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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 Bibleignmenistries.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.

What are we going to talk about tonight? What’s a good subject for tonight? We are in the subject of suffering what we have been talking about in the book of 1 Peter. So turn in your Bible to the book of 1 Peter. Now I know that sometime I’m all over the place. That’s why whenever I do an overhead I have to stick with the sermon. But when I don’t have that, see I can just go anywhere I want. But here in the book of 1 Peter, chapter 2 is where we’re going to begin, but might be a few verses we’ll talk about, a few other places.

The key thing to remember is the difference between that which is flesh and that which is spirit. That which is the flesh is going to fly away one of these days. It’s just our old bodies are going to die and we’re going to get a new body. until then we got to live in this old body. And because of that, we’re going to suffer in this life. So the Lord tells us this. So look up there, first of all, in chapter 1, where he talks about in verse 23, he says, being born again, not of incorruptible seed, which is this of flesh birth that we have, the first birth.

He says, but it passes away, of incorruptible by the Word of God. So the Word of God is incorruptible. So if anything was born or comes from the Word of God, it has to be right. It has to be pure. God the Father, God has no sinful nature so He doesn’t pass on a sinful nature. When we’re born into this world we’re seen by God as all in Adam. God sees all of us in Adam, that one man. When And we trust Christ as our Savior, God sees us in Christ.

So because Adam was a sinner, we’re all sinners. Like it or not, that’s just the way it goes. But here’s Christ and He’s perfect. So in Christ, you are considered in God’s eyes, you’re perfect. Because He gave you His righteousness, His perfection. And that’s why we often make the statement, yes, there’s verses in the Bible and talks not being chosen and elect, which is right here in the book of 1 Peter of Song. But we are elect because Christ was elect.

We are chosen because Christ was chosen. And we’re in Him that God chose. And because of our relationship with the Lord, which is by this new birth, God also wants us to know the flesh is going to pass away, but the new birth will last forever. So only while in this short period of time that we live on planet Earth, we’re going to suffer as long as we’re in this physical body. The physical body came with our physical birth, our flesh birth.

But one of these days it’s going to be all over. So God has given to us a new birth and this new birth born of God does not sin, just very briefly so that you understand it clearly, especially in what it might be watching by internet. But the flesh our first birth. It’s no good. And the Bible says we’ve all sinned, we’re all in Adam, we’re all going to die. And that’s what happens. And God says there’s done righteous, no not one.

So when you trust in Christ as your Savior, God didn’t transform this one. He didn’t renew this one. He didn’t convert this one. He gave you a new birth. This one here is different from this one. See most people think this is here is just been revitalized or changed and converted and something else. If we convert a living room into a garage within the living room no longer exist. So they think this is all, no, no, no. God gave you a new birth.

This one, born of God. Born of God, God’s the Father. God has no sin for nature, this birth has no sin for nature. If it has no sin for nature, it can’t sin, can’t sin, can’t die. That’s why once you’re a child of God, you’re God’s child, forever. Now, these two natures both live in this one body. Now, one of these days I’ll get rid of this body and I’ll get my new body. But that hasn’t showed up yet.

So while I’m living in this body, on planet Earth, it’s a time of suffering. And we’re going to suffer, but He does say this in verse 24, for all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass, and the grass, whether it’s then the flower thereof, fall away. Now the point of this is because He’s trying to let us see that if we suffer now in this life for the Lord, we’re going to have glory later.

But the flesh is gone like a flower that fades away. This is only a short period of time and this little short period of time that God’s given to us to live well as it works for us and Exceeding the amount of glory that one day God’s gonna give to you because of all that you’ve done for him But he says in verse 25, but the word of the Lord endures forever So when you were born of the incorruptible word your new birth lasts forever.

So live for those things that will last forever. If you live for the things of the flesh, you’re going to lose everything. You can’t win anything. God doesn’t reward you for anything. It’s the total waste of life. But if you as a child of God will serve the Lord, then God will bless your life here and reward you when you get to heaven. And that’s what you’re going to have. And that’s where you’re going to be for all eternity.

So be patient now in this life. Long, suffer, and suffer. It might be for a while, but you can endure anything for a short period of time. Tell yourself that. Keep telling yourself that. I can endure anything for a short period of time. It says, been 10 years. Well, maybe only got another year to go. But it’s going to pass and that’s good. So in verse 1 of chapter 2, he hits upon the principle of replacement. In other words, you don’t just stop walking into flesh.

And so many Christians they spend their whole life, I’m not going to lie, I’m not going to cheat, I’m not going to steal, I’m not going to commit adultery, I’m not going to murder, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not. Yeah, but that’s so hard. That’s so hard. What you do is you fill your life doing what God wants you to do and you don’t have to worry about doing the things that you’re not supposed to do.

You won’t have time. So the principle of replace it, replace the flesh with something better. Now what could that be? What could we replace walking in the flesh with? Anybody got a clue? Huh? That’ll help. But walking in the spirit. You’re trading what you’re doing. You walk into flesh, that’s a waste of time. So you want to have the principle of replacement. Find something better worth living for. And something better worth worth living for is something that pleases God and it lasts forever.

But if you live for the flesh, it’s temporary and it doesn’t satisfy. So there is something better. So you notice in chapter 2 in verse 1 where he says lay aside, all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envies and all evil speaking, which birth do you think that comes from? The flesh of the Spirit. That’s the flesh. That comes from your first birth. So don’t let the first birth control your life. But it’s not a matter of just laying something aside.

You’ve got to have something better worth living for. Now remember I could have a glass up here and I could try to get the air out of it. No, just keep throwing, get the air out of the glass. But an easier way to get that air out of the glass is pour some water in it. If I put some water in it, what happened to the air? They don’t have room for both. So if you fill your life, as the Bible says, be not drunk with wine, where the sex says, but be filled, filled with the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. But if you let that happen, it takes the place of the other one. So it makes it easier. So this is why he says in verse two, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word. So when he says lay aside all these things and They replace it with a desire of God. Desire, the sincere milk of the word that you may what? Grow thereby. So then growing is not automatic.

Growing is not automatic. And so the people who teach Lordship Salvation, it should be automatic. But it’s not automatic. Do you have to make Christ the Lord and the Master of your life in order to be saved? No. because that’s works for salvation. Does God want His children to grow? Yes, but it’s not automatic. It means that you may choose to walk in the Spirit and you may choose to walk in the flesh. You see it’s a choice. Hold your place right here and just look over there in chapter six of the book of Galatians.

I want to show you this real quick. Some of you know this and you’ve seen this a number of times, but one more time won’t hurt. And noticing Galatians in chapter 6 and talking to a Christian, talking to believers. In verse 1 you’ll notice where he says, brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, don’t worry about it. He believes in the Lord’s ship’s salvation. He will persevere into faith and if he falls he will get up automatically.

Is that what he said? They didn’t say they did it. No. He says, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one. So it means that they can be restored, maybe, but why do they need to be restored? Because you see, those that are weaker are walking in the flesh. And who are these that are spiritual? Well, they must be walking in the Spirit. It means you’re spiritually minded, the book of Romans in chapter 8, be spiritually minded, and there’s those who are carnally minded.

So you have a choice in whatever mindset you have, and you can decide, you can choose these things. Notice what it says in chapter 5 and verse 16. This I say then, walk in the spirit. That means it must not be automatic like some people teach. Well if you’re really saved you’re not going to want to walk in the flesh. That’s not true. Well if you’re really saved you will serve the Lord. That’s not true. You should ought to but you don’t have to and most Christians don’t.

And if we had to serve the Lord, then shouldn’t we have to all do it equally? Shouldn’t it be the same for everybody? I mean if that’s all done by God and we don’t have a choice and we’re made to do it, then we should all do it the same. But that’s not the way it is. So you see here in verse 16, this I say then walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

So you didn’t say just try to not to fulfill the lust of the flesh. No, you do the other. You walk in the Spirit and then you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. Why? Because you’re doing what God wants you to do. So, feel your life doing the things that are right and you don’t have to worry about all the wrong. The Christian life is positive. It’s not negative. It’s not going through life saying, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t do that.

I don’t do that. I don’t do that. No, but do you do what God wants you to do? If you do what God wants you to do, you don’t have to worry about the other. But now, notice in chapter 6, he makes a statement down in verse 7, be not deceived. Is it possible for God’s children to be deceived? Yes. God is not mocked. How would you mock God? Well thinking you can walk in the flesh and not bring forth the works of the flesh.

It won’t work that way. He says, and whatsoever a man soeth that shall he also reap. So if you so to the Spirit you will reap the love, the joy, the peace, the happiness, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, maintenance, and all of it. That’s mentioned in verse 22 and 23 of chapter 5. So if you sow to the Spirit that’s what you’ll reap. If you sow to the flesh, well look what he said in verse 19 of chapter 5, the works of the flesh are these.

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, less seriousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, rafts, strife, seditions, heur seeds, envy, and murder, of drunken and revel in such life, which I’d tell you before, as I told you in time, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This is the flesh birth. The flesh birth cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So God doesn’t want you to walk in your first birth. He wants you to walk in your second birth.

You have a choice. So now when he says you’re in verse 7 of chapter 6, and what sort of a man soeth that shall also reap, for he that soweth to his flesh, so a Christian has a choice. You can live like a lost man. You’re saved going to heaven, but you can live like a lost man. Is that the will of God for you? No. And God says, don’t be deceived. God is not mocked. What’s your man’s thought?

That’s shall he also reap? And so if you’re going through life and you’re miserable, that’s good. That’s good. Because you’re supposed to reap what you sow. And if you’re sowing to the flesh, then that’s what you should reap. If you’re going through life and you have the peace of God and love and joy and happiness and purpose and all the things, well, that’s good. That’s what that’s supposed to be. It’s the choice that you make. Anyway, go back there to the book of 1 Peter, chapter 2.

So we know that we’re to desire the Word of God that you may grow. Now, I don’t know if you’ll find anything else that will help you to grow as much as feeding on the Word of God. So you feed upon the Word of God and you exercise mentally and learn to discern right from wrong. And lo and behold, growth will take care of itself. a little baby don’t have to try to grow. All he needs to do is just keep feeding that kid.

Guaranteed he’ll grow. Now you’ve got to take and teach him a few things too, but you will grow. Now look in verse 3 where it says, if so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Now why should you desire the sincere miracle of the word because you have found that God gracious. God is good because He saved you by grace and you know that. You know you don’t have to work, you don’t have to do any good deeds to go to heaven because you’re going to heaven because of what Christ did for you.

Salvation is of the Lord. Now I just want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Hebrews in chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2, just turn back to your left a couple pages And you’ll notice I’ve had some people say, well, it just says, taste it. That doesn’t mean for real. That means you, doesn’t mean you really got saved. Well, Hebrews chapter two and look in verse nine, chapter two and verse nine. He says, but we see Jesus who has made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, because angels don’t die.

He had become lower than the angels. Crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God, the grace of God, get this, should taste death for all that he chose. Taste death for every man. So when he says he tasted death, do you think he just tasted it, but he didn’t really die. Or do you think he really died? He really died for every man. He knew what death was like. Now look there in chapter 6 of the book of Hebrews.

And you’ll notice there’s another verse that’s mentioned here where it says in verse 4, for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit. Now some people say that this is talking about people who come right up to the door of salvation and then they reject it and they don’t get saved. No. The book of Hebrews is written to believers, Jewish believers we believe, but these are people who have trusted the Lord.

they know they have eternal life and they can’t get lost and get saved. See if you’re already saved why did he save you because well he paid for my sins well how could you get lost? That means you had to commit a sin that he hadn’t paid for and so if you lost your salvation because he didn’t pay for that sin how you’re going to get saved again because there’s no way he’s coming back to make a payment for the sin you just committed that he didn’t pay for the first time he came.

You understand that? So that’s why he said, it is impossible for a man to be saved, loses salvation and gets saved again. Like I’ve said before, if a man could lose his salvation, should there at least be in the Bible somewhere where a man lost his salvation? You don’t find it. Or if a man could lose his salvation and then get saved again, will there ought to be at least the story in the Bible, an illustration or something that says, here’s a man who was saved, but he got lost and then he got saved to get none of them.

Once you’re saved, you’re saved forever and God will never cast you out and never lose you. Now you may not mature in the Lord, you didn’t grow in the Lord, but is that what God wants you to do? God wants you to grow. So look in chapter 5 where he makes a statement here in verse 11, verse 11, Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing your doll of hearing. In other words, some people just don’t want to listen to the Word of God.

Dullah, here it means you don’t want to obey. You see, when you want to obey the Scriptures, you want to hear the Scriptures. When you don’t want to hear the Scriptures, because you don’t want to obey it. But there should be a desire in God’s children to hear the Word of God with the intentions of obeying what you heard. But he says, it’s hard to explain to you because you don’t really want to hear it. You’re dull of hearing.

And because of that, they will not grow. They will not mature. That means they cannot fulfill their God-given spiritual responsibilities. So he says in verse 12, for when for the time you ought to be teachers, see that word, ought. There’s a lot of things we ought to do. And sometimes God says, I’ve given you enough time, you should know by now the Word of God and be able to teach the Word of God. See God’s the one that knows how long it takes to teach us for us to learn, to do something.

And it says you ought to be teaching right now, but you have need that somebody teach you again which be the first principles of the Word of God. like here’s a babe but they didn’t grow. So what do you do with them? Well that’s a sign they weren’t saved to start with. No, it means you’re a babe. If you’re a carnal mind in Christian, it just means you’re a carnal mind in Christian. If you’re a disobedient Christian, what does that mean?

It means you’re a disobedient Christian. So he says here in verse 12, for when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. And it becomes such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. In other words, there’s some things you just can’t understand. You’re not you’re not growing in the Lord. You’re not strong. And so he says this in verse 13 for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a what?

He is lost. No, he’s a babe. So if God meant to him to be lost well then he doesn’t say he was lost. It says he’s a babe. He’s a babe that should be a teacher. So that means he’s saved but he’s not growing, he’s not maturing. Does God want all of his children to grow in the Lord and to mature? But see that’s the choice that we make. We can either yield to that desire or not. And so he says in verse 14, but strong may be longer to them that are a full age, even those who might get a reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

A sign of a mature Christian is someone who can discern right from wrong spiritually. And many Christians still use human reasoning for their discernment. And it seems right but it just won’t be right. And so they make decisions for the rest of their life based upon their human wisdom because they think they’re so smart and so wise. And they don’t need to buy but they don’t need to go to church. They don’t need to study. They don’t need to do that because I know what I’m doing.

That’s the flesh. That’s the flesh. And you’re not going to like the results. But can you walk into flesh? Yes. You can mind the things of the flesh. You can ruin your life, but that’s not the will of God. But God’s will is not to override your will. God will let you make decisions and God can either bless those decisions or whoop the Torah out of you and maybe even take you home before your time. And this is why he says down in verse 1 of chapter 6, he says, therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection.

That word means maturity because you see you don’t have to get the person saved again because they’re not lost. You can take him from where they are as a babe in Christ, a carnally minded person, and get him to grow in the Lord by teaching them the Word of God. Now get what he says here. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works. If you want to know what repent is, repent means don’t trust in dead works.

Dead works can’t give life. So you change your mind. You repent. Change your mind. It doesn’t mean turn from sin. Change your mind and the works of the flesh cannot save you. So you trust Christ as your Savior. Dead works cannot save. Dead works is the flesh. The flesh cannot give spiritual life. It can only give physical life. It can’t reach into the next realm. And so he says in verse 3, and this we will do. Do what? Go to maturity.

If God permits, you see, growing in the Lord is with God’s permission. And that means that you have to know the Word and believe the Word. Apply the word and God will permit you to grow. But you leave out the word and don’t obey the word, you’re not going to grow. God will not permit. You cannot become a spiritual giant in the Lord without going through the process of applying the word of God to your life. And this is why as you study the book of Hebrews, you can be able to see this.

That’s why he says in verse 4, for it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, made partakers of the Holy Ghost. That means those that are saved and tasted the Word of God and the powers of the world that come because you know you have eternal life, you know you’re going to heaven when you die because you trust it, Christ, that you say, you know that. All right, it’s impossible for you that are saved to get saved again.

That’s why we can just take you from a babe and go on toward maturity. See what it says in verse six. and they are if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance. Sin they crucified to themselves the Son of God, afraid and put him to an open shape. It’s like Christ would have to pay for your sins all over again to get you re-saved. You know you don’t have to get re-saved. All you had to do is get saved one time and you’re good to go.

But you’re not there yet. But if you want God to bless your life, this is what you need to do. So he adds in a few things and he gives an illustration about a a piece of ground. So I just want you to see this very quickly. Look in verse seven. For the earth which drink it in the rain that cometh off upon it. Bring the fourth earth and meet for them by whom it is received. And what’s that word?

Blessings from God. So do you want the blessings of God? You’re like a piece of ground. And if you’ll sow the word, you have the blessings, the fruit, the results. Then he says in verse eight, but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. Not the person, but the briars and the thorns. It’s the piece of ground, you, that gives yourself to the Lord that God can use and God will bless.

But if you do nothing and you don’t grow, just remain a bay of all your life, what happens to a piece of ground that you don’t work? produces nothing but briars and thorns. It doesn’t automatically produce all the harvest. Briars and thorns. And that’s a wasted life. Those things are going to be burned. Now you want to waste your life or you want to use it for something. And that’s why he makes this statement in verse 9. He says, but beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, better things than briars and thorns.

And things that accompany salvation, though thus we speak, God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love. If he talks about your work and your labor of love, he cannot be talking about how you’re saved because you’re not saved by works and labor of love. This is because you’re a child of God and serving the Lord God will bless you. God will reward you for your works. 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, 3-ournals-34. 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. And just keep looking up.