Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Our Father and our God, we
come before Your throne today
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confessing our own
insufficiency, and the inability
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to understand Your Word
without our finite minds.
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Therefore we ask that
you would be present with us,
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through the ministration
of Your Holy Spirit.
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We ask, Lord, that You
will give us clarity of thought,
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that you will give us willing
hearts, that we might understand
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Your will for our lives.
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As we study about the marvelous
plan of the everlasting gospel,
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we ask that You will instill
in our hearts a deeper love
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each day for You, and
for Your Beloved Son Jesus,
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for we ask it in
His precious name, Amen.
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As I mentioned in our last study
together, we are going to study
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today about the
everlasting gospel.
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And I'd like to read the first
angel's message where we find
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the reference to
the everlasting gospel.
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I'm reading from
Revelation 14: 6, 7.
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It says the following:
Then I saw another angel flying
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in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel to preach
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to those who dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, tribe,
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tongue, and people.
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Interestingly enough, the
apostle John wrote several books
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of the New Testament.
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He wrote the gospel
of John, Revelation,
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as well as three epistles.
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But this is the only time in
the writings of John where you
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find the word gospel, and much
less the everlasting gospel.
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Now because this is the only
time in the writings of John
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where we find the
reference to the gospel,
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it's necessary for us to go
to other places in Scripture
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to study this topic of
the everlasting gospel.
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And so we're going to go to
other places in Scripture that
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describe the meaning
of the everlasting gospel.
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Now the first question
that we want to ask is this:
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Why is the gospel
called everlasting?
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After all the Bible tells
us that the gospel was the
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salvation event in Jesus Christ.
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So what makes the
gospel everlasting?
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Well, in order to understand
why the gospel is everlasting
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we need to go back to the
story that we find of the fall
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in the book of Genesis.
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So go back with me to Genesis
2, and we're going to look at
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several important details
that will set the framework
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for understanding the meaning
of the everlasting gospel.
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The first thing that I want
to review from Genesis 1 and 2
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is that God, that is
Jesus, created Adam and Eve
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holy, innocent, and righteous.
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And the Bible tells us that in
order to show this righteousness
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in a visible way, God
clothed Adam and Eve with a
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literal robe of light.
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But that literal robe of
light symbolized something;
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it represented something.
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The literal robe of light
represented their righteousness,
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their obedience
to the law of God.
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In other words, the literal
robe of light represented
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obedience to God's law.
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It showed that Adam
and Eve were righteous,
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because they had not
broken God's holy law.
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But we're told in the book of
Genesis that when Adam and Eve
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sinned the first result of their
sin was that this literal robe
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of light disappeared.
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And we find in Genesis 2:25
the description of what happened
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when the robe of
light disappeared.
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It says there in Genesis
2:25, first of all, about their
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original condition, and then
we'll read verse 7 of chapter 3.
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It says: And they were both
naked, the man and his wife,
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and were not ashamed.
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But now notice verse 7.
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Immediately after their sin it
says: Then the eyes of both of
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them were opened, and
they knew that they were naked.
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So in other words, in
their innocence, when they were
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obedient to God's holy law,
they had a literal robe of light
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that represented spiritual
obedience to God's holy law.
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But when they sinned the
literal robe of light left them,
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and they became literally naked.
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Now what did the
literal nakedness represent?
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It represented the
fact that now they were
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disobedient to God's law.
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They were unrighteous.
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In other words, being
clothed with the robe of light
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represented obedience to God's
law, whereas being unclothed
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or naked represented,
or symbolized disobedience
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to God's holy law.
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And, of course, the Bible tells
us that the nakedness of Adam
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and Eve led ultimately to the
sentence of death against them.
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And it's no coincidence that the
apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5
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refers to death as
nakedness, because your body
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goes back to the dust.
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Your body is your clothing, so
to speak, spiritually speaking.
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And so when man
dies, the apostle Paul says
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that he's left naked.
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So the nakedness of Adam and
Eve represented the fact that
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ultimately they were going to
die, and they were going to be
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left naked; their
body, in other words,
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was going to disintegrate.
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We find in Romans
6:23 the sentence of death.
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And I want to read just
the first part of Romans 6:23.
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It says there:
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The wages of sin is
death, or the ultimate nakedness
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or unclothing,
according to the apostle Paul
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in 2 Corinthians 5:2-4.
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I like to think of this topic
of the wages of sin being death,
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in the context of what I call
an equal opportunity employer.
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You know, sin is actually
personified in Romans 6:23.
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The wages of sin is death.
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In other words,
Mr. Sin is an employer.
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Whoever works for Mr. Sin,
the wages that that person earns
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are what? death. The
wages of sin are death.
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So when Adam and Eve sinned,
they began to be employees
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of Mr. Sin. And Mr. Sin
said, Being that you're working
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for me, being that you're
committing sin, the wages that
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I'm going to pay
you are wages of death.
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Now it's very important for us
to realize that the death that
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God was talking about
was not only physical death.
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God was speaking about
eternal separation from Him.
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He was referring
to spiritual death.
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He was referring to spiritual
death, but he was also referring
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to eternal or everlasting death.
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And the Bible says that
Adam and Eve should have
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died that very day.
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Notice Genesis 2:17.
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The Bible is very
clear on this point.
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Genesis 2:17. It says
there, God is speaking:
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But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil,
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you shall not eat: for in
the day that you eat of it
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you shall surely die.
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Notice, God didn't
tell Adam, You know,
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you'll die 930 years later.
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He said, The day that you
eat of the tree, that is the day
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that you will surely die.
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In other words, there was
no doubt that Adam and Eve
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should have died that very day.
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And, of course, the question is,
Why didn't they die that very
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day in which they sinned? in
which they were left physically
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naked, which represented
their spiritual nakedness,
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in other words
their unrighteousness,
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which eventually would lead
to death, to the decomposition
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of their bodies;
the ultimate nakedness.
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Why didn't they
suffer death in all of its
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implications that day?
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The reason why is because God
had established an everlasting
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plan in the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
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In fact, that plan that
God established before the
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foundation of the world, we're
going to read it in a moment
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from Scripture, in vision
two things: 1. It envisioned
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choosing a
perfect, unblemished, lamb.
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And then that perfect,
unblemished lamb was to be
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sacrificed for
the sin of humanity.
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In the case of Adam and
Eve, for the sin that they
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had just committed.
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Now it's very important to
realize that this plan was not
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implemented by
God as an emergency.
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God didn't say, Uh
oh, human beings sinned.
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What are we going to do now?
00:11:04.33\00:11:05.76
The fact is that this plan
had already been made before
00:11:05.79\00:11:10.87
this world was even created.
00:11:10.93\00:11:13.54
In other words, God
always had a contingency plan.
00:11:13.60\00:11:17.51
It was not a last
minute emergency plan.
00:11:17.57\00:11:20.74
God knew all the time what
was going to be necessary to
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save man from his sin.
00:11:24.81\00:11:27.58
Notice 1 Peter 1:18-20, and
we're going to read especially
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two phrases in this passage.
00:11:34.12\00:11:36.06
1 Peter 1:18-20.
Here the apostle Peter
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says the following:
00:11:42.96\00:11:44.30
Notice that Jesus
had to shed His blood.
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There it is.
00:12:06.59\00:12:07.92
Notice two things: the
lamb had to be without blemish,
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and then the lamb had
to be what? sacrificed.
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His blood had to be shed.
00:12:18.73\00:12:20.60
Now when was this
plan made, and when was
00:12:20.64\00:12:24.17
this plan implemented?
00:12:24.21\00:12:25.61
Notice what we find in verse 20.
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He, that is Jesus, indeed
was foreordained, in other words
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this plan was made before
the foundation of the world,
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but was made manifest, in
other words was implemented,
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in these last times for you.
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So when was the
plan of redemption
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elaborated and established?
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It was not established
when human beings sinned.
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The Bible tells us that Jesus
had already in eternity past,
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offered to live a perfect life
as a lamb, and to suffer death
00:13:02.14\00:13:07.15
in place of human beings.
00:13:07.22\00:13:09.02
He was foreordained before
the foundation of the world.
00:13:09.05\00:13:13.76
Sin did not
catch God by surprise.
00:13:13.79\00:13:17.73
God already had a plan.
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That's the reason why the gospel
is called, The Everlasting
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Gospel, is because it goes
all the way into eternity past,
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at least as a plan.
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Now I want us to notice that
this plan was announced to Adam
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and Eve when they sinned.
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You see, the Bible tells us
that they were covered with the
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glorious robe of light, which
represented their obedience
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to the law of God;
their righteousness.
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When they sinned, the Bible
tells us that they were left
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physically naked, which
represented the fact that now
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they were unrighteous.
00:13:54.73\00:13:56.03
In other words they were
disobedient to God's law.
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So, basically they
needed to be covered once again.
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They needed the robe of
righteousness once again.
00:14:02.27\00:14:05.77
But how could their
nakedness be covered?
00:14:05.81\00:14:08.78
The fact is the Bible tells
us that they tried to cover
00:14:08.81\00:14:12.18
their nakedness
in a very unique way.
00:14:12.21\00:14:14.25
Notice Genesis 3:7, Genesis 3:7.
00:14:14.32\00:14:18.92
Immediately after
they find themselves naked,
00:14:18.95\00:14:21.72
because of their sin,
we find this statement.
00:14:21.76\00:14:24.53
Then the eyes of
both of them were opened,
00:14:24.56\00:14:28.30
and they knew
that they were naked;
00:14:28.33\00:14:31.17
and they sewed
fig leaves together,
00:14:31.20\00:14:34.27
and made themselves coverings.
00:14:34.30\00:14:37.61
How did they attempt to
cover their unrighteousness,
00:14:37.64\00:14:41.84
or their
disobedience to God's law?
00:14:41.88\00:14:44.65
They tried to cover it by
making garments of fig leaves
00:14:44.68\00:14:50.59
themselves, and by
clothing themselves.
00:14:50.65\00:14:53.82
But the interesting thing
is, if you read all the way down
00:14:53.86\00:14:56.59
to verse 10 you're going
to discover that Adam and Eve,
00:14:56.62\00:14:59.49
even after they were
covered with the fig leaves,
00:14:59.53\00:15:02.10
they still felt naked.
00:15:02.13\00:15:03.97
Because when God came looking
for them, Adam said we hid
00:15:04.00\00:15:06.94
in the midst of the trees of the
garden because we were naked.
00:15:06.97\00:15:10.71
Well, the fact is they
were covered with the fig
00:15:10.74\00:15:12.71
leaves at this point.
00:15:12.74\00:15:14.08
But they still feel naked,
because the glorious robe of
00:15:14.11\00:15:17.25
light was not there;
there were just fig leaves.
00:15:17.28\00:15:19.81
And they knew that in order
to have the innocence of God
00:15:19.85\00:15:23.99
they needed to
have the robe of light.
00:15:24.02\00:15:27.06
And so they're standing there in
the garden, they're trembling,
00:15:27.09\00:15:30.33
they're shaking, they
know that the sentence of death
00:15:30.36\00:15:32.49
should fall upon them.
00:15:32.53\00:15:33.90
And God descends to the garden
and He gives a magnificent
00:15:33.93\00:15:37.97
prophecy, that we
find in Genesis 3:15.
00:15:38.00\00:15:40.80
This is when the gospel plan
is first announced after sin.
00:15:40.84\00:15:46.07
It says there in Genesis
3:15, and God is speaking to the
00:15:46.11\00:15:50.01
serpent. He's
speaking to the Devil.
00:15:50.05\00:15:51.65
He, that is the
seed of the woman.
00:16:00.19\00:16:02.52
In other words, God is
saying, I'm going to send
00:16:08.16\00:16:10.20
a seed to the world.
00:16:10.27\00:16:11.60
And that seed is
going to war against you,
00:16:11.63\00:16:15.80
serpent, against you, the Devil.
00:16:15.84\00:16:18.47
In the process of the war
you are going to wound His heel,
00:16:18.51\00:16:22.21
but after wounding His heel,
He is going to crush your head.
00:16:22.24\00:16:27.62
Now the question is,
What event was going to crush
00:16:27.65\00:16:31.89
the head of the serpent?
00:16:31.92\00:16:33.29
How could this seed of
the woman defeat the serpent
00:16:33.36\00:16:41.40
in order to restore
to man what man had lost?
00:16:41.43\00:16:45.17
How could man be
covered with the glorious robe
00:16:45.20\00:16:48.74
of light once again?
00:16:48.77\00:16:50.57
The fact is that in
verse 21, just a few verses
00:16:50.61\00:16:54.44
after verse 15, we find
how God was going to cover
00:16:54.48\00:16:59.01
the nakedness of Adam and Eve.
00:16:59.05\00:17:01.52
It says in verse
21, of chapter 3:
00:17:01.55\00:17:04.99
Notice for Adam and his wife.
00:17:09.59\00:17:12.53
Somebody else is
doing this; this is God.
00:17:12.56\00:17:14.30
Garments that is of what?
00:17:20.77\00:17:24.31
Who made the garments? God did.
00:17:29.51\00:17:32.88
What did He make
them from? skins.
00:17:32.91\00:17:35.88
What do you need to do to
get the skin of an animal?
00:17:35.92\00:17:38.42
The animal has to die.
00:17:38.45\00:17:40.66
In other words, the very
day that Adam and Even sinned,
00:17:40.69\00:17:44.23
that very day there was a death.
00:17:44.26\00:17:47.13
The lamb died. A
perfect lamb was sacrificed.
00:17:47.20\00:17:52.40
The plan had
been made before sin,
00:17:52.43\00:17:55.00
before the
foundation of the world,
00:17:55.04\00:17:56.67
according to what
we read in 1 Peter 1.
00:17:56.71\00:17:59.17
But here the plan
is being announced.
00:17:59.21\00:18:03.08
The seed is going to
come is what God is saying.
00:18:03.11\00:18:06.88
He's going to crush
the head of the serpent.
00:18:06.95\00:18:08.72
And the way He's going to do
it is that He's going to be a
00:18:08.75\00:18:11.62
perfect lamb who
will be sacrificed,
00:18:11.65\00:18:14.22
and with His
garments the nakedness
00:18:14.29\00:18:17.66
of man will be covered.
00:18:17.69\00:18:19.03
Now throughout the Old Testament
the gospel was foreshadowed.
00:18:22.46\00:18:27.64
Before Jesus came,
how were people saved?
00:18:27.67\00:18:31.94
You know, some people think
that people were only saved
00:18:31.97\00:18:35.51
after Jesus died on the cross.
00:18:35.54\00:18:36.88
The fact is how was Israel
saved in the Old Testament?
00:18:36.95\00:18:40.52
Were they lost because Jesus,
the Lamb of God, had not come
00:18:40.55\00:18:44.62
to live His perfect
life, and had not suffered
00:18:44.65\00:18:46.96
death in place of
man? Absolutely not!
00:18:47.69\00:18:50.33
God provided a way, even in the
Old Testament, so that Adam and
00:18:50.36\00:18:55.30
Eve, and all of their
descendents before Jesus came,
00:18:55.33\00:18:58.37
could understand that a perfect
lamb was going to come and live
00:18:58.40\00:19:03.34
a perfect life, and then
that lamb was going to die
00:19:03.37\00:19:07.21
for the sins of man.
00:19:07.24\00:19:08.58
And we're
talking about a person.
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.18
But the way that God illustrated
it in the Old Testament was by
00:19:10.21\00:19:14.82
the sacrificial
system, the ceremonial system
00:19:14.85\00:19:18.02
that God gave to Israel.
00:19:18.05\00:19:19.39
Now there's many things that we
could say about the sacrificial
00:19:19.42\00:19:23.46
system, but I want to underline
two facts concerning the system
00:19:23.49\00:19:27.13
of sacrifices in
the Old Testament.
00:19:27.13\00:19:29.13
The first thing that I want
to underline is that the priest
00:19:29.16\00:19:34.64
that offered the
sacrifice had to be
00:19:34.67\00:19:37.01
absolutely without blemish.
00:19:37.04\00:19:38.87
And obviously it's not
talking about moral blemish,
00:19:38.91\00:19:42.31
it's talking about
physical, external blemish.
00:19:42.34\00:19:45.08
Let me read from
Leviticus 21: 17-21.
00:19:45.11\00:19:50.89
Speak to Aaron saying,
No man of your descendents
00:19:50.92\00:19:55.46
in succeeding generations
who has any defect may approach
00:19:55.49\00:20:01.26
to offer the bread of his God.
00:20:01.30\00:20:03.03
For any man who has a defect
shall not approach a man blind,
00:20:03.06\00:20:10.37
or lame, who has a marred
face, or any limb too long,
00:20:10.41\00:20:14.78
a man who has a
broken foot, or broken hand,
00:20:14.81\00:20:18.11
or is a hunchback, or a
dwarf, or a man who has a defect
00:20:18.15\00:20:22.75
in his eye, or eczema,
or scab, or is a eunuch.
00:20:22.78\00:20:27.06
No man of the descendents
of Aaron the priest who has a
00:20:27.12\00:20:32.06
defect shall come near
to offer the offerings made
00:20:32.09\00:20:35.76
by fire to the Lord.
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.13
He has a defect. He
shall not come near to offer
00:20:37.20\00:20:41.90
the bread of his God.
00:20:41.94\00:20:43.87
In other words, the priest
had to be without blemish;
00:20:43.94\00:20:48.94
the priest that
offered the sacrifice.
00:20:48.98\00:20:52.01
But also the victim
that the priest offered had
00:20:52.05\00:20:55.42
to be without blemish.
00:20:55.45\00:20:57.22
Notice Leviticus
22:20-22, Leviticus 22:20-22.
00:20:57.25\00:21:05.93
Speaking about the
victims that were offered
00:21:05.96\00:21:09.10
in the sacrificial system,
we find Moses writing this:
00:21:09.13\00:21:14.20
Whatever has any
defect you shall not offer:
00:21:14.24\00:21:18.21
for it shall not be
acceptable on your behalf.
00:21:18.24\00:21:22.78
And whoever offers a sacrifice
of a peace offering to the Lord
00:21:22.81\00:21:27.48
to fulfill his vow, or a
freewill offering from the
00:21:27.52\00:21:31.05
cattle or the sheep, it
must be perfect to be accepted.
00:21:31.09\00:21:35.76
There shall be no defect in it.
00:21:35.79\00:21:40.00
Those that are blind, or broken,
or maimed, or have an ulcer,
00:21:40.06\00:21:45.23
or eczema, or scabs, you
shall not offer to the Lord,
00:21:45.27\00:21:50.04
nor make an offering by fire of
them on the altar to the Lord.
00:21:50.07\00:21:55.18
In other words, the priest
that offered the sacrifice
00:21:55.21\00:21:59.61
had to be without blemish, and
the sacrifice that he offered
00:21:59.65\00:22:03.89
also had to be without blemish.
00:22:03.92\00:22:07.76
Now let me ask you, Why did you
have to have a priest without
00:22:07.79\00:22:12.29
blemish, and a
victim without blemish?
00:22:12.33\00:22:14.93
Because, as we're going to
notice, this pointed forward
00:22:14.93\00:22:18.20
to the fact that Jesus was going
to officiate His own sacrifice.
00:22:18.23\00:22:24.01
Many times in the book of
Hebrews we're told that Jesus
00:22:24.07\00:22:28.61
offered Himself a sacrifice.
00:22:28.64\00:22:31.95
But in order to
offer the sacrifice,
00:22:31.98\00:22:34.65
He had to be an
unblemished priest,
00:22:34.68\00:22:37.55
and He also had to be
an unblemished sacrifice.
00:22:37.59\00:22:41.92
And in all of this system
in the Old Testament God was
00:22:41.96\00:22:45.93
foreshadowing the gospel.
00:22:45.96\00:22:48.03
The fact that a perfect priest,
and a perfect sacrifice would
00:22:48.06\00:22:52.73
come in the future to live the
life that human beings should
00:22:52.77\00:22:56.30
live, and to die the death
that human beings should die.
00:22:56.34\00:22:59.94
But folks, none
of these sacrifices
00:23:00.08\00:23:02.81
actually took away sin.
00:23:02.84\00:23:04.55
Legally no one was saved until
Jesus lived His perfect life,
00:23:04.58\00:23:11.89
and died on the
cross of Calvary.
00:23:11.92\00:23:14.36
Now you say, Weren't people
saved in the Old Testament?
00:23:14.39\00:23:16.96
Yes, they were. Do you
know how they were saved?
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.59
by seeing Jesus
Christ in their sacrifices;
00:23:19.63\00:23:23.63
the Jesus that
would come in the future.
00:23:23.67\00:23:25.93
In other words, they were saved
by looking at the sacrifices,
00:23:25.97\00:23:29.04
and seeing in the
sacrifices, and in the priest,
00:23:29.07\00:23:31.87
the future
coming of the Messiah.
00:23:31.91\00:23:33.74
They had faith in the Messiah.
00:23:33.78\00:23:35.61
We are saved in the
same way, only we look back
00:23:35.64\00:23:40.18
to an accomplished fact.
00:23:40.22\00:23:41.55
But both groups, Old
Testament and New Testament,
00:23:41.58\00:23:44.69
are saved by the same Jesus.
00:23:44.72\00:23:47.22
In the Old Testament
they were saved on the
00:23:47.26\00:23:50.09
basis of the promise.
00:23:50.13\00:23:51.66
Today we are saved on
the basis of the fulfillment.
00:23:51.69\00:23:55.70
But none of those ceremonies in
the Old Testament could actually
00:23:55.73\00:23:59.17
remove sin legally.
00:23:59.20\00:24:01.24
Only could they be
removed because they had faith
00:24:01.27\00:24:04.37
in what Jesus would do.
00:24:04.41\00:24:05.87
And that's the reason why
in Hebrews 10:4 we're told:
00:24:05.91\00:24:11.85
For it is not possible that
the blood of bulls and goats
00:24:11.88\00:24:18.12
could take away sin.
00:24:18.15\00:24:20.89
Now we want to come
to the times of Christ.
00:24:20.96\00:24:24.43
You see, we've looked
at the gospel from this
00:24:24.46\00:24:26.56
different perspective.
00:24:26.59\00:24:27.93
We've looked at the
gospel plan established
00:24:27.96\00:24:31.13
in the ages of eternity.
00:24:31.17\00:24:32.50
We looked at the gospel as it
was announced to Adam and Eve.
00:24:32.53\00:24:37.17
We've looked at the
gospel as it was foreshadowed
00:24:37.21\00:24:40.64
in the sacrificial system.
00:24:40.68\00:24:42.51
Now we want to
look at the fulfillment
00:24:42.54\00:24:44.85
of this gospel promise.
00:24:44.88\00:24:47.28
You see, the fulfillment of this
promise was when Jesus Christ
00:24:47.32\00:24:51.92
decided to leave the courts
of heaven and come to this earth
00:24:51.95\00:24:58.59
and live the life
that all of us should live,
00:24:58.63\00:25:01.63
in perfect obedience and
harmony with the law of God.
00:25:01.66\00:25:05.70
And then at the end of His life,
after living a perfect life
00:25:05.73\00:25:10.51
in harmony with the law of God,
to take upon Himself the sins
00:25:10.54\00:25:16.44
of all of the world, and make
payment for all of those sins.
00:25:16.48\00:25:21.52
Now Jesus could do this
because Jesus created everyone.
00:25:21.55\00:25:24.99
So He who created all
could take the place of all.
00:25:25.02\00:25:28.89
He could live a perfect life for
all, and He could suffer death
00:25:28.92\00:25:33.50
for all, according
to the New Testament.
00:25:33.53\00:25:35.80
So the mission of Jesus
was to come, and as a priest
00:25:35.83\00:25:39.50
live an unblemished life, and
as a sacrifice be an unblemished
00:25:39.53\00:25:44.71
perfect sacrifice.
00:25:44.74\00:25:46.07
The New Testament makes
it very clear that Jesus was
00:25:46.11\00:25:49.68
an unblemished priest.
00:25:49.71\00:25:51.05
Notice Hebrews
4:15, Hebrews 4: 15.
00:25:51.08\00:25:58.45
Here we find the apostle
Paul saying, For we do not have
00:25:58.49\00:26:04.39
a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses.
00:26:04.43\00:26:09.33
Another way of putting it is: We
have a high priest who is able
00:26:09.36\00:26:14.04
to sympathize
with our weaknesses.
00:26:14.07\00:26:16.07
...but was in all points tempted
as we are, yet without sin.
00:26:16.10\00:26:24.38
Was He a perfect priest?
a perfect high priest? Yes.
00:26:24.41\00:26:29.72
Notice Hebrews 7:26
where this idea of the perfect
00:26:29.75\00:26:33.96
high priest is underlined.
00:26:33.99\00:26:36.39
Once again, Hebrews 7:26
says, For such a high priest
00:26:36.42\00:26:41.80
was fitting for us, who
is holy, harmless, undefiled,
00:26:41.83\00:26:48.40
separate from sinners, and has
become higher than the heavens.
00:26:48.44\00:26:53.64
So do we have a high priest that
lived an absolutely perfect life
00:26:53.68\00:26:58.21
in harmony with God's holy law?
00:26:58.25\00:27:00.55
Did He weave a robe
of perfect righteousness?
00:27:00.58\00:27:04.12
He most certainly did.
00:27:04.15\00:27:05.62
But let me ask you, was He
also a perfect victim when He
00:27:05.65\00:27:09.42
took our sins upon Himself?
00:27:09.46\00:27:11.59
Was He a clean,
perfect, unblemished victim?
00:27:11.63\00:27:16.03
He most certainly was.
00:27:16.06\00:27:17.40
Let's read 1 Peter
1:18, 19 once again.
00:27:17.47\00:27:21.74
1 Peter 1:18, 19.
00:27:21.77\00:27:24.11
Was Jesus the perfect priest?
00:27:46.06\00:27:48.26
He most certainly was.
00:27:48.30\00:27:49.96
Was He the
perfect sacrifice? Yes.
00:27:50.03\00:27:52.97
In fact Jesus, by living a
perfect life in harmony with
00:27:53.00\00:27:57.11
the law of God, through
that life Jesus wove a perfect
00:27:57.17\00:28:05.41
robe of righteousness for
every human being that has ever
00:28:05.45\00:28:09.25
lived on Planet Earth.
00:28:09.48\00:28:10.82
And when Jesus died on the cross
He died the death that every
00:28:10.85\00:28:15.46
human being on
Planet Earth should die.
00:28:15.49\00:28:19.46
In other words Jesus lived
for all, and Jesus died for all.
00:28:19.49\00:28:24.47
In fact this is
what Scripture teaches.
00:28:24.50\00:28:27.47
Notice, for example,
what we find in 1 John 2:2.
00:28:27.54\00:28:33.04
For how many sins did Jesus die?
00:28:43.89\00:28:46.52
For how many
people did Jesus live?
00:28:46.55\00:28:48.49
He lived for
everyone on Planet Earth.
00:28:48.52\00:28:51.89
And, of course, you're
acquainted with that most famous
00:28:51.93\00:28:54.20
verse in the Bible:
For God so loved Fresno.
00:28:54.30\00:28:57.53
Well, Fresno too.
00:28:57.57\00:29:00.67
For God so loved what?
00:29:00.70\00:29:02.44
For whom did God give His Son?
00:29:05.87\00:29:08.64
He gave His Son
for the whole world.
00:29:08.68\00:29:11.51
He died for the
sins of the world.
00:29:11.55\00:29:13.85
He lived the life that every
person in the world should live.
00:29:13.88\00:29:17.65
In Isaiah 53:6 we find, once
again, the same idea that Jesus
00:29:17.69\00:29:23.12
lived and died for every person
in the world. It says there:
00:29:23.16\00:29:27.23
And in Galatians 3:13, we could
read many, many more verses,
00:29:40.68\00:29:45.48
Galatians 3:13, we're
told by the apostle Paul:
00:29:45.51\00:29:46.85
And notice how He did it.
00:29:53.09\00:29:54.66
So if I ask you, Did
Jesus pay the debt of the sins
00:30:03.06\00:30:07.74
of the whole world?
00:30:07.77\00:30:09.10
What would your answer be?
00:30:09.14\00:30:10.47
Jesus paid for the
sins of the whole world.
00:30:10.51\00:30:12.91
Jesus lived a life for
every person that has ever
00:30:12.94\00:30:16.44
lived on this earth.
00:30:16.48\00:30:17.81
He wove the robe.
00:30:17.85\00:30:19.38
Jesus died the
death that every person on
00:30:19.41\00:30:22.68
Planet Earth should die.
00:30:22.72\00:30:24.05
Jesus fully paid the
debt of the whole human race.
00:30:24.09\00:30:27.56
Some people say, Well,
then Pastor, everybody's going
00:30:27.62\00:30:30.29
to be saved, right?
00:30:30.33\00:30:31.66
No, folks. You see, we've talked
now about the gospel gift,
00:30:31.69\00:30:37.93
but the Bible tells us that in
order to benefit from the gospel
00:30:37.97\00:30:41.37
gift we have to accept, or
we have to receive that gift.
00:30:41.40\00:30:45.57
Do you remember the text
that we read from Romans 6:23?
00:30:45.61\00:30:51.11
For the wages of
sin is what? is death.
00:30:51.15\00:30:55.02
See when you serve
Mr. Sin, Mr. Sin says,
00:30:55.05\00:30:58.65
Well, you're
entitled to your check.
00:30:58.69\00:31:00.46
Your check is death.
00:31:00.49\00:31:02.62
That's your payment, you know.
00:31:02.66\00:31:04.03
Let me ask you, Did I earn it?
00:31:04.06\00:31:05.39
Sure! I worked for him, right?
00:31:05.43\00:31:08.20
But notice the last
half of Romans 6:23.
00:31:08.23\00:31:10.87
It says: but the free gift
of God is eternal life through
00:31:10.93\00:31:16.77
Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:31:16.81\00:31:18.21
In other words,
we serve Mr. Sin,
00:31:18.24\00:31:21.98
and we earn our wages of death.
00:31:22.01\00:31:23.91
But salvation is a
what? salvation is a gift.
00:31:24.05\00:31:29.62
Do you remember that most
famous verse in the Bible?
00:31:29.65\00:31:32.55
For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son.
00:31:32.59\00:31:36.46
So is all of the
world going to be saved? No.
00:31:36.49\00:31:39.49
Because the last half of
the verse says, For God so loved
00:31:39.53\00:31:42.83
the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son,
00:31:42.86\00:31:45.20
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
00:31:45.23\00:31:49.60
but have everlasting life.
00:31:49.64\00:31:51.27
Let me illustrate what I mean.
00:31:51.31\00:31:52.74
Let's suppose
that there's a bank,
00:31:52.77\00:31:55.34
we'll call it the
Bank of the Universe,
00:31:55.38\00:31:58.41
and there's a super rich person,
who just happens to be Jesus
00:31:58.45\00:32:04.45
Christ, who deposits enough
money in that bank for every
00:32:04.49\00:32:09.39
person on Planet Earth
to pay all of their debts:
00:32:09.42\00:32:12.33
credit cards, mortgage, auto
payments, educational loans,
00:32:12.76\00:32:20.00
you name it. He puts enough
money in there to pay every debt
00:32:20.04\00:32:23.87
of every person on Planet Earth.
00:32:23.91\00:32:26.27
Is there enough money
in the bank to pay for
00:32:26.31\00:32:28.64
everyone's release
from debt? Absolutely!
00:32:28.68\00:32:32.38
But there's only one condition:
you have to come to the bank,
00:32:32.41\00:32:35.58
and you have to
withdraw the money.
00:32:35.62\00:32:37.15
Let me ask you, If you don't
come to withdraw the money,
00:32:38.99\00:32:40.99
are you still in
debt? Yes, you are.
00:32:41.02\00:32:43.59
When Jesus died, He deposited
enough spiritual money,
00:32:43.63\00:32:47.76
if you please, in the
Bank of the Universe to save
00:32:47.76\00:32:50.33
every human being.
00:32:50.40\00:32:51.73
He paid for
everyone; everyone's debt.
00:32:51.77\00:32:54.20
But the Bible says that we
must come, and we must claim
00:32:54.24\00:32:57.04
the payment that He made.
00:32:57.07\00:32:58.41
Let me give you
another little illustration.
00:32:58.44\00:33:01.28
You know, I don't
know about you husbands,
00:33:01.31\00:33:04.61
but on Mother's Day I
get a gift for my wife.
00:33:04.65\00:33:07.22
I don't do it because I have
to, but because I like to do it.
00:33:07.25\00:33:10.32
You know, it's not
because we're supposed to do it.
00:33:10.39\00:33:13.69
It's because we love our wives.
00:33:13.76\00:33:15.79
So, you know, I go out
and I buy my wife a $100.00
00:33:15.82\00:33:19.89
gift certificate
to a certain store.
00:33:19.93\00:33:22.00
I don't want to give
any free advertising here.
00:33:22.03\00:33:24.07
And the morning when the
time comes to give her the gift,
00:33:24.13\00:33:32.34
the morning of her
birthday, I give her the gift
00:33:32.37\00:33:35.38
and she opens it. She says, Wow!
00:33:35.41\00:33:39.05
Thank you! I love this gift.
00:33:39.08\00:33:41.78
Let me ask you, how
much did that gift cost her?
00:33:41.82\00:33:47.22
How much did she
pay for that gift?
00:33:48.52\00:33:50.23
Nothing, it's
free, but did it cost?
00:33:50.29\00:33:54.23
The giver pays; the
receiver gets it free.
00:33:54.30\00:33:59.20
But let me ask you this,
suppose my wife didn't like
00:33:59.23\00:34:04.01
the gift that I bought.
00:34:04.34\00:34:05.67
Would she have the
option to say, You cheapskate!
00:34:05.71\00:34:09.44
That's not the
gift that I wanted.
00:34:09.48\00:34:12.25
Would she have the option
to reject the gift? Of course!
00:34:12.28\00:34:16.15
Would the gift benefit
her then? Absolutely not.
00:34:16.18\00:34:19.69
You see, Jesus bought the gift
of salvation by living our life,
00:34:19.72\00:34:24.53
and by dying our death.
00:34:24.56\00:34:26.09
But the only way that we can
benefit is by receiving the gift
00:34:26.13\00:34:30.53
that He purchased.
00:34:30.57\00:34:32.43
That's why people
are going to be lost,
00:34:32.47\00:34:34.64
because they're
going to reject the gift.
00:34:34.67\00:34:36.40
That's incredible!
00:34:36.44\00:34:37.77
It's unbelievable!
00:34:37.81\00:34:39.14
Why would people
reject the gift of everlasting
00:34:39.17\00:34:40.74
life when it's free?
00:34:40.78\00:34:43.31
Don't people love
freebies? Absolutely!
00:34:43.35\00:34:46.25
Now allow me to read you some
statements in the Bible that
00:34:46.28\00:34:49.92
show that there are
conditions for being saved.
00:34:49.95\00:34:53.32
Even though Jesus paid for all
of the sins, and lived the life
00:34:53.36\00:34:56.16
for every human being, we must
receive it; we must accept it.
00:34:56.19\00:34:59.29
And we must receive it
and accept it by repenting,
00:34:59.33\00:35:02.30
by confessing our sins, by
believing and trusting in Jesus,
00:35:02.33\00:35:06.84
and by being baptized
according to Scripture.
00:35:06.87\00:35:08.77
Those are the conditions
for receiving the robe.
00:35:08.80\00:35:11.54
See, Jesus already has a robe.
00:35:11.57\00:35:13.17
Jesus wove the robe
when He lived a perfect life.
00:35:13.21\00:35:16.75
Jesus wove the robe when He
died our death on the cross.
00:35:16.78\00:35:20.62
The robe is sitting
there in the closet.
00:35:20.65\00:35:23.05
And Jesus is just waiting
for us to come, and say Jesus,
00:35:23.08\00:35:28.39
I'm sorry for my sins.
00:35:28.42\00:35:30.56
I repent and I
confess my sins, and I say,
00:35:30.63\00:35:35.66
Please give me Your robe.
00:35:35.70\00:35:37.03
That's trusting in Him.
00:35:37.07\00:35:38.40
That's having faith in Him.
00:35:38.43\00:35:39.77
And then Jesus says,
Okay, here, take the robe.
00:35:39.80\00:35:43.47
And He covers you with His robe.
00:35:43.51\00:35:45.51
He covers your nakedness.
00:35:45.54\00:35:47.04
Is that good news?
00:35:47.08\00:35:48.41
It's wonderful news!
00:35:48.44\00:35:49.81
Notice several texts.
00:35:49.84\00:35:51.85
This is Acts 2:38.
00:35:51.88\00:35:55.65
This is about
claiming the gospel gift.
00:35:55.68\00:35:58.79
Then Peter said to them, Repent!
00:35:58.82\00:36:02.86
What did he say? Repent.
00:36:02.89\00:36:06.86
Notice the condition.
00:36:06.93\00:36:08.23
The word
remission means forgiveness.
00:36:19.07\00:36:20.58
Let me ask you, Are there
conditions for the remission
00:36:20.61\00:36:23.21
or forgiveness
of sins? Absolutely!
00:36:23.24\00:36:25.55
It says, Repent
and be baptized...
00:36:25.58\00:36:28.38
Notice Acts 5:30, 31,
Acts 5:30, 31. It says:
00:36:34.46\00:36:43.87
Now notice this:
00:36:54.91\00:36:56.24
Why did Jesus ascend
to the right hand of God?
00:37:01.72\00:37:04.02
So that He could give what?
00:37:04.05\00:37:05.39
So that He could give repentance
and forgiveness of sins.
00:37:05.42\00:37:10.49
Let me ask you, Were
everyone's sins forgiven
00:37:10.56\00:37:13.09
on the cross of Calvary?
00:37:13.13\00:37:14.46
No, the payment was
made on the cross of Calvary.
00:37:14.46\00:37:18.60
The deposit was made in
the bank, but when we repent,
00:37:18.63\00:37:23.10
and we confess,
and we are baptized,
00:37:23.14\00:37:26.54
at that moment
Jesus takes the payment
00:37:26.57\00:37:29.61
and credits it to my account.
00:37:29.64\00:37:32.31
In other words, His
righteousness is imputed to me.
00:37:32.35\00:37:36.05
Now I want you to notice
Acts 10:43, the same idea.
00:37:36.08\00:37:42.19
It says, To Him,
that is to Jesus.
00:37:42.22\00:37:45.63
What is the condition
for receiving the remission
00:38:00.91\00:38:02.94
or forgiveness of sins?
believing, or trusting in Him.
00:38:02.98\00:38:08.22
Notice Hebrews 7:25.
00:38:08.25\00:38:12.42
This thought comes
through time and time again.
00:38:12.45\00:38:14.09
We must claim the gospel gift.
00:38:14.12\00:38:16.56
It's not enough for
Jesus to have woven the robe.
00:38:16.59\00:38:20.03
It's not enough for Jesus to
have lived this perfect life,
00:38:20.06\00:38:22.66
and paid death
for all of humanity.
00:38:22.70\00:38:25.00
It's necessary to
accept what Jesus did.
00:38:25.03\00:38:27.54
Notice Hebrews 7:25, Therefore
He is also able to save
00:38:27.64\00:38:33.58
to the uttermost...
00:38:33.61\00:38:34.94
Notice who He is able to save.
00:38:34.98\00:38:38.18
He is able to save to
the uttermost those who come
00:38:38.25\00:38:43.99
to God through Him.
00:38:44.02\00:38:45.39
Must we come to God? Absolutely!
00:38:45.42\00:38:48.79
...those who come to God through
Him, since He always lives
00:38:48.82\00:38:53.70
to make intercession for them.
00:38:53.73\00:38:55.50
That is intercession for those
who come to God through Him.
00:38:55.53\00:38:59.30
Notice 1 John 1:9.
00:38:59.33\00:39:01.50
There's so many verses in the
New Testament that speak about
00:39:01.54\00:39:04.54
claiming the gospel gift.
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.21
1 John 1:9 says: If
we confess our sins,...
00:39:07.24\00:39:11.58
Notice if; conditional.
00:39:11.61\00:39:14.42
If we confess our sins He is
faithful and just to forgive us
00:39:14.45\00:39:21.56
our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
00:39:21.59\00:39:25.53
Is forgiveness conditional?
00:39:25.56\00:39:27.76
The Bible states that
forgiveness is conditional.
00:39:27.76\00:39:31.40
It is conditioned upon
what? confessing our sins;
00:39:31.43\00:39:36.40
repenting from sin.
00:39:36.44\00:39:38.11
So when a preacher gets up
and says, Only believe in Jesus
00:39:38.14\00:39:42.11
and you'll be saved,
that's not technically true,
00:39:42.14\00:39:45.55
because the Bible says even
the devils believe and tremble.
00:39:45.58\00:39:49.58
There has to be
contrite repentance.
00:39:49.65\00:39:53.09
There has to be a
confession of sin.
00:39:53.12\00:39:56.42
There has to be, according to
the Bible, baptism into Christ.
00:39:56.46\00:40:01.63
Now do you know
what's interesting?
00:40:01.70\00:40:04.93
When we repent, and
when we confess our sins,
00:40:04.97\00:40:08.10
and when we have faith
in Jesus and are baptized,
00:40:08.14\00:40:12.31
at that very moment
Jesus puts on us His spiritual
00:40:12.34\00:40:16.51
robe of righteousness, and He
covers our spiritual nakedness.
00:40:16.54\00:40:20.08
You say, Where
does the Bible say that?
00:40:20.12\00:40:22.05
Notice Galatians 3:26,
27, Galatians 3:26, 27.
00:40:22.08\00:40:31.46
Here the apostle Paul says:
00:40:31.53\00:40:33.76
When is it that
we're garbed with Christ?
00:40:50.88\00:40:53.25
When we are baptized.
00:40:53.28\00:40:56.45
But in order to be
baptized, we have to repent.
00:40:56.48\00:40:59.12
And when we repent we confess.
00:40:59.15\00:41:01.89
And when we confess we claim
the righteousness of Christ.
00:41:01.92\00:41:06.09
We believe in Him, we
trust in Him, and then we take
00:41:06.13\00:41:09.03
the step of baptism
00:41:09.06\00:41:10.43
And in baptism we're told
by the apostle Paul that we put
00:41:10.47\00:41:15.30
on Jesus Christ, and so we
are no longer spiritually naked.
00:41:15.34\00:41:19.14
We are clothed with a robe of
Christ's perfect righteousness.
00:41:19.17\00:41:24.61
Not many Christians are willing
to reach up to this point.
00:41:24.65\00:41:28.62
They say, Okay, I
understand that the gospel
00:41:28.65\00:41:31.15
plan was everlasting.
00:41:31.19\00:41:32.52
I understand that God announced
the gospel plan to Adam and Eve.
00:41:32.55\00:41:37.73
I understand that the
gospel plan was foreshadowed
00:41:37.76\00:41:40.93
in the Old
Testament sacrificial system.
00:41:40.96\00:41:43.20
I understand that
Jesus came and He lived
00:41:43.23\00:41:46.03
the life we should live.
00:41:46.07\00:41:47.40
He died the life
that we should die.
00:41:47.47\00:41:48.97
And I'm willing to believe also
that it's necessary to repent,
00:41:49.00\00:41:52.77
and to confess our sin,
and to believe in Jesus,
00:41:52.81\00:41:55.88
to trust in Him, and in this
way to be baptized and receive
00:41:55.91\00:41:59.95
His robe of righteousness.
00:42:00.05\00:42:01.62
But most Christians stop there.
00:42:01.65\00:42:03.79
But now I want to talk about
another dimension of the gospel.
00:42:03.82\00:42:07.79
It's what I call gospel fruit.
00:42:07.82\00:42:10.76
Very few Christians
talk about gospel fruit.
00:42:13.40\00:42:16.23
Now you say, What do
you mean by gospel fruit?
00:42:16.26\00:42:19.33
Listen folks, when we truly
repent, and we truly confess
00:42:19.37\00:42:25.04
our sins, and we truly
trust in the merits of Jesus,
00:42:25.07\00:42:29.44
and we are baptized, and
our old man or woman is buried
00:42:29.48\00:42:34.82
in the waters, and we
truly come forth to a new life,
00:42:34.85\00:42:38.25
our lifestyle changes.
00:42:38.29\00:42:40.82
And if our lifestyle does
not change, it's because we have
00:42:40.86\00:42:44.19
not had the experience.
00:42:44.23\00:42:45.56
Let me tell you, the gospel
fruit demands that when we have
00:42:45.59\00:42:51.73
received the righteousness
of Christ, the robe of Christ's
00:42:51.77\00:42:54.94
righteousness, we talk
differently, we eat differently,
00:42:54.97\00:42:59.14
we use our time differently,
we watch different things,
00:42:59.17\00:43:03.98
we listen to different
things than we used to,
00:43:04.05\00:43:06.95
we use our money differently, we
treat other people differently.
00:43:07.02\00:43:13.96
In other words
there's a transformation
00:43:13.99\00:43:15.86
or change in the life.
00:43:15.89\00:43:17.23
We are not saved by
the transformed life,
00:43:17.26\00:43:19.93
but the transformed life is
the fruit of true conversion.
00:43:20.00\00:43:23.93
Jesus said that
whoever is attached to Him
00:43:23.97\00:43:29.97
bears much fruit, gospel fruit.
00:43:30.01\00:43:33.48
And if you don't have gospel
fruit, it's because you don't
00:43:33.54\00:43:36.71
really have the experience
of the gospel in your life.
00:43:36.75\00:43:39.75
You don't really have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
00:43:39.78\00:43:42.78
Many Christians emphasize just,
Oh yeah, when I received Jesus
00:43:42.82\00:43:46.52
He takes His righteousness
and He puts it on my account,
00:43:46.55\00:43:49.52
and He looks at me
as if I'd never sinned.
00:43:49.56\00:43:51.99
And that's true if repentance
is true, if confession of sin
00:43:52.03\00:43:57.13
is true, and if I'm
truly trusting in Jesus Christ.
00:43:57.20\00:44:01.14
You see, salvation is not an
easy way to get off the hook.
00:44:01.17\00:44:05.91
It's not, He paid so
that I don't have to pay.
00:44:05.94\00:44:10.68
By the way, have you noticed
that the first angel's message
00:44:10.75\00:44:14.95
actually calls for
a change in the life?
00:44:14.98\00:44:18.05
I don't know whether you
noticed, you know, most people
00:44:18.09\00:44:21.42
end their reading at
verse 6, but let's read verse 7.
00:44:21.46\00:44:27.00
Let me ask you, Does the
gospel make demands upon us?
00:44:27.03\00:44:30.97
It most certainly does.
00:44:31.00\00:44:32.57
Let's read
Revelation 14:6, 7 once again.
00:44:32.60\00:44:36.34
Then I saw another angel
flying in the midst of heaven,
00:44:36.37\00:44:40.84
having the everlasting gospel
to preach to those who dwell
00:44:40.88\00:44:44.75
on the earth; to every nation,
tribe, tongue, and people.
00:44:44.78\00:44:48.58
And many people
stop right there.
00:44:48.62\00:44:50.55
But I want you to notice
what the everlasting gospel
00:44:50.59\00:44:54.06
commands people to do.
00:44:54.12\00:44:55.72
There's three imperatives
here for those who receive
00:44:55.76\00:45:00.36
the everlasting gospel.
00:45:00.43\00:45:01.73
Notice verse 7. What does the
first angel say? the angel that
00:45:01.76\00:45:07.14
brings the everlasting gospel?
00:45:07.17\00:45:08.90
That's our next topic of study.
00:45:13.98\00:45:15.88
Let me ask you, Does the
gospel make demands upon us?
00:45:28.72\00:45:32.56
It most certainly does.
00:45:32.59\00:45:34.10
A person who has received
the everlasting gospel in every
00:45:34.10\00:45:37.80
nation, tribe, tongue
and people, fears God.
00:45:37.83\00:45:41.94
And most people don't
know what it means to fear God.
00:45:41.97\00:45:44.41
They give glory to God.
00:45:44.44\00:45:46.27
What does that mean?
00:45:46.31\00:45:47.64
Well, we're going
to study that phrase.
00:45:47.68\00:45:49.18
They're supposed to
worship the Creator.
00:45:49.21\00:45:51.78
In other words, their worship
styles will change when they
00:45:51.81\00:45:56.65
receive the everlasting gospel.
00:45:56.69\00:45:58.62
You see, Jesus, through
His gospel, not only guarantees
00:45:58.65\00:46:03.59
great benefits and privileges,
but He also gives us great
00:46:03.66\00:46:07.60
obligations and responsibilities
when we receive the gospel.
00:46:07.66\00:46:12.03
Notice Titus 2:11-14,
Titus 2:11-14, still speaking
00:46:12.07\00:46:20.18
about gospel fruit; the
change in the life when we have
00:46:20.21\00:46:23.95
the real deal; when we
have the real gospel embrace us;
00:46:23.98\00:46:28.42
when there's true repentance,
when there's true confession of
00:46:28.45\00:46:31.89
sin; when we have
faith and trust in Jesus;
00:46:31.92\00:46:36.16
and when we're baptized
and we bury the old man,
00:46:36.19\00:46:38.39
and resurrect
to newness of life.
00:46:38.43\00:46:40.40
Notice what happens:
Titus 2: 11-14. Listen to this:
00:46:40.43\00:46:46.07
Lots of people love
to talk about grace.
00:46:48.04\00:46:51.87
What has appeared to
all men? the grace of God.
00:46:57.05\00:47:00.78
Now what I want you to
notice is that the grace of God
00:47:00.85\00:47:03.42
teaches us something.
00:47:03.45\00:47:04.79
See, when you have God's
grace, which is the gospel,
00:47:04.82\00:47:07.59
the grace teaches us something.
00:47:07.62\00:47:09.22
What does it teach us?
Listen, verse 12: teaching us...
00:47:09.26\00:47:13.09
See, the gospel
teaches us something;
00:47:13.13\00:47:14.73
grace teaches us something.
00:47:14.76\00:47:16.36
Now why did He give Himself
for us? so that we can continue
00:47:41.12\00:47:44.03
living the same old life
that we were living before?
00:47:44.06\00:47:46.70
Absolutely not! Notice:
00:47:46.73\00:47:48.83
Did Jesus redeem
us for good works?
00:48:03.78\00:48:06.75
Did grace manifest
itself for good works?
00:48:06.78\00:48:11.05
Did grace teach us that we
need to renounce the world,
00:48:11.09\00:48:16.06
and worldly lusts? Absolutely.
00:48:16.09\00:48:18.59
So grace does not mean
that you can continue sinning.
00:48:18.63\00:48:21.56
If you've had true
grace grasp your life,
00:48:21.60\00:48:25.07
you're going to have a change
in your lifestyle: gospel fruit.
00:48:25.10\00:48:30.41
You know, some people love
to read from Ephesians 2:8-10
00:48:30.44\00:48:34.31
where the apostle Paul says,
For by grace you have been saved
00:48:34.34\00:48:38.65
through faith. See we're
saved by grace through faith;
00:48:38.68\00:48:43.69
and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God.
00:48:43.72\00:48:47.06
See, grace is the
gift of God: not of works,
00:48:47.09\00:48:51.53
lest anyone should boast.
00:48:51.56\00:48:53.06
So they say, See, we
don't have to do any works,
00:48:53.09\00:48:54.96
because it says
it's all of grace.
00:48:55.00\00:48:56.73
The problem is they
don't read verse 10.
00:48:56.77\00:48:59.47
See, they stop at verse 9.
00:49:01.60\00:49:03.07
A text out of context is a
pretext for teaching error.
00:49:03.10\00:49:07.78
Notice what we find in
verse 10, the very next verse.
00:49:07.81\00:49:13.38
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus...
00:49:13.45\00:49:17.05
See, when you receive Jesus,
you're a new creation, right?
00:49:17.12\00:49:19.49
The apostle Paul
says, in 2 Corinthians 5:17
00:49:19.52\00:49:22.36
that those who are in
Christ are a new creation.
00:49:22.39\00:49:24.43
You're new because you're not in
yourself anymore; you're in Him!
00:49:24.46\00:49:27.30
And so it says, For
we are His workmanship,
00:49:29.33\00:49:31.70
created in Christ Jesus...
00:49:31.73\00:49:34.24
To continue living
like the Devil. No!
00:49:34.27\00:49:38.57
It says: created in
Christ Jesus for good works,
00:49:38.61\00:49:43.65
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.
00:49:43.68\00:49:48.18
Did God prepare good works for
us when we're truly converted?
00:49:48.22\00:49:51.22
When we're born into Christ,
when we're a new creation,
00:49:51.25\00:49:54.39
are there good
works in our life? Yes!
00:49:54.42\00:49:57.13
But the works are not produced
by us, they are produced as
00:49:57.16\00:50:00.63
a loving response to Him.
00:50:00.70\00:50:03.73
Now go with me
to James 2, James 2,
00:50:03.77\00:50:07.64
and I'm going to read verses
14-24, because people love
00:50:07.67\00:50:11.61
to talk about faith.
00:50:11.64\00:50:12.97
And it's good to
talk about faith;
00:50:13.01\00:50:15.71
it's good to talk about grace,
as long as faith and grace lead
00:50:15.74\00:50:22.25
to something that
God expects from us.
00:50:22.28\00:50:24.69
Then the experience of
salvation is genuine and real.
00:50:24.72\00:50:28.66
James 2:14, What does
it profit, my brethren,
00:50:28.69\00:50:33.03
if someone says he has
faith, but does not have works?
00:50:33.06\00:50:38.27
Notice, he doesn't have faith.
00:50:38.30\00:50:39.63
He says he has faith,
but he doesn't have works.
00:50:39.67\00:50:42.37
Can faith save him?
00:50:42.40\00:50:44.57
Literally the Greek says,
Can such a faith save him?
00:50:44.61\00:50:47.68
Can a workless faith save you?
00:50:47.71\00:50:50.58
If a brother or sister is naked,
and destitute of daily food,
00:50:50.61\00:50:55.18
and one of you says
to them, Depart in peace,
00:50:55.22\00:50:58.65
be warmed and filled; but
you do not give them the things
00:50:58.69\00:51:02.39
which are needed for the
body; what does it profit?
00:51:02.42\00:51:05.09
In other words, if you don't
change your way of looking at
00:51:05.13\00:51:07.20
people, and treating people,
and you say you have a lot of
00:51:07.23\00:51:09.86
faith, I mean do
you really have faith?
00:51:09.90\00:51:11.90
Notice what it
continues saying in verse 17.
00:51:11.93\00:51:15.17
Thus also, faith by itself...
00:51:15.20\00:51:17.94
Christians love to say,
Faith alone, faith alone!
00:51:17.97\00:51:21.94
But really the
Bible teaches faith alone,
00:51:21.98\00:51:25.88
but it has to be
a faith that works.
00:51:25.91\00:51:27.58
That's the only
true kind of faith.
00:51:27.62\00:51:30.75
Thus also faith by itself, if
it does not have works is dead.
00:51:30.79\00:51:36.06
Can a dead faith save you? No.
00:51:36.09\00:51:38.66
But someone will say, You
have faith, and I have works.
00:51:38.69\00:51:42.06
And so James says, Show me
your faith without your works,
00:51:42.10\00:51:46.37
and I will show you
my faith by my works.
00:51:46.40\00:51:49.30
Verse 19: You believe that
there is one God; you do well:
00:51:51.81\00:51:55.28
even the demons
believe, and tremble.
00:51:55.31\00:51:57.08
Do you think the Devil believes
that Jesus died on the cross?
00:51:57.11\00:51:58.98
Do you think the Devil
knows that Jesus resurrected?
00:52:00.55\00:52:03.22
Do you think the Devil
believes Jesus is coming again?
00:52:03.25\00:52:06.86
Of course he does.
00:52:06.89\00:52:08.56
So if that's all you
believe in your brain,
00:52:08.59\00:52:10.53
excuse me for saying it, you're
not any better than the Devil.
00:52:10.56\00:52:14.86
That's what James is saying.
00:52:14.93\00:52:16.93
Notice once again verse 20.
00:52:19.57\00:52:21.70
But do you want to
know, O foolish man,
00:52:21.74\00:52:24.07
that faith
without works is dead?
00:52:24.11\00:52:26.34
Was not Abraham our
father justified by works?
00:52:26.37\00:52:30.41
Wow! This, some people
say, it contradicts the Bible,
00:52:30.45\00:52:32.98
because Paul says
that we're saved by faith,
00:52:33.01\00:52:35.18
without works of the law.
00:52:35.22\00:52:36.55
And here James says,
Was not Abraham our father
00:52:36.58\00:52:39.49
justified by works,
when he offered Isaac
00:52:39.52\00:52:41.72
his son on the altar?
00:52:41.76\00:52:43.09
Do you see that his faith was
working together with his works?
00:52:43.12\00:52:47.23
See, it's a package deal.
00:52:47.30\00:52:48.60
And by works
faith was made perfect.
00:52:48.63\00:52:51.47
In other words,
faith alone is imperfect.
00:52:51.50\00:52:53.47
And the Scripture was fulfilled
which says, Abraham believed
00:52:53.50\00:52:58.21
God, that is he trusted
God, and it was accounted to him
00:52:58.24\00:53:01.51
for righteousness, and he
was called the friend of God.
00:53:01.54\00:53:04.25
You see then that
man is justified by works
00:53:04.28\00:53:07.32
and not by faith only.
00:53:07.35\00:53:08.78
You say, what
does James mean here?
00:53:08.82\00:53:10.79
Is he contradicting Paul? No.
00:53:10.82\00:53:12.15
Let me tell you what's going on.
00:53:12.19\00:53:13.56
The apostle Paul, when he
says that we're saved by faith
00:53:13.59\00:53:17.23
without works of law is
explaining how we are saved.
00:53:17.26\00:53:21.06
When James says that
we're justified by works,
00:53:21.10\00:53:27.24
what he's saying is that
works show if our faith is real.
00:53:27.30\00:53:31.37
In other words, Paul is
telling us how we are saved,
00:53:31.41\00:53:35.38
whereas James tells us
how a saved person lives.
00:53:35.41\00:53:39.35
Are you understanding me?
00:53:39.38\00:53:41.52
In other words, one is talking
about the route of salvation,
00:53:41.55\00:53:45.42
and the other is talking
about the fruit of salvation.
00:53:45.49\00:53:48.72
Let me ask you, If you look
at it from one side faith saves.
00:53:48.76\00:53:55.30
Absolutely! Grace through faith.
00:53:55.33\00:53:57.93
But when you look at it from the
other side you see the works.
00:53:57.97\00:54:01.07
You say, Oh yeah,
this guy had faith.
00:54:01.14\00:54:03.24
And so really there's no
contradiction in the Bible.
00:54:03.27\00:54:07.48
Now lets talk about preaching
the gospel before we close.
00:54:07.58\00:54:12.11
The Bible says that the
gospel needs to be preached
00:54:12.15\00:54:15.68
to the whole world as
a witness to all nations,
00:54:15.72\00:54:19.22
and then the end will come.
00:54:19.25\00:54:20.76
What gospel do
we need to preach?
00:54:20.79\00:54:23.56
Just a gospel that
Jesus died on the cross?
00:54:23.63\00:54:27.13
You know, He
wove a perfect robe.
00:54:27.20\00:54:29.26
And, you know, He died
our death on the cross,
00:54:29.30\00:54:31.60
and all that you have to do
is simply in your head believe
00:54:31.63\00:54:34.34
that Jesus did that, and you'll
be saved, you and your house?
00:54:34.37\00:54:37.07
No. The gospel that
needs to be preached,
00:54:37.11\00:54:41.04
according to Revelation 14,
is the gospel that goes to every
00:54:41.08\00:54:45.65
nation, kindred,
tongue, and people.
00:54:45.68\00:54:47.02
But it's the gospel that says,
Fear God; give glory to Him;
00:54:47.08\00:54:50.99
the hour of His judgment has
come; and worship the Creator.
00:54:51.02\00:54:56.22
In other words, it's a complete
package gospel: faith and works.
00:54:56.26\00:55:02.83
It's a gospel that
not only is imputed to us,
00:55:02.86\00:55:07.97
or credited to us, but a
gospel that is manifested also
00:55:08.00\00:55:12.24
in the practical life.
00:55:12.27\00:55:14.34
In other words, it's the gospel
of justification that produces
00:55:14.38\00:55:18.58
in our lives a sanctified life.
00:55:18.61\00:55:21.82
Now the final point that I
want to talk about is the final
00:55:21.85\00:55:24.95
gospel celebration.
00:55:24.99\00:55:26.99
And for this I want to
read from Revelation 7:9-12.
00:55:27.06\00:55:31.19
Do you know, the saved someday
are going to sing a glorious
00:55:31.23\00:55:34.56
song when we get to heaven.
00:55:34.56\00:55:37.53
And that song is going to give
honor and glory to Jesus Christ
00:55:37.57\00:55:42.84
as the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world.
00:55:42.90\00:55:46.24
And, by the way, at this time
God's people are going to be
00:55:46.27\00:55:49.58
clothed with a
literal robe of light again.
00:55:49.61\00:55:53.38
Now notice the
process: man was clothed with a
00:55:53.42\00:55:58.29
literal robe of light.
00:55:58.32\00:55:59.65
It represented, it symbolized
obedience to God's law.
00:55:59.69\00:56:04.83
When man sinned the literal
robe of light disappeared,
00:56:04.86\00:56:09.76
and man experienced physical
nakedness, which represented
00:56:09.80\00:56:14.24
what? disobedience to God's law.
00:56:14.27\00:56:17.31
When we receive Jesus Christ
our spiritual nakedness is
00:56:17.34\00:56:23.18
covered by His spiritual robe.
00:56:23.21\00:56:24.68
But when He comes again He's
going to complete the process,
00:56:24.71\00:56:28.45
and He's going to give
us the literal robe of light
00:56:28.48\00:56:30.79
which man had originally.
00:56:30.82\00:56:32.79
Revelation 7:9, After
these things I looked,
00:56:32.82\00:56:37.23
See they received the
first angel's message.
00:56:43.33\00:56:50.67
Are we going to
receive white robes like Adam
00:56:50.71\00:56:53.38
and Eve at the beginning?
00:56:53.44\00:56:54.78
They're literal at this point.
00:56:54.81\00:56:56.95
And then will be fulfilled
that famous parable of Jesus
00:57:08.59\00:57:10.96
of the lost sheep, and when
the lost sheep is brought home.
00:57:10.99\00:57:15.16
The owner of the sheep,
who had ninety-nine other ones
00:57:15.20\00:57:18.77
that never failed,
calls his friends and he says,
00:57:18.80\00:57:21.67
come celebrate because the sheep
that was lost has been found.
00:57:21.70\00:57:26.61