This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us at 813-884-4328 or you can donate on the homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org. 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.

So anyway, anybody got a question you want to ask me? Any question you want to ask? Yes ma’am. It’s time for the tithes of the three. That’s your boy Jenny. You’re in tithes chapter three. Ties three verse what? No! Titus 3 verse 9. Is that the verse you’re referring to? It says, but avoid foolish questions. I’m just reading the verse. You ask for it. I mean, you, you, you, you, you, you. Avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law for their unprofitable and vain, because, C.

He’s already said that you were saved by grace. That’s why we always quote defeat Titus chapter two and verse 11 and 12 and so forth, every Sunday morning, for the grace of God that bring of salvation had to pereth unto all men, and therefore teaching us. So there’s things that God’s grace can teach us that the law cannot teach. And there’s things that we’re supposed to learn from what the word of God says. And some people, all they wanna do is just get into hypothetical questions.

And a lot of the hypothetical questions, I just leave them go, they’re not even worth spending your time with them. If, if, if, you know, there’s always an if in front of it. But if I can see that they’re interested in really sincere, I’ll try to answer it if I can. But I can answer every question. And instead of giving just an answer, I sometimes rather give any. But here he’s talking about also genealogies. This is where you can get really mixed up and spend half your life trying to find out who’s in my down line and how far do you go?

One man paid $5,000 to have it looked up and then $10,000 to have it covered up. So whatever was in my genealogy, I don’t even know. I really don’t even care. It has nothing to do with me as far as what I’m concerned about. And it deals only with the flesh. Hasn’t it to do with the spiritual life? So I’m just glad I can go back as far as my father-in-law who led me to the Lord. And Jesse Hindley led him to the Lord, and after that I don’t have a clue.

So it doesn’t really matter. I went one time to hear Jesse Hindley. He came to a church across from Northside, up there in Athens, Georgia. He had about 60 or more years ago had a revival meeting there in Athens, Georgia. And so he went, I could say, Betty’s mom went down and she trusts the Lord. But when it says, believe, and thou shalt be saved and thine house. So she’s just figure she has got saved for the whole family.

But Mr. Jackson wind up going down here and he trusts the Lord. And on his way up Oconee Hill, he says, The sky was so blue, the grass was so green. And it was pitch night. It was dark. But he says he’d never seen it so pretty. So anyway, that’s as far as I go back in genialia. You can do the same thing in your family tree. And a lot of people get some kind of a kick out of doing it.

And you can do it. It’s not wrong. It’s just how much time consuming. Just like a lot of things are good. But you can consume a lot of your life. and it doesn’t produce any good works or any more works, more things for the Lord. And you’ll notice that it’s talked about in verse eight, because of what God has done for us, he says that this is a faithful saying, and these things I will the Thoua firm constantly, and that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.

Those three words, you ought to underline it because this is what God wants us to do. We’re going forward, not going back. genealogy makes you look forward or backwards. Backwards. Backwards. And studying just the law without the insights of the doctrine of grace, the law will just Confuse you whenever you don’t really understand the purpose of it. And that’s why in the book of 1 Timothy, hold your place right there and just look in 1 Timothy. You notice in 1 Timothy and chapter 1, look what he says, and it’s kind of a warning against doing the same thing.

You’ll notice there in verse 4, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies. Now I already know how far back we can go. We can go all the way back to Adam, right? Okay, so I’ll know the end. Now what do I need to know all those in between? And sometimes people want to know whether or not that they come from this country, that country, this group of people, that group. And so I’ll know why I do what I do.

You do what you do because you’ve got an old sinful nature. Just boil down to that. That’s good enough. As far back as you need to go. But anyway, look what he says here. And verse four, which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith, so do. So in other words, it can spend your time, your life. And life is valuable because you only get one day at a time to live. How do you wanna waste it?

Or how do you wanna invest it? So he also says here, which minister questions rather than godly edifying. Now the end ofclud lapt?? Gi.(ruary and of a good conscience and a faith for which some having swerved have turned the”:”side unto vain, janglin, desiring to be teachers of the law.” See this goes along with Titus in chapter 3 and a lot of similarities but he’s saying, desiring to be teachers of the law and then he shows you the purpose of the law was not made for a righteous man.

The law was not made for a righteous person. the law was made for a lost man, a wicked man, because the law only condemns. It doesn’t save anybody. Look what he says here in verse 8, for we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. And look what he says in verse 9, knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and the disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane.

So when people said, I want to be under the law, are you describing yourself? Who is it for? Now you are a saved individual, you’re in God’s sight, your position, you are perfect in Christ. So you want to be under grace and serve the Lord there instead of going back to the law and trying to keep the law, which you never could do before, and then you just put pressure upon yourself and a lot of stress. So he says here in this verse, for unholy and for murderers and fathers and murders of mothers for man’s life because the law is against all these things and so the law condemns anybody that does these things.

The law demands perfection but can’t give it. The law condemns it can’t save. It points out the sin in your life but it doesn’t do anything about the sin in in your life. But now look what he says in verse 10, for whore mongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men’s dealers, for liars, for purgied persons. And if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to that glorious gospel, that glorious gospel means the gospel of perfection.

The good news, they can make a man perfect. The law could not. But the gospel, if it doesn’t make a man perfect isn’t any good. If you have to be perfect to go to heaven and God said, going to preach the gospel, then the gospel must make a man perfect. And all you can make you perfect is the new birth. Now the law cannot give a new birth. So why do you want to go back to the law? And so there’s people who are teaching the law and trying to get people to live according to the law, but the law cannot perform.

The law cannot give a new birth. Life must come from life and and exist on previous life. So the law cannot give life. That’s why it says, you know, the law, killeth, but the spirit, makeeth, what’s the word? Makeeth alive, gives life. And so if you want life, then you have to go through the whole spirit. The law cannot give it to you. And that’s why he says this message has been committed to our trust. Now go back there to the book of Titus.

Back to the book of Titus. So you can tie those two chapters in real good. But you’ll notice that what God is after after you trust the Lord is something that goes along with what He promises there in the book of Titus chapter 2 and look in verse 13. Because verse 12 tells us, you know, grace is to teach us. I spoke with this the other name. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God in our Savior Jesus Christ.

So, we’re to live in this present life looking for the Lord to take us into the next life. Then he says in verse 14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. It is the will of God that all of God’s children would serve the Lord with all their heart because of what he has done for them. That’s what grace is, because of grace.

means that because we were so bad, look what He did for us. So in chapter 3 and in verse 2 and 3, it kind of shows you what we were like. And we were pretty bad. Before we ever got saved to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, show an all-meat and sundown men, then verse 3, for we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lust, pleasures, living in malice, and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

and then verse 4, but God. That’s the way we were, and God didn’t ask us to stop being sinners and become righteous so that, you know, he could save us. No, he saved us while we were yet sinners. That’s why he says in verse 5, not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy, he saved us. So God has done this for us because of what, you know, just because of love, but he met the conditions of the law and gave us eternal life.

Now in verse 14 of chapter 2, there are two words at the end of it where it says zealous of good works. Now you go down to chapter 3 and you’ll notice in verse 8, in verse 8 the last part of it says God might be careful to maintain good works. So good works comes before salvation or after salvation, after salvation. And then we do them because we want to not because we have to, but God does want us as His children to bring forth good works.

And He says, spending all your time talking about the law or genealogies, endless genealogies, and doubtful answers to questions that satisfy people. Some people ask questions that ask a question that needs another answer to another question and another question. And there’s no end to it. So He says, don’t go down that road. So he also makes a statement here, and I want you to see this, look in verse 14, and let ours also learn to maintain good works. Why?

Necessary usage, they are fruitful so that you’re not unproofful. So we need to read and study the God’s work so that we can be fruitful in our Christian life. And if you don’t, then you’re not going to bring forth good works. You’re not going to be fruitful and God may have to lay the word of education to the city knowledge. There’s a pun there somewhere. Alright, does that answer your question? Anybody else got any questions you want to ask?

Yes, sir? I could call him by yesterday from someone who has done this to Bible life. Second Corinthians chapter 13. He’s in a church right now that pastors clear, but there’s a couple of elders who are of steeped in Calvinism. So when the So when the pastor is away and those elders speak, obviously the message isn’t clear and recently they use verses 5, 6 and verses 5 and 6 as they advance that he didn’t know someone who’s trusted, he was probably safe and turned away to come repurveting and prove that they were never really safe.

So I just wanted to see what your explanation was on those verses. There are people who were challenging the opponent. apostle Paul and whether or not Paul was legitimate or not. So his question back to them was, if I’m not legitimate, neither are you. You are my work in the Lord. I led you to Christ. But look what it says in verse 3, since she seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which toward you is not weak but is mighty in you, for though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lived by the power of God.

And we are also weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves. In other words, to see whether or not are you living for the Lord? It’s not to try to find out whether to argue really saved or not, is that are you really serving the Lord? I don’t believe there’s anywhere that he really questions their salvation because he starts off with in the very first chapter, saints at Corinth. He’s right into believers and as he goes through, they had a lot of problems and they were not right with the Lord and they were carnal and And so they were not spiritually minded, but He does tell them, you need to examine yourself.

You think you’re so right with the Lord. Chapter 4 talks about that. He says, and you look like us like we’re fools. We’re the garbage of the earth. Oh, but you’re high and mighty. You’re so spiritual, but we’re so ungodly. He says, you need to examine yourself and say, well, then are you in the faith or are you living according to the Word of God itself? And I think they would find out that they were not. So he says here in verse 5, examine yourself.

whether or not you be in the faith, prove your own selves. In other words, check yourself. So the question is, does Paul doubt their salvation? It doesn’t say so. And do they examine their works? This is what they need to look at just to see whether or not are they obeying the things that God has given. And does Paul here, once again, does he preach the gospel? But this is a word here that’s used in reparbate. the disqualifier rejected as a person who abandoned themselves.

And so you find that same word mentioned in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 15 about being approved of God. And if you don’t study the word of God, you will be disapproved. And it says in 1 Corinthians in chapter nine, that Paul says, I want to keep my body under control. Let’s not be a cast away or set aside or disapproved, disqualified for the rewards that’s coming down the road. So he says, but I trust that you shall know that we’re not reprobates.

Now I pray to God that ye do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest. So what he’s telling him about is how to be strong as they ought to be because you’ll notice down in the verse nine. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we wish even your perfection, your growth, your admonition to mature and the things of the Lord. But I don’t see the question of their salvation, but their weakness in the Lord.

And he’s like reversing the picture. You’re supposed to be so strong, and look who you’re judging. I’m the guy that led you to the Lord. I’m the guy that taught you the scriptures. I’m the one that brought this stuff to you. So if I’m all messed up, what are you? So you need to examine yourself there, but I don’t believe he’s talking about they were lost. And they need to look at their works to prove it they’re saved. I don’t believe you can prove that you’re saved by looking at your works.

But here he is talking about the works that they do. Does that help any at all? Any other good question? You all want to roll? That’s two in a row. Alright, let’s move on to Matthew chapter nine. Matthew chapter nine in your Bible. And we’ll cover a few things that we were looking at last class. And it’s because we have looked at a couple verses, talks about the word preserve, preserve. And we talked about ladies that used to do a lot of cooking, canning, and preserving things for down the road.

If the gospel does not preserve us in this life, then I guess you could say we’re just in a jam. And we are preserved. because if we’re not preserved, then he had to keep saving us every day. Because in other words, if he didn’t preserve us, at what point do I keep getting worse and worse and worse and worse and worse? Because my works cannot save me, so then grace has to save me, but can it preserve me? And if I’m not preserved because of something that I did, didn’t mean my works have to keep me saved and keep me preserved?

No, we’re preserved by the Lord. And that’s scriptures that teaches that and there’s a few illustrations that God gives concerning this. So look there in the book of Matthew chapter 9. And you’ll notice there in verse 16, no man put a piece of new cloth into an old garment for that which is put in to fill it up, take it from the garment and the rent is made worse. Now this is what can happen to you when you have a surgery.

If you know you’re cut here and you’re cut here and you’re joining together if the if it’s not good Then the stitches are not gonna hold and it may not hold and if a person has a shirt that they really like and it’s only 15 years old, but it’s your favorite shirt and you got a Patch it well if you put on a new piece of cloth sooner or later It’s gonna rip from the the old piece of cloth because there’s a there’s shrinkage and they’re spreading and so forth and God says you don’t you don’t do that so he gives an illustration here He says, for that which is put in is to fill it up, take it the garment, and from the garment, and rent or the tear is made worse.

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine rushes out and the bottles perish. But they put new wine into new bottles and they both are, and you ought to line that, preserved. Now, we were just over there in Israel, and they would talk to us about the wine press that they had, they crushed the grapes in the olives and so it was an interesting little Bible lesson that they gave us. But they even brought out the fact that you don’t take the grape juice and put it into old wineskins.

Why? Because sooner or later that new grape juice in there after a while, it’s called fermentation. That means it moves with the bout. And so there’s wine that when it moves it into cup, God talks about it, stay away from it. So, K to drink new wine is not good to drink fermented wine. And so I don’t believe that Jesus served, you know, fermented grape juice, because that means contamination. It means it moves it into cup. And so it’s not to have any sin, no leaven in the bread, and so I don’t believe that there would be fermentation in the grape juice.

But anyway, when you put it in there, after a while, say it begins to ferment and then it builds up gas and gas will do what? To the old bottle. So those bottles were called wine, they were wineskins, they’re not a glass bottle like we have, they were wineskins. And so it would cause them to bust. So you put new grape juice into new wineskins. And if you don’t, it will destroy and you’ll lose both. Now I do believe there’s an illustration here about the new birth itself.

When you and I trusted Christ as our Savior, God did not give the old man, the old man, eternal life. God gave you a new birth. And then the new birth, God gave the new birth that indwelling Holy Spirit and the eternal life, and we got all of that when we got our new birth. But you don’t put that into the old man, because the old man is still the old man. And so in scripture you’ll find out it says, put off the old man, put on the new man.

There’s two different men. So one refers to the flesh, old and then there’s the new man which is when you trust in Christ as your Savior. So God is going to eventually, because these old bodies is like the wineskin, the old one is going to bust and we’re going to get a new body. So we’ll live her how long? Forever in that new body that God’s going to give to us. Now I believe that is maybe a little yank-yology in here, but I believe there’s a point to be made for that illustration.

Anyway, let’s look at Luke chapter 5, the book of Luke in chapter 5. Whenever I read into certain things in the scriptures, I got a subject that I’m going to be speaking on at the Grace Conference and I titled my sermon and they won’t know what’s your title? I thought I needed a title they let me go everywhere. So my title is how to simplify the complexity of scripture. Or there are a lot of things in scripture that are sometimes hard to understand.

It’s complicated. And there’s a lot of them. And that’s what causes a lot of people, a lot of problems. Well, I want to teach you how to simplify the complexity of scripture. And so I believe those scripture we just looked at is a little complex. And I don’t believe that it means just a story about, you know, here’s a wine skin and there’s some grape juice and There’s a point there. There’s a purpose there. And I like digging for that reason behind the words.

So I’m not saying I hid it perfectly every time, but most times I think I get them close to right. But here in the book of Luke in chapter 5, Luke, what he says here, this is also a similar verse, but explained the same thing just a little differently. Verse 36, and he spake also a parable unto them. No man puteth a piece of a new garment upon an old. If otherwise they both the new making, then both the new making, making the rent and the piece that was taken out of the new, agreeeth not with the old.

And no man puteth the new wine into old bottles. Even the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled in the bottle shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straight away or immediately desired knew, for he said the old is better. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, most people tell me, I never had such trouble until after I trusted the Lord, because now you’re trying to walk in new shoes, and the old shoes feel better.

In other words, the way that I’ve always done it, the habits that I had, the way my character was, well it’s easier to keep living the same old way. But you know you shouldn’t. So you have a problem trying to learn a new way to walk, learning to trust the Lord. And so I believe there’s a lot of spirituality that’s found in these books. Now take a Bible and just look over there quickly in the book of Matthew in chapter 3.

The book of Matthew in chapter 3. Now, there were people that were there in Jordan, and believe it or not, we actually went to the river Jordan. Oh, it’s a big old wide river, something to like the Mississippi. No, it’s two of them could fit in this room going that way. It’s not very wide at all. Were you surprised, Jesse, when you saw it? Yes. So here in the book of Matthew in chapter three, notice what he says in verse five, then went out to him, talking about John the Baptist, Jerusalem and all Judea and all the regions around about Jordan.

And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, oh, generation of vipers, what’s a viper? That’s a vampire? Snakes, all right, poison snakes. Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore, fruit, meat, or fit for repentance. In other words, it’s like I want to hear your testimonial. Why do you want to be baptized? Why did you come here?

What’s this all about? Sadducees didn’t believe anything miraculous, and the Pharisees all they did was, well, they were jealous, and hypocritical and so self-righteous, so they didn’t have any sense to confess. But he says, something’s gonna happen in verse 10. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which bring a forth, not good fruit is hewed down and cast into the fire. So we’re talking about the ax is gonna be laid to the root of the tree that doesn’t bring forth good fruit.

Every tree and get an axe. Then he says in verse 11, I indeed baptize you with water under repentance, but he that cometh after me mightier than I is mightier than I. Whos shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Now when somebody asks you if you want to baptism of fire, say no. Baptism of fire is hell. Now Pentecostal just loved this verse, they call they talk about getting baptism of fire.

You can have it if you want. 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 bookEls 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 Main. 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 happenPublished. 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, just keep looking up.