This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 air. 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.

Well, he explains how to be born again because he tells Nicodemus, he says, you’re a ruler You’re a teacher and you don’t know these things. In other words, Jesus when he was here expecting an economist to know what being born again meant. But he didn’t. And so he said, if you don’t understand the earthly things, how are you going to understand heavenly things? He says, you must be born again. And so then he used it in the illustration. It’s actually down in verse 14 when he says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted lifted up, that whosoever, believer than him, should have everlasting life.

So they were told that in the Old Testament and expected them to know what it stood for. There’s a lot that is said in a way here in the New Testament that you don’t find it explained as clearly in the Old Testament. Doesn’t mean that they didn’t get it and they weren’t told. It’s just that certain things are not always written down. Just like, how did we know that Moses knew about Christ? Well, in Hebrews chapter 11, he esteemed the reproach of Christ, greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.

So he knew about Christ. And then when you read the book of Jude, it talks about even any, the seventh from Adam, preached concerning Christ coming back with ten thousands of his saints. Well you go back to Genesis, you don’t find those scriptures written, but the Holy Spirit knows what they knew and what they didn’t know, and he says they did know. So anyway, you must be born again. So that’s the requirement so that everybody can have this eternal life and go to heaven.

Now we believe that there is a role. You ever heard that song when the roles are served up yonder I’ll be there? I mean when the role is called up yonder I’ll be there. Because I believe that God is going to take your Bible look in the book of Matthew chapter 12. Look in Matthew chapter 12. There’s an interesting little statement made here. And it probably will take place at the Great White Throne Judgment, which we will probably be there, but not to be judged in any way because we’d probably be there as witnesses and to testify and so forth.

But understand what God says here about people who want to be justified by their works. Okay, God has a book for the lost and he has a book for the saved. Sometimes we say the book of the living for the lost in the book of life for those who trust the Lord. They have eternal life, the land’s book of life. But here in Matthew in chapter 12, there’s a couple of verses I want you to see. Look there in verse 35, a good man out of the good treasures of the heart, bring it forth, good things.

And an evil man out of the evil treasures, bring it forth, evil things. But I say unto you that, and you ought to underline this in your body, every idle word. I don’t know, does that mean even that is said in just, even a little white life, every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, every idle word. Words, I guess we say that, you know, it was just off the cuff, we didn’t really mean it, it was just something we said, you know, words are like arrows, once they’re in flight, you can’t bring them back.

And sometimes we say things in a joking way, I tell a lot of jokes. Sometimes I don’t plan on it, it just happens. But the give and account of everyone, that means somebody must be keeping track. How can you bring every word in, look in verse 37, for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words shalt thou be condemned? So in other words, at the great white throne judgment, when the lost are judged, I’m glad that we’ve already trusted Christ as Savior, we’re not going to be condemned and so forth, because once you’ve trusted Christ you’re having eternal life, you’re going to heaven, you’re been forgiven.

But there’s going to be people going to have to give them a comment every word because, you know, they didn’t trust the Lord because, well, I’m good enough. And God’s going to show by their words, their thoughts, their deeds. You didn’t qualify. You did not meet the requirements of perfection, so you don’t get to go. And so I think it’s very important to keep that in mind. Take your Bible and look there in the book of Revelation, chapter 20.

Revelation in chapter 20. And we’ll just start there in verse 12. Well we start in verse 11 because they let you know where we are. And I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them. In other words, hell was made for the devil and his angels and they didn’t trust the Lord so they can’t go to heaven. So they go into a place where the devil and the, see there in verse 10, the devil that deceiveth them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.

Now the beast and the false prophet has already been there for a thousand years, because that was at the beginning of the millennium and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. So that’s where the devil is, the devil, his angels, the beast, false prophet, and those who have never trusted the Lord. And we know that they are going to be cast into the lake of fire, looking verse 15, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life, the lands book of life, where he says, you must be born again.

Okay, they weren’t. Was cast into the lake of fire. Well, who’s already in the lake of fire? The devil, the beast, false prophet. And now all the lost people for all eternity who never trusts the Lord, this is where they’re going to be. So he says here in verse 12, and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were open, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. So there’s books and in the book singular.

And the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books, not the Lamb’s book of life, not the book of life, because there’s a book of life. And then there’s the books. The law’s for judge out of that book because they never made it to the other book. This is why I hold that particular view. Anyway, he said, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their what?

According to their works. You see how that some people, if they don’t know about the new birth and understand the salvation’s what? They read a verse like it, say, see there? You gotta be good. You’re gonna be judged according to your works. And if your works outweigh your bad, then you go to heaven and if they don’t, you go to hell. That’s just a natural way to assume that. But that’s not what he’s talking about. These are all the lost people and they’re already condemned.

They’re not going there to be condemned. They’re already condemned. Where does it say that? Christ came not to condemn the world but to save them because they are already condemned. Anyway, we’ll be looking at that later John 3, 18 and 17. . But now notice what it says. And they were judged every man according to their works. So we know that the Christian’s destination is not according to our works. Christ’s work was put to our account. We’re going to have it on his perfection.

But the lost man who didn’t, every word thought, deed. Man has to give account for him. And because of that, did any of these pass the test? No, because he says here. And the sea gave up the dead bodies that were in them. And that death, that’s the body. And hell, that’s the place where the people who rejected Christ as Savior was in hell now and delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to their works, says it twice.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So the being born again and you must be born again is the way you get your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life because you were born into God’s family. Now, this lets us know that yes, there is a roll call and their names are in these books and very important what you say and do and think, especially if you’re not going to trust Christ as Savior and you’re going to have to give them account at this time at the Great White Throne Judgment.

All right, take your Bible looking Revelation 19. Revelation 19. Remember, when we trust Christ as our Savior, according back there, in the book of Isaiah and all. And it talks about God is going to give to us the robe of righteousness, a robe of righteousness. Now this robe of righteousness is where God gives to us his righteousness. And when God looks at us, he doesn’t see us. He sees the robe of righteousness that was Christ. So that That means I will be looked upon by God as righteous, as perfect, as just, perfect as God himself, because he gives me his righteousness.

That’s what he does when you trust Christ as your Savior. See, he took our sins and he gives us his righteousness when you believe. He doesn’t give you his righteousness just because he made a payment for your sins. When you believe, it shall be imputed unto you if we believe. That’s in the book of Romans in chapter four. So we must believe. And once you believe, he gives you his righteousness and you’re good to go. So you have to have this robe of righteousness.

Now here in the book of Revelation chapter 19, looking verse seven, let us be glad and rejoice when we get to heaven. Do you think that’s something we can be glad and rejoice about now? You see, knowing that things are taken care of can give you peace about, you know, your peace of mind and joy and happiness. here in this life. See, these things that God tells us about, and you really believe that it’s true, can make a whole lot of difference in the attitude you have now.

But if you doubt that, you’re gonna doubt a lot of things that God promised, and you’re gonna be one miserable individual. You’ll question everything that happens, and nobody loves me, and you’ll have your pity parties, and I’m gonna garden and eat worms, or my pet rock night, you know, it’s just the end of your world. In verse seven, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him for the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.

This wife, we believe, is the bride of Christ, the church between Pentecost and the rapture. All those who trust Christ as Savior are part of the body of Christ. We are the bride of Christ, and we’re going to go to a marriage. And the next time I get married, I’m going to be the bride. Does that make sense? Anyway, we’re gonna be the bride. So we’re gonna be dressed in the righteous acts of the saints. Now notice what he says here in verse two.

And to her was granted that she should be a raid and fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Now salvation is based upon the righteousness of Christ. We’re talking about how we’re going to be dressed and the praise, the honor, the glory is going to be defined by what did we do for the Lord after we were saved. So when we go to this Mary’s of a Lamb, where have we been right before this?

Judgment, seat of Christ. Judgment, seat of Christ, and that’s where God rewards us for what we’ve done. Let every man give account of himself to God, and says, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. So see, that’s why sometimes when I’m faithful and I consider myself to be fairly faithful. I’ll come to church when we have a lot of people, when we have a few people. Whether I have a lot in Sunday school class or just a few in Sunday school class.

At one time we had a whole section here. And so we split it up so that other people can have chances of the teaching. I’ll get a different variety because you may get enough of the preachers. And man, I wish I could listen to somebody else for a change. Well, we take care of that too. But whether we have a few Sunday night or Wednesday night, I go ahead and I’m just as faithful in any night and our preach is just as hard on any sermon as though I had a thousand.

Why? Because I know every man shall give an account to the Lord and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own word. God’s gonna bless me because of what I do, not what you do. If I’m faithful and other people are not, Well, that’s on them, right? I’m not gonna be judged by the way you’re faithful or you’re not faithful. You don’t determine whether I’m a good preacher or a bad preacher. It’s not your call. It’s God’s.

If I’m faithful to the Word of God, then God’s going to reward me for that. So I don’t worry about people’s opinions. I’ll hope everybody likes me. I mean everybody wants to be liked. But I know that my standing is because of what Christ did, and I know that my rewards are because of what I did. And if I do what is right, let’s say for example, I do you really wrong. I’m really bad. I’m a mean old preacher and I did you wrong.

But if you do right, Gus still can reward you. I must suffer the loss of what I could have had. So nobody here makes all the perfect decisions. We always, well, we hurt, we offend and things like that. Why do you think God says love one another, forgiving one another? Why? Because everybody wrongs one another. If we didn’t wrong with each other, we wouldn’t have to worry about it. But we do, don’t we? No. If everything was perfect down here, we wouldn’t need to go to heaven.

We already got it. But it ain’t right down here. And one day we’re gonna be with the Lord in heaven. So God says that we’re gonna stand at the judgment city of Christ and we’re gonna be dressed in the righteousness of the saints. In other words, you’re getting ready to go to the marriage. And every one of us are gonna be decked out. And I don’t know how God’s gonna do it, whether or not we are as the stars of heaven, different in glory.

And the rewards is based upon the praise, the honor and glory that God gives to each one of us, I don’t know how he’s going to do it. I’ve often studied the crowns, you know, there’s different crowns in the Bible. I only got one head. How many crowns am I going to wear? Does he stack them up? I mean, do I have a, you know, ramen neck? What, all these rewards, is something I got to care? Do I need a wheelbarrow when I get up there?

Or, you know, are you a hall so I can take it to my mansion? Or I just go into my mansion and there they all are, you know? I don’t know and don’t care. Let God take care of the details. And I used to sing a little song when I was a kid and I had no clue what it meant. Lord, build me just a cabin in the corner of glory land and I forgot the rest of it. Lord, build me a cabin in the corner of glory land.

Well, now that I know the Bible, I wanna mention on Hallelujah Avenue. I mean, I wanna be front and center. But I guess everybody would like to have that. But we’re going to stand before the Lord. So there is this righteousness that we need to have be toward the road. So we’re gonna have a robe, gonna have a robe. Now, when should you make your reservation? When should you make this reservation? Day before you die. You don’t, by trusting the Lord early, you get more chances to serve the Lord and get more rewards.

Don’t that make sense? But also you’ve got more time to mess up. I’m not sure which way it is. Trust the Lord and boom, I’m outta here. But then I didn’t have a chance to serve the Lord. So God is merciful to us and given us grace, and it’s all at the same time. Did you realize just living for the Lord in this period of time upon the earth? That’s grace. What did I do to deserve it? This opportunity of life, I’m living by grace.

I don’t deserve any of it. But God is given to and this is why Paul says, God’s grace that was bestowed upon me was not bestowed upon me in vain. He said, I levered more abundantly than they all. In other words, I worked and I did what God wanted me because I did not want God to give me this grace and then me wasted. Give me this life and then throw it all away because we know we’re going to live past this life and that day is coming.

So that’s why that is so important. All right, turning the Bible to the book of 1 Peter. to your left, just a couple of pages, the first Peter. And we’ve often said this that whenever you get saved, you’re getting saved from something, to something, from hell to heaven. And that’s what salvation is. You’re being saved from the flames of hell to heaven. So when I get saved, I should know I’m not going to hell, and I should know I’m going to heaven.

Or if you don’t know the answers of those two, then how do you know you’re saved? What does saved mean? Saved has a meaning to it. So look what he says here in verse three. In verse three, chapter one, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again, has begotten us again. It’s like I was alive in the flesh. I died and I’m alive again by the new birth.

So Christ’s death was put to my count as though I died. So I was alive and I died and now I’m alive again, but I’m alive spiritually and I have eternal life. I have been born again. That’s right in 1 Peter, he talks about that. Let’s look here in chapter one and verse 23. Being born Again, not a corruptible see, but a incorruptible by the word of God which liveeth in it by the forever. So you were born into God’s family by the new birth.

That’s what you did. So in verse three there when he says, has begotten us again unto a lively hope or a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We know that hope that we have in the Lord is true because Jesus came back from the dead. Remember I just preached to Sermon not long ago on about the reasons for the resurrection and the value that it has for the Christian life? That’s how we know it’s true because a man came back from the dead.

And if he can come back from the dead, he has more power than I got. Now look what he says here in verse four. Two and inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled that fadeth not away. And here’s my reservation, reserved in heaven for you. Now why would God make a reservation for me if he already knows I’m not gonna show up? He knows I’m gonna be there. I’ve got a reservation. Jesus is my ticket. It’s already been punched. His scars is the proof of payment.

He is my receipt. He came back from the dead. And he is my, they only reason I know I’m going to heaven because I’ve got my reservation, I’ve got my ticket. And he said he’d never leave me and never forsake me. I have eternal life, I’m going to heaven when I die. And so when should you make sure of this reservation? Behold, now is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. In other words, never count on tomorrow.

That’s why it’s so important for every person to trust Christ to save as soon as possible. Because the sooner you trust Christ to save it, sooner you can as a child of God go to work for him. And if you haven’t trust the Lord you can’t work for the Lord. You can do things but you’re not his child and God’s not going to reward you. So let’s take a look at the Bible over there in the book of 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians and chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. First Corinthians chapter 3 and notice what it has here. In verse 8, now he that planteth and he that waterth are one. You see, I may sow some seeds. Another child of God may come along and water what’s already been sown, but it’s God who gives the increase. It’s God who saves the soil. The man who plants doesn’t win the soil necessarily or give that life that life that that person has to come from the Lord.

We just sow seeds. That’s why I don’t worry so much about, you know, that I wouldn’t say everybody in the whole world, no, no, just keep sowin’ seeds. That’s why the radio ministry of the internet ministry and all the ministry we have just keep sowin’ the seeds. We don’t know what’s gonna grow. And I believe I’ve led people to the Lord that they were just ripe, but because somebody else had sown some seeds and tried to explain it and maybe gave them the gospel and they just didn’t trust the Lord.

and then there’ll be people I will witness to, and I can’t make headway with them. Somebody that’s come along and, man, you ought to see, I talk to this person, they trust the Lord about it. Well, and you never know what’s gonna happen, just sow the seeds. And as he says in Isaiah 55, it will not return to me void, believing and putting confidence in the word of God, and just keep sowing the seeds, and God will reward us.

See that verse? And every man, we can throw the women in there too, shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. What you do, you’re gonna get rewarded for it. I’ve often wondered not, do I get any interest off of the other people that I’ve led to the Lord are still leading some others to the Lord. I thought, that would be great. But then all of mine, if that’s true, then I ought to get theirs. Yeah, but then the guy who led me to the Lord ought to get all of mine.

I don’t know if I like this, I did not. Every man shall receive his only work on his own labor. Just do what you can for the Lord, why you can. The days are coming when no man shall work. Do what we can, while we can. This hen represents you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. Now God loves us. He hates our sin, but he loves us. And for you and I to pay for sin because now we’re all sinners.

And we are all in debt. And the wage is eternal separation from God in hell. But God loves us and wants us to go to heaven. Then to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We have all sin and come short of God’s perfection. So God’s you can’t save yourself by any good works. This hand represents Jesus Christ, He’s the Lord God in the flesh.

He came into this world. Now He has no sin, but He came into this world because He loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die, but because He loved us, He took our sins and paid our sin debt. the debt we owed, he paid, came back from the dead, and said, who so ever in the whole world would believe that he did it for them.

He’d put this payment to their account and you’d get to go to heaven on what he did. Yes, I’m going to heaven when I die. There’s no way I could go to hell impossible because I don’t have any sense to pay for it. And 10 years from now or 100 years from now, I still don’t have any sense to pay for it. He paid for all my sins. If that’s not true, that He didn’t do anything for me, and He didn’t do anything for you, because He paid it all, and it was finished.

Whatever it takes to get you to heaven, He paid for it. The only thing He asked us to do was God, so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. the hosts, whoever, what? Believe it in him. Two things, guaranteed you will not perish, won’t go to hell. Have you turned life, you get to go to heaven. And all you had to do was believe it. Well, you believed that what he did, he did it for you.

Because God’s not asking you to change your life. He’s not asking you to stop anything or join anything. Not asking you to give anything. Salvation is not you promising to stop something, join something. Turn life is receiving what he did for you and he loves you that much. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head, bow, and every eye, close. If you hear this morning and perhaps you never understood this before, God loves you and he wants you to go to heaven.

I love you too and I want you to go to heaven. I know that I have eternal life. I know that I’m going to heaven when I die and I’m no better than you are. But I heard the gospel. Would you put your faith in this good news? It’s the only good news there is. That if you’ll trust Him, He’ll save you and give you eternal life. And when you get up, you can say, I know I’m going to heaven today because today I trusted Christ as my Savior, not the preacher, not the church, not my good works.

Friends, you can’t go wrong by trusting the only true and living God there is. So if you will trust Christ as your Savior, would you let me know by an uplift and then just lift it up very quickly and put it right back down. If you’ve already trust the Lord before, don’t worry about it. It’s still good. But if you haven’t trusted the Lord, now’s a good time. So before we close, is there any one at all say, yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and I’d like you to pray for me.

I’m not going to embarrass you, I’m not going to have you forward and one at all. If you’re watching by internet, right on the screen says, yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior. I pray that you will. Father, we And thank you again for your blessings to us. Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given us to teach a word. And Father, we want people to understand just what you did. You paid for every sin for everybody so that everyone can have eternal life, my faith, alone what you did for them.

So bless each one and Christ and we pray. This is your invitation to join us for our third Sunday dinner held in the Florida Bible College of Tampa building on the Calvary Community Church Campus. So dinner is a family-style, covered-ish dinner, and a great way to showcase your favorite dish and pick up new recipes. Each month, you have the opportunity to invite your family and friends to join us for our Sunday Morning Service at 1030, and then stay for our third Sunday dinner immediately following noon.

Third Sundays at Calvary Community Church, where you’ll be fed spiritually and physically. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.