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Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary, Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radiolity Internet. Your regular prayers and m- and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampup.org. We pray that you’ll enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

Now look there in Romans 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 was 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 gonna 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 were used, faithful all the way. That means you got to wait till the end. And then what if you find out, okay, you didn’t make it? What do you want to do now? Think nothing left to do. I don’t have to wait till the end of my life. I find out, well, if I really made it, I already know I’m going to heaven.

I’ve known it for 49 years. You say you’re older than 49. I said I was safe at 49. I was 18 when I trusted the Lord. Thank you. So he says, it is by faith that it might be by grace, get this last part to the end. So the result, the promise might be what? Sure. To all the seed. 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 none of 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 to him, that mean to be put to his account, to put to his account. And 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 to the book of James in chapter 2. Have you ever heard of James chapter 2? Most people never heard of 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’s a no, you mean it’s in the Bible? Like I’ve never heard of James chapter 2. It 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. He said then 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 gotta 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 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 what we do for Him. Salvation is what He did for us. So I am justified by faith alone, without work, for salvation.

It’s been saved from hell, going to heaven. That’s a gift. 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 rewards. Salvation, service. Always keep those two things separate. What most people do, without knowing it, they take all the scriptures that refer to service and put them over here with this one and mess it up real good. You got to keep it separate.

Why? Because God keeps it separate. He calls it rightly dividing the word. So you’ve 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 and 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 put care of 49 years ago 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 going to a perfect place.

Now here in James in chapter 2 he’s talking to the Christians about trials and tribulations, the heartaches of life, the temptations that you’re going to go through and how that you’re going to be rewarded if you do that which is right. Look there in verse 12 of chapter 1. Blessed is the man that endures temptation for when he is tried he shall get to go to heaven when he dies. No. When he has tried, he shall receive the crown of what?

That’s a reward. So James is talking about who 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? So he takes me out of here.

So this is talking to the believer, not the lost man. Look there in verse 22. But be he doers of the word and not here is only deceiving your own self. For if any be I hear of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man behold his natural face in the 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 it therein he be not a forgetful here but a doer of the work, 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, just none of those things. When it talks about salvation, it’s by grace, a grace alone, it is the gift of God, not of works. 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 going to go in and out while I’m doing the best I can I’m hanging on. Well, what 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. 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

wanted 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 man or man he 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 yourself and walk out the doors 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 in you. Now remember this, when you do something wrong, God’s not going to say to you, get out of here and go to hell, I’m through with you. Mama? He says, come on in. Come on in. I just tell my kids, come on.

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 wailing expeditions. Now, you have a wonderful, loving, heavenly Father. And he has presented in his Word his will. And then his will it reveals that if if you will do what I asked you to do I’m gonna bless your life here and I’m gonna reward you when you get to heaven But if you don’t serve me he said I’m gonna have to beat the tar out of you Maybe take you home before your time So that’s a choice that we have And so God says I want you to do it look at that last part of verse 25 again I want to see verse 25 again, but who’s so look nice talking to the believers not the lost man

He says, who 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. Now look what he says there in verse eight of chapter two.

And talk into the believers on how to live. Somebody comes into your presence, this rich and somebody’s poor and all that stuff. But we’re going to kind of drop through that and come down here to verse eight. 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. That 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 have him called he love me.

He died for me. He paid for my sins and all I had to do is trust him as my Savior. But as you begin to study the Word of God, it is the will of God that every one of us love the Lord, not to get to heaven. But he says, if you love me, serve me. And if any man served me, him will my father honor. So he says here, but if you have respected persons, you commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

See, the law hasn’t been moved. It was not destroyed. It was fulfilled by Christ. Christ says, I did not come to destroy the law. I came to fulfill the law. And in Romans in chapter 8, He says that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in you. But not by you. Because now you have the Holy Spirit living within you to give you the strength and the grace and the power that you need to live. He says in verse 10, for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all.

For example, Man’s hanging over a cliff. There’s 10 lengths in a chain He’s hanging on thatInitialized How many links has to break before he falls now? This is a difficult question. I know this is very hard Some of y’all probably didn’t go to Christian school Can you how many links has to break before he falls? Just one now what yes, and then weren’t you you was hoping to be right? Does it matter which link? Doesn’t matter So God says now I’m talking to you believers You still know Break the law You’re not living the way you should and if you break one he says just the same as guilty of all of them It can bring physical death to a little believer Many of God’s children are sick some are weak and some are dead deader than a hammer So he says here in verse 11 for he that

Seth do not commit adultery also said do not kill NowEPA well, I don’t commit adultery. Yeah, but if you the kill you still are transgression of the law and And I’m looking verse. Now we’re not talking laws people on how to get to heaven. We’re talking about Christians on how to live. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. Now one of these days, you see God is present thing, judging us according to our obedience to the revealed will of God.

Your blessings in life and curses in life could be in direct ratio to the caliber of your belief and and obedience to the Lord. And when you and I stand at the judgment sheet of Christ, God says, the day shall declare it, and the eyes of the Lord, which is the fire of God, will examine every man’s work to see what sort it is, and see whether or not it’s a gold, silver and precious stones, or is it haywood and stubble?

And many of us thinking that when we get to heaven, we’re going to have all that gold, silver and precious stones, and you wake up and it’s a bonfire. So this isn’t what I thought. And you’re going to suffer the loss of rewards, a war reward you could have had. And you just messed up by messing up your life. Because you think the little things that you do in life, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really matter. Everything matters. Every idle word.

All the trials and tribulations go to God is watching and keeping the books. And He wants you to endure everything. As we talked about it in the Sunday school hour. God sees and knows everything. And ifGROUP really understand that your faith is on trial, but it’s more precious than gold that’s tried with fire, and that it might be found in the praise, honor, and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ. In other words, it will be worth it all when we get to heaven.

Now look here again. verse 13, you see now in verse 25 of chapter 1, the man that obeys is going to be blessed in his deeds, but what about the one that doesn’t? Then he’s going to be chasing, looking verse 13, for he shall have judgment without mercy that had shown no mercy and mercy rejoices against judgment. So what does it profit my brethren? So we’re not talking to lost people here, we’re talking to believers. the prophet in a Christian’s life.

You see, every person in here is just like a little business. And what is your prophet and lost statement? What are your expenses? What are your income? What is your assets? What is your liability? What is your net worth? So every one of us are in business with the Lord. And God is working with you and for you and through you and he wants profit from your life. So God has put you into this world, and He has given you talents and abilities to use in this world.

And God wants to know how you’re doing because He has an investment in your life. And He wants returns. Have you ever seen the state went through the file of returns? It means they want a portion of the profits from your business. That’s why you pay those taxes. We have a God that says, look, I want you to give me praise, honor, and glory. And look what I’m going to give you. And we will rob him out of the praise, honor and glory that belongs to him.

And we won’t use our investments of the talent and treasures that he’s given us for his honor and glory. And we use it for ourselves. God, our heaven, our heaven, our God is God. And you can’t win. I’ve never seen a child of God go against God and win. You don’t win. You always lose. So he makes the state. Verse 14. But what does it profit my brother though a man say he had faith and have not works can faith save him the answer is Save him from what now.

We’re not talking about heaven and hell If it was talking about hell, I say yes, it will save him, but we’re not talking about hell So can they save him and no it can’t Save him from what the judgment of God no it can’t can it save me from the chasing hand of God no it can’t Because God says a man will reap what he So you live ungodly. There’s a price to pay and you will not escape. You cannot get away from it.

God has designed our Christian life for us to be profitable servants and many of God’s servants are slothful servants, wicked servants. And so he says if a brother or sister be naked in destitute of daily food, One of you say unto him, Depart in peace be you warmed and feel not with standing you give them not those things which are needful for the body What did the profit see profit profit profit? This is talking about in service What good does it do to tell people I love the Lord and then live like the devil?

Christ made this statement in the book of John chapter 14 verse 31 That the world may know that I love the Father even so I do in the words I do what I do because I want the world to know that I love him I love the Lord. I can only prove to you that I love the Lord other thing that I do for the Lord. People see my works. They cannot see my faith. I can’t see your faithPos by the way you live.

If you say I love the Lord, then live like you love the Lord. I am a child of God. Then live like a child of God. You’re a child of the King? Use the language of the court. Learn his word. Quote his word. believe His Word, live like a king. You’re a child of the king. So he’s talking here to believers on how to serve the Lord and why we should. So he says in verse seven, so faith, if it happens not works, it’s dead, been alone, because that’s the only thing people can see.

And it’s the only thing God’s going to reward. God’s not going to reward your faith in him. He’s He’s going to reward the works that you did. Remember that illustration I gave you all one time? When Peter wanted to walk on the water, and he says, Lord, bid me come to you, I want to walk on the water. So he got out of the boat and walked on the water. You see, yeah, but he started to sink. Yeah, but he did walk on the water.

And the othera guys that was still in the boat, that doesn’t say that, but yankee-ology says, they looked at you and said, you know, I could have done that. I was just getting ready to do that. I could have done that. Yes, there’s a lot of things you could have done, but you’re gonna be rewarded for what you did, not what you could have done. You’re gonna suffer the loss of what you could have done because God knows the potential of every individual.

And that’s why it’s so important to serve him. Now look what he says in verse 18. Yay, a man may say, because we’re talking about in the eyes of man. A man may say, look in verse 19, a thou beleavus, look in verse 20. Oh, thou vain man. Look in verse 20, do it. See us thou. He’s talking about you. See, verse verse 24, you see. This is in the eyes of man. This is what people see. People see the way we live.

And people will judge our God, by the way, his children lack. So God says, should I serve him? Where’s your works? You say, I love the Lord. Then I expect this to see you every Sunday morning in church. You say, well, I don’t have to come to church to prove I love the Lord. Yes you do. I don’t have to get, yes you do. If you love the Lord, not if you don’t love the Lord, live like the devil, they don’t matter anyway.

But if you love him, it changes everything. Love churning changes. If I love my wife, then I would have lived like I love my wife. If I love my wife, I don’t flirt with other women. If I love my wife, I’m faithful to my wife. By the way, a few more months will be married 50 years. I think it’s a keeper. You know I’m a preacher and I have preached in a lot in the last three years I’ve probably been 120 something churches, so I’ve been in a quite a few church.

I have never seen a woman like my wife I’m talking about what preachers preachers why I’ve never seen preachers why like my wife? The older you get the longer your marriage other your wife should be It pitted me. I love women to you. Nobody’s like your wife. But of course, she probably never seen another man like me. She treat me like a king and I quit her like a queen. We get along pretty good. Now how did I get sidetracked on?

I don’t know. So what did I have to do with a sermon? I don’t know. Because everything had to have a point. But he says in verse 18, yay a man may say, thou hast faith. I have works. Show me thy works. I’ll show you my faith by my works. Show me your faith without works. Can’t do it. But I want to show you my faith by my works. Are we talking about how to get to heaven? No. So you see, James doesn’t contradict Paul.

Neither one contradict God who gave the gospel to Abraham. A man is justified by faith alone in Christ alone. And so that’s all he has to do. But after he trusts Christ as Savior and refers to the works, you’ll notice in verse 21, when he says, was not Abraham our Father justified by works? When he believed, no, no, no, no, when he offered up Isaac. This was about 13, 15 years later. So he’s not referring here to that night when God called the stars and he believed and got his right.

He’s not talking about Abraham when he got saved. He told me when Abraham was tested, when he took up his son and walked up from that Mount Moriah and offered up his son upon the altar because he believed that if I sway my son, he believed that God would raise him again from the dead. He was chapter 11. See, he knew more than most people think he knew. He understood. So when he talks about Rahab, justified by her words, not taught by him, when you believe talking about what she did.

That’s the work is what people see. So in the eyes of individuals that people would have put you on the witness stand and accord of law. Would there be enough evidence against you to convict you have been a Christian. I’ve lived like you love the Lord. This hand represent you and me, the wall of represents sin. We all have sin on us. Now God says that he loves us, but he hates what we do wrong. And for us, the paper sends eternal separation from God and a literal fire burning them.

But he loves us and wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven, you’ve got to be perfect. No sin. Because heaven’s perfect. God’s perfect. But we’re not. Because of sin, we can’t get in. So God says, this not by your work. So no man can earn their way to heaven by the good deeds they perform. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh came into the world because he loved us, hates our sin because it separates us from him.

So what Christ did for one person, He did for the whole world. He took all the sins. Hey, turn on the cross came back from the dead and said, if we’ll believe that he did it for us, he put this payment to our account. Give me his righteousness. His righteousness would be put to my account. I would be as righteous as God. And that’s why I’m going to heaven because of his robe of righteousness that was given to me.

And it says the moment you believe he did it for you, he gives you the free gift of eternal life. Now if it’s eternal life, how long would it last? Forever. And if it lasts forever, and all you’re centripated, where would you go when you die? To heaven. See, we believe you can know you have eternal life now and know where you’re going whenever you die. If it’s tomorrow, 10 years from now, or 100 years from now, I know I’m going to heaven and God can’t change it.

I can’t change it. It’s a done deal, but I’m not in heaven yet. And so as a child of God, I know that it is my responsibility concerned. Not to get to heaven, but because I’m going there. Let’s pray shall we. 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. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline 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 homepage. 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.