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Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-8 God’s Word on Bible Mind, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bible Mind. Welcome to Bible Mind 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 monthly support make it possible for Bible Mind to continue on the air.

He reaches toll free at 1-800-576. 3771, online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calbryoftampa.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. You have a Bible. Turn to the book of Genesis chapter 15. I want to share with you something that I believe is very, very important. I wish that everyone all believed exactly the same thing when it comes to the Bible.

But it’s amazing how we can have differences of opinion. There’s only one God, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, but it seems like a multitude of messages when it comes to what God really meant about it to get to heaven. And going back to Genesis in chapter 15, I want to show you something about Abraham and then something about the Apostle Paul. I believe that it would help in your understanding. Here in the book of Genesis in chapter 15, that makes the statement where the Lord is talking to Abram.

And it says in verse 3, and Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed. And lo, one born in my house is mine heir. What was the problem? Well God had promised to Abraham that you’re going to have a son and he’s going to be the the father of a great nation and the families of the earth are going to be blessed because of it. And so his years passed by Abraham says, we’ve got a problem. I’m getting old, Sarah’s old, and one that’s born in my house is an heir.

But I don’t have any say. I don’t have a kid. Because he said up here in verse two, a neighbor said, Lord God, what will about give me saying I go childless in the steward of my house is this eliazer of Damascus he says what what am I gonna do well he did take some bad advice and they he took a mom woman Hagar and he had a child and that child well has caused some problems down through the years oh back four thousand I would say and they really have multiplied and become pretty powerful in the world today.

So that wasn’t what Abraham meant. He wanted one of his own from his wife. And Lord Behold, he says here in verse 5, he says, and he brought him forth abroad and said, look now toward heaven. Tell the stars or count them if they’ll be able to number them and he says, so shall thy seed be. Now even when he says the word seed, it’s also singular here, but it’s not only referring to the nation of Israel, he called it be Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the 12 tribes and a great nation, but also it’s a reference to Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

the Messiah was going to come through Abraham and he was going to be the one by which the families of the earth would believe in and be blessed. So the blessing of Abraham was something that everybody in the whole world needs. The blessing of Abraham was that you had the righteousness of God put to your account by faith alone. So he says in verse 6, and he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness. So God took his righteousness and gave it Abraham.

Now if God was to give you his righteousness, would that make you as righteous as God? Yes it would. Well if you had God’s righteousness given to you would that be good enough to get to heaven on? Yeah. Because you see, you and I don’t have any righteousness. The Bible says this in the book of Philippians chapter 3 verse 9, and be found not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of gut by faith.

So there’s two kinds of righteousness, the righteousness of God by faith and the righteousness of man, by the law. So God says, don’t be found trusting in your righteousness to get you to heaven. God wants you and I to accept the righteousness He sent down, not the righteousness we send up. Because God says all of our righteousness are as filthy rags. So here, God preached the gospel to Abraham. Turn in your Bible all the way over there to the book of Galatians in chapter 3, the book of Galatians and chapter 3.

You’ll notice here in chapter 3 and verse 6, when it refers to Abraham and when he believed on the Lord, it goes back to that moment there in the book of Genesis in chapter 15. But here even in chapter 3 in verse 6 on page 1243 in a Noescoza reference Bible says, even as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. No you therefore that that they which are of faith, the same with the children of Abraham, and the scripture, talk about in the Old Testament, or seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in these shall all nations be blessed.

Now when you read that one phrase, in these shall all families of the earth be blessed, You may not associate that statement with having eternal life, to be saved and going to heaven when you die. But that’s what it refers to. There are many things that they knew and understood that’s not actually even recorded. For example, we hear about Enoch and he walked with God and he was not for God took him. But you don’t know until you read the book of Jude that Enoch preached a preacher of righteousness about Jesus Christ coming with 10,000 of the saints.

So they preached about Jesus Christ before the flood. They preached about Him coming back in power and great glory in 10,000 of the before the flood. So there’s many things they knew and understood that we don’t know because a lot of things are not all recorded in the Old Testament. And sometimes in the New Testament, it’ll tell you what it referred to. And so here we find out that God preached the gospel. And He preached the gospel to Abraham.

And He preached the gospel to Abraham 430 years before the law was ever given. Tell him that God was going to justify the heathen through faith. The lost man could be saved by faith and faith alone. That’s all he had to do. See there in chapter three. I want you to look at this look there in verse 13 verse 13 Christ Hat redeemed us from the curse of the law Being made a curse for us. Well, what was the curse of the law?

Well cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree But right before this it says and you’ll notice here in verse 10 or as many as are of the works of the law law are under the what? The curse. And that’s talking about, for as it is written, curse it is everyone that can continue if not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. It means that if a man doesn’t keep everything in the law perfectly all the days of his life, he can never be justified by the law.

The only way he would be justified by the law is never break the law. And that’s why he says in verse 11, but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God because all men have broken the law. No man’s ever kept the law perfectly. He says, for his evidence, the just shall live by what? By faith. By faith alone in what Christ did, it’s not what you and I do. We have no part in salvation.

It is the gift of God, not a works list. Any man should boast. So he says down in verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And then he says in verse 16, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not and the seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy So Abraham understood this back in the Old Testament.

So God did preach the gospel to Abraham and that a man would be justified by faith without the law. Otherwise, how could all those people have been saved all those years before Moses ever gave the law a Mount Sinai? God gave the law to Moses. So a man has always been saved the same way. No one has ever been saved by the law. You and I are not saved by our works. No man ever has been and cannot be.

Because he says, by grace of your say through faith that none of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of what? Not of works lest any man should boast. So no man has ever been saved by his words. But he says, if righteousness should come by the way of God. the law than Christ is dead in vain. If a man could save himself by the things that he does, then he doesn’t need a Savior if the man can save himself.

So look what he says here in verse 21, is the law then against the promise of God? Well no. He says, for if there had been a law given which could, could have given life, for the righteousness should have been by the law. But no man has ever found where the law would give you eternal life. No man can keep it. It shows the standard of God’s righteousness and how far short we come. So the law wasn’t given to save a man, the law was given to reveal to us that we are lost.

We cannot save ourselves by our good work. So the law points us to the one who can. It points us to Christ. So we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and God saves us and gives us eternal life. Now take your Bible to look there in the book of Romans, Romans in chapter 4. Once again, refer into that statement about something that Abraham found here in the Old Testament. Look what he says in verse 1 of Romans 4. Remember now we’re talking about how a man is justified in the eyes of God.

He says in verse 1, what shall we say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the flesh hath found. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath were of the glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture, Abraham did what? Believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him, that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of death. What he’s saying is, if a man could work for his salvation, then God would be in debt to the man.

The man earned it. If he earned it, then salvation would be a reward. He earned it. There’s a right to it. It couldn’t be by grace then. Because grace means that it’s free. Grace means it’s not a works. So he says here in verse 5, some people say that, well, believe it is a work. No, it’s not. fight. But to him that work if not, but believe it on him that justify the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Just by you believing that what Christ did on the cross was for you. And you trust him as your Savior and all you had to do is believe it. God said he would give you as a freak, ever-lasting life. You would be justified just as if you’d never sinned. And you go to heaven I don’t know what somebody else did for you. He said, well, you don’t deserve that. Of course. That’s what we’re talking about. You’re saved by grace, not by your work.

It’s a gift, it’s free. He said, but what if you do something wrong afterwards? Aren’t you glad you’re still going to heaven? I mean, people say, well, you can just go here and live like you please. Everybody does it anyway, don’t they? Everybody in this room lives like you please. There’s not a one of you in here that don’t. You live however you want to live. So don’t hand me that other. You’re already doing it. But wouldn’t it be nice to know you’re going to heaven when you die?

Because it’s a gift, it’s free. But now you say, well, shouldn’t we? Yes, we should live as righteous and Godly as holy as we possibly can, but not to get to heaven, but because we’re going to heaven, because we are the children of God, not to be a child of God, But because I am already a child of God. Now look there in Romans in chapter 6, it’s just in chapter 4, and look there in verse 16. And get this very quickly.

In verse 16, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. Because if it were by your works, it could not be by faith. It would be that God would save you because of what you did by your good work. And if you’re going to be saved by your works, then you can’t know now if you’re saved. You have to wait till you die to find out if you made it. So anybody who’s trusting in their works to save them cannot know if they’re saved.

You have to wait till you die to find out where you’re faithful all the way. That means you’ve got to wait till the end. And then what if you find out, okay, you didn’t make it. What are you going to do now? Think nothing left to do? I don’t have to wait till the end of my life. I find that will if I really made it. I already know I’m going to heaven. I was 18 when I trusted the Lord.

So he says, it is by faith that it might be by grace. Get this last part to the end to the resolve. The promise might be what? Sure. Do all the see. So God’s made a promise to Abraham is going to save everybody by faith and faith alone. All he has to do with it. And God would put his righteousness to their account. So now look down here in verse 20, verse 20, talking about Abraham. After God had shown him the stars and so on.

He says, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform. That’s the definition of faith. And therefore, it, God’s righteousness, was imputed to him for righteousness. So, he says in verse 23, now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him. That need to be put to his account, to impute, put to his account.

In verse 24, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe. If we believe what on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the end, if we will believe God will save us just like He did Abraham. Abraham was saved 430 years before the law was ever given so he didn’t have to keep the law to be saved. But this is in the New Testament doing the church age and he’s talking to believers telling them this is what the gospel is all about.

So we don’t have to Worry. It’s a gift. It’s free. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn over there to the book of James in chapter 2. Have you ever heard of James chapter 2? Most people never heard James chapter 1 or James chapter 3, but almost everybody has heard of James chapter 2. Because majority of people say, well, haven’t you ever heard of James chapter 2? That says, no, he means it’s in the Bible. Like I’ve never heard of James chapter 2.

Must be something really good in James chapter 2. Well, here’s the problem. They see that in verse 21, well, it’s not Abraham, our Father justified by what? Works. Ooh, look what he says. In verse 24, ye say that how that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone. That looks like a direct contradiction of everything I just said. There’s either a contradiction in the Bible or there’s got to be an explanation to this. Well, I sure am glad there is an explanation to this.

Now here we have James explaining something to Christians and he’s using Abraham as an illustration and Rahab the harlot. Look in verse 25, like was also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works. Well, evidently James had never talked to Paul and he didn’t get the message right. Are they contradicting each other? No. One of the things you’ve got to do is try to find out Now, who are we talking to and what are we talking about?

Just trying to make it simple real quick. When we’re talking about salvation is by faith alone before God, faith alone. That’s for salvation to get to heaven, to get God’s righteousness. Now, when we’re talking about service, that’s what we do for Him. Salvation is what He did for us. So I am justified by faith alone without work for salvation.

Didn’t say from hell, going to heaven, that’s free. When we talk about being justified by works, well then this is for service. This is for rewards. So one is salvation, the other is reward. Salvation, service. Always keep those two things separate. What most people do, when I know in it, they take all the scriptures that refer to the service and put them over here with this one and mess it up real good.

Gotta keep it separate. Why? Because God keeps it separate. He calls it rightly dividing the word. So you got to know is God talking here to lost people on how to go to heaven or is he talking to Christians on how to serve the Lord? Look there in James chapter one Look there in verse two. He says in verse two my brethren. I got a hanah hunt. He’s talking to believers You see there in verse two I Mean chapter two in verse one my brethren He’s talking to those who are believers in the Lord.

He’s not talking about how to get to heaven. He’s talking to the Christians on how to live. See, my salvation as a done deal never has to be done again. I’m going to heaven whenever I die. But I’m not there yet. So God left me in this world to live for him. And like we talked about in Sunday school, I’m supposed to live here like I’m perfect. In an imperfect world, you go into a perfect place. Now, here in James, in chapter two, he’s talking to the Christians about trials and tribulations, the heartaches of life, the temptations that you’re gonna go through, and how that you’re gonna be rewarded, if you do that which is right.

Look there in verse 12 of chapter one. Blessed is the man that endure it, temptation. For when he is tried, he shall get to go to heaven when he dies. No, when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of one. That’s a reward. So James is talking about to the believer, and he’s talking about service, and he’s talking about receiving rewards. Now, when we talk about salvation, Man is justified by faith, alone, no works. I’m just to trust his work, what he did, what he said.

And that will get me to heaven. That saves my soul. But now God’s talking here about how am I supposed to live here in this world before I get to heaven? Until he takes me out of here. So this is talking to the believer, not the lost man. Look there in verse 22. But be doers of the word and not hears only, deceiving your own self. For if any be I hear of the word and not a doer, he is likened to a man beholden his natural face and a glass.

For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straight way, forgeteth what manner of man he was. But who’s so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, the Word of God, and continue therein. He be not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed. Now, when it comes to salvation, it’s not you’re doing deed, it’s not you’re enduring, it’s not your work, it’s not reward, it’s none of those things. When it talks about salvation, it’s by grace, a grace alone, it is the gift of God, not of words.

So if you keep that separate, then you’ll have no problem with this. But what most people do is they put all this together and big old mess podge, and you don’t know whether you’re saved or you’re lost. You don’t know, is it free or I have to earn it? And you don’t know where not, where am I gonna go in the night? Well, I’m doing the best I can. I’m hanging on to, well, you don’t understand it. Separate that thing.

Keep it simple, keep it clear. And God will do a work. So God is saying, I want you to look into the perfect law of liberty, which is the Word of God. And as you look into the mirror and you see from the Scriptures things in your life that are not right, that need to be cut off out of your life, or things you need to start doing that God says to be an obedience to him, then God says to do that, not to make changes in your life and not to grow and to be strong like God wants you to.

It’s like a man who looks into a mirror and he sees like he got turtleneck sweaters on his teeth. He got cobwebs in his hair and he needs a shave and he just goes away and forgets what men are many is. In other words, he didn’t help him at all. You can come to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, open up the perfect law of liberty and look into the mirror of God and see your yourself and walk out the door and never make any corrections.

You are not a door of the word. You are here only and God will not bless that. And so those who do not respond to the corrections that God gives to you, God says He’s going to have to chase you. Now remember this, when you do something wrong, God not gonna say to you, get out of here and go to hell, I’m through with you. Mama? He says, come on in. I just tell my kids, come on in. Get in the house.

I haven’t even touched them. But they know what’s coming. And then I show them how much I love them. My daddy loved me anymore, he’d kill me. My daddy wasn’t a fisherman, but we did go on a few whalers. expeditions. Now you have a wonderful loving heavenly Father and he has presented in his Word his will and in his will it reveals that if you will do what I ask you to do I’m going to bless your life here and I’m going to reward you when you get to heaven but if you don’t serve me, he said, I’m going to have to beat guitar out of you.

Maybe take you home before your time. So that’s a choice that we have. And so God says, I want youase, look at that last part of verse 25 again. I don’t see verse 25 again, but who’s so look nice talking to the believers, not the lost man. He says, who’s so looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue it therein, he be not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, because he’s a doer of the Word.

This man, and you are on the line this in your Bible, this man shall be blessed in his deed. But what if a man doesn’t do it? Well, God says something else is going to happen to him. If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. You do well. Now, do I have to love my neighbor to go to heaven? No. Do I have to love God to go to heaven? No.

I’m going to heaven because God loves me. I love him because he first loved me. He demonstrated his love for me. It was only after I trusted Christ as my Savior and begin to study from the Word of God that my love grew for the Lord. To where I wanted to do something for the Lord. I wanted to give my whole life to the Lord. But see, I love Him now, but I don’t love Him to get to heaven.

I’m going to heaven and go, He loved me. He died for me. He paid for my sins and all I had to do was trust Him as my Savior. We’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. Our two 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 Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 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 Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and 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.