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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 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

This morning we talked a little bit about a subject of does grace give us a license to sin. Well, grace gives us a license to serve because you have permission from the Lord. Granted, it is your right as a believer to go into all the world and preach the gospel because you have the highest authority in all the world who gave it to you. All All power is given unto Him, all power. So He has the right to tell us what we can, He cannot do.

And that’s what He said to do. And He says, in doing so, you’re going to be scared to death, fearful at times, Matthew chapter 10, and you might even be persecuted or even put to death. You say, well, I don’t want to die. Well, none of us really do. I mean, we’re not trying to kill myself. you want to commit suicide, just go to Egypt and go down on the street in Cairo and just start preaching Christ and it won’t be long before you’ll be home.

But I wanted to talk you about something else because I want you to see it that a lot of times people have a little problem with what we call saving faith. You know, you’ve got faith but then you’ve You’ve got to have saving faith. And what is saving faith? Well, the word faith, and sometimes as the word, you know, as a verb or as a noun, and pistouo and pistis, it’s two different words, but one is just a verb, one is a noun, but they both mean the same thing.

And it’s really just talking about to believe. It’s talking about having confidence. It means putting your trust in. Now some want to take an ad to the word faith and make faith a pregnant word. It means that faith produces fruit. I came up with that. I just thought I’d throw that out there. But anyway, they make faith a pregnant word that something has to come from it and that has to be the fruit. And if there is no fruit, then there is no real faith.

It was not just an idea of knowledge that you know something and then you can have confidence. And so you give a mental assent to it that it is true, but it goes a step further. And this is where you get into Lordship Salvation. They give another meaning to the word faith. Instead of it just meaning confidence. Trust in. And so therefore in the New Testament, the stewo is mentioned about 255 times. And Pistis, which is another word, but it’s translated the same, but it’s mentioned about 245 times in the New Testament.

So you have this word used over and over and over again, and you and I want to know, well, what is real, genuine, saving faith? Well, it’s not the size of your faith. It’s not whether you got a lot of faith or a little faith. It’s the object of the faith. And what are you trusting Him for? What do you believe about what He says? And you can believe that Jesus Christ was prophesied to come into the world. But that does not save you.

That’s not saving faith. And you can believe that He was, yes, born of a virgin But that’s not saving faith. And you can believe that he died on the cross. But that’s not saving faith, because many religious believe that. Even to the point that he died and came back from the dead. But that is not saving faith. That’s faith in the fact in this historical and it’s true and it’s real and it’s genuine. But you see, you have to have a particular thing concerning saving faith or what faith can save you for.

And so you can even believe that Jesus… He’s coming back again, but that doesn’t save your soul. You see, you must believe that when Christ died and was buried and rose again and paid for your sins and you had the confidence that what he did was for you. And that what he said was that you could have eternal life if you believe him. So it is the confidence that you have faith is the substance of things hoped for. It’s the evidence.

It means that when you have this faith. proof of what God’s word says and you believe it. That’s faith. Faith in what God says. And so we are told in God’s word to trust Him as our Savior. And we believe the message and so we’re saved by faith in Christ because of what He’s done and what He said. So that is saving faith. Faith that you put in Christ that will save your soul. Now you can trust your wife to take you to heaven.

But she can’t save your soul. You might trust her, but it won’t work. You can trust that angel can fly without wings. I mean, I’d like to see that. But just because you believe he can do it doesn’t mean he can do it. So when you’re trusting Christ to save you, it means you’re trusting Him and depending upon Him to save you and take you to heaven whenever you die. So you see faith has got to be in the right object and the object is a person that can fulfill what he promised.

So you need to have the confidence in God’s Word. Now take your Bible look in the book of Luke, the Gospel of Luke and chapter 8. Luke Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8, and I want you to look there in verse 13, is it possible for believers to lose their faith? To go astray? Some people say, no, you can’t because lordship salvation teaches that if you’re really saved, you will perform. And if you don’t, then it’s a sign you did not have saving faith because of their pregnant idea that there There has to be more to the word faith than just believe, just to trust.

They believe also that there has to be the fruit of your faith, or you’re not really saved and what you had was not saving faith. So just to show you this, look there in Luke in chapter 8 and look in verse 13. It says in verse 13, they on the rock are they which when they heard, received the word with joy. And these have no root which for a while believed. So it is possible for a believer to believe for a while.

You see, if you ever have trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re always saved. Even though later on you did not take root, you did not grow strong, and You can even get to where you no longer believe, but it did not annul what God promised. And that was eternal life, that He would save you. Your salvation is in His hands and not yours. So is it possible for a believer to believe for a while? And then He says, and in time of temptation, fall away.

So therefore the Word of God does teach us, and if we had the time to deal with this whole subject you’ll see that this portion of Scripture, this verse is referring to those who do believe. So yes you can believe and you can believe for a while. Take your Bible look in Matthew chapter 13. Matthew and chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13 and look now in verse 22. Verse 22. Well let’s just look in verse 21 because It’s similar to the verse that we read over there in the book of Luke, but verse 21, yet hath he not root in himself, but endures for a while, for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by, he is offended.

Why? Because he doesn’t have deep roots in the word of God. Have you ever seen Christians who are easily offended and they don’t live and act and talk and walk like a mature child of God and they overreact and over explode because they’re they’re short fused instead of long fused or long suffering. Now look at verse 22. He also that receiveth seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he become it unproofing.

So can a Christian become unproofing in his life? Yes. Just because Jose went out Friday night and they talked to some people and they had some people trust Christ that their Savior. Does not mean that they will go next Friday or the next Friday or the next Friday because Well things can happen and they get to where they don’t care anymore and They don’t do it anymore It doesn’t know what was done But so much more could be done So you always want to keep growing in the Lord always keep doing what’s right?

Whatever’s right. Just keep doing it. I I remember when Ray used to come out all the way out to Colorado and he’d look at it. I said, well, Ray, how do you think we’re doing? Because almost all the alumni want to know, well, what does Ray think? What does Ray think? And he’d say, just keep doing what you’re doing. You know, you wanted them to brag, you know, really puff you up and say, what a great, just keep doing like you’re doing.

Okay. You know, I wanted this glowing report, you know, you’re doing such a wonderful job, you know, that he wouldn’t. There was a time when he lined us all up, and I even put it on the website, one of the pictures of us alumni up there. And all those pictures that I have of different ranch directors up there, that wasn’t all of them. There’s a lot of guys that were standing up there. And he said, these are the greatest you French directors in the world.

And man, I tell you, he made us feel like a million dollars. We’re the greatest in the world. But we loved it. And do you know what that made us want to do? Do more. Do more. Do more. We can do this. But there’s come the time in your life when you just kind of maybe back off. You’re not as faithful as you used to be. So you’re always looking at these things. But understand, If you understand what saving faith is, saving faith is when you put your faith in Christ to save you from hell and take you to heaven.

That’s the confidence in what he said and did. Now, what we’re talking about now is not that. Nothing else can ever affect your saving faith when you got saved. It’s a deal it’s over and done with. And nothing can ever change that. But now as a child of God does all of God’s children equally have the same confidence in the Lord as far as their purpose in life, God’s provision for them in life, or do some Christians have joy and some Christians are in misery and some people, God’s children, don’t have all that assurance.

And so they worry about everything and a lot of Christians do not cast all their cares upon the Lord. Some do, some don’t, some waiver and and some are double-minded. So we know that that is taught into Word of God. Now take your Bible looking John chapter eight, the Gospel of John chapter eight, and verse 31, Jesus makes a very interesting statement here. And he makes a statement here in verse 30, and he spake these words many believed on him.

As he spake these words, many believed on him. Now when we see those words believed on Him, well if this doesn’t mean they got saved, then how would you know any place where this is found? They got saved. So we believe that they believed and so therefore if they believed they’re supposed to be saved. That’s all we did. But look what else he says in verse 31, then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. If you continue in my words, then I know you’ve got real genuine saving faith.

Is that what it said? I didn’t say that. If you continue in my words, then those that believe are what? Disciples. You see, you can be saved and not be a disciple, and you can be a disciple and not be saved. But if you are saved, it is the will of God that you become a disciple. Learn of him, abide in him, walk in him, and it means to be a follower, a learner of Christ. And he says, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

Because there’s a lot of sin in this old world, you have an old sin for nature. And the only thing helps you to stay free from the snares of the devil and the traps of your own sinful nature is abiding in the truth and walk in according to truth. Now, so according to this verse, if you continue in my word means that it’s possible not to continue in his word. So it means you can be saved because they believed.

Now he’s telling those that did believe if you continue in my word, so then it’s possible not to continue in his word, not to serve the Lord. But is that what God wants you to do? Yes, that’s the will of God. So God does want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 9. 1 Corinthians and chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9, there’s an interesting verse where the Apostle Paul had talked about the gospel and how it was committed to him and how that he wanted to preach the gospel and make it without charge and he’d become all things, all men that he might by all means get some to trust the Lord and to the Jew, he became as a Jew, to the Gentile as a Gentile, to those that are under the law, those without the law, that he might get more to trust the

Lord. And he says, we’re all in a race and if we’re all in a race, we’re going to run and we’re going to run, you ought to run to win. And a man who wants to win, strive for the mastery has to be tempered, self-control, disciplined in every area of his life, because otherwise it’s kind of like shadow box and you know there’s nobody there just beat the air and Paul says that’s not what I want to I don’t want to waste my life I don’t want to go through like pretending you see there’s a lot of God’s children that pretend they pretend that they’re right with God they pretend that they’re doing everything they should probably even pretend that they give like they’re supposed to but they don’t they pretend like they pray but they don’t really pray like they should and they don’t witness but they carry their tracks but they never leave

Now I know I’m not talking about anybody here. Did you know that we have given out over 25,000 tracks in the last six months from here? I think it’s what Mike says, we went about something like that, 25,000 tracks. That’s a lot of tracks that we’ve sold and so forth, and they go everywhere. But here in 1 Corinthians 9, I want you to see that verse, and verse 27, Look in verse 27, is it possible that a child of God can be disqualified for the Lord’s work?

Disqualified. Set aside, not used. It means you’re not fit for service. Now you’re going to heaven because of what Christ did for you, but when it comes to serving the Lord, you may not be qualified to do certain things that God wants you to do. And you can prepare yourself, but there’s a battle going on. There’s a war going on. And you may not be disciplined in certain areas of your life. And God just simply says, you’re not ready yet.

You’ve got to wait for a little while. You’re not ready yet. God has always given us time to grow. And not all Christians grow at the same thing. God knows what pressure you can take. He knows how much pressure it would take to destroy you. So God in His wisdom says, I’m not not going to allow you to be tempted above that you’re able. But he says, I will always give you a way of escape that you may be able to bear it, because why God is faithful.

So he says in 1 Corinthians 9 verse 27, but I keep under my body means I bring my body into subjection, lest by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway or set aside, disqualified because I did not run the race professionally as a mature Christian ought to run because I didn’t obey the rules because I stepped outside the boundaries. Have you ever seen a golfer? He gets ready to hit the ball and if he moves it, he has to take a two stroke penalty.

Sometimes the guy hits the ball, it’s out there, it’s going to right feel. A lot of sada bounds. Sometimes Christians go out of bounds. You see, there is the will of God and there’s a lot of freedom within those boundaries, but some Christians sometimes they want to expand the boundaries and God says no. And we want to see what we’re missing out on. Just a little sin won’t hurt. And if I don’t like it, I’ll come back in real quick.

Have you ever heard of this illustration about Bear Rabbit, tar baby? Get stuck. That’s what sin does to you. It traps you, lies, deceives you. And you think, well, there’s nothing to it. No, there is a trap that’s laid for you. So he makes his statement, I myself should be a castaway set apart. So the Bible says that, yes, you can. No Christ is Savior. And even though Paul says, I will do all these things that I might win some.

And at the same time, he knows he has to be disciplined in his own life, or God will set him aside. Because you see, there’s some areas in your life that you don’t take care of. And he said, I don’t want to be just a shadow boxer. I don’t want to go through the motions and not be real and genuine. So that’s why it’s so important. Look there in the book of 1 Timothy in chapter one. 1 Timothy chapter one.

1 Timothy and chapter one. And if you will look there in verse five, this is written to a young preacher boy named Timothy and he’s given him some warnings about people that get into genealogy and all that kind of stuff or claiming that they know the law when they don’t know the law. And so he says in verse five, now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, of a good conscience and a faith unfained.

That means that your faith is real and it’s sincere so that whenever you as a child of God, if you’re living the way God wants you to live, then the end result of obeying the Lord is going to be real genuine love and it’s going to be a good conscience and faith that is pure and clean and right. Because See, it means without ulterior motives. God’s always examining our hearts of why we do what we do and the way we do things.

So God, yes, He wants the best for it, but He says there in the next verse, verse six, from which some having swerved have in your own life turned aside, turned aside. Who, God’s children, can turn aside and not do the things they’re supposed to do. They are losing their confidence in what God says and they’re turning to things like trying to keep the law. And he says, if you think that you can manufacture the fruit of the Spirit by keeping the law, he says, then you don’t get it.

So you see, the end of the law for righteousness is Christ. Well, the end result of studying and serving the Lord and obeying His command is love. And so this love should be pure and clean and sincere. It should be real. This is what Paul was talking about over there in 1 Corinthians and chapter nine and verse 27. So yes, we are supposed to have this kind of faith, but it doesn’t mean everyone of God’s children have this kind of faith and a walk with the Lord.

So even though you right now may be walking with the Lord, you could very easily change your mind tomorrow and not walk with the Lord anymore. But it does not affect your faith that you had in Christ for salvation. That can never be altered after you have been saved. So understand that, so important. Also look there while we’re right here, first Timothy chapter four in verse one. First Timothy chapter four and verse one. He’s told Timothy that he should meditate in the word of God, study to show himself proved under God and he says, if you continue in my word and do what I’ve told you to do, you will not only save yourself, but you’ll save those who hear you.”

And that’s in verse 16. But here in verse 1 he says, now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time some, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devil. Now he didn’t say that now they’re going to hell, now they’ve lost their salvation, no? Some of God’s children will depart from the faith. They’ll no longer believe, sound doctrine. That’s why you have over and over again. In 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, about sound words and sound doctrine.

So he makes a statement here in these verses, something very simple. When he says, depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devil. No longer teaching and believing sound. Words. And so this is why this whole book is written to warn Timothy that there’s these wolves are going to come in and they’re going to sway people and change people. And their faith will be overthrown, but not their salvation cannot be overthrown. Because once you trust Christ, He gives you eternal life.

That is no longer an issue We’re talking about the time that God’s given you and I to live So look there in chapter 6 and verse 9 chapter 6 verse 9 Once again Realizing that there are some of God’s children They want to go to church and hear the preacher teach and they have you ever seen somebody says oh Oh right there right there right there, oh scratch. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

Oh that feels good. Ah, oh that feels good. Now some people go to church and they want to preach the scratch and itch. Make them feel good. And they don’t want to change anything, do anything. They just want you to scratch and tickle their ears. And that’s why you have to be very, very careful. Now, here in these scriptures that you talked over and over again about the doctrine, the doctrine, all the way down through. But look down in verse 10, look in verse 9 verse, but they that will be rich fall into temptation.

So God says, as a Christian, you can desire to be rich. True? I’m not seeing too many of you. Do you know what? My desire is I just want to be poor. I just want to see how poor I can be. No, anybody like that? That’s my golden life. Just to be as poor as I can be. Well, you ought to be as success by now. But most people don’t see how rich they can be, but he makes a statement.

We’ll fall into temptation. So can a Christian fall into temptation? And a snare, can a Christian be caught in a snare? Wherever thanly, yes. And into many foolish and hurtful us can a Christian have all this happen to them evidently, which drown men in destruction and predation. Is this possible to happen evidently? So you see it is possible for a child of God to lose his confidence in sound words and sound doctors and when it does happen you will not have a sound life because your life is going to be lived according to the truth that you know and believe and have confidence in.

And so the devil is always working, trying to get you an eye, not to have confidence in what God says. Because see, the only way he can get you to live in fear is to get you not to believe that God really cares and really loves and so he casts doubts into your mind. Due to the generous offer of an anonymous Colorado supporter of Bibleline, we want to make you an offer you cannot refuse. He has purchased 68 copies of the book, The Gospel Driven Man, by Dr.

Ralph Yankee-Arnold to be given to anyone who donates any amount as they thank you for helping to keep Bible line on this station. He writes, What would be the most important item one could receive that would be appreciated? Which would answer many questions which would be easy to read, understandable, and uses God’s Word as the source? What came to mind was your book, The Gospel Driven Man. This book has helped me and my wife considerably. We have given the book out as gifts before and continue to do so.

All the basic doctrines you hear me teach on the radio is found in this book. One book per donor. So remember, mail your gift up any amount today and we will send you your copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. Be sure to include your mail-in address. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. 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. 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, just keep looking up.