I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello and welcome to
another 3ABN Today program.
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My name is Jill
Morikone, and we are delighted
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that you have
taken time from your day
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to spend this time with us.
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Normally, during
the Today program,
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we would feature
ministries or testimonies
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of what God is doing
in other people's lives.
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Now today, we have
some of the 3ABN family
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with us here,
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and we're opening
up the Word of God
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and sharing I think
one of my favorite topics
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that Righteousness by Faith.
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This topic is so
needed in the church.
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It's needed in
each one of our lives.
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We're going to be sharing
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from our own personal experience
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and from the Word of God
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that we can have
assurance of the salvation
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that we can have assurance
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that God is the one
by the blood of Jesus
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who justifies us and cleanses us
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and brings us back
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into right
standing with the Father.
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We'll talk about
imputed righteousness,
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imparted righteousness,
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and the role of works in
that whole package as well.
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But right now,
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I want to introduce to
you our special guests,
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but they're not really guests,
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just part of the
family, Mollie Steenson,
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vice-president
and general manager,
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we're so glad to
have you here, Mollie.
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Well, thank you.
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It's always a joy
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to be able to
break the bread of life
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with my brothers and sisters
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and with the
3ABN viewing family.
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Amen.
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And sitting next
to you is Dee Casper.
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And you are evangelism
director for UnScene Media.
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And we can say,
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I said 3ABN family
at the very beginning
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because we consider you
part of the 3ABN family.
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An adopted. That's right.
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And Dee, the
ministry of Unseen Media
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is just here on 3ABN's campus,
so you're really part of the...
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The team part of the family,
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and we're so glad
you're here as well.
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Good to be here.
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So this whole concept
of justification by faith,
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I want to read one
verse and then we'll jump in.
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Open in scriptures,
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Ephesians 2
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if you have your
Bibles, turn there with me.
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Ephesians 2:8-10,
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"For by grace
you have been saved
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through faith and
that not of yourselves,
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it is the gift of God,
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not of works lest
anyone should boast.
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For we are His workmanship
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created in Christ
Jesus for good works
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which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
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And before we go any
further on our discussion,
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we really should
have a moment of prayer.
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As we open up God's Word,
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it's always important to
open and study with prayer.
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And so, Dee,
would you pray for us?
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Sure.
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God in heaven, I just
thank You for this privilege
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to come into Your
presence in prayer.
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And as we open
Your Word together
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and discuss this
most precious message,
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I just pray that
You would bless us
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with insight with discernment,
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and us and the viewers
would all be greatly blessed
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by the goodness
of God towards man.
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And we ask this
now in Jesus name...
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Amen. Amen.
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Amen.
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So going back to
that verse, Ephesians 2:8,
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"By grace you have
been saved through faith..."
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I think sometimes
when we read that,
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we kind of glance over it
as in it's hard to accept,
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could we say that?
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It's hard to accept and receive
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that I am actually
saved by grace through faith.
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It seems like
there has to be something
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I do myself in order
to add to that salvation.
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Have you all discovered
that in your own lives
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or with other people?
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You know, I think that from...
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when we were really very
young, from early childhood,
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we are taught
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that we need to do it ourselves,
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we need to tie our own shoes,
we need to comb our own hair,
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we need to feed ourselves,
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we need to
justify our own existence.
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We need to always be doing.
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And so we have
learned from a very early age
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that we don't get
anything unless we work for it,
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and this whole idea,
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this whole concept that
there is this for a gift,
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"For by grace
you have been saved
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through faith and
that not of yourselves,
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it is the gift of God,
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not of works lest
any man should boast,"
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it goes contrary
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to what we have
always been led to believe
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that we have to work
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for the good
things that come to us.
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And so I think
that is parting parcel
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of what makes
it difficult for us
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to actually
receive something by faith.
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Yes. What about you, Dee?
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Yeah, it's like an
upside down picture
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of how we would
assume that it would work
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because many times you feel like
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you need to earn the love,
for my family to love me like
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that's just they
give me, they ought to,
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but like for other people.
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I just really need
to do something to prove
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that I deserve their trust.
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Their love or whatever,
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we can wrestle with
this in human relationships,
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and it's just our view of God
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generally is one where we feel
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that we need to do
something to make Him happy
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to even consider to
accept us, to love us.
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And the Bible says in Romans 5:8
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that God
demonstrated His own love for us
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while we were still sinners,
Christ died for the ungodly.
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Before we did anything right,
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God already showed love
to us in giving His Son.
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So it wasn't the
Jesus that came to convince
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the Father to love us,
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it was because of God's
love that He sent the Son.
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Yes.
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And there was nothing we
did to earn or deserve it,
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we can only accept it,
we can't improve upon it
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and that's just so
contrary to the way
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that we would want to think.
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And it takes a lot of reminders
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I think in the
Christian experience to realize,
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this isn't my battle to win,
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it's my battle to
accept someone else's victory.
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And knowing that this is God,
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and I can fool you,
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I can fool those
around me, you can't fool God.
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And you know how
sinful and corrupt you are
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and so, you know, God
knows the very worst about me
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and what we have to come,
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what I had to grow
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into a realization of
was God knows my very worst,
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He knows the very worst
there is to know about me
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and He loves me anyway.
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God loves us
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while we were yet
sinners, He died for us.
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Yes, yes.
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It's a hard thing to
come into the realization of.
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It is.
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I think I was 19 years old
before I even understood that,
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even grasped it.
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I'm not even sure I
understand it fully now
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but at that point I
had the first picture,
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I guess, you could say of it.
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I remember I had been to college
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and came back and I was raised
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in a good Seventh-day
Adventist Christian home,
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great parents,
very focused on works,
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and it wasn't any fault of them,
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it's how they had been raised.
00:08:04.58\00:08:06.11
And so it was very focused,
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you do this, you
act a certain way,
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we don't do this,
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and somehow it
merits approval with God.
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And so I remember coming back
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after being at
college and I was in church
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and we stood for
the closing hymn,
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and it was
covered with His life.
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"My life of scarlet,
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my sin and woe
covered with His life,
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whiter than snow."
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And I remember I began to cry.
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I had never, in 19 years,
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realized that God sent Jesus
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and His blood could
somehow cover that sin.
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It wasn't about
how good I could be
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and it was about the
blood of Jesus covering
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and justifying me
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and that was the
first time I had ever,
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in my whole
experience, even seen that.
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So what is justification?
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If I were to say what
is justification by faith?
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What would you say?
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In Romans 5:10...
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Let me get just get there. Sure.
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Romans 5:10,
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this is been a
helpful picture for me
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to kind of
understand how the gospel works
00:09:17.82\00:09:20.16
and what's
required for me to be saved.
00:09:20.19\00:09:23.02
So it says, "For if
when we were enemies..."
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Meaning if we are in our
flesh, we're enemies of God.
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"We were reconciled
to God through," what?
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"The death of His
Son..." "The death of His Son."
00:09:30.70\00:09:32.43
So reconciliation
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is the kind of the reuniting
of two parties at odds,
00:09:33.87\00:09:35.97
it's absolving the
death that I have to the Lord.
00:09:36.00\00:09:38.87
It says in another
place at Romans 6:23 or 3:23,
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that "The wages
of sin is death."
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I think it's 6:23...
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It is 6:23.
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A wage is what I
deserve as a result of the works
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that I performed
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and so what I deserve
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according to the life
that I have lived is death,
00:09:52.29\00:09:54.72
but God is able to
cancel out the death
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that I deserve
through the death of His Son,
00:09:57.43\00:09:59.36
that's what
reconciles me to God,
00:09:59.39\00:10:00.76
that's what allows me
to be justified before Him.
00:10:00.80\00:10:03.50
And it's says,
00:10:03.53\00:10:04.87
"Much more
having been reconciled
00:10:04.90\00:10:06.23
we shall be saved by," what?
00:10:06.27\00:10:08.30
"His life." "His life."
00:10:08.34\00:10:09.67
"His life."
00:10:09.70\00:10:11.04
So I don't only
need someone to die
00:10:11.07\00:10:13.14
the death that I deserve,
00:10:13.17\00:10:14.51
I also need
someone to live a life
00:10:14.54\00:10:16.01
that I haven't lived...
00:10:16.04\00:10:17.45
Nor can I live by myself.
00:10:17.48\00:10:20.25
And so this has been
00:10:20.28\00:10:21.62
really helpful
for me to recognize
00:10:21.65\00:10:22.98
that I not only
need the death of Jesus
00:10:23.02\00:10:25.15
but I also need
the life of Jesus
00:10:25.19\00:10:27.12
to ensure eternal life.
00:10:27.16\00:10:28.96
So this is kind
of one of the ways
00:10:28.99\00:10:30.33
I've generally
explained it to folks.
00:10:30.36\00:10:31.69
Yeah. Mollie?
00:10:31.73\00:10:33.06
I just wrote down a definition,
00:10:33.09\00:10:35.30
justification by
faith and I think that was,
00:10:35.33\00:10:37.97
what is justification by faith?
00:10:38.00\00:10:40.47
It's God's act of removing
00:10:40.50\00:10:43.87
the guilt and penalty of sin
00:10:43.91\00:10:47.08
while at the same time,
what the scripture says,
00:10:47.11\00:10:50.91
declaring a sinner righteous
00:10:50.95\00:10:54.12
through Christ
atoning sacrifice.
00:10:54.15\00:10:56.62
Yes.
00:10:56.65\00:10:58.02
And the scripture
I would use for that
00:10:58.05\00:11:00.49
is that I think the scripture
00:11:00.52\00:11:01.86
that we will
probably use a lot today,
00:11:01.89\00:11:03.86
2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:11:03.89\00:11:05.93
Yeah, let me turn that. Yeah.
00:11:05.96\00:11:07.73
2 Corinthians 5:21,
00:11:07.76\00:11:10.77
"For He made Him
00:11:10.80\00:11:14.90
who knew no sin to be sin for us
00:11:14.94\00:11:19.51
that we might become..."
00:11:19.54\00:11:20.88
What, Jill?
00:11:20.91\00:11:22.24
"The
righteousness of God in Him."
00:11:22.28\00:11:23.61
"The
righteousness of God in Him."
00:11:23.65\00:11:26.45
Now there is a thing,
Jill, and I'll just turn to you
00:11:26.48\00:11:30.65
and it's
something that you told me,
00:11:30.69\00:11:32.75
so I guess that's why
I want to turn to you,
00:11:32.79\00:11:35.66
and it's called
double imputation.
00:11:35.69\00:11:39.63
Now I'm going to
describe it a little differently
00:11:39.66\00:11:42.60
but what was that
double imputation?
00:11:42.63\00:11:45.47
Well, when I look at this verse,
00:11:45.50\00:11:46.84
first of all, it
says "He made Him..."
00:11:46.87\00:11:48.20
So you're thinking,
00:11:48.24\00:11:49.57
"Who is He and
who is Him," right?
00:11:49.60\00:11:50.94
Those pronouns. Exactly.
00:11:50.97\00:11:53.24
So He, God... God.
00:11:53.27\00:11:55.58
Made Him, Jesus
Christ, who knew no sin,
00:11:55.61\00:11:59.91
we know Jesus was
perfect as you mentioned, Dee,
00:11:59.95\00:12:02.48
He lived the perfect life.
00:12:02.52\00:12:04.25
He was the perfect substitute.
00:12:04.29\00:12:06.32
God made Jesus
00:12:06.35\00:12:07.89
who knew no sin
to become sin for us
00:12:07.92\00:12:11.83
that we might become
00:12:11.86\00:12:13.43
the righteousness of God in Him.
00:12:13.46\00:12:15.76
So to me, the double imputation
00:12:15.80\00:12:17.50
there is that my
sins are imputed to Christ
00:12:17.53\00:12:21.27
and His
righteousness is imputed to me
00:12:21.30\00:12:25.07
or imputed to my account.
00:12:25.11\00:12:26.94
So really, His
righteousness comes to me
00:12:26.98\00:12:30.08
and then my sin goes to Jesus.
00:12:30.11\00:12:33.31
Just the word impute
basically means to credit
00:12:33.35\00:12:36.08
what someone else has done
to the account of someone else,
00:12:36.12\00:12:39.45
just for terminology sakes
00:12:39.49\00:12:40.82
'cause some of these
words are kind of nerdy.
00:12:40.86\00:12:42.52
So to impute basically means
00:12:42.56\00:12:43.93
that to attribute the
merits of someone else
00:12:43.96\00:12:46.39
to another party.
00:12:46.43\00:12:47.76
Yeah.
00:12:47.80\00:12:49.13
I kind of in the way
00:12:49.16\00:12:51.23
I would describe this
is I like fleshed it out
00:12:51.27\00:12:54.34
because sometimes
definitions of things
00:12:54.37\00:12:57.67
can be a little heady.
00:12:57.71\00:13:00.41
So I try to bring them down
to a level that I understand.
00:13:00.44\00:13:03.91
Righteousness from God
00:13:03.95\00:13:05.61
is credited to the
sinners' account...
00:13:05.65\00:13:07.88
Through faith
alone without works.
00:13:07.92\00:13:10.55
The sinner has sin...
00:13:10.59\00:13:14.26
now think about this,
00:13:14.29\00:13:15.62
the sinner has sin
credited to his account.
00:13:15.66\00:13:19.96
Now just think about
you having an account
00:13:20.00\00:13:23.26
and so as the sinner
00:13:23.30\00:13:25.87
you have sinned
credited to your account
00:13:25.90\00:13:29.27
until you accept
00:13:29.30\00:13:31.64
the free gift of
salvation provided by Christ.
00:13:31.67\00:13:35.24
Now what's
accredited to your account?
00:13:35.28\00:13:37.71
Sin.
00:13:37.75\00:13:39.08
So you've got this
account, it's all full of sin,
00:13:39.11\00:13:41.68
and you make Jesus
Christ the Lord of your life.
00:13:41.72\00:13:44.55
Then the sin that was credited
to your account is withdrawn
00:13:44.59\00:13:50.16
from your account
00:13:50.19\00:13:51.53
and every bit of it
is accredited where?
00:13:51.56\00:13:54.66
It's put into
Jesus Christ account.
00:13:54.70\00:13:57.17
Okay, so now all your sin
00:13:57.20\00:13:59.40
has been taken
out of your account
00:13:59.43\00:14:01.60
and it has been put
in Jesus Christ account,
00:14:01.64\00:14:04.34
but your account
isn't just left empty.
00:14:04.37\00:14:08.34
What happens next?
00:14:08.38\00:14:10.51
It says, "That we might be made
00:14:10.55\00:14:12.85
the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:14:12.88\00:14:14.22
That's right.
00:14:14.25\00:14:15.58
So that is leaving your
account empty of all sin
00:14:15.62\00:14:20.06
but it's filled
up with something.
00:14:20.09\00:14:21.99
You know what your
account is filled up with?
00:14:22.02\00:14:24.63
The righteousness of
God and Christ Jesus.
00:14:24.66\00:14:27.53
So you have all
of the sin removed
00:14:27.56\00:14:30.97
when you make Jesus
Christ the Lord of your life,
00:14:31.00\00:14:33.40
it comes out of your
account and righteousness
00:14:33.44\00:14:36.47
is placed in your
account, double accreditation.
00:14:36.50\00:14:40.58
She calls it imputation
00:14:40.61\00:14:43.38
which is the same
thing being accredited.
00:14:43.41\00:14:46.92
Amen. Go ahead.
00:14:46.95\00:14:48.48
There's a quote
where Ellen White
00:14:48.52\00:14:49.85
kind of summarizes the
definition she was asked,
00:14:49.88\00:14:51.75
"What is
justification by faith?"
00:14:51.79\00:14:54.96
And she says,"
00:14:54.99\00:14:56.32
It is the work of God in laying
the glory of man in the dust,
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.99
and doing for man
that which it is not
00:14:59.03\00:15:00.73
in his power to do for himself.
00:15:00.76\00:15:03.00
And when men see
their own nothingness,
00:15:03.03\00:15:05.37
then they are
prepared to be clothed
00:15:05.40\00:15:06.74
with the
righteousness of Christ."
00:15:06.77\00:15:08.10
It's The Faith I Live By, 111.
00:15:08.14\00:15:09.94
And it was helpful for
me to just kind of grasp it,
00:15:09.97\00:15:12.21
it's an acknowledgment
00:15:12.24\00:15:13.58
that I can't do
anything for myself.
00:15:13.61\00:15:14.94
Yes.
00:15:14.98\00:15:16.31
I desperately need
someone else to do for me
00:15:16.34\00:15:17.68
what I can't do for myself,
and when I acknowledge that,
00:15:17.71\00:15:20.72
then I can receive it, right?
00:15:20.75\00:15:22.78
When I'm trying to
work for this on my own,
00:15:22.82\00:15:24.45
I can't receive
00:15:24.49\00:15:25.82
what I'm trying
to do for myself,
00:15:25.85\00:15:27.26
but when I acknowledge
my brokenness, my emptiness,
00:15:27.29\00:15:29.62
my inability to create it,
00:15:29.66\00:15:32.13
then I could be viewed
as righteous in God's eyes
00:15:32.16\00:15:34.93
and receive that.
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.30
All of this taking the
sin out of your account
00:15:36.33\00:15:39.53
and putting the
righteousness of Christ
00:15:39.57\00:15:42.00
into your account,
00:15:42.04\00:15:43.37
you don't do a
thing to earn that.
00:15:43.41\00:15:45.84
It is strictly a gift,
00:15:45.87\00:15:48.48
and I'm going to
share a little illustration
00:15:48.51\00:15:51.31
that Ron Halverson shared.
00:15:51.35\00:15:54.08
And I just think it's a
really good illustration
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.55
because we want to work
for what we have and, again,
00:15:56.58\00:15:59.65
that's something
we're trying to end up with,
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.69
you know, there
are no free lunches,
00:16:01.72\00:16:04.16
if you don't
work, you don't eat.
00:16:04.19\00:16:05.93
And there's
some validity to that
00:16:05.96\00:16:07.90
but not where the
salvation is concerned.
00:16:07.93\00:16:10.83
What Ron Halverson said
was, "God bought us a house.
00:16:10.87\00:16:16.27
He purchased you a house.
00:16:16.30\00:16:18.97
Lock, stock, entitled
it, that's your salvation.
00:16:19.01\00:16:23.04
And He hands it to get you
00:16:23.08\00:16:25.41
and you keep trying
to make payments on it.
00:16:25.45\00:16:28.25
There are no payments,
there's nothing you can do,
00:16:28.28\00:16:30.89
there is nothing
owed for your salvation,
00:16:30.92\00:16:34.32
for your relationship
00:16:34.36\00:16:35.79
and righteous standing
with God, it's free gift.
00:16:35.82\00:16:39.26
So don't try to
make payments on it.
00:16:39.29\00:16:41.10
Amen, that's a
beautiful illustration.
00:16:41.13\00:16:42.83
You know, I think some time ago
for those Sabbath School lesson
00:16:42.86\00:16:46.63
for the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:16:46.67\00:16:48.00
we studied the
Book of Galatians,
00:16:48.04\00:16:49.94
and the Galatian Church,
00:16:49.97\00:16:52.74
remember Paul
had worked with them
00:16:52.77\00:16:54.18
and the Judaizers
came in and taught them
00:16:54.21\00:16:56.51
that it was not
justification by faith alone,
00:16:56.54\00:17:00.02
they had to add
some works with it.
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.55
They were taught
to be circumcised
00:17:02.58\00:17:04.19
but for us in the church today,
00:17:04.22\00:17:05.69
we would say
00:17:05.72\00:17:07.06
it's justification
by faith plus works
00:17:07.09\00:17:09.69
in order to merit salvation.
00:17:09.72\00:17:12.23
And you mentioned, Mollie,
00:17:12.26\00:17:13.90
that we're
trained from childhood,
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.63
right, to do things
that are in our own fashion
00:17:15.66\00:17:17.70
but I don't think it's
just the way we're trained,
00:17:17.73\00:17:20.34
I think that is
one of the key things
00:17:20.37\00:17:23.84
that Satan wants to use to
derail us in our own journey
00:17:23.87\00:17:28.94
because if we begin to think,
00:17:28.98\00:17:30.75
this is something
that I have a part in,
00:17:30.78\00:17:33.45
this is something that I did,
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.28
it pulls us away from
that righteous standing
00:17:35.32\00:17:38.95
before the Father.
00:17:38.99\00:17:40.32
I think of a quote here.
00:17:40.36\00:17:41.69
This is Desire of
Ages, pages 35 and 36.
00:17:41.72\00:17:44.79
"The principle that
man can save himself
00:17:44.83\00:17:48.16
by his own works
lies at the foundation
00:17:48.20\00:17:51.40
of every heathen religion."
00:17:51.43\00:17:54.17
And so not only
is that something
00:17:54.20\00:17:55.54
that we're
trained in from childhood
00:17:55.57\00:17:57.34
but this would be something
00:17:57.37\00:17:58.71
that Satan wants to
bring in to our experience.
00:17:58.74\00:18:02.51
So why do you think
00:18:02.54\00:18:03.88
it's so easy for
the concept of works
00:18:03.91\00:18:06.82
to creep into our understanding
of justification by faith?
00:18:06.85\00:18:12.02
I think there's the
sense of achievement
00:18:12.05\00:18:13.86
that we have that
we want to feel that,
00:18:13.89\00:18:16.06
you know, particularly for men,
00:18:16.09\00:18:17.66
you know, when if
you're working on a project,
00:18:17.69\00:18:19.03
when you're doing
something with your hands,
00:18:19.06\00:18:20.83
you want the end
product to be there
00:18:20.86\00:18:22.66
to be able to feel
content, to feel like,
00:18:22.70\00:18:24.83
"I put in effort and I
got something out of it,"
00:18:24.87\00:18:27.94
but most of us just in our flesh
00:18:27.97\00:18:29.70
would reject unmerited favor.
00:18:29.74\00:18:33.78
I've had a situation
00:18:33.81\00:18:35.14
where I gave a
vehicle of mine to a friend
00:18:35.18\00:18:37.28
when I was going to
have a car afterwards,
00:18:37.31\00:18:39.71
and his immediate reaction
was actually one of frustration
00:18:39.75\00:18:41.98
and anger, and you think,
00:18:42.02\00:18:43.35
"Why on earth would
someone respond in anger
00:18:43.39\00:18:44.92
when you're giving them a car?"
00:18:44.95\00:18:46.69
Because he just felt so
unworthy of receiving this
00:18:46.72\00:18:49.06
and what I was doing
to myself seemed crazy.
00:18:49.09\00:18:51.99
Why would you do this?
00:18:52.03\00:18:53.86
And he's like, "No, no, no,
that's not how this is working.
00:18:53.90\00:18:55.56
Let me tell you..."
00:18:55.60\00:18:56.93
He said about what's
going to go down, and said,
00:18:56.97\00:18:58.30
"I'm not leaving with this car.
00:18:58.33\00:18:59.90
God's put this on
my heart, it's yours."
00:18:59.93\00:19:01.90
There's that hesitancy
that we just, there's no way
00:19:01.94\00:19:04.47
'cause we feel so
unworthy that we feel,
00:19:04.51\00:19:07.84
that we have to at least show
00:19:07.88\00:19:09.21
that the sacrifice
that was made for us,
00:19:09.24\00:19:11.41
we can at least
pay them back somehow
00:19:11.45\00:19:13.82
and so it isn't just a
matter of wanting to earn it,
00:19:13.85\00:19:15.92
it's also coming into
contact with something
00:19:15.95\00:19:17.69
that's so immensely
good beyond what we deserve
00:19:17.72\00:19:21.26
that we had this
knee-jerk reaction,
00:19:21.29\00:19:23.46
"Let me show
you I'm good for it,
00:19:23.49\00:19:24.83
let me at least wash your car.
00:19:24.86\00:19:26.19
Let me least do this.
00:19:26.23\00:19:27.56
Let me least do that,"
00:19:27.60\00:19:28.93
and the gospel
doesn't work that way.
00:19:28.96\00:19:30.30
Yes.
00:19:30.33\00:19:31.67
Now the obedience
00:19:31.70\00:19:33.03
that we render to God
in response to being saved
00:19:33.07\00:19:35.90
is a thank
offering of sorts I guess,
00:19:35.94\00:19:38.31
but it's not a means of
wanting to earn His favor,
00:19:38.34\00:19:40.58
earn His love,
it's just logical.
00:19:40.61\00:19:42.31
If someone is
willing to give me,
00:19:42.34\00:19:43.68
all the least, I can
do is respond in love.
00:19:43.71\00:19:46.05
That's all it is,
it's just a thank offering.
00:19:46.08\00:19:48.38
And there's another quote
00:19:48.42\00:19:50.02
that alludes to what
you mentioned earlier
00:19:50.05\00:19:52.02
in Faith and Works, 24 says,
00:19:52.05\00:19:54.56
"If you would
gather together everything
00:19:54.59\00:19:56.52
that is good and holy,
noble and lovely in man,
00:19:56.56\00:19:59.76
and then present the
subject to the angels of God
00:19:59.79\00:20:02.20
as acting a
part in the salvation
00:20:02.23\00:20:03.93
of the human soul or in merit,
00:20:03.97\00:20:06.03
the proposition would
be rejected as treason."
00:20:06.07\00:20:09.70
Ooh!
00:20:09.74\00:20:11.07
This is not the way the
kingdom of heaven operates
00:20:11.11\00:20:13.11
that man's merits
00:20:13.14\00:20:14.48
are not what bring them
in their favor with God.
00:20:14.51\00:20:16.44
It's the sacrifice of Jesus,
00:20:16.48\00:20:18.08
it's the love of God
that draws me to Jesus
00:20:18.11\00:20:21.08
not the acts or
something else that we do.
00:20:21.12\00:20:24.09
You know, another
quote from Sister White is,
00:20:24.12\00:20:26.82
"If Satan can
succeed in leading man
00:20:26.86\00:20:30.76
to place value
up on his own works
00:20:30.79\00:20:33.76
as works of merit
and righteousness,
00:20:33.80\00:20:36.80
he knows that
he can overcome him
00:20:36.83\00:20:38.87
with temptation
00:20:38.90\00:20:40.84
and make him his
victim and prey."
00:20:40.87\00:20:42.97
And the way we
overcome that, she says is,
00:20:43.00\00:20:46.07
"Strike the doorpost
00:20:46.11\00:20:48.01
with the blood of
the of Calvary's lamb
00:20:48.04\00:20:50.65
and you're safe"
00:20:50.68\00:20:52.01
is only as the
blood is supplied to...
00:20:52.05\00:20:54.12
In her illustration,
00:20:54.15\00:20:55.55
the doorposts and the
lintels of your heart,
00:20:55.58\00:20:58.05
do you have that
wall of protection
00:20:58.09\00:21:01.19
against the enemy leading you
00:21:01.22\00:21:03.22
into that misconception
00:21:03.26\00:21:08.13
or error in teaching
00:21:08.16\00:21:09.96
that it is by our
works or by our own efforts?
00:21:10.00\00:21:13.77
So how do you
think, we talked about
00:21:13.80\00:21:15.70
how it's easy to slip into that
00:21:15.74\00:21:17.14
but how do we
even recognize that?
00:21:17.17\00:21:19.11
You know, what
if someone saying,
00:21:19.14\00:21:20.48
"I think, I believe
I'm justified by faith."
00:21:20.51\00:21:23.31
How do we know
00:21:23.35\00:21:24.68
if we're starting to slip
into justification by works?
00:21:24.71\00:21:27.78
How do you recognize that?
00:21:27.82\00:21:29.32
I think if you have a compulsion
00:21:29.35\00:21:31.65
to wanting to do lots of things,
00:21:31.69\00:21:37.09
trying to phrase this in a
way that doesn't negate the fact
00:21:37.13\00:21:39.03
that we do respond
in loving obedience
00:21:39.06\00:21:40.73
to the sacrifice
we've already received.
00:21:40.76\00:21:42.10
Good, and we want to make sure
00:21:42.13\00:21:43.47
we get to that
before we're done here.
00:21:43.50\00:21:44.83
That's right.
00:21:44.87\00:21:46.20
But I think that
if you find yourself
00:21:46.23\00:21:47.57
being overly
concerned with the...
00:21:47.60\00:21:48.94
Let me phrase it this way,
00:21:48.97\00:21:50.31
if you find
yourself overly concerned
00:21:50.34\00:21:51.67
about how other people live,
00:21:51.71\00:21:53.61
you know, the
deeds that they do,
00:21:53.64\00:21:54.98
the acts that they have,
00:21:55.01\00:21:56.44
is probably a
reflection of the compulsion
00:21:56.48\00:21:58.35
in your own heart
to think the same way.
00:21:58.38\00:22:00.22
So it makes sense,
00:22:00.25\00:22:01.58
you find yourself
looking down on other people
00:22:01.62\00:22:02.95
because of their acts
00:22:02.98\00:22:04.32
that you're better
than them or whatever.
00:22:04.35\00:22:06.22
It's probably evidence
00:22:06.25\00:22:07.59
that you're
placing a higher emphasis
00:22:07.62\00:22:08.96
upon human merit and effort
00:22:08.99\00:22:11.33
than receiving the
grace of God and understanding
00:22:11.36\00:22:13.03
that we're working
00:22:13.06\00:22:14.40
through a process
of sanctification,
00:22:14.43\00:22:15.96
that it's a process
not a purchase, right?
00:22:16.00\00:22:19.00
Yes.
Sanctification is a process.
00:22:19.03\00:22:20.37
If we have the mindset
00:22:20.40\00:22:22.54
that we must
attain by our own efforts
00:22:22.57\00:22:25.14
to a certain
standard of holiness
00:22:25.17\00:22:27.44
before we can be
justified and forgiven,
00:22:27.48\00:22:29.61
then we must look to
ourselves to make it.
00:22:29.64\00:22:33.31
Our focus is
inward and not outward,
00:22:33.35\00:22:37.19
but when we're looking at God,
00:22:37.22\00:22:39.92
then we become God-absorbed
and not self-absorbed.
00:22:39.95\00:22:43.46
And we can
become so self-absorbed
00:22:43.49\00:22:45.96
trying to attain ourselves,
00:22:45.99\00:22:50.60
then we're looking
totally to ourselves
00:22:50.63\00:22:52.43
and not to God.
00:22:52.47\00:22:53.80
Amen, I like
both... Which is dangerous.
00:22:53.84\00:22:55.77
Yes, absolutely.
00:22:55.80\00:22:57.14
I think works-oriented
religion is self-absorbed
00:22:57.17\00:23:01.38
where
faith-oriented is God absorbed.
00:23:01.41\00:23:03.95
Works-oriented tries harder,
00:23:03.98\00:23:06.65
faith-oriented
learns to surrender.
00:23:06.68\00:23:10.49
Works-oriented turns inward,
00:23:10.52\00:23:12.82
my own character of
virtues or my flaws.
00:23:12.85\00:23:16.66
And faith-oriented
turns to Jesus by beholding,
00:23:16.69\00:23:20.56
we become change.
00:23:20.60\00:23:22.30
In Revelation 3:20,
00:23:22.33\00:23:24.63
there's a message that God gives
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.03
to the last age church...
00:23:26.07\00:23:27.40
That is in a slumbering state,
00:23:27.44\00:23:29.07
they think they
have it together,
00:23:29.10\00:23:30.77
they think they're doing well,
00:23:30.81\00:23:32.54
but this is how
God responds to them.
00:23:32.57\00:23:34.24
Revelation 3? Yeah.
00:23:34.28\00:23:35.61
Revelation 3 and
actually verse 17.
00:23:35.64\00:23:37.98
Okay.
00:23:38.01\00:23:39.35
"Because you say,
00:23:39.38\00:23:40.72
'I am rich, have become wealthy,
00:23:40.75\00:23:42.08
and have need of nothing,
00:23:42.12\00:23:44.42
and do not know
that you are wretched,
00:23:44.45\00:23:45.79
miserable, poor,
blind, and naked."
00:23:45.82\00:23:48.92
There's a problem here,
and so He says in verse 18,
00:23:48.96\00:23:51.36
"I counsel you to buy for
Me gold refined in the fire,
00:23:51.39\00:23:54.00
a faith that works by love,
00:23:54.03\00:23:55.96
that you may be
rich and white garments
00:23:56.00\00:23:57.87
that righteousness of Christ
that you may be clothed..."
00:23:57.90\00:23:59.60
Amen.
00:23:59.63\00:24:00.97
"That the shame
of your nakedness
00:24:01.00\00:24:02.34
may not be revealed..."
00:24:02.37\00:24:03.71
and thirdly,
00:24:03.74\00:24:05.07
"And anoint your
eyes with eye salve
00:24:05.11\00:24:06.44
that you may see."
00:24:06.47\00:24:07.81
We desperately need
spiritual discernment
00:24:07.84\00:24:09.18
to see our own condition.
00:24:09.21\00:24:10.61
Regardless of where we
are in a Christian experience,
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.85
it doesn't matter,
00:24:12.88\00:24:14.22
we can never be self
distrustful enough, right?
00:24:14.25\00:24:17.92
We can never be in a
condition where we think
00:24:17.95\00:24:21.82
we have things figured
out or that we've arrived.
00:24:21.86\00:24:24.53
We're desperately and
always dependent upon Jesus
00:24:24.56\00:24:27.86
for righteousness, to
know our true condition,
00:24:27.90\00:24:30.73
and I think that's something
00:24:30.77\00:24:32.10
that we can't lose
sight of but apparently
00:24:32.13\00:24:33.47
the Church in today
time does lose sight of.
00:24:33.50\00:24:35.90
They don't realize
they're in this condition.
00:24:35.94\00:24:37.54
They need this encounter
00:24:37.57\00:24:39.31
with the gospel to
open their eyes to the fact
00:24:39.34\00:24:41.31
that they have that condition
00:24:41.34\00:24:42.94
because they're not
seeing it for themselves.
00:24:42.98\00:24:44.58
Amen.
00:24:44.61\00:24:45.95
So how are we justified?
00:24:45.98\00:24:47.32
We touched on that briefly
and you talked, Dee, about,
00:24:47.35\00:24:49.68
I forget the word you
used whether it was accept,
00:24:49.72\00:24:52.22
I think that was the word used.
00:24:52.25\00:24:53.69
But how are we justifying,
00:24:53.72\00:24:55.06
we talk some about
the blood of Jesus as well
00:24:55.09\00:24:56.99
but explain to me this process.
00:24:57.03\00:24:59.06
Like has someone
receive justification?
00:24:59.09\00:25:00.43
Absolutely.
00:25:00.46\00:25:01.80
That what was
achieved, but how receive it?
00:25:01.83\00:25:03.16
Yes, how can we receive it.
00:25:03.20\00:25:04.53
The first thing is we
have to have an encounter
00:25:04.57\00:25:05.90
with the cross.
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We need to see our brokenness,
00:25:07.30\00:25:08.64
we need to see our sinfulness
00:25:08.67\00:25:10.01
and understand the
loveliness of the Savior.
00:25:10.04\00:25:11.87
Jesus says, "If I be lifted up
will draw all men to myself..."
00:25:11.91\00:25:14.98
In Jeremiah 31, He says that,
00:25:15.01\00:25:17.08
"I have loved you
with an everlasting love
00:25:17.11\00:25:18.45
therefore with loving kindness,
I have drawn you to myself."
00:25:18.48\00:25:21.82
The cross is meant to do this.
00:25:21.85\00:25:23.22
So when people have an
encounter with the Gospel,
00:25:23.25\00:25:25.72
there's a
logical response to that,
00:25:25.75\00:25:28.19
I'm giving you my life,
broken, enfeeble that may be,
00:25:28.22\00:25:32.53
I'm asking you
even to take my heart
00:25:32.56\00:25:34.53
because I can't fully give it.
00:25:34.56\00:25:35.90
That's right.
00:25:35.93\00:25:37.27
Recognizing our need
and giving God permission
00:25:37.30\00:25:38.70
to be Lord and Savior of
our lives and going all in,
00:25:38.73\00:25:42.84
when we declare Christ as
our Savior and confess that,
00:25:42.87\00:25:45.41
it says in Romans 10,
00:25:45.44\00:25:46.78
you know, if we
confess that He is Lord,
00:25:46.81\00:25:48.81
when we confess this,
00:25:48.84\00:25:50.18
we're viewed in
that moment as righteous
00:25:50.21\00:25:52.55
before God in the
all looking universe
00:25:52.58\00:25:54.48
when we accept Christ
00:25:54.52\00:25:55.85
as our Savior in
our righteousness.
00:25:55.88\00:25:57.99
Okay.
00:25:58.02\00:25:59.89
I've got two scriptures
here on justification,
00:25:59.92\00:26:02.16
so I'll start with Romans 8:33,
00:26:02.19\00:26:04.79
"Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect?
00:26:04.83\00:26:08.33
It is God who"
does what? Justifies.
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.47
It is God who
justifies. That's right.
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.37
God Himself is the
one who justifies us.
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No one else could justify us.
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It's God we have sinned against
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and it's God who
has to justify us.
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God is the great
judge of the universe.
00:26:24.65\00:26:28.48
We come into His
court as guilty sinners,
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but we believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ
00:26:31.75\00:26:33.89
to our amazement,
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we hear God say,
00:26:35.79\00:26:37.59
"All who believe are
justified from all things."
00:26:37.63\00:26:42.20
In one
declaration God has cleared us
00:26:42.23\00:26:46.33
of every charge against us
00:26:46.37\00:26:48.27
since it is God
Himself who has justified us.
00:26:48.30\00:26:52.14
"Who can lay any
charge against us?"
00:26:52.17\00:26:55.11
And that's the
Scripture that we just read.
00:26:55.14\00:26:57.41
Also Romans 3:24,
00:26:57.45\00:27:00.42
"Being justified
freely by His grace
00:27:00.45\00:27:04.52
through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."
00:27:04.55\00:27:07.82
So God is our justifier. Amen.
00:27:07.86\00:27:10.19
Based on what?
00:27:10.23\00:27:12.06
His Son accomplished for
us, rode out for us at Calvary.
00:27:12.09\00:27:17.23
Can we read the next
verse of the Romans 3?
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.10
You read 24 but 25,
00:27:19.13\00:27:21.10
"Whom God set
forth as a propitiation
00:27:21.14\00:27:23.67
by His blood, through faith,
00:27:23.71\00:27:26.01
to demonstrate His righteousness
00:27:26.04\00:27:28.18
because in His forbearance
God had passed over the sins
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.65
that were previously committed
00:27:31.68\00:27:33.35
to demonstrate
at the present time
00:27:33.38\00:27:35.25
His righteousness
00:27:35.28\00:27:36.62
that He might be just
and the justifier of the one
00:27:36.65\00:27:40.19
who has faith in Jesus."
00:27:40.22\00:27:41.99
Amen and amen. Amen.
00:27:42.02\00:27:43.73
I love that propitiation
00:27:43.76\00:27:45.29
and the Greek
meaning mercy seat,
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.26
and you think about the covering
00:27:47.30\00:27:48.63
over the Ark of the Covenant
and at the Day of Atonement,
00:27:48.66\00:27:51.43
remember the blood
was sprinkled there,
00:27:51.47\00:27:53.60
and God's blood
covers us, covers that sin.
00:27:53.64\00:27:58.77
And we stand before the Father
as if we had never sinned.
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What is the difference between
00:28:02.41\00:28:04.11
justification by
faith and forgiveness?
00:28:04.15\00:28:07.72
Is it the same
theological concept
00:28:07.75\00:28:11.02
or are they slightly different?
00:28:11.05\00:28:15.92
In my mind, I'm viewing them
00:28:15.96\00:28:17.29
as similar aspects
of one transaction.
00:28:17.33\00:28:20.03
Okay, good.
00:28:20.06\00:28:21.40
And I can stand to
be corrected in this,
00:28:21.43\00:28:23.47
but whenever I
confess my sins to Jesus,
00:28:23.50\00:28:25.90
it says in 1 John 1:9
00:28:25.93\00:28:27.84
that when I confess my sins
00:28:27.87\00:28:29.60
he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:28:29.64\00:28:32.81
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness
00:28:32.84\00:28:35.01
which would cause us
to be viewed as justified
00:28:35.04\00:28:37.71
in the sight of God.
00:28:37.75\00:28:39.48
So that's the best
way I could explain it
00:28:39.51\00:28:40.92
in the same fashion.
00:28:40.95\00:28:43.28
Amen.
00:28:43.32\00:28:44.72
I think, Mollie, and I
know you want to jump in here.
00:28:44.75\00:28:47.32
To me forgiveness
cleanses the wrong doing, right?
00:28:47.36\00:28:52.06
And to me justification
not only takes away
00:28:52.09\00:28:54.13
the wrong doing,
00:28:54.16\00:28:55.50
it credits to us the
righteousness of Christ.
00:28:55.53\00:28:57.77
So in my mind,
00:28:57.80\00:28:59.13
and I stand to be
corrected on this too,
00:28:59.17\00:29:01.14
but justification almost
takes it one step farther,
00:29:01.17\00:29:03.97
kind of like if
you were had an F
00:29:04.01\00:29:06.01
on a test and you thought,
00:29:06.04\00:29:07.81
"Oh, I got an F on the test."
00:29:07.84\00:29:09.44
And the teacher
said, "I'll erase the F."
00:29:09.48\00:29:11.48
That's forgiveness, right?
00:29:11.51\00:29:12.85
You no longer
have an F on the test
00:29:12.88\00:29:14.78
but if they
replaced it with an A plus,
00:29:14.82\00:29:17.42
to me that's justification,
00:29:17.45\00:29:18.89
the righteousness being
credited to your account.
00:29:18.92\00:29:22.36
Mollie, go ahead.
00:29:22.39\00:29:23.73
If we confess our sins,
00:29:23.76\00:29:25.29
okay, confession, you
know what confession is?
00:29:25.33\00:29:27.90
I did it.
00:29:27.93\00:29:30.37
That's what confession is. Yes.
00:29:30.40\00:29:31.73
"Yeah, I did it," that
mean, you're sorry for it,
00:29:31.77\00:29:34.44
doesn't mean
00:29:34.47\00:29:35.80
you're God to
forgive you actually,
00:29:35.84\00:29:38.71
you just confess it.
00:29:38.74\00:29:40.08
If we confess our sins
and ask for forgiveness
00:29:40.11\00:29:44.45
He will forgive us
but it goes on to say,
00:29:44.48\00:29:47.82
"If we confess our sins,
00:29:47.85\00:29:49.18
He's faithful and
just to forgive us."
00:29:49.22\00:29:50.75
Yes.
00:29:50.79\00:29:52.12
But this cleansing process,
this justification process,
00:29:52.15\00:29:57.59
that's when you repent
00:29:57.63\00:30:01.93
and when you
repent you turn from it
00:30:01.96\00:30:04.40
and then when you turn from it,
00:30:04.43\00:30:05.83
you are cleansed
from all unrighteousness.
00:30:05.87\00:30:08.17
And so to me
00:30:08.20\00:30:09.54
that's the
difference in forgiveness,
00:30:09.57\00:30:12.07
and justification is
the condition of your heart.
00:30:12.11\00:30:15.08
And who gives you
the heart of repentance?
00:30:15.11\00:30:17.21
Now it's God that gives
you that heart of repentance.
00:30:17.25\00:30:18.58
That's right.
00:30:18.61\00:30:20.05
And if we know
that we have sinned
00:30:20.08\00:30:21.75
and we don't have
a heart of repentance
00:30:21.78\00:30:23.92
because sometimes we just don't,
00:30:23.95\00:30:25.29
we do something
00:30:25.32\00:30:26.65
and we're just
not sorry we did it,
00:30:26.69\00:30:28.12
but we know we
should be, then you ask God,
00:30:28.16\00:30:31.09
"Oh, God, give me a
heart of repentance,"
00:30:31.13\00:30:33.40
because as long as
there is that unrepented sin
00:30:33.43\00:30:37.47
in your life, what does sin do?
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.40
It separates from God. Yeah.
00:30:39.43\00:30:40.97
And I want us to look at...
00:30:41.00\00:30:43.07
and we're talking
about righteousness by faith,
00:30:43.10\00:30:45.91
can we look at King David?
00:30:45.94\00:30:47.28
Please.
00:30:47.31\00:30:48.64
I want to look at King David,
00:30:48.68\00:30:50.01
and that's in Psalms 32.
00:30:50.05\00:30:54.62
Psalms 32, and we're
going to look at King David.
00:30:54.65\00:30:59.19
And King David
00:30:59.22\00:31:02.82
is...
00:31:02.86\00:31:05.63
Right before this Nathan has...
00:31:05.66\00:31:09.66
Remember the prophet Nathan,
00:31:09.70\00:31:11.63
he came to King David
00:31:11.67\00:31:13.54
and he described this
situation in the kingdom
00:31:13.57\00:31:18.84
where this rich man
had a whole lot of lambs
00:31:18.87\00:31:23.14
and this one man
only had one little lamb.
00:31:23.18\00:31:26.31
And, you know
what the rich man did?
00:31:26.35\00:31:29.75
He had company coming
00:31:29.78\00:31:31.95
and he needed a
lamb to feed the company
00:31:31.99\00:31:36.12
with and instead of
taking one of his many,
00:31:36.16\00:31:39.56
you know, what he did?
00:31:39.59\00:31:41.00
He went and took
00:31:41.03\00:31:43.06
that poor man's one
little lamb and King,
00:31:43.10\00:31:46.74
and this is the scenario
00:31:46.77\00:31:49.54
that the Prophet Nathan
was explaining to King David.
00:31:49.57\00:31:53.11
And you know
what King David said?
00:31:53.14\00:31:55.28
"Who is there?
Bring me that man."
00:31:55.31\00:31:57.28
And Nathan said,
"Thou heart the man..."
00:31:57.31\00:32:00.35
Remember the sin of
King David with Bathsheba?
00:32:00.38\00:32:05.22
All right,
00:32:05.25\00:32:06.59
so now is King
David guilty of great sin?
00:32:06.62\00:32:11.56
So I want to still
look now in Psalms 32.
00:32:11.59\00:32:15.43
This is right after
00:32:15.46\00:32:16.80
King David's sordid
affair with Bathsheba.
00:32:16.83\00:32:19.90
I want to begin
reading in verse 3.
00:32:19.93\00:32:23.20
We're going great verses 3-5,
00:32:23.24\00:32:25.94
and then jump
back up to 1 and 2.
00:32:25.97\00:32:28.74
Verse three says,
"When I kept silent,
00:32:28.78\00:32:31.71
my bones grew old
00:32:31.75\00:32:33.78
through my
groaning all the day long.
00:32:33.82\00:32:37.19
For day and night, your
hand was heavy upon me..."
00:32:37.22\00:32:40.59
You Know what he was?
00:32:40.62\00:32:42.36
He was under conviction,
00:32:42.39\00:32:44.89
not condemnation but
he was under conviction.
00:32:44.93\00:32:48.96
"My vitality turned
into the drought of summer,
00:32:49.00\00:32:53.34
I acknowledged my sin to you."
00:32:53.37\00:32:56.54
What did that mean?
00:32:56.57\00:32:57.91
He not just
acknowledged it, he repented.
00:32:57.94\00:33:02.24
"And my iniquity,
I have not hidden.
00:33:02.28\00:33:05.11
I said I will confess my
transgressions to You, Lord,
00:33:05.15\00:33:09.45
and You for gave
the iniquity of my sin."
00:33:09.48\00:33:12.85
Now look in verses 1 and 2.
00:33:12.89\00:33:15.56
"Blessed is he whose
transgression is forgiven,
00:33:15.59\00:33:18.69
whose sin is covered,
00:33:18.73\00:33:20.46
blessed is the
man to whom the Lord
00:33:20.50\00:33:22.60
does not impute" what?
00:33:22.63\00:33:24.53
Iniquity.
00:33:24.57\00:33:25.90
We're talking about imputing,
00:33:25.93\00:33:27.57
ascribing, assigning, crediting.
00:33:27.60\00:33:31.37
"Who does not impute iniquity
00:33:31.41\00:33:33.91
and in whose spirit
there is no deceit."
00:33:33.94\00:33:36.61
Not only
00:33:36.64\00:33:38.95
was the King David repent
00:33:38.98\00:33:43.28
and was forgiven
but he was justified.
00:33:43.32\00:33:46.89
This was called
00:33:46.92\00:33:48.32
one of the first
examples in the Old Testament,
00:33:48.36\00:33:53.06
a process that
this whole program,
00:33:53.09\00:33:56.67
the title of this program,
00:33:56.70\00:33:58.63
it's called
righteousness by faith.
00:33:58.67\00:34:01.90
How did King David
receive this righteousness?
00:34:01.94\00:34:06.21
You know, God ascribed to him
00:34:06.24\00:34:09.88
that he was a man
after God's own heart,
00:34:09.91\00:34:13.62
was he a guilty sinner?
00:34:13.65\00:34:15.78
But you know
what King David was?
00:34:15.82\00:34:17.59
He was quick to repent. Yes.
00:34:17.62\00:34:19.65
And in that
repentance, in that forgiveness,
00:34:19.69\00:34:23.79
in that justification,
00:34:23.83\00:34:26.09
he became righteous
in the sight of God.
00:34:26.13\00:34:29.83
In the Old Testament,
00:34:29.86\00:34:31.67
we see glimpses of
righteousness by faith
00:34:31.70\00:34:34.27
of the New Covenant.
00:34:34.30\00:34:35.80
This is not a
New Testament idea,
00:34:35.84\00:34:37.37
and this is why I
like that we did this.
00:34:37.41\00:34:38.91
And specifically,
later, in the Old Testament,
00:34:38.94\00:34:41.64
God is referring
to one of the kings
00:34:41.68\00:34:43.01
I believe and He says that,
00:34:43.04\00:34:44.38
"You have not been
like my servant David,
00:34:44.41\00:34:46.35
who walked in
obedience continually."
00:34:46.38\00:34:48.85
And you think is,
00:34:48.88\00:34:50.22
you know,
Alzheimer's a divine affliction
00:34:50.25\00:34:51.72
like how could you
say that about David?
00:34:51.75\00:34:54.19
Well, in Jeremiah 31,
00:34:54.22\00:34:56.16
there is the
allusion to the New Covenant.
00:34:56.19\00:34:58.16
I'm going to use
00:34:58.19\00:35:00.10
the account in Hebrews
that's quoting Jeremiah 31,
00:35:00.13\00:35:03.10
so this is from Hebrews 8,
00:35:03.13\00:35:05.97
beginning in verse 8.
00:35:06.00\00:35:10.64
Hebrews 8:8
00:35:10.67\00:35:12.11
because finding fault
with the people God says,
00:35:12.14\00:35:14.48
"Behold the days are
coming, says the Lord,
00:35:14.51\00:35:16.21
and I will make a new covenant
with the House of Israel
00:35:16.24\00:35:18.55
and with the House of Judah.
00:35:18.58\00:35:20.48
Not according to the covenant
I made with their fathers,"
00:35:20.52\00:35:22.38
where they said,
00:35:22.42\00:35:23.75
all that the Lord has
said we're going to do.
00:35:23.79\00:35:26.09
That was a problem the covenant,
00:35:26.12\00:35:27.46
the self-righteousness
00:35:27.49\00:35:28.82
and
self-confidence in the people.
00:35:28.86\00:35:30.23
That was... Excuse me a second.
00:35:30.26\00:35:31.59
That was when the law
was given at Mount Sinai?
00:35:31.63\00:35:33.83
Exodus 19 and 24,
three times that people say,
00:35:33.86\00:35:36.77
"All that the Lord
has said, we will do,"
00:35:36.80\00:35:39.40
in response to being
giving the Law of God.
00:35:39.43\00:35:41.40
They spent 400 years in a pagan,
00:35:41.44\00:35:43.30
appeasement based religion
that God asked for things,
00:35:43.34\00:35:46.64
we do what God asks,
00:35:46.68\00:35:48.01
and then He'll look
upon us with favor, right?
00:35:48.04\00:35:49.94
That's Babylonian type thinking.
00:35:49.98\00:35:51.31
Yes.
00:35:51.35\00:35:52.68
And so He says,
00:35:52.71\00:35:54.05
but finding fault
with the people he says,
00:35:54.08\00:35:55.42
"I'll make a new
covenant with a house of Israel,
00:35:55.45\00:35:56.92
with the house of Judah..."
00:35:56.95\00:35:58.32
Hebrews 8:9.
00:35:58.35\00:35:59.69
"Not according to the covenant
00:35:59.72\00:36:01.06
that I made with
their fathers in the day
00:36:01.09\00:36:02.42
that I took them by the hand
00:36:02.46\00:36:03.79
to lead them out
of the land of Egypt
00:36:03.83\00:36:05.63
because they did not
continue in my covenant,
00:36:05.66\00:36:07.76
and I disregarded
them, says the Lord."
00:36:07.80\00:36:09.60
Verse 10,
00:36:09.63\00:36:10.97
"For this is the covenant
00:36:11.00\00:36:12.33
that I will make
with the house of Israel
00:36:12.37\00:36:13.70
after those days, says the Lord,
00:36:13.74\00:36:15.40
I will put My laws in their mind
00:36:15.44\00:36:17.34
and write them on their
hearts, and I will be their God,
00:36:17.37\00:36:20.31
and they shall be My people."
00:36:20.34\00:36:22.41
When we sin and
fall, we don't think
00:36:22.44\00:36:24.58
the God will view
us as His anymore,
00:36:24.61\00:36:27.12
but yet when we
come in an encounter
00:36:27.15\00:36:28.48
with the new covenant,
00:36:28.52\00:36:29.85
He says that's not how
I view you, you're mine.
00:36:29.88\00:36:32.62
"None of them
shall teach his neighbor,
00:36:32.65\00:36:34.16
and none his brother, saying,
00:36:34.19\00:36:35.52
'Know the Lord,'
for all shall know Me,
00:36:35.56\00:36:37.49
from the least of them
to the greatest of them."
00:36:37.53\00:36:39.26
But I love verse 12,
00:36:39.29\00:36:40.86
"For I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness,
00:36:40.90\00:36:43.83
their lack of unrighteousness,
00:36:43.87\00:36:45.20
their
unfaithfulness to the covenant,
00:36:45.23\00:36:47.30
and their sins and
their lawless deeds
00:36:47.34\00:36:49.90
I will remember no more."
00:36:49.94\00:36:52.27
And that's exactly the way
00:36:52.31\00:36:55.21
the God refers
to King David later,
00:36:55.24\00:36:57.68
I think it's in
the 1 or 2 Chronicles
00:36:57.71\00:36:59.81
that I don't remember
David doing those things.
00:36:59.85\00:37:02.25
David walked in
righteousness, why?
00:37:02.28\00:37:04.42
Because Christ
walks in righteousness
00:37:04.45\00:37:06.55
and he was counted as
righteous as Christ himself.
00:37:06.59\00:37:09.56
Because he allowed
Christ to be his righteousness.
00:37:09.59\00:37:12.19
That transaction
00:37:12.23\00:37:13.56
we talked about
and 2 Corinthians 5:21
00:37:13.60\00:37:15.76
became a reality
in David's experience.
00:37:15.80\00:37:18.17
And I think it's
very good news for us
00:37:18.20\00:37:19.90
that when we come into
encounter with the Gospel
00:37:19.93\00:37:22.60
and we make Jesus
our righteousness,
00:37:22.64\00:37:24.44
not only does he justify us
00:37:24.47\00:37:26.71
but according to
the new covenant,
00:37:26.74\00:37:28.08
He's also
promised to sanctify us.
00:37:28.11\00:37:30.91
And sanctification begins
at the process of conversion,
00:37:30.95\00:37:33.82
but it continues.
00:37:33.85\00:37:35.42
And this is where we
get in the terminology,
00:37:35.45\00:37:36.79
I think we talked about
00:37:36.82\00:37:38.15
before of imputed and
imparted righteousness.
00:37:38.19\00:37:40.42
Thank you.
00:37:40.46\00:37:41.79
What's the
difference between the two?
00:37:41.82\00:37:43.53
So imputed righteousness
is that you're deemed
00:37:43.56\00:37:46.19
and declared as righteous
00:37:46.23\00:37:48.36
in the sight of God and
that happens in a moment.
00:37:48.40\00:37:51.43
Imparted righteousness
is someone delivering to you
00:37:51.47\00:37:55.77
the righteousness of Jesus,
00:37:55.80\00:37:57.14
and this is kind
of what's referred to
00:37:57.17\00:37:58.61
in Romans 5:10
that we talked about
00:37:58.64\00:38:00.18
before that you're
reconciled by His death
00:38:00.21\00:38:03.31
but you're saved by His life.
00:38:03.35\00:38:05.08
Yes.
00:38:05.11\00:38:06.45
You're viewed as
right by the death of Jesus.
00:38:06.48\00:38:08.38
Your righteousness is
imputed to you by Christ.
00:38:08.42\00:38:12.22
But then He begins to
impart Christ's life to you
00:38:12.25\00:38:15.36
through your
experience as you grow,
00:38:15.39\00:38:17.19
as you read, as you
pray, as you serve God,
00:38:17.23\00:38:19.59
as you yield your life to Him
00:38:19.63\00:38:20.96
and surrender your day
to day decisions to Him,
00:38:21.00\00:38:23.10
He begins imparting
to you the righteousness,
00:38:23.13\00:38:25.93
the very righteousness of Jesus.
00:38:25.97\00:38:27.30
And the way that I
explain it to people
00:38:27.34\00:38:28.67
is basically
00:38:28.70\00:38:30.04
that God declares you righteous
while He makes you righteous.
00:38:30.07\00:38:34.21
I love that.
00:38:34.24\00:38:35.58
And Ellen White
phrases it this way,
00:38:35.61\00:38:36.95
"The righteousness
by which we are imputed,
00:38:36.98\00:38:39.51
by which we are
justified is imputed.
00:38:39.55\00:38:41.95
The righteousness
00:38:41.98\00:38:43.32
by which we are
sanctified is imparted."
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.69
The first is
our title to heaven,
00:38:45.72\00:38:48.12
the second is our
fitness for heaven.
00:38:48.16\00:38:50.33
That's right.
00:38:50.36\00:38:51.69
So you're viewed as righteous
while He makes your righteous.
00:38:51.73\00:38:54.66
And this is how
00:38:54.70\00:38:56.03
one can have
assurance of salvation.
00:38:56.06\00:38:57.40
And this doesn't mean
you just throw in the towel,
00:38:57.43\00:38:59.10
and don't do
anything in your experience.
00:38:59.13\00:39:00.47
Of course not.
00:39:00.50\00:39:01.84
No genuinely converted
person is going to be idle.
00:39:01.87\00:39:04.17
It's not possible, right?
00:39:04.21\00:39:06.24
It's God who works
in you both too will
00:39:06.27\00:39:08.44
and to do of His good pleasure.
00:39:08.48\00:39:10.31
If God works in you to want Him
to desire Him and follow Him,
00:39:10.35\00:39:14.28
He's going to work in
you to do the right things.
00:39:14.32\00:39:17.09
The process is
going to be dormant.
00:39:17.12\00:39:18.62
So we shouldn't
fear the word rest
00:39:18.65\00:39:20.12
in the Christian experience,
00:39:20.16\00:39:21.49
we're resting in
Christ's righteousness,
00:39:21.52\00:39:23.06
but it doesn't mean
you stop doing things
00:39:23.09\00:39:24.66
on behalf of God
out of love to God.
00:39:24.69\00:39:28.26
I think it's a
beautiful premise,
00:39:28.30\00:39:29.83
you can actually know
that you're right with God
00:39:29.86\00:39:31.77
while He's
transforming your character,
00:39:31.80\00:39:33.94
and Jesus kind of
alluded to this and the blade,
00:39:33.97\00:39:35.87
the kernel, and the ear,
00:39:35.90\00:39:37.24
you know, His parable the blade,
00:39:37.27\00:39:38.61
the kernel, and the ear.
00:39:38.64\00:39:39.97
You wouldn't
expect a little shoot
00:39:40.01\00:39:43.18
to have a full
year of corn on it,
00:39:43.21\00:39:44.68
that would be unreasonable.
00:39:44.71\00:39:46.31
And but that does not mean
00:39:46.35\00:39:48.05
that that kernel
isn't what it should be
00:39:48.08\00:39:49.72
at that stage of development,
00:39:49.75\00:39:51.42
but you're not
going to stay there.
00:39:51.45\00:39:53.42
You're going to be
continually growing
00:39:53.46\00:39:54.79
when you take the sun, right,
00:39:54.82\00:39:56.19
when you take the
gifts and mercies of God
00:39:56.22\00:39:57.86
from the sun, from the
rain, the soil around you,
00:39:57.89\00:40:00.36
you're going to be growing
00:40:00.40\00:40:01.80
and blossoming
in your experience.
00:40:01.83\00:40:04.20
But just because
you're here does not mean
00:40:04.23\00:40:05.73
that you're not saved
00:40:05.77\00:40:07.10
and it does not mean
that you're not good enough
00:40:07.14\00:40:09.54
just because you don't
have an ear or corn yet,
00:40:09.57\00:40:12.11
a shoot wouldn't but it will
00:40:12.14\00:40:14.34
if it continues to
abide in the things
00:40:14.38\00:40:15.81
that God has provided.
00:40:15.84\00:40:17.18
And God is just as
pleased with you...
00:40:17.21\00:40:19.01
At that stage
00:40:19.05\00:40:20.38
as He is when you
have this full ear of corn.
00:40:20.42\00:40:22.72
Now tell me again that
quote, you said 1 Chronicles,
00:40:22.75\00:40:26.35
and it was he walked upright
before God all of his days...
00:40:26.39\00:40:30.76
That was what's alluded to,
yes, in the 1 or 2 Chronicles,
00:40:30.79\00:40:32.89
I forget which...
00:40:32.93\00:40:34.26
Because to me
that is so significant
00:40:34.30\00:40:36.70
because God is no
respecter of persons and, Dee,
00:40:36.73\00:40:40.94
do you know what that is saying?
00:40:40.97\00:40:42.67
That God views you as
though you have walked uprightly
00:40:42.70\00:40:47.04
before Him all your days.
00:40:47.08\00:40:49.44
See I realize
00:40:49.48\00:40:51.38
that when we make Jesus
Christ the Lord of our life
00:40:51.41\00:40:53.85
and that blood is applied
00:40:53.88\00:40:55.22
to the doorpost in
the lintels of our heart
00:40:55.25\00:40:57.59
and when God looks at us,
00:40:57.62\00:40:58.95
He looks at us
through the mercy seat,
00:40:58.99\00:41:02.99
the way God sees us as
though we have never sinned,
00:41:03.02\00:41:08.03
that's how God views you as
though you had never sinned.
00:41:08.06\00:41:12.00
Dee, he also views us
00:41:12.03\00:41:15.14
as though we
had walked uprightly
00:41:15.17\00:41:17.57
before Him all
the days of our life.
00:41:17.61\00:41:20.28
That to me is
just so encouraging,
00:41:20.31\00:41:22.61
but we have to
accept that by faith
00:41:22.64\00:41:25.91
and it's not about works,
all of this is the gift of God,
00:41:25.95\00:41:30.95
something He's freely
given unmerited by us.
00:41:30.99\00:41:34.76
You know, I say this sometimes,
if somebody came and asked me,
00:41:34.79\00:41:39.06
"Mollie, what
must I do to be saved?"
00:41:39.09\00:41:41.83
The only thing I
could tell them is,
00:41:41.86\00:41:43.93
"You're too late.
00:41:43.97\00:41:45.43
It's already all been done.
00:41:45.47\00:41:47.60
All we have to do is
accept that free gift."
00:41:47.64\00:41:53.17
We have to make that choice
and we have to accept that.
00:41:53.21\00:41:55.48
I love that
imputed righteousness,
00:41:55.51\00:41:57.91
the whole concept of
righteousness by faith,
00:41:57.95\00:42:00.08
what God wants
to do in our life,
00:42:00.12\00:42:01.78
how he credits his righteousness
00:42:01.82\00:42:03.82
to our account,
00:42:03.85\00:42:05.19
and it doesn't stop there
00:42:05.22\00:42:06.55
and I want to
spend a few more moments,
00:42:06.59\00:42:08.06
you had opened up
that as it were, Dee,
00:42:08.09\00:42:10.23
but I want to spend a
few more moments on that
00:42:10.26\00:42:12.03
because the
imparted righteousness
00:42:12.06\00:42:14.33
is Christ working in me,
00:42:14.36\00:42:16.63
both to will and to
do of His good pleasure.
00:42:16.67\00:42:18.70
So it's not just,
00:42:18.73\00:42:20.07
"Okay, He covers me with
his righteous white robe,
00:42:20.10\00:42:23.07
and then I hang
back and take a nap."
00:42:23.10\00:42:25.31
No.
00:42:25.34\00:42:26.68
Then God by the power
of His Spirit lives in me
00:42:26.71\00:42:31.11
and transforms my life
into the image of Jesus.
00:42:31.15\00:42:34.62
Go ahead, Dee.
00:42:34.65\00:42:35.98
That reference is 1 Kings 14:18.
00:42:36.02\00:42:38.59
Oh, good.
00:42:38.62\00:42:39.95
"And toward the kingdom
away from the House of David
00:42:39.99\00:42:41.42
and gave it to you
00:42:41.46\00:42:42.79
and yet you have not
been as my servant David
00:42:42.82\00:42:44.86
who kept my commandments,
00:42:44.89\00:42:46.49
who followed me
with all his heart to do
00:42:46.53\00:42:48.93
only what was right in My eyes."
00:42:48.96\00:42:52.30
And that's 1 Kings 14:8.
00:42:52.33\00:42:54.40
So how do we grow in
imparted righteousness?
00:42:54.44\00:42:57.31
We've been
talking about the imputed
00:42:57.34\00:42:58.87
where Christ
credits it to my account
00:42:58.91\00:43:01.54
and I'm justified
before the Father,
00:43:01.58\00:43:03.95
but what about this
imparted righteousness?
00:43:03.98\00:43:06.08
And we're not talking
about righteousness by works,
00:43:06.11\00:43:09.22
this is an
entirely different concept
00:43:09.25\00:43:11.79
because it's God
who's doing the work in me,
00:43:11.82\00:43:14.22
it's not me gritting my teeth
00:43:14.26\00:43:15.69
or not me trying
harder, God's the one working.
00:43:15.72\00:43:18.06
So how do we allow
Him to do that work in us?
00:43:18.09\00:43:20.70
So in Ezekiel 36,
beginning around verse 24,
00:43:20.73\00:43:25.23
God has a problem,
00:43:25.27\00:43:26.60
the nation of Israel
were meant to be the living,
00:43:26.63\00:43:28.64
breathing example of
how awesome Jesus was,
00:43:28.67\00:43:32.24
and there were a
horrible example.
00:43:32.27\00:43:33.98
And He begins at
22 by saying that,
00:43:34.01\00:43:36.68
you know, "I'm not going
to do this for your sake,
00:43:36.71\00:43:38.05
O house of Israel,
00:43:38.08\00:43:39.41
but for My holy name's sake
00:43:39.45\00:43:40.78
which you
profaned among the nations
00:43:40.82\00:43:42.15
wherever you went."
00:43:42.18\00:43:43.52
And then He says,
00:43:43.55\00:43:44.89
"I will sanctify
my great name," how?
00:43:44.92\00:43:46.25
And He says,
00:43:46.29\00:43:47.62
"The people will
know that I'm the Lord God
00:43:47.66\00:43:48.99
when I'm hallowed in
you before their eyes."
00:43:49.02\00:43:51.03
And then He walks
through how that happens.
00:43:51.06\00:43:53.09
He says, "I'll take you from
within among the nations..."
00:43:53.13\00:43:55.13
Verse 24, "
00:43:55.16\00:43:56.50
and gather you
out of all countries
00:43:56.53\00:43:57.87
and bring you
into your own land.
00:43:57.90\00:43:59.23
Then I will
sprinkle clean water on you,
00:43:59.27\00:44:01.20
I'll cleanse you,
and you should be clean.
00:44:01.24\00:44:03.41
I'll cleanse you
from all your filthiness,
00:44:03.44\00:44:04.77
from all your idols,
00:44:04.81\00:44:06.14
all the things you run to escape
00:44:06.17\00:44:07.51
from responsibility to God."
00:44:07.54\00:44:09.14
He says, "I will
give you a new heart
00:44:09.18\00:44:11.21
and put a new spirit within you.
00:44:11.25\00:44:13.11
I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh
00:44:13.15\00:44:15.38
and give you a heart of flesh."
00:44:15.42\00:44:17.62
"I will put my spirit within you
00:44:17.65\00:44:19.45
and cause you to
walk at my statutes
00:44:19.49\00:44:21.72
and you will keep my
judgments and do them."
00:44:21.76\00:44:25.16
So God has promised
to do the heavy lifting,
00:44:25.19\00:44:27.10
there's actually 10
00:44:27.13\00:44:28.46
"I Will"
statements in Ezekiel 36
00:44:28.50\00:44:30.43
of transforming our lives.
00:44:30.47\00:44:32.07
And His "I Wills"
00:44:32.10\00:44:33.54
are in direct
response to the failed
00:44:33.57\00:44:35.44
"I Wills" of the people,
the "We wills" of the people.
00:44:35.47\00:44:38.51
From Exodus 19?
Yeah, Exodus 19 and 24.
00:44:38.54\00:44:42.24
But the "I Wills"
of God are dependent
00:44:42.28\00:44:44.05
upon your "I will."
00:44:44.08\00:44:45.48
Good.
00:44:45.51\00:44:46.85
I'm choosing, I
will relinquish my desire
00:44:46.88\00:44:51.05
to earn God's
favor with my deeds.
00:44:51.09\00:44:53.86
I will cease running
from the conviction of God
00:44:53.89\00:44:56.19
in my experience.
00:44:56.22\00:44:57.69
I will cease
living for myself, right?
00:44:57.73\00:45:00.46
The "I wills," we
have to surrender to God
00:45:00.50\00:45:03.16
for this process to work,
it's like an operating table,
00:45:03.20\00:45:05.53
there's no restraints,
there's no anesthesia,
00:45:05.57\00:45:08.50
you can get off the
table any time you want.
00:45:08.54\00:45:10.81
We have to stay
abiding in Christ
00:45:10.84\00:45:12.94
for this process to happen.
00:45:12.97\00:45:14.81
If you're trying
this in your own strength
00:45:14.84\00:45:16.85
or you don't
recognize your need of God,
00:45:16.88\00:45:19.28
this
transformation can't happen.
00:45:19.31\00:45:21.02
We have to yield and
surrender to the process
00:45:21.05\00:45:22.78
that God wants
to do in our lives.
00:45:22.82\00:45:24.45
Amen.
00:45:24.49\00:45:25.82
John 15.
00:45:25.85\00:45:27.19
When you mentioned that,
00:45:27.22\00:45:28.56
it reminds me of
that that abiding process,
00:45:28.59\00:45:30.43
let's take a look
at that real quick
00:45:30.46\00:45:32.13
and then we'll
have a final question
00:45:32.16\00:45:33.50
before we go to our news break.
00:45:33.53\00:45:35.00
John 15,
00:45:35.03\00:45:36.87
I think is one of
my favorite scriptures
00:45:36.90\00:45:41.54
in the Book of John.
00:45:41.57\00:45:42.90
John 15:1, "I am
the true vine..."
00:45:42.94\00:45:46.57
Jesus speaking.
00:45:46.61\00:45:47.94
"And My Father
is the vinedresser.
00:45:47.98\00:45:49.58
Every branch in Me
that does not bear fruit,
00:45:49.61\00:45:51.68
He takes away.
00:45:51.71\00:45:53.05
And every branch
that bears fruit He prunes
00:45:53.08\00:45:55.75
or purges that it
may bear more fruit."
00:45:55.78\00:45:59.55
Verse four, "Abide
in Me, and I in you.
00:45:59.59\00:46:01.76
As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
00:46:01.79\00:46:03.79
unless it abides in the vine,
00:46:03.83\00:46:05.59
neither can you
unless you abide in Me.
00:46:05.63\00:46:08.83
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
00:46:08.86\00:46:10.47
He who abides in Me, and
I in him, bears much fruit,
00:46:10.50\00:46:13.80
for without Me
you can do nothing."
00:46:13.84\00:46:15.87
So the whole concept
is we cannot earn favor,
00:46:15.90\00:46:19.44
we cannot earn righteousness,
00:46:19.47\00:46:21.28
we cannot
become more like Jesus,
00:46:21.31\00:46:23.75
it's a process of abiding,
it's a process of surrender,
00:46:23.78\00:46:27.15
letting that life
giving sap as it will flow
00:46:27.18\00:46:30.45
into each one of
us and transform us
00:46:30.49\00:46:32.85
into the image of Jesus.
00:46:32.89\00:46:34.22
You know, in verse three,
00:46:34.26\00:46:35.59
the one that was,
that we skipped...
00:46:35.62\00:46:36.96
He actually says,
"You are already clean."
00:46:36.99\00:46:38.39
Good.
00:46:38.43\00:46:39.76
"Because of the word
that I have spoken to you."
00:46:39.79\00:46:41.26
But then He is telling
them stay abiding in me
00:46:41.30\00:46:43.26
so that I can
bear fruit through you.
00:46:43.30\00:46:45.63
It's kind of a solution
00:46:45.67\00:46:47.00
I think of I'm
viewing you as righteous
00:46:47.04\00:46:48.87
while I make your righteous.
00:46:48.90\00:46:50.27
So they're already
justified at this point.
00:46:50.31\00:46:51.74
Right. They're already clean?
00:46:51.77\00:46:53.11
But I'm working
through this process
00:46:53.14\00:46:54.68
of transforming you, right?
00:46:54.71\00:46:57.11
Anyway it's kind of
what I see in the text,
00:46:57.15\00:46:58.48
it's kind of a neat illusion
00:46:58.51\00:46:59.98
of what we've
already talked about.
00:47:00.02\00:47:01.35
I love it. And I like verse two.
00:47:01.38\00:47:02.98
Good.
00:47:03.02\00:47:04.35
"Every branch in Me
that does not bear fruit,
00:47:04.39\00:47:06.35
He takes away..."
00:47:06.39\00:47:07.72
That means he prunes it. Yes.
00:47:07.76\00:47:09.52
He prunes it, takes it away.
00:47:09.56\00:47:11.63
"And every branch
that bears fruit..."
00:47:11.66\00:47:14.10
What's he do?
00:47:14.13\00:47:16.03
He prunes that it
may bear more fruit.
00:47:16.06\00:47:19.50
And what this tells me is
00:47:19.53\00:47:22.10
oh, we all want
to be fruit bearers
00:47:22.14\00:47:23.61
in the kingdom of God.
00:47:23.64\00:47:25.07
Don't you want
to bear much fruit
00:47:25.11\00:47:27.78
that you pruned if you do
00:47:27.81\00:47:29.18
and you're pruned if you don't.
00:47:29.21\00:47:30.88
And so either way
you're going to be pruned
00:47:30.91\00:47:32.75
but that
pruning is a good thing.
00:47:32.78\00:47:34.38
Whom the Lord loves He chastens,
00:47:34.42\00:47:36.42
and all of those
impurities that...
00:47:36.45\00:47:38.69
How many of you
want all the dross to be
00:47:38.72\00:47:42.46
as the fire is
turned up under you,
00:47:42.49\00:47:44.69
the dross comes to the surface,
00:47:44.73\00:47:46.90
and we will
walk with clean hands
00:47:46.93\00:47:49.40
and a pure heart
00:47:49.43\00:47:50.77
into the very
presence of Almighty God
00:47:50.80\00:47:52.87
as we submit
00:47:52.90\00:47:54.57
and allow God
to do that process,
00:47:54.60\00:47:57.97
that
sanctification process in us.
00:47:58.01\00:48:00.64
So final question
before our newsbreak,
00:48:00.68\00:48:02.78
how does a proper understanding
of justification by faith,
00:48:02.81\00:48:06.48
how does that
change the way we live?
00:48:06.51\00:48:10.35
I think it seizes you
00:48:10.39\00:48:11.72
to keep to stop
living for yourself
00:48:11.75\00:48:13.42
because you recognize
that there's nothing good
00:48:13.46\00:48:15.59
I can do apart
from abiding in God,
00:48:15.62\00:48:18.23
I have nothing
to offer God but me.
00:48:18.26\00:48:20.53
That's it.
00:48:20.56\00:48:21.90
That what I do only He
can will and do through me.
00:48:21.93\00:48:25.67
And I think that
it allows this...
00:48:25.70\00:48:28.74
It brings forth
this continual sobriety
00:48:28.77\00:48:31.57
and the sense of humility
00:48:31.61\00:48:33.14
that I think the
Christian experience
00:48:33.17\00:48:34.51
should have.
00:48:34.54\00:48:35.88
What do you mean by sobriety?
00:48:35.91\00:48:37.31
You recognize
that, "My life matters,
00:48:37.35\00:48:39.68
that the way I
live my life matters
00:48:39.71\00:48:41.12
because I'm an
ambassador on behalf of God,
00:48:41.15\00:48:43.39
God's being judged by
the actions that I take,"
00:48:43.42\00:48:45.49
which is what David
refers to in Psalm 31,
00:48:45.52\00:48:47.72
"That you may be found justified
00:48:47.76\00:48:49.09
when you speak,"
00:48:49.12\00:48:50.93
right when you speak and...
00:48:50.96\00:48:52.49
I forgot what he says,
but when you are judged,
00:48:52.53\00:48:54.83
I mean if you are
righteous when you are judged,
00:48:54.86\00:48:56.43
God Himself was
judged by what David did.
00:48:56.46\00:48:58.73
So I just think that
you live differently,
00:48:58.77\00:49:00.64
it changes the way you think,
00:49:00.67\00:49:02.00
it changes the
way that you operate,
00:49:02.04\00:49:03.47
and you recognize
your continual need
00:49:03.51\00:49:04.84
and independence upon God.
00:49:04.87\00:49:06.21
Amen. That's absolutely right.
00:49:06.24\00:49:08.21
Instead of looking to
yourself for any good thing,
00:49:08.24\00:49:12.01
you look to God,
you surrender to God.
00:49:12.05\00:49:14.75
And it's so much easier
00:49:14.78\00:49:16.89
when you're not
striving to be good on your own
00:49:16.92\00:49:20.76
but you're totally
dependent on His work in you.
00:49:20.79\00:49:24.89
I know I didn't
think that I had a chance
00:49:24.93\00:49:30.40
because I know myself so well
00:49:30.43\00:49:31.87
but when I
realized as I surrender
00:49:31.90\00:49:34.27
and commit and
submit my life to the Lord,
00:49:34.30\00:49:36.60
He takes me just as I am,
and this sanctification process
00:49:36.64\00:49:41.24
other than me
being surrendered to Him,
00:49:41.28\00:49:44.18
I can't do it on my own,
00:49:44.21\00:49:45.78
He's the only
one that can do it.
00:49:45.81\00:49:47.68
Amen, absolutely.
00:49:47.72\00:49:50.05
For me, I think
it would be Romans 5.
00:49:50.09\00:49:53.02
Romans 5:1 says what?
00:49:53.05\00:49:54.46
"Therefore being
justified by faith..."
00:49:54.49\00:49:57.03
Let me not misquote it here
and I actually find Romans 5,
00:49:57.06\00:50:01.53
"Having been justified by faith
00:50:01.56\00:50:03.90
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:50:03.93\00:50:08.57
And to me, it's interesting.
00:50:08.60\00:50:09.94
It does not say
the peace of God.
00:50:09.97\00:50:11.47
You know, Philippians 4:7
says, "Be anxious for nothing,
00:50:11.51\00:50:14.18
but in everything by
prayer and supplication
00:50:14.21\00:50:15.94
with thanksgiving
00:50:15.98\00:50:17.31
let your requests
be made known to God.
00:50:17.35\00:50:18.95
And the peace of God..."
00:50:18.98\00:50:20.32
So God wants to give us peace,
but this says peace with God,
00:50:20.35\00:50:23.32
in other words,
00:50:23.35\00:50:24.69
we are reconciled
back to the Father.
00:50:24.72\00:50:27.09
Sin brings
guilt, sin brings fear,
00:50:27.12\00:50:30.26
sin brings
separation from the Father
00:50:30.29\00:50:32.66
but because Jesus
was the perfect example,
00:50:32.69\00:50:35.86
the perfect life, the
perfect death for our sins,
00:50:35.90\00:50:40.17
we can be
reconciled again to the Father.
00:50:40.20\00:50:42.40
And to me that's the
most beautiful blessing
00:50:42.44\00:50:46.41
of justification by
faith, righteousness by faith
00:50:46.44\00:50:49.71
is that we can be
brought back into the unity
00:50:49.74\00:50:52.08
into harmony
with God the Father,
00:50:52.11\00:50:54.92
and that we can
have peace in this life.
00:50:54.95\00:50:57.35
And it goes on.
00:50:57.39\00:50:58.72
We have full access, we
can stand before the Father,
00:50:58.75\00:51:02.49
we can rejoice in
hope of the glory of God,
00:51:02.52\00:51:04.96
and praise the Lord
for what He wants to do
00:51:04.99\00:51:07.86
in our lives and through us.
00:51:07.90\00:51:09.73
So I hope and pray...
00:51:09.76\00:51:11.17
We'll be back in a moment
with some closing thoughts.
00:51:11.20\00:51:13.20
But I hope and pray
that the program Today
00:51:13.23\00:51:15.47
has been a
blessing in your life,
00:51:15.50\00:51:18.04
that you might have
felt your whole life,
00:51:18.07\00:51:20.88
"I can never be good enough.
00:51:20.91\00:51:22.64
I'm not sure what I
have to do in order to merit
00:51:22.68\00:51:26.15
some sort of favor with God."
00:51:26.18\00:51:27.85
The Lord Jesus loves
you, He died for you.
00:51:27.88\00:51:30.82
And today,
00:51:30.85\00:51:32.19
if you accept
Him as your Savior,
00:51:32.22\00:51:33.89
if you ask Him into your
heart, He will not only forgive,
00:51:33.92\00:51:37.06
He will justify you,
00:51:37.09\00:51:38.86
He will credit His righteousness
00:51:38.89\00:51:40.76
to your account,
00:51:40.80\00:51:42.13
and then He will
work in you His character
00:51:42.16\00:51:46.33
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:51:46.37\00:51:48.27
We'll take a
break and be right back.
00:51:48.30\00:51:50.41