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Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and much… and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach This is toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Today’s message, called when God became a man. When God became a man. I think that’s a wonderful title of a good sermon. It’s that time of year when we talk about that very thing, when God became a man. Now we have people that want to become God. There was an angel that wanted to become God one day, and he turned out to be the devil. I believe that we ought to just let God be God. And that’s it. I know sometimes we wonder, you know, where is God?

Where’s God? Can you find him anywhere? I’ve had people that says, I don’t believe there is a God. I don’t believe there’s a God. Well, if you don’t believe there’s a God, then you ought to be able to go everywhere all at the same time to prove that God isn’t there. So before you can intellectually really state for a fact that God is not God because you can’t find him. He might be where you aren’t. So can you actually say you have been everywhere all at the same time because he might be there?

So you can’t say that. Do you know everything? If there’s anything that you don’t know could be the knowledge of God. So until you can say you know everything, you can’t say there is no God. I hate it when somebody says that. Turn in the Bible to the Book of Luke. The Gospel of Luke and chapter one.

Luke chapter one. And look what the scripture says about this event. I’m just gonna read one verse so they got a long way to go. You’ll know they’re in Luke chapter one in verse 35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Now, he’s also titled the Son of Man.

Son of Man means that he came from man. Son of God he came from God. So he is called the Son of Man. He is a man. And he is God. the flesh and he’s called that holy thing. Every one of us when we’re born into this world, we are an unholy thing. We’re all sinners. We’ve all sinned. We’ve come shortdll of perfection. He didn’t come up short of perfection. He is perfect. No sinful nature. He did everything right.

Take your Bible look there in the book of Luke in chapter 4. It would be great if all the people of the world could see that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But look what he says here in verse 34 of chapter 4. These are unclean devils, angels, fall of angels, demons, say, and let us alone. What have we to do with thee? Thou Jesus of Nazareth, or thou come to destroy us? I knew thee who thou art, the holy one of God, the holy one of God.

He wasn’t just a man. Jesus was the holy one of God. Now turn in your Bible to the book Hebrews, the book of Hebrews, and chapter 10. Hebrews and chapter 10. And look there in verse one. Hebrews chapter 10 verse one, make sure you read your Bible. This is a Bible church. We believe the Bible and believe everybody ought to read the Bible. And you ought to check it and make sure that what the preacher said is in the Bible.

Verse 1 says, for the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers, they’re unto perfect. So you have here in this one verse some awesome statements that the sacrifices in the Old Testament that they made never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers there are too perfect. It could make them perfect.

So the Bible says, see, to go to heaven you have to be perfect and none of the sacrifices ever made in the Old Testament ever made in your body perfect. So that means that nobody has ever been saved by the law. The sacrificial law, the ceremonial law, the moral law, nobody has ever been saved made perfect by the law. Get what he says now Because of that. But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

In other words, every year they have to make these same sacrifice. The high priest has to go into the holy of holies and offer a sacrifice for himself and for the sins of the people. Because it never paid for sin, never made anybody perfect. Well, look what he says now in verse four. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Not possible, not possible. So that means that all those sacrifices, it was impossible to pay for sin.

In verse 5, wherefore when he come into the world, oh we’re on another subject, well look what he’s talking about. He said sacrifice and offerings thou would have not, but a body has thou prepared me. a body has not prepared me. You see, when Jesus came into the world, Mary was used of the Lord to prepare a body for God to live in. Jesus Christ is God upon the earth. He is manifested in this body. And this body was a holy body, a perfect body.

It had no sinful nature because it had no earthly father. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and placed the seed within the womb of Mary and that holy thing came from God. And God prepared a body for a son to be born in. So we have now a man walking around in a perfect body with no sinful nature and he never did anything wrong. There’s only been one person like that in all the world and it just happens to be Jesus Christ.

And he says, a body has to prepare me, but why did he prepare that body for him? Now take your Bible looking John chapter 1 and verse 14. The gospel of John chapter 1 and look in verse 14. And verse 14 says, and the word was made flesh. This is on page 11 14, Oh, let’s go for a reference Bible. Verse 14, and the word was made flesh dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

God brought this Son into existence, it’s flesh. Now Jesus already existed from the foundations of the world. He’s always been. In the book of Isaiah it says, and the government shall be upon his shoulders. But he’s talking there about unto us a child is born and the son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor of the Mighty God the everlasting father of the Prince of Peace. How can he be called the everlasting father unless you have an everlasting son?

Well the son is just as old as the dad. But that’s another story, but look what he says in verse 1 of John chapter 1. And though in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him that was made. And without Him was not anything made that was made. He was in the beginning. And the Bible says that He came into the world with their in verse 10.

He was in the world and the world was made by Him. So this Jesus, we’re talking about this one that’s being born, made the world. He created all things and without Him was not anything made that was made. He made it all. And he says here, and his own knew him not, 9.11. He came into his own and his own received him not but to as many as received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name.

And he’s talking about the word that is God was made flesh. That means made flesh means he tabernacled among us. In the Old Testament the Chicana glory came into the tabernacle. Here it tabernacle in this flesh God in the flesh. That’s what we call the incarnation. He is in the flesh That’s when John the Baptist saw him and says behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Why did he have to come? Well, this is why that he might die See God is a spirit and God cannot die so He came into the world and took upon him a body and in this body he He became like a man He became flesh God in spirit could not die be that he might be our near kinsman Possessed the right to redeem the human race through his payment.

In other words, he had to be a man to die for a man God would not accept the sacrifice of animals. It could never take away sin You see, the reason Jesus could pay for our sins is because He had none to pay for. We’re all indebted for our own. That’s why I can’t pay for your sins because I got to pay for mine. And you can’t pay for somebody else’s because you got to pay for yours. So with the needed somebody that was perfect and there was only one.

That was Jesus Christ. My body has stopped preparing me. We call it the birth of Jesus Christ. But remember, he targon the world just to be born so that we can worship the birthday of Jesus Christ. What’s more important that he came to die on the cross. And there’s a lot of people who worship a babe in a manger but reject the man on the cross. And it’s wrong to do so. And that he might claim the throne of Israel.

He is the king of Israel. He that is born king in Israel. Behold, there’s born unto you this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. He is the Lord. He is Jehovah. He is God in the flesh. So when you think about Jesus Christ, what do you conjure up in your mind? Is He just a good man, good prophet, good teacher, trailblazer? What is He? He’s God in the flesh. I would not serve a man and worship a man that’s no better than I am.

But this man was God in the flesh. That changes everything. That changes everything. Look at number two. And turning your Bible to 2 Corinthians 8. 2 Corinthians 8. This is an awesome statement. you stop and think about this, we have people in this world that will kill in order to get money, to be famous and popular in all those things. Think about this. Here’s Jesus Christ in heaven before the world began. He has all the honor, all the glory, all the wealth anybody could ever want.

And look what the Bible says that he did. Look there in verse 9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was what? Now when he was born into this world, he didn’t have much. He didn’t run around in the Mercedes or Rolls Royce. I don’t even know if he had a souped up camel. He didn’t spend the nights at Ramada Inn and, you know, he didn’t village in. He didn’t have none of those things.

And yet he is God in the flesh. He had everything you would ever want. Live forever, perfect place. All the wealth in the world. He can make anything he wanted. He was God. And what does he do? He comes into the world and is born as a baby and a manger and a manger. Now you would think we would even be born in a palace. What would be born in a palace? Look who he is. Isn’t it stable? Doesn’t sound too healthy to me, sanitary.

But look who he was. Jesus Christ came into the world and left everything, gave up everything. Look at the last part of this verse. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. That’s why he did it. He wants you to be rich. He wants me to be rich. But we were poor. And just think, this one man is able to come into this world and make everybody rich. He said, boy, if I had a million dollars, I’d make everybody rich.

No, you wouldn’t. You’d hoard it up, waste it, squandered, unless you earned it. What would you do if you had a million dollars? But look at the notes here. He brought from heaven all that he needed to pay the debt. Well, wait a minute, when he came and he came then to the world to pay for our sins, did he bring money? No, because that wasn’t to pay my for sin. Oh, what did he bring? He just brought himself.

Why? That’s all he needed was himself. He came into the world to do something that only he could do. It was a payment that only he could make. He came. He didn’t have to bring anything with him. I know there’s a store in the Old Testament about a guy that was called Naaman, the Syrian? Is that his name? And when to see Elijah, because the little maid told me, you know, when he came from Syria, he brought all of the people and he brought camels.

And he brought jewelry, gold, silver. He had all these raiments. He had all kinds of stuff because he had to come. This is what is going to cost for him to cure me in my leprosy. When Jesus came into the world, he didn’t bring anything. He was going to give himself. That was the payment that was needed. And that’s why by himself, he purged our sins by himself. No help from nobody. That’s why there’s nobody who can save you.

Jesus Christ, he did it all. Look at the letter B, the wages of sin was death. All he needed was life that was not indebted. Because the payment for sin is death. All he had to do is bring his life here and be willing to give it. to pay for that payment. And that’s what he did. Look at number three. Why he became sin? Why he became sin? Now I want you to look at this first because it’s very good.

Hebrews chapter one and verse three. Hebrews chapter one and verse three. The Lord says that in the Old Testament times, many ways through many prophets. He said he had spoken in times past unto the fathers by the prophets. But it says in verse 2, it happened these last days, spoken to us by his son. And look what he says in verse 2, I want you to see this verse, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.

In other words, God the Father, he made all these things through his son. It says sons when it did it all. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. In verse 3, get this, this is a powerful verse who referring to Christ, being the brightness of His glory, His perfection, God’s perfection, the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had, and you ought to underline these two little words, when he had with my help, when he had by the church, no, he had by himself, by himself, it just purged our sin sat down because the job was done, the job was completed, finished.

When he died on the cross, He says it is finished. Now, there’s nothing anybody else had to do for the payment of sin. He paid for all of the sins of the world so that everybody in the world should have eternal life and go to heaven. And all that you have to do, all that I have to do is believe that when Christ did it, He did it for me. And if I believe he did it for me, that payment is put to my account.

By faith alone in Christ alone, you have the free gift of eternal life. Now take your Bible and turn there to the book of 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians and chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. Verse 21 says on page 12, 33, he says, for he, God hath made him, Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, get to be sin for us, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God. All right, so Jesus Christ comes into the world.

And he’s perfect. I’m not. I have sin. So God will not allow sin in heaven, but he will allow righteousness in heaven. So that’s a perfect place. So Jesus Christ, this hand representing Christ, and this hand representing me. I have sin. He has righteousness. So the Bible says that if I will believe that Christ paid for all of my sins on the cross came back from the dead. The pavement is made. When I believe Christ did it for me, God gives to me His righteousness.

Now if I have His righteousness, that makes me as righteous as God. I go to heaven on what He did. He became sin for me. He didn’t sin. He became sin. He took every sin of every person in the whole work paid for sin on the cross, once and for all. It never has to be done again. So whenever you and I believe that Christ did it for us, He gives us His righteousness. But here’s the thing to remember in Romans chapter 3.

Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God. So when He gives me His righteousness, what He’s really doing is giving me Himself. I’m going to heaven because I am in his son. I’m going to heaven because I am in him. He is my righteousness. I don’t have righteousness. Now, while we’re right here, take your Bible and look there in the book of Philippians in chapter three, the book of Philippians, real quick. It’s such an important verse that you need to see it.

Philippians chapter three and verse nine. Verse nine, you and I have sinned. God says, do not be found on the day of judgment, trusting in your righteousness to get you to heaven. Because God says, you don’t have any righteousness. There is none that doeth good, no not one, all have sinned and come short of God’s perfection. So no man can save himself.

So the Bible says, Jesus Christ came into the world. He is perfect. He is righteous. God says to go to heaven, you have to be as perfect as righteous as Christ in order to live for all eternity. So give what he says in verse 9, and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law and he’s trying to earn it, work for it. But that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

So there is a by works righteousness and a by faith righteousness. By works you’re trying to earn it. God says don’t be found trusting in your works to get you to heaven. He says but trust in his righteousness, He will give you his righteousness be found in him, having his right to, that’s why we get to go to heaven. That’s why Christ came into the world. Now look at number four. Number four, why he became the first fruits of them that slept.

Turn in your Bible to 1 Corinthians in chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. This is the resurrection chapter in the Bible. It has an awful lot to say about the resurrection. And if you’ll notice here in 1 Corinthians, I want you to look there first of all, in verse 2. Because he’s talking about how he declared unto him the gospel, the good news. So Christ came into the world. Where’s the good news in that? Christ died on the cross. Where’s the good news?

He was buried. Well, where’s the good news? Well, he came back from the dead. Why is that good news for me? Did you know there’s a lot of people who believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and are not going to heaven? A lot of churches talk about it every week. They talk about the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and heaven got a clue where they’re going to go when they die. That’s because I haven’t heard.

Why did he do it? Most people think, but he did that to help me to live better so I can get good enough to go there. He said, help give me the strength and the grace that I need to walk that straight and narrow way. And if I do it long enough, I’m going to make it someday. Praise Jesus. That is not why he came.

He’s not a trailblazer. And they’re like Daniel, boom, and David Crockett blazing a trail. And now, boy, he’s going to for me and I got to stack. No. For example, you’re right in the middle of the ocean. Can’t swim. I come by my little motorboat and I say, what’s the problem? I’m drowning. I can’t swim. I said, look, it’s only 1500 miles to the coast of America. You just do the best you can and try hard, but you’ll make it.

Now, was I a savior? No, I wasn’t a savior. Well, what if I pull up alongside of them and I said, look, Here’s a lesson on 10 easy lessons on how to swim. Just read those lessons and follow those and you’ll learn how to swim. Now see what a good deed that was? But am I a savior? No. What if I come up alongside of him and I jump out of the boat and I say, now watch what I do.

And you do exactly like me and I do the dog paddle, the breath stroke and the back stroke and everything. man, I can give it all. And I give him his, you know, two-minute lesson. Now you do just like me and head in that direction and you’ll make it. Now I might be a good example. That might be a good weight sure and you know, trailblades, but that’s not a savior. Okay, well what if I come up there in my little motorboat and I reach over there and I get him a pile of water, put him in the boat and take him 750 miles and kick him on.

So now you make the rest of the way by yourself. Not a savior? No. I need to take him out of the water, take him all the way to the land. When I trust he Christ is my savior, I’m trusting him to take me all the way to heaven. And he’s the only one that can get me there. I don’t help. I don’t do the dog paddle. I don’t do the breaststroke. Are they attending lessons on how to swim?

I trusted him as my Savior 50 years ago in a little old living room and it never has to be done again. My going to heaven, totally 100% depends on him. I’ve had people say, well, I don’t want you to pray for so-and-so. He’s almost saved. You’re either 100% saved or 100% lost. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message.

Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Sunday morning services begin at 10 30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.