I want to spend my life 00:00:01.56\00:00:07.47 Mending broken people 00:00:07.50\00:00:12.41 I wanna spend my life 00:00:12.44\00:00:18.71 Removing pain 00:00:18.75\00:00:23.72 Lord, let my words 00:00:23.75\00:00:29.92 Heal a heart that hurts 00:00:29.96\00:00:34.50 I wanna spend my life 00:00:34.53\00:00:40.27 Mending broken people 00:00:40.30\00:00:45.67 I wanna spend my life 00:00:45.71\00:00:51.31 Mending broken people 00:00:51.35\00:00:55.12 Hello and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 00:01:06.59\00:01:09.96 My name is Jill Morikone, 00:01:10.00\00:01:11.90 and we're so glad that you have joined us today. 00:01:11.93\00:01:15.04 You are part of our 3ABN family whether you're watching, 00:01:15.07\00:01:17.94 whether you're listening on the radio 00:01:17.97\00:01:19.67 we welcome you, 00:01:19.71\00:01:21.04 and we thank you for your love and your prayers 00:01:21.08\00:01:23.71 and your financial support of the ministry here of 3ABN. 00:01:23.75\00:01:27.85 Because of you and because of what you do, 00:01:27.88\00:01:30.39 this ministry can go around the world. 00:01:30.42\00:01:32.69 And so we thank you for that. 00:01:32.72\00:01:34.56 I'm excited about our program today, 00:01:34.59\00:01:37.23 we have in-house guest I would say all in-house 00:01:37.26\00:01:40.50 but we have a special new guest 00:01:40.53\00:01:41.96 that we want to introduce to you as well. 00:01:42.00\00:01:44.30 And we're talking about the topic of "Salvation". 00:01:44.33\00:01:47.84 You know I think one of the saddest scriptures 00:01:47.87\00:01:50.54 at least to me in the Bible is Jeremiah 8:20. 00:01:50.57\00:01:55.21 The Bible says, "The harvest is past, 00:01:55.24\00:01:57.68 the summer is ended, and we are not saved." 00:01:57.71\00:02:02.18 So we want to talk today 00:02:02.22\00:02:04.19 about how God wants to draw us to himself. 00:02:04.22\00:02:07.69 Remember, Peter tells us 00:02:07.72\00:02:09.46 God is not willing that any should perish 00:02:09.49\00:02:12.09 but that all should come to repentance. 00:02:12.13\00:02:14.36 So we're gonna talk about how to be saved, 00:02:14.40\00:02:16.67 how we can have assurance that we are safe, 00:02:16.70\00:02:20.04 how we can share that with others. 00:02:20.07\00:02:21.50 So I want to introduce our special guest at this time, 00:02:21.54\00:02:24.67 but you all aren't guests, 00:02:24.71\00:02:26.04 you are part of the 3ABN family. 00:02:26.07\00:02:27.41 Yes, we are. 00:02:27.44\00:02:28.78 Right, here is Mollie Steenson, you are vice president, 00:02:28.81\00:02:30.81 general manager of 3ABN 00:02:30.85\00:02:32.21 and it's a joy to have you here, Mollie. 00:02:32.25\00:02:33.58 Thank you. A joy to be here. 00:02:33.62\00:02:35.02 Amen, and next to you is our Pastor John Lomacang, 00:02:35.05\00:02:37.82 pastor of the Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist church 00:02:37.85\00:02:40.46 and director of 3ABN, director of World Evangelism. 00:02:40.49\00:02:43.16 And we appreciate you and Angie very much 00:02:43.19\00:02:45.49 and glad you are here. 00:02:45.53\00:02:46.86 Thank you, Jill, a joy to be here today. 00:02:46.90\00:02:48.36 Amen. And sitting next to you is Pastor Tom Ferguson. 00:02:48.40\00:02:51.20 Now, Pastor Tom has joined us for the Sabbath school panel, 00:02:51.23\00:02:55.80 but those programs have not began to air yet 00:02:55.84\00:02:57.84 but maybe by the time 00:02:57.87\00:02:59.21 this Today program airs they will be airing. 00:02:59.24\00:03:01.84 But you are the pastor of the Marion district, 00:03:01.88\00:03:03.91 and what churches do you cover, Pastor Tom? 00:03:03.95\00:03:06.38 Well, there's six in all, Marion, Du Quoin, Carbondale, 00:03:06.41\00:03:10.32 Cairo, Metropolis, and Eldorado. 00:03:10.35\00:03:12.65 Wow, that's a full plate. 00:03:12.69\00:03:14.66 Yeah. Absolutely. 00:03:14.69\00:03:16.02 But it's a joy to have you here 00:03:16.06\00:03:17.39 and I know you are a student of the word as well, 00:03:17.43\00:03:18.79 and I'm excited about getting into our topic 00:03:18.83\00:03:21.40 but before we do that, we always like to go to music. 00:03:21.43\00:03:24.27 And we have with us Sandra Entermann 00:03:24.30\00:03:27.20 and Sanja Kitevski on the piano 00:03:27.24\00:03:29.44 and they're gonna do a song for us 00:03:29.47\00:03:30.94 "You are my all in all". 00:03:30.97\00:03:33.01 You are my strength when I am weak 00:03:51.43\00:03:55.73 You are the treasure that I seek 00:03:55.76\00:03:59.40 You are my all in all 00:03:59.43\00:04:07.01 Seeking You as a precious jewel 00:04:07.04\00:04:11.05 Lord, to give up I'd be a fool 00:04:11.08\00:04:14.88 You are my all in all 00:04:14.92\00:04:21.56 Jesus, Lamb of God 00:04:21.59\00:04:29.26 Worthy is Your name 00:04:29.30\00:04:36.71 Jesus, Lamb of God 00:04:36.74\00:04:44.31 Worthy is Your name 00:04:44.35\00:04:49.48 Taking my sin, my cross, my shame 00:04:52.92\00:04:56.83 Rising again I bless Your name 00:04:56.86\00:05:00.56 You are my all in all 00:05:00.60\00:05:05.40 When I fall down You pick me up 00:05:08.44\00:05:12.11 When I am dry You fill my cup 00:05:12.14\00:05:15.81 You are my all in all 00:05:15.84\00:05:22.58 Jesus, Lamb of God 00:05:22.62\00:05:30.13 Worthy is Your name 00:05:30.16\00:05:37.70 Jesus, Lamb of God 00:05:37.73\00:05:45.37 Worthy is Your name 00:05:45.41\00:05:50.75 You are my strength when I am weak 00:05:53.88\00:05:58.02 You are the treasure that I seek 00:05:58.05\00:06:01.59 You are my all in all 00:06:01.62\00:06:08.93 Seeking You as a precious jewel 00:06:08.96\00:06:12.90 Lord, to give up I'd be a fool 00:06:12.93\00:06:16.64 You are my all in all 00:06:16.67\00:06:23.11 Jesus, Lamb of God 00:06:23.14\00:06:30.82 Worthy is Your name 00:06:30.85\00:06:38.19 Jesus, Lamb of God 00:06:38.23\00:06:46.00 Worthy is Your name 00:06:46.03\00:06:53.68 Worthy is Your name 00:06:53.71\00:06:58.68 Worthy is Your name 00:07:01.82\00:07:09.82 Thank you so much, Sandra and Sanja. 00:07:28.98\00:07:32.91 What a blessing. I love that song. 00:07:32.95\00:07:35.38 And they just have a heart for Jesus. 00:07:35.42\00:07:37.05 If you are just joining us, 00:07:37.09\00:07:39.39 we're talking on the topic of salvation. 00:07:39.42\00:07:41.79 I want to encourage you to pick up your Bible, 00:07:41.82\00:07:44.19 grab a pad or paper and a pencil 00:07:44.23\00:07:46.23 so that you can take notes for yourself 00:07:46.26\00:07:48.60 and to share with someone else. 00:07:48.63\00:07:50.37 We have Mollie Steenson, Pastor John Lomacang, 00:07:50.40\00:07:52.83 and Pastor Tom Ferguson with us 00:07:52.87\00:07:54.60 and we just welcome each one of you. 00:07:54.64\00:07:56.50 So let's just jump right in. 00:07:56.54\00:07:59.17 As we talk about salvation, 00:07:59.21\00:08:00.54 we first have to talk about the need for it, 00:08:00.58\00:08:02.54 so let's go all the way back to the beginning. 00:08:02.58\00:08:04.35 What is sin? Okay. 00:08:04.38\00:08:06.28 Anyone want to jump in and attack? 00:08:06.31\00:08:07.65 Let's start with Mollie, I'll be kind to you today, 00:08:07.68\00:08:09.15 let you start. 00:08:09.18\00:08:10.52 Okay. Sin is the transgression of the law. 00:08:10.55\00:08:14.16 Now you expound on that. Okay. 00:08:14.19\00:08:18.36 Well, you never know 00:08:18.39\00:08:20.40 what sin is unless there is a reference point. 00:08:20.43\00:08:22.80 Good. 00:08:22.83\00:08:24.17 If you don't have a reference point, 00:08:24.20\00:08:25.53 you don't know really anything. 00:08:25.57\00:08:27.60 I like to think of the reference point of the law 00:08:27.64\00:08:30.47 of God as a mirror. 00:08:30.51\00:08:32.17 And mostly everybody watching 00:08:32.21\00:08:33.54 or listening to the program has a mirror. 00:08:33.58\00:08:35.64 If you don't buy one 00:08:35.68\00:08:37.01 and you'll understand what sin is. 00:08:37.05\00:08:38.85 I mean, I don't mean to be lighthearted about that 00:08:38.88\00:08:40.55 but unless you look at the mirror 00:08:40.58\00:08:41.92 you'd never know your condition. 00:08:41.95\00:08:43.28 Yes. 00:08:43.32\00:08:44.65 And the mirror is as James refers, 00:08:44.69\00:08:46.02 he calls it the, 00:08:46.05\00:08:47.39 if you look into that perfect law of liberty, 00:08:47.42\00:08:50.36 beholding is like a man beholding his face in a glass. 00:08:50.39\00:08:53.70 So when you compare your life 00:08:53.73\00:08:55.63 to the standard which is the mirror, 00:08:55.66\00:08:59.47 it's interesting it shows you your defects. 00:08:59.50\00:09:02.40 But the other thing about the mirror 00:09:02.44\00:09:04.27 is it cannot fix the defects. 00:09:04.31\00:09:07.71 Yes. 00:09:07.74\00:09:09.08 It shows you, Paul says, 00:09:09.11\00:09:11.05 "Until the law, I was alive but when the law revived, 00:09:11.08\00:09:14.05 when the law was seen, sin revived and I died." 00:09:14.08\00:09:17.49 When he bought a mirror, 00:09:17.52\00:09:18.85 when he looked into the perfect law of liberty, 00:09:18.89\00:09:20.36 he saw himself of who he is. 00:09:20.39\00:09:22.72 And until that time he thought he was living it up. 00:09:22.76\00:09:25.73 "I was alive once without the law." 00:09:25.76\00:09:28.73 So in a nutshell, 00:09:28.76\00:09:30.50 the transgression of the law is becoming aware of it 00:09:30.53\00:09:35.34 and intentionally 00:09:35.37\00:09:37.37 choosing not to live in harmony with it. 00:09:37.41\00:09:39.37 I was careful about the word intentionally 00:09:39.41\00:09:41.88 because there is sin, the stumbling aspect of it, 00:09:41.91\00:09:46.68 then there is the intentional sin 00:09:46.72\00:09:48.05 which eventually becomes inequity, 00:09:48.08\00:09:49.42 so I won't go any further on that 00:09:49.45\00:09:50.79 but I'll give Pastor Tom chance to expound on that. 00:09:50.82\00:09:53.32 I just want to think, 00:09:53.36\00:09:54.69 I want to mention too that it's about a person, 00:09:54.72\00:09:57.69 it's about the character of God. 00:09:57.73\00:09:59.36 We fall short of the glory or the character of God 00:09:59.39\00:10:03.23 and therefore there is sin. 00:10:03.26\00:10:05.47 And He is the standard, 00:10:05.50\00:10:07.04 His laws and inscription of His own character. 00:10:07.07\00:10:10.07 And when I think about being a sinner, 00:10:10.11\00:10:12.64 I think about someone that has a propensity 00:10:12.67\00:10:17.21 towards things that are filled with character flaws. 00:10:17.25\00:10:22.25 You mention the idea that 00:10:22.28\00:10:23.99 we must look into the perfect law of liberty 00:10:24.02\00:10:26.72 before we can be converted thereby. 00:10:26.76\00:10:28.92 But what I also think about 00:10:28.96\00:10:30.49 is that there are people that are in this world 00:10:30.53\00:10:32.23 that have been deceived. 00:10:32.26\00:10:35.13 They have no idea that they are a sinner, 00:10:35.16\00:10:36.90 they don't know what sin is. 00:10:36.93\00:10:38.93 As a matter of fact, a lot of people will say, 00:10:38.97\00:10:41.37 "Well, I'm a good person." 00:10:41.40\00:10:43.17 And what is their standard? Themselves. 00:10:43.20\00:10:46.04 Yeah, it's themselves, 00:10:46.07\00:10:47.41 it's maybe the people they are around, 00:10:47.44\00:10:48.78 it's the idea that they maybe keep the law 00:10:48.81\00:10:50.85 so that they can keep some semblance of peace. 00:10:50.88\00:10:54.48 But at the same time they don't see their need, 00:10:54.52\00:10:56.92 their own personal need. 00:10:56.95\00:10:58.59 And then there are others that maybe are caught up 00:10:58.62\00:11:00.26 and deceived by other religions or other pursuits in this world 00:11:00.29\00:11:03.93 that seem to fulfill the needs that they sense they have, 00:11:03.96\00:11:08.23 but in the end it will leave them empty. 00:11:08.26\00:11:11.27 It doesn't, somehow they fall short 00:11:11.30\00:11:13.70 of what they really are pursuing. 00:11:13.74\00:11:15.94 And there are even those that don't recognize their need 00:11:15.97\00:11:20.64 that can be in the church. 00:11:20.68\00:11:24.38 Attempting to maybe earn their way to heaven, 00:11:24.41\00:11:26.51 earn their own salvation by attempting to be like God 00:11:26.55\00:11:29.38 as they get glimpses of Him 00:11:29.42\00:11:30.75 but not fully understanding His call in their lives, 00:11:30.79\00:11:35.52 sometimes were even in a position of leadership, 00:11:35.56\00:11:38.96 and this can happen. 00:11:38.99\00:11:40.33 As a matter of fact it was a number of years ago 00:11:40.36\00:11:43.23 I heard a testimony 00:11:43.26\00:11:44.60 from someone, it was a public testimony, 00:11:44.63\00:11:46.77 they were actually a union president 00:11:46.80\00:11:49.84 and they said that they had gone through the seminary, 00:11:49.87\00:11:52.17 they had been a pastor, 00:11:52.21\00:11:53.54 they had been a conference president 00:11:53.58\00:11:55.14 before they were converted. 00:11:55.18\00:11:57.28 Wow, yes. 00:11:57.31\00:11:59.15 For they did not truly understand 00:11:59.18\00:12:01.35 their condition of heart 00:12:01.38\00:12:03.62 and, so I hope in this program 00:12:03.65\00:12:05.65 we have an opportunity to take a look at 00:12:05.69\00:12:08.76 what it is that actually causes us 00:12:08.79\00:12:12.73 to go through that conversion, to have that saving grace 00:12:12.76\00:12:16.67 that salvation experience for each one of us. 00:12:16.70\00:12:19.00 Well, I identify with this gentleman 00:12:19.03\00:12:23.00 you were talking about. 00:12:23.04\00:12:24.47 I was second grade 00:12:24.51\00:12:27.04 Sunday school teacher in a Baptist church, 00:12:27.08\00:12:29.54 I'd been in church most of my life. 00:12:29.58\00:12:32.65 I didn't smoke, drink, curse or run with wild men, 00:12:32.68\00:12:36.28 I tell people the only wild man I ever ran with was my husband. 00:12:36.32\00:12:39.99 I married him. 00:12:40.02\00:12:42.96 We love Pastor Hal. 00:12:42.99\00:12:45.86 He got converted. Praise the Lord. 00:12:45.89\00:12:48.83 I did the do's and I didn't do the don'ts. 00:12:48.86\00:12:51.90 Right. 00:12:51.93\00:12:53.27 And one Monday morning a friend of mine 00:12:53.30\00:12:56.54 that I worked with came into my office 00:12:56.57\00:12:58.47 and said, "Mollie, I got born again this week 00:12:58.51\00:13:01.64 and I kind of die 00:13:01.68\00:13:03.24 and you get saved every summer." 00:13:03.28\00:13:05.35 Because that's what they had us do, we have, 00:13:05.38\00:13:07.28 you know, you have the revivals every summer and she said, 00:13:07.32\00:13:10.75 "No, Mollie, you don't understand, 00:13:10.79\00:13:12.39 I made Jesus Christ the Lord of my life," 00:13:12.42\00:13:14.86 and the convicting power of God touched my heart, 00:13:14.89\00:13:17.56 and I was 28 years old, 00:13:17.59\00:13:19.63 I'd been in church my whole life. 00:13:19.66\00:13:22.20 I again did the do's if you'd asked me I wasn't. 00:13:22.23\00:13:26.30 I remember one time a pastor said 00:13:26.33\00:13:30.01 if you've made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, 00:13:30.04\00:13:32.47 if you've been born again, 00:13:32.51\00:13:33.84 if you're saved, those are all synonymous terms, 00:13:33.88\00:13:37.85 then you've got a testimony, 00:13:37.88\00:13:39.51 you can take me to the time 00:13:39.55\00:13:41.38 and you can take me to the place 00:13:41.42\00:13:43.55 where God saved you with His amazing grace. 00:13:43.59\00:13:45.89 And I felt, oh, I could probably do that 00:13:45.92\00:13:47.92 but I couldn't. 00:13:47.96\00:13:49.29 Because I hadn't had a born again experience. 00:13:49.32\00:13:52.46 And so Diane and I went to the ladies lounge 00:13:52.49\00:13:56.33 at Wolverine Tube in Decatur, Alabama, 00:13:56.36\00:13:59.27 and I got on my knees 00:13:59.30\00:14:01.04 and I asked Jesus Christ 00:14:01.07\00:14:02.47 to be the Lord of my life, and my life changed, 00:14:02.50\00:14:06.01 and I have never been the same. 00:14:06.04\00:14:07.84 When you are born again, when you experience salvation, 00:14:07.88\00:14:12.68 when you my terminology 00:14:12.71\00:14:14.48 make Jesus Christ the Lord of you are life, 00:14:14.52\00:14:17.29 you change, you come out of darkness 00:14:17.32\00:14:19.39 and into light and you will never be the same. 00:14:19.42\00:14:22.89 Amen. Pastor John. I want to add something also. 00:14:22.92\00:14:25.19 Oh, pastor... No, Pastor John, yeah. 00:14:25.23\00:14:28.53 To understand why we are all, 00:14:28.56\00:14:30.73 why we have all fallen short in Romans 6:23 we have, 00:14:30.77\00:14:34.54 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 00:14:34.57\00:14:37.14 and in sharing and dealing with this topic 00:14:37.17\00:14:38.91 I asked someone the question or posed the question, 00:14:38.94\00:14:41.51 "Does that also apply to babies?" 00:14:41.54\00:14:43.68 At what point does a baby become a sinner 00:14:43.71\00:14:46.92 and somebody, you know... 00:14:46.95\00:14:48.82 It's a good question. 00:14:48.85\00:14:50.19 I got the dog whistle response, 00:14:50.22\00:14:52.85 you know, and the head tilted 00:14:52.89\00:14:54.22 whistle that only a dog can hear 00:14:54.26\00:14:55.59 and he tilts his head. 00:14:55.62\00:14:56.96 People said, wow, that's a very interesting question. 00:14:56.99\00:14:59.03 Does the baby become a sinner or is a baby a sin? 00:14:59.06\00:15:03.33 Well, David answer the question, 00:15:03.37\00:15:05.67 in sin my mother did conceived me. 00:15:05.70\00:15:07.70 Right. Yes. 00:15:07.74\00:15:09.07 See, I was brought forth in iniquity. 00:15:09.10\00:15:10.81 What he actually meant 00:15:10.84\00:15:12.17 when I studied into that he said, 00:15:12.21\00:15:13.64 "The conditions that I was brought into this world, 00:15:13.68\00:15:15.88 I was brought into a world of iniquity, 00:15:15.91\00:15:17.28 a world of sin." 00:15:17.31\00:15:18.65 He didn't say, "My mother was unmarried 00:15:18.68\00:15:20.02 to bring me forth in a sinful relationship." 00:15:20.05\00:15:21.78 He said, 00:15:21.82\00:15:23.15 "This was the condition that I was born into, 00:15:23.18\00:15:25.65 I was born into a sinful world, 00:15:25.69\00:15:27.56 I was born into a world 00:15:27.59\00:15:28.92 that is, that is laden with iniquity." 00:15:28.96\00:15:31.79 But the question that I had to continue to put forth 00:15:31.83\00:15:34.03 is how did we get there? 00:15:34.06\00:15:35.96 And you have to go back to Genesis 00:15:36.00\00:15:37.67 in the, in the entrance where Eve was deceived 00:15:37.70\00:15:40.90 but Adam, with full knowledge, 00:15:40.94\00:15:44.27 the Bible never said that Eve opened the door to sin. 00:15:44.31\00:15:48.08 "For by one man, Romans 5:12, 00:15:48.11\00:15:50.15 sin entered the world and death through sin 00:15:50.18\00:15:54.05 and thus death has spread to all men 00:15:54.08\00:15:56.89 because all have sinned." 00:15:56.92\00:15:58.42 Adam passed on to all of us, 00:15:58.45\00:16:01.49 since he was the progenitor of the human race, 00:16:01.52\00:16:04.03 as our father he gave us the DNA of sin. 00:16:04.06\00:16:07.40 1 Corinthians 15:22, "As in Adam all die." 00:16:07.43\00:16:09.80 That's right. 00:16:09.83\00:16:11.17 So right away 00:16:11.20\00:16:12.77 this is a very interesting point 00:16:12.80\00:16:14.17 because a lot of people think 00:16:14.20\00:16:15.54 that Jesus is coming to condemn sinners. 00:16:15.57\00:16:19.71 We are already condemned. 00:16:19.74\00:16:22.04 And that's why John 3:17, 00:16:22.08\00:16:23.51 "For God sent not His Son 00:16:23.55\00:16:24.88 into the world to condemn the world, 00:16:24.91\00:16:26.25 but that the world through Him might be saved." 00:16:26.28\00:16:28.08 And I think one of the distortions is, 00:16:28.12\00:16:29.52 and we're gonna talk about the mission of Jesus, 00:16:29.55\00:16:31.29 one of the great distortions is, 00:16:31.32\00:16:32.99 and I have it in my notes here, 00:16:33.02\00:16:34.36 I'm gonna make sure I make it clear, 00:16:34.39\00:16:36.09 that salvation is not the obliteration of the sinner. 00:16:36.12\00:16:41.13 Yes. 00:16:41.16\00:16:42.50 Salvation is the obliteration of the sin. 00:16:42.53\00:16:45.43 Salvation is also not the justification of sin, 00:16:45.47\00:16:48.87 it's the justification of the sinner. 00:16:48.90\00:16:51.57 I think people fear Jesus 00:16:51.61\00:16:53.21 because they think He's gonna obliterate sinners. 00:16:53.24\00:16:55.78 He wants to obliterate sin and save the sinner. 00:16:55.81\00:16:57.75 Amen. 00:16:57.78\00:16:59.11 And so having said that, sin is the condition 00:16:59.15\00:17:02.62 which in which every one of us is born 00:17:02.65\00:17:05.72 whether we have committed the first act or not, 00:17:05.75\00:17:09.82 it's the condition into which all humanity is born. 00:17:09.86\00:17:13.66 I just had a question as you were talking, 00:17:13.70\00:17:15.13 it made me think of this, 00:17:15.16\00:17:16.50 are we born with a sinful nature 00:17:16.53\00:17:18.90 or am I born sinning? 00:17:18.93\00:17:21.20 Does that make sense? 00:17:21.24\00:17:22.57 We're born with a sinful nature. 00:17:22.60\00:17:23.94 Propensity, yeah. Okay. 00:17:23.97\00:17:25.31 We have that lean right there. 00:17:25.34\00:17:26.91 I'll let somebody else come in 00:17:26.94\00:17:28.28 'cause I have another comment on this very point 00:17:28.31\00:17:29.64 but there are two other guests, 00:17:29.68\00:17:31.31 I don't want to take all the time. 00:17:31.35\00:17:33.98 I want just briefly on that one too, 00:17:34.02\00:17:37.39 a lot of people are concerned about 00:17:37.42\00:17:38.75 their children being baptized so they're not lost, 00:17:38.79\00:17:41.42 but what I think about too is that God does not hold us 00:17:41.46\00:17:45.06 accountable to the age of accountability. 00:17:45.09\00:17:47.76 And even though we have the propensity to sin 00:17:47.80\00:17:49.93 and that's why it's important to train them up 00:17:49.96\00:17:52.07 in the way they should go and direct them to Christ. 00:17:52.10\00:17:55.04 You know, I think that the level of self-deception 00:17:55.07\00:17:57.77 is so high, 00:17:57.81\00:17:59.14 it's actually we can be active in the church 00:17:59.17\00:18:01.51 and still be deceived. 00:18:01.54\00:18:03.85 As a matter of fact in Isaiah 5, 00:18:03.88\00:18:06.21 the prophet is listing six different woes 00:18:06.25\00:18:09.48 to the people of Israel. 00:18:09.52\00:18:10.85 He's actually acting as their spiritual leader 00:18:10.89\00:18:13.66 he says, "Woe for their greed, their self-indulgence, 00:18:13.69\00:18:16.16 their moral perversion, their delusions, 00:18:16.19\00:18:18.36 their grant of grander for self-indulgence 00:18:18.39\00:18:20.80 and the result of social abuses." 00:18:20.83\00:18:24.27 And it isn't until you get to chapter six that you read 00:18:24.30\00:18:27.64 and maybe we can turn there together. 00:18:27.67\00:18:30.34 Isaiah 6, 00:18:30.37\00:18:33.74 "That the prophet goes through an experience 00:18:33.78\00:18:36.88 that has is transformational." 00:18:36.91\00:18:41.05 And I know that many of our viewers 00:18:41.08\00:18:43.02 might be familiar with this text, 00:18:43.05\00:18:46.05 but I wanted to share it. 00:18:46.09\00:18:47.42 Begin with verse 1 it says 00:18:50.16\00:18:51.49 "In the year the King Uzziah died, 00:18:51.53\00:18:53.26 I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, 00:18:53.29\00:18:55.26 high and lifted up 00:18:55.30\00:18:56.63 and the train of his robe filled the temple. 00:18:56.67\00:18:58.80 And above it stood seraphim, each one had six wings, 00:18:58.83\00:19:01.80 with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, 00:19:01.84\00:19:04.87 and with two he flew." 00:19:04.91\00:19:06.24 Now these are creatures that are not, 00:19:06.27\00:19:08.94 they are sinless 00:19:08.98\00:19:10.31 and they're covering their faces 00:19:10.35\00:19:11.88 and their feet in the presence of God. 00:19:11.91\00:19:13.62 He's getting a glimpse into the throne room of God. 00:19:13.65\00:19:15.78 There's a few of those in scripture. 00:19:15.82\00:19:17.95 And one cried to the other and said holy, holy, holy 00:19:17.99\00:19:20.96 is the Lord of hosts, 00:19:20.99\00:19:22.32 the whole earth is full of His glory. 00:19:22.36\00:19:25.06 And when you think of the holy, holy, holy, 00:19:25.09\00:19:27.93 they are expressing 00:19:27.96\00:19:29.40 what they're getting a glimpse of 00:19:29.43\00:19:30.77 and it's an involuntary praise of who they see. 00:19:30.80\00:19:33.97 "The pulse of the door were shaking, at verse 4, 00:19:34.00\00:19:35.90 and the voice of him who cried out 00:19:35.94\00:19:37.44 and the house was filled with smoke 00:19:37.47\00:19:39.04 so I said woe is me for I am undone." 00:19:39.07\00:19:45.31 I think too often 00:19:45.35\00:19:46.78 we take it's a casual experience, 00:19:46.82\00:19:49.32 our journey with Christ is a casual experience, 00:19:49.35\00:19:51.32 it's we're quick to correct others, 00:19:51.35\00:19:53.22 we're quick to maybe take a leadership position, 00:19:53.25\00:19:55.32 we're quick to be on that throne. 00:19:55.36\00:19:58.26 I really think that we are self-deceived 00:19:58.29\00:20:01.60 in the sense that we don't see our sinfulness to the point 00:20:01.63\00:20:05.53 where we have had a strong glimpse of God 00:20:05.57\00:20:08.14 and therefore we say woe is me, for I am undone. 00:20:08.17\00:20:12.41 And too often there's too much pride 00:20:12.44\00:20:15.44 in us as Christians as a result, 00:20:15.48\00:20:17.98 because we don't see the sinfulness of sin 00:20:18.01\00:20:20.68 and the depravity of our condition. 00:20:20.72\00:20:24.92 And the only way that I can truly see my condition 00:20:24.95\00:20:28.69 and have any hope in this matter 00:20:28.72\00:20:30.93 is to seek, see Christ as He truly is. 00:20:30.96\00:20:34.43 Behold Him and when that happens, 00:20:34.46\00:20:37.57 I have a correct view of myself 00:20:37.60\00:20:40.04 and therefore I am humbled 00:20:40.07\00:20:43.00 and ready to receive what He has to offer. 00:20:43.04\00:20:46.37 Amen. Absolutely. 00:20:46.41\00:20:47.74 So, we see what is sin and we have to look to Jesus, 00:20:47.78\00:20:51.35 the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts us of sin 00:20:51.38\00:20:53.31 and we look to Jesus in order to realize that, 00:20:53.35\00:20:57.25 and then we look at our need for a savior. 00:20:57.29\00:20:59.35 And I know, Pastor John, 00:20:59.39\00:21:00.72 you were beginning to touch on that, 00:21:00.76\00:21:02.09 the need for our savior. 00:21:02.12\00:21:04.86 You know, the mission of Jesus 00:21:04.89\00:21:06.23 is so clearly outlined in the Bible. 00:21:06.26\00:21:08.70 And this is something that, 00:21:08.73\00:21:10.53 you know, I want to use two scriptures too 00:21:10.57\00:21:12.00 because John talks about it and Matthew talks about it. 00:21:12.03\00:21:15.24 Both in a different way, 00:21:15.27\00:21:16.71 yet sometimes we think they are synonymous. 00:21:16.74\00:21:19.37 Matthew 1:21, "Call his name Jesus, 00:21:19.41\00:21:22.14 for He will save His people from their sins." 00:21:22.18\00:21:25.15 But John says, "Behold the Lamb of God 00:21:25.18\00:21:27.48 who takes away the sin of the world." 00:21:27.52\00:21:31.09 Singular. 00:21:31.12\00:21:33.25 I always say you can't have fruit 00:21:33.29\00:21:35.16 if you don't have root. 00:21:35.19\00:21:37.26 Matthew 1:21 describes the fruit, 00:21:37.29\00:21:40.30 the sins of the world. 00:21:40.33\00:21:41.76 And everybody wants to be forgiven of their sins, 00:21:41.80\00:21:45.90 but if that's all that Jesus did, 00:21:45.93\00:21:47.57 He could have left, 00:21:47.60\00:21:48.94 He could've stayed in heaven and did that. 00:21:48.97\00:21:50.97 Why did He have to come down here? 00:21:51.01\00:21:53.24 John pointed out the specific reason 00:21:53.27\00:21:55.41 why Jesus had to come down here. 00:21:55.44\00:21:58.25 Heaven is a sinless place. 00:21:58.28\00:22:00.72 When Paul outlines the reason why Jesus came, he says, 00:22:00.75\00:22:03.92 He became sin for us. 00:22:03.95\00:22:08.09 You see, now the question is a very significant, 00:22:08.12\00:22:10.56 He didn't just come to forgive sins, 00:22:10.59\00:22:12.16 He became sin. 00:22:12.19\00:22:13.76 Now let me clarify that. 00:22:13.80\00:22:15.13 He didn't become a sinner. That's right. 00:22:15.16\00:22:16.83 He became the root of the issue. 00:22:16.87\00:22:19.90 He had to take the root to change the fruit. 00:22:19.93\00:22:22.14 Now here is the reason why I say that. 00:22:22.17\00:22:24.44 Jesus doesn't want to just forgive us of our sins. 00:22:24.47\00:22:27.51 The whole plan of salvation 00:22:27.54\00:22:29.11 is that we might become as John 3 says, 00:22:29.14\00:22:32.08 we will see Him as He is, for we will be like Him. 00:22:32.11\00:22:36.62 How am I going to be like someone 00:22:36.65\00:22:38.99 unless I have the same nature and the same character? 00:22:39.02\00:22:44.03 So in order for that to happen, 00:22:44.06\00:22:45.86 he had to get rid of one character 00:22:45.89\00:22:48.00 and begin the process of another one. 00:22:48.03\00:22:50.43 He had to take one of those characters, 00:22:50.47\00:22:52.53 the Adam nature. 00:22:52.57\00:22:53.97 1 Corinthians 15 makes that very, very clear. 00:22:54.00\00:22:56.40 "As we bore the man the image of the man of the dust, 00:22:56.44\00:22:59.17 we shall also bear the image of the man of the spirit 00:22:59.21\00:23:02.24 showing to the last Adam Christ the first Adam, 00:23:02.28\00:23:05.28 obviously, Adam in the Garden of Eden." 00:23:05.31\00:23:07.35 So Jesus didn't come to just forgive us. 00:23:07.38\00:23:09.65 Yes. 00:23:09.68\00:23:11.02 He came to get rid of the root issue 00:23:11.05\00:23:13.15 and that is sin. 00:23:13.19\00:23:14.52 So why do we need a savior? 00:23:14.56\00:23:15.96 Nobody, no one could have gotten rid of the sin 00:23:15.99\00:23:20.03 except the sin bearer who is the Lamb of God. 00:23:20.06\00:23:24.27 Amen. Amen. 00:23:24.30\00:23:25.63 Mollie, you look like you were gonna say something. 00:23:25.67\00:23:27.37 Well, I just flipped to Romans 8:29, 00:23:27.40\00:23:31.61 "For whom he for knew he also" I love this word predestined. 00:23:31.64\00:23:35.61 See, I have had some bad teaching on predestination. 00:23:35.64\00:23:38.98 And when I got the right teaching 00:23:39.01\00:23:41.28 that we are all predestined, 00:23:41.32\00:23:42.85 but what are we predestined for? 00:23:42.88\00:23:45.25 He also predestined 00:23:45.29\00:23:46.76 to be conformed to the image of His son. 00:23:46.79\00:23:49.82 Praise the Lord. 00:23:49.86\00:23:51.19 To be that conforming to His images 00:23:51.23\00:23:55.03 that's that metamorphosis to become like Him, 00:23:55.06\00:23:58.80 for we shall see Him as He is. 00:23:58.83\00:24:00.20 Amen. 00:24:00.24\00:24:01.57 And, you know, just to add to that, 00:24:01.60\00:24:02.94 I'm gonna pull back to Pastor Tom here, just to add to that, 00:24:02.97\00:24:04.31 you cannot become like Him unless the root is different. 00:24:04.34\00:24:06.64 That's true. 00:24:06.68\00:24:08.01 There's a law of sin and righteousness. 00:24:08.04\00:24:10.05 A bad tree cannot produce good fruit 00:24:10.08\00:24:12.25 and a good tree cannot produce bad fruit. 00:24:12.28\00:24:16.38 Now that's different from stumbling. 00:24:16.42\00:24:19.32 We talk about the whole walk of the Christian, 00:24:19.35\00:24:22.26 we're talking about justification right now. 00:24:22.29\00:24:23.79 We're not talking about sanctification 00:24:23.83\00:24:25.16 because in sanctification there is a stumble, 00:24:25.19\00:24:26.93 you know, that the Lord says a little children 00:24:26.96\00:24:28.83 I write to you that you sin not, 00:24:28.86\00:24:30.93 but if anyone sins He has an advocate with Father, 00:24:30.97\00:24:33.97 Jesus Christ the righteous. 00:24:34.00\00:24:35.34 And then John talks about a sin that doesn't lead to death 00:24:35.37\00:24:38.21 and a sin that does lead to death, 00:24:38.24\00:24:39.91 but our attitude is all sin leads to death. 00:24:39.94\00:24:42.41 Well, now let me ask you a question. 00:24:42.44\00:24:43.78 As a parent if you have a child, 00:24:43.81\00:24:46.05 Tom and Mollie has children, I don't have any children. 00:24:46.08\00:24:50.79 I don't want to put, Jill don't have any children. 00:24:50.82\00:24:52.15 No, we don't have children. That's right. 00:24:52.19\00:24:54.12 But if your child, when your child was born, 00:24:54.16\00:24:56.26 did your child stumble? 00:24:56.29\00:24:57.76 Oh, yeah. Okay. 00:24:57.79\00:24:59.13 Did you say, you know what, that is not my child, 00:24:59.16\00:25:01.46 go get your child, 00:25:01.50\00:25:02.83 that child keeps stumbling through the living room, 00:25:02.86\00:25:04.57 not gonna step down, 00:25:04.60\00:25:05.93 get up until you learn how to walk, 00:25:05.97\00:25:07.57 you're not going to be my child? 00:25:07.60\00:25:09.00 Do parents do that, Mollie? 00:25:09.04\00:25:10.37 Absolutely no. Okay, okay. 00:25:10.41\00:25:12.34 So when we become children, 00:25:12.37\00:25:15.08 just drinking the milk of the word, 00:25:15.11\00:25:18.61 we've got to grow in grace. 00:25:18.65\00:25:21.78 Hear me, we don't grow into grace, 00:25:21.82\00:25:24.45 we grow in grace. 00:25:24.49\00:25:26.25 A plant doesn't grow into the pot, 00:25:26.29\00:25:28.42 it grows in the pot. 00:25:28.46\00:25:30.06 A fish doesn't swim into the ocean, 00:25:30.09\00:25:32.36 it swims in the ocean. 00:25:32.39\00:25:33.96 When we are abiding in the grace of Christ... 00:25:34.00\00:25:35.76 Oh, that's good. 00:25:35.80\00:25:37.40 we are growing in there, we're swimming in there, 00:25:37.43\00:25:39.67 we often we stumble in there like the, 00:25:39.70\00:25:42.20 like the jar that still had holes in it 00:25:42.24\00:25:44.47 and it leaked in the potter's hand, 00:25:44.51\00:25:46.41 that's sanctification, 00:25:46.44\00:25:47.78 that's a different aspect altogether. 00:25:47.81\00:25:49.21 But just to get back to justification, 00:25:49.24\00:25:50.98 until we realize the mission of Jesus 00:25:51.01\00:25:53.58 all we will desire is salvation from our sins. 00:25:53.62\00:25:57.42 I don't want salvation from my sins only. 00:25:57.45\00:26:00.82 I want salvation from my sin, the root. 00:26:00.86\00:26:03.06 So, you're talking about 00:26:03.09\00:26:04.43 how can we get transformed out of the kingdom of darkness 00:26:04.46\00:26:07.16 and into the kingdom of God, the Son, justification. 00:26:07.20\00:26:09.66 That's justification. 00:26:09.70\00:26:11.03 Now, this as many as... Received him? 00:26:11.07\00:26:15.74 Received him to them gave he the power 00:26:15.77\00:26:18.11 to become that becoming is a process 00:26:18.14\00:26:20.74 and it's that sanctification process, 00:26:20.78\00:26:23.31 so when I can I want to tell you, 00:26:23.35\00:26:25.25 when you want to talk about sanctification, 00:26:25.28\00:26:27.18 I've got to tell you about Claire Redwine. 00:26:27.22\00:26:29.58 So you go ahead and talk about sanctification. 00:26:29.62\00:26:31.35 No, I will be glad if you tell us 00:26:31.39\00:26:32.92 about Claire Redwine now... 00:26:32.95\00:26:34.46 No one hear about it. 00:26:34.49\00:26:35.96 I want to go back for one moment to justification 00:26:35.99\00:26:38.43 just so everyone is clear at home. 00:26:38.46\00:26:40.10 If someone says, "Wait a minute, 00:26:40.13\00:26:42.03 now, I understand you mentioned scriptures, 00:26:42.06\00:26:44.43 I understand what you said 00:26:44.47\00:26:45.80 but do you mean it's just as simple 00:26:45.83\00:26:47.24 as coming to Jesus, 00:26:47.27\00:26:49.50 and saying I'm sorry." 00:26:49.54\00:26:51.91 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, 00:26:51.94\00:26:53.81 He's faithful and just to forgive us 00:26:53.84\00:26:55.34 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 00:26:55.38\00:26:57.18 Does that mean at that moment 00:26:57.21\00:27:00.75 I'm justified before the Father 00:27:00.78\00:27:02.48 and I am in a saving relationship with Him? 00:27:02.52\00:27:05.49 In a nutshell, yes. Okay. 00:27:05.52\00:27:07.29 We're saved by grace through faith. 00:27:07.32\00:27:08.66 Say it again. 00:27:08.69\00:27:10.03 Lest anyone boast, we're saved by grace through faith alone, 00:27:10.06\00:27:13.06 lest anyone should boast. 00:27:13.09\00:27:14.43 Okay. That's right. 00:27:14.46\00:27:15.80 Sola Fide, by faith alone. Okay. 00:27:15.83\00:27:17.17 Not our works. Lest anyone should boast. 00:27:17.20\00:27:19.17 Not our works. 00:27:19.20\00:27:20.54 Okay, so justification is that simple process 00:27:20.57\00:27:23.20 but it doesn't stop there and that's where... 00:27:23.24\00:27:24.91 Go ahead, pastor, 00:27:24.94\00:27:26.27 that's what we're getting to, sanctification. 00:27:26.31\00:27:27.64 And the transaction, 00:27:27.68\00:27:29.01 while it's very simple in the faith aspect of it, 00:27:29.04\00:27:31.71 it's extremely divine in the spiritual aspect of it. 00:27:31.75\00:27:36.12 Because, and you mentioned, to them 00:27:36.15\00:27:37.95 He gave power to become. 00:27:37.99\00:27:39.45 That becoming process... 00:27:39.49\00:27:40.82 Now becoming sons and daughters of God, 00:27:40.86\00:27:44.36 and I want to say this, 00:27:44.39\00:27:45.73 I want to reverse that a little bit. 00:27:45.76\00:27:47.10 It's not a process, 00:27:47.13\00:27:48.46 we are instantly sons and daughters of God accept, 00:27:48.50\00:27:51.10 but becoming more like Him is the process. 00:27:51.13\00:27:54.27 That sanctification. 00:27:54.30\00:27:55.64 It has not yet been revealed what you shall be, 00:27:55.67\00:27:57.07 but beloved now are we children of God. 00:27:57.11\00:27:59.97 1 John 3:2 we are children of God now 00:28:00.01\00:28:02.44 but you don't, you're not behaving 00:28:02.48\00:28:03.81 just like your father that will come in the process. 00:28:03.85\00:28:06.48 It has not yet been revealed what you shall be, 00:28:06.51\00:28:09.02 but we do know that when He is revealed, 00:28:09.05\00:28:11.15 we will be like Him that's the completion of it. 00:28:11.19\00:28:13.56 Amen. Okay. 00:28:13.59\00:28:14.92 So, we're getting there, praise God. 00:28:14.96\00:28:16.29 So, thank you. Amen. That's wonderful. 00:28:16.32\00:28:17.66 So, Claire Redwine and sanctification process. 00:28:17.69\00:28:20.23 All right, Claire Redwine 00:28:20.26\00:28:22.13 was watching Christian television. 00:28:22.16\00:28:25.67 And she would come home, she lived in Las Vegas, 00:28:25.70\00:28:29.27 she was a bartender, 00:28:29.30\00:28:31.64 and she smoked, and she drank wine, 00:28:31.67\00:28:34.58 and she lived with a man, 00:28:34.61\00:28:36.75 and every night she would come home 00:28:36.78\00:28:38.51 and she would watch Christian television. 00:28:38.55\00:28:41.35 And you know what? 00:28:41.38\00:28:43.08 The message of the cross, 00:28:43.12\00:28:45.35 the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:28:45.39\00:28:47.99 penetrated her heart 00:28:48.02\00:28:49.69 and there one night in front of that television, 00:28:49.72\00:28:52.86 she asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord of her life, 00:28:52.89\00:28:55.63 she was born again. 00:28:55.66\00:28:57.00 Amen. She was saved. 00:28:57.03\00:28:58.70 She got up the next morning. 00:28:58.73\00:29:00.70 Justification? And she was justified. 00:29:00.74\00:29:03.10 And she went to work. Where did she go to work? 00:29:03.14\00:29:05.97 At the bar because she was a barkeep 00:29:06.01\00:29:08.74 and she came home the next night 00:29:08.78\00:29:11.25 poured a glass of wine, lit her cigarette, 00:29:11.28\00:29:13.62 and was watching Christian television. 00:29:13.65\00:29:15.58 And somebody preached a sermon on alcohol. 00:29:15.62\00:29:19.82 Okay. 00:29:19.85\00:29:21.19 "I can't drink this alcohol anymore." 00:29:21.22\00:29:23.06 Now remember, she's living with a man 00:29:23.09\00:29:25.09 so she put the alcohol down, 00:29:25.13\00:29:27.50 the next night 00:29:27.53\00:29:28.86 and it didn't happen just like this 00:29:28.90\00:29:30.77 but here's the crux of the story. 00:29:30.80\00:29:33.44 She heard a sermon on fornication 00:29:33.47\00:29:37.07 and she realized, 00:29:37.11\00:29:38.51 "I can't live with this man out of wedlock", 00:29:38.54\00:29:40.94 so she kicked him out 00:29:40.98\00:29:42.74 and one thing led to another that led to another 00:29:42.78\00:29:45.21 that led to another. 00:29:45.25\00:29:46.58 Now, here's the beauty of this. 00:29:46.61\00:29:49.48 She's in a process, the sanctification process. 00:29:49.52\00:29:53.56 She was just as born again. 00:29:53.59\00:29:55.42 Had she died the night 00:29:55.46\00:29:58.06 after she made Jesus Christ the Lord of her life, 00:29:58.09\00:30:00.46 had she died at that point, 00:30:00.50\00:30:03.03 would she have gone to sleep in Jesus 00:30:03.06\00:30:05.17 although she had a glass of wine in one hand, 00:30:05.20\00:30:08.00 a cigarette in the other, 00:30:08.04\00:30:09.64 and she was living with a man, 00:30:09.67\00:30:11.44 see, you are only required to walk in the light 00:30:11.47\00:30:14.94 that God is shining on you. 00:30:14.98\00:30:16.31 That's right. 00:30:16.34\00:30:17.68 And as God shines more light on you, again, 00:30:17.71\00:30:19.98 that's that sanctification process. 00:30:20.02\00:30:22.72 But here is another truth. 00:30:22.75\00:30:24.79 You are required to walk in the light 00:30:24.82\00:30:27.29 that God is shining on you. 00:30:27.32\00:30:29.02 I am not required to walk in the light 00:30:29.06\00:30:31.79 shining on Pastor Lomacang, I praise God for that. 00:30:31.83\00:30:34.96 But, boy, if God shines the light on me, 00:30:35.00\00:30:37.40 then I am required to walk in that light 00:30:37.43\00:30:39.80 and with Clara's walk, she continued to walk, 00:30:39.83\00:30:44.27 so what I wanted to do was to let you know 00:30:44.31\00:30:46.51 that there is absolutely nothing you've done 00:30:46.54\00:30:49.21 that God can't forgive you for, 00:30:49.24\00:30:51.18 doesn't matter your circumstance or your situation 00:30:51.21\00:30:54.22 or where you are in that sanctification process, 00:30:54.25\00:30:56.99 don't give up, 00:30:57.02\00:30:58.35 continue to look to Jesus and He will lead you 00:30:58.39\00:31:00.96 by the power of His Holy Spirit. 00:31:00.99\00:31:02.86 Amen. 00:31:02.89\00:31:04.23 Hebrew 7:25 says 00:31:04.26\00:31:05.59 "Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost 00:31:05.63\00:31:07.66 those who come to God through Him 00:31:07.70\00:31:10.23 since He always lives to make intercession for them." 00:31:10.27\00:31:13.34 So he will save to the uttermost. 00:31:13.37\00:31:15.84 You know, I also think about 2 Corinthians 3:18 00:31:15.87\00:31:18.24 when you are talking about the transformational 00:31:18.27\00:31:21.11 aspect of your of the story. 00:31:21.14\00:31:24.45 "Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord 00:31:24.48\00:31:27.65 we are being transformed into the same image 00:31:27.68\00:31:30.32 from glory to glory." 00:31:30.35\00:31:31.69 Yes. 00:31:31.72\00:31:33.05 So as he continually reveals 00:31:33.09\00:31:34.42 His will for our lives and like you say 00:31:34.46\00:31:36.66 we're all in a different journey. 00:31:36.69\00:31:39.46 He will, as we behold Him, He will bring to our attention 00:31:39.49\00:31:43.90 things that we need to surrender. 00:31:43.93\00:31:45.53 And if we continue to stay humble before God, 00:31:45.57\00:31:48.00 He will refine us and continue to do so. 00:31:48.04\00:31:51.81 The one who has began that good work in us 00:31:51.84\00:31:53.48 is faithful to complete it, 00:31:53.51\00:31:55.74 He will never give up on us, and oftentimes we fail Him 00:31:55.78\00:31:59.58 but He will never fail us. 00:31:59.61\00:32:00.95 So always be the faithful spouse 00:32:00.98\00:32:03.18 and bringing us to the place that He has in mind for us. 00:32:03.22\00:32:06.49 And as Pastor John has mentioned several times 00:32:06.52\00:32:09.36 and that is to, 00:32:09.39\00:32:10.79 we will see Him as He is, we will be like Him. 00:32:10.83\00:32:13.03 That's right. 00:32:13.06\00:32:14.40 He wants to, He's into restoring us 00:32:14.43\00:32:16.46 into the image of God 00:32:16.50\00:32:18.30 that which was lost at the fall 00:32:18.33\00:32:20.67 He wants to restore back into us. 00:32:20.70\00:32:23.27 And letting Him have control of my life is the battle, 00:32:23.30\00:32:27.34 the battle is who is going to be 00:32:27.38\00:32:28.71 on the throne of my heart today. 00:32:28.74\00:32:30.21 Absolutely. 00:32:30.25\00:32:31.58 And I have to say this again 00:32:31.61\00:32:34.35 because the solution for me is to behold Him 00:32:34.38\00:32:36.75 because when that happens I realize who He is 00:32:36.79\00:32:39.29 and I see my true condition and my need of him, 00:32:39.32\00:32:42.09 and staying in that surrendered state 00:32:42.12\00:32:44.06 is when He's able to refine me 00:32:44.09\00:32:46.46 on a daily basis as a Christian. 00:32:46.49\00:32:48.86 Let me tell you why the battle is a difficult one. 00:32:48.90\00:32:51.00 You know, Genesis 3:16, 00:32:51.03\00:32:52.53 go there and look at that very quickly. 00:32:52.57\00:32:54.44 What happened when Adam fell into sin, 00:32:54.47\00:32:57.07 the Lord gave a message to Eve 00:32:57.11\00:32:59.27 which reflects the condition of His people. 00:32:59.31\00:33:02.61 Hosea talks about it. I'm getting to Genesis 3:16. 00:33:02.64\00:33:06.41 This is a powerful analogy, 00:33:06.45\00:33:09.18 it's not just in reference to the fact 00:33:09.22\00:33:11.42 that from now on Eve 00:33:11.45\00:33:15.46 is gonna have difficulty in childbirth 00:33:15.49\00:33:17.69 or she is gonna have pain 00:33:17.73\00:33:19.06 when children are being born 00:33:19.09\00:33:20.43 and mothers all talk about that. 00:33:20.46\00:33:21.80 They said, "Oh, the pain of having this child, 00:33:21.83\00:33:23.16 but all the joy 00:33:23.20\00:33:24.53 when the whole process is done." 00:33:24.57\00:33:26.33 But the Lord gave for us a spiritual message 00:33:26.37\00:33:28.74 here in Genesis 3:16, 00:33:28.77\00:33:33.68 and remember, if you look at the word, 00:33:33.71\00:33:35.74 if you look at the word "woman" in prophecy, 00:33:35.78\00:33:38.05 the "woman" represents church. 00:33:38.08\00:33:40.08 Yes. Okay. 00:33:40.12\00:33:41.45 And then you have, you have, but now I want to say, 00:33:41.48\00:33:46.25 you have two husbands in the Bible. 00:33:46.29\00:33:49.42 Two husbands? Two husbands. 00:33:49.46\00:33:50.99 Oh, yes, you do. 00:33:51.03\00:33:52.69 If you didn't have two husbands, 00:33:52.73\00:33:54.60 Romans 7 wouldn't be there. 00:33:54.63\00:33:55.96 I'm gonna go to Romans 7 right after this. 00:33:56.00\00:33:58.07 Jesus is the husband man, right? 00:33:58.10\00:34:00.40 But the Bible says the woman is bound to the law 00:34:00.44\00:34:02.24 by her husband as long as he lives, 00:34:02.27\00:34:03.84 but if he dies 00:34:03.87\00:34:05.24 she's free to marry another man. 00:34:05.27\00:34:07.21 But if she marries another man while he's alive, 00:34:07.24\00:34:09.78 she is an adulterous 00:34:09.81\00:34:11.15 because she has married another man 00:34:11.18\00:34:12.68 while he's still alive. 00:34:12.71\00:34:14.05 But if he dies, 00:34:14.08\00:34:15.42 she's free to marry another man. 00:34:15.45\00:34:16.79 You're talking about the old man coming up. 00:34:16.82\00:34:18.52 Right, that husband, that nature. 00:34:18.55\00:34:20.52 That old sinful nature. 00:34:20.56\00:34:22.06 But now look at why it's difficult 00:34:22.09\00:34:23.63 to live a righteous life without Christ in your life. 00:34:23.66\00:34:26.63 Look at Genesis 3:16 and this is, 00:34:26.66\00:34:29.60 this has so many spiritual implications here 00:34:29.63\00:34:31.43 because you could take the Hosea, Hosea 00:34:31.47\00:34:33.77 because all the children of Goma, 00:34:33.80\00:34:36.54 one after the other, didn't represent God at all. 00:34:36.57\00:34:38.74 Now, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi, no mercy in this house, 00:34:38.77\00:34:42.84 Lo-Ruhamah no mercy, Lo-Ammi, not my child, 00:34:42.88\00:34:45.81 but it says, 00:34:45.85\00:34:47.18 "I will greatly multiply 00:34:47.22\00:34:48.55 your sorrow and your conception. 00:34:48.58\00:34:51.29 In pain, you shall bring forth children." 00:34:51.32\00:34:54.02 When we see the children of sin, 00:34:54.06\00:34:55.52 it's a painful thing. 00:34:55.56\00:34:57.23 When we see what the seed of sin 00:34:57.26\00:34:58.89 has produced in us, 00:34:58.93\00:35:00.26 the sin is a seed that's planted. 00:35:00.30\00:35:02.60 When the sin produces children in us, 00:35:02.63\00:35:04.87 we are, that brings great sorrow 00:35:04.90\00:35:07.67 and we don't think about the sorrow 00:35:07.70\00:35:09.04 that it brings until we see the children, 00:35:09.07\00:35:11.27 the children of hate, 00:35:11.31\00:35:13.44 the children of lost, the children of thievery, 00:35:13.48\00:35:16.44 the children of lying, 00:35:16.48\00:35:18.08 these are children that the fruit... 00:35:18.11\00:35:20.72 You reap what you sow. 00:35:20.75\00:35:22.08 Right, whatever seed is there is gonna produce the fruit, 00:35:22.12\00:35:25.52 but this is the part that's amazing. 00:35:25.55\00:35:27.69 He says, "Your desire shall be for your husband 00:35:27.72\00:35:30.49 and he shall rule over you." 00:35:30.53\00:35:33.40 That's a powerful word "Desire". 00:35:33.43\00:35:35.93 Desire is years ago, 00:35:35.96\00:35:39.13 you know, children see things, 00:35:39.17\00:35:40.67 well, if you want to see the power of desire 00:35:40.70\00:35:42.47 take your child... go to go to Toys 00:35:42.50\00:35:44.37 "R" Us at Christmas time, 00:35:44.41\00:35:45.97 when parents make the mistake of taking their children 00:35:46.01\00:35:48.14 with them to Toys "R" Us. 00:35:48.18\00:35:49.58 That's desire on steroids. 00:35:49.61\00:35:51.65 Crying and screaming, and grabbing, no, they want it. 00:35:51.68\00:35:55.38 That's why the Lord allows us to be born as children. 00:35:55.42\00:35:57.65 Desire is a powerful thing. 00:35:57.69\00:35:59.35 Now desire is the precursor to will. 00:35:59.39\00:36:03.32 When you desire something, and you stare, 00:36:03.36\00:36:05.89 and you think of it long enough, 00:36:05.93\00:36:07.26 it becomes covetousness. 00:36:07.30\00:36:09.23 Then you add, "now I got to have it" 00:36:09.26\00:36:11.57 and the wrong action of the will takes place. 00:36:11.60\00:36:15.00 Jesus in His human nature, He said, 00:36:15.04\00:36:20.18 "Not my will but thine be done." 00:36:20.21\00:36:23.65 Now the difference between Jesus and us 00:36:23.68\00:36:25.25 is Jesus didn't have simple desire. 00:36:25.28\00:36:27.98 Because he said the prince of this world has come, 00:36:28.02\00:36:29.62 he has nothing in me, 00:36:29.65\00:36:31.12 but we have that nature of Adam in us, 00:36:31.15\00:36:32.82 that sinful nature, that when we leaned towards it, 00:36:32.85\00:36:36.29 it now brought to life in us desire. 00:36:36.32\00:36:38.69 But now let's go to James 00:36:38.73\00:36:40.43 'cause I want to show you how powerful desire is. 00:36:40.46\00:36:42.36 See, desire is the ruling, 00:36:42.40\00:36:44.90 desire is what rules in us 00:36:44.93\00:36:47.24 to lead us down the wrong path. 00:36:47.27\00:36:48.60 And here you will discover, as you read here in Genesis, 00:36:48.64\00:36:51.67 he didn't say, "Oh, your desire shall be for your husband 00:36:51.71\00:36:54.31 and you'll let him rule over you." 00:36:54.34\00:36:56.44 He shall rule. Will. 00:36:56.48\00:36:58.05 You have no choice. 00:36:58.08\00:36:59.71 You see, the hopelessness of the sinner is, 00:36:59.75\00:37:02.62 I say this to my wife and "Honey, I love you 00:37:02.65\00:37:04.59 but we now have this funny story 00:37:04.62\00:37:08.02 not that has to do with love or not love," 00:37:08.06\00:37:10.63 but she has a family members and she say to them, 00:37:10.66\00:37:12.93 "Why don't you just do right, 00:37:12.96\00:37:14.90 you're old enough, you should know better. 00:37:14.93\00:37:16.97 How old are you? Why don't you just do right?" 00:37:17.00\00:37:19.63 And I say "Honey, honey, honey, he's not even a Christian, 00:37:19.67\00:37:23.81 how are you going to get good fruit from a bad tree?" 00:37:23.84\00:37:26.54 "But he's old enough." 00:37:26.57\00:37:27.91 "Honey, that's the... We cannot produce it. 00:37:27.94\00:37:31.55 Say it again. We cannot produce it. 00:37:31.58\00:37:33.38 No matter how old you are, 00:37:33.42\00:37:34.78 a bad tree could be bad for 38 years 00:37:34.82\00:37:37.62 and is not gonna be good 00:37:37.65\00:37:39.29 when it comes to producing fruit. 00:37:39.32\00:37:40.66 Until it changes its root system. 00:37:40.69\00:37:43.83 That's the simple process of it. 00:37:43.86\00:37:45.33 Now look at James, James outlines it so amazingly. 00:37:45.36\00:37:50.53 Here is, look at James 1. James 1. 00:37:50.57\00:37:55.40 I mean, James uses there 00:37:55.44\00:37:56.77 and I'm using the New King James version 00:37:56.81\00:37:58.14 so I know the word desire is there. 00:37:58.17\00:38:00.14 Verse 13, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 00:38:00.18\00:38:03.95 I am tempted by God, 00:38:03.98\00:38:05.58 for God cannot be tempted by evil 00:38:05.61\00:38:07.42 nor does He himself tempt anyone 00:38:07.45\00:38:10.29 but each one is tempted 00:38:10.32\00:38:11.65 when he is drawn away 00:38:11.69\00:38:13.05 by his own desires and enticed." 00:38:13.09\00:38:17.96 Verse 15... King James says lusts. 00:38:17.99\00:38:19.79 Same thing, interchangeable word 00:38:19.83\00:38:21.80 lust and desires it's that... 00:38:21.83\00:38:24.67 It's that call that the alcoholic talks about, 00:38:24.70\00:38:26.60 and the drug user talks about. 00:38:26.63\00:38:28.50 They can't control it. 00:38:28.54\00:38:29.94 Then when desire has conceived or lust has conceived, 00:38:29.97\00:38:33.17 it gives birth. 00:38:33.21\00:38:34.64 See, desire is not sin. That's right. 00:38:34.68\00:38:37.45 But it's saying to you, go ahead and sin. 00:38:37.48\00:38:39.31 When you yield, it gives birth to sin, 00:38:39.35\00:38:42.38 and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death. 00:38:42.42\00:38:47.02 These are our condition. 00:38:47.06\00:38:48.39 That's the condition of humanity. 00:38:48.42\00:38:49.76 So we are already in that condition. 00:38:49.79\00:38:51.13 Jesus didn't come to kill us, 00:38:51.16\00:38:53.09 He came to change our condition. 00:38:53.13\00:38:55.73 He came to say, you're already in sin, 00:38:55.76\00:38:58.80 I'm not sending My Son to condemn you, 00:38:58.83\00:39:01.10 but My Son might well come to save you, 00:39:01.14\00:39:02.60 not to condemn 00:39:02.64\00:39:03.97 but that the world through Him might be saved. 00:39:04.01\00:39:05.67 So, Mollie, how do we put to death the old man, 00:39:05.71\00:39:08.54 the nature that, that desire that rises up within us? 00:39:08.58\00:39:14.18 You can't, you absolutely cannot on your own. 00:39:14.22\00:39:16.48 Okay. You can't. 00:39:16.52\00:39:17.92 But Pastor Ferguson alluded to this earlier 00:39:17.95\00:39:21.62 is that submitting, submitting to the will of God 00:39:21.66\00:39:24.66 and asking the Father 00:39:24.69\00:39:26.70 by the power of His Spirit to change your heart. 00:39:26.73\00:39:29.96 Studying God's word, praying, staying in His presence, 00:39:30.00\00:39:33.74 and all of that sounds like so many do's 00:39:33.77\00:39:36.60 and so if you're struggling already, 00:39:36.64\00:39:39.87 you're saying, "I just can't do all of that." 00:39:39.91\00:39:42.21 So our responsibility is to simplify it 00:39:42.24\00:39:48.92 because I mean Jesus made the gospel so simple. 00:39:48.95\00:39:53.15 Come on to Me, all you that labor 00:39:53.19\00:39:54.69 and are heavy-laden, I will give you rest. 00:39:54.72\00:39:57.43 He never made it difficult. 00:39:57.46\00:39:59.46 So come on, just come on to Jesus and ask Him help, 00:39:59.49\00:40:03.63 that's a prayer that God will always answer 00:40:03.67\00:40:07.74 and He'll answer it quickly if you just say, "Help, 00:40:07.77\00:40:10.74 I can't do this on my own. 00:40:10.77\00:40:12.67 I have to have help." 00:40:12.71\00:40:14.11 And He'll help you. Pastor Tom? 00:40:14.14\00:40:16.28 I was just saying about the root source 00:40:16.31\00:40:17.65 that you referred to earlier. 00:40:17.68\00:40:19.01 I'd like to turn to that, let's go to John 15, 00:40:19.05\00:40:22.28 another place that many are familiar with. 00:40:22.32\00:40:24.29 But, you know, I think 00:40:24.32\00:40:25.65 we oftentimes have to remind ourselves 00:40:25.69\00:40:27.06 it's not that complicated, 00:40:27.09\00:40:28.72 it's just that because we're sinners, 00:40:28.76\00:40:30.93 it is counterintuitive, it's counter-experience for us, 00:40:30.96\00:40:35.03 but this is what He's asking of us in John 15. 00:40:35.06\00:40:37.60 Go ahead. 00:40:37.63\00:40:38.97 And I think too, sorry to break in there, 00:40:39.00\00:40:40.60 I think too it goes against our natural desire, 00:40:40.64\00:40:42.90 so that's why it's not only counterintuitive, 00:40:42.94\00:40:45.27 it goes against what I carnally want 00:40:45.31\00:40:47.41 or what I naturally desire. 00:40:47.44\00:40:49.21 So it's making that choice, "God, I'm choosing your way 00:40:49.24\00:40:52.35 and I'm choosing to put to death the old nature." 00:40:52.38\00:40:54.22 That's right. That's right. 00:40:54.25\00:40:56.32 And verse 1 in John 15 says, "I am the true vine 00:40:56.35\00:40:59.95 and my father is the vinedresser, 00:40:59.99\00:41:01.69 every branch in me that does not bear fruit 00:41:01.72\00:41:03.93 he takes away and every branch that bears fruit 00:41:03.96\00:41:06.03 he prunes that it may bear more fruit." 00:41:06.06\00:41:08.40 When you and I are going to the sanctifying process, 00:41:08.43\00:41:10.40 there is a pruning process 00:41:10.43\00:41:11.77 that does take place and oftentimes 00:41:11.80\00:41:14.24 when we're prone it does not feel good. 00:41:14.27\00:41:16.50 No. 00:41:16.54\00:41:17.87 It's one of those things that God knows in His wisdom 00:41:17.91\00:41:20.14 and in His love that we need 00:41:20.18\00:41:21.74 and therefore we're being pruned. 00:41:21.78\00:41:23.91 As a matter of fact, I got a recent experience. 00:41:23.95\00:41:27.68 There is a gentleman 00:41:27.72\00:41:29.05 who lost his sister three months ago. 00:41:29.08\00:41:32.92 He's... and sorry, two months ago 00:41:32.95\00:41:34.56 his brother a month ago, 00:41:34.59\00:41:36.19 and then three days, four days ago 00:41:36.22\00:41:37.73 now a second brother, 00:41:37.76\00:41:39.79 and they're on their way to the funeral on Thursday. 00:41:39.83\00:41:41.36 Is that four deaths or five? 00:41:41.40\00:41:42.96 It's a total of three siblings in three months. 00:41:43.00\00:41:47.04 And, you know, sometimes we go through things in life 00:41:47.07\00:41:49.60 and we say, "Lord, why, why are you allowing this?" 00:41:49.64\00:41:51.97 Nothing happens to us 00:41:52.01\00:41:53.34 that hasn't gone through Him first 00:41:53.38\00:41:54.94 but also the very fact 00:41:54.98\00:41:56.31 that there's a pruning process that goes on in life. 00:41:56.34\00:41:59.71 And He is in control. 00:41:59.75\00:42:02.55 Look at verse 4 it says "Abide in me and I in you 00:42:02.58\00:42:05.25 as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself 00:42:05.29\00:42:07.69 unless it abides in the vine, 00:42:07.72\00:42:09.79 neither can you unless you abide in me." 00:42:09.82\00:42:12.99 My work is to abide in Christ. 00:42:13.03\00:42:17.30 He is the vine, I am the branches, 00:42:17.33\00:42:19.87 and that's what it says in the next verse. 00:42:19.90\00:42:21.74 "He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit 00:42:21.77\00:42:24.67 for without me you can do," how much? 00:42:24.71\00:42:26.47 "Nothing." 00:42:26.51\00:42:27.84 And we forget that all the time. 00:42:27.88\00:42:29.58 We keep thinking, okay, I'm abiding in Him, 00:42:29.61\00:42:31.85 we experience the blessing, 00:42:31.88\00:42:33.21 and then we forget that we need to continue to abide in Him, 00:42:33.25\00:42:36.38 because it says here in the next verse, 00:42:36.42\00:42:37.75 "If we do not continue to abide in Him, 00:42:37.79\00:42:40.32 we are cast out as a branch and we are withered, 00:42:40.36\00:42:43.29 they gather them and throw them into the fire 00:42:43.32\00:42:45.39 and they are burned." 00:42:45.43\00:42:46.80 You know, it's interesting because a lot of people say, 00:42:46.83\00:42:49.06 "You believe you can lose your salvation?" 00:42:49.10\00:42:50.80 Well, I believe we can choose our salvation 00:42:50.83\00:42:52.97 in the way Adam and Eve did. 00:42:53.00\00:42:54.44 God gave us that freedom and we can continue to have it. 00:42:54.47\00:42:57.51 And how do we choose it away? By not abiding in Christ. 00:42:57.54\00:43:01.31 And look at verse, 00:43:01.34\00:43:02.68 there's a quote here from Desire of Ages, 00:43:02.71\00:43:04.38 page 676, on verses 4 and 5, I want to share. 00:43:04.41\00:43:07.85 "Abiding in Christ 00:43:07.88\00:43:09.22 means a constant receiving of His spirit. 00:43:09.25\00:43:14.22 A life of unreserved surrender to His service, 00:43:14.26\00:43:17.56 the channel of communication must be open continually 00:43:17.59\00:43:20.36 between man and his God 00:43:20.40\00:43:22.23 as the vine branch constantly draws up 00:43:22.26\00:43:24.10 the sap from the living vine, 00:43:24.13\00:43:25.63 so we are to cling to Jesus and receive from Him by faith 00:43:25.67\00:43:29.30 the strength and perfection of His own character." 00:43:29.34\00:43:33.81 We are actually receiving 00:43:33.84\00:43:35.58 of His character by remaining in the vine. 00:43:35.61\00:43:39.55 And that is a process that there's a lot of pruning 00:43:39.58\00:43:41.52 that goes, goes in there. 00:43:41.55\00:43:43.89 Because we have cultivated tendencies, 00:43:43.92\00:43:45.69 we have inherited tendencies 00:43:45.72\00:43:47.49 that He wants to refine out of us 00:43:47.52\00:43:51.63 by the infusion of through His spirit 00:43:51.66\00:43:54.33 to change us into His own character, 00:43:54.36\00:43:56.13 His own likeness. 00:43:56.16\00:43:57.73 Amen. Pastor John. 00:43:57.77\00:43:59.20 Adding to the, how do you get to, 00:43:59.23\00:44:01.94 how do you become a child of God, 00:44:01.97\00:44:04.71 how do you enter that relationship. 00:44:04.74\00:44:06.81 There's only one way death. 00:44:06.84\00:44:08.58 Mollie made this point very, very early on. 00:44:08.61\00:44:11.21 There's only one way to become a child of God, 00:44:11.25\00:44:13.68 you know, Galatians 2:20, 00:44:13.72\00:44:15.28 "I have been crucified with Christ, 00:44:15.32\00:44:19.39 nevertheless I live yet not I 00:44:19.42\00:44:22.72 but Christ liveth in me 00:44:22.76\00:44:24.89 and the life I now live in the flesh." 00:44:24.93\00:44:26.26 What flesh? 00:44:26.29\00:44:27.63 The only thing left 00:44:27.66\00:44:29.00 after the nature is dead is the flesh. 00:44:29.03\00:44:33.20 See, this is the memory bank, this is the hard drive, 00:44:33.23\00:44:36.37 this is the hard drive of all the things 00:44:36.40\00:44:37.74 that I've done and I think that each one of us could stay. 00:44:37.77\00:44:40.51 If we spent a day with ourselves in a mountain 00:44:40.54\00:44:43.58 far away from any city, any populated area, 00:44:43.61\00:44:45.98 we will remember all the things we did. 00:44:46.01\00:44:47.35 Oh, yeah. 00:44:47.38\00:44:48.72 You don't have to get away from sin. 00:44:48.75\00:44:50.09 Sin as Paul said it resides in us. 00:44:50.12\00:44:53.12 That sin flesh is always there. 00:44:53.15\00:44:55.69 It's that constant battle, 00:44:55.72\00:44:57.06 that's why dying daily is important. 00:44:57.09\00:44:58.43 But the only way to get into that relationship is to die, 00:44:58.46\00:45:02.80 you've got to die, 00:45:02.83\00:45:04.17 that nature has to be put to death 00:45:04.20\00:45:05.80 for the fruit now to be born unto Christ 00:45:05.83\00:45:08.40 to show that He is in fact the Lord of our lives. 00:45:08.44\00:45:11.41 But the assurance is what people often don't have. 00:45:11.44\00:45:14.01 The assurance of people that think, well, 00:45:14.04\00:45:16.01 you know, there's two categories. 00:45:16.04\00:45:18.35 "I'm not good enough to be saved. 00:45:18.38\00:45:20.02 And I am saved and sanctified 00:45:20.05\00:45:21.82 and filled with the Holy Ghost and I can't be lost." 00:45:21.85\00:45:23.32 Yes. 00:45:23.35\00:45:24.69 But believe, you know, 00:45:24.72\00:45:26.05 that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, 00:45:26.09\00:45:28.49 but have everlasting life. 00:45:28.52\00:45:30.03 And 1 John 5:11-13 brings that into the context. 00:45:30.06\00:45:33.73 1 John 5:11-13 brings in the assurance 00:45:33.76\00:45:36.67 and I wish I had like another hour 00:45:36.70\00:45:38.30 just probably to go. 00:45:38.33\00:45:39.67 Well, it's a good topic. 00:45:39.70\00:45:41.04 Because there's so much more 00:45:41.07\00:45:42.40 that has to go along with the topic of salvation, 00:45:42.44\00:45:44.34 but here is one of assurance. 00:45:44.37\00:45:45.71 This is the beautiful thing about assurance. 00:45:45.74\00:45:47.08 1 John five? 1 John 5:11-13. 00:45:47.11\00:45:51.78 Once again showing that salvation is a gift, 00:45:51.81\00:45:54.58 "And this is the testimony 00:45:54.62\00:45:56.42 that God has given us eternal life, 00:45:56.45\00:46:00.79 and this life is in His Son. 00:46:00.82\00:46:03.02 He who has the Son has life." 00:46:03.06\00:46:05.96 These are definitive articles, 00:46:05.99\00:46:07.40 not he who has a son will eventually have life, 00:46:07.43\00:46:10.17 he who has the Son has life, 00:46:10.20\00:46:12.43 he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 00:46:12.47\00:46:16.47 "These things I have written to you 00:46:16.50\00:46:18.97 who believe in the name of the Son of God 00:46:19.01\00:46:21.81 that you may," what's the next word? 00:46:21.84\00:46:24.41 "That you may know that you have eternal life 00:46:24.45\00:46:28.38 and that you may continue 00:46:28.42\00:46:30.45 to believe in the name of the Son of God." 00:46:30.49\00:46:33.12 When Pastor Tom talked about that, 00:46:33.15\00:46:34.86 you could think yourself 00:46:34.89\00:46:36.22 how to choose yourself away from salvation. 00:46:36.26\00:46:38.99 Salvation is not a conveyor belt. 00:46:39.03\00:46:41.66 Nobody can snatch you out of the Lord's hand, 00:46:41.70\00:46:43.60 He said, didn't He say that John 10, 00:46:43.63\00:46:45.20 He said, "But, Father, whom you've given to me, 00:46:45.23\00:46:47.27 nobody could snatch them out of my hand 00:46:47.30\00:46:50.17 but I could choose to walk out of his hand." 00:46:50.21\00:46:52.14 Yes, yes. 00:46:52.17\00:46:53.51 Because many had turned away and walked with him no more, 00:46:53.54\00:46:56.18 demons has forsaken him having loved this present age. 00:46:56.21\00:46:59.41 You know, instead of one of the sons of Jacob, 00:46:59.45\00:47:03.05 I think he's joined into his idols... 00:47:03.08\00:47:06.42 Let him alone. What's his name again? 00:47:06.45\00:47:08.12 No, I was just gonna say let him alone, leave him alone. 00:47:08.16\00:47:09.86 Yeah, let him alone, leave him alone. 00:47:09.89\00:47:11.73 There are some people that walk away from that relationship. 00:47:11.76\00:47:14.06 It's better that they have not known the way of righteous 00:47:14.10\00:47:16.67 than have known it turn away from the holy commandment. 00:47:16.70\00:47:19.03 So we can walk away 00:47:19.07\00:47:20.40 but nobody can snatch us out of His hand. 00:47:20.44\00:47:22.20 If we continue to believe 00:47:22.24\00:47:23.57 and remain in that the work he began, 00:47:23.61\00:47:26.44 as Pastor Tom said, 00:47:26.47\00:47:27.81 and the Bible says in Philippians 1:6, 00:47:27.84\00:47:29.44 the work He began will be finished 00:47:29.48\00:47:32.21 and we will see the finished product. 00:47:32.25\00:47:33.58 So I just want to say 00:47:33.62\00:47:34.95 to the viewers and listeners of the program, 00:47:34.98\00:47:36.82 there is no need to fear 00:47:36.85\00:47:38.19 that there's something you must do, 00:47:38.22\00:47:40.69 you simply have to submit 00:47:40.72\00:47:42.06 yourself to Christ moment-by-moment. 00:47:42.09\00:47:43.73 I would say day-by-day, but what is that? 00:47:43.76\00:47:45.13 Moment-by-moment. Moment-by-moment. 00:47:45.16\00:47:47.60 Every time the enemy knocks, 00:47:47.63\00:47:49.86 "Jesus, would you go answer the door?" 00:47:49.90\00:47:51.47 'Cause I know what I'll choose if I answer the door. 00:47:51.50\00:47:53.80 And I've learned that, I mean, 00:47:53.84\00:47:55.24 you made a very good illustration 00:47:55.27\00:47:56.60 about a conference president, 00:47:56.64\00:47:57.97 I remember my ministerial director many years ago 00:47:58.01\00:47:59.94 at a pastors' meeting, 00:47:59.97\00:48:01.31 he was approaching retirement and he said, 00:48:01.34\00:48:04.31 "I was converted seven years ago." 00:48:04.35\00:48:06.35 Wow. 00:48:06.38\00:48:08.22 You could be so knowledgeable 00:48:08.25\00:48:10.69 and be so lost without knowing what salvation really is. 00:48:10.72\00:48:14.09 And there is so much more, 00:48:14.12\00:48:15.46 this has to be in second part and third part 00:48:15.49\00:48:16.83 I know on this topic but, Mollie? 00:48:16.86\00:48:18.79 Mollie, you look like you had something. 00:48:18.83\00:48:20.16 Now, well, you hit on 1 Corinthians 15:31, 00:48:20.20\00:48:25.10 the Apostle Paul, 00:48:25.13\00:48:26.47 "I affirm by boasting in you 00:48:26.50\00:48:28.17 which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord." 00:48:28.20\00:48:30.14 And what does he say that he does? 00:48:30.17\00:48:31.97 I die daily. He says, "I die daily." 00:48:32.01\00:48:34.11 Well, we've talked about justification 00:48:34.14\00:48:36.41 coming out of darkness and into light, 00:48:36.44\00:48:38.35 being born again, making Jesus the Lord of your life, 00:48:38.38\00:48:41.42 then that sanctification process 00:48:41.45\00:48:43.89 that being conformed 00:48:43.92\00:48:45.99 to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:48:46.02\00:48:48.09 taking on His attributes and His character. 00:48:48.12\00:48:50.89 We can only do that through His word 00:48:50.93\00:48:54.40 and spending time in His presence. 00:48:54.43\00:48:58.90 In Luke 9:22, I want to look at a couple of scriptures 00:48:58.93\00:49:02.34 we're going to get verses 22 and 23, 00:49:02.37\00:49:05.04 and Jesus had just fed the 5,000 00:49:05.07\00:49:09.08 and Peter had just, he asked, 00:49:09.11\00:49:12.51 you know, who do men say that I am? 00:49:12.55\00:49:13.92 Didn't I told him. 00:49:13.95\00:49:15.28 And then they say, yeah, but who do you say that I am. 00:49:15.32\00:49:17.62 And what did Peter tell him? 00:49:17.65\00:49:19.19 Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:49:19.22\00:49:23.43 And so now then in verse 22, the Son of Man, 00:49:23.46\00:49:27.56 this is what Jesus is telling His disciples 00:49:27.60\00:49:30.87 "The Son of Man must suffer many things 00:49:30.90\00:49:33.54 and be rejected by the elders 00:49:33.57\00:49:35.34 and the chief priest and scribes, and he tells them, 00:49:35.37\00:49:38.37 and be killed and be raised the third day." 00:49:38.41\00:49:41.24 Verse 23 "Then he said to them all, 00:49:41.28\00:49:44.38 if anyone desires to come after me, 00:49:44.41\00:49:47.08 do you desire to come after the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:49:47.12\00:49:50.82 let him deny himself." 00:49:50.85\00:49:52.92 See, that's what we've been talking about 00:49:52.95\00:49:54.96 the difficult part, that denying of ourselves. 00:49:54.99\00:49:58.29 He goes on to say, 00:49:58.33\00:49:59.66 "And take up His cross daily and follow me." 00:49:59.69\00:50:03.13 And you know what taking up your cross daily means? 00:50:03.16\00:50:06.30 Taking the message of the cross is the power of God, 00:50:06.33\00:50:10.84 the scripture gives us, tells us that. 00:50:10.87\00:50:13.31 And the message of the cross is a message of death, 00:50:13.34\00:50:15.94 that's where the Lord Jesus Christ died, 00:50:15.98\00:50:18.31 but it's also a place of salvation 00:50:18.35\00:50:22.08 and total victory over the power of the enemy. 00:50:22.12\00:50:25.15 So you take up your cross daily, die to self, 00:50:25.19\00:50:28.99 and you're going to find 00:50:29.02\00:50:30.66 that you will have total confidence 00:50:30.69\00:50:33.66 in the power of God, 00:50:33.70\00:50:35.63 the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:50:35.66\00:50:37.77 and you can have assurance of your salvation. 00:50:37.80\00:50:41.04 Amen. 00:50:41.07\00:50:42.40 Yes, I truly surrender all that's the only way. 00:50:42.44\00:50:45.57 In Philippians 2:13, we can't forget that, it says, 00:50:45.61\00:50:48.18 "For it is God who works in you 00:50:48.21\00:50:49.58 both to will and to do His good pleasure. 00:50:49.61\00:50:53.31 He has a plan for your life 00:50:53.35\00:50:54.72 and it is to live out his life through us." 00:50:54.75\00:50:57.15 You know, I want to go to one other text finally here, 00:50:57.19\00:51:01.22 it's John 5, 00:51:01.26\00:51:03.22 and what I find about this verse 00:51:03.26\00:51:05.86 when I read the verse 00:51:05.89\00:51:07.30 and then I read a quote out of Desire of Ages, 00:51:07.33\00:51:10.07 it goes with it. 00:51:10.10\00:51:11.43 It just really got my attention. 00:51:11.47\00:51:14.30 It says, you know, Jesus is our example in all things 00:51:14.34\00:51:16.71 'cause I cannot of myself do nothing 00:51:16.74\00:51:18.21 as I hear I judge that my judgment is righteous 00:51:18.24\00:51:20.81 because I do not seek my own will 00:51:20.84\00:51:22.64 but the will of the Father who sent me. 00:51:22.68\00:51:25.61 And then the note on Desire of Ages, 208, it says, 00:51:25.65\00:51:29.25 "So early was Christ emptied of self 00:51:29.28\00:51:32.02 that he made no plans for himself." 00:51:32.05\00:51:35.42 I tell you what? As a type A, that's kind of rough. 00:51:35.46\00:51:38.53 "He accepted God's plans for him 00:51:38.56\00:51:40.70 and day-by-day the Father unfolded His plans 00:51:40.73\00:51:43.43 so should we depend on God that our lives may be 00:51:43.47\00:51:46.47 this simple outworking of His will." 00:51:46.50\00:51:49.37 Amen. Amen. 00:51:49.40\00:51:50.74 Wow. That's the calling. Amen. 00:51:50.77\00:51:52.91 That is the calling. Thank you so much. 00:51:52.94\00:51:54.78 We have to go to our newsbreak now 00:51:54.81\00:51:56.41 and we'll come back with the closing thought 00:51:56.44\00:51:58.71 from each one of you in a moment. 00:51:58.75\00:52:00.08 But we hope and pray that as we're talking 00:52:00.12\00:52:03.18 or maybe when the program is done, 00:52:03.22\00:52:04.95 you'll get down on your knees, 00:52:04.99\00:52:06.32 if you have not yet 00:52:06.35\00:52:07.96 made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, 00:52:07.99\00:52:09.92 and you just accept Him in. 00:52:09.96\00:52:11.49 Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, I accept You as my Savior, 00:52:11.53\00:52:14.83 and then day-by-day that process of dependence, 00:52:14.86\00:52:18.70 that process of surrender, 00:52:18.73\00:52:20.64 that process of dying to self 00:52:20.67\00:52:23.00 and letting Jesus live in and through you, 00:52:23.04\00:52:26.57 letting Him perfect that process in you, 00:52:26.61\00:52:29.64 and your life will never be the same. 00:52:29.68\00:52:31.61 You can have assurance of salvation. 00:52:31.65\00:52:34.65