The Bible tells us:
00:00:01.33\00:00:02.66
Join us now for the
00:00:21.18\00:00:25.79
Our study today is:
00:00:25.82\00:00:27.62
Oh Hi, we are
so glad to see you,
00:00:35.13\00:00:37.67
so glad that you are joining us
for 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:00:37.70\00:00:42.14
We are studying the
Seventh-day Adventist
00:00:42.17\00:00:44.67
Sabbath School Quarterly.
00:00:44.71\00:00:46.04
This is the fourth
quarter, and our study is on
00:00:46.07\00:00:49.44
Salvation by Faith
Alone in the book of Romans;
00:00:49.48\00:00:52.71
favorite topic, favorite
book, so I'm just in hog heaven,
00:00:52.75\00:00:56.08
as we say down south.
00:00:56.12\00:00:58.55
I'm Shelley Quinn, and allow
me to introduce the rest of our
00:00:58.59\00:01:03.66
panel, who will be
studying with us today.
00:01:03.73\00:01:06.19
These are my dear
friends and my extended family:
00:01:06.23\00:01:08.63
Pastor C. A. Murray,
Pastor John Lomacang,
00:01:08.66\00:01:11.37
my dear Mollie Sue
Steenson, and Jill Morikone.
00:01:11.40\00:01:14.94
We're just so thankful, and
I just want to commend each one
00:01:14.97\00:01:19.37
of you for taking the time
to study deep into each day's
00:01:19.41\00:01:22.81
topic, because that's what makes
it exciting, is when we get
00:01:22.84\00:01:27.22
beyond the
surface of the Scripture,
00:01:27.28\00:01:29.08
and go deep into the Scripture.
00:01:29.12\00:01:31.15
If you would like to study along
with us, and you don't have a
00:01:31.19\00:01:35.26
Sabbath School
Quarterly, you can go to:
00:01:35.29\00:01:37.39
That stands for
Adult Bible Study Guide.
00:01:38.86\00:01:40.66
You can download one of those
studies, and take notes right
00:01:45.63\00:01:51.21
along with us, or you can go by
a Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:01:51.24\00:01:54.94
They would welcome you.
00:01:54.98\00:01:56.38
They could either give you
a quarterly, or welcome you
00:01:56.41\00:01:59.21
to their Bible study.
00:01:59.25\00:02:00.65
Before we begin
on today's study,
00:02:00.72\00:02:03.69
which is,
Overcoming Evil With Good.
00:02:03.72\00:02:07.39
Paul is transitioning now from
the theology of the redemptive
00:02:07.46\00:02:12.53
act of Jesus Christ into
the covenant expectations;
00:02:12.56\00:02:17.13
what God is
expecting of His people.
00:02:17.17\00:02:19.30
And before we begin, C. A.
would you like to invite the
00:02:19.33\00:02:22.67
Holy Spirit to be our teacher?
00:02:22.70\00:02:24.44
It would be my pleasure.
00:02:24.47\00:02:25.81
Shall we pray? Father God,
again we call upon You to give
00:02:25.84\00:02:28.91
us Spiritual minds, because we
know that Spiritual things are
00:02:28.94\00:02:32.25
Spiritually discerned.
00:02:32.28\00:02:33.62
Teach us so that
we may teach others.
00:02:33.68\00:02:35.55
Bless us so that we may be
a blessing, as we continue our
00:02:35.58\00:02:39.22
study into this marvelous work
of Paul that was authored by
00:02:39.25\00:02:44.53
You, the Holy Spirit.
00:02:44.56\00:02:45.89
We thank You,
Father, in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:02:45.93\00:02:48.43
Amen, and Amen. Alright, if you
have your Bibles, we just want
00:02:48.46\00:02:52.13
you to go ahead and open your
Bible to Romans, Chapter 12,
00:02:52.17\00:02:55.64
and you can say the
memory verse with us.
00:02:55.67\00:02:59.94
This is on
Sabbath's lesson: Romans 12:2.
00:03:00.08\00:03:06.41
And do not be conformed to this
world: but be transformed by the
00:03:06.45\00:03:13.29
renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what is that good,
00:03:13.36\00:03:17.76
and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
00:03:17.79\00:03:21.20
Paul is trying to disabuse the
Romans of the wrong use of the
00:03:21.23\00:03:26.70
law of God, but he's also trying
to show them that actually
00:03:26.74\00:03:33.44
we have stricter
requirements of us now.
00:03:33.48\00:03:36.18
You know, he told the
Philippians, in Philippians 2:5,
00:03:36.21\00:03:39.01
Let this mind be in you,
which was in Christ Jesus.
00:03:39.05\00:03:43.35
When you think of that, that
the mind of Christ was one that
00:03:43.39\00:03:49.72
humbly depended upon
God, and that is what He
00:03:49.76\00:03:53.40
is wanting us to do.
00:03:53.46\00:03:54.76
So let's look at Sunday.
00:03:54.83\00:03:57.50
We're going to begin this
transition as he bridges from
00:03:57.53\00:04:02.17
doctrine to duty in Romans
12:1, your reasonable service.
00:04:02.20\00:04:10.15
Paul says, I beseech
you therefore, brethren,
00:04:10.18\00:04:12.65
by the mercies of God, that
you present your bodies a living
00:04:12.68\00:04:16.22
sacrifice, holy,
and acceptable to God,
00:04:16.25\00:04:19.12
which is your
reasonable service.
00:04:19.15\00:04:22.06
I beseech you brethren.
00:04:22.09\00:04:23.56
He is making an
earnest plea with them.
00:04:23.63\00:04:26.43
He's speaking to
the children of God.
00:04:26.46\00:04:28.76
And he's now going to give them
a practical teaching that will
00:04:28.80\00:04:34.00
rest on the, what he has given
to them before, which was the
00:04:34.04\00:04:40.04
theological
foundation that he's laid.
00:04:40.08\00:04:42.31
So when he says, I beseech you
therefore, therefore is always
00:04:42.34\00:04:47.62
a bridge, bridging back to what
he's laid, everything that he
00:04:47.65\00:04:51.49
has already written.
00:04:51.52\00:04:52.85
And now he's going to tell
us, because of all of this,
00:04:52.89\00:04:56.32
here's what you should do.
00:04:56.36\00:04:57.83
He says, It is by
the mercies of God.
00:04:57.86\00:05:02.16
You know, we have a
tendency to make little of the
00:05:02.20\00:05:09.00
word mercy, I would say.
00:05:09.04\00:05:10.61
But Paul, being a Jew, knew
Hebrew, and he has well studied,
00:05:10.64\00:05:16.18
so he was familiar
with the word hesed.
00:05:16.21\00:05:19.35
Hesed in the Hebrew language.
00:05:19.38\00:05:21.92
And this was a covenant term.
00:05:21.95\00:05:24.29
It wrapped up God's agape love,
His mercies, His long kindness,
00:05:24.32\00:05:29.76
His
longsuffering with His people.
00:05:29.79\00:05:34.60
It was a term when he
said, I beseech you by
00:05:34.63\00:05:37.53
the mercies of God.
00:05:37.57\00:05:38.90
God is such a merciful and
loving God that He sent His Son
00:05:38.93\00:05:43.77
to die for us while
we were yet sinners.
00:05:43.81\00:05:45.87
Paul said in Romans 5:8
that the gift of God is eternal
00:05:45.91\00:05:49.78
life in Christ Jesus.
00:05:49.81\00:05:51.25
He tells us in Romans 6:23 that
we are redeemed, reconciled,
00:05:51.28\00:05:56.65
and justified freely, given
peace with God, freed from the
00:05:56.69\00:06:00.79
power of sin, Romans 6:18.
00:06:00.82\00:06:03.06
There is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are
00:06:03.09\00:06:06.76
in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1.
00:06:06.83\00:06:09.26
He talks about the abiding
presence of the Holy Spirit.
00:06:09.30\00:06:12.60
And he talks about how we have
been adopted as the children
00:06:12.63\00:06:17.54
of God, which gives us
the assurance of the promises.
00:06:17.61\00:06:20.71
So these are the mercies of
God, the most tender compassion.
00:06:20.78\00:06:26.48
He's laid out God as a covenant
making, covenant keeping God
00:06:26.51\00:06:32.09
in the first
eleven chapters of Romans.
00:06:32.12\00:06:34.82
And now that we recognize
these great mercies, he's saying
00:06:34.86\00:06:39.16
it calls for a
covenant response.
00:06:39.19\00:06:41.26
So let's go on. He says, I
beseech you therefore, brethren,
00:06:41.30\00:06:44.63
by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies
00:06:44.67\00:06:47.77
a living sacrifice.
00:06:47.80\00:06:50.51
This is to yield
to God's mercies.
00:06:50.57\00:06:54.31
We are to voluntarily hand
over our life to God as a gift.
00:06:54.34\00:07:00.18
This is our act of worship.
00:07:00.25\00:07:02.58
And, you know, this is the
same word when he says present.
00:07:02.62\00:07:06.89
It's the same word that was
used when Jesus was presented
00:07:06.92\00:07:11.59
in the temple to
God, to God's dedication.
00:07:11.63\00:07:15.13
And remember what
he said in Romans 6:16?
00:07:15.16\00:07:18.23
Do you not know that to whom
you present yourselves slaves
00:07:18.27\00:07:24.01
to obey, you are that one's
slaves; whether of sin leading
00:07:24.04\00:07:29.51
to death, or of obedience
leading to righteousness?
00:07:29.54\00:07:34.65
So we present our
life to God, because He's
00:07:34.68\00:07:38.45
done so much for us.
00:07:38.49\00:07:39.82
This is our debt of
gratitude, and it just
00:07:39.85\00:07:43.09
expresses our love for God.
00:07:43.12\00:07:47.00
And, you know, when you think
about considering what God has
00:07:47.03\00:07:50.63
done for us, this
gives us good reason to
00:07:50.67\00:07:54.44
submit to His authority.
00:07:54.47\00:07:55.94
When He says your bodies, it
is more of your complete life.
00:07:55.97\00:08:01.74
He's talking about your
physical body, your mental,
00:08:01.78\00:08:04.45
your emotional, your spiritual,
because all of these powers of
00:08:04.48\00:08:09.05
God cannot be
separated in mankind.
00:08:09.08\00:08:11.65
So present yourself... This is a
wholehearted surrender that Paul
00:08:11.69\00:08:16.76
is telling us we
should give to God.
00:08:16.79\00:08:19.23
And we are to dedicate our
entire body for right living,
00:08:19.26\00:08:24.70
and honor, and service of God.
00:08:24.73\00:08:26.97
Now there's certainly the
significance of the health
00:08:27.04\00:08:29.54
principles, because one
thing that I am learning,
00:08:29.57\00:08:33.07
especially through the last six
weeks of life that I have been
00:08:33.11\00:08:38.91
so very ill, is that if you
don't have strength of body,
00:08:38.95\00:08:43.82
you can't really minister.
00:08:43.89\00:08:45.82
So it is important for us to...
God is interested in our health.
00:08:45.85\00:08:50.33
And I do believe he has
that meaning here as well.
00:08:50.36\00:08:54.46
Because he said, our
bodies are the temple of God.
00:08:54.50\00:08:57.67
Now let's continue on
in the rest of this verse.
00:08:57.70\00:09:02.40
He says, We are presenting
our bodies a living sacrifice,
00:09:02.44\00:09:07.14
holy, and acceptable to
God under the old covenant.
00:09:07.21\00:09:12.05
The living sacrifice, the
Levitical sacrificial system,
00:09:12.08\00:09:17.42
they had to slay an
animal to be the propitiation,
00:09:17.45\00:09:24.06
the animal's blood
would be the propitiation,
00:09:24.09\00:09:26.19
the covering for their sin.
00:09:26.23\00:09:27.66
And this was in a
physical temple service.
00:09:27.66\00:09:31.63
But now under the
new covenant, Christians
00:09:31.67\00:09:34.90
are living sacrifices.
00:09:34.94\00:09:37.81
We are not... We are a sacrifice
without blemish, because we've
00:09:37.84\00:09:43.04
been cleansed by
the blood of Jesus.
00:09:43.08\00:09:46.41
But our sacrifice is
not a propitiatory one to
00:09:46.45\00:09:50.99
try to cover our sin.
00:09:51.02\00:09:52.42
Ours is a sacrifice of praise.
00:09:52.45\00:09:55.19
So this is our spiritual
temple service that we go to the
00:09:55.22\00:10:00.96
spiritual altar and we allow
ourselves to be indwelt by the
00:10:01.00\00:10:05.90
fire of God by the Holy Spirit.
00:10:05.93\00:10:08.24
Now you know what the problem
with a living sacrifice is?
00:10:08.27\00:10:11.71
It always wants to crawl
off the altar, doesn't it?
00:10:11.74\00:10:15.88
So we have to make this
surrender, this yielding,
00:10:15.91\00:10:22.12
this presenting
ourselves to God a daily affair.
00:10:22.15\00:10:26.92
Now I want to look at... I'm
going to skip through some of my
00:10:26.96\00:10:31.59
notes because I want
to get to another portion.
00:10:31.63\00:10:36.60
But let's look here then.
00:10:36.63\00:10:38.00
He says, As we present our
bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
00:10:38.03\00:10:43.04
acceptable to God. This
is our reasonable service.
00:10:43.07\00:10:47.51
He's calling us to a life
of holiness and sanctification.
00:10:47.54\00:10:52.45
And based on everything that
God has done, then as children
00:10:52.48\00:10:56.38
of a holy and righteous
God, we should allow God to
00:10:56.42\00:11:02.12
completely
restore His image in us.
00:11:02.16\00:11:05.13
We have studied
that justification
00:11:05.16\00:11:07.86
was a punctiliar act.
00:11:07.93\00:11:09.60
It happened at a point in
time where we accepted Christ,
00:11:09.63\00:11:14.44
and our past sins were forgiven.
00:11:14.47\00:11:19.31
The penalty for
that sin was dismissed.
00:11:19.34\00:11:23.35
But now what God wants to
do is He wants to deliver us
00:11:23.41\00:11:28.08
from the power of sin.
00:11:28.12\00:11:29.85
And if we want to give Him
a holy, acceptable sacrifice,
00:11:29.88\00:11:36.46
or just say, Lord
I'm giving you my will.
00:11:36.49\00:11:40.56
Work in me to will and to do.
00:11:40.60\00:11:43.13
Justification,
being declared righteous
00:11:43.16\00:11:49.67
by God, is an act of God.
00:11:49.70\00:11:53.07
Sanctification is a work of God.
00:11:53.11\00:11:56.81
So we must ask Him
to do this work in us.
00:11:56.88\00:12:02.18
And, you know, I want to read
1 Thessalonians 5:23 and 24,
00:12:02.22\00:12:07.66
because I find such
hope in this Scripture.
00:12:07.69\00:12:10.66
He says, Now may the God of
peace... That's Jehovah Shalom
00:12:10.73\00:12:16.26
Himself... sanctify you
completely; and may your whole
00:12:16.30\00:12:21.20
spirit soul and body be
preserved blameless at the
00:12:21.24\00:12:24.37
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:12:24.41\00:12:26.51
He who calls you is
faithful, who will also do it.
00:12:26.54\00:12:32.51
So as you surrender to
God, this is your acceptable
00:12:32.55\00:12:38.42
sacrifice, your
reasonable service.
00:12:38.45\00:12:42.56
Reasonable is
logician in the Greek.
00:12:42.59\00:12:46.43
It means rational,
intelligent, logical.
00:12:46.46\00:12:50.40
Surface means worship.
00:12:50.43\00:12:52.70
So as we step forward
to say, God take my life.
00:12:52.73\00:12:57.34
Do with it as You will.
00:12:57.37\00:12:59.04
Then what God will do,
He looks at this as our
00:12:59.07\00:13:03.35
Spiritual act of worship.
00:13:03.38\00:13:05.18
This is how we
should start every day;
00:13:05.21\00:13:08.02
is presenting ourselves to God.
00:13:08.05\00:13:10.29
And then he goes on in Verse 2,
and he says, Do not be conformed
00:13:10.32\00:13:14.99
to this world,
but be transformed...
00:13:15.02\00:13:17.13
That word is metamorpho;
that we are going to be...
00:13:17.16\00:13:21.00
It's like when
the caterpillar...
00:13:21.03\00:13:23.63
it's the worm is
turned into the butterfly.
00:13:23.67\00:13:26.74
...be transformed by
the renewing of your mind.
00:13:26.80\00:13:30.27
How are our minds renewed?
00:13:30.31\00:13:32.41
With the washing of the
water of the Word, are they not?
00:13:32.44\00:13:36.18
So we are, our minds are renewed
that we may prove what is that
00:13:36.21\00:13:42.62
perfect good and
acceptable will of God.
00:13:42.65\00:13:47.16
And, you know, I think sometimes
people try to say that...
00:13:47.22\00:13:51.39
or I've heard it said,
and I'm not sure that I agree,
00:13:51.43\00:13:53.80
that there's God's acceptable
will, there's His perfect will,
00:13:53.86\00:13:57.67
there's His good will.
00:13:57.70\00:13:59.03
I don't think... I think
he's talking about one will.
00:13:59.07\00:14:02.17
God's will is always good,
acceptable, and perfect. C. A.
00:14:02.20\00:14:07.58
Well said. I liked the
way that you ended with that.
00:14:07.61\00:14:11.18
That is very, very true.
00:14:11.21\00:14:12.55
I'm on Monday. And on Monday
we're dealing with the idea
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.88
of Thinking Soberly.
00:14:15.92\00:14:18.62
And we're covering a
great deal of Scripture.
00:14:18.65\00:14:23.63
Romans 12, beginning
at Verse 3 through 21.
00:14:23.66\00:14:27.66
So I'm going to not read them
all, but there are some bullet
00:14:27.73\00:14:30.93
points here that I want to read,
and then we'll try to ruminate
00:14:30.97\00:14:35.00
on these just a little bit.
00:14:35.04\00:14:36.54
Because in this passage of
Scripture there are some of the
00:14:36.57\00:14:42.04
most powerful sentiments in
the letter to the Roman church.
00:14:42.08\00:14:49.32
One, we ought to think soberly.
00:14:49.35\00:14:53.86
And that idea in the Greek is
an idea of seeing things as they
00:14:53.92\00:15:00.66
really are; to be realistic.
00:15:00.73\00:15:03.57
I had a professor in college
for years who used to tell us
00:15:03.60\00:15:07.17
as students, don't
blow smoke up your nose.
00:15:07.24\00:15:10.01
And it didn't make sense to me.
00:15:10.04\00:15:12.37
It wasn't until years later...
00:15:12.41\00:15:13.78
Well, he would say, As bad
as it is to breathe secondhand
00:15:13.81\00:15:17.05
smoke, it's worse to
blow smoke up your own nose.
00:15:17.08\00:15:19.85
And he would say
that over, and over again
00:15:19.88\00:15:21.82
to his theology students.
00:15:21.85\00:15:23.18
And I... What in the
world is this guy talking about?
00:15:23.22\00:15:24.89
And it was years later I heard
myself say to a member of my
00:15:24.92\00:15:28.96
church, It's bad to
breathe secondhand smoke.
00:15:28.99\00:15:31.36
That's other people's smoke.
00:15:31.39\00:15:32.73
But it's worse to blow
smoke up your own nose.
00:15:32.76\00:15:34.10
In other words, be
honest, be realistic,
00:15:34.10\00:15:35.80
be pragmatic with yourself.
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.27
So this is one of the
things that Paul is saying.
00:15:37.33\00:15:39.17
He's given us a
marvelous theological treatise.
00:15:39.20\00:15:43.47
Now he's saying, here is
where the rubber meets the road.
00:15:43.51\00:15:46.74
Here is how you take this
theology and make it part of
00:15:46.78\00:15:50.31
your everyday living,
and your everyday loving,
00:15:50.35\00:15:53.15
and your everyday walk.
00:15:53.18\00:15:54.68
So we go to Verse 4.
00:15:54.72\00:15:56.35
For as we have many members
in one body, but all members
00:15:56.38\00:16:02.86
do not have the same function.
00:16:02.89\00:16:06.29
Now I want to
jump down to Verse 6.
00:16:06.33\00:16:08.43
Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is
00:16:08.46\00:16:13.87
given to us, let us use them.
00:16:13.94\00:16:17.01
So God has given us gifts,
but they're not to be static.
00:16:17.04\00:16:20.18
They are to be used.
00:16:20.21\00:16:21.54
There is, Pastor John, a sneaker
commercial, and its catch phrase
00:16:21.58\00:16:30.69
is, Just do it,
you know, Just do it.
00:16:30.72\00:16:33.56
And that's what he's saying.
00:16:33.59\00:16:34.92
If you have the gift to
minister, then minister.
00:16:34.96\00:16:37.13
If you have the gift to
prophesy, then prophesy.
00:16:37.16\00:16:39.16
If you have the gift
to exhort, then exhort.
00:16:39.19\00:16:41.50
Whatever gifts God has
given you; use those gifts.
00:16:41.53\00:16:45.67
Just, just do it! Just do it.
00:16:45.70\00:16:48.10
We go down to Verse 9.
00:16:48.14\00:16:50.37
Let love be without hypocrisy.
00:16:50.41\00:16:53.24
Abhor what is evil;
cling to what is good.
00:16:53.27\00:16:57.31
Then I jump to Verse 14.
00:16:57.35\00:17:01.48
Bless those who persecute
you: bless and do not curse.
00:17:01.52\00:17:07.72
Easy to say, real tough to do.
00:17:07.76\00:17:10.89
Bless those who persecute you.
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.19
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
00:17:13.23\00:17:17.47
Now Verse 17. Repay
no one evil for evil.
00:17:17.50\00:17:22.57
18. If it is possible,...
If it is possible...
00:17:22.60\00:17:28.04
If it is possible, as
much as depends on you,
00:17:28.08\00:17:37.49
live peaceably with all men.
00:17:37.52\00:17:40.36
Do not avenge yourself.
00:17:40.39\00:17:43.06
Vengeance is Mine; I
will repay, saith the Lord.
00:17:43.09\00:17:47.96
So you don't have to lay awake
at night thinking of ways to get
00:17:47.96\00:17:50.13
back at people who do you evil.
00:17:50.17\00:17:51.73
Just keep serving the Lord, and
the Lord will take care of that.
00:17:51.77\00:17:55.37
Therefore, if your
enemy is hungry, feed him;
00:17:55.40\00:17:58.77
if he is thirsty,
give him a drink...
00:17:58.81\00:18:01.34
Now this is your enemy
we're talking about now.
00:18:01.38\00:18:03.98
If your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty,
00:18:04.01\00:18:07.85
give him a drink: for in
so doing you will heap coals
00:18:07.88\00:18:11.65
of fire on his head.
00:18:11.69\00:18:13.59
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
00:18:13.62\00:18:20.43
You know, I just want to
just go back to this heap
00:18:20.46\00:18:22.50
of fire on his head.
00:18:22.53\00:18:23.87
In ancient Egypt there
was actually a custom to show
00:18:23.90\00:18:27.54
humility of putting
hot coals in a pot and
00:18:27.57\00:18:30.81
wearing it on the head.
00:18:30.84\00:18:32.44
So this is coming from
something that really happened;
00:18:32.47\00:18:35.78
this idea of
heaping more coals of fire.
00:18:35.81\00:18:38.25
You just do good and then
you're forcing them to do that.
00:18:38.28\00:18:43.72
A couple of things: the lesson
says this, and it is very true,
00:18:43.79\00:18:47.89
we can get so hung up
on... I'll use that terminology.
00:18:47.92\00:18:52.36
...on theology that
we forget to put that
00:18:52.39\00:18:56.83
theology in practice.
00:18:56.87\00:18:58.70
One of the things that led up
to the 1888 General Conference
00:18:58.73\00:19:03.07
was the idea that Ellen
White told the church, We have,
00:19:03.10\00:19:07.11
we've done lost so much we are
as dry as the hills of Gilboah.
00:19:07.14\00:19:10.21
We just law, law, law, law, law.
00:19:10.28\00:19:12.78
Where is Jesus? Where is love?
00:19:12.81\00:19:14.78
Where is grace? Where is faith?
00:19:14.82\00:19:16.92
It's just keep the law,
keep the law, keep the law.
00:19:16.95\00:19:18.72
And that can be dry.
00:19:18.75\00:19:20.19
It's the
foundation for what we do.
00:19:20.22\00:19:22.56
And Paul established
this with the church of Rome.
00:19:22.59\00:19:25.49
We spent the first several
chapters taking about faith,
00:19:25.53\00:19:28.53
and grace, and sanctification
and justification.
00:19:28.56\00:19:30.87
Okay, we got that. Now
what do we do with that?
00:19:30.90\00:19:35.44
Will we apply it to our
brothers, our sisters, those we
00:19:35.47\00:19:38.84
love, and those who hate
us, not just those who love us.
00:19:38.87\00:19:42.21
So now he's
moving into what we do.
00:19:42.24\00:19:44.25
We have to remember that those
things that we talked about,
00:19:44.28\00:19:48.12
the grace, the
faith, the sanctification,
00:19:48.15\00:19:51.05
the justification are the
outworking of a pre-existing
00:19:51.09\00:19:54.79
love relationship with Jesus.
00:19:54.82\00:19:56.52
And if the love relationship
with Jesus does not exist,
00:19:56.56\00:19:59.16
all of that other stuff that
we talked about cannot happen,
00:19:59.19\00:20:03.33
because it is not motivated,
or it is not driven by a
00:20:03.37\00:20:08.00
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:20:08.04\00:20:09.40
So he's moving into that area
now telling us these are the
00:20:09.44\00:20:14.28
things that this grace, and this
faith, and this sanctification,
00:20:14.31\00:20:18.01
and this justification
ought to work out in you.
00:20:18.05\00:20:21.15
These things ought to be seen
in you, because Christ is you.
00:20:21.18\00:20:25.65
It's not law over love, it's
law and love, or love and law.
00:20:25.69\00:20:31.16
They work together to
make us whole in Jesus Christ.
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.10
He talks about in
honor preferring one another.
00:20:34.13\00:20:38.20
And there's so
much in this section.
00:20:38.23\00:20:40.17
The word for
preferring... Let me get it
00:20:41.27\00:20:43.20
right, is posthumous.
00:20:43.24\00:20:47.41
Anything pro
means forward or before.
00:20:47.44\00:20:50.68
So he is saying
basically, you've got to
00:20:50.71\00:20:54.35
put others before you.
00:20:54.38\00:20:55.72
You don't want to do
anything from a selfish motive.
00:20:55.75\00:20:58.39
Prefer others. And even when
you disagree, it's not, there is
00:20:58.42\00:21:02.19
no problem when Pastor Lomacang
and I agree on everything.
00:21:02.22\00:21:05.86
It's when we disagree.
00:21:05.89\00:21:07.23
When does the
Jesus reveal itself?
00:21:07.30\00:21:09.20
At the point of disagreement.
00:21:09.23\00:21:11.13
It's easier to love
those who pat you on the back,
00:21:11.17\00:21:13.20
and loving you and kissing you,
but when we have a disagreement
00:21:13.23\00:21:16.44
that's when the
Jesus has to come forward.
00:21:16.47\00:21:19.01
So he's saying
prefer one another.
00:21:19.04\00:21:20.64
There are some things that
we need to put our feet down on.
00:21:20.68\00:21:23.18
If you are breaking
Sabbath, if you're drinking,
00:21:23.21\00:21:25.25
if you're smoking, and if you're
carousing, we need to tell you
00:21:25.28\00:21:28.12
those things are wrong.
00:21:28.15\00:21:29.48
We have justification
for that from Ezekiel.
00:21:29.52\00:21:31.29
But there are some other things,
Shelley, that may be nuanced,
00:21:31.32\00:21:36.62
that are not
salvific issues. Right.
00:21:36.69\00:21:38.73
And I need to give you
the latitude, first to grow,
00:21:38.76\00:21:43.70
but not necessarily
to grow in my opinion,
00:21:43.73\00:21:46.33
but to grow in grace. Yes.
00:21:46.37\00:21:48.14
And if you're growth in
grace brings you to my opinion,
00:21:48.17\00:21:51.74
Well, praise the Lord.
00:21:51.77\00:21:53.11
If not, then I've
got to allow you that,
00:21:53.14\00:21:54.58
because it's not
a salvific issue.
00:21:54.71\00:21:56.24
And so many times we
make issues out of things
00:21:56.28\00:21:59.71
that are non-issues.
00:21:59.75\00:22:01.15
And it really shows our lack
of love than our point of love.
00:22:01.18\00:22:07.29
So we've got Spiritual
gifts, we've got things to do,
00:22:07.36\00:22:11.66
we've got a call from
God to do some things,
00:22:11.69\00:22:13.80
and we need to get them done.
00:22:13.83\00:22:15.13
This idea of balance; don't, you
know, if we just look at Peter,
00:22:15.16\00:22:21.34
Peter says we are a royal
priesthood, a holy nation.
00:22:21.37\00:22:23.57
You can kind of get lifted up.
00:22:23.61\00:22:25.21
So Paul brings a balance now.
00:22:25.24\00:22:28.24
Don't think of yourself a
little more than you should.
00:22:28.28\00:22:30.05
So there's a balance.
00:22:30.11\00:22:31.45
Don't look too
high; don't look too low.
00:22:31.48\00:22:32.95
Kind of keep your life balanced.
00:22:32.98\00:22:34.52
Be sober. Look at
yourself as you really are.
00:22:34.55\00:22:37.75
And the problem is a lot of
Christians look at themselves
00:22:37.79\00:22:41.46
through parallax mirrors.
00:22:41.49\00:22:42.82
You know, you go to the fun
house and if you're thin the
00:22:42.86\00:22:45.09
mirror can make you look fat,
and if you're fat the mirror
00:22:45.13\00:22:47.13
can make you look thin,
you know, kind of thing.
00:22:47.20\00:22:48.83
And we're looking
through these parallax mirrors,
00:22:48.86\00:22:51.70
and we're not seeing
ourselves as we really are.
00:22:51.73\00:22:54.60
Paul is saying, See
yourself as you really are.
00:22:54.64\00:22:57.94
Be honest with yourselves.
00:22:57.97\00:22:59.34
Look at yourself in
the light of the gospel.
00:22:59.37\00:23:01.48
I should not compare
myself to Pastor Lomacang.
00:23:01.51\00:23:03.65
He should not
compare himself to me.
00:23:03.68\00:23:05.78
Because if I compare myself with
Pastor Lomacang, I will always
00:23:05.81\00:23:11.39
find something that I can say
is better with me than with him.
00:23:11.42\00:23:16.32
You know, you're going play with
this so that you come out on top
00:23:16.36\00:23:20.50
some, because your
ego will make you do that.
00:23:20.53\00:23:21.83
Right. The natural leaning.
00:23:21.86\00:23:23.20
Precisely. But if
I look at Jesus...
00:23:23.23\00:23:25.77
Can I say there ain't no way?
00:23:25.80\00:23:28.64
There ain't no way
I'm ever going to come out
00:23:28.67\00:23:31.54
better than Christ, because
I see myself as I really am.
00:23:31.57\00:23:36.48
So I close with this statement:
Christian humility is being so
00:23:36.51\00:23:43.15
secure in God and His gifts that
you don't have to look up to
00:23:43.18\00:23:47.62
anyone, but it is also being
so secure in God and His gifts
00:23:47.66\00:23:52.23
that you don't have
to look down on anyone.
00:23:52.26\00:23:55.06
It's looking at yourself as
you really are in Christ Jesus.
00:23:55.10\00:23:59.43
Wow! Thank you Pastor
C. A., thank you Shelley.
00:23:59.47\00:24:03.34
I have Tuesday's lesson,
The Christian and the State,
00:24:03.41\00:24:09.38
The Christian and the State.
00:24:09.41\00:24:11.58
Now this is so timely, because
we're living right now where,
00:24:11.61\00:24:15.38
on the heels of the
last 8-12 years of elections,
00:24:15.42\00:24:19.99
your Christianity, or lack
thereof, has become a very real
00:24:20.06\00:24:27.10
litmus test to
occupy offices in America,
00:24:27.13\00:24:30.23
where it never was intended
to be; not by our Constitutional
00:24:30.27\00:24:34.00
framers, by our Bill of Rights.
00:24:34.04\00:24:35.80
Religion was never
intended to be the precursor.
00:24:35.84\00:24:39.87
And even to pander to those who
are religious was never intended
00:24:39.91\00:24:44.75
to divide a nation.
00:24:44.78\00:24:46.11
And so right now we
have a nation that's somewhat
00:24:46.15\00:24:48.38
fragmented, and divided
into all different categories.
00:24:48.42\00:24:51.42
And religion tends to be
at the central focus of that.
00:24:51.45\00:24:55.49
So when you have a lesson
that forces you to go back to
00:24:55.52\00:25:00.33
Romans 13, you ask yourself the
question, Does the religious
climate give me the freedom to
00:25:00.36\00:25:04.47
climate give me the freedom
to now go ahead and segue to
00:25:04.50\00:25:11.07
the authorizes that be?
00:25:11.11\00:25:12.64
We're almost coming to the place
now where we are questioning
00:25:12.67\00:25:15.11
authority so much that we
would aquesque to authority
00:25:15.14\00:25:19.01
if we agree with it.
00:25:19.05\00:25:20.42
But I want to just point out,
I want to bring out a particular
00:25:20.45\00:25:23.69
comparison about authority.
00:25:23.72\00:25:26.15
And a few things that I want to
lay the foundation for: one is
00:25:26.19\00:25:31.23
perceived authority
and actual authority.
00:25:31.26\00:25:33.29
Man's authority is
generally perceived authority.
00:25:33.33\00:25:37.37
As one person once said, The
speed limit is only applicable
00:25:37.43\00:25:41.34
when the police are around.
00:25:41.37\00:25:42.90
I tend to think that.
00:25:42.94\00:25:45.74
You tend to think that,
but that's not the case.
00:25:45.77\00:25:47.58
To the person who wants to live
within safety, the speed limit
00:25:48.38\00:25:51.45
is the speed limit whether
the police are around or not.
00:25:51.48\00:25:53.92
But we tend to look at
the speed limit as optional,
00:25:53.98\00:25:56.55
because the person to
enforce it is not present.
00:25:56.58\00:25:59.72
Where in fact in
God power is actual,
00:25:59.75\00:26:03.09
because God is never absent,
and manpower is perceived.
00:26:03.12\00:26:07.23
And manpower is bestowed,
and God power is resident.
00:26:07.23\00:26:12.63
And manpower is temporary,
and God power is eternal.
00:26:12.67\00:26:18.11
And manpower is conditional,
and God power is constant.
00:26:18.14\00:26:23.11
So when we are told what
we are told in Romans 13...
00:26:23.14\00:26:27.55
And I'm going to begin
by reading that because this
00:26:27.62\00:26:29.55
lesson, The Christian and
the State, is a very real issue.
00:26:29.58\00:26:32.69
As Adventists we know the time
is not far distant when we have
00:26:32.72\00:26:37.23
to take a stand like
the early Apostles did.
00:26:37.26\00:26:39.06
We ought to obey
God rather than man.
00:26:39.09\00:26:40.90
But until that climate comes,
we ought not to run ahead of the
00:26:40.93\00:26:47.80
prophetic timetable
to bring upon ourselves
00:26:47.84\00:26:50.41
unjust persecution.
00:26:50.47\00:26:51.84
And I think sometimes you
can be so heavenly minded that
00:26:51.87\00:26:54.98
you're no earthly good.
00:26:55.01\00:26:56.34
You can be so concerned that the
world ends that you're trying to
00:26:56.38\00:26:59.28
bring about your own Armageddon.
00:26:59.31\00:27:00.85
And we've seen that in many
of these religious movements.
00:27:00.88\00:27:03.85
And the people of the,
you know, the Jim Jones,
00:27:03.92\00:27:06.65
the list goes on and on,
but that's just an example,
00:27:06.69\00:27:09.06
the David Koresh's.
00:27:09.09\00:27:10.46
We malign the government
needlessly only to give rise to
00:27:10.49\00:27:15.76
the legitimacy of our
cause, when in fact our cause is
00:27:15.80\00:27:18.80
illegitimate in God's sight,
because it's one that brings
00:27:18.83\00:27:21.17
division and not unity.
00:27:21.20\00:27:22.54
And that's the same thing
that happens in Christianity.
00:27:22.57\00:27:24.91
When the cause we stand
for results in division,
00:27:24.94\00:27:27.88
and God is not supportive
of it, it's not something
00:27:27.91\00:27:30.48
that God has endorsed.
00:27:30.55\00:27:31.88
So Paul brings out
this point in Romans 13:1-7.
00:27:31.91\00:27:35.32
Let every soul be subject
to the governing authorities.
00:27:35.35\00:27:39.32
For there is no
authority except from God:...
00:27:39.35\00:27:42.29
That's actual authority.
00:27:42.32\00:27:43.73
...and the authorities
that exist are appointed by God.
00:27:43.76\00:27:47.10
Paul is obviously in
a contextual of his day.
00:27:47.13\00:27:49.70
But as time goes on we
wonder, you know, we look at the
00:27:49.73\00:27:52.83
authority that Hitler had.
00:27:52.87\00:27:54.20
We know that God didn't
give him that authority.
00:27:54.24\00:27:55.87
We look at the wars through
the dark ages, where millions of
00:27:55.90\00:27:59.34
Christians were persecuted.
00:27:59.37\00:28:00.81
We know that God did
not give man that authority.
00:28:00.84\00:28:02.84
But the context that Paul is
talking about, the development
00:28:02.88\00:28:05.88
of the Christian church, these
authorities that existed in the
00:28:05.91\00:28:10.52
Jewish economy, among
the Pharisees, Scribes,
00:28:10.55\00:28:13.05
Sadducees, and Asians.
00:28:13.09\00:28:14.42
This authority was
given to them by God.
00:28:14.46\00:28:16.86
But because they had rejected
Christ and the righteousness
00:28:16.89\00:28:20.83
that comes through faith,
they delegitimize themselves.
00:28:20.86\00:28:25.57
But the authority was,
nonetheless, appointed by God
00:28:25.60\00:28:28.07
for more than a thousand years.
00:28:28.10\00:28:29.50
But he says in Verse 2,
Therefore whoever resists the
00:28:29.54\00:28:34.18
authority, resists the ordinance
of God: and those who resist
00:28:34.21\00:28:37.45
will bring
judgment on themselves.
00:28:37.48\00:28:39.81
For rulers are not a
terror to good works,...
00:28:39.85\00:28:43.72
That could be
argued in the courts of,
00:28:43.79\00:28:47.36
does it really matter?
00:28:47.39\00:28:48.72
Because Jesus pointed out
His persecution was, He says,
00:28:48.76\00:28:51.89
At least, at least give
Me a pass for My good works.
00:28:51.93\00:28:56.63
If you don't believe I'm
the Messiah, at least judge
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.67
Me based on My works.
00:28:59.70\00:29:01.10
You know, By their
fruits you will know them.
00:29:01.14\00:29:02.70
It says: For rulers
are not a terror to good
00:29:02.74\00:29:05.67
works, but to evil.
00:29:05.71\00:29:07.04
Do you want to be unafraid of
the authority? do what is good,
00:29:07.11\00:29:11.91
and you will have praise
from the same: For he is God's
00:29:11.95\00:29:16.05
minister to you for good.
00:29:16.08\00:29:18.45
But if you do evil, be afraid;
for he does not bear the sword
00:29:18.49\00:29:22.79
in vain:... In other words
the system of justice will,
00:29:22.82\00:29:26.06
as one person says, It grinds
oh so slow, but oh so fine.
00:29:26.09\00:29:30.77
So people that live out of
harmony with the laws of the
00:29:30.80\00:29:33.44
laws of the land, they're really
not getting away with anything.
00:29:33.47\00:29:35.94
They are bringing on
themselves unnecessary judgment,
00:29:35.97\00:29:38.97
as my good friend would
say, Pastor Ricardo Graham,
00:29:39.01\00:29:43.01
a good friend of ours.
00:29:43.04\00:29:44.45
He's now Union President in
California, the Pacific Union.
00:29:44.48\00:29:49.12
He says, The Devil
will throw stones at you,
00:29:49.15\00:29:51.22
but don't give him any.
00:29:51.25\00:29:52.59
And sometimes Christians
give the Devil stones.
00:29:52.62\00:29:56.09
And here is being pointed out
that the judgments are there.
00:29:56.12\00:29:59.46
The sword will be swung
against those who live out
00:29:59.49\00:30:01.93
of harmony with God.
00:30:01.96\00:30:03.33
It says: For he is God's
minister and avenger to execute
00:30:03.37\00:30:06.43
wrath on him who practices evil.
00:30:06.47\00:30:08.77
That's the context.
00:30:08.80\00:30:10.17
Therefore you must be subject
not only because of wrath,
00:30:10.21\00:30:14.34
but also for conscience sake.
00:30:14.38\00:30:16.91
In other words, if a Christian
can walk down the street
00:30:16.95\00:30:19.35
not looking over his or her
shoulder at the police when they
00:30:19.38\00:30:21.55
pass by, that's
a clear conscience.
00:30:21.58\00:30:23.49
If you could walk into a
building and know that people
00:30:23.55\00:30:26.76
look at you with great respect
and honor and admiration,
00:30:26.82\00:30:29.16
you're living a
life worthy of that.
00:30:29.19\00:30:31.06
But don't bring the
attention to yourself
00:30:31.09\00:30:32.86
and call for worthiness.
00:30:32.89\00:30:34.46
Live a life that's
worthy of your calling.
00:30:34.46\00:30:36.46
Verse 6. For because of this
you also pay taxes: for they are
00:30:36.50\00:30:46.47
God's ministers, attending
continually to this very thing.
00:30:46.51\00:30:49.64
And I like this part: Render
therefore to all their dues:
00:30:49.68\00:30:53.55
taxes to whom taxes are
due; customs to whom customs;
00:30:53.58\00:30:57.55
fear to whom fear;
honor to whom honor.
00:30:57.59\00:31:00.86
I want to bring out the fact
that we're living in what I call
00:31:00.89\00:31:04.49
the anti-authorian society.
00:31:04.53\00:31:07.03
But I must remember, and as
Isaiah 9:6, As we look at the
00:31:07.10\00:31:11.30
governments of the world...
And right now there's a lot of
00:31:11.33\00:31:13.50
fragmentation in our world.
00:31:13.54\00:31:14.87
It's not new. It has
been residing from one
00:31:14.90\00:31:17.71
Administration to the other.
00:31:17.74\00:31:19.07
So for those of us who
are surprised by the present
00:31:19.11\00:31:20.94
Administration, let us
not get beyond ourselves.
00:31:20.98\00:31:24.15
Because America, while it's a
country of laws, and principles,
00:31:24.21\00:31:27.52
and maxims, and things that are
constant, everything that is in
00:31:27.58\00:31:33.92
operation in our country
is run by frail human beings.
00:31:33.96\00:31:37.59
So we have to
accept the reality.
00:31:37.63\00:31:39.96
But the thing that gives
me courage is Isaiah 9:6.
00:31:40.00\00:31:42.76
The government shall
be upon His shoulders.
00:31:42.80\00:31:45.17
The final authority is
always going to be God's.
00:31:45.20\00:31:48.00
Then also come to
the realization that,
00:31:48.04\00:31:51.74
as Peter pointed out, that one
day we're going to have to part
00:31:51.77\00:31:54.24
ways with our government.
00:31:54.28\00:31:55.71
Because Matthew 24:9, Then
they will deliver you up to
00:31:55.74\00:31:59.95
tribulation, and kill you: and
you will be hated of all nations
00:32:00.05\00:32:03.49
for My name's sake.
00:32:03.52\00:32:04.85
So when the scenario changes,
and Christians become the focus
00:32:04.89\00:32:09.02
of being ostracized in society,
the comfort that we must get
00:32:09.06\00:32:13.60
are: Blessed are
those who are persecuted for
00:32:13.63\00:32:15.36
righteousness sake.
00:32:15.40\00:32:16.73
Alright? Paul also suggests
that we should live out of
00:32:16.77\00:32:23.27
harmony with the
government, when it is not
00:32:23.30\00:32:26.51
in harmony with God.
00:32:26.54\00:32:27.88
But we also should
be model Christians.
00:32:27.91\00:32:33.18
But I like the stand that
Daniel and the Hebrews took.
00:32:33.21\00:32:35.98
You know, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego,
00:32:36.02\00:32:37.92
they said to Nebuchadnezzar,
The God whom we serve
00:32:37.95\00:32:42.59
is able to deliver us.
00:32:42.62\00:32:43.99
But we shouldn't serve God
just because He delivers us.
00:32:44.03\00:32:46.66
We should serve God
because what He calls us
00:32:46.70\00:32:49.26
to serve Him for
is right. Alright?
00:32:49.30\00:32:53.67
Daniel did not modify
his walk as a Christian.
00:32:53.70\00:32:57.14
When I say the word Christian,
we use that word today,
00:32:57.17\00:32:59.37
but as a person who honored
God, he said, when Daniel knew
00:32:59.41\00:33:04.48
the writing was
signed, he continued in
00:33:04.51\00:33:06.75
his daily prayer life.
00:33:06.82\00:33:08.15
So when the government says you
cannot pray, you cannot worship,
00:33:08.18\00:33:12.42
continue, because the outcome
will be a blessing when our
00:33:12.45\00:33:16.56
allegiance to God is not
modified by political maxims.
00:33:16.59\00:33:20.20
Don't change your allegiance to
conform to the laws of the land.
00:33:20.23\00:33:24.13
But don't forget to render
to Caesar what belongs to him,
00:33:24.17\00:33:27.60
and to God what belongs to Him.
00:33:27.64\00:33:29.30
And finally, remember this very
important thing: The end of the
00:33:29.34\00:33:33.04
scenario would be, as
Paul says in Philippians 3:20,
00:33:33.07\00:33:35.88
For our citizenship is
in heaven; from which we all
00:33:35.91\00:33:41.92
so eagerly wait for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ:...
00:33:41.95\00:33:45.55
My encouragement is this:
Conform to those things that are
00:33:45.59\00:33:48.86
not out of harmony with God's
principles, and God's laws.
00:33:48.89\00:33:51.96
Tolerate and be accepting
of those who differ from you.
00:33:51.99\00:33:58.23
But do not needlessly cause
controversy between you and
00:33:58.27\00:34:03.61
those in positions
of legal authority.
00:34:03.64\00:34:05.64
May your life always be
an honor and a reflection of
00:34:05.67\00:34:09.11
the character of Christ.
00:34:09.14\00:34:10.48
Amen, you know I've got
Wednesday, and we're looking
00:34:10.55\00:34:15.68
at, Love One Another.
00:34:15.72\00:34:17.12
And it starts with Romans 13:8,
which is right, comes right
00:34:17.19\00:34:22.66
after what you just shared.
00:34:22.69\00:34:24.23
You know, I almost went there,
but I said, Mollie has that. Ha!
00:34:24.26\00:34:26.56
And it would have been fine if
you did, because I'm sure what
00:34:26.59\00:34:29.40
you had to share
would be different from me.
00:34:29.43\00:34:31.83
Because God gives different
things to different people.
00:34:31.87\00:34:34.67
But this is so appropriate to
go now into, Loving One Another.
00:34:34.70\00:34:40.04
Paul is dealing with how
we relate to one another.
00:34:40.08\00:34:43.81
He's dealing with personal
relationships, and he's showing
00:34:43.85\00:34:48.28
that the principle of loving one
another isn't a New Testament
00:34:48.32\00:34:52.45
principle, or a
New Testament concept.
00:34:52.49\00:34:55.49
It was an iatrical part
of the Old Testament system.
00:34:55.52\00:34:59.86
Let's read Romans 13:8.
00:34:59.89\00:35:03.80
Owe no one any thing, except
to love one another: for he who
00:35:05.63\00:35:12.14
loves one another
has fulfilled the law.
00:35:12.17\00:35:15.44
Now we're back to the law.
00:35:15.48\00:35:16.95
That's right. Back to the law.
00:35:16.98\00:35:18.75
Okay, owe no one anything.
00:35:18.78\00:35:21.42
What does debt
do? What does debt do?
00:35:21.45\00:35:24.35
It will make you a slave.
00:35:24.39\00:35:25.72
It makes you a slave.
00:35:25.75\00:35:27.09
Debt brings you into bondage.
00:35:27.16\00:35:28.72
Hal and I made a decision
between ourselves years ago.
00:35:28.76\00:35:34.10
If somebody comes to
us and asks us to borrow.
00:35:34.10\00:35:37.80
And money is
what we're thinking.
00:35:37.83\00:35:39.73
If they want to borrow our lawn
mower, if we had one, you know,
00:35:39.77\00:35:43.67
we wouldn't give them our lawn
mower, necessarily, but if they
00:35:43.71\00:35:47.48
want to borrow money.
00:35:47.54\00:35:48.88
And I'm just telling the whole
world this, the answer is not
00:35:48.91\00:35:51.51
always yes, but we
never loaned money to anybody.
00:35:51.55\00:35:55.72
We, if we had it to give
we would give it to them.
00:35:55.75\00:35:59.89
But they didn't because,
have you ever had a friend,
00:35:59.92\00:36:03.32
and you loaned them
something, money particularly,
00:36:03.36\00:36:06.39
and they were your friend.
00:36:06.43\00:36:07.83
And then they had
trouble looking you in the eye,
00:36:07.86\00:36:10.97
because they couldn't repay it.
00:36:11.00\00:36:12.80
So we aren't to owe anybody
anything, because that debt
00:36:12.83\00:36:20.01
brought separation to the point
where it could destroy a close
00:36:20.08\00:36:24.51
friendship, because
they couldn't repay.
00:36:24.55\00:36:26.92
So we are to owe nobody
anything but what? but love.
00:36:26.95\00:36:31.99
And I've always got an
abundance of love to share.
00:36:32.02\00:36:36.09
And you've got an
abundance of love to share.
00:36:36.12\00:36:38.43
And I want to look at this.
00:36:38.46\00:36:40.20
Now it says that,
For he who loves another
00:36:40.23\00:36:45.43
has done something.
00:36:45.47\00:36:46.84
He's fulfilled the law.
00:36:46.90\00:36:49.24
Now how could that be?
00:36:49.27\00:36:52.27
Because the ten commandment
law of God, His moral law,
00:36:52.31\00:36:58.15
and we're going to show
you that this is the law that
00:36:58.18\00:37:02.02
Paul is talking about.
00:37:02.05\00:37:03.42
It's a transcript of
what? the the character of
00:37:03.45\00:37:06.82
God, and God is love.
00:37:06.89\00:37:10.29
Therefore to love
is to fulfill the law.
00:37:10.36\00:37:13.66
And that's 1 John 4:7, 8.
00:37:13.73\00:37:16.16
There's a song about this.
00:37:16.20\00:37:18.27
But let me quote this to you.
00:37:18.30\00:37:19.80
Beloved, let us love one
another: for love is of God;
00:37:19.83\00:37:25.17
and every one who loves is
born of God, and knoweth God.
00:37:25.21\00:37:29.64
He who does not love does
not know God; for God is love.
00:37:29.68\00:37:36.12
Now I think we get confused
sometimes with this word love.
00:37:36.15\00:37:40.16
Because now we've
said it here on this
00:37:40.19\00:37:44.26
Sabbath School Panel repeatedly.
00:37:44.33\00:37:45.96
I love this Scripture.
00:37:45.99\00:37:47.30
I love that. I
love you, Pastor John.
00:37:47.40\00:37:48.73
I love my Bible. We
kind of use that word a lot.
00:37:48.76\00:37:53.80
And I love my ink pen.
00:37:53.84\00:37:56.30
Well, no I don't
love that ink pen!
00:37:56.34\00:37:58.14
Love, we've got to separate...
They are just different kinds
00:37:58.17\00:38:01.91
of, different types of love.
00:38:01.94\00:38:03.48
And I wanted to just
look at the agape love of God.
00:38:03.51\00:38:09.22
The love that
we're talking about here.
00:38:09.25\00:38:11.65
Now God's love is Divine love.
00:38:11.69\00:38:16.89
And this is what Paul
tells us in Romans 5:5.
00:38:16.96\00:38:20.96
Now hope does not disappoint;
because the love of God...
00:38:20.96\00:38:26.63
Not this love I'm talking
about: loving my ink pen,
00:38:26.67\00:38:29.64
loving this object.
00:38:29.67\00:38:31.04
...but the love of
God has been poured out.
00:38:31.07\00:38:35.94
Now the King James says,
shed abroad, but I like this
00:38:35.98\00:38:39.18
in the New King James.
00:38:39.21\00:38:40.82
It's been poured out in
our hearts by the Holy Spirit
00:38:40.85\00:38:45.22
who was given to us.
00:38:45.25\00:38:48.69
That agape love. Let me just
tell you, I don't think we could
00:38:48.72\00:38:53.19
describe it with a
whole Webster's Dictionary.
00:38:53.23\00:38:56.30
I don't think there's
enough words in there that could
00:38:56.33\00:38:59.13
describe this love of God.
00:38:59.17\00:39:00.87
But let me use a few.
00:39:00.90\00:39:02.44
It involves faithfulness,
commitment, an act of the will.
00:39:02.47\00:39:09.28
It is distinguished from other
types of love by its lofty moral
00:39:09.31\00:39:15.62
nature, and strong character.
00:39:15.65\00:39:18.02
And that love, this is rejoicing
time, that love has been poured
00:39:18.05\00:39:24.06
out in every one of our
hearts by the Holy Spirit.
00:39:24.09\00:39:27.76
We can't say, I
just can't love someone.
00:39:27.83\00:39:32.07
I'm sorry, Pastor, I just
can't love that church member.
00:39:32.10\00:39:34.97
Because it's not our love.
00:39:35.00\00:39:37.77
The love of God has been poured
into our hearts, and now that
00:39:37.81\00:39:44.28
love is what we
love others with.
00:39:44.31\00:39:48.52
We rely on what
God has put into our...
00:39:48.55\00:39:51.49
The Holy Spirit has poured
the love of God; poured it,
00:39:51.52\00:39:55.42
not sprinkled it, but poured
the love of God into your heart.
00:39:55.46\00:39:58.56
Now Pastor C. A.
looked at a Scripture earlier.
00:39:58.59\00:40:01.70
It's Romans 12:14. Bless
them which persecute you:...
00:40:01.73\00:40:06.23
And Pastor C. A. said,
You know, that's a hard,
00:40:06.27\00:40:09.10
that's a hard
saying, isn't it? Pastor C?
00:40:09.14\00:40:11.54
A hard thing to do.
00:40:11.57\00:40:13.34
But Matthew 5:44
goes even further.
00:40:13.38\00:40:17.85
It says, Love your enemies...
00:40:17.88\00:40:20.58
Do what? Love your enemies.
00:40:20.62\00:40:24.15
Then it goes on to say,
bless them that curse you...
00:40:24.19\00:40:28.06
That's a hard saying.
00:40:28.09\00:40:30.19
That's a difficult thing to do.
00:40:30.23\00:40:32.06
And to think we had to
do it in our own strength,
00:40:32.09\00:40:34.73
we could definitely say,
I cannot love that person.
00:40:34.73\00:40:38.37
I cannot do it
in my own strength.
00:40:38.40\00:40:40.47
But because of this love of God
that's been poured out in our
00:40:40.50\00:40:44.77
hearts, Yes, we can.
00:40:44.81\00:40:46.34
We do it by asking God to
love that person through me.
00:40:46.37\00:40:51.21
Can you imagine God saying,
You know, I just can't love her?
00:40:51.25\00:40:55.88
You know God is love.
00:40:55.92\00:40:57.82
All God can do is love.
00:40:57.85\00:40:59.52
And that very love, that
very love, it's the love of God
00:40:59.55\00:41:04.03
that's been poured into
our hearts, Pastor John.
00:41:04.06\00:41:06.73
We've got the very love of
God poured into our hearts.
00:41:06.80\00:41:10.13
We all say we love Jesus.
00:41:10.17\00:41:13.80
Can we all say that?
00:41:13.84\00:41:15.17
We love Jesus. But there's
a thing called a litmus test.
00:41:15.20\00:41:19.44
That's like proof of action.
00:41:19.47\00:41:23.21
And that would be...
Let's look at that Scripture.
00:41:23.24\00:41:26.88
It's John 14:15. You don't
have to turn to it because every
00:41:26.92\00:41:30.49
one of you can quote it.
00:41:30.55\00:41:31.89
If you love Me,... do something.
... keep My commandments.
00:41:31.92\00:41:36.52
Okay. Proof of action; litmus
test is what? to show that we
00:41:36.56\00:41:42.80
love God, or that we
keep His commandments.
00:41:42.83\00:41:46.47
We want to show our love
for Him, but the only way we can
00:41:46.50\00:41:49.84
keep these ten commandments
isn't in our own strength,
00:41:49.87\00:41:53.41
but it's got to be
in the context of love.
00:41:53.44\00:41:57.68
We keep His commandments,
not as a matter of legalism,
00:41:57.71\00:42:01.32
which people would
try to make you think,
00:42:01.35\00:42:03.25
but as a matter of love for Him.
00:42:03.28\00:42:05.79
We're delighted to do
what He tells us to do.
00:42:05.82\00:42:08.99
This is not legalism or
bondage, it's not a debt.
00:42:09.02\00:42:13.33
What this is liberating freedom.
00:42:13.40\00:42:16.03
That love of God is in
our heart, and we love Him.
00:42:16.06\00:42:19.23
Now let's look at
some commandments...
00:42:19.27\00:42:24.71
I've got to hurry on this.
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.07
...that illustrate
the principle of love.
00:42:26.11\00:42:28.18
And the reason we know that
it's the ten commandments law
00:42:28.21\00:42:31.51
that Paul was talking about...
00:42:31.55\00:42:32.88
Look at this. And
we're in Romans 13:9-10.
00:42:32.91\00:42:36.75
Hurry with this.
For the commandments...
00:42:36.79\00:42:38.79
Now remember these are
commandments that illustrate
00:42:38.82\00:42:41.09
the principle of love.
00:42:41.12\00:42:42.46
For the commandments, you shall
not do what? commit adultery,
00:42:42.49\00:42:45.43
you shall not murder, you shall
not steal, you shall not bear
00:42:45.46\00:42:48.76
false witness, you shall not
covet; and if there is any other
00:42:48.80\00:42:52.03
commandment, are all
summed up in the saying, namely,
00:42:52.07\00:42:55.04
you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
00:42:55.07\00:42:56.77
Love does no harm to a
neighbor: therefore love is the
00:42:56.84\00:43:00.68
fulfillment of the law.
00:43:00.71\00:43:02.04
How do these commandments
exemplify or illustrate
00:43:02.08\00:43:06.31
the principle of love?
00:43:06.35\00:43:08.85
Because if you love your
neighbor, you're not going to
00:43:08.88\00:43:12.32
commit adultery with
your neighbor's spouse, right?
00:43:12.35\00:43:15.29
Alright. You're not going
to steal from your neighbor.
00:43:15.32\00:43:19.39
You're not going to bear false
witness against your neighbor.
00:43:19.43\00:43:22.40
That's demonstrating
the principle of love.
00:43:22.43\00:43:25.97
The principle of
loving your neighbor wasn't
00:43:26.00\00:43:28.54
a new principle at all.
00:43:28.57\00:43:30.11
Paul is quoting Leviticus 19:18.
00:43:30.17\00:43:37.15
You shall not take vengeance,
nor bear any grudge against
00:43:37.21\00:43:40.62
the children of your people,
but you shall love your neighbor
00:43:40.68\00:43:44.62
as yourself: I am the Lord.
00:43:44.65\00:43:46.42
And then James so aptly repeats
this when he says, If you really
00:43:46.45\00:43:51.73
fulfill the what? the royal law.
00:43:51.76\00:43:54.86
According to the
Scripture, you shall love your
00:43:54.93\00:43:57.50
neighbor as yourself.
00:43:57.53\00:43:59.10
And as we are showing our love
one for another, we are actually
00:43:59.13\00:44:04.54
showing our love for God.
00:44:04.57\00:44:06.31
So let me
encourage each one of you.
00:44:06.34\00:44:08.44
The love of God has been
shed abroad in your heart.
00:44:08.48\00:44:11.61
You have the ability to love
not only God, but to love your
00:44:11.65\00:44:16.79
brothers and sisters.
00:44:16.82\00:44:18.15
Amen! Well done Miss Mollie.
00:44:18.19\00:44:20.49
Thank you so much. I've
been so blessed sitting here
00:44:20.56\00:44:23.43
listening to each one of you
getting into the Word of God.
00:44:23.53\00:44:26.90
I think Romans, Chapter 12,
is probably one of my favorite
00:44:26.93\00:44:30.23
chapters in the whole Bible.
00:44:30.27\00:44:31.70
I love Romans 12;
such practical application.
00:44:31.73\00:44:35.80
I love practical application.
00:44:35.84\00:44:37.61
I like a practical working out
of the theology that we study
00:44:37.64\00:44:41.31
in the Word of God; but then
how is it put into practice?
00:44:41.34\00:44:44.98
So on Thursday I
have, Now Is Our Salvation.
00:44:45.01\00:44:49.82
This is Romans 13;
picking up right after where you
00:44:49.85\00:44:53.09
left off, Miss Mollie.
00:44:53.12\00:44:54.46
I'm looking at
Verses 11 through 14.
00:44:54.49\00:44:57.96
Now it's interesting,
and I think, Pastor C. A.,
00:44:58.03\00:45:01.13
Shelley touched on this, and
several have touched on this.
00:45:01.16\00:45:03.87
The focus of the book of Romans
was really the role of faith and
00:45:03.90\00:45:08.60
works in the new
covenant context:
00:45:08.64\00:45:11.37
how are we saved, justification
by faith, sanctification by
00:45:11.41\00:45:15.21
faith, the role of
sin, the law, righteousness.
00:45:15.28\00:45:18.55
Now we're into
Christian growth, you could say.
00:45:18.58\00:45:21.98
But in this section,
the four verses that I have,
00:45:22.02\00:45:25.32
we're looking at a doctrine:
the second coming of Christ.
00:45:25.39\00:45:29.39
Now most of what Paul has
written about the second coming
00:45:29.42\00:45:33.40
of Christ would be covered in
what, the Thessalonian epistles,
00:45:33.43\00:45:36.50
or the Corinthian epistles?
00:45:36.53\00:45:38.30
But in this section
he takes just a couple of
00:45:38.37\00:45:40.74
verses to touch on that.
00:45:40.80\00:45:42.80
Let's look at Verse 11.
00:45:42.84\00:45:44.84
Now I'm going to look at two
aspects: first we'll look at the
00:45:44.87\00:45:48.34
nearness of Christ's return,
and then we are going to look at
00:45:48.38\00:45:51.81
how are we to live
in light of His return.
00:45:51.85\00:45:55.35
So first let's look at
the nearness of His return,
00:45:55.38\00:45:57.69
Verse 11. And do this, knowing
the time, that now it is high
00:45:57.72\00:46:02.96
time to awake out of sleep:
for now our salvation is nearer
00:46:02.99\00:46:08.10
than when we first believed.
00:46:08.13\00:46:11.37
You know, Greg's
grandfather is, I think he's 94,
00:46:11.40\00:46:15.94
lived a full life. When he was
a young man he was instructed
00:46:15.97\00:46:20.38
by the elders in the church.
00:46:20.41\00:46:21.84
He was a teenager.
Do not get married.
00:46:21.88\00:46:24.51
Do not have children.
00:46:24.55\00:46:26.95
The Lord is coming soon!
00:46:27.02\00:46:29.32
Now, you know, there is
truth to this Scripture.
00:46:29.35\00:46:33.22
Paul wrote it 2,000
years ago, and what did
00:46:33.25\00:46:35.26
he say at that time?
00:46:35.29\00:46:36.62
Now our salvation is nearer
than when we first believed.
00:46:36.66\00:46:41.50
And, you know, for each
one of us probation closes
00:46:41.53\00:46:44.50
at a different time.
00:46:44.53\00:46:45.87
Sabbath night when
Greg and I have worship,
00:46:45.90\00:46:49.97
and close the Sabbath,
Greg always prays some variation
00:46:50.01\00:46:52.71
of this, but: Father we
don't know what this coming
00:46:52.74\00:46:55.48
week is going to hold.
00:46:55.51\00:46:56.85
We don't know what we're going
to face, and honestly we don't
00:46:56.91\00:46:59.91
even know if we're
going to be here tomorrow.
00:47:00.05\00:47:01.52
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
00:47:01.55\00:47:02.98
We want to live now, right
now for Jesus, in light of His
00:47:03.02\00:47:09.32
second coming,
reaching out to other people.
00:47:09.36\00:47:13.29
So Paul says here in
Romans 13:11, Be aware:
00:47:13.33\00:47:17.27
Christ is coming soon.
00:47:17.30\00:47:19.20
Let's look at Verse 12.
00:47:19.23\00:47:21.14
It says: The night is far
spent, the day is at hand:
00:47:21.17\00:47:25.47
therefore let us cast
off the works of darkness,
00:47:25.51\00:47:29.78
let us put on
the armor of light.
00:47:29.81\00:47:33.05
In the New Living
translation I like that verse.
00:47:33.08\00:47:35.65
It says: The night is almost
gone, the day of salvation will
00:47:35.68\00:47:40.09
soon be here: so remove your
dark deeds like dirty clothes,
00:47:40.16\00:47:44.49
and put on the
shining armor of right living.
00:47:44.53\00:47:48.10
The night is far
spent, the day is at hand.
00:47:48.13\00:47:51.67
It says: let us cast off
the works of darkness,...
00:47:51.70\00:47:55.20
To cast off: it means to
put off, lay aside, or renounce.
00:47:55.24\00:47:58.71
Let's put those aside.
00:47:58.74\00:48:00.31
And then what are we to do?
00:48:00.34\00:48:02.24
We are to put on
the armor of light.
00:48:02.28\00:48:04.38
Now, interestingly, the word
for armor can mean a weapon,
00:48:04.41\00:48:08.78
implement, or a tool.
00:48:08.82\00:48:11.49
It's also used in 2 Corinthians
10, you know, where it says,
00:48:11.55\00:48:15.22
The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through
00:48:15.26\00:48:18.89
God through the
pulling down of strongholds.
00:48:18.93\00:48:20.63
The word for weapons is the
same one you used here as armor.
00:48:20.66\00:48:23.87
So if we were to replace that
word, just for interest sake,
00:48:23.90\00:48:27.14
it says, Let us put on,
instead of the armor of light,
00:48:27.17\00:48:29.67
let us put on
the weapons of light.
00:48:29.70\00:48:31.81
It, this symbolizes warfare
that we're engaged in here.
00:48:31.84\00:48:35.41
So let's look at how are we to
live in the light of His return?
00:48:35.44\00:48:40.02
And I want to look at
four ways that we're to live.
00:48:40.05\00:48:43.22
1. We already touched on this.
00:48:43.25\00:48:45.55
This is from Verse 11.
00:48:45.59\00:48:46.96
We're to wake up.
We're to be aware of the
00:48:46.99\00:48:50.13
signs of His return.
00:48:50.16\00:48:51.89
Remember the parable of
the foolish and wise virgins
00:48:51.96\00:48:55.96
from Matthew, Chapter 25?
00:48:56.00\00:48:57.77
They both had... They both
fell asleep; all ten of them.
00:48:57.80\00:49:02.10
But remember, five had the
oil, and then five did not.
00:49:02.14\00:49:05.91
And when the call came:
the bridegroom's coming;
00:49:05.94\00:49:08.71
go out to meet him.
00:49:08.74\00:49:10.08
Five of them said,
Oh, we don't have any oil.
00:49:10.11\00:49:12.35
We've got to go buy it.
00:49:12.41\00:49:13.75
And then five were
prepared and ready.
00:49:13.78\00:49:15.68
Now, you know, when I read
this, and this is just Jill's
00:49:15.72\00:49:18.92
interpretation, but when I read
that, I don't want to be a wise
00:49:18.95\00:49:22.32
or a foolish virgin,
to be honest with you.
00:49:22.39\00:49:24.36
I want to be one of those whose
making the cry at midnight.
00:49:24.39\00:49:28.40
One of those who's not
of the ten who are sleeping.
00:49:28.43\00:49:31.67
I want to be one of those who's
awake, who says, Behold, the
00:49:31.70\00:49:34.87
bridegroom is
coming; go out to meet him.
00:49:34.94\00:49:37.74
God calls us to be awake.
00:49:37.77\00:49:40.18
It says: Knowing the time,
be aware of the last day events.
00:49:40.21\00:49:45.15
Be aware of the signs
of the times, be aware that
00:49:45.18\00:49:47.92
Jesus is coming soon!
00:49:47.95\00:49:49.62
The second: first is
to wake up, second is to
00:49:49.65\00:49:53.19
use proper weaponry.
00:49:53.22\00:49:55.22
That would be to put
off the works of darkness,
00:49:55.26\00:49:58.16
and to put on
the weapons of light,
00:49:58.19\00:50:00.40
or the armor of
light, as is mentioned.
00:50:00.43\00:50:02.53
Ephesians 4:22. That you put off
concerning your former conduct
00:50:02.56\00:50:07.74
the old man, which grows corrupt
according to deceitful lust.
00:50:07.77\00:50:12.34
There's many verses in the Bible
that talk about putting off
00:50:12.37\00:50:16.91
the old man; putting
off those works of darkness.
00:50:16.95\00:50:19.68
And when I think about
putting on the weapons of light,
00:50:19.75\00:50:22.32
you know, the verse I think
of is Ephesians 6, talking about
00:50:22.35\00:50:26.39
the armor of God, or the weapons
that we are to wear as we
00:50:26.42\00:50:30.43
engage in this warfare.
00:50:30.49\00:50:31.83
That would be the waist girded
with truth, the breastplate of
00:50:31.86\00:50:37.43
righteousness, the sandals
shod with the preparation of
00:50:37.50\00:50:42.80
the gospel of peace, the
shield of faith, the helmet of
00:50:42.84\00:50:48.14
salvation, the
sword of the spirit.
00:50:48.18\00:50:51.81
And then it also says, praying
always, right after that,
00:50:51.85\00:50:55.28
So I think prayer is integral
with all the other weaponry
00:50:55.32\00:50:58.69
that we are to put on.
00:50:58.72\00:51:00.16
So first we're to wake up;
know the nearness of the time.
00:51:00.19\00:51:03.36
Second, use proper weaponry:
cast off the works of darkness,
00:51:03.43\00:51:06.80
put on the armor of light.
00:51:06.83\00:51:09.33
Third, walk appropriately.
00:51:09.36\00:51:11.83
We find that in Verse 13.
00:51:11.87\00:51:14.24
Let us... And let's
look at how we're to walk,
00:51:14.27\00:51:17.17
and then how we're not to walk.
00:51:17.21\00:51:19.64
Verse 13: Let us walk properly,
as in the day, not in revelry,
00:51:19.67\00:51:25.85
and drunkenness, not
in lewdness and lust,
00:51:25.88\00:51:29.12
not in strife and envy.
00:51:29.15\00:51:31.82
How are we to walk?
00:51:31.85\00:51:33.32
The word for walk is not
just symbolizing to walk,
00:51:33.36\00:51:36.02
but it can also mean
how to conduct my life,
00:51:36.06\00:51:39.06
or how I live my life.
00:51:39.09\00:51:41.23
So we're to live our life
for the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:51:41.26\00:51:45.33
and not to walk in revelry.
00:51:45.37\00:51:48.27
In the Greek that's a
riotous party or drunken feast,
00:51:48.30\00:51:52.24
which hosted
unbridled sexual immorality.
00:51:52.27\00:51:56.14
We're not to
walk in drunkenness.
00:51:56.18\00:51:58.18
And we all know what that means.
00:51:58.21\00:52:00.25
We're not to walk
in lewdness; repeated
00:52:00.32\00:52:04.42
immoral sexual encounters.
00:52:04.45\00:52:06.55
We're not to walk in lust
or licentiousness, wantonness.
00:52:06.59\00:52:11.19
We're not to walk in
strife or contention.
00:52:11.23\00:52:14.83
Not to walk in envy
toward other people.
00:52:14.86\00:52:18.40
But there's one more step:
that is prepare for battle.
00:52:18.43\00:52:21.94
That's found in Verse 14.
00:52:21.97\00:52:24.37
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the
00:52:24.41\00:52:30.31
flesh to fulfill its lust.
00:52:30.35\00:52:31.85
Now, Mollie, you talked about
we use the word love a lot.
00:52:31.88\00:52:34.42
I'm going to use it again.
00:52:34.45\00:52:35.85
I love this Scripture.
00:52:35.88\00:52:37.25
It's been pivotal in my own
journey, my own walk with God.
00:52:37.29\00:52:41.32
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:52:41.36\00:52:43.43
I think from Romans 12:1,
where this practical instruction
00:52:43.49\00:52:46.86
begins, all the way through
the end of the book of Romans,
00:52:46.90\00:52:50.20
this could be one
of the pivotal verses.
00:52:50.23\00:52:52.07
We are to put on Christ.
00:52:52.10\00:52:53.97
We are to be clothed with
the disposition, the attitude,
00:52:54.00\00:52:57.14
the habits, and the character
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:52:57.24\00:53:00.38
And at the same time we are to
make no provision for the flesh
00:53:00.41\00:53:04.78
to fulfill its lust.
00:53:04.81\00:53:06.55
The word for provision
means foresight, forethought,
00:53:06.58\00:53:10.09
or allowing for
something to happen.
00:53:10.12\00:53:12.82
So you know what that
means? if you have don't make
00:53:12.85\00:53:16.22
provision for temptation?
00:53:16.29\00:53:19.06
If you have books in your home
that are causing you to stumble,
00:53:19.09\00:53:23.20
get rid of the books.
00:53:23.23\00:53:24.67
If there's TV in your home,
and you can't keep from watching
00:53:24.70\00:53:29.54
certain programs,
cancel your cable.
00:53:29.60\00:53:32.27
If it's movies that are a
struggle, throw that movie out.
00:53:32.31\00:53:38.25
If it's a magazine,
don't pick up the magazine
00:53:38.28\00:53:41.02
at the supermarket checkout.
00:53:41.05\00:53:42.68
You know, if that's
what causes you to struggle.
00:53:42.72\00:53:44.85
If it's food, stay
away from the mall.
00:53:44.89\00:53:47.92
If it's clothes, sorry, if it's
clothes stay away from the mall.
00:53:47.96\00:53:51.53
If it's food, and there's a
certain thing you struggle with,
00:53:51.56\00:53:55.03
don't buy that
particular item of food.
00:53:55.06\00:53:57.40
If it's someone else that you're
struggling with, with emotional
00:53:57.43\00:54:00.74
feelings for, and
you meet them at the gym,
00:54:00.77\00:54:02.64
cancel that membership
and go to a different gym,
00:54:02.67\00:54:05.34
or if they're at your place
of work, find a different job.
00:54:05.41\00:54:08.61
Make no provision for the flesh.
00:54:08.68\00:54:11.88
So Paul tells us to
wake up, use proper weaponry,
00:54:11.95\00:54:15.48
walk appropriately,
and prepare for battle.
00:54:15.55\00:54:18.12
And I know my
time is almost gone.
00:54:18.15\00:54:19.52
And I want to read
one quote from 8 Volume
00:54:19.55\00:54:21.69
of the Testimonies, 253.
00:54:21.72\00:54:23.93
The Lord is soon coming.
00:54:23.96\00:54:25.99
We must be ready and
waiting for His appearing.
00:54:26.03\00:54:29.46
How glorious it would be
to see Him, and be welcomed
00:54:29.50\00:54:32.70
as His redeemed ones.
00:54:32.73\00:54:34.10
Long have we waited, but
our hope is not to grow dim.
00:54:34.14\00:54:38.04
If we can but see
the King in His beauty,
00:54:38.07\00:54:40.24
we shall be forever blessed.
00:54:40.28\00:54:42.18
I feel as if I must
cry aloud: homeward bound.
00:54:42.21\00:54:46.78
Amen and Amen. Thank you, Jill.
00:54:46.82\00:54:49.12
That was beautiful.
00:54:49.15\00:54:50.49
And I always love how you
bring it down to several points
00:54:50.55\00:54:52.82
at the end of
practical application.
00:54:52.85\00:54:55.22
Because actually
that is what Paul is doing
00:54:55.26\00:54:58.33
here today, is it not?
00:54:58.36\00:54:59.69
The first eleven chapters
he's laid out the doctrine,
00:54:59.73\00:55:03.30
the theology, and now he's
going from doctrine to duty.
00:55:03.37\00:55:08.10
What are God's expectations
of His new covenant people?
00:55:08.14\00:55:12.87
And as we began Paul said,
Therefore if you consider all
00:55:12.94\00:55:18.01
that God has done for you,
he said, then present yourself
00:55:18.05\00:55:23.12
as a living sacrifice.
00:55:23.15\00:55:24.75
Let your mind be
renewed by the...
00:55:24.79\00:55:27.76
Be transformed by the
renewal through the Scriptures,
00:55:27.79\00:55:32.43
and through having
the mind of Christ in you.
00:55:32.46\00:55:35.46
I'd like each of you just to
take... Boy we are really short.
00:55:35.50\00:55:38.57
...twenty seconds.
00:55:38.60\00:55:39.93
Give me just a summary point;
a little zinger from your lesson
00:55:40.00\00:55:43.97
that you'd like to share.
00:55:44.01\00:55:45.34
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
00:55:45.37\00:55:50.31
Amen! John. And whatsoever
state you're in be content.
00:55:50.35\00:55:55.68
That's right,
the Christian state.
00:55:57.95\00:55:59.32
Whatsoever state
you're in, be content.
00:55:59.35\00:56:01.49
And that's something that
it takes a little practice to
00:56:01.52\00:56:04.93
learn to be content.
00:56:04.96\00:56:06.33
But it is a true
blessing when it is.
00:56:06.36\00:56:09.03
I want to reiterate
Romans 5:5, The love of God...
00:56:09.06\00:56:13.64
That love that God loves
us with is also in our hearts.
00:56:13.67\00:56:17.24
It's been poured into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit.
00:56:17.31\00:56:20.81
We are filled
with God's love. Amen!
00:56:20.88\00:56:23.35
And I just want
to encourage you.
00:56:23.38\00:56:25.85
Jesus is coming soon.
00:56:25.88\00:56:27.22
We have the privilege
and opportunity now to
00:56:27.25\00:56:29.88
spend time in His work.
00:56:29.95\00:56:31.29
Get to know Him. Accept
Him as your personal Savior,
00:56:31.32\00:56:35.26
and know that we have the hope
of spending eternity with Him.
00:56:35.29\00:56:39.19
Amen. I just wanted to add
something to what Mollie has
00:56:39.26\00:56:42.40
said when we were
taking about the love being
00:56:42.43\00:56:45.27
poured into our heart.
00:56:45.30\00:56:46.63
Listen to what Paul
told the Thessalonians in
00:56:46.70\00:56:48.74
1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13.
00:56:48.80\00:56:51.91
He says, May the Lord make you
increase and abound in love to
00:56:51.94\00:56:55.51
one another, and to all,
just as we do to you, so that...
00:56:55.54\00:56:59.08
For the purpose of.
00:56:59.15\00:57:00.55
so that He may establish your
hearts blameless in holiness
00:57:00.58\00:57:04.12
before our God, and Father,
at the coming of our Lord
00:57:04.15\00:57:06.65
and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:57:06.69\00:57:08.42
If you want to be blameless
in holiness, if you want to
00:57:08.46\00:57:11.89
overcome evil with
good, open your heart to God.
00:57:11.96\00:57:14.73
Let Him pour out His love,
because the more you are filled
00:57:14.73\00:57:19.10
with the love of God,
the holier you will become.
00:57:19.17\00:57:21.97
You'll be just like Him!
00:57:22.00\00:57:24.31
Well, we just want to thank
you so much for joining us.
00:57:24.34\00:57:27.01
Our prayer is that the grace
of our Lord and Savior Jesus
00:57:27.08\00:57:29.71
Christ, the love of the Father,
and the fellowship of the
00:57:29.78\00:57:32.25
Holy Spirit will
be with you always.
00:57:32.28\00:57:35.22
See you next time.
00:57:35.25\00:57:36.58