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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. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want to talk to you a little bit about an interesting subject. I titled it, When did you die? Now if I was asked you when you were born, you know when you were born, but do you know when you died? You weren’t dead yet. Well, it all depends on how you look at it. Did you know that in God’s eyes you already died? And you said, well when did that happen? Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about.

You see, we are born into this whole sinful world. We have a sinful nature. We do things that are wrong. And sometimes we just can’t explain why we’re so easily deceived? How can we fall for scams and all these things that people do for us, that trying to trick us out of our money and do things, you know? So I want to kind of talk to you a little bit about how to be a little successful anyway. But the Bible does talk an awful lot about put not your trust in man.

Don’t trust that old wicked sinful nature that we have. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And no one understands it like the Lord. But I want you to take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1, now you’ll have a few of these things in your notes, but I may, you know, I might follow them and then I may not. But in the book of Luke, have you ever prayed that God would do something for you or some little miracle, you know, and then it didn’t happen?

And you prayed and years ago, well can you believe this, there was this young couple, married and she couldn’t have a child. So they prayed and they asked God give us a child, might even pray for a little boy. And so years rolled on and they didn’t have the blessing of that little child. So they gave up. Now they were old. So he says here in verse 11 of chapter 1, and there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

And when Zacharias saw him. He was troubled. Fear fell upon him. But the angels said unto him, fear not Zechariah and you ought to underline this in your Bible. Before thy prayer is heard and Zechariah says, what? Your prayer is heard. Well, wait, wait, wait, wait. What you’re fixing to grant that prayer was 40 years ago. You know, when we were young, He says, For thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and shall call his name John. And thou shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord and Zechariah said unto the Lord or unto the angel whereby shall I know this?

For I am an old man, I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years. Now when do you think he prayed for this child. Last year, the year before that, he’s an old man. And lo and behold, they prayed. But then they must have stopped praying. I mean, they come to time when you just kind of give up. And here comes the Lord and it says, hey, guess what? I heard your prayer. Yeah. But now in their old age, old man.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter six. In the book of Romans, I want you to see this because the Bible tells us that we have an old sinful nature. that when you and I were born into this world, we’re born with a sinful nature. Now God calls that first birth, the first birth, He calls it the old man. And even a child that’s only four years old has an old man. And it’s just an old sinful nature.

That’s the first birth. The first birth is the old birth. And then when you get born again, that’s the new So you have two births. One was old and one was new, and old is the flesh, and the new is the spiritual birth so that we understand that. But now notice what he says here in Romans in chapter 6. He makes his statement here because after you and I trust Christ as our Savior, we’re supposed to understand that what he did was put to our account as though we083 did it.

You see, I was guilty and I should pay for my sins. And I should have died and paid for them. And he took my place. So I didn’t have to do it. So he put that payment to my account when I believed he did it. So he makes the statement here in verse one, what shall we say? Then shall we continue and sin that grace me abound? God forbid how that we that are dead to sin live any longer than so.

When did you die? Well, you died in God’s eyes the day you trusted Christ as your Savior. Now Christ paid a payment for you, but that death payments not put to your account to the day you trust the Lord. So when you trust in Christ as your Savior, you can’t get the new man until the first man dies. So your first birth dies because Christ put that death payment to your account, and that old man was dead. He’s crucified.

Now I didn’t make this up. It’s what it’s taught here in the book. So he makes this statement in verse four. Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism in the death, that like His Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, evens. So we should also walk in newness of life. So we died and now we are to walk in newness of life. As though a person is died and now you got a new birth.

Come alive. You came back from the dead. Now God says walk and live as in newness of life. So this first one died and the new birth alive. So live unto God. You’re not to live your life for yourself. You’re just to live it for the Lord because he did this for you. Now it’s wonderful if we could do it as easy as he says it, but there’s some things that we need to understand. Look at verse five. For if we have been planted together in the lightness of his death, even so she also in the lightness of his resurrection, knowing this that our old man is crucified with him.

Why? That the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. So the reason is so that we don’t live our lives serving sin. Now you and I, when we’re born in this world, we have this old sinful nature. Now I’ve used this before, but just a little bit different for this morning. This is our first birth, the flesh birth. God says this flesh birth is not of God, and therefore it has a sinful nature and it cannot inherit eternal life because the wages of sin is death and because it sins it dies.

So it can’t have eternal life if it has to have eternal death. So God says you need a new birth. So lo and behold Christ pays for your sins and you believe it, then this man is dead because paid for all the sins and alive because he came back from the dead. So this is what Christ didn’t put dry account. You say, I didn’t know all that happened when I got saved. I know. There’s a lot of things that happens to you today you got saved.

But one of these days we’ll get into about 20-something different things that happened to you. So this one here is alive, spiritual birth, and it has no sinful nature. No sinful nature cannot sin, cannot sin, cannot die. So this is the new one. This is the old one. So as you study the scriptures, you should put that which is old, and you know where that goes. talks about what’s new, you know where that goes, because as you go through some of the Scriptures you’re going to see this is what he’s talking about.

So the reason though in verse 6… Is that it might destroy the works of the sinful nature taking control of your life. So if you understand it, you’ll know how to apply it. If you don’t, then you’re going to have the old sinful nature running rough shot over your life. And you’ll have the desire to want to do right, but you won’t have the power to do it because you yield into the wrong thing. Now, in your notes there, I put down Ephesians chapter 4.

So I want you to look into Ephesians chapter 4. The book of Ephesians chapter 4. If he’s in chapter 4, look up there first of all in verse 17. Look in verse 17. The Bible says that God has given to the church apostles and prophets and teachers and evangelists to equip the saints, God’s children, for the work of the ministry, so that you might have what you need to grow strong in the Lord, so that you’re not tossed to and by every wind of doctrine that comes along.

So you’ll be strong. You’ll know what you believe. And if you believe right, you can live right. You don’t believe right. You can’t live right. Believing is first. You’ve got to know what do you believe? So this is why, and I just wanted to look at this here first. I might as well do this. You’ll notice in verse 12 where he says, for the perfecting of the saints, that means you’re not complete yet. No, it’s salvation, you’re complete. You’re not grown into maturity yet.

You’re a child of God and the only way a child of God becomes a man of God is by the word of God that lies in between. So you study the word so that you can eat it and grow and become strong and become active and you can mature. Now many people trust Christ to save. They’re born to his family but they never grow in the Lord. So look what he says. In verse 13, till we all come into the unity of the faith.

In other words, it’s the will of God that all of God’s children hear the same thing, believe the same thing. Unity, that’s what produces the peace. When a husband and wife don’t agree, they’re not usually peace. Well, could get sidetracked on that, but we’re not going to. Now look what else he says, till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man or a mature man, complete man, unto the measure of the statue of the fullest of Christ.

God wants us to be like Christ. So we have somebody that’s a good model. It’s not people, it’s not you and I, but we are supposed to be an example of the believer in word and indeed. Somebody is always looking at you to see what you’re doing and should they follow your example. So we do have influence in people’s lives. But the measure is supposed to be the Lord. And if you compare yourself to Him, you’ll always have work to do.

If you compare yourself with others, I’m pretty good. I’m good to go. But when you compare yourself with the Lord, you know that there’s a lot that has to be done. Now look in verse 14, that we henceforth that means from now on. Here you are, you trusted Christ as a Savior, now what? Well, now on He says that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro because that’s what happens to children. They don’t understand everything. They don’t grasp it and they don’t dedicate their lives to serve in the Lord.

They’re wishy-washy, double-minded, unstable, and they can’t be found faithful. And so you can’t be able to work on a person that’s unfaithful. God is always looking for faithfulness. over, it is required in the store that a man be found faithful. Now, reason this is important because God says there’s something else that he wants us to know and to do. So look quickly right there in Ephesians chapter 3. In verse 15 he talks about, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth be named.

See, part of our family is in heaven and part of our family is on earth. So I’ve got some of my family, personal family that’s in heaven and I’ve got some that’s on her, but in the family of God. See, once you trust Christ’s Savior, you’re in His family. And all of God’s children are going to heaven, it’s just that not all of us are there yet. So He says this, this is what He wants for you and I.

Verse 16, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might. So God wants you to be strengthened, but you can’t get strong without knowing what the Word of God says. Otherwise, you’ll be a child tossed to and fro by everyone of doctrine and get this in verse 16 to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the and you’re on the line these two words, inner man.

This is the new man. See up here? Flesh spirit. This is the inner man. And when I look at you and you look at me, we see the outward man. We see the flesh. So God wants your new birth. He wants you to grow strong. And the only way you can grow strong in the Lord is by the renewing of your mind. So when He makes a statement here, in verse 17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted.

Grounded. See, many of God’s children are not rooted. They’re not grounded. They’re not strong in the Lord. And this is why in the book of Ephesians, and you get over there in chapter 6, and I’ll just read it to you. Therefore in verse 10, he said, Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. This is what God wants. So God has blessed the church with certain people that can teach the Word of God so that he can equip the children of God to be, you know, for the work of the ministry, to do what God wants them to do.

Every person has a ministry. You are a minister of God and you are to minister. That means manifest in the lives of other people what God has done to you and for you and through you. Now, look back again when he makes his statement here in Ephesians in chapter 4. In chapter 4 he says in verse 17, This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord. That ye henceforth, that means from now on, See, you can trust Christ to save you, give me eternal life, you’re going to heaven.

Okay, now, now what? Well, from now on, henceforth, after this, he says, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. Look up here. Here’s the new birth, here’s the old one. God does not want you living like that. God wants you to live as a child of God, walking in the spirit, walking in obedience to God, there’s supposed to be a difference. Now if that difference never happens, you’re still a child of God, you’re just a babe in the Lord.

I do not teach and I don’t believe the Bible teaches that there has to be evidences of salvation to prove your saved because if I gave you a list of 10 ways to know you’re really saved, then I just gave you 10 ways to know that you’re not saved because every reason that you don’t fulfill you question whether you’re really saved. How do I know I’m really saved because of John 3 16. He didn’t believe in the half everlasting life.

I believe it, I got it. That’s all. You don’t need any more than that. Anything other than that is going to cause nothing but chaos in your life. Well, if you’re really saved, you’ll go to church. Okay, now you got to open up a can of worms. What church? How often? And how much they’re going to give or don’t give? Though that ought to win. It’s nothing like that. So he makes statement here. In verse 18, having the lost man, the lost man, that old sinful nature, that first man, that old man, well the old man, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts.

Now why would you want to follow a guy like that? That’s the old man. And you and I, when we’re born this world, we have a sinful nature, that’s the old man. Don’t trust that old man. That’s why you and I are supposed to study the word of God and do what God wants us to do. So we listen to this instead of using your own reasoning because there is a way that Seameth right unto a man, but the end thereof it destroys.

So God says, a child of God should walk and imitate God. That’s what you find in in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 1, the imitators of God. Now notice what he says in verse 19, who being past feeling have given themselves over unto less seriousness to work all uncleanness with greediness, but ye have not so learned, try so. God wants something different for his children. God has saved you, birth you into his family. Now you are a child of God.

Live like it, act like it. You’re his child. And if you learned anything about Christianity, you’re supposed to know that Christ wants you to live a holy life, a godly life. Now you can do the other, still his child, but you’re a disobedient child, you’re a rebellious child. God chasing his children. Just understand how God works. Your heavenly Father loves his children. So he makes his statement here. In verse 21, If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.

In other words, do you live like you have heard his word and believe his word and as a child of God? As he says here, you’ve been taught by him. Do you act and think as though your wonder has spent time with the Lord? Remember in the book of Acts when he talks about a disciples says they have been with Jesus. They knew he’s the one they’ve been with Jesus. Can they tell you have been with the Lord? You spent time with the Lord.

You’ve been praying. You’ve been talking. You sound like somebody that might know God. Or when they look at you, they think just the opposite between you and the Lord, but it will take its toll. Now, notice what it says in verse 22. That ye put off concerning the former behavior, manner of life. What’s those next three words? The old man, that old man. You see, that’s the flesh. That’s the type of birth you was born with. God says, don’t trust him.

And you’re supposed to realize that you have a new birth. And so he goes on down here and says a little bit more. He says to verse 22, and you put off concerning the former behavior of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust. Did you know you were that bad? I mean corrupt, deceitful. Do you realize that’s the reference to your first birth? Do you realize how bad you were? You’re so unenlightened, you are. You’re capable of every sin in the book.

You’d be surprised how many of God’s children lived their lives in total deception and not in purity. Because you can deceive yourself and they’re thinking, well I’m pretty good, I’m not doing that bad. I mean, you serve God your way and I’ll serve God my way. No, if we don’t serve God God’s way, we don’t serve God. You serve God God’s way. And so he says there, this is what I want you to do. And look in verse 23, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Now, this is what God wants us to do. Now, take your Bible and turn to the book of Colossians chapter three. There’s a few pages to your right past Philippians, Colossians in chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3 and notice what it says in verse 9. Now you’ll notice that there are some things that God says here. We’ll just start there in verse 7. It is so important in the which you also walked sometime.

When you lived in them, when you were in the old man and you walk as that old man and you brought forth all that old man stuff. But now you’re a child of God. So he says, but now, verse eight, but now, but now you ought to hunt the line up, but now, you also get what he says, put off all these. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications out of your mouth. That means that you can still do all of those things.

This is to the Christian, this is to the believer. Did you know that up there when he makes a statement in verse one, chapter 3. He said, if he be risen with Christ, what’s the next word? Seek those things which are above or below that or above. And then he says in verse 2, set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Why? In verse 3, for ye are what? Well, if you’re dead, when did you die?

When did you die? You see, that day you trusted Christ as your Savior. He took that old man and he was crucified with Christ. That was put to your account as though you died and you were buried, you paid for all of your sins and you came back from the dead. Now you’re supposed to live your Christian life as though this old man doesn’t exist. And you don’t live your life satisfying that old man, that old sinful nature. Now you live in this body, the body still has to have food to eat.

So you’ve got to have some food. And you need some clothes. Nobody wants to run around naked. You need a place to live. So there’s certain things to take care of this house in which we live. But you see, this new birth also lives in this same body. But But this old sinful nature is also in my flesh. And that’s why one of these days this body is going to die and then we’ll never have to ever worry about this old sinful nature ever again.

So when this body is buried to be with Christ, which is far better. So here in the book of Colossians he brings this out and he says down here in verse 9, lied not one to another, seeing that you have put off the, see those two words, the old man with his deeds. So, evidently, it is true that God does not want you and I to live the way we used to live. You can? Do you realize that old sinful nature that you have?

You are capable of living just like a lost man. Because he has the same nature you have. He has an old sinful nature, so do you. You see, it’s that when you get to heaven, the only one that’s going to be in heaven is not this one. This was in your body, in your flesh, and it dies. This new birth born of God, God doesn’t have a sinful nature. So this one can’t sin. The can’t sin can’t die. That’s why this new birth is born of God and lives forever.

And so to be absent from the flesh. Is to be present with the Lord. So this is why these things are so important for a Christian to realize, hey, I’ve got this old man that’s still in my flesh. And so he says here in verse 10 and have get this in verse eight, you put off and in verse 10, you put on. You put on what? The new man, which is get this renewed in knowledge after the image of him.

created him. This is talking about now that you have trusted Christ of Savior. You’re to renew yourself in the knowledge of God’s Word. That’s why he says about in your mind. Be renewed in your mind. And remember when he makes a statement in the book of Romans in chapter 12 and talks about once you’ve trusted him as your Savior and your God’s child and God doesn’t want us to be like the world. So he says, don’t allow yourself to be conformed to this world.

But be you transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove or discover what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It all depends. Do you want the perfect will of God for your life? If you do, you can have it. You don’t. You You don’t have to have it. You can walk in the flesh, live like the devil, and there’ll be a child of God, you’ll still go to heaven and die. But look what you’ve done to your life.

You’ve wasted your life. This time that God’s given us to live. So that’s why he says here in verse 12, put on therefore as the elect of God, of the chosen of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness, of mind, maintenance, long suffering, for bearing one another, for giving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, also forgive you them, and so forth. All these things that God tells us to do.

You see, you can. This one, you can’t. So there’s things that God lets us know. These are signs of the flesh, and these are signs of the Spirit control in your life. You and I can decide which one we want. We can be obedient or disobedient. And so you’ve got a choice to make, but understand it. In order to do this, he tells us the key. See there in verse 16, let the word of Christ dwelling you richly in all wisdom, pecan and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and so forth. And then it talks about the wives. It talks about the husband, talks about the kids, talks about the Father, talks about the servants in verse 23. Whatsoever you do, do it hardly as to the Lord and not unto men, knowing, because you’ve got to know this, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive not salvation, reward of the inheritance. For ye serve the Lord Christ.

See, rewards is a result of your service. Salvation going to heaven is free. That’s the gift. 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 Main. 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.