB, THROUGH HIS FAITH IN CHRIST. 29:58 SO, THE FIRST WAY WE ACQUIRE PERFECTION IS BY FAITH. 30:03 PERFECTION AND JUSTIFICATION ARE THE SAME THING - YOU'RE DECLARED 30:06 JUST - HOW JUST? HE CLEANSES US FROM ALL 30:10 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, BY FAITH. SO, IF YOU'RE CLEANSED FROM 30:12 ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, HOW MUCH WRONGTEOUSNESS DO YOU HAVE? 30:16 (LAUGHTER) NONE. RIGHT? SO, IF YOU'RE CLEANSED FROM ALL 30:20 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS - YOU STILL WITH ME? 30:22 YOU KNOW THE VERSES I'M TALKING ABOUT - WHEN YOU COME TO CHRIST 30:25 BY FAITH AND YOU'RE JUSTIFIED, DOES THE FATHER SEE YOU AS 30:28 PERFECT? YOU'RE ALMOST AFRAID TO SAY THAT, AREN'T YOU? 30:32 I'VE GOT GREAT BIBLE ARGUMENTS. THIS IS THE STORY 30:35 OF THE REFORMATION. >>HE SEES CHRIST - 30:36 >>HE SEES - YEAH, HE SEES THE JUSTIFICATION OF HIS OWN SON IN 30:41 US. THAT'S GOOD NEWS, ISN'T IT? >>AMEN. 30:44 >>SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE A PRAYER AWAY FROM PERFECTION. 30:48 WHEN YOU PRAY IN FAITH AND YOU REPENT OF YOUR SINS, AND YOU 30:51 CONFESS YOUR SINS - HE SEES - AND THAT'S WHAT THE THIEF ON THE 30:54 CROSS DID, HE CONFESSED HIS SIN, HE SAID, 'WE'RE GETTING WHAT WE 30:57 DESERVE.' HE CONFESSED JESUS AS LORD 31:00 - HE SAID, 'LORD, REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR 31:02 KINGDOM. HE CONFESSED CHRIST AS KING. 31:04 HE DID IT PUBLICLY AND CHRIST PUBLICLY PROMISED HIM ETERNAL 31:08 LIFE. BASED ON HIS SANCTIFICATION 31:13 OR HIS JUSTIFICATION? HE CAME JUST LIKE HE WAS. 31:18 YOU KNOW THAT SONG 'JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA'? 31:21 SO, HAVING ESTABLISHED WE BELIEVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS BY 31:24 FAITH, WE'RE FIRST DECLARED PERFECT BY JUSTIFICATION. 31:27 NOW, AFTER YOU'VE BEEN JUSTIFIED, HERE'S WHERE THE 31:29 PROBLEM COMES IN. COME TO CHRIST JUST LIKE I AM, 31:33 PRAISE THE LORD, I'M SAVED. NOW, WHAT DO I DO 31:35 ABOUT TOMORROW? I'VE STILL GO MY OLD CARNAL 31:37 NATURE AND ALL THESE HABITS AND THINGS I'VE LEARNED. 31:40 HOW DO I LIVE A DIFFERENT LIFE? THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TOUGH. 31:45 SOMETIMES I ALMOST WISH, 'LORD, HELP ME, YOU KNOW, CONFESS YOU 31:52 AND THEN DIE RIGHT AWAY.' YOU KNOW? 31:54 LIKE THE THIEF ON THE CROSS. IT'S NOT LIKE DYING FOR JESUS 31:57 THAT'S SO DIFFICULT, SOMETIMES IT'S LIVING FOR HIM, AMEN? 32:01 IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, TOO, BUT HE CAN GIVE YOU VICTORY IN THAT 32:04 AREA. YOU SPEND YOUR LIFE DOING WRONG, 32:06 ISAIAH SAYS YOU NEED TO LEARN TO DO GOOD. THERE'S A LEARNING 32:10 PROCESS. HE GIVES YOU A NEW HEART - YOUR DESIRES CHANGE. 32:13 AM I RIGHT? >>AMEN. 32:15 >>LET ME READ SOMETHING TO YOU - STEPS TO CHRIST PAGE 47 - THIS 32:18 IS AN INCREDIBLE QUOTE - "WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THE 32:22 TRUE FORCE OF THE WILL. THIS IS THE GOVERNING POWER IN 32:25 THE NATURE OF MAN, THE POWER OF DECISION OR OF CHOICE 32:29 GOD HAS GIVEN TO MAN. IT'S THEIRS TO EXERCISE. 32:32 YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR HEART. YOU CANNOT, OF YOURSELF, GIVE TO 32:35 GOD IT'S AFFECTIONS, BUT YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SERVE HIM. 32:39 YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR WILL. HE WILL THEN WORK IN YOU TO WILL 32:43 AND TO DO ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PLEASURE, THUS YOUR WHOLE NATURE 32:48 WILL BE BROUGHT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. 32:50 YOUR AFFECTIONS WILL BE CENTERED ON HIM. 32:52 YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE IN HARMONY WITH HIM BY SURRENDERING YOUR 32:56 WILL TO HIM." HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO THAT? 32:59 PAUL SAID, 'I DIE DAILY.' WE GET THE BREAD OF LIFE - 'LORD, GIVE 33:03 US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.' WE ARE BORN AGAIN EVERY DAY. 33:07 WE TAKE UP OUR CROSS DAILY - ON A DAY-BY-DAY, MOMENT-BY-MOMENT 33:11 BASIS YOU'VE GOT TO BE SAYING 'NO' TO SELF AND 'YES' TO JESUS. 33:14 YOU SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO HIM. CHRIST SAID, 'THEREFORE, IF THE 33:18 SON WILL MAKE YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE PARTIALLY FREE.' 33:23 HOW FREE DOES HE MAKE US? HE'LL BE FREE INDEED 33:26 - COMPLETELY FREE. SIN NO LONGER HAS 33:29 DOMINION, RIGHT? YOU ARE NO LONGER 33:31 A SLAVE TO SIN. YOU ARE MADE FREE INDEED. 33:34 WHAT ABOUT WHERE IT SAYS, 'NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE'? 33:38 WE'RE STILL IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6 I'M GOING TO READ THE REST OF 33:41 6:14, "FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU, FOR YOU ARE 33:46 NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE." NOW SOME PEOPLE 33:50 MISUNDERSTAND THAT. THEY JUST READ THE 33:52 PART 'NOT UNDER LAW'. THEY SAY, 'WHEW, I DON'T 33:56 HAVE TO KEEP THE LAW ANYMORE. PRAISE THE LORD. 33:59 OH, I FEEL SUCH A BURDEN. I'M AT PEACE. 34:02 I'M FREE - I'M FREE IN JESUS. I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THE LAW. 34:06 YOU EVER HEARD IT USED THAT WAY? >>YEAH. 34:09 >>THAT'S NOT WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT - BECAUSE JUST THINK ABOUT 34:12 WHAT THAT MEANS. 'OH, PRAISE THE LORD. 34:14 I AM FREE IN JESUS. I AM NOT UNDER THE LAW. 34:16 I CAN JUST GO TO THE STORE AND SHOPLIFT NOW. 34:19 I DON'T NEED MONEY ANYMORE. PRAISE THE LORD, I'M FREE IN 34:21 CHRIST.' 'I DON'T HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH ANYMORE. 34:24 I'M FREE.' 'I'M NOT UNDER THE LAW, I'M NOW UNDER GRACE. 34:28 I DON'T HAVE TO BE FAITHFUL TO MY SPOUSE. 34:30 I CAN USE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN. THIS FREEDOM IS WONDERFUL - NOT 34:34 UNDER THE LAW.' THAT'S ABSURD. REALLY? 34:39 YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO USE THAT TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE A 34:41 PROBLEM WITH THOSE OTHER COMMANDMENTS, THEY HAVE A 34:43 PROBLEM WITH THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT, AND SO THEY WANT TO 34:46 BE FREE. WELL, I HAVE PEOPLE USE - HEARD 34:50 PEOPLE SAY, 'NOTHING WRONG WITH ME DRINKING ALCOHOL, I'M NOT 34:55 UNDER THE LAW, NOW, I'M UNDER GRACE.' HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? 35:00 YEAH. THAT'S NOT WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. YOU SEE, 35:03 WHEN YOU BREAK THE LAW, THERE'S A PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE LAW 35:07 AND WE HAVE ALL BROKEN THE LAW AND THE PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE 35:09 LAW IS IN ROMANS. THE WAGES FOR SIN - 35:12 >>DEATH. >>IT'S DEATH. 35:14 YOU ARE UNDER A DEATH PENALTY. YOU'RE ALIVE, SO IT HASN'T BEEN 35:17 EXECUTED YET, SO YOU'RE UNDER A DEATH SENTENCE. 35:21 BUT, THROUGH CHRIST, YOU'RE NO LONGER UNDER THE PENALTY OF THE 35:26 LAW. YOU'RE NOW LOOKED UPON AS GRACE - THROUGH GRACE. 35:32 AND IT SAYS, IN YOUR LESSON, 'THE PERSON WHO SUPPOSEDLY LIVES 35:35 UNDER GRACE BUT DISOBEYS GOD'S LAW, WILL NOT FIND GRACE BUT 35:38 CONDEMNATION. UNDER GRACE MEANS THAT THROUGH 35:41 THE GRACE OF GOD, REVEALED IN JESUS, THE CONDEMNATION OF THE 35:44 LAW' - THE PENALTY OF THE LAW WHICH, INEVITABLY BRINGS TO 35:47 SINNERS DEATH - 'HAS BEEN REMOVED. 35:50 THUS, NOW, FREE FROM THIS CONDEMNATION OF DEATH BROUGHT BY 35:54 THE LAW, WE LIVE IN A NEWNESS OF LIFE - A LIFE THAT IS 35:57 CHARACTERIZED BY AND MADE MANIFEST THROUGH THE FACT OF 36:01 BEING DEAD TO SELF, WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES TO SIN' - WHICH 36:05 MEANS THERE'S A DIFFERENT LIFE THAT WE'RE LIVING, AMEN? 36:08 >>AMEN. >>ALRIGHT, SIN OR OBEDIENCE? 36:13 SOMEONE IS GOING TO READ FOR ME JOB 2:3, IN JUST A MOMENT. 36:17 I'LL READ A COUPLE FIRST. 'NOAH WAS A JUST AND PERFECT 36:22 MAN IN HIS GENERATIONS. NOAH WALKED WITH GOD.' THAT'S 36:26 BECAUSE NOAH WAS SUPER-HUMAN. THEY LIVED HUNDREDS OF YEARS 36:29 BACK THEN, THEY COULD WALK WITH GOD. 36:31 IS THAT HOW NOAH WALKED WITH GOD? 36:32 OR DID NOAH HAVE THE SAME TEMPTATIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE 36:34 TODAY? SIN WAS SIN BACK THEN JUST LIKE IT IS TODAY. 36:39 GENESIS 17:1 - GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM, "I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD; 36:45 WALK BEFORE ME AND BE PERFECT." SO IT'S NOT JUST JESUS MAKING 36:50 TROUBLE FOR US IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WHEN HE SAID, 'BE THOU 36:52 PERFECT', BUT GOD, HERE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, SAID THE SAME 36:54 THING TO ABRAHAM - 'I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD; WALK BEFORE ME AND 36:58 BE PERFECT.' THAT'S A PRETTY HIGH STANDARD. 37:02 GENESIS 26:5, "BECAUSE ABRAHAM OBEYED MY VOICE AND KEPT MY 37:07 CHARGE, MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY LAWS." 37:11 - NOTICE THAT - GOD SAYS, 'COMMANDMENTS, STATUTES, LAWS' - 37:14 THAT'S GENESIS 26. HAD THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 37:17 BEEN GIVEN YET? WHERE DO YOU - WHERE DO THE 37:21 TEN COMMANDMENTS FIRST APPEAR? EXODUS 20, RIGHT? 37:27 HERE WE'RE IN GENESIS 26 IT SAYS GOD'S GOT COMMANDMENTS, STATUTES 37:30 AND LAWS - YOU KNOW WHY? THEY ALL PASSED THEM ON ORALLY. 37:34 THEY KNEW THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN. 37:37 THEY WEREN'T CODIFIED UNTIL EXODUS. BUT DID THEY KNOW 37:40 ADULTERY WAS A SIN? WHAT DID JOSEPH SAY? 37:43 BEFORE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, JOSEPH SAID, 'HOW CAN I SIN AND 37:45 TAKE YOUR WIFE - AND TAKE THIS MAN'S WIFE?' 37:48 DID GOD TELL CAIN, WAY BACK IN THE BEGINNING, MURDER WAS A SIN? 37:52 HE SAID, 'SIN IS AT YOUR DOOR.' AND HE MURDERED HIS BROTHER. 37:56 AND SO, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE, THEY 38:00 WERE JUST, FINALLY, CODIFIED IN STONE, BY THE TIME. 38:03 SO ABRAHAM KNEW WHAT THOSE LAWS WERE. 38:05 HE WALKED ACCORDING TO THEM BECAUSE HE LOVED THE LORD AND 38:08 GOD HAD SAID TO THEM, 'BE THOU PERFECT.' 38:10 READ, FOR ME, PLEASE, JOB 2:3. 38:14 >>"THEN THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, 'HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT 38:18 JOB, THAT THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND 38:23 UPRIGHT MAN, ONE WHO FEARS GOD AND SHUNS EVIL? 38:27 AND STILL HE HOLDS FAST TO HIS INTEGRITY, ALTHOUGH YOU INCITED 38:31 ME AGAINST HIM, TO DESTROY HIM WITHOUT CAUSE.'" 38:39 >>YEAH, SO HERE, JOB, THE BIBLE CALLS HIM A PERFECT AND AN 38:43 UPRIGHT MAN WHO LOVES GOD AND HATES EVIL. 38:47 AND HE'S LIVING THE KIND OF LIFE WHERE GOD CAN BRAG TO THE DEVIL 38:50 ABOUT JOB BECAUSE JOB IS SINLESS? 38:53 NO, HAD JOB SINNED? YEAH - HE SAYS SO 38:58 EVEN IN HIS OWN BOOK. AND WHEN GOD REVEALS HIMSELF 39:00 TO JOB, HE SAYS HE REPENTS IN ASHES. 39:04 BUT HE WAS A PERFECT, UPRIGHT MAN. 39:07 HE LIVED A LIFE THAT WAS CONSISTENT. 39:08 NOW I DIDN'T PUT THE QUOTE IN MY NOTES, BUT IF YOU LOOK IN THE 39:11 BOOK STEPS TO CHRIST , THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL QUOTE THERE AND IT 39:14 SAYS, 'IT'S NOT THE OCCASIONAL GOOD DEED OR OCCASIONAL MISDEED 39:20 THAT DETERMINES WHOSE SIDE WE'RE ON, BUT IT'S THE HABITUAL WORDS 39:25 AND ACTS. WHAT IS THE PATTERN 39:26 OF A PERSON'S LIFE? ARE THEY LIVING FOR THE LORD? 39:30 IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE A MOMENT OR A WEAKNESS, OR THEY 39:33 FALL IN SOME AREA, SO, DEUTERONOMY 18:13, "THOU SHALT 39:38 BE PERFECT WITH THE LORD THY GOD." 39:41 IT'S ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO BE 39:43 PERFECT WITH THE LORD GOD? DON'T GET MAD AT PASTOR 39:48 DOUG; I DIDN'T WRITE IT. WHAT IS HE SAYING? 39:51 WELL, IT'S IN THE BIBLE. WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THAT? 39:54 LIVE A LIFE WHERE YOU'RE WALKING WITH GOD. 39:59 TELL ME THE VERSES THAT SAY A LITTLE BIT OF SIN IS OKAY. 40:03 THERE MUST BE SOME BECAUSE I HEAR PEOPLE TALK LIKE THAT ALL 40:06 THE TIME IN CHURCHES - THAT GOD IS ASKING US TO SORT OF CUT 40:09 BACK. (LAUGHS) THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID. 40:15 IF YOU LOOK IN JOHN 5:14, "AFTERWARD JESUS FOUND HIM IN 40:21 THE TEMPLE, AND SAID TO HIM, 'SEE, YOU HAVE BEEN MADE WELL.'" 40:24 - THIS IS THE MAN WHO HAD NEVER WALKED - 38 YEARS - "SIN NO 40:28 MORE, LEST A WORSE THING COME UPON YOU." 40:31 DID JESUS SAY, 'TRY TO SIN A LITTLE LESS'? 40:35 IS THAT WHAT HE SAID? HE SAID, 'LIVE A HOLY LIFE. 40:39 DON'T GO BACK TO YOUR LIFE OF SIN.' NOW I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT 40:43 A VERSE WITH ME, THAT SOMETIMES HAS TROUBLED PEOPLE - GO TO 40:46 HEBREWS CHAPTER 10 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - THIS IS OFTEN 40:52 MISUNDERSTOOD AND I THOUGHT WE OUGHT TO JUST ADDRESS IT. 40:57 HEBREWS 10 - AND THIS IS BEFORE THE CHAPTER OF THE GREAT 41:02 FAITHFUL IN THE BIBLE AND, IF YOU READ IN VERSE 26, "FOR IF WE 41:07 SIN WILLFULLY AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE 41:10 TRUTH, THERE NO LONGER REMAINS A SACRIFICE FOR SINS, BUT A 41:14 CERTAIN FEARFUL EXPECTATION OF JUDGMENT, AND FIERY INDIGNATION 41:18 WHICH WILL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES." IF WE SIN 41:21 WILLFULLY - THAT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE IF YOU SIN ONCE, 41:25 DELIBERATELY - NOW MOST OF YOUR SIN IS DELIBERATE. DO YOU THINK 41:31 ABOUT THE SINS IN YOUR LIFE? YOU CAN'T SAY, 'I FELL INTO THE 41:34 REFRIGERATOR AND I ATE THAT EXTRA CUPCAKE. 41:38 WHEN I FELL MY MOUTH WAS OPEN AND IT JUST FELL IN MY MOUTH. 41:40 IT WASN'T DELIBERATE.' IS THAT HOW IT HAPPENS? 41:45 OR DO YOU CONSCIOUSLY SAY, 'I REALLY SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS.' 41:49 AND, USUALLY, IT'S NOT SOMETHING AS INNOCUOUS AS A CUPCAKE. 41:52 YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. WE MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION. 41:57 'I REALLY SHOULDN'T LISTEN TO THAT SONG.' 'I REALLY SHOULDN'T 42:00 WATCH THAT PROGRAM.' 'I REALLY SHOULDN'T GO TO THAT WEBSITE.' 42:04 'I REALLY SHOULDN'T TELL THAT JOKE.' AND WE DO IT. 42:08 AND YOU SAY, 'OH, I DID IT WILLFULLY. 42:10 AND HERE I READ IN THE BIBLE, 'IF I SIN WILLFULLY THERE IS NO 42:12 MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS.' - I'M DOOMED.' I GET QUESTIONS LIKE 42:16 THAT, PEOPLE. HAVE YOU EVER WORRIED? 42:19 OR YOU THINK, RIGHT AFTER I EAT THAT FORBIDDEN CUPCAKE' - I 42:26 MEAN, IT EVEN - IT'S CALLED 'DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE' AND YOU KNEW 42:30 YOU SHOULDN'T - 'RIGHT AFTER I EAT IT, I GET HIT BY A CAR - I'M 42:35 DONE FOR BECAUSE I'VE SINNED WILLFULLY.' - PEOPLE WORRY, 42:39 'I'VE LOST MYSELF. I AM IN AN UNSAVED CONDITION 42:41 AFTER THE CUPCAKE AND I NEED TO QUICKLY REPENT.' AND SO A PERSON 42:47 SAYS, 'YOU'VE GOT A ROLLER COASTER EXPERIENCE.' 42:50 BAPTISTS OR CALVINISTS HAVE A BIG PROBLEM 42:53 WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN FREE WILL. 42:56 THEY SAY, 'BECAUSE YOU GUYS, EVERY TIME YOU SIN YOU THINK, 42:58 'I'M LOST UNTIL I REPENT AGAIN.' AND SO YOU'VE GOT A 43:00 SAVED/LOST/SAVED/LOST/SAVED/LOST EXPERIENCE AND THAT'S OVER THE 43:04 COURSE OF AN HOUR - SIN/REPENT/SIN/REPENT/SIN/REPENT 43:10 - AND THEY SAY, 'ONCE WE'RE SAVED WE CAN'T BE LOST.' THAT'S 43:12 THE OTHER EXTREME - BOTH OF THOSE ARE WRONG. THEY'RE BOTH 43:15 MISUNDERSTANDINGS - THOSE ARE EXTREMES THAT ARE BEING ABUSED. 43:21 GOD IS NOT SAYING ONCE YOU'RE SAVED YOU CAN'T BE LOST AND 43:23 NEITHER IS HE SAYING THAT ONCE YOU'RE SAVED THERE MAY NOT BE 43:27 LAPSES AND YOU LOSE YOUR SALVATION. 43:31 I THINK THAT YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT, WHEN YOU'VE COMMITTED YOUR 43:34 LIFE TO THE LORD, IF YOU HAVE NOT RETRACTED THAT COMMITMENT, 43:38 THAT HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT. 43:41 HE'S CALLED THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH - AND YOU 43:44 NEED TO LIVE WITH A CERTAIN JOY - HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE JOY 43:48 IF YOU GO THROUGH YOUR DAY SAVED/LOST/SAVED/LOST/SAVED/LOST 43:51 - IT'S A WORKS-ORIENTED SALVATION AND IT'S FEARFUL. 43:56 PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE FAITH THAT 43:59 WHEN YOU COME TO THE LORD, YOU REALLY LOVE HIM, THAT YOU'VE GOT 44:03 PEACE THAT HE'S GOING TO FINISH WHAT HE STARTED. FIRST OF ALL, 44:05 GOING BACK TO HEBREWS, LET ME JUST TIE THIS OFF - WHEN IT 44:08 SAYS, 'WHEN WE SIN WILLFULLY' - THE WORD 'SIN' THERE IS NOT 44:12 TALKING ABOUT AN INCIDENT, IT'S TALKING ABOUT AN ONGOING LIFE. 44:17 IF WE CONTINUE TO SIN WILLFULLY AFTER WE'VE RECEIVED A KNOWLEDGE 44:23 OF THE TRUTH, THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT THE LORD CAN DO FOR 44:26 US. THAT'S WHAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT. 44:27 IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IF YOU FALL THROUGH A WILLFUL SIN - AND MOST 44:30 OF THEM ARE - THAT THEN YOU CANNOT BE SAVED. 44:35 LET ME READ A FEW MORE VERSES TO YOU HERE ON SIN AND OBEDIENCE. 44:45 LUKE 1:6, TALKING ABOUT ZACHARIAS AND ELIZABETH, "AND 44:49 THEY WERE BOTH RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, WALKING IN ALL THE 44:52 COMMANDMENTS AND ORDINANCES OF THE LORD BLAMELESS." 44:56 WERE THEY GODLY PEOPLE - THE PARENTS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST? 44:59 YOU STILL AWAKE? YOU WITH ME? WERE THEY SAVED? 45:03 DID ZACHARIAS HAVE PROBLEMS BELIEVING THE ANGEL AND WAS HE 45:06 STRUCK DUMB BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FAITH? 45:08 BUT WAS HE STILL WALKING WITH THE LORD? 45:11 HE WAS A SAVED - IT SAYS HE WALKED BEFORE THE LORD 45:13 BLAMELESS. THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THEY 45:17 CAN HUMANLY DO TO OBEY THE LORD BECAUSE THEY LOVED THE LORD, 45:19 NOT TO EARN THEIR SALVATION. I'VE GOT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. 45:22 PHILIPPIANS 3:15, "LET US THEREFORE, AS MANY AS BE 45:26 PERFECT, BE THUS MINDED:" JAMES 3:2, "...IF ANY MAN OFFEND NOT 45:31 IN WORD, THE SAME IS A PERFECT MAN," - IT SAYS, 'WATCH WHAT YOU 45:35 SAY' TOO. IF YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR MOUTH, 45:37 YOU CAN CONTROL EVERYTHING ELSE. NOW, FOR AN ADVENTIST, THAT 45:40 MEANS NOT ONLY WHAT YOU SAY, BUT WHAT YOU EAT. 45:42 WE KNOW THE MOUTH WORKS BOTH WAYS. 45:45 IF YOU CAN CONTROL THE MOUTH, YOU CAN CONTROL EVERYTHING ELSE. 45:47 IF YOU CAN BRING YOUR APPETITE INTO SUBMISSION AND YOU CAN 45:51 BRING YOUR WORDS INTO SUBMISSION, YOU'RE HOME FREE. 45:54 I'M PARAPHRASING, SORRY. DIDN'T WE ALL GET INTO TROUBLE 45:58 BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT WAS EATEN? 46:02 NOW, AT FIRST GLANCE, WE MIGHT ASSUME THAT JESUS IS ASKING SOME 46:05 OF US TO BE ANGELIC ANDROIDS. BUT A CLOSER LOOK OF SEVERAL 46:10 EXAMPLES PROVIDE A BETTER PICTURE. 46:12 WHAT DOES 'PERFECT' MEAN? WELL, IN ENGLISH, IT MEANS 46:16 'CONFORMING ABSOLUTELY TO A DEFINITION OF AN IDEAL TYPE'. 46:20 IT MEANS 'TO BE EXCELLENT; COMPLETE; BEYOND PRACTICAL OR 46:24 THEORETICAL IMPROVEMENT' - BEYOND IMPROVEMENT - IS THAT 46:27 WHAT WE'RE SAYING WHEN WE ARE LOOKING FOR CHRISTIAN 46:29 PERFECTION? DOES PAUL SAY, 'I DO NOT COUNT 46:33 MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED OR TO BE PERFECT'? 46:37 PAUL SAID - BUT THEN PAUL SAYS, IN 2 TIMOTHY, 'I HAVE FOUGHT A 46:41 GOOD FIGHT. I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE - I'VE 46:43 FINISHED THE COURSE - I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH. 46:46 HEREAFTER THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 46:48 WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, WILL GIVE ME THAT DAY AND 46:51 NOT TO ME ONLY BUT TO ALL THEM THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING.' SO ONE 46:54 PLACE YOU HEAR PAUL SAYING, 'I DO NOT COUNT MYSELF TO BE 46:56 PERFECT', BUT THEN IN 2 TIMOTHY HE SAYS, 'I HAVE FINISHED THE 46:59 RACE. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MY 47:00 CROWN. DID HE HAVE ASSURANCE 47:02 ABOUT HIS SALVATION? I'LL JUST LET YOU SORT THAT OUT. 47:09 IN HEBREW, THE WORD FOR 'PERFECT' IS TAMIM. 47:13 IT MEANS 'ENTIRE; INTEGRITY; TRUTH; WITHOUT BLEMISH; 47:17 COMPLETE; FULL; PERFECT; UNDEFILED'. 47:20 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THE WORD 'PERFECT' IS TELEIOS - IT MEANS 47:24 'COMPLETE IN LABOR; GROWTH' - AT THE RIGHT PLACE IT'S SUPPOSED TO 47:28 BE IN ITS GROWTH - 'MENTAL OR MORAL CHARACTER.' IF YOU ARE 47:34 WALKING IN THE LIGHT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, YOU WILL BE IN 47:38 THE KINGDOM. WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN 47:41 THE LIGHT AND THE BLOOD OF HIS SON CLEANSES YOU FROM ALL SIN. 47:44 HE DOESN'T ASK YOU TO TAKE STEPS THAT ARE NOT IN FRONT OF YOU, HE 47:47 ASKS YOU TO TAKE THE STEPS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU. 47:50 I EXPECT TO SEE MARTIN LUTHER IN HEAVEN. 47:54 MARTIN LUTHER - I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT HIM THIS WEEK - 47:56 GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIM IN HALF AN HOUR - MARTIN LUTHER WAS A 48:01 GODLY MAN, A BOLD AND, YET, A HUMBLE MAN, BUT THEN IT GOES ON 48:09 TO TELL US THAT MARTIN LUTHER DRANK BEER. 48:14 NOW, IF I DRANK BEER, I'D BE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE I KNOW BETTER. 48:17 BACK THEN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE CLEAN WATER. 48:18 AT LEAST THE ALCOHOL CLEANSED THE BEER TO SOME EXTENT. 48:22 I EXPECT TO HEAR - TO SEE JOHN NEWTON IN HEAVEN. 48:26 JOHN NEWTON WROTE AMAZING GRACE. HE SMOKED UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED. 48:32 DOCTORS PRESCRIBED CIGARETTES BACK THEN - IT'S HARD TO 48:35 BELIEVE, ISN'T IT? THEY WALKED IN THE LIGHT THAT 48:39 THEY HAD, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 48:41 I EXPECT TO SEE DAVID IN HEAVEN - AND SOLOMON. 48:44 SOLOMON REPENTED OF HIS SINS. THEY BOTH HAD WAY 48:46 TOO MANY WIVES. NOW, IF I TOOK EXTRA WIVES, 48:51 I WOULD DIE ON TWO COUNTS - (RAUCOUS LAUGHTER) - MY WIFE 48:55 WOULD BE FIRST AND THEN I'D BE LOST IN THE JUDGMENT. 48:59 MY WIFE WOULD BE FIRST TO KILL ME, IS WHAT I MEANT. 49:03 SO - BUT - 'CAUSE I KNOW BETTER. SO GOD EXPECTS US - TO BE 49:06 PERFECT MEANS TO LIVE UP TO THE LIGHT YOU HAVE. 49:08 WE'VE GOT A LOT OF LIGHT IN THIS GENERATION, AMEN? 49:12 FREE FROM SIN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 49:14 ROMANS 6 - LET'S READ VERSES 16 THROUGH 18, "DO YOU NOT KNOW 49:17 THAT TO WHOM YOU PRESENT YOURSELVES SLAVES TO OBEY, YOU 49:20 ARE THAT ONE'S SLAVES WHOM YOU OBEY, WHETHER OF SIN" - IF 49:23 YOU'RE OBEYING SIN, YOU'RE A SLAVE - "LEADING TO DEATH, OR OF 49:27 OBEDIENCE LEADING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS? 49:29 BUT GOD BE THANKED THAT THOUGH YOU WERE SLAVES OF SIN, YET YOU 49:33 OBEYED FROM THE HEART THAT FORM OF DOCTRINE TO WHICH YOU WERE 49:36 DELIVERED. AND HAVING BEEN SET FREE FROM 49:38 SIN, YOU BECAME SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS." 49:40 'PASTOR DOUG, DO I NEED TO BE PERFECT BEFORE I'M BAPTIZED?' 49:45 NO, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU THINK YOU'RE 49:48 GOOD ENOUGH. 'DO I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING?' 49:53 BEFORE YOU'RE BAPTIZED - YOU SHOULD KNOW AND BELIEVE THE 49:56 FUNDAMENTALS. 'WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? 50:00 CAN I STILL GET BAPTIZED IF I'M SMOKING OR DRINKING?' 50:02 NO, BECAUSE THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT HAVE DOMINION OVER 50:05 YOU. PEOPLE GET ADDICTED. WHEN YOU ARE ADDICTED TO SOME 50:08 BAD BEHAVIOR, YOU ARE NOT FREE YET. SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION 50:13 OVER YOU. SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS? 50:16 IF THE PATTERN OF YOUR LIFE IS ONE THAT YOU ARE CHAINED IN SOME 50:19 AREA OF YOUR LIFE TO SIN, YOU ARE NOT FREE. 50:23 BEFORE I WAS BAPTIZED, I STUDIED THIS AND I REALIZED I NEED TO - 50:28 I NEED TO QUIT CURSING. I NEED TO QUIT DRINKING. 50:30 I NEED TO QUIT SMOKING - THOSE THINGS HAD DOMINION OVER ME. 50:33 GOD CALLS US TO LIVE LIVES OF PURITY. 50:35 I UNDERSTOOD, BECAUSE I WAS TAUGHT BY A GOOD OLD ADVENTIST 50:39 PASTOR, THAT YOU MAY FALL AFTERWARD. 50:42 WHY DO YOU THINK WE HAVE FOOT WASHING IN OUR CHURCH? 50:47 IF WE BELIEVE THAT ONCE YOU'RE BAPTIZED, YOU'RE GOING TO BE 50:49 PERFECT, THEN WHY DO WE EVEN BOTHER WITH FOOT WASHING? 50:53 IS THAT A GOOD QUESTION? WE HAVE FOOT WASHING BECAUSE 50:56 IT'S SORT OF UNDERSTOOD THAT, WHILE YOU HAD BEEN WASHED AS A 51:01 WHOLE, YOU MAY NEED A MINI BAPTISM TO CLEANSE YOU FOR THE 51:06 FAILURES ALONG THE WAY, BUT SIN SHOULD NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER 51:09 YOU. SIN SHOULD NOT REIGN OVER YOU. 51:12 DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE? THE CONTROLLING - 51:15 JESUS IS LORD OF YOUR LIFE, NOT THE DEVIL ANYMORE. 51:20 AND SO, THERE MIGHT BE ATTACKS ALONG THE WAY, BUT CHRIST IS ON 51:23 THE THRONE. THAT'S WHAT PAUL IS SAYING. 51:26 LET ME READ SOMETHING - THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING QUOTE FROM 51:30 CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS PAGE 331, "BUT CHRIST HAS GIVEN US NO 51:35 ASSURANCE THAT TO ATTAIN PERFECTION OF CHARACTER IS AN 51:39 EASY MATTER. A NOBLE ALL-AROUND CHARACTER IS 51:43 NOT INHERITED," - IT DOES NOT COME TO US BY ACCIDENT - "A 51:46 NOBLE CHARACTER IS EARNED BY INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS THROUGH THE 51:49 MERITS AND GRACE OF CHRIST." - IT COMES THROUGH CHRIST - "GOD 51:53 GIVES TALENTS AND POWERS OF THE MIND. WE FORM THE CHARACTER. 51:56 IT'S FORMED BY HARD, STERN BATTLES WITH SELF. 52:00 CONFLICT AFTER CONFLICT MUST BE WAGED AGAINST HEREDITARY 52:03 TENDENCIES." - YOU CAN GET YOUR DNA CHECKED 52:06 AND FIND OUT WHO TO BLAME - "WE SHALL HAVE TO CRITICIZE 52:09 OURSELVES CLOSELY AND NOT ALLOW ONE UNFAVORABLE TRAIT TO REMAIN 52:13 UNCORRECTED" - PAUL SAYS 'LET EVERY MAN EXAMINE HIMSELF - 'LET 52:17 NO ONE SAY 'I CANNOT REMEDY MY DEFECTS OF CHARACTER." 52:20 - DON'T SAY THAT - "IF YOU COME TO THIS DECISION, YOU WILL 52:23 CERTAINLY FAIL OF OBTAINING EVERLASTING LIFE." 52:25 - ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH CHRIST, AMEN? 52:28 IF YOU - "THE IMPOSSIBILITY LIES IN YOUR OWN WILL. 52:33 IF YOU WILL NOT, THEN YOU CANNOT OVERCOME. 52:36 THE REAL DIFFICULTY ARISES FROM THE CORRUPTION OF AN 52:39 UNSANCTIFIED HEART AND AN UNWILLINGNESS TO SUBMIT TO THE 52:42 CONTROL OF GOD." - IF YOU COMPLETELY ARE SUBMITTED - 52:45 IF YOU SURRENDER, YOU CAN. I'M PARAPHRASING ALONG THE WAY. 52:49 I HOPE YOU SPOT THOSE SPOTS - "REMEMBER THAT YOU'LL NEVER 52:51 REACH A HIGHER STANDARD THAN YOU, YOURSELF, SET." 52:54 - YOU'LL NEVER REACH - IF YOU THINK 'MY STANDARD IS LESS THAN 52:58 CHRIST' THEN YOU WILL GO TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR - 53:03 "THEN SET YOUR MARK HIGH AND STEP BY STEP, EVEN THOUGH IT BE 53:07 A PAINFUL EFFORT, BY SELF-DENIAL AND SACRIFICE ASCEND THE WHOLE 53:11 LENGTH OF THE LADDER OF PROGRESS. 53:13 LET NOTHING HINDER YOU." SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ, 53:15 FOR ME, ROMANS 8:2. I'M GOING TO READ ROMANS 6:23 53:20 FIRST, "FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS 53:25 ETERNAL LIFE" - ONE OF THE BEST VERSES IN ROMANS 6 - "IN 53:30 CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD." YOU'VE GOT TWO MASTERS, JESUS 53:32 AND THE DEVIL - TWO DESTINIES, LIFE AND DEATH. THE WAGES - 53:39 SOMETHING YOU WILL BE PAID - YOU EARN - IS DEATH THROUGH SIN; 53:44 BUT SOMETHING YOU CAN RECEIVE BY FAITH IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH 53:47 JESUS. GO AHEAD AND READ, PLEASE, FOR US, ROMANS 8:2. 53:51 >>FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME 53:56 FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 53:59 >>CAN YOU SAY 'AMEN'? >>AMEN. 54:01 >>LIVING A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE WILL FREE YOU FROM THAT LIFE OF 54:05 SIN AND DEATH. THAT'S, I THINK, GOOD NEWS. 54:08 I WANT TO READ SOMETHING TO YOU - I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MOMENTS 54:11 LEFT - I'M GOING TO JUST PRAY OUR EDITORS'LL FIND A CREATIVE 54:14 WAY TO KEEP AS MUCH OF THIS AS POSSIBLE. 54:16 LET ME READ SOMETHING TO YOU FROM, WELL, JUDE 24 - THERE'S 54:22 ONLY ONE CHAPTER, "NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM 54:26 STUMBLING, AND TO PRESENT YOU FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF 54:30 HIS GLORY WITH EXCEEDING JOY," - HE IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM 54:33 STUMBLING. CAN YOU SAY 'AMEN'? 54:35 HERE'S A QUOTE FROM ADAM CLARKE'S COMMENTARY: "IF MEN 54:40 WOULD SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN FERVENTLY CALLING UPON GOD TO 54:43 SANCTIFY THEM AS THEY SPEND DECRYING THE DOCTRINE OF 54:46 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, WHAT A GLORIOUS STATE THE CHURCH WOULD 54:49 SOON WITNESS. THIS MOMENT WE MIGHT BE EMPTIED 54:52 OF SIN, FILLED WITH HOLINESS, BECOME TRULY HAPPY. 54:55 THE PERFECTION OF THE GOSPEL SYSTEM IS NOT THAT IT MAKES AN 54:58 ALLOWANCE FOR SIN, BUT IT MAKES ATONEMENT FOR IT; NOT THAT IT 55:02 TOLERATES SIN, BUT IT DESTROYS IT. LET ALL THOSE WHO RETAIN THE 55:06 APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE PRESS EVERY BELIEVER TO GO ON TO PERFECTION 55:10 AND EXPECT TO BE SAVED WHILE HERE, BELOW, INTO THE FULLNESS 55:14 OF THE BLESSING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS. 55:16 ARE YOU WEARY OF THAT CARNAL MIND, WHICH IS ENMITY TO GOD? 55:20 CANST THOU BE HAPPY WHILE YOU ARE UNHOLY? 55:23 ARISE, THEN, TO THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY CHILD OF GOD AND BE 55:26 CLEANSED FROM ALL SIN, TO KEEP YOURSELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE 55:29 WORLD AND SO LIVE TO NEVERMORE OFFEND HIS MAKER. 55:33 ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM WHO BELIEVES. 55:35 BELIEVE ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THE INFINITELY MERITORIOUS 55:38 BLOOD AND ENERGETIC SPIRIT OF THE LORD JESUS." 55:42 NOW, THAT WAS WRITTEN 200 YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY 55:45 POWERFUL TODAY. I WANT TO GIVE YOU ONE MORE FROM 55:48 THE BOOK ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - AND I KNOW WE'RE OUT OF TIME, 55:51 BUT I'M GOING TO READ IT ANYWAY. I VERY RARELY PULL THE SENIOR 55:55 PASTOR CARD, BUT I'M PLAYING IT NOW. 55:58 "BEFORE THE BELIEVER IS HELD OUT THE WONDERFUL POSSIBILITY OF 56:02 BEING LIKE CHRIST, OBEDIENT TO ALL THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD BUT, 56:07 OF HIMSELF, WE ARE UTTERLY UNABLE TO REACH THIS CONDITION. 56:11 THE HOLINESS THAT GOD'S WORD DECLARES THAT WE MUST HAVE, 56:15 BEFORE WE CAN BE SAVED, IS THE RESULT OF THE WORKING OF DIVINE 56:18 GRACE AS HE BOWS, IN SUBMISSION, TO THE DISCIPLINE AND 56:22 RESTRAINING INFLUENCES OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. 56:25 MAN'S OBEDIENCE CAN BE MADE PERFECT ONLY BY THE INCENSE OF 56:31 CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH FILLS WITH DIVINE FRAGRANCE, 56:34 EVERY ACT OF OBEDIENCE. THE PART THE CHRISTIAN IS TO 56:37 PERSEVERE IN OVERCOMING EVERY FAULT. 56:41 CONSTANTLY HE IS TO PRAY TO THE SAVIOR TO HEAL THE DISORDERS OF 56:44 HIS SIN-SICK SOUL. HE HAS NOT THE WISDOM OR THE 56:47 STRENGTH TO OVERCOME; THESE BELONG TO THE LORD AND HE 56:50 BESTOWS THEM ON THOSE WHO, IN HUMILIATION AND CONTRITION, 56:54 SEEK FOR HELP." THAT'S ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 532 . 56:57 AND I'VE GOT A LOT MORE - I'LL PUT MY NOTES UP ONLINE IF 57:00 ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE THE PARTS I LEFT OUT, BUT THIS IS - SOME 57:03 GREAT QUOTES TO ENCOURAGE YOU THAT, BY THE POWER OF CHRIST, WE 57:07 CAN BE HOLY. BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, 57:10 THEY WILL SEE GOD. AND THAT'S ALL THAT WE'RE 57:11 TALKING ABOUT TODAY, IS PURITY OF HEART. AMEN? 57:14 WE'RE OUT OF TIME. I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE 57:16 DO HAVE A FREE OFFER AND IT'S CALLED IS IT POSSIBLE 57:18 TO LIVE WITHOUT SINNING? BY JOE CREWS AND WE'LL 57:21 SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE. ASK FOR OFFER #187 - JUST 57:25 CALL 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE AND 57:31 WE'LL SEND THAT TO YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 57:33 GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS, WE WILL STUDY HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN 57:36 NEXT WEEK. >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS 57:39 EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. 57:42 WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE 57:47 CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD 57:50 ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN 57:54 RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK 57:58 HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE QUESTIONS. 58:01 FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR AREA, OR TO LISTEN TO ANSWERS 58:04 ONLINE, VISIT BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 58:11 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-11-16