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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. 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 monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. to be you can reach us to be a online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bible i ministries dot o r g home page 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 anyway i want to give you some things i think will help you in your christian life.

So you’re either trying to challenge people to be so winners or and if you want to do that then you’ve got to stay strong in the Lord. So everyone should stay strong in the Lord. So you’ve got to have a foundation. What is the reason why you do what you do? How many of you would say right now at this point? How many would no positively be on a shepherd that you are justified? You have been justified. Let me see a hand.

Alright? of your kind of hesitant because you’re maybe not real sure what it means. To be justified means to be just as if you had never sinned. To be declared righteous. You’re just with God. God finds no fault in you. You’re cleared. All the things you’ve ever done or ever will do, you’re cleared. Now where’s it say that in the Bible. Therefore we have been justified with God by faith. Where does it say that in the Bible? Romans chapter 5 verse 1.

Very good. Look here in Romans chapter 5 and verse 1. I’m so glad you knew where it was at. All along. Now how do you know you have been justified? How do you know? Because you had an experience, right? You had this holy ghost experience and chills went up down your spine and you blabbered all over the place. You know you had goosebumps on top of your goosebumps. So you had this feeling. Now if you’re trusting in some experience or some feeling, you really don’t have much to go on.

because we do not go by feeling or some experience that we may have had. You go by what does the book say? So in Romans chapter 5 and verse 1 where it says therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ that’s how I know I’m justified because the Word of God says so. When I put my trust in Jesus Christ I am justified just as if I had never done anything wrong. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 John chapter 2, 1 John and chapter 2.

How many of you believe that you have been forgiven of all of your sins? Let me see your hand. You’ve been forgiven of all of your sins. You really believe that. How do you know you’ve been forgiven of all of your sins? What’s the foundation for your belief? Because you had a feeling. I just feel like it today. I just feel like I’ve been forgiven today. Well, that’s not very good either. So in the book of 1 John and chapter 2, I want you to look there in verse 12, and you ought to unwind the line in verse 12.

It’s a very good verse because we get our assurance from what God says. I know I’ve been justified because the Word of God says I have been, and the Word of God won’t change. I know that all of my sins have been forgiven. Why? Because the word of God says they’ve been forgiven. See, they’re in verse 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. Your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake because Christ made a payment so that we could be forgiven of all of our sins.

So therefore, I know that my sins are forgiven because God’s Word says so. Now, How many of you believe that one day in the future you’re going to have a perfect glorified body and you’re going to be totally perfect with the Lord? You believe that? Let me see here. All right. Well, how do you know? How do you know? Look in Colossians. you Colossians in chapter 1, there’s a wonderful, wonderful verse there. Chapter 1 verse 27. Notice what he says in verse 27, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentile, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.

So we know we have this joyful anticipation of total perfection some day when we get our glorified body. We were at one time where it says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, short of God’s perfection. Now we know that we have God’s Word about the future and what it’s going to be. So that’s why the Bible talked about you have been glorified. It’s from God’s point of view as a deed already done, but we’re just not there yet.

But we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and one day that is going to take place. We’re going to receive this glorified body. I think it’s a good thing. Turn into 2 Timothy, chapter 3. 2 Timothy and chapter 3. The one thing that every one of us needs to do as a child of God is to make sure that we have determined that not only we just going to go by what the Word of God says but every day of our lives we draw the conclusion for right and wrong principles for what God’s Word says.

See we can know that we’ve been justified we know our sins are forgiven we know we’re going to glorified someday, but are not there yet. But until then, I need something to guide my life. Now I had a phone call even this afternoon with somebody in Colorado, and they listened to the radio broadcast. And there’s an individual that, well, they married this, she married this man, and about a year ago, now he’s 74 years old and he has, she says, dementia, now I donctx, I don’t know I haven’t talked to the man and she said, I don’t know what I’m going to do and it was almost like she was trying to figure out how can I get out of this.

I didn’t got into this, now how can I get out of this. Have you ever found yourself getting into a situation and you trying to find a way to get out of the situation. Don’t tell us what it is. But she was in tears and I had to come to the conclusion, ma’am, I can’t help you. I cannot solve your problem.

You’ll have to find a preacher there and see if you can talk to him and he can give you some counsel about Beir what to do. Because some people they just don================ think about right and wrong should they or should they not. Their age and why they do certain things. And then when things go wrong they totally totally totally fall apart. And they don’t want to solve the problem but did they want to get out of the problem. And I don’t knowaunders way to get a woman out of that problem.

I’ll get blamed for it but I didn’t put her in the problem, but the preacher is supposed to have a magic wand and you just wave it and everything’s right. Now sometimes you have made decisions and you have to live with the decision, sometimes right, sometimes wrong, but you have to face the consequences. It’s not always an appealing thing. So that’s why before you make decisions on the spur of the because it feels like the thing to do. Do you think that it would be wise to seek God’s counseling and everything that you do?

Because later on down the road you’re going to have to decide, well, did I believe this was of God or************ did I not believe this was of God? And if I did believe it was God, has God changed his mind since then? And if I didn’t believe it was of the Lord, then why did I do it? This is why the book of Romans talks about us not condemning ourselves and those things which we allow ourselves to do because he says whatsoever is not a faith is sin.

So we’re supposed to make our decision based upon the fact that what God’s word says is what is guiding us. And because we believe that, we act upon that and we trust the word of God. And it keeps you from being a double-minded man. So you make decisions with the Lord and you believe that was the right thing to do, then you don’t change it unless you have some definite reasons for why you should. and then you have to move very slowly, very carefully.

But anyway, look there in 2 Timothy chapter 3. Look in verse 14. As Paul tells young Timothy, verse 14 is about, you know, knowing the scriptures in verse 15 about salvation. But verse 16 and 17 is about growing to a man of God. So the scriptures is how we come to know Christ as our Savior. So we’re born into God’s family. But then when you want to grow in the Lord, then there’s things that God’s Word has given to us.

As a little baby that learns how to take steps and doesn’t everybody get excited when a little Johnny takes his first step? Oh, come and see. He took a step and you go to see the kids all over the floor and he can’t take a step. I think sometimes you try to hurry him because you just want to be so proud that my little boy can walk. Well, give them time. They’ll walk, but the first step is important. But then the second time is that sometimes they take false steps.

They put their foot down and there’s nothing there and the foot goes up underneath them and they just fall on their face. They haven’t got control. They’re learning how to put their step down and the kids sometimes can think that this fits down and it ain’t down. Well, have you ever heard the kids talk about the terrible twos? Our kids didn’t have terrible twos. They had terrible two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. But you have kids that learn how to walk eventually.

And so the next one is not just the faltering steps, but it’s the stumbling steps. And then lo and behold, they learn how to go forward. They learn how to put one foot in front of the other foot and in front of the other foot and then you let them go and see if they can make it across the floor. And usually somebody’s on the other side, come on, come on. Now that’s the way sometimes kids are, but that’s the way Christians are learning how to walk.

And they don’t all walk the same way at the same speed. They don’t all start off the same way. There’s periods in people’s lives. But now what I want you to notice here, in verse 14 he said, but can you tell you that in the thing which thou has learned and hath been assured of, knowing of whom thou has learned them? And that from a child that has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee You wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

So it is the will of God that you teach children from the scriptures the way of salvation because kids can understand the gospel. But now after you trust Christ as your Savior, it’s the will of God that a child learned out to walk. And that’s why he says there when he says in verse 16, all scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching a child how to walk, how to be a man of God. And so when he makes a statement there for doctrine, we often say that’s what’s right.

Well, that’s the first steps. It’s right to take that first step. I made a statement the other day. It’s not a miracle to me that I’ve ever finished anything. The miracle in my life is that I ever started anything. Do you realize how difficult it is to start something? To decide I’m going to, some people can never make up their mind. They take forever to make up their mind. So there’s a God in heaven that wants us to walk with him and he knows what speed to take.

Now sometime me and Betty will go out and we’ll walk. And she’ll say well Yankee why don’t you just go ahead and walk to speed you want to. So I start walking the speed that I’m comfortable with. After a while I look back. Now I have to wait a little bit. And here she comes. I say, honey, you just pace yourself and go to the speed you want to go. And I’ll just go to the speed you want because I can walk a little.

I’ve got longer legs. And so with the Lord, see, the Lord wants us to walk with him, not to run off and leave him. Betty’s dad used to make this statement. He said, to jank him, the Lord could lead you if he could get out front. Think what he said. The Lord can lead you if you let him get out front. In other words, you’re running ahead of God because I would be so impatient. And when I want something, I want it now.

Now, I’m glad everybody else doesn’t like that, but that’s the way I was. So when he makes a statement here for reproof, correction, this is the first steps, the false steps, the faltering steps, and the forward steps. step, instruction, and righteousness. That the man of God can be what he ought to be. So this is what God wants, and it can be done that way. Now, take your Bible and turn to the book of Luke, chapter 12, the book of Luke, and chapter 12.

You often hear that as a child of God, not only learning to walk with the Lord, getting our marching orders from the Scriptures, which is what we’re do. But also, it says in Matthew chapter 10 about confessing Christ and in chapter 10 of the book of Romans about confessing Christ. And a lot of people believe that that just means when the preacher gives the invitation, you go down to the front in front of everybody and you say, I trust the Christ is my Savior.

Now you done done the job and so you don’t have to do it for the rest of your life because you done done it. No, I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about. You and I are supposed to confess Christ all our life in our actions, our word, our deeds, everything about us. We always are supposed to be confessing Christ. And not only that, it means every trial and testing that you have, you should be confessing Christ. In other words, are you handling your pressures of life, your trials and tribulations, as become of the Christian, the way a Christian should.

Not the way a lost man does, but the way a saved man does. That is confessing Christ. You see, in the Old Testament, they had, you know, suffering many ways. Even in the New Testament, the first search you, when they were putting them into the lion’s den and And so forth, they were confessing Christ. Even by their willingness to die, they were confessing who they believed was King. And to them, Caesar wasn’t King. Christ is King. And so that same thing is still following down the day, when you stop and think about it, and everybody’s heard of Daniel in the lion’s den, okay, Daniel in the lion’s vip.

He was confessing his God is why he was in trouble because of his God. And he served and worshiped God. And because of his testimony in that area of his life, he prayed. Now stop and think, does God know the future from the beginning? Oh yes. Did God know that this man Daniel, if he prayed, he was going to be put into the lion’s den. Oh my goodness, I hope he doesn’t pray. No,fw he went ahead and did it just like he was doing it before.

God knew that they were going to put him into the lion’s den. But that was Daniel’s opportunity to declare who he loved, who he obeyed, who his God was. Now, when you and I have a trial testing, it is your opportunity to demonstrate to whoever wants to know whoever cares. You are a Christian and you are confessing Christ by the way you live your life, by the things that you say, the things that you do. Oh, I hate this sermon.

Something come back to bite you and you wish, I don’t know if I should have said all that, because we are not all the perfect examples in all of our lives that we ought to be. Now, if, if, If all of you in here could secretly follow me for one week, do you think you would ever see me say or do anything that would be an unchristian thing to do? Honey, don’t wait. Not so fast, son. Man, she was just her head was like on the swivel, it was even going like that.

But let’s reverse it. What if I could follow you? Would I see anything that would be unchristian in your life? You know, the Bible talks about things in the book of Ephesians and chapter 5, not being once named among you. Not one time. Mm. So you see, Christians have a high standard, but did you know that the lost people today have a higher standard for God’s children than God’s children have? Because they are the one that will point their finger and you say, I thought you was a Christian.

I didn’t know Christians did that. Ugh. That’s when you want to kind of slink down. That’s why I never put anything on my cart that lets anybody know that I’m a Christian. I just haven’t never done it. You know, some of them put this policeman. He pulled his one car over and he says, okay, lady, get out of that car. And he said, I’m gonna have to take you in. She said, well, what? He said, because you stole this car.

He says, I did not steal this car. This is my car. He said, well, I’m gonna have to take you in. She says, why do you have to take me in? He says, because on the back of it, he says, what would Jesus do? You have a fish symbol back there And no one has, I love Jesus, hunk if you love Jesus. And so by the way, you were driving and rolling on your winder and screaming at everybody. I just knew it just can’t be your car.

Now you’d be surprised who is watching us all the time. So here in Luke, and it says in chapter 12 and verse eight, it makes a statement. Also I say unto you, whose so ever shall confess me before men? Him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denyeth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. Now we’ve covered this before from the book of Matthew in chapter 10, and it’s not talking about salvation, it’s talking about service.

It’s talking about God rewarding us, not talking about salvation, which is a gift. This is talking about God’s people giving and living the proper testimony. Therefore he says, let your light so shine before man that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven. So we wouldn’t you when we think this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. What we’re talking about is the way I live, my good works is going to shine so that I can let them know that I’m glorifying my Father, which is in heaven.

So if you don’t tell them why you’re doing it, then you heat all the glory and the praise upon yourself. But whenever you give that honor to the Lord, this is why I do what I do. Then you’re telling them why I’m doing it. But we’re not supposed to be afraid or hide or run and so forth because of our testimony. Some people, I don’t think they wanted anybody to see what they do and how they act because they’re ashamed of their testimony.

So every one of us have a responsibility and we’re to know that. So God’s Word simply saying, we’re to confess it before others, but when you talk about confessing, it’s not a one-time deal that you went down to the front in a church and you let everybody know that you trust the Christ of Savior. Now that’s good, but that’s not the end of it. If God took you on home, that would be great. Well, Im talking about, He still wants you to live every life and you confess Christ.

So tomorrow you know that your whole day is supposed to be lived for the Lord, so it should be a testimony for the Lord. And so that means in your attitude, the way you talk to people, how you drive, everything, every area of your life. So how are we doing? Don’t answer. But it’s what God wants us to do. Let’s see there in chapter 12 verse 8 and also in 9 and in verse 10. All these verses deal with this one thing.

But there in verse 12 when he talks about the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say and things that you’re supposed to know, your things you’re supposed to do, if we would only do what God says to do. Now, turning in your Bible to 1 Peter chapter 3, 1 Peter and chapter 3. Generally, we would talk about marriage with a man and a woman being married and how that the woman is supposed to be, the man is supposed to be.

So it starts off, we’re talking about likewise, you wives, you wives. Be subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the word, they may also So without the word be one body. Conversation or the behavior of the wife. In other words, a woman would be able to win her unbelieving husband by the way she lives. Now you can’t win him without the gospel, we know that, but we’re talking about being able to convince to persuade somebody to trust the Lord because of your Christ-like qualities in your life.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? So he says here to the woman in verse two, while they behold your chase behavior, conversation, coupled with fear that means your respect for your husband, who’s adorning, let it not be that outward, adorning the platen to hair and of wearing a gold or putting on a apparel. It’s not saying you can’t put on these things, otherwise it would also be saying you can’t put on apparel. We’d have a problem there. But he’s talking about that’s not what makes a woman beautiful.

Now I know that they want to be as pretty as they can be and men like the woman to be as pretty as she can be, but there’s more to the woman than just what you see because it says that meat and quiet spirit. Let’s see it again. Looking verse 4, but let it be the hidden man of the heart. We’re talking about the woman having the hidden man of the heart and that which is not corruptible. even the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Now we know this is talking about the woman, but do you believe that it’s possible that sometimes in giving your testimony before others, there might be a time when you need to be quiet. Let me repeat that. There might be a time when you demonstrate your love for the Lord, your patience, Your compassion, your everything by knowing when not to say a word. Have you ever talked to your wife or your husband and sometimes you wish you hadn’t said anything?

You would have been better off if you hadn’t said a word. And to have just, I wonder if it’s possible for a man to have a meek and a quiet spirit or is it only possible for the woman? Is it possible for a man to have a soft voice, to be kind, compassionate, you know, like myself? Or I believe that there’s more here and that it means that. And that’s why he goes on down through here and tells us how we’re supposed to treat that woman that is a weaker vessel.

And probably the reason she is a weaker vessel, I think it’s really the man that’s the weaker vessel because of his weakness for the weaker vessel. Did that make any sense at all? Anyway, we’ll move that along. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tapp of 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 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. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are 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 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.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.