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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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible and turn to John Chapter 20, John Chapter 20. And I want you to look a few verses with me in the book of John because a lot of people don’t seem to get it. If you believe, you will receive if you believe. So if you believe what he said, you’re supposed to get something. And just from the Gospel of John, I want you to see what he had promised. But in John chapter 20, look there in verse 24, John chapter 20 and verse 24, but Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, thrust my hand into his sight, I will not believe. But you know what they said? We have seen who we’ve seen the Lord That’s interesting in verse 26 He says but after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them and Then came Jesus the doors being shut stood in the mist and says peace be unto you Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hands and thrust him get into my side and be not faithless but believing.

Thomas answered and said unto him, what a wonderful teacher you are. You are a trailblazer. My Lord and my God. In verse 29 he says, Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou have seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen yet have believed. Now I’d also believe that that could be a reference to us, oh, he’s on down the road to know, that we’ve never seen it yet we believe it. But he says equally as good as seeing it is reading about it because he says we have a more sure word of prophecy and as Peter made the statement he says we were eyewitnesses of of His Majesty.

We saw Him, we heard Him, we touched Him. As it says in the book of John, 1 John chapter one, but we have something better than that, and that’s the word of God. Look what he says in verse 30, and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life through his name.

So this is the reason that it was written, the whole Gospel of John. We sometimes call this God’s heaven track. And so it’s used so much for evangelism and for the preaching of the Gospel. But take your Bible and turn to the Gospel of John in chapter 3, the Gospel of John chapter 3. And if you don’t have some of these verses marked in your Bible, it would be good because to to show somebody certain verses of what God promised.

And if you’ll notice there in verse 15, whosoever, that’s an open invitation to anyone, whosoever does what? Believe it. That’s all he has to his believe, should not perish, but have eternal life. So in verse 15, what do you have to do? believe. And what will you get? Eternal life. So when you say I believe it, then you should also be able to say I have it. If I believe it, I have it. I believe it. I have eternal life.

Now, looking verse 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever opened invitation to anybody in the whole world, whosoever, beleav it. See, that’s the only requirement. And if you do that one requirement, what should you expect to get? Everlasting life. You will not perish means you will not go to hell but you will not. but know that you have eternal life. Look in John 3.36.

This is a very good verse. I’ve used it a lot of times, a very effective verse. In verse 36, he that believeth on the Son, half, present tense, half, right now, everlasting life. How many times does God have to say something for it to be true? One time. But look how many times it says this in this one book alone. And the only requirement is that we believe something so simple. And when he uses all the words, it’s to make you think about the simplicity of the gospel.

So he makes a statement here in verse 36, He that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life. And he that believeeth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him. So God’s wrath abides upon those that do not believe. Now, I want you to look there in verse 18 of chapter 3. Verse 18 lets you see that the only reason a man is condemned is because of unbelief. In verse 18, he that believeeth on him on Christ is not condemned.

That means you’re not condemned now. You won’t be condemned later and there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ So you can’t be condemned today. You can’t be condemned tomorrow You can never be condemned and the reason is because you’ve already passed from death under life You see his death was put to your account. You’ve already died So when you trust it Christ is your savior God says you passed from death and the where’s that verse found?

John chapter 5 verse 24. Look there in John chapter 5 verse 24. We’ll get to it in just a minute anyway, but I just, not sometime I just can’t wait. Looking verse 24. Verily, verily. Where do those words be for somewhere? Verily, verily, I say unto you. He said, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me. Now some people who believe in lifestyle evangelism life-style of Angelim. See, what is that? Well, I’m just gonna live so holy.

And so, Godly, that people are walk up and say, you know, you look so much like Jesus. You act so much like Jesus. I just wanna know what makes the difference. I’ve been waiting 70 years and nobody has done that yet. So, how many people do you think you would witness to? If you wait for them to ask you because of how holy you’re living, they want to know what makes the difference. I would venture to say you will not witness to many people.

So lifestyle evangelism isn’t what it’s about. It’s he that heareth my word, not he that sees my life. Now does that mean that I’m not for a person having a good, clean life? Yeah, because you don’t want that to block what you have to say. You don’t want people to dismiss the message because of the way you’re living. I believe God uses the man and the message and the motive. It all goes together. And you don’t wanna say or do something and live in such a way that would cause people not to believe what you have to say.

But that’s not lifestyle evangelism. In other words, I’m just gonna let my life speak for itself and people will just get saved because of how holy I live. faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Did you know that even a rebellious person can witness and lead people to Christ because the power is in the message. But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to build anybody. See, winning somebody to Christ is a very easy thing to do.

It’s not as hard as building God’s children strong in the Lord. That’s where the work comes. Because That requires faithfulness, consistency, discipline in your own life. And so a lot of people never really build anybody strong in the Lord because they’re not strong themselves. So you really, you produce after your own time, whatever you are is what you really produce. So you’ll notice there in that verse 24, he says, and believe it on him, that sent me half everlasting life shall not, that means in the future.

She over there in the universe we looked at in John 3. 18, you’re not condemned. Now here in the future, you shall not come into condemnation. Means that I can’t be condemned in the future. Well, if I can’t be condemned in the future, I must be saved forever. Do you see that? And he says here, and shall not come into condemnation is passed from death and the life. Because you can’t condemn a dead man. He’s already dead. And you died in Christ.

Now, take your Bible and look there in John chapter four, John chapter four and look in verse 10. And just look at the words that are used here. You know, Jesus had said, I must needs go through Samaria. He knew that that woman was coming to the well at a certain time. He knew what kind of a woman she was. And I believe he knew that I need to talk to this one alone without all those other disciples there.

Because sometimes you know too many people ganging up on somebody that doesn’t look good. Everybody ganging up and everybody preaching to them all at the same time. He makes a statement in verse 10, Jesus said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that sest in the thee give me to drink, I would have asked of him and he would have given the living water if you only knew, if you just knew who I am and what I have, you would ask.

And a lot of people don’t know who he is and don’t know what he has. And that’s why they don’t believe. So that’s our responsibility to present Christ to the world. And the woman in verse 11 said unto him, sir, die has nothing to draw with. The well is deep. you’re going to get living water?” And he says, if you drink the water that’s in this will, you’re going to thirst again. But he says, I’ve got some water that once you drink it, you never thirst again.

You see, what is that teaching? Eternal, security, eternal life. Water that once you take a drink, you never have to drink again. Because you see there in verse 11, verse 12, our greater than our Father Jacob, which gave us the will, their of himself, his children, his cattle, Jesus, and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall what? First again. So he’s going to show her something that’s in contrast to that. What is in contrast to that? Water that you’re never thirsted again.

In other words, it satisfies from now on. I had a drink of this water 51 years ago. And because I had a drink of this water 51 years ago, I’ve never had to take another drink of water. Now we’re talking about in salvation, always keep things in his context. So in verse 14, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall what? Never thirst shall never thirst. So there is a difference. And see the one up there you’ll thirst again.

That’s the salvation that the false teachers offer. You get saved today and get thirsty tomorrow. Got to get saved again. You see you got to keep getting it over and over and over again. Or you can get thirsty again. It means you get lost again. Got to get satisfied again. God, no, no, no. Mine is one time. One drink satisfies forever. But look now at the next one. Look in chapter 5, chapter 5 and verse 40. Chapter 5 and verse 40.

And look how simple it makes the verse. If it says in verse 40, you will not come to me. You just say you won’t go to church, or you won’t give your money, no, he says you won’t come to me that you might have life. So if I go to him, or what should I expect to get? Life. But if I don’t go to him, I won’t get life. Because he’s the one that has eternal life. He is eternal life.

That’s why when you get Christ, you receive eternal life. But it’s so simple. It just makes it so easy to understand. And why some people get so all balled up on this stuff? I have no clue. Well, except there’s no devil out there to kind of blind the mind. But anyway, look at the next verse. Look there in John chapter 6 and verse 35. John chapter 6 and verse 35. Verse 35. He’d already rehearsed to them about the bread, the manna in the wilderness, where he talks about, you know, they ate this bread, angel bread.

And I’ve had Devil’s Food Cake, but the bread came down and they ate it, but he says, they’re all dead. They all died. So what’s he trying to say? There is the bread that will not give you something that his bread will. So in contrast, there’s temporary and there’s permanent. Hank Lindstrom had a good sermon on how permanent is your salvation. Anybody ever heard of that? Probably a million people. And and yet it’s a it’s on a CD. It’s great.

We still send it out. But how permanent is your salvation? It forever, forever. And as you look at this scripture and you make the statement of verse 35 and Jesus of them I am the bread of life. He that come up to me shall never hunger, never hunger. He that believe it to me shall never, what does the word never mean? Well, slap my mouth. That sounds like forever. Never, never, happen, happen. So once you entrust Christ as your Savior and you eat this bread, you will never hunger again.

You drink this water, you’ll never thirst again. Well, what’s What’s talking about? What’s the purpose of that? To show you how eternal your salvation is. Christ taught eternal security. Christ taught once saved, always saved. And we ought not apologize for that or be timid about that, but be bold about that. And it doesn’t matter if everybody asks that question. Oh, you mean you just think you can just trust Christ as your Savior, give you eternal life, and then live like the devil and still go to heaven when you die.

Yes, I do believe that. Most assuredly I believe that. You mean you believe you can just go out here live like you want and still go to heaven? Yes! Thousand times yes. Should I? No. But I can. This is a powerful message and don’t be intimidated by what you think somebody else might misconstrued it. Christ said it and he knew what they would think because they did. And so that’s why many of them walked away from them. The Lord says, Peter, because it’s obvious, says, were you also going?

That’s in chapter six, because what he taught was hard for them to kind of anchor on. They couldn’t believe it. They couldn’t see it. And he even gave them illustrations and they couldn’t see it. He said, well, we believe that thou are the Christ the Son of the living God. And by believing we know we have eternal life and so forth.

But this is all taught right here. And once you have it, God says you cannot, cannot lose it. See there in verse 37, just look in verse 37. He says, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that come up to me. Look what he says, I will in no wise cast That’s what he means when he says when you eat this bread, you’ll never hunger again. Because I will never ask you what you won’t have to do it again.

When I trusted Christ as my Savior fifty one years ago, do I ever have to do it again? How many times can I get saved? There’s some people think they can get saved over and over and over again. You can’t get saved twice. How many times have you been born into this world? I asked a man that one time, he said, oh, many times, I believe in reincarnation. I said, have you been born again? He said, sure. I’ll try not to use that exact phrase that way anymore.

I asked one guy, I said, where are you going to go in your diet? He says, 10 or C. Okay. Not everybody’s on the same wavelength. Sometimes you got to find out, you know, that’s why when you talk to somebody of different religions, always ask and say, would you define your diet? term. When you say eternal life, what do you mean? When you say grace, define your term. What do you mean by grace? Hat everlasting life. Define that for me.

What do you think that really mean? Don’t always tell them. Get them to define their terms. You’d be surprised how they’ll walk right into it. Because they don’t fake it through. When it says, not of works. Would you tell me, what do you think that means? When you say it is the gift of God, what do you think that means? And some that they can’t explain it. But anyway, looking verse 39, verse 39 is so important to go right along with that.

This is the Father’s will which have sent me that of all which have given me I should lose nothing. He’ll never cast you out and he will never lose you. Anyway, I want you to look there in verse 47 where he says, very, very I send to you, he that believe it on behalf everlasting life. What’s the requirement? What do you have to do? According to this work, what do you have to do? Believe and if you did believe what would you have?

When would you have it? Right now when you believe it see the word of God and see like I’m doing this to you That’s what you do to the lost man. You get him to see it Sometimes I’ll misread the verse where he makes the statement like in verse 37 I will in no wise cast you out unless you send again. I’ve had some babies to see that I knew it was in the Bible said look it’s not there I added that oh And some people don’t like to be tricked either.

I’ve had some of that. But anyway, as we’re moving right along here, I look there in chapter 6 and verse 50. Chapter 6 and verse 50. For he makes the statement, This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat, and look at the next word, not die. You eat this, you will not die. You know, this is similar to what he was telling them back in the Old Testament, in the book of Genesis. You eat fruit of this tree, you shall die.

And you eat the fruit of this tree, you shall live, because there was a tree of life. And the Bible says that he had to put angels out there to guard that tree lest they eat of that tree and live forever in that condition. Would it be shame to live like you are and like I am with an ocean forever? Man, I bow that conjures up a whole bunch of questions in my mind. And you You don’t want to go there.

Take your Bible and look here in verse 58. Now in verse 58 where he says, this is the bridge which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth of this bread shall live for how long? So you see the contrast. You eat this, it doesn’t last. You eat this, it’s forever. Christ is trying every way he knows how possibly, and he’s the Lord, And I believe he uses the best illustrations you could ever use because who can use them better than him?

He knows everything. And this is what he’s teaching. This is the Lord. God said. Anyway, all the way through you’ll find that is simple to say. This is what God said. Anyway, all the way through, you’ll find out, it’s the same simple thing. Now I want to do this. Take your Bible and turn to 1 John chapter 1. 1 John and chapter 1. See, after you do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, He says you have eternal life and that you can’t lose it.

He’ll never cast you out. You can know that you’re going to heaven when you die. And that’s a wonderful thing. Look in verse three, first John chapter one, in verse three, page 13, 21, and go go Bible. Verse three says, now John that wrote the gospel of John John is also used by the Lord to write this. Now look what he says. You see over there it’s just believe, believe, that’s all you gotta do. Well now he’s talking about something else.

Now we’re talking about fellowship. We’re talking about your communion with the Lord. We’re talking about your walk with God. And he’s talking about here, he says in verse three, that which we have seen heard the clair we unto you, where we under you, that ye also may have an underlying this word because this is one of the key words in the whole book. Let you know the purpose of the book of 1 John right at the beginning. We’re not talking about salvation in the book of 1 John.

Though it does let you know that these things have I written under you that believe that you may know you have eternal life? This is about fellowship. So he says, may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ. Look at there. Our fellowship together depend upon our fellowship with him. If we’re not right with him, we won’t be right with each other. And when Christians can’t get along with each other’s because one of them isn’t right or maybe both of them with the Lord.

If you take care of it this way, this will take care of itself. Because if I love him, I will love others. But if I don’t love him, you’re not going to love others. And then you won’t care about your testimony. You won’t care about the things you say and do. You don’t give you hurt somebody. You don’t give you a fan. It nothing matters. But when you love the Lord, it changes everything. So now we’re not talking about how to get to heaven.

We’re talking about your walk with the Lord. So he says here in verse four, in these things, right we unto you to the believers that you’re what? Your joy may be full, but your joy in the Lord depends upon your walk with the Lord. So he says there in verse 6, if we say, we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness or after the flesh, we lie and we’re not doing the truth. We’re not obeying the truth. not living the truth.

But in verse 7, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. So if I walk in the light as He is in the light, and if I’m walking with the Lord, then it’s easier to walk with you. So our church will be as strong as our fellowship with God. If you’re not right with God, you will not be be right with one another. It won’t happen. And that’s what causes people to sometimes be bitter and hateful and mean and critical.

It’s a dead giveaway that something’s missing between you and the Lord. Now you may know the Bible and you can quote it backwards and forward, but if your fellowship isn’t right with God, it’s not going to be right with people. You’re not going to have a forgiving spirit. You’re going to have a condemning spirit. We want to destroy and pull down instead of trying to help and to build up. It reveals an awful lot. But you see, this is talking about your walk with the Lord.

And that’s why he made the statement in verse 8. If we say we have no sinful nature, which we do, we deceive ourselves. Because that’s the only way you can walk in the flesh is because you still have a no sinful nature. So what should we do? there in verse 10, if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. So verse 9 is in the word of God to the child of God because sin in your life is going to rob you of your joy and that joy is because you don’t have the fellowship between you and the Lord that you ought to have.

Now When I sin against my father that affects my walk with the Lord that affects my joy that affects my peace of mind That affects my blessings upon this earth So I want things to be right so he says here in his word if you look there in verse 9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin to cleanse us from all unrighteous And this is for your walk with your father So can I still sin after I’m saved?

Yes. Do I go to hell? No. The judge of all the earth has cleared me. I can’t pay that penalty. Christ did that for me. But in my walk with the Lord, if I don’t do right, then it offends my heavenly Father. And so I need a few things clean between me and my heavenly Father. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message.

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The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye, 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.