¤¤¤ 00:00:00.66\00:00:10.01 ¤¤¤ 00:00:11.97\00:00:21.95 ¤¤¤ 00:00:21.98\00:00:30.79 Shawn Brummund: Hello, friends, and welcome to another edition 00:00:35.86\00:00:37.83 of the "Sabbath School Study Hour," right here in the 00:00:37.87\00:00:40.74 sanctuary of our new facilities here in the Granite Bay Hilltop 00:00:40.77\00:00:45.01 Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Greater Sacramento 00:00:45.04\00:00:47.31 area of California. 00:00:47.34\00:00:48.94 We are just so glad that you have decided to join us and 00:00:48.98\00:00:51.51 invest the next hour into studying God's Word as we look 00:00:51.55\00:00:54.98 at today's last subject in this particular quarter of the year. 00:00:55.02\00:01:00.96 And so for many of you who have been studying with us, 00:01:00.99\00:01:03.26 you're familiar with this. 00:01:03.29\00:01:04.93 For those of you who are joining us for the first time, we're 00:01:04.96\00:01:07.20 going to be studying from a quarterly guide entitled 00:01:07.23\00:01:09.60 "The Promise: God's Everlasting Covenant." 00:01:09.63\00:01:12.93 And so we've been looking at God's great covenant theme, 00:01:12.97\00:01:16.57 right from Adam and Eve, all the way through to Jesus Christ, 00:01:16.60\00:01:19.44 of course, the ultimate covenant that He has sealed 00:01:19.47\00:01:21.64 with His own blood on the cross. 00:01:21.68\00:01:23.38 So today we're going to be looking at the last lesson, 00:01:23.41\00:01:25.25 which is Lesson Number 13, "A New Covenant Life," 00:01:25.28\00:01:27.52 and our pastor that is teaching today is Pastor Carlos, 00:01:27.55\00:01:30.85 and so we're glad to have him here with us here today as well. 00:01:30.89\00:01:35.56 Now, I don't have a copy of next quarter's study, 00:01:35.59\00:01:39.49 but I do know the title. 00:01:39.53\00:01:40.93 It's called "Rest in Christ," and so if you haven't got a copy 00:01:40.96\00:01:44.33 of that, make sure that you try to get a copy if you're at your 00:01:44.37\00:01:46.70 local church sometime today or throughout the week, and if not, 00:01:46.74\00:01:51.11 make sure that you go to the Amazing Facts website, 00:01:51.14\00:01:53.61 and you can simply go to the search bar and find a digital 00:01:53.64\00:01:57.41 copy there as well. 00:01:57.45\00:01:59.28 So make sure that you go ahead and get a copy of that so that 00:01:59.31\00:02:01.58 you can study throughout this next week and be prepared for 00:02:01.62\00:02:04.02 our study as we get together for that. 00:02:04.05\00:02:07.32 Just a little bit of a trivia that I shared last time we came 00:02:07.36\00:02:10.46 together as well is that the next quarterly actually has a 00:02:10.49\00:02:13.23 family connection to our administrative pastor, 00:02:13.26\00:02:15.63 Pastor Jean Ross. 00:02:15.66\00:02:17.63 Pastor Jean Ross's sister and brother-in-law are the authors 00:02:17.67\00:02:21.94 of the next quarterly study, so make sure that you take that in. 00:02:21.97\00:02:26.27 I know that you will be blessed. 00:02:26.31\00:02:28.81 Don't forget to take advantage of today's free offer, 00:02:28.84\00:02:32.31 which is "Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning?" 00:02:32.35\00:02:35.75 And it's written by Joe Crews, the founder 00:02:35.78\00:02:37.95 of Amazing Facts Ministries. 00:02:37.99\00:02:39.95 So please take advantage of that. 00:02:39.99\00:02:41.32 All you have to do is dial in 1-866-788-3966. 00:02:41.36\00:02:45.79 That's 1-866-Study-More, and ask for free Offer Number 187. 00:02:45.83\00:02:51.80 Now, that's if you're in the continental America, 00:02:53.03\00:02:56.44 and if you're also interested in a download, a digital free 00:02:56.47\00:03:01.11 download, you can also text that and receive the link. 00:03:01.14\00:03:04.08 All you have to do is text to the number 40544. 00:03:04.11\00:03:10.12 That's 40544, and text the message "SH040," and you can see 00:03:12.15\00:03:18.16 that on your screen as well. 00:03:19.06\00:03:20.76 So please take advantage of that as we continue to study and look 00:03:20.80\00:03:24.47 at God's power in our life to be able to find victory over sin. 00:03:24.50\00:03:29.84 So before we invite our speaker and teacher out today, we're 00:03:29.87\00:03:33.58 going to be blessed in music as we have some young people 00:03:33.61\00:03:36.64 that are going to be blessing us in worship through music. 00:03:36.68\00:03:40.78 ¤¤¤ 00:03:42.22\00:03:48.22 ¤ My faithful Father ¤ 00:03:58.70\00:04:04.77 ¤ enduring friend ¤ 00:04:05.34\00:04:09.74 ¤ Your tender mercy's like a river with no end ¤ 00:04:09.78\00:04:15.78 ¤ It overwhelms me, covers my sin ¤ 00:04:18.82\00:04:24.83 ¤ Each time I come into Your presence ¤ 00:04:28.63\00:04:34.64 ¤ I stand in wonder once again ¤ 00:04:34.74\00:04:40.74 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:04:41.48\00:04:47.48 ¤ Your love is still a mystery ¤ 00:04:47.88\00:04:53.89 ¤ Each day I fall on my knees ¤ 00:04:54.46\00:05:00.53 ¤ because Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:05:02.43\00:05:08.44 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:05:09.20\00:05:15.21 ¤¤¤ 00:05:15.78\00:05:21.78 ¤ Oh, patient Savior ¤ 00:05:30.53\00:05:35.26 ¤ You make me whole ¤ 00:05:36.87\00:05:41.10 ¤ You are the author and the healer of my soul ¤ 00:05:41.14\00:05:47.14 ¤ What can I give You? ¤ 00:05:50.15\00:05:54.28 ¤ Lord, what can I say? ¤ 00:05:55.55\00:06:00.19 ¤ I know there's no way to repay You ¤ 00:06:00.22\00:06:06.23 ¤ only to offer You my praise ¤ 00:06:06.59\00:06:12.57 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:06:13.54\00:06:19.54 ¤ Your love is still a mystery ¤ 00:06:20.01\00:06:26.01 ¤ Each day I fall on my knees ¤ 00:06:26.48\00:06:32.49 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:06:34.36\00:06:40.10 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:06:41.20\00:06:47.20 ¤ It's deeper. It's wider ¤ 00:06:47.40\00:06:53.27 ¤ It's stronger. It's higher ¤ 00:06:53.31\00:06:59.31 ¤ It's deeper. It's wider ¤ 00:06:59.48\00:07:05.55 ¤ It's stronger ¤ 00:07:06.09\00:07:09.36 ¤ It's higher than anything my eyes can see ¤ 00:07:09.39\00:07:15.36 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:07:18.10\00:07:24.11 ¤ Your love is still a mystery ¤ 00:07:24.34\00:07:30.35 ¤ Each day I fall on my knees ¤ 00:07:30.88\00:07:36.89 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤ 00:07:39.12\00:07:45.13 ¤ Your grace still amazes me ¤¤ 00:07:46.56\00:07:52.53 ¤¤¤ 00:07:58.14\00:08:04.21 Carlos Munoz: Maranatha. 00:08:17.36\00:08:19.89 Ooh, come on, where are the saints? 00:08:19.93\00:08:25.23 Christ is coming, amen? 00:08:25.27\00:08:27.37 Maranatha. 00:08:27.40\00:08:29.17 Happy Sabbath, everybody. 00:08:29.20\00:08:30.57 Welcome to Granite Bay Hilltop SDA Church, 00:08:30.61\00:08:33.98 to our "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:08:34.01\00:08:35.41 I am so excited because I get to close this wonderful topic, 00:08:35.44\00:08:41.18 amen? 00:08:41.22\00:08:42.58 This, as I mentioned before when I did the lesson 00:08:42.62\00:08:44.42 I think a few weeks back, this is the core. 00:08:44.45\00:08:48.82 This is the core of the Gospel. 00:08:48.86\00:08:50.89 If we don't understand the covenant, we will not understand 00:08:50.93\00:08:53.93 the Gospel, and if we don't understand the Gospel, and the 00:08:53.96\00:08:56.33 covenant, we will not understand the plan of salvation, and so 00:08:56.36\00:08:58.53 I'm excited to put a close, to put an end to this lesson, 00:08:58.57\00:09:02.40 and it seems to be something habitual, right? 00:09:02.44\00:09:04.97 Like the previous lesson, I closed it also, 00:09:05.01\00:09:07.14 the previous one also, so I'm excited, right? 00:09:07.18\00:09:09.31 And the lesson for this week is called "The New Covenant Life." 00:09:09.34\00:09:14.72 I put a slash there. 00:09:14.75\00:09:16.35 I like to, you know, I like to always put a little juice into 00:09:16.38\00:09:19.62 it, "The New/Everlasting Covenant Life," because the 00:09:19.65\00:09:22.76 Everlasting Covenant is the New Covenant, amen? 00:09:22.79\00:09:25.49 It is the same covenant. 00:09:25.53\00:09:27.20 It's just given a different name because of how it is being 00:09:27.23\00:09:29.43 applied when Christ comes along. 00:09:29.46\00:09:31.53 But before we get started, let's have a word of prayer. 00:09:31.57\00:09:34.00 Heavenly Father, we thank You for this opportunity to come 00:09:34.04\00:09:36.04 together again to spend time in Your Word, and we just ask 00:09:36.07\00:09:38.41 that Your Spirit guide us, direct us, so that we can have a 00:09:38.44\00:09:41.04 greater understanding, a deeper understanding and that not only 00:09:41.08\00:09:44.85 to understand this in an intellectual way, but it may be 00:09:44.88\00:09:47.68 an experience in our lives. 00:09:47.72\00:09:49.45 Thank You, Father for this opportunity. 00:09:49.48\00:09:51.22 Thank You for this blessing, Father, and we ask and beg 00:09:51.25\00:09:53.15 these things in Jesus's name, amen, amen. 00:09:53.19\00:09:56.73 And so the new, the Everlasting Covenant life, as we close, 00:09:56.76\00:10:01.23 the memory verse for this lesson is John chapter 10: 00:10:01.26\00:10:05.07 "I come that they might have life," 00:10:05.10\00:10:07.77 and that they might have it how? 00:10:07.80\00:10:09.80 More abundantly. 00:10:09.84\00:10:11.64 In other words, what Jesus is saying, "There is life," right? 00:10:11.67\00:10:14.81 We're all alive. 00:10:14.84\00:10:16.38 We're all physically alive, but there is something beyond 00:10:16.41\00:10:18.98 physical life that God is trying to offer to us that is much more 00:10:19.01\00:10:22.58 abundant than just physical life, and it is that abundant, 00:10:22.62\00:10:25.95 spiritual life, amen? 00:10:25.99\00:10:27.89 We may be alive physically, you may be breathing, you may eat, 00:10:27.92\00:10:31.46 you may be listening to me, you may be watching me, 00:10:31.49\00:10:34.23 but you might be spiritually dead, in other words. 00:10:34.30\00:10:37.30 That's what Jesus is saying. 00:10:37.33\00:10:38.77 Life is not just enough, not this physical life, but there's 00:10:38.80\00:10:41.37 a spiritual life that God wants to inject into us 00:10:41.40\00:10:44.74 so that life is lived abundantly, joyfully, amen? 00:10:44.77\00:10:48.34 That's why I love this verse in Romans chapter 8, verse 11: 00:10:48.38\00:10:51.25 "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus--" 00:10:51.28\00:10:54.28 that means the Spirit of the Father who raised Jesus Christ 00:10:54.32\00:10:56.38 from the what? 00:10:56.42\00:10:58.02 From the dead. 00:10:58.05\00:10:59.29 Now, this is not talking about just physical death, although 00:10:59.32\00:11:01.22 Jesus was literally raised up from the physical death. 00:11:01.26\00:11:04.49 He says that same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead 00:11:04.53\00:11:06.90 will also give you what? 00:11:06.93\00:11:08.96 Life, amen? 00:11:09.00\00:11:10.67 That's not just talking about a physical life. 00:11:10.70\00:11:13.07 This is talking about everlasting life, eternal life, 00:11:13.10\00:11:16.20 amen? 00:11:16.24\00:11:17.67 "And give us life to these immortal bodies 00:11:17.71\00:11:19.24 through His Spirit," who dwells where? 00:11:19.27\00:11:22.18 In us. 00:11:22.21\00:11:23.51 You see, it's before-- without the Spirit of God, 00:11:23.55\00:11:24.95 we have no life. 00:11:24.98\00:11:26.51 We're living, we're physically here, but we're not alive. 00:11:26.55\00:11:29.32 I'll give you an example. 00:11:29.35\00:11:30.89 In Puerto Rico, there's a lot of promotion of, you know, 00:11:30.92\00:11:34.96 beer and alcohol all over the place, and it always presents, 00:11:34.99\00:11:38.43 "Oh, this is the life." 00:11:38.46\00:11:39.93 So I used to think, when I was young, "Oh, the life is partying 00:11:39.96\00:11:42.76 and drinking and traveling, and I thought that was living life, 00:11:42.80\00:11:46.60 and that's what those people think: "Oh, you're living life 00:11:46.63\00:11:48.37 if you're doing this." 00:11:48.40\00:11:50.04 That's a complete lie. 00:11:50.07\00:11:51.47 That's an aberration to the Gospel because the Gospel says 00:11:51.51\00:11:54.01 that it's only when we have the Spirit in us that we truly 00:11:54.04\00:11:57.38 understand what it means to live, amen, that we truly 00:11:57.41\00:11:59.95 understand what it means to fulfill the purpose and the 00:12:00.05\00:12:03.35 mission which was God has brought you forth. 00:12:03.39\00:12:05.75 Remember, God did not create us to condemn us. 00:12:05.79\00:12:09.96 God created us so that we can give Him glory, amen, so that we 00:12:09.99\00:12:14.56 can show the world the goodness of God, the righteousness of 00:12:14.60\00:12:17.93 God, that we can see that God deserves all the praise, 00:12:17.97\00:12:21.07 all the honor, all the glory, all the worship. 00:12:21.10\00:12:23.74 He deserves everything that we have. 00:12:23.77\00:12:26.14 And so that's the life that God is trying to give us. 00:12:26.17\00:12:28.91 He's trying to reveal it to us through who? 00:12:28.94\00:12:31.28 Through Jesus Christ in the Spirit, amen? 00:12:31.31\00:12:34.95 And that's what I call "The New/Everlasting Covenant Life." 00:12:34.98\00:12:39.75 Who says amen to that? 00:12:39.79\00:12:41.52 Now, the lesson presents this life in a very interesting way. 00:12:41.56\00:12:46.46 It presents five experiences, five primary experiences in the 00:12:46.49\00:12:51.37 Everlasting Covenant, or five covenant promises 00:12:51.40\00:12:54.70 that we can experience today. 00:12:54.74\00:12:57.34 And what I did is, when I looked at this lesson, I thought this 00:12:57.37\00:12:59.67 was very interesting because this is kind of a barometer. 00:12:59.71\00:13:03.35 This is kind of a measuring stick to see, am I truly living 00:13:03.38\00:13:07.55 in the New Covenant life? 00:13:07.58\00:13:10.05 Am I truly living in the New Covenant experience, 00:13:10.09\00:13:12.59 or am I living in the Old Covenant? 00:13:12.62\00:13:15.29 Hmm, we'll talk about that in a second. 00:13:15.32\00:13:17.59 How do I know that my life is genuinely aligned with the will 00:13:17.63\00:13:23.03 of God, with the purpose of God, with the mission of God, 00:13:23.06\00:13:25.23 with the mind of Christ? 00:13:25.27\00:13:26.87 How do I know that? 00:13:26.90\00:13:28.40 Well, that's what--the way that I took this lesson, and I 00:13:28.44\00:13:30.84 tried--I'm going to explain it and share it with you in this 00:13:30.87\00:13:33.78 context of the aspect of this experience and these barometers, 00:13:33.81\00:13:39.81 these tests, that show where we truly are. 00:13:40.32\00:13:44.39 And so the first one that is presented is what? 00:13:44.42\00:13:46.22 Everlasting? 00:13:46.25\00:13:48.42 Everlasting joy, amen? 00:13:48.46\00:13:50.13 Everlasting joy. 00:13:50.16\00:13:52.23 Are you joyful? Do you have joy? 00:13:52.26\00:13:54.76 Did you wake up this morning and said, 00:13:54.83\00:13:56.40 "I can't wait to get to church"? 00:13:56.43\00:13:58.53 "I can't wait to come to church and spend time with my brothers 00:13:58.57\00:14:01.00 and my sisters in the faith, come listen to the Word of God, 00:14:01.04\00:14:03.81 listen to beautiful Gospel music. 00:14:03.84\00:14:05.97 I am excited about being here." 00:14:06.01\00:14:08.71 Are you excited, or do you just have the mask on, right? 00:14:08.74\00:14:12.81 Or do you just have that mask where you say, 00:14:12.85\00:14:15.65 "Happy Sabbath," right? 00:14:15.68\00:14:17.22 You put a big smile, but inside, you're not joyful. 00:14:17.25\00:14:20.49 Go with me, please, to 1 John. 00:14:20.52\00:14:22.26 It's the verse that they give us in the lesson that I thought was 00:14:22.29\00:14:24.36 very, very good because I love how John explains it here. 00:14:24.39\00:14:27.60 Go with me, please, to the book of 1 John chapter 1. 00:14:27.66\00:14:32.37 1 John chapter 1. 00:14:32.40\00:14:34.54 1 John chapter 1. 00:14:34.57\00:14:36.44 When you're there, say amen. 00:14:36.47\00:14:38.64 Look at what it says here in 1 John chapter 1. 00:14:38.67\00:14:41.28 We're going to read verses 1 through 4. 00:14:41.31\00:14:44.25 The experiencing the Everlasting Covenant promises today has 00:14:44.28\00:14:47.12 to do with everlasting joy, amen? 00:14:47.15\00:14:50.32 Look at what it says. 00:14:50.35\00:14:52.25 John says, "That which was from the beginning, which we have 00:14:52.29\00:14:55.29 heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have 00:14:55.32\00:14:58.43 looked upon and our hands have handled," concerning what? 00:14:58.46\00:15:02.66 The Word of Life. 00:15:02.70\00:15:04.00 John is not speaking from a technical, a theoretical aspect 00:15:04.03\00:15:08.57 or perspective of the Gospel. 00:15:08.60\00:15:10.64 John is saying, "I saw it, I lived it, I embraced it." 00:15:10.67\00:15:15.54 Isn't that what God says in the New Covenant when He says, 00:15:15.58\00:15:18.01 "Nobody will have to teach you about Me. 00:15:18.05\00:15:21.12 Nobody will have to sit you down and show you something 00:15:21.15\00:15:23.92 because I will be your personal teacher."? 00:15:23.95\00:15:27.06 It's talking about this intimate relationship that God wants to 00:15:27.09\00:15:30.06 have with us, amen? 00:15:30.09\00:15:31.89 That's the New Covenant experience where nobody's 00:15:31.93\00:15:33.76 telling you about God because you have experiences, those 00:15:33.80\00:15:36.30 promises and those blessings on your own. 00:15:36.33\00:15:38.23 You don't need to hear other people's testimony to get 00:15:38.27\00:15:40.20 excited about what God is doing because God is doing it in your 00:15:40.24\00:15:42.77 life right now, that fresh manna that is coming 00:15:42.80\00:15:45.61 out of that oven, amen? 00:15:45.64\00:15:47.54 Huh? Ooh. 00:15:47.58\00:15:50.71 Hear what it says in verse 2: "The life was manifested," 00:15:50.75\00:15:54.08 the life of the Word, "and we have seen it. 00:15:54.12\00:15:57.95 We bear witness to it, and we declare to you the eternal life, 00:15:57.99\00:16:01.86 which was with the Father and was manifested to us, 00:16:01.89\00:16:04.43 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you," 00:16:04.46\00:16:08.46 that you also may have what? 00:16:08.50\00:16:10.57 Fellowship with us. 00:16:10.60\00:16:12.30 Would you want to have fellowship with somebody that's 00:16:12.33\00:16:13.90 as joyful and full of-- like that, as John? 00:16:13.94\00:16:16.50 Of course, you do. 00:16:16.54\00:16:18.04 Wow, really, because you can't deny it that joy is manifested. 00:16:18.07\00:16:23.04 You can't hide it. You can't masquerade it. 00:16:23.08\00:16:25.75 You can't make believe you're joyful. 00:16:25.78\00:16:27.35 Either you are, or you don't, and if you're trying to do it 00:16:27.38\00:16:29.22 and you think you're fooling people, you're not fooling 00:16:29.25\00:16:31.12 anybody because you can tell right away when somebody's being 00:16:31.15\00:16:34.79 genuine and honest and when they're not. 00:16:34.82\00:16:38.56 "That which you have also fellowship with us, and truly 00:16:38.59\00:16:40.63 our fellowship is with the Father 00:16:40.66\00:16:42.26 and with His Son Jesus Christ." 00:16:42.30\00:16:43.90 And here's verse 4, "And these things we write to you," 00:16:43.93\00:16:46.67 that your joy may be what? 00:16:46.70\00:16:49.17 Full. This is not a partial joy. 00:16:49.20\00:16:51.51 This is not joy just on when Friday comes around 00:16:51.54\00:16:53.74 and you don't have to work. 00:16:53.78\00:16:55.08 This is not a joy when you have a holiday off or you have 00:16:55.11\00:16:57.91 Memorial Day off. 00:16:57.95\00:16:59.25 This is not a joy when you go on vacation. 00:16:59.28\00:17:00.72 This is a daily, eternal, everlasting joy from what? 00:17:00.75\00:17:05.05 From just knowing that you are accepted in God 00:17:05.09\00:17:07.69 through Jesus Christ, amen? 00:17:07.72\00:17:09.32 That can't be fixed. 00:17:09.36\00:17:11.36 That can't be masqueraded. You can't. 00:17:11.39\00:17:14.03 It's just in you. It shows out. 00:17:14.10\00:17:15.93 People see the genuineness, amen? 00:17:15.96\00:17:18.47 They see what exactly it's talking about. 00:17:18.50\00:17:20.77 And look at what it says here in 1 John chapter 4, verse 10. 00:17:20.80\00:17:23.24 What is the foundation of this joy? 00:17:23.27\00:17:25.37 "This is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us." 00:17:25.41\00:17:30.41 And what did He do? 00:17:30.45\00:17:31.75 How did He manifest, God, that He loves us? 00:17:31.78\00:17:34.32 By sending His Son to be what? 00:17:34.35\00:17:37.42 A propitiation, or the word is an atonement for our sins, amen? 00:17:37.45\00:17:42.02 That word atonement is a fascinating word, 00:17:42.06\00:17:44.36 which I love how it explains "reconciliation," amen, 00:17:44.39\00:17:47.86 through Christ, because despite our sins, 00:17:47.93\00:17:51.07 we are reconciled with God. 00:17:51.10\00:17:53.03 We are reconciled with divinity, amen? 00:17:53.07\00:17:55.34 And so that brings us peace to know that we have been accepted 00:17:55.37\00:17:58.61 in Christ and that, through Christ, through Christ, 00:17:58.64\00:18:03.81 we have peace with God, amen? 00:18:03.85\00:18:05.75 That brings joy. 00:18:05.78\00:18:07.22 That brings happiness. 00:18:07.25\00:18:08.82 Look at what it says in 1 John chapter 1, verse 9, the same 00:18:08.85\00:18:11.19 book: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just--" 00:18:11.22\00:18:16.22 let's stop there. 00:18:16.26\00:18:17.83 Faithful and just to what? 00:18:17.86\00:18:19.46 To His covenant promises, amen? 00:18:19.49\00:18:21.63 "He is faithful and just to His covenant promises--" 00:18:21.66\00:18:23.67 and what are those covenant promises? 00:18:23.70\00:18:25.90 Number one, to forgive us of our sins and number two, to what? 00:18:25.93\00:18:30.14 To cleanse us from some unrighteousness. 00:18:30.17\00:18:33.48 Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see that correctly, 00:18:33.51\00:18:35.04 all unrighteousness, amen? 00:18:35.08\00:18:37.61 See, many, many Christians believe that, 00:18:37.65\00:18:39.08 "Oh, yeah, God will cleanse you but only partially. 00:18:39.11\00:18:41.28 Just the outer works. 00:18:41.32\00:18:43.15 He won't go deep down into the core, you know, 00:18:43.18\00:18:45.55 take out those tendencies, those sinful habits." 00:18:45.59\00:18:47.96 No, no, no, no, no, no, God is not just 00:18:47.99\00:18:50.46 a superficial cleansing. 00:18:50.49\00:18:51.96 That's not what the Bible says. 00:18:51.99\00:18:53.76 It is a complete and total cleansing, amen? 00:18:53.80\00:18:57.00 It's the righteousness of God manifested in us, 00:18:57.03\00:19:00.04 in human flesh. 00:19:00.07\00:19:01.47 As it was in Him, so the promises shall it be seen 00:19:01.50\00:19:03.61 in you and me. 00:19:03.64\00:19:05.34 Hoo-hoo-hoo! 00:19:05.37\00:19:06.88 I know, it blows our mind because we can't-- 00:19:06.91\00:19:09.14 yes, that's the promise of the Gospel. 00:19:09.18\00:19:11.05 That's the promise of the Everlasting Covenant, amen? 00:19:11.08\00:19:13.88 And God is going to forgive us of our sins-- 00:19:13.92\00:19:15.65 we can say justification-- and cleanse us from our sins. 00:19:15.68\00:19:18.45 We can say sanctification. 00:19:18.49\00:19:20.66 We'll talk about that in a second, too, because there is 00:19:20.69\00:19:22.52 a lot of misconceptions in Christianity in regards to these 00:19:22.56\00:19:25.43 two terms also, which I thought the lesson did not explicitly 00:19:25.46\00:19:29.10 say it, but it's implicit, and I thought it would be a great time 00:19:29.13\00:19:32.00 to share with all of you. 00:19:32.03\00:19:33.74 The second aspect, the experience of the Everlasting 00:19:33.77\00:19:36.37 Covenant, is the promise, or the promises for today is what? 00:19:36.40\00:19:41.28 Everlasting guilt-free. 00:19:41.31\00:19:43.24 Now, of course, I know it doesn't sound right. 00:19:43.28\00:19:44.58 I just wanted to put everlasting in front of every concept that 00:19:44.61\00:19:46.85 was being touched in the lesson. 00:19:46.88\00:19:48.68 But it's everlasting guilt-free, or we can say what? 00:19:48.72\00:19:51.89 Justification, right? 00:19:51.92\00:19:54.16 What does it mean? 00:19:54.19\00:19:55.56 Why are we guilt-free? 00:19:55.59\00:19:56.93 How is it that we can be with no guilt? 00:19:56.96\00:19:58.36 You know how many people I know are still burdened 00:19:58.39\00:19:59.86 with the guilts of their past? 00:19:59.89\00:20:01.53 And I'll tell you the truth. 00:20:01.56\00:20:02.90 It creeps up on me every once in a while, too, right? 00:20:02.93\00:20:06.03 That's why I say, when the Bible says, "God will not-- 00:20:06.07\00:20:08.14 He will forget our sins," amen? 00:20:08.17\00:20:11.27 If God is going to forget them, how about us? 00:20:11.31\00:20:13.61 You think I'm going to be carrying around this burden? 00:20:13.64\00:20:15.88 No, we're going to be free from that, complete, 00:20:15.91\00:20:17.85 total freedom from guilt, from sin. 00:20:17.88\00:20:20.02 Who says amen to that? 00:20:20.05\00:20:21.65 And so we see that. 00:20:21.68\00:20:23.02 That's where we gave the verse on Romans chapter 8, verse 1: 00:20:23.05\00:20:25.69 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them 00:20:25.72\00:20:29.59 which are in Jesus Christ--" 00:20:29.62\00:20:31.16 who says amen to that? 00:20:31.19\00:20:32.76 Why is there no condemnation for those that are in Jesus Christ? 00:20:32.79\00:20:35.00 Because Jesus Christ carried our condemnation, and so because 00:20:35.03\00:20:38.53 He carried our condemnation to the cross, we are free. 00:20:38.57\00:20:42.90 We are guilt-free. 00:20:42.94\00:20:44.67 The one that had no sin took our sins, and that gives us what? 00:20:44.71\00:20:48.04 That makes us free in Him. 00:20:48.08\00:20:49.68 Adam and Eve, in the very moment that they sinned, what happened? 00:20:49.71\00:20:53.11 God said, "The day that you eat of that tree, 00:20:53.15\00:20:54.58 you shall surely die." 00:20:54.62\00:20:55.92 Death sentence. 00:20:55.95\00:20:57.39 Woop, that's it right there at that moment. 00:20:57.42\00:20:58.79 Why didn't it happen? 00:20:58.82\00:21:00.26 Because the lamb took their place, amen? 00:21:00.29\00:21:03.22 The lamb took the responsibility, the burden 00:21:03.26\00:21:06.43 of sin on His shoulders. 00:21:06.46\00:21:08.00 And please notice this, and I think this is very important 00:21:08.03\00:21:10.37 because sometimes we forget about the next part, 00:21:10.40\00:21:12.17 "who are those that walk not after the flesh, 00:21:12.20\00:21:14.27 but after the Spirit," amen? 00:21:14.30\00:21:17.07 Pastor Doug's going to be talking about that today in the 00:21:17.11\00:21:18.87 next--in the sermon, so I'm excited about that. 00:21:18.91\00:21:20.88 That's always a great topic, but it's--notice--is that-- 00:21:20.91\00:21:23.51 I have a question. 00:21:23.55\00:21:25.18 Is this state of no condemnation, is it just 00:21:25.21\00:21:28.05 declarative in the past, once and for all, and that's it? 00:21:28.08\00:21:31.25 Or is it ongoing? 00:21:31.29\00:21:33.19 It's ongoing because you're walking, amen? 00:21:33.22\00:21:35.76 You're in this relationship with God. 00:21:35.79\00:21:37.89 You're not living in the flesh. 00:21:37.93\00:21:39.43 You're living what? 00:21:39.46\00:21:40.76 You're learning to live in the spirit. 00:21:40.80\00:21:42.16 That's the New Covenant everlasting experience that God 00:21:42.20\00:21:44.50 wants us to experience as Abraham had to learn 00:21:44.53\00:21:47.67 through his own experience, amen? 00:21:47.70\00:21:50.41 Who says amen to that? 00:21:50.44\00:21:52.14 And so this is this understanding, 00:21:52.17\00:21:53.58 this concept of justification. 00:21:53.61\00:21:55.64 Look at what it says in Romans chapter 5, verse 1: 00:21:55.68\00:21:57.98 therefore being what? 00:21:58.01\00:21:59.91 Justified by faith, what do we have? 00:21:59.95\00:22:02.75 We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:22:02.78\00:22:07.22 Who says amen? 00:22:07.26\00:22:08.79 So notice, my loved ones, that guiltlessness that we are 00:22:08.82\00:22:12.56 experienced is because of Christ because we have been reconciled. 00:22:12.59\00:22:17.73 We have made--been at peace with God the Father," through who? 00:22:17.77\00:22:21.54 Through Christ, justified by faith. 00:22:21.57\00:22:24.11 Another way of saying this is to call it 00:22:24.14\00:22:26.51 imputed righteousness, right? 00:22:26.54\00:22:29.11 Is that it's not our own righteousness. 00:22:29.14\00:22:30.88 Don't get me wrong. It's not our own merits. 00:22:30.91\00:22:33.55 It's the one of Jesus Christ. He is the one, amen? 00:22:33.58\00:22:36.82 He is the one that is covering our sins. 00:22:36.85\00:22:38.49 He is the one. It's all His work. 00:22:38.52\00:22:40.56 All we can do is what? 00:22:40.59\00:22:42.26 Is accept it. All we can do. 00:22:42.29\00:22:45.39 And really what we're doing in most cases is we're either 00:22:45.43\00:22:47.23 rejecting it, too, because if you resist the call 00:22:47.30\00:22:49.80 of the Holy Spirit, then you're condemning yourself. 00:22:49.83\00:22:52.10 God is not condemning us. 00:22:52.13\00:22:53.77 We're condemning ourselves when we reject, when we deny, 00:22:53.80\00:22:56.27 when we say no thank You, God, 00:22:56.30\00:22:57.84 to the gift that He has given us 00:22:57.87\00:22:59.57 of peace in Jesus Christ, which is what? 00:22:59.61\00:23:02.84 Which is justification, amen? 00:23:02.88\00:23:05.15 And so this peace between the Father and the Son--and I think 00:23:05.18\00:23:07.48 I mentioned it in one of the previous lessons, 00:23:07.52\00:23:10.92 the covenant-- remember this, please-- 00:23:10.95\00:23:12.49 the Everlasting Covenant 00:23:12.52\00:23:14.26 is not a covenant between God and us. 00:23:14.29\00:23:17.59 It is a covenant that was made between the Father and the Son, 00:23:17.63\00:23:22.26 all right? 00:23:22.30\00:23:23.60 We are just invited into the covenant. 00:23:23.63\00:23:25.67 We are inserted into the covenant through faith 00:23:25.70\00:23:28.17 and accepting this covenant. 00:23:28.20\00:23:29.84 The covenant is between the Father and the Son, 00:23:29.87\00:23:32.11 because if it was based on us, then the covenant would 00:23:32.14\00:23:34.74 be completely and totally invalidated consistently. 00:23:34.78\00:23:38.55 This is not what the Bible explains, and this is not 00:23:38.58\00:23:40.88 what the Bible teaches. 00:23:40.92\00:23:42.58 Look at what it says here, "Desire of Ages": 00:23:42.62\00:23:44.85 "Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father 00:23:44.89\00:23:47.52 and the Son had united," in what? 00:23:47.56\00:23:50.39 In a covenant to redeem us. 00:23:50.43\00:23:56.23 Who was around when this happened? 00:23:56.26\00:23:58.80 None of us. 00:23:58.83\00:24:00.50 Everlasting before any of us. 00:24:00.54\00:24:02.94 The Father and the Son said, "We are coming together, 00:24:02.97\00:24:05.74 that if the humans should be overcome by sin--" 00:24:05.77\00:24:08.68 they had clasped their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ 00:24:08.71\00:24:12.41 should become the what? 00:24:12.45\00:24:14.22 The surety, or the guarantee. 00:24:14.25\00:24:16.89 Who says amen? 00:24:16.92\00:24:18.59 For the human race. 00:24:18.62\00:24:20.16 Notice, our salvation is not based on any of us. 00:24:20.19\00:24:22.66 It's based on the guarantee in Jesus Christ. 00:24:22.69\00:24:24.83 He is the guarantee. 00:24:24.86\00:24:26.63 He is the promise. 00:24:26.66\00:24:28.00 He is the covenant, and God is offering us the covenant when He 00:24:28.03\00:24:32.97 offers us His Son Jesus Christ. 00:24:33.00\00:24:34.80 He's offering us this second chance, 00:24:34.84\00:24:36.74 this second opportunity, amen? 00:24:36.77\00:24:39.37 And so I'll show you another verse that proves that this 00:24:39.41\00:24:41.34 covenant was from the very beginning, way before we did. 00:24:41.38\00:24:44.38 Go with me to the book of Ephesians, please, 00:24:44.41\00:24:46.41 Ephesians chapter 1. 00:24:46.45\00:24:48.65 Ephesians chapter 1 explains it. 00:24:48.68\00:24:50.99 Ephesians chapter 1. 00:24:51.02\00:24:53.96 When you're there, say amen. 00:24:53.99\00:24:55.76 Look at this, verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our 00:24:55.79\00:25:01.33 Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual 00:25:01.36\00:25:04.27 blessings in the heavenly places in Christ, 00:25:04.30\00:25:07.57 just as He chose us in Him," before what? 00:25:07.60\00:25:12.31 Before the foundation of the world. 00:25:12.34\00:25:13.91 This is talking about the Everlasting Covenant. 00:25:13.94\00:25:15.71 The Father said, "Son, through Your sacrifice, 00:25:15.74\00:25:18.45 through Your humiliation, through Your giving Yourself," 00:25:18.48\00:25:21.25 for humankind what? 00:25:21.28\00:25:23.35 They will be what? 00:25:23.39\00:25:24.99 "They will be accepted into Us," amen, "that we should be 00:25:25.02\00:25:29.19 holy and without blame before him in love." 00:25:29.22\00:25:31.69 Who says amen? 00:25:31.73\00:25:33.50 I have a question: Can we live holy and blameless 00:25:33.53\00:25:35.30 lives on this earth? 00:25:35.33\00:25:37.07 Oh, yes, in Christ, of course, we can. 00:25:37.10\00:25:38.60 That's a promise here. 00:25:38.63\00:25:40.10 Now, notice what it says here, having been what? 00:25:40.14\00:25:42.10 Predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ 00:25:42.14\00:25:45.94 to Himself, amen. 00:25:45.97\00:25:47.58 This is true predestination. 00:25:47.61\00:25:49.04 The Everlasting Covenant presents the true understanding 00:25:49.08\00:25:51.85 of predestination, not the one that is distorted that, sadly, 00:25:51.88\00:25:54.48 many believe, that we are predestined why? 00:25:54.52\00:25:56.85 Because we are accepted in Christ, amen? 00:25:56.89\00:25:59.89 All of us are. 00:25:59.92\00:26:01.59 The problem is not everybody accepts Him back. 00:26:01.62\00:26:03.83 Everybody is invited into this Everlasting Covenant, into this 00:26:03.86\00:26:08.00 reconciliation, this atonement, but the question is 00:26:08.03\00:26:10.93 are we denying it, or are we accepting it? 00:26:10.97\00:26:14.97 And now you're probably sitting here today and saying, 00:26:15.00\00:26:16.30 "Oh, I accept it, yes, I accept it." 00:26:16.34\00:26:18.21 Well, that's what we're doing. We're putting this to the test. 00:26:18.24\00:26:20.61 Do you have joy? Do you feel guilt-free? 00:26:20.64\00:26:23.75 If you don't have joy and you don't feel guilt-free, 00:26:23.78\00:26:25.48 then there's an issue. 00:26:25.51\00:26:27.05 There's a misunderstanding, a miscomprehension, 00:26:27.08\00:26:28.55 and it's usually in this case of justification. 00:26:28.58\00:26:31.79 You see why? 00:26:31.82\00:26:33.19 It's because the flesh wants recognition. 00:26:33.22\00:26:36.83 The flesh wants applause. 00:26:36.86\00:26:38.89 The flesh wants to be recognized. 00:26:38.93\00:26:41.50 And so when you come to the Gospel and this Gospel says, 00:26:41.53\00:26:43.47 "No, humble yourself, lower yourself," you're like, "No." 00:26:43.50\00:26:47.64 That's why the Spirit cannot be in unison with the flesh because 00:26:47.67\00:26:51.81 the flesh wants to be recognized and acknowledged 00:26:51.84\00:26:55.84 but not in Christianity. 00:26:55.88\00:26:57.71 That's not how it works here. 00:26:57.75\00:26:59.21 That's how it works in the world, but not here. 00:26:59.25\00:27:01.82 Here it's all about Him, amen? 00:27:01.85\00:27:03.92 Here it's recognizing Him, and that's very hard for us, 00:27:03.95\00:27:07.02 even when we sometimes have accepted it, 00:27:07.06\00:27:08.99 and we say that we have accepted it. 00:27:09.02\00:27:11.09 And so notice this peace that God brings, 00:27:11.13\00:27:14.83 this council of peace. 00:27:14.86\00:27:16.20 It's mentioned in Zechariah chapter 6, verse 12 and 13, 00:27:16.23\00:27:19.30 "Behold, the man," Christ, "whose name is the Branch, 00:27:19.33\00:27:22.80 He shall bear the glory. 00:27:22.84\00:27:24.57 He shall sit and rule on His throne, so He shall be a priest 00:27:24.61\00:27:28.11 on His throne, and the counsel of peace," 00:27:28.14\00:27:30.61 shall be between who? 00:27:30.65\00:27:32.65 Between them both. 00:27:32.68\00:27:34.12 The counsel, the covenant of peace is between the Father 00:27:34.15\00:27:36.22 and the Son. 00:27:36.25\00:27:37.55 Now, immediately, you're probably asking yourselves-- 00:27:37.59\00:27:38.99 and somebody asked me already, 00:27:39.02\00:27:40.59 "Well, what about the Holy Spirit? 00:27:40.62\00:27:41.99 Where is He?" 00:27:42.02\00:27:43.39 I have a question: Is the Holy Spirit not involved 00:27:43.43\00:27:45.03 in the Everlasting Covenant? 00:27:45.06\00:27:46.83 Ha-ha, all over the place. 00:27:46.86\00:27:48.86 Of course, it is. 00:27:48.90\00:27:50.27 Have you ever heard of the promise of the Spirit? 00:27:50.30\00:27:52.20 Look at Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13 and 14, 00:27:52.23\00:27:54.84 having believed, you were sealed with what? 00:27:54.87\00:27:58.74 With the Holy Spirit of the promise. 00:27:58.77\00:28:00.38 What promise? 00:28:00.41\00:28:01.78 The covenant promises. 00:28:01.81\00:28:03.38 The promise is that Father said, 00:28:03.41\00:28:04.85 "Son, this is how we're going to save humanity. 00:28:04.88\00:28:06.92 Holy Spirit, go down and get to work," amen? 00:28:06.95\00:28:10.79 "Go into those hearts. 00:28:10.82\00:28:12.22 Go, impress those hearts, speak to those hearts. 00:28:12.25\00:28:14.72 Convict them of sin, of righteousness, 00:28:14.76\00:28:17.33 and of judgment," amen? 00:28:17.36\00:28:19.06 The Spirit is the one that is carrying out this work 00:28:19.09\00:28:21.06 effectively, and look at how the Holy Spirit is also part 00:28:21.10\00:28:24.20 of the guarantee of salvation in Jesus Christ. 00:28:24.23\00:28:26.97 See, "The Holy Spirit of promise was the guarantee 00:28:27.00\00:28:29.10 of our inheritance--" 00:28:29.14\00:28:31.04 that's the inheritance, or the promises of the covenant-- 00:28:31.07\00:28:34.01 "until the redemption of the purchased possession, 00:28:34.04\00:28:36.34 to the praise of His glory," amen? 00:28:36.38\00:28:39.65 So is the Holy Spirit involved in this? 00:28:39.68\00:28:42.02 Oh, my loved ones, this is the work of the Godhead. 00:28:42.05\00:28:44.79 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the one 00:28:44.82\00:28:46.96 that are carrying it out. 00:28:46.99\00:28:48.46 All we can do is what? 00:28:48.49\00:28:49.99 Is accept it. 00:28:50.03\00:28:51.63 All we can do is say, "Lord, here I am. 00:28:51.66\00:28:53.66 I accept this gift that You have bestowed upon us," 00:28:53.70\00:28:56.43 and this is the covenant. 00:28:56.46\00:28:58.03 Now watch how the Holy Spirit is directly involved 00:28:58.07\00:29:00.94 with this covenant in the life of Jesus Christ. 00:29:00.97\00:29:03.51 This is beautifully explained in Isaiah chapter 42, 00:29:03.54\00:29:05.84 verse 1 and 6: Behold, my Servant whom I what? 00:29:05.87\00:29:09.34 "Whom I uphold, my Elect One in whom My soul delights." 00:29:09.38\00:29:13.38 This is the Father speaking of the Son. 00:29:13.42\00:29:15.22 "I have put My Spirit upon Him. 00:29:15.25\00:29:17.79 I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and I will hold 00:29:17.82\00:29:20.79 Your hand and I will keep You and give You," as a what? 00:29:20.82\00:29:24.53 "Give You as a covenant to the people," amen? 00:29:24.56\00:29:27.30 That's why Jesus is called the Prince of the Covenant. 00:29:27.36\00:29:30.67 Jesus is the covenant, amen? 00:29:30.70\00:29:32.80 And this covenant cannot be invalidated, cannot be broken, 00:29:32.83\00:29:35.54 because it is not between us and God. 00:29:35.57\00:29:37.54 Now, don't get me wrong. 00:29:37.57\00:29:39.14 We tried to make a covenant with God on Mount Sinai, 00:29:39.17\00:29:41.64 but it didn't work, right? 00:29:41.68\00:29:43.88 But this covenant, my loved ones, we can reject it, yes, 00:29:43.91\00:29:46.38 but it cannot be broken. 00:29:46.41\00:29:47.78 This covenant is everlasting, amen? 00:29:47.82\00:29:50.49 Now, why does the Father make a covenant with the Son 00:29:50.52\00:29:52.39 and not with us? 00:29:52.42\00:29:53.72 It's very simple. 00:29:53.76\00:29:55.09 It's explained here very clearly. 00:29:55.12\00:29:56.42 Because the Father knew that in the Son there would be 00:29:56.46\00:29:58.99 a complete and total submission, surrender, 00:29:59.03\00:30:01.76 abiding and trusting in the promises in the Father 00:30:01.80\00:30:05.03 and that He would put His Spirit in Him. 00:30:05.07\00:30:07.24 And He knew the Father, that Jesus would depend so completely 00:30:07.27\00:30:11.51 and consistently and constantly on the promises of the Father, 00:30:11.54\00:30:14.51 that the Father said, "I have called You in righteousness. 00:30:14.54\00:30:17.11 I will uphold Your hand and I will keep You," amen? 00:30:17.15\00:30:21.58 He know--the Father knew that Jesus was not going to depend 00:30:21.62\00:30:24.39 on the human flesh. 00:30:24.42\00:30:25.89 He was not going to depend on fallen nature. 00:30:25.92\00:30:27.72 He was going to learn to completely, consistently, 00:30:27.76\00:30:30.99 constantly, and daily trust in the promises of the Father, on 00:30:31.03\00:30:35.73 the righteousness of the Father, in the power of the Father 00:30:35.76\00:30:38.10 through the Holy Spirit, amen? 00:30:38.13\00:30:40.10 And that's really the biggest challenge we have 00:30:40.14\00:30:41.74 in Christianity today. 00:30:41.77\00:30:43.44 It's learning to consistently, constantly, daily surrender 00:30:43.47\00:30:47.91 every moment, every time, every decision, ever temptation. 00:30:47.94\00:30:51.48 It's learning to, as Jesus was, to lean on the Father, 00:30:51.51\00:30:54.85 to depend on the Father in every essence, amen? 00:30:54.88\00:30:57.79 And when we learn to do that, that's what it means to live 00:30:57.82\00:31:00.76 the faith of Jesus Christ. 00:31:00.79\00:31:02.92 That's what it means to have the faith of Jesus Christ, 00:31:02.96\00:31:04.96 and when we have the faith of Jesus Christ, 00:31:04.99\00:31:07.00 when we have the mind of Christ, 00:31:07.03\00:31:08.80 when we have the character of Christ, guess what? 00:31:08.83\00:31:11.30 The righteous life of Christ will be manifested in each 00:31:11.33\00:31:13.90 and every one of us. 00:31:13.94\00:31:15.90 Ooh-hoo-hoo! This is so amazing. 00:31:15.94\00:31:19.51 I don't know how this cannot give, just, this great news 00:31:19.54\00:31:22.78 and just fill us with delight. 00:31:22.81\00:31:24.51 And notice what it says here in Isaiah 54:10, "For the mountains 00:31:24.55\00:31:27.38 shall depart, and the hills will be removed, but My kindness 00:31:27.42\00:31:32.05 shall not depart from you," nor shall My what? 00:31:32.09\00:31:35.59 "'Covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, 00:31:35.62\00:31:39.09 who has mercy on you." 00:31:39.13\00:31:40.96 Here's the manifestation again of the covenant of peace-- 00:31:40.96\00:31:42.76 God's kindness, God's mercy, God's character, amen? 00:31:42.80\00:31:46.53 And notice, it cannot be removed. 00:31:46.57\00:31:48.97 No matter how much we reject it, no matter how much we try on our 00:31:49.00\00:31:52.74 own efforts to try to live up to the principles of God's law and 00:31:52.77\00:31:56.71 His kingdom, it's not possible, but it doesn't mean that it's 00:31:56.75\00:31:59.78 invalidated because it's between the Father and the Son, 00:31:59.81\00:32:03.02 and the Son is the guarantee, along with the Holy Spirit. 00:32:03.05\00:32:05.52 Who says amen to that? 00:32:05.55\00:32:07.09 Whoo! Amen? 00:32:07.12\00:32:08.79 And so we can trust, despite our flaws, despite our shortcomings, 00:32:08.82\00:32:11.66 despite what--when we see that we cannot live up to the 00:32:11.69\00:32:15.76 principles of God, that's exactly what God wants 00:32:15.80\00:32:17.90 you to understand. 00:32:17.93\00:32:19.50 We can't do it on our own strength. 00:32:19.53\00:32:21.07 We can't do it on our own effort. 00:32:21.10\00:32:23.00 It is only God that does it in us, and so it's learning to say, 00:32:23.04\00:32:27.38 "God, I can't," and then God says, "Finally." 00:32:27.41\00:32:30.25 That's what happened in Mount Sinai, remember? 00:32:30.28\00:32:31.98 God says, "I want to make this everlasting covenant with you 00:32:32.01\00:32:34.92 as I did with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 00:32:34.95\00:32:37.19 He says, "I want you to be a sanctuary. 00:32:37.22\00:32:38.69 I want to dwell in you," God was telling them. 00:32:38.72\00:32:40.86 "I want to write my law on your hearts as I did with Abraham, 00:32:40.89\00:32:43.96 Isaac, and Jacob, and what did they say? 00:32:43.99\00:32:46.06 "No, no, no, no, no, stay over there. 00:32:46.09\00:32:49.20 We don't want that covenant. No, no, no, no, no. 00:32:49.23\00:32:51.80 We want to be a--we want to receive the blessings, 00:32:51.83\00:32:53.37 but we want it from over here." 00:32:53.40\00:32:54.70 They denied that intimate spiritual relationship with God. 00:32:54.74\00:32:59.04 And so what does God do? 00:32:59.07\00:33:00.44 He adapts, and He writes the law on tablets of stone 00:33:00.48\00:33:03.18 and in a book. 00:33:03.21\00:33:05.88 And then they say what? 00:33:05.91\00:33:07.22 "Oh, yes, whatever You say, we'll do it. 00:33:07.25\00:33:08.58 We got it." 00:33:08.62\00:33:10.65 All right, so God, in His love, what does He do? 00:33:10.69\00:33:12.95 He adapts to our unfaithfulness, and He says, 00:33:12.99\00:33:18.99 "Okay, go ahead, go try." 00:33:19.16\00:33:21.13 Two weeks later, they're worshiping a golden calf. 00:33:21.16\00:33:25.50 God is like, "I told you, you can't do this." 00:33:25.53\00:33:28.07 Go read chapter 32, "Patriarchs and Prophets," the law, 00:33:28.10\00:33:31.17 and the two covenants. 00:33:31.21\00:33:32.74 Mm, delicious. 00:33:32.77\00:33:35.18 Explains it perfectly how this is the problem-- 00:33:35.21\00:33:38.11 and this is our problem too. 00:33:38.15\00:33:39.85 You see, when we don't learn to live by faith, we immediately, 00:33:39.88\00:33:43.52 automatically become idolators, if not of self, of something 00:33:43.55\00:33:47.32 else, and that's what God is trying to point out to us. 00:33:47.36\00:33:51.16 That is what God is trying to show us, and that's why it says 00:33:51.19\00:33:53.16 in Romans chapter 3, verse 24, "Being justified freely by 00:33:53.19\00:33:57.33 His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 00:33:57.37\00:33:59.37 Why do I use this verse? 00:33:59.40\00:34:01.14 Because many people believe, most Christians believe 00:34:01.17\00:34:03.51 that justification is just declarative: 00:34:03.54\00:34:06.01 "It's just in the past. That happened already. 00:34:06.04\00:34:07.94 You're good to go. You're fine." 00:34:07.98\00:34:10.05 But this is teaching that justification is what? 00:34:10.08\00:34:13.01 Present, amen? 00:34:13.05\00:34:15.52 Justification is now. Justification is every day. 00:34:15.55\00:34:18.92 It's every day receiving the forgiveness of God. 00:34:18.95\00:34:22.92 It's every day putting our knees to the floor and saying, 00:34:22.96\00:34:25.63 "God, I recognize that I am unworthy. 00:34:25.66\00:34:27.73 I am unrighteous. 00:34:27.76\00:34:29.10 Only you are righteous. Only you are worthy." 00:34:29.13\00:34:31.47 This is a daily, constant aspect of our understanding, amen? 00:34:31.50\00:34:36.04 And so that's what God is telling us, and that's why 00:34:36.07\00:34:37.97 it says in Isaiah chapter 26, verse 3, 00:34:38.01\00:34:40.08 "And you will keep him in perfect peace." 00:34:40.11\00:34:43.14 I have a question: Ever since you accepted Jesus Christ, 00:34:43.18\00:34:46.78 have you been in this perfect peace 00:34:46.82\00:34:48.52 constantly, daily, consistently? 00:34:48.55\00:34:50.55 Ha-ha-ha, no. 00:34:50.59\00:34:52.42 So this teaches that this peace, this guilt-free 00:34:52.45\00:34:55.76 is a daily experience. 00:34:55.79\00:34:57.09 It's learning to live by faith. 00:34:57.13\00:34:58.73 It's learning to live in the New Covenant as Abraham had 00:34:58.76\00:35:01.43 to learn and as you and I are still learning today. 00:35:01.46\00:35:04.63 Is everybody with me? 00:35:04.67\00:35:06.23 That's what God is trying to show us, 00:35:06.27\00:35:07.74 but there is perfect peace in who? 00:35:07.77\00:35:09.67 In whose mind is stayed on you. 00:35:09.70\00:35:11.31 I have a question: Is this a daily experience? 00:35:11.34\00:35:13.58 Do we daily have to be feeding off of the bread of life to 00:35:13.61\00:35:16.38 remember the promises, to remember the blessings, 00:35:16.41\00:35:18.95 to remember how God has dealt in the past with sinners? 00:35:18.98\00:35:21.68 Oh, yes, it does. 00:35:21.72\00:35:23.39 That gives us peace because He trusts in you. 00:35:23.42\00:35:25.52 We learn to depend on Him. 00:35:25.55\00:35:27.16 We learn to trust on those prominent promises: 00:35:27.19\00:35:29.92 "Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord," is what? 00:35:29.96\00:35:33.19 Everlasting strength. 00:35:33.23\00:35:34.76 Who says amen to that? 00:35:34.83\00:35:36.30 That's the--this peace experience, this guiltless 00:35:36.33\00:35:38.97 experience, not because we're not guilty 00:35:39.00\00:35:41.14 but because we have been justified in Jesus Christ, amen? 00:35:41.17\00:35:44.67 But that is a daily experience. 00:35:44.71\00:35:46.74 Justification is not just declarative, my loved ones. 00:35:46.78\00:35:49.48 Justification is experiential, and it is transformative. 00:35:49.51\00:35:54.55 That's what God wants to show us. 00:35:54.58\00:35:56.52 Then we have the third blessing or promise 00:35:56.55\00:35:59.92 in the Everlasting Covenant. 00:35:59.95\00:36:01.32 It's what? 00:36:01.36\00:36:02.66 The everlasting what? 00:36:02.69\00:36:03.99 New heart. We can call this sanctification. 00:36:04.03\00:36:07.03 The everlasting what? The everlasting new heart. 00:36:07.03\00:36:11.20 Go with me, please, to Ezekiel chapter 36. 00:36:11.23\00:36:13.60 Ezekiel chapter 36. 00:36:13.64\00:36:15.70 I love how Ezekiel 36 breaks this down and explains this 00:36:15.74\00:36:20.54 in just such a clear, concise way. 00:36:20.58\00:36:23.55 Ezekiel chapter 36. 00:36:23.58\00:36:25.51 We'll start on verse number 25. 00:36:25.55\00:36:28.02 When you're there, say amen. 00:36:28.05\00:36:31.15 I didn't hear anybody say amen, but I'll continue to go. 00:36:31.19\00:36:35.76 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, 00:36:35.79\00:36:37.63 and you will be clean. 00:36:37.66\00:36:39.56 I will cleanse you from all your--" 00:36:39.59\00:36:42.33 how much filthiness? 00:36:42.36\00:36:44.23 All. 00:36:44.27\00:36:45.70 How much cleansing is God going to do in us? 00:36:45.73\00:36:47.07 Is it a partial job? 00:36:47.10\00:36:48.54 "I'm just going to get rid of some sins, but the rest of them, 00:36:48.57\00:36:50.41 you've got to deal with them until Christ returns." 00:36:50.44\00:36:52.07 Is that what the promise is? 00:36:52.11\00:36:53.48 Of course not. 00:36:53.51\00:36:55.14 There is no promise in the Bible that says we are going to 00:36:55.18\00:36:57.18 continue to be slaves to sin. 00:36:57.21\00:36:58.98 It's the total opposite, amen? 00:36:59.01\00:37:02.25 "You'll be cleansed from all your filthiness 00:37:02.28\00:37:03.95 and all your idols." 00:37:03.99\00:37:05.29 That's the blood of the Lamb. 00:37:05.32\00:37:06.62 That's the blood of the Everlasting Covenant 00:37:06.65\00:37:07.96 that cleanses us. 00:37:07.99\00:37:09.29 "I will give you--" notice this, a what? 00:37:09.32\00:37:11.73 A new heart. 00:37:11.76\00:37:13.80 Why does God have to give us a new heart? 00:37:13.83\00:37:16.56 Because our heart is corrupted because there's something wrong 00:37:16.60\00:37:19.67 with our fallen nature, right? 00:37:19.70\00:37:22.10 And so God gives us a new heart, which is basically talking about 00:37:22.14\00:37:25.21 a new mind, a new spirit. 00:37:25.24\00:37:27.41 It's talking about the mind, the spirit, the heart, right? 00:37:27.44\00:37:32.38 "I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh 00:37:32.41\00:37:34.18 and give you a heart of flesh." 00:37:34.22\00:37:36.52 This is the New Covenant experience. 00:37:36.55\00:37:40.19 God is transforming and changing us how? 00:37:40.22\00:37:42.59 By looking at the cross, by looking at the blood 00:37:42.62\00:37:45.16 of the Lamb. 00:37:45.19\00:37:46.49 By seeing what Christ has done for us, it should change 00:37:46.53\00:37:48.73 the way--I'm like, "Whoa." 00:37:48.76\00:37:50.07 I remember when I was an unbeliever, and I reconciled. 00:37:50.10\00:37:54.24 I was reading this book about the historic aspect of the life 00:37:54.27\00:37:58.14 of Jesus Christ, and I was looking at all the 00:37:58.17\00:37:59.81 extra-biblical evidence to the existence of Jesus Christ, 00:37:59.84\00:38:02.91 and I said, "Wow, what the Bible says is true." 00:38:02.94\00:38:07.58 And then I had to come to myself and say, 00:38:07.62\00:38:09.85 "Why would somebody do that? 00:38:09.88\00:38:11.85 Either He's a complete lunatic, or He truly is 00:38:11.89\00:38:15.12 who He said He is." 00:38:15.16\00:38:16.69 Because as soon as the Romans get that first whip, 00:38:16.73\00:38:20.36 if He is not genuinely who He says, He's out of there. 00:38:20.40\00:38:22.90 "Woop, nope, forget about it. 00:38:22.93\00:38:24.40 I'm not dying for these people. 00:38:24.43\00:38:25.87 See you later." 00:38:25.90\00:38:27.34 That's what happened with all those other Messiahs 00:38:27.37\00:38:29.10 in Christ that tried to be. 00:38:29.14\00:38:32.17 That changed my mind. 00:38:32.21\00:38:34.51 That made me start to think, and so I have a what? 00:38:34.54\00:38:37.18 I'm starting to have a new mind, a new heart, amen? 00:38:37.21\00:38:40.52 And now look what happens, and out of that new mind, 00:38:40.55\00:38:44.65 what does God do? 00:38:44.69\00:38:45.99 He gives us a new heart, amen? 00:38:46.02\00:38:49.19 In verse 27, "I will put my Spirit within you," why? 00:38:49.22\00:38:53.53 Why does now God have to put His Spirit within us? 00:38:53.56\00:38:56.40 So that we can-- 00:38:56.43\00:38:58.17 "and I will cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep 00:38:58.20\00:39:00.87 my judgments, and do them," amen? 00:39:00.90\00:39:03.44 "In other words, this is what I need to do to restore you 00:39:03.47\00:39:06.37 and put you in harmony back again with my will. 00:39:06.41\00:39:09.01 This is what I need to do so that we can dwell again, 00:39:09.04\00:39:11.91 so there could be perfect atonement, complete atonement, 00:39:11.95\00:39:15.18 that I can dwell in you, as I need to do this transformative 00:39:15.22\00:39:18.55 thing in you so that we can dwell together again." 00:39:18.59\00:39:23.36 And now we can accept this, or we can reject it. 00:39:23.39\00:39:25.46 That's what it says in Genesis chapter 3, verse 15, remember? 00:39:25.49\00:39:28.53 It says, "I will put enmity--" 00:39:28.56\00:39:30.03 What's that enmity that God puts between the devil and us? 00:39:30.07\00:39:33.60 It's the cross of Calvary. 00:39:33.64\00:39:35.90 It's seeing that, and by putting an enmity against the devil, 00:39:35.94\00:39:39.74 we're automatically starting to move towards God, amen? 00:39:39.77\00:39:43.28 It's that promise again, the everlasting covenant promise in 00:39:43.31\00:39:46.08 Genesis chapter 3, verse 15, that God is saying, 00:39:46.11\00:39:48.12 "I will change you. 00:39:48.15\00:39:49.85 I will transform you. 00:39:49.88\00:39:51.29 I will restore you." 00:39:51.32\00:39:54.99 It's not on our own accord. 00:39:55.02\00:39:56.32 It's only looking at Christ and seeing the greatest, most 00:39:56.36\00:39:58.73 beautiful manifestation of love ever given to humanity, amen? 00:39:58.76\00:40:03.67 Look at what it says here in "Steps to Christ": 00:40:03.70\00:40:06.23 "If you give yourself to Him and accept Him as your Savior, 00:40:06.27\00:40:09.37 then sinful as your life may have been, for His sake," 00:40:09.40\00:40:12.57 you are what? 00:40:12.61\00:40:14.41 Accounted righteousness or imputed righteousness. 00:40:14.44\00:40:17.78 This is justification. 00:40:17.81\00:40:19.45 "Christ's character stands in your place, in place of your 00:40:19.48\00:40:21.88 character, and you are accepted before God just as if 00:40:21.92\00:40:24.69 you had not sinned." 00:40:24.72\00:40:27.16 I put there justification. 00:40:27.19\00:40:28.92 Now what's the problem? 00:40:28.96\00:40:30.36 Most of our brothers and sisters in Christianity believe, 00:40:30.39\00:40:33.23 "That's it, you're justified, you're good to go." 00:40:33.26\00:40:35.06 Just put your seat belt on, hit "cruise control," 00:40:35.10\00:40:37.13 and you're going to heaven. 00:40:37.17\00:40:39.67 Is that enough? 00:40:39.70\00:40:41.20 Do you think this is not going to change the way we look 00:40:41.24\00:40:43.64 at God and say, "What? 00:40:43.67\00:40:46.37 This free gift that God has given me?" 00:40:46.41\00:40:48.54 Really, it should blow our minds away, 00:40:48.58\00:40:53.15 and there's a reaction to that, amen? 00:40:53.18\00:40:56.28 There is a reaction to what God has done in this process 00:40:56.32\00:41:00.06 of accounting us righteous is when we are unrighteous. 00:41:00.09\00:41:02.72 And what is that? 00:41:02.76\00:41:04.36 More than this, amen? 00:41:04.39\00:41:06.73 Get excited, because this is where many of our brother 00:41:06.76\00:41:10.00 and sisters fall short. 00:41:10.03\00:41:11.40 They think, "Oh, that's it. You're good to go. 00:41:11.43\00:41:13.03 Keep on living in the flesh." 00:41:13.07\00:41:14.44 They don't say that, but that's what they're teaching. 00:41:14.47\00:41:16.81 More than this, Christ does what? 00:41:16.84\00:41:20.11 Changes the heart. 00:41:20.14\00:41:21.44 Ezekiel 36, we just read it. 00:41:21.48\00:41:23.21 "He abides in your heart by faith." 00:41:23.24\00:41:25.95 That's the New Covenant. 00:41:25.98\00:41:27.28 That's the Everlasting Covenant abiding in our hearts, abiding 00:41:27.32\00:41:29.78 in us what Israel rejected, and that's why God had to put the 00:41:29.82\00:41:32.52 law on tablets of stone and a book, and He had to make 00:41:32.55\00:41:35.86 an earthly sanctuary, not because He wanted to. 00:41:35.89\00:41:38.06 He wanted to dwell in them as He did with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 00:41:38.09\00:41:42.16 but they said no. 00:41:42.20\00:41:45.73 Now watch this: "He abides in your heart by faith. 00:41:45.77\00:41:48.54 You are to maintain this connection with Christ," 00:41:48.57\00:41:50.74 by faith and what? 00:41:50.77\00:41:52.97 Continual surrender. 00:41:53.01\00:41:55.81 That's present and future perseverance in the faith, 00:41:55.84\00:42:00.68 "by faith and total surrender of your will to Him, 00:42:00.72\00:42:03.72 and so long as you do this--" this is perseverance-- 00:42:03.75\00:42:08.66 "He will work in you to will and to do according 00:42:08.69\00:42:11.39 to His good pleasure." 00:42:11.43\00:42:13.03 That's sanctification, amen? 00:42:13.06\00:42:15.13 This is it. 00:42:15.16\00:42:16.63 You cannot separate justification 00:42:16.67\00:42:18.13 and sanctification. 00:42:18.17\00:42:19.53 Many people try to do it, but you can't, and that's where we 00:42:19.57\00:42:22.10 fall into these pitfalls and these errors and theological 00:42:22.14\00:42:25.24 errors when we think justification is one thing, 00:42:25.27\00:42:27.88 sanctification is one thing--no, they're what? 00:42:27.91\00:42:30.45 They're both sides of the same coin. 00:42:30.48\00:42:34.35 The evidence that you have been justified, that you have 00:42:34.38\00:42:36.62 accepted, acknowledged, and received the accounted 00:42:36.65\00:42:39.55 righteousness of Jesus Christ, is that God is transforming you, 00:42:39.59\00:42:43.06 that God is changing you. 00:42:43.09\00:42:44.96 That's what it says in Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and 17, 00:42:44.99\00:42:47.66 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, 00:42:47.66\00:42:49.63 for it is the power of God," amen, 00:42:49.66\00:42:51.77 "to salvation for everyone who believes." 00:42:51.80\00:42:54.47 The Gospel is the power of God, and where is that power found? 00:42:54.50\00:42:57.87 Where is the essence of the Gospel, 00:42:57.91\00:42:59.81 and the power of God found? 00:42:59.84\00:43:01.48 It says it in the Hebrew parallelism in verse 17, 00:43:01.51\00:43:03.81 "For in it," or in the Gospel, what? 00:43:03.85\00:43:06.55 The righteousness of God is revealed 00:43:06.58\00:43:08.52 from faith to faith, amen? 00:43:08.55\00:43:11.02 So the Gospel of Christ is the power of God, and that power, 00:43:11.05\00:43:14.92 that essence of that power, of that dynamite, is the 00:43:14.96\00:43:18.19 righteousness of God perfectly revealed from faith to faith in 00:43:18.23\00:43:21.96 the life of Jesus Christ, but it doesn't stop there 00:43:22.00\00:43:25.87 because it says, "And as it is written, 'The righteous, 00:43:25.90\00:43:29.30 or the just, shall live by faith.'" 00:43:29.34\00:43:31.54 In other words, that same Gospel, that same power, that 00:43:31.57\00:43:35.08 same righteousness that was revealed in the life 00:43:35.11\00:43:37.35 of Jesus Christ, will be revealed in our lives too. 00:43:37.38\00:43:40.82 Hoo! Come on! 00:43:40.85\00:43:44.42 What it says in "Review and Herald," June 4, 00:43:44.45\00:43:47.52 "The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed. 00:43:47.56\00:43:52.06 The righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. 00:43:52.09\00:43:55.80 The first is our title to heaven, the second is what? 00:43:55.83\00:43:59.27 Our fitness or preparation for it, amen? 00:43:59.30\00:44:02.57 It's the cleansing experience, my loved ones. 00:44:02.60\00:44:04.87 And some people still get-- you know, 00:44:04.91\00:44:06.81 they could get a little muffley. 00:44:06.84\00:44:08.54 The concept of justification, sanctification, 00:44:08.58\00:44:10.58 I'll just break it down in a very simple way. 00:44:10.61\00:44:12.75 Justification is not just declarative. 00:44:12.78\00:44:15.15 It's experiential and transformative. 00:44:15.18\00:44:19.99 Or in another way, I'll put it to you this way: Sanctification 00:44:20.02\00:44:24.59 is justification in progress. 00:44:24.63\00:44:28.06 It's a daily surrender, that daily repentance, that daily 00:44:28.10\00:44:32.23 forgiveness what is daily transforming 00:44:32.27\00:44:34.17 and changing us, amen? 00:44:34.20\00:44:35.77 And that only can come through an intimate, personal, 00:44:35.80\00:44:39.17 daily relationship with God. 00:44:39.21\00:44:42.58 And if you don't have it, now you understand why you 00:44:42.61\00:44:44.98 may not be experiencing a guiltless life, a joyful life. 00:44:45.01\00:44:50.52 But God has brought you here because there is still hope. 00:44:50.55\00:44:53.02 Who says amen to that? 00:44:53.05\00:44:54.52 Number four, experiencing the Everlasting Covenant 00:44:54.56\00:44:59.79 promises today is everlasting eternal life. 00:44:59.83\00:45:03.16 Who says amen? 00:45:03.20\00:45:04.73 This is glorification. 00:45:04.77\00:45:06.07 I have a question: Can we experience this today? 00:45:06.10\00:45:08.10 Can we live in this state today? Yes or no? 00:45:08.14\00:45:11.24 Can we live as if our minds are already in heaven, thinking, 00:45:11.27\00:45:14.08 contemplating, like God would want us to do constantly 00:45:14.11\00:45:17.18 and daily, constantly as thew news to be. 00:45:17.21\00:45:19.15 Oh, yes, we saw, for example, we talked when I did the previous 00:45:19.18\00:45:22.18 lesson these three main promises that we find in Genesis, right? 00:45:22.22\00:45:25.42 The three main covenant promises: Number one, 00:45:25.45\00:45:27.39 God is going to forgive you of your sins, number two, 00:45:27.42\00:45:29.69 God is going to give you victory over sin. 00:45:29.72\00:45:31.86 That's Genesis 3:15. 00:45:31.89\00:45:33.46 Forgiveness of sin is Genesis 3:21, 00:45:33.50\00:45:35.63 but then you have Genesis 3:22, 00:45:35.66\00:45:37.57 where it's not explicit, but it's implicit what? 00:45:37.60\00:45:40.30 He's going to give us eternal life because it says the tree 00:45:40.34\00:45:43.27 of life was there, and what did God say? 00:45:43.30\00:45:45.54 Guard the tree of life. 00:45:45.57\00:45:46.94 He didn't say eliminate it, He said guard it, protect it, 00:45:46.98\00:45:49.44 until when? 00:45:49.48\00:45:50.88 Until we solve the problem of sin, and once that problem 00:45:50.91\00:45:54.18 of sin is solved, I have a question. 00:45:54.22\00:45:56.69 Are we going to be restored into the tree of life 00:45:56.72\00:46:00.66 and eternal life with God? 00:46:00.69\00:46:02.19 That's what it says in Revelation chapter 22, 00:46:02.22\00:46:03.66 if you haven't read it. 00:46:03.69\00:46:06.29 And for that, implicitly, it's talking about 00:46:06.33\00:46:09.36 the Resurrection, right? 00:46:09.40\00:46:12.00 It's implicit. 00:46:12.03\00:46:13.57 All of this is in Genesis chapter 3. 00:46:13.60\00:46:15.04 That's why I told you it's my favorite chapter 00:46:15.07\00:46:16.91 because it's all there, and that's what God wants to do. 00:46:16.94\00:46:20.41 Look at what it says here. 00:46:20.44\00:46:21.88 This quote was in the lesson. 00:46:21.91\00:46:23.75 "Those who see Christ in His true character and receive Him 00:46:23.78\00:46:26.35 into the heart have everlasting life." 00:46:26.38\00:46:29.32 Now, again, receiving into the heart is talking 00:46:29.35\00:46:30.79 about this New Covenant experience. 00:46:30.82\00:46:33.46 "It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us, 00:46:33.49\00:46:35.72 and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith." 00:46:35.76\00:46:38.86 This is the beginning of what? 00:46:38.89\00:46:40.90 Of eternal life. 00:46:40.93\00:46:42.33 My loved ones, you can start living eternal life now. 00:46:42.36\00:46:46.37 It's already given to us, amen? 00:46:46.40\00:46:48.87 Are we--looks like we're, yeah, we're fading away, 00:46:48.90\00:46:51.81 but that's just temporary. 00:46:51.84\00:46:53.14 That's just passive. 00:46:53.17\00:46:54.64 God has promised eternal life, and if you trust and live and 00:46:54.68\00:46:57.91 lean on those promises, you will live as if you're thinking 00:46:57.95\00:47:02.02 for eternity. 00:47:02.05\00:47:05.22 Only my brother here said amen. 00:47:05.25\00:47:07.72 Are you catching me? 00:47:07.76\00:47:09.76 We can live that, that joy, that peace, 00:47:09.79\00:47:12.33 knowing that in God we are accepted. 00:47:12.36\00:47:14.76 If you don't have it, then you're not getting it. 00:47:14.83\00:47:20.24 And I'm not saying this because I got it, but I am saying 00:47:20.27\00:47:23.51 that I am--I'm moving in that direction, amen? 00:47:23.54\00:47:26.71 I'm going in that direction because I want to see the glory 00:47:26.74\00:47:31.08 and the power of God revealed in my life. 00:47:31.11\00:47:33.21 I want God--I want the world to know that God is just, that God 00:47:33.25\00:47:36.69 is good, that God is righteous, that God deserves 00:47:36.72\00:47:39.05 all praise and all honor. 00:47:39.09\00:47:41.72 Look at what it says in Psalms chapter 37:29 and 31, 00:47:41.76\00:47:44.26 talking about this eternal life. 00:47:44.29\00:47:46.13 "The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 00:47:46.16\00:47:49.46 The mouth of the righteous speak wisdom, 00:47:49.50\00:47:52.03 and his tongue talks of justice." 00:47:52.07\00:47:53.77 The law of his God is where? 00:47:53.80\00:47:56.27 "In his heart, and none of his steps shall slide," amen? 00:47:56.30\00:48:01.08 This is the New Covenant experience talked about where? 00:48:01.11\00:48:04.28 In the new heavens and the new earth. 00:48:04.31\00:48:06.55 That can be your experience and mine now. 00:48:06.58\00:48:11.75 We can have that peace, that joy. 00:48:11.79\00:48:14.49 We can have that experience, that covenant relationship 00:48:14.52\00:48:17.63 experience with God, and that's what it's talking about when it 00:48:17.66\00:48:20.60 says that God's people have the seal on their forehead. 00:48:20.63\00:48:23.97 The seal on the forehead is the character of God, 00:48:24.00\00:48:27.24 the mind of Christ. 00:48:27.27\00:48:29.50 That's going to be the reflection of those 00:48:29.54\00:48:30.94 that live in the end times. 00:48:30.97\00:48:32.37 That's going to be those that are standing, and of course, 00:48:32.41\00:48:33.98 the commandments of God are already written in the heart, 00:48:34.01\00:48:35.81 so it's going to be what? 00:48:35.84\00:48:37.15 It's going to be out of joy and love that we rejoice 00:48:37.18\00:48:39.51 in keeping His commandments. 00:48:39.55\00:48:40.85 I'm not talking about coming to church on Saturday. 00:48:40.88\00:48:42.62 I'm talking about keeping the Sabbath. 00:48:42.65\00:48:45.12 That can only come with an intimate, 00:48:45.15\00:48:47.06 personal relationship with God. 00:48:47.09\00:48:50.09 My loved ones, the law of God in the heart and in the mind is 00:48:50.13\00:48:52.83 just another way of saying that God's character or God's 00:48:52.86\00:48:55.90 righteousness has been written or sealed in our character amid 00:48:55.93\00:49:00.87 this, and thus His righteous character is being revealed 00:49:00.90\00:49:04.64 and manifested in us through Christ, amen? 00:49:04.67\00:49:10.68 That's what it is. 00:49:10.98\00:49:12.58 This is what is happening in the end times, and one thing maybe 00:49:12.61\00:49:15.62 where the lesson fell short, it doesn't talk about the relevance 00:49:15.65\00:49:18.25 of the Everlasting Covenant in regards to the end times, 00:49:18.29\00:49:22.22 but it's the same experience. 00:49:22.26\00:49:24.96 It's the same thing that happened with Abraham. 00:49:24.99\00:49:27.76 And so in the lesson, if you read Galatians chapter 4, it 00:49:27.76\00:49:30.97 presents the covenants, not just as historical dispensationalists 00:49:31.00\00:49:35.44 where I know it can fall into those categories: 00:49:35.47\00:49:37.81 This is the Old Covenant, this is in the past. 00:49:37.84\00:49:39.57 This is the New Covenant, it's in the future. 00:49:39.61\00:49:41.14 But it really talks about in Galatians 4, as an experience, 00:49:41.18\00:49:43.91 as learning to trust in God, and Abraham fluctuated between those 00:49:43.95\00:49:47.02 two, but then he learned how to trust completely in God, 00:49:47.05\00:49:50.59 and that's what God wants to do with you and me, amen? 00:49:50.62\00:49:53.02 So you can be in the New Covenant dispensation historical 00:49:53.05\00:49:56.52 period right now, and you can be living in the Old Covenant 00:49:56.56\00:49:58.93 because you're trusting on yourself. 00:49:58.96\00:50:00.50 You're leaning on yourself. 00:50:00.53\00:50:01.80 You're depending on yourself. 00:50:01.83\00:50:03.63 You're not learning to depend and live on the righteousness 00:50:03.67\00:50:06.37 of God, amen? 00:50:06.40\00:50:07.94 And so this is the thesis: "The covenant was simply an 00:50:07.97\00:50:10.81 arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with 00:50:10.84\00:50:13.54 the divine will," placing them where they what? 00:50:13.58\00:50:17.51 Could obey God's law. 00:50:17.55\00:50:19.55 That's the foundation of it. 00:50:19.58\00:50:21.02 It's that reconciliation. 00:50:21.05\00:50:22.52 It's God placing us back in that place where we can delight in 00:50:22.55\00:50:25.69 serving Him and living for Him and rejoicing in His presence, 00:50:25.72\00:50:29.19 my loved ones. 00:50:29.22\00:50:30.53 And when that happens, when we have this experience, 00:50:30.56\00:50:33.13 when we are living in harmony with God's will, 00:50:33.16\00:50:35.13 guess what's going to happen? 00:50:35.16\00:50:36.60 The last promise, everlasting mission. 00:50:36.63\00:50:38.83 That's salvation in action. That's going out. 00:50:38.87\00:50:42.40 It's just--and you can't contain it. 00:50:42.44\00:50:44.04 You can't hold it back. 00:50:44.07\00:50:45.37 You have to share it with others. 00:50:45.41\00:50:47.08 You have to talk to others about Christ. 00:50:47.11\00:50:48.88 You have to present it. 00:50:48.91\00:50:51.11 If you don't have this, there's a disconnect. 00:50:51.15\00:50:53.68 There's an issue. 00:50:53.72\00:50:55.02 There's a misunderstanding in salvation. 00:50:55.05\00:50:58.39 One of my favorite pastors, his Spanish churches, he says, 00:50:58.42\00:51:01.86 "If you do not have the mission spirit, you do not have 00:51:01.89\00:51:04.93 the Spirit of God." 00:51:04.96\00:51:07.73 Pow-pow! 00:51:07.76\00:51:10.30 If you don't have this desire to share others with Christ, 00:51:11.73\00:51:14.80 this burden, then there's a disconnect. 00:51:14.84\00:51:17.91 And so what do we need to do? 00:51:17.94\00:51:19.41 We need to get on our knees and say, "God, show it to me. 00:51:19.44\00:51:22.58 I need to spend more time in Your Word. 00:51:22.61\00:51:24.01 I need to spend more time," amen? 00:51:24.05\00:51:26.11 This is what it is about, my loved ones, and as we close, 00:51:26.15\00:51:29.05 notice the covenant promises. 00:51:29.08\00:51:30.79 This is the covenant promise, Job chapter 33, verse 26, 00:51:30.82\00:51:34.06 "He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him. 00:51:34.09\00:51:36.93 He shall see His face with joy, and for He restores to man 00:51:36.96\00:51:42.50 His righteousness," amen? 00:51:42.53\00:51:44.60 This is the New Covenant experience that we are 00:51:44.63\00:51:47.30 face-to-face with God every day in His Word, that we are 00:51:47.34\00:51:50.51 delighting in Him, that we are praying, seeking God, and we are 00:51:50.54\00:51:53.91 seeing how He, through the power of the Holy Spirit is what? 00:51:53.94\00:51:57.75 He's restoring His righteousness in you and in me, amen? 00:51:57.78\00:52:02.72 And that brings joy, delight. 00:52:02.75\00:52:04.59 That brings all of this. 00:52:04.62\00:52:05.92 That's why it says in 1 John 4:9, talking about the joy that 00:52:05.95\00:52:08.86 we started off with: "In this, the love of God was manifested 00:52:08.89\00:52:12.73 toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son 00:52:12.76\00:52:15.63 into the world," for what? 00:52:15.66\00:52:18.27 That we live through Him, amen? 00:52:18.30\00:52:20.60 It's not my life. I am crucified daily. 00:52:20.64\00:52:23.87 I have to die daily for Christ to be able to live in me. 00:52:23.91\00:52:27.08 I have to take this flesh and submit it under the power of the 00:52:27.11\00:52:30.65 Holy Spirit if I am going to let God do the work 00:52:30.68\00:52:33.38 that He wants to do in me. 00:52:33.42\00:52:35.42 But that's what it says in Galatians 2:20, 00:52:35.45\00:52:37.22 "I have been crucified with Christ." 00:52:37.25\00:52:38.79 This is a daily experience. 00:52:38.82\00:52:40.39 This is that justification, my loved ones. 00:52:40.42\00:52:42.82 "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me," amen? 00:52:42.86\00:52:47.30 "And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in 00:52:47.36\00:52:50.97 the Son of God." 00:52:51.00\00:52:53.00 It is Christ that is living in us. 00:52:53.03\00:52:54.70 It is Christ that is being manifested through us. 00:52:54.74\00:52:56.97 It is Christ who is being revealed through us, amen? 00:52:57.01\00:52:59.17 All we're doing is surrendering and let God do the work 00:52:59.21\00:53:02.18 that He wants to do, but Christ living in us, 00:53:02.21\00:53:06.72 that's the precious promise. 00:53:06.75\00:53:09.68 And I finish with this last quote about what is the purpose 00:53:09.72\00:53:13.96 and the foundation of experience, 00:53:13.99\00:53:16.39 this Everlasting Covenant, this New Covenant experience, 00:53:16.42\00:53:18.79 as did Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, David, 00:53:18.83\00:53:22.73 so many of the great patriarchs and matriarchs. 00:53:22.76\00:53:25.50 Here it is, my loved ones, Acts of the Apostles. 00:53:25.53\00:53:28.07 "Holiness is an entire surrender of the will of God; 00:53:28.10\00:53:31.34 it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; 00:53:31.37\00:53:34.78 it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; 00:53:34.81\00:53:37.25 it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in light; 00:53:37.28\00:53:41.22 it is walking by faith and not by sight; 00:53:41.25\00:53:43.85 it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence. 00:53:43.89\00:53:46.59 It is resting in His love." 00:53:46.62\00:53:49.86 That's actually the next lesson, "Resting in Christ." 00:53:49.89\00:53:53.43 This is the key. 00:53:53.46\00:53:55.20 This is the key to being able to live that New 00:53:55.23\00:53:58.73 Covenant/Everlasting Covenant experience: entire surrender, 00:53:58.77\00:54:02.94 living by the Word, doing His will, trusting in Him, walking 00:54:02.97\00:54:07.44 in His--by faith, not by sight, relying on Him and resting in 00:54:07.48\00:54:11.21 Him, trusting that His promises will be fulfilled. 00:54:11.25\00:54:14.12 And my loved ones, this is what it means to live the faith 00:54:14.15\00:54:17.02 of Jesus Christ, amen? 00:54:17.05\00:54:19.12 That's the purpose of the covenant is to restore us back 00:54:19.15\00:54:21.82 into harmony with God's will that the same life of 00:54:21.86\00:54:24.59 Jesus Christ will be manifested in each and every one of us, and 00:54:24.63\00:54:28.50 those are the ones, the only ones that will be standing in 00:54:28.53\00:54:30.77 the end, because if you do not, you're going to be taken away 00:54:30.80\00:54:35.27 by the winds of tribulation and persecution. 00:54:35.30\00:54:38.87 I have a question: Does anybody here want to say, 00:54:38.91\00:54:41.61 "I want to live in the faith of Jesus Christ"? 00:54:41.64\00:54:44.65 "I want to live and to have that joy, that peace, 00:54:44.68\00:54:47.15 that Jesus Christ had, despite the tribulations and battles." 00:54:47.18\00:54:50.69 I know I do. 00:54:50.72\00:54:52.02 Let's have a Word of prayer. 00:54:52.05\00:54:53.62 Father, we thank you for this wonderful topic that we studied 00:54:53.66\00:54:56.66 during the Sabbath School lesson, and we just ask, Father, 00:54:56.69\00:54:58.86 that you guide us, direct us, and be with us, so that all of 00:54:58.89\00:55:01.30 this can be fulfilled in us as Your Word promises. 00:55:01.33\00:55:03.63 In the same way that all of these promises were fulfilled 00:55:03.67\00:55:06.40 in Christ, that they may be fulfilled in us, and that 00:55:06.43\00:55:09.24 through Christ, we become heirs, beneficiaries, partakers, of the 00:55:09.27\00:55:13.17 blessings and the promises of this covenant, Father. 00:55:13.21\00:55:15.68 Help us to look at the examples in the Bible 00:55:15.71\00:55:19.01 and to trust in your Word and to learn to live by faith 00:55:19.05\00:55:22.35 as Jesus Christ did daily, consistently, and constantly. 00:55:22.38\00:55:25.49 We thank you, Father, for this opportunity for this study 00:55:25.52\00:55:28.36 lesson, and we ask this in Jesus's name, amen. 00:55:28.39\00:55:31.33 announcer: Don't forget to request today's 00:55:34.30\00:55:35.83 life-changing free resource. 00:55:35.86\00:55:37.90 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 00:55:37.93\00:55:40.00 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 00:55:40.04\00:55:42.30 or mobile device. 00:55:42.34\00:55:43.91 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 00:55:43.94\00:55:46.68 simply text the key word on your screen to 40544, 00:55:46.71\00:55:50.98 or visit the web address shown on your screen, 00:55:51.01\00:55:53.58 and be sure to select the digital download option 00:55:53.62\00:55:55.98 on the request page. 00:55:56.02\00:55:57.55 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 00:55:57.59\00:56:00.39 with Amazing Facts, wherever and whenever you want 00:56:00.42\00:56:03.79 and most important, to share it with others. 00:56:03.83\00:56:06.76 female: I grew up in a family that was very 00:56:08.90\00:56:11.13 saturated with God. 00:56:11.17\00:56:13.17 We had morning worship. 00:56:13.20\00:56:14.57 We had evening worship. 00:56:14.60\00:56:15.90 We were taught from young children to have personal 00:56:15.94\00:56:18.37 devotions each day, but for whatever reason, 00:56:18.41\00:56:22.04 I seemed to always find myself alone. 00:56:22.08\00:56:25.65 I never really had a big group of friends, and it always seemed 00:56:25.68\00:56:30.55 to be like friends were just taken away from me. 00:56:30.59\00:56:34.22 You know, I prayed for friends, and then I'd meet someone, 00:56:34.26\00:56:36.69 and then six months later, then they moved to Washington, 00:56:36.73\00:56:38.59 you know, across the United States. 00:56:38.63\00:56:41.06 And so finally, I was just like I'm not going to pray for any 00:56:41.10\00:56:44.17 more friends because it hurts too much to lose them. 00:56:44.20\00:56:48.07 But over the next two years, as I got closer to God, 00:56:51.74\00:56:53.74 I started to be able to be thankful for the alone times 00:56:53.78\00:56:57.61 because I was forced in that aloneness to seek God. 00:56:57.65\00:57:03.72 That is probably what has made me who I am and given me 00:57:05.42\00:57:10.19 the experience with God that I have now. 00:57:10.23\00:57:13.60 The place where I feel most comfortable is being 00:57:13.63\00:57:16.60 alone with God. 00:57:16.63\00:57:19.93 I know a lot of people have questions about 00:57:22.40\00:57:25.07 "Where is God when it hurts?" 00:57:25.11\00:57:27.14 "If God is such a loving God, why is the world so bad?" 00:57:27.18\00:57:31.18 Embrace the pain, embrace the hard times, 00:57:35.15\00:57:41.16 and let God reveal Himself through that, because 00:57:41.96\00:57:45.59 He has answers to questions you don't even know how to ask. 00:57:45.63\00:57:49.96 ¤¤¤ 00:57:50.00\00:57:55.44 ¤¤¤ 00:58:03.71\00:58:13.69 ¤¤¤ 00:58:13.72\00:58:23.70 CC BY ABERDEEN CAPTIONING 1-800-688-6621 WWW.ABERCAP.COM 00:58:24.90\00:58:29.90