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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.

Look at our next one down here. Number 8, what does the Bible say about fellowship and with unbelievers? unbelievers. Second Corinthians chapter 6, all right, let’s look at Second Corinthians in chapter 6. Now believe it or not, all the Sunday school classes are supposed to be teaching this same thing, except a couple of the classes I’ve told them to teach whatever they wanted to, but mainly all the classes will be teaching pretty much the same thing. But different teachers have a different way of presenting something.

Not everybody teaches the same way. And we are blessed in this church to have such good quality teachers in some of these other classes and so forth. So if you ever want to go to one of the other classes and just see what they’re doing, feel free to do so. I’m not one of those preachers that get mad and I don’t get jealous. Remember, I used to have them all, but I’d rather have some teachers learning how to teach and somebody else fill them in and they learn.

That’s how you do it. But anyway, if you’ll notice here in 2 Corinthians in chapter 6, they’re in verse 14, be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. So here’s a young lady. She trusted the Lord, she comes into church and she’s dedicated her life to the Lord and here comes this handsome divinare, you know, and he’s tall dark and handsome and she falls. But he’s not saved. But if he’s not saved, she ought not give him a first look, because she’s going by the external.

But what does the Bible say? And I always try to tell the college kids this, but most of them don’t listen, but I tell them anyway. You will never marry somebody you don’t date. So you don’t date anybody you wouldn’t marry. You find out where that person stands first. You need to know where they stand spiritually. Do they know the Lord and do they love the Lord and are they serving the Lord? Not they’re promising that they’re going to.

No, no, no, no. If you’re not doing it now, you don’t know if they’ll do it later. And they should be able to do it without you. If they only do it because of you, when they get upset with you, then they’re not going to do it. You better be wise. Your whole life can be ruined by making a few bad decisions that can affect your whole life. affect your whole life. But once you say, I do, I do, I do, you better do.

So, well, I married the wrong one. How many times I’ve heard that? Well, it’s not my fault. I married the wrong one. Well, God did not put a gun to anybody’s head and make somebody get married. Now, father-in-law might have, but I used to tell him, me and Betty ran away, we got married, her dad came looking for me with a gun. He was gonna, he wasn’t gonna make me marry her. He was gonna blow my brains out. So anyway, it was too late.

We had that little piece of paper. Da da da da da da da da da. So anyway, he thought that the only hope for his daughter was to get Yankee saved. So he started working on me and praying for me. Him and mom, but it took him three months to get through to me. But finally, I saw what he was saying. That was a, I never knew that that one little decision, that night would change my life forever. Can you believe that?

I could have said no, just as easy as I said yes. But I said yes. And all of a sudden I’m saved. And I thought, you know, what I heard, I was supposed to jump, shout, and hooten, hollering, clippin’ heels together, and lightening bolts, and you know, thunder’s gonna roll, and shivers go up and down my spine, and all that kind of, it was a dud, total dud, nothing happened. My father says, what does the Bible say? Says if I believe it, I’m saying you say well, are you saved us?

I guess so. I guess so. That’s the same thing I said when the guy, he says, well you take this one and be your lawful, I mean your lawful wedded wife. And I said, I guess so. I did. And then when I got out of there we were walking out the steps and Anderson South Carolina. They said, did you pay him anything? I says, no. So I walked back. I felt a little guilty. I walked back in and I asked him, I said, how much do I owe you?

He said, how much is she worth? I said, it’s $5 enough. He says, Okay, so anyway I said Betty gave me five dollars. I didn’t have any money. That was one of the reasons her dad didn’t want her to marry me. I didn’t have a job didn’t have a money and didn’t have a place to live. Betty had $17 total. So anyway she gave me five dollars. She got me for five bucks and I’ve been working for 56 years as a result of that.

Now that’s a pretty good deal. You got to admit that’s a pretty good deal. But I don’t think I could ever have found a better woman in all my life. But when we got married, we were not equally yoked. We were unequally yoked. And so sometimes you have to watch, and I’ve said this before, you take a, you know, a horse, a race horse, and you take a donkey, and you yoke them together, not you got, you’re gonna have problems because they don’t pull the same way.

One’s fast and one’s slow, and There’s people that are just like that, they get married. And so one is boom, and the other one is slow. And he likes her because, well, she’s out there, and she’s, yeah. And he likes you because you’re nice and slow and steady. And so nobody wants to change each other until they get married. And the very thing they like about them, now they hate. Because somebody has to do some adjusting. And after about 50 years, how do you to learn how to pull together.

So it just takes some time. All you need is about 50 years, you know, putting up with each other and you finally start learning what they’re like. I used to tell him, it says, a wise man finds out what irritates his wife and then avoids it. Then a foolish man finds out what irritates his wife and does it. He knows if he does this, she’ll do this or listen. And And they do it to each other. And they love each other.

They want peace and joy and happiness, but they do everything just the opposite. Why? That’s because we all got this old sinful nature we live with. But God does say in verse 14, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? It don’t get along. What communion have light with darkness? It don’t get along. Or what concord? Or I should say that what do you have in common? had Christ with the devil, Bel-El. Or what part had he that believe it with an infidel?

And then where he’s just don’t go together. So if you want God’s best for you, I believe this also can take place even in a ministry. It also I think holds true even in business. Do you have to be careful, even in business? Linking up with somebody that doesn’t have godly principles in government and God may have to chase in them And then you’re tied to them. It’s just like having a Jonah on board. When Jonah was on board and God was going to chase in Jonah, remember he sent the whole big old storm and everybody in the boat was in trouble.

So for the sake of peace, they had to throw Jonah overboard. But Jonah didn’t mind. So you have to be careful of joining up with a Jonah. And so that’s why you have to watch. You don’t have Jonah’s in place of leadership in a church. or marrying a Jonah, a person who is rebellious to parents, rebellious to God, and you marry a rebellious person. It’s like a girl standing out there and she’s hitchhiking. Why are you hitchhiking? I’m waiting for me a fellow to come along.

Well, where do you want to go? I don’t care where I’m going. I don’t care where he’s going, but wherever he’s going, I get in the car, you’re gonna go wherever he goes. You need to find out where’s he headed. Is that where you want to go? No, don’t you get in that car because you married that guy that’s going the wrong direction. You’re going the wrong direction. And it’s not going to have all the peace and joy. So God tells us all these things.

Look at him then verse 17. He says, wherefore come out from among them and be you separate? Say if the Lord touched not the unclean thing and I will receive you. Because think God is now talking to you as His child. This is not on how to be saved. He says, and I will be to you as a father, and you will be to me as a child, as my children. See you can live your Christian life as though God is not your father.

And you can live as though you’re not his child. But if you want the peace and joy, then you better not join up unequally and be unequally yoked. That’s why he says in verse 18, and will be when he says, except you will receive you and will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters. So this is talking about as a child of God, shouldn’t a child of God be yoked together with the father?

Because that’s your dad. You’re his son had the same bird. That’s why Christ says coming to me all ye that labor in our heavy laden and Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for How’s the rest of it go? Or I am meek and lowly. So God wants us to take upon us his yoke His burden his purpose in life So you find those that have got the same purpose in life. This is why we can have a good strong church if we have the choir directors on the same page.

If we have the youth directors on the same page, all the elders on the same page, all the deacons on the same page, we can get a lot more done. True? But what if half of us want to go this way and half want to go the other way? Every time you do something, few people are four, the fourth man most people are negative and don’t want to do anything. So you always have to go through that. But this is why.

Now look in chapter 7 of the same book, chapter 7, look in verse 1, he kind of gives you an idea. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So God wants us to live a life that is decent, respectable, holy, maturing in the Lord. So you know what God wants and he says, joining up, being unequally yoked with others, you will not be what you ought to be.

In Amos he says, how can two walk together unless they be agreed? And that’s why sometimes husband and wife should agree. Why? Because if you’re both listening to the Lord and you’re both supposed to treat each other way, the Lord says, then it should work. I mean, if God says, and we both do what God says, then it ought to work. God’s the one who designed all of this. All right, look back in your notes, sir. And turn to the book of Galatians in chapter 6.

There’s always individuals who believe that the problem is my wife or it’s my husband. Well maybe it is but maybe it isn’t. But regardless how do you handle it? So he says ye that are spiritual or you’re the strongest one well then how do you help the person that’s weaker. This is what he says in verse one, brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, well what is this fault? We’ll see the previous chapter in verse 16, look in chapter 5 verse 16.

This I say then walk in the spirit, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So it’s possible for a Christian to walk in the spirit and in the flesh because you have both. You have an old man, an old birth, you have a new birth when you trust the Lord. So you have both. So he tells you what the works of the flesh are in verse 17, 18, and 19, 20, and 21. So if you see a brother walking in the flesh, ye which are spiritual or you’re walking in the spirit, try to help the person that’s walking in the flesh.

You don’t walk in the flesh to try to help the person send the flesh. So he says there in verse one of chapter six, brother, if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual or you’re walking in the spirit, restore, that’s what your goal is, your goal is to try to restore one another. Help one another. There’s times when my wife will help me and there’s time when I help my wife. It’s just bad if both of you get down at the same time.

The Bible says in Proverbs that when one falls, it’s good to have a friend because they can help you up. But whoa, if you both fall at the same time. And so that’s why you have to try to, if you’re the strongest one, you say, well, I’m always right and he’s always wrong. All right. Well, if you are right, how do you help the one that’s wrong? Well, when he stumbles and falls, I just put my foot on the back of the head and push him in the mud.

And then I tell him, I’m always right. You’re always wrong. You never do anything right. You never do anything. Never do anything right. Did he marry you? Yeah. So, look now back there in verse one. Restore such a one in the, all these hurtful words, the spirit of meekness. In other words, you may have the right to say and do, but it may not be wise. The Bible talks about Moses was a meek man. It doesn’t mean he was a weak man, he was meek.

It means that he surrendered his right to God. You surrender your right. Somebody does your wrong. You have the right to punch him in the nose, but you’re a meat man, you don’t. Doesn’t mean you’re weak, but you’re strong enough not to retaliate. So you try to help the person instead of shoot him, you wanna help him. I’m not glad my father felt that way too. So he says here, considering thyself, in other words, he may be weak and you may mop and have fun as somebody else’s expense.

but you better consider yourself, or you’ll also be finding yourself walking in the flesh. You’re doing the same thing he’s doing. Maybe not be the same thing, but you’re walking in the flesh on how you respond. So you have to be careful. Considering thyself, let’s also be tempted. All right. Look at number 11 in your notes there. Number 11. Write a brief comment about those who we should not fellowship with based on second Thessalonians. All right, look there in second Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians and chapter 3, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. And look in verse 6. You see, the Bible does tell us what to do. It tells us how to live and all that. So in verse 6, this is not on how to go to heaven. In verse 6, now we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now you are not aligned as part of the verse. that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the traditions which he received of us.

That’s strong. Isn’t it? You say, well, why would you have to do that? Well, the Bible says so that they’ll be ashamed, that they’ll be ashamed. And then look down in another verse here, look in verse 14. Verse 14 says, and if any man obey not our word by this epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed. In verse 15, yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.

Why are you doing it? Because you do love him and you do care but you have to be strong enough to let him know, hey look that’s not good for your testimony. That’s not right. And until you want to correct this problem then I’m gonna have withdraw and I’ve hated to do that because then they come across, oh you holy holy you think you’re so much better than everybody else and buddy they can slam you and crucify you and persecute you and all you wanted to do is what God says but they won’t buy that when a person is not doing right and you are you are a rebuke to them and many people do not like to be reviewed that’s why he talks about in the book of Hebrews in chapter 12, faint not when thou are rebuked of the Lord.

See, the Lord may rebuke a person, but he does it through another believer. That’s why he tells us to do what he wants done. So the Lord rebukes, but he uses a person, and sometimes people don’t see that rebute coming from God, and they take it out on you. And so are you able to handle it? And that’s what gets rough. So anyway, look at the next one down there. Number 12, Philippians 1, 5 says their fellowship was in the, and I’ll just give it to you, the word gospel, fellowship in the gospel.

You see, if everybody believed the same thing about the gospel, it would be great. But a lot of people, and there’s a lot of preachers that I can’t fellowship with because they’re not, I can’t fellowship with them on the gospel. And there’s maybe some other things we can talk and so forth, but unless they are right on the gospel, Chances are they don’t get to teach in our church or to preach or teach a Sunday school class because I don’t know what they’re gonna say and Sometimes I’ve had preachers.

They’ll come and I’ll say look Just go ahead and present your pain and then when you get through I’ll give the gospel and there’s sometimes a lot of them They’re fine with that and I know when I go and speak in their churches They’re concerned about that too and a lot of time when I get through and I’ve given the imitation and I’ll say you know With his bow nice clothes. No one looking around. I’m not gonna ask you to stand up I’m not going to ask you to come forward, but right where you are when you trust Christ is your Savior And then I’ll do that in a couple of people trust the Lord Jesus name Amen.

I go sitting down in the preacher walks up there. Now you that have raised your hand saying that you trust Christ as your Savior, we’re all going to stand and we’re going to sing just as I am and I want you that have raised your hand and come on down here to the front. Now what did he just do to me? He just contradicted what I said, right? I said, I wouldn’t do that. Well, I didn’t. He did. But that’s because that’s the way they do it and they’re going to do that or die.

And they don’t believe that the gospel has truly been given until you give them. that forward invitation. So you go through that but at least I got somebody to trust the Lord. And so I’ve done that in many, many churches. So look at number 13, Paul stays, they should, and it says for the faith of the gospel, it’s talking about striving together. Those are the two words that should go in that blank spot, striving together for the faith of the gospel.

This is why we do what we do, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Verse 14 or number 14, what should we not forsake? Anybody know what it is? In Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24 and 25, what should we not forsake? The assembling of ourselves together. Now we’re going to try this and see how it works tonight at church. Is there anything going on tonight? I mean a stupid little old ball game. So I’m gonna have my TV sitting right here.

I did it in Colorado and I says, take your Bible and turn to Daniel, channel nine. I didn’t know. Now I wouldn’t do that. What I do that? I’m gonna have Peter do my podium so he’s all taken care of. Oh he’s standing back. Hello Peter. Good to see you. But anyway, number 15, how can we strengthen our fellowship one with another? First John 1-7, look at it real quick. First John 1-7, something that will help us with each other.

In verse 7, remember it is the will of God that his children walk in fellowship with the Lord. See if you keep things between you and the Lord right this way, keep it right this way between you and God. Then it’s easier to keep it straight this way, but keep your fellowship between you and the Lord. That’s a priority. And then it’s easier to let that love from the Lord help you with other people. So he says, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another And the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all sins.

See, when you walk in fellowship with God and in fellowship with others, it’s amazing how few sins you’ll commit. Get away from the Lord and you’ll be surprised how many more you will commit. That’s why a guy bought a Bible the other day and he says, write something in it for me. I says, alright, so I wrote in his Bible. This book will keep you from sin. from sin or sin will keep you from this book. And if you’ll serve the Lord and walk with the Lord, it’ll help you and love shall cover a multitude of sins.

Let me show you something. You’ve never seen this before. This hand and letter represent you and me and this wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. The Bible says that God, He loves us but He hates our sin. God loves us. But all of us have sin. We’ve all done things wrong. And to pay for the wrong is eternal separation from God and hell. But God loves us. But to go to heaven, you see we have to be perfect, no sin.

And with sin, we can’t get in. So God says, you have to be perfect. There’s only a perfect heaven. There’s not a good heaven or so-so heaven. only a perfect one. And you and I don’t qualify. So the Bible says you cannot save yourself. Man makes up his own gospel. Just tells you to have more good deeds than you do bad deeds and you get in. He has no chapter and verse. There’s no verse in the Bible that says that.

No verse in Listen to the Bible and says, if you’ll be pretty good, I’ll let you go to heaven. You have to be perfect and none of us are. And we have a debt and it has to be paid. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the fleshMerit came into the world because He loves us. Hates our sin because our sin separates us from God. See, we’re separated. That’s what God calls dead in sins. Because of sins, I’m separated from God.

I’m separated from Him. I can’t get to him because of sin. He can’t get to me because of sin. Because he’s pure and holy. So Jesus Christ who had no sin did not have to die. He came into the world and because of his love, he’s gone. If he takes my sin, he has to die. So he took all the sin of all the world and died on the cross. Paid for it came back from the dead. He says, if you and I, if we will believe that he did it for us, he would put this payment our account and we get to go to heaven.

I want Jesus Christ did for us. I enjoyed telling people God loves you so much. He would write it. die then live without you. He loves you so much, he’d rather die then live without you. This is what he did. He would rather die then live without you. Because without that you and I had no chance. That’s how much he loves you. You’re worth something in his eyes. He does care about you. He does love you. And so the most important thing you will ever do in your whole life is to believe he did it for you.

If you reject Christ you’re rejecting the love of God. Jesus Christ is the love of God. What man would reject the love of God and turn down this free gift of eternal life to live forever with the Lord in heaven and no sin forevermore? I can’t see a person doing that, but people do it. They’re blind, deceived, but I hope that you that are here a little bit more intelligent.

It’s a wise person, a smart person. That was the Emma Center and I can’t save myself and I’m going to trust Christ as my Savior. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, which is simply just talk to the Lord right now, with your head bowed, just talk to the Lord. It’s a Lord. I’m a center friend. All of us are in Lord. I believe that when Christ died, I believe He died for me.

And I’m going to trust Him as my Savior. And if you’ll trust Him right now, God said He will save you right now and give to you eternal life. Would you believe it? Would you trust Him? I’m not going to embarrass Him. I’m not going to have you forward. But I’m going to ask you in just a moment to raise your hand. Raising your hand just lets me know that what I said made sense. And you say, preacher, that made sense to me.

And I will trust Christ as my Savior right now. And I’d like you to pray for me in closing. If you’re doing that, just that much. But you just strip it up very quickly, and put it right back down. Just strip you in it very quickly. So yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior. Anyone know? Anyone know? Our Father, we thank You so much for all that Christ has done for us. We’re thankful for this opportunity we have to come together because we believe that Your Word is the Word.

It is perfect. And Father, it will accomplish what it’s and it’s the fourth to do. So blessed Christ, 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 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. God up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. leaving that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.