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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 radiolity 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you’ll 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.

Now I want you to see this other verse before I go back to Galatian. Look in 2nd Corinthians in chapter four. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. I read this to you before, but I want you to say it one more again, one more time quickly. In verse 8, this is the Apostle Paul talking about this race that he’s running, the ministry that he has. See that in verse 1 of chapter 4, we have this ministry, we don’t quit. Means we don’t think we don’t quit.

But verse 8, we are troubled on every side, but we don’t quit. We are just perplexed, but we don’t quit. And we’re persecuted, but we don’t quit. We’re cast down, but we don’t quit. And all we don’t do here is that we just don’t quit. We’ve got problems. And they get offended, and they get hurt, but they just keep on going. Paul says in chapter 11 of Corinthians, he says, and we burn not means that you don’t think we get hurt and angry and bitter.

He He says it happens to everybody, but you keep going. Just always keep certain Lord, be faithful. Never allow things that happens to sow this point or discourage you that you stop serving the Lord. And see there in verse 16 says, for which cause we faint not. This is why we don’t quit because it is for you, for other people. You’re not here for you, you’re here for them. I preached to sermon years ago called, it’s not about you, it’s not about you.

life is not about you. It’s about somebody else. It’s about what God wants you to do for somebody else. It’s not all about you. It’s about somebody else. And it will help you in your attitude of why you can accept things and keep going and so forth. And it will greatly help you. Now go back to the book of Galatians in chapter 5. When he says, he did run, well, I want you to see this. He says, you did run.

At least you ran. These are people in Galatia, There was Listera and Derby, Antioch, Iconium. These are the various places and there were churches there. And Paul had gone to these towns and he had won people to the Lord and got them to grow in the Lord. And they loved Paul, they loved the gospel, and they were growing and they were joyful. They were excited about the things of the Lord. And while he was gone, somebody else came in and these wolves and sheep’s clothing.

Wolves and sheeps clothing by the way are people that devour. And they devour because they feed upon the people. They’re not interested in the person, but they feed upon them. They’re wolves. The sheep is not actually totally consumed. The Christian is just lost to the will of God. They got sidetracked. Something happened to them. A wolf in sheeps clothing, he doesn’t use his real teeth. He’s using a message. He’s telling them something that isn’t true. And so it warps the person’s mind.

He says, this persuasion, see in verse eight, this persuasion come up not of him that call of you. In other words, it didn’t come from God. God does not keep you from obeying the truth. And what’s the difference? Look in verse seven. You did run well. Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? truth because see if you don’t obey the truth you won’t run and if you don’t run you don’t win you don’t win you lost so you’re talking about the most important race in all the world now I know some of us we we love to see sports we we love races.

Instead of y’all love stock car races. Some love to see the Olympics and people racing. We love the competition. You are in the greatest race of all time. Your life, you’re running a race. You have a course that’s set before you. And you’re not to let anything or anybody deter you from your course. There’s a lot of problems and heartaches and you don’t know what all’s coming out there, but you know whatever it is. I’m going to just keep on running.

Just keep on running. Just keep on running. Because, you see, that’s what I’m going to do. That’s why it says you keep your eyes on the Lord and let the people holler and yell and whatever they do, but that is not to affect you. The praise or the booze just keep running because those people that praise you today will be cursing you tomorrow. Same people just keep running and don’t worry about it. As long as you can hear the Lord looking over the banister of heaven and says, their runs my beloved and whom I am well pleased.

As long as this is pleasing God it doesn’t matter if somebody else prays you or don’t prays you. You’re not running for the Lord. You want His compliments. You want His hand to be upon you. But look again in verse 7. He says you did run well. Well what happened? He says this persuasion didn’t come from God. It came from somebody else. Now look there in chapter 1, chapter 1, chapter 1 and verse 4. He tells him that Jesus Christ came into the world and died on the cross to pay for sins in order to deliver us from this present evil world.

Running your race is being able to run through the obstacles of sin in the world without it getting you. Can you run your race without your old sinful nature destroying you? Can you run it without falling to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life? Can you beat that? Majority of Christians can’t win. They can’t fight it. The things of the world are so strong and so powerful that he gets some of them.

And this will get some of those. And some because of the pride of life, pride don’t hurt me. They were their feelings right there. And because of that, they won’t be able to run. They won’t win. But he makes the statement, he gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world. Now, when you trusted Christ as your Savior, you were delivered from the penalty of sin, which is death and Now present evil world means the power of sin in your life.

Can you run your race without getting you? Otherwise what’s the purpose of running? What is this race? You see, you’re after souls and keeping yourself clean while you do it. Because if you don’t keep yourself right with God, you won’t be around to do it. So you have to stay clean and right in order for the sins of the world not to dominate your life. Now you still have the desires. You have all the desires everybody else has because you have a sinful nature.

They’re lost in the pull of the world, is strong in a Christian’s life, is that anybody else? It’s just that he wants to win, more than what somebody else perhaps wants to win. But you’re not racing against another Christian. Understand, no Christian runs the race against another Christian. You and I are not in competition. difficult sometimes for people to understand. I am never, never competing against a Christian in the race that God has for us. I want to help every Christian that I know of to run his race.

I’m not against a Christian, but I will try to help a Christian. And if behind, I will love you enough. I will rebuke you because I care. I want you to run your race. I want you to finish your And if I see something that’s going to hurt, I want to tell you, I want to love you enough to do that. There are some people that are more concerned about themselves. And if somebody did or says something, they would never say a word, I’d never want to offend anybody.

And you don’t care about anybody. You would never say or do anything that would cause somebody to maybe explode at you, get mad at you. I care enough that I’ll do just that. And then like Paul says, you mean, am I your enemy because I tell you the truth? Look what he says here. I want you to see this. Look there in the book of Galatians and chapter 4. Galatians chapter 4, look in verse 11, he says to these Christians, he says, I’m afraid of you, unless I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

Well, say we know that you don’t bestow labor in vain in the Lord, because God’s got to be worthy for what you do. But the work with the people, how many years I’ve spent in labor with people. Only to be totally in vain and the compass that’s a loop zero in their lives. But you labor anyway. See, I’m gonna run my race. I’m just trying to help others to run theirs. Because you care. You want them to win. So you tell them this is what God wants for your life.

And then you tell them this is what’s gonna hurt. You’re accomplishing that. And so many who start run well. They run and they run well. They correct they discipline But then something happens Always something happens He says in verse 11. I’m afraid of you less. I’ve been stored up in you labor in vain. He said but brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as you are you have not injured me at all He says you have an injured me.

It’s not about me. It’s not against me But he let him know that this is what God said and that the message that they turned against was the message that God gave. He explained to them in chapter 5 about the two natures and that God is not mocked into what server man saw that shall he also reap. But he told them all of that. But he says, not between you and me. Serving God is not between you and me.

It’s always between you and God, but we’re not in competition. I’m not in competition with Leon or Tim or Robert or anybody. We’re to try to help encourage each other to serve the Lord. But if I have to say something that I think is going to hurt your testimony and I do that and you hate me for it, it’s not me you hate. It’s not me you’re mad at. It’s God. Why do you think the scripture says in chapter 5 chapter 12 and verse 5 of Hebrews, my son despised not thou be chasing of the Lord nor fate when thou art rebuked of him.

God rebukes through his God given appointed messenger. So you have a responsibility you have to rebuke and when you rebuke the Bible says and Titus rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. Rebuke sharply. God said, don’t worry about their feelings. That’s hard. This is why I’ve been a preacher that’s worth anything at all. It’s the difficult thing because you you run the wrist and you hurt so many people but you have no desire to hurt a soul but you want people to do what is right because it’s right to do.

I want you to see this. Look there in verse 13. He says, you know how to infirmity of the flesh. I preached the gospel unto you at the first and my temptations or testings which was in my flesh, he despised not nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ. In other words, when I first came to you, man, you thought I was the greatest. I was the best. You welcome me with open arms.

You thought I was an angel of light that came here. That’s what Paul says. He says, but in verse 15, where is then the blessedness she spake on? For I bear you record that if it had been possible, he would have proked out your own eyes and have given them to me. And this is why many believe that Paul had bad eyesight. Because in the last chapter of the book of Galatians, he says you can see what with large characters that I wrote.

So the ability Paul had bad eyesight and he had to write such big letters because of that. He says, and you would have given your whole eyes to me. You loved me that much. And yet now the same people have turned and changed. You think I heard Paul broke his heart? Yeah, but it didn’t injure him in the sense that it caused him to stop, not to run his race. He always tried to solve the problem by giving what the scriptures call sound doctrine, teaching the truth.

Just teach the truth. And get what he says here. He says in verse 16, and you ought to on the line verse 16. I believe that God allows me to go through many things so that they burn within me that I might teach them to you because you’ve got it coming sooner or later down the road. It’ll happen. But it’s something that I say will help you to be strong in the Lord. Then so be it. I want the Lord to teach me everything so that I can teach you that same truth.

In verse 16, am I therefore become your enemy because I do what? I tell you the truth. He says these other ones, they zealously affect you but not well. And that’s why he says over there, he did run well and they affected you. But wasn’t well. It wasn’t the best. You’re not running like you used to run. You don’t have the joy you used to have. You don’t have the peace that you used to have. That’s why he’s talking to him about the peace and joy that happened in verse 22 of chapter 5.

He says in verse 19, my little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. See, after a man’s trust Christ is Savior. See, your responsibility is not gentrific, all the person knows the Lord. But now you’ve got the responsibility not only for yourself but for other people to grow strong in the Lord for Christ to be formed in you So that you become like Christ so you can think like Christ so you keep going like Christ So you don’t quit because Christ didn’t quit He says in chapter 12 of the book of Hebrews where we were just a moment ago.

He says Consider him consider him Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised the shame, but he finished his course. He run his race. You have a race to run and so do I. Now what caused all of these other problems is they got them off on the clarity of the gospel. That the gospel either is not what he said it was or it doesn’t have the preeminence that God says it does. Remember I used an illustration one time, here’s a flagpole.

There’s a flagpole. There’s a flag. There’s guide wires on the flagpole. See them? Can you see them? See you and I wear the flagpole. The flag, that’s the gospel. The guide wires, that’s the character in our lives. The only thing it keeps me standing straight and strong is my character. So you’re standing the word of God so you can have strong character so you can stand against the walls of the devil. But the purpose of having a flagpole is so that you can have a flag.

That’s the gospel to keep it waving. Take down the flag. If you don’t have a flag, you don’t need a flagpole. If you don’t have a flagpole, you don’t need character. See, everything falls apart in a Christian’s life. If you lose purpose, if you lose the gold, why am I here? What’s this hoping about? So to get the gospel out, I need to be strong and I need to have strong character in my life because the winds of adversity are going to be brewing and I don’t want to fall.

I want to stop but he says somebody’s changed the flag and when the flag changes the guide wire the character is not going to be as important and it affects everything in a person’s life. See what he says in verse 6 of chapter 1 he says in verse 6 I marvel that you are so soon and here’s that word removed you changed you’ll be surprise over the years that people will all say, Yankee changed, Yankee changed. And those that know me, or know me the way I was 10 years ago or 20 years ago or 30 years ago says that he ain’t changed a bit.

Now I’m not talking about the way I look. I’m talking about what I stand for. That don’t change. You can get my sermons today and you can get them that were 30 years ago or 40 years ago. He changed. My purpose in golden life and changed. What I wanted back then I still want today. I haven’t changed. I hope that I mellow just a little bit but I don’t want to mellow too much. They say mellow is the stage right before rotten.

Don’t want to be rotten. But he says in verse 6, I am marveled your so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ. The grace of Christ is the gospel. unto another gospel. That tells you that. He’s talking about that. Which is not another because you see the gospel and the test of the gospel is grace. You had one work to the gospel, it’s no longer the gospel. Salvation has to be totally by grace or totally by works but it cannot be by both.

Think about it. It’s got to be totally grace, totally free or totally by works but it can’t be both ways. So he He says, you had one work to it, it’s no longer free. He says, and there’s some of these legalistic Judaizers that came down from Jerusalem, that came down here to Galatia, and they were teaching these people. This doctrine of adding works to the gospel. And when they did that, some of them minded believing it. And they were changed.

It robbed them of their joy. It changed the gold in their life. And when you place a man under the law, the law is that which controls the flesh. And so the people begin to walk in the flesh, trying to obey a law. And so that’s why you have chapter 5 that’s talking about If you walk in the Spirit, you don’t have to worry about the flesh. If you do right, you don’t have to worry about doing wrong. If you always serve the Lord and keep doing what God says to do, you don’t have to worry about the sins of the world.

Am I going to fall? Am I going to? Is that going to be too great a temptation? You don’t have to worry about it. Just keep serving God. If you fall, confess it, get it and keep going, but you never lay there in a mud. It’s not talking about being perfect. It’s talking about running a race. Running a race you stumble sometimes. Running a race you fall sometime. But you get back up and you keep on running. But you never stop.

Some people just let it cause them to stop totally. You never do anything else for God again. But it says in verse 8, but bow we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel in you than that which we have preached unto you. Let him be a curse. That’s an accursed message to add works to the gospel. I take a stand on the clarity of the gospel because it’s what the Bible says. Look in chapter three, chapter three, look in verse one.

He says, all foolish Galatians, what did Paul call them? Foolish. He says, you’re full. Boy, he’s not trying to win friends and influence people, is he? No, he hit back between the eyes. They said, well, they didn’t like that. Deal with it. is always truth. Christ spoke truth. It didn’t matter how He said it, it was still true. Deal with that. That’s what we have to deal with. It’s like talking to a lost man. Look, sir, there’s a place called hell.

You know, that’s offensive to me. I wish you wouldn’t say that. Well, I don’t know, no nice way to say it. You’re going to hell. You’re going to hell. There’s a hell in verse 1, old foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you You should not obey the truth because if you don’t obey the truth, you don’t run. You don’t run the race. He says, you did run well. Now you ain’t running anymore. Who or what caused you not to obey the truth?

What caused you not to believe it anymore? How many times I’ve taken teenagers to camps for so many years. pouring so much work and the money and the long hours, I never needed a camp. But you did it because the kids need the word. The kids need to be challenged. And so you’ll go through whatever it is and drive a bus to sleepless hours and go through all this stuff. I don’t know what time I was in Colorado. We just get ready to take a load of kids, teenagers, your high, a junior high, all the way down the floor to 2,150 miles one way, 48 hours on the road, one way, no sleep.

Once you started, you didn’t sleep till you got there. And I would drive all the way. I got on a guy’s trampoline at Don Jackson’s house. And when I did, I came down wrong and my foot went down through the little wires, you know, and I hit the ground and I twisted my ankle. I mean, I twisted it bad. And I’m the driver for the bus and we leave the next day.

So I got on the bus and I started driving. I was trying every way I could, I tried to shift and race in the motor without having to push in the clutch. And I said, there was my foot down all that way. When I finally got to camp, I could hardly walk. My foot was so bad. I hadn’t had my shoe and socks off since I started. It’s stunk up. But when I got there the nurse she took a look at it and she couldn’t hardly get my shoe off.

It’s swollen. I got it off from right below my knee down to my toe was black. I mean she says, oh my God what have you done? I said, well it hurt pretty bad. She says, I don’t believe you. Anyway, it cost me a couple of days of trying to get it taken care of it. It was alright. And I drove the bus back. When I got back, I had three day rest. And we took the next bus back for the senior high camp.

I’d love to just stop, not do anything. But you go through it. It didn’t matter what it took. If I had to stay home, there was nobody else to drive that bus. But you do it. And you’d think, it will always be worth it all, but sometimes with people, see, they may not respond. You can’t be responsible for people’s decisions. That’s their decision. Did you give them the chance to hear the gospel, to dedicate the life of the Lord?

And so many dedicated lives, I’m going to serve the Lord. That means I’m going to run the race. And then they get hindered. They go back to school and they get with the other kids and just that quick. They figure it all about what they promised God. And how many times I’ve been to hospitals and how many have promised God? Now, how many people that I’ve talked to and they promised God? God, and they don’t keep their word. But me keeping my word has nothing to do with them keeping theirs.

I dedicated my life to the Lord. I want to serve Him. And it doesn’t matter whether somebody else does or they don’t, you want to stay faithful and just keep doing what God wants you to do. And God said, if you do, that He’ll bless you. And He made this statement here, this is only what I’ve learned of you. you the spirit by the works of the Lord by the hearing of faith. Are you so foolish? Haven’t begun the spirit you started running the race.

Or you now made perfect by the flesh you stop running the race. You see you can only run this race if you stay right with God. You don’t stay right with God you’re not running a race. You’re not running a race. You’re going through emotions and your Christian life is mechanical. You do the right things at the right time but it’s not because of your love for the Lord. You have to put the Lord and He has to have preeminence in your life.

And if you do, everything else will work out the way God says to and always be faithful. See, you may look around and say, you know, there’s not a lot of people here. Okay. So there’s not a lot of people here. But do you know that there may be enough people here that can change the world? Do you know we have to be convinced that what we have and the truth that we have and our love and loyalty to the Lord and to each other is strong enough by which can be a nucleus by which we can absorb more.

We may have only a few in the choir, but we’re learning how to be one. And I would rather it be small until we get down a lot of things that we need to. But I believe the day will come when we can rebuild back. All we got to do is just stay faithful. The key is faithful. Stop and think this way. What would we be doing if everyone that ever been here was still here? Well, you couldn’t hold the people, but they don’t work that way.

But let’s just be faithful to do what we can. We started running a race. Are we going to let what somebody says or does cause us not to be found faithful running the race that God has set before us? Let’s just be faithful to do what God says to do until the Lord comes. Agree? Don’t it make sense? So simple. Just do right. Let’s pray, shall we? Our Father, we do thank you again for your blessings to us. We thank you for the wonderful privilege you get us to know your word and to know that there’s others that have gone through some of the same things that we go through.

Even the churches that the apostles that started, they’re not even in existence today. A lot of things come and go and so are we. But Father, the work in the lives of people, that’s what’s important. So we ask your blessings upon each person here, each family to represent and father for their faithfulness and bless them because of it. Help us to continue to run the race. Not to let what somebody says or does stop us, but always be faithful to what you like.

I want to know that we’ll give you the praise and the honor of all that you do in Christ and we pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area. By dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-8 to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3. at 3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calbryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I have lived long enough to see that a lot of people who did run well stopped running well. I wanna give you an illustration, see if you can figure this out. This is the very difficult illustration. This is how sometimes you can be put on a spot. Have you ever tried, you walked upon your two kids and they’re fighting and you try to settle it and both of them blame the other one? Have you ever had that happen? If not, wait long enough and it’ll be, it’ll come around.

And so you got to be the arbiter. I mean, you’re the judge and you’re trying to solve a problem between two kids that are fighting and you didn’t see what happened. Regardless of whose side you take, you’re in trouble. And you got to say who was right or who was wrong. So you just figure out, you can just forget about it. Shake hands, kiss and make up, whatever. Or you beat both of them half to death. I’ve had that happen a lot of times to me.

Well, one time I had two guys. We were in a ministry where we were doing some things for the Lord and it was very important. At the minister, I had my mind on a thousand other things because we were at a camp, so I’m trying to get everything run. And a lot of decisions. And then two guys get in a conflict. So they got in a conflict and somebody came and told me that Yankee, you better get over there.

There’s two guys that are having trouble. And of course, this is going on in front of others. So you go over there and you’ve got to solve a problem. And you’ve got to solve it quickly. And you don’t know who’s right. You don’t know who’s wrong. You ain’t got really too much time to find out. And you really don’t care who was right or who was wrong. It’s just that they shouldn’t be doing it. And you’ve got to solve a problem.

But you know, whatever decision you make, one of them is going to get offended. And if you make the decision and one of them gets offended, And it doesn’t matter which one, they don’t take it out on themselves, they take it out on the person who had to make that decision. So I had to make a decision. I thought that I was making a decision in favor of the one that was the weak of Christian so that the stronger Christian could handle being offended.

And that makes sense? That all of them could handle it. The younger one I thought would probably not be able to handle being reviewed or a decision made that would prove that he was right or he was wrong. So whichever one you made, you’re in trouble. So if you offend them, that means that they got hurt and they got their feelings hurt. So I made the decision. And did it work out great? No, it didn’t work out great. a person was hurt and I could not resolve the difference.Parent267 ):, And I could not resolve the difference.

What should have been done is that they should have solved their own problem. Shouldn’t two adults be able to solve their own problem. But they didn’t get mad at the other guy. They got mad at me because I didn’t side with them. So there’s our consequence to pay. Because you can be so easily offended, it means you got hurt. That wounds your pride, it hurts your spirit. And you went, how can you go through life and you wish you didn’t have to make any decisions that would offend anybody?

Boy, that would be great. But it doesn’t work that way. In the Bible, it talks in several places. One in Matthew also talks about where in John Christ said some things. very strong things, chapter 6. And he says, does this offend you, and evidently… It had. They got offended. So he says to some, he says, will you also go away, and? And Peter? And Peter? And Peter. And Peter. It’s. It had to them. Did Christ know before he did what he did and said what he said that he was automatically…

He knew it was going to offend him. He knew that what he was going to say was going to upset some people and hurt them. And he did it anyway. Now he did it on purpose. I don’t know that I do that on purpose. I try my best not to hurt or offend anybody. But I know that it’s going to if I have to make a decision. But I’ve never been afraid of making decisions. I make them boom. But Christ did it knowing that they were going to be offended.

When he said what he did in Book of John, multitudes went the other direction and that’s why he asked the disciples, well you also. So Christ said it, he did it and he didn’t seem like he really worried too much about their feelings. Me, I’m always concerned about people’s I always feel that way. But it didn’t seem like Christ did. He just says it. You live with it. He was strong. In the book of Hebrews, I want you to look at real quick.

Hebrews in chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12, and follow my thinking. He says, He did run well. We’re all in a race. We know that. We understand that therefore it says in verse one of chapter 12. Wherefore seen we also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us believers lay aside every weight and The sin which thus so easily beset us and let us run With patience the race that is set before us every one of us Has a race to run God has set a course Now in this race that we run, God has and allows obstacles to be put in our way.

God allows in this race that we’ve got to run all these problems. I’ve watched those who used to run around the track and they’ve got these little high bars out there, you know, kind of like a saw horse and they’ve got to jump over this one and then they go and then they jump over another one and then they jump over another of, well, they run in a race and they’re just clearing it. It’s an obstacle. As we run our race, the Lord allows there to be obstacles put in our way.

But He says, keep your eye on the goal, and God says He will help us over every obstacle. And there’s people on the sidelines that are hollering and yearling and cheering and some bullying and making fun and so forth to try to distract you or to let you know what they think about whatever you’re doing. And it can be humiliating at times, or it can be encouraging at times. But the key thing is is you’ve got a race to run and you want to run the race, you want to run the race with joy and you want to finish your course that God has set before you.

I’ve lived long enough to see many who have begun the race, but I’ve seen them stop the race they stopped running. So the Scriptures talking about you did run well. Who did hinder you? And I should say who or what did hinder you from running your race? Because if you dedicate your life to the Lord and you start serving the Lord, who hindered you? Who stopped you? What caused the problem? They caused you not to serve the Lord. They cause you not to run the race.

Now, I want you to take your Bible and look over to the book of Acts. The book of Acts in chapter 20. The book of Acts and look in chapter 20. This is an attitude that we should have. It’s why the Apostle Paul was not only able to dedicate his life to the Lord but why He was able to finish his course. At the end of his life, he was able to say, I have run my race, I have finished my course, I finished it, I ran it, I finished.

Did Paul have any obstacles in his way during his life? He had everything you could think of, but he always kept going. You don’t stop. You just keep running. Your side may hurt. Your calves may hurt. Your feet hurt. But whatever the problem is, just keep running. Just keep running. Never stop. And here in the book of Acts in chapter 20, I want you to look down there in verse 22. And now behold, he said, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things which shall befall me there.

In other words, I’m going somewhere. I don’t know what’s going to happen. You and I are running our race. We don’t know what’s going to happen today. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. But you set your face like a flint and you make up your mind. But regardless of what happens tomorrow, I’m not going to allow myself to be so offended and so hurt that I stop running. Don’t let there be anything or any body, anything that could be said or done that would hinder you from consistently staying faithful to God and running your race.

Just keep running. you ought to know because it’s in the Bible that somebody or something is going to happen that’s going to offend you. It means you’re going to get your feelings hurt. Wouldn’t it be a shame for you to stop serving the Lord just because somebody hurt you? Somebody hurt you. I’ve seen grown adults. Let one little thing get them so sidetracked they stopped serving the Lord for the rest of the life. to stop. And it was only a little bitty thing, but it grows until it becomes so big and you could have got over that molehill, but the only difference between a molehill and a mountain is just more dirt.

So you throw more dirt on it and more dirt on it. Next thing you know it’s such a hill, you can’t get over it and you’ll stay on that side of the hill for the rest of your life. And that is shame. But it will happen. Here he makes a statement in verse 23, save that the Holy Spirit witness in every city saying, bonds and afflictions abide me. In other words, I got something bad, wait, numb me. I don’t know all of what’s going to happen, but I know that it’s going to be some more problems down the road.

He says in verse 24, but none of these things, the bonds, the afflictions, afflictions by people, put in jail, whatever, that doesn’t move in. That’s not the problem. He says, none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto myself in words I’m not living for me and if you don’t live for you then then a lot of things won’t hurt you a lot of things won’t bother you but if you live in your life for yourself then everything that goes wrong makes you hurt angry mad you take feelings upon yourself you become easily offended and because of that you just gotta do whatever makes you happy and strike out against God or people or anything that goes against your, I guess, runs your day for you.

That’s not the Bible. A person not a strong Christian if they allow themselves to be so easily hurt or offended because of the scriptures. Tell them that’s what to do. Look what he says here. He says in verse 24, Neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might and get this finish my course with joy Because see if if you get your eyes off the Lord you won’t run your right you will not finish your course And you won’t finish it with joy Serving the Lord should be one of the most joyous Happy things that a man could ever do in his life knowing that this is the will of God and I’m walking in it This is what God wants me to do with my life and that’s what I’m doing And that’s a wonderful thing.

Give what he says. He says that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord. Do you understand that your ministry is your life and your life was given to you by God? So God gave you your life to live and the way you live is how you minister. And as you live your life, you’re ministering two people, whether they’re lost or whether they’re saved. That’s a ministry. See, your life was given to you to minister.

Christ did not come to be minister too, but to minister to give His life as a ransom for all. He came to serve. So God gave you a lifetime upon this earth to live. So how you live your life is that’s your ministry. And so you’re ministering. And so many people just here to be served. And you don’t serve me right. They think they got all these rights that you owe me. You owe me. Well. You’re going to be in for a great disappointment because people don’t always respond the way you want them to or expect them to.

But anyway, this is a tremendous portion of Scripture talking about, I won’t quit. Now, I want you to see this other verse before I go back to Galatians. Look in 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians 4. I read this to you before, but I want you to sit one more time quickly. In verse 8, this is the Apostle Paul talking about this race that he’s running, the ministry that he has. See that in verse 1 and chapter 4, we have this ministry, we don’t quit.

It means we don’t think we don’t quit. But verse 8, we are troubled on every side, but we don’t quit. We are just perplexed, but we don’t quit. And we’re persecuted, but we don’t quit. We’re cast down, but we don’t quit. And all the way down through here is that we just don’t quit. We’ve got problems and they get offended and they get hurt but they just keep on going. Paul says in chapter 11 of Corinthians, he says, and we burn not means that you don’t think we get hurt and angry and bitter, he says it happens to everybody.

But you keep going. Just always keep certain Lord, be faithful. allow things that happens to sow this point or discourage you that you stop serving the Lord. And see there verse 16 says, for which cause we faint not this is why we don’t quit because it is for you, for other people. You’re not here for you, you’re here for them. I preached to sermon years ago called, it’s not about you, it’s not about you. Your life is not about you.

It’s about somebody else, it’s about what God wants you to do for somebody else. It’s not all about you, it’s about somebody else and it will help you in your attitude of why you can accept things and keep going and so forth and it will greatly help you. Now go back to the book of Galatians in chapter 5. When he says he did run, well I want you to see this, he says you did run, at least you ran.

These are people in Galatia and There was Listera and Derby, Antioch, Iconium. These are the various places and there were churches there. Paul had gone to these towns and he had won people to the Lord and got them to grow in the Lord. They loved Paul, they loved the gospel, and they were growing and they were joyful. They were excited about the things of the Lord. While he was gone, somebody else came in and these wolves and sheep’s clothing.

sheep’s clothing by the way are people that devour. And they devour because they feed upon the people. They’re not interested in the person, but they feed upon them, their wolves. The sheep is not actually totally consumed. The Christian is just lost to the will of God. They got sidetracked. Something happened to them. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, he doesn’t use his real teeth. He’s using a message. He’s telling them something that isn’t true. And so it warps the person’s mind.

He says, this persuasion, see in verse eight, this persuasion, come up not of him that call of you. In other words, it didn’t come from God. God does not keep you from obeying the truth. And what’s the difference? Look in verse seven, you did run well. Who did hinder you that you should You cannot obey the truth because see, if you don’t obey the truth, you won’t run. And if you don’t run, you don’t win. You don’t win. You lost.

So you’re talking about the most important race in all the world. Now I know some of us, we love to see sports. We love races and some of y’all love stock car races. Some love to see the Olympics and people racing. love the competition. You are in the greatest race of all time. Your life, you’re running a race. You have a course that’s set before you and you’re not to let anything or anybody deter you from your course. There’s a lot of problems and heartaches and you don’t know what all’s coming out there but you know whatever it is.

I’m gonna just keep on a running, just keep on a running, just keep on a running. Because you see that’s why he says you keep your eyes on the Lord and and let the people holler and yell or whatever they do, but that is not to affect you. The praise or the booze. Just keep running because those people that it prays you today will be cursing you tomorrow. Same people. Just keep running and don’t worry about it. As long as you can hear the Lord looking over the banister of heaven and says, there runs my beloved in whom I am well pleased.

As long as you don’t, this is pleasing God. It doesn’t matter if somebody else prays you or don’t prays you. You’re not running for the Lord. You want His compliments. You want his hand to be upon you, but look again in verse 7. He says you did run well. Well, what happened? He says this persuasion didn’t come from God. It came from somebody else now look there in chapter 1 chapter 1 chapter 1 in verse 4 He tells him that Jesus Christ came into the world and died on the cross the paper sins in in order to deliver us from this present evil world.

Running your race is being able to run through the obstacles of sin in the world without it getting you. Can you run your race without your old sinful nature destroying you? Can you run it without falling to the lust of the the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Can you beat that? Majority of Christians can’t win. They can’t fight it. The things of the world are so strong and so powerful that he gets some of them, and this will get some of those.

And some because of the pride of life, pride don’t hurt me. They were their feelings right there. And because of that, won’t be able to run. They won’t win. But He makes the statement, He gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world. Now, when you trusted Christ as your Savior, you were delivered from the penalty of sin, which is death and hell. Present evil world means the power of sin in your life.

Can you run your race without getting you? Otherwise, what’s the purpose of running. What is this race? You see, you’re after souls and keeping yourself clean while you do it. Because if you don’t keep yourself right with God, you won’t be around to do it. So you have to stay clean and right in order for the sins of the world not to dominate your life. Now you still have the desires. You have all the desires everybody else has because you have a sinful nature.

The lust in the pull of the wall is strong in a Christian’s life. Is it anybody else? It’s just that he wants to win more than what somebody else perhaps wants to win. But you’re not racing against another Christian. Understand, no Christian runs the race against another Christian. You and I are not in competition. It’s so difficult sometimes for people to understand. I am never, never competing against a Christian. the race that God has for us. I want to help every Christian that I know of to run his race.

I’m not against the Christian, but I will try to help a Christian. And if behind, I will love you enough. I will rebuke you because I care. I want you to run your race. I want you to finish your race. And if I see something that’s going to hurt, I want to tell you, I want to love you enough to do that. There are some people that are more concerned about themselves. And if somebody they did or say something, they would never say a word, I’d never want to offend anybody.

And you don’t care about anybody. You would never say or do anything that would cause somebody to maybe explode at you, get mad at you. I care enough that I’ll do just that. And then like Paul says, you mean, am I your enemy because I tell you the truth? Look what he says here. I want you to see this. Look there in the book of Galatians in chapter 4. Galatians chapter four, look in verse 11. He says to these Christians, he says, I’m afraid of you.

Unless I had bestowed upon you labor in vain. Well, say we know that you don’t be stole labor in vain. And the Lord, because God’s got to be word you for what you do. But the work with the people, how many years I’ve spent in laboring with people. Only to be totally in vain and accomplish absolute zero. in their lives. But you labor anyway. See I’m going to run my race. I’m just trying to help others to run theirs because you care.

You want them to win. So you tell them this is what God wants for your life. And then you tell them this is what’s going to hurt. You’re accomplishing that. And so many who start run well. They run and they run well. They correct. They discipline. But then something happens. Always something happens. He says in verse 11, I’m afraid of you, unless I’ve been stored up in you labor in vain. He said, but brethren, I beseech you, be as I am.

For I am as you are, you have not injured me at all. He says, you haven’t injured me. It’s not about me. It’s not against me. But he let him know that this is what God said. And that the message that they turned against was the message that God gave. He explained to them in chapter 5 about the two natures and that God is not mocked into whatsoever man’s soul. That shall he also reap, but he told them all of that.

But he says, not between you and me. Serving God is not between you and me. It’s always between you and God. But we’re not in competition. I’m not in competition with Leon or Tim or Robert or anybody. We’re to try to help encourage each other to serve the Lord. But if I have to say something that I think is going to hurt your testimony, and I do that and you hate me for it. It’s not me you hate. It’s not me you’re mad at.

It’s God. Why do you think the scripture says in chapter 5, chapter 12, in verse 5 of Hebrews, My son despised not thou the Chasing of the Lord nor fate, when thou art rebuked of him. God rebukes through his God-given appointed messenger. So you have a responsibility. You have to rebuke. And when you rebuke, the Bible says, in Titus, rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. Rebuke sharply. And God said, don’t worry about their feelings.

That’s hard. This is why I’ve been a preacher that’s worth anything at all. It’s the difficult thing because you run the wrist and you hurt so many people. But you have no desire to hurt a soul. But you want people to do what is right because it’s right to do. I want you to see this. Look there in verse 13. He says, you know how to infirmity of the flesh. I preached the gospel unto you at the first and my temptations or testings, which was in my flesh, you despise not nor rejected, but receive me as an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ.

In other words, when I first came to you, man, you thought I was the greatest. I was the best. You welcome me with open arms. You thought I was an angel of light that came here. That’s what Paul says. He says, but in verse 15, where is then the blessedness she spoke of? For I bear you record that if it had been possible, he would have proked out your own eyes and have given them to me. And this is why many believe that Paul had bad eyesight.

Because in the last chapter of the book of Galatians, he says, you can see what with large characters that I wrote. So we believe that Paul had bad eyesight and he had to write such big letters because of that. He says, and you would have given your whole eyes to me. You loved me that much. And yet, now, the same people have turned and changed. You think I heard Paul grow his heart? Yeah, but it didn’t injure him in the sense that it caused him to stop, not to run his race.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Vital Line, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 on the line. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

If I was to ask you how many of you in here want to serve the Lord, You trust that Christ is your Savior, but do you want to serve the Lord? Not without a fight. Not without a fight. If you really want to serve the Lord, not without a fight. If you want to do right, it’s going to be a fight. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis and chapter 3. Genesis chapter 3. Anytime you cover something like this, you’ve got to start at the beginning.

You would think that if I wanted to serve the Lord, the devil would be afraid to bother me and God would make everything easy for me. And because I want to do right, everything ought to be a piece of cake. But it’s not that way. The devil ain’t going to leave you alone. You have a problem sometimes in your discernment. You don’t always know what’s right. You and I get deceived so easily, so quickly. Here in the book of Genesis, everything was going long fine.

He was a perfect couple that had a perfect environment and something went wrong. But anyway, they were told not to eat the fruit of a certain tree. Well, lo and behold, they did. Adam blamed it on his wife. The wife blamed it up on the serpent. So the Lord had to whip all three of them, put a curse on all of them. So you and I have been battling ever since. whole human race because of what happened back then.

And they knew to do right and they didn’t do it. Now you and I had been there in the garden. We wouldn’t have done that, right? We wouldn’t have done that. But isn’t it true that you still know what’s right and what’s wrong and you still do wrong on purpose? You ever get mad on purpose? Angry? Envious? If it was jealousy? Every one of us have a battle. There’s a fight. I want you to look at verse 14. And the Lord God said unto the serpent because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field and upon thy bellish thou thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

And I will put emity, that means war. I’m going to put war between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, thou shalt bruise his heel.” In other words, there are several things that you could look at. Many believe this is the first prophetic verse in the Bible, a reference to the time that Christ will be on the cross, and that the battle comes down between Satan and Jesus Christ. And so therefore, even though Jesus Christ was on the cross, Christ took his heel, crushed the head of the serpent, but he bruised his heel, but he destroyed the serpent.

So it is true that when Christ was on the cross, he destroyed the power of the devil. He had victory over sin because they didn’t get him. He had victory over the world, they didn’t get him, and he had victory over the devil because he came back from the dead. He won. Satan was defeated. So there’s a lot of truth to this prophetic scripture. But there’s also something else I believe that needs to be looked at. Not only was there to be a woman that was to be born in time, the woman had a son.

And that was Jesus Christ. But it says between thy seed and her seed. It did not wait until until that time. There’s also a battle that goes on between the seed of a woman and the seed of the devil. And they have been warned against each other. It’s called the battle of the ages. No battle has ever lasted this long. It started in the garden and the battle is still going on. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 John, 1 John all the over there in the New Testament.

In 1 John and chapter 3. The Lord tells us you and I to love one another. Okay, that’s the talking part’s done, but not without a fight. You know you cannot love somebody without a fight. You fight on everything that you do. There’s a battle. There’s something inside of you that tries to keep you from demonstrating love. It should be the easiest thing in the world. Just to love everybody. But something somebody says or does can cause you not to want to be a person.

love them. Instead of loving them, you can hate them so quickly. You have to fight. It’s always a battle. Wouldn’t it be neat if every man loved his wife all the time the way he should? But especially in the beginning of marriage, there’s always this rocky part of the road where they learn how to give and take a little bit. Call the adjustment period. Always learning how to adjust. Like I said, Sometimes people when they get married, it’s kind of hooking up a racehorse to a jackass.

Somebody’s got to speed up or somebody’s got to slow down. There’s got to be some kind of an adjustment made. Well here in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 11, look at what it says, for this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain. Cain was the son of Adam and Eve. From the very beginning. Look at this. It goes all the way back to the very beginning, first child ever born.

I don’t want you to love like he did. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one. Well, who’s the wicked one? Well, if you read through here, we find out that the devil is the wicked one. Look in verse 10. In this, the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil. So you’re talking about those children that are the children of the devil. Well, who in the world are the children of the devil? Have you ever seen one?

When Christ was here in the book of John chapter 8 verse 44, He says, ye are of your Father the devil. He was a murderer from the beginning. Well, who did Satan murder? He murdered Abel. He just did it through Cain. He got Cain to do his dirty work. There’s always been this battle. Somebody is using you. You’re being used. When you get angry and bitter and envious, fill of jealousy and that hateful speech, somebody’s using you, you need to understand that.

The Bible says that when you’re born into this world, you have the seed of the serpent within you, and you are a child of the devil. God is God, and he is the Creator, but he’s not your father, and you’re not born into his family. Until the day you accepted Christ as your Savior, and you are born into God’s family. And then you had the seed of the woman. The seed of the woman was Christ. Christ came from Mary and through Christ, who has no sinful nature, but when you’re born of Him, you have His nature placed within you.

So you have a human nature, you got a sinful nature. Christ had a human nature, but He didn’t have a sinful nature. But Christ had a human nature and a divine nature. You and I have a human nature and a sinful nature. And then when we trust Christ as our Savior, God gives to us a divine nature. When He makes the statement, not as Cain, looking for a call again, who was of that wicked one. That means that Cain was of the devil from the very beginning.

Yes or no, yes he was. And he murdered his brother and he slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous. You say, well now what made the difference? God says, I want you to bring a blood sacrifice. And Abel did. He believed God. King did not believe God. He brought the works of his hands. So he was trying to save himself by his works and able through a sacrifice because he believed what God said.

So it’s looking at the works of an individual. One believed God and one did not believe God. There is your first fundamentalist and your first modernist in the Bible. In verse 13, Marvel, not my brother, if the world hate you. Now we know that according to the scriptures here, he was a murderer from the Bible. very beginning. And the Bible says that He had the seed of the devil within Him. You also read in the book of Ephesians in chapter 2, where it says, we are rebellious by nature, the children of the devil.

And that’s why we war the way we do. We have a nature that is identical to Satan’s. You and I have a nature within us that’s identical to Satan. You said, I don’t believe in the devil. You have a nature identical to Satan. And that’s why it’s so hard and difficult for you to believe what God says, what the Bible says, to believe truth. Because the devil doesn’t want you to believe the truth. So you are going to have to fight all the way with this other sinful nature that’s within you.

So lo and behold, you trusted Christ as your Savior. God did not take away that old sinful nature that you have. I want you to take and go to the book of Galatians and chapter five, Galatians and chapter five. And look there in verse 16, verse 16. This is what the Lord tells us to do. This I say then, walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The reason is because you still have the lust of the flesh, because you still have an old sinful nature, it’s in your body.

You trusted Christ as your Savior, you are born of God. But this new birth that was born of God does not sin. It is righteous, it is perfect. There’s nothing wrong with it. So you have within you these true contrary natures and they fight all the time. There is nothing that you’re going to do for God without a fight, without a battle. In verse 17, for the flesh losses against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh. Flesh, first birth, spirit, second birth.

They are contrary to each other because one is sinful and the other one is perfect and therefore they fight all the time. Two natures contrary to each other. They can never work together. So inside of you, you, you have these two contrary natures, they’re always going to be fighting against each other. There can never be peace inside of you. There will never be peace between these two natures. You’ll have to fight all the days of your life. Now you can surrender and just give in and let the old sinful nature totally control your life.

If that’s what you want, go ahead. But even you can’t surrender without a fight because the new birth will fight against the flesh and the flesh against the new one. So when you want to do that which is wrong there’s going to be a battle. When you want to do right there’s going to be a battle. You see you’re going to have a fight either way. Some of you sit in here and you know Christ is your savior. You may want to leave your wife or your husband and go to another and you don’t because you’re fighting.

It’s a fight. Are you capable of committing every sin in the book? Yes. How come you haven’t done it yet? Because there’s another part of you that says, no, that’s wrong. And yet, don’t you want to serve the Lord with all your heart and be enricious, obedient to God? You say, yes, I do. But why don’t you? Because there’s a part of you that doesn’t want you to and will fight against, against you doing it. It’s the battle. Look, there in verse 17 again, where it says, and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would.

In other words, you cannot do the things that you would, can’t mean, well walk in the spirit, but then he turned around and said, well, you can’t because he won’t let you do it. You can’t do it. Well, I want to walk in the flesh. Well, you can’t do it because it says right there so that you cannot do the things that you would. You would walk in the flesh while you can’t You would walk in the spirit while you can’t do it.

It’s not what he’s talking about. Can’t, not the context. It means so that you cannot do the things that you would without a fight. You ought to take right beside that word, would and write out those words without a fight. You can’t walk in the spirit without a fight. And you can’t walk in the flesh without a fight. If you’re God’s child, there’s going to be a struggle on the inside of you. Now sooner or later you may give in, but not without a fight.

It’s always going to be a battle. And if you have walked away from God and you’re not right with the Lord, there’s still something on the inside of you that keeps battling with you because you know what’s right and you’re not doing it. And the Holy Spirit living within you is going to prick your conscience. And if you don’t respond, sooner or later you’ll harden yourself, become stiff-necked. As the Bible says, sear your conscience as with a hot iron.

In other words, so scar your conscience that it has no feeling, no sensitivity, where it doesn’t bother you anymore. Now, he goes down to here, says, so that you cannot do the things that you would without a fight. And then it names these various things. Look in verse 19, the works of the flesh are made known. Look in verse 22, the fruit of the Spirit is made known. So if you was to read… The works of the flesh and then you read the fruit of the spirit, which one would you like to have for your life?

You say, well, I like to have love not without a fight. You won’t get it. Well, I want joy not without a fight. I want peace not without a fight because the flesh is going to try to keep you from having love or showing love and all those wonderful things. Look there in chapter 6 and verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, flesh, you which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of maintenance.

So whenever it’s talking about here you are and you want to serve the Lord, you serving God means you serving God in the spirit of verse 22. Love, you serving God in the spirit of joy, You’re serving God in the Spirit of peace, in the Spirit of long-suffering, in the Spirit of gentleness, in the Spirit of goodness, in the Spirit of faith, in the Spirit of temperance. You serve God that we see there in verse one, it says, in the Spirit of meekness, in other words, having this kind of attitude so that whenever you are trying to restore someone who is fell in the flesh, you want to restore someone in this kind of a spirit, the spirit of meatness.

It’s a choice, but you can’t do that without a fight. You say, I just want love. Okay. How do you get it? Not without a fight. You’re not going to have it because you see, you have a part of you that old flesh nature is going to war against you. The flesh does not want you to show love. Does it want you to have joy. Does it want you to have peace? Why? Because there’s no peace to the wicked.

Sayeth the Lord. And the old sinful nature that you have, that old man doesn’t have peace. Doesn’t want you to have peace. Doesn’t have joy. Doesn’t have love. Doesn’t have all these wonderful things. And doesn’t want you to have them. And if you want that, you’re going to have a battle in your life. It’s going to be a war. And so the only place you can become spiritually strong is from a spiritual book. So the Holy Spirit in dwells you in order to teach you God’s Word.

So as you learn the Word of God, you can become spiritually stronger. And the flesh says, I don’t want you to read the Bible because if you read the Bible, you’ll get spiritually strong. The flesh says, I don’t want you to go to church Because if you want to church, you’ll hear the word of God and you become spiritually stronger. The flesh doesn’t want you to pray because if you did, you become spiritually stronger. The flesh doesn’t want you strong.

He can’t whip you if he let you get strong. So he fights you. And some of you give in to the devil and you have no victory in your life. And you don’t have the the fruit of the Spirit that you like to have. It’s always gonna be something that you heard about, and some people claim to have it, but it escapes you, like it’s not real. It’s just a figment of imagination, just a pie in the sky, but it’s not real.

Oh, it is real, but it’s a choice, a choice on which side do you want to win? But it’s gonna be a fight, it’s going to be a battle. But these are some meanings of the words that are listed in Galatians in chapter 5, verses 19 through 23. But when he talks about the works of the flesh, this is what you will produce if you let the flesh that lives within sight of you, that all sinful nature control your life.

He says, walk in the spirit, you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. You may still have these desires, but you don’t have to fulfill them. Sin is the fulfillment of these desires. You sure I have wrong thoughts sometimes? Just don’t fulfill them and learn how to control the thought because if you don’t control thoughts sooner or later they’ll become an act. That’s what you have to guard against. Letter A, adultery, y’all probably said, what in the world is that?

Adultery, violation of the marriage bed, a crime or a civil injury which produces or may introduce into a family aspiria’s offspring. Is it the word of God that says adultery is wrong? The flesh will tell you there’s nothing wrong with it. Everybody does it. That’s the flesh. The flesh says everybody does it. If it feels good to it, whatever you want to do, nobody has a right to tell you how to live your life. What about God? I am not a judge.

I’m not trying to judge anybody. I’m just telling you what the judge said. The judge said it’s wrong, but the flesh will lie to you. Always to see it’s so battle that you go through. Look down at letter E, idolatry, the worship of idols, images or anything made by hands or which is not of God. One day I was still a student at Florida Bible College, but this young man, Richard Hormel, had trusted Christ’s Savior. He was the little-oh-hundred-and-fifty-pound quarterback for Miami, Miami High.

And I was given devotions for them and teaching them the Bible. And lo and behold, they were winning all their football games. But I didn’t play much attention to football. But they became the national champs. I mean, the high school football championship for the nation. And one day he says, can I have you talk to my mom? I says, I like to talk to him. He says, my mom’s Catholic. He says, and we’re Cuban. And I says, well, I’ll talk to him.

I went up to his house after I got off work. They picked me up. I didn’t have a car at the time. And so he picked me up and took me to their house. Went to the house and she, trust the Lord, just right off the bat. Just, but she could speak some English. And the grandma mom was sitting there, but she didn’t understand English. And Richard looked at me and says, can you explain this to my grandma? I says, in Spanish?

He says, no, you just tell me what to say and I’ll tell her. So that’s right. I went through the whole hand gesture, Let this hand represent you and me. I went through every bit of it. And he would translate it into the Spanish. And he talked to his 84 year old grandma. And she was a staunch Roman Catholic. And I said, Esther, she knows where she’s going. She died. He asked her. She shook her head. No. I explained the gospel.

He explained the gospel. She trusted Christ as her savior. She got up and walked out of the room. She went into another room. And she came back and she put some things down on the end table, coffee table. Went back in the room, came back with some more. she puts more things out there and she looked at me and she says, what about all of these things? She had little statues, all kinds of statues. And I says, the Bible says they have eyes, but they see not.

They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have ears. They cannot hear. And I says, and God says in Psalms, they that put their trust in them are like them. I says, you don’t need those things anymore. Because you can talk directly to your heavenly father. She took everyone of those things and walked in there and threw them in the trash. And she had just heard the gospel for the first time. That’s the power of the gospel. People who never heard the gospel before.

It didn’t take 10 times talking to her. I didn’t have to talk to her twice. One time she heard it. She understood. She trusted Christ as her Savior and she could see the error and so much. Idolatry. You can worship money. You can worship your wife. You can worship your kids. Anything that comes between you and God is an idol. It can be sports. It can be a job. It can be a land. It can be a car. It can be anything that keeps you from God.

There’s nothing wrong in having things, but when those things come between you and faithfulness to God, it’s an idol. You’re worshiping something other than God, because God doesn’t have a priority in your life. You want to use God as a backup if something happens in your life. Then you’ll cry out to God and say, God, deliver me because I’m in trouble. But as soon as you get out of trouble, you don’t need him no more. You put him back on the shelf and live your life the way you want to live.

That’s spiritual adultery. It’s idolatry. It’s wicked. And the flesh won’t tell you that. But you come to church and you listen to the Bible and lo and behold, the Bible will tell you those things. The next thing is witchcraft. The practice of witches, sorcery, enchantments, or enhancements. I intercourse with the devil powers more than natural. I’ve had somebody ask me, well what about all this Harry Potter stuff? I’ve never read one of the books don’t care to anything of the supernatural that leads toward the idea of magnifying witchcraft and those things like a wicked period.

Don’t care for. Don’t like it because the flesh loves it. A lot of times you can find out if something’s good or bad. Just find out what does the world think about it. If the world loves it, it might not be good. Check it out, find out. Don’t just, well, there’s nothing wrong with it, says you or says God. God says in his word you don’t even talk about some of those witchcraft things. He says stay away from it and yet we magnify it and plant it into the minds of little kids.

It’s all harmless. No, it’s not harmless. There are witches. It is a wicked thing. The Bible says this is an abomination and he wanted nothing like that in the nation of Israel. I don’t have a hobby horse, they’ll have an axe to grind. I just made a promise to God years ago, I’ll try to teach truth as I understand it. I care not about anything else. I don’t care how people accept it or if they reject it. That’s between them and Lord.

I’m going to try to do my dead level best, teach the book and explain it. Look at letter N, envying, mortification experienced at the supposed prosperity and happiness of another. Ill will at others on account of supposed superiority. In the words you begin to envy somebody, I always say this, don’t try to keep up with the Joneses, just wait and catch them on their way back. Drunkenness, intoxication, a state in which a person is overwhelmed or overpowered with spiritless liquors so that his reason is disordered and he staggers in walking.

I have never experienced drunkenness. He said, you’ve been deprived all your life. Yes, I have. I haven’t had the first hangover. I haven’t woke up bombing in all over the place. I haven’t been in the intoxication unit trying to dry out. I’ve missed all of that. Yes, I have. I’ve had a clear, cut thinking mind all these years. I’ve had better help all these years. You run a risk. You play a silly little game. If you believe in just a little social drink and never hurt anybody, yeah.

I saw a lot of these here, social drinkers. And the more they drink, the more social they get. You should never do anything that would do anything to your mind where you can’t think and be responsible for your actions. You’re running a risk. Now the flesh will tell you the opposite. You’re gonna fight. If you want a little godly life, a righteous life, it’s a battle. Fight it, fight it, fight it all the days of your life. When you look at the fruit of the spirit, oh my goodness, look at this thing.

Love, love, joy, peace, look at the word peace, in a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquility, freedom from disturbance or agitation, applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind, heavenly rest, the happiness of heaven. In other words, a little faith will take a soul to heaven, but great faith will bring to the soul. In serving the Lord, we are supposed to do things in the spirit of long suffered, in the spirit of joy, in the spirit of love, in the spirit of peace, the spirit of goodness.

Because, see, these are things you demonstrate to other people. You say, well, I just thought these were things that I’m supposed to have. If you have it, then you did not not be a problem showing it, right? So then living for the Lord, walk in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit means you allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate these qualities through you. These are things that God wants us to have in our life. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org. and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now we’re closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, they’re got to work 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 regular prayers and mother… and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us He was told free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org.

We pray that you’ll 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. So I went through that and explained it. I gave the invitation. And it was some people that had trust in Christ I’ll say before five, not a lot, but before five, I’m testing them out. So it was all over with, and I’m standing there for, you know, minding my own business like I always do.

These four guys come up to see me. They all had beards. I thought, Mennonites. Mennonites. A Quakers or something. So they came up to me and they said, we enjoyed what you had to say. Thank you. says, we’re from Minnesota, a place called Dora Lake, way up north. So we want to know if you’d come up there and have a revival meeting for our church. I said, sure. I didn’t know where it was going to be. Sure, I’ll go.

Anyway. I said, sure. I didn’t know where it was going to be. Sure, I go. Anyway, I talked to them for a little bit, found out that they were hunters that had been up in Montana. They had made a vow that they’re not going to shave until they get their elk. That’s why they had these beards. They hadn’t got anything yet. So anyway, they said, would you come up in the spring? Because this was in the bottle of October.

I said, sure, I’ll go. Anyway, I thought I’ll never hear from them. And let me hold on, I did hear from them. About three months later, they called me up and asked me, says, you remember us up here in Minnesota? I said, yes sir. Would you come up here? I said, yes, I will. So anyway, I asked the preacher there at the church where I was going. His name was Archie Yeder. He was the pastor of the church and he was now the president of the Rockmont Bible College that was started by clicking their father that led Ray Stanford to the Lord.

He’s not all right. Anyway, I said, what do they believe? He says, well, he says they got a pretty good doctrine on statement. It was a Christian and missionary alliance church. Says that their doctrine of state was pretty good. He said, but you have to find out what the individual chirst believe can stand. Okay? So anyway, it was the pastor who wanted me to come up there. The other three guys, I didn’t know that. I just knew that one of them was a pastor.

So it was in March and I go up here for this meeting. It’s winter conditions. I’m driving along the passage and picking me up and the snowbanks are as high as the car. And we’re bugging down a road, and I couldn’t see no houses. I couldn’t even see roads. So we finally pulled into this little old church, and he says, well, we’re there. Oh boy. I says, where’s the people live? He says, they’re around. Now there was no light in this town.

I don’t think there was a cross road in this town. one road off the main road and they lived on the side. So that Sunday morning I got up here and I preached and I preached on how you can know you have eternal life. I only have one message. I just changed the title. I can’t think of anything better so I always just hang with what works. Now since you’ve heard me, I only got one sermon. I just keep changing the title.

It’s just the same. So hang did the same thing if you’ll notice them. So we just you just versus to bring out the same thing. And so I preached and a couple people trust the Lord. And… After the servers over this year, one preacher stood up and I know it was a preacher at the time. He says, I just want you to know. I disagree with what you’re teaching. He said, but you’re the guest speaker. And I’m not going to come to the meetings because I don’t want to be in trouble.

No conflict. So I just will not come to the meetings. Well, thank you. I thought that was nice of him to let me know right up front. He said, I was a false prophet. Well, that afternoon he went and told everybody not to come to the meetings, that I’m a false prophet. They had never heard a false prophet before. That night the church was packed and get this seven preachers showed up and they had worn their people and they called them up, don’t go it, but they came because they want to see this false prophet.

So it made you how God can work. And so I had little questions and answers at the beginning before I was starting my service. So as I opened up for questions and answers, these guys would ask these questions, what about James chapter two? I said, what about James chapter two? I mean, I knew where they were going, but I’ve had enough meetings to know that James chapter two, ah, face while that works is dead. So anyway, I just preached a sermon that long ago.

You need to get that message. Anyway, I explained James chapter two and they would try to quote a verse of like, well, I just came out of Bible college, I finished the verse for them. He says, somewhere in the Bible talks about blah, blah, blah. I said, you mean in blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I kind of wore it was found. I wasn’t trying to be smart, I’m just trying to help them out. And finally one guy stood up and says, I disagree with what you’re preaching these to these people.

And this one lady stood up and she looked over at them and she said, well, pastor, blah, blah, blah. I want you to know, I went to your church for years. And I had no clue where I was going to go when I died. And I heard this man this morning, and it made more sense to me than anything I’ve ever heard. More than what I understood under you for 10 years, and I trusted Christ as my savior. And now I know I’m going to heaven when I die.

She says, why don’t you sit on and shut up? Did I? Right in the meeting? I didn’t know he was a pastor. And it wasn’t long before I found out there’s seven of them here, and they all came because they was going to set me straight. They’re going to teach me a lesson. Well, I didn’t have enough sense to run. I’m just a 26, 7 year old kid. But I did believe that this book is true. And I believe that salvation is a gift.

And they were mad because I was telling the people that you did not have to keep the law to go to heaven. And so each night, they would just warn everybody not to come to the meetings and all that people kept coming. And we had people trust the Lord every night. Wednesday night, I was laying on the floor after the service that night and we went to Jim Smith’s house and I was laying on the floor flat on my back.

I had such bad back problems back then. I had heard it when I was in Bible college and I had to have two braces on my back and it was so sore and I could hardly stand up and I was in Hertzville. So I laid there and I was in pain and agony and the phone rang and the guy looked at me and says, Yankee, it’s those guys down the road. They’re the ones that wants to tar and feather you and ride you out of town on a rail.

No, I’m tarring feather I got, but I didn’t know what riding out of town on a rail was. And they were fixing to do me some physical harm. They were furious because, see, they’re wise that come to the meetings. And then they would go home and tell them what the preacher said. And they said, Yankee says that that guy named Yankee, he says you don’t have to keep the tank of mammoths to go to heaven. And they knew you did.

Now they didn’t keep them. They couldn’t even list them. You know, I shall not lie, I shall not steal, I shall not play marbles, because it says in their marble knot. And so they didn’t even know what the law was, but they know you got to keep them, whatever they were, you got to keep them. And so they decided they’re going to deal with me. And they said, Yankee, they want to meet with you. And I’m laying there on my back and ag.

I should tell them we’ll be right over or do it now. I mean, if they’re going to do it, do it now and get it over there. I can’t live there. I mean, just the excitement of what could happen is just overwhelmed me. So in fear and trim that we went to the house. And when we got to their house, this is late on Wednesday night. And when we went in here, I had one friend with me. That was Jim Smith.

We went into the house. And it was like a low-hanging cloud in there. Now I can’t stand smoke. I can hardly breathe around smoke. I spent three months in the hospital because I almost died from smoking inhalation. And they’re just a smoking like crazy. But I never say anything about it. I just let them go through it, you know, and do it. So I went in, walked right on in. I thought my friend was right behind me, but he had stopped at the door.

But I didn’t already walked in, you know. And all three, there’s three of four guys in there, and they all got in my face, and they started holleringBUT yelling at me. So what about James chapter two? What did this say about the 10 commandments? And you gotta keep it, and I’m just, this, this, listen. I mean, they’re right in my face. These are loggers. These guys were, hmm, you know how I built up my muscles when I was young?

I used to feel the bathtub, pull the water, not pull out the plug and then fight the current. I had a strap in physique and the strap broke. But anyway, I’m in this room and they’re in my face and I found out, I just said, can I say something? They finally stopped long enough and I said, can y’all just be quiet for a minute? Let me say something for 10 minutes, then you can ask me any question you want.

That’s one guy riding there, he looked back and he said, 10 minutes. And then when he sat down on the couch, that one backed up to that wall and the other one backed up and the couple was standing over there on my left. I know I got ten minutes. That was the fastest ten minutes of my life. Seemed like I started and it was over. But in that ten minutes, I did my dead-level best to make the gospel clear as a bell.

I even did my little wall of illustration. And then at the end of it I quoted the figures to eight nine. He says, for by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourself. It is the gift of God and not of works. Last day, and he mentioned both. The Rodney said, no, I’m a touch. He looked at me and he says, can you show me that in the Bible? I said, yes, I can. He says, do it.

So I got my Bible and I turned to Ephesians, two, eight, nine, and I stuck it under his nose and he read it. And then he looked up and he looked at the other guys and he says, fellows, Shut up. It’s in the book. They didn’t know what the Bible said, but whatever the Bible said, they believed it. It’s like a lot of Christians. No, you believe the Bible, you just don’t know what it says. But he says, I saw it in the Bible.

He says, and he says, explain that to me again. I says, it’s just like if I offered you my wallet and you accept it, what would you have? a wallet, offered you my watch. You accept it what would you have? Or a watch? And all of a sudden, a man who was standing against the wall, he says, I see it, I see it, I see it. And he ran out of the house. Now, nobody at the time knew what he saw.

Kind of like pad. You don’t know if he sees it or not. But he ran out of the room. And so Rodney trust the crisis is Savior. We talked a little bit and I explained a few more things to them and two of the other guys did not. They were still burning. So I left that night and I went to the preacher’s house and I went to bed that morning. The preacher knocked on the door and it was early in the morning.

I thought I’d get a chance of sleeping a little bit. But he says there’s some guys downstairs I want to see you. So I quickly got dressed and I went downstairs. They had already been to the woods so they go early in the morning and they couldn’t get out of their mind what had happened that night. And so they came and they wanted me to talk to a guy there by the name of Danny Adams. So there was Rodney, Chan, and Chan’s son.

There. They had been out in the woods and they just had to put down their chainsaws and they talked about it and they couldn’t stand it so they came to the house. And they asked me if I’d talked to them. So the preacher opened up the door and there stood these three guys, Mollering Curly. And they’re standing there looking at me. Rodney said we want you to tell him what you told me last night and Dan was standing there like this Like you ain’t gonna get me you’re not gonna get me And so the all three started to walk into the room.

I said no no no I just want him So the other two stayed outside and Dan came in and is set down on the couch and says you’re not gonna get me I said, let me just show you something. I took the Bible and I simply showed him Ephesians 2.89. He saw Ephesians 2.89 and I didn’t have to explain too much. But in about 10 or 15 minutes, Dan Trussley, Christ is Savior, knew he had he turn life and knew he was going to go to heaven when he died.

He was so excited. What had happened to his dad, the one that said, I see it, I see it. I said, he ran out of the house. He went home. He walked into the house and says, honey, I’m going to heaven when I die. And blankety blank blank you are. And she didn’t say blankety blank either. He says, no, I know I’m going to heaven. She says, you do not. You ain’t no better than I am. He said, no, I’m going to heaven.

He says, no, you’re not. He says, yes, I am. He reached down on the table and picked up a candy bar. He says, here’s a candy bar, take this candy bar. She says, I don’t want no candy bar. He take the candy bar. She says, I will not. He said, take it. So if she finally she took the candy, he said, that’s the way it is. He said, salvation is just like a God offers it. You accept it, you got it.

And Stella understood what he said. She trusted Christ of Savior. Dan came in the house and they both says, we know we’re going to heaven when you die, when we die. And he says, that Colorado preacher might have got you, but he ain’t going to get me. And he cursed. And so that’s why they had him over there at the house the next morning. It was an unusual story, but it was an awesome story. I saw how powerful the gospel really is because he didn’t have to sugarcoat it, just hit it straight.

And I guess if I had been sweet and kind and all sugary, I probably couldn’t have done anything. But it’s because I, to a lot of sense, I’m raw. I’m not a smooth polished individual. If you think I am, you should have saw me then. I had a reckless abandonment to faith. I just believed it and I said it, and if you don’t like it, that was tough. That was my attitude. And it hit hard. but it hit right between the eyes.

But I don’t know, maybe that’s what those guys need. Now I try to be as sweet as I can from now on. Ever since then I’m the sweetest guy you’ve ever been. They were gonna tar and feather me. But they trusted Christ’s savior. And so the whole bunch, about 60 or 70 people trusted Christ’s savior. And they wanted to come into the church. And the older people in the church wouldn’t let them. They didn’t want them in their church, wouldn’t let them become members in their church and told them to leave.

And these older people in the church didn’t want anything to do with these new believers. And so it was hurting because this was mom and dads and aunts and uncles and their kids. But just a whole bunch of trusted Christ’s Savior and the old ones that were in the church kept thinking you’ve got to keep the law to be saved. Now the preacher who got me up there He believed in eternal security, but he didn’t want to preach it because he didn’t want to make the people mad.

So he got me to do it. And they got mad. And it wasn’t long before some of the guys came over to the preacher’s house. And they had been there for 10 years with this preacher. They loved this preacher and his wife. And they got him and they pulled him outside of the church and it was fixing to beat him up physically. And Jim Smith and Jim Padgett got over there and they stopped them. The preacher wound up believing and went to take a church in Alaska.

Not been a part twice to speak from in Alaska, named Floyd Seacons. But see how quickly ugliness can happen. And so the new believers, they just wound up getting them another piece of land and somebody gave them some property and they were longer so they worked in the wood. They cut down their own trees and built them own building. Then they had a camp and they had that going for almost 40 years. I left there that week and I went down to Remer, Minnesota because they asked me if I would come down to Remer, Minnesota.

I never been to Remer before, but I went to Remer. When I got down there, the preacher told me, says, um… I haven’t told anybody you were coming. I said, you want me here for a week of meetings? You never told anybody I was coming? He said, no, I can’t come anyway. He said, nobody comes to church here. He said, we haven’t had anybody trust the Lord here in 10 years. I said, why did you have me come? He said, because I’ve got things to do this week and I’m leaving at the end of the week.

I’m moving. I just want you to finish out because I don’t even want to preach the sermon. I said, well, you’ve been to the town. So he said, sure. So we went to town. We went into this little store and I bought me some markers and some poster board, pay for it myself. And I put on there son of a bootlegger, speaking and not put it all in there.

And then I said, now we’re gonna go pass him out. He said, where are you gonna go? I said, let’s go. We walk down the street, here’s this beer joint. I walked right into the beer joint. He says, you’re going in there? I says, yes I am. I went into the beer joint and said, sir can I put this up on the window? He looked at it son of a bootlegger. Yeah, that’d be fun. Put it up there. So I went because most of the stores in the town would be their joints.

So anyway, I put them up. He said, nobody’s gonna come. Sunday morning, people came and trusted the Lord. Sunday night, more people came. Trust the Lord. Every night, and by Wednesday night, the church was packed. I mean, packed. Because people would trust the Lord and they were telling people and more came and more came. Well, they heard about this down in Minneapolis, the head of the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination sent out letters warning against Ralph, alias Yankee Arnold. He is a false prophet.

He’s a church splitter and they don’t, not the Lettingmanian churches. So if they sent that out, it went to two major denominations. I’ve only been out of Bible college for one year, and I’ve been blackballed in two major denominations. And all I did was explain the gospel. And you talk about, I mean, it was unreal. And so the last night, Friday night, the church was packed. There was no room for anybody to sit down. And three guys walked in and sued, and the preacher’s up on the platform, he leaned over and he says, see those guys coming in the back, I said, yeah.

He says, they’re from Minnesota. Those are three big honchos. They come up here to deal with you. They want to meet with you after the service. He says, they say you’re a false prophet, but there was no place for them to sit, so they had to go into nursery and watch through the window. So while I’m setting up here, I thought, I think I’m going to preach another sermon. I told the press that I just changed my sermon. He said, what are you going to preach on?

How to recognize a false prophet. I think if I’m going to get accused of it, I might as well tell them how they can recognize one. So by the time I got through those three guys, they snuck out the back door and never talked to me or said one word to me. Back in Colorado, I mean this thing had been blown up. and in the evangelical pre-churches of America, they all sent letter Arnold Olson, who was the president of it, took over one of the positions that Billy Graham had at one time.

And here they had this big meeting, they had to have seven different states all come together, and they’re gonna have a trial. I’m gonna be on trial. To see whether or not, am I a false prophet or not? And so when they get ready for their meeting And I’m getting ready to walk into the room. It’s one of those smart, Alec preacher, who comes at me, kind of, you know, prissy light. Oh, I hate them, kind of. He kind of sissy-fired the water.

He says, you know, we’re gonna sit in judgment on you today. We’re gonna find out where you stand. I says, I already know where I stand. We’re gonna find out where you stand. And they had to listen to all of my sermons that I had preached up there. They had copies of them. So all of them had to listen to all of my sermons that I had preached. Salvation, a long grace, predestination, you name it, but I hit it.

And now here’s these people from this place, the half the list of. So they wrote a letter. We find nothing wrong with this man’s preaching. There’s nothing wrong with what he’s teaching. It is doctrine correct and Arnold Olson, the head of the nomination, not to change his letter and apologize. But he wouldn’t do it. He says, when he stops splitting, church is all, I’ll do it, but never did. And that was 41 years ago, 41 years ago. And I have seen so many that have come out and have preached the gospel because of it.

And there’s people that have been affected because of that little place up there in Doraleke, where a lot of kids and adults, they trusted Christ as Savior, and some of those kids that came in, go in the Bible college, you went find the Florida Bible college. And then, when I was a man, the one that I led to the Lord, he was 25 years old, he went up taking his wife and five kids to Florida Baba College. Only got there for one year, went back up there and passed to the church until he died a few years ago.

Rodney Goble, I was up there last year when I did his funeral. He’s in heaven. Chan, he died about 10 years ago, but they’re gone now. I’m just thankful that I got there when I did. And all that happened, it’s such a wonderful thing to know. I get to heaven, those three guys gonna be waiting on me over there. Chan, Dan, and Rodney Gobo. And yet it was all started because of just, you know, giving the gospel and telling them that you don’t have to keep the law to be saved.

You don’t know the ramifications and how many people are gonna be affected because you made the gospel clear and simple to somebody. They make trust, Christ is Savior, and then they tell somebody, and they tell somebody, and they actually know families have been reached. You’re affecting people. Give it a chance. Don’t compromise it. Hit it and hit it hard. In love. If you’re here this morning, you never trust the Christ as your Savior. What do you have to do?

Take this candy bar. You take it, you got it. Christ died on the cross, paid for all of your sins. If you believe he did it for you, he put that payment to your account. You go to heaven on what he did for you. You don’t earn it. Don’t work for it. You can’t buy it. Best news in all the world. Let’s pray. Shall we? Every hit by and every I close. No one looking around. If you hear this morning, you never trusted Christ as your savior.

Would you trust him right now? You can’t save yourself. We’re not good enough. We never will be. But it’s a gift. It’s free. And if you will trust Jesus Christ right now as your Savior God said he would give you right now as a free gift He turned a life and I like to know it. I’m not like to have prayer for you So it hit by a nice clothes. No one looking around I’m not gonna have you forward not gonna embarrass you But I’m gonna ask you in just a moment to raise your hand raising your hand Just lets me know that you trusted Christ is your savior here this morning And I’d like to have prayer for you Anyone all before we close say yes, I will trust Christ as my savior and preach I’d like for you to pray for me.

But just slip it up very quickly, put it right back down, then one of those. Just say, yes, I know I’m a sinner. I believe Christ died, paid for my sins, and I’m gonna trust Him to take me to heaven. If you have trust in Christ as your Savior, your God’s child, you have within you the most powerful message in all the world. Give it a chance, let people know. Father, thank you so much for this time together. You’ve been good to us, And we know that as we get closer to getting to heaven, we can see how you’ve worked in our lives and all the doors you’ve opened up.

And we thank you for the context that’s been made. Let’s each one here in Christ name we pray, amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, You can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 1-800-800-800-800-800. hundred five seven six three seven seven one one line donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvary of Tampa dot o-r-g we pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want to tell you a story called the Dora Lake story. And it’s a little different, but hopefully it’ll be one you will you enjoy. At the same time learning some things about what the book has to say. I want to cover a couple things before I get to my story, because this is the foundation that you need to know. So turning your Bible to the book of Acts and chapter 13, the book of Acts and chapter 13. Acts 13 tells us a story a little bit where we read some wonderful information.

That gives us a picture of the law and grace. After I left Florida Bible College in 1968, I couldn’t wait to turn the world upside down. Man, I just knew that everybody out there was just waiting on me. I had four to five hoursophobicustainable day for four years straight of people just pumping the Bible into me. I was memorizing all these verses and they were cominggallery of my years. And there was a world out there waiting to see what Yankee was going to do.

Well, there’s a lot of FBC alumni at that time withForgeModLoader================================================================ablishment chaffing at the bits’,” hoping that Christ wouldn’t come back until we got a chance to do something. Now we expected the Lord to come at any time, any time, and we were just going to give it what we had. And well, that was 42 years ago. He hasn’t shown up yet, but I keep looking for Him every day. And I guess the Lord has designed it in such a way that you don’t know exactly when He’s coming, so you just keep working believing it might be today.

Well, anyway, something wonderful happened back then that I got a chance to see in reality the power of the gospel and what did that kind of set the tone for the rest of, I guess, of my life. Hearing the book of Acts in chapter 13, I want you to look at this real quick. I just want to show you some verses that simply says that the law cannot justify a man. The man cannot be justified by keeping the law.

Now you think, well everybody knows that, no they don’t. A lot of people don’t know that. Now if you come to church years, you know that. But not everybody comes to Calvary Community Church. So he says here in verse 38, be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, talking about Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by Him, and your underlying is all that believe, are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Now if a man has to be justified as righteous as God to go to heaven, then keeping the law is not going to make7601a man justified. He can’t be keep by the law because no man can keep the law. But he does say, all that believe are justified from all things. So just by my faith in what Christ did for me, I can be justified just as if I had never sinned, forgiven for all of my sins. And it was not by keeping of the law.

Look in Romans in chapter three, just turn to your right to Romans and chapter three. You notice there in verse 20, Romans chapter 3. And verse 20, this is on 1194 in one of the church Bibles. But in verse 20 says, therefore a conclusion of what went before by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. Look at me just a moment. Here’s God, He’s perfect.

Us? were sinful. We have come short of the perfection of God. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, short of His perfection. So how can a man be just with God? Where God finds no fault in the man. So God says it’s not by the works of man, by your good deeds, you will never be just with God, just defied, where God can look you eyeball the eyeball and find no fault in you. Now that’s going to take some doing.

So Christ came into the world, died on the cross, paid for all of our sins, and when we accept Him as our Savior as the payment for our sins, in God’s eyes, all myinclude sins or paid when I trust Him as my Savior. 041 When I believe He did it for me, simulacra, he made to my come. And so there’s no sin that the Father sees in me. I am justified just as if I had never sinned. That’s why I can go to heaven.

I have been justified. I am not seeking to be justified, because if I’m seeking it means I don’t have it yet. And people who are trying to earn their way to heaven, well, they can’t say they know they’re going because they haven’t got there yet. So it depends on their works. Well, the Bible already told us that you’re not saved by your works, you’re saved by grace. So if you accept it as a gift, you can have it now and know that you’re justified and know that you’re going to heaven when you die.

So I have been justified by faith not by the deeds of the law. Look what he said in the life part of verse Pelicans, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. That’s how I know I’m a sinner. when it says thou shalt not, not did. So did you. Now look in Romans chapter three and verse 28. Verse 28, therefore we conclude, a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. That means without keeping the law.

Can’t get it any better than this. This is what it says. A man can be justified by faith just by believing something. Trust him not by my work. You say we have but believe in his work. No, it’s not So how do you know I knew he’s gonna ask the question Look there in verse five verse five of chapter four Looking verse five but to him that work it not But believe it on him that justify the ungolly his faith is kind of a righteousness So believe it on Christ is not at work Take your Bible and encount entreprene to “/the book of Romans 8.”

Romans 8ployecauseminist.unicipcellent horm launestern================================ Romans 8 and verse 3. Remember, there’s some things the law could not do. What law couldn’t save you. God never said the law could save you. And verse 3 says for what the law could not do. Couldn’t do. In that it was weak to the flesh, it means that the man, me, couldn’t keep the law. Nothing wrong with the law, but it can’t save me, unjust, because I can’t keep it. So the law cannot save me.

It can only condemn me. So he says that what the law could not do in that it was weak to the flesh, God, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, not sinful flesh, the likeness of it, and 727 condemns sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, but not by us. And then it talks about the Holy Spirit. Now take your Bible looking in Galatians in chapter 2. Just turn over there to the book of Galatians in chapter 2.

If there’s anything that’s clear in the Bible is that a man cannot save himself by the way he lives. Not by the deeds of the law, not by your works. It’s not by joining a church. It’s not by promising to be good and not gonna be bad anymore. Quitting your sins and all the… and all those things will not help get your little pinkies one inch closer to the pearly gates. In the book of Galatians in chapter 2, look in verse 16.

Awesome verse. Verse 16 says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Isn’t that clear? that God says no man has ever been ever well be and is not ever going to be saved by his works.

And yet we have people that are teaching a man to say by his works. You see they change it a little bit and just say something simple like this. You have to turn from your sins to be saved. Think turning from your sins. That means that you have got to stop your sin in order to be saved. One guy describes it this way. If I’m walking this way, I’ve got to turn from my sin and go this way. That’s works for salvation.

Bible doesn’t teach that. God does not save him and because he stopped or turned from his sins or even was willing to. Well, are you willing to be made willing? Well, I’m not willing. Well, are you willing to be made willing. You know why most people sin? It’s fun. They like it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t do it. And it just, that dog won’t hunt. It just won’t get the job done. So when you tell a man, you must make Christ the Lord and the master of his life.

That means that he must be the master and I must be the servant. Do I have to serve Do I have to serve Christ to go to heaven? No, a thousand times. No! That’s work for salvation. That’s trying to keep the law. That’s trying to deserve it. If I have to quit my sins, nor for God to save me, it means that I must deserve to be saved. And if I have to promise God, I’m going to live a certain way than what I’m saying is I’ve got to deserve to be saved.

You don’t deserve to be saved. That’s why it says, by grace are you say, grace means you don’t deserve it. And yet they still teach you God and deserve to be saved. That’s not in the Bible. And so this is so good. It is so clear. Looking Galatians in chapter 3, look in verse 11. Galatians 3 verse 11. But that no man is justified by the law and the sight of God. It is evident for the just shall live by faith.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God. No man. I wonder what that word no means. Looking in verse 21 Galatians chapter 3 verse 21, is the law against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could have given life, fairly righteousness should have been by the law. In the words of God had given a law that would save a man, then that’s the way he should have been.

But God never did. Find it. It’s not in the Bible. Everybody must accept Christ as their Savior. Well, there is no salvation. So this is what is taught in the Bible. Now look in Romans chapter 2. Go back to Romans now. Romans in chapter 2. We’re going to do this one more time. Just different verses, but those people that are seeking to be justified by the law, well what does it say about them? In Romans chapter 2, look in verse 25, well you got to be circumcised to be saved.

Keep the law. Verse 25, for circumcision truly, propheteth, if thou keep the law. But if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. In other words, if you don’t keep the law, circumcision does nothing for you. It does not save you. The only reason they had circumcision mentioned in the book of Romans in chapter 4 when they talked about Abraham, it was the seal of righteousness that they believed by faith. And when they don’t believe that way, circumcision had no value to it except for the man.

Of course, we don’t talk too much about circumcised in a woman. I guess they just can’t be saved. But the Bible is clear that a man cannot be saved by what he does. Look in Romans chapter 4 and verse 13. Romans chapter 4 and verse 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, talk about Abraham was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of faith. That one day You and I are going to roll and reign with Christ.

We are the bride of Christ. We’re the church. God made promises that sent all the way on down the line, even to us, that all families of the earth would be blessed because of their faith in the Lord. And because of faith, we’re blessed with faithful Abraham. We get what he was told he would get. And that’s the righteousness of God put to our account. And it was done not by the law, but because God made a promise to Abraham 430 years before the law was ever given.

Look in Romans chapter 9 and verse 31. Romans chapter 9 and verse 31. Talking about Israel here, but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness have not attained to the law of righteousness because in verse 34 verse 32 because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law and they stumbled at that stumbling stone. Now the stumbling stone is Christ. They stumbled over him and the law pointed to Christ so they rejected Christ and all they had was the law and they’re trying to save themselves by the law.

And so the veil was over their eyes and they could not see when they read the Old Testament. And as he says that that veil is still over their eyes until they put Christ in there and then all of a sudden they can see and understand. But not until then. I want to show you this very quick because it’s so good. It’s not part of my note, but it’s okay. Okay, Romans chapter 10, you’re right there. Look what he says in verse one, brethren, he says, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.

Well, I bear them record that God, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Well, they’ve been ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves onto the righteousness of God. But Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that what? Belize. So he says they’re ignorant of God’s righteousness and they’re going about trying to establish their own righteousness. You see, if you knew that God would give you eternal life as a gift, you’d stop working for it.

Well, wouldn’t you? Why work for something you can’t get? It’s free. And God says, He doesn’t want the righteousness that man’s trying to send up. He wants you to accept the righteousness He sent down. Jesus Christ came down and the reason they have not submitted themselves onto the righteousness is God because they’re ignorant of it. They don’t see it. They don’t understand. So God has done a wonderful thing for us. Looking Galatians in chapter 2 and verse 21, Galatians in chapter 2 and verse 21, Galatians 2.21, this is an awesome verse, very good verse.

He says, I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. It means that if a man could save himself by his works, Christ would not have had to die. He died in vain. If a man could save himself by his But since no man can save himself by his works, Christ died for every man. They didn’t say that. It means that no man can earn it. Not even you, not even me.

It doesn’t make any difference who it might be. It doesn’t make a difference if it’s the President of the United States or the Pope or Mother Teresa or Hoei-Houya. No man can save themselves by their good works. All of their good works, all of their good works, never helped save them. Had nothing to do with them going to heaven. Either they trust Christ as their only hope to get to heaven, or they don’t go to heaven. That’s how simple it is.

Well, what happened years ago? Well, I’d finished going to the camps, Indian camps in Oklahoma, in Arizona, and then Iowa, and then Minnesota, and I’m in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. So I got to meet a lot of different Indians from a lot of different tribes. Why not have been Colorado? And in Colorado, I got a job as an assistant pastor. Cause I was 26 years old, didn’t know much about how to do a church. Teenagers, I love teenagers. I love to work with the kids and camps and Indian kids.

But then all of a sudden I find myself a youth pastor. Working with some of the adults. And it’s easy for you to work with somebody your age and under, but a lot of these were older than me. And there was a guy there that would fly me around at different places so I could speak in different states. Because they had this Christian Business Men’s Association. So they liked my youth and I guess I was a little energetic. and they liked the way I talked because I was from Georgia and Out there, you know, I didn’t sign exactly like them.

I Don’t sign exactly like anybody but anyway the winter time came and I was asked if I would be the speaker at a hunter’s banquet and Walden Colorado place called Brown Ranch So they asked me if I’d come and speak I said sure They say, you only got a half an hour. That’s fine. So I drove a couple hours to get there. Of course, there’s a couple hours back. But I’m going to step for two or three days because I’m going to go to this Hunter’s Bank and they’re all up there these hundred and they’re out to shoot elk.

I’ve never seen an elk. I don’t even know if I have ever seen a picture of an elk. So while I’m there, they had the banquet and I was supposed to speak when everybody got to eating. So I had a half an hour and I spoke on how to know you have eternal life. How you can be positive for going to heaven when you die. I even pulled out my wallet and I did this little thing here with my wallet.

I said, this is you and me, this is sin. We all have sin on us. God says that he loves us. He hates our sin. And for us to pay for it is eternal separation from God and that you got to be perfect to go to heaven. We’re not perfect in God says you can’t earn your way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh came into the world because he loves us. Our sin because it separates us from him Christ took the sand Paper from the cross came back from the dead and said if you’ll believe he did it for you He’d put that payment he made to your account and you get to go to heaven or what he did for you And I said if you believe that you can know you have eternal life, so I went through that he explained it

I Gave the invitation And there were some people there that trust Christ to save you four or five not a lot but four or five of them trust the Lord So it was all over with and I’m standing there for you know minding my own business like I always do these Four guys come up to see me. They all had beards about Mennonites Minnights of Quakers or something So they came up to me and they says um We enjoyed what you had to say.

I don’t want thank you says um We’re from Minnesota It’s called Dora Lake way up north So we want to know if you’d come up there and and have a revival meeting for our church. I said, sure. I didn’t know where it was going to be. I said, sure, I’ll go. Anyway, I talked to them for a little bit, found out that they were hunters that had been up in Montana. They had made a vow that they’re not going to shave until they get their elk.

That’s why they had these beards. They hadn’t got anything yet. So anyway, they said, would you come up in the spring? this was in the bottle of total. I said sure I’ll go. Anyway, I thought I’ll never hear from him. And let me hold I did hear from him. About three months later they called me up and asked me, says, you remember us up here in Minnesota? I said, yes sir. Would you come up here? I said, yes I will.

So anyway, I asked the preacher there at the church where I was going. His name was Archie Yetter. He was the pastor of the church and he was now the president of the brought him up Bible college that was started by Clippon Nell Fowler that led Ray Stanford to the Lord. Amazing how I work. Anyway, I says, what do they believe? He says, well, he says they got a pretty good doctrinal statement. It was a Christian and missionary alliance church.

Says that their doctrine of Davis pretty good. He said, but you have to find out what the individual church believes in stand. Okay. So anyway, it was the pastor who wanted me to come up there. The other three guys I didn’t know that I just knew that one was a pastor. So it was in March and I go up here for this meeting. It’s winter conditions. I’m driving along the passage and picked me up and the snow banks are as high as the car.

And we’re bugging down a road and I couldn’t see no houses. I couldn’t even see roads. So we finally pulled into this little old church and he said, well we’re there. Oh boy, I says, where’s the people live? He says, they’re around. Now, there was no light in this town. I don’t think there was a cross road in this town. Just one road off the main road, and they lived on the side. So that Sunday morning, I got up there and I preached, and I preached on how you can know you have eternal life.

I only have one message. I just changed the title. I can’t think of anything better. So I always just… Hang with what works. Now, since you’ve heard me, I only got one sermon. I just keep changing the title. It’s all it is. It’s the same thing. So hang did the same thing if you’ll notice him. So we just use just verses to bring out the same thing. And so I preached in a couple people, trust the Lord. And after the servers over this year, one preacher stood up and I know he was a preacher at the time.

He says, I just want you to know, I disagree with what you’re teaching. He said, but you’re the guest speaker and I’m not going to come to the meetings because I don’t want to be in trouble. No conflict. So I just will not come to the meetings. I said, well, thank you. I thought that was nice of him. They let me know right up front.

He said I was a false prophet. Well, that afternoon he went and told everybody not to come to the meetings, that I’m a false prophet. They had never heard a false prophet before. That night the church was packed and get this seven preachers showed up and they had warned their people and they called them up, don’t go it, but they came because they wanted to see this false prophet. So made you how God can work. And so I had little questions and answers at the beginning before I was starting my service.

So as I opened up for questions and answers, these guys would ask these questions. about James chapter two. I said, what about James chapter two? I mean, I knew where they were going, but I’ve had enough youth meetings to know that James chapter two, ah, faith, well, that works as dead. So anyway, I just preach a sermon that I’ll go, you need to get that message. Anyway, I explained James chapter two and they would try to quote a verse of like, well, I just came out of Bible college, I finished the verse for them.

He says, somewhere in the Bible talks about blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah blah blah. Then I tell them what it was found. I wasn’t trying to be smart. I’m just trying to help them out. And finally one guy stood up and says, I disagree with what you’re preaching to these people. And this one lady stood up and she looked over at them and she said, well, pastor blah blah blah. I want you to know I went to your church for years and I had no clue where I was going to go and I died.

And I heard this man this morning and it made more sense to me than anything I’ve ever heard. More than what I understood I’m to you for 10 years and I trusted Christ as my Savior and now I know I’m going to heaven when I die. She says, why don’t you sit on and shut up. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message.

Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold.

Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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, the 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

God is still on the throne. He is still ruling today. He is as powerful as he’s ever been. He has not changed. The devil is not winning. The Lord knows what’s going on. People are not getting away with murder. You need to understand what God is doing. Some people’s judgment doesn’t always seem to line up with what truth really is. But in the book of Psalms in chapter 9, it talks about a personal dedication to God. believing that God is on the throne.

See, if you don’t think God’s in charge, it’s hard to trust the man if you don’t believe he is. God is the ruler of the universe. He’s the creator of heaven and earth. He made this world and he knows what’s going on. And he talks about the kingdom of life, the kingdom of darkness, one where he rules, the other one where Satan rules. But God overrules even in the kingdom of darkness. And so the Bible says here in verse one, if several words are used over and over again, I will, I will, I will.

Well this is talking about David pouring out his heart and he’s saying what I’m going to do and there’s a reason why I’m going to do this. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart I will show forth all thy marvelous works. And when he says I will praise thee with my whole heart, this is not halfway dedication. See, the shame of God’s people today is that they’re not truly dedicated to the Lord. Majority of people are not faithful to God.

They’re not dependable to the Lord. And God wants us to be faithful. Moreover, it is required in a store that are man be found faithful. That means dependable. And when he says, my whole heart means I have made up my mind. This is what I’m going to do. And my life is going to be one gigantic praise to the Lord. Would you say that your life is a testimony to the praise of God that you live because you praise in the Lord for what he has done, what he is doing and what he’s going to do?

You see, many times we can easily accept from God all the things we want and never really thank the Lord for what he’s done for us and is doing for us. But look what he says, I will show forth all my marvelous works. Lord, I’m going to tell people what you’ve done. It’s a shame that so many of God’s people never witness, never testify of how good God has been to them. If God’s been good to you, say so.

Also another psalm he says, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Give what else He says in verse two, I will be glad and rejoice in thee. I will sing praise to thy name, O thy most high. So I’m gonna be glad, I’m gonna be joyful, I’m gonna praise. Now does this sound like the typical Christian or the majority of Christians are always discouraged, depressed, down in the dumps, filled with despair? Or do they have hope and joy?

Can they see what God is doing that God is really working in their life? And the reason sometimes because we don’t think that God is in charge, because you and I know that if God was in charge, we wouldn’t have such a mess in this world. Well, the Bible says that God is still on the throne. Well, remember this, when he says that if you serve him, he will bless you. And if you don’t, he will chase in you in order for God to do that, he must be in charge.

That means that God must be watching your life. The things you say, the things you do, the things you think. Because God, if he’s on the throne, is going to act accordingly. You see, God is not following some pre-described plan that existed millions of years ago. You’re now living your life. You’re now making decisions. And you’re now getting the consequences of some of your decisions. Some of those will come down the road. Some of them when we get to heaven.

But to understand that God is still on the throne. Look what He says there now in verse three. When my enemies are turned back, does that mean you’re gonna have some? Yeah. They shall fall and perish at thy present. Maybe not now, but in time, but always believe in that. You have to live your life, believe in that serving God, it is worth it. And anybody that’s against you, You’ll let God take care of it. That keeps you from being mean and better and filled with revenge.

But look what he says on verse 4. And you ought to underline this for a vile hath maintained my right and my cause. God hath maintained God knows the cause for which you live. Why do you do what you do? Well, because God knows the cause. God knows the reason. God knows the motive. For thou hath maintained my right my cause. One of the biggest problems we have in America is everybody wants to fight for their rights, but nobody wants to fight for their responsibilities.

The only reason we have rights is because they’re a responsibility that has to be fulfilled. So I want the right to fulfill my God-given responsibility. They don’t come from government, but they come from God. And it says, thou hath maintained my right and my cause and get this, thou said it in the throne judging right. He is now on the throne making decisions doing things. God is working in this world. Did not God say what was going to happen in the world when people rebelled against him?

Yes. Didn’t he say what was going to happen to a Noah’s time? Yes. What about in lots of time? Yes. Well what about even doing the time when Christ was born? Did God already know everything that was going to be done to His Son? Yes. Even when He got on the cross, yes, God’s still in charge. God is still ruling. God’s still on the throne. He’s still the Lord. He allows people to have limits of what they can and they cannot do.

In the book of 1 John, it talks about the sin unto death. In other words, God will allow you to commit sin, but there is a limit to what you can do before God will step in. And it’s different perhaps with different people because God is given every individual personalized attention. So you can’t just do whatever you want and think that there’s no consequences to it. There’s always consequences. Something is being done. There’s a God in heaven that’s working behind the scenes.

with the kings of the world. The God says the kings of the earth are in his hand. And even though there’s the water that flows, he says, I’m the one that curves the bank. I’m the one that determines the flow of the water. God’s the one that can bring the floods and the hurricanes. God can bring the fire. God can bring the earthquakes. God can do a lot of things. He says, I’m the one that can do all of this.

I can open up the windows of heaven. I can close the windows of heaven. I can bring people into your life. I can take people out of your life. I can give you a job, take it away. I can give you help. I can take it away. I can give you money. I can take it away. God, I can do anything. God plays by the rules, but He makes the rules. But He always does right. The Bible talks about God judges righteously.

And the last part of this, Bau’s said it in the throne, judging right means it’s being done at the time David was going through his problems. David, as he wrote writes, most of the Psalms is always talking about some of the things he’s going through. And the hurt, the damage that people were trying to do to him, many trying to kill him. And yet the Bible says, I know that God’s on the throne and he judges right and he’s taken up my cause.

Do you really believe Romans 828 for all things work together for good to those that love the Lord? If you love the Lord then things will work together for good. God’s one has to do that. If you rebel against the Lord it must be God that knows when and how to chasten every individual. If God is still on the throne. God is on the throne. But we see what’s happening with individuals where majority of God’s people don’t love him like they should.

Families that are falling apart breaking down because there’s no faithfulness to God. Because they don’t believe evidently that God is on the throne. And if the whole falls apart, we often hear about the nation because the nation is made up of family made up of individuals. Would you say that America is on the right? course that we’re getting better and better stronger and stronger and more godly, or we’re becoming a wicked, wicked nation. We are in trouble. God is going to chasten our country.

But the Bible says that God is still on the throne and he knows what’s being done. Look what he says there in verse 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. Is it possible for a child of God to forget how good God has been to him and get to live in your life and you stop being faithful like you should because you forget about the goodness of God in the land of the living.

So when you as an individual, if it can happen to a Christian and you forget God, the Bible gives us illustrations of what he does with people that forget God. What is an individual, a family, or even a nation? All we have to do is study about the nation of Israel. And over the years, the centuries, no nation has ever existed for long as a great power who become immoral, because immorality follows idolatry. When people no longer love the Lord, they no longer care about their morality.

And so when you become steep in idolatry, where you either worship yourself or man, or life, or jobs, or money, or pleasure, anything you put before God is idolatry. And so many people the day, they worship pleasure, church, if it’s convenient, and they’ve lost so much they have forgotten the responsibility. And so God says because you have forgotten God that God has not forgotten what to do. He is still ruling and he says the nations will be turned into hell.

That’s the individuals that live within a nation. Nations will rise, nations will fall, but nations cannot do whatever they want to do. There is a price to pay. Look in verse 20, put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. And regardless of what a man may accomplish in his life, he’s still just a man. You cannot make yourself into something that you are not. You are a man. You are only a man.

Only God is to be worshiped and I am not God. I am not to be worshiped. You are not to be worshiped. We’re not to bow the feet of any man. There’s only one true and living God. Look up there and see what he says in verse 7. But the Lord to get this, the Lord shall endure forever. He had prepared his throne for judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in up-rightness.

So God is on the throne, and God will hold court when God is ready to hold But I guarantee you everybody is going to court. Every Christian is going to be rewarded for what he’s done, suffer a loss of what he could have had. And I’m glad that Christ took our payment for our sins, so sins will never be brought up for us. But what we could have done for the Lord is going to be a shame to find out how little we did.

Because we forget why we’re here. We forget about what what church is about. We forget about what the Word is about. People are drifting. All we like sheep have gone what? A stray. They don’t care anymore. And yet the Bible says, as you see the day approaching, when Christ could come back at any time for Satan not the assembling of yourselves together, but most people do. Only if it’s convenient, if they’re not doing something else, they deem more important.

If I was to miss church today, and I’m supposed to give a tent of whatever God has blessed me with. Well the next Sunday when I come back, should I still give for the Sunday I missed? Yes. You know a lot of people won’t do that. That’s one of the best ways that majority of Christians they rob God. If I don’t go, I don’t have to give. We don’t give because we go, we go because we’re supposed to go and we give because we’re supposed to.

People don’t believe the Bible anymore. They won’t practice it anymore. It is the will of God for people to do right. But nobody can make another Christian do right, but I want you to understand there’s a God who’s still on the throne and God is still judging and God is seeing what we’re doing and what we’re not doing. And you cannot win going against God. Look what he says here in verse 9. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Are you going to have troubles? Yes, but he’s a refuge. He doesn’t eliminate the troubles. As you and I go through life, we think our lives are being blessed is I don’t have trouble. God says to be blessed is to have the strength and the grace to find that place of refuge. Rest in the time of storm, a person that we can go to that gets us through all the difficulties of life and keep the cause because the Lord knows the cause, the reason, the why, the motive of why we do what we do.

And we should always be found faithful. Look what he says in verse 10, they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord have not forsaken them that safety. See God’s not interested in forsaking us. Why would a child of God forsake the Lord? Why would you forsake the word? Why would you forsake the church that you need so bad? Why would you forsake the ways of God? He says, don’t do away with the ancient landmarks.

Keep the old paths. Keep doing what’s right because it’s a right thing to do. Look in verse 13. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, consider my trouble, which I suffer of them that hate me. You are going to live, you’re going to have the troubles that the Bible talks about, but there’s a place of refuge. And he also says that there’s those that will hate you, but you need to understand that, Lord, consider my trouble, understand, I’m a child of flesh and I’m weak, and I don’t have all the strength that I need.

And trust the Lord to give you that which you need, bear what you need to bear. And he says, that now lift me up from the gates of death. Let me tell you this, when you accepted Christ as your Savior, you were delivered from the gates of death, or I should say the gates of hell. But majority of God’s people have never gone to the gates of Zion. The gates of Zion is what we often talk about the joy of the Lord, the blessings of God.

Enjoyed the good things of God. They have been shayed from the jaws of death and hell, but they never go to the gates of Zion. And you’ll hear a lot of songs sung about the Mount Zion, the place of joy and happiness, doing the will of God, enjoying the things of God. A majority of Christians have never understood. Take your Bible now and turn to the book of 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians. But the other night we were talking about 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2, because there is going to be a one-world government, one-world religion.

We often think that if that’s going to happen, then that That means that God is not in charge. But understand, the God in heaven that knows everything that’s going to happen, he knew what man was going to do way before man ever did it. He says, thy word is forever settled in heaven. God knows the end from the beginning. And even though God has given to man a free will, God did not isolate himself from his own foreknowledge. He knows what man is going to choose.

He knows every person that’s going to heaven. He knows every person that’s going to help, but he didn’t determine it. He gave man a choice. And because God is still in charge, God is letting people suffer the consequences. of their decisions. In this life, we suffer many things because of decisions of other people. But if we understand that God in heaven knows our cause, he knows who the enemy is and who hates us and who does things to us, God says, I am still on the throne.

I know what’s going on. I know I know what’s being done. I just want you to trust me. And I will be your place of refuge in the times of the storm, the oppression. And because of all of that, God says, I want you to know, I know what’s gonna happen in the future. So here we are right here. We’re right before the rapture. Jesus Christ is going to come from heaven for his saints. seven years later, he’s going to come with his saints to the earth.

And there is going to be the seven years of tribulation upon the earth where the Antichrist is going to roll. But God knows what he’s going to do. And God says that he cannot manifest himself because he has been hindered by the church, the Holy Spirit that lives in this world. When Christ comes and takes us out of this world, there is not going to be any restraint and God is going to let the Antichrist have all the authority he needs to deceive the whole world.

God does not deceive people. God does not tempt man to sin. But God will allow the Antichrist to deceive the whole world and that’s in the very near future. But just because God allows people to do things. Doesn’t mean God’s not in charge. It doesn’t mean God isn’t ruling. God has never relinquished his authority. He’s never relinquished his throne. He’s still sovereign God. They write the power to do whatever God wants to do. But he says, this is what he’s going to do.

And if I ever, who wins God? Who’s in charge? God. Does God know that he’s gonna renovate this by fire, he’s the one that’s going to do it. When he is let’s say to go into the bottom of the foot, it is God that put him there. A little man in our form of government comes to the top and God says, promotion come up not from the east or the west or from the south comes from God. God can raise up a man, God can raise up a nation and God can cause them both to fall.

And we would do well to remember it and not forget it. How you and live our Christian life is a reflection of what we believe about God still being on the throne. He hasn’t quit. And there in verse 8 I want you to look there in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 8. Then shall that wicked be revealed. That’s the antichrist in that tribulation period. Hong the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of is coming.

This is when he comes at the end of the Tribulation parod in power and great glory. This is when he comes with his saints to the earth. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, after the tribulation, with all power and signs and lion wonders. The Bible says that God will give him and allow him to have the permission to do all this wickedness upon the earth. Why? so that he will be able to convince those people who would not believe the truth, that they will believe a lie.

It’s not that they have to believe a lie, it’s that they chose not to believe the truth. So he makes the statement here in verse 10, and with all the sea-able-ness and unrighteousness, keep his in mind, unrighteousness is is deceptive. All sin is deceptive. People think, I don’t think it’s that bad. That bad depends on whose perspective. If God says something is wrong and sinful, it is wrong. It is sinful. He didn’t ask us for a vote. It’s not done according to majority opinion, but he makes this statement and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because, here’s the cause, because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved.

The rapture takes place. People won’t believe the truth. And because they refuse to believe the truth, God’s going to let the Antichrist who is the lie. So they see the world and they’ll believe it. They’ll believe the lie, but they wouldn’t believe the truth. Look at the world today. The reason that many Christians are not in church today is because they believe a lie. The mystery of iniquity does already work. Not that it’s going to in that one little seven-year period of time, it’s already being done.

People are forgetting God. Nations forgetting God. Families forgetting God. Individuals forgetting God. Is there a price to pay for all that? You read the Old Testament to see what God did to a nation. Get what he says here in verse 10. He says, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause, God, who is still on the throne, shall send him strong delusions that they should believe a lie. God’s doing this.

God is allowing the Antichrist to come to a head into the nations to vote upon having a one-world leader. Our world is getting set up. The world is going to want it. They’re going to want peace, and there’s going to be an individual that can promise them. I’ll give you peace. He says, peace, he meets a piece of this country, peace of this country, peace of this country, peace of this country, until he gets all of it. Get verse 12, that they all might be damned who be lead, not the truth.

And then you’re going to online these last few words. Pleasure and unrighteousness. Is there pleasure in sin? Yes. There is pleasure in unrighteousness and God says, I’m still on the throne. I haven’t forgotten. I gave my word. You can do whatever you want to do. But I remember, I promised some consequences and some retribution, there’s going to be judgment coming. Payday’s coming. And I believe most Christians don’t think that it’s that serious of a deal. It’s a serious thing to me.

God’s work is a serious thing to me. Preaching is serious to me. I realize I’ve got to count to God for everything that I teach from this book. That scares me to death. I also realize I’m supposed to be an example of a believer. So are you. We’re the one that has to decide, but we can serve the Lord or not serve the Lord. Be faithful, unfaithful. It’s your choice. The mystery of iniquity is at work. Just like Christ was the mystery of godliness.

God manifested in the flesh. The mystery of iniquity See, it’s the Antichrist, the seed of Satan manifested in the flesh. Somebody’s going to be just like Satan, and yet so powerful, so good that he can deceive the world. He says it’s already work. Think of how many people are deceived week after week because they refuse to obey the truth. Put God’s first, love them with all your heart, and serve them by speciality. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. For Sunday morning services begin at 10.30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calbre of tampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

Well everybody wants to succeed in whatever they attempt to do. And so, of course, the key is finding the will of God for your life because not to do the will of God for your life is to be a failure. And so, I’m looking at this not in so much respect as the other areas of life as I am spiritually. I’m concerned about a person being successful spiritually. The goal that you trust Christ as your Savior is to mature in the Lord, to grow strong so God can use you.

But to find out the talents that you have and the treasures that God has blessed you with and the abilities that you have and how can you use whatever God has given to you for His honor. And you know that at the end of life we’re going to stand before the Lord at the Judgments of Christ, God’s going to reward us. And so you want to be successful. You want the Lord to say to you, well done, thou good and faithful servant.

So you want to be obedient, but there’s things to learn. There’s so much you need to understand of what to do and what not to do. is a philosophy of life, an understanding that every child of God needs. So the first thing I gave you last Sunday night was the attitude determines your altitude. The attitude is so important about how you see things. It determines your perspective on life. Number two was have goal will travel. In other words, you have to have a purpose in your life, a reason for living.

Why do you live? Why do you just go to work? Why do you just come home? Why do you do what you do? There’s got to be an underlying reason. And it should be that in everything that you do, it can be done to honor the Lord. Even a housewife should do what she does because she loves the Lord and wants to do whatever her hands find it to do to do it as unto God. Even your obedience to your husband and the husband’s obedience to God, the children’s obedience to the parents because they want God’s blessings upon them.

There has to be an underlying reason, a foundation upon which you build that is to sustain all the other decisions that you make, and therefore you have to have something in order to relate it to. And the plan for profit, in other words, every day should be something that helps you toward the goal that you have set. And we know that God has given to us a course to run, a race to run, and God wants us to finish our course, finish our race with joy and fulfill the ministry that He has given to each and every one of us.

We have a ministry where we serve God, but we are ministering to each other. You may minister to your husband or your wife or your children to the people that you work with. Everybody has problems. Everybody needs encouragement. And so you need to plan to have a profitable day. The other thing was to think big, plan big because God is big. In the lives of a lot of God’s children, they have a small God, a small God that can’t do very much.

They don’t expect God to do anything for them. Don’t expect God to work through them. Because you see, they put God in a little box and they put him aside and put him on a shelf and he’s there whenever you want him or whenever you need him. But you don’t think he can do too much because he’s not going to change anything. You don’t pray because he’s not going to answer your prayers anyway. And you already believe that whatever will be will be.

You think the devil is stronger than God. You think the flesh nature that you’ve got, you can’t win anyway. You’ve got habits in your life that you won’t break because you don’t think he’s going to give you the victory anyway. So you just live a defeated life because you think small. You don’t think big. I believe that God is big enough to do everything He promised to do. I believe that God can take any dedicated nobody and use them for His honor and for His glory.

The other thing was fear not control will destroy because the Bible tells us when you’re not trusting the Lord, then fear will rule your heart. And when fear rules your heart, then the Bible says fear produces torment. And on many of God’s children live in fear because they’re afraid of the future, afraid of failure, afraid of health, afraid of money, afraid of everything, afraid of the bills, afraid, afraid of, afraid of, and they don’t take thanks to God. And they bear these things and God says that they will destroy it.

There’s a philosophy and understanding that you have to have Inside of you that you use in order to guide yourself. It’s like having a set of glasses. They help you put things in the focus It’s an understanding basic truth from the word of God that you understand the law of sowing and reaping and If you want to reap something you have to sow what you want to reap And if you so love you can reap blood you sow peace you can reap peace you sow anger you reap anger you sow malice you reap that and you sow gossip, you reap that.

And so you want the best for your life. You want peace and love and joy and happiness. You want these things. Those are the fruit of the Spirit. And God says, be not deceived. God is not whatsoever man soweth. That shall he also reap. So you and I are going to reap what we sow. And we know that the day will come when God says that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. So there is a law of compensation that God says that will be in play and every man will receive what he has done.

Enthusiasm is the interest or the excitement that you put into your purpose in life. In other words, your whole life should be an exciting life to you. You should be interested in every day. You should be interested in the people that come into your life. You should be interested in the problems that come into your life. All those things are stepping stones or stumbling blocks. all depends on the attitude that you have toward those things. If people don’t understand how God uses problems, you’ll curse the problems.

But like we said before, you don’t curse the darkness, you strike a match. Let the word of God be the light that shines in the midst of a dark situation. The other thing, what the environment will be your greatest influence is to help us to have wisdom concerning the company that we keep, the friends that we have and all these things are important about the places that you go, the reputation that you have because this is what will influence you and people peer pressure.

This is one of the strongest things that happens to the teenagers when they go to school. They want to be like all the other kids, like all the other kids. If they were a certain kind of baggy pants, they all want to wear those same baggy pants. And if they wear certain tennis shoes by certain makers, they all have to have this and They’ve got to look the same and dress the same and talk the same and be the same because they don’t want to stand out like a sort of they got to be cool Well, there’s adults that also Get 40 years old and 50 years old and 60 years old and they want to look cool too They want to be like everybody else.

I always say don’t try to keep up with the Joneses Just wait and catch them on their way back And so we are to share and to bear one another’s burdens because everybody’s got something and the Bible says those were taken in a fault and everybody gets taken in a false son or a leader. Everybody falls, not everybody stays walking 100% all the time. We all sin as a Christian. And God says those who are strong at that time help that personongyang because you see if you don’t, who’s gonna help you when you fall?

And that’s why he says in the book of Ecclesiastes, that’s good when a friend has a friend because if one falls, then one can help him up. We need one another. That’s the purpose of church. churches and for all the most dedicated and godliest of saints who has no problems, it’s for the people who have problems. All of us have them. We’re all weak. We have a flesh nature and we need to pray for one another, encourage one another, so that we stay strong, keep doing the things that we’re supposed to do because one day we’re going to stand before God.

Well, that’s why, that’s why the Bible is so important. A preacher is important. A preacher can tell you things that your wife can’t tell you. The preacher can tell you things that your husband tries to tell you and you’ll get mad at him. That way when you get mad, you just get mad at the preacher, but you didn’t get mad at your husband. You still got your wife. You still got your husband. And you can take and listen and learn and be able to correct some of the things in your life.

But it’s hard sometimes taking correction from the wolves that are closest to you. That’s why I don’t get too close to you because I want to be able to chew you out. I got to be able to comeWB down hard on the things that you do that are not wise for you to do. Now, I want you to look in the book of Ephesians in chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5 and look there in verse 15. Verse 15 says, See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.

Redeem in the time because the days are evil. Now a wise man will redeem the time. Redeem in the time means to buy up every opportunity you can while you can. And the older you get, the more you realize you’re running out of time. So when you’re running out of time, you’re running out of opportunities because life is what is all about. And so when you no longer live, that means you’re dead and you’re gone to heaven.olean And so you know God’s only giving you so much time to live.

And it is so important to keep these things in mind.148154-+UTERS——————–Rober So number 10, if you look there in your notes, don’t procrastinate. Do it now. The Lord says serve the Lord in the days of thy youth in the book of the Ecclesiastes in chapter 12 So we are not supposed to wake until we’re 90 years old and finally I think now I’m really gonna serve the Lord It’s kind of like getting a carBUSY you know good nice rubber on the tires and on your car and And you’ll burn them out while you’re young and then whenever the thread starts showing Well, I think I’ll start serving the Lord now No, serve the Lord when you’ve got a lot of rubber on the tires.

When you’ve got more time left, serve the Lord in the days of your youth because a time will come when you can’t do all the things that you’d like to do. You can’t go the speed you used to go. You can’t remember like you used to remember. You don’t have the physical stamina that you used to have. But while you’re young, do all that you can. And then when you get older, you may not do as much that you should be able to do things in a wiser way, accomplishing more only because you’re wiser and you’ll make less mistakes because you’ve learned you’ve had 30, 40, 50, 60 years to live to correct things and know how to make wiser decisions.

At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work. Now I want you to look there in your notes because underneath these points every line, Every line is packed with some knowledge. They’re like little proverbs. Proverbs is a two words that come pro in verbum, means to more than meets the eye. You can see it, but then there’s something else behind it. But not on everyone, but these are some things that I think would be good for you. Number one, some fools are quick to rush headlong where angels fear to tread.

I remember Mr. Jackson, the one that led me to the Lord. He told me he says Yankee why don’t you slow down slow down? He says you’re always in such a hurry And I said well I want I want to do something I want to do it now And when I want something I want it now. I was not a very patient individual And that’s why men Betty after we got married lived in five states in a year and a half Think about it in a year and one half We didn’t move to five states Now I would venture to say that most of y’all have not done that.

Most of y’all haven’t been moved and lived in five states in your life. But we did because I Was so unsettled my desires changed so quickly and it was hard for me to get on the right road Because I jumped on every road that came along and I was always going down to see what’s down that street What’s down that street? What’s down that street? What’s down that street? But I didn’t have a main highway. I didn’t know where to go until I got things straight between me and the Lord and I thought, I need to let the Lord start guiding me.

And some people are going so fast, they don’t stop, slow down. Procrastinate means that you don’t do anything. You don’t move at all. You’re always putting it off. And I want you to look at this. Even too much gas into the carburetor can cause the motor to stall. You try to go too fast, too much, too quickly. And that, while it’s called burnout, you don’t want to do anything. You’ll get to where you don’t you don’t want to go to church You don’t want to sing in the choir.

You don’t want to do anything for God. I Don’t get what it is. You just get tired of it burn out had enough up to hear and you’ll start slowly You start quitting because you get burned out of the interest is gone You forget why you’re doing it and then becomes nothing but a burden a drudgery a job Instead of seeing things as an opportunity Pray the Lord, look what God’s given me, an open door. Look what I can do for God.

If you don’t keep the attitude right, it will destroy you. Patience, patience, patience. Everybody wants it. Everybody knows they need it. But you and I know what brings it. What brings patience? Tribulation work of patience. In other words, the result, the end result of tribulation problems is to produce patience in your life. Because it causes you not to have the answers to the problem. That’s what made it a problem. You didn’t know how to solve it or you couldn’t solve it.

And God knows that. And so God forces you to wait and let him open up a door or to teach you something that you didn’t know before. There’s reasons. Look at the next statement. To claim patience when action is demanded is disobedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Do not squander time, for that is what life is made from. When you waste time, you waste life. When you waste life… You waste yourself. The Bible says, and I want you to look this in Proverbs chapter 13.

Look there in Proverbs and chapter 13. And look in verse 4. In verse 4, the Bible says that a wise son hereth his father’s instruction, but a scourner hereth not rebuke. But in verse 4 he says, the soul of the slugger, the lazy man, the man that’s always going to but never does. The Bible says half nothing he desires half nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat not wouldn’t everybody in this room like to be made fat Now we’re not talking about physically fat The word fat means to be made liberal to be made Satisfied to have more than you really need or want but it’s something that you have more because you’re diligent But see a lot of people a lot of you probably in this room Do not diligently work, faithfully, consistently, at the thing you really want to accomplish.

Now, the same principles can be applied into business, can be applied on your job, he applied to your home or anything that you’re doing. You see, a lot of people progressing, they’re always putting it off. Like one guy says, I never do today what I can do tomorrow. Well, I think it’s supposed to be word of the other way. do today what you can and let tomorrow take care of itself but always try to get as much accomplished. Use every day, every moment and accomplish something with your life.

Let it be something that you’re working toward the purpose, your reason for living. Some of you like to have more but you waste what you have. Some of you might go to work and you make good money but you never have anything. Why? Because you waste it all. You spend half your money maybe on things you really don’t need. That’s not helping you accomplish what you want. be surprised how much God has given to you and I over the years, that if we would discipline ourselves how much more we could have, even the quality of life that we have, maybe even the better home that you have or the car that you have, all these things can all go together.

But there’s things that we could do and give more to the Lord and give to missions. You realize that every child of God, every child of God should give toward missions, every child Now, we try to do what we can here, even as a church bodied together, but individually to still give toward missions. There’s people that need help. Now, the next thing I want you to look at, shunning away from what has to be done is the biggest thief of time.

Success will never knock at the home where procrastination lives. The successful person must faithfully do what needs to be done, whether he likes to do it or not. There’s many things in the Lord’s work. I really don’t like to do and I’ll be honest with you. I don’t like doing editing Whether for the TV or for the radio. I really don’t care today Because it gets most time. It’s it’s a big headache It’s just a lot of work and even when we did the TV broadcast Sometimes I would work on the equipment and it would take me sometimes eight ten hours hours doing a half hour broadcast just to do one little half hour broadcast.

And sometimes the audio wouldn’t be right. And then sometimes the machines won’t even work. And I will be back in, I thought if I have a stick of dynamite right now, I just blow it all sky high. And I could become very impatient. I got irritated a lot of times. And I had to dedicate every Monday knowing that it was going to take that to do everything I had to get done. But a person doesn’t always do what he wants to do.

He does what needs to be done. As a husband, sometimes you’ll do the things you don’t maybe want to do them, but you have to do them. So you go ahead and do it and if you’re gonna do it, do a good job. Whatever you want to do, the best you post to him. We can just try to get by. But you know why I want to have a a thing tonight, I want to do better. I want to do it better.

Why? Because it represents the Lord’s Word. It represents every person in this ministry. Every song that we have that we put on a radio or we put on the TV, it represents God. We do what we do is for the Lord. And the Lord says, What’s over my hands find the dude? Do it with all I might try to do the best you can do on your job. I don’t give a kind of job you have. You ought to try to do the best you possibly can.

When you cut to grass in your yard, I think you ought to try to cut it as best you possibly can. When you paint your house or when you sweep the floor, when you wash the dishes, you ought to try to do it the best you possibly can. Make sure those dishes are clean. Have any of you ever gone to a restaurant and they give you a knife or a fork and it ain’t clean? At home, maybe it’s just you and your husband.

Church clean clean the house. I don’t I don’t think that you yard all the luck ugly white because you’re to be a good steward. God has loaned you whatever you have. Be a good steward of what you’ve got. Take care of what you’ve got. Do right. That’s all part of serving the Lord, whether you understand it or not. And so serving the Lord sometimes is not always doing what you want to do. It’s doing what needs to be done.

It has to be done. And if it’s got to be done, do the best you can possibly do it. Your future is being determined by your obedience to God today. Look at the next statement. Let me read it to you. The road to misery and failure are paid with good intentions. There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree. You can climb it or set it on an acorn. Wishing for something will not bring it to you.

But the act of doing the right thing, the right way, will bring you to it. Do not hope for a brighter tomorrow. Do something today that will make it brighter. In other words, don’t just let everything go. Like it doesn’t really matter what I do. If I want to bright tomorrow, then I need to do today what will make tomorrow brighter because I sow the seeds today that will grow tomorrow. And if you sow the wrong seeds today, the seeds of discord, then tomorrow you’re going to reap that.

If you want good things down the road, you better start sowing good things today because you see your future is being determined by your obedience to God today. I don’t worry about am I going to be in the will of God five years from now. If I’m in God’s will today and then tomorrow comes and I’m in the will of God tomorrow and then I’m in the will of God the next year and the next year and the next year well five years from then I’ll be in the will of God.

It’s so easy for a person to dedicate their life to God that they don’t have and withhold this moment, this day that you do have. That’s why he says sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. In other words whatever you need for this day, this moment God said, I’ll give you all the strength, all the grace that you need to bear whatever is going to come up on you this moment. But you cannot borrow into the future and bring grace from the future for this moment.

Because when you get there, you won’t have enough for that day and it will overwhelm you. God will give you the strength and the grace that you need as you live each day. Number 11, adversities are God stepping stone to success. It all depends on your attitude. In the book of Romans in chapter 5 and verse 3 it talks about tribulation and work with patience. The book of James chapter 1 and verse 12 says that if you as a child of God will endure testings, endure the testings, God says there is a reward that God is going to give you, a crown that He is going to give to you.

So you can’t get that crown unless God allows you to have these testings that you go through and the testings are to be looked upon as the opportunities you’ve been dying for. Wouldn’t it be a shame to have a million dollars and no place to spend it? Women, how would you like that? What if you had a million dollars and you haven’t said you can spend anywhere you want, as much as you want and there were no stores? Stores are opportunities for you to spend your money.

And so God says, I want to use you. And I’m gonna send you problems. And these problems are designed with you and mine, different ones for different people at different times, but all of you are gonna have some. And they’re designed to reveal to you what you don’t know, so that you’ll come to me and ask me. And I will grant you the wisdom that you need. Now, isn’t that wonderful? And you understand, and I’m gonna allow you to be tested to have these temptations, but if you’ll be faithful, I’m gonna reward you when you get to heaven.

You win, you win. And the goal of life is to win, not to lose. And sometimes we prejudge people’s motives too quickly. We think we got the answers to everything. We don’t know all that goes on behind the scenes in every person’s life. Look very quickly there at 11-11. Problems are unsolved opportunities. Remember every problem has a solution and a problem once solved is no longer a problem. What happens to you is not as important as your response. problems become stepping stones or something blocks, depending on your attitude toward them.

You are measured in the eyes of your fellow man by your ability to stand up to an adversity. No man is given more temptations than he has the ability or strength to overcome. If he looks for the way out that God has made, 1 Corinthians 10, 13 cents so, to be knocked down is not defeat, but to stay down is defeat. Adversities, obstacles, and problems are opportunities given by the Lord to help you grow. You’re on the line, that statement in your notes.

It’s a tremendous statement. You need to understand. Most people get bitter, sour, because things go wrong. God didn’t say that we ought to be faithful if everything works our way. If we get everything that we want, it doesn’t work that way. Doesn’t work that way in nothing concerning life. Your husband’s not perfect. Your wife isn’t perfect. Your children are not perfect. Your neighbors are not perfect. Everybody’s got faults. Everybody’s got a problem. And the thing is, is learning how to deal with those problems and keep moving ahead.

Let me give you this last thing here. Runaway emotions is a life jumping out of gear. I had a car one time kept jumping out of gear. It happened to be that old Volvo that I had and jumped out of gear and I couldn’t hold it in gear and they would jump out of gear and I’d had to pull it out. back in gear and you know if he doesn’t keep it in gear you can’t go to the speed you like to go.

A lot of people in their lives they like to do things but they have this problem with runaway emotions. They get runaway with fear and they see problems and they they run off at the mouth and say things that they shouldn’t say and so they have no way sometimes of a control in all these emotions that they have. Well emotions that will run without control is a a dead giveaway to an undisciplined mind. And many of God’s people, maybe some of you, are not disciplined to the point where you will control those things.

And you let them get the best of you. Let me read these to you very quickly. The greater number of dissatisfied, insecure and fruitless lives stem from a lack of self-discipline and God-discipline. Uncontrolled emotions result only from a mind not submitted to the power of the Holy Spirit. Because in Romans chapter 12 and verse 1 and 2, it makes the statement, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable servant, and be not conformed to this verb, but be it transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove or discover what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So it has to deal with the mind of an individual. And many people are guilty of runaway emotions and they won’t control their tongue, they won’t control their actions, and they’re good for about every once in a while they’re run along fine and they get knocked out of gear. They’re not going on that and then they get knocked out of gear. When you get knocked out of gear, you’re not, you don’t have any power. You’re not going anywhere. statement, it is poor reasoning to lose your head when you are in most need of it.

When you throw mud, you lose ground. Have you ever heard somebody say, well, I love you. Just give a person a piece of my mind. When you give them a piece of your mind and you have less of it. So you need to be careful. If you want to be successful as a Christian, there’s things you need to know what to do, what not to do. And all of it is designed to help you to be a strong Christian.

So you think about these things and you do right between you and God. Serve the Lord with all your heart, why you can. We deem in the time because the days are evil and time is few. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bible Live and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.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.

You can see what has happened in the last 40 years in our country since the The Bible was picked out of the schools and prayer out of the schools and abortion made legal and all these things. It has really taken our country downhill. And mainly because we rejected God, we reject the Bible, we reject the Ten Commandments or anything it has to do with law. And so the Bible says the law is good if it’s used lawfully. But to use the law as a means by which to get to heaven, then that’s an unlawful thing.

The Bible says the law is not made for a good man, the law is not made for a righteous man, the law is made for those who break the law, so that they will understand what the penalty is for breaking the law. They understand what the requirements are for righteousness. And I believe in our country they should know what is right and what is wrong. Now why some opposed the Ten Commandments? And you’ll see this has been done all over, but I want you to know really what it says.

Christ did not come to destroy the law. He came to fulfill the law. So keep that in mind. The Ten Commandments contains the essence of God’s moral law, which is embedded in man’s conscience to give him a sense of justice and realization that he is not perfect and falls short of what he ought to be. So this is one of the reasons that a lot of people do not want the hanging of the law around because many kids in school, many teachers in school, many in the universities are living immoral lives.

Why living immoral life and want to hang the moral laws upon a wall. They don’t because it’s a rebuke to those. It’s just like if you want to live in sin, you don’t want to go to church. Because you go into church to be because you want to live a righteous life. You want to learn what is right and be around people that are seeking to do that which is right so you can get strength and encouragement from them.

So it’s a good thing. But there’s nothing wrong with the law. If we say that you cannot legislate morality. Well, the 10 Commandments has got moral law at his morality. It’s what’s right. So what are people going to legislate immorality? Well, this is where we’re slowly getting to in our country is they’re legislating immorality, making immoral acts legal, making it lawful, making it moral, and then making a law for those that don’t agree with it. They’re the one that commits the crime because if you don’t agree with their lifestyle and say anything against it, you’re the one that’s wrong.

This is where it’s coming to. About 3,500 years ago at Mount Sinai, God gave to Israel through Moses the Ten Commandments. Many people today do not know that the Ten Commandments are a very important part in Scripture. Exodus 20 and the Christian faith. Believe it or not. Though the law was given to control the flesh passions of man, Once a man trusts Christ’s Savior, he’s no longer as seen by God in the flesh, so he’s no longer under the law.

The law was to control the first birth, the flesh, the lost man. And once a man trusts Christ’s Savior, the Bible says we’re no longer under the law, but we’re under the law of love. Therefore, if we love God, then we will fulfill everything the law says. So the greatest power is the law of love, because love has its own set of laws. But you can try to keep the 10 commandments and have no love whatsoever, and therefore you cannot keep it because of the imperfections of man.

Commandments one through four deal with man’s relationship to God. These are basic and affect all other relationships. In other words, the first thing in a person’s life is to make sure things are right between you and God. And then this will take care of itself. But if you see things are not right between you and God, then this won’t matter. This is where you have all your troubles. That’s why I believe that almost all of people’s problems is because they’re not right with God.

The problem that a man and a wife have in their relationship is because one of them is not right with God. Because if you’re right with God, you can solve everything. If in a church, if everybody’s right with God, all this takes care of itself between one another. But if it cannot be, it’s because somebody’s not right with God. Same thing in our country. So these relationships are very important, mainly our relationship to God and then our relationship to one another.

Thou shalt have no other God before me. The Lord Jehovah is the only God. He never permits any rivalry for we are His creation. Along to Him, there is no other God. He is the only God. And this is mentioned throughout the book of Isaiah very, very strongly over and over again. There is no what the God beside me. He says, He will not share His glory with another. There is no other God. There’s only one true in living God.

The true God has a son. You should have your faith firmly planted in the Word of God. Number one, some imagine that there are other gods in worship cows or other animals or a particular river or tree or so forth. In the other, a lot of this has been done. They got thousands of God. Cows can walk the streets and they can’t kill this animal back, man. You step on that bug that could be aunt Lucy. And so you just can’t do a lot of those things.

They worship stuff that are not true. Some worship the earth. Others look to the stars or to the horoscope for guidance. It’s a shame for a Christian to read their horoscope in the newspapers every day. You stop that trash. That’s junk. Don’t even start it a few worship the mind or man’s intelligent many worship many other things like cars boats closed bank account positions entertainment popular accomplishment all these things if you put in between you and God then God says that’s Idolatry anything comes between you and God becomes your God The second commandment thou shall not make under the any graven image God is the Spirit, therefore it is blasphemy to seek to confine Him to objects or things.

By bowing or praying to statutes, images, crucifixes, and so forth. Their idol, now get this here, this is in the book of Psalms, their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not eyes, have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. Knowses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, But they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat They that make them are like unto them so as everyone that trusts us in them Should you worship little statues and say these little statues represent something between you and God to them?

No, that’s that’s that’s heresy leave that junk alone But I think you have to be very careful that you don’t find yourself Thinking that some little statute that you can pray to or put them on the dash of your card Is anybody got a religion that they can do that and though this little thing is going to protect them Yeah, right it won’t Third commandment thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain You remember I told you that I thought Jesus Christ was a cuss word.

I did not know that was God’s name I didn’t know it was a reference to the holiest person that’s ever been born into this world. I did not know that I I thought Jesus Christ was a cussword. And that’s because all I ever heard was Jesus Christ being used in slang or asking God to damn either people or items or objects or anything. There was always asking God to send something to hell. I don’t believe that it’s right. I believe that it’s wrong.

The Bible says, let not filthy communication proceed out of thy mouth. No filthy communication proceed out of thy mouth. That’s why it’s not good to tell dirty jokes. To say things that you ought not say, always guarding your tongue. But God is holy, therefore reverence must cauterize all speech using His name. The words in vain means idle, nothing meant by it or irreverent. Some vent their frustration or anger by using God’s name, then defend it by saying, oh, I didn’t mean anything by it.

That is the purpose of this command. Everything you say should something be meant by it. The thing that you think something is meant by it. Everything means something. Be careful. God’s name should only be spoken or written in a meaningful, respectful manner. The Lord’s example prayer begins, Our Father, which art in heaven, and I call it the Lord’s example prayer is not the Lord’s prayer. Lord never prayed this prayer. It was an example given to us by which we could learn.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. To Helogad’s name means to reverence and to make his name special. Jesus Christ should be very, very special to you. I am very offended when people take his name and use it as profanity and curse. I’ve stopped quite a few people who are let them know that I did not appreciate that. And wondered whether or not I was going to get punched for it, but I have been known to let my views be known.

The Fourth Commandment, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The Sabbath day is a Saturday. It was a day that God rested from the work that he had done. He made the heavens and the earth six days rested on the seventh day. This is the only commandment that you do not find in the New Testament that tells us to keep. That was to Israel. He given to them as a command in the book of Exodus in chapter 20.

Everything else out of the other nine are in the New Testament given by Christ or in the epistles telling us that we need to do those things and understand those things. But there is none about the Sabbath. It’s the only one. But he says to them, because God created all things. Ancient people, no doubt, knew that the seventh day was to be holy. Israel also knew that manna did not appear the seventh day. At Sinai, God commanded Israel to keep the Sabbath day holy by resting from unnecessary work.

The only thing it was supposed to do that day was not supposed to work. It wasn’t a day worship. You say you’re not supposed to worship on the Sabbath. Well I didn’t say worship or you’re supposed to worship the Sabbath. No, you didn’t do no work on the Sabbath. It’s the only thing you did not work but I’m glad that we’re not under the Sabbath law anymore. The Fifth Commandment, honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

This means the honor thy father and my mother as long as you are at home. You think it means for the rest of your life? I believe you should always honor your mother and father. That means that you don’t always necessarily do what they want you to do, but you do what they would be honored by you doing right. You honor your parents by doing right under all circumstances. And I believe even though my mother and I was dead, my dad’s dead, I still should honor my parents by how I either think or remember of them or use them in illustration or whatever, but never for shame or to put down to low rate or anything like that about your parents.

Our first relationship is with our parents. To honor means the child obeying his parents with a respectful attitude. When a child grows up and does not obey his parents, he usually has problems with others and especially those in authority. Adults are to continue to honor their parents by showing respect and concern for their welfare. There is a great movement on today in secular humanism to do away with all of these laws because they don’t want to do this. They want to be able to, if they want to, abort the children, murder babies, or to have euthanasia to do away with their parents.

So laws will be passed. We can do away with them and we can do away with them. think if they would just eliminate all the people in all the nursing homes, just let them all die. Give them a shot. There’s people that want to do this. I believe it’s wrong, but that is what is coming. The other thing here, this command includes a promise that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God give us be.

It is repeated in Ephesians chapter 6, honor thy father and mother. See, that’s not done away with just because you know that was under the law. Well this is repeated in the Ephesians. You’re still to honor thy father, but that it may be well with it. Referring to exactly the same promise, the same scripture to the law, but this is not for salvation and the law is good if you use it lawfully. This promising flows things going well for them in life.

Many things will happen better for you because of the way you treat your parents and your grandparents. 6. Commandment thou shalt not kill. This short command teaches the sanctity of human life, because man was created in God’s image. Every human soul has word, has value. We talk about the value of human life. Human rights is because we’re actually taught from the Bible that every person has the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to pursue happiness. as long as it doesn’t violate the rights of somebody else, a person should be free.

Well, see, there’s a multitude of countries around this world that do not believe that. And their goal is to take away your right. And I believe we have a responsibility to defend those rights. Now we are not murders because we defend ourselves against those who are trying to take our life. Israel’s law was he that smiteth a man so that he die shall be surely put to death. And the murder shall surely be put to death is repeated three times in Numbers 35.

Israel’s law commanded capital punishment and history proves it to be a strong deterrent to murder. If you take somebody’s life, premeditated murder, and then by government they take your life, You can’t tell me that’s not a deterrent to crime because you’ll never do it again. If you listen to the news and you hear about these people who are serial killers, multiple persons that have died because of somebody killing not just one person, but a maulter to people. And then when we catch them, we let them go to prison and we keep them bearing them in the give room and board for the rest of their life and take care of their medical care and all that for the rest of their life.

We reward them. We don’t punish them. It’s better to do it God’s way. When someone accidentally or unintentionally kills another person, that is manslaughter. And to kill someone in self-defense or in defense of other people such as war is not murder. The Old Testament relates many wars that Israel fought to protect the nation from enemies. That’s different. Seventh commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery. This commandment emphasizes the sanctity of marriage in the home. Adultery is always a terrible home breaker.

What a man and wife is married, adultery destroys the home more than any other single thing there is. More so than money or power or whatever you want to call it, but adultery. Between one or the other is what destroys the home. It is sinful, it is wicked. and people need to guard themselves. But who so committed adultery with a woman lacketh understanding? He that doeth it destroyed his own soul. Talking about you destroyed your life because you’ve lost the purpose of your life because of how the marriage is supposed to be the picture of a man’s salvation.

That a man and a woman together for the rest of their life is a picture of when you trust the Christ as your Savior that you’re joined together with the Lord for eternity and is never to be severed. But lo and behold, because of a sinful nature, because people have a hard heart and they refuse to do things God’s way. Yes, there’s always the consequence. But then whenever there is, there are consequences on top of consequences and it plants within it the seed of destruction.

And it’s not wise. But Jesus said, “‘Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her have committed adultery with her already in his heart. By this, Jesus said adultery can begin when the eye stimulates the desire. Proverbs 7 and 10 says speaks of the attire, the apparel of a heart. And let me just give you this one on this. Many young girls or innocent women do not realize that immodest attire, such as suggested revealing, provocative, or vulgar clothing, can tempt the opposite sects to adultery, sexual improprieties or even rape.

I’m not saying they’re all totally ignorant, but a lot of them I think are. The eighth commandment thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not steal, emphasize the sanctity of personal property. You see, if you don’t steal, that means that I’m not allowed to steal from you through government either. People’s property belongs to them. Much of what is going on in our country today is theory. It’s called illegal plunder. It means the politicians by a stroke of the pen by voting can take your money from you and give it to somebody else.

That’s stealing. Nobody ever gave our government the authority to take our money from us and use it for unlawful means. And much of the things that are done in our country are just that. Most of the giveaway programs and so forth. It means the people who work take care of the people that don’t work, not wise. Our Constitution doesn’t state that. It’s not in there anywhere. I then read through the Constitution. I hadn’t studied the Constitution. I’ve taught the Constitution.

It’s not there. So why did I get all of this you’re from. Because of the ignorance of the common man he doesn’t know. This is why they don’t want our kids today to be totally educated. Because you cannot enslave educated, thinking, reasoning people. You can only do it to people who are not knowledgeable. That’s why people who do not know the truth of the gospel can be enslaved and a false gospel. That’s why the majority of churches are not clear on the gospel.

They don’t have the truth, the purity of the gospel. People become enslaved to religion and never really trust Christ with their Savior and they think that what they’re doing is going to get them to heaven and that won’t save them. The ninth commandment thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, emphasizes the sanctity of another person’s reputation. Do you believe that you have the right to destroy another person’s reputation without cause? That’s a shameful wicked thing to do because you’re trying to destroy somebody else’s character.

But a person’s character is what they are in the dark, their reputation is what they are in the light. God commands us to speak the truth in all manners to bear false witness. witness is more inclusive than just lying. For Baron false witness includes various types of deception, whether or without words been spoken, because then you’re not just saying a lie. But whenever you say something deceptive about somebody else, it’s not that you just told a lie, you’re trying to destroy somebody else in the process.

And then you’re planting seeds in somebody else that will spread that gossip to somebody else and somebody else which is a lot of difference. So God says, put away the lying. Speak every man truth with his neighbor. Ananias and Sephara lied about money they gave to the church. When asked separately about the amount they each lied, that day Ananias dropped dead, later his wife. The church quickly learned that God judges those who lie. Does God know when we lie?

And even though we lie, don’t correct it, there’s a God in heaven that’s still going to judge you because you did not correct the lie. We often think, well it’s really bad if you go out here and kill somebody. Yeah, and if you rob a bank, but sometimes we don’t think twice before we spread dirt on somebody or try to ruin somebody’s character, their testimony, or sow and seeds of discord. And don’t even think of the fall off the consequences of it.

it needs to be looked at very carefully. Be careful how you use your tongue because God will judge you accordingly. The 10th commandment thou shalt not covet, emphasizes the sanctity of the human heart for God. God wants our hearts to be contented and satisfied with him. When we want anything so badly that it disturbs our inner peace, we violate the command thou shout, not covet. It’s in God’s hands. Just forget it and go on and see if God will bless us because we seek to do what’s right and on down the road maybe God will give us all back.

But things are in God’s hands and learn how to trust Him. It doesn’t mean you get everything you want. Sometimes you want things that are good. You can desire the right things for the right reasons but you have to wait. Sometimes God leads us by the supply of something or the withholding of something. Some consider coveting to be merely wanting something or someone that belongs to a friend or a neighbor, but it could be an item in a store, a catalog, or on the internet.

Jesus said, beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consists of not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. The way to victory over coveting is to let God control what we want. It’s what you want, things that you believe that God would want you to have. And then if that is true, then trust the Lord to give it to you in God’s time. The 10 commandments reveal God’s perfect character and man’s faulty character. It shows you how sinful man is because we break the law.

When he says, I shall love the Lord thy God with all thy hard mind, body, soul and strength. We don’t love God that much. We don’t love God only. But the Bible says that we should. Number one, they convince us that we are sinners, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law lets us know we’ve come short of God’s perfection, so we understand the purpose of a law. Should we do away with that? No. Whenever I talk to a lost man, I’m always using the law.

The law requires us, we have to be perfect to go to heaven. The Bible says so. And because we haven’t, we’ve broken God’s law and the wages of sin is death. Well that’s the law. That’s the law. So I use the law with the lost man to show him what God said. And then I use Christ to show them that he’s the only way to be saved. So the law leads a man to Christ that he might be justified by faith.

The law brings conviction to the soul and creates a need to be forgiven. For that reason, some people oppose the tent commandments been posted on walls or graven in public places. Why? Because the tent commandments makes a person painfully aware of his failure to be what he ought to be. And therefore he senses in his heart a deep need that he cannot meet. Because if a person is realistic to himself, He knows that there’s a requirement that he comes short of and he feels like totally frustration.

He can’t meet it. So why even try? And if they only knew that there’s a way, but they don’t know that. But just because of what it brings to the mind of a man doesn’t mean that you do away with the law. No, you give them with a solution, the answer. Wherefore the law was our school master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. No one is saved by keeping the law or by doing good work.

But does that make the law bad, evil? No, the law is good. There’s nothing wrong with the law. We don’t use the law in order to save ourselves, but the things that are mentioned in the law, the Bible says, if a man loves one another, you fulfill the law between you and your brother. If you love God, a love will take care of itself between you and God. The 10 commandments have never rescued a parishion soul, nor start a person on the road to heaven, but they hold up a standard of perfection for us to measure ourselves by.

This is how we know we have come short of the perfection of God, short of God’s glory because of the righteousness of the law. And when the person sees himself guilty before a holy God, and hears that Christ paid for his sins at Calvary, he is often ready to accept Jesus Christ as a Savior for forgiveness and an eternal home in heaven. I used the law to explain to a person their need. Jesus summarized the last five commandments as thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

The apostle Paul wrote New Testament believers, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment it is briefly comprehended in this say and namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. in Romans 13, not the Old Testament. And that’s those laws that we just talked about. So when Christ came to fulfill the law, the problem with the law was that with us is not the law.

It was the weakness of man to keep it. But when we love one another’s we should, we shouldn’t want to kill somebody. If we love the way we should, we won’t want to steal from them. If we really love them, we wouldn’t want them to commit adultery because that would bring to chasing of God upon them and upon us. Why would you want God’s chasing upon somebody or upon yourself? So it’s better to do what God says. You have to guard your testimony at all times and put in the Lord first.

I hope that helps you to have a little bit better understanding of the law. It’s not a bad thing. And God not a big old bad bloodthirsty God up there and the Old Testament trying to get everybody. God got up this morning on the right side of the bed He’s looking over the banners of heaven and says, I got something good for you today. We always think he’s got it in the fourth. God ain’t got it in for us.

God is a good God. He’s a wonderful God. He’s a loving God. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from’ from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

I am very sick because of what I see in our country today. day. The spiritual decline. The moral decay. The rottening of our society. I mean the corruption in politics, the games that people play at church, like people are not serious about the things of God. It’s like just a big old joke. Big dream. Just do whatever you want to do when you want to do it really don’t matter. Here in the newspaper somebody put this on my desk this week while I was gone.

I came back I read it. A guy had written an article in the editorial, a guy named Ralph Stevens. I don’t know the individual but he says after three years of interviews I’m still waiting for a conservative Christian NRA member to offer a written reconciliation of his firearm views with Jesus’ mandates of non-violence, turn into the other cheek, loving your enemy and dis avialing material possession. Or is it convenient Christianity which is forsaken whenever your home, family or material possessions are threatened?

Please enlighten us.” He was answering somebody else’s argument and he says, isn’t there anybody out there that can write and explain your views on Christianity when Jesus says, turn the other cheek and all those wonderful sweet things and loving your enemies and you’re not supposed to… If you’re a Christian, then what do you want to fire them for? It’s incompatible. How can a Christian be for the capital punishment? I mean how can a Christian be for something like that?

And in the newspaper today, GOP governors raised capital punishment questions. Sacramento, California, capital punishment is under renewed national scrutiny. It is mostly Republican governors in most of the active death penalty states raising questions about the system. And this is due to public pressure, due to public pressure. In other words, things are changing, laws are changing, and people are being swayed by public opinion. You see, the news media is making a dent. It is influencing the news media, whether it’s the TV or newspapers.

does influence people’s ideas, because somebody will say something against Christianity. And you want to work, does the Bible have anything to say or answer any of these charges? Yes, I do believe so. Here in the book of Romans in chapter 12, I want you to look there again in verse 17. The Bible had just told us that being view of everything that God’s done for us mentioned there in verse one that in view of that because of the mercies of God that we present our bodies a living sacrifice holding acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service and then verse two and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove or discover whether that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So God wants us to take and dedicate ourselves to him and then he talks about some of the gifts that he’s given to us, the helps that He’s given to us, and the way we’re supposed to live and think and all these wonderful things. And then He makes the statement down in verse 9, let love be without the simulation or hypocrisy, abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. God tells us to abhor that which is evil, we’re supposed to hate it.

But now they’re coming out with hate crimes. If you hate their sin, you’re guilty. You’re the one that’s guilty and they’re going to keep on and they are doing this. They’re putting pressure upon people who take a stand against abortion or against the homosexual. You’re the one that are filled with hate now. It is their hatred of Christianity, their hatred of God, their hatred of morality, their hatred of decent laws. That’s where the real hate is. I’m not a hateful man.

I don’t try to stir up hate in anybody. I do want you to hate sin because God says so. And if abortion is murder and I want you to hate abortion, hate murder, I believe it’s right. Now, I don’t want you to hate the person. I want you to love the person but hate the sin. Today, see, we were kind of getting lost about who we are and what we’re supposed to do. We’re supposed to let God tell us how to think.

But as you read down through here, it does look like we’re supposed to be pacifists, not do anything. Well, that’s not true. And I hope that this man who wrote this article, O’Rough Stevens, will listen to my sermon today. I want you to see how that the God of that Old Testament of vengeance is the same as the ones in the New Testament. And there is no difference. It’s the same God. the things that Jesus said about, you know, that they will come when you’re supposed to beat your swords into plowshares and so on and peace and turning the other cheek.

And what about all of this stuff? Because see, it’s in your papers and it’s making the news and it’s causing laws to be written. It’s how our freedoms will be lost. But here in the of Romans in chapter 12 verse 17 says recompense to no man able for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men if it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men. Is it God’s will that we live peaceably with everybody?

Yes it is. As much as lieth in you. Now some people can bear more than others. Some people can’t hate very much. Some people have what they call a short Some people are long suffered, meaning they have a long fuse. And some of y’all in here probably have one very short. Now the people takes a lot to get them upset. But the Bible says here about recompense to no man anything. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

And the thing is you can give anger a room to subside before you in a moment of wrath or rage say or do something that you should not do. And you can do that if you’ll believe that God says there in verse 19, vengeance is mine, I will repay. If you can believe that God will repay, then you’ll feel that justice will be done. But if you don’t believe that vengeance is His and and that he will repay, then yes, you will want to take things into your own hands.”

I had a very trying time a few years ago. I got a phone call that my son, David, 28 years old had been killed because a man came into his room there and took a hammer and killed him. And it was a violent death because it was a violent fight. I mean, the blood was all over the walls, All over the room, showing that it didn’t happen in one spot that my son thought for his life. Now I have tried to relive that not because I’ve wanted to, but I guess you visualize and you wonder and imagine what was going on at this time when he took the claw part of the hammer and took out his face and killed him.

And the man that did the crime got four years. He confessed to the crime, showed him where the weapon was, what he had done, and I had robbed my son of his money, and got four years. Because they forgot to read him his rights when they picked him up. Now I have built inside of me a little bit of a thing called anger. I want justice done so bad. I even contemplate, think about, reasoning in my mind with good logic, I’ll do what government won’t do.

And then I read these verses. It says, I can’t do that. I can’t take matters into my own hands. God says as an individual. If I take that man’s life, even out of revenge, then I am guilty of murder. Now the Bible says, thou shalt not kill me, thou shall not commit murder. But you see, we do things that we should not do. And we’ll think some things that we should not think. But something that helped me deal with this anger and retaliation, the revenge part, I believe it’s right here in verse 19.

Look at it again. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place under wrath. In other words, give it room and let government deal with the crime. If government executes the man for the murder, then government is not a murderer. They have the legal right to execute to take a life. That’s not murder. That’s Yes, it’s killing, and government can kill. Government can legally take a man’s life legally. But you and I have not been given that right. God doesn’t want you and I doing that.

But when government will not do that and do the things that are right, does an individual, a Christian, a man that loves the Lord, a man that only wants peace, does he have a right to protect himself? His wife, His children, I believe, yes, with all my heart. And I believe that it should be done in defense, but that a man should not go looking for trouble. I don’t believe that you should go and just take somebody’s life. I believe that you have a responsibility to protect.

And one of the things that government is to do is to protect that right. that right that you have to protect what’s yours. And then he makes a statement here, vengeance his mind, I will repay, say, of the Lord. He says, how is God going to repay? That’s why government is not to be a bad evil thing. Government is a God-given divine institution. Government is just like the home God founded the home. God founded the church and God founded government.

God set up government. So to fight against government is to fight against God. Government has a lawful responsibility. Otherwise you and I we would all be totally vigilante style. Would all be either lynching and mob control. That is not the will of God. And therefore he says in verse 20, therefore if find enemy hunger feed him. If he first give him drink. Those that wrong you, instead of you taking vengeance upon and getting even, getting even. Remember that’s what justice is.

Justice means getting even. God says let government get even for you. They have the right, the power given by God that they can do that. You and I as an individual are not supposed to take matters into our own hands lest we say or do something in a fit of anger that’s just as bad as what was done to us and warp our judgment and you find out that you did something that was totally wrong and maybe somebody totally innocent but now notice what he says for in doing so thou shalt he colds a fire upon his head I guess you have to imagine I wonder what that is if somebody does me wrong if I do him right am I doing him right because I want him to suffer more?

I want to keep cause a fire upon that man’s head. In other words, when he goes to hell, I want him to get an extra chevel load. Well, I’m not sure that that’s what that’s referring to because not all of your enemies may be going to hell. Some of your enemies may be those who trusted Christ as Savior and are going to heaven. Some of your enemies might be your wife or your children. You know, families can’t turn on each other, can’t they?

Love ones. Your enemies is not always those people you don’t know out there. Sometimes your greatest persecution comes from those that are closest to you. But sometimes people wonder, well, maybe this is just talking about if you’re nice to them, it works upon their conscience and their conscience is so burned and seared, you know, that, you know, it’ll wake them up and your goodness will cause people to repent. That’s a possibility because the Bible talks about the goodness of God, lead us to repentance, find in the book of Romans chapter 2.

But there’s another possibility back in these days. Everybody used to either go get water and get groceries, whatever they’re going to get, they always set it on top of their head. And those people could walk anywhere down the streets, busy people, everywhere, and carry things on their head. I’ve been in Israel five times. I’ve watched people, they carry things on their head. They They can balance all kinds of things on their head. Well they also had a customer in those days that even if they was to go without fire the coals are burned out.

They also had a customer in those days that even if they was to go without fire, the coals are burned out. In the middle of the night and in this cold, you see hot coals is something that you can also use to warm yourself with. It’s something you can cook with. It can give light. It can do so much but without a fire. In other words, and the neighbor goes to the next neighbor and asking if they can have some of their hot coals.

The Bible says, can a man take hot coals into his bosom and not be burned? But if you put them on your head and you can walk and carry them and they can balance the coals on their head just as easy. It could mean that what you did for them was like keeping coals of fire upon their head. You did them a good deed. Their light’s gone out. Their warmth is gone. They have no heat. They have no and you’re giving them something.

You’re doing something for them. Now it could mean that. I don’t really know. But it is a possibility that he says in verse 21, be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Now the rest of the chapter here in chapter 13 talks about the government. That God designed government. Government is a good thing. It is designed by God. He says, let every soul be subject unto the higher power. The higher power is God. And everybody is supposed to be in subjection.

Children are supposed to be in subjection to their parents. And the mom and dad pose being a subjection to God. And that’s the way God designed it. But see, today we have parents who don’t want God. And kids, they don’t want parents telling them what to do because they see the hypocrisy. And so we have children a day that are not disciplined. And so what’s to stop a 13 year old kid from wanting to pick up some gun and out of a bit of anger, pick somebody’s life?

We’re not because it’s out of anger, just out of curiosity. Just so they can watch somebody die. And so the problem is not the weapon. The problem is what’s wrong with a person. You say, why? I got guns. I ain’t kill nobody yet. Guns not the problem. Have I ever been angry? Yes, I have been. I ain’t taking nobody’s life yet. And I felt that if I had any right to, I’ve had, but I haven’t even fired at a person.

I don’t recall ever threatening a person, but I have a gun and I believe that I know how to use it. And I believe I have the right to use it. And no, I don’t believe in what people are trying to influence others into believing. Well, if you’re Christian, if you’re Christian, you’re not supposed to take somebody else’s life. You’re not supposed to want to do that. And you shouldn’t be for capital punishment and all these things. It seemed like there’s no compatibility, but when you understand it, there really is.

How that what Jesus said and what the law says, it is right. So therefore, our laws have the right to do whatever God’s law says they can do. The question is, is human government ordained of God? Yes it is. God designed government. He’s the one that says that he raises a up and he puts them down. I believe that God started the nations of Babylon, Israel, all those nations that there are in the world today. God causes them to rise and God causes them to fall.

God says he’s the one that sets up kings and removes kings. He does all of that. Does God ever take life? Yes, God does take life. He has the right. God is the author of life. It is divine creation. God takes lives and judgment for sin. Let me give you a point. Jesus 38, God took the lives of two sons of Judah. God causes the earth to open up her mouth and swallow Coron Nathan in Abraham. God smites Yuzah because he had put forth his hand and simply touched the ark and God took his life.

Now God did not commit murder. God executed justice and judgment to kill is not the problem. When it says in the book of Exodus in chapter 20, thou shalt not kill, I mean, thou shalt do no murder. But because government has the right, the authority by God to take the life of those who take life. That’s the law of government. But we let compassion and sympathy shadow over our minds and are clear thinking that we don’t seek clearly like we ought to.

And therefore we work under that emotion that we can’t have none of that. I’m going to tell you what I believe the book teaches. I don’t worry about public opinion. It’s either right or it’s wrong. It’s the book. And so we have here in God’s words, some things that he has mentioned. God had 185 Assyrians killed. God killed the firstborn of Egypt. God killed Ananias and Sepharth, for one thing, what do they do? They lied. But that’s not murder.

And God has given the government the right to take a life that is not murder. When a judge brings down a sentence that a man must die by execution, the person who actually cares out the execution, they’re not guilty of murder because they’re doing it under the umbrella of government, a divine institution set up by God. When a man goes to war and he has to fire a gun and take a man’s life, he is not a murderer. King David as the king of Israel went out to fight the enemy and mulkatoos were killed.

David was not a murderer. But when David as an individual took Uriah and had him killed because to cover his sin as an individual, he was an actinist king, he was actin as a man, individual. He had no authority to do that and God got him for murder. Says thou art the man he was guilty of murder, but look at the thousand that he had killed One when it’s in the offices of a government divine authority But as an individual no you don’t have that right and just because somebody makes you mad Does it mean you have the right to take your gun and go blow them away?

That is sinful that is murder Thou shalt do no murder That is wrong Is all killing murder? No. Killing by an individual is prohibited. Killing by a nation is permitted. All murder is killing, but all killing is not murder. You can take a life unintentionally. God says that’s not murder. The Bible says to kill a thief is not murder. Does God authorize human government to take life? Yes, Genesis 9 verse 6, to take a man’s life in capital punishment is not murder.

All these people have to do is read the law. Here’s the law. Go by the law. If not, our country will get to where we only make laws based upon public opinion. And it is our humanist educators that are shaping the minds of the next generation. And as long as they can do that, they are going to, by public opinion, form the laws that will strip us of our Christian heritage. It’ll destroy our families. Right now, their car makers now are beginning to go ahead and have benefits for gay couples.

I told you it was going to come. The day will come when you you can’t you can’t deny renting your house to somebody because of their sexual orientation. I believe that that’s your house and you want to rent it, you want to be able to rent your house to whoever you want to rent it to, but what amount you want to rent to? And it’s nobody’s business. This is America. Remember that? We’re not on the socialism, we’re not a communist country.

I’m impaled to my thoughts. There’s a woman on radio. I never listened to her, but people tell me there’s a woman on radio, a law or something, schleson, whatever it is. And she is being canned in a lot of places and being dropped by supporters because she’s taken a stand for the home. And she’s called a racist and a bigot and everything you can think of. And all she’s saying is she doesn’t believe that the gay lifestyle is constructive to the family.

It’s destructive. Well, blessed be God. I believe that too. I believe the Bible. And I guess as long as I believe the Bible, I’m going to be an oddball. Then let me be an oddball. I believe that the Bible is true. I believe it tells us how to live. And if you understand it, you’ll know how to deal with all of your inward feelings of hatred and the anger, the bitterness that you can have, because you can surrender your vengeance to God.

God, I’m going to put that in your hand. You said, I will repay. I believe you. I don’t know when and I don’t know how and I don’t really care. That’s your job and you’ll work through government. And if government don’t do this job, then they failed and you’ll deal with the government. But my hands are clean. Now, either I can accept that or I can’t. Either I can believe the Word of God or I can’t. And I told the man that killed my son because I had it on video and put it into the courtroom.

It was 20 minutes long. He had to sit there and a judge made him sit there and listen to my whole 20 minute message. And I told him on the tape, I’ve never met you. I don’t know you, but you killed my son. You admitted to that. And I believe that under the law of our government, you should be punished to the maximum that you should give your life, but you won’t have to suffer. They won’t require it. And I say, you may escape justice down here, but I believe in a court of divine justice where you will not escape.

So you’re escaping right now as only temporary. But as an individual, myself personally, I forgive you. I’m not going to seek revenge. I’m not going to do you harm in any way. But I want you to trust Christ as your Savior because if you don’t, you will spend an eternity separated from God and Hell. And God loves you, and so do I. I told the man that on video and they played it in the courtroom. And I don’t know what will all transpire happen, but I know that if God’s word can sustain me, it can sustain anybody, it can keep you from having the vengeance that you want to get even with everybody for things and just go ahead and do right.

But where does it come in then? With the right to have a gun or a sword. And this thing about turning your other cheek. How do you harmonize all of that? I’m so glad you asked. But I don’t have time to cover that this morning. This hand represents you and me and this represents sin. You and I, we’re sinners. God loves sinners. We’re all sinners. You say, well I ain’t never murdered nobody. Bible says we have broken all the law.

If you offend in one point, you’re guilty of all. So which is the worst? Well, the first one says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, body, soul, and strength. Do you do that one? So you already broke that one. Because nobody does. Thou shalt not covet? Be honest. Thou shalt not lie? Be honest. This is you and me. The Bible says to pay for this sins eternal separation from God in a place called hell, but God loves us.

He wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God and nobody is perfect. We’re all sinners. God said we can’t save ourselves. We need a Savior. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us. He hates our sins. See our sins separates us from him. So Christ took the sin, paid for them across, and came back from the dead. He said, if we believe He did it for us, He’d put the payment that He made to our account.

We go to heaven on what He did for us. There’s no tricks to that. That’s the best news in all the world. If you will accept Christ as your Savior, believe in that He died and paid for your sin. The God will save you from hell, give you eternal life, and you’ll go to heaven on what He did for you. Let’s pray, Shallelujah. We’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. For Sunday morning services begin at 10 30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed.

Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

In the book of John, Chapter 3, Jesus Christ is speaking. He says some things that are very, very potent. If you want to know if there is a division among people, you can see it very clearly here. As some people call it, there’s the saints and the aint. There’s the believers and the unbelievers, the saved, the lost. those that are going to heaven and those that are not going to heaven. The God that made the heavens in the earth speaks of his great, wonderful love that he has for the human race.

When he says in John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. The whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. You can’t get a greater love than that. And at the same time that you have him speaking about his great love that he has for people. Why does he have to talk about his wrath? Why is he going to talk about his hatred of sin? Well, because see, that’s how God showed how much he loved by letting you know his thoughts on sin, which you and I have committed, and his hatred toward the sin, but is love toward us.

And yet to provide a payment for the sin, and then only to have people, rebel or reject Him and not accept Him. See, to reject Christ is to reject the love of God. So if you reject Christ, you are rejecting a payment for your sins. And if If you don’t have this payment and accept this payment for your sins, then you will have the wrath of Almighty God upon you. Look there in verse 36. In verse 36, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

He that believeth, he anybody, believeth the only thing that’s required. Nothing else required but believe. Means you must believe that when Christ died and He paid for your sins, that you trust Him to take you to heaven when you died. Do you believe that? God said that He gives you as a free gift everlasting life and you can claim it now. And you can say, I have everlasting life because He says He that believeth, half everlasting life. life. Now the other side of the coin, the other side, what about the person who doesn’t believe it?

Is God going to give them a second chance after death? No, there’s no second chances. Well, didn’t God love them? Yes, God loved them. But God is a just God. And he says they’re in the last part of verse 36. And he that believeth not the son, that means you do not trust him, shall not see life, that’s eternal life. You will not see eternal life. It doesn’t mean you won’t exist forever because you will exist forever, but you won’t have eternal life.

It means you don’t have the eternal life, the quality of life, God’s life, living within you in the place where God dwells in a place of paradise for all eternity. But you will always exist, but it’s forever dying and never dying. We will be forever living eternal. And then he makes the last statement here in the last part of the verse, but the wrath of God abided upon him. You cannot deny if you believe John 3 16 for God so loved the world, then you also must believe that there is the wrath of God upon every unbeliever.

Every unbeliever. God’s wrath is kind of like this. If this is you and me and we have sin on us, you and I committed the sin and we live under the wrath of God. And one day when we die, God’s wrath is going to fall upon us. Now the only way you can eliminate the wrath of God upon you as an individual is to believe that when Christ came, this hand-ripper is in Christ, He took your sins. When Christ took the sins of the world, God let His wrath fall upon His Son, and his son took the wrath of God for my sins and for your sins.

But if you reject the payment that he made, then God’s wrath is upon you. Look there in verse 18 of the same chapter, but verse 18, very important. He that believeth on him is not condemned. That means if you believe it, you trust Christ as your Savior, you are not condemned. God’s wrath does not come upon you. You’re not condemned because he was condemned in your place. but not get the last part of verse 18. But he that they leaveeth not is condemned when.

Already, see you’re not waiting until some day in the future to be condemned. You are already condemned. You are now condemned. And that’s why you need a Savior now. If you do not accept His salvation before you die, there is no more opportunities. You are then under the wrath of God for all eternity. That’s awesome when you think about that. And I know that there’s many people that do not even believe that there is a God. But that doesn’t do away with the fact that God still exists.

His Word is still true. If somebody can disprove it to me, I wish they would try. I’d love to see some of these mistakes and contradictions and all that stuff in the Bible. I’ve been studying it for almost 40 years and I haven’t found any of them that everybody tells me about. I found the Bible to be a trustworthy book, very reliable. If it speaks on science, it’s true. It speaks on history, it’s true. Whatever it speaks on, it’s true.

And I have tried the principles that are laid down in the book. I found out they are true too. When the Bible says in the book of Genesis in chapter 1, where it says, says in the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters because the earth was without form and it was void. And it says he moved over the darkness and God created light. See, I believe that. I believe that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

I don’t believe that it was evolved and that God created by the process of evolution. See, if you believe that means you don’t understand either one. The Bible does not teach on evolution. God condemns anyone or anything that takes away from the truth of His Word and those who trust in rocks or stalks or anything by which they think they came from that, God says that’s false. God’s Word says evolution is not true. God’s Word says that. And I believe the Bible.

The wrath of God that is upon every individual has also been seen upon the nations of the world. Every great kingdom that has come upon the scene and passed off the scene is only a remembrance of the wrath of God upon their wickedness. America is under, I believe, the wrath of God, and it’s going to fall, the wrath of God on America will fall. You say, how do you know that? Because the Bible teaches that. The Bible says that all nations in the end time will gather themselves against a little nation of Israel.

And all nations will gather themselves into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and the plains of Jezreel at the place called McGetto. And the Bible says that God is going to come down after he pulls all these nations into this great big valley. And he’s going to look at these people as though they were grapes in the Bible says he’s going to take his feet and stomp the grapes until the blood runs to the height of the horses’ bridle for 200 miles.

That’s what God says he’s going to do to all the nations that fought against Israel. And then the Bible says that Israel will become the greatest nation in the world. And all nations will know that there is only one true and living God, and they will come to Jerusalem to not only worship God in Jerusalem, but to see God in Jerusalem. He’s coming. That day is ahead of us. You see, I don’t have to see all of this with my naked eye.

I can see it with my eye of faith because I believe the Bible. If anybody can believe that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, you can believe that this book is true. And you’ll see things other people don’t see, but they’ll be truth. You see, this is where the real thing is. world is. I’ve had people tell me one time, says, Yankie, what are you going to do when you get out in that real world out there?

It isn’t real out there. It’s real where I am and what I believe and what I see and what I understand. That’s real and that’s truth. And I’ll stand there and I’ll die there. And it’s been good enough for me for almost 58 years. I think the Lord’s been pretty good to me and I’m thankful for that. But I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter 5, Romans and chapter 5. The Bible says that every individual is an enemy of God.

You may not know that. You may not have thought you were. But if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, you are His enemy. You’re against Him. He’s against you. But He loves you. He wants to make peace between you and Him. But you didn’t have what it took to make peace. You said, what did it take? Perfection. You didn’t qualify. So God is against your sin, even though you try to hide it or deny it or run from it.

God sees sin. And the Bible says, God despises and hate sin because God is a righteous and a holy God. And God says that you are His enemy and He has wrath towards you. And if you do not accept the peace offering that He made towards you, then you are going to get His wrath. And every person that is permitted to live every day has an opportunity to accept this peace offering. That peace offering was his son. His son was offered to make peace between God and man.

The man Christ Jesus, the mediator. There is no other. So he says here in verse 9 of chapter 5 of Romans, much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him, for if when we were sinners before you did that, you were His enemy. We were enemies against God, and God has wrath toward us. But when you accepted that peace offering that He put towards you, and you accepted it, then the Bible says we have peace with God.

verse one of chapter five. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God. I’m not God’s enemy. I’ve made peace with God. Have you ever heard about people before they die? Look, have you made peace with God? That is so important because you’re going to die. The Bible says after this the judgment, after this a judgment. But have you made peace with God all of life? Whether you lived 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, 100 years, all of life is preparation for you to meet God.

Think about it. All you’re doing, and every decision you make, whatever you’re doing, and wherever you’re going through, it’s preparation for you to meet God. Because God is going to hold you accountable for every thought, word, and deed. You’re going to face Him. The Bible says in the Old Testament, prepare to meet thy God. Prepare to meet thy God. We have people today that deny that there is a God. They don’t believe in a God. But that’s all right.

still exist and they are still going to meet him. And God says, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. In other words, it means that there is a day coming which every person who has ever lived will confess that Jesus Christ, he was God. And God the Father will see the glory because the people a file you have to admit it, but with many people it will be too late.

Forever, too late. Jesus Christ is God. And we were enemies. And you’re his enemy until you trust Christ as your Savior. But if you do not trust the Lord, the wrath of God still abides upon you. And you never know when the wrath of God will fall. Take your Bible, look there in Romans in chapter two. You’ll notice there in verse two of chapter two, but we are sure that the judgment of God, and you’re on the line this phrase, according to truth, it’s according to truth against them which commit such things.

So there is a God who is going to judge people who commit certain acts of wickedness. They’re mentioned there in Romans chapter 1. People don’t have to believe there’s a God that doesn’t do away with God. This one atheist was talking to a little girl. Says, do you believe the Bible? She said, yes sir, I believe the Bible. He said, you believe in the story of Joan and the whale? He says, yes, yes I do. And when I get to heaven, I’m going to talk to him about it.

You know, well, what if he’s not there when you get there? Well, then you ask him, yes, I believe that there is a God. And just because somebody else doesn’t believe it, doesn’t shake my faith. It doesn’t make me weak or doesn’t make me question, doesn’t make me doubt. I just wonder why they’re so stupid. So naive to think that everything created itself by the process of evolution, which there is no evidence, no truth of. You came from a one-celled amoeba?

Oh, come on. We still got one-celled amoebas. We got anything coming from them? No. We came from some common ancestor down the road. We got him you around? No. Well, we came from half monkeys and half people. Well, where is this one? There’s no intermediates, there’s no links, hobblind. Where’s all these half people and half eights run around? There isn’t anything like that. Everything reproduces after its own kind, just like it says in the book of Genesis. Thank you.

Now here in Romans, he says here in verse three, and thinketh thou this, oh man, that judges them which do such things and do it the same that thou shall escape the judgment of God.” In other words, there are people who believe they will escape the judgment of God. And they’re not going to because God is just. He said, every man shall receive according to his own works, God. He says in verse four, or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God get thee to repentance, but after by hardness and impenitent heart, it means you don’t believe.

Your heart had its death next.” He says, not knowing that the goodness of God lead thee to repentance, but after the hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself, and you ought to line this word, wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds. Now that’s what the Bible says. And I believe the Bible. I don’t believe there’s one man living in the world that’s going to get away.

Either you accept the payment Christ made for you and you make peace with God before you die or God’s judgment, God’s wrath is upon that individual for all eternity. You say, well they get away but so They won’t get away with anything. Nobody does. I, as a Christian, if I decide, well, I can live like I please. I can try, but I cannot get away with it. My heavenly Father would chase in me, take me home before my time, or put me while I’m here, and I don’t know what it would be, but I don’t care to find out.

And somebody else decides to serve the Lord, God will bless them. See, everybody gets exactly what they deserve. You’re going to get exactly what you deserve. Just don’t try to judge too soon. It’s not over. God hasn’t judged you yet. He hasn’t either fully blessed you yet or rewarded you yet. See, when you get to heaven, you’re going to heaven was not because of what you did because Christ made peace with you. He was the peace offering. He took your wrath.

So you don’t have to answer for all those sins would condemn your soul to hell. That penalty has been paid for. Now the Bible says as far as you, you can have his blessings and his rewards but it’ll be according to whatever you did. Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. So you’ll get what you deserve. It doesn’t matter whether people do or don’t appreciate you, don’t appreciate you, reward you, behind you, for you against you.

It has nothing to do with anything. There is a righteous judge, God, who is going to take care of you. If you do what God says to do, God is going to bless you. You’re supposed to believe that. And God will honor you. Look there in Romans chapter 1 and verse 18. You can’t deny that it’s in the Bible. There is a dark side of all of this stuff. Oh yes, there’s a bright side, a one long eternal day, no night there.

But the Bible says the wrath of God, that period of time that comes upon the face of the year, is a time of darkness and no light. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness or resist the truth in unrighteousness or if you tied in to verse 25, who changed the truth of God into a lie. that what God said isn’t true. Say it’s a lie.

Say the Bible is a lie. See, whenever you teach evolution, what you’re saying is that there is no God. When you teach evolution, what you’re saying is the Bible is a lie. That’s what they’re teaching when they teach evolution. So you teach the kids that they’re animals. After a while, why be upset if they act like it? Evolution is a religion. the Supreme Court of the United States has declared the teaching of humanism, which is evolutionary teaching a religion.

It’s not even supposed to be in our schools. But we allow them to take over. So they are intelligent and they’re smart and they’re brilliant. The Bible says it this way. In verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful and became vain in their imagination. And their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, they became what? That’s what they are. Any person who believes in evolution, I don’t care what university, what college, where they teach how many degrees after their name, their fools, and anybody that believes them are fools.

I want you to know that you can’t be on both sides, you can’t play the middle, you think I’ll be one or the other. You can’t be both. So a good God create by the process of evolution. No. Like some people think that I never heard that argument. No, the Bible says how it is. The Bible is true. There is a judgment day coming, the Bible says, in which God is going to judge the nations. Take your Bible and turn there to the book of Revelation chapter 19.

Very quickly, Revelation and chapter 19. The Lord says, He’s coming back. One day, just think about it. The sky is going to split. And all of a sudden, here comes the Lord from heaven. And the Bible says every eye is going to see Him. Not only will they see Him when He showed Him, they’ll see Him coming. Before He gets you, they’ll see Him coming in Matthew 24. And when He comes, The Bible says in verse 15, and out of his mouth of chapter 19, verse 15, and out of his mouth go with a sharp sword that with it he might smite the nations, the nations.

Why? Because the nations are turning against God. They believe they’ve got the answer for everything and they’re going to have their little one-world religion and their one-world government. The Bible says, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth the wine-press, and the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Wrath, coming upon them. Take your Bible, look in chapter 11 of Revelation. The Lord is coming back. And it makes a statement in verse 15, and the 7th angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and he shall reign forever and ever.

Now get this, the kingdoms of this world, the nations of the world are going to have one ruler, yes one ruler one day and it’s going to be the Lord and he’s going to rule with a rod of iron. He will literally be here and his saints are going to reign with him over the nations of the world. You’d think that what they do now on a day by day basis bothers me. I have nothing to worry about. I don’t care what they do, but I want to reach and educate as many people as I possibly can to understand and to know this and to realize it ain’t over yet.

I know how it ends. All the kingdoms of the world will become his. And I’m gonna rule with him. And the Bible says that in the last time, God shall have them in derision and that God will laugh at them. God’s going to laugh at the stupidness of the judgment of the people that rule the nations. They call it, they think they’re so wise, so smart. God says your time’s coming. Look in verse 18 of chapter 11. And the nations were angry.

I wonder if you could consider that a hate crime. When the nations get angry at God, because of the judgment that God pours out upon this world, when they have their earthquakes that he talks about and their hell stones of 120 pounds hitting upon this earth, When God says that He’s going to take and be the one that turns out the light and make the moon turn into blood and everything in the oceans to die and one fourth of the world’s population destroyed at one time and people’s body consuming off their flesh.

When the Bible talks about it and their whole chuck can swim away out of their eyes, sockets and their flesh and their tongue shall consume away out of its mouth, when all that happens. The Bible says, the people rebel and get harder toward God and hate toward the wrath of the Lamb. That’s okay. They get angry. In verse 18, and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that they should have, they should have give reward unto thy servants, the prophets and to the saints and them that fear thy name small and great and should it destroy them which destroy the earth.

This is awesome. This isn’t far away because the nations of the world are chosen sides. Israel does want a peace treaty and the Jews want to rebuild a temple. But see those are things going to be built in the tribulation period. The tribulation period that’s seven years is called the wrath of God where God is going to pour out his wrath upon this earth. But right before all that happens, the Bible says the rapture will take place. That’s where Christ will come in the year and he’ll take every one of us that no Christ is Savior and are living at that moment, will be changed at a moment, the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

To deliver us from the wrath to come. So God pours out his wrath upon individuals and his wrath upon nations, wrath upon governments, and last days it would be the wrath upon the whole world. I know that I don’t have to worry about the wrath of God. Greatest peace of mine that I man can have. But if you have not accepted Christ as your savior, that was God’s peace offering to you. You reject Christ, you don’t have eternal life, you don’t go to heaven when you die.

You will have God’s wrath upon you. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. 771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline. Hear God’s word on Bibleline, Everywhere, every time. Hear God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calbreak Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Radiality Internet. Your regular prayers and mother… and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us was told free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible Night website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you’ll 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.

Christ is the foundation, and you and I are like living stones because he is a living rock. And we, when we trust Christ as our Savior, we’re like little living stones that are placed upon the foundation, and it makes a spiritual house where God will dwell. And so every one of us are part of a spiritual house. In the book of Ephesians chapter two, it teaches that and says those very words. So here, notice what he says now in first Peter chapter 2 verse 6.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Verse 7 unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which be disobedient or unbelieving. The stone which the builders rejected disallowed reject him the same as made the head of the corner. He is the chief cornerstone. He is the foundation, Jesus Christ. Who said that? Peter, Peter said that.

It’s not him. He’s not the foundation. He’s not the rock. There’s only one foundation that’s laid. That’s Christ. He is the rock. We’re little stones upon the rock. And that’s what he told Peter. That’s what his word mean. His name means see-pus. Now take your Bible and turn with me to book a Matthew in chapter eight. Matthew and chapter eight. And notice what the Bible teaches here because remember this Peter was not the foundation of the church. Peter was not the first pope or a father of the church.

How do you know that? I’ll show you what the book says. Here in Matthew chapter eight I want you look there in verse 14. In verse 14 it says, and when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid and sick of a fever. Now don’t you tell me something. Don’t you believe that it’s a little ridiculous to get yourself a mother-in-law without getting a wife? What man in his right mind would get him a mother-in-law without getting a wife?

people say, well, you know, Peter never got married. He didn’t have a wife. Well, look what he says. He saw his wife’s mother laid and sick of a fever. That means this is Peter’s mother in law. Any way you want to read it, this is how he comes out. And he touched her hand and the fever left her and she erodes and ministered unto them. Now, this says that Peter had a mother-in-law, and evidently he had a wife. It was his wife’s mother.

If this is true, then there’s a lot of other teaching that is not true. This says that Peter was married. Yes or no? True? The Bible said that. The Bible teaches that. So anybody in any religion, if they teach contrary to that, Are they lying or telling the truth? They’re lying. You have to go by what the book said. You say, well, maybe they don’t know that verse is in there. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they don’t know what’s there.

Now they do. Now they do. Take your Bible also in turn with me to a book of 1 Timothy chapter 4, 1 Timothy and chapter 4. In 1 Timothy chapter 4, the Bible tells us that in the last days perilous time shall come. But in 1 Timothy chapter 4, the Bible says also something else in the latter days. Look in verse 1, 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1. It says in verse one now the spirit that’s the Holy Spirit speaketh expressly that In the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils that means teaching various teaching doctrines teachings of The devil means it don’t come from God But a lot of time people say well God said and God didn’t say that But he says here in verse two, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consensured with a hot iron.

Look what else they’re going to teach. And remember now this is a doctrine of the devil. Verse three says, forbidding to Mary. Are there religions today that forbid certain people to marry? Yes. Is it right or wrong? It is wrong. We do not have any authority given us to forbid anybody to get married. Preachers are not forbidden to get married. The Bible says to leave mother and father and cleave unto your wife and multiply and replenish the earth. That’s what the Bible says.

But the Bible teaches that some are going to begin to teach this. It didn’t come from God and forbid marriage. That’s wrong. It’s ungodly. It’s a doctrine of the devil. It didn’t come from God. Now notice something else that goes with that. Whoever teaches the one, chances are going to teach the other. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from what? Abstain from meat. Are there religions that teach you must abstain from certain meats? Yes. On certain days. Yes.

Where do you get that in the Bible? It’s not there. The Lord says, everything can be eaten. You and I can, we can eat any kind of meat with thanksgiving. He said, well, is that in the Bible? In the last part of verse 3, he says, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving to them which believe and know the truth. We don’t eat any food with the belief that it’s offered the idols sacrificed to some gods, we believe that we can cook food and we can eat it.

Now you may want to be careful what kind you eat or how much of it you eat. You might like pork. Aren’t you glad you’re not Jew? This wasn’t before the law. We’re after the law. We’re not under the law. God says we can eat it with Thanksgiving. That’s also mentioned in chapter 14 of the book of Book of Romans. Get a chance. Read those chapters together. But notice what he says. In verse three, for bidding to marry abstaining from meat is the doctrine of the devil, not of God.

Now, take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians in chapter two, the book of Galatians and chapter two. We’re just covering some things this morning that deal with a great apostle. the Apostle, the Apostle Peter, but he was only a man. God did not exalt him above any other man. He was a man like you and I. In Galatians in chapter two, remember now, this is years after. This is almost 30 years after Jesus had been crucified.

Think about that, almost 30 years later. Well, now the time is come where another young man comes on the scene and he was the apostle Paul. Well, see, the apostle Paul was not one of the original disciples. He was not an apostle. He wasn’t with them. But he was born as one out of due time later on. But God called him to preach and God allowed him to see Christ after his resurrection. And that’s one of the signs that an apostle had to have.

He could do the miracles and he had to see be a night witness of Christ after the resurrection. And He was, because Christ revealed Himself to Him in a special way. The time came where the Apostle Paul had spent about 14 years, you know, kind of hiding and running but learning. And the day came when he went to Jerusalem. And when he went to Jerusalem, the Bible says that he took somebody with him, a man named Barnabas, Titus, who was a Greek.

But anyway, when he got there, he said that someone were trying to spy out his liberty that he had in Christ. And they wanted to put him under the Jewish law. And he said, while he was there, he said, some of these apostles that seem to be somewhat, he uses that word. You know, the people that you would think, well, these are the pillars and these are the leaders. They had honchos. But remember, Paul was not raised around those big shots, but they were there before him.

But when he went there, they got together. They got a chance to see Paul and Paul got a chance to see the apostles. But he says they’re in verse six. But of these who seemed to be somewhat, what server they were, it make if no matter to me, God except if no man’s person and evidently he didn’t either. Not one man above the other one. And he says, for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.

contrary wise, when they saw that the gospel of the Gentiles was committed into me, Paul, as the gospel of the circumcision, the Jews, was unto Peter. For he that brought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. He said, so God was using Peter to reach the Jews, and God was using him to reach the Gentiles. So they were both in the ministry, and they They both were apostles and there was Peter and there was Paul and one was reaching Jews, one reaching Gentiles.

And lo and behold, one day, well Paul started a church, started a church in Antioch. And in the church, they had believers of Jews and Gentiles. So he decided to have a guest speaker. He invited Peter to come from Jerusalem to the church in Antioch to preach. And guess what Peter did when he came to the church? Split the church. Peter split the first church. Apostle Peter did that. So what did he do that was so bad. Oh, it was bad.

You don’t know what he did. Let me show you what he did. In verse nine. And when James and Siphas, that’s Peter and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me. They gave to me in Barnabas, the right hand of fellowship. We should go to the heathen, they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor at the same which I was already forward to do. In other words, I was gonna do it anyway.

But in verse 11, but when Peter was come to Antioch, I would stood him to the face because he was infallible. He was perfect. He was so holy and we all bowed to him and kissed his big toe. Is that what it said? No, it says he was to be what? Blamed. Now can you tell me how somebody can be blamed for something and can’t be doing anything wrong? Did he do anything wrong? He must have done something wrong.

Look what else he says. For before that certain came from James. He did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, the Jews who came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. In other words, he was a compromise, he was fearful, he was afraid. Does it sound like a rock to you? It’s not like a big rock to build a church on? Not by the hair of my chinny chin, chin. No, not according to the Bible.

This man had some problems. What was he doing? He was compromising. It means he was being hypocritical. That’s what the word, the simulation means. He was one way when the Jews weren’t there. He would eat with the Gentiles. But when some Jews showed up, he wouldn’t do it. And so when he wouldn’t do it because he was afraid of what they would do, then the Jews that were part of the church there at Antioch, well, they did the same thing Peter did because one of the coolies.

So Paul had to rebuke Peter in front of everybody because what he was doing was wrong and split in the church. He was compromising the truth of the gospel because he was given some credence to the message that those Jews were preaching and their message was false. They believed it was by keeping the law. And Paul says it’s only by grace and Peter knew that, but he was compromising his stand on it. So he says there in verse 13, and the other Jews dis symboled themselves likewise with him, in so much that Barnabas even, Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation, that word, dissimulation mean their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, if thou, be in a Jew, liveth after the men of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews. Why compel us by the Gentiles to live as do the Jews, which is by the law? You hypocrite and you face them in front of everybody. Does that sound like the infallible father to you? Now the Bible, see that’s what people do.

And when people don’t know the truth, they believe air and will they believe air. Their eternal destination is at stake. If the, listen, if religious will lie to you on that, They might lie to you on something else too. You won’t know what to believe. People need to get the Bible and study the Bible. You ought not believe everything I tell you. You ought to have your Bible and you read it and you study it. Don’t you just swallow everything I say, hook, line, and sinker?

I am a man and I can make mistakes. This book don’t make none. You get into this book and you study the Bible because your eternal destination, heaven and hell, rest on you believe in the truth And not believe in our lie. Now look what he says there in verse 16, as he’s still talking to Peter and telling him. He says, knowing that a man, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the flesh are no flesh be justified. This is what he said, Paul said to Peter, you know that. You know that we’re not saved by the works of the law. Why then are you taking giving credence to that message that those Jews are preaching? You hippo-cred, and he says he faced him in front of everybody because he was to be blamed, because what he was doing led these other Jews astray also.

Now, was that a critical thing? Yeah, because you see, if salvation is by grace, it cannot be by works. Look up here. This is you and me. This is our sin. We all have sin upon us. Now God says He loves us, but He hates our sin. And for you and I, to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous has got no sin. So you can’t take your sin and go to heaven with it. Because if you take your sin to heaven, you’re gonna have sin in heaven.

You don’t want sin in heaven. If you’ve got sin in heaven, you’ve got death and sorrow and sickness and disease. You’ve got all kinds of evil things in heaven. So God says, you can’t go because you are a sinner. Sin’s in you. So you can’t go. Now, if you can get rid of your sin, you can go. But how do you get rid of it? You can’t wash it away. You can use acid, but it won’t take no sin away.

It has to be paid for by death. Only way you can get rid of sin, death, you have to die. The sin represents Jesus Christ, God in a flesh. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin because sin separates us from the Lord. So Christ took the sin, all of it, paid for them across. When you believe He did it for you, That sin that you committed was taken from you, he paid for, and you are clean.

You’re washed in the blood of Christ. You go to heaven on what Christ did for you. He died in your place. No man did this for you, nor a very man. You’re not to believe in anybody else to get you to heaven. There’s only one way to get to heaven. That’s through Jesus Christ. And there is no other hope, no other hope. Not at all. Take your Bible now and turn very quickly with me to Matthew 23. Matthew 23, Matthew 23, Christ is dealing with the Pharisees.

These were the law keepers, the religious leaders of his day. And he told the people, he says, you do what they tell you to do according to the law. That’s right. He says, but don’t you live like those Pharisees, he says they’re hypocrites. And they’re listening to them. They’re standing there. They’re listening. He says these, they’re hypocrites. Now today we don’t do it because we’ve got to get along with everybody. We’ve got to show everybody how much we love everybody.

You’ve got to love truth enough that you have to sometimes be willing to hurt or to offend. And Christ offended an awful lot of people. As far as I can read in the Bible, He was the most offensive man I’ve ever read about. He offended everybody because he was truth. Now notice here in Matthew chapter 23, look at Remember, set them. Verse 6 verses he kind of reveals the way they are. But in verse 7 he says, and greetings in the marketplace.

He said because they love that to be called of men, rabbi, rabbi. They walk by, oh they’re holy, oh they’re somebody. And it says they’re in verse 5, I got to let you see this. He says, but all their works they do to be seen of men, they make broad their phylacteries, and in large of borders of their garments, he says they’ll put on things on their heads, and they put on nice big old flowing robes and things like that, And so they can walk down the streets or everybody will know that’s a religious person who?

Oh God says that hippo crits That’s what they are So don’t you think you ought to honor and respect them? No, I don’t look what he says in verse 8 But be not ye called Rabbi for one is your master even Christ and all ye are brethren now get what verse 9 and call all know man, your father upon the earth, for one isalyses your father which is in heaven. I’ve got one father, spiritual father, and that’s the Lord.

No man is my father that gave birth to me in the spiritual realm, now I have a myXXX law, he led me to Christ, you could say he’s my father and the Lord because he wanted me to Christ, but he didn’t bother me, he only explained the gospel to me. to win people to Christ, but only God saves a person. He’s their father, their spiritual father. And so outside of your physical father, he says, don’t call another person your father.

Who said that? Christ said that. Look at it again. Call no man your father upon the year for one is your father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters for one is your master, even Christ, but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Now, Revelation chapter 22, in closing, I want you to see this verse, Revelation chapter 22, you would think that if people read the Bible and believe the Bible, it would stop them from getting caught in all these man-made religions.

Listen to me, it’s either man-made or totally devil-made. Christianity, true Christianity came from God. It’s the truth. You say, how come there’s so many religions in the world? Remember, all these religions didn’t come from God. There’s only one truth that came from God and all these other religions came from man. They made them up. They’re not true, they’re lies.

And people believe it because they don’t know the truth. Here in Revelation, chapter 22, look in verse eight, which is looking in verse eight. And I John saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of Saint Peter. Oh, no, no, no, to the angel, which showed me these things. Then said he unto me, see thou do it not. What did he do? He fell at a man’s feet to worship.

And he was rebuked for doing so. You don’t ever bow to any man to worship any man. No man. I’ll bow to no man. Now if I lived in the country where we had a king and my life was in his hands to live or die, I’d have to think about what not do I want to live or die. You don’t worship no man. There’s only one that’s worthy of worship, to pay homageMask too. Look what he says. In verse nine, then said, He unto me, see thou do not for I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren the prophets and of them which keep the saying of this book, worship and what’s the word?

Roose-God, you don’t bow to no man. And yet, every once in a while you’ll hear, you’llinitialized on TV, some guy, all this stuff all over him and the little crowns on their heads and so forth and all the people bowing and kissing rings and kissing feet and all that. That’s of the devil. That’s not of God. Am I making myself clear? You say, you’re against everything. I’m just against wickedness. And that’s wickedness. It’s not divine. It’s not of God.

This book tells us what we’re supposed to believe. Now, if you don’t know the book, then that’s one thing. You’re ignorant. You’re ignorant. But if you know this, then you’re supposed to believe it and practice it and live it and teach it so that other people will know it. It is so important. Look up here again one more time. This is you and me and this is sin and we all have sin upon us. God says that He loves us.

God so loved the world. You see, what makes me get so upset about this is because They blind so many people. They’re telling them things that are not true. They’re getting people to trust, to depend upon a church or a man, either to forgive their sins. It’s not the Bible. And there’s people that will die and they’ll go to hell for eternity. Because somebody believed that slop that they gave them. And should I be concerned about that? Yes, I’m concerned about that.

Because I love people. I don’t want people to go to hell. to hell. Yes, so I try to expose things. But to say nothing and do nothing because you’re afraid of hurting somebody’s feelings, that don’t bother me no more. I used to be very concerned about it. But I don’t worry about people’s feelings anymore because Christ didn’t. I don’t. If you come because you want to be tickled and you want me to put you to sleep, I hope you don’t go to sleep when I’m speaking.

I’m not here to just console people. I’m here to a flick the comfort into a comfort the afflicted. This is you and me with sin and we’re going to go to hell to pay for that sin. But Christ, God’s Son, He, not Peter, He came and paid for our sins and He came back from the dead. And He says that if we’ll trust Him, He’ll give us as a free gift to eternal life and we go to heaven on what Christ did forth.

He is the foundation. He’s the rock. Now I’m a little stone on the rock and a little stone may tremble, but the rock will never tremble under me. It is safe, it is secure and there is no other foundation that’s ever been laid, no other name. I don’t have to go through anybody else. I go straight to Christ and if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior and Him alone, you don’t go to heaven. You can You hear about it?

You can quote all kind of stuff. Whole Bible. But if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re lost and you’ll go to hell when you die. But God loves you. So do I. And I want people to have eternal life and to go to heaven. I hope that you do. Let’s pray, shall we? With heads bowed nice and closed, no one looking around. If you’re here this morning, if you have not trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, would you trust Him right now?

I’m not asking to trust me or this church, not even trust yourself, your good works. You can’t depend upon anything or anyone except Jesus Christ. He is God in the flesh. He died, he paid for your sins. You must believe he did it for you. And if you’ll believe that, trust him right now, right where you are. You don’t have to come forward. You don’t have to come up here to the front. You don’t have to confess anything to me.

You could talk to the God and confess to God, Lord, I am a sinner. That’s what you are, that’s what I am. I’m not perfect, I believe Christ died. He paid for my sins and right now I’m gonna trust Him to take me to heaven when I die. And for any God’s that if you’ll believe He did it for you, He’ll save you and give eternal life. If you’ve never done it and you’ll do it right now, I’d like to have prayer for you.

And I’d like you to just slip your hand up very quickly and put it right back down. And by that, you mean just pray for me, I’ll trust Christ as my savior. Is there any one of all, yes God bless you sir. anyone else, just slip it up very quickly. So yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and pray, I’d like you to pray for me. Anyone else before we close? If you trust Christ as your Savior right now, then God saves you right now.

He has your eternal life right now. You’re his child and your sins are forgiven. You become his child. Our follow we thank you so much for the individual who indicated by an uplifted hand that they would trust you as Savior. By doing so, they become your child. And Father is not by works, is totally free. And we know you love them, and I pray they don’t get a Bible and read and study it so that you can talk to them through it.

We ask your blessings upon each person here. And Father, no doubt today, there’s many people that were listening by the way of radio that do not understand. And I pray, Lord, that you didn’t lighten their mind, help them to see you. So many people are to see you for so long. And some people wake up too late. We ask your blessings in Christ’s name, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, The teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. One-line donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

So take your Bible, turn to the book of Matthew, Matthew chapter 16. Many have said many things about this man, Peter. He was a great apostle. He was one of the disciples. He was one that was on the inner circle. You always hear about Peter, James and John. But he was always there. He was always putting his foot in his mouth, saying things without thinking. And Christ had to rebuke him on a number of occasions. But God greatly used them.

You even have the books first and second Peter that God used him to write. God’s the author, but God used these men to pin the words. They wrote the very words that God wanted them to write. But in the book of Matthew, Christ asked His disciples a question. The question that he asked them was, whom do men say that I, the son of man am? That’s kind of like saying, who’s buried in grants to them? Or when was the war of 1812?

Whom do men say that I, the son of man am? That’s the answer. But as he asked the question, I want you to look there in chapter 16 and verse 14. And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, Some Elijah, others Jeremiah are one of the prophets. He said to them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. That statement that he made was the truth.

That statement that he made was a rock. That was a foundational truth. Verse 17 says, and Jesus answered, and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon, bar, means son of Jonah, Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed in thee but my Father, which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Now there are several things that are mentioned in this verse and some people, without I believe correct understanding, has tried to build holding nominations off of it.

Or believing that God founded his church on Peter or that Peter is the rock that he put his church upon. And I hope that by studying the Bible you’ll find out that there are many lies that have been told about the Apostle Peter. One thing I want you to notice there in verse 18 when he says, and I say unto thee, thou art Peter. Thou art Peter, the word Peter is a word that’s called petro, and it means a word of a little stone, like a pebble.

If they play upon words, as he says to Peter, thou art a stone, and he says, thou, but upon this rock, and this rock is a different word, whether it’s a petra, and it’s talking about a rock or a big boulder. without art a stone, but upon this rock. So he’s talking about two different things, vowel, art, and this. So this is in him. This would refer to something other than that. So he makes the statement here that upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Now, look up here. When a person died in the Old Testament before Christ came, their sins had not yet been paid for. They went to a place called Hades in the New Testament in the Old Testament to be Shio. It was the place of the departed dead. And in that place was called, they call it hell. Hell came from an English translation that we have, but it comes from those two words Sheol and Hades. One is Greek, one is Hebrew, but they both mean the same place.

It’s the place of the departed dead. But in that place was two compartments, one of Paradise, Abraham, bosom, and the other one’s a place of torment. So that when a person died, they all went to a place called Hell or Sheol grave in some places translated. But it also talks about it been the place of the departed dead. So the levers went to the compartment of paradise, Abraham bosom. The loss went to the place of torment. So when Christ was on the cross, he said, without suffering, his soul in hell.

But Christ did not go to hell and suffer to pay for sins in hell. Christ went to that place, but he went to the place of comfort. He did not go to the place of torment. The Bible says that when people died, this is where they went. So when Christ died on the cross, he went to the heart of the earth and the Bible says he took those people that were there, now that the payment for sin has been made, and delivered those people out of captivity and took them to heaven.

The Bible teaches that once Christ paid the payment and went to heaven that the gates of hell, the gates of shield, will never close upon the church. It means that now nobody who trusts Christ’s Savior will ever go to that place because Christ entered there and He has the keys of death and of hell and He has opened the door, taken those people out and He says that those gates gates, and gates only do two things, open and closed.

It will never close upon another believer ever again, because now to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Paradise is now in heaven. So then when he taught these things and he says, I will build my church upon this rock. The rock was not Peter. The rock was himself. It was the statement that Peter made thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And this is what you and I must believe in order for us to be saved.

That Jesus Christ was the Son of God who came into this world and made a payment for our sin and we’re trusting Him. This truth is the rock, is the foundation upon which we rest. Because I trusted Christ as my Savior, He is the rock of my salvation. I trust in no other person, no man, nothing else. I don’t trust myself. My good days, nothing. He is my rock upon whom I’m trusting, dependent upon. I do not depend upon Peter.

I don’t trust in Peter. I don’t believe in him. I don’t believe he could do anything for me today. But Jesus Christ can and he does and he is alive. Now take your Bible and turn to 1 Corinthians in chapter 10. 1 Corinthians and chapter 10. To show you this and verify that what I’ve said is the truth. And my understanding of those verses is correct. When the Bible was talking about the people in the Old Testament, of that came out of Egypt, the Israelites who were headed toward the land of Canaan.

It says that they all passed in verse one through the cloud and all passed through the sea, verse two. And we’re all baptized unto Moses in verse three and it all eat the same spiritual meat and that all drank the same spiritual drink for they drink of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Peter. That rock was what? Christ. Who is the rock? Christ is the rock. You will not find a verse that says Peter. was ever a rock.

That word refers to him as a stone, a pebble, and upon this rock I will build my church. He did not say that he would build a church upon a man. He would never do that. He did not do that. He is the rock upon which we are placed. Now look there in 1 Corinthians in chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. It’s important to know what the Bible teaches because if you don’t, You will not know that there are a lot of religions that teach falsehood.

They teach lies Many of the preachers in many churches are nothing more than hypocrites I hate to say that but it’s true if you think I’m a hypocrite Show me where I’m wrong in the Bible and I’ll have to back up and admit it the Bible is the authority I am not the authority I am right only as I agree with the scriptures and when I’m off from the scriptures I am wrong period and every other man is the same way There is no such thing as an infallible man.

There was only one of those and that was the Lord. Jesus Christ was truly man and truly God. He was the perfect God man. There has never been another one like him and there will not be. Here in 1 Corinthians in chapter 3, look what he says in verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid.” Which is St. Peter. No, that is not true. It is Jesus Christ, no other foundation. So there can be no one.

Look what he said in verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid. That is laid. In other words, there’s only one foundation that is laid. I mean, it’s already been done. There is only one foundation laid. And who is that foundation? Christ is not a man. Who said that? That’s the word of God. Now any religion that teaches contrary to this, is it telling the truth? No, it is lying. It is lying. It’s deception.

It’s not the book. It’s wrong. It’s a sin. Ungodly. You’re not supposed to say the Bible said something when the Bible don’t say it. You don’t say well the Bible teaches it if the Bible don’t teach that. You have a lot of people to say what you can get saved today and lost tomorrow. The Bible doesn’t teach that. Man says that, religions teach that, but the Bible don’t teach that. And any preacher who teaches that, that preacher is wrong.

He is a liar. He is a liar. You understand what I’m saying? And you can tell any preacher you want to, I said that. That doesn’t matter to me. Any preacher who teaches you can lose your salvation, that man, that preacher, that priest. Any, I don’t care what you call him, clergy. He’s a liar because the Bible is the truth. And the Bible says, I’ll never cast you out. I’ll never lose you. You’ve got to go by what the book says.

So don’t you think for a moment where all religions teach the same thing? No, they don’t. There’s no way in the world that I believe what most churches teach. Now take your Bible looking. First Peter, first Peter and chapter two. It’s very important to look at these verses. 1 Peter chapter 2 and notice what he says there in verse 4. Now remember that this is written using the human author the Apostle Peter the one we’ve read about just a little earlier and look what he says there in verse 4 To whom coming talking about Christ when you come to Christ as on to a living stone living stone rejected indeed of men but chosen of God and precious.

Verse 5, he also as lively stoner living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood. In other words Christ is the foundation and you and I are like living stones because he is a living rock and we when we trust Christ as our Savior we’re like little living stones that are placed upon the foundation and it makes a spiritual house where God will dwell. And so every one of us are part of a spiritual house in the book of Ephesians chapter 2 it teaches that and says those very words.

So here notice what he says now in verse 6. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief corner stone, elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Verse 7, unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient or unbelieving, the stone which the builders rejected, disallowed, rejected, the same as made the head of the corner. He is the chief corner stone. He is the foundation Jesus Christ.

Who said that? Peter. Peter said that it’s not him. He’s not the foundation. He’s not the rock. There’s only one foundation that’s laid. That’s Christ. He is the rock. We’re little stones upon the rock. That’s what he told Peter. That’s what his word means. His name means seephas. Now take your Bible and turn with me to book a Matthew in chapter eight. Matthew and chapter eight. And notice what the Bible teaches here. Because remember this Peter was not the foundation of the church Peter was not the first pope or a father of the church.

How do you know that? I’ll show you what the book says. Here in Matthew chapter 8 I want you to look there in verse 14. In verse 14 it says and when Jesus was come into Peter’s house he saw his wife’s wife’s mother laid and sick of a fever. Now don’t you tell me something. Don’t you believe that’s a little ridiculous to get yourself a mother-in-law without getting a wife? What man in his right mind would get him a mother-in-law without getting a wife?

Some people say, well, you know, Peter never got married. He and have a wife. Look what he says. He saw his wife’s mother laid and sick of a fever. That means this is Peter’s mother-in-law. Any way you want to read it? This is how he comes out. And he touched her hand and the fever left her and she rose and ministered unto them. Now this says that Peter had a mother-in-law and evidently he had a wife. It was his wife’s mother.

If this is true, then there’s a lot of other teaching that is not true. This says that Peter was married. Yes or no? True? The Bible said that. The Bible teaches that. So anybody in any religion, if they teach contrary to that, Are they lying or telling the truth? They’re lying. You have to go by what the book says. You say, well, maybe they don’t know that verse is in there. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they don’t know what’s there.

Now they do. Now they do. Take your Bible also in turn with me to a book of 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy and chapter 4. In 1 Timothy chapter 4, the Bible tells us that in the last days, perilous time so come. But in 1 Timothy chapter 4, the Bible says also something else in the latter days. Look in verse 1. 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1. It says in verse 1, now the Spirit, that’s the Holy Spirit, speaketh expressly that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

That means teaching, various teaching doctrines, teachings of the devil, mean that don’t come from God. But a lot of times people say, well, God said, and God didn’t say that. But he says here in verse two, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Look what else they’re going to teach. And remember now this is a doctrine of the devil. Verse 3 says, forbidding to Mary. Are there religions today that forbid certain people to marry?

Yes. Is it right or wrong? It is wrong. We do not have any authority given us to forbid anybody to get married. Preachers are not forbidden to get married. The Bible says to leave mother and father and cleave unto your wife and multiply and replenish the earth. That’s what the Bible says. But the Bible teaches that some are going to begin to teach this. It didn’t come from God and forbid marriage. That’s wrong. It’s ungodly. It’s It’s a doctrine of the devil.

It didn’t come from God. Now notice something else that goes with that. Whoever teaches the one, chances are it’s going to teach the other. Forbidding to marry and command and to abstain from what? Abstain from meat. Are there religions that teach you must abstain from certain meats? Yes. On certain days. Yes. Where do you get that in the Bible? It’s not there. The Lord says everything can be eaten. You and I can, we can eat any kind of meat.

With Thanksgiving. He said, was that in the Bible? In the last part of verse 3, he says, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving to them which believe and know the truth. We don’t eat any food with the belief that it’s offered unto idols, sacrifice to some gods. We believe that we can cook food and we can eat it. Now you may want to be careful what kind you eat or how much of it you eat. You might like pork.

Aren’t you glad you’re not Jew? This wasn’t before the law. We’re after the law. We’re not under the law. God says we can eat it with Thanksgiving. That’s also mentioned in chapter 14 of the book of Romans. Get a chance to read those chapters together. But notice what he says. In verse three, For bidding to marry abstaining from meat is the doctrine of the devil, snot of God. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians in chapter 2, the book of Galatians and chapter 2.

We’re just covering some things this morning that deal with a great apostle, the Apostle Peter, but he was only a man. God did not exalt him above any other man. He was a man like you and I. In Galatians in chapter 2, remember now this is years after. This is almost 30 years after Jesus had been crucified. Think about that almost 30 years later. Well, now the time is come where another young man comes on the scene and he was the Apostle Paul.

Well, see, the Apostle Paul was not one of the original disciples. He was not an apostle. He wasn’t with them. But he was born as one out of due time later on, but God called him to preach and God allowed him to see Christ after his resurrection and that’s one of the signs that I on a apostle had to have what he could do the miracles and he had to see be a night witness of Christ after the resurrection and he was because Christ revealed himself to him in a special way.

The time came where the apostle Paul had spent about 14 years you know kind of hiding and running but learning and the day came when he went to Jerusalem and when he went to Jerusalem the Bible says that he took somebody with him, a man named Barnabas, Titus, who was a great. But anyway, when he got there, he said that someone were trying to spy out his liberty that he had in Christ, and they wanted to put him under the Jewish law.

And he said, but while he was there, he said, some of these apostles that seem to be somewhat, he uses that word. You know, the people that you would think, well, need the, these are the pillars in the, these are the leaders. The head honchos. But remember, Paul was not raised around those big shots, but they were there before him. But when he went there, they got together. They got a chance to see Paul and Paul got a chance to see the apostles.

But he says they’re in verse six. But of these who seem to be somewhat, what server they were, it make if no matter to me, God except if no man’s person, and evidently he didn’t either. Not one man above the other one. And he says, for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me. But contrary wise, when they saw that the gospel of the Gentiles was committed unto me, Paul, as the gospel of the circumcision, the Jews was unto Peter.

For he that brought affectionately in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. He says, so God was using Peter to reach the Jews, and God was using him to reach the Gentiles. So they were both in the ministry, and they both were apostles, and there was Peter, and there was Paul, and one was reaching Jews, one reached in Gentiles. And lo and behold, one day, well, Paul started a church, started a church in Antioch.

And in the church, they had believers of Jews and Gentiles. So he decided to have a guest speaker. He invited Peter to come from Jerusalem to the church in Antioch to preach. And guess what Peter did when he came to the church? Split the church. Peter split the first church. The apostle Peter did that. So what did he do that was so bad? Oh, it was bad. You don’t know what he did? Let me show you what he did.

In verse nine. And when James and Sefa, that’s Peter and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me. They gave to me in Barnabas, the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the heathen, they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor at the same, which I was already forward to do. In other words, I was going to do it anyway. But in verse 11, but when Peter was come to Antioch, I would stood him to the face because he was in fact.

He was so valuable. He was perfect. He was so holy and we all bowed to Him and kissed His big toe. Is that what it said? No, it says, He was to be what? Blamed. Now can you tell me how somebody can be blamed for something and can’t be doing anything wrong? Did He do anything wrong? He must have done something wrong. Look what else He says, for before that certain came from James. He did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, Jews who came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

In other words, he was a compromising. He was fearful. He was afraid. Does it sound like a rock to you? Sound like a big rock to build a church on? Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. No, not according to the Bible. This man had some problems. What was he doing? He was compromising. It means he was being hypocritical. That’s what the word, the simulation means. He was one way when the Jews weren’t there. He would eat with the Gentiles.

But when some Jews showed up, he wouldn’t do it. And so when he wouldn’t do it because he was afraid of what they would do, then the Jews that were part of the church there at Antioch well they did the same thing Peter did because one of the people he is. So Paul had to rebuke Peter in front of everybody because what he was doing was wrong and split into church. He was compromising the truth of the gospel because he was giving some credence to the message that those Jews were preaching and their message was false.

They believed it was by keeping the law. And Paul says it’s only by grace. And Peter knew that. But he was compromising his stand on it. He says there in verse 13, and the other Jews dissembled themselves likewise with him, in so much that Barnabas even, Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation, that word, dissimulation, mean their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, if thou, be in a Jew, liveth after the men of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, Why can’t tell us now that Gentiles will live us to the Jews which is by the law?

You hypocrite And he faced him in front of everybody does that sound like the infallible father to you Now the Bible to you see that’s what people do and when people don’t know the truth They believe air and we’ll leave leave air their eternal destination is at stake If the man if they listen if religious will lie to you on that they might lie to you on something else too You won’t know what to believe. People need to get the Bible and study the Bible.

You ought not believe everything I tell you. You ought to have your Bible and you read it and you study it. Don’t you just swallow everything I say, hook, line and sinker? I am a man and I can make mistakes. This book don’t make none. You get into this book and you study the Bible because your eternal destination, heaven and hell, rest on you believe in the truth. Not believe in our line. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold.

Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and everyday, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 1-800-800-800-800-800-800. the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

God invited the whole world to come to heaven. He opened up the door where everybody in the whole world is invited. Can you get any greater of an invitation than that? Who does it exclude? It doesn’t exclude anybody. Everybody, whosoever will, may what? Everybody who will may come. The biggest invitation in all the world. No greater invitation has ever been given to mankind than whosoever, whosoever will. I also want you to notice when he says, believe it in him, believe it in him.

Now you and I know and we understand that when a man dies without the Lord, he is going to spend an eternity in hell. And the easiest escape that’s ever been offered to any man from the greatest danger in all the world is whosoever, believe it, believe. Can’t get any easier than that. If God had made salvation where a man had to earn it, then that would be hard. If he said you had to go to church every Sunday, that would be difficult.

That’s difficult for some y’all to come once a month. It’s difficult for people to pray every day if you had to pray. What if God told you you had to pay at least 10% of all of your money that you’ve ever made or you’d go to hell. A lot of people wouldn’t go to heaven there either. That would be hard. But God made salvation easy. He says, all you have to do believe. The easiest escape from the greatest place, hell, to heaven is made so easy for everybody in the whole world.

For God so loved the world that He gave, has only been gotten, son, that whosoever, believe it in Him should not what? Should not perish. Divine deliverance. It means that you will not perish. You will not go to hell. Think of the consequences if you don’t believe. Look what you get if you do believe. It is a divine deliverance where God Himself, they created the heavens of the earth will deliver an individual from hell and let that person go to heaven and he does it all for us.

And then he says, but have everlasting life, everlasting life, the priceless possession, the greatest thing you and I could ever wish for, ever want is to have eternal life. The greatest possession that a man can possess, he can have it and it’s free. This is why the whole Bible was written because God so loved the whole world that he gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ. The whosoever anybody, believe it then him should not perish but have everlasting He like, look up here.

Letting this hand represent you and me, and this wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us. He hates our sin. The Bible says that if we pay for this sin, it’s eternal separation from God in hell. But God wants us to go to heaven, and to go to heaven we have to be perfect just as righteous as God, and none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous. That’s why we needed a Savior. Jesus Christ came into the world, this hand representing Christ came into world because he loves us.

Hates our sin because our sin separates us from the Lord. So Christ took it, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And now the payment for the sins of the world had been paid and everybody is invited to accept the payment that he made for them. So only by faith, by believing alone, they can have eternal life and go to heaven on what Christ did for them. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believe it than Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

That is what Christ did for us. I want you to look at this in John 3, 16, when he says, For God so loved of a world, God loving the world is the richest possible mercy. The richest possible mercy. Why? Because what has the world done to deserve being loved? And not just what has the world done that would deserve God loving us, what has the world done that deserve God saving us? Have you ever thought about that? What is it about you that is so wonderful?

What makes you so great? Why does God love you? Can you explain it? And yet the whole world has sinned against God. The whole world was condemned. And God’s so loving, the world, every person in the world, all the same. God loves them all. God loves the thief. God loves the homosexual. God loves the murderer. God loves Adolf Hitler. God loves the man who bombed that building in Oklahoma. God loves all these people because of how many they have killed or raped God loves them.

God does not love their sin. God does not love your sin, but God loves you. And God can save every sinner, every sinner, all sinners. There isn’t anyone that God doesn’t want to save. God wants to save the whole world. That’s why He died for the whole world. You and I would like to blow them away. We’d like to part their soul in eternity. We’d love to send a few people to hell, but God isn’t like us. He loves them all.

He loves the whole world. He loves the people that you can’t stand. The ones you despise and the ones you look down on. The ones you think deserve to go to hell. Have you ever seen somebody that, Well they deserve to go to hell. Did anybody go to hell? They ought to go to hell. Well if that’s true, so do you. You deserve to go to hell. And that’s why God so loving the world is the greatest possible mercy that can ever be demonstrated upon mankind.

The gift of his only begotten son. That’s the highest possible price that could ever be paid for something. What would you be willing to pay for your salvation? If you really believed there was a literal fire burning hell, what would you be willing to pay not to go there? Would you be willing to give all your money? Would you be willing to give your wife and your kids? Just the wife? What would you be willing to pay in order to go to heaven?

To escape that place? What would be worth to you? Would it be worth it for you to try to live right if you thought that would get you there? The highest possible price it could be paid was the life of God’s only begotten son. Remember Jesus Christ being born of this world was His only son that God fathered. He fathered a child. He had a child, his own child. He only did that one time. He only had one son and he gave him to be the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

And whosoever, that means you, me or anybody else, might not suffer. That’s the largest possible number that you could ever reach, numerically concerning people. Every person is included into this number. It exempts nobody that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever, anybody, the largest possible number, that it says that we shall not perish. Shall not perish. That’s the darkest possible doom upon any man. Think for a moment. You may not have good health.

That’s not the worst thing in the world. You may not have any money. That’s not the worst thing in the world. You may not be married. That’s not the worst thing in the world. You may not have your will. That’s not the worst thing in the world. The worst thing that could ever happen to you is to go to hell. There’s nothing worse than that. That’s the darkest doom upon any man. And God says that when you trust him as your Savior, you are delivered, you will not perish.

You will not perish means you will not be lost in hell into a literal flaming fire for all eternity. The Bible does not describe hell as a place of light, but a place of darkness, a place of darkness. To be delivered from that will not perish. when he says, but have everlasting life or eternal life. That’s the greatest possible blessing that any man can ever have. Think, isn’t it nice to be married? Is it nice to have children? Isn’t it nice to have good health?

Isn’t it nice to have good clothes? Isn’t it nice to have a good house? Isn’t it nice to have a good job? Isn’t all those things nice, but there is no possession greater than the gift of eternal life. It’s the greatest I have that possession. I can lose everything else, but I cannot lose the greatest possession of all. I can lose my health. I can lose my house. I can lose my wife. I can lose my kids. I can lose everything.

But one thing that means more to me than anything else in this world is knowing that I have eternal life and I’m going to be with the Lord forever, and I can’t lose that. The greatest possible blessing. possible blessing. When he said, who so ever believe it, that’s the easiest possible terms. God put it on the level that everybody can have it and everybody can do it. Only believe. God says it’s not by your works, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Not a works, lest any man should boast. And you know what? All this is based upon the greatest security of all. What’s the greatest security of all of this? God said it. God’s Word. Who said verse 16? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God. God said it, and that’s the greatest security you and I will ever have because of the Word of God. I know that I’m saved, not because I feel it. I feel it. I know I’m saved because I’m living for God.

No, I’m not. I know I’m saved because God’s word says I’m saved. I know I have eternal life because God’s word says I have eternal life. I’m God’s child because God’s word says I’m God’s child. That’s how I know this. And this will never change. I want you to look there in verse 16 again. When he says, for God, God is the author of our salvation. He’s the author of it. Who designed this plan of salvation? Man did not design it.

Man did not come up with a scheme. Man’s ideas of religion is always man doing something to get right with God. Man trying to live a certain way. That’s all the religions of the world is man trying to attain unto something by his own efforts. Christianity is where God reaches down to man. Religion is where man is trying to reach up to God. It was God who took the initiative and came into the world. This plan of salvation was designed by God.

He’s the author of it. He designed it. He’s the architect. He’s the one that provided the way of salvation because no man can save himself. I want you to also notice that phrase that says, so loved the world. That’s the affection of salvation. And it means in spite of all our sins, in spite of all that we’ve done wrong, In spite of everything that’s contrary to the will of God, God still so loved the world. And that includes all the nations of the world.

God so loved the world. Are you in this world? Then he loves you. He said, yeah, but you don’t know what I’ve done. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. You don’t know how bad I’ve been. It doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been. It doesn’t matter. loves you and he loves you that much. The affection of our salvation is that there is a personal loving God who wants you to be saved. It’s not a machine. This is not just mechanics.

There’s a personal God that has feelings and I cannot tell you and I cannot explain to you if I could, I would why God loves us, why God wants us saved. All I know is it’s for his honor, is for His sake, that He does love us and that He does care and that He wants everyone to be saved. I don’t know why God would love a murderer or a thief, no more than He’d love a liar, but He says He loves a song.

I want the person. That might be listened even to the broadcast. I want that homosexual to know that God loves that man, that God hates his sin. God loves that murder, but God hates his sin. You see, God loves that person that’s living in adultery, but God hates the sin. God loves people. You and I need to keep it in mind as we look at people and we deal with people. God loves those people. He hates their sin. Sometimes we get kind of mixed up sometime and we hate the person instead of hating the sin.

Also want to let you know when he says that he gave, that he gave. That’s the agony of salvation. When he says he gave his son, he didn’t just, okay, I gave that. He knew that by giving his son what his son was going to have to do. He knew what he was going to have to endure. When you stop and think about it, did his son, his only son that he gave into this world, did his son deserve to be slapped?

Did his son deserve to be slapped with the hand? Did his son deserve to have a crown of thorns upon his head? Did he deserve all of that? No. Did he deserve to be spit on and to be beaten with a stick? No. Did he deserve to be placed upon a cross and nails driven into it? Did he deserve any of that? No, well, what did he deserve? He didn’t deserve anything like that. But by God doing what he did and letting him have his perfect righteous son into this world shows you how wicked sin really is.

See, it’s one thing when you try to compare a hog with a hog, they’re both hogs. But when you put a sheep in amongst the hogs, you can see the difference. They’re not the same. You and I sin. I wrong you, you wrong me. But here comes God’s Son, who wronged it. No man did nothing wrong to anyone who was perfect. He was righteous, had no fault, no flaws in him. And to see what the world did to him shows you how wicked we are.

Because see, when they hid him, we hid him. When they lied against him, we all lied against him. When they hit him with their fist, we all hit him with our fist. When they drove the nails in his hands, we all drove the nails in his hands. You see, when they crucified him, we all crucified him. So why? Because he did that for us. If I had no sin, he would not have had to die for me. If you had no sin, he wouldn’t have had to die for you.

He’d have just die for the ones who had sin. But since the Bible says he died for all the world, that means all the world has sinned. And all the world deserved to die. He was given the agony of salvation. He says his only begotten son is only begotten son. He’s the advocate of salvation. We know that in the book of 1 John chapter 2 we have an advocate with the Father. But you know there had to be a time when the Father and the Son in the plan of salvation that the Son’s Father, if I go down there and if I pay for their sins, if I die and pay for them, will you save them for my sake?

Will you save them? The Father said, if you go and you do that for them, I’ll accept that payment you make as a payment for their sins. I’ll do that for you. I’ll do that. What a plan. No man could have sat down and wrote this story. You’re not capable of thinking like this. These thoughts are not our thoughts. These ways are not our ways. This is beyond you and I. We could not have come up with a scheme like this.

This was designed in the mind of God. Between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, a Council of Three, the Godhead, they did this. And he is an advocate who please another’s cause. In other words, God said, if you’ll pay for their sins, I’ll let them come to heaven on that payment. And that’s why Jesus Christ did it. That’s why God says, I’ll justify them on the basis of what you did for them. You and I have done nothing to deserve heaven.

We’ve done no good works worthy of God’s saving us. It was all because of the plan of salvation God did it all. Another thing I like to mention two years that when he says that whosoever, that is the availability of salvation means it’s available to every individual. If God had said He had only saved a certain percentage or a certain number, I wouldn’t know who to witness to and who not to. I believe it’s my responsibility as a Christian to try to reach everybody I can in every way that I can and to pay or to sacrifice anything that I have and whatever I can do in order to try to reach people.

And I believe some of you here believe the same thing. This salvation is for whosoever and that includes you and me and everybody you know and everybody you don’t know. Believe it then Him, the acceptance of salvation. It means that all you have to do is believe that when Jesus Christ died, He died for you. Came back from the dead. If you’ll believe he did that for you and trust him as your Savior. You can hear that he died and paid for sins and you can know that he did it for the sins of the whole world.

But you must believe he did it for you. When you believe he did that for you, he puts that payment to your account and not before. So salvation is only for believers. Will you believe it? It’s the easiest escape you’ll ever have. the darkest doom that you can ever escape from. In the easiest manner possible simply by believing, the alternative of salvation is that you should not perish. Because it means that if you refuse to believe it, you refuse.

Then you will perish. When you read John 3, 16, that whosoever be believe it in him shall not perish means that whosoever will not believe will perish.” Isn’t that true? If you don’t believe it, you will perish. It means you will be lost. That there really is a literal fire burning hell for all the unbelievers. Now look there in John chapter 3 and verse 18. He that believe it on him is not condemned. That means if you believe it, you’re not condemned because you see he died in your place, he was condemned for you, his payment is put to your account, so you’re not condemned.

You’re not going to be punished. You’re not going to go to hell. You’re not going to perish. But he says, he that believeth not. If you do not believe, you will perish. You will perish. He that believeth not is condemned when? You’re already condemned. You’re not waiting waiting for someday to stand at some judgment and to find out if you’re going to be condemned or not. The Bible says you’re already condemned. I’m not the judge. I’m just telling you what the judge said.

That everybody in the world is already condemned. They’re just waiting for the day of execution. But he says, those that will believe it. made on the level that anybody can have it. To as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. If you believe it, you have everlasting life. Now look in the last part of verse 18, but he that believeth not is condemned already.

And here’s why, because he hath not believed, nobody can believe for you. Nobody can get saved for you. No one can accept that payment Christ made for you. No person can do this for you in your place. Every individual has to do it then self. You have to trust Christ as your Savior or or perish. There is no alternative. Trust Him or perish. Believe Him or perish. And that perish does not mean that you’ll be annihilated someday. It means you’ll perish in a literal fire burning hell and you’ll be in conscious torment for all eternity because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This is an abiding salvation. Because he says he that believeth on him should not perish but have what? Everlasting life. It means that if you do believe it, you do have something. He that believeth on me, hath, present tense, hath, right now everlasting life. Look there in verse 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. If you believe it, you have what? Everlasting life. When do you have everlasting life? When you believe it. If you believe it now, you have everlasting life.

Now, if you believe it, you have it. How do I know when I really believe it? When you can say, I have it. If you cannot say, I have it, it’s because you don’t believe it. If you believe it, you have it. Isn’t that simple? Look in John 647. Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. If you’ll believe on him, that means you believe that Jesus Christ was God’s Son. God in the place came into this world, died on the cross, paid for your sins, came back from the dead.

You believe he did that for you and you accept him as your payment, as your Savior. God saves you from hell, gives you as a free gift everlasting life when you believe it. I’m not waiting to do this someday, I’m going to get eternal life. I have eternal life. I have it now. I am God’s child now. And it’s something that I cannot lose because it’s a free gift. It’s the gift of eternal life, not temporary life. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, what do you have?

Eternal life. If it’s eternal life, how long will it last? Forever. If it lasts forever and all of your sins are paid, where are you going when you die? To heaven. Do you have to wait until you die to find out where you’re going? No. You can know it right now. And if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior and Him alone, you don’t go to heaven. You can hear about it. You can quote all kind of stuff.

Whole Bible. But if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re lost and you’ll go to hell when you die. But God loves you. So do I. And I want people to have eternal life and to go to heaven. I hope that you do. Let’s pray, shall we? With heads by nice clothes, no one looking around. If you’re here this morning, if you have not trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, would you trust Him right now? I’m not asking to trust me or this church, don’t even trust yourself.

Your good works. You can’t depend upon anything or anyone except Jesus Christ. He is God in the flesh. He died. He paid for your sins. You must believe He did it for you. And if you’ll believe that, trust Him right now, right where you are. You don’t have to come forward. You don’t have to come up here to the front. You don’t have to confess anything to me. You could talk to the God and confess to God, Lord, I am a sinner.

That’s what you are. That’s what I am. I’m not perfect. I believe Christ died. He paid for my sins. And right now I’m going to trust Him to take me to heaven when I die. And for any God’s that if you’ll believe He did it for you, He’ll save you and give eternal life. If you trust Christ as your Savior right now, then God saves you right now. He has your eternal life right now. You’re His child and your sin to forgive Him.

You become His child. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area. by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. friend one day it will happen the trumpet will sound we will be changed caught up to meet the Lord in the air so live today and every day believe in that the Lord is coming soon just keep looking up

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary, Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radiolity Internet. Your regular prayers and m- 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampup.org. We pray that you’ll 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.

Now look there in Romans chapter 4 and look there in verse 16 and get this very quickly In verse 16, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. Because if it was by your works, it could not be by faith. It would be that God would save you because of what you did by your good work. And if you’re gonna be saved by your works, then you can’t know now if you’re saved. You have to wait till you die to find out if you made it.

So anybody who’s trusting in their works to save them cannot know if they’re saved. You have to wait till you die to find out were used, faithful all the way. That means you got to wait till the end. And then what if you find out, okay, you didn’t make it? What do you want to do now? Think nothing left to do. I don’t have to wait till the end of my life. I find out, well, if I really made it, I already know I’m going to heaven.

I’ve known it for 49 years. You say you’re older than 49. I said I was safe at 49. I was 18 when I trusted the Lord. Thank you. So he says, it is by faith that it might be by grace, get this last part to the end. So the result, the promise might be what? Sure. To all the seed. So God’s made a promise to Abraham is going to save everybody by faith and faith alone. All he has to do with it.

And God would put his righteousness to their account. So now look down here in verse 20, verse 20, talking about Abraham. After God had shown him the stars and so on. He says he staggered none of the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able to perform, that’s the definition of faith. And therefore it, God’s righteousness, was imputed to him for righteousness.

So he says in verse 23, now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to to him, that mean to be put to his account, to put to his account. And verse 24, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe, if we believe what on him that raised up Jesus, our Lord from the end, if we will believe, God will save us just like He did Abraham. Abraham was saved 430 years before the law was ever given.

So he didn’t have to keep the law to be saved. But this is in the New Testament doing the church age and he’s talking to believers telling them this is what the gospel is all about. So we don’t have to worry. It’s a gift. It’s free. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn over to the book of James in chapter 2. Have you ever heard of James chapter 2? Most people never heard of James chapter 1 or James chapter 3, but almost everybody has heard of James chapter 2.

Because majority of people say, well, haven’t you ever heard of James chapter 2? That’s a no, you mean it’s in the Bible? Like I’ve never heard of James chapter 2. It must be something really good in James chapter 2. Well, here’s the problem. They see that in verse 21, well, it’s not Abraham, our Father justified by what? Works. Ooh, look what he says in verse 24. He said then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone.

That looks like a direct contradiction of everything I just said. There’s either a contradiction in the Bible or there’s gotta be an explanation to this. Well, I sure am glad there is an explanation to this. Now, here we have James explaining something to Christians. And he’s using Abraham as an illustration. And Rahab the harlot, look in verse 25. Like was also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works? Well, evidently James had never talked to Paul, and he didn’t get the message right.

Are they contradicting each other? No. One of the things you’ve got to do is try to find out who are we talking to and what are we talking about? Just trying to make it simple real quick. When we’re talking about salvation is by faith alone before God. Faith alone. That’s for salvation to get to heaven, to get God’s righteousness. Now when we’re talking about service, that’s what what we do for Him. Salvation is what He did for us. So I am justified by faith alone, without work, for salvation.

It’s been saved from hell, going to heaven. That’s a gift. That’s free. When we talk about being justified by works, well, then this is for service. This is for rewards. So one is salvation, the other is rewards. Salvation, service. Always keep those two things separate. What most people do, without knowing it, they take all the scriptures that refer to service and put them over here with this one and mess it up real good. You got to keep it separate.

Why? Because God keeps it separate. He calls it rightly dividing the word. So you’ve got to know is God talking here to lost people on how to go to heaven? Or is he talking to Christians on how to serve the Lord? Look there in James chapter one. Look there in verse two. He says in verse two, my brethren, I got a hanah hunt. He’s talking to believers. You see there in verse two? I mean chapter two and verse one, my brethren.

He’s talking to those who are Believers in the Lord. He’s not talking about how to get to heaven. He’s talking to the Christians on how to live See my salvation as a done deal put care of 49 years ago never has to be done again I’m going to heaven whenever I die But I’m not there yet. So God left me in this world to live for him and like we talked about in Sunday school I’m supposed to live here like I’m perfect in an imperfect world going to a perfect place.

Now here in James in chapter 2 he’s talking to the Christians about trials and tribulations, the heartaches of life, the temptations that you’re going to go through and how that you’re going to be rewarded if you do that which is right. Look there in verse 12 of chapter 1. Blessed is the man that endures temptation for when he is tried he shall get to go to heaven when he dies. No. When he has tried, he shall receive the crown of what?

That’s a reward. So James is talking about who the believer and he’s talking about service and he’s talking about receiving rewards. Now when we talk about salvation, man is justified by faith alone, no works. I’m just to trust his work, what he did, what he said. And that will get me to heaven. That saves my soul. But now God’s talking here about how am I supposed to live here in this world before I get to heaven? So he takes me out of here.

So this is talking to the believer, not the lost man. Look there in verse 22. But be he doers of the word and not here is only deceiving your own self. For if any be I hear of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man behold his natural face in the glass. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straight way, forgeteth what manner of man he was. But who’s so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, the word of God, and continue it therein he be not a forgetful here but a doer of the work, work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Now when it comes to salvation, it’s not you’re doing deed, it’s not you’re enduring, it’s not your work, it’s not reward, just none of those things. When it talks about salvation, it’s by grace, a grace alone, it is the gift of God, not of works. So If you keep that separate, then you’ll have no problem with this. But what most people do is they put all this together and big old mess podge and you don’t know whether you’re saved or you’re lost.

You don’t know is it free or I have to earn it? And you don’t know where not where am I going to go in and out while I’m doing the best I can I’m hanging on. Well, what you don’t understand it. Separate that thing. Keep it simple. Keep it clear. And God will do a work. So God is saying, I want you to look into the perfect law of liberty. liberty, which is the word of God. And as you look into the mirror and you see from the scriptures things in your life that are not right, that need to be cut off out of your life, or things you need to start doing that God says to be an obedience to him, then God says to do that, not to make changes in your life and not to grow and to be strong like God

wanted to. It’s like a man who looks into a mirror and he sees like he got turtleneck sweaters on his teeth, he got cobwebs in his hair, and he needs a shave, and he just goes away and forgets what man or man he is. In other words, he didn’t help him at all. You can come to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, open up the perfect law of liberty and look into the mirror of God and see yourself and walk out the doors and never make any corrections.

You are not a door of the word, you are here only and God will not bless that. And so those who do not respond to the corrections that God gives to you, God says he’s going to have to chase in you. Now remember this, when you do something wrong, God’s not going to say to you, get out of here and go to hell, I’m through with you. Mama? He says, come on in. Come on in. I just tell my kids, come on.

I haven’t even touched them. But they know what’s coming. And then I show them how much I love them. My daddy loved me anymore, he’d kill me. My daddy wasn’t a fisherman, but we did go on a few wailing expeditions. Now, you have a wonderful, loving, heavenly Father. And he has presented in his Word his will. And then his will it reveals that if if you will do what I asked you to do I’m gonna bless your life here and I’m gonna reward you when you get to heaven But if you don’t serve me he said I’m gonna have to beat the tar out of you Maybe take you home before your time So that’s a choice that we have And so God says I want you to do it look at that last part of verse 25 again I want to see verse 25 again, but who’s so look nice talking to the believers not the lost man

He says, who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue it therein, he be not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, because he’s a doer of the word. This man, and you are on the line this in your Bible, this man shall be blessed in his deed. But what if a man doesn’t do it? Well, God says something else is going to happen to him. Now look what he says there in verse eight of chapter two.

And talk into the believers on how to live. Somebody comes into your presence, this rich and somebody’s poor and all that stuff. But we’re going to kind of drop through that and come down here to verse eight. If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. You do well. Now do I have to love my neighbor to go to heaven? No. Do I have to love God to go to heaven? No, I’m going to heaven because God loves me.

I love him because he first loved me. He demonstrated his love for me. It was only after I trusted Christ as my Savior and begin to study from the Word of God that my love grew for the Lord. That where I wanted to do something for the Lord. I wanted to give my whole life to the Lord. But see, I love him now, but I don’t love him to get to heaven. I’m going to have him called he love me.

He died for me. He paid for my sins and all I had to do is trust him as my Savior. But as you begin to study the Word of God, it is the will of God that every one of us love the Lord, not to get to heaven. But he says, if you love me, serve me. And if any man served me, him will my father honor. So he says here, but if you have respected persons, you commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

See, the law hasn’t been moved. It was not destroyed. It was fulfilled by Christ. Christ says, I did not come to destroy the law. I came to fulfill the law. And in Romans in chapter 8, He says that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in you. But not by you. Because now you have the Holy Spirit living within you to give you the strength and the grace and the power that you need to live. He says in verse 10, for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all.

For example, Man’s hanging over a cliff. There’s 10 lengths in a chain He’s hanging on thatInitialized How many links has to break before he falls now? This is a difficult question. I know this is very hard Some of y’all probably didn’t go to Christian school Can you how many links has to break before he falls? Just one now what yes, and then weren’t you you was hoping to be right? Does it matter which link? Doesn’t matter So God says now I’m talking to you believers You still know Break the law You’re not living the way you should and if you break one he says just the same as guilty of all of them It can bring physical death to a little believer Many of God’s children are sick some are weak and some are dead deader than a hammer So he says here in verse 11 for he that

Seth do not commit adultery also said do not kill NowEPA well, I don’t commit adultery. Yeah, but if you the kill you still are transgression of the law and And I’m looking verse. Now we’re not talking laws people on how to get to heaven. We’re talking about Christians on how to live. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. Now one of these days, you see God is present thing, judging us according to our obedience to the revealed will of God.

Your blessings in life and curses in life could be in direct ratio to the caliber of your belief and and obedience to the Lord. And when you and I stand at the judgment sheet of Christ, God says, the day shall declare it, and the eyes of the Lord, which is the fire of God, will examine every man’s work to see what sort it is, and see whether or not it’s a gold, silver and precious stones, or is it haywood and stubble?

And many of us thinking that when we get to heaven, we’re going to have all that gold, silver and precious stones, and you wake up and it’s a bonfire. So this isn’t what I thought. And you’re going to suffer the loss of rewards, a war reward you could have had. And you just messed up by messing up your life. Because you think the little things that you do in life, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really matter. Everything matters. Every idle word.

All the trials and tribulations go to God is watching and keeping the books. And He wants you to endure everything. As we talked about it in the Sunday school hour. God sees and knows everything. And ifGROUP really understand that your faith is on trial, but it’s more precious than gold that’s tried with fire, and that it might be found in the praise, honor, and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ. In other words, it will be worth it all when we get to heaven.

Now look here again. verse 13, you see now in verse 25 of chapter 1, the man that obeys is going to be blessed in his deeds, but what about the one that doesn’t? Then he’s going to be chasing, looking verse 13, for he shall have judgment without mercy that had shown no mercy and mercy rejoices against judgment. So what does it profit my brethren? So we’re not talking to lost people here, we’re talking to believers. the prophet in a Christian’s life.

You see, every person in here is just like a little business. And what is your prophet and lost statement? What are your expenses? What are your income? What is your assets? What is your liability? What is your net worth? So every one of us are in business with the Lord. And God is working with you and for you and through you and he wants profit from your life. So God has put you into this world, and He has given you talents and abilities to use in this world.

And God wants to know how you’re doing because He has an investment in your life. And He wants returns. Have you ever seen the state went through the file of returns? It means they want a portion of the profits from your business. That’s why you pay those taxes. We have a God that says, look, I want you to give me praise, honor, and glory. And look what I’m going to give you. And we will rob him out of the praise, honor and glory that belongs to him.

And we won’t use our investments of the talent and treasures that he’s given us for his honor and glory. And we use it for ourselves. God, our heaven, our heaven, our God is God. And you can’t win. I’ve never seen a child of God go against God and win. You don’t win. You always lose. So he makes the state. Verse 14. But what does it profit my brother though a man say he had faith and have not works can faith save him the answer is Save him from what now.

We’re not talking about heaven and hell If it was talking about hell, I say yes, it will save him, but we’re not talking about hell So can they save him and no it can’t Save him from what the judgment of God no it can’t can it save me from the chasing hand of God no it can’t Because God says a man will reap what he So you live ungodly. There’s a price to pay and you will not escape. You cannot get away from it.

God has designed our Christian life for us to be profitable servants and many of God’s servants are slothful servants, wicked servants. And so he says if a brother or sister be naked in destitute of daily food, One of you say unto him, Depart in peace be you warmed and feel not with standing you give them not those things which are needful for the body What did the profit see profit profit profit? This is talking about in service What good does it do to tell people I love the Lord and then live like the devil?

Christ made this statement in the book of John chapter 14 verse 31 That the world may know that I love the Father even so I do in the words I do what I do because I want the world to know that I love him I love the Lord. I can only prove to you that I love the Lord other thing that I do for the Lord. People see my works. They cannot see my faith. I can’t see your faithPos by the way you live.

If you say I love the Lord, then live like you love the Lord. I am a child of God. Then live like a child of God. You’re a child of the King? Use the language of the court. Learn his word. Quote his word. believe His Word, live like a king. You’re a child of the king. So he’s talking here to believers on how to serve the Lord and why we should. So he says in verse seven, so faith, if it happens not works, it’s dead, been alone, because that’s the only thing people can see.

And it’s the only thing God’s going to reward. God’s not going to reward your faith in him. He’s He’s going to reward the works that you did. Remember that illustration I gave you all one time? When Peter wanted to walk on the water, and he says, Lord, bid me come to you, I want to walk on the water. So he got out of the boat and walked on the water. You see, yeah, but he started to sink. Yeah, but he did walk on the water.

And the othera guys that was still in the boat, that doesn’t say that, but yankee-ology says, they looked at you and said, you know, I could have done that. I was just getting ready to do that. I could have done that. Yes, there’s a lot of things you could have done, but you’re gonna be rewarded for what you did, not what you could have done. You’re gonna suffer the loss of what you could have done because God knows the potential of every individual.

And that’s why it’s so important to serve him. Now look what he says in verse 18. Yay, a man may say, because we’re talking about in the eyes of man. A man may say, look in verse 19, a thou beleavus, look in verse 20. Oh, thou vain man. Look in verse 20, do it. See us thou. He’s talking about you. See, verse verse 24, you see. This is in the eyes of man. This is what people see. People see the way we live.

And people will judge our God, by the way, his children lack. So God says, should I serve him? Where’s your works? You say, I love the Lord. Then I expect this to see you every Sunday morning in church. You say, well, I don’t have to come to church to prove I love the Lord. Yes you do. I don’t have to get, yes you do. If you love the Lord, not if you don’t love the Lord, live like the devil, they don’t matter anyway.

But if you love him, it changes everything. Love churning changes. If I love my wife, then I would have lived like I love my wife. If I love my wife, I don’t flirt with other women. If I love my wife, I’m faithful to my wife. By the way, a few more months will be married 50 years. I think it’s a keeper. You know I’m a preacher and I have preached in a lot in the last three years I’ve probably been 120 something churches, so I’ve been in a quite a few church.

I have never seen a woman like my wife I’m talking about what preachers preachers why I’ve never seen preachers why like my wife? The older you get the longer your marriage other your wife should be It pitted me. I love women to you. Nobody’s like your wife. But of course, she probably never seen another man like me. She treat me like a king and I quit her like a queen. We get along pretty good. Now how did I get sidetracked on?

I don’t know. So what did I have to do with a sermon? I don’t know. Because everything had to have a point. But he says in verse 18, yay a man may say, thou hast faith. I have works. Show me thy works. I’ll show you my faith by my works. Show me your faith without works. Can’t do it. But I want to show you my faith by my works. Are we talking about how to get to heaven? No. So you see, James doesn’t contradict Paul.

Neither one contradict God who gave the gospel to Abraham. A man is justified by faith alone in Christ alone. And so that’s all he has to do. But after he trusts Christ as Savior and refers to the works, you’ll notice in verse 21, when he says, was not Abraham our Father justified by works? When he believed, no, no, no, no, when he offered up Isaac. This was about 13, 15 years later. So he’s not referring here to that night when God called the stars and he believed and got his right.

He’s not talking about Abraham when he got saved. He told me when Abraham was tested, when he took up his son and walked up from that Mount Moriah and offered up his son upon the altar because he believed that if I sway my son, he believed that God would raise him again from the dead. He was chapter 11. See, he knew more than most people think he knew. He understood. So when he talks about Rahab, justified by her words, not taught by him, when you believe talking about what she did.

That’s the work is what people see. So in the eyes of individuals that people would have put you on the witness stand and accord of law. Would there be enough evidence against you to convict you have been a Christian. I’ve lived like you love the Lord. This hand represent you and me, the wall of represents sin. We all have sin on us. Now God says that he loves us, but he hates what we do wrong. And for us, the paper sends eternal separation from God and a literal fire burning them.

But he loves us and wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven, you’ve got to be perfect. No sin. Because heaven’s perfect. God’s perfect. But we’re not. Because of sin, we can’t get in. So God says, this not by your work. So no man can earn their way to heaven by the good deeds they perform. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh came into the world because he loved us, hates our sin because it separates us from him.

So what Christ did for one person, He did for the whole world. He took all the sins. Hey, turn on the cross came back from the dead and said, if we’ll believe that he did it for us, he put this payment to our account. Give me his righteousness. His righteousness would be put to my account. I would be as righteous as God. And that’s why I’m going to heaven because of his robe of righteousness that was given to me.

And it says the moment you believe he did it for you, he gives you the free gift of eternal life. Now if it’s eternal life, how long would it last? Forever. And if it lasts forever, and all you’re centripated, where would you go when you die? To heaven. See, we believe you can know you have eternal life now and know where you’re going whenever you die. If it’s tomorrow, 10 years from now, or 100 years from now, I know I’m going to heaven and God can’t change it.

I can’t change it. It’s a done deal, but I’m not in heaven yet. And so as a child of God, I know that it is my responsibility concerned. Not to get to heaven, but because I’m going there. Let’s pray shall we. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 1-800-576-8 God’s Word on Bible Mind, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bible Mind. Welcome to Bible Mind 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 Bible Mind to continue on the air.

He reaches toll free at 1-800-576. 3771, online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calbryoftampa.org. 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. You have a Bible. Turn to the book of Genesis chapter 15. I want to share with you something that I believe is very, very important. I wish that everyone all believed exactly the same thing when it comes to the Bible.

But it’s amazing how we can have differences of opinion. There’s only one God, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, but it seems like a multitude of messages when it comes to what God really meant about it to get to heaven. And going back to Genesis in chapter 15, I want to show you something about Abraham and then something about the Apostle Paul. I believe that it would help in your understanding. Here in the book of Genesis in chapter 15, that makes the statement where the Lord is talking to Abram.

And it says in verse 3, and Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed. And lo, one born in my house is mine heir. What was the problem? Well God had promised to Abraham that you’re going to have a son and he’s going to be the the father of a great nation and the families of the earth are going to be blessed because of it. And so his years passed by Abraham says, we’ve got a problem. I’m getting old, Sarah’s old, and one that’s born in my house is an heir.

But I don’t have any say. I don’t have a kid. Because he said up here in verse two, a neighbor said, Lord God, what will about give me saying I go childless in the steward of my house is this eliazer of Damascus he says what what am I gonna do well he did take some bad advice and they he took a mom woman Hagar and he had a child and that child well has caused some problems down through the years oh back four thousand I would say and they really have multiplied and become pretty powerful in the world today.

So that wasn’t what Abraham meant. He wanted one of his own from his wife. And Lord Behold, he says here in verse 5, he says, and he brought him forth abroad and said, look now toward heaven. Tell the stars or count them if they’ll be able to number them and he says, so shall thy seed be. Now even when he says the word seed, it’s also singular here, but it’s not only referring to the nation of Israel, he called it be Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the 12 tribes and a great nation, but also it’s a reference to Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

the Messiah was going to come through Abraham and he was going to be the one by which the families of the earth would believe in and be blessed. So the blessing of Abraham was something that everybody in the whole world needs. The blessing of Abraham was that you had the righteousness of God put to your account by faith alone. So he says in verse 6, and he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness. So God took his righteousness and gave it Abraham.

Now if God was to give you his righteousness, would that make you as righteous as God? Yes it would. Well if you had God’s righteousness given to you would that be good enough to get to heaven on? Yeah. Because you see, you and I don’t have any righteousness. The Bible says this in the book of Philippians chapter 3 verse 9, and be found not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of gut by faith.

So there’s two kinds of righteousness, the righteousness of God by faith and the righteousness of man, by the law. So God says, don’t be found trusting in your righteousness to get you to heaven. God wants you and I to accept the righteousness He sent down, not the righteousness we send up. Because God says all of our righteousness are as filthy rags. So here, God preached the gospel to Abraham. Turn in your Bible all the way over there to the book of Galatians in chapter 3, the book of Galatians and chapter 3.

You’ll notice here in chapter 3 and verse 6, when it refers to Abraham and when he believed on the Lord, it goes back to that moment there in the book of Genesis in chapter 15. But here even in chapter 3 in verse 6 on page 1243 in a Noescoza reference Bible says, even as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. No you therefore that that they which are of faith, the same with the children of Abraham, and the scripture, talk about in the Old Testament, or seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in these shall all nations be blessed.

Now when you read that one phrase, in these shall all families of the earth be blessed, You may not associate that statement with having eternal life, to be saved and going to heaven when you die. But that’s what it refers to. There are many things that they knew and understood that’s not actually even recorded. For example, we hear about Enoch and he walked with God and he was not for God took him. But you don’t know until you read the book of Jude that Enoch preached a preacher of righteousness about Jesus Christ coming with 10,000 of the saints.

So they preached about Jesus Christ before the flood. They preached about Him coming back in power and great glory in 10,000 of the before the flood. So there’s many things they knew and understood that we don’t know because a lot of things are not all recorded in the Old Testament. And sometimes in the New Testament, it’ll tell you what it referred to. And so here we find out that God preached the gospel. And He preached the gospel to Abraham.

And He preached the gospel to Abraham 430 years before the law was ever given. Tell him that God was going to justify the heathen through faith. The lost man could be saved by faith and faith alone. That’s all he had to do. See there in chapter three. I want you to look at this look there in verse 13 verse 13 Christ Hat redeemed us from the curse of the law Being made a curse for us. Well, what was the curse of the law?

Well cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree But right before this it says and you’ll notice here in verse 10 or as many as are of the works of the law law are under the what? The curse. And that’s talking about, for as it is written, curse it is everyone that can continue if not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. It means that if a man doesn’t keep everything in the law perfectly all the days of his life, he can never be justified by the law.

The only way he would be justified by the law is never break the law. And that’s why he says in verse 11, but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God because all men have broken the law. No man’s ever kept the law perfectly. He says, for his evidence, the just shall live by what? By faith. By faith alone in what Christ did, it’s not what you and I do. We have no part in salvation.

It is the gift of God, not a works list. Any man should boast. So he says down in verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And then he says in verse 16, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not and the seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy So Abraham understood this back in the Old Testament.

So God did preach the gospel to Abraham and that a man would be justified by faith without the law. Otherwise, how could all those people have been saved all those years before Moses ever gave the law a Mount Sinai? God gave the law to Moses. So a man has always been saved the same way. No one has ever been saved by the law. You and I are not saved by our works. No man ever has been and cannot be.

Because he says, by grace of your say through faith that none of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of what? Not of works lest any man should boast. So no man has ever been saved by his words. But he says, if righteousness should come by the way of God. the law than Christ is dead in vain. If a man could save himself by the things that he does, then he doesn’t need a Savior if the man can save himself.

So look what he says here in verse 21, is the law then against the promise of God? Well no. He says, for if there had been a law given which could, could have given life, for the righteousness should have been by the law. But no man has ever found where the law would give you eternal life. No man can keep it. It shows the standard of God’s righteousness and how far short we come. So the law wasn’t given to save a man, the law was given to reveal to us that we are lost.

We cannot save ourselves by our good work. So the law points us to the one who can. It points us to Christ. So we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and God saves us and gives us eternal life. Now take your Bible to look there in the book of Romans, Romans in chapter 4. Once again, refer into that statement about something that Abraham found here in the Old Testament. Look what he says in verse 1 of Romans 4. Remember now we’re talking about how a man is justified in the eyes of God.

He says in verse 1, what shall we say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the flesh hath found. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath were of the glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture, Abraham did what? Believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him, that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of death. What he’s saying is, if a man could work for his salvation, then God would be in debt to the man.

The man earned it. If he earned it, then salvation would be a reward. He earned it. There’s a right to it. It couldn’t be by grace then. Because grace means that it’s free. Grace means it’s not a works. So he says here in verse 5, some people say that, well, believe it is a work. No, it’s not. fight. But to him that work if not, but believe it on him that justify the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Just by you believing that what Christ did on the cross was for you. And you trust him as your Savior and all you had to do is believe it. God said he would give you as a freak, ever-lasting life. You would be justified just as if you’d never sinned. And you go to heaven I don’t know what somebody else did for you. He said, well, you don’t deserve that. Of course. That’s what we’re talking about. You’re saved by grace, not by your work.

It’s a gift, it’s free. He said, but what if you do something wrong afterwards? Aren’t you glad you’re still going to heaven? I mean, people say, well, you can just go here and live like you please. Everybody does it anyway, don’t they? Everybody in this room lives like you please. There’s not a one of you in here that don’t. You live however you want to live. So don’t hand me that other. You’re already doing it. But wouldn’t it be nice to know you’re going to heaven when you die?

Because it’s a gift, it’s free. But now you say, well, shouldn’t we? Yes, we should live as righteous and Godly as holy as we possibly can, but not to get to heaven, but because we’re going to heaven, because we are the children of God, not to be a child of God, But because I am already a child of God. Now look there in Romans in chapter 6, it’s just in chapter 4, and look there in verse 16. And get this very quickly.

In verse 16, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. Because if it were by your works, it could not be by faith. It would be that God would save you because of what you did by your good work. And if you’re going to be saved by your works, then you can’t know now if you’re saved. You have to wait till you die to find out if you made it. So anybody who’s trusting in their works to save them cannot know if they’re saved.

You have to wait till you die to find out where you’re faithful all the way. That means you’ve got to wait till the end. And then what if you find out, okay, you didn’t make it. What are you going to do now? Think nothing left to do? I don’t have to wait till the end of my life. I find that will if I really made it. I already know I’m going to heaven. I was 18 when I trusted the Lord.

So he says, it is by faith that it might be by grace. Get this last part to the end to the resolve. The promise might be what? Sure. Do all the see. So God’s made a promise to Abraham is going to save everybody by faith and faith alone. All he has to do with it. And God would put his righteousness to their account. So now look down here in verse 20, verse 20, talking about Abraham. After God had shown him the stars and so on.

He says, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform. That’s the definition of faith. And therefore, it, God’s righteousness, was imputed to him for righteousness. So, he says in verse 23, now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him. That need to be put to his account, to impute, put to his account.

In verse 24, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe. If we believe what on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the end, if we will believe God will save us just like He did Abraham. Abraham was saved 430 years before the law was ever given so he didn’t have to keep the law to be saved. But this is in the New Testament doing the church age and he’s talking to believers telling them this is what the gospel is all about.

So we don’t have to Worry. It’s a gift. It’s free. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn over there to the book of James in chapter 2. Have you ever heard of James chapter 2? Most people never heard James chapter 1 or James chapter 3, but almost everybody has heard of James chapter 2. Because majority of people say, well, haven’t you ever heard of James chapter 2? That says, no, he means it’s in the Bible. Like I’ve never heard of James chapter 2.

Must be something really good in James chapter 2. Well, here’s the problem. They see that in verse 21, well, it’s not Abraham, our Father justified by what? Works. Ooh, look what he says. In verse 24, ye say that how that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone. That looks like a direct contradiction of everything I just said. There’s either a contradiction in the Bible or there’s got to be an explanation to this. Well, I sure am glad there is an explanation to this.

Now here we have James explaining something to Christians and he’s using Abraham as an illustration and Rahab the harlot. Look in verse 25, like was also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works. Well, evidently James had never talked to Paul and he didn’t get the message right. Are they contradicting each other? No. One of the things you’ve got to do is try to find out Now, who are we talking to and what are we talking about?

Just trying to make it simple real quick. When we’re talking about salvation is by faith alone before God, faith alone. That’s for salvation to get to heaven, to get God’s righteousness. Now, when we’re talking about service, that’s what we do for Him. Salvation is what He did for us. So I am justified by faith alone without work for salvation.

Didn’t say from hell, going to heaven, that’s free. When we talk about being justified by works, well then this is for service. This is for rewards. So one is salvation, the other is reward. Salvation, service. Always keep those two things separate. What most people do, when I know in it, they take all the scriptures that refer to the service and put them over here with this one and mess it up real good.

Gotta keep it separate. Why? Because God keeps it separate. He calls it rightly dividing the word. So you got to know is God talking here to lost people on how to go to heaven or is he talking to Christians on how to serve the Lord? Look there in James chapter one Look there in verse two. He says in verse two my brethren. I got a hanah hunt. He’s talking to believers You see there in verse two I Mean chapter two in verse one my brethren He’s talking to those who are believers in the Lord.

He’s not talking about how to get to heaven. He’s talking to the Christians on how to live. See, my salvation as a done deal never has to be done again. I’m going to heaven whenever I die. But I’m not there yet. So God left me in this world to live for him. And like we talked about in Sunday school, I’m supposed to live here like I’m perfect. In an imperfect world, you go into a perfect place. Now, here in James, in chapter two, he’s talking to the Christians about trials and tribulations, the heartaches of life, the temptations that you’re gonna go through, and how that you’re gonna be rewarded, if you do that which is right.

Look there in verse 12 of chapter one. Blessed is the man that endure it, temptation. For when he is tried, he shall get to go to heaven when he dies. No, when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of one. That’s a reward. So James is talking about to the believer, and he’s talking about service, and he’s talking about receiving rewards. Now, when we talk about salvation, Man is justified by faith, alone, no works. I’m just to trust his work, what he did, what he said.

And that will get me to heaven. That saves my soul. But now God’s talking here about how am I supposed to live here in this world before I get to heaven? Until he takes me out of here. So this is talking to the believer, not the lost man. Look there in verse 22. But be doers of the word and not hears only, deceiving your own self. For if any be I hear of the word and not a doer, he is likened to a man beholden his natural face and a glass.

For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straight way, forgeteth what manner of man he was. But who’s so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, the Word of God, and continue therein. He be not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed. Now, when it comes to salvation, it’s not you’re doing deed, it’s not you’re enduring, it’s not your work, it’s not reward, it’s none of those things. When it talks about salvation, it’s by grace, a grace alone, it is the gift of God, not of words.

So if you keep that separate, then you’ll have no problem with this. But what most people do is they put all this together and big old mess podge, and you don’t know whether you’re saved or you’re lost. You don’t know, is it free or I have to earn it? And you don’t know where not, where am I gonna go in the night? Well, I’m doing the best I can. I’m hanging on to, well, you don’t understand it. Separate that thing.

Keep it simple, keep it clear. And God will do a work. So God is saying, I want you to look into the perfect law of liberty, which is the Word of God. And as you look into the mirror and you see from the Scriptures things in your life that are not right, that need to be cut off out of your life, or things you need to start doing that God says to be an obedience to him, then God says to do that, not to make changes in your life and not to grow and to be strong like God wants you to.

It’s like a man who looks into a mirror and he sees like he got turtleneck sweaters on his teeth. He got cobwebs in his hair and he needs a shave and he just goes away and forgets what men are many is. In other words, he didn’t help him at all. You can come to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, open up the perfect law of liberty and look into the mirror of God and see your yourself and walk out the door and never make any corrections.

You are not a door of the word. You are here only and God will not bless that. And so those who do not respond to the corrections that God gives to you, God says He’s going to have to chase you. Now remember this, when you do something wrong, God not gonna say to you, get out of here and go to hell, I’m through with you. Mama? He says, come on in. I just tell my kids, come on in. Get in the house.

I haven’t even touched them. But they know what’s coming. And then I show them how much I love them. My daddy loved me anymore, he’d kill me. My daddy wasn’t a fisherman, but we did go on a few whalers. expeditions. Now you have a wonderful loving heavenly Father and he has presented in his Word his will and in his will it reveals that if you will do what I ask you to do I’m going to bless your life here and I’m going to reward you when you get to heaven but if you don’t serve me, he said, I’m going to have to beat guitar out of you.

Maybe take you home before your time. So that’s a choice that we have. And so God says, I want youase, look at that last part of verse 25 again. I don’t see verse 25 again, but who’s so look nice talking to the believers, not the lost man. He says, who’s so looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue it therein, he be not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, because he’s a doer of the Word.

This man, and you are on the line this in your Bible, this man shall be blessed in his deed. But what if a man doesn’t do it? Well, God says something else is going to happen to him. If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. You do well. Now, do I have to love my neighbor to go to heaven? No. Do I have to love God to go to heaven? No.

I’m going to heaven because God loves me. I love him because he first loved me. He demonstrated his love for me. It was only after I trusted Christ as my Savior and begin to study from the Word of God that my love grew for the Lord. To where I wanted to do something for the Lord. I wanted to give my whole life to the Lord. But see, I love Him now, but I don’t love Him to get to heaven.

I’m going to heaven and go, He loved me. He died for me. He paid for my sins and all I had to do was trust Him as my Savior. We’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Our two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

There’s a lot of things that I wanted to do in my life that I don’t think I’m gonna live long enough to do them all. There’s a lot of places that I wanted to go. I don’t think I’m gonna live long enough to do all those things anymore. But there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do. There’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do. And I haven’t got to do it yet. I want to see God. Now I’ve seen this world.

And I believe that God exists because He’s given me His world to look at. And I come to the conclusion, I didn’t make it, somebody did. They didn’t make itself. So yes, I believe that there is a God and He made a world. But I want to see God, not just His world. And God gave me His Word that tells me all about God. So I have in front of me a Bible that describes what God is like that made the world.

But I want to see God. And God won’t reveal Himself to you personally. He said, why not? There’s a reason. God says if anybody saw his face, they’d die. If you saw his face, you would die. Now, I remember me and Betty was riding along one day in the car, and this one girl came up in a sports car, and she looked over at me and she gave me a great big old smile. I said, Betty, did you see that?

I said, she gave me a big smile. He said, that’s not the first time I saw you, I laughed out loud. But one day we are going to see his face and you don’t know how you’re going to react if you ever met him face to face. I’m talking about literally see the face of God. Now Moses wanted to see God. God had asked Moses to do a big thing and Moses says, how do I know you’re God? He said, let me see you.

And so I want you to turn it with me very quickly to Exodus 33. And look what he says in verse 12. And Moses said unto the Lord, see, thou sayeth unto me, bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou will sin with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast for I also found grace and thy say, oh, you said, you know my name, you know me, you know me, I’m Moses.

Well, that’s great. You haven’t even told me who’s going to go with me yet. down there to tell Pharaoh, let your people go. He’s in verse 30, now therefore I pray that if I have found grace and thy sight, show me now by way that I may know thee, that I may find grace and thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. How do I know? Prove it to me, show me. Let me see you God. Wouldn’t you like that?

I mean, wouldn’t you wanna see God? That’s one of the things that a lot of people say, well, I don’t believe in God what, because I ain’t seen him. You see, before you say there is no God, you should know everything there is to know because if there’s anything that you do not know, it might be the knowledge of God. True? So before you can say there is no God, you ought to have that ability to prove that there is no God.

Well, I don’t think you qualify. But what it says, in verse 14, and he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. I, my presence, who’s gonna go with me? He said, I’m gonna with you. Let me see you. As you walk through life, you know according to the word that He’s promised to lead us, to guide us. He’s supposed to indwell us. And He holds me by the hand. He says, let me see you.

And I know that we’d love to be able to lay our literal eyes upon Him. Because if we could lay our eyes upon Him, then we know. It wouldn’t require faith because then it would be fat and you know But God has asked us to trust him. He’s revealed certain things to us that no man could do. He says, I tell you things that are going to happen in advance so that you’ll know that I’m God. And there is no other God beside me.

He says here in verse 15, and he said unto him, if I presence go not with me, carry us not thence. If you’re not going, I ain’t going. He says in verse 16, for therein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight. Is it not in that thou, thou, God, and thy people have found grace in thy sight? go with us. So shall we be separated. I invite people from all the people that are upon the face of the earth and the Lord’s that in the Moses.

I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou have found grace in my sight and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I I will show mercy and he said, thou can’t not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live.”

That’s an awesome statement. And then he says there in verse 21, and the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand up on a rock. And it shall come to pass when my glory passes by, that I will put thee in a cliff of the rock and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take away my hand and I shall see my back part, but my face shall not be seen.”

In other words, you’re going to see the remaining part of my glory, but you can’t see my full glory. Wouldn’t you love to see? Man, I would wish something like that would happen to me. Well, take your Bible and turn there to the book of John chapter 1. John chapter 1. I would like to see the face of God. One day we will. Here in the book of John chapter 1, the Bible says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. And all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. Then He tells us that He came into the world. The Word. The Lord came into the world, revealed Himself. Look what He says up there in verse 18. No man have seen God at any time. They only be God and Son, which is in the bosom of the Father. He hath declared him. In other words, God says, you can’t behold my face because of the glory of the Lord.

There’s even the arc that was made in which God presents the Shekana glory rested upon that arc. But if any man so much has touched the arc, the Bible says he would be shot through like with radiation and die instantly and some people did die because of it. God says you can’t even come close to the mount, tell the people to stay away from the mount. If they touched the mount that he was on, they would literally die, be shot through with whatever force that was on that mount them.

You see, God is power, but you and I could not actually face to face with God, he said, and live in his presence. Must be a powerful God. So God says, I am going to come into the world and reveal myself to you, but I’m going to veil myself. I’m going to tabernacle in our human body, and you’ll be able to see God. You’ll be able to see him face to face with a human face on him. That was Jesus Christ.

You see there in verse 10 of chapter He was in the world, the world was made by Him, the world knew Him not. Verse 14, and the word was made flesh dwelt among us. We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Fatherful of grace and truth. He took upon a human form and God became a man, lived in a human form so that literally people upon the earth could see God. But now because He He looked like a man that didn’t believe he was God.

Some people never satisfied, are they? If God came into this room today and you say, well, how do I know he’s God? Have you ever seen God before? Well, now how do you, how would you compare? Well, let me see you do some magic tricks for me. What do you want him to do for you? Perform something for you, little miracles for you? Well, when Christ was here, he did a few little miracles like that. You know, he raised the dead.

And they still didn’t believe. He walked on water. And they still wouldn’t believe. He’d feed 5,000. And they still wouldn’t believe. He could read me in spots and tell them everything was going to say, well they still didn’t believe him. What miracle do you think he’d have to perform for you? How would God prove to you he’s God? And yet how many people say, I don’t believe in God. I’ve never seen God. If you had you would die. And if he revealed himself, you won’t believe it.

But the Bible says the day is coming in which every man will confess every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. One day may will take your Bible look there in John chapter eight. John chapter eight and notice in verse 52. Then said the Jews unto him Christ. Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, the prophets. And thou sayeth, if a man keep my sins, he shall never taste of death.

Arth thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead. And the prophets are dead, whom makeest thou by self. Who do you think you are? Who was he? He was God. And the thing is, he was claiming to be God, because everybody wants to see God, and God came. Well now, wouldn’t that convince everybody? No, it didn’t. And it wouldn’t probably convince you if Jesus Christ today walked into this room and did the miracles that he did. Two thousand years ago, there’s still people who still will not believe it.

God will not go against your will. He won’t make a person believe. I have people that will prove to me that they are God. How am I supposed to do? God couldn’t even prove to some people that he is God. What am I supposed to do? Get ahold of God, bring me to the rooms and bury us. No. You don’t want to believe in God? Don’t believe in God. I can’t make a person believe in God. If you don’t believe in God, don’t exist.

Tell him. Don’t tell me. Look in verse 54, Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father but honor of me. of whom you say, he’s your God. Yet you have not known him, but I know him. And if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar just like you. But I know him and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.

Then said to Jews unto him, thou art not yet 50 years old and hast thou seen Abraham? Did they understand what he was saying? Yeah. Jesus said, I saw Abraham. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. Has thou seen Abraham? Jesus said to him, Barely, barely, I said, before, get this, get what he said. Before Abraham was, I am, I am, before Abraham. Do you think they understood what he was claiming to be? That’s what made him some mad. Because you see, if God, God revealed yourself, all right, he did, he came into the world, did all these wonderful miracles and so forth, and then they didn’t believe him.

For if I could just see God, for if I could just see God, Well, then I’d really be convinced. Then I’d really know. Well, I don’t think you would. And God knows that. We have a mind that doesn’t perceive things correctly. We don’t love like we ought to. We don’t live like we ought to. And the thing is, these things that are mentioned here in the Bible are very simple, very clear. The Bible says like the Gospel of John was written so that we might believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

Take your Bible and look there in the book of John chapter 14 John chapter 14. I’m just to see that this is awesome. When he says there in verse 1, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Why? I’m God. You believe there’s a God? Well, I’m God. Here I am. I’m revealed in the flesh. And no, you’re not. No, you’re not. You’re a liar. You’re full of the devil. You’re mad. You’re beside yourself.

All these are statements that they made about him. He says, in my father’s house, in many mansions, if we’re not so, I would have told you, I go to the prayer place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I’ll come again and receive you unto myself. That where I am, there he may be also. Okay, who’s God and where are you God and what are you doing? He said, I’m God. And this is where I’m going.

I’m going to a place called heaven and I’m going to make a mansion for you. And I will receive you unto myself. I will come again. I will take you there. He’s He’s going to do that. Oh God, what man can do that? A man can’t do that. Men ain’t got no power. Jesus Christ was God. Then he says in verse six, Jesus said in him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man come unto the Father but by me.

Now get verse seven. Verse seven is awesome. If he had known me, he should have known my Father also. And from henceforth, ye know him. Ye know God. And you’ve seen him. Look at those last words. And you’ve seen him. You know God and you seen Him. Oh yeah, well when did we see God? In verse 8, Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and we’ll be satisfied. It’ll suffice us. Still, the things going on. All the way from Moses wanted to know.

Everybody down through time wants to know. And everybody even in this room would love to see God. I was told that if you take everything you’ve got and put it in God’s hands, it won’t be long before you see God’s hand and everything that you’ve got. It depends on how you look. Or can you see with an eye of faith? Because you believe in God and everything that God says, because you know it’s real. You can see God working in your life.

I have seen God work in my life. I haven’t seen God, I’ve seen God work. I’ve seen what God’s done for me and what He’s done to me. I’m not the same person that I used to be. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, changed my life. My life has been changed. My goals have been changed. My purpose for a living was changed. The book is real. And I’ve said this before and I’ll sit again. The Lord is more real to me than the clothes that I’ve got on my back.

I don’t know if He’s real to you. There’s just somebody you know about, but He’s real to me. In the last part of verse seven, you know Him and have seen Him. Philip, Lord, show us the Father. It’ll suffice it. And Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you? And yet has found not known me, Philip? He that have seen me have seen who? You’ve seen the Father. How can you say show us God? I am God.

I’m the Father. I am Him. I am the Father, or one, were one and the same. John chapter 10. Awesome. Look in Revelation 22. Revelation chapter 22. The Bible tells us here, no uncertain terms about heaven, about the Holy City, and all these wonderful things that have gone a big there. When you and I finally leave this world and we get to heaven, he says there in Revelation 22, and he showed me in verse 1 a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the lamb.

In the midst of the tree of it, and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bear 12 men are fruits and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him and you are on the line verse 4 and they shall and they shall what and they shall see his face see his face there’ll be no more curse and you’ll see God I’m looking for with the day when I get a chance to literally lay these eyes upon God Almighty.

One of the greatest moments in a person’s life, I’ve read about Christ and Christ is the revelation, the revealing, the manifestation of God in the flesh. But I didn’t see Him except through the pages of this book. And the story that it tells about Him, I believe it. I believe it wholeheartedly. I believe this book is true. That every word of it is real. And I believe that one day I’m going to see God face to face. I ball to eyeball.

Now, that’s going to be our great happy moment. When we get to heaven, and you see the reason is God says sin cannot enter into heaven for a man to leave this world and say I want to go to heaven, well heaven is a perfect place and the Lord is perfect and you have to be perfect in order to go there. But whenever you get to heaven, am I still me or am I made into something else? But when I get to heaven, what’s going to happen to my memory?

What’s going to happen to my mind? Just listen to this. Psalms 34 and verse 16 says, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. There’s people on the earth because of wickedness and they will not trust Christ as their Savior, God says a time will come when He’ll cut off our remembrance of them. We won’t remember them anymore. She inglest God worked a miracle upon your memory. Heaven won’t be heaven for eternity. You have right now a lot of heartache and sorrow.

You have a lot of things that you personally have done, sins that you committed against God, and even though God has forgiven you, you can’t forget them. Now God can forgive and forget, but you can’t seem to forget. You can forgive your loved ones because they wronged you, but you can’t forget about it. And maybe they don’t either and remind you once in a while. You can remember the things that you’ve done and the sins that you’ve committed over the years.

And every once in a while they can come back like flashbacks and haunt your mind and produce the same horror and the guilt and the feelings of whatever that you experienced 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago. Wouldn’t you like to be cured of that? You stop and think for a moment that a lot of the hurt and the heartache that you’ve gone through in your life is because of what somebody else also has done to you. People wrong you, people hurt you, people say things about you.

People have disappointed you and discouraged you and brought you to despair. And you, because of what people do to you, that’s what causes that hurt and some of that grief and that bitterness and that that Indian and that jealousy and that revengeful attitude, all those things, that’s what’s been eaten at you for years. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just forget about all those things that people have ever done to you and then to think about all the things you’ve done even to God.

Now a verse I’d like to share with you, listen to this, this is in Isaiah 26, I love Isaiah There are several verses that are talking about the peace that you and I are supposed to have, the peace that can pass understanding. And the Lord tells us that they will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee, because he trusts us in thee, talking about in Jehovah. But here in verse 14, part B it makes a statement, and made all their memory to perish, all their memory to perish where you can’t remember anymore.

Another scripture says in Isaiah 65 verse 17, I want you to see this verse. I want you to turn to this verse. This one is an awesome verse. Isaiah chapter 65, and look there in verse 17, verse 17, for behold I create new new heavens and a new earth. And the former shall not be remembered, nor in your underlying these words come into mind.” Have you ever had somebody else’s, do you remember blah, blah, blah, blah? No, I don’t remember that at all.

Well, let me see if I can refresh your memory. You remember this day, you know, this day here we went there and we did this and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Oh, yeah, now I remember. No, you’re not gonna have anybody be able to help you recall anything because you’re not gonna be able to remember. or come into mind. Look what he says also there in verse 16. That he who blessed himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth.

And he that swerve in the earth shall swear by the God of truth because the former troubles are you are on the line. The former troubles are what? Forgotten. Then he says that there will be a new heavens and a new earth and the former world will not be remembered. So what it means is, let me give you three miracles before we close. Three little miracles that I think are awesome. The Lord will erase all memory of our sins from our minds.

We won’t even know we ever committed them. That’s grace. When we get to heaven, there’s going to be a period of time. And then after the great white throne judgment and the lost are cast unto an everlasting fire called the Lord said, He’ll wipe away all tears from our eyes because up to that time I believe there’ll be tears because we’ll remember and yes there’ll be pain and grief but notice the Lord will erase all memory of our sins from our minds.

We won’t know we ever committed them. Number two, the Lord will erase from our minds all memory of the sins of others. We won’t even know they ever happened. The Lord will erase from our minds the memory of all our relatives and friends who went to hell. We won’t even know they ever existed. I don’t believe you will be in heaven forever in anguish over your loved ones that never trusted the Lord after the great white throne judgment. But at that point at the great white throne the Bible says God will have to wipe away all tears from our eyes because you’ll see that individual and And there will be remembrance and the hurt.

Those people will not be in heaven forever. But then God is going to do a miracle upon our minds, what will no longer remember the former things, the former world. And all of your sins that you’ve committed will be totally erased as though you never did them. You’ll never remember them. All the things that people did against you will be completely erased and done away with. the people that never trusted Christ as their Savior will be as though they never existed.

Because in heaven, it’s only those who are born into God’s family. First birth don’t count, only the second. They were never in the family. In heaven, it’ll only be those that knew the Lord. God says, Moses, I know thee. I know your name. But remember Jesus Christ made the statement in Matthew chapter 7. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, in that day, have we not? And he said, I never knew you. You need to find out. Does God know you?

Does God know you? What it means is, do you know Him as your Savior? Are you His child? Have you been born into God’s family? Look up here. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us. Hates our sin. For you and I to pay for this sin is eternal separation from the Lord. In hell. But God loves us. And He wants us to go to heaven. But to go to heaven we have to be perfect, because righteous is God.

None of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We’re all sinners. We cannot save ourselves. That’s why we need a Savior. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in a flesh. He came into this world. He, God, came into this world. Took upon flesh. He didn’t have any sin, didn’t have to die. But He loved us. So He took our sin, paid for them on the cross, came back from the dead. And said, if we’ll believe He did that for us, that He put this payment that He made to our account, we go to heaven on what He did for us.

That’s grace. I have eternal life. I trust he Christ as my Savior years ago. God saved me years ago, gave me eternal life years ago, made me his child years ago, and I still am his child. I still have eternal life, and he’ll never cast me out and never lose me. I can’t go to hell, impossible for me to go to hell, because of what he did for me. He paid for my sins. It’s not because I’ve been good, not because I go to church.

It’s not because of my good deeds. By grace are you saved through faith that not of yourself, it is the gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast. It’s the greatest thing in all the world. And by the way, one day you will see Him face to face. Be patient, wait. You saw Him today. You’d have to be dead to do so. Do you want to see Him right now? You think you could wait a little while?

Could wait another year or two years, five or ten years? I think you can. Hang in there. Let’s pray, shall we? We’re heads by nice clothes and no one looking around. I’m not going to ask you to come forward and I’m going to embarrass you, but right where you are. If you have never, honestly, you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Would you right now to say something between you and the Lord? Say this, Lord, I’m a sinner and I believe Christ died and paid for my sins and I’m going to trust Him to take me to heaven whenever I die.

And for in God said that if you trust Him, He’d give eternal life and never cast you out and never lose you. If you haven’t done it, do it right now. And if you will, I’d like to have prayer for you. And if you will do that, would you just slip your hand up very quickly? And one of the alls, yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and bring you, I’d like you to pray for me. And one of the alls before the close.

Our Father, we do thank You so much for Your blessings to us. I pray, Lord, Your blessings upon each person that’s here. And Father, I know that the desire of each one of our heartes is, we want to see God. And until then, we have Your Word. And we can see what’s Your life. We can see what you’ve done and we’re to believe it. And one day we will see the face to face. And Christ and we pray. Amen.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Spinning Globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Peter chapter two. 1 Peter chapter two. In chapter two, in verse two it says, as newborn babes desire the sensor milk of the word that you may grow thereby. It’s one thing to be born into God’s family. It’s another thing to grow in God’s family. You were born into his family when you trusted Christ as your savior and now because you are his child, God wants us to grow.

I want you to take your Bible and turn the book of Romans in chapter 5. The book of Romans and chapter 5, I want you to know there are some things that will help you in your walk with the Lord, saying things that will help you to grow. But one thing every Christian needs to be convinced of is that the Bible is the Word of God, that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice, for what you believe and what you do.

So that whatever you believe is in agreement with the word of God and whatever you do does not go against the word of God so that you know what to think, what to believe and you know what to do with your life. Here in Romans in chapter 5 and verse 1 says, therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know that we’re saved because the word of God tells us we are?

How are you saved by faith? How do And you know you’re saved by faith because the Bible says it’s by faith and faith alone. It says that a man is justified, made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ alone. And therefore being justified, not that I’m going to be justified someday, I am justified right now. I’m just as if I have never sinned in the eyes of God. And you and I are supposed to believe that because the Word of God teaches that.

You see, you cannot grow as a Christian until you’re sure of your salvation. If you’re always wondering whether you’re saved or whether you’re lost, you can never mature as a Christian. Because those building blocks are based upon the foundation and the foundation is Christ. And if you’re not sure of your foundation, you cannot build as a Christian. You’ll never mature. You’ll always be a babe in Christ. So you need to make sure that if you trust a Christ as your Savior, you know that you have eternal life and that you’re going to heaven when you die.

is the gift of God. Take your Bible looking first John chapter 2, the book of first John and chapter 2. And the Bible tells us there in verse 12, I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. Every one of us as little children in order to grow and to become mature, you have to understand and believe that God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you of all your sins. And now as a child of God, you should forgive yourself, because sometimes Christians cannot grow because they’re still laboring under a load of guilt and will not forgive themselves.

You see, you sinned because you were a sinner. That’s why you sin. sin. You still have a sinful nature and you’re still going to sin. But God hath for a Christ’s sake not because of any great thing you’ve done, but because of what Christ did for you God can justify you as though you never sinned, forgiven you of all of your sins. So you need to understand that and believe that because that is a foundation upon which you need to build and to grow.

Otherwise, you’ll think afterwards, okay, I committed another sin, must be lost. No God forgave you of all your sin from the time you’re born to the time you die, all of your sins are forgiven because they’re all paid. The only reason God can forgive a sin is because the sin was paid for by Jesus Christ. And you’re simply claiming that forgiveness. Look in the Bible to the book of Colossians in chapter 1. You and I need to understand that we are only pilgrims in this world.

We’re only passing through. And that one day we are going to be with the Lord in heaven. And the Bible says in Colossians 1 verse 27, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory. Glory is the perfection of God. glory means there’s no sin there. It means that you and I have come short of the glory of God, or short of God’s perfection.

So the Bible says when we trust Christ as our Savior, we will one day be glorified. We’ll have a body that will not have any sin in it whatsoever. We will go into the glory of the Lord into where it is perfect. Heaven is a perfect place. We will enter into that glory. And the Bible tells us that Christ in you is the hope of this joyful anticipation of the perfection that one day you’re going to literally claim and you’re going to be there.

But until then, you know you have been saved from hell and you’re saved to heaven. It’s an incorruptible place, undefiled, reserved in heaven for you. So you were saved from something to something, but we have to live in the nasty here and now. And now what’s causing most of our trouble is the thing that we have to go through now. How do I grow as a Christian? What are some things God tells me that I should do? What are some things that I should not do?

Romans 10, look there in verse 9. He says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth under righteousness. Remember confessing Jesus Christ to people is not what saves you. It is when you believe with the heart the Bible says man believeth under righteousness. His faith alone is what gets him righteousness. You’re made righteous by your faith.

Not what you do. After you trusted Christ as your Savior, the Bible says, confession is made known on to salvation, but not for salvation. Because you and I are saved, you and I should confess that. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, have you ever confessed to anybody that you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior? That is something that God does want us to do. And I believe one of the things that helps a person to grow in the Lord is learning to confess Christ at all times in all circumstances, regardless of the trials and tribulations, all the time confessing Christ.

In other words, acting like a Christian at all times. It is God’s will that God’s people confess Christ. Do I have to confess Jesus Christ in order to be saved? No, I do not. When the Bible says here in verse 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. That was you believe that Jesus Christ, He is the Lord. And you believe that He died and He paid for your sins and came back again from the dead.

The only way people can ever hear about that is that somebody who believes that in their heart tells somebody about it. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word. Take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Timothy in chapter 4. The book of 1 Timothy and chapter 4. Look there in verse 12. It says, Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers. What are you supposed to do between the time that God saves you and the time that God takes you home to be with Him in heaven?

God expects you to be a Christian, live like a Christian, act like a Christian, talk like a Christian in every area of your life until you get home. That is God’s will. That is a way of you confessing Christ before the world. You’re not to live like the world, think like the world, do the things the world does. God expects His children to be different, to live different, to think different. And therefore you do not look to the world for leadership.

You don’t look to the world for guidance. You don’t look for the government to what to do. You’re to look to the incorruptible Word of God. To find out as a Christian what does God want me to do? Under any circumstance, you’re to live and think and do like a Christian is supposed to. Why? Because you are a Christian. That’s what you are. And you’re supposed to live that way. In verse 12, let no man despise that youth, but be thou an example of the believers in what?

Okay. In conversation or behavior, in charity, in love, in spirit, at your attitude, in faith, and in purity. For how long? Well, look what he says in verse 3. Till I come. Now here, of course, he’s talking about the Apostle Paul. When Paul comes and he’s going to minister to that, I believe we ought to do it also till the Lord comes. or until you leave this world. Take your Bible and turn all the way over there to the book of Matthew and chapter 10.

Matthew and chapter 10. Understanding that as a child of God, you and I are commanded by the Lord to live a certain way. There’s things you’re not to do in your life. than God says to put off. And he says here in chapter 10, and down in verse 28 and feared not them which killed the body. And verse 31, fear ye not therefore ye are a more value than menish sparrows. See verse 26 tells you what you are called to do and that you’re not to be afraid.

Down in verse 28 you’re not to be afraid of what people can do to you even if they kill you. 9 and verse 31, you’re not to be afraid of thinking that I’m not worth anything. I don’t have much value to me. God can’t use me. I don’t have any talents and I don’t have any ability. God says, you’re not to put yourself down. You are valuable because God thought you were worth it for him to send his son to die for you.

If nobody else ever trusted the Lord, but only you, you were worth dying for. thought you were worth the whole world. If a man shall gain the whole world and who’s soul, what did it profit the man? So God says, your soul, your one soul is worth more than all the world, all the wealth and all the world. So if God says you’re valuable, you’re valuable. If God says you’re important, you’re important because it was worth what he did in order to get you.

And so God so loved the world and God’s not a respecter of person. That means that not one person in this world is worth more than anybody else, but neither is anyone worse less than anyone else. So then he says here in verse 32, “‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Is it God’s will that you, while you’re here, you’re supposed to confess Jesus Christ before others? You don’t do that to be saved.

You were saved by your faith, trusting in what He did for you. But when God saved you gave you eternal life and left you here. You were supposed to confess Christ before other people. And don’t you be afraid? And don’t you be ashamed of saying, I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ. I know in whom I have believed and I’m not ashamed of that. No man should be ashamed of that. Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And if you’re not ashamed of it, then preach it. If you’re not ashamed of it, tell people about it. Or why do you hold back? Are you afraid? Listen, in this world, there is nothing that can happen to you that’s greater than death. And death is our doorway to heaven. Here he makes the statement, him will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven. This is not for salvation. This is for rewards. that you understand that look in chapter 10 there and look in verse 41 verse 41 he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s what?

Reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward and whosoever shall give to drink under one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple barely I send you he shall in no wise lose his reward rewards are earned Salvation is free. Going to heaven is the gift of God. It’s not a works, must any man should boast. So getting to heaven is free.

Rewards, something that you have when you get there is a result of what you’ve done for the Lord. So when he’s talking about confessing Christ before men, this is not what you have to do to be saved. And God have mercy upon all those preachers who are trying to get people to confess Christ before men in order to be saved because the Bible doesn’t teach that. A man does not have to let anybody know who’s trusted Christ is Savior.

You can trust Christ as your Savior and never let a soul ever know it. But it’d be a shame and a disgrace to you if you do so. Here in Matthew in chapter 10, looking in there in verse 33, but whosoever shall deny me before men. Him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. One of the things that will help you to grow as a Christian is learning to talk about the Lord openly and unashamedly and boldly to anybody and don’t be afraid of the results.

This is why the disciples in Christ they turned the world upside down but today we’re afraid or ashamed. We’re timid or shy. We don’t want to offend anybody. We don’t want to make anybody mad. Why not? But remember when he says here, but if you will deny him before men, him also, my father will deny in heaven. What’s he going to deny you? Salvation? He can’t deny you salvation because that was a gift that he gave you without works.

But he can deny you rewards that you want to have. And that’s why he says, if we will serve the Lord down here, God says, by your good work, you’re laying up treasures, treasures in heaven that thieves cannot break through in heaven. steal. In moth and rust does not corrupt. It means once it’s laid up, it cannot be lost. That’s why it’s to your advantage to serve the Lord. And it’s to your disadvantage if you don’t serve the Lord.

Because it’s cost to you, hit blessings now, and it’s going to cost you rewards when you get to heaven. You say, what are those rewards? I don’t know, and I don’t care. But whatever they are, it will be worth it all. It’ll be worth Take your Bible now and turn to the book of Psalms, the book of Psalms in chapter 17, the 17th Psalm. Never go to meetings or join in amusements where you would not like the Lord to find you.

You should not say things you don’t want to be saying when the Lord comes and you don’t want to be doing something you shouldn’t be doing when the Lord comes. and you shouldn’t be in places you shouldn’t be when the Lord comes. That’s why the Bible says, children abiding him that when he shall appear, you may not be ashamed before him at his coming. Don’t be ashamed. Now, if you knew when he was coming, oh, that maybe you could plan it and get away with it.

But do you know exactly when he’s coming? Do you know the day of the hour when he’s coming? No. So then you ought to just go ahead and do right because you’ll wish you had of anyway. Look there in the 17th Psalm. Notice what he says there in verse 4. In verse 4, he says, concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Realizing that in this world, the world has a path that it travels.

And the world is doing everything it can to lure you into the path that leads to destruction. destruction. Satan doesn’t care how he destroys a Christian just as long as he destroys you. He doesn’t care how he has to ruin your testimony as long as he wins. You can use a thousand reason. Well, it was because of some Christians. I didn’t like what they said. I didn’t like this. And I watched this movie and I did. The reasons won’t matter as long as you quit serving the Lord.

Satan wins. You lose. And there is a path that leads to destruction. the world is trying to lure you into its path. But there’s another path. You see there in verse five, hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not. In other words, there’s two paths. The one that the world walks in and the one that God has for you. And you’re the one that determines which path you take. Every child of God, if you want to grow strong in the Lord and you want to be mature in the Lord, you’re going to have to make up your mind which way do you want to walk?

Which way do you want to go? Do you want his blessings? And if you don’t make the wise decision, remember this. All the fruit comes from a root. And the root decision is, I will serve God. And then you make all of your decisions in relationship to that one major decision. If you say, I’m not going to serve a Lord, all of your decisions then are in relationship to that decision. So you have to settle it in your mind.

If you really wanna grow in the Lord, what am I gonna do with my life? I will serve God, I won’t serve God. And your decisions will reveal which one you really wanna do. And you can lie and you can cheat and you can deceive and blame and all the rest of it. Why you didn’t do what God wanted you to do. But the only main reason, because I did not really wanna serve God. Because nobody can make you serve the Lord.

And nobody can stop you from serving the Lord if you choose to do so. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Mark chapter eight, the book of Mark and chapter eight. There’s a verse here that every Christian needs to understand that this is talking to a Christian, not talking to a lost person. He says, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? It’s not talking about Christian going to hell, it’s talking about your life.

Because you see up there in verse 34, when he had called the people unto him with his disciples, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, take of his cross and follow me. This is to the Christian, not about how to get to heaven, but how to live your life. This is talking about those who already know they’re going to heaven, but now what are you gonna do from the time that he saved you?

And the time you get to heaven, what are you gonna do? You gotta make up your mind. He says, for whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel the same shall find it. In other words, that’s your purpose in living. If you will do what God wants you to do, you’ll find your purpose in living. It’s why God left you here. And then he makes the statement in verse 36, for what shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his purpose for living?

If he loses his life, he wastes his time. Remember, life is what time is made out of. And when you waste time, you waste life. And you don’t get much of that to live. You only got so many years in which to live, so many years in which to accomplish something for the Lord. If he gains the whole world and you lost your purpose in living, What did it profit? What did you gain? And then he uses this phrase, what shall a man give in exchange for his life?

Remember that if God tells you, I want you not to forsake the assimilation of yourselves together and you do. Okay, what did you get for it? You traded obedience for disobedience. Or was it worth it? What did you gain by disobeying God? Whatever you gained is temporary because what it cost you was something eternal. Rewards that you would have gained when you got to heaven. The blessings of God upon you now. You exchanged something that was permanent, that was spiritual, that was eternal, and you gave it all up for something that was temporary.

For a moment, have you ever seen a little child and you can offer them a piece of candy for something valuable, and they don’t know the value of it. Oh, give me the candy. And that’s the way Christians are. Satan offers you little trinkets, and you take them. And yet Satan offered Christ the kingdoms of the world. And he says, no. He turned them down. Because he knew the real value. You reveal your wisdom by the decisions that you make, by the life that you live.

You don’t give to God’s work the way you should. Alright, you disobey. Alright, by your disobey that you exchanged that obedience force up. What did you gain by not doing it? See, I was going to give $50, but I changed my mind and I’m going to keep it for myself and I’m not going to give to God’s work. Okay, you made a choice. You exchanged it. I’ll tell you that that $50 is not worth any amount of what you supposedly gained with and what you can buy with it based upon what you could have done by your obedience to God.

Do you read the word? Do you pray? He said, no. What did you exchange for it? I exchanged my Bible reading for worries Instead of praying I worry What’s gentleman give an exchange for his life? See as a child of God and you want to grow to maturity That is revealed by the wisdom that you have and the choices that you make You have to settle it in your mind. I want God’s best for me and when you get that clear in your mind that helps you to make all these other decisions that you need to make.

But it all goes back to that. Look in the book of Luke chapter 14. And Luke chapter 14, I want you to notice there in verse 27. He makes the statement similar to what we saw just a moment ago in the book of Mark, but a few things I want to share with you. verse 27, and whosoever, death not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Now you can be saved without being a disciple. You can have eternal life because that was a gift.

God gives you that. But you may never serve God. And he says, whosoever, that means it’s a choice. You see, your salvation was a choice. Remember John 3 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever, whosoever, that’s a choice. doesn’t make people believe, God doesn’t make people reject Him. Now out of those who do believe it, God says, whosoever, whosoever will, could have something in those who won’t, they won’t get it.

God will use those, they will dedicate themselves as I want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I want to serve Him. I want to grow. I want to be what God wants me to be. So then He says here in verse 28, Why does some Christians seem like they start off like a rocket and then they fizzle out just as fast? They never maintain that steadfastness in the Lord. He says for which of you intended to build a tower said if not down first in the words of something you ought to do first Set down and figure out what’s it gonna cost me?

You as a child of God need to understand if you say I’m gonna serve Lord. It’s gonna cost you all All kinds of things that you’ll have to do in your life and it’s gonna cost you Because see you got to replace it with something better and a lot of people are not willing to pay that price for discipleship You see salvation cost us nothing But discipleship will cost you everything and it says how many do you not sit down first and it says in verse 20 Count the cost what’s it gonna cost me look what else he says down in verse 31 or white king going to make war against another king Said if not down first first of all you got a counsel in your sub What’s it gonna cost?

What is it gonna take to finish? Otherwise, you’ll be like the verse 30 says, this man began to build but was not able to what? Wasn’t able to finish. You started off but you didn’t finish because you didn’t count the cost. Serving God can cost you friends. It can cost you an awful lot. It can cost you finances. It can cost you promotions. Because you might let people know you’re Christian and that you believe that serving God is more important than anything else in the world in you.

And maybe you don’t want to go to the places where you used to go. You don’t want to do the things that you used to do. You say, well, well, maybe you do want to do them, but you realize it’s not the best. And so as a child of God, you’re going to have to make a decision. And you sit down and you think, what’s it going to cost me? And you need to understand also what am I going to gain because of it?

And realizing that what you, it cost you, is only costing you here. But what you gain, you’re going to gain it there. And you cannot out serve God. You cannot out give God. And that God will take care of you here and reward you when you get to heaven. And then he makes the statement here in the last part of verse 31, sit us down first and consult with whether he be able with 10,000. In other words, it’s not do you have enough money to finish?

Do you have enough faith to finish? You grow because of that little confidence that you have in God. I want God’s will for my life and I believe that God will bless me and I believe God will help me and when you face your temptations and your trials and your tribulations I believe God will Help me and because I believe that though. I don’t understand a lot my faith because I’m gonna keep on studying Where to God and faith coming by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and your faith increases and is your faith increases?

That’s what you need to sustain you through life Whether you have money or whether you don’t have money Whether people are for you or whether people are against you You got to sit down and think can me and God between me and God God. We can whoop anybody. Me and God can take on any trial. Me and God can whip any temptation that I have. Me and God. Without Him I can’t do anything but with God I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you You have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ. You can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

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So live today and every day, believing that the Lord as coming soon and just keep looking up.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

Isaiah chapter 1, where it says in verse 2, Here, O heavens and givir, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.” He says in verse 3, The ox knoweth his owner, the asses, masters, cribbed, Israel doth not know. My people doth not consider. In verse 4, A sinful nation. Sinful nation. A people laid with iniquity, seed of evolours, children that are corruptors. forsaken the Lord, provoked the Holy One of Israel, and gone backwards.

Instead of going forward, they went backwards. Well, that was God’s assessment of His children. And so in verse 5, it says, why will you revolt more and more? Ain’t no sense spanking you anymore? He says, you won’t learn. So God said, we’re just going to have to take you out of the land. See, He was chasing them in the land. So next thing He says, I’m just taking you out of the land. And looking for say, team, Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

He says, you could correct the problem and everything will be all right, but they never would. God was looking for a man. God looking for a man. Look there in Isaiah chapter six. God has always been looking for a man, a man that would love God with all his heart, Baudou, what God says do, a man that had a vision, a man that had a burning fire in his bones. So it says in Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1, in the year the king, Josiah died, he said, I saw so the Lord, sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphms and each one had six wings with twain or two, it covered his face and with two, he covered his feet, two, he’d fly. And he cried unto another and said, holy, holy, Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. And the post of the door moved that the voice of him that cried in the house was filled with smoke. And then he says in verse 5, Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, for I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.

For mine I have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. Now it says that God is going to have one of the serifens take the tongs and pick up a hot coal off the altar and going to take it and put it on his tongue. And I believe this was to purify that unclean tongue that he said he has. Because he says I dwell in the midst of unclean lips and I am a man of unclean lips. So all of our sins that flows from us is because there’s something evil on the inside.

It’s not the outside. It’s amazing how that as we go through life, we have a tendency to always blame somebody else why we do what we do. Every man is responsible for his own actions for whatever he does. So try to accept responsibility for your actions because if God’s going to judge you for them, word and deed is evidently God holds you responsible. When he made the statement in verse 6, then flew one of the seraphims on to me, having alive, cold in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar.

And he laid it upon my mouth and said, lo, this has touched thy lips, and thy iniquity has taken away. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me. The Lord has always been looking for people that he can use to send to a wicked, perverse people. People in the world that don’t love God, don’t know God, many don’t want to know God, they love their sin, they want to do what they want to do, they don’t want to be rebuked, they don’t want nobody to tell them what they can, they cannot do.

And that’s the world that God sent us to. And he says, B, why is this a serpent harmless as a dove? We have been given a tremendous message, but he says for us to go. And he says, whenever you go in verse nine, go and tell this people, here, ye indeed, but understand not. See, ye indeed, but proceed not. Make the heart of this people fat. He says, and make their ears heavy. They are shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed.

Then said, I Lord, how long? How long? How long? And he answered, until the city is be wasted without inhabitants, and the houses without man and the land be utterly dessit. In other words, the time is coming when God’s going to destroy. One day he’ll destroy the whole earth and every man in it that’s not righteous and God is going to set up a new heavens and a new earth, new kingdom altogether. But until then we still speak, we still preach, we still warn.

But God is looking for a few people that can rise above the rest of the people. Take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Jeremiah chapter 20. Jeremiah chapter 20. He is known as the weeping prophet, the weeping prophet, because so many things went wrong in this man’s life. I mean the people really hated him. The whole nation hated him. And yet he had a job to do they throw him in a pit. They were going to kill him.

And you talk about being in a deep mary pit. Yeah, that’s where O Jeremiah was placed. To rebuild Israel away God wanted God’s going to have to destroy the nation as it is. If God wants to rebuild you, he’s got to destroy what’s there. He said, you got to pull down and pluck up and replant and rebuild. Anytime the clay is not the way God wants it to, God has to take that clay and break it apart, put some water in it, and reshape it and mold it all over again.

This is what God does for us. But what I want you to see is there in verse 7 of chapter 20. Jeremiah chapter 20 verse 7. He says, Oh Lord, thou hast deceived me. Hasn’t many people, whenever they dedicate their lives to the Lord, think that it’s supposed to get better? I mean, it’s supposed to be wonderful. I dedicated my life to the Lord. Therefore, everything’s going to work out rosy. Well, doggy, it didn’t work that way for Jeremiah.

Everything went wrong. The people turned on him. They hated him. They lied about him. They said all kinds of things about poor Jeremiah. He said, Verse 7, O Lord, Thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived. You did it, Thou art stronger than I, but You gave me a job to do that’s greater than I can do, greater than I can perform. And everybody laughs at me, makes fun of me. They mocked me. They put me down, said things against me.

You know what He said I’m going to do? He said, I quit. I quit in the last part of Verse 7. I am in derision daily. Everyone mocks me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me. In a derision daily, then I said, I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. I quit. I’m not going to do it no more.

Well, everybody needs to understand the greatest man of God has moments of despair, expectations that are not met, things that don’t happen the way you think they are or supposed to, and think I quit. I’ll get even with everybody. I’ll make you pay. I quit. Don’t that really get everybody? That makes everybody feel good about it, don’t it? But notice the last part of this verse. But his word was in mind heart as a burning fire. Burning fire shut up in my bones.

I remember when Dr. Curtis Hudson passed away, I wrote a little poem called Flame in the Wind. You’re a Flame in the Wind. And the wind of the Holy Spirit is flaming a wind in order to set little brush fires all across the world. And God is wanting to use you that’s on fire to fire somebody else and to fire somebody out. An unlit candle cannot light another candle an unlit candle can not light another candle. An unlit candle can’t light another can.

You can’t challenge and motivate somebody else if you’re not challenging and motivated. You have to be lit and on fire to set a fire. You have to have a fire to set a fire. And he says, your word was in my bones. It’s a burning fire. And I was weary with keeping my mouth shut before bearing holding back. And I could not stay. I could not stay like that. I had to do something. So in spite of everything. He said, I decided I’m going to do it.

Look at verse 12, but O Lord of host, that triumph the righteous and seeeth the rains in the heart. Let me see thy vengeance on them. For under thee have I opened my cause. In other words, you had to get to where I’m just going to have to trust the Lord to take care of everything else. I’ll just do what God wants me to do. It’s a tremendous story, but God is always, always looking for a man. But the man has got to be able to take the heat of whatever is coming in life.

Remember, you’ve got to fight the devil because he’s trying to stop you. You’ve got an old sinful nature. You’ve got to whip that. You’ve got people that will say things. You’ve got to whip that. And sometimes the closest people to you may not always back it. You’ve got to whip that. You’ve just got to stay faithful doing what God wants you to do. Take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Samuel. there to the book of Samuel.

Second Samuel. And chapter 11, now everyone knows the story. It’s a beautiful story of David, how that he whooped Goliath and God used him in a great mighty way and he became the king of Israel and wrote so many beautiful Psalms. A man that was the Bible says, a man after God’s own heart. So he was a man on fire. You read the Psalms, they are wonderful. They console so many people who have broken hearts. And God used them in a great way.

But here, and I want you to catch that because we’ve covered some of these things before, but I want you to see something, even a person who wants to serve the Lord, if he doesn’t correct one little thing in his life, it leads to a greater sin that leads to a greater sin that leads to a greater. David had no idea it was going to go that far. It was going to be that bad. But yet he had a heart for the Lord.

He wanted to serve God and God used him and raised him up. But you’ll find out whether it was Daniel when he was young. Joseph when he was young. David, yes, when he was young. Even Samuel when he was young. There’s so many that God used while they were young and the three Hebrew children. But understand, and that as time goes on, it’s a difficult thing to maintain your walk with God, to maintain it. You can always start on the right road.

Now, can you stay there? Can you stay there? Can you fight the battle? Fight the fight. But look very quickly there in chapter 11 and verse 1. And it came to pass after the year was expired at the time when kings go forth about him that David sent you, Ab, and his service with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Reba. But David, Terry is still a Jerusalem. And he came to pass that evening, tied that David arose from off his bed, walked upon the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Well even the Bible says that she was beautiful to look upon. And it says, and David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, is not this bashiba, the daughter of Elium, the wife of Uriah, the hit tight. And David sent messengers and took her and she came in unto him and he lay with her. For you don’t know what that means. They had sex together. They had sexual intercourse. He committed adultery. That’s what happened. In verse 5, and the woman conceived and sent and told David and says, I am with child.

Well, where was her husband? Well, her husband was in a war. He was in battle. And then he makes this statement in verse 6, and David sent to Joab, saying, send me Uriah the hit-tight, and Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. What’s going on? Well, if he had been there, he would have known. But he wasn’t there. You see up here in verse one, it says, at the time when kings go forth to battle, well, this king decided not to.

Whenever he didn’t do what he should have done, he would have been where he should have been and he wouldn’t have done what he did. Wouldn’t that clear? One little sin that led to another sin and when you try to cover up that sin, you have to commit a bigger sin and a dother sin. That is, it seems like there’s no end to it. It becomes a trap, a snare. And how can you get out of it? And so he says here in verse 7.

So he had asked him all these questions. David said in verse 8 to Uriah, go down to thy house, wash thy feet. Uriah departed out of the king’s house and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slipped at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his Lord and went not down to his house. What was David up to? What David was trying to get Bathsheba’s husband back from the war so that he would go home and spend the night with him.

with his wife and when she has the baby, he’ll think it’s his. What’s he trying to do? Cover his own sin. He’s trying to cover what he did wrong. But of course nobody knows what’s happened. And verse 10, and when they had told David saying Uriah went not down unto his house. David said unto Uriah, came us not thou from thy journey. Why then just not thou go down unto thy house. Uriah said unto David, the Yark and Israel and Judah abide in tents and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are in camp in the open fields.

Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, to lie with my wife, as thou liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.” And David said to Uriah, Terry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart.” So Uriah voted Jerusalem that day and the next. When David had called him, he did eat and drink before him and David, the man after God’s own heart, got Uriah drunk. Why would he get him drunk?

So that he couldn’t think, so he couldn’t reason. So he would go down to his house to see his wife. Why would David commit this sin? still trying to cover his sin. You get into a trap and it’s like how can I get out of this trap? When you do that which is wrong confess it to God and correct it and go on. But if you don’t correct it then you’re going to have to commit another sin to correct this one and then you just come to another one and another another one and then it just gets worse and worse and worse as time goes on.

Some people live and learn and some people live and never learn. So in the middle part of verse 13 and at evening he went down out to lie on his bed with the servants of his Lord, but he went not down to his house. He still wouldn’t do it. And he came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, sent it by hand of Uriah. Now here’s Uriah, got a letter in his hand. What did this letter say?

This letter to Joab, who is his commander in the battle is supposed to take Uriah that got the letter and put him in the foremost of the battle in the heat of the battle for one purpose. Why? So he’d get killed. So now David is premeditation planning on how to have this man murdered. Oh no he didn’t take the sword and he didn’t jab him. He didn’t take a six gun and shoot him? He did kill him, but he did kill him.

And God hold him responsible. But what he did, now get this. So he says here in verse 15, and he wrote in the letter saying, sit ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire ye from him that he may be smitten and die. In the words get it right up there in the heart of the battle and then y’all retreat so he’s out there by himself. Now isn’t that a wicked thing to do? Now you think David, a man after God’s own heart would have schemed all of this.

And yet in his own mind, he probably never thought about how bad or wicked it was. He was just trying to cover something. After all, sometimes people get to the place where, you know, I can do whatever I want to do. It really doesn’t matter. Like they’re above the law. They’re above, you know, scrutiny. Don’t question me. Don’t ask me. I can do whatever I want. I’m special. I got an exemption. No, when a man gets that away, he’s in trouble.

Walking with the Lord is a step at a time. We’re walking with the devil is a step at a time. And you’re the one that makes the choices, but you don’t sometimes know, even if you follow the Lord, you know where it’s going to go, but you know, it’s a path of righteousness. You start talking and walking away from the Lord. It’s a path, but it’s a path of destruction. Starts destroying. God takes the two before and knocks you over the head till it rings like a Chinese gong.

He says in verse 6, and he came to pass when the Joab observed the city that he assigned Uriah into a place where he knew that the valiant men were. And the city, men of the city, went out and fought with Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David. And Uriah the Hittite died also. And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband, was dead. She mourned for her husband. And when the morning was passed, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife and bare him a son.

But the thing that David had done displays the Lord. Remember, when something begins to go wrong in your life, check and see is a reason that maybe I’m not right with the Lord and God is doing this because of something I need to correct. And if you will correct it quickly, then God will bless and everything will be all right. But if you don’t, sooner or later it’s going to come down to the road and God’s going to have to really deal with you.

Now get this. And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. The Lord sent Nathan unto David. He came by to him and he said unto him, there were two men in one city, the one rich, the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one of the little U-Lam, which he had brought up and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children. It did eat of his own meat and drink of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter.

And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd to dress for the way-faring man that was come unto him. But took the poor man’s lamb, and David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and said to Nathan, as the Lord liveth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. In other words, here’s a man that killed a lamb, and David says he ought to die.

What did he done? He killed a man. If a man should die for killing a lamb, what should happen to him? In verse 6, and he shall restore the lamb, fourfold, because he did this thing, And because he had no pity, isn’t it amazing that the person who, many times, is guilty, can see it in somebody else and they can’t see it in themselves. This is why in the book of Matthew, in chapter 7, talks about, before you can remove that little splinter and somebody else’s eyes, get the two before out of your own eye, because you can’t see it.

You can see the sin in other people’s lives, but you have a difficult time seeing that God do us the same thing. Thou art guilty. You’re guilty in doing the very same thing, but you can see it in somebody else’s life. And you can judge it so quickly, but thou art the man. And he makes this statement in verse seven. And Nathan said to David, thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel.

And I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. God says, I did this. I chose you to be the king in verse eight and I gave thee thy master’s house and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah and if if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things in other words there’s a lot of things you could have had if you just asked me in other words like God said you have no idea what I wanted to do for you I would have done for you if you just let me know you talk to me that’s why I said before God may know what you have need of but he doesn’t give it to you unless you ask.

That’s what he’s talking about in the book of James. He says you have not because you, yes not you didn’t ask but he said if you just ask me he said what I would have done for you what I would have given you and many of God’s people go through life miss not on an awful lot of blessings that they could have had in verse 9. Wherefore has thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his See, the only reason he did what was wrong is because there’s something about God he despised.

In the New Testament, maybe this is strong, but it says this, you’ve left your first love. When you lose your love for the Lord, your judgment goes. Your discernment’s gone. I’m sorry. That’s the book. You can’t think straight. The Bible says and warns in his word, he says, abstain, stay away from an angry man. Stay away from an angry person. exposed. You never know what they’re going to do next. That’s because they no longer love God. They don’t love the Word.

When you get away from the things of God you can’t think, you can’t reason, you can’t see, you cannot discern. And that’s why Isaiah was told. He says, I’m going to have you preach to people that no longer will see, they’re no longer here. They’re dull of hearing. But I want you to do it because everything you say to them, I’m going to use against them. The day will come where we’ll be witnesses. Yes, I preached that and I said that and I warned and this is what you heard and you rebelled.

You didn’t want to hear it. You wouldn’t correct. And David thought he solved his problem his way and even why we read these scriptures. You let what these scriptures say burn into your mind because they are warning signs. They’re to help us to be godly individuals and you cannot fool God. He says in verse 10, now therefore the sword shall never depart from buying house because thou hast despised who? You despise God. The anger, the bitterness, the sins of life, all these things, the adultery, the murder, all that is because you hate God.

Now you would never think that David who loved God with all his heart, well he stopped loving God with all his heart. And now God is going to deal with this individual. And he says, the sword shall never depart from your high numbers from this day forward, it never left his house. It cost David, it cost that little child that was born, and it cost him fourfold in his family that he reached Reek down the road. He says in verse 11, Does saith the Lord behold I will raise up evil against thee out of mine own house.

God said I’ll do it. I’m gonna do this. This is what I’m gonna do. So you can make the choice about what you want to do. But it’s God that can choose the consequences of your deed. So you can’t live as you please and get away with it. You can’t rebel against God and get away with it. And yet you may not know that it came from God, but God says, I said it, I said it. Well, it’s just something that happened.

It was just an accident and something. No, no, no. Something else is going on. And look what he says in verse 12. For thou dis it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. He didn’t want nobody to know it. It’s been written down in the holy book. And how many of you know about David and what he did? Just about everybody in the world has heard this story. David said in the Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.

And Nathan said in the David, the Lord also had put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. How be it? Because, because, and this is the part that really hurt me when I read this. And it should hurt you. that the things that we say and do that are wrong, is a bad testimony toward our God. It gives the enemy a chance to say something, even against the gospel of grace. How many times I’ve heard people say, you teach this gospel by grace.

And you don’t have to stop anything or join anything. You don’t have to change your life. You have to stop your sin and all that. then look at some of those Christians and how they live. If that’s Christianity, I don’t want anything to do with it. And those who know the gospel of grace, love the gospel of grace, are the biggest hindrances to the gospel of grace. Their own disobedience slams the gospel. Instead of that being the most powerful thing in a person’s life that can cause them to rise up and be what God wants to be, they use it as a cloak of covetousness so they can become a stumbling block to the world.

How, because by this deed, thou have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. By our life we bring honor to God, glory to God, praise to God, O, we bring shame and dishonor to God. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by Dye-Link-Tul-Free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. friend one day it will happen the trumpet will sound 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.

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 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you’ll 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.

Everybody in this world from God’s viewpoint in heaven is in prison. Every man upon the earth is a prisoner. He’s already a lost man. He is a prisoner upon this earth. He is in prison and he’s blind. He cannot help himself and the people of the world, though they may have on a three-piece suit, a tie and they decked out and the women can wear all the fancy clothes you want to. God says they’re blind and they’re naked. They’re wretched.

They’re lost. They cannot find their way. They can’t find God. God’s the one who came seeking man, and God wants every man to know the truth, and to come to the light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, so that they can have eternal life. He says, preach the gospel to everybody in the world, every creature, because God so loved the world, and God chose to save anybody, anybody, whosoever would believe. But it’s your choice. It is my choice. whether I will or I will not believe.

I chose to accept that payment Christ made on the cross for me. God had predetermined before I was ever born, before the world was made, that everyone who believes would be made pure and holy, be made a child of God and holy, and without spot before him in love. Predestined to everyone that believes. This is what God says. Now I want you to take your Bible and look in the book of Isaiah, chapter 61. This is also referring to Jesus Christ, and he’s talking about my servant, my righteous servant.

He was elected, chosen to do this job. He says, the spirit of the Lord, God is upon me because the Lord hath them, know to me to preach good tidings unto them. This is the very verse that he read when you read the book of Luke, when he met the people and he talked to them in the temple and he says, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And he says, he that sent me to bind up the broken heart, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

This was the year. This was the day that God sent his son into the world and it was the day of visitation, the day God visited the earth and revealed himself and he says, this day it’s been fulfilled in your, and they wished not who it was. They didn’t know who he was. And he came to do a job, and he died on the cross, came back from the dead, and God says, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, and he sat down on the right hand of the Father.

He was elected, chosen to do a job, and he did his job, and he sat down. Now, don’t you take your Bible looking Isaiah, chapter 45, Isaiah 45, the nation of Israel. God chose Israel. Of all the nations on the face of the year God took a man Abraham out of the ear of the counties and said I’ll make a great nation out of you. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he confirmed his covenant with all three of them and said that there’ll be a great nation and they were.

God chose them for something spectacular. Look in Isaiah 45 and verse 4, for Jacob, my servants, say, an Israel, mine elect, mine elect. God chose to build a nation, a special nation, have a special group of people for a specific thing. God was going to use the nation of Israel in which to bring the Messiah into the world. God was going to use the nation of Israel to bring the Word of God to the world. And God was going to use the nation of Israel as a testimony to all the world of what God would do through a nation that would obey God.

But Israel failed in so many ways. They failed to obey the Word. But the Word did come to us. And the Messiah did come. But Israel as a nation did not fulfill the obligation that God had placed upon them. They failed miserably. And they were scattered upon the face of the earth, and God says that they will be coming back to their land in the last days, and they have. And God is going to raise up the nation of Israel, and once again, they will be destroyed Israel will be in the tribulation period.

And then Christ will come back, and power and great glory, and Israel will be born in a day. A nation born in a day, believing that that one that they crucified two thousand years earlier was the Messiah and they will believe on the Lord. So these things are written in God’s word for that reason. To help us to understand what God chose, why he chose. Now, notice there in Isaiah chapter 43, and look in verse one. He says, but now, thus saith the Lord that created the old Jacob and he that formed the old Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.

You are mine, you belong to me. you are my special people to do a special job.” And he says in verse three, for I am the Lord thy God, I am the Holy One of Israel by Savior. Look what he says in verse 10, ye are my witnesses. Sayeth the Lord and my servant whom I have chosen. He says, I have chosen you to serve me. You see when it comes to salvation God has simply chosen to save all believe that believe.

He that does not believe is already condemned because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. That’s why he’s condemned. Now because God didn’t choose him, but because he hath not believed. He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abided upon him. But God is chosen to save everyone that will believe, but after you are saved, there’s thing God wants us to do.

God chose Israel to do a job, but Israel did not do that job that they were supposed to do. Take your Bible and turn to 1 Timothy and chapter 5. 1 Timothy and chapter 5. You know that by bringing out about Christ being an elect, and Israel being an elect, and angels being an elect, I must be heading someplace, and I am. So I want you to stay with me until we get there. We’re not there yet. 1 Timothy and chapter 5, look there in verse 21.

I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels. Now the angels didn’t need to be saved so you can always take the word elect and just say well talk about saving from hell. No, Christ didn’t need to be saved but he was an elect. Israel as a nation did not need to be saved from hell. You call yourself individuals not nations. Angels are also elect. mean they were chosen by God for something. Well, what did he want the angels to do?

He says here, I charged thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels. The angels that God has elected are chosen. Remember Satan let it rebellion. And one third of the angels rebelled against God. But God has a purpose for his angels. Well, what is that? Take your Bible looking in the book of Hebrews, just turn to your right a few pages, the Hebrews and chapter one. Hebrews and chapter one. The Bible says in verse six, as he compares Jesus Christ with angels.

Remember the Bible says that Christ was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death, but only so that he might redeem mankind and lift us above the angels. So he says here in verse six, and again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world.” Referring to Christ. He said, and let all the angels of God worship him. One of the purposes of angels that God has for angels is that they worship God. They worship God.

But also he says this, in verse 7, and of the angels he saith, who makeeth his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire. Interesting. I wonder what he means by all of this. Well, look what he says in verse 14. Are they not all ministering spirits? Sit forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Everyone who trusts Christ as their Savior inherit eternal life. We inherit a home in heaven because we’re the sons of God.

As a son of God, we are heirs of God and join heirs with Christ. So all of us that are heirs of God, God has chosen elect angels to come into this world and to minister to you and I, but their spirit that you cannot see. How many are here this morning? I don’t know. How many do you have? I don’t know. And I don’t care. All I know is this is the Word of God. And I believe the Word of God.

And I believe that there are angels of God that protect me and minister to me. watch after me and I don’t understand it all and I don’t have to understand any of it. But I believe it. I believe that God has elected angels to watch after me just like when Christ had angels with Him in the garden. And He could have called ten thousand angels. Remember? That could have come down and delivered them. But He chose not to. Now, you and I don’t have to be afraid of anything in this world.

Remember in the Old Testament, there was a story where the prophet of God was kind of nonchalant and not word, and the Syrian showed’n showed up, whole army. And his servant was afraid. He said, what are you afraid? He said, look at all of them. And he said, yeah, but those with us are more than those that are with them. He said, who are you talking about? This is only me and you. He says, Lord, open his eyes that he can see and he opened his eyes and he saw a whole army of angels.

Oh, they were there whether you could see them or not. They were already there. Just the man of God saw them. You’d be surprised how God has watched over you and protected you when you didn’t understand how he was doing all of that. You can’t explain some things and how you just miraculously just missed this and just missed that and that just happened and how close she came in. You’ve got a lot to be thankful for. Now I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of Colossians in chapter 3.

Colossians and chapter 3. You’ve got Philippians and Colossians chapter 3. And I want you to look up there in verse 12. Colossians chapter 3 verse 12. in talking to God’s people. He says, put on, therefore, as the elect of God. Now he’s referring to God’s people. You and I are the elect of God. God has chosen us. God has chosen to save all those that believe. And so when you believe, you are the elect. You’re the one that God God has chosen to serve Him.

You see, God doesn’t want lost people serving Him. God wants His people serving Him. If you trusted Christ as your Savior, God has chosen you to do a job. God elected Christ to do a job. Did Christ do the job? Wholeheartedly. Never failed. Did God choose Israel to do a job? 304. It is real fail. Yeah. God has chosen angels to do a job and some of the angels rebelled against God. That’s where your demons come from, the^^^^devil, the angel that God created.

Now, what about you and I? Well, I can’t give a count for anybody else. You can’t account for anyone else. But what about you? If you are a child of God, then God has chosen all of his children. You’ve been elected, chosen by God to serve him and you’re to be a righteous servant.” Look what he says in verse 12, put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved. In other words, God has chosen all those who have been made pure and holy by trusting Christ as their Savior.

You are called the beloved. How do you be loved? Let God love God so loved the world. But will you let God love you? Will you be loved by God? So when you accepted that payment Christ made for you, He says, brethren, beloved, now are we the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. If you’re saved, you are a beloved.

This is a addressed to those who have been made pure and holy about the payment Christ made. You’ve been set apart, sanctified, huggie-as-o, holy, set apart for God. For the purpose of service. Now look what else he says. Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering, for bearing one another, forgetting one another, if any may have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, also do ye, and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of maturity.

Let the peace of God rule in your heart to the which also ye are called in one body and be thankful. thank them. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching it and monitoring one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And what’s there you do to it? Harley is unto the Lord and so forth. All the way down. All this is things that you’re supposed to do.

Why? Because God says you’re an elect. God has chosen you. Now He chooses us to do various things. I want you to take your Bible looking 2nd Peter chapter 1. Turn to your right 2nd Peter chapter 1. the book of Hebrews, the book of James, 2 Peter chapter 1, and look in verse 10. The Bible says here on page 13, 17, in an old school for a reference Bible.

Start first of all there in verse 9. If you as a Christian, as a chalagot, if you do not grow from the Scriptures, you don’t study God’s words, you don’t become a strong Christian, then you’re going to become a blind Christian, a Christian that refuses to see and understand the will of God. He said, but he that lack of these things is blind and cannot see a far off. And hath forgotten that he was purged from his old nature, wherefore the brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure, your calling and election sure.

You see, God calls you by the gospel. That’s what he says in 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2 and verse 13 and 14. God calls you. That’s why he wants the gospel priests to every person because that’s how God speaks to a lost man is through that gospel story, the most powerful story in the world. And so when you hear it, Christ says, he did hear it, my word, and believe it on him that’s in me half everlasting life. So when you hear it and you believe it, you’re saved, you have eternal life.

And God has chosen all those that believe to do something for him. And that’s That’s why he says here, make your calling and your election sure. Are you sure you’re saved? Have you________________________________________________________________rised your Savior and you’re trusting Him and only Him is your only way to go to heaven? Now that you’re saved, do you understand that God wants you to do something with your life? You’re not saved just to waste your life, just do whatever you want to do with your life.

Your life doesn’t belong to you. You’ve been bought with the price. He says, therefore glorified God in your body and in your spirit which are God. You belong togage. You’re his now. God has elected you. You’ve been specially chosen by God. As Christ told his disciples in John chapter 15, I have chosen you. I’ve chosen you that you might do this and do this and do this. That’s what God wants us to do. Take your Bible look in first Peter chapter 2.

First Peter and chapter 2. Remember, he made the statement concerning the nation of Israel. He says, created you. He says, I redeemed you. I am your God. I am your Creator. I am your Lord. I am your King. Ye are my witnesses. I have chosen you.” And Israel failed miserably. They were to be a light to the Gentiles that God wanted to take this nation and buy their obedience to show look how God will bless a people that will yield themselves to the commands of God and as a testimony to the whole world and Israel refused.

So the world has seen what God will do with a nation that rebels, but what if he could see what God could do with a nation that would obey? And I believe to a certain extent that was the United States. America has been blessed by God. But because America is going the other direction now and not honoring God I believe of God’s going to have to chase in America. Here in 1 Peter chapter 2 looking verse 9 but ye are a chosen generation means that God has elected you chosen you for a particular reason.

He says you are a royal priesthood. You see when you trusted Christ as your Savior you became a child of God a child of God your royalty. You’re a child of the King. And holy nation, a peculiar people, why? What has God chosen you to do? That ye should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people. But are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. Strangers means you’re away from home pilgrims, you’re going home. This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. That’s the song we always sing. And he says, abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul. Things that will keep you from doing that which God wants you to do. God has chosen everyone of his children to serve him. Now you may have trusted Christ as your savior, you have eternal life, you’re going to heaven when you die.

But are you serving the Lord? I mean, serving God doing what he wants you to do. You don’t pick and choose. You don’t volunteer to say, okay, I’m gonna serve God this way and this way and this way because it’s my life. And my whole life would just be like a volunteer thing. If I don’t do it, it’s okay. No, it’s not. No, your service to God is to God, and you’re to be faithful to serving God. It’s not man, it’s God that you serve.

Whatever things that you do, it’s always to be done hardly as under God. Now I want you to take your Bible and look in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 and notice in verse 12. This is the will of God. This is what God has chosen for you and me. We can rebel against the will of God. I know that years ago a lady used to sing a song, whatever will be will be the future’s not ours to see.

A lot of the body. Everybody heard that song. You know, yeah, I know you have it. Whatever will be will be. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe to see you don’t have to waste your life. You don’t have to commit adultery. You don’t have to murder. You don’t have to do those things you get in trouble for. That’s why I said I have no responsibility. I was programmed this way and I really don’t have a choice in the matter.

Then why is God holding you accountable for it? Why is God holding you and I responsible for something if we’re not responsible for our actions? God didn’t wind us up like some little robot. He gave us a choice, a mind, a thing, to reason. And he says, obey or disobey. You obey, you get this, you disobey, you get this. And we have that ability to choose. And God says He has given us something to preach the whole world and whosoever believe it, have it, and he that believe it, not doesn’t have it.

And so you’re the one that got to decide whether or not you have it or you don’t have it. And Philippians 2 verse 12, wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my epsom. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now this is not talking about working to be saved. It’s talking about what God has already done for you. He has saved you for a reason. Now that you’re saved.

Work out in your life what God has placed inward in Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6, He said, for it is God that worketh in you and he wants to perform that which he began. Since It’s not over yet. You’re saved, but He wants to do more now with you. It’s not over. And then He says, for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure, not yours. You see, God wants us to serve Him not to do what we want to do with our life.

We’re supposed to do what He wants us to do with our life. And he says in verse 15 that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, whom he says here you are in a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights in the world. That’s what we are. When Christ was here, he was the light of the world. Well he’s left. Now you trust Christ as your Savior, you are a light in this world.

I am a light in this world. The world is in darkness. We’re the lights in the world. The world should look to you and I for leadership. But instead, we that have the light are looking to those that walk in darkness for leadership. It doesn’t work that way. The world doesn’t tell us how to live. We’ve got truth. We’ve got the word of God. We know what we’re supposed to do. We do it because God revealed it to us in His Word.

So we don’t have to wait for the evening news to find out what we’re supposed to do. We don’t have to wait for Washington to tell us what to do. We don’t have to wait for the laws to tell us what to do. We’ve got the law of God. We just need to do what God says to do. And God will bless us for it. Look up here. Letting this hand represent you and me and the Lord. wallet represents sin.

Now we all have sin on us. Everyone here is a sinner, just like me. We’re all sinners. God loves us. Now he hates our sin, but he loves us. All of us are in the same boat for all have sin. All have come short of God’s perfection. The wages of sin is death, and since every man’s sin, every man is condemned. And God wants every man to be saved and to go to heaven. So Christ died for all men.

You see, to go to heaven, you have to be perfect, but nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s righteous. So that’s why no man can save himself. And so a man cannot do any good deeds to get to heaven because you see, it can’t be bought. We’re already condemned to pay for what we’ve done. So a man has to be saved. This is Jesus Christ. God’s Son. God chose his Son to come into the world because he had no sin. He was his righteous servant.

He took all of our sins, the sins of the whole world upon himself came back from the dead. And God said that if we’ll believe that he did it for us, God is bound by his word. He has to save everyone who believes, whosoever believe it. For God so loved the world that he gave has only begotten Son, that whosoever beleaveth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. God from the foundation of the world has predetermined to save all those that will believe.

And all those that will not believe, God has predetermined, they’ll spend an eternity separated from God and a literal fireburn in hell. Salvation is free. It’s a gift and it’s whosoever beleaveth. Let’s pray show him. With every head bobbing, every eye closed, and no one looking around. I hope you understand what I’m saying. I have no axe to grind. I just want to preach the book. And I want you to understand that God loves you. He sent his son to die for you, to pay for your sins.

He said, if you’ll trust him as your savior, he’ll give you eternal life as a gift. You don’t learn it. You don’t work for it. You don’t buy it. God says, once He saves you, you’re His child forever. You’ll never cast you out, never lose you. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, I hope you understand the importance of telling people, getting them out under the sounds of the gospel. Let God use your power of influence in the lives of other people to get them under the sounds of the gospel.

It’s so important. Our Father, we ask Your blessings upon each person that’s here to help them to understand that you had chosen them. They have been elected, unknowned by you, called to serve you. Not to be saved, but because we are saved. And I pray, Lord, that each person here would respond to you, correct anything in their life that needs to be corrected. And I love you with all their heart. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again We would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program. Go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. The broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

I’m so glad that one day, one day in my life, could man came into my life and explain the gospel to me. But since that time, nobody has ever tried to win me to Christ. Ain’t that something? Now, one person has ever approached me to try to win me to Christ. What if that man had missed me? I’m so glad he talked to me about my soul and that I heard the gospel and he explained it to me and I trust the Christ as my Savior.

And I know I have eternal life. Because I have eternal life and I’m God’s child, I’m going to heaven whenever I die. This week I was talking to a man and I asked him, I said, sir, I said, where are you? you’re going to go and you die?” And he looked at me and he says, nobody knows that. And I looked at him and I says, I do. And he looked at me and says, you do? I said, yes, I do.

And I says, when you get a couple minutes, I like to explain it to you. So a couple minutes, I got a chance to explain it to him. And when I got through, and I got ready to leave, you know what he says? I know I’m going to heaven when I die. I know. And in just a short period of time, a person’s destiny can be changed. Serving the Lord to me isn’t just coming to church. A lot of people do that.

Me serving the Lord is not just reading my Bible and it’s not just praying, though I do all of that. It’s not just giving money because I do that. Give the mission. I do that. Serving the Lord is more than that to me. You see, to me serving the Lord means that I’m trying to in my goal of my life. I want to win people to Christ. I want there to be people who, when I get to heaven that are there because they heard the gospel from my lips.

I want them to know it because they heard me say it. I want there to be some fruit even though on the radio broadcast sometimes you think, man I wish it would be where I could see the people and see if anybody’s trusting the Lord and you don’t always see and you can’t know. But you’re always, you do these things and you spend all that money because you believe that somehow that you’re so in seeds and somebody may hear and trust Christ is Savior and a person going to heaven is the most wonderful thing in all the world.

You stop and think there’s nothing better than knowing you have eternal life, knowing that you’re going to heaven when you die. But nobody can make you trust Christ as your Savior. Nobody can make you serve the Lord. And I always keep those two things separate. So you can be saved and never serve God but you’re still saved because you’re born into God’s family. You’re saved because you believe he did it for you and you trusted him as your Savior you become a child of God.

He gives you eternal life. You’re saved by grace nothing that you did. Service is me serving God because of him saving me. But if I don’t serve him I’m still saved. that’s grace. That’s grace. I don’t deserve to go to heaven. But now that I have eternal life and I am going to heaven, I had to make a very important decision. Who am I going to serve? What am I going to do with my life? And some verses that were found in the Old Testament really burdened me because of the way they’re worded.

And I want you to see this in the book of Joshua and chapter 24. Joshua chapter 24, and I want you to look there verse 14 verse 14. Now this is Joshua speaking to the children of Israel. He doesn’t have long to live. This is at the close of his life and he has made up his mind what he’s going to do and what he has done and now the people need to decide. And this is his last charge to the nation of Israel.

Verse 14, now therefore fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt and serve ye the Lord. Serve ye the Lord. This isn’t just any God because there’s a lot of false gods, a lot of false religions. And so think of how many millions and millions of people believe in a God that don’t even exist. It’s only an imagination. There’s only one true and living God.

All the other ones are false gods. They’re make believe. They’re figments of somebody’s imagination. They make up their own gods. And then they worship that God. And that God is not real. Now some people say, well, don’t you know you’re a finned people when you say stuff like that? So be it. I’m not going to honor somebody’s lies or deception or vain imaginations. But I want you to see this in looking verse 15. And if it seemed evil unto you to serve a Lord.

In other words, He says, I want you to serve God. But if it seems to you an evil thing for you to serve God, you know why many people won’t serve a Lord because they deem it an evil thing. You know why people are not faithful to God’s church? To go to church because that’s evil. They think it’s better not to. think it’s a waste of their time. It’s emptiness, it’s vanity. Why study the Bible? It’s not going to do anything anyway.

Why pray? It’s not going to change anything. See, the then they despise the thing that God says to do. But He says, if it seems so wrong for you to serve God, then why don’t you make up your mind which God you’re going to serve? Whether the God’s on the other side of the flood or on this side of the flood, whether it’s bail, but now you got to make up another the decision. In other words, if you are not really going to serve the true and living God, are they make up your mind?

Which false God are you going to serve? You’re going to serve God of money? You’re going to make up some religion, but make up your mind. Whatever you’re going to do, and do it. If you’re not going to serve God and you’re going to serve some, but do it, whatever you do, but do it without your heart. If you’re going to live like the devil, really do the job++++. But if you’re going to serve God, serve him. So he puts it to him.

He says in verse 15, the last part of it, but as for me and my house, we’ll serve the Lord. And that capital L-O-R-D means Jehovah, the God of Israel, the true and living God. So he says here in verse 16, and the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. For the Lord our God, He is. It is He that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage and which did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way wherein we went and among all the people through whom we passed.

And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorite which dwelt in the land. Therefore, will we also serve the Lord, for He is our God. Everybody has to have a God. Even the nathias has a God. He exalts Himself above everything that is called God. And He becomes His own God. And he makes up his own rules and his own regulations about how he’s going to live. And he doesn’t believe that there is a God.

And he doesn’t believe there’s a heaven or a hell. He doesn’t believe he’s going anywhere. He just believes he’s going to the grave. Where did he get all those beliefs? He made them up. Go see, those things aren’t true. There is a heaven and a hell. There was a beginning. There is a true and living God. There is going to be a judgment afterwards, but cause a true and living God sits. So you see, everybody has a God. Even the agnostic says, well, I don’t believe anything.

I don’t know what to believe. means that they’re ignorant, means without knowledge. But here he makes this statement in verse 19, Josh was said unto the people, ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, for he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. How you like that? Isn’t that point blank? He says you can’t serve God because God is a holy God. God is a righteous God. Was it well behind you He quotes the serve God.

Well, you have to turn the page and look at the next word. He says, in verse 19, you cannot serve God because he’s holy, and if you don’t become holy, you can’t serve him. If you don’t live a holy life, you can’t serve God. Now, you may have trusted Christ as your savior. God has made you pure and holy in your new birth, and it’s perfect, it’s righteous, it’s just you. You don’t have to worry about that. But in your life, do you seek to live a holy life?

If your life is a holy, you don’t serve God. You may say the words, I love the Lord. But if you don’t live like you love the Lord, you don’t love God. You don’t love them unless you serve them. If you don’t serve them, you don’t love them. Period, that’s what God says. God says, don’t you deceive yourself. If you’re not faithful, you’re not right. If you’re not faithful to God, you’re not right with God. You’re deceiving yourself when you think so.

Put God first in your life. But if you’re not gonna serve God, then now you gotta side, Which God are you going to serve? Are you going to be your own God? Is he going to be God of maybe some rock star, some movie star, some money? Is it fame? Is it possession? What is your God? Go ahead and serve it. Because that’s all you’re going to get in this life. Because there is no true God except the one in true and living God.

And God says you serve Him. If you’re not going to serve Him then choose among these other gods that you want. Now take your Bible and look there in the next verse, verse 20. He says, God will not forgive you if you forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that He hath done you good. Can God be good to you? to you, merciful to you, show grace upon you, bless you, and give you wonderful things in this light?

Yes, he can. And can you turn your back upon the true in living God and not really serving with all your heart? Yes, you can. And the same God that wanted to do you good can make everything turn against you. And you’ll find yourself resisting the God of heaven and God is going to chase in you and discipline you and maybe take you home before your time. So you can rebel against God and you can live in sin all you want to.

But your heavenly Father who knows you and loves you gave you eternal life and saved your hell deserving soul is going to chase and beat the Torah out of you. You understand what he’s saying? So in verse 21 and the people said unto Joshua, no no no no we’ll serve the Lord and Joshua said unto the people, your witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you, the Lord, to serve him, and they said, we are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your hearts unto the Lord God of Israel.

And the people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.” You see, that’s what God wanted for his people. Now, the choice is yours. Here we are. Now it’s our turn. Do you really believe that there is a true and living God? Do you believe that there’s a God in heaven that can work things out in your life and can bless you or chasten you, shower upon you all kinds of wonderful blessings, or withhold things from you because of his will, or chasten you because of your rebellion?

You really believe that? Prove it by your life. You really love God? Now see, you don’t get to heaven because you love God. You’re going to heaven because God loves you and He made a payment for your sins and you understood that and you believe that and you accepted Him as your Savior. God gave you eternal life. Now you’re His child. He didn’t just take you out of this world and take you to heaven. He left you here. Left me here because He wants us to serve Him.

Why does He you want us to serve them? Because God says, if you’ll serve me, I’ll honor you. I’ll honor you. Now it doesn’t say in what all ways that honor will come, but you’re to believe that God will be stole upon you, praise, honor, and glory. The Lord says when He returns. And if you believe it, you can wait and be patient. And it doesn’t matter what you have to go through down here. Always seek, be faithful, put God first and serve the Lord.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of first kings, the book of first kings and chapter 18, first kings and chapter 18. We have a story here about a man named Ahab. He was one foolish man. You see Ahab, he messed up and married a woman. Well, of course, most people do marry a woman, but this woman was a wicked woman. Her name was Jezebel. Have you ever seen anybody named their little darling, little girl Jezebel? How many women name her kids Jezebel.

I don’t know of anybody named Jezebel. Why? Because Jezebel doesn’t have a good name. She kind of ruined that name. Nobody wants to be called a Jezebel. You old painted Jezebel? Well, because she was a wicked woman and she led her husband who was the king of Israel in descend. There was a man named Nabah, then he had a vineyard and it was right next to King Ahab. King Ahab says, I want that piece of property. So he went over there and offered them some money for it.

He says, it’s not for sale. He said, well, I’ll give you this and this. And he said, he did anything he could. And he said, no, I can’t sell the inheritance that the Lord has given to me. But he wanted it. So he went in the house and he was pouting. And his wife looked at him and says, what’s the matter, folks? He says he won’t let me have his property. She said, well, you’re the king. You’re the king.

Let’s like saying, hey, you the man. And if you want it, you can get it. all you got to do is leave it to me.” So all she did was got a couple of people to lie about him and said that he blasphemed God and blasphemed the king and so they stoned him to death. Killed an honest man, killed a righteous man. Who did that? Jezebel. And so whenever he was dead, O Ahab goes over there to get his property.

And lo and behold, a prophet shows up and that That profit was Elijah. And he shows up and he says, you know… Dogs are going to eat you up and going to lick your blood. And it says, concerning your wife Jezebel, she’s going to be thrown over the wall and the blood is going to get all over the rocks and the dogs are going to eat everything on her. Nothing was left of Jezebel but her hands and her feet.

Doggled all the rest of it. That’s what happened to Jezebel. But you see, she was a wicked woman. But you see, there were 450 prophets of Baal. Ahab had done sinned against the Lord, and he chose to do all that, which was evil. He led the nation of Israel in the wrong direction, and God’s going to have to chase in him. And God told Elijah, there’s going to be three years of drought. There’s not going to be no rain.

And so Ahab, he was mad. And this is the Elijah. You’re the one that brought all this trouble upon Egypt. I mean, upon Israel. It’s your fault. You did all of this to us. And he said, I didn’t do it. You did it. You’re the one that’s guilty. You see, somebody’s always willing to blame somebody else for the sorry lot in life. See, if you choose not to serve God, and you rebel against the Lord, and you won’t do right.

And then when everything goes wrong and bitter and sour, and you have to eat those sour grapes, You’re gonna get mad and blame God, righteous people, the preacher, the church, you’ll blame everybody, but look in the mirror. Thou art the man. You’re the one. You see, because if you serve the Lord, God promises He take care of you and bless you. Stop blaming people on why you don’t stay faithful to God. It’s not the preacher. It’s nobody else. It’s not the church.

It’s you. It’s inside of you. Do right. Put God first and serve Him. So he says here in verse 17, and it came to pass when ahab, so Elijah, that ahab said unto him, are thou he that trouble with Israel? All here’s that troublemaker. He answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house, and that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Balaam. And now therefore send and gathered me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal 450 and the prophets of the grows 400 which eat at Jezebel’s table.

So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel. And the Elijah came unto all the people and said, How long haute ye between two opinions? If the Lord, if the Lord, L-O-R-D, the God of Israel, if God is God, follow him. But if Baal, If he’s God, then follow him. But why hold to you between two opinions? Because they tried to mix Judaism and this hellish doctrine of following Baal together and talking about how they love God and worship God at the same time they worship Baal.

In other words, they were fit straddlers. They couldn’t make up their mind. It’s just like Christians today. They are fence straddlers. They’re never committed to the Lord, but they don’t wanna really commit to the world. So they try to ride defense. They want enough of doing right to get God’s blessings and enough wrong to have some fun and do their own thing. And God said, it ain’t gonna work that way. God says you make me sick. That’s what he says about his children.

He says, you make me wanna vomit because you won’t commit yourself. If God is God, why should the true and living God Have to beg and plead his children to serve him. Can you understand that? I cannot understand that. It doesn’t make any sense to me why some person can trust Christ as their Savior, have eternal life. They know they’re going to heaven when they die. And they can’t find it within them to serve God. After all that God has done for us, you stop and think for a moment.

God has given you right to live, gives you air to breathe. Saved your hell, deserved, and soul, give you eternal life, made you his child. You’re going to heaven whenever you die. never cast you out, never lose you. And that’s where you’re going to end up. You’re going to be in heaven. And then he only asked you, would you just serve me for the time that you’re down here? And if you will, I’ll bless you while you’re here. And when you get to heaven, I’m going to reward you.

And he says, in the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which I’ll be here after. He says, you have no idea what you’re going to get by serving me. Now why can’t we We believe that. Why can’t I trust God? He asked for a showdown, and there was a showdown, and God spoke by fire and burned up the offering the sacrifice that was made. And he told him and says, you better get to running because I hear the sound of abundance of rain hadn’t rained in three years.

And he says, it’s going to be some rain, but before they did that, he killed 450 of the prophets of Baal. That’s what they did with these false religious leaders. Now we live in good old America so we don’t take those who teach false doctrine not to kill them. But you know there was a time not long ago when people who taught witchcraft were burned at the stakes. It wasn’t too many years ago whenever you believed in Protestantism, Catholics would take you and crucify you and burn you, boil you in oil.

That’s not a joke. That’s not a lie. That you taught me just a couple hundred years ago. You ought to get a book called the Fox’s Book of Martyrs and what was done to people who believed the truth. That day of persecution isn’t far away. If you don’t believe that what happened with the Jewish people was bad, you ought to say, well, you don’t have to be a good person. see what’s coming not only with the Jewish people, but this time it’s not going to be just Jewish people, it’s going to be Christians.

Persecution of Christians is right around the corner, not far away. I believe that. Take your Bible and turn to the book of John chapter 12, the Gospel of John in chapter 12. When the Lord made the statement, he says, I’m I’m going to die. This is the hour in which was determined by God the Father for me. He says, should I ask God to deliver me from this hour? No. He said, that’s why I came. And he says that the Colonel Corn falls into the ground and it died.

He says then when it comes forth, look how many kernels you got of corn. How many ears of corn are one stalk? All from one little old Colonel Corn had died. You see, that was Jesus. And Nukkha many have trusty Christ’s Savior and been born again because of that one seed. Now here He makes the statement in verse 24, very, very or truthfully, truthfully, I say unto you, except the corner of wheat fall into the ground and die at a bind at the loan, but if it died, bring forth much fruit.

He that loveth His life shall lose it, but he that hated his life in this world shall keep it and the life eternal. In other words, for example, that’s what Christ did for us. And here you are, if you take your life and you want to live your life for yourself, when you die, that’s all there is. But if you take your life and die for the Lord, God says that your life will bear fruit. I enjoy life just like anybody else.

I like to do things just like anybody else. But there’s been one main thrust in my life. And that is that I want people to trust the Lord and I want people to serve the Lord. I have a reason for me, Sir Lord. I was like that before I became a preacher. I don’t want people to go to hell. I would rather Die for this reason and think of the multitude of people that are trusting Christ the Savior over the years That’ll be in heaven because of it See God wants you and I to have a reason for living the Apostle Paul says I I died daily Every day you you died at his will that that’s all that you want that you don’t want to I should say die to self any way you want to put it in the spiritual terms But it means will you will you serve

God over yourself? Will you make up your mind? Choose you this day whom you will serve and it says in Joshua I’m recording this day against you. You’re a witness against yourself That’s why we generally sometimes have people Dedicate their lives to the Lord and sometimes doing services the preacher will say how many of you’ve never dedicated your life to the Lord you’ve never determined I’m going to serve a Lord. If you have, serve Him. If you haven’t made up your mind, would you make up your mind today?

Right now, will you as a child of God, will you determine, be a witness that I gave testimony to the fact before God and witnesses, I’m going to serve God. You see some people they always say, well, I don’t like the promise. I don’t want to promise because they want to be so in fill with integrity that they wouldn’t dare break their promise if they ever made one. Yet they’ll go down here and they’ll sign a note for five years for a new vehicle and a new house for 30 years and they’ll promise some man or some woman, I’ll be faithful to you and what are you doing promising?

Well I never make promises you liar. Make God one and then keep your word. Well, if I don’t make a promise I don’t have to do it. I don’t have to keep my promise. Make up your mind. Choose you this day. Are you going to serve God? If you’re not going to serve the twin living God, what God are you going to serve? You’re gonna serve somebody. Something is gonna be your God in your life. And I pray that it’s the Lord.

Look in verse 26, if any man served me. Now we’re not talking about how to get into heaven. Gotten to heaven is free. I’m talking about you that no Christ is your savior, your God’s child. Now what, now what? If any man served me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall my servant be also. Now let me just show you a brief illustration. If I’m the Lord and you’re standing right here behind me, and I say follow me, if I go over here, where would you go?

Well you come over here where I’m at. If I go over here, where would you go? Well, if you follow me, you’re going to follow me. And if I move, you move. If I stop, you stop. Wherever I go, you go. You just follow me. So simple. See, that’s all it is. Servant Lord is simply following the Lord. Now, some people say, well, I want to serve the Lord. And there’s a follow me. And all of a sudden, this guy, he looks over there and say, oh, look at that.

Good looking woman over there. And I say, follow me. And he goes over there. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I’m over here. Follow me. Now if you stop following me for woman, money, fame, popularity, then they have become your God and it’s going to lead you astray. That’s how come God says that we’re sheep, sheep who won’t follow what the shepherd, we go astray. And the Lord says that if you will follow me, if you’ll serve me, Him?

Well, my Father, honor. Now, the day is coming where we’re going to stand before the Lord and God’s going to bless us. Reward us for everything that you’ve ever done. So, God’s is if you’ll follow Him, if you’ll serve Him, you do what He says, do it, you obey Him. And that’s why you have to know the word of God so that you can do that. But it’s not just going to church. It’s not just reading your Bible, It’s not just praying.

He’s a person. And if you fall in love with him, all those things and more will you do. But you see, if you’re not really in love with the Lord, then all that becomes a drudgery. You do them not because you really want to. It’s just, it’s a duty to you. It’s a chore, a job. But you see, when it gets inside of you that it burns within you, then you do it because of what God means to you.

And I want the Lord to mean as much to you as possible that you love him and love him with all your heart. If any man served me in with my father honored, do you believe that? Now, as a child of God, he could have took me home that very day that I trust him as Savior, but God in his wisdom chose to leave me here and give me a life full of opportunities, opportunities. He says some of these opportunities, he says, they’re going to work for you.

He says, I’m gonna send you problems and trials and tribulation, but if you’ll be faithful and serve me and do right God says I’ll deliver you from everything I’ll bless you why you hear you can have that inward peace and joy and happiness and when you get to heaven I’m gonna reward you, but I want you to serve me, but I want it to be your choice I want you to do it because you love me and if you love me then serve me But if you don’t all these things that happens to you is gonna work against you and And the very thing that I meant to doWeakood, or do your harm.

And the God that wanted to bless will turn against you and resist youbum and rob //[ you of all the things you could have. But really isDeclood, is God to be blamed? Because God is righteous? No? It’s because you chose the wrong path. I urge you, if you know Christ is your Savior,=] realize that if you’ll serve Him, he’ll bless you, and he’ll honor you.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free. free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 read the Bible. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

Deuteronomy chapter 28. We’re going to take a look at a few things that I believe are very important. very important. God says, because of Israel’s disobedience, and this was given before they ever got into the land of Israel, before they ever got to Canaan, and God, through Moses, told them, warned them of the curse that would come upon them for their disobedience. God says, I love you and I want to use you and I want to make it great.

And how much Israel could have done, but they repailed against the Lord. The Lord says, I’m going to smite you with madness. Madness. And the reason he’s going to smite it with madness is because they’re going to see things that they didn’t want to see. But notice up there in verse 47. Verse 47, because thou sort of not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things. In other words, God says, I have blessed you abundantly.

Joshua now is going to take you into the promised land, the land of Canaan. That land they’re over to talk about right now, that land they’re fighting over. God says, I’ve given it to you. And there’s kingdoms in there. There’s nations in here. And they’re all bigger and mightier and stronger than what you are. But don’t you worry about them. I’ll drive them out for you. I’ll give you victory. He says, but if you don’t serve me with joyfulness of heart, because of the the abundance of what I’ve done for you.

He says, I’m gonna beat the Torah out of you. That’s paraphrases in the Hebrew. So he makes this statement there in verse 48, therefore shall thou serve by an enemy which the Lord shall send against thee. Now remember this, you can take Israel and picture Israel as an individual and it’ll help you to understand why God talks to Israel like it was a person. Well, just pretend it is a person. Though there’s made up of a whole nation of people, but it’s like a person.

And God says, because you won’t serve me, I’m gonna do some things to you. Now you need to understand this as a believer. You may trust Christ as a savior, you know you have eternal life, you’re going to heaven when you die. Now God will never unborn you. He’ll never take your salvation away from you. If you don’t serve him, he’ll make you wish you had of him. But he’ll never cast you out and never lose you because it’s based upon what Christ did for you.

He paid for all of your sins. You have eternal life, you’re going to heaven when you die. But you’re not there yet, you’re here. But if you don’t serve him, God said, I’m gonna, I’m gonna chase in you. And he says that some of them, he says you’re gonna be hungry, thirst, nakedness, and want of all things. He says, when you could have had it to where you didn’t need anything, that you wouldn’t have wanted anything. Now I’m gonna let you live and you’re gonna want everything and you’re not gonna have it.

It could have been so different. You see, some people think that God has already pre-planned everything and everything happened in just the way God wants it. That’s not true. Because God says it was your responsibility. He said, I wanted to bless you, but because of your decision, I had to chase in you. That’s what he says to Israel. Now, concerning your life, everything that happens in your life isn’t necessarily the best that God had intended. God says, I would have blessed you, but because of your poor decision, I had to chase in you.

Some of God’s children, he may take home before their time. He says, because of your distribution, he’s, I’m gonna put a yoke of iron upon your neck until it destroys you. He says all of these things happen and not because it had to because you rebelled. He said I’m telling you in advance. So he says because of it he said I’m going to take a nation that speaks a strange tongue and they’re going to come in and they’re going to take you over.

That’s what he says there in verse 49. The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far. From the end of the earth, verse 50, a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young. In other words, it doesn’t make any difference about your age. They’re going to do ye in. We believe this perhaps refers to when Israel did rebel against the Lord after they got into the land. And after about 400 years of God working with them, they wouldn’t let the land rest.

And so God sent him into captivity. And when he went into captivity for about 70 years, that’s when you had Daniel and Ezekiel that were in captivity with him. And all these things that God had told him was going to happen, it happened. of a caneser, King of Babylon came and destroyed them. And look what he says in verse 53. He says, and thou shall eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given the end, the siege, and in the straightness wherein thine enemies shall distress thee.

Ooh, this is terrible. People eating their own children. He says, this is how bad it’s going to get. He said, now it didn’t have to happen, but if you rebel against me, this is what you’re going to do. God said, I’ll send the famine and the famine will be so bad. You will have anything to eat because there’ll be in siege against you. The enemy is going to be trying to get and you won’t have any food. And so we don’t have any food.

It’s amazing what you would do in order to live. So it makes this statement there in verse 54, so that the man that is tender among you and very delicate. His eyes shall be evil toward his brother and toward the wife of his bosom and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat.” Now I’m not making this up.

This is the Bible. This is just as true, just as real as John 3 16 that says for God so loved the world and God loves them. But God says, this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to eat your own children. And when you eat your own children, you’re going to sneak and do it. That means you’ll have to kill your kid, cook your kid, eat your kids. And then you want to share it. And how would you like to have it so bad that whenever you’re sitting there and you look over to your wife and she’s saying, she sure looks good.

And she’s looking at you, boy, he sure looks good. They’re talking about eating you up, cooking you. How does that make you feel? In verse 56, the tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the soul of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eyes shall be evil toward her husband, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, and toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear, for she shall eat them for one of all things secretly in the siege and straighten him, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in thy gate.

The enemies come in because you wouldn’t serve me. Would you often this to heart? I’m going to bring all this upon you. We live in America. We have been so blessed. God is going to judge America. We have not yet known poverty. We have a But no one hunger. We haven’t been warned upon from outside except what the terrorists have done. We’re going to see something terrible happening in our country in the days ahead. I really believe that. I’ve often wondered what happens to America during the tribulation period.

Why isn’t it even recorded in the Bible anywhere about America? But anyway, Israel fell. into captivity. They came back to the land and they rebuilt the temple that was destroyed. And the Messiah, Jesus Christ came and they rejected Jesus Christ. Because they rejected Jesus Christ, He says in the book of Luke, because thou knewest not the day of thy visitation. Jerusalem shall be laid even with the ground, not one stone upon top of another. and it happened. But Jesus said it was because thou knewest not the day of thy visitation.

Means the Son of God, the Messiah, He came. You didn’t know who He was. You rejected Him, you killed Him. So the Jews now have been once again because of Titus who came in against Rome in 68 AD and laid siege against the city for two years and the Jews were scattered upon the face of the year. Look down in verse 63. And it shall come to pass that as the Lord rejoice over you to do your good to multiply you.

So the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, to bring you to not, and you shall be plucked from off the land with without goes to possess it.” In other words, you not even bear yet. You’re not even in the land, but God’s telling them I’m ahead of time, this is what’s going to happen to you if you rebel. He says, and God’s going to rejoice to pluck you off the land because you wouldn’t serve him. If you think serving God is important, I believe it’s important.

Do you believe a lot of things that you face and go through is because of the choices that you made because your heart is not serving God holy and fully? You see, you learn from the teachings in the Old Testament. You can apply these lessons. The principles are laid down. Verse 64, And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth, even unto the other. And there shall thou serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

And look in verse 65, and among these nations, shalt thou find no ease? Neither shalt the soul of thy foot have rest, But the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mine, for thy life shall hang and doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shall have none assurance of thy life.” Now, this is what happens when Israel was scattered upon the nations of the earth. This is more than just what happened when Babylon came in and took them.

This is when they’re scattered among all the nations of the world. And remember, it says that they’re going to go back to the land. When they go back to the land, they went back and you’re, anybody remember seeing all these people in these ships and they were overcrowded and toward Palestine. This was happening back in 1948 and talking about all these people in these ships. You see, that didn’t happen whenever, never, never, can, ever came against them. There were no ships involved, but when they went back the last time, there was.

what he says in verse 68. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships. By the way, whereof I spake unto thee, and I shall see it no more again. No more. It’ll never be like this again. God says, because you would not serve the Lord. Now, how long has Israel been chastened? Almost around 2500 years Israel has been chastened. This is very important. your Bible and turn to the book of Joel chapter 3. The book of Joel and chapter 3.

In Joel chapter 3 and chapter 2 tells us that the day will come when the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh and they shall prophesy. Part of that happened when Jesus Christ came the first time and he was taken away. And the Bible says that the Holy Spirit did come and they were baptized into the body of Christ on the day of Pentecost. But not everything in this prophecy was fulfilled at that time. So there’s some other things that are left.

This is found in verse 28 through the end of that chapter, chapter 2 of the book of Joel. I want you to take and look there in Joel chapter 3. Now this is in regard to Israel in the future. Means ahead of us, on down the line. It could happen during our lifetime. But it is talking about the times right ahead of us. This has never happened in the past. But God prophesied about that little old nation of Israel that all nations of the world will be gathered together against Israel and they are going to fight against Israel.

Now right now you have the little old nation of Israel, you have all these Muslim countries, about 50 or so of them, and they have one goal in mind to destroy Israel. The only reason they have not destroyed Israel is because of America. But somewhere along the line we know that because the Bible teaches there has to be a peace treaty made. There will be peace made as far as a treaty but there will be no peace. The Arabs will only make a peace treaty with Israel as they by time because their goal is according to the Quran they must destroy Israel because Islam the religion of Islam from the From the Koran, cannot coexist with the nation of Israel.

They cannot coexist with Christianity, because the Koran teaches they must kill Jews and Christians. That’s the Koran. I might make it that that’s the religion. The religion of Islam is as damaging. Destructive as communism. This one more so because this is more of a religion that applies into its political system. And so our war today, even though Bush says we’re just against the extremist, it is a war against the religion of Islam. The religion of Islam is total world domination.

You have these nations that will make peace tree with the little nation of Israel. only because the power of America. So their goal is they have got to destroy America. Now we have Muslims in America. Now I’m not trying to excite people and riot and all that. I’m just trying to warn you. We’re supposed to be alert and know what’s going on. But you take six or seven million Muslims in our country and they are supposedly peaceful Islamist. That’s because they have no strength at this time.

That’s how they take over 50 countries. The goal is they go in wonderful, sweet, peaceful, family, loving, loyal, patriotic, all these things, these wonderful things till they get in power and then they overthrow the government and establish Islamic law. Their goal is to replace our U.S. Constitution with the religion of Islam with the Koran. because that’s the religion, that’s the way they have to go. So the peaceful ones is simply fighting the Holy War, a jihad, in a different way.

But the goal is the destruction of America, it will come. So right now we’re strong, we’re powerful, and we can protect the leader. And by forth we will put pressure upon all sides to make a peace. And then after a while, because if you read the book of Ezekiel, chapter 38 and 39. The Bible says Russia will come down against Israel and then it mentions her allies which is Persia which is Iraq and Iran and Egypt and Ethiopia and Libya and Turkey and Germany are all going to bind themselves together.

You should how do you know all that? I believe the Bible. This is a Bible that has not yet taken place but it’s in the Bible and they’ll come down against Israel. When they come down against Israel, the power of the be, whoever they may be and whoever their allies may be, defend little Israel. But the Bible says that Russia will be destroyed. And then the powers that the liver them goes into the temple, because the temple in Israel has to be rebuilt, and claims himself to be worshiped.

How far this down the road, I do not know. But I don’t believe it’s too far down the road. I do believe that something has to happen that it’s going to get worse because somewhere along the line Israel has to have some right given to them to rebuild the temple upon that mount and they’re going to do it. Sooner or later somehow some way and the only way that Israel can make peace with these Arab countries is they have to recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Right now see they do not recognize Israel’s right to exist and they’re going to compromise all this is going to come together perfectly. Everything in scripture has to dovetail. So we’re living in a very exciting time. Look in verse 2 of Joel chapter 3. I will also gather all nations and bring them down into the Valley of Jehassafat. Now you’re talking about there’s a great big old the the plains of Jezreel and the planes of Megiddo. It’s about 200 miles all the way down into Jerusalem where the Bible says the blood will flow as high as the horses bridle and the Bible says I’m going to take in all these nations and bring them against the little own nation of Israel.

So all the nations will come. Now all these nations that eventually because of the battle of Armageddon which everybody’s heard about and the Bible says I will make Jerusalem a troublesome stone unto all all the nations of the world. Isn’t it the hotspot of the world? Think about it right now. Though that was written over 2000 years ago, you and I are living at the same time where we can look in the news and see that all of this is happening just like the Bible said.

Do you think it was just a coincidence? Not a coincidence. You don’t find nothing like this in the Quran, verse two, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and you ought to on the line this in your Bible, divided my land, parted my land. You know what they’re talking about right now? Dividing the land of Israel. Let there be two nations there, one for Israel and one for the Palestinians.

True? And God says, the nations of the world have no right to divide my land. And He says, I’m gonna bring all the nations together in the end time. I can’t hardly wait to the next… Wow, what’s happening next? What’s happening next? And then some people, I don’t know if the Bible is true or not. Oh, yes, I do. This book is true. And I believe that we’re living at the most exciting time of all human history. So why?

Because the next event on God’s little timetable is a thing called Rapture. It’s when Christ comes back in the air and those who are alive when he returns in the air will be changed in a moment. The twinkling of an eye will be disappear here and we will appear to the judgments of the Christ. caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. A generation of people living that will never physically ever see death.

I wanna be part of that. I may not be, but at least I’ve got that little hope that I’m looking for the blessed hope. The Lord returning, like one guy says, I’m looking for the upper taker, not the undertaker. That’s me. And see that in verse four talks about Palestine, middle part of verse, all the coasts of Palestine. God says in verse seven, I will raise them out of the place with it. You have sold them and will return your recompits upon your own head.

God says, I’m a coming. I’m a coming. I’m going to come back. In verse 9, proclaim me this among the Gentiles, prepare war. You see, there will be no peace without the Prince of Peace. There will be a peace treaty signed. The Bible says that they’ll gather together at one table for the purpose of deception. in the Book of Daniel. For the purpose of deception is to buy time until they can take out Israel. Their goal has not changed.

That’s why Russia and these other allies are going to come against Israel. And then that’s why we’re going to have some that’s going to protect Israel. And eventually, all the nations are going to come together in one place. The Bible even says that the river Euphrates will be dried up in Revelation chapter 16 to make way for the kings of the east. So you have over here, you’ve got China and the Bible says there will be 200 million soldiers that will come across from the east.

200 million soldiers, reach chapter 16, also in chapter 9 of the book of Revelation. There’s only one country in the world that can put into arms 200 million soldiers and just happens to lie east of Israel. Only one lies east and northeast, south and west is always from the land of Israel. So They’re ready. These nations are ready. Rush is ready. We’re ready. Everything’s ready. Stage is set. Aren’t you excited? You say, well, it’s going to happen next. He’s coming.

Lift up your heads for your redemption. Drawth nine. It is getting very, very exciting. So there’s all these nations, all of them, are going to come together. Just like God says. Now, I want you to take your Bible and look in chapter 9 of Amos. Just turn to your right a couple of pages. Just turn to your right. And our OSCO for reference Bible is on page 940. But Amos chapter 9, Amos chapter 9. And look what he says in verse 9.

What God is going to do is going to sift his people. They rejected Christ when he came the first time. But it’s going to come back again. In verse 9 says in chapter 9 of Amos, For lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations like his corn sifted in his sieve. Yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. In other words, God says he’ll always keep a remnant. Regardless of how many people and nations over the years have tried to exterminate the Jews, God always keeps a remnant.

In other words, enough seed to rebuild. They cannot exterminate the Jews because God says, I will protect them. And He said, I will bless them, that bless you. I’ll curse them, that curse you. America has been greatly blessed because we’ve stood with the Jews. But there’s a multitude of movements today and news media that are trying to get America to turn against Israel. That’s not a joke. Israel’s got to do what Israel has to do protect Israel. I say take your hands off, they’ll protect themselves.

If I was them, I’d take more of the land and shove them on back and put them right back into Jordan where most of them came from and send someone over to 11 where most of them came from because that’s why they had all that trouble in Beirut. And remember our Marines that got killed up there in the bombings? All that was going on because they came out of Jordan because they didn’t want them. Look there in verse 11.

And that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. The tabernacle of David is a reference toward the temple itself. Now after all this is done and they’ve been scattered into all the nation, God’s going to rebuild my temple. I’m going to rebuild it. It’s going to be rebuilt. And get this. He makes a statement in verse 9, 13, Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowmen shall overtake the reaper in the treader of grapes hymn that so of seed.

And the mountain shall drop sweet wine in all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel. And they shall build the way cities and inhabit them. And they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof. They shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land and they shall no more be pulled. pulled up out of their land, their land, their land, their land, their land, which I, I, God, I have what?

I gave it to them. And whether the Palestinians like it, whether all the Arab nations like it, God said, I made this earth, I gave that land to them. It’s their land for all generations. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. That’s in Hebrew. If all this is true, I believe it is. There may be a touch of yankiology in here somewhere. But I believe based upon what the Bible teaches. I am excited because I just know something is about to happen.

You’re a figure to get that feeling. Something’s about to happen. And I don’t know what it is, but I know something has to happen. It’s gonna be big and that gets me excited. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. Now He hates our sin because see the sin separates us from the Lord, this hand represents Jesus Christ, He’s God. And our sins separate as from it. So God hates the sin.

He don’t hate us, He hates the sin that comes between us. So the Bible says, if we commit this sin, we ought to pay for it. And the wages of sin is what? Going to the North Side Baptist Church. No. Is death. So since everybody sins, everybody’s condemned. So that’s why everybody dies. Everybody, you’re going to die because you’re sinner. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect as righteous as God of nobody’s perfect. Nobody. Nobody is perfect.

We’re all sinners. But God says that He loves us. He says you cannot save yourself. You cannot work your way to heaven by your good deeds. You need a Savior. So this hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin, because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. Now this is what He did the first time he came.

How many of our sins did he pay for? All the sins of the world. That means he’s already paid for every sin you have ever done or ever will do. Because he’s not going to come back and pay for what you do later. So he evidently had already paid for it. And he paid for all of our sins. So when you believe he did this for you, he puts this payment to your account. You go to heaven and what he did for you.

That’s the gift of God. That’s not a work. You cannot earn this. It’s free. And so God says the moment you believe it, except in measure savor, he gives you as a free gift, eternal life, and you can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die. And after you trust in measure savor, you yes, you become a child of God, you’re his child forever. And if you serve him, he’ll bless you. If you don’t serve him, beat the tard of you, your choice.

I find that it makes a lot more sense to me. I’m going to serve a Lord, not because I have to, because I want to. I want to serve him. And God said, if I do, when I get to heaven, he’ll reward me. So I want God’s blessings, and I want God’s rewards, but I don’t want to be cursed while I’m here. I think it makes a lot more sense to serve alone. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ. You can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftamparowthg. 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.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 John 3. 1 John chapter 3, I want to discuss with you some scriptures that have given me a lot of trouble over the years. I wondered why couldn’t God have made it a little simpler, a little clearer than what he means. Have you ever studied the Bible and wondered why does it look like it’s so confusing? Doesn’t God understand that I’m hard of understanding and I need to have things made simple and clear to me?

Let me show you something here in 1 John chapter 3. Look what he says here in verse 6. Whosoever abideth in him, sineth not. Think about what that verse says alone and you’ll see what I’m saying. Whosoever abideth in him, sineth not. Whosoever, sineth hath not seen him neither known him. Question, do you sin? Whosoever, sineth hath not seen him neither known him. You see why that would cause me a problem? Little children let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that committed sin is of the devil. Now wait a minute, are you saved or you lost? Do you commit sin after you’ve been saved? He that committed sin is of the devil. Do you still sin? Are you of the devil or are you of God? For the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God, deaf not commit sin. Have you been born of God?

Do you commit sin? Whosoever is born of God, deaf not commit sin. For his seed remained, and he cannot sin because he’s born of God. Looking verse 10. And this, the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God. Neither he that loveth not his brother. What if you don’t love your brother? You’re not of God. That ain’t enough to bother you. Let me give you a couple more. Look down in verse 14.

We know that we have passed from death under life because we love the brother. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hated his brother is a murderer. And you know that murder hat eternal life abiding in Him. Now maybe it doesn’t affect you when I owe to. Maybe you don’t see any problem with any of those verses, but I’ll have to admit that bothered me. It kind of gives the impression that if you sin, you’re of the devil, but but you won’t sin.

Maybe if I look at those verses, maybe that’s why some people say, well, I haven’t sinned in 40 years. I met a person one time and looked at me and said, I haven’t sinned in 40 years. I can’t even say I haven’t sinned in 40 minutes and he will sin 40 years. I had a problem. I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of Mark, chapter 7. The book of Mark and chapter 7. But the book of Mark, chapter 7.

There’s many people who classify themselves as fruit inspectors. What they do is they always going around inspecting other people’s fruit. And based upon what kind of fruit they find, they try to decide whether or not your seder lost. Because you see, if you smoke, oh, that’s a sign you’re lost. You drink, ah, you’re lost. You dip snuff, you’re lost. And so by the time they get through, there are no Christians left. Now, look what he says here in the book of Mark chapter 7.

And notice what he says in verse 20. And he said that which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man, from within out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts. Now get what comes out of the heart of man evil thoughts adulteries fornications murders Thefs, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lessiviousness, and evil eye blasphemy, pride, foolishness, all these evil things come from within and defile the men. Where are all these things found on the inside? You see, the problem does not the fruit, it’s the root.

All these comes from an evil corrupt root. And when he makes the statement, whether it’s theft, well, that’s the sin, the crime. Those who do the theft, we call them thieves. A man that commits murder, well, we call them murders. The man that commits adultery, we call him an adulter. Whatever it is, if you tell a lie, we call that person, well, that’s a liar. You see, there’s names for the sins and names of the people who commit the sins.

The Bible says that not even a lie or a liar can enter into the kingdom of God. And he says, and many were you. You did some of those things. You were thieves and liars and murderers and hormongers. He said, that’s what the title that you have because of what you committed. But why do I get this name? Well, because you did this. Well, why did you do that? Because of a root that comes from that old sinful nature that we have.

So you need to understand some of those sins so that when you see them, listen to other places, you’ll know what they mean. Now turning your Bible to the book of Galatians and chapter five, Galatians and chapter five. And look there in verse 19. As a person born into the world, we all have a flash birth, a flash nature. Our sinful nature comes from a corrupt root. that corrupt root come from a corrupt seed. So the seed is corrupt.

And that is the corrupt seed that ever since Adam has been passed on down through every generation, we are all born of a corrupt seed. And that seed produces this corrupt root with all these desires within it. And that’s why it says it comes from within a man. Nothing that you put into your body is what corrupts the man the heart of man himself. Now you may defile the body but not the soul or the spirit. Some things can defile the soul and not affect the body at all.

So you need to understand whether you’re talking about the body, the soul or the spirit. So here in the book of Galatians in chapter 5 verse 19, now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these. Here’s the same list of things. adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, various, various emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, endeing, murders, drunkenness, reveling. See, most people don’t call drunkenness a sin, but the Bible says drunkenness is a sin because he has something you do as a choice.

All these are choices that people make. Now it can produce sicknesses and illnesses, but it’s the only the surface problem of a root problem because of sin. If you didn’t drink alcoholic beverages, you couldn’t get drunk. Now the Bible says that we have this old sinful nature. I want to go back now to the book of 1 John. 1 John and chapter 1. Look up here just a moment. I want to use a simple illustration I’ve used before, but we’re going to use different scriptures, but you still need to understand the basis of where this comes from.

This arm is our flesh birth. This is when we’re born into the world. We all have an old sinful nature. Now with this old sinful nature it came from a corrupt seed. Therefore, this root is defiled. And so the root is our problem. The fruit is only the result of the root. So that’s why the Bible says he didn’t come to change this because can’t correct this problem. He said, I’ll give you a new birth. So the word of God is the incorruptible seed.

So the word of God has incorruptible seeds and so when you put your faith in those seeds, it creates a new birth. So therefore you have these new desires that comes from a they interrupt root. So, interrupt seed, interrupt root, interrupt fruit. Over here we have a corruptible seed, corruptible root, and corruptible fruit. So we have these two trees living inside of us. They are contrary to each other. They fight all the time. They are two extremes. So the problem is the root, not just the fruit.

So what we have is some people who are fruit inspectors and they’re saying well if you bring forth the fruit of this old sinful nature that shows you that you’re not really a Christian. But one day you may have the works of the flesh and the next day the fruit of the Spirit. And that really blows their mind. Now the Bible says, no ye not to whom ye yields yourselves servants to obey his servants, ye art to whom ye obey.

Whether obedience under righteousness or sin and to death. No ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves. So you can yield to the flesh and you can yield to the Spirit. This one’s born of God, this one is born of the flesh. Flesh, birth, spiritual birth. Divine, corrupt. Can’t do anything wrong, can’t do anything right. This one sins and this one does not. And so these two are dwelling within us and our body is the only tool that we have through which these two natures can manifest themselves, can reveal themselves, can fulfill their desires is through this one body.

And so therefore you are yielding at all times in your life either to the flesh or to the spirit. Because you see as a Christian, you can yield to both. But only one at a time. You cannot thank two thoughts at a time. You cannot walk in the spirit and the flesh at the same time you’ll either walk in the flesh or you walk in the spirit. But you can’t walk in both exactly the same time. but the body is going to reveal at times which one you’re walking in.

So first John is to help us understand which one is controlling our life. And the reason for this is because it is so easy for you and I to be deceived. So easy. You say I planted corn but butter beans came up. If butter beans came up you planted corn. Now, if Butterbeams come up, what did you plan? Butterbeams. You see, whatever comes up is the result of what you really planted. You might think that you’re really walking close to the Lord.

He said, now, if you really are, there’ll be some evidence in your life that you’re close to the Lord. Now, I want you to see this in 1 John 1. He says, we were literally here. We saw Christ, we touched Him, we handled Him of the Word of Life. We saw Christ in His power right here upon the earth, we got to see Him. That’s what He’s talking about there in verse 1, when He says, we have seen Him with our eyes, we looked upon Him, our hands have handled of the Word of Life.

That’s who He was. We saw Him. The disciples had fellowship with Christ. It’s one thing to know Him as Savior, but they got to walk with Him and learn of Him and and they fellowship. So what is fellowship? Fellowship is two fellows in a ship going in the same direction, from the same purpose they go through everything together. But now what he’s talking about here is this, down in verse three, that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.

That ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ, now look over here. You see, the closer you get in your fellowship with the Lord, The closer you get in your fellowship with one another. You see, your fellowship with each other, if it’s right kind of Christian fellowship, is because you’re closer to the Lord, you picture a triangle. Here you are, here’s your brother, there’s the Lord. If both of you get closer to the Lord, you get closer to each other.

And whenever you see yourself getting further away from somebody else, somebody’s getting further away from the Lord also. Because see, our fellowship with one another is really based upon our fellowship with the Lord. Fellowship means walking together in harmony with the Lord. Does God walk in the dark? No? God only walks in the light. So if you wanna walk with the Lord, you must walk in the light. You see these two natures? This one is darkness. This one is light.

That’s why the Bible says, you are children of the light. Christ is, I am the light of the world. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, you were born into God’s family. You are a child of God, a child of the light. Over here, when you were born into this world, you have a flesh birth. This is without light, without truth. Therefore to walk into flesh is to walk in darkness. So darkness hated the light. And these are always battling against each other.

So what you have within you is a child of darkness and a child of light. Now God says He wants you and I to walk in fellowship with Him. Now look what He says in verse four. And these things NowValid, the purpose of this book is two Christians on how to have fellowship with the Lord and with God’s people and how to have joy. Many children of God don’t have fellowship with the Father or with other Christians and they don’t have joy.

But our joy is based upon our relationship with the Father and other believers. So he says, now this is to help. You know, you know, you’re not going to be able to do that. to understand lest you be deceived. You may think you’re right with God, but God says here’s how you can tell. You may think that you’re right with others, but he says this is how you can tell. He says you may think that you’re happy and full of joy.

He said, but let me tell you what it’s really all about because you see, you can have a false peace and a false hope and a false joy, not based upon truth. Notice in verse five, this then is the message which we have heard of him and declaring to you that God is what? Light. And in him is no darkness at all. Look up here. God is your Father. You trusted him as your Savior. You’re born into his family.

You’re a child of light. God is light and in him is no darkness. So if you want to walk in the Lord, you have to walk according to his word and his word is light. Therefore a child of God is to walk in the light. Walk in truth. Look what else he says in verse 8. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. Look over here. You could say a lot of things did not be true.

If you say that you’re having fellowship with the Father, but you’re walking in the flesh or in the darkness, then God says you’re lying and you’re not telling the truth. You’re deceived. Because it’s so easy to think that everything is alright and it’s not alright. You don’t always see the things that you ought to see. So he makes the statement here in verse 7, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son continually keeps us clean.

See, if you’ll walk in the light, as he is in the light, then you’ll have fellowship one with another. So God wants his children to walk together in the light. And you can say that you are and really be walking in the flesh. Well, how are you supposed to tell?cham How do you really know? Now, one thing he does say, he says, if you say that you have no sinful nature, then he says, then you’re lying because you do have a sinful nature.

When you trusted Christ as your Savior, God did not do away with your old sinful nature. He simply gave you a new birth with a new nature, a new root with new desires to produce new fruit that comes from God. So now you have a choice. You can either walk in obedience to the Word of God and walk in the light or you can walk in the flesh and fulfill the works of the flesh. Sometimes we’re not sure of what you planted.

Look at the fruit. So it’s not for you to examine everybody else’s fruit but are you examining in your own fruit so that you’ll know whether or not are you walking in the light or are you walking in the darkness. Look what he says now in chapter 2. In chapter 2, when we talk about the scriptures and it talks about your walk, well if you’re talking about walking in the light or walking in the darkness, well that’s what you do after you’re born.

You see you don’t walk to be born. When do kids usually walk before they’re born or after they’re born. Now this is a difficult question after you’re born. So you see once you’ve trusted Christ the Savior and you’re born into His family now you can talk about the walk. Now either you’re going to walk in the Lord or you’re going to walk in the flesh but you have a choice but it’s after salvation so we’re not talking to how to be saved.

So then He makes the statement in verse 4, He that saith, I know Him and keepeth not His commandments is a what? Is the lie. If you You say, well, I’m really getting to know the Lord in a more closer, intimate way, but you won’t walk in the light and you won’t do what God wants you to do. Then God says, you’re lying. You’re walking in the flesh. You’re walking in darkness. So you see, Christian is always either walking in the light or he’s walking in darkness.

He’s either walking in the spirit, he’s walking in the flesh. So he then goes down here and says in verse 6, he that sayeth, he abideth in him, ought himself also so to what? Walk, even as he walk. So we’re not talking about how to get to heaven. This is those who are already born and are learning how to walk. So that’s why sometimes you have a hard time learning how to walk after you trust the Christ is your Savior because you want to walk in the flesh and you want to walk in the spirit.

You want to obey God and you don’t want to obey God. And so you have a battle back and forth in your life. So he says, now, if you say that you are want to walk in the Lord, then walk in the light, walk in the spirit. Look down in verse nine. that sayeth he is in the light. And, hated his brother, he is in what? Darkness even until now? Our look appear. He that sayeth his in the light.

Let me just walk in the light. We’re not talking about how to get saved. I’m talking about walking with the Lord after you’re saved. If you say that you’re walking in the light, but you hate your brother or hate, where does the hate come from? Does that come from the second birth or does that come from the first birth? Comes from the first birth. So hate means if you have a second birth, you have a second birth.

hate somebody, you hate your brother, it means you’re not walking in the light, you’re walking in the flesh. So the hatred and the bitterness and the envy and the jealousy and all those things are flesh. That means that you as a Christian are not walking in the light like you think you are, you’re walking in the flesh. So you’re saying something see that’s not true. It’s so easy to be deceived. You see your motive and your intention may be good, but you got to go by the facts, ma’am, just the facts.

Either you’re walking in the flesh or you’re walking in the Spirit. Now look what he says verse 10, he that loveth his brother walketh or abideth in the light. There’s not occasion of stumbling in him. Look up here. He that loveth love comes from the second birth. Loveth his brother abideth in the light. God wants you to abide where you’ve been placed. So love is a fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5 verse 22. So if you love your brother, then God says you’re walking in the light and there’s no occasion of stumbling in him because stumbling is a result of walking in the flesh because it’s dark and you can’t see.

You see without the understanding of these two natures, you can not understand the book of 1 John. Impossible. So all the way down through here, it talks about this walking in the light, walking in the dark, the flesh, the spirit. These are things that has confused many people when they come to this book, trying to understand what it’s talking about. Now look there in 1 John, chapter three. And look in verse one, Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God or the children of God.

Wherefore the world, North us not because it knew him, not be leavened. Now are we the sons of God in a death, not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, but we shall see him as he is, not look appear. When you trusted Christ as your savior, you became that very moment, a child of God. You were entwelt by the Holy Spirit. You received a divine nature. And through this divine root, you could have divine fruit.

But you see, you’re the one that decides whether or not to yield to the new birth or you can yield to the flesh birth. And that’s why many people wonder if a person is saved because they see many of the same works of the flesh that they had before they was ever saved. Can a man still be saved? Yes, just because you walk in the flesh doesn’t do away with the spirit birth. And just because you walk in the spirit doesn’t do away with the flesh birth, it’s still there.

You still have this old child of the devil living inside of you. And when you trust Christ the Savior, you’re now his child forever because if it cannot sin, it cannot what? It cannot die because the wages of sin is death. Can this one sin? Yes, when it’s sin, that’s why it dies. One day, this old body’s gonna be placed into the grave. God’s going to get you a new body to go with your new birth. That’ll live forever.

Now, when he makes the statement here in verse six, whosoever abided in him, sineth not, whosoever, sineth hath not seen him and neither known him. Now look up here. You need to understand who these whosoever’s. This is the whosoever that’s born of the flesh. This is the whosoever that’s not saved. Whenever you trust Christ to see, God gives you a new birth. This one is born of God. This one’s born of God. It cannot sin. So when he makes a statement here in verse 6, who’s to ever abide it in him sin or not?

So if you are in this birth, this one cannot sin. But this one, your first birth, it does sin. Now notice what else he says here. In verse 7, little children let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commit of sin is of the devil. So you’re talking about a child of God and the devil or the child of the devil. Which one of these is the child of the devil?

That’s why when Christ was here in the book of John chapter 8 verse 44 when he told those Pharisees, he says, ye are of your Father the devil. And because you’re the Father the devil, you will do the works of your Father. He was a liar from the beginning. That’s where that root comes from. That root comes from that terrible, corruptible seed and says, now, you have within you every Christian. You’ve got like a child of the devil and you’ve got a child of God.

Both living inside of you and they are extremes in their character, in their nature, and they are opposed to each other. Which one are you going to allow to control the use of this one body? Because both of these live in this one body and this one body is the only main by which either one of them can express themselves and manifest themselves. and they want to use this body to fulfill the works of the flesh. And also the Holy Spirit wants to use this body to manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

You’re the one that determines which one you yield to. Now look what he says there in verse 9. Whosoever is born of God, does not commit sin. Now I know some people say he doesn’t practice sin or he doesn’t commit sin. You don’t continue in sin anymore, different translations. But listen, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, if you walk in the Spirit, then you can’t continue fulfilling the loss of the flesh. You can’t practice the loss of the flesh if you’ll do what God wants you to do.

But if you don’t, then you’re going to fulfill these things. So yes, that will come from that old nature, but one day this is going to die and this is going to be taken to heaven. You see, this is the second birth is what’s going to heaven, not your first birth. Your first birth is of the flesh, but God did not destroy it yet. And that’s why you still have this battle in your Christian life. Now, I know what he says there in verse 10.

In this, the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil. So you’re talking about a comparison between these two children, child of God, child of the flesh. And your fellowship with the Father is to understand this. God is light. God does not walk in darkness. So if you want to walk with the Lord and you want to walk in the light and you want to walk in His Word, then you can’t walk in the flesh. You can’t say, I want to please God and walk in the flesh because the flesh cannot please God Romans chapter 8.

That’s why you needed a new birth. Now that you have this new birth, a bide where you have been placed. You’re a child of God. You’re a child of the light. Walk like it. Live like it. Act like it. Talk like it. And in chapter 2 and verse 28, look at it. And now little children abide in Him. Well, if you’re already His children, what are you talking about? Because God wants you to abide where you’ve been placed. You have been placed in this new birth.

That’s your belonging. That’s where you live. Because now live like it. You’re a child of God. Act like it. that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be what? A shame before him it is coming. You see, when you walk in the flesh you are going to be ashamed when the Lord comes. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now we’re closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot 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.

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 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.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.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 13 because Christ says, these things that he’s going to teach us is to help us to understand all parables. Now, a parable is a way of telling the truth in a story form where those that want to know the truth will understand it, and those that really don’t want to know the truth won’t get it. It’s a tremendous way to teach. See, the Holy Spirit didn’t convict them like the Holy Spirit does today.

See, today we teach the Word of God, and then we trust the Holy Spirit to take the truth and penetrating into a person’s mind so they can understand it. Nobody is one to the Lord because of our trickery, because we’re able to connive an individual. You can’t persuade them against their will because a person can’t truly trust Christ unless the Holy Spirit enlightens their mind and they see it. And when they see it, all they got to do is believe it.

Many of them just simply believe it. And there’s others that they deny the Holy Spirit, refuse to believe it. You can’t make somebody trust Christ as Savior. And when it comes to serve in the Lord, that’s something else that you keep in mind as you can’t make anybody serve the Lord. But what we ought to do is to give them the opportunity, always striving to get opportunities. Because if I say, do you understand what He’s saying? To say, yes, I see what you’re saying.

I understand. That means you have light. That means that you’re going to be held accountable. Because the more you see and more you understand the more accountability you have. So can ignorance be bliss? So I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand. Does God know when you really understand something? God knows. So you can’t fool God. So whenever you study the Scriptures, there’s things God wants you to know. Here in the book of Matthew in chapter 13, look there in verse 3, and he spake many things under them in parables.

Saying, Behold, they sower went forth to sow. When he sowed, sunseeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth, and forth with they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth. When the sun was up, they were scorched because they had no root they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them. But others fell upon good ground and brought forth fruit, some 100 fold, some 60 fold, some 30 fold, who had ears to hear, let him hear.

So he just told them a parable. What does it mean? And in these scriptures, there are four illustrations, four illustrations. And out of these four illustrations, some people are always trying to make, well, it’s say something that it doesn’t say. Trying to understand is just talking about how a man is saved. And if it’s talking about how a man is saved, well, it looks like a man can be saved for a while and then lose a salvation. And so many people who teach that you can lose your salvation, remember when I talk about people who teach you can lose your salvation, I’m talking about preachers, missionaries, And there’s multitudes of them that go to the foreign fields and they they teach from these scriptures Of the opposite of what it really says But the people out there that don’t know the Bible.

They don’t understand And so it it it breaks your heart when you see what people are saying I’ve listened many times to certain creatures on the radio when it just breaks my heart They listen to what they’re saying if I’m a lost man setting up to our list of that I ain’t got a chance. I ain’t got a ghost of a chance. Oh, I’d say to my mind, I can’t get saved Because I just I can’t live the life.

I just can’t live the life Or I’m too bad Or I’ve tried before and they know since trying again because I just can’t live up to that high standard Because they will make it sound like you’ve got the performer. You’re not gonna get it Then he says here in verse 10, and the disciples came and said to him, why speak a style under them in parables? He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it’s not given.

So we had a mixed audience, mixed group of people, even though the disciples didn’t really understand the parable either. He said, you’re speaking of them in parables. They didn’t say, we don’t understand either, but they didn’t understand. And the key to what Christ taught was always for people that wanted to know truth could understand the truth. So he says because it is given unto you the know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

So some people will never get it. They’ll never understand. But now he tells you why. It’s not because God has chosen a few people to believe and God has chosen another group of people not to believe. And so it’s not their fault. They can’t choose Because God didn’t give them the faith to believe there are some people that teach When he says in Ephesians 2 8 9 for by grace or you say through faith and that not of yourself That is the gift of God.

They say the gift there is faith and so you can’t be saved unless God gives you the gift of faith Therefore, it’s not your fault if you don’t believe Because God didn’t give you the faith to believe And so those that do believe is because God gave them the faith Well, that’s totally contrary to Scripture. That means that if God didn’t give you the faith, you didn’t have the ability to believe, so why should you go to hell? That ain’t your fault.

God says everybody’s got faith. It’s just a matter of where you want to place it. Salvation is the gift of God. It’s not faith. Faith is not a gift. Now there’s another place where it talks about faith being a gift, but that’s to the believers, to the church, and not for salvation. He makes a statement here because it is given under you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven. I had a man call me up this week.

He says, what does it mean when he talks about the kingdom of heaven? He said, I need you to probably sit down with me and explain this to me and it’s going to take a while for me to get this through my head. I said, well, let me just tell you and then see if that’ll help. I said, the kingdom of God is the sphere of everything that belongs to God. The kingdom of God is God’s kingdom from eternity past to eternity future.

I says, but the phrase kingdom of heaven refers to a period of time. The kingdom of heaven is when the king sets up his kingdom upon the earth. And that’s a thousand year reign upon the earth. So the kingdom of heaven is when Christ rules upon the earth. He says, I see it. He says, you don’t tell me no more. I got it. I got it. I got it. Click. Kingdom of Heaven is like an island in the sea of God’s eternity.

So when you’re talking about the Kingdom of Heaven, God has given us some truths to explain this little island, this period of time that’s going to be a thousand years long and how you get into it and the seeds that are sown. And he says this kingdom is like a mustard seed and it will grow and fill up all the earth, become a great mountain, mountains kingdom. Then he makes a statement here in verse 12 looking verse 12 for whosoever half To him shall be given and he shall have more abundant But whosoever half not from him shall be taken away even that he had you say take away what give them what?

the key here is Understanding see they’re in verse 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables be called they seeing, seeing not, hearing, they hear not. Neither do they, and here’s the word, understand. They don’t understand. Now God says, He that understand it, I will give Him more. But He that doesn’t understand will lose the knowledge they already have, like they have already been given. See if you don’t use it, what happens to it? You lose it.Valid. You say, I used to study the Bible, study the Bible, study the Bible, but you don’t use it, you lose it.

Light will be taken away from you and you’ll find yourself walking and darkness, but it’ll happen so slowly you don’t even know it. It’s like your eyes going bad, but you don’t know they’re going bad. Sometime when I get my ears checked, she said, now is that better? I said, man, I ain’t got a clue. I said, I have to have it to compare it with something because I could take out my hearing aid and if I don’t have my hearing I don’t know if I’m hearing better or worse unless I’m comparing it with something that was how it was before So whenever I check in downstairs and I go on the computer trying to get my broadcast done I look at the levels and I know where I got my sound Speakers said and if it gets to that certain level, I know how it sounds

Well, if I put my hearing aid in now, I’m not here loud. I know this working pretty good So if I don’t even put my hearing aid in I don’t even know I don’t have it in because I don’t know I’m hearing and not hearing better or worse, until you have something to compare it with. I know it sounds strange, but it’s the way it is. You’ll notice in verse 14, and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, by hearing you shall hear and shall not in your underlying those two words, not understand.

You will not perceive the last part of the verse, seeing you shall see and not perceive. So you can hear something, but you didn’t hear it. And you can see something, but you’re in it. don’t see it. One time he was talking to his disciples and he was talking to them and then the Pharisees came along and he had made the statement about somebody being blind and the Pharisees says, are you saying that we’re blind? We’re not blind. And Christ says, since you said you’re not blind, you say you see.

So therefore your sin remaineth with you in the Gospel of John. Your sin remains with you because you see. See, when you don’t see and you don’t understand, there’s a certain amount of forgiveness there because there’s no knowledge. Like there’s some people that are retarded, educably slow, where they don’t understand, they don’t grasp. They don’t have the same responsibility. Even you and I don’t require of them the same thing you do if somebody else is supposed to be normal.

Are you a normal Christian? Or are you abnormal? As a Christian, are you a retard, you don’t get it, you don’t see, you don’t understand. Now you don’t want to say that about yourself, do you? So if you say, well I understand what he’s talking about, great of the what? Responsibility. Because the more light and the more you say I perceive, I see it, I see it, I understand. Alright, you’re gonna give a account for that. More light, more expected.

And then you’ll notice also there in verse 15. For this people’s heart is waxed gross. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes, they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and you you out on the line these two words should understand, should understand with their heart and should be converted I should heal them. We see you can’t get saved to understand. That’s why we’re always trying to help a person to understand you are a sinner.

Do you understand that? Sometimes I’ve gone through the hand gestures step by step one phrase at a time and this is represent you and me. We are all sinners. Do you know what a sinner is? And prove that point. And the wages of sin is death. That means eternal separation from God. Do you understand what I’m saying? Because you’re trying to get them to follow you. But when he says, I understand, I understand, I understand, I understand when they get through and they do you understand all that you can do is trust Christ is your savior.

And if they understand all that see, then it’s easier to get them to say, Yes, I’ll trust Christ. I said, come, they understand. But when they don’t understand, don’t keep going on. You gotta stop and get them to see this point because you move on to the next thing. They don’t see that. They don’t perceive. And they have to have a certain amount of understanding. So that’s why you gotta make the gospel clear. And the gospel is not clear because you understand what you said.

The gospel is clear when the lost man understands what you said. So he makes his statement here in verse 16, But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. Now you want to be a blessed individual. How many of you have ever said, Lord, I want you to bless me. Bless me. You want to be blessed? I just want God to bless me with what? Good hearing and good vision. Now I’ve wear glasses and I’ve got to hear an aid.

So I’m not talking about the physical body. More than anything else in this life, you should want to hear what God has to say. You want to see what He means and see the future, have spiritual eyesight. Because without it, what do you have? You don’t have anything. And the scripture talked about Christians in the book of 2nd Peter, being blind, being blind, blind Christians, because they cannot see a far off. They have no vision for the future. Now notice what he says here in verse 17, for verily I send to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them.

Now he’s talking about Old Testament saints because the promises were given to them and they lived their whole life without ever seeing the fulfillment of those promises, but they like Abraham believed in a far country and believed the promise of God that it was going to happen. And look for a city whose builder and maker was God. So he says here and they have not seen them. They have not heard them. And verse 18, here ye therefore the parable of the sword.

Now when he explains the parable, it’s to give people understanding. Because after he gets through, he says to his disciples in another scripture, he says, do you understand? Do you understand what I’m saying? I’ve wondered many times that after I’ve preached so many sermons, and I’ve wondered how many people I’ve actually understood what I’ve said. Because if you really hear it and listen to it and you believe it, it should change a person’s life. If you go on like you never heard anything, and didn’t see anything, then he said it’s like a man that looks in the mirror and behold his face, and then he goes out the way and immediately forgets what he saw.

like it didn’t make a difference. And the scripture says, be ye doers of the word and not hearers only. So why do you hear the word so you can be a doer of the word? And if you don’t become a doer of the word, then what’s the reason for hearing the word? It’s not just so we can just tickle our fancy, it’s for a reason. In verse 18 he says, hear ye there for the parable of the sword. when anyone heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it.

Now, understands. That’s a very important word. Understandeth it, not. Then comeeth the wicked one and catches the way that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside. But he that received the seed in the stony places, the same as he that heareth the word and immediately would joy receiveeth it. Yet hath he not root in himself, but doth for a while, for when tribulation or persecution rises because of the word, by and by it he is offended.

He also that receive of seed among the forns is he that hearth the word and they care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choked the word and he become unfruitful. But he that receive of seed into the good ground is he that hearth the word and understandeth it. also bear fruit, bring it forth some a hundred fold, some sixty and some thirty. Not everybody brings forth the same amount of fruit, but those that did understand it and were fruitful brought forth fruit.

So every one of these illustrations here, there’s four of them. Can you tell me which one refers to the lost man and which one refers to the safe man. So if you looked at all four of these illustrations, how many refer to the saved and how many refer to the lost man? All right, now look there at the first one. When it says in verse 19, he explains it in verse one, what is going on, trying to get him to understand.

When you’re talking about these illustrations down through here, there’s four, and the first one where he makes the statement that the seed that fell upon the wayside is the devil, and the devil is the one that steal the seed away before the person gets the chance to receive it. And he says there in verse 19, see, and then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received it seed by the wayside, but he understandeth it what not he didn’t understand and the reason he didn’t understand it is because when the seed was given the birds of the air that gets the seed by the wayside he refers to as the devil that feels the seed from the mind before he believes it.

That’s the lost man. He doesn’t understand. Verse 20 is the saved man. How do you know? The same is he that heareth the word and immediately with joy received it. He understands. He receives it. It says yet hath he not root in himself, but doereth for a while. So he saved, he endures for a while. And so you see why some people say then for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by, he is offended.

But he started, he believed, starts serving, but he is like the person who has no root. And if you don’t have any roots down into the word of God, you’re not going to stay strong. And so the person is not going to be fruitful. Still saved. Verse 22. He also that received seed among the forms is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches showed the word and he became unproofal. So he did believe it.

He did understand, but he’s not fruitful. See, it always boils down to, okay, none of you are saved. Are you, or are you not, fruitful? Verse 23, but he that receive it seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it, which also bear fruit and bring it forth some, a hundredth pole, some sixty and some thirty. So He gives us a very simple illustration and there is four stories in one story. There’s only one sower and as you sow the seed, some people are not going to understand it at all.

So always remember when you’re witnessing, not everybody will hear and understand it. Some are going to hear it and believe it, but never do anything with it. And some are going to believe it and start off, but they get choked up with the things of the world. and never become fruitful. And some are going to hear it and believe it and become fruitful in their life and some a hundred fold, some sixty and some thirty fold. So you don’t win everybody, but you will win somebody.

And so it’s a tremendous thing now. Take your Bible looking, Mark chapter four. And notice you’ll get just a little bit clear understanding because now this same parable is used again. In Mark chapter 4, look in verse 13, and He said unto them, No, you not this parable. How then shall you know all parables? The soar soeth the word. These are they by the wayside where the word is sown, but when they have heard Satan come it immediately and take it the way the word that was sown in their heart.

So the bird that came along the wayside and got the seed that the sower sows is a pitcher of the devil who steals the word from the person’s mind lest he should understand and believe it. Then he says there in verse 16 and these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness so they receive the word and have no root in themselves. So endure but for a time afterwards when affliction or persecution arises for the words say immediately they are and what’s that word you got online they’re offended.

Have you ever seen people that can come to church and the preacher say one word and they get so offended they don’t come back. That’s scripture. That’s scripture. You can witness to somebody and say just the wrong thing and buddy they don’t want to they didn’t do it anymore. They write you off at the drop of a hat. So easily offended. And then he makes a statement here in verse 18. And these are they which are sown among forms such as hear the word, they hear it, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things entering in choke the word and it become unfruitful.

So the reason that you sow seed is so that everything comes up and bears fruit. God created the whole heavens and the earth. They created this world and created all the animals to reproduce and all the plants to reproduce and all the fruit trees to reproduce and all green grass. Everything to reproduce is after its own everything reproduces. Everything letting reproduces. And so when God creates a Christian, a save man, a save man is to reproduce. So everything is based around this.

Now look what he says in verse 20. These are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit, some 30 fold, some 60 and some 100. Now look there in Luke chapter eight. And now notice in verse four. Now, if you read chapter 13 first of the book of Matthew, It kind of gives you a visual picture and it’s the best one. Then you get to the book of Mark, it’s not as much, but it’s got a little bit more detail, concerning of what it means in the exclamation.

Book of Luke gives you just a tad more. Now in the Gospel Luke in chapter eight, look in verse four, “‘And when much people were gathered together, “‘and were come to him out of every city, “‘he spake by a parable. “‘He sower went out to sow his seed.'” And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down in the files of the air devoured it. Some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up it whithered away because it lacked moisture.

Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. And others fell on good ground and sprang up and bear fruit, a hundredthole. And when he had said these things he cried, he had the half an ear to hear, let him hear. Now you heard a prayer, but do you want to know? understand what he’s saying. Now a lot of people will listen to the parable of the sower. See I know that I’ve heard the parable of the sower but they never apply it to themselves.

Did you realize that you are represented in one of these parables? One of these is you. Now you figure out which one it is. You’re one of them. Now notice in verse 5 there’s nothing in here about the seed springing forth coming forth. It just simply said it was trodden down the fowls of the air devoured it but we know what the the birds of the air represent the devil that stole the seed so that they wouldn’t hear and understand.

Then it says there in verse 6 there’s a word there I want you to know in the line it calls sprung up as some fell upon a rock and as soon as it was sprung up that means it germinated. That means it came forth into life. That’s why the first one is a lost man in verse 5 of verse 6 as a saved man but withered away because it lacked moisture. Like we have a lot of teenagers that came to ranch.

Some of those teenagers believe it or not we may never see what’s going to happen with some of those kids. You know some of those kids that came to ranch gave us nothing but headache. Some day may be evangelist and pastors of some churches You have no idea. You say, I don’t have a, you don’t, don’t, don’t kind of short. See, I’ve lived long enough and I’ve already seen the results. I’ve seen what people have done. But the reason they fall by the way, I see sometimes because they didn’t get any moisture, they didn’t get any nurturing because we let them slip to the cracks.

Look at verse eight. Others fell on good ground and here’s two words, spring up, spring up. spring up. In verse 7 it’s talked about and some fell among thorns and the thorns spring up with it. So they did spring up but also other things did too and choked it out. But you see there’s life in verse 6 and there’s life in verse 7 and there’s life in verse 8. Some fell all on good ground and spring up and bear fruit a hundred fold.

Not do you get it? The out simple it is. Did you understand the parable. You really understand what Jesus was saying. He says, there’s things like in this world, the cares of this world, the riches of this world. It’s what causes a lot of God’s people not to be fruitful. And yet God says that some fell upon good ground and sprang up. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold.

We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold.

Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Peter, 1 Peter, chapter five, first Peter and chapter five. Regardless of how healthy you feel right now, tomorrow you could be in the hospital or you could be in glory. And so because you don’t have any control over what’s gonna happen to you, some things you cannot control, they are out of your hands. So the best thing you can do is learn how to prepare for things.

The reason you have car insurance is in case you have a car accident. Some of you have health insurance, in case you get sick and have to go to the hospital. And so you’re always preparing, but many people never prepare for the most important thing of all is one of these days You’re going to die. You’re gonna leave this world But until then God calls this time that we live a time of suffering So here in 1 Peter chapter 4.

I want you to look at a verse before we look in chapter 5 look there in verse 12 Verse 12 tells us beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing has happened into you. Don’t think it’s strange because what happens to you? I mean all of a sudden you get lung cancer or the next thing you know you’ve lost your job or next thing you know you broke a leg or next thing you know your kids ran away or next thing you know your husband ran off with somebody there’s always something going to happen.

You’re going to be filled with nothing but problems because you live in a sinful world. Not everything that’s going to work and not everything is fair. Well, in this life it’s not fair. Nothing’s fair in this world. That’s why there’s a great white throne judgment. That’s why there’s the judgment seat of Christ. And that’s why the righteous God who lives in heaven is going to be the judge of the quick and the dead. And now I know what the quick and the dead refers to.

That was over in Egypt when you tried to cross the road. If you weren’t quick enough, you were dead. It’s so important for you to understand that in this life you are going to have troubles. You’re going to have sufferings. And your teenagers might as well understand that everything ain’t gonna work out your way. Your parents ain’t gonna let you do everything that you want to do. The teacher ain’t gonna always grade your paper fair. They’re gonna make mistakes and you’re gonna get a D when you should have deserved an F.

And sometime you’re gonna get a B when you should have thought you should have got an A. And nothing is gonna happen to you just perfectly. You’re gonna have a girlfriend, you’re a lover to death, and then she won’t like you and she’ll choose somebody who looks twice as ugly as you and you won’t figure it out. And you can’t have whatever you want and get whoever you want. It’s not going to work out. Life isn’t fair So I want you to take your Bible look there now in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 1 As you read some of this the whole book is talking about the sufferings that we go through and that Christ is our Example of what suffering is all about Then he gets to not just the people in the church He’s talking now a son about leaders in the church talking about the pastor talking about the elders

But it talks about the older preachers and the younger preachers. And there’s some interesting things in here that you should understand about us. Preachers as you know are perfect, right? Yeah. And everybody knows that everybody makes mistakes, but a preacher needs a better excuse than that he’s just human. But the Bible says that the apostle Peter puts himself in the same class, and the word elder here is used as a presbytery or the office of a God called man.

That’s to be a pastor. In Scissor v. 1, the elders which are among you, I exhort who am also an elder and a witness of the suffering of Christ and also of a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. This is really like an exhortation chapter. Now, when you read the book of Hebrews in chapter 3, It talks about exhort one another. We should not provoke one another to do evil, provoke one another to anger, but the Bible does say provoke one another to love and to do those things that are right.

So in your Christian life, if you’re not winning somebody to the Lord, you should be trying to challenge and motivate Christians to serve the Lord. motivated by what you do. Now if you took a list, made a list I should say, of the ways in which God shows you that He loves you. Nobody loves me. Well some people are very unlovable but if you made a list on what has God done to manifest His love for you, well you could put down or He died for you, doesn’t that prove God loves you?

Well yes, you could put that down. And God forgave you of all of your sins when you trust Him and say, yes, you could put that down. So God had manifest His love for you. God made you His child. Yeah, that proves that God loves me. And you could say that God has left you in this world so you could serve Him. All was not be a big old proof of that. God loves you. And the Bible says, go on down to Him.

God loves us. God gave you a body in which you could use to serve Him. I’ll never prove God loves you. And God gave you not only the free gift eternal life, but He gave you the Holy Spirit to indwell you, to lead you and guide with that ought to prove to you that God loves you. And you can go on that and make a whole list of things. And then still people are, I don’t know if God loves me.

You God loves you. And then all God did all these things. But when something goes wrong in your life, somebody up here don’t like me. God got up on the wrong side of the bed. He looked over the banister of heaven and looked down at you and says, I’m going to get you today. And there’s people that think that God is out to get them. God isn’t a bad God. is a good God. The Scriptures tell us this. But now let’s just change it just a little bit.

Suppose we took this piece of paper. Now I want you to list ways in which you demonstrate you love God. How do you demonstrate you love the Lord? And what ways do you demonstrate you love God? Well, and then, well I go to church. Okay, that really demonstrates you love the Lord. Okay? You don’t beat your wife. That really helps demonstrate that you love God. And you feed your kids. Well, that’s good. And you’re faithful to your mate. Well, that’s good.

And you’re doing all this because you love God. Well, no, I just ain’t found nobody better yet. No, no, no, no, then wait a minute. You see, you would have trouble if somebody was to put you on the witness stand and says, now, let’s see if we have any evidence in your life that you love God. What would they refer to? How would you prove that you love God? The Bible says in the book of 1 Corinthians 8, he says, them that love God, the same shall be known of them.

It will be revealed if you do love the Lord. But do you love God? One of the ways you demonstrate you love the Lord is your faithfulness, your steadfastness to God in the midst of trials and tribulations. Now, when everything is going wonderful, your proof and the evidence that you’re strong in the Lord is how can you stand when everything seems to be going wrong, when nobody loves you and everybody’s blaming you and accusing you and this happening, that going wrong and you’re sick and your bills are not paid and you’ve got all the problems in the world.

Now, do you really love God? Now it’ll be revealed in your attitude or whether or not you’re going to get mad and bitter and curse God because everything’s not working right in your life. You should manifest a love for the Lord every area of your life all the time. Okay, now we got that out of the way. There’s three things here. Number one, there is a challenge to the elders in verse one to four. There is a challenge to the youngers in verse five to seven.

And then there’s a challenge to be sober and be vigilant because your devil is after you. So there’s a lot of challenges down through here. So I want you to look at this, first of all, in verse one, where he says, I was a witness of the sufferings of Christ. You see, the apostle Peter, he saw Jesus Christ being crucified. He saw him being whooped. He saw him being nailed. He saw him through all the stuff that happened to him.

He was an eyewitness. He also was there, the Bible says, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Whenever Jesus Christ was upon the Mount and the Bible showed Jesus Christ in his glory, the way he’s going to be when he comes and reigns upon the earth. Saw him in his perfection and his honor in his glory. He said, I was a witness. So I saw the suffering of Christ. And I also saw the glory of Christ. And you and I need to understand that first of all, there is going to be the sufferings and then the glory.

So we are in this life going to suffer for the Lord. And then you’re supposed to believe the glory will follow later. And the glory will be because of what you suffered for Him. So don’t look at the sufferings of this life as some bad thing that’s happened to you. All of the suffering that you have are opportunities for you to demonstrate faithfulness for which God is going to reward you for all eternity. He says a crown of glory that fade if not away.

Remember he says this in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 4, he says, When you are saved you are saved from something to something, from hell to an inheritance, incorruptible. That fade if not away reserved in heaven for you. So the place that I’m going to get will never fade away. And the crown of glory will never fade away. That’s mentioned there in verse four, looking verse four very quickly. He said, but when the chief shepherd, which is a reference to Jesus Christ, shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory, and you got on the line this in your mind, that faded not away.

It will never fade away. In other words, an eternal weight of glory. So the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with what you’re going to get. So serve the Lord, serve Him faithfully because it will be worth it. Now look there in verse two. Verse two says, fleece the flock of God. Is that what it says? The job of the preacher is not to try to fleece the flock. Many preachers, their only goal is, all they want is to fleece the flock as much as he possibly can.

It’s amazing how many times you’ll hear preachers make the statement, you know, the demonstrate your faith in God, you give me your money. And you listen to the radio and all the TV things and you’ll be surprised how many of them all they want is money, money, money, money, grabbing preachers. And it turns people away from those who are real preachers who really love the Lord and want to do God’s work. You should support God’s work when you see God’s work being done.

And if the people are not doing the work of God, then just keep your money. Find a place where you can put it, where you believe that they’re reaching somebody for the Lord. But understand this, you should, when you give, realize that I’m given for the work of the Lord so that people can use the money to reach people for the Lord. Then you’re having fruit that will abound to your account. And the reason you give it, because you know that in the long run, God is going to bless you for whatever you’ve done.

I don’t believe it’s my job to try to find out how much you have and make sure you have just enough to get by on. I don’t care how much you make, I don’t care how much you give. That’s between you and the Lord. You should understand that whatever you do, there’s an eye upon how watching you and God is going to reward you and bless you. Your giving will be in direct ratio to the caliber of a love that you have for the Lord based out of what God has blessed you with.

If you give nothing, it perhaps will mean either you have nothing or you do not love Him. But if you love Him and God has provided, then you should give to the Lord’s Word. Nuff said on that point. Look what he says in verse 2, feed the flock of God. The Bible says feed my sheep. It does not say feed my giraffes. You want to put the food down on the bottom table so that even the children can understand it.

in such a way that everybody can understand what you’re saying. Feed the flock. Remember to feed the flock, it’s the flock that bear the sheep. Many people think it’s the shepherd that’s supposed to have all the babies. No, it’s the sheep that bear the flock. We’re supposed to teach and educate and try to help in every way we possibly can to try to get people to, when more people to the Lord and more people to the Lord. Or this morning they’ll probably have some little children, trust Christ the Savior.

We have teenagers on Friday night, that trust Christ the Savior. And once in a while we have some adults that trust Christ the Savior. But do you know who’s the easiest it is to win? It’s easier to win the children. And then it’s next gmaxwell it’s easier to win the teenagers. And you know who’s the hardest to reach of all people? The adults. Because you’re setting your ways. You’ve been living a long time. Nobody is going to tell me what I cannot do.

Nobody is going to preach to me. And they’re hard-hearted. Very seldom do you have many adults who trust the Lord or challenge to serve the Lord. Unless you get some new blood, people who just recently trusted Christ’s Savior and more of them are easier to set on fire than people who have heard it a thousand times all their life and they’ve become complacent and don’t want to hear it no more. They become cold, like one person says. Our church is as clear as ice and just as frozen.

Here he makes the statement. Feed the flock of God which is among you taken the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly, not for filthy looker but of a ready mind. That filthy looker means shameful or dishonorable gain. In other words, you don’t do it just for money, not for dishonest gain just because you can say, well I’m somebody look at me, not because you want to be a lord over God’s heritage or you want to take and just be over somebody’s flock and act like you’re a king dictator?

No. A pastor is supposed to be a servant of the people, not to be the Lord over the people. We’re supposed to serve you and the more people we can serve and help, that’s what you’re supposed to do. Remember Christ came into the world. He says he came not to be ministered unto but to give his life and to minister unto others. We’re supposed to try to find out how can I serve? How can I help? What can I do for you to be a blessing?

He makes a statement in verse three, neither as being Lord’s over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. Go to Andak, line that word, examples to the flock. Those in place of leadership, I suppose, be an example of the believer in word, in deed, in love, in attitude, and prayer. All these things are to be an example so that you know how to follow. The shepherd is the lead and the flock is to follow. I have done my dead level best to try to set an example of what faithfulness is all about.

I will be here on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. When I’m half dead, I will be in church. The Lord goes first, and then everything else falls into place. Look there at verse five. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourself unto the elder. Now whether this is a reference to younger pastors honoring older pastors, I’m not sure. Or that just the younger people in the churches show honor and respect to theiraged individuals. Those who are older in the Lord, you’ve gotten up in age.

I believe that there should bentil should be honor and respect to our older generation. What? your citizens. Whether you want to call them the aged or seniors or whatever it, I couldn’t stand it for a long time. Because, well, see when I was about 45, I couldn’t wait until I became a senior citizen because at Denny’s and I hop, it was always you got a discount for seniors. So when I got 50, they changed it to 55. So I couldn’t wait until I was 55 because when you go to play golf, if you are a senior, you got a discount.

And so when I got 55, they changed it to 60. And now it’s moved up to 62. And you say, well, that is just not fair. It’s just not fair. Nothing in this life is fair, I guarantee you. But we are to honor those that are older. I think teenagers honor your mother and your father. of them. That means that whatever you do should honor your parents. You should never do anything that brings shame or disgrace to your family.

And then when you get older, you still should honor your parents. I still should not do things that would dishonor my mother or my stepdad. I still should not do anything that would dishonor them. It doesn’t mean I always perfectly will obey them because I may disagree with them. They may want me to do something I should not do, but I will always honor them in the sense I will always try to do right and not do anything that I believe is a wrong thing for me to do that would dishonor my family.

If my mama wanted to today she wanted to whoop me after church servant I would let her whoop me. God forbid that she would want to whoop me. The last time she tried to whoop me and she took the belt and she swung it at me and she missed and then she swung at my leg and then I moved it just in time and she missed and she did that about four or five times each time she missed. Not to one and she got tickled I got tickled and she never did it again.

I’m sure I’ve needed a few more weapons along the way just like you have. But he says submit yourselves unto each other, submitting yourselves. Look at the last part of verse 5. He says, yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility. That means in subjection. In the word subject me, you can serve somebody. You can serve them. See, there’s some people that always want like I’m the dictator, I’m the head honcho. Everybody serve me.

Everybody make me happy. It’s whatever I want. The whole world revolves only around me. And I’m the big eye. I’m first in line. I’m the first in everything. I’m the greatest. And you’re nothing. And now everybody bow to me. No, that’s not God’s way. That’s not what God’s talking about. He says, be clothed with humility for God resisteth the. He’s proud and he also says this and he says in the last part of it, give it grace to the humble.

Now how do you know when you’re filled with pride and when you’re humble? Well it’s simple. God’s going to send you problems. A man who’s filled with pride doesn’t cast his cares upon the Lord. He triesissance himself. That’s pride. I can handle it myself. I don’t need no help. And you don’t talk to God about anything. You’re a big, you know, self-made man. Well, you quit too soon. He makes a statement and he gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.

Did you know that if you will submit yourself to God, God will exalt you. Because see, God is looking for people he can use. But the big shot, the know it all, the I’m somebody. Yeah, God’s gonna just set you aside and God’s looking for a dedicated nobody and God can use you if you’ll let God use you But God cannot use the proud But he’ll use the humble those who are submit themselves to the will of God look what else he says here In verse 7 casting all your care upon him for he cared for you is a sign a pride Not to cast your cares upon the Lord a sign of humility it’s when you’re humble enough to realize I cannot bear my burdens alone and you can cast your problems upon the Lord and God says that if you cast your cares upon

Him He will take care of those things. You see if you take everything and put it into God’s hands it won’t be long before you see God’s hand in everything but if you don’t do it you’re gonna have some heavy yoke of iron up on your neck and it’ll keep on until it destroys you. Look what he says in verse 8, be sober, be vigilant because you’re adversary the devil. Start your wife, be vigilant because you’re adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he made of our roaring lion is because a lion does when it’s hungry.

And a roaring lion is looking for you. A roaring lion wants to devour you to satisfy his hunger and you are food for him. And the lion is the devil and the devil is after you. You’re the one that determines whether he gobbles you up or not. You say what do you do from the lion? Run? No, devibed and say run. It says something else. In verse 9, home resist, steadfast in the faith. In other words, stand up to the devil.

Stand up to him. I know that there’s sometimes incidents where you see some great big fella and you gotta stand up to him. I remember one day before I married Betty, she had this big dude that went over to her house and I saw him walking down the street. Nine knew he’s going to see Betty next door. And I watched this dude. This is a big dude. I mean, he was a big feller. And he came down the sidewalk and he went up the door and he knocked on the door and he went in the house.

I was furious. I was furious. I went out of that house. I didn’t know the Lord now. I didn’t know the Lord. And I went down the sidewalk and I walked up and I banged on that door. And this big dude came to the door and Betty stuck her head around. He says, Yankee, what do you want? I says, him. I says, get out of this house. It wasn’t my house. We weren’t married. But get out of here. That woman is mine.

You leave her alone. Get out of here. Don’t you ever come back. I stood up to him. He could have crushed me. It’s like a chihuahua that doesn’t really understand the situation when it’s barking at a rock-wiler. But did you know that a Chihuahua can kill a Rottweiler? If it gets caught in his throat. But sometimes you just gotta stand up for what you believe in and what you think is right. And so I would stand up for what I believe was right.

I remember one day, and this was a long time ago, but one day I was just a 17 year old kid and down here in part of your apartments, would you believe that I was a president of the youth group? And in walked one of the biggest men I’ve never seen in my life. His name was William Allen. Big dude. I mean he was big and strong. Built like myself. Well not exactly. But he walked in and my little brother, little man was only 13 years old.

But little man would stand up to anybody. He was the Chihuahua. And this was the Rottweiler. And little man, yankie, yankie, kick him out. I said why? He didn’t pay his dime. He cost a dime to come into the youth group that night. He didn’t pay his dime. He says, man, it’s all right. He says, you didn’t pay your dime, mister. You ought to get out of here. Yankee, kick him out. Man, it’s okay. It’s alright. He was 19 years old.

I was 17 years old. Little man was 13 years old. I said, it’s okay, man. Everything’s fine. He was getting ready to leave. And little man, he wouldn’t let it drop. Have you ever seen somebody who just don’t know when to quit? Don’t know when to quit. Don’t know when just to let it alone. He says, Yankee, kick him out. That guy, Rick Storver, got a hold of my little brother and picked him up. Straight arm, just picked him straight up off the floor.

Drew his hand back and I was fixing to let my brother So you know what I did? Let him. No, I didn’t. I jumped over this chair and I hit him and I hit him and I hit him. When I got up off the floor, I realized that my nose had been replaced. It had been placed over here on my cheek. It was broken and just totally crushed. And so I got up and somebody didn’t call the police and they said, Yankee, your nose looks funny.

Well, you would too, if you had a nose transplant. I didn’t have it here. It was laying over here on my cheek. But there’s a time when you need to stand up and sometimes you get crushed. And I thought, man, I wished I had a friend always walk with me. Did you know I now have a big brother and I doubled all dare you to pick on me anymore? Because, see, Jesus Christ, He’s not only with me, He is in me.

And he says, he’s going to watch after me and he’s going to protect me and he’s going to take and get anybody who messes with me. And I really believe that. And the Bible says that he will always be there and you get a chance. You read the book of Hebrews in chapter 4 and it says there that we come to the throne of grace that we may get what we need and the nich of time. He’ll always be there and he’s always on time.

I want you to see this because He says in verse 9, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. In other words, you’re not alone. There’s other ones just like you that are going through hard time just like you. But He says this in verse 10, but the God of all grace who had called us into His eternal glory, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, established, strength and settled.

In other words, this is only temporary and you’re going to suffer a little bit and they may get in a few little blows and you’re going to have a little persecution down here but the little while that you’re here, this light affliction, worketh for us an eternal weight of glory in 2nd Corinthians in chapter 4 that you’re going to win in the long run that there is a righteous judge and he’s going to take care of you and you don’t have to always live in fear.

You don’t have to be afraid. And who cares what the world can do to you? And he says, fear not what man can do you. What can a man do to me? The worst he can do to me is to kill me. I’m so glad I know the Lord. You don’t know him. Oh, you’re missing out. Serving the Lord after you know Christ is Savior is the most exciting, dynamic life in the world. There’s nothing like it. I wouldn’t trade my life for anybody that I’ve ever heard about, ever known.

I don’t know of a man I want to be. I want to be me. But I want to be all that I can be for the Lord. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3.

3-7-7-1. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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. 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.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.

There’s a lot of people who are thinking that they are saved and are not so therefore that means a lot of people are being deceived today They’re disillusioned Many people are not really sure what it takes to get to heaven No one will be saved after death We often hear about well God will give you a second chance Don’t even think that when you die and if you’re not saved God will give you another chance God will give me another chance.

If he really loves me and really wants me to go to heaven, he’ll give me another chance. The Bible says, depart from me. I never knew you. He didn’t give you another chance. After this, the judgment, not a second chance. Otherwise, everybody would go to heaven. So evidently, God only gives you this time, this life in which to trust him as your Savior. But though that is true, there is a lot of people who preach a wrong message. If all this is true, there must be a lot of preachers though that are not preaching the truth.

Good, nice, sincere preachers, but wrong. Let me ask you a question. How do you know I’m telling you the truth? How do you know I’m not deceiving you? Wouldn’t it be a shame for you to trust me for your eternal destination, trust in that I’ve told you the truth and I’ve lied to y’all along. And now when you die you wake up in hell for all eternity and you believed me. So how do you know who to believe? If all of this is true and there really is a heaven and there really is a hell then you’d better make sure that But what you think you believe is true.

And how do you know? Let me give you a statement by Dr. Dehan. I used to listen to him already years ago. He said there’s a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer. While coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer, one accepts the invitation of the gospel. To be a disciple, one obeys the challenge of a life of dedicated service and separation.

Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ, but discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to its call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation cannot be lost because it depends upon God’s faithfulness. discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness. Though he wrote that and I agree with it, it is simple. I believe it’s true because there’ll be confusion to the majority of people who just heard what I just read.

Now, salvation means eternal deliverance from hell. If we was going to say what is salvation. It is eternal deliverance from hell to heaven. It costs you nothing. It’s totally free. Decipalship, that’s serving God. That can cost you everything. So understand there’s a difference between being saved and serving the Lord. Some people are trying to serve the Lord, Hoping that if they do enough good, God will save them. No, all of your service and all of my service is supposed to be because we are already saved.

Not going to be saved, not working to be saved, not helping him save us. But all of my service that I’ve given to the Lord is because I have been passed and been saved. Not to be saved. I have been saved. Any person who is doing any of these good deeds in order to be saved are not saved. Because it means you’re not going to be saved until you finish doing all these good works. So you can’t rejoice in salvation because you don’t have salvation.

I’ve enjoyed mine because I’ve had it. You can’t enjoy something you don’t have now. I want you to look there in the book of Matthew chapter 7 and verse 15 very quickly There are false prophets false teachers in the world some understanding pulpit all across this country and Some of them look just like everybody else and I’ve had people say well all preachers are the same No, they’re not they do not all have the same message Here he says, beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are raven in wolves.

You shall know them by their fruits. I offer happy people say, well, you know, you can tell them by their fruits. Talking about Christians. So everybody thinks we’re supposed to all be fruit inspectors. Go around with your magnifying glass and inspect the fruit so you can tell whether or not who’s a Christian who’s not a Christian. Now this verse refers to false prophets. False prophets you can tell. How do you tell? the Bible says you’ll know them by their fruit.

And some people say well that means that the way they live. Well it could be the way you live. But there’s also a verse that talks about in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13 verse 15 that says the fruit of your lips giving praise unto God. So there’s the fruit of your lip the thing that you say. But how do you know this is referring to what they said? Because he says it in verse 21. Not everyone that does what?

Say it. They are saying something as as the fruit of their mouth. What they are saying is, we’re trusting our works to save us because, look what we did. We did this and we did this. We cast out devils. I mean, we did wonderful things. We spoke in your name. We did all the signs saying with my mouth, look what I did and what I did is why I should go to heaven. And he says, depart from me. I never knew you.

That’s because they listen into false teachers. False teachers tell you, look at your life and if you live good enough, you’ll make it. And if you don’t live good enough, you won’t make it. So you’re going to heaven, depends on how you live. So everybody thinks, well, you have to go to church to go to heaven because that’s what they’ve been told. They have to give money. But of course, if you don’t go to enough church or not or give enough money or to pray enough, you don’t know if you’re going to make it not because well you ain’t dead yet.

So you have to wait until you die to find out. That’s a false teaching, very false teaching. I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 48, the Bible tells us that God is perfect. Verse 48, be therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is what? Perfect. If he’s perfect, that means there’s nothing wrong with God. If he’s perfect, there’s no flowing God. He says, be ye perfect as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect.

Oh boy. If somebody was to ask me, run off the bat, what do I have to do to go to heaven and to inherit eternal life? Be perfect. Simple. So you gotta just be perfect. Now, isn’t that consoling? Now you know all you got to do is just be perfect. Now what’s the problem with that? No one’s perfect. Well, maybe you could try. Would you like to spend the rest of your life trying to be perfect? Well, nobody’s ever done before, but you might be the first one.

Well, what are you going to do about the things you’ve already done that’s wrong? Now what are you going to do about that? If you can live perfect from the this day forward, what are you going to do about the way you already have lived? He says, being perfect as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. Means there’s nothing wrong with God. If you understood if God is perfect, then heaven also must be perfect. In the book of Revelation, chapter 21 and verse 27, he says, there shall in no wise enter into it anything that work of the domination or whatsoever make it the lie.

I mean, not even a lie. Now I know if I was to ask you and I think others have done this, ask you have you ever told, how many here never told a lie in your life, raise your hand, nobody can raise your hand. Well did you know that in James chapter 2 the Bible says that if you break one you broke, you broke them all. You have just admitted you broke in every commandment there is. No that’s what God said.

So if you had to be perfect… And keep the law in order to go to heaven, it would be an impossibility. Now go back there to Matthew and chapter 19 and look there in verse 16. And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And Jesus said in verse 17, why call us thou me good? There is none good but one that is God. But if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments.

Another way of saying, be perfect. How do you know that when he says, keep the commandments, he will say and be perfect. Very simple. You see, I always cheat. I always read a little bit further and get the answer before I ask you the question. So he says in verse 21, Jesus said to him, if thou will be what? Perfect. Go and sell all the because he’s already admitted, Oh, I’ve done this. And I did that, and I did this, and I did that.

Well, Christ already knew that He had greed, that He coveted money, He coveted wealth. He said, okay, take everything to God and go sell it. Because He, it doesn’t matter how many you kept, did you break one? Yep, He brought one. What do I have to do to go to heaven? What do I have to do to have eternal life? Be perfect. Why would He tell them that? So that man could see the impossibility of it. You see, some people think, oh, yeah, I do it.

Just be good. No, you have to be perfect to go to heaven. Christ is perfect. Heaven is perfect. God is perfect. And to go there, you have to be perfect. And that’s why if you ever really see it, it’ll help you to understand why you cannot add works to the gospel. Now, notice what he says here. Down here in verse 25, after he had said this to the sky, Jesus Christ talking to this rich young ruler, His disciples stand here, listen to them, said in verse 25, when his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, who then can be saved?

Well, what did they understand? That Jesus was saying, you have to be what? To go to heaven. You gotta be perfect. That’s why they said, they were amazed. You gotta be perfect. Who then can be saved? Didn’t look at verse 26, but Jesus beheld them and said unto them with what? Men, this is what? Impossible. In other words, it’s impossible for a man to do what? Be perfect. It’s impossible for a man to save himself. Now me, I can read that and I can see that.

It’s clear to the bell of my mind. I have no problem with that. Yet there’s a multitude of preachers that cannot see that. They do not read that. They cannot discern that. And they will tell people, you’ve got to keep the commandments to go to heaven. Christ is trying to show you the impossibility So that the law is not designed to save you. The law only points you to Christ. He can save you because it’s impossible for a man and the folly of some preachers that tell people that you have to stop a certain way of living or start living a certain way, you know, stop being bad and start being good as though your efforts of what you do, a sinful man, is going to help God save you.

Now let me show you something that’s very important. Look there in the book of Hebrews and chapter five. Hebrews chapter five is a tremendous verse and this is what it says In verse 9, and being made, this is talking about Christ, being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation. Now listen to me. If he is perfect and becomes the author of eternal salvation, the wages of sin is what? death. If the wages of sin is death and he is the author of eternal salvation, then in his eternal salvation plan can be no sin, no room for sin, because if there was sin in his plan of salvation, then his salvation could not be perfect and it could not be eternal because death would cause it to cease.

Now you understand that don’t you? If you don’t get it, I’ll repeat it. He is the author of what kind of salvation? Eternal salvation. If it’s eternal salvation, it has to be perfect salvation because he is perfect and he has developed a salvation that is eternal, a salvation that is perfect. How do you know it’s perfect? Because he’s the author of it and this is what he said. When he died on the cross and he had paid for sins of the world, the last thing he said was it is what?

It is finished. If it’s finished, there’s nothing else to add to it. It means that after the work Christ did, there is no work for man to do. Man’s got to stop some of his sins. Well, if he has to do that, you had just now entered sin into the plan. And it can’t be an eternal salvation. When Christ saves you, it is forever. It’s an eternal salvation, not partial, not until you sin again. Christ is perfect. He is the author of eternal salvation.

If it’s eternal salvation, it is a perfect salvation. and the work that he did is finished. There’s nothing else that needs to be done concerning the plan of salvation that anybody can add to. That’s why when you take an individual and try to get him committed to giving up something in his life, some work of the flesh, then that means that man is trying to do something by his own efforts, by what he stops or what he does to enter into that idea of that plan of salvation.

God says it cannot be. Any preacher that teaches you can be saved today, lost tomorrow because of something you do, that man is a false teacher. He is false. Totally false. He’s not of God? I don’t care who they are. Their message is a false message. They’re a false teacher, false preacher. You cannot add to the eternal gospel that he has given. God doesn’t want man tinking with it, adding to it, taking from it. To say you got to stop your sins to be saved is man’s efforts to save himself.

And then if you try to say you got to live a certain way to be safe, that’s false teaching. Man’s works have nothing to do with it. You are accepting the work Christ did, not what you do. And some people cannot buy the idea, they just can’t believe that it would be so simple. I have you say, that’s just too easy just to believe. But that’s all that it requires. Believe in me, you’re trusting in the work He did for you.

You’re not trusting in your work. See, if you think you got to stop your sins and to be saved, or you got to live a certain way to prove your saved, then what you’re doing is you’re adding your effort, your work to the gift of eternal life. And when you stop performing, you doubt your salvation. See, anybody who truly just trusts Christ as their Savior never has to doubt their salvation again, because it doesn’t depend on them. But anybody who believes you can lose your salvation because of something that you do have reason to doubt being saved because there will always be something somewhere along the line that you won’t know whether I’m really saved or not because of the way I live.

Does that mean that I promote sinful living? No. But I’m not going to lie to anybody either to try to get people to live right. Do I want people to serve God? Yes, I do. I don’t know any preacher that hits it harder than what I do. But you do not serve God to be saved. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Philippians in chapter 3. In Philippians chapter 3 I want you to see this in verse 3.

And understand that there are no works that a man can do in order to qualify to be saved. It’s not that, Lord I finally confess I stop all my sins, I promise that I’m going to serve you. And I’m good enough for you to save now. No. You think God’s going to save you because you promise that you’re going to quit your sins when it’s an impossibility? Do you know it is impossible for you to turn from all your sins?

Impossible? That’s why it’s not that way. Did you know it’s impossible for you to love the Lord thy God with all the heart, mind, body, soul, and strength that’s impossible for you? Why? Because you got to send for nature. Why tell people that you got to do the impossible and believe it that without giving them the cure? Sure, I’ve told people if you want to go to heaven just be perfect. What’s that? Well, you can’t do that. Yeah, you got the point Here in Philippians in chapter three looking verse three for we are the circumcision Which rejoice or which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have in your own the line this in your Bible?

No confidence in the what in the flesh No confidence in the flesh means no confidence in who I am. No confidence in what I’ve done. See in verse 5, if you talk about who you are, he said, well, I’m circumcised the eighth day. The stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, the Hebrew of the Hebrews, is touching law. Fair see, look who I am. I have no confidence in the flesh as to look who I am. Well, my dad was a preacher, my uncle was a preacher, my great-granddad, he was a preacher.

He was a preacher, boy I was raised in church all my life and I sing in the choir and I have nothing to do with nothing. Zero, no confidence in the flesh. Looking for six concerning zeal, boy am I motivated. I mean, I give to all the humanitarian needs and I help to feed the poor children and boy, I give my body to burn if it was necessary. I’ll do anything like that. And buddy, that has nothing to do with anything.

Concern is the old persecuting the church, touching the righteousness, which is in the law of blame. He said, man, you talk about what I’ve done. God’s not impressed with what you’ve done or what you’re going to do. When it comes to going to heaven, it’s not of works. It’s not by the works of righteousness which we have done or the works of righteousness which we’ve promised to do. God never saved you because of the works of righteousness. I stopped all my bad deeds.

And that’s why God saved you. Think again. He didn’t save you because you quit sins. He never saved you because you promise you’re gonna live for him. He saved you only one way. And that is did you or did you not? Did you accept the payment he made on the cross for you? Are you truly trusting Christ to take you to heaven? If you haven’t done that, you’re lost with a houndball in the end of a soup bone. You won’t go to heaven.

Many people think in their sight not saved. And I’ve traveled around and preached in enough churches. And a lot of those people, I’ve been people in independent fundamental Bible-emissionary mind of Baptist churches, lost. People that sing in the choir, people that have been deacons, lost. People that teach Sunday school classes, lost. Because you see, they never really trust the Lord. They just know they want to go to heaven and they think that because they mean well and they join the church or they quit some of the things in their life and they want to serve God, that’s salvation.

That’s not salvation. That don’t even help you to be saved. That doesn’t get your little pinkies one inch closer to the pearly gates. Whenever you die, yes, did you or did you not trust Christ? He’s the one knows whether you did or you didn’t. He’s not interested in whether you sung in the choir. He don’t care what you did. That has nothing to do with you going to heaven. You’re getting to heaven is free, totally free, only. If there is no flesh involved.

Means that you’re not trusting in your good deeds. You’re not trusting in who you are. You’re not trusting in what you’ve done that gets you to heaven. And now you can ask some people, how do you know you’re going to heaven? I’ve been going to church all my life. I’ve been sincere, not giving money. I’d, you don’t get it. And yet you can be there so close and not really get what he’s talking about. Look in verse seven. Remember this when he talks about the word gain, it means there’s no pluses.

There’s no pluses. Christ plus, no. In verse seven, but what things were gained to me or pluses for me. Look who I am. Look what I’ve done. Those ought to count for some good brownie points. Those are some pluses in my life. He says, no. Those were lost, not gained. See what he says here in verse 8, Yay, Dallas, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but manure that I may win Christ and get verse nine and be found where in Him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is to the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God my faith.

God will not give you His righteousness when you’re trying to work and get your own. You have to totally give up surrender stop trusting in anything you have ever done or ever will do. It’s not a matter. And this is why when you hear preachers tell you that you have to turn from your sins to be saved. That preacher’s not clear. That preacher’s messing with your mind. That’s not the book. When preachers tell you that you have to make Christ the Lord of the master in your life in order for you to get to heaven, that’s not true.

That’s telling you you got to stop something, you got to join something, and you’ll trust in what you did for your salvation. And then whenever you got sins in your life, and then when you find out he’s not the Lord and Master of all of things in your life, you’ll begin to doubt whether you’re saved or not. And you have rights to, because you’re trusting the wrong thing. If I am 100% totally trusting Christ to give me to heaven, if he don’t get me there, I don’t get there.

He don’t save me. I’m not saved. He don’t give me eternal life. I don’t have it. And I’ve never sworn a cuss word in my life. I’ve never drank in my life. I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life and people say, well, you got to live right to go to heaven. Dream on. It’s not by works of righteousness. Is it only through Christ and Him alone? Is your only hope of ever getting to heaven? Now the only way I know that somebody is saved is because of what they tell me they’re trusting in them and get them to heaven.

If they tell me they’re putting any confidence at all and anything that they’ve done, I doubt their salvation. I doubt their salvation. Why? Because God says if you trust in anything other than him God says you not say he said I didn’t say it. He says, Christ profit if you nothing, nothing. Is it important? Oh, I think so. Remember this, when you talk about whether you stop something or you’ve got to start doing a certain thing, it is impossible, impossible for a man to totally turn from all of his sins.

So why tell them he asked him what they do? Why tell a person that you have to make Christ the Lord and Master of your life in order to be saved? It’s impossible. That’s impossible. But then they’ll leave it there. But tell you, that’s what you’ve got to do. And so now you try to live the impossible life. That’s why you have people sometimes that say, well, I like to be a Christian, but I can’t live it. What they mean is they’re honest.

They know they’re, they’ve got things in their life and they don’t have the power to quit them or to change them. They know that they have no desire to go to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, when it’s like, how many times you got to go to church? You had to go, well, you got to give money. Okay, how much? What if you give it to the wrong church? That’s not the Bible. It’s not anywhere in here. Salvation is free.

He has given to us an eternal salvation. It’s a perfect salvation because man has nothing to do with it. A perfect God had a perfect plan. It is finished. All we’re doing is accepting it or rejecting it, but you cannot add to it. This hand represents you and me and this wall of represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us, hates our sin. And because you and I have sinned, we’re condemned. All condemned. God says you cannot save yourself.

It is impossible. To go to heaven, we have to be perfect because heaven is perfect. God is perfect. And you and I aren’t. And therefore, there’s nothing that we can do to be perfect. It’s impossible. With men, it’s impossible. This hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because they separate us from him. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead.

Because of what he did, it is possible for Him to do what we could not do. We can accept what He did for us. We are only accepting a work that He did. There is not a work for us to do. But to Him that work, not believe it on Him that justified the ungodly His faith is kind of for righteousness. So when you and I believe that, He gives us eternal life and we go to heaven on what Christ did for us.

I hope that you have trusted Christ as your Savior. Let’s pray, shall we? You’ve been listening to Bibleline, teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. which is toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Peter. There’s some thoughts there in the book of 1 Peter that I believe are very, very beneficial to us. As you know, we’ve talked about, once you trusted Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life and you’re going to heaven when you die. In the first chapter, it talks about two things, the glory of man, the glory of God. In other words, there’s praise, honor, and glory that everybody wants.

If you seek it down here, then that’s all you’re going to get in its temporary. If you seek the honor, the glory and the praise of God is something you can have forever. Because once God gives you honor, praise your glory, it’s forever. It’s not temporary. And so if you understand that, you need to understand why the opportunity of living in this world after you trust the Lord is such a great thing, because this period of time that you and I are in is called a time of suffering.

And therefore, if you don’t understand it, you will greatly resent anyone who wrongs you or things in life that don’t go according to plan, things that interrupt your schedule because you see God says the trial of your faith been much more precious than gold and silver that’s tried with fire but that it might be found in the praise, honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. So your faith is on trial and there’s something that God is working toward.

What did God intend before man ever fail? You see, Christ coming into the world and down on the cross paying for sins is to redeem us back to the original purpose that God had already intended before man ever sinned against God. God wants you and I to walk with him in fellowship for all eternity. God wants you to be like his child and he wants to be like a father to you. So God has arranged many things designed with you in mind.

You are precious to God. And because you’re so precious to the Lord, the Lord tells us in the book of 1 Peter in chapter 2 that you are coming unto someone that is a precious stone. God says, my son Jesus, he is precious and he is. But he says also that you are also a precious stone. You are precious in the eyes of the Lord. So it doesn’t matter see how other people see you. Because some people don’t really appreciate you for what you are.

They may not see and understand that you are an object of God’s love. And if there was nobody else in this world, God loves you. I have to see myself this way because I have to understand that not everybody in this world loves me. God loves me. I am a valuable piece of commodity in the eyes of God. God thought that I was worth the love of His Son, the death of His Son. So yes, you and I are precious in this sight of God.

He also tells us in the book of 2 Peter, he talks about the precious faith, the precious faith that you have in Him, because faith in God is a precious thing. You see, you may not have a lot of gold and silver, but your confidence that you have in God can get you more than money can buy. My confidence in God because I believe in God so strongly, so much I can ask my heavenly father to do things for me that money can’t do for me.

And so it’s a precious thing to be a child of God. Now look in verse 7, verse 7, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than a goal that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found in the praise, honor, and glory at the period of Jesus Christ. So there’s a time coming where the Lord is going to reward you for what you have done for him. And so in this period of time upon the earth, you’re going to suffer.

But he uses an illustration. He refers to Jesus Christ and talks about how that the Old Testament saints didn’t understand everything that was going on. A part about the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. I want you to look at that verse in chapter 1. Look there in verse 11. In a reference to the Old Testament saints when they wrote the Old Testament scriptures, they didn’t always understand what they wrote, but they wrote what God told them the right.

And it says in verse 11, searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify when it testified beforehand these two important things, the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Now we all know that Jesus came into the world. We all know that He suffered while He was here. We all know that He suffered on the cross, that He was crucified, He was killed, and He was buried and He came back from the dead.

And then the Bible says that when God raised Him up from the dead, God says He exalted Him and gave Him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. he has been glorified, he has been honored. So here in the book of 1 Peter it gives us the illustration. Look, Jesus suffered then glory. You and I are supposed to keep it in mind.

We suffer here glory later. But you see some of you may not suffer too much because you see if you don’t serve the Lord very strongly with all your heart you won’t suffer as much as somebody who does because see the more you want to serve the Lord it means you have to give up something you have to give up your own way your own will that means there’s things that you can’t do there’s places you can’t go there’s a language you can’t use that means you got to be faithful instead of doing whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it you see whenever you realize I’m God’s child and I’m I want to serve him and he says be not conformed to this world but be it transformed by the knowing of your mind that you may prove or discover whether that good and acceptable and perfect will have gone.

Some people aren’t willing to pay that price because it’s a price to pay. It’s going to cost you something. See salvation going to heaven, that’s free. Decipalship following the Lord, that’s very expensive. It’s going to cost you. You’re going to have to give up something in this life of what you would like to do or be and have for the Lord. And God says, if you’ll do that for me, when you get to heaven, He says, you suffer from me here and I’m going to give you glory when you get there.

See, going to heaven, that’s for you. That’s because of what Christ did for us. That’s what gets us into heaven. But now that you’re going to heaven, if you will serve the Lord and suffer from here, that means you’ve got to give up something. When people are mean and ugly and unkind to you and you’re going to be sweet back. But if you argue and you’re mean and you’re unkind and you just carry grudges and bitterness in your heart toward people, that is costing new rewards.

It’s costing you honor. It’s costing you glory. You’re not getting away with it. Is nobody going to talk to me like that? Well, pay the price. It’s going to cost you something that you could have had for the Lord. See, you can’t live as you please and get away with it. You can live as you please as you can. You’re a Christian. You can have eternal life go to heaven whenever you die and live as you please. You may live to please yourself.

You can live for the devil. If you’re his child, you’re still going to heaven, but it’s going to cost you dearly. What a price you’re going to pay, but it is so much better that you put God first and serve Him. Also, look there in verse 21. Or in reference toward Jesus Christ, He says, who by Him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory. Why did God do that for His Son so that in the last part of that verse that your faith and hope might be in the Lord?

So that as you live your life upon the earth, you put your faith in God and you’ll believe it that I’m going to be receiving honor, praise, and glory by suffering here. So I’m going to be faithful now because I believe what God said. But if you don’t believe what God says, you’re not going to be faithful here. You see, my goal is not to try to make you be faithful. I’m supposed to teach you the word and if you see this and you understand this, you will be as faithful as you choose to be.

You will be as dedicated as you choose to be. Nobody can make you faithful, nobody can make you dedicated. Nobody can make you really love God and serve God. I can only present the stuff, but here’s what God said. He said, well, I wasn’t there. I didn’t get to see all of this. I didn’t see Christ when He was walking with the disciples and I didn’t see Him feed the five thousand and and all that. Well, look what’s there Peter.

Look now in verse eight. Home having what? Not seeing you haven’t seen him. I haven’t seen him. I wasn’t there. Whom not having not seen you love. Here you are asked to love someone you’ve never seen. You can love them, though you’ve never seen them. Thomas says, I believe because I’ve seen them and you can touch him. The scripture says, blessed are those who have never seen them yet believe. But what he says here, he says, though now you see him not yet believing, you rejoice with joy and speakable and full of glory, because you believe that it’s true.

You believe that the sacrifices you make now are going to be worth it, Because when you get to heaven, you believe God is going to reward you for what you’ve done. You see, that’s why you give. What you give, the motive of why you give, is a thermometer of your love for the Lord. You don’t love God, then you won’t give right. But if you do love the Lord, you won’t mind sacrificing given to the Lord’s Word. Because you want people to trust the Lord.

Money is a reflection of people’s love for the Lord. And people who don’t love the Lord don’t want to give. People who do want to it’s a like I said at the moment of where are you spiritually in your Christian life? But you see you don’t mind doing certain things for God and sacrificing for God if you really believe What God said is true and he’s gonna reward you when you get to heaven But if you don’t believe that and you don’t think about that Out of sight out of mind you’ll do whatever you want to do and it’ll seem right in your own eyes See it’s a personal thing It’s what do you want to be done with that which you work for and this is an expression of your love See people should not give because well, I got a responsibility.

I got a I got a tie I’m ready to keep money give it because you want to you’re motive But why you do it so important because God says you can give your body to be burned and though if you do that well So what if you don’t love he says you have nothing doesn’t profit you now what you give can profit for whatever you do for but did profit you? None God’s word is so important look what he says in verse 9 he says receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Now those words that are in italics read this without the words in italic. What is the end result or should be the end result of your faithful serving God, receiving the end or the result of your faith, the salvation of souls. That’s why, because God left us in this world, is for the salvation of souls. So we can try to reach other people. You see, there’s people that’ll be reached because we pay a price. These that work with the young people, they’re paying a price, they’re having a dedicate, they’re putting out their pockets and giving time and giving money to try to reach kids.

And yet you don’t know the, all that’s going to be accomplished because of this. You’re investing in people’s lives. Receiving the end result, salvation of soul. That’s what it’s about. Now look what he’s talking about here because it’s so important for you to see this. When I mean, it makes the statement in verse 11, beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. You understand this, look a bit me. If this is what happened to Christ, and He is our example, makes that statement over there in verse 21, sufferings and the glory.

All right, where are we right now? We’re here. We’re in a world where we suffer. You’re gonna get old. Things are gonna go wrong. You’re gonna get sick. You’re gonna have financial problems. You’ve got all these things, but how strong is your faith? See, whether you have it or you don’t have it, good health, don’t have it. None of that is the issue. What is the issue then? Your faith. Your faith in God is precious to Him. And so God allows all these things to happen in this world of suffering to prove to God you love God more than the world.

Do you love God more than your body? Do you love God more than your job? Do you love God more than money? Do you love him more than health? God wants to know you love him supremely. He is ultimate. Not just one of many things that you love, because God doesn’t appreciate, the Bible says he is a jealous God. Jealousy is the fear of being replaced. doesn’t want to be replaced by anyone or anything. And anything you can put between you and God, God has a tendency to remove that which you love the best.

And that’s what causes you such heartache and sorrow because you see, you lost something you really loved. And sometimes you can lose those things because you become so attached to things, not attached to something that you can’t lose, sets your affections on things above. Because if you don’t you’re in for a life of a lot of sorrow. It’s bad enough as it is but to add to it on purpose. That’s a little ridiculous. Look what he says in verse 13.

Wherefore, gird up the loins of your minds. In other words, they used to have these long robes, you know. But whenever they had their little girdle on and they’d have a sword, and then when they’d get ready to fight, they would gird up the loins. They would pull up their skirt. So they’d pull it up and they would tighten it around them so that they wouldn’t trip on so they could fight. So they could run. They could do whatever they needed to do.

God says, gird up the loins of your mind. Some people are scatterbrained. They can’t focus upon one thing, not very long. Can’t think the way God wants them to think. These are a thousand things that come to the mind, and they don’t know how to think. They can’t control their mind. If you can’t control your mind, you can’t control the body. Can’t control the mind, you can’t control the tongue. You can’t control anything. Can’t control your actions, can’t control your emotions.

And the devil can just do anything he wants with you, and he does it through people, or circumstance, a problem, anything can happen. And there you go. So he says, gird of the launch of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought under you by the revelation, or at the revelation of Jesus Christ. One day he’s coming back, everything’s gonna be revealed. What all the suffering you’ve gone through, God is gonna reward you when you get to heaven.

He’s coming. Now, I know what he says in verse 14. So we’re not talking on how to be a child of God. We’re talking about how to be an obedient child of God. See that in verse 14? As in you are the underlineness in your Bible. As obedient children. So we’re not talking to how to go to heaven. It’s because you’re already going to heaven. You have trusted Christ as your Savior. You have eternal life. You’re God’s child. But He didn’t take you to heaven.

The reason He left you here is for the salvation of souls. You’re here to reach people. And so the longer we stay here, then we try to do what we can to reach people. Although it’s why pay out money for radio time, how much are people worth? And how many thousands upon thousands may have trusted Christ of Savior we don’t know anything about. There’s a price to pay, but there’s a reason why we do it. You gotta have vision, where there is no vision, the people perish.

Not only the people that weren’t reached, but the people that didn’t have the vision. You perish as far as your purpose in life it amounts to nothing, you accomplish nothing. If you ever visited some home where there’s a nice, elderly couple and you walk into the house and everything is neat, everything is in place, there’s no loud noise, it’s quiet, so homely, comfortable, so wonderful, peaceful. If you’ve gone to somebody who’s marrying they got about four or five kids through the Le Rugrats, They’re all kind of hollering and yelling and running all over the place and baby bottles and diapers here and baby cribs and it looks like a jungle in there.

You know when you have kids it probably looks like it, sounds like it. We could have a church where we have ten people that are ready to die and say well we’ve got a real quiet little holy church here and we’re so thankful for all of our senior citizens and I am. Don’t misunderstand me. But when you die, it’s over. If you don’t keep young kids coming to church and teenagers coming to church and getting young people coming to church, your church will die.

You have to have them coming up. And so we’re a family. And then a family, I like to see all of them. And yes, some kids, the other talk. And some of them are writing the song books and some of them will write wall thing little messages on the bathroom walls. And they’ll mess up and they’ll dirty things up. And they’ll have to always be corrected. And they’ll run and they’ll yell and shout and call all kind of, just serve it.

I told the Seneca classes when I said I can tell that I’m getting older. Little kids just drive me up a wall. I can take about five minutes of it, but that’s that I can’t handle it anymore. Teenagers, I can bear just a little bit better, but not much. I am now looking forward to settling in with those 10 senior citizens and just sit there and just talk about the good old times. But anyway, I have my son’s good class and it was so quiet.

Well nine of the 10 were sleeping. No, but we have different stages to go through in life. But we have a church, yes, we’ve got little children and we’ve got some teenagers. And over here we are going to have college age kids, and young married couple. But that’s what a church is not just one segment of a society. And a church that only has the oldest folks, eventually when they die and you don’t have no young people, what are you going to do?

So you have to have new people coming in, but we’re not interested in robbing somebody else’s goldfish bowl. Just trying to swap fish from one to another. We want to win people to learn. We want raw material. We want people that we can win and train and bring them up from the inside because I believe that’s what honors God. And look in verse 14, as obedient children, not fashion in yourselves according to the former lust and your ignorance. In other words, when you didn’t know any better, that’s one thing.

When you were lost, and all you had was all sinful nature and you did whatever you wanted to do with your life, well, that’s one thing. You were naive. Now you’re God’s child. As a child of God, don’t fashion your lifestyle after the world. Don’t copy the world. Don’t be like the world wants you to be. I don’t like the direction that it’s going so I don’t care to follow them. I want to fashion myself and my life, my thoughts after what the word of God says.

Because if I am a child of God, then I should live like a child of God. I should act like a child of God. I should talk like a child of God, because that’s who I am. God says, I am his child, I’m his ambassador in this world. Then I should act like it and live like it. My biggest goal in life is this, and I always try to remember, start fires, start fires. Now don’t go out of here starting real literal fires, that’s what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about starting a fire within the hearts, the bosom of individuals, where you win somebody Lord and you start a fire, where if you’re not there, It’ll keep on burning. I’ve got some fires that I started at in Colorado. I got fires that I started in Minnesota. I started a fire up there in Alaska. I’ll be going back there next year. I wanna go to Egypt and start some more fires. I wanna start a fire, fire, spiritual fires.

Because see, you can’t start a fire unless you’re on fire. And many people have already died. The colds are dead. That burning that they used to have in their heart, It’s already gone. And sometime the Bible is talking about and he stirred up the gift that is in me. Have you ever seen a fire that you thought was dead and you’re getting to start poking around and there’s a few hot coals left. There’s a few hot coals left there and you put some little dry stuff on there and put some paper on them.

And next thing you know, I gotta blaze. There was some hot coals left. I just had to get the fire burning. And some of y’all have been saved for so long, but you burned out. You didn’t got colds for the Lord. You can’t do anything, you won’t do anything, you won’t get involved, you won’t help, you won’t, because you’re cold. You got cold. Let the fire burn within you. I wrote a poem about Dr. Curtis Hudson when he died.

Called the flame, anybody remember it? Flame in the wind. Talking about how Dr. Hudson went around starting fires. He was a flame in the wind. It means you don’t want to burn just in one place. You want to start little fires. I guess I’d better burn out than rust out. But it’s a shame if you know Christ is your Savior and you’ve lived all these years and you have still never had any burning desire in you and you haven’t led one soul to Christ.

You haven’t even lit a light enough for somebody else to see to come to the Savior. Isn’t that a shame? We are to be lights in this world. God says, if you’ll shine, then he’ll use you. Be willing to burn for the Lord. As some people say, boy, that person was on fire for the Lord. Start little fires. When people are the Lord challenge people to serve the Lord. That’s what I’m talking about. Why? Because I’m in this world and because the Bible teaches in, not fashioning yourselves after the world for the salvation of soul, for people can come to know Christ as their Savior.

The reason we want to reach the little kids, because he, those little kids, they’ll become teenagers someday and they’ll become adults someday. When’s the best time to reach an adult when they’re a child? They’re a lot easier to win at that age than this age or older. And so when you win them here, next thing you know, you got saved teenagers and saved teenagers is where you get saved adults from. And the older you get, the possibilities of an adult trust the Lord go down greatly.

That’s why it’s so important for you, while you know Christ is your Savior. Let God use you to stir somebody else. Motivate somebody. Who have you motivated to serve God? Who have you challenged to serve God? I mean, they’re serving God because of you. You influenced them. You motivated them. God used you. It’s a powerful thing when you really get to understand it. Let me give you this two verses here before we close. Look there in verse 16. He says, because it is written, be holy for I am holy.

In other words, God wants you as a child of God to live a holy life. And if you call on the Father who without respect a person, judges, according to every man’s word, pass, and you are on the line, is pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. Fear of what? In fear of missing the willow. of God for your life. The fear of living your whole life, and it wasn’t for the salvation of souls. Invest in the Lord’s work.

See that Nato561. You doBron that you can’t be involved. issu can. Be a involved. Help participate. That’s what it’s all about. Look up here. This hand represent you and me and the wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. The Bible says It’s our sin. See a lot of people don’t know God hates them because they do this bad. You’re going to help because you’re bad. God loves sinners. And the Bible says to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God.

And no one’s perfect. No one’s righteous because God said we got the sin. And the Lord says you cannot earn each because you see good work doesn’t pay for sin. Death pays for sin. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. He’s God in the flesh. He loves us. He’s our sin. It’s our sin separates us from them. So Christ took the sin. How much? All of it. What did he do with it? Paid for it. Then what? He came to sin.

Sin’s of the world has been paid. Only thing you have to do is believe he did that for us. If I believe he453 did this for me, he would!–put that payment to my account and I would what Christ did for me. So when I trusted Christ as my Savior, I mean, I believe that He did this for me. Nobody can do it for anybody else. Everybody has to do it individually. It’s not you walking an outlet, it’s not even you raising your hand.

Raise your hand, they don’t save nobody. But I asked people to raise their hand for this reason. Because I want to know what I said made sense. I want to know if you trusted Christ as your Savior. I asked you to do that because, see, it lets me know that you understood and you trusted Christ as your Savior, and it kind of cements it in your mind right now, right now, this month, I will trust Christ as my Savior.

And you didn’t have to do anything. Other people can do a different method. I’m not against the method. I don’t want a method that I don’t feel comfortable with. I don’t feel comfortable in putting people on the spot like that. That’s why I do it with heads bowed, nice clothes. I don’t put nobody on the spot. Because it’s not between me and them, it’s between them and God. And if I can get you to believe what God said, then God said, He will save you if you’ll trust Him.

So it’s between you and Him. I just have to raise your hand because but I sure like it and I sure rejoice with you. If you’re here this morning you know your sense and never done before but you trust Christ your savior and if you’ll do that God said you saved it you can turn light. I want to know. You’ve been listening to Bibleline a teaching ministry of Calvary community church in Tampa Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message.

If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to Bibleline ministry. Click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clockNovRated……. Liveolitical broadcast ofFixed mayNovpositiveocumented antenrecyContents Entered toventory. O-R-G. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

Well, take your Bible and turn to the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews, we will be going to the book of Isaiah and just a little bit. But first of all, the book of Hebrews, Hebrews and chapter one, there’s things in this world, everything that you see with your naked eye is going to pass away. And these things are going to wax old. The Bible says they wax old. I made the mistake of showing some of the teenagers or some of the young college kids, some of the pictures.

I was trying to clean not one room because we’re going to have it to use for something. And I found some old pictures of ranch back in 1969 and 1970 and I show it to them. And the first thing that they look at it when they see that thing is that, hey, you had hair. Yes, I had hair. But we’re waxing old and some of y’all that are young right now, you will too. But there’s some things that doesn’t age and God says God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus Christ stays the same. Look there in Hebrews chapter 1 now and notice this and it says there in verse 10 and thou Lord in the beginning hath laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. This This refutes evolution. They shall perish. The earth will perish. Notice what he says. He says in verse 10, the works of by hand, verse 11, they shall perish, but thou remaineth, and they all shall wax old as death a garment.

And it doesn’t matter how long you… you live. It doesn’t mean how well you live. It doesn’t mean how healthy you are sooner or later we’re all going to get old and die. Nobody wants to get old. We all wish we could just stay young looking but it’s just not the facts of life. God says the world is waxing old. Even the heavens is getting old. Everything’s getting old but God and He is forever. Look what He says here now.

In Verse 11 they all shall wax old at the garment and as a vester shall thou fold them up They shall be changed, but thou thou art the same, thy years shall not fail So the Lord is not going to get old the years won’t fail He stays the same forever and ever and ever and the Lord says that he’s going to do what he has some ministering spirits Angels guardian angels Every one of us in this room have guardian angels, angels who watch after us.

And it says, these are miniatures spirits for those in the last part of verse 14, who shall be heirs of salvation. So we know we have eternal life. We’re going to be with the Lord in heaven. We have angels that watch after us. We have guardian angels. How do you like that? You are somebody special. If the Lord didn’t protect you, Satan would kill every last one of us. But God is the one who spares our life. He can allow us to be taken home whenever he cheons.

But we are in the hands of the Lord to know that, to believe that. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 4. And the Lord says this here in chapter 4, he makes a statement in verse 12. Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, departed into Galilee and leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum which is upon the seacoast in the borders of Zebulon and Nethalim that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet.

Now in just a moment we’re going to go to the book of Isaiah. The prophet and see something that is said there. If you was just to sit down and read the book of Isaiah, you may not see this, but because you know that it is a fulfillment of a scripture and it’s quoted here. When you go back to Isaiah, then you can look at the context in which you find it and you’ll find some other truths that you would not have seen had you not known that it was a prophecy concerning Christ.

So he says they’re in verse, the verse 15, the land of Zebulon and the land of Nepilon by the way of the sea. beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness saw great light. Now, we’re talking here in the book of Matthew about when Jesus Christ came on the scene, that people sat in darkness and people saw a great light. You see, Jesus Christ was the light of the world and that people are in darkness without Christ.

There’s something about the gospel that illuminates a person’s mind. The only way they can know anything about God is through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. It’s how that you can know the truth about who you are, where you came from, what you’re doing, where you’re going, and how you can have eternal life. So it’s important, looking for 16 again. The people would set in darkness all great light, and the them would set in the region and shadow of death.

death light is sprung up. Talking about Jesus Christ is coming into the world and the world is dark and God sends this light into this dark world and he is the only light. He says I am the light of the world and when Christ let he says ye are the light of the world. So all the people who trust Christ is Savior are light little light bulbs and we are the light for the world to see God and that’s That’s why it’s so important, as the scripture says in Matthew, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.

We often sing that song, this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Letting it shine means I’m going to tell people about Christ and what He did for me. Now take your Bible and turn back to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 42. multitude of verses in here that I wish to have the time to cover from chapter 42 to chapter 52. But I do want you to see this because there’s many references to Jesus Christ in these scriptures.

Our desire should be is to be more about what God wants us to be than anything else in the world. There’s a lot of people that do not know Christ and we should be willing to tell them. Look there, First of all, in Isaiah chapter 41, look in verse 27. If you don’t have verse 27 on the line, I would recommend you underline this verse because it’s in verse 27, the first shall say to Zion, behold, behold them. And I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

This one that’s gonna bring these good tidings is a reference for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is going to come. Now, Chapter 42, God refers to Jesus Christ as a prophecy in the Old Testament. Remember, now this is written over 700 years before Jesus Christ ever came. So God is telling that I have a son, I have a servant. When my son comes, my servant, my righteous branch, when he gets here, this is the way he’s going to be. So it’s all talking about Jesus Christ before he ever came.

Now he tells us when he’s going to be born, how he’s going to be born, where he’s going to be born in Bethlehem, Africa, and how he’s going to be rejected in Isaiah 53, and what the people are going to do to him, what he’s going to do. All these things are written hundreds and hundreds of years before Christ ever came into the world. Look what he says in verse 1 of chapter 42, Behold my servant, which is the reference toward Christ, whom I uphold mine elect and whom my soul delighteth.

I have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentile.” Now this is talking about Jesus Christ when he comes into the world. You see, God the Father is bragging upon his son. He says, now of all the people in all the world and used the word fellows, he says, there’s nobody like my son. Nobody’s like this one. This one’s different. See, he didn’t have a sinful nature. He did nothing wrong. He did everything that plays his father.

He did everything that was He hated sin. Nobody liked this man. So God the Father brags upon the Son. He says here in verse three things about him, a bruise reed shall he not break and the smoking flak shall he not quench he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Look in verse five, thus saith God the Lord. He that created the heavens, stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it, he that giveth bread unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.

I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness. When he said, I, the Lord have called thee, in the words I’m talking about, I have called my son. Another scripture says, I called my son out of Egypt, but I call my son and I have something that I want my son to do. And then he tells us how his son is going to be treated at all. But notice what he says there in the last part of verse six. He says, and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people for a, and you ought to underline this.

a light to the Gentiles. This is a reference also mentioned in the book of Matthew in chapter 4, verse 7, to open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison and then that set in what? Darkness out of the prison house. This is a reference to Jesus Christ because when you go over there to the book of Matthew and you read these scriptures it says this is that which was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. This is being fulfilled which said and talked about I saw the people that said in darkness and behold a great light which is a reference toward Jesus Christ.

So we know these verses here are talking about Jesus Christ when he comes into the world and he says there in verse 8 I am the Lord. This is my name my glory will not give to another neither my praise to another grieve than image. So he goes in here and he talks about Jesus Christ who is going to be able to heal those that are death, those that are done. Look what he says in verse 18. Here ye death, look ye blind that ye may see.

Who is blind but my servant or death as my messenger that I send. In other words there’s people in the world that are death and dumb and blind cannot see and God says I’m going to do a work that you will not believe. He goes on chapter 3 and he talks about how that he has took Israel, Israel, Jacob, and he says, I formed the I created thee, and I made you into a nation, and he goes on through and he says everything that he has done for his people.

You can take Israel instead of the side and go back and refer every bit of it to his son, the Jesus Christ, his son. And he did all of this for his son and through his son. And it’s an awesome thing. Look at in verse Verse four of chapter 43 verse three tells you that he’s talking about the Holy one of Israel not God the Father but the one that’s going to be born the Savior is referring to Christ verse four since thou was precious in my sight remember he looks over the banister of heaven and says this is my beloved son and who I am well pleased Christ was precious in the eyes of the Father nobody like this son and he says now if you do this for me I am going to do something for you.

Now when you read the second Psalm and it makes the statement, I will give the inheritance, the heathen for thy inheritance. In other words, that was a promise that God had made to the Son. If you do this for me, I’m going to give you the heathen as an inheritance. So he says here in verse 4, since thy was precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy what?

You give me your life and I’m going to give you people in return for it. You’ll see the same thing mentioned when you studied the book of Isaiah chapter 53. When he says, then he shall see his seed. There’s going to be results on down the line. He is the kernel of corn that is planted into the ground that dies and then more come from it. That’s an awesome thing when you read the whole chapters and you read all this together.

But anyway, he says here in chapter 44, look at verse 6. Isaiah chapter 44 verse 6, thus saith the Lord the king of Israel and his Redeemer. The Lord of hosts, I am the first, I am the last beside me, there is no God, there is no other God beside Jesus Christ. Down in verse 8, the last part that says, is there a God beside me? I know now God, I don’t know of any other God, there’s nobody but me.

Turn on over there to Isaiah chapter 45. In chapter 45 he talks about how in verse 11 does say the Lord L.O.R.D. the Holy One of Israel and his maker. So we’re talking about that God is the one who gave his son Mary prepared the child the flesh but the sun was given in Isaiah chapter nine and verse six. He said in verse 12, I have made the earth created man upon it. I even my hands have stretched out the heaven and all the hosts have I commanded him.

He said, I have done all these wonderful, wonderful things. So he tells the people, he says, seek me, command you me and behold what I will do and show you and all these things. Look in verse one. In verse one. In verse one, Christ coming, making a payment for sin and being a light to the people that are in darkness. In verse 22, look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth. For I am God, there is none else.

There is no other God. And he also makes a statement in the book of Philippians in chapter 2 when he makes a statement. He says, and he was highly exalted and given a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. Well, that’s mentioned right there. See in verse 23, say verse 23, I have sworn by myself the word has gone out of my mouth and righteous and shall not return.

They that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. This is what it’s talking about. You wouldn’t know these verses are referring to Jesus Christ, but when you go to the New Testament and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it says, this is referring to that. This is referring to that. This is referring to that. So when you go back in your readers, it’s a good night. There’s a picture of Jesus Christ on all these pages.

This tells you about this guy and of what God thinks about his son. This is awesome stuff. And this is the attitude that you and I ought to have about Jesus Christ. Look what he says in verse 9 of chapter 46. Remember the form of things of old? For I am God. There is none else. I am God. There is none else like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times of things that are not yet done.

Saying, my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. In other words, I’m going to do all the things that I want to do. And he said, I foretold all these things in advance. And the reason was because he says, I think I want you to see this. Look very quickly in chapter 48 and verse 3. He said, I declared the former things from the beginning. He went forth and it happened. Suddenly, just like I said it was.

He says, because thou art hard headed and thy neck is an iron sinew. See what it says in verse 3. I have declared the former things from the beginning. They went forth out of my mouth. I showed them. I did them. Suddenly they came to pass because I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck is an iron senior and thy brow brass. He said, I have declared from the very beginning, before it ever happened, I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen.

So you have a record in the Word of God of things that are going to take place before it ever happens. That’s why the Old Testament was written. That’s why there’s hundreds of years in between these things so that no man can make it happen. And God hit everything just right on schedule. Everything’s right. And Jesus Christ came the first time just like He said. He’s going to come back again just like He said He would. in chapter 48, looking verse 16.

Verse 16 says, come ye near unto me, hear you this, I have not spoken in secret from the beginning, from the time that it was there am I, and now the Lord God, one, and his Spirit, two, has sent me three. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit sent the third person of the Trinity. It’s awesome. Read it. It’s right there. There’s the Trinity right there in in that one verse. And God brags upon his son and all that his son has done and what’s going to take place.

And he says in verse 2, he calls him a Paulish shaft. In verse 3, he talks about he is my servant in whom I will be glorified. In verse 5, he talks about him being the servant. In verse 6, he talks about him being the servant. But look in verse 6, I want you to see this in chapter 49. And he said, it is a light thing that thou should be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel.

I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles.” You think it’s talking about somebody else? No, this is talking about Jesus Christ. I will give him to be a light that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth. This is a reference to Jesus Christ, thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his holy one Christ, to whom man despises to him, she whom the nations of of the people of the world despised the very one that God is so pleased with.

But this is a reference to Jesus Christ. Turn your page if you’ve got a host of the reference Bible. Chapter 50 talks about the humiliation that’s going to happen to Jesus Christ. It says in the first one, he says, does Seth the Lord? He says, where is the bill of your mother’s divorce? might put away in other words like here’s God the Father and God took Israel and she is the wife, she’s the woman. So God had a wife and the wife is Israel but because Israel went a horn after other gods and didn’t become obedient unto her own husband so God gave her a writing of divorce but God divorced his wife.

But if that happens then God can’t go marry somebody else, God has to wait. So the Bible says that God the Father and the wife, well they had a son. And who is this son? Jesus Christ. God used Israel, the wife, I have a son and brought him into the world. But the wife rejected her son, wanted nothing to do with her son, turned against her own child, rejected her child. But God the Father loved his son, and Israel the wife rejected the son.

So the Bible says now God is looking for a wife for his son. Well, where’s he going to find a wife? Well, Israel didn’t want to, so God began among the Gentiles. And as the story is told, every individual believing Gentile all over the world that believes on Christ and trust me, Savior, they will form the bride of Christ, the bride for Christ. So God is calling out from among the world, believers as a bride for his son. Now this is the story that’s told in the Old Testament and it’s going to happen just like God said.

But you see, when he gave this Bill and the Divorcement and here’s the nation, Israel, who needs to be redeemed, when Jesus came, says, was there no man? Isn’t there anybody else that can redeem you? Anybody else can come pay for the sin? Because you see they had to have a Redeemer. You read the story of Ruth about Boaz and about the kinsman Redeemer. that would be willing to pay the price. And when Christ came, was there anybody else that’s willing to redeem you?

Who else is willing to redeem the human race? Nobody. Nobody could. Nobody had the price. So God says, my son will do it. My son is willing to give his life and to redeem. That’s why as you read down through these scriptures, he’s talking about being a redeemer and how he says, my son is not going to be rebellious. on their inverse five. The Lord God hath opened my ear and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. Now this is a reference to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ came to where He says my ear hath thou opened. You see what do you mean by that? We see when a person became a voluntary love slave of God. It was like having their ear burned through with a big old hole because in the days of Israel when they had a servant or a slave and that person had served their time and was free to leave if they chose voluntarily to be a bond slave of the master because they liked the way they were being treated.

They wanted to do that. They could voluntarily be a slave for the rest of their life. And they would take him and put up against a post and they would take a hot iron and they would bore a hole through their ear and they open up their ear and he said my ear has now opened because I chose to be a voluntary love slave of God my Heavenly Father. I was not rebellious, I was not disobedient and God could use me in looking verse 6 and I gave my back to the smiteers, my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.

I hid not my face from shame and spitting. You think this is talking about Isaiah? Think it might be talking about Daniel. Think he’s talking about a lot. Job. Who you think is talking about? So I’m talking about Jesus Christ. This is Jesus Christ. And look what he says there in verse, verse nine, Behold, the Lord God will help me. Who is he? That shall condemn me, lo, they all shall wax old as a garment. The moth shall eat them up talking about people.

What’s it talking about here? They all shall wax old as a garment. Didn’t we read that somewhere else? Didn’t we just read that in the book of Hebrews in chapter 1? Mm-hmm. It was God who made the world and it talks about they’re all going to wax all as a garment in the people, but my son, he stays the same yesterday, today and forever. He never ages. And when you are born of the Son of God, what he had in his genes he gave to you.

Same identical DNA. All born from the same incorruptible seed, the Word of God itself. It’s awesome when you start thinking about these things the way God puts it down here into his word. It is awesome. Look down now in verse 5. Look in verse 5 of chapter 51. Verse 51, chapter 51 verse 5. My righteousness is near. In other words it’s only 700 years away. My Son is coming. Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God. He says, my righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth.

Mine arms shall judge the people, the aisles, Gentiles shall wait upon them, and on mine arms shall they what? You read chapters 52 and 53 and talked about his arm, and my holy arm is revealed. He’s talking about Jesus Christ, the power of God. And in those of you who says, this thing is awesome. Looking in verse 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens. Look upon the earth beneath. For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the earth shall wax old like a garment.

They shall dwell therein shall die in like manner. I don’t care how long you live, you’re all going to die. We’re all going to die. Everybody born going to die. The world is going to come to chaos one of these days. God says it’s going to have it all burned up. That time is coming. But notice something he says here. This is awesome. But my salvation, something that will not die, my salvation that will not wax old, my salvation shall be for how long?

My salvation is forever when you trust Christ as your Savior. How long is your salvation good for? It is eternal security, eternal salvation. There is no other. Look what else he says. My righteousness shall not be abolished. What God gave you, he will never take it away from you. When I trusted Christ as my Savior in 1960, I became a child of God, he gave me everlasting life. It will never be taken away from me. It can never be abolished, never can be altered.

In other words, my salvation cannot be changed or altered by me or God. I got his word on that. Look what he says in verse eight. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment. The worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be, and you are unlinen that word, fall forever. My salvation from generation to generation. It’s always in season. Anybody can be saved all over the world. Going to all the world and preach the gospel.

He says, this is the light to them who set in darkness. I know I have eternal life that knowledge that’s light that truth that’s light and a lot of people don’t know the truth They don’t know crisis their Savior. They don’t know they have eternal life They don’t know where they’re going when they die and you and I that know this this is the greatest news in all the world Let me just close with you see this look what he says there in verse three of chapter 52 He said in verse 52 For thus saith the Lord ye have sold yourselves for none and ye shall be redeemed without what?

without money. You can be redeemed without money. That means you can’t buy it. You can be redeemed. That means to be bought back from the slave market of sin. Even though you’ve done all these bad things, you deserve to go to hell. What can you use to pay for all these sins without you having to pay it? And that’s a death payment. It’d be done without money. And when you look over there in chapter 55, I just got to show you this in chapter 55 look what he says in verse 1.

Oh everyone that thirsteth come you to the waters and he that have no money Come you buy and eat yet come by wine and milk without money without price in other words God says I’ve got something from a whole world They that sit in darkness shall see a great light a great truth. I never see never understood before We’ll cost you anything. It’s totally free and you realize you have 53 and you have there the crucifixion of Jesus Christ All this is about him You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. For Sunday morning services begin at 10 30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

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 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.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.

There are some things that I want to share with you that I think will help you to understand that there are many people today that are teaching many things on radio and TV, many churches, things that are just simply not true. Some of those things that are being taught is simply the health and wealth philosophy that if you tithe, you will automatically be blessed by God financially. Even if you tithe, you will automatically be healed of any diseases that you may have.

That is not true and I don’t believe the Bible teaches that. Now in Malachi it does say, well a man robbed God. Yet he says, you have robbed me and tithes an offering. And he says, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that you shall not receive it. But it is talking to Israel. It is talking about a real storehouse. It is really talking about God opening up the windows of heaven and letting it rain upon the earth so that they could have product and they would have more and that is really what it’s talking about.

And that God says you have robbed me and that you won’t give like you should and so I have stopped the heavens from producing the water that produces the fruit that causes you to be blessed and have so much more. But it doesn’t mean that if I make a hundred dollars and I gave God ten that I can run to the mailbox and expect my check to come in. It doesn’t mean that just because you tithe like you should, that God’s going to automatically bless you financially and you’re going to have so much money you won’t know what to do with it all.

That is not true. I have faithfully tithed for 42 years or more. And that has not been proven to be true. I have still hurt and suffered financially over the years. Tithing is not the key that opens up this miracle door. It is not the key that keeps you from getting sick because if you tithe you won’t get sick anymore and just going to be the key that keeps you to good health. There’s many preachers on TV that are teaching just that.

And of course then when they teach that, it means you give them your money and they are going to pray that you prosper. But they got your money. To me they’re shisters. They don’t have you in mind except to make merchandise of you to take something from you. I don’t like it when And all preachers do is beg and whine for money all the time. I don’t believe it’s right. I would rather you give because you want to, because you have confidence in the work, and you do it because of what God has already done for you, not you’re doing it in order to get something in the future from God.

I should serve the Lord and do what’s right because of what He hath done for me. He died on the cross, paid for my sins, gave me eternal life. Now we want to be blessed by God. We want God to bless us in our life. You want blessings. I want blessings. Now, take your Bible look in Genesis chapter 27. You and I, when we have our parents pass away, if they had any wealth, they generally will leave it to their children.

Not all the time, but generally they’ll leave it to their children. And so in the Bible times it was always the first born in the family, well, they had it up on the rest of them. And so the first born would become the one that was the heir of what the father had. And so of course there’s an advantage then of being the first born. Because then the father would bestow everything that he has upon you, but the blessing went even further than that.

It’s where God was honoring the wishes of the dying Father upon the firstborn Son, because he was going to get what he had, plus he was asking God to bless him with more. You may have a dad and he’s a he’s a millionaire and then when he dies you get a minute. Wow Now it’s not so much that you deserved it. It’s just because you happen to be born in the family Maybe you’re the first born maybe the last born maybe the only kid they got Well, whatever and you inherit that now there was a time when this man came to Christ and he says He says see that my brother share the inheritance with me and Jesus says, what have I got to do with you man?

What have I got to do with you man? He says, God has come down here to make me be a judge in your life like that. He says, no, he says, you need to understand that when it comes to the things of the world that it’s better, it’s better to be right with God than to have the riches and the prosperity of this world. Because the things of this world are going to pass away. And so he says the the riches of the world and the product of the world is not where your peace and your joy and your happiness ought to be.

There’s a lot more involved. But now the time had come Isaac was going to bless his son. And the first born son was Esau and Esau was a type of the flesh. And Jacob was a type of the spirit. Fewer little nipulations through the white Rebecca. She snuck the blessing and she put animal skin on us so that he would feel like he was hairy because he saw was a hairy man, a hairy individual. He was a hunter. He smelled like animal.

He could smell it on him. Well, Aaron, he had the animal skin on him in order to deceive his dad because You know what they wanted? He wanted the inheritance. He wanted the blessing. And his mama put him up to it. She didn’t want the first born kid to get it. She wanted the second kid to get it. So in verse 26, look in verse 26. And his father Isaac said unto him, come near now and kiss me, my son.

And he came near and he kissed him and he smelled the smell of his ramen and blessed him and says, see, the smell of my son is at the smell of a pho which the Lord has blessed. Therefore God gave thee of the do of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve the enacious bow down to thee, be Lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee.

Curse should be everyone that curses thee, bless thee, he that blesses thee. Whoo, what a blessing! And he gave it to his son Jacob. And Esau came in a little bit later, but it was too late. What the Father has said stands. He has just claimed the rights of the firstborn. And was his brother mad? Yes, did he wanted to kill him? Yes, he hated him with a passion. And this is where you have a separation of Israel and the Arabs.

And it’s still going on today, 4,000 years later. Now Esau later on, he married a wife that came from Ishmael, who had a daughter, so he wanted to marry her, and he saw it in. But anyway, they got into that family, and that’s where the Arabs come from. And they still are trying to steal that land back, and still, God had already given the blessing. Now what I want you to see here, look there in verse 33, looking verse 33.

Isaac trembled very exceedingly and said, Who? Where is he that have taken venison? And brought it to me and I have eaten all before him, came and have blessed him. Yea, and he shall be blessed. In other words, he stole the blessing. Where is he? And he shall be blessed. Because see, that’s the way it was set up. And Isaac blessed Jacob. And he claimed the birthright. But see, years before Isaac had two sons born Jacob and he saw him and he saw despised his birthright.

And he came in half dead and he says, I’m hungry. And he says, I’ll give you some messa pottage here, some beans and a little. He says, if you’ll sell me your birthright. And he agreed to it. He said, okay. So he sold his birthright for a messa pottage. And then that day came when he was going to be Receiving that blessing and he did not receive it. And the Bible says here, I want you to look there in verse 34.

And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my Father, Bless me. And he says, can I even get one blessing? Look what he says in verse 36. And he says, it’s not, he rightly named Jacob, or he handed me these two times. He took away my birthright and behold, now he have taken away my blessing. and he had said, hath thou not reserved a blessing for me?

Just one blessing, just one?” And Isaac answered and said unto I Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and with corn and wine have I sustained him, and what have shall I do now unto thee? I said, what? I don’t have anything left. And Esau said unto his father, hast thou but one blessing? Bless me, even me also, and he lifted up his voice and he wept. These are all earthly manifestations.

This is all the things, the material things of the earth, of the blessings and the protection. This is not an inhale thing. This is not spiritual things. This is just where God says, I’m gonna bless you, you’ll have cattle and you’ll have this and I’ll protect you from your enemies. I’ll protect your health. I’ll do all kind of things for you. It would be neat if we could claim it, but we can’t claim those today. That God didn’t promise those to us.

Now you can’t all you want to, but it’s not going to work that way. Now there’s television evangelists who get a whole of these verses and they try to make you think that if you just get more money, then you have a right to claim all of these things for you and you’ll get wealthy and you’ll stay healthy as long as they got your money. They don’t care about your health and your wealth. They get healthy and wealthy. I want you to take your Bible now and look in the book of Galatians in chapter three Galatians in chapter three over there in the New Testament.

the Apostle Paul had won many people to Christ there in the place of Galatia and Because of so many people that he had led to the Lord he established churches We’re doing fine and Then some legalistic Judaizers came down lawkeepers and Trying to tell the people that you have to keep the law in order to be saved and to stay saved Well, that was contrary to what the Apostle Paul taught But what those Judaizers had done is they were taking the law from the Old Testament and trying to take these Gentiles and stick them under the law says you got to keep the law and nor be saved and It says if anybody preach unto you any other gospel than that which we have preached under you let him be a cursed So you see you go through the Bible and let’s talk about blessings and cursings blessings cursing

Now even once you have trust because you’re Savior So if you trust Christ as your Savior today, you understand that if you serve the Lord, God will bless you. If you don’t serve the Lord, God will chase in you. It’s a curse. God is going to have to chase in you. And maybe take you home before the image of your Savior, you will hire His child forever. But you cannot live as you please and get away with it because your Heavenly Father is going to have to chase and discipline you.

So it’s important. Look there in Galatians in chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2. I want you to notice that in verse 16, verse 16, look at it very quickly, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, or look up here, knowing that a man is not justified before God by the law of by his works, means that a man cannot save himself by his good deeds. It’s not by going to Church is not by giving money, you cannot earn it.

It’s not by your works. It’s not by my works. So regardless of all my good deeds, God will never save any man, me or anyone else, because of what they do. That’s contrary to Scripture. So there are people though that teach that and they’re saying you got to keep the law. Well, the purpose of the law was not to save the man. The purpose was of the law was to show that a man that he can’t save himself by his work.

So God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. And the law was like a mirror that shows you what you are. Well, I never sinned here. Now I never did this. Now I never did. Have you ever sinned to forget it? You have broken the law. The law was to show you and I we’re sinners. We cannot save ourselves by the law. But the law was to serve a purpose. The show is that we cannot be saved by our worst.

Nobody was ever saved by keeping the law. You say, what about those people in the Old Testament? Nobody has ever been saved by keeping the law. Nobody ever will. It means nobody goes to heaven because they deserve it. No, they don’t. There’s never been a person ever lived that deserved go to heaven. Jesus Christ was perfect. But he didn’t have to worry about it. He didn’t have to worry about going there. He came from there. Look there in Galatians in chapter 3.

Now look what he says there in verse 7. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham. For seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, and these shall all families of the earth be blessed. So that everybody all over the world can be blessed with faithful Abraham by faith alone. Because Abraham simply believed God and God saved him, gave him perfection, gave him his righteousness.

Here we are now 2,000 years later and God is saying Abraham was saved by faith. Not Bible law, because the law wasn’t even given yet. It was given 430 years later. How could Abraham keep the law when there was no law? Couldn’t. So you and I can be justified. Look in verse 8. Last part of verse eight, in thee shall all nations be blessed. Say which be of thirt blessed with faithful Abraham. What is this blessing? There was also hidden in all this other stuff that Abraham had mentioned.

Now I’ll bless the people and I’ll bless the land and I’ll bless the product and I’ll bless the rain and I’ll bless the fruit. I’ll bless everything else. But something in all of this he says and through all of this there’s going to come a seed from which all families of the earth will be blessed. just the Jews. But the seed is a reference to Jesus Christ. Look there in Galatians in chapter 3. Look at number 16. And to Abraham and his seed singular, where the promises made, he saith not and the seeds as of many, but as of one and to thy seed which is who?

Christ. It’s a reference to Jesus Christ. In other words, through the line of Abraham all the way on down through and then David and on down through and lo and behold, Jesus was born. He had no sinful nature and He wants to father many children and all those who trust Christ as Savior become a child of God. You are in His family. Now see we maybe we’re not in the family of Abraham back there. I’m not an Israelite. I’m not a Jew and there’s many promises that I can never claim.

But because I am now a child of God, because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I became His child as His child. There’s blessings that are mine, simply because of who I am. Now you may look at me and you see flesh and blood. In God’s eyes, I am somebody. I’m somebody because God says I’m somebody. I’m a child of God. I have blessings that you can’t take away from me. I got them simply because I am in his family.

And he said that when he died, we inherit something. I inherit the eternal life. And this eternal life is the gift that he gives to all of those who believe on him. It’s awesome. Look there in verse 13. Look at verse 13, chapter 3 in Galatians. Christ hath redeemed us, curse of law, why was it a curse? Because you had to keep the law perfectly to go to heaven. If you’re going to have to be good to go to heaven, you’ve got to be perfect.

Okay, how many qualify? Is anybody here like that? No. That’s why you need a Savior. Look what he says. Verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through law through faith. Simply believing what God said is true, I can have something I never had before. I can become a child of God in Jesus Christ. Look what else he said. He says they’re in verse 15, brother and I speak after the manner of men, though he’d be but a man’s covenant, yet it is confirmed.

No man and disaneleth or addeth there too. And God made a promise and you can’t add to it and you can’t take it away. It cannot be disanel. The promise that God made what He would justify a man by faith alone in Christ alone. The moment you accept him as Savior. So that very moment you became a child of God. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Ephesians chapter one. Just turn to your right, just a couple pages.

Ephesians chapter 1, and look there in verse 3. Verse 3, When you trusted Christ as your savior, God saved you from hell, gave you eternal life, you became his child. As his child, what do you inherit? Well, we know that I’m going to get a new body one day that’ll last forever simply because I’m his child. I don’t have to do anything for that. I’m going to get that’s automatic. I have already received the Holy Spirit who indwells me.

To teach me the word of God and to comfort me, I’ve already received that. I’ve already been blessed just because I’m his child. And I’m blessed simply because I am a child of God that was promised. These are all promises to me. Looking verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath, and you What I’m on the line is half past tense, half blessed, past tense, half blessed with what? With all material and financial blessings.

Is that what it said? Look what it says. Hey, it’s half blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. So whenever you and I trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been blessed with spiritual blessings that I am one day going to reap. Now some of those I can enjoy now, enjoy being a child of God, knowing that I have God’s Word, knowing that I have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, knowing that I have a purpose in my life.

These are spiritual things. And many of you may sacrifice financially to do things for the Lord. or lay up treasure in heaven where God’s going to reward you when you get there and you’re not going to lose that, but he says things in this world you can lose. You can lose here help here and you can lose your wealth here and you can serve God with all your heart and do all of them and come down with some incurable disease and all your praying and all your money ain’t going to stop it and some of you are going to wind up dying and I’m going to do your funeral if God should tear you and let me live long enough and all the praying and all the giving and all the righteous living and all the ain’t going to stop you from death.

We’re all going to what? We’re all going to die. And just because you do what’s right doesn’t mean you’re not going to have financial troubles. You read the Bible and it says that Peter and John when they walked along and they came to the Temple of the Gate and it says that the guy was trying out you know for arms and he says silver and gold have I how much? who then Paul didn’t understand the spirituality and the teachings of the health and the wealth philosophy.

Silver and gold have I none. How did the apostle John end up on the Al-Apatments with nothing? He was exiled on an owl. And how did the other disciples, they were crucified, some of them, some borlinol and some di-horbledes? And you read the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews and you’ll find out. So these evangelists that are teaching you on the radio, all of which is your money. Because inside of you, you all have a desire. You want money and you want help.

And they take those natural desires that you have and burn it inside of you. And this is the secret. And you see money. Let me go to have seed money, right? And you plant your money in what I’m doing. And God is gonna take and bless you out there. That’s what I can. And many people are lulled into that. Find somebody who’s trying to reach somebody for the Lord and invest your money, invest your time and do right. And if God blesses you financially, praise the Lord.

Use it wisely. If God sees fit to close the doors of opportunities and sometimes God can want you to move around and do certain things because he either supplies over the holes. There’s a God in heaven that we’re responsible to. And God may open up doors for you, and he can cause you to lose your job and allow things to happen. That doesn’t mean God is against you, and God’s turned against you, and God has forsaken you. No. Have you ever heard of a man named Job?

He did all the right that he knew to do. And God took his wealth, and God took his health. Yes or no? And even cost him his friends and his wife says, why don’t you just curse God and die? It’s always nice to have a good godly woman standing behind you in a time of needing him. It doesn’t mean everything’s gonna work out, oh, I’m not there. We’re supposed to believe that for all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to his purpose.

Not your purpose, not my purpose, his purpose, reason why he does what he does. And God tomorrow can bless you tremendously or he may withhold things from you. But whether he gives or takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. When the Lord giveth blessed be the name of the Lord. When the Lord take it the way, blessed be the name of the Lord. You shouldn’t change it because of what he gave or took away. Your character is based upon I’m God’s child.

I love the Lord. Everything’s okay. I don’t care if it’s your health is bad and your money’s gone between you and God Everything’s all right You and God, you can tackle anything. You can face anything between you and Lord. Look up here. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin on us. God says that He loves us. He hates our sin. And for you and I to go to heaven, well, we have to be perfect as righteous as God.

No sin. See, God is perfect. Heaven is perfect. And for you and I to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. So because if we go to heaven, well, we have to be perfect. So because if we go to heaven, well then we’ll lie in heaven, steal in heaven, cheat in heaven, kill in heaven, then heaven won’t be heaven. So God says you have to be perfect to go there, well none of us can go.

Because every one of us have a sinful nature. So God says you cannot save yourself. It’s not by your works. We have all sinned, we’re all condemned. This sin represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. came into this world because he loves us, but he hates our sin. Because our sins, they separate us from the Lord. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, didn’t have to die. He was perfect. He came into the world because he loved us. And the proof that he loved us, he did something for us.

He took all of our sins, he became sin for us. And he paid for the sins on the cross, came back from the dead. And God says that if you and I we will believe He did it for us. By faith. He puts this payment that He made to your account and you go to heaven on what He did for you. So you didn’t do this. He did this. All that you have to do is believe He did it for you.

He gives you as a free gift everlasting life. He gives you His righteousness. Now if God gave you His righteousness, that would make you as righteous as God. And you go to heaven on what he did for you. Sincereity is not a substitute for truth. And a lot of sincere people are going to be lost. If I offered you my wallet and you accepted what would you have? I empty wallet. If I offered you this Bible and you accepted what would you have?

A Bible. If Jesus Christ walked in here and offered you eternal life and you accepted you would have eternal life. If it’s eternal life, how long would it last forever? If it lasts forever and all you send your paid, then where would you go and you die? I have been blessed. I am going to be blessed because I am a child of God. I get that automatically. And God also made promises that if I served Him as a result of my service, He’s going to reward me on top of those blessings.

But rewards have to be earned. Rewards are earned. That’s what I do for him because I want to, because I love him. Now, nobody can make you love God. But if you do love him, he says, serve me. And if any man served me, him will my Father honor. And there’s a time coming when we get to heaven that every man shall receive praise, honor, and glory at the people of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray, shall we? You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. 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 going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 out to the church and take a look at the Bibleline. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.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.

Take your Bible and turn to the Book of 1 Corinthians 1, 1 Corinthians 1. 1 verse 18 says for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved the power of God. We are saved by the power of God. The Holy Spirit is the power of God. That’s why Jesus says you must be born again, born by the spirit of God, born by the power of God. You’re not born again by the power of man, by the will of man, by the will of the flesh, not by your own power, not by your work, you’re born again by the power of God.

It’s a spiritual birth. But he says in verse 19, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. In other words, the wise man of the world, The prudent man of the world cannot see they cannot touch they cannot understand This new birth because it’s of God and the things that are of God the natural man cannot Understand it is the message of the gospel That is the light the illumination of a man’s mind so he can perceive Divine truths The gospel is627 the lens by which we see the face of God That’s why it says in the book of Corinthians in chapter four It says the glorious light of the gospel is What causes us to see the face of God who God is what he has done?

This is why he didn’t say going to all the world and put preach the book of Daniel or preach the book of Revelation Though I love prophecy But he says going all were in priestly gospel the gospel is the story by which God uses To pierce into the heart of a lost man That is the light which illuminates his mind to help them to see Look in verse 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God you will not find God in the laboratory You’re not gonna find him in a test tube man by his wisdom cannot search and find God.

And yet we can have the 200 inch hell refractor of Mount Palomar and they can scan the heavens and they got the Hubble telescope now, but they’re not going to find God. They can’t zero in on heaven. But he makes the statement, the Jews seek after a sign, but the Greeks seek after wisdom. As far as the people upon the earth, the Jews when they came to Christ in Matthew chapter 12 says, show us a sign. Give us a He says, an evil and a daughter’s generation seeketh after a sign, but there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonah, for a Jonah was three days and three nights in the will, but even social, the son of maybe three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The only sign you’re going to get is my resurrection. When I come back from the dead, the Greeks seek after wisdom. And that’s why you have a lot of your philosophers, the lover of wisdom that comes from the Greeks. So Christ, the wisdom of God for the Gentiles, the power of God for the Jews. So whether it’s Jews or Gentiles, Jesus Christ is the answer. And He makes the statement here in verse 26, for you see your calling brethren.

He says, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble call. . . . . But God had chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God have chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, base things of the world, and things which are despised have God chosen. Yay, and things which are not to bring to not things that are, that no flesh or glory in his presence.

When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, Christ became your righteousness. Christ became your power. Christ became your wisdom because God doesn’t use the wisdom of the world to accomplish His purpose. God has a different set of wisdom by which He wants to impart into the mind of a man by the person of the Holy Spirit so that you can understand the things that the natural man cannot understand. So He says here so that no flesh or glory into His presence by the the power of the Holy Spirit, He gives you a new birth.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, He quickens you and gives you His wisdom, which comes from His Word, because He wants to accomplish things in His power and not for the flesh. Even after your sake is not the flesh that God wants to glorify. God says He wants to give you His wisdom, His power to do his work his way so that he gets all the honor and all the glory. But what is done? You can do some of the things that God wants us to do in the energy of the flesh for your own personal honor and glory.

And when you do, God says you have received your reward. Paul says that when I came to you, I did not come in great words of wisdom, man’s wisdom. He says here in chapter two, he says, and I brethren, when I came to you, came now with excellency of speech, my great oratory, my ability, or of my wisdom. He says, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, be cleared unto you the testimony of God. You see, you and I, when we serve the Lord, we are testifying what God hath done.

It’s not your wonderful testimony how good you are, how great you are, and great talents and abilities that you have, because once you trust Christ as your Savior, you’re not limited as you were before because of your physical body, because the Holy Spirit living within you can quicken your mind, and the mind is that which can control the body, and you can find yourself with a whole new set of abilities, talents, gifts that you did not have before. It’s a new birth.

God is simply using the same body that you had. And you can find that you can do things you thought never possible. You can be able to speak like you thought you could never speak before. But many Christians have destroyed their effectiveness for the Lord because they have limited themselves, because they have limited the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit working in their life. He says in verse two, I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified because this is the only important thing that there is in the life of a lost man.

It’s the gospel that must enlighten their mind because trying to get people to live the Christian life without trusting Christ’s Savior is a total waste of time. He says, my speech in verse 4, and my preaching was not within Tyson words of man’s wisdom. He says that your faith in verse 5 should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. Then he makes a statement in verse 7. He says, if the princes of this world, the leaders of this world, the kings of this world were so smart.

If they were so wise, then why did they crucify the Lord of glory? If the leaders of the world, when Christ was here were so smart, so good. Why did they crucify Christ? Because it shows the limitations of the human mind. Man’s wisdom cannot see and understand, cannot perceive the things that are of God. So they’re in chapter two, look in verse nine. But he makes a statement, but as it is written, I hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither has entered into the heart have been the thing which God has prepared for them that love him.

Now you and I once we trust Christ as our Savior, we have within us the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit living within us is to reveal to us things that God can do for us and through us that we never dream possible. You are not to limit yourself. You’re not to go through life I can I can. Every Christian Can do what God wants them to do with their life. You’re the one who says, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.

God says you can, you can, you can. Because He says, I will help you. There is power in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells us for a reason. The Holy Spirit is God. He’s God. I have God living inside of me. When he makes a statement in verse 9, the last part of it, he says, God hath prepared for them, and you ought to underline these three words, that love him. You remember Romans 8, 28, for all things work together for good to them that love the Lord, then that love him.

All things work together for good to them that love him. To those who are called according to his purpose. Those who love God, all things work together for your advantage, for good, if you love him. If you love him, the Holy Spirit that lives within you is going to teach you things that he cannot and will not teach others, even though they’re his children. Many of God’s children will not learn many things that God has for them. But he says in verse 10, to those who love him, but God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit, the spirit search of all things, the deep things of God.

Everybody wants to know the things of God. If I could have your spirit that lives inside of you, dwell inside of me, then I could know why you think, the way I can know how you think. I can know everything about you. But he said, for what man knew of the things of a man, say the spirit of man, which is in him, even so the things of God know of no man. Get this, the things of God know a no man.

He cannot know them, but the Spirit of God. But what if God took his Holy Spirit and gave it to you, then you could know the mind of God. You would know things and no man can judge what you know because he can’t understand that the lost man. But we have the mind of Christ. Look at the last verse, look in verse 15. But he that is spiritual So judgeeth all things, spiritual things, godly things, can understand and see things and understand things that you cannot see with the eye and hear with the ear.

But he says, but he that is spiritual, judgeeth all things, that he himself a judged of no man, no lost man, because he cannot understand. It’s a different world altogether. In the last part of verse 16, he said, but we have the mind of Christ. Now look there in verse 13. Remember when it says that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we are a new creature, new creation, and it says all things are passed away, behold all things are become new.

All divine things, godly things, not everything changed, but talking about all these things that comes from God. These are all new. My birth is new. The indwelling the Holy Spirit inside of me, being able to be used as a whole wealth of wisdom and knowledge and treasure that I never had before, never knew before. Talents and abilities that I didn’t have before that God can give to you and I. And he says in verse 13, which things also we speak.

He says, not in the words which man’s wisdom teach it, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, and you are the underlying that word teach. This is one of the primary goals of the Holy Spirit. It is to teach us when you study the Bible, the author of this book that moved and motivated men to write what God told them to write is the author who lives inside of you. So every time you sit down to read the Bible, the author of the book is right there to help you understand what he said.

You see many people their theology is determined by their morality, how they want to live, then they approach the Bible to justify what they want to do. Instead of coming to the Bible and saying this is God’s Word, I want the Holy Spirit to teach me what it says and then the Holy Spirit is to give you the power to fulfill what it says. And God says, I will do things and reveal things to those who love me that he will not do for those who don’t love him.

See, God will not make you love him. If you don’t love him, then God says there’s things he won’t tell you. He won’t teach you. You’ll be saved. You’ll go to heaven when you die. He says here in the last part of verse 13, but which the Holy Spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual or by spiritual means? So we have to understand spiritual things that of God by a spiritual means, the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit that indwells me and you is to teach us things that no man can know.

He cannot understand. It’s the same thing with the studying of the Word of God. If you don’t love God, you don’t love the Word of God. Then you’ll read, but you won’t understand because God says he will not allow you to understand it. That’s why he says, and we will go into perfection or maturity if God permits and God’s the one that will permit it or not permit it based upon the motive that you have. Then he says in verse 14, for the natural man, the natural, that’s the lost man, receive if not the things of the Spirit of God for their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are.

spiritually discerned. These are things that God says they have to be discerned spiritually to understand them and the lost man doesn’t have that and that’s why the lost man can never understand the things of God until first of all he understands the gospel. That’s the doorway into this new world because it’s by a new birth that God will give. John chapter 14 and notice there in verse 16 Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God. He says in verse 16, I will pray the Father and He shall give you another comfort that He may abide with you forever.

Even the Spirit of truth, Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 26, but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send. So He, He, He, all the way through here, we know that the Holy Spirit is a person. He is the comforter. He is the Spirit of truth and He indwells you. Verse 21 says, He that hath my commandments and keep of them. He it is that loveth me. In other words, if you don’t serve God You don’t love God.

I’ve had love you say, well, I love God, but they don’t serve God. You don’t serve God God says you don’t love him. I Didn’t say that God said that you may be his child. You’ll go to heaven whenever you die But if you don’t serve him his way, you don’t love him Period. That’s what God says. Then He makes His statement. And He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and this means in a special way.

Because God loves us all but He said, I’m talking about in a special way. Look what He said. And I will love Him and will manifest myself to Him, manifest myself to Him. God says, if you love Me, I’ll reveal myself to who you. Or what about the person who doesn’t love them? It doesn’t say he will do that. It’s to those who love them. So can you make somebody love God? You can’t make anybody love God. You see, the ones who grow to maturity are those who love the Lord.

Those who become used by God are those who love the Lord. There’s many people who don’t mind getting things from God, but they’re not willing to give to God of their life, or their time, or their talents, their treasures. They don’t give to God for God’s glory. They just want to receive. We love him because he first loved us. You receive love from God and then you give love back. And many people have never learned the secret of this powerful motivation.

First Corinthians in chapter six, the very moment that you accept Jesus Christ as your savior. And whenever you accept Christ as your savior, You are sealed with the Holy Spirit, I promise that very moment, that very moment. So he says here in 1 Corinthians in chapter six, he says in verse 19, what, no ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have of God, and ye are, ye are not your own.

You don’t belong to your son. He owns you, he bought you, he paid for you. My body belongs to God. That’s why I can’t do with my body whatever I want to do with it. It’s not mine. This is his body. Your body belongs to God. Therefore you and I are to honor this house. In verse 24, year bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods? Now I want you to look there in the book of John chapter seven, the gospel of John and chapter 7.

We know the woman at the well was told that if you drink this water in this well you will thirst again. But he says, I have water that if you drink it, it shall be a well of water, springing up in the everlasting life. And John chapter 7 and verse 37, it says, In the last day that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, sin if any man thirst, let him come into me and drink. He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

When you trust in Christ as you’re saved the Holy Spirit and dwells you to flow through you. And he says in verse 39, but this spake he of the spirit that they which believe on him should receive. But as yet see Christ has not yet been glorified. He said, but when I ascend, he will descend. Acts chapter one in verse eight, looking at it very quickly. When you say, I just don’t have power to live for the Lord. I don’t have the strength.

Yes, you do. You won’t use it. You won’t allow the Lord to help you. The Holy Spirit lives within you to give you the power that you need to do what God wants you to do with your life. But in verse 8 he says, But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth to the person who wants to serve the Lord.

Yes, he can be a witness, but many people will not be a witness around the world because they’re not even a witness at home. Isn’t because they can’t? No, because they won’t. You’re not a soul winner because you choose not to be a soul winner. It’s not that you can’t win souls, it’s that you won’t win souls. It’s not that you can’t talk to people about the Lord, it’s that you won’t talk to people about the Lord. It’s the Holy Spirit that can help you.

And the Holy Spirit wants to teach you. And the reason he teaches you is because he wants to guide you by what he taught you. And he says the Holy Spirit will bring things to your remembrance of what he said. Don’t wait until some night you expect some little angel to stand on your bed post and whisper some little sweet dreams in your ear And that’s gonna be oh God spoke to me last night The Holy Spirit leads you according to truth in the book of Romans in chapter 8.

It makes the statement being led by the Holy Spirit You’ll either be driven by the devil or led by the Lord Always remember the Holy Spirit will always lead you according to truth And I believe the Holy Spirit can make you sensitive to things that you would normally not be. I honestly believe at critical times in my life that the Holy Spirit has revealed things to me or caused me to be sensitive to certain things that has caused me to make decisions that has altered my life.

I believe God can make you sensitive to things that you never thought about before. I’ve had opportunities where I would witness to people because I am to obey a command. I don’t depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me to witness, but that doesn’t mean he can’t lead me to witness. I am commanded to witness, but I believe there’s special times when God on principle in my mind certain people I need to talk to. And I will do that.

I was a student at Tennessee Temple. And one day out of a clear blue sky, I told Betty, I said, Betty, I felt like I’ve got to go down and talk to your granddad. I got in the car and we drove all the way to Athens, Georgia. Went down here and talked to her, Granddad. And I told her, I said, you get your mom and him, and get your grandma, and y’all get out of the way. Keep him away from him.

And I went up there and I talked to him. And next thing you know, he just started to squall him. He slid off the couch, got him to the knee. I didn’t tell him to do anything. And I got down beside him, and I talked to him about the Lord. He trusted Christ as a savior. And I got my car and I left. But I got there just time. Monk lady was dead. How close to the Lord you want to be?

Do you believe God literally leads you, guides you? Impressive upon you, speaks to you. Through the word of God, are things that he wants you to do or not to do. Some people, their life is so noisy, so busy. They don’t have time to stop because sometimes God is not speaking through the tornado or the hurricane, but speaking through a what? They have a small voice. And some people ain’t quiet enough to hear. When you read the book of Galatians in chapter five, it talks about walking in the spirit.

Walking in the spirit is a direction. Walking in the spirit is obeying the Word of God. And you see, you don’t ignore the Bible. And so I’m just gonna depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead guide me. You dummy, don’t you understand it. He don’t do it that way. He leads in guys according to the truth of this book. And He never leads you contrary to the book. The Holy Spirit will always lead you to do right. He never leads you to do wrong.

I had people do you tell me, and they’re going to do something. I said, you know, I don’t believe that’s the will of God. Well, I prayed about it, and I believe this is what God wants me to do. I prayed about it. A lot of sin has been committed because they said I prayed about it. It means they already have made up her mind what they’re gonna do, even if it conflicts with the book and then blame it.

Well, I believe it’s God’s will for me. What if it’s God’s will for you? It’ll be right. God doesn’t lead you to do wrong. You’ll always be right. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 says that the truths that are in this book, or you really understand them, cannot be understood by the eye or the ear. First of all, they have to be saved. But he makes that statement, I have not seen ear have not heard, neither have entered to the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him.

You can trust Christ’s Savior, accept that free gift of eternal life. You become God’s child, you go to heaven whenever you die and God will never cast you out and never lose you. That’s free. But there’s another world growing to maturity, getting old enough where you can accept spiritual responsibilities. You see like in the world there’s people who are born, but they never mature. They can never as an adult take care of themselves. many people like that in the Lawrence realm.

It’s so important. That’s why you need to have a time where you read God’s Word. Don’t depend upon what you get at church. Even if you come on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, whatever. That’s fine. But you need a personal walk with God. A personal strength and time that you spend alone just between you and God. And don’t let nobody take that away from you. Don’t get too busy that you don’t have time for it Because this is life.

This is where you get the strength, and this is where you get the power from. To do the thing that God wants you to do. Be faithful. Look up here, this is you and me, and this is sin. We all have sin upon us. God says that He loves us, but He hates our sin. We’re all born into this world with a sinful nature, and we’d always do these things that are wrong. And God says, the pay for the sin is eternal separation from God.

To go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. And God says, by the flesh, you will never be perfect. because you can’t change what you are. We cannot save ourselves. This then represents Jesus Christ, He’s the Lord, He’s God in the flesh. He came into this world. He loves us, but He hates our sin, but our sin separates us from. And see without the knowledge of the Bible, we wouldn’t know this. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, and without the Bible, we wouldn’t know that.

Came back from the dead, and all the sins of the world have already been paid, and without knowing the Bible, so we wouldn’t know this. These are things that are revealed to us how much God loves us. And this is how He showed it. And God said, if we’ll believe He did it for us, He would give us as a free gift, eternal life. Say, we wouldn’t know we could have eternal life and know that we’re going to heaven and we don’t have to earn it.

We don’t have to work for it if it wasn’t for the truth found in this book. So when we trust Christ as our Savior, we become His child and we’ll go to heaven whenever we die. So without the Bible, say you wouldn’t know you were His child, you wouldn’t know that you’re going to heaven and know it before you die. You wouldn’t understand none of this stuff. You wouldn’t even know there was a heaven or there was a hell if it wasn’t for the truth found in this book.

So God says, once you trust Christ to save you become his child. As his child you go to heaven whenever you die. Now because of what Christ has done for you, what he’s done for me, it is your choice. You can love him or not love him. But he says, if you love me, he says, I will reveal and manifest myself to you. You see a lot of people would want to see the will of God so they can decide whether they want to do it or not.

See God will reveal things to you just like he tells in the book of Timothy. Teach things to those who are faithful that they may teach others. Those who are faithful will learn things, the people who are not faithful won’t learn, and they’ll be able to teach others things that they learn, that others who didn’t learn can’t teach. I know you understand all of that. Let’s pray, Sally. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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.

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 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.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.

If you will, take your Bible and turn to this portion of Scripture. Isaiah chapter 6, there’s something here that I want you to see because there’s two truths, two main truths that permeate the entire Bible. One of those is that God is holy, God is righteous, God is perfect, God is pure. There is no sin, no fault, no No flaws, no mistakes in God. And Isaiah said that when I saw the Lord, I saw myself. And until you see God and how holy and righteous He is, you will never see yourself the way you really are.

Because you see, you can compare yourself with others and not see yourself that bad. But when you compare yourself to perfection, to holiness, then you can realize there is a serious problem. This is why the Bible talks about the word justification throughout the Scriptures. The question that keeps coming up is how can a man be right with God? How can a man be justified in the eyes of God? And you’ll notice that he says here in verse 3 of Isaiah chapter 6, and one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of his glory. Now this is a picture of God in heaven. As you read the Bible, you never at one time ever see God admitting to one mistake, one imperfection, one flaw, because there is none with God. Jesus Christ was the manifestation of God upon the earth. And as you call the life of Jesus Christ from birth until the day He died, there was no fault, no flaws in his son. Jesus Christ was as perfect, was as righteous, was as just, was as holy as the Father.

The Bible says that you and I need to be just with God. We have to be justified. Therein lies the problem. The Bible, throughout, declares that God is just, God is holy. But man is a different story. Look in verse 5. Then said I, woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips. If you see God the way God is, then you can see that you come far short of the holiness of God, far short of the perfection of God.

When he saw God, he saw himself, and when he saw himself, he saw the people, and he said, I dwell in the midst of unclean people. And then the Bible says in verse 6, then flew one of the seraphim’s enemy, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth and said, lo, this has touch my lips and thine iniquity is taken away and by sin purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord’s in whom shall I send and who will go for us. Then said I hear my sin me.” He had to first see the Lord. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans and chapter three. The book of Romans and chapter three. Romans chapter three is a picture of you and I. We love it when we go to the studio and have a portrait made of ourselves or our family.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re going to stage a picture of you that you want to put on the wall many times you’ll make sure that every hair is in place? And the wife wants to make sure that your tie is straight, if you weren’t a tie. Your clothes are clean, and little Johnny looks fit and span, and the little girl has got on a pretty little dress. The wife is sitting there looking beautiful, and you stage it, and you’re trying to show it as good as you can.

to look your best. But here’s how God sees us. Look there in chapter 3 of the book of Romans and verse 4. God forbid ye let God be true every man a liar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mighteth overcome when thou art judged. Every man a liar. Look what he says down there in verse 10. As it is written there is none righteous, No, not one. And down in verse 12, they’re all going out of the way.

They’re together becoming profitable. There’s none that doeth good. No, not one. Verse 13 says, their throat is an open sepprika or like a grave. Their tongues, they have used deceit. The poison of asp is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Feet swift as shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways. The way of peace they have not known. there’s no fear before God of God in their eyes of this is how God sees man.

And when you boil it all down, this is what he says in verse 23, For all, all men all over the world, all mankind have all sinned, and come short of the perfection of God. That’s why when you study the Bible, all the way through talks about the righteousness, The holiness of God and the sinfulness of man and the plan of salvation is how to get man justified in the eyes of God. Take your Bible-looking a book of Titus in chapter 3.

This is the method on how God is going to justify a man. Justification is the righteous act of God. How can a righteous holy God make Atk sinful man as good as God and God be right in doing it? God must be just, unjustifying a man. How’s that going to be done? Here in the book of Titus in chapter three, look there in verse five, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

How is a man justified by the mercy of God? That’s why throughout much of the scriptures is by grace through faith. This is what God does. This is what man does. Man’s part is only to believe in the part that God did. God did the work. Man simply accepts that work, believes in that work. But man cannot add to that work. Man cannot take his little 25 cent efforts and add it to the work that God has done. It annulls salvation.

So any person who tries to save himself by helping God, by thinking that his going to church or giving money or being water baptized or any good deeds is helping in his salvation of that man. If he’s trusting in his part as far as works go, that man is not saved. He’s lost because you cannot add to grace. One work added to grace means grace isn’t grace. Grace means that it’s free. It was all done by the work that Christ did.

Man cannot justify himself. He cannot help in his justification. He can only by faith accept the work that Jesus Christ did for him. Look what he says there in verse 7. That being justified by his grace, but it is by our faith. God says every man by faith, your Faith in Christ Grace. So God says every man can be saved. I believe that every man has the ability to trust. Every man can put his confidence in something. You can put your confidence in me to get you to heaven.

But there’s a problem. I don’t have the power to get you to heaven. So your faith in me is in vain. I can’t help you. You may put your faith in your own good works to get you to heaven. You still are put in your faith in your confidence where you choose, but your good works can’t get you there so your faith is in vain. You can put it into anything that you want. You can put it into this church by your giving money and your good deeds and maybe joining the church, but that can’t save you so your faith is in vain.

Your faith is not in vain. If you’re trusting in what Christ did for you, then your faith is not in vain. You can be saved and go to heaven whenever you die and be justified by faith and faith alone. See, in verse seven, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. See, eternal life is something that God does not give to sinners. Eternal life is something and a gift that God gives to those who are justified.

Those who have been made righteous and pure from the sins that they’ve committed and God gives every man this free gift of eternal life because as a child of God we inherit eternal life. Now these things are so important to keep in mind. Now take your Bible and turn all the way back to the book of Job. The book of Job and chapter nine. Job and chapter nine. The Bible tells us that Job went through an awful lot concerning his testings, the trials that he went through.

He lost, I believe, the respect of his wife. He lost his wealth. He lost his health. He lost a lot of things. He lost his patience with his three friends. But here Job asked the question. He does it in several places, chapter 14. I believe in verse 10 he makes the same statement about, how can a man be just with God? A chapter 25 of the book of Job says, how then can a man be just with God? Here in the book of Job in chapter nine, look in verse one, then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth, but how should man be just with God?

How can a man be just with God? Because he says, I can’t find anything that I’m doing the wrong and I cannot explain why I’m going through what I’m going through. Because I cannot understand why God is letting this happen to me. Because I don’t think I deserve it because I don’t know of anything that I’ve done that’s wrong. And God was simply testing the faithfulness of Job, the building, the character of Job, not trying to show Job how far he’d come, but how far he has yet to go when you talk about, oh, I’m righteous in my own eyes.

God is holy. And you won’t see how sinful you are until you see how righteous God is. So how is a man gonna be made just or righteous with God? Now, notice what he says over there in verse 20. And in verse 20, he said, if I justified myself, my own mouth shall condemn me. If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse, though I were perfect, yet when I not know my soul, I would despise my life.

He despised the very day he was born, because he has no answers. He doesn’t know why things happen the way they did. He could not explain it. He could answer his friends that ask him, why is all this happening to you? They were accusing and blaming him. And he said, I just don’t know. And he pours out his heart to God. He said, if I could justify myself, it still bothers me. But the thing is, justification is not. By you declaring yourself good enough.

Have you ever talked to somebody and they said, I think I’m good enough to make it. That means they have justified themselves good enough to get to heaven. They have declared themselves righteous. I go to church and I don’t beat my wife, I pay my bills and I don’t hurt nobody and I don’t do anything wrong to nobody. I’m a pretty good guy. They have cleared themselves. They justified themselves. Now God says a man is not just because you say and you declare yourself to be justified.

So you cannot do it by positive thinking. Notice up there in verse 27. It is not by you being sorry for the way you’ve lived. It’s not because you’re remorseful for all those sins you committed. He says, if I say I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness and comfort myself. I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that thou will not hold me innocent. It’s spite of how I see it. Though I’m sorry for what I did, I don’t understand why I did that.

I felt bad. I felt remorse. I felt this way. I felt that way. All these feelings. If I could clear myself, I know God will not hold me innocent. Then how can a man be just with God? Look in verse 30, he says, it’s not by washing. It’s not by quitting. It’s not by any works. He says in verse 30, But if I wash myself with snow water, make my hands never so clean. There’s never been this clean before.

If you could get some soap and some acid if you had to and make sure there’s not one dirt spec on your whole body, you’re still unclean. And whenever Isaiah lifted up his eyes and he saw the Lord, he said, I am a man of unclean lips. I’m unclean. Whoa is me. Every man. Oh, is you. You are unclean. You are dirty. You are as filthy rags. You are a sinner. You cannot clear yourself. You’re not justified by yourself.

All of us all put together cannot justify one man because we say he’s just. I’ve had people say, well, if anybody made it to heaven, I knew that dear old Aunt Suji did, she would give you the shirt off of her bath. She was the sweetest person. And therefore I know she’s in heaven because she was a good person and she went to church and she was there to do with that. That is not why she’s going to heaven.

If dear old Aunt Susie didn’t trust Christ as her Savior, she’s in hell. And all of the nice compliments that we could ever pay upon any person because of how they lived does not justify a person. Only God can declare you righteous. And it only takes one sin to condemn your soul to hell. That’s why you need to be justified. And he goes throughout the Scriptures here over and over again, talking about how can then a man be justified?

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter 5. The book of Romans and chapter 5, The means of our justification is by grace through faith, and the Bible tells us that we are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. Look there in verse 9. Romans chapter 5 and verse 9. Much more than being now justified by what? By His blood. blood was the payment that was used to pay for our sins. If you paid for your sins, it’s death in hell.

So Jesus Christ had eternal life and that life was in the blood and He says the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for the life of the flesh is in the blood. So when he gave his blood, he shed his life. And the life that he can give to you and I becomes of the payment that he made is eternal life.

He made the payment for all the sins of all the world and paid for all of our sins. Christ did that for us. And God will declare you and I righteous because of the payment that He made. And that’s why He says, much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved fromntax through Him. No other way for a man to be justified. When is the man justified? When is he just? am I going to be someday or was it yesterday or is it going to be tomorrow or was it when I got saved?

The day I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior. That day, that moment, that payment Christ made was put to my account as though I made it. And that moment, God declared me righteous. He declared me justified. I am one of the just that the Bible talks about. You, if you trusted Christ as your Savior, have been just if I’ve cleared of all charges against you. How is a man to be made righteous with God? Only because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

That was the payment that was made. Take your Bible and look there in the book of Romans in chapter three and verse 24. Here he says, being justified freely, that means that you do nothing. It means you pay nothing. It means you don’t do any works whatsoever. There’s no charge to you. It means that you don’t promise that you’re going to stop something or start something. You simply are receiving something. You’re receiving your justification just as if you had never sinned.

Being justified freely by his what? his grace. That means unmerited favor. God did it by his desire and God did it by his power. Because grace is the desire and the power of God. Like I said before, God may have had the power to save you, but if he had no desire to save you, you’d still be lost. And if God had the desire to save you, but not the power to save you, you’d still be lost. Aren’t you glad he had the desire to save you and the power to save you because God loves you and you can’t explain that.

But the last part of that verse is what I want you to say. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, the redemption means that He made a payment for you to buy you off the slave market of sin. He made a payment. That was the ransom payment that He made for the sins of the whole world so that anybody in the world and God said, I need somebody because They’re all people of unclean lips. All the people are wicked.

And I need somebody to go tell them, Isaiah says, Lord, here am I. Send me. Here am I. Send me. I want you to take your Bible, look in the book of Acts, and chapter 13. The book of Acts and chapter 13. How many sins are you justified from? How many sins are you justified from? If he doesn’t justify you and clear you of all of them, he didn’t do you any favors. It’d still be lost. How many sins would it take to condemn you to hell?

Just one. It’s simply put like this. Here you are, you’re hanging over a cliff. 10 links in a chain. How many links has to break before you fall? Just one. Does it matter which link? You say, I didn’t commit adultery and I haven’t killed anybody and I haven’t done this. Yeah, but have you ever lied? God says, let every man be what? A liar. Okay. So that one broke. You’re falling. You’re falling. You’re hopelessly, you’re lost. You’re going down and there’s nothing you can do to save yourself.

God has to reach down and save you because He loves you. Has nothing to do with you loving Him. You’re not saved because, oh, I really love the Lord. That’s all fine and good, but that’s not going to get you to heaven. And you can say, I’m going to go to church and I’m going to try to do right now. But prove to God how much I love him. If you don’t accept him as your Savior, you’re lost. There is no other way.

No other way. No other name by which a man can be saved. Here in the book of Acts chapter 13, look in verse 39. And by him, all get that all that believe are justified from how many things. All things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. The law of Moses is the 10th commandment. You can’t be justified if you kept the whole law. You’re not going to be justified. You’re still lost. So God says, by your worst, you cannot be justified.

Take your Bible looking at the book of Galatians and chapter 2. The book of Galatians and chapter 2. Remember this, you are justified the very moment that you accept Christ as your Savior. Remember the story in the book of Luke, the publican and the sinner stands there in the temple and the Pharisee says, boy, I tithe all that I have and I do these good works and He’s good, he’s good deeds. And he ran and raided and bribed on himself for how good he was.

And there was a man who stood there and he bowed his head. He says, I’m not even worthy to look up. Lord be merciful to me, a sinner. The Bible says that man went down to his house, what? Justified the wind. When he left, that means he was justified then, right then, on the spot. He was justified. When were you justified? The day you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Now if you never trusted Him and only Him as you’re only waiting to get to Heaven, you’re not justified.

You’re not going to Heaven. Unless you trust Christ as your Savior before you die, you are lost. You can be sitting here, you can be sipping into church here for 30 years. 30 years. I don’t know if you’ve been in a church for a thousand years. If you haven’t done that one thing, you’re lost. Doesn’t matter how good you live and how intended you may be and how sincere you may be, you’re lost. Doesn’t matter how much you know about the Bible, how much you can quote, how much money you’ve given, nothing matters.

It’s all to, it’s all in vain. Unless you trust in Christ as your Savior. Look here in Galatians in chapter 2 and verse 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Isn’t that simple?

Isn’t that clear? Look up here just a second. Here’s the Lord and here’s us. We have to be justified just as if I’ve never sinned. I’ve got to be equal with God. God is perfect in lives in heaven which is perfect. And God says you have to be perfect to go there. God says you’re not. So being justified is being made equal with the Father. Well the Father finds no fault in you. He finds no sin in you. Because when He looks at you, He sees you through His Son.

He sees all of us through his Son because when we trust Christ as our Savior, we’re placed in Him. We’re in His Son. And so the Son is in heaven and we’re in Him. This is how God sees it. So God has judicially declared and justified in doing so and declaring you and I righteous. If a man could be justified by any means other than the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, then Calvary and all that great sacrifice that Christ made was the biggest blunder in history.

Not by works I may have done, but by the blood of God’s own Son. Not a merit wrought by me, the blood of Christ my only plea, justified by grace alone, for Through his work he can atone, forever settled, free at last, justified by sin is past. Tremendous thing, you’re justified the very moment you trust Christ as your Savior. Now God wants those who have been justified to live like you’ve been justified. Live the way God sees you. God sees you as his child.

Live like you’re a child of God. like you’re a child of God. If you’re a child of the King, use the language of the court. Learn to quote his word. Talk about his word. Praise the Lord. Honor him in your life because you have been justified by grace through faith and that alone by the payment that Christ made on the cross. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold.

We pray that you were blessed by today’s message If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. By broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvary oftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. 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