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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.

Anyway, take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts. The book of Acts. for 26. You’re in the book of Acts, verse 18, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light. Now I have thought a lot about that, darkness to light. Now you’ve heard me teach on the two natures, right? Everybody knows the two natures you all know about the, you know, then came in my leg. Remember it then came in my leg. How many of y’all remember Amalek.

All right, most of you in here remember Amalek. But the flesh is that old sinful nature that you have, your first birth. And the Bible says that that’s darkness, it’s in darkness. Men without God is in darkness. So in John chapter 1, the light came into the world and the world comprehended it not. Darkness, men are in darkness. They don’t know. They can’t find their way. They grove in like blind people. And so that’s the way the flesh is.

That’s where God says we are before we trust the Lord as our Savior. So he gave Paul a job of, you know, from darkness to light. So we were in darkness flesh and then God says when we trust him we have a new birth. The new birth is born of God. If it’s born of God, then it’s in the light because God is light. Jesus was the light of the world. And so we are like little lights. We’re lights in the Lord.

Means we know the truth. We are of the truth. And we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. So it is important to remember what God said was the purpose. So he took Paul who was in darkness and put him in the light by him believing. And then the Lord says, now I want you to go into all the world and take those and turn them from darkness to light. And what is that one tool and it’s the only tool that can help people turn from darkness to light.

And that’s the gospel. The light of the gospel, and God has seen fit to give us this wonderful, wonderful message. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans. Just Romans, just a couple pages over to your right. Romans chapter 2, and there’s a verse that refers to the Jewish people because they boasted and bragged themselves about how they were such, you know, guides of the blind, guides of the blind. So he says in verse 17, behold thou art called a Jew and rested in the law, make us thy boast of God.

Boy, if there’s one thing we know, it’s the word of God. It’s the law. If there’s anything we do is that we live according to the law. Oh, yes, they were perfect examples. And says in verse 8, and knowest his will, and approve us the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the law, and are confident that thou, by self, art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which has the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

Thou therefore which teaches another? He just thou not thyself, thou that preaches a man should not steal, does thou steal? Thou that saith a man should not commit adultery, does thou commit adultery? Thou that a horse idles, does thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makeest thy boast of the law through breaking the law, this honors thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. So they thought, We’re it. We’re somebody. But you see, they weren’t really guides of the blind.

No, they should have been. And they should have gotten people to turn from darkness to light, but they themselves were still in darkness, walked in darkness, spread darkness, and kept people from coming to the truth. So the Bible says that we even when Christ was here, He kind of slapped them around a little bit. and he faced him with their hypocrisy. That’s what the word reproved means to shame them or blame them, to reprove them means to rebuke them, to stand up to them.

And so this is what he did. This is what Paul is talking about here also. But notice that statement up here in verse 19, a light of them which are in darkness. You and I are to be in reality a light to those that are in darkness. Look in Romans chapter 13. Romans in chapter 13. Now we know according to the Lord of God that all the law is fulfilled in one word. Anybody know what that word is? Love.

In other words, if you love God and you love man in real love, well you wouldn’t want to do anything wrong to God or to man. You always want to do right. You realize if everybody really loved, we wouldn’t have to have all these laws. The laws are made for disobedient people. The law wasn’t made for a righteous person. This is why we don’t like it. When somebody does something wrong, they penalize all of us and make laws by which takes away some of our freedom and we didn’t do anything wrong yet.

But anywhere. So here in the book of Romans in verse 8 says, oh no man anything but to love one another, or he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Well, I thought we didn’t have to fulfill the law. Well, we don’t. But according to Romans in chapter 8, remember that the righteousness of God can be fulfilled in us but not by us. It’s that new birth that can perfectly fulfill the law, and that operates on love. The flesh does not.

It works on fear, fear of God, fear of the law, fear of the consequences, but love challenges and motivates causes you to be more aware and sensitive and teachable, a pliable in the hands of God. So he makes a statement down here in verse 10, love work no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. So whenever you and I as a child of God, when we love like we should, we are fulfilling the commands of the law.

Though we’re not under the law, we now perform the righteousness that was in the law. We’re supposed to love the Lord thy God, all thy heart, mind, body, soul, and strength. We’re not to make idols, not to blaspheme his name and all those things. Just because you’re saved doesn’t mean that we’re now we can just totally break the law and it doesn’t matter. It does matter. Now it won’t affect your salvation, praise the Lord. But for your Christian life, do you think that once God has moved you from the the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

Now which one do you think God wants you to walk in? The kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness? One way is simple to put it is, do you think God wants you to walk in the spirit or the flesh and light, darkness? Or truth, lie. As a child of God, where do you think God wants us to walk? Well, of course, over here in the spirit. and you will not fulfill the loss to the flesh or bring forth the works of darkness.

So that’s what he’s talking about. Now look what he says here. In verse 11, and that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation near than when we believe. In other words, we’re all running out of time. The day will come when God is not only going to, you know, he saved us and he is saving us from the power of sin in our life now, but one day he’s going to literally deliver us from this old present evil world.

And we’re going to be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. And so God tells us this, and he says, that day is getting closer and closer. But it hasn’t happened yet. So as long as you can draw a breath and you got a pulse. Wake up, wake up and walk in the light according to truth. So you need it, you learn it.

So then he makes a statement here in verse 12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the, and here’s those little words, works of darkness. That’s the same as lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh is the works of darkness. It’s the, it’s probably you find in the book of Galatians in chapter five when he talks about bring forth the works of the flesh and it lists the works of the flesh and those are not the things that God wants us to bring forth.

See up here in verse 9, see it in verse 9 where he says, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not, what all this is the works of the flesh. This is the works of darkness. This is the person who walks in the dark not in the light, not according to truth, not according to a child that’s been born in the God’s family. This is not how God wants us to walk. So back down there in verse 12, let us therefore cast off the works of darkness.

Let us put on the armor of light. There’s a little song they sing at camp. It says something about the armor of light, doesn’t it? Everybody remember that song? Don’t be overcome by what? Evil, but overcome that evil with good. Well, I don’t really sing. I just let these guys sing it. That’s their favorite song. And it talks about the armor of light, armor of light. So there’s protection according to light and truth. And of course, when you read Ephesians chapter 6, you’ll find that there’s put on the breastplate the armor, all of these things that God says take off, put on.

God does not want us as His children living like lost people. He doesn’t want the works of the flesh or the, you know, the darkness to permeate our lives. And notice what He says. In verse 13, let us walk honestly and in the day, A, because that’s up there, is talking about wake out of sleep. And the day that walk, like you can see. Now we understand that Tom here has a problem, right? What is Tom’s problem? He can’t see.

But yet he probably sees better than most of us in this room. He can see things we can’t see. He has spiritual insight. I’ve been in a lot of the Bible studies and sometimes even in church. And I’ll ask the question and the first one with the hand up will be Tom or answer it right out in the middle of the service and disrupt everything. Because Tom knows he knows the answer. He’s got a lot of scriptures memorized. But in a way he can see.

And there’s other people that can’t see. Now if Tom gets up here and we could put a bunch of things in front of him and he would just stumble all over them. But see, heat will probably stumble over certain things because you can’t see it all hard. But you and I are supposed not to go through life stumbling because in your stumble the chances are you’re going to fall. So you should be able to see where you’re going and what you’re doing.

And the works of the flesh has a funny way of tripping you up. You all have an old sinful nature. realize how quickly it can happen, that you can be mad and angry and get that quick. I usually don’t have that problem, unless I’m behind the wheel. Well, it’s not because of the way that I drive, it’s all those other lunatics on the road. Look at verse 14, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lustor of.

Don’t make opportunities for yourself to get in trouble enough. That’s what I do. And I’m just so thankful so far. I haven’t, you know, I haven’t had a wreck or something like that. But every once in a while, you know, I’ll have a cop pull me over. But I haven’t got to take it in a long years, years. You watch, I’ll get one tomorrow. Something will happen, I’ll get one tomorrow. But I hope not anyway. Take your Bible and look in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 4, 1 Corinthians and chapter 4, 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and look in verse 5, where he says, therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness.

In other words, I believe these hidden things of darkness could be some things that you and I think about or do, but not with evil intent or malice in your heart, but you’re not aware of the quality of the thought or the quality of the work. A lot of times we say and we do things and we don’t know how well defined that was or how pure that was. And we get mixed emotions at times, but the Lord is going to sort all of that stuff out.

And there’s times where just like back there in the second chapter, but they thought they were the epitome of the art of leading the blind. And it says, you don’t obey what you tell them to do. and they’re blind, you can see, or supposed to be able to see. And so there’s things that we know that we’re supposed to do, but we don’t always do like we’re supposed to do. But I’m glad that God is the one who keeps the books.

And when we get to heaven, God’s going to reward us. I’ve often thought thisand others have said the same thing. Some of these things that we do that man, boy, I’m really going to get a big reward for this.” And when we get to heaven, God says, oh, that goes in the ash heap. And there’s probably some things that we have done that we felt like total failures. We did it, but we were just total failure. Or sometime we preach a son’s school lesson or a church service or a, you know, already on broadcast and you say, you do something and think, man, that was pitiful.

Boy, I did a terrible job. That when you get to heaven, God might say that, that was spot on. Some of the things that we’re not that good in judging. That’s why he says, just nothing. See that word, in verse four, I know nothing by myself. Verse five, therefore judge nothing. We’re not good judges of our own lives. Just seek the Lord and seek the place of him, and then God will take care of that. You see, what we do sometimes is we can’t do it accurately for our own selves.

Do you think you’re accurate in judging other people? Can it be possible that you can judge somebody else wrong? Well, I thought that’s what you said. I thought that’s what you meant. Well, I know, but maybe they did. And we are not always the best judges of these things. Also take your Bible-looking, 2 Corinthians, in chapter four, 2 Corinthians chapter four. And look in verse five, look in verse five. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.

and ourselves, your servants, for Jesus’ sake. Now, the Lord is not all about ourselves preaching about us, me, how great I am. It’s trying to magnify the Lord. As Paul put it, he says that the Lord Jesus Christ might be magnified in my body. Whether by life or by death, the Lord is magnified. We’re just to be like a magnifying glass and we’re magnifying that which we focus upon. And we focus upon the Lord. And I believe it, it’s a good thing.

Look in verse six. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, have shine in our heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Shine out of darkness. You see Christ came into this world, and then he left this world. And you and I that are in the world, but trustly Christ is our savior, we’re lights in the world. It’s like at night when you go out there you see all those lights, the stars and the heavens.

And the blacker it is, the easier it is to see the light. And you and I ought to be able to really shine when the world get in as dark as it’s getting. We ought to shine even brighter because it means greater opportunities for us. We ought to be different than what the world is. And I think there’s things that are gonna be coming and persecution upon those that no Christ is savior, that it’s going to really tell the tale.

A lot of suffering that could come very, very easy. Look in the book of Ephesians in chapter five. Just turn to your right, Ephesians, in chapter five. And look at verse eight. Chapter five and verse eight. He makes this statement here, for ye were sometimes darkness, But now are you light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Now look there in Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians two. He’s talking to these Gentiles. And this is what he tells them. In verse two he says, we’re in in time patch, you walked.

You walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now work it in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation or manner of life, behavior in time pass in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. That’s the way we were. So when he says here that we were sometimes darna, this is the way we were.

So when he talks about walking in darkness, he means walking like you did before you knew the light, before you knew the truth. So now we know the truth and we should walk accordingly. And so he says here in verse eight, walk as children of light, not walking in the flesh, but walking in the light. And in verse nine, for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. So if you walk in the spirit, according to the truth, it means all goodness.

Remember when Jesus went around, the Bible says in the book of Acts, that everywhere he went, Jesus went about doing good. Whatever it is, you don’t go around doing evil. Christian should live good. We should do right by people. You should be as honest as you can be. And watching the things you say, we shouldn’t go around cursing people and badmouthing God. And all, we’re supposed to be a little different. Well, maybe it’s a lot of difference. And then he makes a statement here in verse 10, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

So that’s what you look for. What does God accept? It doesn’t matter what is acceptable in the eyes of the world or the lives of government, just because they take opinion polls and the majority says, well, that doesn’t mean that it’s approved by God. You always go, but what does God approve? And now they’re trying to get say homosexual is an acceptable lifestyle because it’s been voted on improved. So gay marriage and all that. Does the vote of man change the vote of God?

No, it says what is acceptable unto the Lord. I’m sorry, it’s still wrong. Abortion, I believe it’s still wrong. I believe it’s murder. And in verse 11 he says, and have no fellowship with the unproofable works of darkness but rather reproved them. That word reproved means the blame to charge them. And it’s sent sometimes to refute or to disprove the works of the flesh. Not to let it go, truth, and And that’s what we need is more people who know the truth, that stand up and say, well, this is what it is, and stand there.

And so look there in Ephesians chapter six and verse 12. Just turn right over there, another chapter. And verse 12 says, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. You and I have an Old Sanfone nature. That is the connection to the evil spirits in the spirit world. You see, they come in through because of our flesh. We have an Old Sanfone nature.

And they can lure us through the lust of the flesh. And certain things that they put on for advertisement or put in books and TV and the movies and all those things to capture you and drag you, even Christians, into the world of darkness, to drag you into the lust of the flesh, and so that you will not be different like God wants you to be, you’ll be walking according to the flesh, not to the spirit that God intended.

Let me give you one more before we equate here. Look there in the book of 1 John, chapter one, 1 John 1 John 1 I don’t believe can truly be understood without understanding the two natures. One when you trust the Christ is saved you were born in the God’s family. You are a child of God. So as a child of God you are now the children of light. Therefore as a child of God God wants you to walk in the light.

Can you walk in the darkness? Yes you can, but it’s not the will of God. So sometimes we think, well, we’re doing all right and I’m having fellowship with God, but in your life you have all the works of the flesh. Somebody probably would question that you’re right with God. So he makes a statement here in verse six, in verse chapter one, verse six. I want to see this verse. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness.

In other words, you say you have fellowship with a little, but you’re walking in the flesh, you’re producing the works of the flesh. Then he says, you do what? You lie, and you’re not telling the truth. And therefore he says, if you say you have not sinned, and you have sinned, he says, then you’re lying. So he says in verse seven, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of his son keeps us clean, continually.

And so as a child of God, God wants us to walk in the light, but sometimes people say, well, I’m, everything’s right between me and God. But then you look at their life and nothing is right between them and God, because you see all of you see as the works of the flesh. It can tell whether or not a person is walking in the flesh. Now a lost man can walk in the flesh and bring forth the same thing, so it doesn’t prove that a man is saved or lost.

Just shows that he has a sinful nature and they’re walking in the flesh, what it proves. So chapter two, it’s a little bit of the same thing. Let’s see there in verse nine, he that saith, he is in the light, hated his brother, is in darkness, even until now, it means that you are walking after the flesh. You’re saying one thing, but you hate your brother, you’re walking in darkness. Now, look at it, he said in verse 10, he that love of his brother abided in light, and there’s no occasion of stumbling in him.

So when you hate, it means you’re walking in the darkness, you’re walking according to the flesh, and there’s gonna be a case enough, you’re stumbling, you’re going to fall. But if you walk in the light, then there’s no occasion stumbling in him. So very quickly, first John chapter three, and look at verse 15, who so hated his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer the eternal life abiding in Him. So how do you explain that? Well, very simple.

Look up here. This is my first birth, the lust of the flesh, my second birth, born of God, Holy Spirit, lives in me. This one can’t sin, this one can do right. This one brings forth the works of the flesh, the works of darkness. If I say as a Christian, I’m walking with the Lord, But I’m bringing forth the works of the flesh. He says, you’re lying. You’re deceiving yourself. And it helps us to know how we can discern things that are in our life.

So he says here in verse 15, whosoever hated his brother. Now, which one would hate? This is hate over here. This is the one that hates. This one doesn’t hate. This one hates. Hater is a work of the flesh. And you know that He doesn’t have eternal life abiding in Him. Eternal life abides in this one, not this one. So understand as a cell of God, it is the will of God that we walk in the Lord. Let’s pray, shall we?

Father, we thank you so much for this time together, for the study of your word, blessed Christ. May we pray. Amen. Hello. Thank you for tuning in to today’s program. We hope that Bibleline is truly a blessing in your life. During this month to every person making a financial donation in any amount, we’re going to send to you the DVD series, The Poison of Bitterness. In this series on bitterness, Dr. Arnold will explain how we poison ourselves, those around us and especially our spouses with bitterness.

Everyone can relate to the bitterness because it’s a human reaction to being hurt. But bitterness is a poison that can ruin your life and this DVD series is yours this month with a donation of any amount. This is one of the most powerful teachings on the Christian life that Dr. Arnold has ever taught, so contact us today for this valuable lesson series. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and don’t forget to include your mailing address.

God bless you and thank you again for supporting Bibleline. 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.