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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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Look there’s your notes. I know y’all know all the answers. But I got to go through the motions anyway. They’re just liable to be somebody watching by internet. They don’t have the opportunity to attend Calvary Community Church like you do. And so hopefully some of these things will kind of help you with having an answer to some of the questions. Now some of them seem like a little trick question, but some are not as easy as a look. And some could go either way.

I understand that. So don’t fret. Don’t worry about it. I mean, nobody’s gonna care if you get a few things wrong. Because all you gotta do is correct it. See there? How easy that was? Anyway, take your notes there and look at the first one. Well, we’ll finish all of these today. I don’t know, but if you know the answer, I want you to raise your hand and then let me call on you. But if I call on you and you got the wrong answer, You’re not to get mad and stop out.

All right. All right. That’s the rule number one. That’s the only rule there is. Number 41, number 41. What verse tells us that the word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword? What verse says that? Hebrews 4, 12, 42. What verse tells us that we should be workmen with the word of God? We’ve already mentioned the verse. Where is it found? 2 Timothy 2, 15, very good. And at 43, as you begin to open a conversation about the Lord, you should at the very first gain favorable attention.

Is that true or false? That’s true. You should always try to smile, be happy, friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful, 30 brave, clean, and reverent. That was the Boy Scout laws. I learned them when I was 11 or 12 years old. You didn’t know I was a voice scow and I was 12 years old. I got 13, I became a Girl Scout. Oh, well. What? No. 44. And opening the conversation with the person, the most important thing is one, give the Gospel to tell him he is lost, three, tell him in generalities, four, make him your friend and then give him the Gospel.

As much as possible, make him a friend and give the Gospel. But if you can’t got time to make a friend. you can just be nice and kind. They know you’re not an enemy and then give them the gospel. Number 45, a good way to witness to people that will be interesting to them and yet not offensive is to give your personal testimony. I believe that. I’ve wanted a lot of people to the Lord just by sharing my testimony.

Let me tell you what happened to me. This is the most important thing that ever happened my whole life. I’ve lived 71 years and only one man ever told me this. Can I share it with you? I did that just recently. So your personal testimony and the kids in the college are learning this week to give their testimony. What I thought, what I found out, what I did. 46, a Christian should attempt to witness even if he doesn’t feel led in an opera, if an opportunity presents itself.

Is that true or is that false? Ah, now somebody spoke out who raised their hand. How many of you know the answer? You know the answer, you’re sure about that. All right, back there, Mrs. Credentus, it is true Christians should attempt to witness even if he doesn’t feel like it, if he has an opportunity. That is true. Of course that’s true. Everybody here at this church knows all the answers, but yes, it is true. You had somebody say, no, you shouldn’t witness unless you feel led.

You’ve got to feel led because you see, we’re supposed to let the Holy Spirit lead us. What you should let the Holy Spirit lead you in what you say. But we are already commanded to go. Number 47, don’t leave a track unless you can’t explain the gospel in person. You should never leave a track unless you’ve got, you can explain the gospel. Yes, ma’am, that’s false. I would say this, don’t leave a track unless you can leave a tip, but you ought to leave a tip with a track.

Unless you’re just walking along and passenger, you just don’t walk around and here’s a track, here’s a tip, here’s a tip. No, if you’re in a restaurant, it’s good to leave a track. Some people would get offended if you left them a track. Well, this is worth more than a dollar bill, so I hope you appreciate that. I don’t think they would. So always be willing to give a track. You can leave tracks anywhere at any time. And because you can give it to them, walk away quick if you don’t want to talk to them.

But at least you gave them the word. Number 48, before you ask a person to trust Christ’s Savior, he should understand the plan of salvation. Is that true or is that false? Raise your hand. All right, Al, that would be false. Number 48, before you ask a person to trust Christ to save, he should understand the plan of salvation. That is true. So you see, you need to make sure they understand it before you ask them, because if you ask them and they haven’t understood the gospel or you haven’t even given it, well then you have to overcome a no answer.

If they answer a negative answer and now you’ve got to go back to do so what you try to do is explain the gospel first Make it clear and you buy a couple questions can find out if they’re following you or if they seem to be in agreement I’ve had people I said do you understand that yes, I do and I’ll say a little bit more. Do you understand that? Yes? I do you understand what I’m saying. Yes, I do I say when I get through does that make sense to you?

Yes, it does. Will you trust Christ the Savior? No, I won’t And I’ve had people say that. They just don’t. I don’t get it. I’ve heard you. I understand what you’re saying, but no. Some of them have different beliefs like they don’t believe you’re the God. They don’t believe the Bible at all. They don’t believe you’re the heaven or hell. I asked this one man. I said, where are you going to go? He says, Tennessee. Okay. And I made a mistake years ago before I learned a little bit better.

I says, have you been born again? Oh yes, many times. He believed in reincarnation. So you have to sometimes define your terms. You have to define your terms to them. And based upon what they say, you may have to get them to define their terms back to you so that you know what do you mean by what you’re saying. And you might mean one thing, they might mean another. So if you wanna communicate, you gotta find out and be on the same page.

The next statement, number 49, a person who does not accept Christ as his Savior is calling God a liar. Oh, you wouldn’t dare do that. Yes. That is true. Where does it say that in the Bible? Where does it say in the Bible that if you don’t believe what God says, you’re calling God a liar. If you believe not the record that God gave of his son, you’re calling God a liar if you don’t believe it. Did you know presenting the gospel is a command of God for us to do?

But God says for the people who hear the gospel and don’t believe the record that God gave God says you called me like because you don’t believe me because God expects people to believe what he says Where’s it say that first John what? First John chapter 5 verse 10 That’s a very good verse Learn how to back up some of the things you say you know and believe. Look at number 50, the word repentance, the word repentance is found in the New Testament means turn from sin, be sorry for sin, change your mind, show remorse, all the above.

I should have put that in there. Alright, Tom, do you know the answer? Change your mind. I mean, to change your mind. And what it is is simply when it comes to the gospel, change your mind about trying to save yourself by works. That’s why he says in Hebrews chapter six, repentance from dead works, changing your mind about works for salvation and trust Christ by grace. So whether you’re rich or whether you’re poor, whether you’re the Pharisees, the Sadducees, or Herodians, or just common old Genesis, or you’re not.

or a Jew, it doesn’t matter who you are. God had commanded all men everywhere to repent. And to believe the gospel. To change your mind, you cannot save yourself by your works and your trust Christ is saved. So there’s people in religions and living good lives so to speak, but they still need to repent. Not from their sins, but from their good works. They need to change your mind. Their good works won’t even help them. So very good. Number 51, the Greek word for repent is, what is the Greek word for repent?

Yes, right there. Metanoia. Metanoia and Metanoia. Repent and repentance. It just simply means to change your mind, to reconsider, think differently. Alright? Number 52, this is leading you into a trap. Number 52, repentance is necessary for salvation. Is it necessary for salvation? Larry? You mean you got to turn from your sins and be sorry for your sin? Feel remorse for your sins? No. Change your mind. So repentance is necessary for salvation. If God commands his own man everywhere to repent.

Evidently it is. So the only way you believe the gospel is that you have to change your mind from being an unbeliever. So when you believe you have repented. That’s why you don’t find the word repent in the gospel of John, but you do find believe and unbelieve. He doesn’t believe it, he doesn’t believe it, he doesn’t believe it, he doesn’t believe it. So those that did not believe and they hear the gospel and they believe they repent and you change your mind.

It’s simple if you leave it in a rightful place. The next statement, a person can come to Christ with his sins for salvation. Oh, this is going to get you. A person can come to Christ with his sins for salvation. Huh? I didn’t read 54. I didn’t. I’ll have to repent. I’ll have to turn from us in 53 53 I like it when somebody’s at least they’re following their notes 53 the following statement explains God’s way of salvation put your faith in Christ and have genuine sorrow for your sin determined to give your life to Christ and He will save you well everybody knows that’s true.

That’s false of course that’s false. You know there’s people that even went to Florida Bible Collins and they have forgotten the basics of what they used to be taught and you can venture out into a thousand different ways but it’s good to hone back in on the very simple things the fundamental truths of what we believe. So of course that’s false. 54 a lost person repents of his sins to be saved. A lost person has to repent of his sins to be saved.

That’d be false if you’re talking about he has to change his life, change his direction, stop being bad, start being good, all that’s false. Number 55, a person can come to Christ with his sins for salvation. I mean, think that’s true. I mean, think that’s false. I mean, he don’t know. I mean, he could care less. All right, a person can come to Christ just as I am, just as I am. He doesn’t have to stop his sins. He doesn’t have to start promising to be good.

And you don’t have to commit your life. Remember, there are three tenses in salvation. You’re safe from the penalty of sin, and in our Christian life we’re safe from the power of sin as we yield to the Lord. Some day we will be safe from the very presence of sin. But this one stands alone. And whenever you trust Christ as your Savior, He’s saving you from the penalty of sin. That does not save me automatically from the sin of sin.

does not save me automatically from the power of sin in my life, the influence of sin in my life. So these last two are only good if you have the first one, but these two cannot affect the first one. The first one has to stand alone. This is justification. This is when you’re justified before God because you accepted that payment Christ made on the cross for you. I understand it. And I’ll be saying a little bit more about it later.

Christ is the payment. He is the payment. So when you accept the payment, you’re accepting Christ. Christ was my payment. He was my sacrifice. But anyway, the next one is your glory of your sanctification. This is in your life, you want to be sanctified, but you don’t do that to prove your saved, to stay saved, or because you are saved. You don’t have to do it at all. You do not have to sanctify your life. You don’t have to live as a saint.

You can live like a bum. You can live like a lost man. One of the questions I used to ask people, and it’s a very strong question. And I would hope that everybody here would get it right, but there’s a possibility you may be called, it is such a crazy question. Can I ask you? All right, we’re asking questions. Let me ask you a question. can a practicing homosexual trust Christ’s Savior never stop any of his sins and die as a practicing homosexual and still go to heaven when he dies.

See, you asked a lot of people that question and automatically that’s a sign he was not saved. That’s a sign he was, he never meant business. No the truth is he God’s the one that meant business. And I often say this. I said, well, let’s just pretend that there’s this man and he’s a homosexual and he is still a homosexual. He trusts Christ as Savior and he dies. If he got to heaven, that would be grace, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it?

It would be. That would be grace. But if you look at a man’s fruit of his life and the way he lives, evidently he wasn’t committed to Christ. the time in David’s life that evidently Christ was not Lord of all. When you agree with that? There was a time in David’s life, the man after God’s own heart where Christ was not the Lord of all his life. And this went on for a little while. And he committed adultery, he committed murder was Christ the Lord and the Master of his life at that moment.

That must be a sign he never really was saved according to some people’s thinking. Well you’re going to have a few little problems here and there. Now stick to your agreement. If you have to persevere in the faith, if I had to persevere in the faith, or who becomes the judge whether I am persevere in or not? Do I ask you? Are you the one that determines whether I am persevere in the faith? Well if it’s not you, then who is it?

Well there has to be Okay, well you ain’t talking to him because he ain’t telling you He got one that’s okay. You you passed the test today. You made it one more day Well, then that means that I must be the one that decides whether or not I am persevering in the faith Well blessed be God is so nice to know that you are so spiritually minded You can pass judgment on yourself and determine whether or not you are persevering in the faith The Bible says in Corinthians in chapter 4, judged nothing before the time.

Okay, that means you’re going to have to wait until you die to find out if you really persevered in the faith. And if you’re going by the evidences of your life, and you have to wait until you die to find out if you really did persevere, that means that you cannot know right now you’re going to heaven when you die. If you were the real ones that were specially chosen by God, you see there is holes in the philosophy of being a Calvinist or believing in evidences for salvation, even one evidence.

It’s not good. I have only one proof that I’m saved. God’s Word says I am and it hasn’t changed in 53 years. That night I trusted Christ as my Savior. I knew I was saved and knew I was going to heaven and had no clue how I was going to live my life and didn’t care how I was going to live my life. Why did I trust the Lord so that I can have a close person? relationship with Christ.

No, I didn’t. So that I could walk with God. No, I didn’t. I didn’t want to go to hell. And that’s the truth. I didn’t know God didn’t love God. All I knew is that I’m, I don’t want to go to hell. People say, this is the wrong motive. It’s a perfect good one. After I trusted Christ as my Savior, I began to find out a lot of things and I began to grow into the Lord. And eventually I came to the conclusion one day, I’m going to commit my life to Christ.

But I never did it to be saved, to stay saved, prove I’m saved. me think. Why can’t people just keep the gospel clear and simple? Let so many don’t. Look at the next statement and I believe where are we at? What number? 56. Y’all keep messing me up. The Holy Spirit is received by being sorry for your sins and determined to live a better life. Don’t you know everybody ought to determine to live a better life? That’s true or false.

It’s false. The Holy Spirit is received by being sorry for you. No, it’s not. And yes, though you’ve got to determine that I’m going to live a holy life. No, that’s all false. That’s not true. 57, what verse says, but God commended his love toward us into why we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Who knows where that’s found? Yes, Sheila. Romans 5 verse 8. Oh, that’s a great verse. Number 58, What verse says but though we are an angel from heaven preaching to you any other gospel than that which we preach unto you Let him be a cursed you might know that’s fun.

J Galatians chapter 1 and verse 8 The next one number 59 a person can try to follow Christ example obey the golden rule Sincerely endeavor to love his neighbor as himself try to obey God in his daily living and still be Unsaved is that true? That is true. You sure can. You can do all those good things. Try to follow His teaching and until we lost. Number 60, Luke 14, 33 says, so likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsake it, not all that he hath.

He cannot be my disciple. This is speaking of how to become a Christian. Is that true? That’s false. Some people apply this discipleship to salvation. They don’t know there’s a difference between you got to be born. How many babies were born before, I guess you could say, that were born because they committed their lives to live for their parents. Now little Johnny, you can’t come out of there unless you’re willing to commit your life to obey your mommy and daddy.

Which one comes first? The commitment or the birth? You got to be born. Then there’s a little child. Then you raise a little child to learn to obey. But the little child does not have to promise I’ll follow you. I’m going obey you, Mommy and Daddy. And Mommy and Daddy says, if you don’t, that’s a sign you were not really born. Oh, me. One last one here. Let’s look at this one. Number 61, when scripture says in Romans 10 and 9, confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus.

That means tell people you’re going to commit your life to Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Master, or tell God that you’re dependent upon Jesus says God rather than a mere man to save you. B, you see a lot of people say, well you’ve got to confess him as the Lord. Well he is the Lord, that’s who he is. I don’t make him Lord of anything. He is the Lord. He created the heavens and the earth. He is in charge.

He is the boss. He is the master. But now you may know that there is a God and a lot of people believe in God. But even though you believe in God, Doesn’t mean you obey God, but you believe in God, but you don’t obey God. You can believe that Jesus is the Lord. He’s God and not obeying. There’s some people teach it. No, no, no, no. If you know that he’s the Lord, you have to obey him. If you don’t obey him, then you don’t believe he’s God.

Chapter and verse. There’s no chapter and verses, says that. When I trusted Christ as my Savior, I made no commitments to God how I was going to live. Why? It’s not an issue. How I live my life isn’t an issue in salvation. But some want to make it an issue, but it’s not an issue. Salvation is the gift of God, it is free. And you simply trust Christ as Savior, He gives you eternal life and will never cast you out and never lose you.

And how I live cannot change that, alter that, reverse that, nothing can change that. Now, I have chosen voluntarily that I want to serve the Lord. So I would like to believe that I Have committed my life to Christ that he is the Lord and the master of my life. I want him to Guide me and to lead me and do everything that any lordship person would think that you have to do But see I do it because I want to I don’t have to Now, it is important that every child of God knows where he stands and how to defend himself because you’d be surprised how subtle, subtle this deceptive teaching can be of trying to get people to think they have to commit their life.

That means that period of time that I’m going to live. You see, if I have to promise how I’m going to live or commit to a way of life, that is I am going to perform works as part of my salvation. Because if I don’t have those works, I have every reason to doubt my salvation. So me trusting Christ is not enough. It has to go along with discipleship. That’s false teaching, that’s a false gospel, that is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And therefore that is a wrong message, that is a damnable message. You don’t add works or any human performance to only to your faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is salvation. And you may serve Him and you may not, but you still say, because that’s based upon what Christ did for me. for the Lord is what I do for Him. And it makes so much sense and so easy to understand and follow. But you know some people have blinds driven that they cannot see.

Let’s pray show it. Father we do thank you so much for your blessing. Thank you for this time together. Help us to be wise to look to you and to trust you. We ask for good service to follow in Christ. Amen. You’ve been listening to another great message from Pastor Arnold and we at Bibleline thank you for tuning in. In appreciation to those who support this ministry financially, we would like to send to you a copy of the Jim Tingin story.

The Jim Tingin story is a true story about a young man that just couldn’t explain the gospel clearly. He wasn’t the type of kid that most people made friends with, but he knew that people needed to hear the gospel to be saved. Believe me, you’ll be affected by this story in a profound way, and this book is offered to you as a gift for your donation in any amount. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and don’t forget to include your mailing address as well.

So for this month, receive a free copy of the Jim Tingen story with your donation of any amount. It’s a small token of our appreciation for your support of Bibleline because without your thoughtful gifts and prayers from listeners like you, we would not be able to remain on the air. Once again for your continued support. 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. Cut 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.