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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 air. From Reach Us Toll Free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

So God says, you have been declared righteous, justified, just as if you had never sinned. like, here I am at 73 years of age. And just think of how many sins I must have committed in 73 years. No, don’t even think about it. But think about all the sins that I might have committed in my whole life, and they’re all gone. Like I had never committed a one. That’s because God has justified me. So I have already been justified.

And in Romans 3, 24, he says, justified. It’s a done deal. I’ve already been justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So once you trust Christ as your Savior, you are justified freely by His grace through that payment, that redemption, the price that He made for you and for me. So this is why this is such a good deal. When are you justified? The very moment you believed. So 55 years ago, sitting in a little old living room in Athens, Georgia, I didn’t understand all this.

So all I knew is I’m a sinner. Christ died for sinners. If I trust Christ is my Savior, He’ll save me. And that night I believed that. That night I was justified. That very moment. and I’m good to go to heaven, not because of anything that I’ve done, and not because of anything I’ve done since then, in the last 55 years, has nothing to do, cannot add to a work that’s totally completely finished. That’s good news. WeAltern say from the power of sin, that means during our lifetime.

the Bible tells us that in our physical bodies is an old sinful nature. But also now my body has become the temple of the Holy Spirit. We call this the sanctuary but God doesn’t live here. God lives in our bodies in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within you and know you’re not that your body is the temple of God that you have of God and you’re not your own. You’ve been bought with the price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.

My body belongs to God. Your body belongs to God. So the temple of God today is your physical body. So in this physical body of ours, we have an old sinful nature and we have the Holy Spirit. And so we have a choice. And I try to explain to individuals that once you trust that Christ is Savior, the penalty of your sins is done. But for my life, God gives us choices. And sometimes I tell people you can, now you can, you’re free to live like you please.

But now I’m free to please God or I can live to please myself. So I’ve got the freedom of choice. I can choose to serve the Lord and be obedient. And I can choose to be disobedient, not serve the the Lord. But there’s consequences. There’s things that’s going to happen because of my decision. So if I study the Word of God and find out what places God, then I want to please God. So I have to go by the Word.

Because I find out there’s some things in the Bible that says this place is God. There’s some things in the Bible that says this doesn’t place God. And God tells us in his Word in chapter 2 of 1 John in verse 16 and 17. It He says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, for if amen love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Now, you may be saved, you have eternal life.

You and I were not saved because we love God. We’re saved because God loved us. But now, when you learn what God has done for you and wants to do for you, and he’ll never leave you, never forsake you, you’d be surprised how much better your life is if you learn to love the Lord above everything else in the world. So you and I, in our life, God wants to save us from that power of that sinful nature that lives within us.

So you learn how to do what God says and we walk with them. Now look at this verse. In 1 Timothy 4, 16 says, Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine, continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself. Now see, there’s a verse in the Bible that says, you can save yourself. Well, now we have to understand now, what are we talking about? You see, in the chapter 4, it’s talking about there’s spirits that are going to be teaching false doctrine, things that are not true.

So you’re to learn the Word of God and no sound doctrine, so you can detect air when people present it. And in doing so, if you study this doctrine, you’ll save yourself from false doctrine. Because if you don’t understand truth, you cannot discern the air. So you learn the truth so that you can save yourself from believing the false doctrines. And in you learning it, as Paul tells Timothy, you’ll not only save yourself from false doctrine, but you’ll be able to save those who listen to you.

So we’re to teach others so that they can be found faithful. So you teach sound doctrine. But see, if I was to take this one verse and say, see there, this is how you got to live in order to be saved, well then there’s no end to this. To what point? How much? I can save myself. But then you know that flies in the face of all the verses that says, you can’t save yourself. And that God says it’s a gift.

Well, this isn’t a gift, this isn’t free. This is something you got to continue in doing. This is something you got to learn and study and do, practice, and see there’s no end to that. But that’s because see this is in between what Christ did on the cross for us when we trust Him as our Savior and the day when we leave this world. So we’re talking about that which lies in between. This is where we are. And James 1.21 says, therefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluidity of not in this and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul.

This is not talking about eternal destination. This is not talking about how to keep you out of hell. This is to God’s children and there’s many trials and tribulations and there’s temptations that comes along. And the thing that can save you from all of those things that can destroy your life life is going to be the engrapped Word of God. So as you and I take the Word of God and reread it and study it, it’s going to help you to deliver yourself from the snares of the devil.

And you can have a good life, a great victorious life, but if you don’t, you’re going to fall, you’re going to stumble in your Christian life. So you see, the Bible does say about being saved and you can save yourself, but he’s not talking about hell. And a lot of people, every time they see the word saved, they automatically think, well, you must be talking about being saved from hell. No, it’s not. So you look at the context and see what is it talking about.

Philippians 2, 12 makes a statement, wherefore might be love it. Might be love it, he’s already talking to believers. As you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Work out your own salvation. Now you have to have salvation before you can work it out. You must have it in before you can do anything else with it. But he’s talking to the believers about not missing the will of God for their life.

For it is God that worketh in you. So see once you trusted Christ as your Savior and the Holy Spirit indwells you. and the Holy Spirit is to teach you the word of God so that you can accomplish with your life that which God wants. Now that you’re a child of God it’s like having a piece of land say God gave you ten acres of land. That ten acres of land? Well you can plan on it and if you don’t do anything with it it could have just briars and thorns and you can waste your life.

And a lot of Christians are going to have a wasted life. Or you can work that land and produce a lot of fruit. I decided years ago I don’t want to raise just thorns and briars on my piece of property. This body, this piece of dirt, as Ferdy Chlor would say, I want to plant something. And so therefore I want to plant good seed. I want to have something grow. I want to have a harvest. I want to produce some good fruit.

So therefore we work and we study these things because the last thing you would want, and there should be a little fear that you don’t accomplish with your life what God intended. But see this is during this lifetime that we’re living. This isn’t talking about being safe from hell. This isn’t talking about when I go to heaven over here. He’s going to take care of that. He’s already took care of the other. He’s talking about what I’m going to do in the time of my life.

So he says, for it is God which worketh in you. So he can’t work in you until you have trusted him as your savior. So you’re already saved. You have eternal life. The Holy Spirit lives within you. And the Holy Spirit wants to do a work in your life. And if you understand it, it’ll help you tremendously. Let him know that he which converted the center from the era of his way shall save a soul from death. You see, we believe that when you trust Christ’s savior you make wrong choices that many are weak and some are dead because of bad choices.

So God can’t take you home because of you’re not correcting the problem. And the Bible says, if I would serve him, I would be blessed. So the more people we can get to serve the Lord, then we’re keeping them from a multitude of sins. We’re helping them to become fruitful, faithful, obedient to God. You stop and think for a moment. If it wasn’t for the Word of God that you have already learned, do you realize how bad you could live?

Do you understand you could go out and live a terrible, terrible, wicked life? And God may have to take you home. But by getting individuals to love the Lord and to serve God with all their heart, you’re keeping them from the chasting hand of God. And I believe this is what God wants. Now in the book of Galatians 5 16 he says, this I say then walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

You still have the lust of the flesh, but walk in the Spirit that means walk in obedience to the Word of God and you don’t have to fulfill the lust of the flesh. This is how to have the power in your Christian light that you need over the power of the flesh. And the power of the flesh is very strong. All we like sheep have gone astray because it’s part of our nature. It’s the way we are. Now, your theological description, it is called sanctification.

So in your Christian life, you’re supposed to be sanctifying your life. It means that there’s things that you cut out of your life. There’s things that are good and godly that you put into your life. So it means that you’re trying to live a holy life, a godly life. Come from the Greek word hagiazzo meaning to be made pure and holy. Set apart for God. So you have determined that as a cell of God I’m gonna sit myself aside for the cause of price.

And this is where I am, this is who I am, this is what I’m about. And you be surprised that how God will bless you. Now, when does this take place in the process of time? You see, when you got saved, that was in a moment, that very moment that you trusted Christ, you were saved. And when the rapture takes place or when you die in a split second, you’re out of here. But now we’re talking about in the process of time.

Time has been processed. You once was young and now you’re getting older and older and older and older. That’s for the men. The women go from childhood to teenager to young lady to young lady to young lady to young lady to young lady. So we’re in the process of pine. Now Romans 12, 2 says, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind because it be not conformed to this world because that takes time.

Be it transformed because it takes time. See the other things don’t take time. That’s done because God does that. But when it talks about something that you and I have to do, these things take time. But be it transformed by the renewing of your mind, renewing your mind takes time. Studying is a weariness of the flesh. But it’s still something that we have to do. Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needs not to be ashamed of rightly dividing the word of God.

That takes time. Learn how to walk with God takes time. Learn how to love when it takes time. These are things that takes time. And this is why this is called sanctification. You’re learning how to sanctify the Lord God in your hearts in a daily walk with the Lord. So we have these three tenses of salvation. We’re saved, saved, saved. Now, save from the presence of sin. That’s going to take place when the Lord comes and takes us out of here, or we go by the way of the grave.

He says much more than in Romans 5 and 9 being the now justified by his blood. Now we shall be saved is a guarantee that based upon the first one. This is not talking about the sanctification that lies in between, because I have been saved, I shall be, which is a guarantee. You see, my Christian walk with the Lord, it’s not guaranteed that I have to do this and I’m going to do this and I’m going to have evidence of my life and I’m going to, no, no, no.

There’s two things that are guaranteed. Once when I trust that Christ is my Savior, He guaranteed me eternal life that very moment. And He’s guaranteed me that that whenever I die or the rapture takes place, I’ll be with the Lord. But in between, my walk depends upon my walk with God. And I may not live the way I ought to live, but there’s a lot of things God says that we should do. And so he says in Romans 5, 10, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more it being reconciled, shall be saved by his life.

The day is coming when we’re gonna leave this world, looking Romans 13 and verse 11. And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation near, our salvation near, then when we believed, it means it hasn’t totally been fulfilled yet as far as when God delivers us and takes us out of this world. So I have been saved, I am being saved from the power of sin in my life now, but one day, and I’m getting closer, I knew this year a few years ago, but every year I realized I’m near than I used to be.

I’m closer than I’ve ever been. Every day I get closer and closer and so do you. If any man’s work, when we get to heaven, any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. Any man’s work shall be burned. That means doing his life, his works. they’re no good. He didn’t have any gold, silver and precious on all he had was haywooden stubble, wasted life, burn up, total loss, yet he himself still shall be saved.

You see, the haywooden stubble and the gold, silver and precious on those are things that I do for the Lord here in this present life. I’ve already been saved, but now I have a life to live. And this where I could choose to love the Lord or I can love the world. But if I love the world, then I might have a lot of haywooden stubble, briars, or I can serve God and see what God has for me. Now, your theological description is called glorification.

It means that when you read, you know Romans in in chapter three, verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It means short of God’s perfection. We often talk about heaven is a glorious place. The Bible even describes the gospels that glorious gospel because it’s a perfect message. Remember the gospel is a perfect message and it can make a center perfect. That’s why we have such a wonderful thing but one of these days we’re gonna be caught up in the glory.

That is going to be our glorification. When we have a glorified body, this body that I have, this o-vile body is going to be changed into the likeness of his body and will be like the Lord. And this is when you die or are caught up in the rapture in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. See, this isn’t something that you and I do. This is something that God does. This has to do with our glorification. God does that.

When we talk about being saved from help, God does that. When we talk about our sanctification, that period of time in between, that’s something that may happen and may not. You may live a victorious Christian life and you may not. But one day in a moment, the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump for the trumpet-chews sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, the bodies that have already died.

And this mortal people that are alive and yet subject to death will put on immortality where they will never die. That’s some pretty good news. Now, here’s a couple verses that puts all three of these tenses together. In Titus 2, 11 it says, and this is one of those statements that we always read in our songbook. We know we have that in there about, we’re looking for that blessed hope, that glorious salvation when Christ will appear, for the grace of God, that bring of salvation, hat appeared.

That’s past tense. Half appeared to all men. Titus 2.12 says, teaching us, that’s during this period of time. See, the one is what he did for us, and he saves us by grace alone. Titus 2.12 teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we what? Should, should live soberly. Now when He’s talking about salvation, remembering the gospel of John chapter 3, Jesus says, you must be born again. You must. There is no other one. You must be born again.

When He’s talking about how we should live, it’s we should, but we might not. This is talking about now that you have saved the grace of God teaches us. We should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. This is where we are. So until we are taken out of this world, it is the will of God that you and I serve the Lord with all our heart, and that we would live a righteous life soberly, godly. And notice that part where he says, deny and ungodliness and worldly lust.

The desires of the flesh are still there. But there’s There’s got to be something that’s better than that, that challenges and motivates us. So he finishes off in Titus 2, 13. Though we’re in this present world, we’re looking down the road. Isn’t it true that we’d like to see the Lord come back today? But maybe he’ll come tomorrow. Or if he don’t come tomorrow, well, maybe he’ll come the next day. But we’re looking for that blessed tribulation. No. We’re looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

That’s what we’re looking for because Jesus is coming and I’m glad to say we are saved, saved, saved. I have been saved from the penalty of sin. I can never go to hell. That’s already done deal. And one of these days he’s going to take me out of this world, but that hasn’t shown up yet. So right now, what does God want me to do in my life? He wants me to live a holy, godly life that honors the Lord.

And while we’re in this old sinful world and in a sinful body, remember he has not left us alone, totally helpless to our old sinful nature. He has given to us the indwelling Holy Spirit. Now look up here, just in case someone down the road wonders, well, what do you have to do? Let me repeat myself very quickly. Let in this hand represent you and me, and this wallet represents sin. Now we all have sin on us. God loves us.

Now He hates our sin, but He loves us, loves the whole world, everybody in the world. But everybody in the world have all sinned. And so therefore we’ve fallen under the condemnation of the law. We’re condemned. We’ve been found guilty and we must die. But God loves us and wants us to be with Him for all eternity in heaven. But He cannot allow sin into heaven because of sins that we can’t get in. So the Bible says you and I cannot save ourselves.

Being saved is not something you can produce. You can never live good enough. So the Bible says we need a Savior. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. So Christ, who had no sin didn’t have to die, but we have a sin dead and we’re not free to leave here and go there until we pay this dead in full. Well the problem is would be eternally separated from God.

So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid that That’s not dead. For all the people in the world. And it says, whosoever would believe this could know they have eternal life and get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for them. You cannot earn it. You cannot work for it. You cannot buy it. It is the gift of God. If offered you my watch and you accept you have a watch offered you my Bible and you accept you have a Bible.

Will have Christ walked in here right now and offered you an eternal life and we accept it. What would we have eternal life? if it’s eternal life, well that lasts forever. If it lasts forever and all my sins are paid, where will I go when I die? The heaven. So when you trusted Christ as your Savior, He saved you from hell. You’re not in heaven yet, but He has saved you from hell. And He gave you the Holy Spirit.

And so in the process of time, He desires every one of us to love Him. and to live a life that pleases him. You may or you may not, but it cannot undo what’s already done. You’ve already been saved, and you will be saved from this world and from this old sinful body, one day, the redemption of the body. So we’re saved, saved, saved. Let’s pray, shall we? With heads by my eyes closed, no one looking around. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, would you right now in your own mind?

Say, Lord, I don’t understand it all, but I believe that when Christ died, He died for me. And right now I will accept Him as my only hope of going to heaven. And God said, if you trust Him, He would save you, save you from hell. That payment he made would be put to your account and you get to go to heaven. I pray that you will. And if you’re making that decision right now, I’m going to ask you in just a moment to raise your hand.

Raise your hand doesn’t save you, but it’s just to let me know so I can have prayer for you. I cannot save you. Nobody else can. Only the Lord would you trust him. And if you are doing that and you’ve never done it before, you say, I will trust Christ as my Savior tonight. Would you just slip you in a very quickly and put it right back down? Is anyone at all? If you’re watching by internet, right on the screen, you can also say, yes, that made sense to me, and I will trust Christ right now as my Savior.

I pray that you will. Father, we do thank you so much for your blessing, for the opportunity we have to teach these classes, various lectures. We want people to hear, to understand, become effective in the Christian walk. So we just pray for clarity. And Lord for them, that be able to discern salvation in His three tenses. One day we’ll be with you in heaven. We’re looking forward to that moment. But until then, help us to walk that life that you want us to.

Not because we have to, but because we want to. So bless each one in Christ and we pray. Amen. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones.

This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to 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 in looking up.