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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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I’m speaking on the subject that I really don’t need to speak on because everybody knows that Christmas is all about getting gifts and Santa Claus and snowmen and, you know, root off the red-nosed reindeer and all that kind of stuff. But I’m going to go ahead and cover this anyway because I do believe it is important that people know really what it’s all about. Turn in your Bible to the book of Titus chapter 2, the book of Titus and chapter 2.

We refer to this verse every Sunday when we read our statement of faith that we believe here. And I want to run it by you because I believe it’s a great Christmas verse. Tells us what it’s all about. You’ll notice they’re in Titus in chapter 2. It says, for the grace of God, in verse 11, for the grace of God that brings salvation, that phrase alone is about Christmas. It’s why God provided a body for the Son of God to live in.

I want you to look there in your notes that the first statement that I made here, I got to think about that the other day because I love prophecy. I was wondering about all these prophetic sayings in the Old Testament, and I thought God was simply introducing His Son to the world. It’s like sometimes you meet somebody and they’ll say, now blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, this is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And He is the President of, blah, blah, blah, blah.

So you go through that all theveyard. Well, here’s God, the Father, the Eternal Father. You know, you can’t be an Eternal Father unless you have an Eternal Son. And so the Father is introducing his son to the world. Let me tell you a little bit about him. I want you to know who he is. You’re talking about a chip off the block. Jesus is just like the Father. So he came, he says, you know, he that have seen me have seen the Father.

But now notice what he says here, or having the note here, prophecy was the eternal Father’s way of introducing his eternal son to the world. Jesus Christ did not begin his existence when he was born in Bethlehem, he simply changed his place of residence. Jesus is salvation. So when he talked about the grace of God that bring of salvation, Jesus Christ brought salvation, Jesus Christ is our salvation. Jesus Christ is grace because without Jesus Christ, there is no gospel, there is no salvation.

So I wrote a few things here. Look at the next statement. This virgin born perfect holy child met all the qualifications necessary to become the Lamb of God. He became the author of the eternal salvation plan because God did not have a plan to save anybody for just a day or just a week. His plan from the very beginning was to save a man from hell, given eternal life, and he can know that he’s going to heaven whenever he dies.

And it was eternal security. It was all interwoven in this plan that God had, which was the hope of all mankind. The true test of grace is that salvation must be free and that it must last forever. When we talk about grace, if it is by grace, then it has to be free. And if it is free, it has to last forever because there can be no cost added to it afterwards. That means that there’s nothing that I can do.

I don’t know payments that I have to make. I did not get saved on the installment plan. Now he made my payment in full when he died on the cross for me. Now in your notes there, I also made this statement. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared, that’s past tense. That’s what he’s already done. In verse 12, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world.

That’s now. And in verse 13, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God in our Savior, Jesus. Jesus Christ, that’s the future. That’s what I’m looking forward to. So we often say that when you get saved, you’re saved, saved, saved. It means there’s three tenses in salvation. You see, and you’ll look there at number one. Now this is important for everyone to understand this because Christmas is not just about a baby being born. He came to save the world, to save.

So there’s something we needed to be saved from. When he died on the cross and paid for my sins, he saved me from the penalty of sins, means that I never have to pay that penalty. I can never spend eternity separated from God. I have no sins to pay806 for, he paid for all my sins. Now in my life, in my life, since the time I’ve trusted the Lord, which has been 57 and a half years ago, He is saving me from the power of sin that’s in my flesh and the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

And also from the devil’s influence in my life. So I’m being saved. I have been saved from the penalty. It means I’ll never go to hell. It’s impossible. He paid for how many of my sins? All of them. So penalty’s been paid. I don’t have a penalty to pay. Now in my life, He wants to save me from the power of that old sinful nature that still lives inside of my physical body. But remember, when God saved you, He didn’t give you a new body.

It still has that old sinful nature. And I’ve said this before, I’ll just mention it very briefly again. When you got up this morning and looked in the mirror, and if you looked in that mirror and you were ugly, you came to church, trust Christ as your Savior, go back home and look in the mirror, you’re still ugly. He did not change the body. It still looks the same, it will act the same, it still has the same sinful desires that’s in your physical body.

So in number one, we’re saved from the penalty of sin and means I can’t go to hell. Number two, we are being saved from the power of sin, but that is dependent upon your walking with the Lord. If you will allow the Lord to work in your life, and if you will study the Word of God find out what God wants to do and let his desire be greater than the desires to be like the world, you can have victory.

But if you don’t, you won’t. So whether you live a life that’s pleasing to God or displeasing to God is your choice. But there is the power that you need already dwelling within you because God gave to you and to I’d the power of the Holy Spirit living within us to teach us the word of God so that we might walk in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is nothing more than being in obedience to the word of God.

Don’t ask God to lead God and direct you outside of this book. If you want God to guide you study the Bible. You can’t just trust Christ to save you have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and live however you want to and think that you’re doing what God wants. That don’t work that away, it won’t work. You are going to be limited, according to your own human understanding. So you transform your life by the renewing of your mind that you may prove or discover what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Number three there in your notes. We will be saved someday down the road from the very presence of sin. Let’s say for example, everybody on this side dies physically. Right now, ooh, don’t do it. But you all die physically. You will be delivered from this world. Action from the body is to be present with the Lord. So you all get to go to be with the Lord. You are then gonna be glorified. These people over here, they’re still walking around in this so sinful body.

We studied in Sunday school, the Bible described as a vile body. It’s a body of humiliation. We’re always ashamed of things that we say, think and do. So it humbles us. So we have this old physical body. When the Lord comes… It says, these bodies that are in the graves and you’re already in heaven, they’re going to be raised first, that they didn’t try to be raised first. I doesn’t refer to the Presbyterians. You’ll be raised first, these bodies.

And those that are alive, well they’ll put on immortality. And these will be made incorruptible and our bodies are going to be changed and we’ll have a glorified body. Now that’s when God is gonna deliver us from the very presence of sin because we’ll be with the Lord in heaven. And we’ll have glorified bodies. Now that is what God has done. So when Christ came into the world, the purpose was to save, save, save. To save us from the penalty of sin, save us from the power of sin, and one day save us from the very presence of sin.

Now we’re looking forward to that. But all three of these things have something that’s unique about them. Look what he says here. In letter A, we are saved from the penalty of sin the moment you believe. You ought to circle that word moment. The moment you believe that is done at one time in your life, you can never have this happen to you twice. Nobody can get saved twice. You can only get born again one time. I asked a man one time, I says, Are you saved?

He said, yes, I am. I said, so you’ve been born again? He said many times. I thought, we’re not on the same page. Because being born again, God, given to you eternal life, you becoming a child of God can only happen once. It’s a moment in time. So after 75 years of my life, there has to be one time in my life where I have trusted Christ, my Savior, and been born into God’s family. So there was a date, there was a time, and I remember it well, I was there.

And I deliberately made a choice to trust Christ as my Savior. So that was at a moment in time. That is when God justified me. So I have been justified. What it means, it in God’s eyes, when He took that payment Christ made for all of my sins, applied that to me, then He looks at Yank, He says, He has no sins to pay for. He’s good to go. He’s just as if he had never sinned. So I am justified, just as if I had never sinned.

That happens at a moment in time, the very moment you trusted Christ as you’re saved. You say, I didn’t feel it? No, it’s not by feeling. It’s by the fact of God’s word, God said it. God doesn’t have to even repeat it. He can just say it one time and it’s good enough. Look at the verse here we look at. Your theological description is called justifications. when you’re justified before God. That’s why later on you’ll read scripture, talk about the just, the just and the unjust.

The just, you are now the just, that’s who you are. That’s what you are. That’s how you’re looked upon. Titus chapter three verse five in your notes there. When he says, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. That means it’s already done. It’s already a done deal. I am not living my life now, trying to hope that I can get saved in the end where God will take me to heaven.

No, I’m already going to heaven. So there’s nothing in my life that I can do. I can’t add anything to it, take anything away from Him. It’s a done deal and God cannot go back upon His word. I have eternal life. I’m going to heaven. It was not given to me upon the condition that I promise that I’m going to be a good little boy from here on out. No, this was a gift. It was by grace. Grace means unmerited.

you don’t deserve it. But still in most people’s mind they cannot grasp that. Well you can’t tell me that’s all you got to do. Okay what do you want to add to it? Anything you add to it doesn’t belong there. And anything you add to it annulls grace. You can’t add to it. You’re saved by the grace of God. Not because of any work you did but because of the work that He did and He gives it to you as a gift.

Look at the next statement number two. These are my favorite verses in the Bible. Ephesians chapter two and verse nine, bore by grace are you saved through faith, not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Why did God make salvation as a gift? So nobody can brag if they’re going to heaven because of how good they are. This keeps those highfalutin, egotistical, pharasiacal individuals from looking down there long, pharasiacal knows that others and thinking they’re like Kellogg’s corn flakes that’s a little bit better.

And you begin to despise others, boy, I’m so righteous, I’m so good, look at me. And God says, you don’t get it. And God’s eyes, you’re all the same, you’re all short of God’s perfection. And salvation was provided for everybody. So the only thing you had to do is trust Christ’s Savior. That’s the only reason any of us will go to heaven. It’s not going to be because of any other good deed you’ve ever done. Now that blows most people’s mind, but it’s still the truth.

Look at the next statement. Number three, 1 Corinthians 1, 21 says, for after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that do what? that believe. This is why it looks like it’s so foolish. It shouldn’t work. It shouldn’t be like that. Everybody knows good people ought to go to heaven, bad people ought to go to hell. Everybody ought to know that. But if you really believe that, understand this.

And God’s eyes. There’s none good. We’re all bad. So guess what? You were right. All bad ones ought to go to hell. But that included you. Nobody has ever lived good enough to deserve to go to heaven. Look at the next statement, John 3 17, for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Romans 3 24 being justified. Look at the next words freely by his grace through the redemption because of that payment Christ made were justified freely.

Look at page two. Let her be. Top of the page. This is where we are right now. This is during our lifetime. After you trusted Christ as your Savior, now this pertains to you and I. We are being saved from the power of sin in your life. That’s in the process of time. How long have you lived? Are you growing in the Lord since the day you trusted the Lord? trust of the Lord? Are you stronger spiritually now? Not just do you go to church.

You don’t necessarily grow just because you go to church. You don’t necessarily grow just because you give money. See that’s a spiritual walk between you and your heavenly Father. Are you more Christ-like? Do you have the character of Christ in your life? Do you want to honor the Lord in everything that you say, think and do? And whatsoever you put your hands and do of all of your might for the God’s honor and glory. Why do you live? Why do you do what you do?

It’s more important than what you have done. So in your Christian life, you study the Bible because the Bible is God’s love letter to his children. And so your heavenly father wants to talk to his child and he wants to raise you. And when we talk about we are being safe from the power of sin, that’s the way it should be. But it does not mean it’s automatic. It doesn’t mean God overrides your will. And everybody’s gonna grow. No, some of God’s people trust Christ as Savior.

They’re His children and they’re running around in diapers. Wouldn’t it be a shame? That’s the way you are seen as a child of God running around in your diapers. Acting like a little baby. Wannin’ and mownin’ and groanin’ and playin’ silly little games like a little child. But that’s the way some of God’s children are because they never grow and mature and they cannot handle spiritual responsibilities. Can you tell yourself what to do that’s right and then make yourself behave?

You’re either spiritually minded or carnally minded. And if you’re carnally minded means you mind the things of the world, you set your effects upon the world and not upon the things of God. You’re a child in the faith. You’re not grown up yet. You’re not mature in the Lord. Can you walk with the Lord? Have you learned how to cast all of your cares upon Him? Or do you worry about everything that comes along? Or you’re a powder king, you’re the short fuse, and the Bible says long suffer means you got a long fuse.

Now notice down at the next scripture, number three, he says, and that knowing the time, but now it is high time to wake out of sleep for now is our salvation near than when we believe. In other words, we’re running out of time. Days are passing along and here we are and there’s so much that God wants us to do. Now, up there at number one, I want you to see this. First Timothy chapter four and verse 16, take heat unto thyself and unto the doctrine, continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.

Lots of God’s children are not watching out for themselves. If the man of the home who’s supposed to be the spiritual head of the home, if he doesn’t protect himself and do right, how can he do right by his wife or his children? You can’t, and you won’t. If you let yourself be led by the world, then don’t expect the wife or the children to follow God. If you don’t follow God. You’re the head of the home. Every man ought to be a spiritual, godly individual and set his face like a flint and he makes a difference in his life.

This is called sanctification. That’s the theological description. It means that you have been sanctified, been made pure and holy, and set apart for God. Now, as a saint of God, you’re supposed to live like a saint. You mean I gotta live holy? No, this is what God wants. Are you ashamed to live holy? Are you ashamed to live godly? Are you afraid of what people might say and think? Let me tell you this. This is not a Trump commercial, but I don’t even know if the man is even trust the Lord or what he knows about the Lord, but I like what he’s doing and I like what he says.

And he doesn’t appear to be a coward. He has more grit than any man that I’ve met in politics in my life. At least somebody is willing to stand up against all these nations around the world. And says, this is where we stand. This is what we’re gonna do. take you to relieve it. When it comes to your Christian life, do you have any true grit? I’m going to live for God and it doesn’t matter what anybody else says or thinks.

I want to be a godly man and if anybody wants to call me out or self-righteous, holy Joe, then let it be. But God says, be holy for I am holy. Does God want you to live a holy life? Does God want you to mature in the Lord. There’ll be a godly individual. I believe so. And should we? Yes we should. Look at number two. James chapter 1 verse 21 says, Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluency of not in and receive with maintenance the engrapped word which is able to save your soul.

Your soul has already been saved. This has saved your life. This is this period of time that you have that God’s given to you to live after you trust and Christ is your save you. Does God want your life to be used for Him? And you’ll lose your life if you live for yourself. You’ll save your life if you live it for Christ. Only one life will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last. You’ve heard that a thousand times.

And Paul says, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Me to live is what is it for you to live? What is that word that belongs out there. For me to live is what? I hope that’s Christ. Look at the next statement. Number three, Philippians chapter two and verse 12 says, wherefore it might be leavened as you have always obeyed. Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Now let me ask you this, you ever have some kids come along and they started getting up 11, 12, and you feel like, you know, they all don’t know enough that I can go to the store and I can leave them at home and they’ll do right. And you trust them. And you come home and you wish you had never left. And some of them can look you dead in the eye and lie to you and you know they’re lying.

And some of them just can’t trust them. them. When your kid finally gets to be 16 years old, should it automatically be that when they get 16, they deserve a car and their driver’s license. They deserve it because they’re 16. If you can’t trust them when they’re 15, and when they finally turn 16, I still don’t know if I would trust them. I made a couple mistakes in my life. I went to town, found this perfect little car for Trina.

She just got old enough she could drive. And I, Daddy, I wanted this surprise her. And I got this little yellow Volkswagen. And I pulled it up inside and I went in the house. And I told my daughter, Trina, I said, go look outside and she went and looked. Mine? Mine? Mine? Yes, that’s yours. I said, but it needs to be washed and needs to be cleaned up. I said, so get the hose and you wash it. Hey girl, she opened up the doors.

She took the hose and hosed everything down inside and outside. It would not run. It had contact and everything was it would not start. And she had all So later I got a car from my son. He was about a year and a half behind her. He finally got old enough. I’m gonna treat this boy right. He’s been fairly good so far. I was pushing it, you know, but I went and found this jalopy. I mean, it ran. It looked like sin.

It was a dirtiest looking old Ford that I could have found. But it was all that I could afford at the time. But at least it had four wheels, it had a motor, and you could steer. It would go. So I got the thing and I went and hit it. And I came home. And I walked in the house. I told David, I said, David. I said, Happy Birthday. Car? Me? Car? He ran outside and looked and there was no car.

He said, the car. I said, you’ll have to go find where it fits. There’s a car around a couple of walks from here. I said, you go, that was not a wise thing to do. That kid, he was trying Mercedes and BMWs. I guess he couldn’t see them there. Ford. Ford. Anyway, about 10 minutes, he’ll come that Paula junk up into the yard. And he was, he, he says, I can have it. It’s my car. I said, yeah, he says, can I go drive it now?

I said, sure you can. He put it in reverse and back into the car across the street. You know, I think God is a God in heaven who wants to do good things for his children. So he gives you time, gives you a certain amount of wisdom, opportunities, and we mess them up. Not all of God’s children are thankful to the Lord for what God’s given to them. And God is given to them talents and abilities and skills and so on, and they use it for the things of the world and not for him.

And they don’t honor God. I believe it breaks God’s heart. Well anyway, he says here in number three, Philippians 2, 12, wherefore my beloved as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but not much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. It doesn’t say work for your salvation. It’s working out what God’s put in. See God says put the Word of God into your mind. Be not conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So God wants us to work out what He has put in. So it’s like giving you a piece of ground. God gave every one of us 10 acres of ground when we got saved. So now I want you to plant something. And if you just leave it go, are you going to get his briars and thorns and rocks and his, or you can work the land and produce some fruit. This time God’s given to you is this piece of land and God wants to give you some time and he wants you to clean out some things out of your life.

He wants you to plant some seeds. The greatest thing you’ll ever build is not a ministry or a workplace or anything like the greatest thing and the strongest thing you’ll ever build is yourself. up yourselves in your most holy faith. How strong are you in the Lord? Men, reserve the last Saturday of the month for the Iron Sharpen’s Iron Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast at Calvary Community Church. Join us at 730 for a home-cooked breakfast. Then at 8 a.m.

the featured speaker of the month will present a one-hour classroom style men’s Bible Study in a relaxed atmosphere where questions and dialogue are welcomed. The scripture tells us that Iron sharpens iron, and this men’s Bible study is open to those of all levels, whether new believers or mature Christians. The Iron sharpens iron men’s Bible study and breakfast. Don’t miss this monthly opportunity for fellowship and the study of God’s Word. 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.