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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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

If you’re a Christian, live like a Christian, but you can be saved and not live like a Christian, live like a Christian, not abide in the Lord and not bear fruit. So he says in verse 1, I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he take it the way. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purges it that it may bring forth more fruit. So every branch in me, that means you are a believer, you’re in Christ.

So it’s shown that you can be in Christ and and bear fruit and you can be in Christ and not bear fruit. I mean, that’s what I would get from that verse. But he says, he purges it that it can bring forth more fruit. So God will work in your life and purge at means cut off all the dead limbs and things like that. Things out of your life that hinder all the juice and the energy flowing from the vine into the branches so that you can have more fruit.

And a lot of times Christians are wasting their time and energy in the flesh. But if you cut off those things, you’ll have more time to do what God wants you to do and your life will be fuller, a more abundant and you’ll have more blessings upon your life. And verse 3, now ye are clean, ye are clean. And through the word which I have spoken unto you. Now he says in verse 4, abide in me. And I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except at a Biden divine.

No more can ye except you abiding me. So this is not in verse four, talking about how to be saved. It’s talking about a Christian bringing forth fruit and learning to abide in the Lord, doing what God wants you to do with your life. Abiding in him is nothing more than resting in the Lord, serving the Lord, learning how to rest why you serve so that you don’t get burned out. you’ll have the energy that you need to continually keep following the Lord.

Now he says here in verse 5, I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abide it in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he’s cashed forth as a branch and is withered. I mean your testimony becomes shot. You lose the power of your influence in the lives of other people. See, the greatest thing you have going for you is yes, the gospel, but the power of your life, the power of your influence.

Because if you talk to people about why they should serve a Lord, whatever those reasons may be, shouldn’t they be good enough for you? Then where is your changed life? Where’s the dedication of your life and your purpose? And it should drive and motivate you. Verse seven, if you’re biting me in my words of biting me, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit, so shall you bear my disciples.

Be my disciple. So this is to the believer, but it is possible for a child of God not to bring forth fruit. See from verse two, every branch in me that beareth not fruit and every branch that beareth fruit. So there’s branches that are in Christ, in the line, but not fruit bearing. So if you were a fruit inspector and said, well, I don’t see any fruit in your life, that doesn’t mean that the branch is not in the vine.

Doesn’t mean that you’re not saved, but it does ruin your testimony. And God says, you’ll lose the power. Of your influence, and people want nothing to do with it because, see, you’re supposed to be salt, and it’s lost to savor. We’re supposed to be light, but we don’t shine. So keep that in mind, it’s a good verse. Look there in the book of 1 Corinthians 9, 1 Corinthians 9. as a child of God, even though you’re in the race, running the race, you’re supposed to be, well, as he says, a master, temperant, and all things.

See up here in verse 25, every man that strived for the mastery is temperate, self-control, disciplined, and all things. Means in every area of your life because you know that there’s one area that’s not disciplined and you refuse to guard, it could cost you your life, it could cost you your testimony. And you could lose a lot. And he says we’re striving for that incorruptible crown, but crowns are given because of your labor, learning to play about the spiritual rules.

See in football there’s rules. Gough, there’s rules. Every game there’s rules. There’s the, there’s rules in life. And in the spiritual life, there’s rules. There’s things that you are to do, and there’s things not to do. And so he makes this statement here in verse 27, but I keep under my body. In other words, I discipline my body. I keep my body under my control.

And bring it into subjection. Why? Less by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be cast away or disqualified, and I don’t win the prize. So can you be in the race? You can even be serving the Lord, and not do the thing that God wants you to do. And you don’t discipline yourself the way God wants, because you may be satisfied just serving the Lord a little bit. But what God wants, He wants your whole heart.

He wants you to love Him more than anything else in the world. He doesn’t want to share His love on and with anybody. So therefore, as a child of God, can we be set aside? I know Christians, I know people that I went to Bible college with, who were going to turn the world upside down or do whatever they could. And it didn’t take long for the world to get a hold of them. Now they have good jobs but not involved in the Lord’s work at all.

Just set aside, put on a shelf. Wouldn’t it be a shame for God to put you on a shelf and not use you? Now if a fruit inspector came by and saw you sitting on the shelf, he might say, well, he looked pretty preserved. But that’s not the kind that we’re talking about. And so you didn’t persevere in the faith. if you really believe that you have to persevere in the faith, so you’re going to have a problem with all those Christians who don’t persevere and they have to also have a problem with themselves.

So at what point do they know I am really persevered and in the next day, well, I’m not so good today. Okay, now which way will you save or not save? That is such a terrible way to live. You know when I took God at his word 55 years ago, it’s never changed. That verse is still there. It still says the same thing. It still means the same thing. And so I know what I’m still saying because God’s word hasn’t changed.

It has nothing to do with changes. It with me. It has to do with did God change his word? God changes mind. Did God say I’m going to take away your salvation? Find the verse. It’s not there. So that’s why we have great consolation. in trusting the Lord. Number six, resist God’s chastening and correcting to the point of physical death. Do you believe that the Bible actually says God can take you home? Look there in 1 Corinthians in chapter, let me see here, 1 Corinthians in chapter 10, chapter 11, I’ll get it right here in a minute.

It’s not like I never have covered these verses before. I have looked at communion service before. But in 1 Corinthians in chapter 11, you’ll notice what he says here in verse 28, but let a man examine everybody else, to become fruit inspectors and everybody else’s life. Now just look to yourself and he’s talking here not about whether the knot are you really saved? He’s talking about… Are you going to partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthily manner? It means that you’re not living right and you’re refusing to correct the problem.

So you make a mockery out of the Lord’s Supper. So he makes a statement here in verse 30. For this cause, many are weak, sickly, and sleep. That word sleep means dead. So if some fruit inspector came by and they saw that he was dead, he was dead. you sick. Ah, that’s a sign you’re not right with God. And there’s people that teach that because you’re not feeling good. Ah, you must have sin in your life. Buddy, I’ve had a whole bunch in the last month.

And I don’t know of any particular sin that I need to worry about. It’s, I think it’s the soul body I’ve got. It just doesn’t want to go sometimes. It gets to feeling pretty bad sometimes. So God says, because of the way some of God’s children live, some are sick because of it, some are weak because of it, some are dead because of it. But you know if a person that was a fruit inspector always judged, well you don’t have the fruit.

Well, I don’t have to have the fruit. The lack of fruit brought God’s chastening, and God will do that. Look in verse 31, for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. In other words, if you’ll take care of the problem, and God won’t have to, if you’ll deal with those areas in your life that are not right, then God won’t have to step in. Wouldn’t you like to solve some of your discipline problems without having the Lord do it?

Because you don’t know how God’s going to do it. But if you’ll take care of the issue, then God won’t have to. And so he says in verse 32, but when we’re judged, you see, you do it. Our God’s going to do it. Now which one do you think you would do better? He says, we are chastened of the Lord, not that we should not be condemned with the world. So therefore he says, discipline yourself. That’s why he says, examine yourself.

So if you see something in your life that’s not right, you can correct it. Because if you don’t correct it, God says, I will, and I’m going to have to deal with you. And I may have to take you home before your time. So you see, you don’t have to persevere in the faith and live for the Lord. Of course, if you don’t, there’s consequences. And the fruit inspector has a problem with those consequences because they believe that you must persevere until the end.

And then well, if you’re really saved, you’re not going to want to do this or do that. So it’s very, very important. Now, there are several verses in a row that’s right there in the book of Timothy. So look in one Timothy. I would have stopped that. I’m going to say that one. I shouldn’t say that. So look there in the book of 1 Timothy chapter 1 and look in verse 5 and verse 6. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and a faith unfame from which some having swerved have turned aside on the vain jangolin.

Some have turned aside. Some people change and so if you was a fruit inspector, you just love it to say, well, see there? If you were really saved, you wouldn’t do that. And when he says there in verse seven, desire to be teachers of the law. Is it possible to be teachers of the law? Is it possible for God’s people to get sidetracked, to become deceived, and start teaching something that God forbids? I believe that it’s very, very possible.

Look their in verse 18 of chapter 1. This charge I commit unto the son Timothy according to the prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them might as war a good warfare. In other words you know Paul is going to say I have fought a good fight. So now this senior saying is trying to pass on some good information to this young man on how to fight a good fight. A warfare. And he says the same thing in chapter two and…

Of Second Timothy when he talks about being a good soldier that’s not entangled with the affairs of this life. They may please the one who called him the Be a soldier. But there’s a war on a spiritual war. And so the word of God can help us fight the war. And then he says here, holding faith and a good conscience, which some, now you’ll see that word some in a few places. But not all of God’s children are going to persevere in the same.

Not all of God’s children grow at the same rate. Not all of God’s children grow at all. Not all of them grow. You can be a babing Christ and stay a babe for the rest of your life. But some people are learning how to walk and they fall and they crawl and they walk and some learn how to run and they run the race. And so he says here in verse 19, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made what?

Shipwreck. Can a Christian have shipwreck in his life? You’re supposed to be out there in the water and you didn’t got too close to the land. There’s the spirit in the water, the flesh and the land and some Christians are afraid to trust the Lord so they put one foot on the land and one foot on the water and they’re in a heap of trouble boy. You talk about split. They don’t know what to trust. And so you have the rocks, you have the storms of life.

And a lot of God’s children, their roots don’t go deep into the world of God so that they can be stabilized. So when the waves comes or the wind blows, they’re rock solid. So the key to that, of course is understanding sound words, sound doctrine, sound mind. So those things go together. And so look there in verse 20, of whom is Hymenius and Phileadus are Alexander, whom I have delivered unto who? Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

I believe that they were probably believers. But people who cause other people to depart from the faith, teaching something that causes shipwreck and can wreck your faith. You can get on to the internet and begin to listen to some of those wild people out there saying all kinds of things and next thing you know shipwreck your Christian life and get to the place where you are totally spiritually destroyed. And then on down the road you’ll probably never darken the doors of a church again never want to listen to a preacher you want nothing to do with it.

And you’re going to be surprised. Yes, saved, but you ruined your life, wasted it. And it didn’t have to be that away, but it will be that away. Look in chapter 4 and verse 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times. Some, some, some, I could preach a whole sermon on some that you find in the Bible. Some, because not everybody will do the same thing. Some shall depart from the faith. Now what if you were this fruit and specter and you see someone that departed from the faith, what would you naturally conclude then?

Well they must not be saved. They weren’t real. They weren’t genuine. What God says, you were in the faith. You departed from it. You said, well I don’t believe it anymore. Remember this, when you trusted Christ to save you, God’s going to keep his word. It has nothing to do with you keeping your word. You don’t have a word to keep. It was God that gave his word. I’ve heard some preacher say, well, you’ve got a mean business. You’ve got a mean business.

No, it was him that meant business. He says, you trust me and I’ll save you. So what about later on when you deny the faith? Well, you can deny it all you want to. God can’t deny himself. He gave his word. See, that’s what he means when he makes this statement that once you’ve trusted them in Savior, you’re God’s child forever. Having this seal, the Lord, knoweth them, that are his. That’s in 2 Timothy. We might get there in just a minute.

But notice what he says in the last part of verse one. And the part from the faith, giving he to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, is it possible that God’s people can begin to listen to the doctrine of devils? I mean, if you read the Bible, you have to admit it’s there. So not all of God’s children are going to grow and become spiritual and bare fruit. Some will not. Some are not going to bite into the Lord.

Some are not going to walk with Him. Some are going to bear that fruit. Some Christians are going to have all kinds of problems. And they’re not going to live like a Christian act like a Christian, talk like a Christian. And so you can question their salvation, but when I find out what a person that’s living like the devil is trusting in, and if he says he’s trusting Christ in him alone, as his only hope of going to heaven, believe in the Christ died and pay for his sins, I do not question that man’s salvation.

I will question his judgments on what he’s doing as a child of God, and tell him that God’s gonna chase in him, and sometimes he says, oh I know that God’s already chasing me. But they don’t want correct the problem. They don’t care. There’s an I don’t care attitude that a lot of people have. So look there in chapter 5. In chapter 5 and look in verse 8. But if a man provided not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith.

So can a person deny the faith? He can deny the faith. But does that mean he’s lost? No, it doesn’t means he’s lost. It means he’s not living according to the Christian principles. He’s not living according to the principle of grace that God says, teaching us the nigh and ungodliness in this worldly desires and so forth that we may please him in this present time, this present life that God’s given to us. Look there in chapter 6 of 1 Timothy and notice what he says in verse 20.

Oh Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust. Now why would he have to tell him this if it’s automatic? Why would he have to tell him on anything that’s automatic? See if perseverance of the faith is true it would have to be automatic. Because if you see if God really gave you the faith to believe then you’ll have to believe because it’s irresistible. And if you are really saved by this irresistible grace well then that means you’re going to persevere into faith.

Well now you’ve got a problem. It looks like hardly anybody was saved because they didn’t persevere. So it means that you may not persevere, Timothy, and he’s warning him. Keep that which is committed to that trust. Avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so called, which some, there’s that word again, some, professing have done what? He said, well, aired concerning the faith. Can a Christian air? You can air. You can get to where you can believe the wrong thing.

And then you can start promoting the wrong thing. And this is why you have to be very, very careful. Now, look in 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy in chapter 2. Look down in verse 11. If they faithful saying, for if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. But now, if I deny Him, then you’re saved. Did He say you’re lost?

He didn’t say nothing like that. He says He’ll deny us. What can God deny me? Rewards, usefulness, blessings. Lot of things. It’s a whole big old list. End point number two down there. So there’s a lot of things he can deny you, but he can’t deny you salvation. Because once you have salvation, you have it. And so he says in verse 13, if we believe not, what afterwards you got to wear? I don’t believe it anymore. Well, God shall then not just take my eternal life back.

And I’m going to rub your name out in heaven. And I’m going to unjustify you. And I’m going to unsanctify you. And I’m going to take away that place I reserved for you in heaven. You know God would stay pretty busy with all that book work, wouldn’t He? Even if He had a big computer. But He says He won’t do that. Look what He says up there in verse 16. Shun, Profane, and Vane, Babylon’s for they will increase under more ungodliness, for their word will eateth at the canker of whom is Hymenes and Phileadon, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection has passed already and overthrown the faith of some.

This is why we’re so concerned about God’s people becoming well grounded in the scriptures, so that you’re not overthrown in your faith. Because the devil is real and is powerful. In Ephesians chapter 6, he tells us about the armor of the Lord and the shield of faith that we’re supposed to use. Now look in verse 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are what? His. You may forget the Lord, but your Heavenly Father will never forget you.

It just ain’t gonna happen. Now in 2 Timothy and chapter 3, there’s even a few more, but we won’t take the time to get into all those now. Alright, look up here. But anyway, this hand represents you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, loves everybody, but He hates our sin. And the Bible says, since we committed the sin, we ought to pay for it, and that’s eternal separation from God in hell.

But the Bible says to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. And nobody’s perfect, we’ve all sinned. We’re all condemned. This hand represents Jesus Christ, He’s the Lord, God in the flesh. came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin, because it separates us from Him. So what Jesus Christ did is took all the sin, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead. And He said that if you and I, we would be lead that He did it.

Not for the world, but I have to believe He did it for me. He paid for my sins. And I accept this payment. So once I accept this payment, I have a payment for all of my sins. that means I’m not going to hell. So if I’m not going to hell, I don’t have to try to work my way to heaven. There’s only a heaven and a hell. Now I’m not going to hell. So where must I be going to heaven?

So once you trust Him, God gives you eternal life and you get to go to heaven on what Christ did. No man can earn it. No man needs to take credit. It’s not of works Let’s lest any man should boast the gift of God. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’re here in the auditorium or if you’re watching by internet, God loves you and so do I. He wants you to go to heaven and so do I.

That’s why I try to keep giving the gospel, making an issue. I want to be a gospel driven man. If there’s anything that drives and motivates me, I want to be a gospel-driven man. So if you’ve never trusted the Lord, would you trust Him right now? And if you will, I would like to know. If you’ve already trusted the Lord, you never have to do it again. But if you’ve never done it before, say, preach of that made sense to me.

And I will accept that payment Christ made right now. Then God said, he would save you, give eternal life. And I’d like to know it. And I’d like to have prayer for you. I’m not going to embarrass you. I’m not going to have you forward. But right where you’re sitting, say, preach of that made sense to me. Would you just slip your hand very quickly and put it right back down? Then when it all. If you’re watching by internet right there on the screen is a little statement that says, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior.

Father, we thank you again for blessing us. We’re so glad that eternal life is free. And Lord, we know the importance in your word that yes, we reap what we sow. There is the chastening hand of our heavenly loving Father. And Lord, we know that you want the best for us. You want to bless our lives and reward us when we get to heaven, but you don’t bless disobedient children. So we know that there’s consequences, help us to be wise, help us to be disirning, the study of your word so that will be rock solid, that our faith will go deep into your word, so that the winds of various doctrines will not uproot us.

Bless each one here. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. In Christ’s name 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 to 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 Name. 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 looking up.