This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 Bible-lined to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will 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.

So we have an old sinful nature in our body. God never changed the body. God didn’t save the body. He saved the soul and watched you fight a snow. But now because you’re still alive, your God’s child, now you’re going to heaven, you still got a body that still loves to sin. You still desire the things that are wrong. You can think wrong things. Say wrong things. Do wrong things. Have a bad attitude. So God says, I want you to have power over that.

Evidently, in their Christian life, they weren’t using the power. They weren’t listening to what Paul had said. They were being popped up because of knowledge, but not application. So he says, you’re just babes in Christ. carnal minded, you’re fleshly minded. In other words, you’re not minding what God said. You ever have kids that don’t mind, ever have a wife that don’t mind?

Who said that? Or a husband that doesn’t mind? Yes. I mean, if y’all have one of\)oh no no no no no no. Well, y’all too quick on that. I couldn’t even stop you in time. But sometime we just don’t mind. So God says, I want you to be spiritually minded. All right, they were carnal minded. And this is where God wants you to be sanctified in your life. It means you cut off out of your life things that you don’t need.

Things that just feed the flesh so that you don’t do the thing God wants you to do. God wants you to make right decisions and study his words so that you can grow become a strong Christian. And so there is in the Word of God the reason for studying the Word of God so you can be strong enough spiritually minded discern right from wrong so you can make better choices in your life so that it saves you from the power of that old sinful nature that you have.

Otherwise you’ll just live like a lost person. No different. You can be saved live like a lost person. Then there is the third being saved and that’s when you trust Christ as your Savior and there’s a time coming when the Lord is going to take you out of here. He will save you from the very presence of sin. We’re not going to be in this world. So I can be taken home by death or the rapture takes place and I’m changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the ear.

I prefer that one. So one day I will be saved from the very presence of sin because the Bible says we’ll be with the Lord and there is no sin that dwells in His presence. Not even a lie. It’s a holy place. Even called the Holy City. So that saved saved saved saved. Now these people here, well they’re messing up on this second one. The one, yet that was good. You trust Christ as you’re saving. That was a smart decision.

That was a wise decision. You’re going to heaven now, but you’re not there yet. He didn’t take you to home. You still got a life to live. God may give you another 15, 20, 30 years here, may 40 or 50. So look now in the book of 1st Corinthians chapter 15. He does a little rehearsing and is going to show these very same things, these three basic things that you need to see. Concerning the very beginning, and verse 1, more over brethren, so we’re talking to those that are saved, he’s rehearsing to them what he declared unto them when he came to them the first time.

I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein ye stand. I came, I preached, you relieved. Now hold your place right there and look in 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1, I want you to see this. In verse 18, he says, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved as past tense, it is the power of God. See, the Savior took the power of God, not the power of man.

Man can’t save himself. So Paul preached the gospel, they heard the gospel, and they believed the gospel. So he says that the only thing I wanted to know when I came there, and the first thing that’s a priority on my list, is Christ and Him crucified. Look what he says in chapter two. and look there in verse one. And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declared unto you the testimony of God, but I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

This was my message. This is what I preach, because you see, you can’t get anybody to live for God who hasn’t first accepted Christ as their Savior. they have to be born into God’s family first. Then you can talk about Christian growth and Christian character and integrity and all those things that we should have in our life. But if a man doesn’t get saved, you can’t have sanctification until a man has been justified. So salvation is number one. You must trust Christ to save you.

That’s why with us, it is a priority in this ministry. Have you ever noticed how many times we talk about the gospel at this church. And at the end of every service, I try to do that little thing with the wallet day on you ever seen that. Why when we’re on the internet? That’s what we talk about if I have a, every service is always about the gospel. Because that’s first, that’s priority. Because there can’t be anything until a man’s done this.

And it is the foundation, and there should not be any cracked in our foundation. questions and doubts about am I or am I not going to heaven? Am I or am I not saved? It ought to be settled in your mind. I am saved. I’ve trusted Christ. It’s over with. It’s a done deal. Now that I am saved, what does He want me to do with my life? So that’s what we begin to teach. So look there in 1 Corinthians in chapter 15.

So then He makes a statement in verse 2 by which? Also, ye are saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain. How can you believe in vain? Now, there’s two ways of looking at this portion of Scripture. One you can believe in vain if Christ did not come back from the dead. If you and I trusted Christ as our Savior and He never came back from the dead, we’re trusting a dead man to get us to heaven.

Does that make sense? No, doesn’t show any kind of wisdom on our part. You wouldn’t be very bright to trust me to get you to heaven. And I wouldn’t be very smart to trust you to get me to heaven. So our salvation being saved only because we’re trusting Him. And He came back from the dead and said, if we would believe that, we are saved unless we believe in vain, unless He did not come back from the dead. But He did come back from the dead.

Now there’s another way you can look at this verse or the sports in Scripture. If when he says they’re in verse 2, by which you are saved, this is talking about from the power of sin in your life. Remember these people, Paul already said, you are saints, you have been sanctified, you are brethren, but they had no power in their life. They were not serving God. their life had not changed and it should be. If it doesn’t change, you still go to heaven, but God wants your life to be dynamic for him.

He wants you to accomplish something. He wants to use you and he wants a clean vessel, but you won’t clean up the vessel.” So he says here, by which you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in You and I need to understand. Our sanctification, our change life, our serving God is going to be because we are anchored to that foundation and there’s no cracks in our foundation. The power that saved us is the power that can give us what we need to overcome the temptations of the devil, that old sinful nature that you’ve got.

the same power that raised up Jesus from the dead is the same power that lives inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Now there’s several things that he does here. As he explains what is the gospel, the gospel that I preach unto you. So you look there in verse 3, for I delivered unto you first, first of all, that which I also received. Now in the Galatians in chapter 1 he talks about, I received the gospel straight from Jesus Christ.

I did not receive it from man. I got it from God. And the message that I received, I delivered. And as he says here in verse 3, for I deliver to you first of all that which I also received how that one Christ died for our sins according to the scripture. According to the Scripture is the validation of an Old Testament prophecy. It means in the Old Testament it states it and the New Testament is validated. And it says in the Old Testament Christ would die for our sins.

And He did. That is prophecy. It is fulfilled. It’s guaranteed. It happened. You and I believe that. But He not only says that, but look at the last part of it. Where He makes a statement, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried. Being buried is the proof that He died. But He died according to the Scriptures and that He was buried because you don’t bury a man that’s alive, you’re not supposed to.

But being buried is the proof that He died. the rest of it’s not over yet. In the very next statement he says in verse 4, and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Once again, validating Old Testament prophecy. It states it, he did it, it happened, we believe it. The Word of God is true. Happened just like He prophesied, but notice the last part of the verses, where it says in verse 5, and that he was seen.

That’s the proof. He came back again from the deadit’s not only validates that he died but that he lives, all according to the Scriptures. And then when he talks about What we saw, what we saw, he gives a whole list of all these people that saw something. They saw Jesus alive after they knew he was dead. They were convinced. You see, if he was dead and now he is alive, did you realize understanding and believing the power that can give to you not to fear anything in this world?

Have no fear of any man. I know any man takes my life. I’m not dead. I can never die. Oh, they may put this old body in the grave. I’m going to be through with it anyway. Action from the body present with the Lord. Like Dr. Stanford says, I’ll live till I died and then I’ll live forever. But notice what he says in verse five, scene of Cephas, then of the 12. After that, he was seen. See, when they saw, it means it was the proof that they needed.

And then 500 brethren at once, verse 7, after that he was seen of James, then of the apostles. Last of all he was seen of me. And then verse 9, for I am the least of the apostles that I’m not meat or fit to be called and apostles because I persecuted the church of God. But now look in verse 10. 10, in spite of everything that Paul had done. He says, I am what I am by the grace of God.

Yes, I can say, I am saved by heavy turn of life. I’m going to heaven by the grace of God. But Paul didn’t stop with just that understanding because then he says, I labored more abundantly than they all. Labern was not for salvation. Labern was because of the grace of God. Look what God has done for me. Look what He’s done for you. If He saved me from hell and gave me eternal life, and I’m His child and I’m going to heaven when I die.

Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t serve the Lord. I owe all to Him, everything to Him. I’m going to heaven when I die. I can’t go to hell because He loved me that much. Now, you tell me why I shouldn’t give Him all my life and serve Him with everything that I have. But these Christians, they weren’t serving Him. They were arguing and fighting and bickering and adultery. You named the sin, they were doing it. So he’s trying to let him see, listen, I want you to know that there ought to be something happen in your life because of all what Christ has done for you.

Now you can’t pay him back for what he did, but you ought to love him for what he did. We love him because he first loved us. So now he goes down through here and he makes some wonderful statements. And I want you to see this there. Looking for 17. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, you’re yet in your sins. When it makes a statement, you are yet in your sins. In your sin is a lost position.

Christ says, unless you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins. On the cross, one died for sin, one died to sin, one died in sin. Here he says in verse 18, then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If there’s no resurrection and you die and there’s no resurrection, you’re dead.

I mean, what hope do you have? And the problem was some had already died. See, they believe that Christ was going to come back before anybody died, but people started dying. As he said, 500 as the last part of it says, but some are falling asleep. So what happened to them? So either you have to have an understanding or you’ll love a devil to quench your spirit, rob you of hope and love and joy and fill your life with nothing but that which makes you miserable.

Did you know you that no Christ is your savior, not to serve a Lord? You’re in for one miserable life. A life of filled with love and joy and happiness is always in obedience to the Lord, not disobedience to the Lord. Look what he says in the very next verse in verse 19. If in this life, in this life, this is after you’re saved, but you haven’t got to heaven yet, but in this life, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

So if you don’t serve the Lord and you go through life and you’re miserable, good. I can’t help most people. You can come to me and I’ll talk to you about your problem, but if you don’t want to serve the Lord, I can’t help you. I can’t help. I can only help you by telling you what God wants you to do. And if you don’t want to do what God wants you to do, I can’t help you. I can’t help solve your problem.

You’re going to be miserable and you’re going to go from one headache to the next to the next to the next to the next to the next And all of your problems one miserable life Now if you want to be helped I Can help you to the Lord I can show you what God says what God wants you to do Does God want his children to live a godly life? Yes or no Yes, he does How you doing? Go on answer But this is what God wants and some people do some people will not But you know even though it’s in this life you see the word there in verse 20 But now now now and then you’ll also find out over there in verse 50 Where it says now this I say brethren Because he it’s in this life Yes, they’re going to be a resurrection and one day as he says there in verse 48 of

of chapter 15. As is the earthy such are they also that are earthy. As is the heavenly such are044 they also that are heavenly. As we have borne the image of the earthy we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. You see my first birth I got an old flesh birth, body, sinful nature. And a… I bear the image of a person living in this world. I was telling me in Sunday school how that 40 years ago, how much younger I looked.

And you know, if God should tear you down the road, I am right now the youngest that I’m going to be from here on. Today is the youngest day of my life that I’m going to have from here on out. Did you know that you probably look the best right now? You’re going to look for the rest of your life. Isn’t that scary to think about? You will bear the image and you’re going to die in this old physical body.

Your new birth when you trusted Christ as your Savior, the one you can’t see, it’s a spiritual birth. But God says you’re going to be just like the Lord. Just like the Lord. Well, if that’s true, when do you think God wants you to start take it on his image. When do you think God wants to start building some Christian character in your life? Well, I’m just going to wait until I get to heaven and get it all at one time.

God uses the things in this life to work on you, to develop Christian character. You see, I need patience. I just need patience. Well, that’s wonderful to know. Tribulation work is patience. This person came to see Dr. Cameron, One of my teachers at Florida Bible College, he said, Doc, I want to be like you. He’s only about 22 years old. He’s Doc. I want to be just with about 60. I want to be just like you. You know, every time you punch him, Jesus comes out.

You cut his suspenders and he may go straight to heaven, but he just taught Jesus. He prayed Jesus. He was a wonderful man. He says, Doc, I want to be just like you. He says, you really do. He says, yes, I do. He said, you will He wouldn’t do anything, anything. I don’t care what he did, I’m gonna, then let’s pray. They got him in the hands of the, oh God, bless this young man with all the tribulation that you can pour out upon him.

Break his heart, bring him to the point of despair. He stopped Dr. Cameron in the middle of his prayers, says, that’s not what I’m talking about. He says, I’m the way I am because that’s what God did to me. Now, do you want to be like me or not? Do you want God to use you? You want God to break you? Tribulation workers, patience and all kind of things that God has for you. And then notice what he says.

Down there in verse 51. One day he’s going to deliver us from the very presence of sin. You see that verse 51 says, Behold I show you a mystery. We can all all sleep, we shall all be changed, finally. But you don’t have to wait then to start changing something. There might be some things you can change in your life today. start being more like Christ. How’s your attitude? Did you know if you just fall in love with the things of this world, you’re in for a lot of heartache and disappointments?

You expect this and you got this. You shouldn’t do that. You see, the Bible told me, let my expectation be of the Lord. Whatever I expect, I expect it from God. I will only want what He wants for me. That’s all I expect. expect God to let anything happen in my life. He wants to happen. No problem. So he makes a statement in verse 52. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trunk for the trumpet shall sound the dead shall rise, be raised in corrupt and we shall be changed.

So this is going to happen and he’s going to deliver us from the very presence of sin. See when you trust in Christ, He delivered you from the penalty. You’d never have to pay for it again. Now that you are saved, He wants to save you from the very power of sin in your life. And then one day He’s going to deliver us from the very presence of sin. And when that day comes, because it’s true, it’s going to happen.

Look what He says in verse 58. Therefore, therefore, my beloved brethren, Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, it’s not in vain. Christ, He did come back from the dead. He did ascend into heaven. And he is coming back and it’s all going to be worth it. So, serve the Lord with all your heart. Verse 58 is to us that are living here now.

Not to do this is to be in for a miserable life. I’m not saying that Christian life is without all the problem. Yeah, but you don’t have to go through life miserable. Joy is an option. Joy is you trust in the Lord has nothing to do with all the problems you have Because you know Christ says my joy I give unto them not as the world give it But you’ve got to understand where you’re coming from and I hope that this will help you look up here very quickly This hand represent you and me the wallet represents sin we all have sin on us God he loves us He hates what we do wrong, but he loves us and the Bible says that the pay for that is death and help That’s the penalty and so God says to go to heaven.

You have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect We’re not righteous God says you cannot save yourself this hand represents in Jesus Christ He’s the Lord God in the flesh He came into the world because he loves us hates our sin because it separates us from him So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. He said that if we would believe He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account.

We go to heaven on what He did. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation going to heaven is free. He paid for it. And I hope that every one of you have trusted Christ as your Savior, and you know that you have eternal life. Once you do it, you never have to do it again. It’s the best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed, heavy eye closed, no one looking around. In the quietness of this moment, would you just talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I don’t understand at all, but I believe Christ died for me.

And I’m going to trust him as my only hope of going to heaven. And friend, if you’re making that decision, if you understood what I’ve said today, you’ve never done it before. You see, yes, I will trust Christ. That’s my only hope. And preach our life, Peter, pray for me. Would you just slip your hand very quickly and put it right back down? If you’ve already done it, you don’t have to do it again. Anyone else? Anyone at all?

Just raise your hand very quickly.GGGG I can’t see. ption man back there. I saw your hand. Yes, God bless you, man. God bless you, sir. You can put it down. Thank you so much. So sign a good judgment. There’s no tricks to it. I’m not going to have you come forward. Not going to embarrass you. Anyone else before we close? Our Father, we thank You so much for all You’ve done for us, for giving us the free gift of eternal life.

We’re thankful for these that indicated by an uplifted hand that they will trust You as Your Savior, by doing so they become Your child, Your child forever. And Father, we also pray concerning each individual here that knows You. We pray, Lord, that they would understand that there are things in their life that may not be right that need to talk to You about it. You want us to have a sanctified life, a holy life, not to get to heaven, but because we’re your children, because we’re going there.

And that our labor is not in vain, it’s worth it all. So bless each one here. We ask your blessings in Christ’s name, amen. 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 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 tool 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 Bibleline 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