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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 Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

There is this thing about change. Now when it comes to me and the Lord, And here I am and I’m in a wicked old center. And here’s the Lord over here. And He’s just perfect as can be. Can’t get any better. How can two walk together and let’s say be agreed? Now, so I have got to either get God to be like me, or God has got to get me to be like Him. Now, what are the odds of me getting God to be like me?

Can I get God to sin? Can I get Him to be angry and bitter and all like me? So we’re trying to change God into being like a man. Look what he has here in the book of Romans, listen to your Bible to the book of Romans. And notice what we have here in Romans in chapter one. So it’s a good thing to remember that the Lord left evidence that he’d been here.

And he also left some evidence that he is here. And the Lord doesn’t change. He remains the same, the same yesterday, today, and forever. But look what we have here in verse 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it unto them. So in the last line of verse 20 says they are without excuse is because verse 19 says, because that which may be known. Every man knows that there’s a God Because the world is the evidence.

The world we see ourselves, the laws of nature, and the design. All these things are the evidence that God is real. So we know that there has to be somebody who made it. And so he says here, for God has shown it unto them in verse 19, for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. So the things that we can clearly see helps us to understand the things that we cannot see, just because I cannot see God doesn’t mean that God does not exist.

I cannot see my brain, but I believe I’ve got one. I’m pushing issue. I know that. I know that. And I wanted to say that before y’all had a chance to say that. So then he says about his eternal power. Now look what he says in verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. Neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, they become fools.

And look in verse 23, and you had to underline that one word, changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man. In other words, man wants to make God like them. I’m not that bad if God isn’t that good. I’m not that bad if God isn’t that good. The only thing makes me look so bad is because God is so righteous, so holy, so perfect. You see, one thing I’ll kind of give you all a point.

If you think you’re overweight, find the biggest person you can’t stand beside me and you’ll feel better. True? Then you’re comparing. And the Bible says they, they compare themselves among themselves, not wise. But this is why this is so important. And change the glory of God. Now look up there in verse 25. When you change God from being God and try to make Him into something that He’s not, then you’ve got to change truth. You see there in verse who change the truth of God into a life.

So there is the truth that there is a God and there is the truth that describes our God. What is our God like? And so God gives us these things in his words so that we can know them. Look there in the The book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 3, 2 Corinthians in chapter 3. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Look, we’re down there in verse 18. Talking about the Holy Spirit that after we trust Christ as our Savior lives within us.

Now Gary brought it out very good the other night when he was talking about the thing that has to be changed. We’re a lost man going to hell, and now we’re saved man going to heaven. Something had to happen. So it wasn’t that I changed God on anything, but it is true that God has changed me. He made me like Him. So when I had a new birth, remember my new birth born of God has to be without a sinful nature.

my second birth does not have a sinful nature because it doesn’t have a sinful nature, it cannot sin. If it cannot sin, it cannot die. And that’s why once you’re saved and born of God, you have eternal life. But I’m not in heaven yet, but in God’s eyes, He sees me in my new birth. And so I am addressed as one who is in Christ. Before I trust the Lord, I was not in Christ. I was outside of Christ.

outside of salvation. But notice what he says in verse 18, but we all with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even by the Spirit of the Lord. Now we know the Holy Spirit is going to one day change these vile bodies of ours because we have a new birth living inside of a vile body. This body has a sinful nature. So that’s why sin is in our bodies.

And that’s why God says, do not let sin reign in your mortal body. It should not have dominion. So as a child of God, we’re supposed to, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have victory in our life over the sinful nature. And we covered about two weeks ago about the love of God. How that you have to have something that is a greater power than the power of the old nature. We all have a sinful nature and that’s why we all sin and we all sometimes we want to sin.

We desire sin. There is pleasure in sin for a season, but there’s consequences. And so because as a child of God we now are his children, we have choices to make. But the Holy Spirit that lives within us is to take the word of God and use it to change us into His glory. In other words, so that we’ll be more like the Lord now. Dr. Curtis Hutchin used to say, Lord, if someday I’m going to be like you, can’t you help me to be more like you today while I can do the most good?

Not a good statement? Lord, if someday I’m going to be just like you when I get to heaven, Can’t you help me to be more like you now so that I can have more effect in people’s lives? And I think it’s a good request. So as you study the Word of God, the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and you apply it to your life. And lo and behold, you can begin to live a more godly life that honors the Lord.

And as it says, you are changed into the same image. In other words, make in me like Christ now. I will be like him when I get to heaven, but when I get there, I won’t have this sinful nature. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could live like that now? You’ve often heard me make the statement, I try to preach sometimes. And in my mind, I got my suitcase pack right here because I would rather love the Lord and whatever he wants me to do and say and go and be whatever it is, I don’t want to have to hold back because I’m afraid of a hurting or offending somebody.

So I want the love that I have for the Lord to supersede the love that I may have for anything else. Because you see if something else you love and crave more than pleasing the Lord you’re not going to serve them wholeheartedly. You’re going to hold back because well I don’t want to offend this person. I don’t want to miss out on this and I don’t want to miss out on this and and you can fall in love with the things of the world.

And if you love the things of of the world, then that love can be stronger than your love for the Lord, and you’ll be like the Christians there in Ephesus where he says, you have left your first love. In other words, you don’t love the Lord like he used to. Never change. Don’t let anything change your love for the Lord. The Bible says in Philippians chapter 1, grow in love and in knowledge, in judgment that you may be able to discern not only things that are good, better best, never let it rest so you’re good as better and your better as best.

In other words, will you love the Lord more than anything else in the world? And if you’ll do that, God will richly bless you. Now… I know that sometimes, and I was in a discussion with somebody this day, I don’t even remember who it was, but it’s okay because, you know, when you don’t remember, it doesn’t bother you as much. But I was talking about this thing of how to study the Bible, and they were more along the lines of, you know, get all of it, and you take one verse and see what’s in that verse.

in the words of like this verse is in a suitcase. And I wanna open up this suitcase and see what does this verse say? What does it really mean? So now I’ve got to study what does every word mean. Now, this is not my type of studying. It is a lot of people, because they’d love to get down into the Hebrew and the Greek and tell you everything about that word. And I wanna know what that word means. I just opened the King James says, that’s what it says, that’s what I use.

And I don’t have to do as much. But it’s just like studying the Bible in black and white. And if you know Hebrew and Greek, it’s like studying in color. That’d be nice to have. So anyway, I’m not gonna be the best preacher in all the world. Cause I like to do sometimes a summary. Like an overview sometimes. Kind of back up and look at a whole book or a whole chapter. And there’s others that can get down because they are teachers.

And they like to get everything they can get out of one verse and they’ll squeeze it and squeeze it and squeeze it some more until There’s nothing else left in that verse And then when they get all done I’ll come back and get some more because it’s the word of God. It’s a living book now Whenever I um Look at the Bible. I like to Sometimes back a little bit and try to get an overview and I tell a person, you know, this is kind of like where we are and where we’re going.

I take like the book of Revelation. It’s got a few little spots in there. It’s a little difficult. Life from chapter 1 and all the way through. But I to, you know, back up a little bit and say, now what’s this talking about? Because I know that there’s the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. And this is at the end of time. And so you’ve got all of these little streams that’s coming down from the mountain. These prophecies that are scattered, they’re They’re broken ended out there and they come together.

Time you get to the book of Revelation, it’s like one gigantic rushing river of prophecy being fulfilled and in seven years, boom, you’d be surprised how much is going to happen. So I like backing up and kind of seeing all of that. Then when I look at that verse, well that verse goes here, that verse goes here. I like to have a bone structure because then I can go back to and I can hang the meat on this bone structure.

But see, you got to have Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine is the bone structure of your body. So whenever you study it, you know, well, that’s this. Well, this here goes there. Oh, these lungs, these lungs go right there. The heart, oh, there it goes right there. And your head, oh, that goes on the top right there. But you see, you got to have an outline, a place where you’re headed to, where you’re going. What do you see? And so whenever I study like the book of Revelation and it’s laid out there and I see it, okay, there’s the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit. Okay, well, he’s ministering to the churches. So you’ve got chapter two and chapter three and lo and behold, the Holy Spirit is working in the church. And then after that, you’ve got some more scripture talks about the wrath of God. And there’s the wrath of God. And then you’ve got a thousand year reign over here, which is the reign of the Son. So I’ve got the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and the sun. So when I study the scriptures, I can look at that whole book and say, I’ve got this here.

It’s about Holy Spirit doing His work. And there’s the wrath of God. And here’s the reign of the sun. And so I’ll lay that out. Excellently in my mind. I can go back and I can read that. OK, that goes there. And this goes here. And this goes here. Somebody asked me one time, do you know how to do this? Go? She’s sure. This goes here. And this goes here. This goes here. But you have these things in scripture.

And you can look at it as an overview light. And I can go back to the wrath of God, see? And I can split that because he talks about in chapter 6, the wrath of the Lamb. And then in chapter 15, you’re talking about the last 30 and a half years of the tribulation period. And then he talks about the wrath, which is the tribulation period, the time, the great tribulation. But all of it has to be in a place.

And I know this place and this place and this place and it helps me. And so, but there’s other people that can go back and they squeeze everything out of a particular verse or a word. And I sometimes will look up in the strongness and accordance and I’ll see what that says and how many choices did I get? It always got me 10 different choices. This is wonderful. I can pick out any one I choose. And then sometime that doesn’t go with a flow.

It can’t be that word. It’s got to be the other word. It’s got to be this word. And I’ll see where certain words are being used. But understanding Hebrew and Greek would help you to make a wiser decision because you know how it fits in the scriptures a little bit better. So, because I’m not that person that likes to see how much I can get out of it when verse, I like to back it up and see, well, there’s words and certain words.

That’s why sometimes I have a sermon on just the word love, which I did a couple weeks ago. I did another one on just the plain, just the word. And I go through and I’ll get the scriptures and I’ll look at it and see, I can make a sermon out of that or this word. But let’s pretend that I’ve got, you know, five suitcases up here. And every one of these suitcases, I’ve got a different word. In one suitcase, I got the word grace.

In another suitcase, I’ve got the word repentance. In another suitcase, I got the word finish. and another word believe. And then another one, the word justified. So I can have five suitcases and I’ve got those words put inside of those suitcases. But we’re living long enough that we’ve seen over the years, words change in their meaning. And there’s some people who give a word that you know what it means, but change the meaning of it. Do you remember when the word grace used to mean grace?

Grace is unmerited favor, something you don’t earn, you don’t work for. Well, that’s what grace is supposed to mean. But with a lot of churches today and a lot of preaches today, grace doesn’t mean grace anymore. Grace means grace plus works. They’ve changed. It means more than grace. When youortunately think about the word for salvation and how that we’re saved by grace through faith alone. Well then we know and understand grace can’t be anything else but free. And that’s why some people call it free grace.

And the Bible often uses a couple of words, a free gift book of Romans in chapter 5 several times. Alright, but it’s free. I mean it doesn’t cost you anything. In other words, grace does not mean the same thing like I need a house to live in. So I go down the street and I find oh there’s a house and they want rent. $500 a month. So I go in there and I got myself a how and I can say, well, this is free.

Land horses, no, no, no. You owe me $500 every month. So if I pay the $500, I get to stay there for that month. And then next month comes due. I got to pay for that month. A lot of people translate that into that soy salvation is God is giving you a chance and you got to make payments. And so we say that it’s free to get you in the house first 30 days free. And then after that they’re going to hit you.

Where the gospel isn’t give it to us free so we can get you in it. Now you’re going to make payments nor to keep it. And that’s where a lot of people are. That’s their gospel. When we talk about grace, we’re talking about you’re saved by grace forever. And grace must be free and it must last forever. If it’s not free, it’s not grace. And if it doesn’t last forever, it’s not grace. Grace has to last forever. So there’s people that are putting, because you see, when you open up the suitcase, you’re finding out, what does this word mean?

What can I take and make this verse say? So they begin to twist it and they put other things in here, and said, this is what grace is. And they’re adding to it and putting something in, taking something out. And then they put that out on people and said, this is what grace is. You say by grace, but then you don’t really have salvation, by grace you’re adding to the word. You’re making it say something it does not say.

And so a lot of people do that. I could look at somebody and say, you know, boy that’s really cool. Now my grandkids, they wouldn’t say cool, they would say, that’s cool. I thought what are you saying? You mean cool? It’s like cool, cool. And it wasn’t cool. They’re saying a different word, but John is like a girl sees this voice. Oh, he’s cool.

No, he’s warm. But see, you’re giving the word cool another name. Doesn’t mean that. And you’re going to look at a girl and say, boy, she’s hot. Not what do you mean? You mean that mean the same thing you pose mean? It doesn’t mean she’s got a temperature. That word can mean something else. Well, see, there’s people who are stealing our language, the Christian language, and then putting it out as though this is what it is. Does it mean that’s what it is?

And people are not understanding the gospel. You’d be surprised how many people, and I’ve said this before, are you married? Yes, I am. Do you have a wife? No, I don’t know. Now you know if you’re married, you ought to have a wife. But who in the world wants a mother-in-law without a wife? But anyway, another word I wanted to mention to you. And that is the word repentance. Repentance now means penance. It means you’ve got to doing something bad, turn from sin.

So if you have to turn from sin, that means stop being bad. And if you have to commit your life to Christ, that means start being good. So there’s people who have taken the word repent and get it. itSpreadion. And it means to stop being bad. Whatever you’re doing, it’s wrong. You got to stop. And so that’s works for salvation. So they’re taking the word that doesn’t mean Releasedturn. But it means a change of mind. Change your mind and realize you cannot saveDenvercham Cheong WARN ShoalsJM DevOnline , these bad things so that you can be saved.

It’s because he once you trusted Christ the Savior, God tells in his word. The Lord knoweth them that are his and he says he hath this foundation and it’s a sure foundation and the Lord knoweth them that are his but let every child of God, every one of his saints depart from iniquity. Who departs from iniquity? The saved man after he saved One of the other verses, we often use it. Romans 12 verse one and two, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, and God would you reasonable?

That word is service. So when you present your body as a living sacrifice, that’s for service, then it’s not for salvation. So when people take that verse and say, you’ve got to commit your life to Christ, present your bodies to live in sacrifice for the Lord. If you add it for salvation, see that that’s totally a misapplication of scripture. You’re taking something that’s simple and clear and change it and given in another meaning. And they will think, well, I’m biblical.

I’m not biblical. You mutilate in the scriptures. And as the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians in chapter 4, he says in verse 2, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftance nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves through every man’s conscience and the sight of God, not mishandling the word of truth, not trying to take the script and make him say what we want them to say, but just believe what it already says.

There’s another word called finished. You remember where Jesus said in thing about it is finished. What did he say and what did he mean? Where is it found in the Bible? anybody got a clue? What did he say? And what did he mean by it? All right. He said it is finished. What was finished? The payment for sin is finished. The way for our salvation has been paid for. Now today, the word finished doesn’t mean finished. It means it’s incomplete.

You see, He did his part. Now you have to do your part. And so it’s 80% Christ, 20% man. Oh, you don’t like that? Okay, 90% Christ, 10% man. That’s not. not good enough for youWisconsin. 99% Christ, 1% man. It’s still just as bad as it. In other words, it’s got to be when it is finished, it’s 100% Christ. He paid it in full and by himself purged our sin by himself. He paid that payment for our sins. Nobody can do it for him.

So that’s why in the book of Hebrews, and take your Bible and turn to the book of Hebrews. You see, you and I are complete in Christ. We are completing Him. But in the book of Hebrews, He makes a statement in chapter 10, chapter 10, Hebrews, and notice what he says here in verse 10. It says, by the which will, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Now as in line with something that Gary had said the other night, just remember this, our new birth is born of God.

It is a spiritual birth and you cannot see it. But look at all the things that happened to you at the very moment you were saved. That no lost man can see. The day I trusted Christ as my Savior, MUST my wife see my salvation? No. Could she see my new birth? No. But did it happen? Yes. Could she see my justification? No. Could she see my sanctification? No. Could she see that I was a child of God now?

She can’t, nothing was visible. And yet all these things that happened to us, then there’s about 30 or 40 things that you can list. All these things that happened to us that nobody can see, but it happened and it’s just as real. Because you see, the things of God know if no men. And what God has revealed, he says, I have not seen ear, have not heard, neither have entered to the heart of men, the things which God has prepared for them to love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit. the Spirit, Church of all things, the deep things of God. The Word of God, given to us by a special revelation, this whole Bible is deep. So when you teach the Bible, you’re teaching deep stuff. You’re teaching, John 3 16 is as meaty as you can get. When Christ made the statement, He says, I have meat to eat that you know not of. Now there were something that satisfies more than anything else in the world.

And He says, oh, you went down there and got you a McDonald hamburger. somebody brought him some food. That you know not a. Okay. Okay. And that’s what I learned. And that’s what I learned. He’s all about and to finish his work. So there’s something that satisfies more than our natural food, more than having things, more than having money, more than having good health. And that is… that is toDepuably a live that you please God and you had to put him first and all of.

So look what he says in verse 10, by the which well we are sanctified to the He offered of the body of Jesus Christ. Once for all that means, whatever I needed, He supplied. I was talking to a lady the other day up there in Georgia. And I says, where are you going today? Launched Jesus, I’m a Christian. I saw good. I says um, let’s just pretend for a moment. I Said I’m God. Okay. We’re just pretending. I’m God and you just died and you showed up at the purling gates and I was asked you you, why should I let you come into my heaven?

What are you going to tell me? She says, because I’ve been good, and she meant everywhere that I’ve been good. And I said, well, now I don’t think I’m going to let you in here because see, that’s not what it takes to get here. You have to be perfect. She said, nobody’s perfect. She says, now you’re getting it. That’s why you can’t get into my heaven. And I said, you got to be perfect to get in here. If I’ll let you in my heaven like it is right now, I says, you’ll mess it up.

It’s like you’re doing on here on earth. So anyway, we talked a little bit and I said, remember these five words, Christ died for my sins. The gospel, good news. I said, no, what is the one thing that keeps us from going to heaven? A sense because I’m not good enough. I have people say, you mean I’m not good enough? Man, that’s exactly what I’m saying. You’re not. When Christ died on the cross. He went to pay for that which was keeping me out of heaven.

And that was He paid for my sins. The question is, how many of my sins didn’t pay for it? Well, He paid for all of them. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel-Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones.

This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 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. Taught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep in looking up.