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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.

And I noted 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 soweth, that shall he also reap. So if you sow 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 five. 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 the verse 19 of chapter five. The works of the flesh are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, By seriousness, ideology, witchcraft, hatred, variants, emulations, rafts, droughts, addition, hair, seeds, mmm, envene, mercs, drunken, and revel in such life, which I’d tell you before as I’d 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 seven of chapter six, and whatsoever man soweth that shall he 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 what whatsoever man soweth. That shall he also reap. And so if you’re going through life and you’re miserable, that’s good. That’s good. Cause you’re supposed to reap what you sow. And if you’re so into the flesh, then that’s what you should be. If you’re going through life and you have the peace of God and love and joy and happiness and purpose and all that, well, let’s go.

That’s what it’s supposed to be. See, 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 three, 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 is 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 two. Hebrews chapter two, just turned back to your left, a couple of 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 Lord and 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, you think he just tasted it, but he didn’t really die. Or do you think he really died? He for every man. He knew what death was like. Now, look there in chapter six of the book of Hebrews. And you’ll notice there’s another verse that’s mentioned here where it says in verse four, for it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit.

Now, some people… 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 he paid for my sins. Well, how could you get lost? Well, I don’t know. I’m not going to say that. I’m not going to say that. I’m not going to say that. I’m not going to say that. I’m not 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 are you 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, lose his salvation, and get 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 him. Or if a man could lose his salvation and then get saved again, well, there ought to be at least a 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 five, 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 you are dull of hearing. In other words, as some people just don’t want to listen to the word of God. Dull of hearing means you don’t want to obey. You see, when you want to obey the Scriptures, you wanna hear the Scriptures. When you don’t wanna hear the Scriptures because you don’t wanna 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 wanna 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. 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 thatbyterians teach you again which be the first principles of the word of God. It’s 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-minded Christian, it just means you’re a carnal-minded Christian. If you’re a disobedient Christian, what does that mean? That 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 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, 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 grown. 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 meat belong to them that are a full age, even those who might get this 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 buy.

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 in the 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 on 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 them from where they are as a babe in Christ, a carnally minded person, and get them 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. 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. You 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 is your You know that.

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 he says in verse 6, and if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance. See, and they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shade. It’s like Christ would have to pay for your sins all over again to get you, you’re saved, you’re no, you don’t have to get received.

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 piece of ground. So I just want you to see this very quickly. Looking verse 7, for the earth which drink it in the rain that cometh off upon it, bring the forth herbs and meat for them by whom it is receive it 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 sow the word you have the blessings, the fruit, the results. Then he says in verse 8, 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 peace of ground you that gives yourself to the Lord that God can use and God will God bless.

But if you do nothing and you don’t grow just remain a babe all your life what happens to a peace of ground that you don’t work? It produces nothing but briars and thorns. It doesn’t automatically produce all the harvest. Briers 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.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love. 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. And so that’s what he’s talking about here. So there’s no real problem there. But it does talk about us as a child of God.

Desire and the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby. Now go back to the book of 1 Peter chapter two. And you notice that he makes a statement here because you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. You’ve been saved, you know you’re born of the incorruptible Word of God, you know you have eternal life, you’re God’s child, you’re going to heaven when you die, and that’s cool. That’s cool. But you’re not there yet. So he says, when you trusted Christ to whom?

Christ, coming as unto a living stone, disallowed or rejected indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. He is precious. Also I want to put that verse along with another verse, and that’s in verse 6. Wherefore also is contained in the scripture, behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” Now that verse is mentioned in several other places also, but I want you to take your Bible and turn to Isaiah 42.

All the way back in the Old Testament, Isaiah in chapter 42. Isaiah chapter 42, where you will see some of these statements that will be mentioned about the Lord being elect. See there in verse 1 Isaiah 42, Behold my servant whom I uphold my elect in whom I so delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. This is Christ. In verse 3, a bruise read shall he not break and the smoking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth judgment and truth.

This is Christ. And you look up there in verse six where he made the statement, I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thy hand and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles. This is mentioned several places in the New Testament. Jesus Christ is the chosen of God. He is the elect. He is perfect, He is righteous, He is just and He is holy. So when you and I trust Christ to save you, God sees us in His Son.

So yes, God has chosen from the foundations of the world to save everyone who chooses to trust Christ. So when you chose to trust Christ, God chose His Son. And all those that are in the Son are chosen. They are elect. That’s why he’s making this statement. And the Jewish people that would understand the book of 1 Peter, because of being Jewish and all these statements that are mentioned, and it’s amazing that sometimes like these books that Peter and Hebrews will make statements that are not found in some of the other books because they’re got a little Jewish flavor to them.

But anyway, go back here to the book of 1 Peter. So we know that in verse 6, wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture. And you’ll be surprised how many times this New Testament refers to scriptures in the Old Testament. And a lot of these truths were written back there, but they didn’t understand what they meant or what they’re referring to. And this is why it’s so important. Whenever you read there in verse 5, I want you to see this.

He says, you also as lively stones or living stones. He said, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices. You see, we don’t offer up, you know, a real live animal or something or lay my real body upon an altar and set it on fire, not by the hair of my chin chin chin. We offer to the Lord’s spiritual sacrifices. And in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13, it talks about the sacrifice of praise.

There’s other things that God talks about that. We’re to give God praise, honor, and glory. In everything that we do that pleases the Lord. And he says here in verse six, he says, wherefore also it is contained in the scriptures, behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious. And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Now not being confounded, you will never be ashamed that you trusted in the Lord. So that’s why it’s such an important thing.

But there’s a statement here that I think I see if I can find where that thing might be because I know it’s… Look in Isaiah 28, Isaiah chapter 28. I brought this out before but there’s a statement that I wanted you to see because you will not be ashamed that you ever trusted the Lord. You’re not gonna be confused about it. That’s why we make the gospel as clear and as simple as we possibly can. But what I want you to see is, it’s mentioned up here in verse 16, because the verse that was quoted in the New Testament.

And he says in verse 16, Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tribe stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, and he that believeth shall not make haste. Then I want you to look down here in verse 20, for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on, and the covering, narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. It’s like man cannot cover himself. Anything that a man trusts, he comes up short.

The bed’s too short, the cover is not enough. So God is sending a sure foundation, which is his son into the world to make the payment for everybody’s sin so that everybody can have it. Because of that, you don’t want to lay in a bed that’s not long. Have you ever had a bed that was not long enough, and your feet hang over. Some of y’all are too short, you don’t have to worry about that. But you take somebody like Bob and way over there.

But you see, you will not be ashamed or be confounded because you’re going to be trusting in something that is sure. And not just a thin covering, but somebody that washes your sin away. And I believe this is in reference to that teaching. I can see the time is moving and before I get on this next thought it’ll take another 25 minutes. So we won’t cover that at this time, but I will end by saying this. Aren’t you glad in spite of everything and how many things are in the Bible that you can understand the simplicity of the gospel?

To know that you have eternal life, know that you’re going to heaven when you die. Look up here, this end represent you and me. The wallet represents all of our sins. The Bible says God loves us. Now, he hates our sin, but he loves us. And for you and I to pay for sin, the wages of sin is death, so we’re all condemned to die. And we cannot save ourselves. We have a debt to pay, and since every man has sinned, every man is condemned.

They’re all guilty. And God loves us and wants us to go to heaven because He wants us to be with Him forever and ever. But see, He can’t let us go to heaven with sin. Otherwise, we would do in heaven what we did down here. And what we’ve done down here hasn’t been perdy. And so we would turn heaven into a literal hell on earth. So So God says, no sin is permitted in heaven. So I got to figure out how can I get rid of this?

Well, I have to pay for this. If I got to pay for it, that means eternal separation from God. So how will I ever get there? You can’t. It’s impossible. So no man can save himself. Man has no hope. This end represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world because God so loved the world. He gave His only begotten Son. The Son did what He did because He wanted the world to know that He loved the Father.

But the Father is the one that says He loved us. So He sent His Son. So His Son, in obedience to the Father that He loved, was willing to do anything that the Father wanted Him to do. And He wanted Him to die in our place. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. because God loved us. He took all the sins of the world. God laid him on his son, and he laid all the sins of all the world upon his son and let his son die in our place.

That’s how much we are loved. We are greatly loved. Christ come back from the dead, and God says the only thing we have to do to go to heaven is believe that he did that for us. And when you believe that he did it for you, he paid for your sins. Well see, if he paid for my sins, that means I don’t have to pay for them. Well, if he paid for half of my sins, that means I only had to pay for half of them.

Boy, that’s good. If he paid for all of my sins but ten, oh, that’s better. You know, if he paid for all of my sins but one, eternity is still just as long. So that’s why he says he paid for all our sins, of all the world, once and for all he paid for it. Came back from the dead and all he wants us to do is, can you believe he did that for you? the gift. He gives you eternal life as a free gift, not of works, lest any man should boast.

We go to heaven on what Christ did, not on what we do. We do not promise God we’re going to live a holy life in order to get this. There’s no strength attached to this. It doesn’t give it to you in the big print and then yank it away in the little print. God means exactly what it says. There’s no loopholes to this. And once you trust Christ as Savior and God gives you eternal life, God can’t alter that.

He can’t change it. God must save everyone who trust Him. He doesn’t have a choice. He’s already made the choice. He chose to save who’s so ever, believe it. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, the who’s so ever, believe it to Him. Should not perish but have everlasting life. We go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. Isn’t that good news? That’s good news. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bound, every eye closed, and no one looking around.

If you’re here tonight and you’ve never trusted Christ, maybe you’ve heard about it all your life, but you’ve never understood. Or if you’re watching by internet, there’s a statement right on the screen that says, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior. If you haven’t done so, I pray that you will. We’ll never know who you are until we get to heaven. But if you’re here tonight and you have never trusted the Lord. And you say, that made sense to me.

I will trust Christ as my Savior tonight. Friend, I’m not going to have you forward, not going to embarrass you. All I’m going to do is ask if you’ll let me know by just raising your hand. We’ll hit your bow so that nobody knows. But I’d like to know and I’d like to have prayer for you. So is anyone at all say, yes, that made sense to me. I’ll trust Christ as my Savior tonight. Would you just slip in a very quickly and burr up back down?

If you’ve already trusted the Lord, you don’t have to do it again. Our Father, we are thankful again for your blessings. Thank you so much for your word that you’ve given us. Help us to it as your children. We desire to sincere milk of the word that we may grow there by and become spiritual, mature. In Christ 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 Paulus at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the gospel-driven mane.

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.