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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.

I want to speak to you today on the subject on what makes a gospel-driven man. I wrote a whole book on it. The book’s called The Gospel Driven Man. I wrote a little article in my last newsletter that I had sent out about Dr. Curtis Hudson and I put in there a gospel-driven man. I got the sword of the Lord this week. Now, I opened it up and read it and in lo and behold, that article was in the sword of the Lord.

And it goes all over the world. So you never know how what you say and do is going to spread like wildfire. But I have before you a little piece of paper that’s part one. Tonight will be part two. You see this piece of paper I have right here? I had this Wednesday night and it’s old, it’s yellow, faded, pouring in parts. But I sat down years ago and I wrote some questions because I had a lot of questions.

I didn’t get all the answers to them, but I got the questions down. And over the years I’ve developed some of the answers, but I really am not totally satisfied with all the answers. You may have a better answer than what I do. So Wednesday night I asked for a little help and they gave me a little help. Now they they gave me a little help and I appreciate it very very much. So I thought I would share a few thoughts with you concerning this because I believe these are things that you need to think about.

If you don’t think correctly you can’t live correctly and if you know I push very strongly on the gospel and the clarity of the gospel and I’m making an issue. So regardless of where I go and what I do I’m always thinking about where are you going to go when you die? I’ve asked that question so many times. Maybe sometimes people think that’s all you know. Well if that’s all I knew is how to get to heaven. That’s a whole bunch of knowledge.

That’s greater than all the books and all the libraries around the world. So I want you to take your Bible and look in Acts chapter 26. Acts chapter 26. Now I Now I would recommend that you write down every one of these verses somewhere on that paper. And there is a place for you to write down some of the verses, but I won’t be giving you verses on all of it, because I haven’t got all the answers yet. Maybe you will.

In the book of Acts in chapter 26, the apostle Paul gives his testimony, then he tells King a grip I have not been disobedient unto this heavenly vision. Paul had a vision that he got from God in heaven and God told him that I want you to go and preach the gospel. Well that’s shallow. Look how shallow that is. Just Paul’s going to go everywhere and just talk about the gospel and yet the Lord used them to write quite a few books in the Bible.

But You see those books that are written are to help you to be strong enough to give the gospel. Otherwise, you won’t give the gospel. That’s why you need to be deep in the Word and love the Word so that you can do what he told us to do. And if you’re not doing what you should do is because you’re not grounded good yet. You need to understand this so important. We’re going to have to give an account one of these days to the Lord for what we did and did not do.

Here he says, I want you to do this. I want you to tell people and open their eyes and to turn different darkness to light and about the power of Satan that he has. Because so much damage has been done. And the reason is so that they may receive forgiveness of their sins. What I want you to see there is verse 27, verse 27. King Agrippa, believe us, style the prophets. I know that thou believe us. In other words, he’s telling, I know you believe what he wrote up here in verse 22 and 23.

You know about that. You’ve heard about that. But now believing that is not the same as trusting Christ as your Savior. You can believe there’s a God, but that doesn’t get you to heaven. You can try to believe it. You’ve got to be good to go to heaven, but that won’t get you to heaven because you’re not good enough. It never will be. But he makes a statement that I want you to say there in verse 28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Now there are some people that teach that God has already predetermined who’s going to be a Christian and who’s not. He’s already predetermined who’s going to go to heaven who’s not but is based upon those that God chose. As though all of you people in here you represent the world. But I’m God and I’m going to decide who gets to go to heaven. So I’ve already picked out the ones I’m going to have go to heaven. Well He’s got a bad next.

I’ll let him go. And I’ll let this girl go. And I’ll choose, okay, I’ll take Herman over there. And I’ll choose that person and that person and the rest of you, it was nice knowing you. But these are the ones that I’ve chose to go to heaven. Now all of you were going to hell. So isn’t it still by grace that I chose a few? At least all of you didn’t get to go to hell. Some of you I chose to go to heaven.

So aren’t you glad for them? Well, I’d be glad if I was one of those that you chose. If that is true, then you couldn’t state in the word, almost I persuaded me to be a Christian because if God gave you the faith to believe, it’s a done deal, you’ll have to. So I don’t believe in Calvinism. I believe it is a deadening teaching. It ruins Christianity. I believe that God so loved the whole world and not just a few chosen individuals, but almost I persuaded me to be a Christian.

Now, if God didn’t give him the faith, he couldn’t have been, regardless. And if God gave him the faith, he would be. There’s no such thing as almost being a Christian. Almost, I almost believed If God has chosen, you will, and if God didn’t choose you, you won’t. Clean cut deal. But I believe from the very beginning before man was ever made, God had a plan. And he chose to save all that would trust him and reject all those that will not trust him, but God does not determine who trusts him.

God, I believe, loves the world. So I have a few things that I wrote down here. And I want you to write down and just say yes or no. I would love for you to do that before I gave you my answer. But I got a hunch, some of you are not going to do it. You’re gonna wait until I give an answer. And then you might put yes or no. So have fun. Take it if you want, listen, especially.

Number one, did Christ die for the sins of the whole world? Now this is a rhetorical question, you don’t have to answer it out loud. I’m going to read the question, but you don’t have to answer it out loud. It’s for you to think in your own mind, what do you really believe? I would hate to think that I think you understand where I’m coming from, but you never really have thought about it. I want you to think today because this is one of the most important little tests you’ll take in your Christian life because he gets down where the rubber meets the row.

What do you really believe? Did Christ die for the sins of the whole world? Well the Bible says in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2, look there real quickly, 1 John chapter 2 and look in verse 2. And he is the propitiation, that means satisfaction. It means that he was God, was satisfied with the payment Jesus Christ made on the cross for us and not for hours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. So we believe that when Christ died, He died for all the sins of the world.

Now look at number two, is salvation offered freely? Without a commitment from us as to how we live. Now this is a touchy question. Without a commitment of how we’re going to live. So take your Bible and look in the book of Romans in chapter 3. The book of Romans and chapter 3. Now I could spend a whole service right here on this one issue. But we’re going to cover a lot of them and some of them you’ll have to study later on your own.

But I used to wonder, do I or do I not have to promise God how I’m going to live in order for Him to give me this free gift? Many preachers teach that you have to commit your life to Christ in order for you to get the free gift of eternal life. That’s the same as telling you you’re going to have to make installments. You gotta make some payments for the rest of your life in order to get this free gift.

And if you don’t perform and make those payments, you’re not gonna get the gift. You can claim the gift, but you really don’t have the gift because you don’t know if you’re gonna make the payments or not. So you really don’t know where you’re going when you die. That’s not worth a quarter. And it’s not the Bible. There isn’t any verse that talks about committing your life, how you’re going to live in order to get this free gift. Look what he says in Romans chapter three, verse 24.

Verse 24, being justified. What’s the next word? Freely. If it’s free, it can’t have any attachments to it about what you have to do. It cannot have any commitment to Christ. It cannot be upon the basis of turning from your sins in order to get this free gift. If you have to do that, then this gift is not free. Being justified freely. And if I’m justified now, then nothing after that can change this. So I don’t have to perform.

I don’t have to stop anything, start anything. I’ve been justified freely. It’s a done deal already done. Looking verse 28 while you’re right there, where it says, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without any commitments of how he’s going to live. You see, that’s what that says? It’s Yankee phraseology, but that’s what it says. Without any works, without keeping the law, without doing anything, no man has to commit how he’s going to live in order to get this free gift.

So is that important? Yes, that’s important to know. Does everybody believe that? No, everybody doesn’t believe that. Because they think if I don’t live it, then I must not have it. No, God didn’t say you had to promise to live it in order to get it. And once you have it, you can’t lose it. Number three, was or is it possible for every man to be saved? Now this is a touchy one. Was or is it possible for every man to be saved?

So I want you to take your Bible looking, first John chapter four. First John and chapter four. And notice in verse 14, in verse 14, it says, and we have seen and do testify that the father sent the son to be the savior of the world. Now, you can read that several ways. One is there’s the world and the sun was sent to save some out of the world. All right. But I believe that the Father sent the sun to be the Savior of everybody in the world.

So that everybody in the world could be saved. Therefore I believe that when Christ sent the sun, He died on the cross to pay for the sins of the, whole world. Every person because it was the will of God the Father to save everybody in the world. From the first man to the last man it is the will of God everyone be saved. But nobody would be saved against their will. But it is the will of God that no one should perish.

Let’s see that’s what I believe. Therefore, I believe I could witness to anybody, anywhere, anytime. And a lot of people don’t believe that. But I do believe that. That’s been pushing and motivating me to serve the Lord for 54 years. Now, I want you to take your Bible looking John chapter 4, the Gospel of John in chapter 4. John chapter 4, Jesus had been talking to this woman at the well. She’d been married five times and was living with a man that wasn’t her husband at this time.

Well, the disciples had gone into town to get something from Burger King. Jesus went to the well and talked to her and they came by and said, have you had anything to eat? He said, oh, I got meat to eat, you know not of. In other words, that which really satisfies is telling somebody how to have eternal life. That’s what Christians are supposed to feed upon. Feed upon winning lost people is so satisfying. That’s why so many Christians, you can read your Bible, go to church, study, pray, do all of the things and still not be satisfied.

There’s nothing that satisfies, like talking to somebody and having them trust Christ with their Savior. You’ll be surprised how it makes you feel because you know God used me. A person’s destiny has been changed. That’s the reason you study and that’s the reason you pray and that’s the reason you go to church. That’s the reason you do all you can. So you can say strong enough to tell somebody the most simplest story in all the world. And many people have robbed themselves of the greatest joy, the greatest blessing, because ain’t nobody going to make me do anything.

No, they’re not. And nobody can. Nobody can make you witness. Nobody can make you share. Nobody can make you when you leave back there to make sure you got some tracks in your pocket because if I lived in And while West days, I wouldn’t go outside without my six gun. I’d be undressed. I believe a man not fit to go outside until he got tracks on him. That’s why I can’t even wear a shirt that doesn’t have a pocket.

So for all these years, I have to make sure that my shirt has pockets on him. Or he makes sure you’ve got him someplace in you. Otherwise, you’re not prepared. You might get a chance to talk to somebody. Don’t even have a track. Don’t have a track. You say, well, it’s because of what I believe. But if you don’t believe that, say it makes a difference in your life. It’ll make a difference. So he says here in John chapter four, look there at verse 42.

And said unto the woman, now we believe. Now we believe. John 4, 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying, but we have heard him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. He came to save the whole world, not most of the world, not just an elect few, He came to save everybody. That’s why Christ came. That’s why He died, to pay for the sins of every individual. But only those who trust Him will be saved.

But there is no other Savior. Number four, Does God predetermined who will be saved or lost by God’s own decision? Look in verse 18, John chapter 3 verse 18. You see, one of the things that will deaden you faster than anything. Well, whatever will be will be the future, not ours to see. You know, God’s already determined who’s going to heaven and God’s determined who goes to hell. And it ain’t going to matter what I owe to what I do.

God knows who’s going to go to hell. How can I change that? God knows who’s going to heaven. I can’t change that. So why get all up hyped? Whatever will be, will be. See, what you believe determined how you live. This is two things I never argue about, religion and politics. Religion is what you believe. Politics is how you live. So it affects your whole life. Is it important what you believe? because it affects how you live and what you deem to be important.

And the opportunities God gives to you and you don’t even know it because you don’t believe right. If you believe right, you’d be surprised how many opportunities you’ll see. And how many opportunities you’ll take advantage of. Otherwise, they just go by. I never have any opportunities. It’s because you don’t believe right. You’re not looking. And it makes a difference. It really does. In verse 18, look what he says. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because God has not chosen him.

And he couldn’t be saved if he wanted to be. He’s not one of the elect. See, it doesn’t say all of that. Look what God says. You see there in verse 17 where he says, for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, world, world through him could be saved. The world could be saved. If the world would believe. But he says in verse 18, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, God expects everyone to believe this wonderful message.

But does everyone know? Look at number five, number five. Are we commanded to witness to every person or just those that the Holy Spirit leads to us or leads us to? Now, I’ll stop and think for a moment. I don’t wanna do this in the energy of the flesh. Oh, I assure you, your flesh doesn’t wanna witness. But we do live in a body. I am living in this flesh, as Paul says. And I have a decision to make.

He said, I’m a desire to depart, to be with Christ, which is far better, but to remain here in the flesh and the body is more needful for you. I’m here for a reason. And Paul’s reason was that he preached the gospel. You know, if he would just study the Bible and get deeper in the Word, he wouldn’t have been talking to so many people and he wouldn’t have lost his head. But that was the purpose was to preach the gospel.

You’ll be surprised how you will be accused. You’re not very deep. You don’t know very much if all you do is just talk about the gospel, the gospel, why we talk about the gospel so much? I wonder why. Because we want people to hear the gospel. Because that’s what God says to do. To preach the gospel. We’re going to all preach the gospel. Now, this question, some people believe that I witnessed that those God leads me to. And others believe that their witness and God gets ahold of them and brings them to me.

So I don’t do this thing in the flesh, I witness to those God leads me to. Or I witness to those who God leads to me. And how do you know when these lead them to you? Could they come up to you and ask you, would you please tell me how to go to heaven, please, please, or please tell me how to go to heaven? How long has it been since they’ve done that? And then, while I’m going to witness to those that the Holy Spirit leads me Did you know if you’re not looking, you don’t see.

You’d be surprised how many people you could witness to and don’t. Because Lord, if you’re still standing over there for the next 30 minutes, I’ll witness to I know it sure will. So you thought some fleeces. It’s a shame. Next question. Because when you get right down to it, Mark chapter 16 verse 15 says, verse 15 says, going to all the world and preach the gospel to what? Every creature, every person because Christ died for every person and were to believe that.

Look down at number six, do you believe that every person that sometime in his life has wanted to know the truth? Ooh, every person at some time in their life wanted to know the truth. Well I wrote down a couple of verses and I want you to look at them. Look in John chapter one, just turn back to you left a couple pages. John chapter one, and notice what he says in verse seven. John chapter one verse seven, the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light.

Get this, that all men through him might believe. So is it God’s will for all men to believe? Yes, that’s what he says. God wants every person saved. That That means that when some people say that he has elected a few people, that’s heresy. That is not true. God so loved the world. Paid for the sins of everybody. And yet you’ll have guys teaching their trash. And that’s exactly what it is. It’s trash. It’s not Bible. And saying that God has chosen just a few people out of the many.

And then still call it all by grace. Well, if it’s done because it wants to have by grace and God wants some trophies of grace, wouldn’t it be still grace if he chose all of them? Why couldn’t he have just chose everybody then? Well, only when they can be saved is when God gave faith to. But why didn’t he just give it to all of them? Faith cometh by what? Hearing, not because of some special gift that God gave to you and override your will.

No, that is not true. But in a way, you see this verse here in verse nine. That was the true light which lighteth. Now, underline these two words, I didn’t put it in the Bible. Every man that cometh into the world. So there is truth already embedded into every person that comes into this world. Isn’t that awesome? You stop and think about it. There’s a certain amount of truth. Now, you want to find out what it is. Take your Bible and turn to Romans chapter one real quick.

The Book of Romans chapter one. And look in verse 19. Verse 19, or Romans chapter 1, and this is what he says, because that which may be known of God, just for people to be born into this world, remember, you know there is a God. You know you’re going to be judged. You know you need to be right, but there’s so much you don’t know, but there is a lot that you do know. So God said, God said, the world that He made reveals there’s a higher power than you.

Because you know the world is here and you didn’t make it. And the world is here and you know I didn’t do it, but you know somebody did. To be an atheist you have to teach yourself to be an atheist. You’re not born as an atheist, like this atheist says, I don’t believe her as a God. And God says, I don’t believe an atheist. God is telling the truth. Look what he says in verse 19. In verse 20 says, for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, be and understood by the things that are made even his eternal power in God.

So that you know there’s a God and he has great power and says they are without excuse. So there’s things that you already know. But if you rebel against light, you rebel against light means to rebel against truth, then there may be some other truth you’re not going to get. I use the illustration if I was crossing this river right here and there’s a stone there and a stone there and a stone there and a stone there. Well, I could just walk through this stone and then get to that stone and get to that stone.

I can get across the river. But those are truths that gets me where I’m going. And if I will accept this truth and believe it and believe that truth and believe that truth truth will lead to truth light will lead to more light and There’s people who reject truth and they walk in darkness and they do not see the light They don’t get additional truth and these things are so important to understand now. Look at number seven look at number seven number seven Is God responsible to get the message to those who want to know the truth?

And how many does he want to know the truth? And did he tell people to go into all the world and tell them the truth? Did he do that? Can people be disobedient and not do it? Yes, he can. Let’s take for example, Peter was talking about that meeting they went to Friday night. And I say there was 15 that trusts the Lord. Well, they would have been saved anyway. How do you know? Who was going to tell them?

Did you realize that in my 72 years of life, I’ve only had one person witness to me in 72 years. What if that man had missed me? Go off somebody else what he got there. Chapter and verse. the chapter in verse. You’ve been listening to another great lesson from Pastor Arnold, and we hope that you’re growing in the knowledge of the Lord through this ministry. To help you continue your growth and maturing, we are going to give those who make a financial donation in any amount, the DVD teaching series, How to Witness to a Jewish Person.

You know, most Christians think Jews really know the Old Testament, but in reality, most know very little. So most are familiar with some terms of the Bible, very few know any details about how Abraham, their patriarch, was saved. Most have never read Isaiah 53 and have no idea it’s all about Jesus. So for this month only, for a donation in any amount, we’ll send you this DVD teaching series on how to witness to the Jew. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

And don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. God bless you and thank you again for supporting Bible Life. 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up. I’m looking up.