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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 there in the gospel of John, the gospel of John, and chapter 1. And you’ll notice that there’s another verse that kind of gives you insight into what hate could mean by this. So in the Gospel of John in chapter 1, look what he says in verse 11, he came unto his own and his own received them not. So he came to them, but they didn’t receive them. So if they rebel against Him and they reject the King, could the King not set up His Kingdom?

Is He wrong because He didn’t go ahead and do it anyway? See, God in your own personal life wants to bless His children, but God doesn’t bless disobedience. If you will serve Him, He will bless. you disobey him, what is he going to do? He’s going to chase in you. Now is God wrong in doing it this away? God says before you were ever born, did any good or did any bad? God already decided how he’s going to do things.

And he says, I am going to bless them, that obey and chasing them, that disobey. When it comes to salvation, God’s already decided. It will not be by your works, it will be by grace. Why? So that he could save anybody and everybody. If it was by your words, he couldn’t save anybody. If a man had to earn his way to heaven, there’s nobody that God could save because he can’t earn it. You don’t meet the requirements and you cannot because you’ve got a no sin for nature and you sin against God so you fail.

So he makes a statement here in verse 12, But as many as received Him, see it’s their choice. It’s not like God chose who’s going to believe and who’s not going to but God determined that. No, God did not determine that. God calls by the gospel and you can accept it or reject it. But He says as many as received Him, because some will, some won’t, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Even to them, that word even means chai, it’s even or specifically, to them that believe on his name.

Get just which we’re born. Not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Your new birth is a birth from God. It’s not because you willed it, not because you ran and you think you qualified and you earned it. That’s not how a man is saved. If you come to Christ, If you believe on Him, as many as receive Him to them, gave He the power to become the Son of God.

There is no other way. There is no other option, as we were talking about in our Sunday school class this morning. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And you must be saved to go to heaven. You’ve got to be saved. But there is nobody else that qualifies. There is no other option. There is no plan B. It’s plan A, and that’s the only plan there is. It’s the only way. Now go back to the Romans and you’ll notice there in chapter 9 where he makes the statement in verse 17.

He says, for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised the yup that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth, my power.” You say, now why did God want to show his great power and how he dealt with Pharaoh down there in Egypt. God wants people to know who he is and what he can do and his great power. See, this is why God made salvation by grace so that people could see his great power.

Because you didn’t have the power to save yourself, so if God does it, you have to marvel at what he did. But since you can’t earn it, there’s nothing to marvel over. Why do you think He says for by grace or you say through faith that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works? Why? Lest any man should boast. And then the Bible tells us in the book of 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 7, He says that we have this treasure, the gospel, in urban vessels that the power may be of God and not of man so that you can’t take credit for your salvation.

So that’s why up there in verse 11. See in verse 11, for the children be not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works. So God chose to save a person, not of works. He chose to save by grace. And that’s mentioned in chapter 11. Look at this one verse. In Romans in chapter 11 and verse five where he says, even so then at this present time, also there is a remnant according to the election of what?

Grace. Because the election of works doesn’t exist. God never chose to save a person by their works. He chose to save a person by grace. Now look there in verse 6 of chapter 11. And if by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be by work, it cannot be by grace. Otherwise work is no more work. It’s either by grace or by work, but it can’t be both ways. This is why so many preachers are so messed up and they’re confusing people because they say, it’s salvation is the gift of God.

All you have to do is qualify. You got to turn from all your sins. You don’t turn from your sins, God can’t save you. You’ve got to make Christ the Lord and Master of your life. So they’re adding things on that you’ve got to do. Well, wait a minute. Is that been saved by grace? If you saved by grace, do you have to turn from sin in order to be saved? Is it by grace or not? Do I have to commit my life to serve the Lord?

I’ve got to promise that I’m going to serve the Lord. Well, if I do that, then the salvation by grace? No, because that annulls the message. See, the devil takes people who have a burning desire to want to serve God and give him a false message. You don’t care about your burning desire. He just give you a false message to preach. And there’s a lot of preachers that are telling people things that they don’t have to do to be saved.

You’re saved by grace. It’s a gift free. And they just can’t believe it’s can’t be that free. God just couldn’t do that. And so they don’t tell God that. They tell you and me that. You trying to tell me I can trust Christ as my Savior and live like the devil and still go to heaven when I die. Yes, exactly. And any preacher who tells you otherwise don’t get it. They don’t get it. So does that mean I’m trying to teach everybody to live a dirty, lousy, stinking rotten life?

No. I want people to live for the Lord with all their heart, but not to be saved. To be saved is by grace. I simply accept what He did on the cross for But now once you’re saved, yes, as a child of God, I should, but what if I don’t? You know you ought to go to church, you have a what if I don’t? Well you ought to read your Bible, you have a what if I don’t? Well you ought to witness you, but what if I don’t?

And most Christians don’t. But they know they should, right? This is the truth that to Him, that know if to do good and do it, that not to Him, it is sin. Whatsoever is not a faith is sin. That means if it’s not because you’re doing it because you believe that this is the will of God, and you don’t do what God says do if it’s not a faithless sin. So a lot of Christians are not living this holy life just because they think, well, I don’t lie, and I don’t steal, and I’m not here shacking up with somebody, and I’m not doing those bad things.

You’d be surprised how many people go into church or fill with envy and bitterness and hatefulness and jealousy and all the sins of the mind. True? And they’re just as mean and ugly in the sight of God as the person that’s out there shacking up with somebody. Sin is sin and it’s wicked and it’s all wrong. But aren’t you glad you’re saved by grace? Well, if you’re really saved, you’re not gonna wanna do those bad things. Oh really? Oh really?

You’re not gonna want to. right. Oh, yes you do. You have an old sinful nature that goes with your physical body that’s going to be with you until the day you die in this battle. Alright, now go back here to the book of Romans chapter 9 verse 17. He says, that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Now, I want you to take your Bible and go back to the book of Exodus with me.

There’s three verses back there I want to show you. Exodus in chapter 8. Exodus chapter 8 and there’s a verse 15 chapter 15 chapter 8 verse 15 and look what he says in verse 15 this is on page 79 in an old skill for reference Bible or one of the church Bibles there in the pew. Look at verse 15 but when Pharaoh saw that there was respite he, you ought to unline it, he hardened his heart. Well, doesn’t it say in chapter 9 that God hardened his heart?

You know just by the fact that God forced him to make a decision. God forced him to make a decision. He hardened his own heart. But God hardened his heart because God forced him to make a decision. He could have said yes, but ten times he had hardened against God. Look in verse 32. Verse 32, and Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also. Neither would he let the people go. What had God told Moses to tell Pharaoh, let my people go.

And he says, I will not. And then sometime he said, yes or well. And And then he changes my new one dead. So is God wrong in saying that I want to declare my power? And God has power to forgive, to bless, to show compassion, show mercy, show grace, or show wrath and anger? See, all of those are part of some of God’s attributes. So if God wants to show his wrath against sin, is he wrong in taking those people who have rebelled against his will, cannot God pour out his wrath upon those people that would not obey him?

Is the potter wrong for doing that with the clay? And why did God do it because of the hardness of their own heart? Now go back to the book of Romans. to the Romans and no to what it says in verse 8. So this is why they say, well, who hath resisted his will? And so in verse 18, therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will, he hardeneth. God will force you to harden your heart or soften your heart by forcing you to make a decision.

Did you know that in everyday life. You’re faced with a multitude of decisions to obey or disobey, obey or disobey, and you have a will of your own and what you want. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. So you have the power of decisions, and you’re making decisions based upon what you want and what God wants. And sometimes they’re not the same thing. Just because you trust the Lord doesn’t make this verse of none effect.

There is a way that seameth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of destruction. Is it possible for even a Christian to make decisions that destroys his life? Yes. And are not there decisions that you can make that would cause God to bless you more and more. And God can put a hedge about you. God can protect. God can do all those things. But see, God is not unrighteous because He blesses one and doesn’t bless another.

God is an unrighteous because He chases somebody and doesn’t chase another. But maybe they don’t need the chasing. God will work in His own way at different times in a person’s life. sooner or later it seemed like we all do the same thing. We all either do something good and God blesses and we do something wrong and God has to chase us. Wouldn’t it be nice to have in our own families, those perfect little children that when they come into this world so innocent, so wonderful, darlings, never would do anything wrong.

Wouldn’t be needed if they stayed that way? But they don’t do they. They grow up and they have a will of their own and they want to express it and it won’t be long before that little baby is going to train them on what to do and what not to do. They think they’re training the baby. The baby is going to train them. It’s going to tell them what time to get up. It’s going to tell them what time to feed them, what time to change the diapers, what time to anything.

That baby is going to teach them and train them. And that baby is going to… No, which one to manipulate? One’s going to be easier than the other. One’s going to be so kindness, waiting, loving, and one’s going to be a more stern and straight and so forth. So that little baby’s going to know who to go to, to know how to wrap them around their finger. That baby’s going to just work keeping the death. You’re watching this. It needs to be able to watch it in a family, and watch it happen.

But when it comes to the Lord, it wouldn’t be neat if we didn’t have that battle going on. But we want to bless our kids. We don’t like to chasing them But when you chasing the child that doesn’t mean you hate the child. They may think so. He’s killing me. He’s killing me and My daddy wasn’t a fisherman, but we did go on a few wailing expeditions So Look now back there in verse 19 thou will save them Why did he yet find fault for who had to resist at his will?

Well, doesn’t everybody do the will of God? I wish it was so. But the will of God is this. God will bless and God can chase him. God can harden. God can soften. But he let it be your decision and God will work with you. God will help you. He’ll teach you how to walk and he’ll teach you how to pray. He’ll teach you all kind of things in the Christian life. And so, at some time we wished that God would just, you know, bore a hole in the top of our head and take the Bible and just pour it all in there and cap it.

And save all these years of learning the hard way. School of hard knocks is sometimes very difficult. It’s very, very difficult. But I want you to see another verse with me. Look in 2nd Timothy chapter two. Culture plays here, but 2nd Timothy in chapter two. See, once you have trusted Christ as Savior, you are on the foundation. The foundation is Christ. But not only are we on the foundation, there’s a foundation that God has. And God says, he knoweth them that are his.

See, when we’re born into God’s family, do you think that God knows who his children are? If he’s the one that gave birth, don’t you think he knows who his children are? Look what he says there. In verse, I just wanted to see this. You see, this is why God wants us to study the word of God. Up in verse 15, study to show off. No, study to show thyself approved under God a workman. Why do you study the Bible?

To be a workman. That need if not to be ashamed. So that you’ll learn the word of God, and you can live in such a way that you will not bring shame to you or to the cause of Christ or to God himself. So you study so you’ll know how you’re supposed to grow. How to stay strong in the faith, how to live correctly. All these are in this word. So he said, a workman that need not to be seen rightly dividing the word of truth.

But shun, purvein and vain babbling for they will increase under more ungodliness. So there’s things that you’re going to hear in life that’s going to lead you astray and it’s going to lead to an ungodly life. So you have a choice, learn the things that will lead to a godly life, or you’re going to learn things that will lead to an ungodly life. Then he says, in verse 17, and their word will eat at the canker, of whom is high menis and philitas, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some.

Overthon the faith, some is overthrowing some faith of believers. who don’t believe like they ought to believe anymore. Is it possible that you could wind up getting mad at the preacher and you go to a church and they don’t teach you right next thing? You know, you’d be surprised how far you can go and what you can believe. Now I’d never be that. I’m solid on the gospel. I would have done what should have happened all my life. But now notice.

He says in verse 19, Nevertheless, even though there’s some who have had their faith overthrown, nevertheless, The foundation of God stand assured, having this seal, and you ought to underline this in your Bible, the Lord knoweth them that are His. You may not remember Him, but He cannot forget you. Once you’re saved and become a child of God, God knows His children. He will always know His children. All of God’s children go to heaven. Not one of God’s children is even possible of ever going to hell, impossible.

And notice what he says concerning his children. Having to seal the Lord, know of them that are his and let everyone that name of the name of Christ do what? Depart from iniquity. Why do you study the Word of God so that you have the knowledge of how to depart from iniquity? Do you know that most people don’t even know what it is? They don’t even know when they’ve gone astray. They’re easily deceived. You only get one trip through life.

No reruns, no instant replays, one trip through life. So you need to make the right decision. So you keep studying the Word of God. I do not believe that I would have ever made the decisions for my life if I hadn’t decided when I was a pastor. I was 22 years old to go to Bible college. I often think, what if I had never went to college? So I would have never met Hank Lynch. I would have never met Ray Stanford.

I’d have never known the hand gesture of the wall of the illustration. I’d have never known the about cans. I would not have known none of that stuff. But I would have probably because of my lack of knowledge, my ignorance of it. I would have probably been some happy person sitting in a few and doing what everybody else does, or fallen completely astray. And I won’t know until I get to heaven. What I could have done if I’d have been totally yielded to the Lord.”

Huh? That’s the only thing. Excuse me. What I could have done and didn’t do. So now notice what he says here in verse 20, but in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, some to honor, some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor. if the man purge himself, he’s a vessel of honor. Sanctified meat or fit for the master’s use prepared unto every good word.

So the potter who has the clay on the wheel, and the Lord is shaping and spending time with you and is applying pressure and heat and time to make you into that vessel fit for the master’s use. Don’t you want God to use you? then don’t begrudge God the time that He needs to build you, to train you, to prepare you. And that’s why He says in verse 22, flee also useful lust and all these things down through Him.

Because see, if you’ll do what God says do, then God can make you into a vessel because He says there’s vessels of honor, there’s vessels of dishonor. There’s gold in their silver and there’s wood, there’s hay, there’s stubble. Go back to the book of Romans real quick. And I want to show you this in closing. But you’ll notice what he says in verse 21, have not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another under dishonor.

See, it’s based upon your submission to the Lord or your hardening yourself to the will of God. In verse 22, what if God willing to show his wrath and to make this power known, get this endured with much long suffering? In other words, He didn’t want to have to do it, but because of a person’s continual rebellion to Him, and no God has endured long suffering and rebellion. Didn’t He work with Pharaoh for a long time? But each time He kept hardening Himself and hardening Himself and suddenly cut off and that without remedy.

You can harden yourself against the will of God. And one of these days because you will not submit, He’s just going to cut you down. may have to break you totally into pieces. But those we says, you become a vessel of what wrath fitted to destruction. But let’s say you are a vessel that wants to be obedient to God and you want to serve the Lord. Well, God is also a God of mercy, a God of compassion. So God wants to show His power, the power of compassion.

Verse 23, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had for prepared unto glory. Now prepared unto glory, that’s us over there in chapter 8 when He talks about if we suffer with Him we shall also be glorified together with Him. And the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be here after. So we have this wonderful choice in life. You can choose to be obedient and that means you become sensitive and teachable and pliable in the master’s hands.

Or you can harden your will to him and then the Lord may have to break it because it’s not pliable. You see, it depends upon you. Now is God unrighteous to do this? When he’s told you how he’s going to to do it and why he does what he does. He wants to show what he’s like. I would rather demonstrate the goodness of God than be used as an instrument of wrath. And God’s hands. So I want His blessing, so therefore I want to be obedient.

If you don’t want to serve the Lord, God will not make you. But you’re going to harden yourself. And you’ll have no sensitivity. It’s like a big old scar that has no feelings in it. And if you ever cut yourself and you get stitched and you got some scars, you know, it becomes, it’s no sensitivity. And a lot of people, the Holy Spirit can’t lead them and God because they’re not sensitive to the Lord. And they can hear a message just, No effect, but this is why this is Yanukovych.

Look up here. This hand represents you and me, though a wall it represents sin, we all have sin on us. Now God loves us, but he hates our sin. And because he loves us and he hates our sin, he says the wages of sin is death, separation from God. So since we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned. But God loves us and wants us to go to Heaven. And go to Heaven, we have to be perfect. Rights is God. None of us are perfect.

None of us are righteous. We cannot save ourselves. So we are children of wrath, the Bible says, children of wrath. We deserve God’s judgment, the wrath of God abideth upon them. So Jesus Christ, God, and the flesh, came into this world because He loves us. The power of compassion, He loves us. Now He hates our sin, but our sin separates us from the Lord. So instead of us receiving the wrath of God, Christ took the sin and God poured out His wrath upon His Son.

And He became that vessel that we should have been paid for our sins. So Christ comes back again from the dead and He offers eternal salvation to whosoever would believe. Now the payment is only put to the count of those who believe, as many as believe. So when I believed it, this payment was put to my account. There’s no wrath to fall upon me. Those who reject it, God’s going to pour out His wrath upon them. And they’ll be eternally in a literal fire burning hell for all eternity.

Now, don’t have to be that way. But God said before you are born, did any good, did any evil? God had already decided. He’s going to pour out His wrath on those who reject Christ. And he’s going to pour out his compassion and his mercy upon those that will accept Christ. So whether you accept or reject, that is your choice. Let’s pray, shall we? With his bow nice clothes and a one-looking around, or if you’re watching by internet tonight, just remember this, the only thing you have to do, it’s the only thing you can do is where you believe that when Christ died, He died for you.

He came back from the dead and says, all He wants you to do is believe He did it for you. He loves you that much. He took your wrath, He took your payment. He wants to bestow His kindness, His goodness, His compassion, His mercy upon you. But will you accept it? Will you believe it? And when you accept Christ as your Savior, He gives you as a free gift everlasting life. If you hear this evening and you’ve never trusted the Lord right where you’re setting, if what I’ve said made sense to you, I want you to let me know by the end.

Yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior. If you’ve already trusted the Lord, you don’t have to do it again. He could only get saved once and he said he never cast you out and he never lose you. He said, anyone at all before we close, yes I will trust Christ as my saved at night and pray to I like you to pray for me. We just slip you hand it very quickly, parathic down, is anyone at all? If you’re watching by internet right on the screen, he says, yes I will trust Christ as my Savior.

I pray that you will. Let us know. Let me hear from you. Father, we thank you again for your blessings. Thank you for all you do for us and thank for giving us your word in Christ and we pray. Amen. 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. Hada can meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.