The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
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to present
yourself approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is
the Gospel of Galatians.
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Hello, and welcome to another
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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My name is Jill Morikone
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and we're so glad that you
have taken time to join us.
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As we open up the Word
of God and study together.
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We're in the middle of our study
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on the Book of Galatians
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written by the Apostle Paul
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and what an incredible
study it has been so far.
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We want to encourage you to get
your own copy of the quarterly
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put out by the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
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We are studying
the gospel in Galatians
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for third quarter.
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And you can get
that, you can obtain that
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by going to the
website ABSG.Adventist.org.
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That stands for
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Adult Bible Study
Guide .Adventist.org.
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You can download it
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and you can follow
along with us as we share.
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Or you can always,
we want to encourage you
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to check out your local
Seventh-day Adventist church
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and join a Bible
study class there
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and get involved.
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I want to introduce our
panel to you at this time.
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We have to my left
Brother John Dinzey,
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and it's a
privilege to have you here.
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It's great to be
here by God's grace.
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Thank you and next to
you is Pastor C.A. Murray,
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and it's always a joy
to share with you as well.
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Good to be with you once again.
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And next to you
Pastor Tom Ferguson
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of the Marion district,
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and we always love it
when you can come to 3ABN
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and join the team here.
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It's great to be here.
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And at the end is Shelley Quinn,
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and it's just a
privilege to have you here
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and share from the
Word of God as well.
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Thank you. It's my joy.
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So we are so glad not
only to have our panel here
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but to have each one of you
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as we open up the Word of God,
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we want to encourage
you to grab your Bible
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and a pen and a paper
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and get ready to
look up the texts
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and to follow along with us.
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But before we go any farther,
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we want to go to
the Lord in prayer,
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and Brother Johnny,
would you pray for us?
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Sure. Let's pray together.
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Our loving heavenly
Father, we thank You, Lord,
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for Your
goodness and mercy to us
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and we approach Your
throne of grace in Jesus name.
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We pray, Lord, that
You will direct our study,
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guide our study
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and, Lord, having
already studied and prayed
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we ask, Lord,
that You will bless us
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with Your Holy Spirit
that we may speak Your words
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and we ask You for
a blessing upon all,
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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We are on lesson number 11.
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And I love the
title of this lesson,
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Freedom in Christ.
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And today so many
people are in bondage.
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I can think back
to my own history
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and times I have been in bondage
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whether you or you
could be in prison,
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in bondage physically
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but many times we're
in bondage spiritually.
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It could be an
addiction of some sort.
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It could be some sort of sin.
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We feel like we're in bondage
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but God wants, He
came to set us free.
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John 8:36 says,
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"Whoever the Son
sets free is free indeed."
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And God wants to
bring us freedom.
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That was Paul's message
really to the Galatians church
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because they were in
bondage under the law,
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having received
justification by faith.
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Now the
Judaizers has had come in
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and had said not only
it's a justification by faith,
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you need to add works to it.
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And this week as we
look at freedom in Christ,
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we're gonna look at it
from two different angles.
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If you think of the
road, the Christian journey
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that we're called to walk upon,
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on one ditch is
the ditch of legalism
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which is what Paul
especially addressed
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here in the epistle
to the Galatians church.
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Weekend, last week we
talked about the bondwoman Hagar
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and how Ishmael was born
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through Abraham's own initiative
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or through self righteousness.
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And we can fall into
the ditch of legalism
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thinking that it's
righteousness by faith
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plus works.
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But at the same time
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if we don't fall into
the ditch of legalism,
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we might fall into the
ditch on the other side,
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licentiousness,
lacking moral restraints.
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Paul encourages us
don't use the liberty,
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the freedom that we
have in Christ Jesus
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to as an
opportunity to serve the flesh.
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So we're going to
look at both of them,
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this week as we
discuss freedom in Christ,
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but let's do our memory text
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and then we'll jump into Sunday.
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We'll read our
memory text together.
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We're in Galatians 5:13.
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"For you were called
to freedom, brothers.
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Only do not use your freedom
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as an opportunity for the flesh,
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but through love
serve one another."
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Amen.
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On Sunday's lesson we
look at Christ has set us free
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and I want to encourage
you to turn the Galatians 5.
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We're gonna start with verse 1.
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Now if you joined us last week,
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we talked all
about the two covenants
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in Isaac, in Ishmael.
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Isaac being the son of
promise, righteousness by faith,
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and Ishmael being
the son under the law
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or self righteousness,
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and right at the
end of chapter 4,
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the last verse says,
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"So then brethren, we are not
children of the bondwoman..."
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Meaning children of Ishmael,
that self righteousness,
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"But of the free..."
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Meaning children of the
promise or children of Isaac
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and then we jump into 5:1,
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"Stand fast therefore,
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and the liberty by which
Christ has made us free."
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The word for liberty,
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in the Greek literally
means freedom or liberty.
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Especially a state
of freedom from slavery
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and I think we
were all redeemed,
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Christ bought us,
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He redeemed us from sin,
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from the
condemnation of the law,
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from slavery.
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"Stand fast
therefore in that liberty
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by which Christ
has made us free."
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John 8:36, I referenced
at the very beginning,
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"Whomever the Son has made free,
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shall be free indeed."
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But it doesn't end there.
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He doesn't just say
stand fast in that liberty,
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it continues,
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"Do not be entangled
again with a yoke of bondage."
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Do not be held in snare again.
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On Monday nights for
the past several years,
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I had the privilege of
going to the women's jail
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at our local
jail here in Benton,
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and ministering
to the women there.
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And when I read this verse,
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it reminds me
especially of one woman,
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I'll call her Sarah,
that's not her real name.
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And I remember she was
there in our Bible study,
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she came every Monday night
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and she was passionate
about following Jesus.
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She had a background of drugs,
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you could say this would
be one of those bondage things
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that held her
captive, it was an addiction.
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And she had
become free in Christ
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and she was so
excited about serving God
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and walking the liberty,
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the freedom with which
Christ has set her free.
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Well, she got out
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and a few months
later guess what happened?
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We're sitting in our
Monday night Bible study
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and she showed up.
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And I said, "Sarah,
what are you doing here?
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You are free."
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Not only did she
become free in Jesus
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while she was in jail,
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but she became physically free
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and she got out.
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But here she is
back again in jail
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and she told an
incredible story.
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She talked about getting out
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and, you know, those
environmental influences,
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those old friends,
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those acquaintances that
she had before she got in
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began to pull her back
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or entangle her again
in that yoke of bondage.
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She said her
cousin died in her arms.
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Oh.
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Drug overdose.
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It wasn't a suicide attempt,
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it was doing drugs
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and she had taken too much
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and it killed her.
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And she said, "I'm
holding her and she died.
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And, Jill, and I went
right out and I got high again.
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I went right back
to the yoke of bondage.
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I went back there."
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And so we talked about
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how Christ can set us free again
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even though she had
been entangled again,
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Christ can set us free again.
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And I think that
Christ, He sets us free
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and you think
about the Galatians,
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back in Galatians 3,
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Paul says, "Oh
foolish, Galatians,
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do you think being
made set free by the spirit
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now are you
perfected in the flesh?"
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And so many times
we think I am set free
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and then we go back
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and we become entangled
again in that yoke of bondage.
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Paul is really
speaking to two groups here
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I think, both the
Gentile Christians,
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"Don't go back to
your worldly ways,
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prior to being called by God."
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But also to the
Jewish Christians,
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"Don't hold on to your
view of salvation by works..."
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Which would be by circumcision,
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"Know that it is by grace."
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Ephesians 2, "We're
saved by grace through faith."
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And it is a gift of God,
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not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
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So how do we keep
from being entangled again
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in the yoke of bondage?
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If we're supposed
to stand in the liberty
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with which
Christ has set us free,
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how do I keep
from going back again
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to that yoke of bondage?
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I think first we
look away from ourselves.
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Philippians 3, let's turn there.
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Philippians 3, we'll
read verse 13 and 14.
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Brother Johnny,
do you have that?
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Almost.
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Philippians 3, well, I
don't have it either yet.
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Philippians 3.
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What verse?
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Thirteen and fourteen.
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Philippians 3:13, 14,
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"Brethren, I count not
myself to have apprehended
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but this one thing I do,
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forgetting those
things which are behind,
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and reaching forth unto
those things which are before.
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I press toward
the mark for the prize
00:10:12.64\00:10:15.64
of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus."
00:10:15.68\00:10:18.48
So I think,
Paul's encouraging us,
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exhorting us,
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not to look behind us
00:10:22.75\00:10:24.85
at either past
mistakes or past victories.
00:10:24.89\00:10:28.69
Neither do we look around us
00:10:28.72\00:10:30.69
to see how other
people are doing,
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we are to look forward
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and to press
forward to the mark.
00:10:33.80\00:10:36.43
And I know in my own experience,
00:10:36.46\00:10:38.53
it's easy to become entangled
again if I turn inward.
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If I look at myself
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.64
instead of keeping my
eyes fixed fully on Jesus,
00:10:44.67\00:10:49.74
not only do we
look away from self,
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we're to look
away from other people.
00:10:52.11\00:10:54.05
Let's look at 2 Corinthians 10.
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2 Corinthians 10
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and, Pastor C.A., if
you want to get that,
00:10:58.62\00:11:00.32
2 Corinthians 10:12?
00:11:00.36\00:11:03.22
"So we dare not class ourselves
00:11:03.26\00:11:05.23
or compare ourselves with
those who commend themselves,
00:11:05.26\00:11:08.90
but they measuring
themselves by themselves,
00:11:08.93\00:11:12.47
and comparing
themselves among themselves,
00:11:12.50\00:11:15.44
are not wise."
00:11:15.47\00:11:18.27
I could look at
Brother Johnny or Pastor C.A.
00:11:18.31\00:11:22.08
or Pastor Tom
or Shelley and say,
00:11:22.11\00:11:24.48
wow, they're doing
better than me in this
00:11:24.51\00:11:27.78
and they're here
but that's not my role.
00:11:27.85\00:11:30.62
Or you could look at
someone else and say,
00:11:30.65\00:11:32.92
"I think I'm
achieving a little better."
00:11:32.95\00:11:35.39
None of that works.
00:11:35.42\00:11:36.76
And when we do that
you know what happens,
00:11:36.79\00:11:38.66
it's taking our
focus off of Jesus
00:11:38.69\00:11:42.03
and putting it on other people.
00:11:42.06\00:11:43.80
So whether our focus
is inward on ourselves
00:11:43.83\00:11:46.84
or whether it's
external to other people,
00:11:46.87\00:11:50.11
either way it's
taking our focus off of Jesus
00:11:50.14\00:11:52.87
and it makes it easier
to become entangled again
00:11:52.91\00:11:56.61
in that yoke of bondage.
00:11:56.64\00:11:58.31
We are to look to Jesus.
00:11:58.35\00:11:59.68
2 Corinthians 3:18,
00:11:59.71\00:12:02.82
this is one of my
favorite scriptures
00:12:02.85\00:12:04.72
and I know I say
that all the time.
00:12:04.75\00:12:06.96
I love this one.
00:12:06.99\00:12:08.32
Pastor Tom, you have this one?
00:12:08.39\00:12:09.89
2 Corinthians 3:18.
00:12:09.92\00:12:12.39
"We all, with unveiled
face, beholding in a mirror,
00:12:12.43\00:12:14.73
the glory of the Lord are being
transformed into the same image
00:12:14.73\00:12:17.70
from glory to glory
00:12:17.77\00:12:19.10
just as by the
spirit of the Lord."
00:12:19.13\00:12:20.47
Yes. Amen.
00:12:20.50\00:12:21.84
As we looked to Jesus,
00:12:21.87\00:12:24.24
we become
transformed from glory to glory.
00:12:24.31\00:12:26.94
That word in the Greek
transform metamorphosed,
00:12:26.98\00:12:30.01
and I love that word
00:12:30.05\00:12:31.38
'cause it shows
00:12:31.45\00:12:32.78
the illustration
of the caterpillar
00:12:32.81\00:12:34.72
who crawls on his belly
00:12:34.75\00:12:36.65
and who is not very attractive
00:12:36.69\00:12:38.29
unless you really like
bugs and creepy crawly things
00:12:38.32\00:12:40.86
to a butterfly.
00:12:40.89\00:12:43.39
It is a complete
radical transformation.
00:12:43.43\00:12:46.80
You couldn't look at a
butterfly flying around
00:12:46.83\00:12:48.80
and say, "Oh, I see
remnants of the caterpillar."
00:12:48.83\00:12:51.97
Completely
different in how they look,
00:12:52.00\00:12:54.74
and how they act,
00:12:54.80\00:12:56.14
and how their
mode of transportation,
00:12:56.17\00:12:57.87
how they get around
00:12:57.91\00:12:59.24
and that's what the Lord
Jesus wants to do in our lives.
00:12:59.27\00:13:01.51
As we look to Jesus,
00:13:01.58\00:13:03.21
He completely and
totally transforms us.
00:13:03.24\00:13:06.82
And finally, how do we
not become entangled again
00:13:06.85\00:13:10.15
with the yoke of bondage?
00:13:10.19\00:13:11.52
We need to put
on the armor of God.
00:13:11.59\00:13:14.39
Ephesians 6, let's
look at Ephesians 6.
00:13:14.46\00:13:20.26
We have just a
moment, we'll look quickly.
00:13:20.30\00:13:22.53
There are several
components to the armor.
00:13:22.56\00:13:24.43
We won't even read them all.
00:13:24.47\00:13:26.97
Verse 10, "Finally
brethren be strong in the Lord
00:13:27.00\00:13:29.80
and in the power of His might,
00:13:29.84\00:13:31.97
put on the whole armor of God."
00:13:32.01\00:13:33.81
I think when God calls
us to put on the amour,
00:13:33.84\00:13:35.78
it's not a once in
a lifetime experience.
00:13:35.81\00:13:38.55
It's not like at
our time of baptism,
00:13:38.58\00:13:40.78
"Okay, I'm putting on the armor.
00:13:40.82\00:13:42.38
I got it, I'm dressed.
00:13:42.42\00:13:44.75
I'm done."
00:13:44.79\00:13:46.12
It is a moment by moment,
00:13:46.15\00:13:48.26
every morning when I wake
up putting on the armor of God.
00:13:48.32\00:13:52.03
"For we don't wrestle
against flesh and blood,
00:13:52.06\00:13:54.36
but against principalities
00:13:54.46\00:13:55.76
and powers of rulers of
the darkness of this age,
00:13:55.80\00:13:58.43
spiritual hosts of
wickedness in heavenly places."
00:13:58.47\00:14:01.64
There is a battle
going on out there.
00:14:01.67\00:14:04.21
So what is the armor?
00:14:04.27\00:14:06.24
We are to stand on.
00:14:06.27\00:14:07.64
I'm at verse 14,
00:14:07.68\00:14:09.01
having ourselves girded
about the waste with truth.
00:14:09.04\00:14:13.11
We are to put on
00:14:13.15\00:14:14.48
the breastplate
of righteousness.
00:14:14.52\00:14:16.89
Righteousness is a gift from God
00:14:16.92\00:14:19.12
that needs to be
freshly accepted and lived.
00:14:19.15\00:14:23.79
Self centeredness
00:14:23.83\00:14:25.23
and prideful
confidence leads to destruction.
00:14:25.26\00:14:27.96
We need to put on
00:14:27.96\00:14:29.46
the breastplate of righteousness
00:14:29.50\00:14:31.20
have our feet shod
00:14:31.23\00:14:32.90
with the preparation
of the gospel of peace,
00:14:32.93\00:14:35.40
take the shield of
faith, the helmet of salvation,
00:14:35.44\00:14:39.47
the sword of the spirit
which is the Word of God
00:14:39.51\00:14:42.11
and spend time in prayer.
00:14:42.14\00:14:43.95
So Paul's encouraging
us to stand in the liberty
00:14:43.98\00:14:48.45
with which
Christ has made us free.
00:14:48.48\00:14:50.59
Brother Johnny?
00:14:50.62\00:14:52.09
Thank you, that was a blessing
00:14:52.12\00:14:54.19
and we continue
with the Monday's part,
00:14:54.22\00:14:58.29
the nature of Christian freedom.
00:14:58.36\00:15:01.76
In this Monday's part we have
an important thing to consider
00:15:01.80\00:15:07.14
and it is that the
reason the nature of freedom
00:15:07.17\00:15:11.24
is because Christ,
Jesus Christ has set us free.
00:15:11.27\00:15:15.81
And when you are free,
He says you are free indeed.
00:15:15.84\00:15:20.72
So part of this has to do
00:15:20.75\00:15:22.35
and you will know the truth
00:15:22.38\00:15:23.72
and the truth
shall set you free.
00:15:23.75\00:15:25.72
Christ is our freedom.
00:15:25.75\00:15:27.36
And so in this world of sin,
00:15:27.39\00:15:30.06
we have to understand
00:15:30.09\00:15:31.46
that everyone
that walks upon it,
00:15:31.49\00:15:33.56
the Bible says
that all have sinned
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.80
and come short
of the glory of God
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.27
whether you like it or not.
00:15:37.30\00:15:40.67
Because of sin,
00:15:40.70\00:15:42.14
you have a price on your head
00:15:42.17\00:15:44.61
as they say that if you do
not give yourself to Christ,
00:15:44.64\00:15:49.84
you're going to have
to pay for your sins.
00:15:49.88\00:15:52.48
In order for you to be freed
from the condemnation of sins
00:15:52.51\00:15:56.62
of the things you have done,
00:15:56.65\00:15:58.09
you need to find Jesus.
00:15:58.12\00:15:59.52
You need to give
your heart to Jesus.
00:15:59.55\00:16:01.16
You need to find in Him
00:16:01.22\00:16:03.36
the peace that
passeth all understanding.
00:16:03.39\00:16:05.96
So in order to do
this, God has made the way.
00:16:05.99\00:16:09.10
Jesus is the way,
the truth and the life.
00:16:09.13\00:16:11.17
And I just praise the Lord
00:16:11.20\00:16:12.70
because He has
given us the scriptures
00:16:12.73\00:16:14.37
that are able to make
us wise unto salvation
00:16:14.44\00:16:16.87
because freedom
comes through the Lord
00:16:16.91\00:16:18.84
and this is why,
00:16:18.87\00:16:20.21
you know, the first time
I heard it, it amazed me.
00:16:20.24\00:16:22.58
You were talking
about visiting the prison.
00:16:22.61\00:16:25.15
We used to have
United Prison Ministries
00:16:25.18\00:16:26.95
here on 3ABN and they used to,
00:16:26.98\00:16:28.85
one of the
prisoners said that they were,
00:16:28.88\00:16:32.82
"I know I'm in
jail but I'm free."
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.96
And I go, "What do
you mean you're free?"
00:16:34.99\00:16:37.03
It's because he found Jesus.
00:16:37.06\00:16:38.73
Amen.
00:16:38.76\00:16:40.10
And that makes all the
difference in the world.
00:16:40.13\00:16:41.46
It doesn't matter where you are,
00:16:41.50\00:16:43.37
what your condition is,
00:16:43.40\00:16:44.73
whether you are poor or rich,
00:16:44.77\00:16:46.50
whether you have
sickness or you have health,
00:16:46.53\00:16:49.00
if you have Jesus, you are free.
00:16:49.04\00:16:51.87
And whatever
condition you're in,
00:16:51.91\00:16:54.04
you're going to
be delivered from.
00:16:54.08\00:16:56.44
Thanks be to God.
00:16:56.48\00:16:57.95
And so we glorify God for
that and we praise His name.
00:16:58.01\00:17:02.62
Now let's look
into some scriptures.
00:17:02.65\00:17:03.99
When you look at Paul's
letters in 1 Corinthians 6:20,
00:17:04.02\00:17:07.86
we have some things to consider.
00:17:07.89\00:17:10.03
If we have a
volunteer to read that
00:17:10.06\00:17:12.23
we will be grateful for that.
00:17:12.26\00:17:14.36
1 Corinthians 6:20,
who's going to help me?
00:17:14.36\00:17:17.47
"For you were bought at a price,
00:17:17.50\00:17:19.07
therefore
glorify God in your body
00:17:19.10\00:17:21.10
and in your
spirit which are God's."
00:17:21.14\00:17:24.41
So we see that we
are brought with a price
00:17:24.47\00:17:28.14
and how did, how did
the Lord purchase us?
00:17:28.18\00:17:32.25
It is through the precious blood
00:17:32.28\00:17:34.12
of Jesus Christ.
00:17:34.15\00:17:35.48
Amen. And that is wonderful.
00:17:35.52\00:17:37.52
When you begin
to understand that,
00:17:37.55\00:17:40.66
you began to see
that God loves you
00:17:40.69\00:17:43.73
and when you know
that God loves you,
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.33
that make all the
difference in the world.
00:17:45.39\00:17:47.66
And you can go
through trial and tribulation.
00:17:47.66\00:17:49.70
You can go through difficulties
knowing God loves you.
00:17:49.73\00:17:52.47
This thing that
I'm going through
00:17:52.50\00:17:54.00
is just part of a process
00:17:54.04\00:17:56.40
something that I
need to go through
00:17:56.44\00:17:58.44
for my own good for some reason
00:17:58.47\00:18:01.51
or for the good of others.
00:18:01.58\00:18:03.28
Do you believe
that you can go through
00:18:03.31\00:18:04.71
some suffering
for the good of others
00:18:04.75\00:18:06.55
to bless others?
00:18:06.58\00:18:07.92
Yes, and people have done that.
00:18:07.98\00:18:09.92
And so I would say
00:18:09.95\00:18:11.49
that Joab went
through some sufferings.
00:18:11.55\00:18:13.82
I see some good for me,
00:18:13.86\00:18:16.02
he didn't know me
00:18:16.06\00:18:17.39
when he was going through that,
00:18:17.43\00:18:18.79
but his experience
has been a blessing to me.
00:18:18.83\00:18:22.80
And so we see that God loves us,
00:18:22.83\00:18:26.40
and so I think
that is one of the clues
00:18:26.43\00:18:29.07
to understand
living in this world
00:18:29.10\00:18:31.57
although it may be difficult,
00:18:31.64\00:18:33.54
we may face
horrible, difficult times,
00:18:33.58\00:18:36.38
but if we know God loves us
00:18:36.41\00:18:38.11
and He has our
best interest in mind,
00:18:38.18\00:18:40.08
we need not
fear, we need not worry
00:18:40.12\00:18:42.32
because Jesus says, "I
have overcome the world."
00:18:42.35\00:18:45.79
I would like to take a
look at some other scriptures
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.19
and for this we need to go to
00:18:48.22\00:18:52.69
1 Corinthians 10.
00:18:52.73\00:18:55.76
We are in Corinthians already,
so let's go to verse 13 and 14
00:18:55.80\00:19:00.24
and the Bible says,
00:19:00.27\00:19:01.60
"There had no
temptation taken you
00:19:01.64\00:19:04.11
but such as is common to man
00:19:04.14\00:19:06.07
but God is faithful.
00:19:06.11\00:19:08.41
Who will not suffer you
or allow you to be tempted
00:19:08.44\00:19:11.21
above what you are able
00:19:11.28\00:19:13.92
but will with that temptation
00:19:13.95\00:19:16.05
also make a way to escape
00:19:16.08\00:19:17.65
that you may be
able to bear it."
00:19:17.69\00:19:19.65
And I added the
next verse it says,
00:19:19.69\00:19:21.59
"Wherefore, my dearly
beloved, flee from idolatry."
00:19:21.62\00:19:27.03
Actually that's part
of what the lesson says.
00:19:27.10\00:19:29.23
And so I see here
that in this scripture
00:19:29.26\00:19:33.40
we find that God is
so caring, so loving
00:19:33.44\00:19:36.91
that He does not allow
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.91
the devil to
have his way with us
00:19:39.94\00:19:41.98
because really if the Lord
00:19:42.01\00:19:43.75
allowed the devil to
have his way with us,
00:19:43.78\00:19:45.61
who in the world
would have freedom?
00:19:45.65\00:19:47.58
Who in the world
would have peace?
00:19:47.62\00:19:49.58
And sometimes I
think of some of those bugs
00:19:49.62\00:19:51.82
that are out there, the flies,
00:19:51.89\00:19:53.22
and the
mosquitoes and those things
00:19:53.25\00:19:55.29
and there's one
particular bug that bugs me.
00:19:55.36\00:19:58.86
And that is those that try
to get inside your eyeball,
00:19:58.89\00:20:01.10
you know, they try
to get inside your eye,
00:20:01.16\00:20:03.00
and you're trying to
get away and it's amazing.
00:20:03.03\00:20:06.33
But sometimes I think of that
00:20:06.37\00:20:08.00
and I think, you know,
that's how the devil is.
00:20:08.04\00:20:10.27
He tries to annoy you
and create problems for you
00:20:10.31\00:20:13.58
but God is there
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.04
and He is measured
00:20:15.08\00:20:17.71
in what He is
allowed to do to you
00:20:17.75\00:20:22.18
because otherwise he would just
harass us to the degree that,
00:20:22.22\00:20:26.22
you know, you will go crazy.
00:20:26.25\00:20:27.72
But thanks be to God
00:20:27.76\00:20:29.56
that God does not allow him,
00:20:29.59\00:20:31.13
the Satan, Satan to do
whatever he may please with you.
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.20
And the Bible says
00:20:34.20\00:20:35.53
that He sets a hedge
of protection about you
00:20:35.56\00:20:37.33
and we think of Psalms 34,
00:20:37.37\00:20:39.77
the angel of the Lord
encampeth round about you
00:20:39.80\00:20:42.97
and delivers you.
00:20:43.00\00:20:44.54
So we can take
courage in God's Word.
00:20:44.57\00:20:47.54
Boy, there are some
wonderful scriptures
00:20:47.58\00:20:49.34
to go through here.
00:20:49.38\00:20:51.05
So knowing that we have
been bought with a price,
00:20:51.08\00:20:54.75
knowing that Jesus
Christ has rescued us,
00:20:54.78\00:20:58.12
we can then
understand, Romans 6:6,
00:20:58.15\00:21:02.29
I'm just gonna read
some short part of it.
00:21:02.32\00:21:04.69
It says, "We
know that our old self
00:21:04.73\00:21:07.03
was crucified with Him..."
00:21:07.10\00:21:08.43
Romans 6:6 and so on this basis,
00:21:08.46\00:21:11.13
on the basis of this fact
00:21:11.17\00:21:13.23
we see that Paul
makes another exaltation
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.47
in Romans 6:12
00:21:15.50\00:21:17.01
and this I will ask
somebody to read for us,
00:21:17.04\00:21:20.01
Romans 6:12.
00:21:20.04\00:21:22.64
And what does
that one say for us?
00:21:22.68\00:21:24.01
Romans 6:12,
does anyone have it?
00:21:24.05\00:21:26.21
"Therefore, do not let
sin reign in your mortal body
00:21:26.25\00:21:29.45
that you should obey in
its lust, it in its lust."
00:21:29.48\00:21:32.15
Wow, that is,
if we look at that,
00:21:32.22\00:21:35.29
we see that when we
give ourselves to Christ,
00:21:35.32\00:21:38.76
we also have a choice
00:21:38.79\00:21:40.76
because it says therefore, what?
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.16
What's the next
part? "Let not sin..."
00:21:43.20\00:21:44.77
"Let not sin reign
in your mortal body."
00:21:44.80\00:21:48.14
In other words, don't let
it have dominion over you.
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.01
So we have a choice
in this aspect as well.
00:21:50.04\00:21:53.54
And so we must
exercise our choice,
00:21:53.58\00:21:55.71
our freedom of choice
in the right direction.
00:21:55.74\00:21:58.45
And so freedom in Christ,
00:21:58.48\00:22:00.78
it comes because
Christ has delivered us
00:22:00.82\00:22:05.12
and we praise the Lord for that.
00:22:05.15\00:22:07.59
So a lesson has a
question and here it is,
00:22:07.62\00:22:11.06
from what has
Christ freed us from?
00:22:11.09\00:22:14.73
I will give you
the short version.
00:22:14.73\00:22:16.90
There are several
scriptures pointed out here.
00:22:16.93\00:22:19.77
The Lord Jesus has
made us free from sin.
00:22:19.80\00:22:23.94
That's right.
00:22:23.97\00:22:25.31
And the dominion of
sin and what sin will do
00:22:25.34\00:22:28.58
to those that cling to it.
00:22:28.61\00:22:30.61
You know, it's kind of amazing
00:22:30.65\00:22:32.58
that you see things
in this world happen.
00:22:32.61\00:22:35.42
People cling to things
that are going to hurt them,
00:22:35.45\00:22:37.75
you know, for years
00:22:37.79\00:22:39.12
and I know that this is
a struggle for some people,
00:22:39.15\00:22:41.76
but I am gonna mention it anyway
00:22:41.79\00:22:43.12
because we can have
victory through Jesus Christ.
00:22:43.16\00:22:44.73
That's right.
00:22:44.76\00:22:46.53
For years they've been
putting on the cigarette packs,
00:22:46.56\00:22:48.96
you know, it has been determined
00:22:49.00\00:22:51.27
that this causes cancer,
00:22:51.33\00:22:52.67
it has been determined
this is bad for your health
00:22:52.70\00:22:54.30
and yet people continue to do it
00:22:54.34\00:22:55.67
because they are
controlled by it.
00:22:55.70\00:22:57.97
And when they give
themselves to Christ,
00:22:58.01\00:22:59.51
they can find victory in that.
00:22:59.54\00:23:03.98
The same thing happens with sin.
00:23:04.01\00:23:06.68
You know, sin if
you hold on to it,
00:23:06.72\00:23:08.85
will destroy you.
00:23:08.92\00:23:10.85
And we are
being asked by Christ,
00:23:10.89\00:23:12.99
let not sin therefore
reign or have dominion over you.
00:23:13.02\00:23:18.13
And the only way
this can happen is
00:23:18.16\00:23:20.60
if Christ is in you,
in us, the hope of glory.
00:23:20.63\00:23:24.87
And so we have
that as Christ is in us,
00:23:24.93\00:23:27.37
the hope of glory
we can have freedom,
00:23:27.40\00:23:29.97
and it is through
Him that we have freedom.
00:23:30.01\00:23:32.27
And I'm going to
mention that scripture again
00:23:32.31\00:23:34.64
that we mentioned
in another program.
00:23:34.68\00:23:36.95
It says, my little children
these things write unto you
00:23:36.98\00:23:40.05
that you sin not,
and if any man sin,
00:23:40.08\00:23:42.92
we have an advocate
with the Father Jesus Christ,
00:23:42.95\00:23:45.19
the righteous.
00:23:45.25\00:23:46.59
So even though it
may be that you may fall,
00:23:46.62\00:23:50.26
we are thankful that we
have a faithful high priest
00:23:50.29\00:23:53.76
that is there for us,
00:23:53.80\00:23:55.56
our advocate, the
one that sets us free.
00:23:55.63\00:23:58.93
So in Paul's letter you
see the sense of freedom
00:23:58.97\00:24:01.77
being used more than
00:24:01.84\00:24:03.24
any other parts
of the New Testament,
00:24:03.27\00:24:05.17
and I would like
to bring one to you
00:24:05.21\00:24:07.84
because I see that my
time is fast departing
00:24:07.88\00:24:10.35
and that is that Galatians 2:20.
00:24:10.38\00:24:15.82
Galatians 2:20 and it says,
00:24:15.85\00:24:18.75
"I have been
crucified with Christ."
00:24:18.79\00:24:21.26
Yes. And what else?
00:24:21.29\00:24:23.36
"It is no longer I that
lives but Christ liveth in me
00:24:23.39\00:24:27.30
and this life which I
now live in the flesh,
00:24:27.36\00:24:29.53
I live by faith
in the Son of God
00:24:29.56\00:24:32.63
who loved me and
gave Himself for me."
00:24:32.67\00:24:35.30
Amen.
00:24:35.37\00:24:36.71
So Christ lives in
us, that is freedom.
00:24:36.74\00:24:39.31
Christ lives in us, that
is what gives us victory.
00:24:39.34\00:24:42.78
And the moment we
walk away from Christ,
00:24:42.81\00:24:44.65
we are in great danger.
00:24:44.68\00:24:46.25
So our part is to stay in Christ
00:24:46.28\00:24:50.12
and we have freedom.
00:24:50.15\00:24:51.52
Well said, well said.
00:24:51.55\00:24:53.66
Tuesday's lesson
seeks to deal with
00:24:53.69\00:24:56.73
and discuss the dangers
and consequences of legalism.
00:24:56.76\00:25:01.70
And I think we
do well to reanimate
00:25:01.76\00:25:05.63
the definition
of what legalism is.
00:25:05.70\00:25:10.11
For me, to me it is
an attempt to gain favor
00:25:10.14\00:25:13.51
or to be in
right standing with God
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.54
through one's own efforts.
00:25:15.61\00:25:17.55
Just as flat and a
simple as one can make it,
00:25:17.58\00:25:20.32
to try to get right with
God through your efforts.
00:25:20.35\00:25:24.32
Paul in Galatians
5:2-12 talks about
00:25:24.35\00:25:29.09
and really takes his
treatise on circumcision.
00:25:29.12\00:25:34.20
But may I suggest that
those circumcision is the issue,
00:25:34.23\00:25:40.00
it's not the only issue.
00:25:40.04\00:25:41.37
That's right.
00:25:41.40\00:25:42.74
The circumcision
is the poster child
00:25:42.77\00:25:45.21
for a mindset that
says I need to do something
00:25:45.24\00:25:49.54
to get right with God.
00:25:49.58\00:25:51.25
In this issue it's circumcision
but the modern day parallel
00:25:51.28\00:25:55.82
could be any number of things
00:25:55.85\00:25:57.19
that we try to do
to get right with God.
00:25:57.22\00:26:00.89
Some try to fast
their way to righteousness.
00:26:00.92\00:26:04.13
Some try to vegetarian
their way to righteousness.
00:26:04.16\00:26:07.46
Some try to vegan
their way to righteousness.
00:26:07.50\00:26:10.83
Some tried to no TV
their way to righteousness.
00:26:10.87\00:26:15.14
So circumcision
then is the stand in
00:26:15.17\00:26:19.71
for anything that we do
00:26:19.74\00:26:22.28
that we think can
get us right with God.
00:26:22.31\00:26:27.78
And that will get us
into right standing with God
00:26:27.82\00:26:31.05
and as such Paul is
very passionate about this.
00:26:31.09\00:26:34.96
You see again that
passion sort of leaking through
00:26:34.99\00:26:37.79
in Galatians 5:2-12 here
00:26:37.83\00:26:42.26
because he sees them
lapsing back into this idea,
00:26:42.30\00:26:46.17
this mindset of trying to
work your way through to God.
00:26:46.20\00:26:51.41
And it's being placed upon them
00:26:51.44\00:26:54.18
by people who do
not have their good
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.18
and I don't know,
you know, I cannot judge
00:26:56.21\00:26:58.31
the mindset of the Judaizers
00:26:58.35\00:27:01.18
whether they were
doing it with a good heart
00:27:01.22\00:27:03.49
thinking maybe
they need to do this
00:27:03.52\00:27:04.92
to be part of the club,
00:27:04.95\00:27:06.29
or whether it was a
nefarious kind of plot,
00:27:06.32\00:27:08.96
it doesn't really matter.
00:27:08.99\00:27:10.69
The burden is that it was wrong,
00:27:10.73\00:27:13.19
it was putting
them back into bondage
00:27:13.23\00:27:15.26
and Paul did not want
his Galatian believers
00:27:15.30\00:27:18.63
to fall under that
00:27:18.67\00:27:20.00
because it is the polar opposite
00:27:20.04\00:27:23.24
of what Christ offers us
00:27:23.27\00:27:25.37
as a way, not a way,
00:27:25.41\00:27:27.04
the way to righteousness.
00:27:27.08\00:27:30.98
The lesson says
00:27:31.01\00:27:32.35
in one of the
consequences of legalism,
00:27:32.41\00:27:36.28
a little play on words,
Christ offered, Christ says,
00:27:36.32\00:27:41.09
that what they were going
into will not benefit them,
00:27:41.12\00:27:45.29
opheleia, rather
it obligated them,
00:27:45.33\00:27:49.60
opheiletes to the law.
00:27:49.63\00:27:52.23
So there's this
little play on words
00:27:52.30\00:27:53.94
that's not gonna help you,
00:27:53.97\00:27:55.30
it's gonna make
you a debtor to the law
00:27:55.37\00:27:57.47
and will not help you at all.
00:27:57.51\00:28:00.14
And then if you try to keep one,
00:28:00.18\00:28:02.68
then you've got
to try to keep all
00:28:02.74\00:28:04.91
and you really end up trying to,
00:28:04.95\00:28:07.55
you really end up keeping none,
00:28:07.58\00:28:08.92
James 2:10, I have
got here says that,
00:28:08.98\00:28:10.99
"If you offend in one
point, you offend in all."
00:28:11.02\00:28:13.62
So your relationship to
the law is dare I say skewed
00:28:13.66\00:28:18.79
because trying to keep the law
00:28:18.83\00:28:22.63
really kind of gives
the law dominion over you
00:28:22.66\00:28:24.53
because you cannot keep it.
00:28:24.57\00:28:26.03
It cannot be done
aside from Christ.
00:28:26.07\00:28:28.20
Now, the
Judaizers were trying to get
00:28:28.24\00:28:31.94
these new Christians
00:28:31.97\00:28:33.78
to entertain something
which was comfortable for them.
00:28:33.81\00:28:39.21
This idea of circumcision
was something given to Abraham
00:28:39.28\00:28:42.85
as a sign of a
covenant relationship.
00:28:42.88\00:28:46.19
So I'm thinking their mindset
00:28:46.22\00:28:48.49
was surely if
it was so important
00:28:48.52\00:28:51.53
that God gave it
to Abraham as a sign
00:28:51.56\00:28:54.46
and it has been a
sign all these years,
00:28:54.50\00:28:56.77
then surely must be a
sign to the new Christians.
00:28:56.80\00:28:59.20
So we better get
them to keep this truth
00:28:59.27\00:29:01.94
and get them to understand
that this is necessary.
00:29:02.00\00:29:06.61
This thing of
circumcision was so important
00:29:06.64\00:29:09.11
that in Jeremiah 9:25 and 26,
00:29:09.14\00:29:14.35
I discovered that
there were some other people,
00:29:14.38\00:29:17.59
other nations that
were doing circumcision
00:29:17.62\00:29:20.76
not as a religious right
00:29:20.79\00:29:22.12
but the Jews were not
the only one practicing it.
00:29:22.19\00:29:24.26
And yet, to the Jewish mind
00:29:24.29\00:29:26.49
the dividing line was
circumcised, uncircumcised,
00:29:26.53\00:29:30.23
even for those
nations that were keeping,
00:29:30.27\00:29:32.67
that were doing circumcision.
00:29:32.70\00:29:34.34
They were still
class to the Jewish mind
00:29:34.37\00:29:36.54
as uncircumcised
00:29:36.57\00:29:38.17
because it was not a
sign of covenant with them.
00:29:38.21\00:29:40.74
You were covenant
circumcised and everybody else
00:29:40.78\00:29:43.48
whether you're keeping,
00:29:43.51\00:29:44.85
whether you're doing
practicing circumcision or not
00:29:44.88\00:29:46.65
was uncircumcised.
00:29:46.68\00:29:48.15
So in their mind it
loomed very, very large.
00:29:48.18\00:29:51.72
It was something that
they had a modicum of pride in,
00:29:51.75\00:29:54.62
it distinguished
them from other nations.
00:29:54.66\00:29:56.69
It was the sign
given to Father Abraham
00:29:56.73\00:29:58.93
and carried down
with only short lapses
00:29:58.96\00:30:03.10
in the practice for generations.
00:30:03.13\00:30:07.87
So their thinking is,
00:30:07.90\00:30:09.80
well, surely this is
got to be a requisite
00:30:09.84\00:30:13.24
for these new believers.
00:30:13.27\00:30:16.98
And of course,
it must have come up
00:30:17.01\00:30:19.41
at the Jerusalem counsel
00:30:19.45\00:30:20.78
because a number
of infractions did
00:30:20.82\00:30:22.95
and of course, you know,
James sort of digested down,
00:30:22.98\00:30:25.89
we can't do all of these things,
00:30:25.95\00:30:27.32
we've got to
really settle in morality,
00:30:27.36\00:30:33.63
things strangled which
wasn't a new were offer to idols
00:30:33.66\00:30:36.73
rather which was a sort
of a New Testament dust up,
00:30:36.77\00:30:38.80
there was some
problems with that.
00:30:38.83\00:30:40.24
But all of these
other Jewish things
00:30:40.27\00:30:42.50
no longer held sway.
00:30:42.57\00:30:45.14
Now it's all about
Jesus and that was ratified
00:30:45.17\00:30:48.41
and the brethren began to preach
00:30:48.44\00:30:50.71
and proclaim that
I want to go through
00:30:50.75\00:30:52.91
what Paul writes
00:30:52.95\00:30:55.02
as the dangerous
consequences of legalism.
00:30:55.05\00:30:58.82
The first one is trying to earn
00:30:58.85\00:31:01.22
God's favor by
submitting to circumcision
00:31:01.26\00:31:04.16
and all of that it
obliges a person to do
00:31:04.19\00:31:06.59
in respect to the
law and has had before,
00:31:06.63\00:31:09.13
in this issue
it was circumcision
00:31:09.16\00:31:10.73
but you could plug
really any practice in there...
00:31:10.77\00:31:12.87
That's true.
00:31:12.90\00:31:14.24
And turn it into a
legalistic requirement
00:31:14.27\00:31:19.24
that would take you away
00:31:19.27\00:31:20.61
from what Christ
is trying to give you.
00:31:20.64\00:31:22.01
Secondly, the person
will be cut off from Christ.
00:31:22.04\00:31:25.71
He's saying if
you do these things,
00:31:25.78\00:31:29.58
you are really
cutting off the flow of,
00:31:29.62\00:31:34.69
you know, I keep want to
come back to grace pipeline.
00:31:34.72\00:31:36.79
But you're cutting off the flow
00:31:36.83\00:31:39.79
of blessings and
grace from Jesus Christ
00:31:39.83\00:31:43.37
because now you're working,
00:31:43.40\00:31:44.87
you're
sweating, you're thriving,
00:31:44.90\00:31:46.40
you're trying to
do it on your own
00:31:46.43\00:31:48.67
and you simply cannot do it.
00:31:48.74\00:31:50.57
An unrighteous person
00:31:50.61\00:31:51.94
cannot keep a righteous holy law
00:31:52.01\00:31:53.74
without the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit
00:31:53.78\00:31:56.71
and the work of a
holy God in his heart.
00:31:56.75\00:32:00.75
So you've cut yourself off,
you're trying to do something
00:32:00.78\00:32:05.19
and you've cut yourself
off from the source of strength
00:32:05.22\00:32:07.62
that will enable
you to do something,
00:32:07.66\00:32:09.09
so you're actually
working against yourself.
00:32:09.12\00:32:11.23
Yeah, He says
you've fallen from grace.
00:32:11.26\00:32:12.89
You've fallen
from grace, precisely.
00:32:12.93\00:32:14.60
Yeah, you've
fallen from grace. Wow.
00:32:14.63\00:32:17.93
Which is strong, that's strong
00:32:17.97\00:32:19.37
'cause, you've
fallen from grace.
00:32:19.40\00:32:22.74
Paul's third
objection to circumcision
00:32:22.77\00:32:24.71
is that it
hinders spiritual growth.
00:32:24.74\00:32:26.37
It does.
00:32:26.41\00:32:27.74
Spiritual growth
comes from abiding in Jesus.
00:32:27.78\00:32:30.61
The whole John 15
00:32:30.65\00:32:33.25
and not just an
occasional assent to Jesus
00:32:33.28\00:32:36.25
but abiding in Jesus,
00:32:36.28\00:32:37.62
staying in Jesus,
staying with Jesus,
00:32:37.65\00:32:39.39
relying on Jesus,
receiving from Jesus.
00:32:39.42\00:32:42.89
And if you're
working on your own,
00:32:42.92\00:32:45.66
how can you grow?
00:32:45.73\00:32:47.50
How can you grow?
00:32:47.56\00:32:48.86
How can a plant
grow unless it is in soil
00:32:48.90\00:32:51.07
and getting water
and getting nutrients?
00:32:51.10\00:32:52.97
If you cut a pair
of a set of flowers,
00:32:53.00\00:32:57.11
the other day my wife
was away and I bought her
00:32:57.14\00:33:00.71
three dozen roses at
the airport, you know...
00:33:00.74\00:33:03.55
Oh, very nice. And
she was rather impressed.
00:33:03.58\00:33:06.15
Lucky Irma, that's very nice.
00:33:06.18\00:33:08.65
And then just few days later
00:33:08.72\00:33:10.25
she thrown them out
because there's not, you know,
00:33:10.29\00:33:13.32
you put them in water
and you put the little powder
00:33:13.36\00:33:14.92
and that's supposed
to extend their life,
00:33:14.96\00:33:16.29
but they're going to die,
you know, they're going to die.
00:33:16.32\00:33:19.43
All is that in same way,
00:33:19.46\00:33:20.80
if you're cut off from the vine,
00:33:20.83\00:33:23.30
the branch is not
gonna be able to succeed.
00:33:23.33\00:33:25.83
And so if you're
working on your own
00:33:25.87\00:33:27.70
and not receiving the
goodness, the grace of Christ,
00:33:27.74\00:33:31.27
you're going to die spiritually.
00:33:31.31\00:33:33.58
And so that's what
he's trying to say here.
00:33:33.61\00:33:35.34
If you're trying
to do it on your own
00:33:35.38\00:33:37.15
sooner or later you're going
to run out of spiritual gas
00:33:37.18\00:33:40.15
and you are going to die.
00:33:40.18\00:33:42.62
Finally, circumcision removes
the offense of the cross.
00:33:42.68\00:33:46.96
How?
00:33:46.99\00:33:48.32
The lesson as the
message of circumcision implies
00:33:48.36\00:33:51.93
that you can save yourself
00:33:51.99\00:33:53.80
as such it is a flatter,
00:33:53.83\00:33:56.13
it is flattering to human pride.
00:33:56.16\00:33:58.17
It's nice to have this
00:34:01.50\00:34:04.07
pull yourself up by
your bootstraps mentality.
00:34:04.11\00:34:07.38
You know, but you
can't pull yourself
00:34:07.41\00:34:10.41
up to the kingdom of God.
00:34:10.45\00:34:13.01
You can't.
00:34:13.05\00:34:14.38
You can't do
that, you need Jesus.
00:34:14.42\00:34:16.65
And there are some people
00:34:16.69\00:34:18.09
whose personality sort
of bristles at the idea
00:34:18.12\00:34:22.12
that I've got to
depend on somebody else.
00:34:22.16\00:34:24.36
Yes, it's very humbling.
00:34:24.39\00:34:26.43
It is very humbling, and
of course, in this world,
00:34:26.46\00:34:29.73
people will let you down.
00:34:29.76\00:34:32.03
But God will never let you down,
00:34:32.10\00:34:34.60
and that's why I love
00:34:34.64\00:34:35.97
the sentiment of Hebrews 13:5-6,
00:34:36.00\00:34:38.11
we can boldly say
God is our helper.
00:34:38.14\00:34:41.44
You know, we can boldly
say that God is our helper.
00:34:41.48\00:34:44.78
And we need Him
and we depend on Him.
00:34:44.81\00:34:47.22
And you know, there
are times in our life
00:34:47.25\00:34:48.85
when God puts you in something
and when you get through,
00:34:48.88\00:34:51.32
you know, it had to
be God, it was not you.
00:34:51.35\00:34:53.46
Well, if you live
your life like that,
00:34:53.49\00:34:55.99
it makes you dependent upon God,
00:34:56.02\00:34:57.69
but it also makes you
grateful that you serve a God
00:34:57.73\00:34:59.86
who loves you so much
that He will never leave you,
00:34:59.89\00:35:02.56
and never forsake you,
and always by your side.
00:35:02.60\00:35:05.10
So it removes you
from those dangers
00:35:05.13\00:35:07.64
that are inherent in trying
00:35:07.67\00:35:09.20
to be self righteous
and get righteousness
00:35:09.27\00:35:11.77
of by through your own efforts.
00:35:11.81\00:35:14.64
It makes you
dependent upon a God
00:35:14.68\00:35:16.75
who loves you and
will always be with you
00:35:16.78\00:35:19.01
and has made
provision for your success.
00:35:19.08\00:35:22.35
Amen.
00:35:22.38\00:35:23.72
As I'm sitting
here, I'm thinking about,
00:35:23.75\00:35:27.16
really we're striving
to see clearly as sinners
00:35:27.19\00:35:31.19
which are self
centered by nature
00:35:31.23\00:35:34.13
is instead of the
kingdom of this earth
00:35:34.20\00:35:36.77
which we've always
known pre-Christian,
00:35:36.80\00:35:39.83
pre-conversion,
the kingdom of heaven
00:35:39.87\00:35:43.04
which is selflessness
and all righteousness
00:35:43.07\00:35:46.34
comes by God before the fall,
00:35:46.41\00:35:50.18
after the fall, and now.
00:35:50.21\00:35:52.68
And we are the ones
00:35:52.75\00:35:54.08
that are struggling
trying to figure that out
00:35:54.12\00:35:55.95
because we have to die to self,
die to self, die to self...
00:35:56.02\00:35:59.12
Yes.
00:35:59.19\00:36:00.59
And that journey,
00:36:00.62\00:36:01.96
we can go into many ditches
00:36:01.99\00:36:03.39
because we
struggle to understand it.
00:36:03.43\00:36:05.36
It's an amazing
thing that our nature,
00:36:05.39\00:36:08.03
our natural self is at war
00:36:08.06\00:36:09.60
with what God is
trying to teach us all.
00:36:09.63\00:36:12.97
I was probably about six
months into my first district,
00:36:13.00\00:36:15.64
my first pastorate
00:36:15.67\00:36:17.04
and it was 4:30 in the morning
00:36:17.07\00:36:19.21
and I received the phone call.
00:36:19.24\00:36:21.81
And though the
woman shared her name
00:36:21.84\00:36:25.28
and I had only met
one other individual
00:36:25.31\00:36:27.68
in the district by that name
00:36:27.72\00:36:29.05
so in my stupor I
thought I'm listening
00:36:29.12\00:36:31.19
to this other individual.
00:36:31.22\00:36:32.92
And she was crying
and she was telling me
00:36:32.99\00:36:36.29
that my husband
is a faithful member,
00:36:36.36\00:36:39.03
but I am in the wrong place.
00:36:39.06\00:36:40.80
I am, where I
know I shouldn't be,
00:36:40.83\00:36:43.80
I have left the church.
00:36:43.83\00:36:45.67
I have gone to another church.
00:36:45.73\00:36:47.90
She'd gone to a
Pentecostal church,
00:36:47.94\00:36:49.40
an independent
Pentecostal church
00:36:49.44\00:36:51.37
and she says,
00:36:51.41\00:36:52.77
"I know that if I don't go
back to where God wants me,
00:36:52.81\00:36:55.14
then I'm gonna be lost."
00:36:55.18\00:36:57.35
And it wasn't until
later on that I figured out
00:36:57.38\00:36:59.61
who I was actually speaking with
00:36:59.65\00:37:01.48
someone I had never met,
00:37:01.52\00:37:02.88
you know, when
you're the pastor,
00:37:02.95\00:37:04.35
you expect that you're
supposed to know who this is
00:37:04.39\00:37:06.12
and I couldn't figure
it out the whole time.
00:37:06.19\00:37:09.06
Well, this
individual, bless her heart,
00:37:09.09\00:37:11.19
she came into the faith,
00:37:11.23\00:37:12.56
she became active in the church,
00:37:12.63\00:37:14.10
and then she
wanted to talk to me.
00:37:14.10\00:37:16.36
And she said,
"Pastor, I'm having a problem."
00:37:16.40\00:37:18.93
She said, "In that
other church that I was in,
00:37:18.97\00:37:22.80
they told you how
long your dress had to be,
00:37:22.84\00:37:25.11
they told you what
it need to be made of,
00:37:25.14\00:37:26.51
they told you how you're
supposed to keep your hair.
00:37:26.57\00:37:28.94
The pastor micromanaged us
00:37:28.98\00:37:32.61
and now that I
don't have that..."
00:37:32.65\00:37:35.08
She said,
00:37:35.12\00:37:36.48
"I don't know what to do
with this freedom I have.
00:37:36.52\00:37:40.02
Look all of a sudden,
00:37:40.06\00:37:41.39
you see our topic for today
00:37:41.42\00:37:43.06
and Wednesday's is
liberty not licentiousness."
00:37:43.12\00:37:45.99
Which she struggled
00:37:46.03\00:37:47.36
with is that she
went from bondage
00:37:47.40\00:37:49.13
to licentiousness
00:37:49.16\00:37:50.53
and didn't
experience that freedom.
00:37:50.57\00:37:52.63
Let's go to
00:37:52.70\00:37:55.14
Galatians 5:13.
00:37:55.17\00:38:01.71
And it says, "For you brethren,
have been called to liberty,
00:38:05.05\00:38:09.48
only do not use liberty as
an opportunity for the flesh
00:38:09.52\00:38:12.55
but through love
serve one another."
00:38:12.59\00:38:16.02
Do not use liberty.
00:38:16.06\00:38:17.53
So really what are
we at liberty from?
00:38:17.56\00:38:19.19
We are actually, we are, well,
we're saved from sins penalty.
00:38:19.23\00:38:24.83
That's the liberty we receive,
00:38:24.87\00:38:27.17
but we're also receive
freedom from something else,
00:38:27.20\00:38:30.47
it's found in
00:38:30.51\00:38:31.91
Galatians 2:17-21.
00:38:31.94\00:38:38.61
"But if while we seek
to be justified by Christ,
00:38:42.08\00:38:47.32
we ourselves are
also found sinners,
00:38:47.36\00:38:49.19
is Christ
therefore a minister of sin,
00:38:49.22\00:38:50.96
certainly not.
00:38:50.99\00:38:52.36
For if I build
again those things
00:38:52.39\00:38:53.73
which I destroyed, I
make myself a transgressor,
00:38:53.76\00:38:57.03
for I through the
law died to the law
00:38:57.07\00:38:59.47
that I might live to God.
00:38:59.50\00:39:01.00
I have been
crucified with Christ,
00:39:01.04\00:39:03.81
it is no longer I who
live but Christ lives in me."
00:39:03.84\00:39:07.38
Amen.
00:39:07.41\00:39:08.74
"And the life which I
now live in the flesh,
00:39:08.78\00:39:10.11
I live by faith
in the Son of God
00:39:10.15\00:39:11.55
who loved me and
gave Himself for me."
00:39:11.58\00:39:15.48
Amen.
00:39:15.52\00:39:16.85
And then verse 21,
00:39:16.89\00:39:18.22
"I do not set
aside the grace of God,
00:39:18.25\00:39:20.42
for if righteousness
comes through the law,
00:39:20.46\00:39:22.52
then Christ died in vain."
00:39:22.59\00:39:25.33
So we see that we have
this freedom in Christ,
00:39:25.36\00:39:27.93
and you know I was thinking,
00:39:27.96\00:39:29.53
well, how do we
00:39:29.60\00:39:32.47
not go into that
ditch of licentiousness?
00:39:32.50\00:39:35.60
And my mind went to John 15
00:39:35.64\00:39:37.94
and something we
have to all keep in mind
00:39:37.97\00:39:40.34
because the
freedom is in Christ,
00:39:40.38\00:39:41.71
I am crucified.
00:39:41.74\00:39:44.15
It is Him that is living in me
00:39:44.18\00:39:46.65
and we can say it
over and over again,
00:39:46.68\00:39:48.68
we can think it, we
can be resolute about it,
00:39:48.72\00:39:51.95
but at the same time
00:39:51.99\00:39:53.32
we often fall out
of that experience.
00:39:53.39\00:39:56.26
But in John 15:4-5,
00:39:56.29\00:40:00.36
"Abide in me and I and you
00:40:00.40\00:40:02.86
as the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself
00:40:02.90\00:40:04.57
unless it abides in the vine,
00:40:04.60\00:40:05.93
neither can you
unless you abide in me."
00:40:05.97\00:40:07.44
Amen. I am the vine.
00:40:07.47\00:40:08.87
We have to remember
Jesus is the source of life,
00:40:08.90\00:40:11.54
of spiritual life.
00:40:11.57\00:40:12.91
Amen.
00:40:12.97\00:40:14.31
And you are the branches,
00:40:14.34\00:40:15.84
He who abides in me and I in Him
00:40:15.88\00:40:17.31
bears much fruit
00:40:17.35\00:40:18.95
for without me
you can do nothing.
00:40:18.98\00:40:20.32
Amen.
00:40:20.35\00:40:21.68
Now I think about it,
oh, what is the fruit?
00:40:21.72\00:40:23.08
You go to Galatians
5, back to Galatians.
00:40:23.12\00:40:25.75
You know, this very
thing that we're talking about,
00:40:29.46\00:40:31.96
we were mentioning
people are struggling
00:40:31.99\00:40:34.73
with Paul's gospel.
00:40:34.73\00:40:36.06
Paul's gospel was one that,
00:40:36.13\00:40:37.73
you know, I guess he was like
the Morris Venden of his day,
00:40:37.77\00:40:40.20
was radical thinking,
00:40:40.24\00:40:41.57
righteousness by
faith, what is this?
00:40:41.60\00:40:43.51
We have to do,
00:40:43.54\00:40:44.87
we can do that plus the law
00:40:44.91\00:40:46.24
and then we'll be
good and everything.
00:40:46.27\00:40:47.61
And I think as an Adventists,
00:40:47.64\00:40:49.01
we struggle with the same thing.
00:40:49.04\00:40:50.38
Absolutely.
00:40:50.41\00:40:51.75
Christians struggle with that,
any Christian will struggle.
00:40:51.78\00:40:53.11
But we find that, you know,
00:40:53.15\00:40:55.05
there are
things that are removed
00:40:55.08\00:40:56.69
when you're
walking in the spirit,
00:40:56.72\00:40:58.55
but the fruit of the
spirit in Galatians 5:22 says,
00:40:58.59\00:41:01.79
"Is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness,
00:41:01.82\00:41:05.43
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control,
00:41:05.46\00:41:07.50
against such there is no law..."
00:41:07.56\00:41:10.27
So here we have
empowering grace.
00:41:10.30\00:41:14.70
So that is the law
of liberty living in us
00:41:14.74\00:41:16.87
and this is the result of it.
00:41:16.91\00:41:18.81
But what happens is
sometimes people find themselves
00:41:18.84\00:41:21.54
in verse 19 and onward,
00:41:21.58\00:41:24.28
"In the works of the flesh,
00:41:24.31\00:41:26.08
there is the
adultery, the fornication,
00:41:26.11\00:41:27.98
the uncleanness,
00:41:28.02\00:41:29.35
and this doesn't
have to be an action,
00:41:29.38\00:41:30.72
this could be in thought,
00:41:30.75\00:41:32.09
this could be in
their inner thought life,
00:41:32.12\00:41:34.86
in their who they are.
00:41:34.89\00:41:36.22
Idolatry, sorcery,
hatred, contentions, jealousies,
00:41:36.29\00:41:38.66
outbursts, or wrath,
selfish, ambitions, dissensions,
00:41:38.69\00:41:41.33
heresies, envy, murders,
and drunkenness, revelries."
00:41:41.36\00:41:44.50
So here we find this is
what we come to Christ with
00:41:44.53\00:41:49.44
but He exchanges
that for what we read
00:41:49.47\00:41:52.51
and when we read
the fruit of the spirit.
00:41:52.54\00:41:57.11
But it is no longer I living,
00:41:57.15\00:41:58.85
it is Christ in me
00:41:58.88\00:42:00.28
and that's
something that each one of us
00:42:00.32\00:42:02.42
needs to experience.
00:42:02.48\00:42:04.42
There's
something else it says here
00:42:04.45\00:42:05.92
in that verse Galatians 5:13,
00:42:05.95\00:42:08.86
it says, "But through
love serve one another.
00:42:08.89\00:42:13.19
So an antidote
for serving the flesh
00:42:13.26\00:42:17.10
is to serve others.
00:42:17.13\00:42:18.70
Yes.
00:42:18.73\00:42:20.07
I think that it's
an important ingredient
00:42:20.10\00:42:21.94
in a Christian's walk
00:42:21.97\00:42:23.34
and there are
too many Christians
00:42:23.37\00:42:24.71
that don't
experience the serving others.
00:42:24.74\00:42:27.08
Amen.
00:42:27.11\00:42:28.44
Yeah, I remember one
time a pastor said to me,
00:42:28.48\00:42:30.58
this is before it was pastoring.
00:42:30.61\00:42:31.95
He said,
00:42:31.98\00:42:33.35
"You know, there's a
reason I'm a full time pastor."
00:42:33.38\00:42:34.72
I said, "What's that?"
00:42:34.75\00:42:36.08
And he said,
00:42:36.12\00:42:37.45
"Because without
it, I'd be lost."
00:42:37.49\00:42:38.82
Wow.
00:42:38.85\00:42:40.19
"I need full time
ministry to keep me
00:42:40.22\00:42:43.73
in a saved condition."
00:42:43.76\00:42:45.23
I thought wow.
00:42:45.26\00:42:46.76
Well, you know, I realize that
00:42:46.83\00:42:48.13
if God calls you
to full time ministry,
00:42:48.16\00:42:50.07
you know, He wants
you to bless others
00:42:50.10\00:42:51.80
but He also wants
to transform your life,
00:42:51.83\00:42:54.60
it's what you need
and He's more interested
00:42:54.64\00:42:57.44
in our salvation
than our ministry.
00:42:57.47\00:42:59.67
That's true.
00:42:59.71\00:43:01.11
And when I look
at this, I think wow,
00:43:01.14\00:43:03.71
"Serving others in love
00:43:03.75\00:43:05.28
is what we need to do
only through death to self
00:43:05.31\00:43:08.95
is that possible."
00:43:08.98\00:43:11.09
And that is the way the
kingdom of heaven operates.
00:43:11.12\00:43:15.46
The very thing that
we are trying to grasp,
00:43:15.49\00:43:17.59
a hold of and get figure out
00:43:17.63\00:43:19.03
what this is really
all about as a Christian,
00:43:19.06\00:43:20.90
because if you think about it,
00:43:20.93\00:43:22.30
when we close our eyes
and sleep or Jesus comes,
00:43:22.33\00:43:25.27
we are going to enter
into that transformed state.
00:43:25.30\00:43:28.07
The only thing we're
taking with us is character.
00:43:28.10\00:43:30.41
Character.
00:43:30.44\00:43:31.77
And it's being developed now,
00:43:31.81\00:43:33.71
and now is the time
to learn this very thing.
00:43:33.74\00:43:36.28
Well said.
00:43:36.34\00:43:37.68
And I think about the
Three Angels' messages,
00:43:37.71\00:43:39.05
we're not really
sharing them unless it's infused
00:43:39.08\00:43:43.59
with righteousness by faith.
00:43:43.62\00:43:45.19
It's got to be
Christ's message not mine.
00:43:45.22\00:43:48.42
I'm not the one that's right,
00:43:48.46\00:43:49.82
I'm as lost as the other person.
00:43:49.86\00:43:51.19
And if it were
not for this message,
00:43:51.23\00:43:52.93
I'd have nothing to share.
00:43:52.99\00:43:55.30
And what a privilege it is
00:43:55.33\00:43:56.93
because as we serve
others and by the way,
00:43:56.97\00:44:00.64
until you love God
00:44:00.67\00:44:02.00
with all your
heart, mind, and soul
00:44:02.04\00:44:03.37
and love your
neighbor as yourself,
00:44:03.44\00:44:05.11
you cannot be serving others.
00:44:05.14\00:44:07.08
It's maybe more
self serving. It's good.
00:44:07.11\00:44:08.44
Yeah.
00:44:08.48\00:44:09.84
Some people are so busy,
00:44:09.88\00:44:11.21
but they're
really not in Christ,
00:44:11.25\00:44:12.58
they're just busy.
00:44:12.61\00:44:14.55
But as we serve others
00:44:14.58\00:44:16.62
then it has a
transforming effect
00:44:16.69\00:44:18.02
and a holding effect.
00:44:18.05\00:44:19.39
So we don't fall into that trap
00:44:19.42\00:44:23.26
of licentiousness
00:44:23.32\00:44:25.23
that so easily
befalls God's people.
00:44:25.26\00:44:29.00
So that is the goal that
God has for every one of us
00:44:29.03\00:44:33.50
is for us to live in liberty.
00:44:33.54\00:44:37.57
By the way, His law,
00:44:37.61\00:44:38.94
the moral law is
the law of liberty.
00:44:38.97\00:44:40.94
That's right.
00:44:40.98\00:44:42.31
And it's freedom from sin,
it's freedom from its penalty,
00:44:42.34\00:44:45.81
and the victory could be ours.
00:44:45.85\00:44:48.25
You know, if we
knew Him as we could,
00:44:48.28\00:44:51.79
as we have the
opportunity to know Him,
00:44:51.82\00:44:53.32
we'd have the
victory all the time.
00:44:53.36\00:44:55.86
And I think of
that very thought,
00:44:55.89\00:44:58.23
Christ was our
example in all things,
00:44:58.26\00:45:00.76
it's in Christ
that there is victory,
00:45:00.80\00:45:02.86
His spirit in us.
00:45:02.90\00:45:04.43
And serving others is a
way to not only behold Him
00:45:04.47\00:45:08.74
but to be a co-laborer with Him,
00:45:08.77\00:45:11.97
ministering to
the needs of others.
00:45:12.01\00:45:13.58
Absolutely, thank you very much,
00:45:13.64\00:45:15.61
that was good.
00:45:15.64\00:45:17.55
Thursday's lesson,
we're going to be talking Paul
00:45:17.58\00:45:20.38
is talking about
fulfilling the whole law.
00:45:20.42\00:45:23.89
It's interesting throughout
all of Paul's writings
00:45:23.92\00:45:27.66
when he writes
about doing the law,
00:45:27.69\00:45:30.33
it's always in a negative way.
00:45:30.39\00:45:33.16
You know, he writes
negatively about doing the law,
00:45:33.19\00:45:36.03
but he writes very positively
about fulfilling the law.
00:45:36.10\00:45:41.20
So what we're going
to do is try to reconcile
00:45:41.24\00:45:42.94
these two
statements in this lesson.
00:45:42.97\00:45:45.44
And there's a sharp
contrast, so let's look at this.
00:45:45.47\00:45:48.61
In Galatians 5:3-4,
00:45:48.64\00:45:55.55
and this is a wake
up call for anybody
00:45:55.58\00:45:58.79
who thinks that
what you are doing
00:45:58.82\00:46:02.02
can add to your salvation.
00:46:02.06\00:46:03.79
If you don't accept the
salvation of Jesus Christ
00:46:03.83\00:46:07.50
by faith alone, by God's grace,
00:46:07.56\00:46:10.60
if you're doing anything
00:46:10.63\00:46:12.17
to make
yourself right before God
00:46:12.20\00:46:15.10
to give you to,
bring your righteousness,
00:46:15.14\00:46:17.17
you need to listen to this.
00:46:17.21\00:46:18.57
Galatians 5:3-4.
00:46:18.61\00:46:20.88
Paul writes,
00:46:20.91\00:46:22.24
"And I testify
again to every man
00:46:22.28\00:46:24.25
who has become circumcised..."
00:46:24.28\00:46:25.68
As you said this
is the poster topic
00:46:25.71\00:46:28.65
but doesn't mean
just circumcision.
00:46:28.68\00:46:31.35
"To every man has
become circumcised
00:46:31.39\00:46:33.19
that he is a debtor,
00:46:33.22\00:46:35.76
he has assumed an obligation
00:46:35.79\00:46:38.69
because he's coming
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.06
under the law for justification.
00:46:40.13\00:46:42.26
He's a debtor to do or
to keep do the whole law."
00:46:42.30\00:46:48.17
So you're obligated,
00:46:48.20\00:46:49.54
if you're gonna try
to be saved by the law,
00:46:49.60\00:46:52.44
you are obligated to
keep the perfect obedience
00:46:52.47\00:46:56.75
to the entire law
which we know is impossible.
00:46:56.78\00:46:59.61
But listen to verse 4,
00:46:59.65\00:47:01.48
"You have become
estranged from Christ..."
00:47:01.52\00:47:05.72
Wow, you've been separated,
you're a stranger to Him.
00:47:05.75\00:47:08.42
"Now you who attempt
to be justified by law..."
00:47:08.46\00:47:13.33
Whether it's dietary
law or any other law,
00:47:13.36\00:47:16.20
"You who attempt to
be justified by law,
00:47:16.26\00:47:19.00
you have fallen from grace."
00:47:19.03\00:47:23.41
Remember, what
Jesus wrote in Revelation,
00:47:23.44\00:47:25.64
remember how
far you have fallen.
00:47:25.67\00:47:29.38
Oh, so Jesus is no longer
your first love because self,
00:47:29.41\00:47:34.32
you're inserting self a savior.
00:47:34.35\00:47:36.72
So in Galatians
3:10, let's read that one.
00:47:36.79\00:47:43.12
Why is he saying
you becoming a debtor?
00:47:43.16\00:47:45.36
In Galatians 3:10,
00:47:45.39\00:47:47.03
he said for as many as
are of the works of the law,
00:47:47.10\00:47:51.23
now he's talking about
the Mosaic covenant here.
00:47:51.27\00:47:53.70
He's gonna make it clear
00:47:53.74\00:47:55.07
because He's going to
quote from it in just a second.
00:47:55.10\00:47:57.61
"For as many as are
of the works of the law
00:47:57.64\00:48:02.34
under this Mosaic
law are under a curse,
00:48:02.38\00:48:07.25
for it is written
cursed is every one
00:48:07.28\00:48:11.42
who does not
continue in all things
00:48:11.45\00:48:13.99
which are written in the
book of the law to do them."
00:48:14.02\00:48:18.56
So salvation
00:48:18.59\00:48:21.23
by doing works,
00:48:21.26\00:48:25.03
by trying to save ourselves
00:48:25.07\00:48:26.60
separates us from Jesus Christ.
00:48:26.63\00:48:30.07
It doesn't imply though
00:48:30.11\00:48:31.44
that we have no
need of obedience
00:48:31.47\00:48:33.74
and that's what we
really want to look at
00:48:33.78\00:48:36.44
but rather that as Hebrews 7:22,
00:48:36.51\00:48:41.32
I believe says,
00:48:41.35\00:48:42.75
"Jesus is the
surety of the covenant."
00:48:42.78\00:48:45.85
And it goes on in 7:25 saying
00:48:45.89\00:48:48.39
that He is therefore
able to save to the utter most
00:48:48.42\00:48:52.13
all those to come
to God through Him,
00:48:52.16\00:48:55.33
because He lives to
make intercession for us.
00:48:55.36\00:48:59.37
So the surety of the covenant,
00:48:59.40\00:49:02.87
He is making sure that,
00:49:02.90\00:49:05.07
He's telling us,
okay, through me,
00:49:05.11\00:49:07.34
all of God's promises are yours,
00:49:07.38\00:49:08.74
yes and amen in Christ Jesus.
00:49:08.78\00:49:11.61
But he is also
assuring God, all right,
00:49:11.65\00:49:14.82
Lord, through Me working in Him
00:49:14.85\00:49:16.85
to will and to do
His good pleasure.
00:49:16.89\00:49:19.49
As I work in C.A.
00:49:19.52\00:49:21.12
to will and to, I promise Lord,
00:49:21.16\00:49:24.46
I will keep,
00:49:24.49\00:49:26.09
I will perfect the work
that I have begun in Him.
00:49:26.13\00:49:29.26
That's right.
00:49:29.30\00:49:30.63
So obedience to fulfill the law,
00:49:30.67\00:49:35.20
if you look at
the word in the Greek,
00:49:35.24\00:49:37.64
it's like if you had a yard here
00:49:37.67\00:49:40.41
and then it
suddenly got this dip,
00:49:40.44\00:49:42.11
this hollow place,
00:49:42.14\00:49:44.78
fulfilling it
would be to come in
00:49:44.81\00:49:47.15
and fill it over,
making it leveled out.
00:49:47.18\00:49:51.82
So let's look at Romans 8:3-4.
00:49:51.85\00:49:57.93
Romans 8:3-4.
00:49:57.96\00:50:02.66
What does Paul mean it?
00:50:02.70\00:50:04.03
We're gonna be
fulfilling the law.
00:50:04.07\00:50:05.90
Romans 8:3-4.
00:50:05.93\00:50:08.20
He said, "For what
the law could not do
00:50:08.24\00:50:10.31
and that it was weak
through the flesh..."
00:50:10.34\00:50:12.31
In other words
nobody can keep the law,
00:50:12.34\00:50:15.28
that Mosaic law was impossible.
00:50:15.31\00:50:17.31
"God did by sending His own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh
00:50:17.35\00:50:23.22
on account of sin.
00:50:23.28\00:50:25.39
He condemned
sin in the flesh..."
00:50:25.42\00:50:28.16
Amen.
00:50:28.19\00:50:29.52
Now here comes
the purpose statement.
00:50:29.56\00:50:31.76
"So that, he condemns sin
in the flesh by dying for us
00:50:31.79\00:50:37.50
so that the righteous
requirement of the law
00:50:37.53\00:50:40.64
might be fulfilled in us
00:50:40.67\00:50:43.27
who do not walk
according to the flesh
00:50:43.30\00:50:45.34
but according to the spirit."
00:50:45.37\00:50:47.61
Hallelujah. Amen.
00:50:47.64\00:50:49.71
So when He ascended to
heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit.
00:50:49.74\00:50:56.35
And now Ephesians 3:16-20,
00:50:56.38\00:51:01.12
it's talking about
Paul writes and says,
00:51:01.16\00:51:04.73
"You know I prayed that
you will be strengthened
00:51:04.76\00:51:06.70
with might, or due to my power,
00:51:06.73\00:51:09.93
through the
Spirit in your inner man
00:51:09.96\00:51:11.87
so it's through the Holy Spirit,
00:51:11.90\00:51:13.60
so that Christ
might live in your heart
00:51:13.64\00:51:15.57
by face so that
you can be rooted,
00:51:15.60\00:51:17.61
grounded, and love
00:51:17.64\00:51:18.97
and come into the
full stature of Christ.
00:51:19.01\00:51:21.24
So now as the
spirit lives in us,
00:51:21.28\00:51:24.05
Christ lives in us by faith,
00:51:24.08\00:51:26.48
and it's just
so exciting to know
00:51:26.51\00:51:29.42
that Christian behavior
00:51:29.45\00:51:31.65
is more than a
mere outward obedience,
00:51:31.69\00:51:35.16
he changes our
heart, that's right,
00:51:35.19\00:51:37.09
that's the new covenant promises
00:51:37.13\00:51:39.49
that He gives us a new heart
00:51:39.53\00:51:42.76
and we fulfill the
requirements of the moral law
00:51:42.80\00:51:48.10
because He's working
His character out in us.
00:51:48.14\00:51:51.17
Amen.
00:51:51.21\00:51:52.54
It's just because, we love
Him and we want to keep that.
00:51:52.57\00:51:56.91
Romans 13-8.
00:51:56.98\00:51:59.95
Paul writes to the
Romans and he says,
00:52:00.05\00:52:02.02
"Owe no one anything
except to love one another,
00:52:02.05\00:52:06.72
for he who has loved one another
00:52:06.76\00:52:09.92
has fulfilled the law.
00:52:09.99\00:52:12.29
You know, when the
young ruler came to Jesus
00:52:12.33\00:52:16.20
and said one of the
most important commandments
00:52:16.23\00:52:18.10
in Mark 12:30-31,
00:52:18.13\00:52:20.50
Jesus said this is it,
00:52:20.57\00:52:22.40
love the Lord your
God with all your heart,
00:52:22.44\00:52:23.84
all your soul, all your mind,
00:52:23.87\00:52:25.67
all your strength
love your neighbor
00:52:25.71\00:52:27.58
as yourself, right?
00:52:27.61\00:52:30.08
So this was actually
not the rich young ruler
00:52:30.11\00:52:32.05
This was the
scribes and Pharisees
00:52:32.08\00:52:33.98
who came to Him.
00:52:34.05\00:52:35.38
So what we have to look at
00:52:35.42\00:52:41.19
is that
00:52:41.22\00:52:42.56
that's the bottom
line to Christianity,
00:52:42.59\00:52:44.56
He tells us, Jesus
tells us in Matthew 22,
00:52:44.59\00:52:49.56
I'm gonna read, let
me quickly read this.
00:52:49.60\00:52:53.07
This is where a man comes to me
00:52:53.13\00:52:55.20
and says, teacher,
what's the greatest commandment
00:52:55.24\00:52:57.11
of the law, and
Jesus once again says,
00:52:57.14\00:53:00.34
"Love the Lord your God
00:53:00.38\00:53:01.71
with all your heart, soul, mind,
00:53:01.74\00:53:03.71
this is the first
and greatest commandment
00:53:03.75\00:53:06.35
and the second is
like this, is like it.
00:53:06.38\00:53:09.82
You should love
neighbor as yourself.
00:53:09.85\00:53:12.42
On these two commandments,
00:53:12.45\00:53:14.86
hang all the law
and the prophets.
00:53:14.89\00:53:19.23
All the writings
of the Old Testament
00:53:19.26\00:53:21.23
are hanging on
those two commandments.
00:53:21.26\00:53:22.60
Amen
00:53:22.63\00:53:24.00
Now. Why?
00:53:24.07\00:53:27.77
Without love the law is empty
00:53:27.80\00:53:33.27
and it's cold.
00:53:33.31\00:53:34.91
I have met some people
who are law keep person...
00:53:34.94\00:53:39.11
Empty and cold.
00:53:39.15\00:53:40.52
And they're empty and cold.
00:53:40.55\00:53:41.88
I mean they were, you
know, you just feel like
00:53:41.92\00:53:43.79
you've been slapped
up against the cheek
00:53:43.82\00:53:46.39
with a cold fish.
00:53:46.42\00:53:48.29
But without the law,
love has no direction.
00:53:48.32\00:53:53.40
True.
00:53:53.43\00:53:54.73
So I want to send you
to my favorite scripture
00:53:54.76\00:53:58.03
one of my favorites I'd like to.
00:53:58.07\00:53:59.93
Let's look at 1
Thessalonians 3:12-13.
00:54:00.07\00:54:03.94
Because when Christ
is living in our heart
00:54:03.97\00:54:07.51
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
00:54:07.58\00:54:09.21
you see we can even love God
00:54:09.24\00:54:11.05
with all of our heart,
soul, mind, and strength
00:54:11.08\00:54:12.71
and love our
neighbor by our self,
00:54:12.75\00:54:14.12
not in our own
strength, Romans 5:5 says,
00:54:14.15\00:54:16.48
"God is the one
who pours His love
00:54:16.52\00:54:18.52
into our hearts
00:54:18.55\00:54:19.89
by the power of
the Holy Spirit."
00:54:19.95\00:54:22.59
And 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13,
Paul writes and he says,
00:54:22.62\00:54:26.83
"May the Lord make you increase
00:54:26.90\00:54:29.26
in the bound of
love to one another
00:54:29.30\00:54:31.47
and to all just
as we do to you."
00:54:31.50\00:54:34.24
'Cause this is how
you're going to fulfill the law.
00:54:34.27\00:54:38.11
He says, but what is the reason,
00:54:38.14\00:54:40.58
why does he want
God to do this in us?
00:54:40.64\00:54:43.31
To make us abound in
love, to make us grow in love.
00:54:43.35\00:54:46.98
Here's his purpose statement,
00:54:47.02\00:54:48.52
so that he may establish
00:54:48.55\00:54:51.55
your heart's
blameless and holiness
00:54:51.59\00:54:54.02
before our God and Father
00:54:54.06\00:54:55.52
at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ
00:54:55.56\00:54:57.56
with all His saints.
00:54:57.59\00:55:00.16
What's he saying?
00:55:00.23\00:55:02.33
As God causes
us to grow in love,
00:55:02.36\00:55:06.40
we grow in holiness
00:55:06.43\00:55:08.94
because the
essence of God is love.
00:55:08.97\00:55:13.54
He pours that essence
into us and it is love
00:55:13.58\00:55:18.48
that makes us want to
obey God to follow His voice,
00:55:18.51\00:55:22.22
to listen to Him.
00:55:22.25\00:55:23.65
It is love that
self-sacrificing love,
00:55:23.69\00:55:27.12
I'm not talking
syrupy sweet, this is...
00:55:27.16\00:55:29.66
I'm talking about
that self sacrificing love
00:55:29.69\00:55:32.99
that makes us serve others.
00:55:33.03\00:55:34.36
Amen.
00:55:34.36\00:55:35.70
Amen, beautifully said, Shelley,
00:55:35.73\00:55:37.23
what an incredible blessing.
00:55:37.30\00:55:38.63
To me this is
practical Christianity
00:55:38.67\00:55:41.74
lived down in action.
00:55:41.77\00:55:43.10
This is the gospel
00:55:43.14\00:55:44.54
and how it
applies to my own life.
00:55:44.57\00:55:47.11
You talked about love,
00:55:47.14\00:55:48.61
I wrote it down, I
love what you said,
00:55:48.64\00:55:50.48
"Without love the
law is empty and cold,
00:55:50.51\00:55:54.68
but without the law,
love has no direction."
00:55:54.72\00:55:58.19
And love truly
as our memory text,
00:55:58.22\00:56:00.36
love is the
fulfilling of the law.
00:56:00.39\00:56:02.66
Both Pastor C.A.
00:56:02.69\00:56:04.03
and Pastor Tom, you
both referenced John 15.
00:56:04.06\00:56:08.10
One from the angle of keeping us
00:56:08.13\00:56:09.83
from legalism and one
from the angle of keeping us
00:56:09.86\00:56:12.70
from licentiousness,
00:56:12.73\00:56:14.50
and you think if we
are to have Christ love,
00:56:14.54\00:56:17.77
if love is truly the
fulfilling of the law,
00:56:17.81\00:56:20.91
if we are to have Christ
formed within the hope of glory,
00:56:20.94\00:56:24.31
we have got to
abide in the vine.
00:56:24.38\00:56:26.75
Amen. We have got
to abide in Christ.
00:56:26.78\00:56:30.42
I think about
Greg when he was young
00:56:30.45\00:56:33.25
and had a great vine swing.
00:56:33.29\00:56:36.39
And they cut the
grapevine off at the root
00:56:36.42\00:56:38.93
and they swung
out over the valley
00:56:38.96\00:56:40.83
and came back and
swung out over the valley
00:56:40.86\00:56:43.70
and came back and they
did this for weeks and months.
00:56:43.77\00:56:47.07
And then one day
someone came to visit
00:56:47.14\00:56:49.47
and he was a kid
00:56:49.50\00:56:51.01
and he jumped on
the grapevine swing
00:56:51.04\00:56:53.04
and he swung out over the valley
00:56:53.07\00:56:54.41
and you know what happened?
00:56:54.44\00:56:55.78
It broke.
00:56:55.81\00:56:57.15
And he went flying and landed,
00:56:57.18\00:56:58.65
but he was
okay, praise the Lord.
00:56:58.68\00:57:00.72
But the reason it
broke is it was disconnected
00:57:00.78\00:57:05.29
from its life source.
00:57:05.32\00:57:06.65
So as we incorporate
these principles of walking
00:57:06.69\00:57:11.89
by faith know that
00:57:11.93\00:57:14.30
we have to remain
connected to the vine,
00:57:14.36\00:57:17.50
that is the
most important thing,
00:57:17.57\00:57:19.00
Jesus, life giving
sap flowing through us.
00:57:19.03\00:57:22.14
Thank you Shelley
Quinn, Pastor Tom Ferguson,
00:57:22.17\00:57:24.71
Pastor C.A.
Murray, and John Dinzey,
00:57:24.74\00:57:26.57
and we thank you
for joining us as well
00:57:26.61\00:57:29.51
for 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:57:29.54\00:57:31.41
We want to encourage you
to be connected to Christ
00:57:31.45\00:57:34.32
and stay connected this week.
00:57:34.35\00:57:35.98
Bye-bye.
00:57:36.02\00:57:37.39