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Sanctification - Part 2 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
I don't really know where to tell you to open your Bible. There's a lot of places we're going to go to tonight.
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I guess just open it up to Titus 2.
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That'll be our first passage that we come to.
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So last week we began discussing sanctification, which is, as Clay already said, a topic that is literally eternally vast.
0:26
There's so much in it. We're never going to cover all the things that we need to cover.
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And so at the very beginning, hear me say, I encourage you to study it more than you're going to get tonight.
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I'm going to try to answer some questions.
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I started last week by answering the first three of the total six questions that I wanted to pose.
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And those first three were, I believe, if I find in myself, or if I find that I'm sinning more than I'm,
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or if I find in myself more failure than I do success, am I still being sanctified was the first question.
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Secondly, what about that one setting sin in my life?
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Am I still being sanctified if that thing is true with me?
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And then thirdly, I think I simply just asked, how can we be sanctified?
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Tonight, we're going to deal with these three.
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If no matter what I do, I can't lose my salvation, then why should I care to be sanctified?
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Number two, where should I start?
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And number three, what should I be expecting?
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And obviously, these are really general.
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The first one's more specific, but the last two are really general.
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And so we're just going to scan it.
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I mean, we're just going to be a survey of these things.
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It's not going to be an exhaustive study at all.
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But before we get going, I'm just going to pray, and then we'll really dive in.
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Father, we don't ask you to teach us everything there is to know about sanctification.
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We just simply ask you to teach us something more than we knew when we came in.
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We just want to grow through this time.
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Lord, if it's just the next 45 minutes or so, just let us truly benefit, truly, truly benefit in Christ from being here.
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And Lord, just give your people your word.
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If what they're just saying is truly the cry of their heart, if they really are hungry and they really are thirsty and they really want to be fed,
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then I pray that, God, I would be given the grace in this moment to give them true food and give them true drink, which is Christ.
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I pray that they would eat of you and drink of you and be filled with you.
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They would know you better, Lord, than they ever knew you before.
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They would understand what sanctification is.
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They would understand how it's supposed to work.
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They would understand what's facing them, what's to come in their life pursuit of sanctification.
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So just aid me, God.
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I need your grace.
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I am inadequate apart from Christ completely to do this.
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And so, God, just make yourself look glorious through our study.
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In Christ's name, amen.
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Before we really get into the questions, I just want to talk about, or I guess briefly redefine for you what sanctification is.
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That's a big word.
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The root of it is sanctify.
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And it really just means to be set apart, okay, to be made holy, to be consecrated unto God.
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It is the process of us becoming more like Christ.
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That's a daily thing.
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That's a moment-by-moment thing.
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There isn't different stages and levels of sanctification.
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There's just this process of you daily becoming more like Jesus Christ in every single facet of your life,
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in your thinking, in your doing, in your acting, in your reacting,
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in the things that you focus on, in your motivations, in your ambitions, in your affections.
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Everything is becoming more like Christ, more for Christ.
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And that's what it means to be sanctified.
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It's a work of the Holy Spirit.
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We learn that in 1 Thessalonians 5.
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It says, by the Spirit of peace, may He sanctify you entirely.
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Okay?
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So we know from the beginning of it that it's a work that God does, but it's also a work that we're called to.
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It says in Hebrews 12 that we should pursue sanctification.
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Okay?
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So I said this last week.
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This is hard to get your mind around, but sanctification, this idea of becoming more like Christ,
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is something that God will do to every Christian by His grace,
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but it's also something that we pursue as Christians that are striving to glorify Christ.
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It's the only way that you can glorify Christ, by the way, is to become more like Him and to live in light of that.
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But Christ's glory is the purpose for it, and Christ's blessings are the rewards of it.
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But if you want, if you feel, maybe you're sitting here tonight and you feel like, man, you know,
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I like coming to Bible studies, I like going to church on Sundays, I like, you know, the people that I'm around,
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these are great people, but I don't really feel like I'm really growing any closer to Christ.
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I don't really have any kind of sense of His presence in my life.
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I believe it is biblical to pray for a felt Christ.
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I believe God can be not only known about, but known relationally.
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You know, and so, if you're wondering why that may be for you,
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then I would venture to say it's probably the fact that you're not striving to be holy.
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That sanctification isn't as big of a part of your life as it should be.
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So, just know that, I guess, at the beginning.
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It's experienced, okay, so sanctification is experienced by us primarily through faith.
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Through dependent faith.
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Through childlike, simple faith.
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In God's Word.
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As we exercise faith in God's Word, as we read it and we take it for what it says at face value,
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and we believe it, and we live it,
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that is how we experience God's work of sanctification.
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You will find the energy for things you did not have energy for.
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You will find love for people you did not love before.
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That's what God will prove to you as you endeavor to be sanctified.
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It's that you have these new affections and these new feelings and these new intangibles that God gives to his people
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for his glory, for our blessing.
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But it's also...
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Well, that's pretty much what it is.
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I don't want to get too complicated.
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It's important to understand this.
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I said this as well last week, and this is why I had you turn to Titus 2.
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That's a really, really important thing to understand.
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Okay?
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He saved you to make you holy.
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Let's look at Titus 2.14.
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It says, my first word here is who.
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That's Jesus.
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Jesus gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed
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and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.
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Just to further corroborate that,
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1 Peter 2, verse 24 says,
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And he himself, that's Jesus again, bore our sins in his body on the cross,
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that we might die to sin and live to righteousness,
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for by his wounds you were healed.
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Okay?
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So what do we have there?
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We have Jesus Christ dying on the cross,
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so that you could die to your sin,
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and so that you could live to righteousness.
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Which is another good definition of, I think, sanctification.
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It's dying to sin, it's living to righteousness.
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It's casting off the old man with our old desires and our fleshly desires
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and vents and inclinations,
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and it's putting on the new man.
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It's putting on Christ.
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Romans 13, I think, says it like that.
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Now,
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it's almost seen as like clothing yourself in Jesus Christ.
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Those are all just, I guess, metaphorical ways of seeing it.
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So Christ gave up his kingdom,
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Christ gave up his crown,
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Christ gave up his holiness,
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or not his holiness,
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but his righteous cloak,
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you could say,
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in heaven,
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to come down and to be a peasant,
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to be a man,
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to take on flesh,
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to take on all of the experiences of the human being.
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And then he died, right,
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in our place,
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so that we could be holy.
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So it's primary.
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This isn't a secondary thing.
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It's not like, you know,
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Christ died simply to save you,
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and sanctification is, you know,
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kind of the thing that he hopes for.
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Okay?
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Christ died to make you holy.
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Whatever the cost.
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Loving Christ is not a small thing.
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At times, it's very difficult.
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And you were saved,
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okay, let me just say this again,
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one more time,
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then we'll get to the new stuff.
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You were saved in an instant,
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by pure grace,
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and it costs you nothing.
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But you will be sanctified,
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throughout your lifetime,
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and it will cost you everything.
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You were saved in a moment, right?
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In a simple little moment.
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And it didn't cost you anything.
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It cost Christ everything.
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But you are sanctified,
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over your entire lifetime,
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and that will cost you,
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your life.
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Alright?
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We're going to dive deeper into that.
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First question.
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If no matter what I do,
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I can't lose my salvation,
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then why should I care to be sanctified?
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I hear this a lot from people.
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Maybe not explicitly,
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but I think implicitly.
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They think it is totally cool,
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if they don't strive for holiness.
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They don't see the reason for it.
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I mean, I've been saved,
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I've said the right prayer,
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I've done the right thing,
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I've been confirmed in the church,
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these things are true of me,
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so why do I need to be holy?
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You know, if I go make a confession to my priest,
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or if I go do this, or go do that,
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then that means I'm good to go.
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I can do whatever I want during the week,
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and then I can be right on Sunday,
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and then God's going to accept me on the last day.
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There's all these,
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there's this,
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this disease, I would call it,
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flows throughout Christendom.
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It underlines a lot of people's faith.
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It exposes it, I think.
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So firstly, okay,
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in order to answer our question,
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sanctification is the proof of your salvation.
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Again, I quoted it earlier,
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Hebrews 12, 14 says,
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pursue sanctification without which
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you will not see the Lord.
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That's a pretty strong statement.
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Pursue sanctification without which
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you will not see the Lord.
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So pursue holiness.
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Become like Christ,
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or else,
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you will not see the Lord.
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You will not be found to be in Christ
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on the last day,
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if this is not true of you.
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So when people neglect sanctification,
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it's just simply evidence
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that maybe they're not saved.
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And that's really simple to understand,
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I think.
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If that's really why Christ died,
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I mean,
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if that's really the purpose of God
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was to make you holy
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in saving you,
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then surely it's going to happen.
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We can't thwart the will of God.
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But I think it's more important
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to understand why this is true.
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Okay?
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Why is it true
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that God's people become holy?
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One-to-one correlation.
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Why is it true?
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Why are all true believers sanctified?
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Go to Romans 6.
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Romans 6.
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This is such an awesome passage.
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Paul had just gotten finished here
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in the context.
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For five chapters now,
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for the first few,
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he really just kind of
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puts an indictment on all mankind.
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He says,
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these things are true of you
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if you're a Jew.
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These things are also true of you
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if you're a jinn fowl.
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That means if you're not a Jew.
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So these things are true of everybody.
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He just kind of,
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he exposes everybody
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in their sin.
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He doesn't leave anybody out
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no matter where you are,
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no matter who you are.
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Everybody's a sinner.
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Then he starts talking about
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how salvation
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is by faith alone.
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Alright?
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And he goes through chapter 4
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and chapter 5
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and he's exposing
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how salvation is by grace alone,
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through faith alone,
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in Christ alone.
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It's a gift.
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He talks about Abraham
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as an example,
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all these different things.
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And then he gets to Romans 6
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and he kind of begins
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to anticipate
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the
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rebuttal.
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you could say,
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of the religious leaders
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that he's writing to.
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He knows what they're going to ask.
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He knows their questions
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and so he begins
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in verse 1
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of chapter 6
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and he says,
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What should we say then?
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Or in other words,
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you might say this.
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Are we to continue in sin
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that grace might increase?
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May it never be.
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How shall we who died to sin
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still live in it?
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Are we to continue in sin
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that grace might increase?
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May it never be.
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How shall we who died to sin
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still live in it?
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So he's anticipating them saying,
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Paul,
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if you're being serious right now,
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if you're saying
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that it's completely by grace
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that we're saved,
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then why not just keep sinning
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all the more
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so that God gets more glory
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if that's really true.
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I mean,
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if it's all grace
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and there's no works at all,
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then
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let's just keep sinning
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so that grace may abound,
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Paul.
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And his response is,
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in the strongest Greek negative
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that there is,
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may it never be.
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Or no way.
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Or
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almost like a
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you are out of your mind
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to think that kind of thing.
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How shall we who have died to sin,
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he says,
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still live in it?
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Your old man died
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when Christ died.
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What is the old man?
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That's your
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humanness
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that has fallen.
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That is your
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enslavement to sin.
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That is your
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identification, you could say,
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as a child of the devil.
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That is your inability
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to honor God.
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That is your inability
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to love Christ.
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All those things died
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with Christ
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when He died.
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And when you were raised
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with Christ,
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when you were
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made a new man,
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made a new woman,
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by His grace,
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you were risen with freedom
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from the power
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and dominion of sin,
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and you were then
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given freedom
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to the power,
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the spirit,
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the mind,
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and the grace
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of Christ
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daily.
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Okay, so hear that.
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Those things are
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literally available to you
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if you were a believer.
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The power
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that rose Christ
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or that raised Christ
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from the dead
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is within you.
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The spirit of God
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is within you.
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The spirit of God,
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the spirit of an omnipotent being
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is within you.
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The mind of Christ,
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1 Corinthians 2.16,
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I think,
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says,
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is yours.
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What does that mean?
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That's the ability
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to comprehend
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this
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by faith
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and actually have it
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work in your life
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and not be words
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on a page.
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And then
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the grace of Christ
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is available
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to you daily.
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which is the foundation
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upon our whole
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Christian life.
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If I'm not,
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I literally had one
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of the worst weeks
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ever this week.
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I literally,
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it was such a terrible week.
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Okay, like in so many ways,
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so many different ways.
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And yet,
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the only thing
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that really kept me going
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and the only thing
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that didn't keep me
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from just really being,
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you know,
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led into more sin
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was the fact that
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I was standing
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on the grace
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of God.
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And then again,
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I reminded myself
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it's not about
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what I've done,
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it's not about
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what I've earned,
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it's not about
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what I merit
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from God,
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I'm standing
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on the grace
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of Christ.
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Which is that
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sure,
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it's that sure
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foundation.
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So,
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all these things
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are ours.
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All those things
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are ours.
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And so,
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Paul doesn't mean,
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I mean,
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what he's saying here
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in the verse
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is that holiness
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isn't an option.
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It's not an option
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anymore.
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And I'm not,
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I'm not meaning that
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like you better do this
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kind of,
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it's not an option.
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I'm meaning it like
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it's impossible
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not to be
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holy.
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Why?
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Because you died
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to your old man.
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And you were risen
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in Christ.
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Now,
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I want to exhaust that,
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but I can't.
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There's so much in that.
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I mean,
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I know you guys
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are probably thinking,
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what is the old man again?
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Go study it.
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Get commentary on it,
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but just understand
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that old man
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is who you once were
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and the new man
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is who you are now
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in Christ.
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There's so much more
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to say.
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So,
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then jump to 15.
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Okay?
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We just skipped
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an entire semester
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worth of information.
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But,
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verse 15 here,
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same chapter,
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says this.
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He anticipates
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another question
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and he says,
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what then?
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Shall we sin
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because we are not
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under law
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but under grace?
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May it never be again,
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he says.
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Do you not know
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that when you present
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yourselves to someone
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as a slave,
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as slaves for obedience,
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you are slaves
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of the one
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whom you obey?
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Either of sin
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resulting in death
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or of obedience
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resulting in righteousness.
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But thanks be to God
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that though you were
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slaves of sin,
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that's that old man,
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you became obedient
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from the heart
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to that form of teaching
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to which you were committed.
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And having been freed
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from sin,
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you became slaves
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of righteousness.
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righteousness.
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What's he saying?
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He starts off
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with the question,
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shall we sin
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because we are not
20:37
under law
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but under grace?
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Again,
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he's pointing out
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something that they
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were believing
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that was false.
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if in fact
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I am not held
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accountable
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by the law
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anymore,
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then
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it's not a
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well,
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then why not sin?
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It's more of a
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well,
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then can I sin?
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You know?
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I think the first question
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is kind of the
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well,
21:08
why not sin?
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Kind of this like arrogant
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you know,
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like what do you mean Paul?
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Like you know,
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just,
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but then in 15
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he's kind of already
21:13
addressed that
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so in 15
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they say
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well then
21:15
why can't you sin?
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It's more of a genuine
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like you know,
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why not?
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Shall we sin?
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Shall we sin
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because we're not
21:23
under law
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but under grace?
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And he says
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may it never be.
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And he goes back
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to his original argument
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and he says
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basically
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you can't serve
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two masters.
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Okay,
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that's what 16
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through 18
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is basically communicating
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is you can't serve
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two masters.
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You can't love sin
21:42
and Christ.
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those things
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are no longer
21:49
able to coexist
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in a loving way.
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You may still sin.
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I'm not saying
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you can't sin.
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I'm just saying
21:57
you can't love sin
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like you once loved it.
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You won't be enslaved
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to sin
22:05
like you were once
22:05
enslaved to it
22:06
because your affections
22:08
have changed.
22:09
And how do we know that?
22:10
Because it says here
22:11
you became obedient
22:12
to God's commandments
22:13
from your heart.
22:17
So part of becoming
22:18
a Christian
22:19
is
22:20
imagine your heart
22:22
as a heart of stone,
22:23
right?
22:24
A heart of stone.
22:24
It's a stony heart.
22:25
It has no sensitivity
22:26
to anything.
22:28
I can kick a stone
22:29
as hard as I want to
22:30
it's not going to feel it.
22:31
Right?
22:32
There's no sensitivity
22:33
in it.
22:34
When I become a Christian
22:35
God says He gives me
22:36
in Ezekiel 36
22:37
a heart of flesh.
22:38
It has life.
22:41
It has sensitivity
22:42
to the things of God.
22:46
And so
22:47
I became obedient
22:50
to the commandments
22:51
of God
22:51
in my heart.
22:53
I'm sensitive
22:54
to Christ, right?
22:55
I now love this person.
22:57
I love this Christ.
22:59
And so
22:59
there's certain things
23:00
that because I love Him
23:01
I don't want to do that to Him.
23:04
I care about Him.
23:06
My heart is for Him.
23:08
My affection is His.
23:09
And so I don't want to do
23:10
those things
23:11
that I once did.
23:12
So you find
23:12
when you sin
23:13
how do you feel?
23:14
It's like
23:14
I'm not again.
23:18
I just keep doing
23:18
the same thing.
23:19
And He addresses this
23:20
in Romans 7
23:21
but He's like
23:21
I do the very thing
23:22
that I hate.
23:24
Right?
23:25
I do the very thing
23:26
that I hate.
23:26
So we find that
23:27
if you are truly a believer
23:29
and you're loving Christ
23:30
from your heart
23:31
and you're obeying
23:31
God's commandments
23:32
from your heart
23:32
then you will inevitably
23:34
hate sin.
23:35
Which is why Paul
23:36
can justifiably say
23:37
so clearly
23:38
so simply
23:38
how can you sin
23:42
if you've died to it
23:43
and if you're now
23:46
living in Christ?
23:46
How can you sin
23:47
if you now hate
23:48
sinning
23:49
and love
23:51
godliness?
23:55
It's just a really
23:56
simple argument
23:56
but it's
23:56
I mean it's
23:57
you know
23:57
it's shrouded
23:58
in this complex
23:59
you know
24:01
supernatural
24:01
spiritual stuff
24:02
that we can't really
24:03
get our minds
24:03
fully around
24:04
but I'm
24:04
that's what he's
24:05
essentially saying
24:06
you can't serve
24:08
two masters
24:08
and who your master
24:10
is
24:10
listen to this guys
24:11
who your master
24:12
is
24:12
will be evident
24:13
by the fruit
24:14
of your life
24:14
right?
24:18
The vine doesn't
24:19
lie
24:19
an apple tree
24:22
bears apples
24:22
an orange tree
24:23
bears oranges
24:24
a sinner
24:27
bears the fruits
24:28
of sin
24:28
Galatians 5
24:30
tells you what
24:30
those are
24:31
whereas
24:32
a man being
24:33
sanctified
24:34
a godly man
24:35
bears the fruits
24:36
of that godliness
24:37
there's no hiding it
24:40
that's why Jesus
24:43
says about the
24:44
Pharisees
24:45
and the Sadducees
24:45
when he's dealing
24:46
with them himself
24:47
he just says
24:48
you'll know them
24:49
by their fruits
24:50
what they love
24:52
will be known
24:53
all your sin
24:54
will find you out
24:55
you can't hide
24:57
from God
24:58
and you can't
25:01
hide who you are
25:02
the Christian
25:04
having been
25:04
freed from sin
25:05
and enslaved
25:07
now to righteousness
25:08
as we see in our
25:09
verse
25:09
obeys God
25:10
whereas the
25:12
unrighteous man
25:13
being enslaved
25:13
to sin
25:14
is ruled by
25:15
his lusts
25:17
which reign over
25:18
him as his
25:18
master
25:18
verse John 3
25:26
turn there
25:27
this is one of
25:30
the clearest
25:31
clearest
25:32
clearest
25:33
texts
25:33
in the whole
25:35
bible
25:35
on this topic
25:37
and I think it
25:37
just speaks so
25:38
pointedly to it
25:41
1st John 3
25:42
verse 7
25:43
you guys there
25:49
it says this
25:51
little children
25:52
so he's speaking
25:53
to Christians
25:53
let no one
25:55
deceive you
25:56
the one who
25:57
practices
25:58
righteousness
25:59
is righteous
26:00
the one who
26:02
practices sin
26:03
is of the
26:04
devil
26:05
for the devil
26:07
has sinned
26:08
from the
26:08
beginning
26:08
now listen to
26:11
this
26:11
here we go
26:11
again with
26:12
what I said
26:13
earlier
26:13
the son of
26:14
God
26:14
appeared
26:14
for this
26:15
purpose
26:16
that he
26:17
might destroy
26:18
the works
26:19
of the
26:19
devil
26:20
so why
26:22
did Christ
26:23
appear
26:23
destroy the
26:30
works of
26:31
the devil
26:31
now I
26:33
think that
26:34
obviously
26:35
means
26:35
in a
26:37
salvation
26:37
way
26:38
he came
26:38
to
26:39
destroy
26:40
the
26:40
dominion
26:41
that
26:41
Satan
26:42
once had
26:43
over
26:43
human
26:43
beings
26:44
he came
26:44
to destroy
26:45
the threat
26:46
of death
26:46
but I
26:47
think it
26:47
means that
26:47
he also
26:48
came to
26:48
destroy
26:48
sin
26:49
within the
26:50
believer
26:50
now
26:50
he came
26:53
to make
26:54
holiness
26:54
possible
26:55
truly
26:58
possible
26:58
why does
27:03
God save
27:03
you
27:03
to make
27:03
you
27:04
holy
27:04
right
27:04
how
27:06
by destroying
27:07
the works
27:07
of the
27:07
devil
27:07
let's keep
27:09
reading
27:09
no one
27:14
who was
27:15
born of
27:15
God
27:16
practices
27:16
sin
27:17
because his
27:20
seed abides
27:21
in him
27:22
and he
27:23
cannot
27:23
sin
27:24
because he
27:26
is born
27:26
of God
27:26
okay
27:30
now
27:30
obviously
27:31
that doesn't
27:31
mean
27:31
we can't
27:33
ever sin
27:33
but that
27:35
means that
27:35
we can't
27:36
live in
27:36
it
27:36
I've
27:38
said this
27:38
illustration
27:38
a couple
27:40
of times
27:40
and I
27:41
think I
27:42
said it
27:42
a couple
27:42
of weeks
27:42
ago
27:42
but I'm
27:43
just going
27:43
to say
27:43
it again
27:43
imagine
27:45
yourself
27:45
before your
27:46
salvation
27:47
okay
27:48
before Christ
27:49
as a
27:49
fish
27:50
now as
27:52
a fish
27:53
you
27:54
swim in
27:54
the water
27:55
right
27:55
your natural
27:56
habitat
27:56
is the
27:57
water
27:57
you breathe
27:58
it in
27:58
you have
27:59
gills
28:00
for that
28:00
that's
28:02
your
28:02
ecosystem
28:03
that's
28:04
where you
28:04
live
28:04
that's
28:04
where you
28:05
breathe
28:07
whatever
28:07
okay
28:09
then you
28:10
become a
28:10
Christian
28:10
let's say
28:11
then you
28:11
become a
28:11
Christian
28:12
and God
28:13
changes you
28:14
from a
28:14
fish
28:14
to a
28:15
man
28:15
now I
28:18
don't have
28:18
gills
28:18
I have
28:19
lungs
28:19
and now I
28:20
breathe air
28:21
and now my
28:21
natural habitat
28:22
is on the
28:22
land
28:22
and I
28:23
walk around
28:23
and I
28:24
don't
28:24
have
28:24
I
28:24
don't
28:24
swim
28:24
anymore
28:25
now
28:25
as a
28:26
human
28:26
being
28:27
right
28:27
as a
28:28
human
28:28
being
28:28
as a
28:29
Christian
28:29
I
28:30
can
28:30
go back
28:31
in the
28:31
water
28:31
temporarily
28:34
I
28:36
can
28:36
swim
28:36
there
28:37
I
28:37
can
28:37
go
28:37
underwater
28:37
I
28:38
can
28:38
hold
28:38
my
28:38
breath
28:38
for a
28:38
little
28:38
while
28:39
but I
28:39
can
28:40
no
28:40
longer
28:40
live
28:40
in it
28:41
I
28:44
can't
28:44
live
28:44
in it
28:45
I
28:47
don't
28:47
have
28:47
the
28:47
lungs
28:47
for it
28:47
I
28:48
don't
28:48
have
28:48
the
28:48
gills
28:48
for it
28:48
I
28:49
should
28:49
say
28:49
okay
28:51
as a
28:52
Christian
28:52
you
28:54
can
28:54
sin
28:55
again
28:56
it's
28:57
not
28:57
saying
28:57
that
28:58
a
28:58
Christian
28:58
doesn't
28:59
sin
28:59
it's
28:59
saying
28:59
that
29:00
you
29:00
can't
29:00
!
29:00
live
29:01
in
29:01
it
29:01
you
29:02
can't
29:02
practice
29:02
it
29:03
there's
29:06
a
29:06
huge
29:06
difference
29:06
now
29:12
I
29:12
know
29:12
that
29:12
there's
29:12
other
29:12
questions
29:13
coming
29:13
up
29:13
I
29:13
think
29:13
I
29:14
dealt
29:14
with
29:14
some
29:14
of
29:14
those
29:14
questions
29:14
last
29:15
week
29:15
with
29:16
regards
29:17
to
29:17
what
29:17
about
29:17
that
29:17
one
29:18
of
29:18
the
29:18
setting
29:18
sin
29:18
in
29:18
my
29:18
life
29:19
if
29:19
you
29:19
guys
29:19
want
29:20
to
29:20
know
29:20
the
29:20
answer
29:21
to
29:21
that
29:21
I
29:23
don't
29:23
know
29:23
I
29:24
guess
29:24
listen
29:24
to
29:24
the
29:24
podcast
29:25
or
29:25
just
29:27
ask
29:27
me
29:27
and
29:27
I'll
29:27
send
29:28
you
29:28
the
29:28
notes
29:28
or
29:28
something
29:28
but
29:29
that's
29:32
what that
29:32
verse
29:32
is
29:32
saying
29:32
let's
29:33
keep
29:33
reading
29:33
one more
29:34
verse
29:34
he says
29:35
this
29:36
by this
29:36
the children
29:37
of God
29:37
and the
29:38
children
29:39
of the
29:39
devil
29:39
are
29:39
obvious
29:40
anyone
29:42
who does
29:42
not
29:42
practice
29:43
righteousness
29:43
is not
29:44
of God
29:44
nor the
29:45
one who
29:45
does
29:45
not
29:45
love
29:46
his
29:46
brother
29:46
so
29:48
John
29:48
is just
29:49
black
29:50
and white
29:50
he's
29:51
like
29:52
he's
29:54
like
29:54
if it
29:54
doesn't
29:54
look like
29:55
a
29:55
Christian
29:55
and
29:56
talk
29:56
like
29:56
a
29:56
Christian
29:56
and
29:57
out
29:57
like
29:57
a
29:57
Christian
29:58
and
29:59
think
29:59
like
29:59
a
29:59
Christian
29:59
it's
30:00
not
30:00
a
30:00
Christian
30:00
it's
30:03
not
30:04
you know
30:04
I mean
30:05
there's
30:05
this
30:05
one
30:05
guy
30:05
that said
30:06
he
30:06
described
30:07
this
30:07
verse
30:07
like
30:07
this
30:08
he's
30:08
like
30:08
I
30:08
live
30:08
in
30:08
Chicago
30:09
and
30:09
I
30:09
live
30:09
in
30:09
Illinois
30:10
whatever
30:10
like
30:10
I
30:10
have
30:10
this
30:10
farm
30:11
and
30:11
you know
30:12
during
30:12
the
30:12
certain
30:12
seasons
30:13
these
30:14
hunters
30:14
will
30:14
come
30:14
onto
30:15
my
30:15
land
30:15
and
30:16
they'll
30:16
go
30:18
deer
30:18
hunting
30:19
but
30:19
unfortunately
30:20
every
30:21
single
30:21
time
30:22
that
30:22
this
30:22
happens
30:23
every
30:23
single
30:23
season
30:23
that
30:28
and
30:28
I
30:28
just
30:28
want
30:28
to
30:28
be
30:28
there
30:29
and
30:29
go
30:29
to
30:29
them
30:29
and
30:29
be
30:29
like
30:29
it's
30:31
not
30:31
a
30:31
deer
30:31
it
30:33
moves
30:34
it's
30:36
black
30:36
and
30:37
white
30:37
you know
30:37
I
30:37
don't
30:37
know
30:37
what
30:37
they
30:38
were
30:38
seeing
30:38
it
30:38
doesn't
30:39
look
30:39
it
30:40
doesn't
30:40
have
30:40
the
30:40
characteristics
30:41
of a
30:41
deer
30:42
right
30:43
it's
30:44
a
30:44
cow
30:45
and
30:47
he
30:47
says
30:48
the
30:48
same
30:48
thing
30:48
why
30:48
do
30:48
we
30:49
super
30:49
spiritualize
30:50
everything
30:50
when it
30:50
comes
30:50
to
30:51
being
30:51
a
30:51
Christian
30:51
not
30:51
being
30:52
a
30:52
Christian
30:52
if
30:52
it
30:52
doesn't
30:53
look
30:53
like
30:53
a
30:53
Christian
30:53
act
30:54
like
30:54
a
30:54
Christian
30:54
talk
30:55
like
30:55
a
30:55
Christian
30:56
love
30:56
God
30:56
like
30:57
a
30:57
Christian
30:57
love
30:58
God's
30:58
people
30:58
like
30:58
a
30:58
Christian
30:59
it's
30:59
not
30:59
a
31:00
Christian
31:00
that's
31:04
what
31:04
he's
31:04
saying
31:04
Donald
31:12
Barnhouse
31:13
once
31:13
said
31:13
this
31:14
he said
31:15
holiness
31:15
starts
31:16
where
31:17
justification
31:18
finishes
31:18
and
31:20
if
31:20
holiness
31:20
does
31:21
not
31:21
start
31:21
we
31:23
have
31:23
the
31:23
right
31:23
to
31:24
suspect
31:24
the
31:24
justification
31:25
never
31:25
started
31:26
second
31:31
question
31:31
where
31:33
should
31:33
I
31:33
begin
31:34
where
31:35
should
31:35
I
31:35
begin
31:35
a
31:35
lot
31:36
of
31:36
you
31:36
probably
31:36
wondering
31:36
this
31:37
I
31:37
still
31:38
kind
31:38
of
31:38
wondering
31:38
this
31:39
where
31:40
should
31:40
I
31:40
begin
31:40
sinification
31:42
seems
31:43
lofty
31:43
to me
31:44
it
31:44
seems
31:44
overwhelming
31:44
in a
31:45
lot
31:45
of
31:45
ways
31:45
where
31:45
should
31:46
I
31:46
go
31:46
how
31:46
should
31:46
I
31:47
start
31:47
well
31:50
this
31:50
is
31:50
encouraging
31:50
Go to
31:50
Colossians
31:51
2
31:51
really
31:56
simple
31:56
answer
31:57
Colossians
32:01
2
32:01
verse
32:07
6
32:08
he
32:10
says
32:11
as
32:14
you
32:14
therefore
32:14
have
32:15
received
32:15
Christ
32:16
Jesus
32:16
the
32:16
Lord
32:16
so
32:18
walk
32:18
in
32:19
in
32:22
the
32:22
very
32:22
same
32:22
way
32:23
that
32:24
you
32:24
received
32:24
Christ
32:25
that's
32:27
how you
32:27
continue
32:28
it's a
32:31
really simple
32:31
answer
32:31
so then the
32:32
question becomes
32:33
what
32:33
how did I
32:34
receive
32:34
Christ
32:35
what was
32:35
true of
32:35
me
32:36
what things
32:37
characterize
32:38
!
32:38
me
32:38
you
32:40
received
32:41
Christ
32:41
firstly
32:42
by grace
32:43
alone
32:43
go to
32:46
Ephesians
32:46
2
32:46
8
32:46
Bible
32:50
drill
32:50
Ephesians
32:54
2
32:54
8
32:55
you guys
32:56
probably know
32:57
this one by
32:57
heart
32:57
for
32:59
by grace
33:00
you have
33:01
been
33:01
saved
33:02
through
33:03
faith
33:03
and that
33:05
not of
33:05
yourselves
33:05
it is
33:07
the gift
33:08
of God
33:08
by grace
33:10
you have
33:10
been
33:10
saved
33:10
it says
33:11
grace
33:13
the
33:14
definition
33:14
of it
33:14
is the
33:16
merciful
33:16
kindness
33:17
by which
33:18
God
33:19
exerting
33:20
his holy
33:20
influence
33:21
upon souls
33:22
turns
33:22
them to
33:23
Christ
33:23
keeps
33:26
strengthens
33:27
increases
33:28
them
33:29
in
33:29
Christian
33:30
faith
33:30
knowledge
33:31
affection
33:31
and
33:32
kindles
33:32
them
33:33
to
33:33
exercise
33:34
to
33:34
the
33:34
exercise
33:35
of
33:35
their
33:35
Christian
33:36
virtues
33:36
it's
33:36
really
33:37
wordy
33:37
what he's
33:38
basically
33:38
saying
33:38
is
33:38
this
33:39
God
33:40
saved
33:40
you
33:41
by
33:43
no
33:44
merit
33:45
of your
33:45
own
33:45
that's
33:47
what that
33:48
means
33:48
he
33:51
did
33:51
this
33:51
work
33:51
he
33:52
saved
33:52
you
33:52
by
33:53
grace
33:53
turned
33:55
you
33:55
to
33:55
Christ
33:56
and
33:57
then
33:57
he
33:57
keeps
33:58
you
33:58
he
33:58
strengthens
33:58
you
33:59
for
34:01
his
34:02
glory
34:02
you
34:04
were
34:05
depending
34:05
fully
34:05
on
34:05
God's
34:06
grace
34:06
for
34:06
salvation
34:07
when
34:07
you
34:07
began
34:08
he
34:09
would
34:09
like
34:10
for
34:10
us
34:10
to
34:10
fully
34:10
depend
34:11
on
34:11
him
34:11
for
34:11
sanctification
34:12
too
34:12
so
34:14
I
34:14
hope
34:14
you
34:14
understand
34:15
that
34:15
literally
34:16
so
34:18
much
34:18
of
34:18
sanctification
34:19
comes
34:19
down
34:19
to
34:20
just
34:20
understanding
34:21
that
34:21
it's
34:21
all
34:21
by
34:21
grace
34:22
in
34:23
the
34:23
moment
34:23
you
34:24
begin
34:24
to put
34:24
your
34:25
trust
34:25
and your
34:25
confidence
34:25
in
34:26
yourself
34:26
and what
34:27
you
34:27
can
34:27
do
34:27
and how
34:28
much
34:28
you
34:28
can
34:29
resist
34:29
how much
34:31
temptation
34:32
you have
34:32
the ability
34:32
to conquer
34:33
yourself
34:34
you're going to find yourself
34:35
falling into it more and more
34:36
I kind of like this illustration
34:39
!
34:40
One writer said
34:40
as a bird depends on its wings to fly
34:42
so we must depend on God to be holy
34:47
Secondly
34:50
You received Christ
34:51
you were saved
34:52
through faith alone!
34:53
Ephesians 2
34:54
8
34:54
again
34:54
For by grace
34:55
you have been saved
34:56
through faith
34:58
A couple of weeks ago
35:01
we talked about faith
35:02
True faith
35:02
True
35:03
genuine
35:04
God-honoring faith
35:05
gives things
35:06
substance
35:06
and gives things
35:07
feet
35:08
we said
35:08
It gives things
35:10
a certain tangibility
35:11
a certain
35:12
believability
35:13
that it didn't have
35:14
before
35:14
It gives
35:15
in a sense
35:18
I think I pictured
35:19
I painted it like this
35:20
It's like, I can hope in something, like an ice cream cone, waiting on the sidewalk.
35:27
You know, but it's not really mine until I taste it.
35:33
A lot of people have this general hope in God, but when you really have God, it's like a taste.
35:41
It gives things substance. It gives things depth.
35:46
There is such a thing as a felt Christ.
35:50
There is such a thing as that.
35:54
It isn't merely an agreement to some doctrine.
35:57
It's a calm confidence in Christ that alone, okay, that alone can enable a man to resolve to follow Him.
36:07
It is the most natural thing for the believer, and it is the most unnatural thing to the non-Christian, to live by faith.
36:17
You began by simple faith in Christ as the only way to be saved, and so you must continue by simple faith in Christ as the only way to be sanctified.
36:28
Just trust in the Lord.
36:33
Thirdly, you were saved in Christ alone.
36:38
In Christ alone.
36:39
Ephesians 2.8, again.
36:40
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself.
36:43
It is the gift of God, or Christ.
36:46
It is the gift of God.
36:47
Your faith was a gift from Christ.
36:51
He gave Himself up for you on the cross, and then to you in salvation.
37:00
He gave Himself to you in salvation.
37:02
I have been crucified with Christ.
37:04
It is no longer I who live.
37:05
It is Christ who lives in me.
37:08
In the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me, gave Himself up for me.
37:18
Christ is in you, He says.
37:24
He is like oxygen, in a sense, you could say, that we breathe as we run this race of sanctification.
37:31
He is like the oxygen.
37:33
It is a necessary thing.
37:34
Try to run without oxygen.
37:35
It is not going to work very well.
37:38
You need it.
37:40
You have to be breathing it.
37:41
You are not going to be able to run without Christ.
37:43
You are not going to be able to be sanctified without Christ.
37:45
If you begin to run without Him, you will find yourself exhausted, and tired, and weak, and unable.
37:53
He is like oxygen.
37:55
If you find yourself fatigued, then take a break, right?
38:00
And dive into the Word of God.
38:02
And dive into prayer.
38:03
And get Christ.
38:04
Take a breath of Christ.
38:07
Let it renew you and refresh you.
38:11
It says this.
38:12
Fix your eye on Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of your faith.
38:16
That's in Hebrews 12.
38:17
Fix your eye on Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of your faith.
38:21
I love that, because what does it say?
38:23
What does it allude to?
38:24
Author, right?
38:25
He wrote it.
38:25
He began it.
38:26
He initiated it.
38:27
He created it.
38:28
But He is also the finisher of your faith.
38:30
From beginning to end.
38:31
He is the alpha and the omega of your faith.
38:36
And lastly, by Scripture alone.
38:38
You were saved by Scripture alone.
38:40
If Christ is the oxygen that Christians breathe in, then I would say that Scripture is like the food that they eat.
38:47
Deuteronomy 8.3 says this.
38:53
Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
38:59
As your physical body needs nourishment, so your spiritual body needs the nourishment of 1 John and Ecclesiastes.
39:18
Right?
39:19
Revelation.
39:20
And the book of John and Daniel.
39:22
You need that nourishment.
39:23
There's a lot of different vitamins that go into your diet.
39:25
Well, you need vitamin Ecclesiastes.
39:38
God used the truth of the gospel to save you, and He will use it to sanctify you.
39:45
Joshua 1.8 says,
39:46
Don't let the book of the law depart from your mouth or your mind or your heart.
40:05
David Brainerd said this.
40:07
He was a missionary.
40:08
When I return home and I give myself to meditation and prayer and fasting, my soul longs for mortification, self-denial, humility, and divorcement from all things of the world.
40:24
I have nothing to do with earth, but only labor in it honestly for God.
40:28
I do not desire to live one minute for anything which earth can afford.
40:32
That's the result of being immersed in the Word of God and finding in it more satisfying things than what the world has to offer.
40:43
Third question.
40:45
What should I be expecting?
40:48
What should I be expecting?
40:51
This is important to understand.
40:54
First and foremost, you should be expecting satanic opposition.
40:59
Satanic opposition.
41:00
Go to Ephesians.
41:02
You already are in Ephesians.
41:03
Turn a page over.
41:07
Chapter 6, verse 10.
41:16
10-13.
41:17
Here we go.
41:18
Ephesians 6, 10-13.
41:19
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
41:25
Put on the full armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
41:32
Listen to this.
41:34
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood or humanity.
41:40
But our struggle is against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,
41:47
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
41:51
Therefore, take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm.
42:00
Satan is a very formidable opponent to all of us.
42:07
He is so much bigger than you think that he is.
42:10
And I'm going to give you a little taste of that right now.
42:13
Have you heard people ask this question?
42:17
If God created everything in the universe, if He created the entire universe in all of its billions of galaxies,
42:25
why did He only choose to populate one little dot called Earth?
42:33
The actual answer is He didn't.
42:36
He just populated Earth.
42:39
He populated the entire expanse of the heavens with angels and demons.
42:45
They're invisible.
42:49
You don't see them.
42:50
But they are waging war right now in ways that would make World War II look like child's play.
42:55
It is unbelievable what we can't see.
43:01
It is unbelievable.
43:02
You say, where are you getting this job?
43:04
It's in our verse number one.
43:06
In the heavenly places, He says, these wicked forces dwell.
43:11
It's also in Daniel chapter 10, verse 13.
43:15
Daniel prays.
43:17
Daniel prays for God to answer the certain request.
43:21
God does answer the request.
43:23
God sends an angel from heaven as a messenger to Daniel to give him assurance that this thing has been answered.
43:29
For 21 days, this verse says, the angel was prevented by a demon, by a spirit from Persia, it says.
43:45
There are things happening that you don't even have a clue about.
43:48
There are demons working in ways that you have no clue about.
43:55
And for us to think, and it's important for us to grasp these kind of things,
43:58
because when you think that you have the ability to just resist a devil or a demon,
44:03
like you have the ability to resist your sister when she wants to slap you,
44:07
or like a friend that's trying to fight you,
44:09
you are grossly underestimating Satan.
44:11
We need to give him a little bit of respect.
44:15
He is very good at what he does.
44:19
So you might ask me, how does Satan work?
44:21
Satan works primarily through the world system.
44:27
Okay?
44:27
Through the world system.
44:29
He works through things like media.
44:31
He works through things like religion.
44:33
He works through things like music.
44:41
He works through things like television.
44:43
He works through things that aren't necessarily this conspicuous and overt and obvious demonic force.
44:51
He works through things that are subtle.
44:56
He doesn't want you thinking about him.
44:57
He wants you thinking about, I don't know, food, sex, drink.
45:08
He wants you thinking about something else.
45:09
But all those things and all those people that advocate those things are of him.
45:16
And they're being manipulated by him to destroy us.
45:21
So first and foremost, remember, we can't put our trust in ourselves.
45:31
Satan is the ruler of the cosmos.
45:34
Okay?
45:34
That's the opposite of chaos in the Greek.
45:37
Or maybe it's in Latin.
45:40
Okay?
45:41
He is the ruler, it says, of the cosmos.
45:44
It means order.
45:46
He's not all over the place.
45:48
He's calculated and he's smart.
45:52
And he's been at this for 6,000 to 10,000 years.
45:54
And he knows what the heck he's doing.
45:56
And he's supernatural.
45:58
He's brilliant beyond our comprehension.
46:00
And he works through all these deceptions and lies and deceits and distractions.
46:04
And he will do everything that he can within his power to kill you.
46:08
Satan hates Christ.
46:19
Okay?
46:21
He doesn't really care about you.
46:22
He hates Christ.
46:24
So as a Christian, you are a child of God, right?
46:29
You have Christ, as we just said earlier, in you.
46:31
And so Paul says it like this in Colossians chapter 1.
46:37
He says,
46:38
He says,
46:39
And I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.
46:41
And in my flesh, I do my share on behalf of his body.
46:44
That's Christ's body.
46:45
That's the church.
46:46
I do my share on behalf of the church, which is the church.
46:49
In filling up what is lacking, it says, in Christ's afflictions.
46:52
When we're afflicted, when we're tormented, when we're aggressively sought after for our destruction by Satan,
47:07
it is not really about you as much as it is about Christ.
47:10
He's trying to hurt Christ.
47:13
He's trying to stop Christ.
47:14
He's trying to kill Christ.
47:16
He's trying to dishonor and bring reproach to the name of Christ.
47:21
And so we suffer.
47:22
And that's why you suffer.
47:29
He's focused on this.
47:30
And how can God be most dishonored?
47:33
If you were a father,
47:35
if you were a father and you had a child,
47:40
would it bring more dishonor to you?
47:42
Would it enrage you more?
47:44
Would it frustrate you more?
47:45
Would you see it as a stronger hate crime against you
47:48
if someone were to harm you or your son?
47:52
Your son, right?
47:55
Your child.
47:58
I would much rather you hurt me than my child.
48:00
So Satan sees it as opportunistic to hurt God's people,
48:06
to hurt Christ's people,
48:08
to hurt his children.
48:10
And so he does whatever he can to stop you,
48:14
to distract you,
48:15
to kill you.
48:16
There's three ways,
48:21
I think,
48:23
three ways that he primarily does this.
48:25
And I,
48:26
this is not,
48:27
believe me,
48:28
we could do,
48:29
again,
48:29
an entire series in a semester,
48:30
maybe even a year,
48:31
on Satanology
48:33
and on spiritual warfare.
48:34
There are so many things to say here.
48:38
There's so much material on this topic.
48:39
There's so many different things
48:41
that really need to be grasped by us all
48:44
to understand how the enemy is working.
48:48
But let me just give you three things,
48:50
three D words
48:52
that help us understand how Satan's working.
48:55
First is,
48:56
first is he distracts.
48:59
He distracts.
49:00
Your mind,
49:02
your thoughts,
49:04
dictate your actions.
49:07
So he distracts you.
49:10
The majority of Satan's focus
49:11
is to keep your focus off Christ.
49:17
I remember C.S. Lewis once said this in his book,
49:22
Screwtape Letters,
49:22
which is a great book to read
49:24
if you're interested in this kind of thing.
49:25
He says,
49:26
it's funny how mortals think
49:27
that our best work is done
49:30
in putting things in their minds
49:32
when really our best work is done
49:34
in keeping things out.
49:36
And the premise of Screwtape Letters
49:38
is one higher ranking demon
49:40
riding to a lower ranking demon.
49:43
So that's from a demon's perspective.
49:45
It's funny how mortals think
49:46
that our best work is done
49:47
in putting things in their minds
49:49
when really it's done
49:50
in keeping things out.
49:53
Satan works through distractions.
49:54
So what do you find yourself
49:56
being distracted by?
49:57
What do you find yourself
49:58
thinking about
49:59
more than the Lord?
50:02
What do you find yourself
50:03
waking up in the morning
50:04
and contemplating
50:05
or going to bed at night
50:06
and sleeping on?
50:09
That I can tell you
50:12
if it's not Christ
50:13
or if it's not something
50:15
concerning Christ
50:16
or if it's not a godly motivation
50:17
or a godly desire
50:18
I can assure you
50:19
that it is a satanic thing.
50:25
Truth frees people.
50:27
Okay?
50:28
Truth frees you.
50:29
It's John 8 that says that.
50:30
Truth frees.
50:31
Truth waters the seeds of faith
50:34
that God planted in your heart.
50:38
It exposes Satan.
50:40
Truth exposes Satan.
50:42
Listen to the words of the psalmist.
50:44
This is in Psalm 119.
50:46
He says this,
50:47
Oh, how I love your law.
50:48
It is my meditation all the day.
50:52
Thy commandments make me wiser
50:53
than my enemies.
50:54
For they are ever with me.
51:01
So, again,
51:02
I go back to the Word of God
51:03
and I say this is how we know
51:05
what is good,
51:08
what is profitable,
51:09
what is honoring to Christ
51:10
and what is not.
51:14
This, believe it or not,
51:16
can make you wiser than your enemies.
51:18
Secondly, Satan deceives.
51:20
He deceives.
51:22
He distracts and he deceives.
51:24
I'll read you a verse really quickly
51:30
from John 8.
51:34
Jesus is rebuking these Pharisees
51:35
and He says,
51:36
You are of your father the devil
51:37
and you want to do the desires
51:39
of your father.
51:40
He was a murderer from the beginning
51:41
and he does not stand in the truth
51:43
because there is no truth in him.
51:45
Whenever he speaks a lie,
51:47
he speaks from his own nature
51:48
for he is a liar
51:49
and he is the father of lies.
51:52
So Satan lies.
51:53
That's the second thing that he does.
51:55
Believing his lies,
51:57
which he, again,
51:59
propagates through the world system,
52:01
will end in destruction.
52:04
Hosea 4.6 says,
52:05
My people are destroyed
52:06
for lack of knowledge.
52:10
So, again,
52:10
to combat this
52:12
method of warfare by Satan,
52:15
I would say,
52:16
again,
52:17
know the word of God.
52:19
My people are destroyed
52:20
for lack of knowledge.
52:21
Thirdly,
52:23
he dilutes
52:25
or dilutes.
52:29
Robbing glory from Christ
52:31
is the name of his game
52:34
in a sense.
52:35
If he can be successful in that,
52:37
if he can be successful
52:38
in ejecting the church
52:39
with heresies
52:40
and with a tolerance
52:41
for error,
52:43
then he's won.
52:46
If you find that
52:47
to be true of you,
52:48
if you have the ability
52:49
to be tolerant
52:51
when somebody is in error
52:53
about
52:53
the doctrine of Christ,
52:58
then you have been
52:59
affected by this,
53:00
by this dilution,
53:02
by this satanic method
53:04
of warfare.
53:05
I was reading recently,
53:08
Spurgeon was talking about
53:09
these Christians from Holland
53:10
who a long time ago
53:12
willingly died
53:13
at the stake
53:15
to preserve baptism.
53:23
They died
53:24
willingly.
53:25
It wasn't even a question
53:27
to these people
53:28
to preserve
53:29
the God-glorifying act
53:32
and obeying act
53:34
of baptism.
53:36
By immersion.
53:40
Nowadays,
53:42
Spurgeon says,
53:43
I wonder if Christians
53:44
are even willing
53:44
to lose a finger
53:45
for such doctrines.
53:49
You just,
53:49
you know,
53:50
that's cool for you,
53:51
it's cool.
53:51
I mean,
53:51
like,
53:51
what is the truth,
53:52
right?
53:54
We have to be
53:55
intolerant
53:56
to error.
53:58
We have to also be,
53:59
we have to also realize,
54:01
I think,
54:01
at the same time
54:01
that we're not
54:02
error-free ourselves.
54:03
We have to be
54:04
honest about that,
54:06
but there needs to be
54:07
a strong,
54:09
I think,
54:09
push in this way.
54:11
We must know
54:11
God's truth,
54:12
we must hold it fast
54:13
if we wish to see
54:14
Satan
54:14
excommunicated
54:16
from the church.
54:16
another thing to expect
54:22
is tribulation.
54:25
2 Timothy 3.12
54:26
says,
54:26
if you desire to live
54:27
godly in Christ Jesus,
54:28
you're going to be
54:28
persecuted.
54:28
it's going to be inevitable.
54:31
Why?
54:31
Because we naturally
54:32
persecute things
54:33
that we hate.
54:36
All of us do.
54:37
We naturally persecute
54:37
things that we hate.
54:38
Sinners,
54:38
okay,
54:39
they hate Christ.
54:41
Therefore,
54:42
the more that we look
54:43
like Christ
54:43
and act like Christ,
54:44
the more that we're
54:44
going to experience
54:45
persecution
54:46
from them.
54:50
Persecutions in the Greek,
54:52
this word,
54:53
this phrase,
54:54
in a sense,
54:54
means to pursue
54:55
in a hostile manner
54:57
in any way
54:58
whatever means possible
55:00
to harass,
55:01
to trouble,
55:02
to molest somebody,
55:03
to be mistreated,
55:04
to suffer persecution
55:05
on account of
55:06
something or someone.
55:09
Some of you think
55:10
that you must go
55:12
and do something radical
55:13
to be persecuted.
55:16
That isn't so.
55:18
If you are Christ-like,
55:20
the persecution
55:21
will come to you.
55:24
I promise.
55:25
Lastly,
55:31
let me just say this.
55:32
Let me just say this as well.
55:33
Why would God allow
55:34
persecution in your life?
55:35
Why is it something
55:36
that He would
55:37
want for us
55:39
to rejoice in?
55:40
It's because
55:41
there's not a clearer way
55:42
in the world
55:43
to display the gospel.
55:46
So when persecutions
55:47
do come your way,
55:48
it is a privilege
55:49
because it is a way
55:50
to imitate Christ
55:51
like no other.
55:52
through faithfulness
55:56
and suffering.
55:57
There have been
55:57
a lot of haters of God
55:59
that have been saved
56:00
through seeing
56:00
God's people suffer
56:02
well.
56:04
And lastly,
56:04
the last thing I'm going to say,
56:06
you should be expecting
56:07
triumph
56:07
over sin.
56:11
Romans 8.
56:13
This will be the last text
56:16
that I read.
56:18
Romans 8.
56:19
Verse 35-37.
56:25
Who shall separate us
56:27
from the love of Christ?
56:29
Shall tribulation
56:30
or distress
56:30
or peril
56:31
or persecution
56:33
or famine
56:34
or nakedness
56:35
or sword?
56:35
It's rhetorical.
56:40
Just as it is written,
56:41
for your name's sake
56:42
we are being put to death
56:43
all day long.
56:44
We are considered
56:44
as sheep to be slaughtered.
56:46
But in all these things
56:47
we overwhelmingly conquer
56:48
through Christ
56:50
who loved us.
56:53
There won't be anything
56:54
that you experience
56:55
in this life
56:55
that God does not
56:57
or has not given you
56:58
the Holy Spirit
56:59
to conquer.
57:01
Nothing is beyond
57:02
your means.
57:03
Another verse in Acts
57:08
says that
57:08
through many tribulations
57:09
we're going to enter
57:10
the kingdom of heaven.
57:11
But you will enter
57:12
the kingdom of heaven.
57:14
You will be triumphant
57:15
on the last day.
57:20
Though you may falter,
57:21
you will never fall
57:22
from His grace.
57:23
Though your heart
57:23
and your flesh may fail,
57:25
Christ will be your portion.
57:26
He will satisfy you
57:27
in the end.
57:29
The Christian life,
57:31
the Christian will live
57:31
his life on the battlefield
57:32
and He will see
57:33
both victories
57:34
and defeats.
57:36
But the outcome
57:36
of the war
57:37
is already determined.
57:39
Christ has won
57:40
and we will be triumphant.
57:43
Let's pray.
57:46
Father, we thank You
57:47
for the Gospel
57:50
and the fact
57:51
that the Gospel
57:52
is not only the story
57:53
of Christ's coming,
57:57
but it's also
57:58
the story of Christ's saving
57:59
and the story
58:00
of Christ's sanctifying
58:01
and the story of Christ
58:03
one day glorifying.
58:04
And we have many things
58:05
to be, I think,
58:06
encouraged by
58:07
in light of what's been said
58:08
tonight.
58:09
I think we have
58:09
many wonderful truths
58:10
to reflect on,
58:11
many wonderful scriptures
58:12
to meditate on.
58:14
God, we do admit
58:17
that we're destroyed often.
58:19
We're spoiled often
58:21
for a lack of knowledge.
58:24
We don't know You
58:25
like we should.
58:27
We often neglect You,
58:29
Father God,
58:29
and we get wearied
58:30
so easily
58:32
by our devotions
58:34
and we get wearied
58:35
so easily
58:35
by the Christian faith
58:36
and the Christian walk
58:38
in life.
58:39
And I myself,
58:40
Father God,
58:40
have been found
58:42
to be just
58:44
unfaithful
58:46
in many ways
58:47
this week
58:48
towards my coworkers
58:50
and just
58:50
many different areas
58:52
of my life.
58:53
And I just pray,
58:54
God,
58:54
that You would
58:55
humble us all
58:56
in light of whatever
58:57
things are coming
58:58
to our minds,
58:59
in light of whatever
59:00
sin is on our hearts.
59:02
And You would just,
59:02
Father God,
59:02
remind us that grace
59:03
is alone
59:04
that we can trust in
59:05
and grace is alone
59:07
what You've given to us.
59:10
God,
59:10
we love Christ.
59:14
We just want to love
59:15
Him more than we do
59:15
even now.
59:16
So,
59:18
just give us more of You.
59:22
We pray in Christ's name.
59:22
Amen.