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Romans 5:1-5 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Romans chapter 5 is where we are this morning.
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Last week we did verse 1 and we're going to read verse 1 through verse 5.
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! Romans chapter 5, verse 1 says,
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! Therefore,
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since we have been justified by faith,
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we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Through Him we have also obtained access by faith
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into this grace in which we stand.
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And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
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More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings,
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knowing that suffering produces endurance,
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and endurance produces character,
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and character produces hope,
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and hope does not put us to shame,
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because God's love has been poured into our hearts
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through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
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Let's pray together.
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Father, we know it is a privilege
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and a great opportunity to meet together
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with our brothers and sisters,
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with your saints.
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Lord, we know that you have called us all here for a purpose,
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for a reason.
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We know that your word does not return void.
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So God, as we read your word,
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and as your word is preached,
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I pray, God, that your word would not return void.
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That hardened hearts would be softened.
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That soft hearts would be more receptive
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and more obedient to what you have told us
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and taught us.
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That those in here that don't even know you
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would come to know you
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because they have heard from you this morning.
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That you have called them to yourself this morning.
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I pray, God, that the words that are spoken
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would be your words.
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That you would be exalted on high.
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That people would leave here
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not feeling good,
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not having this emotional experience,
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but being one mind, one spirit,
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praising you as we leave this place,
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desiring to exalt you alone.
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Thank you for this opportunity and this time.
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I pray that you are pleased and you are honored.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Assurance is a word that isn't used
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as much as it is practiced or worked towards.
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For example, college students.
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You guys go to college to get a degree
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so that you're assured a good, well-paying job.
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Parents raise kids a certain way
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to assure that their children
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turn out to be good, obedient, and polite students,
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employees, and citizens.
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Some parents bring their children
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or take their children to church
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to assure that their kids
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will grow up and become Christians.
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Some of you may have been those kids.
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People live a healthy life
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in order that they can be assured
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to live a long time.
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The truth is that all of that
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is circumstantial at best.
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When we really think about it,
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there's not a lot of things
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that we can be assured of.
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The old saying,
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there are only two certainties in life,
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death and taxes,
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carries with it a little more weight
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because it's almost true.
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But, if you are a Christian,
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if you are a child of God,
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then there are several things
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that you can be assured of.
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Because as Romans 4, 21 says,
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we can be fully convinced
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that God is able to do
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what He promised.
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As Abraham was fully convinced
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that God was able to do
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what He had promised.
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Our text this morning
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is about assurance.
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Now, not assurance of salvation,
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like you're doubting your salvation,
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although that comes into play,
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but more about our salvation
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being secured forever in Christ.
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Assurance that we have
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in and from justification by faith.
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In fact, Romans 5 and Romans 8
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are about this very topic of assurance.
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The assurance we have in Christ
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and the things that we are assured of
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because of Christ.
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So, as a quick review of Romans
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up to this point,
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chapter 1 is all about
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the Gentiles being sinners.
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Us, non-Jewish people being sinners
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without hope and guilty
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even though we don't have the law.
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Chapter 2 is about the Jewish people
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being guilty because they do have the law.
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They are held accountable to that law.
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Chapter 3 is all about us,
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everyone guilty.
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All of us, sinners,
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cursed, deserving of death.
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Chapter 4,
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justification by faith to any
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for all who are made right before God.
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And chapter 5,
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assurance of being justified by faith.
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So, this is where we settle.
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This is where we begin
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our study on assurance.
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So, because we have been justified,
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because Christ has died,
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we've been justified by faith,
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we have five things from our text
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that we can be assured of.
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One of them was our topic last week.
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We talked about peace.
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Peace with God.
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We can be assured
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that we stand at peace with God.
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No longer enemies.
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No longer at war with God
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because of Christ.
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This morning, we have four more.
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We are assured access to God.
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We are assured a future glory.
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We are assured that suffering will come.
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And we are assured that God loves His children.
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So, our first point this morning.
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We are assured access to God.
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This is verse 2.
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It says,
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Through Him, being Christ, being Jesus,
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Thanks, Nick.
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We have also obtained access by faith
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into this grace in which we stand.
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So, not only do we have peace with God,
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verse 1,
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but we are also given access to God
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through Jesus Christ.
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Access can also be translated introduction.
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Now, if I want a face-to-face
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with the Queen of England,
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those of you who don't know,
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I was born in England,
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so let's say I'm considering citizenship there.
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And I want to do as much research as I can
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and I want to meet the Queen
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and talk to her
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and see what she has to say
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about me being a citizen.
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There would be a long process
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for me to have to go through
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for me to be able to even have
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a face-to-face with her.
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On top of the process,
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I'd have to learn proper etiquette.
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Where to stand,
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where to bow,
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how to touch her,
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all these things.
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And then when the meeting time happens,
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when I get to face-to-face,
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of course,
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I would be escorted
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to the Queen of England
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and introduced by one of her trusted counsel.
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I would need someone
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to intercede for me
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and then I can be introduced.
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The same is true for us with God.
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Of course,
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on a totally different level.
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Because of Jesus Christ,
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we have been given access to God
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and been introduced by Jesus
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to the Creator of the universe.
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Now, this introduction
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isn't because God didn't know us.
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It's because we couldn't
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have access any other way.
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Like the peace we have been given with God,
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we needed to have peace with God
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because we were enemies at war with Him.
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Being sinful creatures
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has thwarted any thought
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that you or I could have fellowship with Him.
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But Christ has given us that access.
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In verse 2,
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verse 1 says,
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we have peace with God
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through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Through Him,
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we have also obtained access by faith
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into this grace
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in which we stand.
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Another way to say this verse
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is through Him,
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we have been put
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in this gracious relationship with God.
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This gracious relationship.
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A relationship founded on grace.
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Where grace abounds.
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Grace gives us peace with God.
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Grace gives us access to God.
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Because of grace,
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we are no longer under the law.
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Because of grace,
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we have a Heavenly Father.
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Grace gives us hope
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of our future glory.
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Grace secures an inheritance.
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Grace empowers us
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to live fearless and victorious.
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Because of grace,
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we can glorify God
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with all of our lives.
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Because of grace,
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we can be image bearers of God
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as we were created to be.
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Because of grace,
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we have been made alive.
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And because of grace,
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we can rejoice in the valley
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and on the mountaintop.
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We stand in this grace.
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It is the umbrella
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that covers us
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from a storm
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that will not end.
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And we rejoice in the storm
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because grace upon grace
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is given through Jesus Christ.
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We have been given access to God
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through Jesus Christ.
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And if we could stand with Him
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in His presence,
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as if we could stand in His presence.
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In the Old Testament,
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throughout the Jewish traditions,
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access was given to one person.
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No one but the high priest
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one time a year.
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The way that Paul is describing
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our access
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throws the Jewish teaching
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out of the window.
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There's something better
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because of Christ.
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God is no longer
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a far-off object of worship.
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He's no longer this God
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that we cannot touch or see.
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He is our friend,
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our Father,
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and our Lord.
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And now we can just walk
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into the presence of God.
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Turn to Hebrews chapter 4.
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I want you to see this.
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If we can walk
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into the presence of God,
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if that's the case,
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then our prayer lives
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should be good.
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We should have fellowship with God
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like we do with our spouse.
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Like we do with our teammates.
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Or like we do with our brothers
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or sisters of fraternity or sororities.
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Or our bunkmates.
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We should have that fellowship
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with Him because
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we have been given access
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to Him through Christ.
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In Hebrews chapter 4,
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starting in verse 14,
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says,
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Since then we have
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a great high priest
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who has passed
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through the heavens,
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Jesus,
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the Son of God.
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Let us hold fast
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our confession.
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For we do not have
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a high priest
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who is unable to sympathize
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with our weaknesses,
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but one who in every respect
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has been tempted as we are,
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yet without sin.
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So because of Christ,
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the writer of Hebrews
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is setting us up
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for verse 16,
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Let us then with confidence
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draw near to the throne of grace
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that we may receive mercy
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and find grace to help
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in time of need.
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So,
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after reading that
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and knowing that we have access
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because of Christ
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to God,
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what's wrong with your prayer life?
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What's wrong with my prayer life?
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Why don't we pray
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with this kind of confidence?
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We have been assured
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of this kind of access.
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Let us go boldly before God
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with reverence
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and proclaim grace
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boldly to those around us.
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So not only are we assured access
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before God,
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but our second point
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is we are assured
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a future glory.
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This is the second part
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of verse 2 of chapter 5.
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It says,
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By faith into this grace
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in which we stand
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and we rejoice
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in hope
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of the glory of God.
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And we rejoice
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in hope
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of the glory of God.
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That is,
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that we have hope
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of the moment
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when we will be glorified
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as God is glorified.
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The word rejoice
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isn't just to be joyful
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or sing
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or anything like that.
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It can be translated
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as boast.
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So another way
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to say it is,
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is we are joyfully confident.
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So if we were to
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say this text again,
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we are joyfully confident
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in the hope
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of the glory of God.
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We have been assured
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that we will share
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in the glory of God.
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We will be made perfect.
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We will be made sinless.
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Without suffering.
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Without pain.
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Here is why
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this is a big deal.
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In Romans chapter 3,
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verse 23 says,
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For all have sinned
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and fall short
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of the glory of God.
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In other words,
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we have been made unable
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to achieve
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to the glory of God.
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We are unable
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without Christ.
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And now because of Christ,
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we are promised
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that we will share
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in God's glory.
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See, Jesus Christ
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has given us peace.
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We have peace with God.
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He's given us access to God
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and He's assured us
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that we will share
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in His glory.
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It's truly
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a one-sided relationship.
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God has done all the work.
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It is no wonder
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we have hope
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or are supposed
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to have hope
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in what's to come.
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Because He's done
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everything up to this point.
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John Stott
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defines Christian hope
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as this.
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He says,
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a Christian hope
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is a joyful
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and confident expectation
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which rests
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on the promise
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of God.
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A joyful
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and confident expectation
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which rests
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on the promise
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of God.
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God has done it.
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So if we have
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this hope then,
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if we have this hope
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of future glory
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of what's going
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to happen,
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how does that
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change your life
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or my life?
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How do we live
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differently because of that?
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See,
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if you're truly born again,
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if you are a Christian,
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then you will have
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a desire
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to please God,
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to do what
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will bring most
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pleasure to Him.
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So a follow-up question
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is,
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do you have
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that desire?
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Do you have
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the desire
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to please God?
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If you do,
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then whatever it takes
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to please Him,
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you're going to do.
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You will obey His Word.
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You will do
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as He says.
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Hebrews 4.12
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says,
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God's Word
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is living
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and active,
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sharper
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than a two-edged sword,
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piercing
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to the division
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of soul
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and of spirit,
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of joints
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and of marrow,
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and discerning
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the thoughts
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and intentions
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of the heart.
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If that's what
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the Word of God
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does,
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then just listening
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to it
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isn't an option.
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Just hearing it
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isn't an option.
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If we know
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that we have been
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assured
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of future glory,
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how does it
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change our life?
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It frees us
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to be bold.
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It frees us
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to proclaim
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Jesus Christ.
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It frees us
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to live
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for the Gospel
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and sometimes
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to die
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for the Gospel.
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It's why Paul
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says in Philippians,
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for to me,
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to live is Christ
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and to die
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is gain.
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To live
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isn't just
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happiness
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or pleasure.
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It is Christ
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because what He
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has done
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because He
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is far better
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far better
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than this world
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and because of
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what we have
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been assured
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of in Christ
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which is
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future glory.
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And to die
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isn't tragedy.
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It isn't the end
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but gain
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because of what
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Christ has been
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assured,
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what we have
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been assured
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in Christ,
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what He has
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assured for us.
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So not only
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are we assured
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access to God
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because of Christ
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and not only
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are we assured
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future glory,
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but guys
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were also
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assured
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that suffering
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will occur.
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Verse 3 and 4.
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Verse 3 and 4
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says,
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I'm going to read
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verse 2,
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Through Him
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we have also
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obtained access
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by faith
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into this grace
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in which we stand
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and we rejoice
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in the hope
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of the glory
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of God.
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Verse 3,
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More than that,
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we rejoice
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in our sufferings
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knowing that
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suffering produces
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endurance
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and endurance
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produces character
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and character
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produces hope.
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Anyone who
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preaches to you
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and says
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that if you
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know Jesus,
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that if you
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come down here
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and you pray a prayer
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and you know Jesus,
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if you accept Jesus,
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you will have a happy,
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fulfilling,
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best life now.
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They are lying to you
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and being unbiblical.
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In fact,
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the Bible
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promises suffering
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instead of happiness.
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Your life
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will be fulfilling,
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but it might not be
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with the BMW
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or the vacation home.
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And that's okay
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because Christ
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is far better.
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We can be assured
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that as a Christian,
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we will suffer.
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Let's step back
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for a minute.
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What Paul has done
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is he's looked out
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towards the horizon.
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He's looked out
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and he tells us
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what he sees.
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He sees peace
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with God.
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Children of God
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are going to have peace
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with God.
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He sees
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access with God.
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They now have
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access with God.
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He sees
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the future glory,
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the future perfection
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that is going
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to occur
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someday.
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He sees
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all these things
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that are going
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to happen
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for us.
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He sees
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in the future.
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And as his eyes
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come back,
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as his eyes
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kind of come back
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to where he is,
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he sees
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suffering.
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He sees
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hardship.
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He sees
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hate towards
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Christians.
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He sees
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hate towards
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Christ.
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He sees
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all the things
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that he himself
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has experienced
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and he himself
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has actually
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been a leader
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of.
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And he sees
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it and he knows
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that he must
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reassure the
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Christian to stand
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firm.
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Reassure the
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Christian to be
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bold and keep
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a lookout at the
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horizon of what's
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to come.
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I remember
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vividly when I was
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a kid,
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I'd been riding
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my bike for a
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few years.
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And in
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Chicago,
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we had,
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even the
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neighborhoods had
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the hard square
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curbs so you
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couldn't just ride
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your bike in it.
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You either had to
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jump it or go to
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where a sidewalk
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came, you know,
20:11
where it's nice and
20:12
smooth.
20:13
I remember I'm
20:14
riding my bike
20:14
down the road
20:15
and I'm wanting
20:17
to get onto the
20:18
sidewalk so I'm
20:19
waiting for that
20:19
moment where I can
20:20
because I can't
20:21
get up on the
20:21
curb yet.
20:23
And I'm staring
20:25
at the corner.
20:26
I'm staring at
20:27
this curb going,
20:27
I don't want to
20:28
hit that.
20:28
I don't want to
20:29
hit that.
20:29
I actually want
20:29
to go there.
20:30
And I don't
20:31
want to hit that.
20:31
I don't want to
20:31
hit that.
20:32
And what do I
20:32
do?
20:33
I hit it.
20:33
I slam into it
20:34
and fly off my
20:35
bike.
20:36
It's vivid to me
20:37
because I do
20:39
that driving as
20:40
well.
20:41
I don't hit
20:42
curves, but there's
20:43
things like in the
20:44
road and I'll say,
20:44
I don't want to
20:45
hit that.
20:45
I don't want to
20:46
hit that.
20:46
And I'll end up
20:47
hitting it because
20:47
I'm staring at it
20:48
instead of staring
20:49
down the road.
20:51
You guys know
20:52
what I'm talking
20:52
about, don't you?
20:53
You've all
20:54
experienced that.
20:56
So, lesson
20:57
here, don't
20:58
fall, don't be
20:58
ahead of me, I
20:59
guess.
20:59
Don't be in the
21:00
road when I'm
21:00
driving because I'll
21:02
stare at you and
21:03
hit you.
21:06
It's the same way
21:07
though for us as
21:09
Christians.
21:10
If we look out and
21:11
say, oh, this
21:13
looks really hard.
21:14
We're going to
21:14
suffer.
21:15
What are we going
21:16
to do?
21:16
We're going to be
21:17
defeated in that
21:17
suffering.
21:18
We're not going to
21:18
rejoice in that
21:19
suffering.
21:20
We're not going to
21:20
be happy about it.
21:22
We're not going to
21:22
treasure it.
21:24
As we'll see in a
21:26
moment, the
21:26
suffering leads to
21:27
good things in our
21:28
lives.
21:29
We're going to be
21:29
defeated by it.
21:31
We're going to hit
21:32
that curb and fly
21:33
off our bike.
21:36
See, as we look
21:37
and see through the
21:38
lens of the Word of
21:38
God, we see that
21:40
suffering is in our
21:42
DNA as a Christian.
21:43
It's going to
21:44
happen.
21:47
But we should be
21:49
focusing on the
21:51
horizon.
21:51
And that's what
21:51
Paul is trying to
21:52
do for us in
21:54
this text.
21:57
The first part of
21:58
verse 3 is
22:00
fascinating to me
22:02
because he says,
22:03
so, end of verse
22:04
2 says, rejoice in
22:05
hope of the glory of
22:06
God.
22:07
Rejoice in what's
22:07
going to happen.
22:09
And then verse 3
22:09
says, more than
22:11
that, we rejoice in
22:13
our suffering.
22:14
More than rejoicing in
22:15
what's going to
22:16
happen.
22:17
More than rejoicing in
22:18
God perfecting us.
22:21
rejoice in our
22:23
suffering.
22:24
The same word is in
22:25
verse 2.
22:27
Rejoice.
22:28
So be joyfully
22:29
confident in your
22:30
suffering.
22:33
2 Timothy 3,
22:35
verse 12 says,
22:37
it says, indeed,
22:39
all who desire to
22:41
live a godly life in
22:42
Christ Jesus will be
22:44
persecuted.
22:45
persecuted.
22:47
All who desire to
22:49
live a godly life in
22:50
Christ will be
22:52
persecuted.
22:54
To rejoice in
22:55
suffering is not a
22:56
new idea for Paul.
22:57
This isn't something
22:58
that he just made up.
23:00
Jesus taught this
23:01
very idea in the
23:02
Sermon on the
23:03
Mount in Matthew
23:04
chapter 5.
23:07
In chapter 5,
23:08
verse 10, he
23:09
says, blessed are
23:10
those who are
23:11
persecuted for
23:11
righteousness sake,
23:13
for theirs is the
23:14
kingdom of heaven.
23:16
Blessed are you
23:17
when others revile
23:18
you and persecute
23:19
you and utter all
23:20
kinds of evil
23:21
against you falsely
23:22
on my account.
23:24
Rejoice and be
23:24
glad, for your
23:25
reward is great in
23:27
heaven.
23:28
For so they
23:29
persecuted the
23:30
prophets who were
23:30
for you.
23:32
He repeats it
23:33
twice.
23:34
Blessed are those
23:34
who persecute you
23:35
for righteousness
23:36
sake.
23:36
Blessed are you
23:37
when others
23:38
revile you and
23:39
persecute you.
23:40
There's importance
23:41
here.
23:41
There's weight
23:42
here to what
23:42
Jesus is saying.
23:44
And now Paul is
23:45
repeating the very
23:46
same thing.
23:48
Now this
23:49
suffering in
23:50
Romans isn't
23:51
necessarily pain,
23:53
although some
23:53
people may suffer
23:54
pain.
23:55
It could be.
23:57
The word refers
23:58
to olives or
24:00
grapes being in
24:01
the press.
24:03
Being squeezed
24:05
for all its
24:05
juices.
24:06
That's the picture
24:07
here of this
24:08
word.
24:08
So instead of
24:09
just pain and
24:10
sorrow, it's
24:11
more of being
24:12
under pressure
24:13
from tribulation
24:14
and from
24:15
persecution.
24:19
And then Paul
24:20
tells us why we
24:21
need to rejoice
24:22
in our suffering.
24:24
Why we need
24:25
to be happy,
24:27
to be joyful,
24:29
to be joyfully
24:32
confident.
24:34
Because suffering
24:35
produces endurance.
24:38
endurance.
24:41
Spiritual
24:41
fortitude.
24:43
Stick-to-itiveness.
24:45
Like a marathon
24:46
runner.
24:49
So like in
24:50
Hebrews 12,
24:51
1, let us run
24:51
with endurance
24:52
the race that
24:53
is set before
24:54
us.
24:55
When you need
24:56
to build strength
24:57
or endurance
24:57
in your body,
24:59
you exercise,
25:00
you practice,
25:01
you do specific
25:02
exercises for
25:03
specific goals.
25:04
If our goal
25:06
is to live a
25:07
life that is
25:08
pleasing to
25:08
God, then
25:10
suffering helps
25:11
in that goal.
25:13
Because suffering
25:14
produces endurance.
25:17
A fruit of the
25:19
suffering is
25:20
endurance.
25:21
Now, a question
25:22
arose for me in
25:23
my studies about
25:23
this topic.
25:25
It says in
25:27
verse 3,
25:28
More than that,
25:29
we rejoice in
25:30
our sufferings,
25:31
knowing that
25:31
suffering produces
25:32
endurance.
25:33
My question
25:34
was, does it
25:36
matter if I
25:38
rejoice in my
25:39
suffering or
25:40
after my
25:40
suffering?
25:41
Is this
25:42
preposition
25:42
important?
25:44
In.
25:45
Is it
25:46
important?
25:48
Yes.
25:49
It was a
25:49
quick answer.
25:50
It didn't take
25:50
me very long
25:50
to find the
25:51
answer.
25:52
Yes, it is
25:52
important.
25:54
Paul uses the
25:55
preposition in,
25:56
so it's in
25:57
our suffering.
25:58
So hindsight
25:59
may be easier
26:00
to rejoice in,
26:01
but the call
26:04
here is for
26:05
us to rejoice
26:05
in it while
26:07
going through
26:08
it.
26:10
And it
26:11
doesn't mean
26:11
this stoic
26:13
determination
26:14
to get
26:15
through this
26:16
rough patch
26:17
or to make
26:19
the best out
26:20
of a bad
26:20
situation.
26:21
It doesn't
26:22
mean that.
26:24
It means to
26:24
know that what
26:25
is occurring
26:26
is for my
26:27
good and
26:27
God's glory.
26:29
And if your
26:30
goal is to
26:31
live a life
26:31
that is
26:32
pleasing to
26:32
Him,
26:34
then you're
26:34
going to be
26:34
okay with
26:35
that.
26:35
You're going
26:35
to rejoice
26:36
in that
26:36
suffering.
26:38
It brings
26:39
God glory
26:39
when we do
26:40
this.
26:40
It pleases
26:41
Him.
26:43
But not
26:43
only does
26:44
suffering
26:44
produce
26:45
endurance,
26:46
but endurance
26:47
produces
26:47
character and
26:49
character
26:49
produces
26:50
hope.
26:53
Straight from
26:54
the text,
26:54
verse 4.
26:56
And endurance
26:57
produces
26:57
character and
26:58
character produces
26:59
hope.
27:01
So the fruit
27:01
of endurance
27:02
is character.
27:04
Character here
27:05
is a person
27:06
tested by
27:06
trial and
27:07
proven.
27:08
Tested and
27:09
proven.
27:11
So parents and
27:12
young people who
27:12
want to be
27:13
parents someday,
27:15
if you want
27:15
kids of
27:16
character,
27:17
lead them to
27:18
Christ and
27:19
let them go
27:19
wherever He
27:20
calls them.
27:23
For suffering
27:24
will come and
27:25
character will
27:26
be formed.
27:26
for us,
27:30
so in those
27:31
moments of
27:32
hopelessness and
27:33
defeat, in
27:34
those moments
27:35
of sorrow and
27:37
hardship, we
27:38
endure and are
27:39
found proven by
27:41
the trials to be
27:41
men and women
27:42
of character.
27:45
And character
27:46
produces hope.
27:48
It is the
27:49
experience of
27:50
coming out of a
27:51
time of testing
27:52
that produces
27:53
hope,
27:54
which, of
27:56
course, is
27:57
opposite of the
27:58
Disney movies,
27:59
is opposite of
28:00
what a lot of
28:01
us think or
28:01
have been taught.
28:03
See, because we
28:03
say we hope to
28:05
get out of the
28:05
situation, or
28:07
we hope to
28:09
win the lottery,
28:10
or we hope to
28:12
not get caught.
28:14
But true godly
28:15
hope is formed
28:17
in the testing
28:17
and hardship.
28:20
A quote from
28:21
one of the
28:22
commentaries I
28:23
read this week
28:24
says,
28:25
Our confidence
28:26
in God's
28:26
ability and
28:27
willingness to
28:28
bring us through
28:28
difficult times
28:30
leads to an
28:31
ever brighter
28:32
hope for that
28:34
which lies
28:35
beyond.
28:36
Hope is not
28:37
superficial optimism,
28:39
but the
28:39
confident assurance
28:40
of that which
28:42
will surely
28:42
come to pass.
28:45
This hope
28:45
comes through
28:46
suffering.
28:48
And because
28:48
hope comes
28:49
through suffering,
28:50
we can be
28:50
assured we
28:51
will suffer.
28:52
it's not a
28:55
topic we like
28:55
to talk about.
28:56
It's not a
28:57
topic we like
28:57
to celebrate,
28:58
but it's
28:59
biblical.
29:00
And if it's
29:00
biblical, then
29:01
it's going to
29:01
be taught here,
29:02
and we're
29:02
going to touch
29:03
on the
29:04
subject.
29:07
But here's
29:08
the good
29:08
news.
29:09
It's not
29:10
only are we
29:11
assured access
29:12
to God,
29:12
which is
29:12
great news.
29:14
Not only do
29:15
we have future
29:15
glory awaiting
29:16
us,
29:16
not only
29:19
are we
29:19
assured to
29:20
suffer,
29:20
but we're
29:21
assured that
29:22
God loves
29:23
His children.
29:24
Though we
29:25
may suffer
29:25
in it,
29:26
through it,
29:27
God loves
29:28
His children.
29:30
Verse 5
29:30
says,
29:33
And hope
29:34
does not put
29:35
us to shame
29:36
because God's
29:36
love has
29:37
been poured
29:38
into our
29:38
hearts through
29:39
the Holy
29:39
Spirit who
29:40
has been
29:40
given to
29:41
us.
29:43
Hope does
29:43
not put us
29:44
to shame.
29:45
It never
29:45
disappoints.
29:46
It does
29:47
not let
29:48
the believer
29:48
down.
29:49
So what
29:50
God says
29:51
will occur,
29:52
it will
29:52
happen,
29:53
and we
29:53
can rest
29:54
in our
29:54
hope of
29:55
it.
29:57
We are
29:58
quick to
29:58
speak of
29:59
God loving
29:59
His children
30:00
with reference
30:01
to Jesus
30:02
Christ on
30:03
the cross.
30:03
His death.
30:05
And a lot
30:06
of times it
30:06
ends there.
30:08
Jesus loves
30:08
sinners.
30:10
He died
30:10
for sinners.
30:12
And it
30:12
ends there.
30:13
But it's
30:13
just not
30:14
that.
30:15
It's also
30:15
not
30:16
an
30:17
intellectual
30:17
understanding
30:18
of God's
30:19
love.
30:19
Well,
30:19
I know
30:20
that God
30:20
loves me.
30:22
It's not
30:22
that.
30:23
It's also
30:25
an inner,
30:27
as John
30:27
Piper would
30:28
say,
30:28
down to the
30:29
bones,
30:31
feeling a
30:32
subjective
30:32
certainty that
30:33
God does
30:34
love us.
30:36
To the point
30:37
that Paul is
30:37
trying to make
30:38
clear in this
30:38
text is by
30:40
saying God's
30:41
love has been
30:42
poured into
30:42
our hearts
30:43
through the
30:43
Holy Spirit
30:44
has been
30:44
given to
30:45
us,
30:45
is that we
30:46
can be
30:46
certain,
30:48
is that we
30:48
can be
30:49
assured,
30:50
down to
30:50
our bones
30:51
with every
30:51
fiber of
30:52
our being,
30:53
that God
30:54
loves us.
30:56
We may not
30:57
understand it,
30:59
we may not
31:00
be able to
31:00
comprehend all
31:01
of it,
31:01
but we know
31:02
without a doubt
31:03
that God
31:03
loves us.
31:05
If you were a
31:05
child of God,
31:06
God loves you.
31:07
we can be
31:13
certain of it.
31:14
And it says
31:15
that love has
31:16
been poured
31:16
into our
31:17
hearts.
31:18
It's like an
31:19
extravagant
31:20
overflow,
31:20
an abundance
31:21
of love.
31:22
It doesn't say
31:23
that God
31:23
shares His
31:24
love,
31:25
He pours it
31:26
into our
31:26
hearts.
31:28
So as we
31:29
suffer,
31:30
as we
31:30
trudge
31:31
through life's
31:31
lowness,
31:32
we know that
31:33
God loves
31:34
us.
31:35
We are
31:36
assured of
31:37
it.
31:37
So when
31:38
doubts creep
31:39
in,
31:39
when the
31:40
enemy
31:40
attacks,
31:41
we have
31:41
assurance of
31:42
God's love
31:43
for us.
31:44
As I said
31:45
before,
31:45
we may not
31:46
understand it,
31:47
but we
31:47
know it.
31:50
God
31:50
loves His
31:51
children.
31:52
As we
31:52
look out on
31:53
the horizon,
31:54
we can be
31:54
assured of
31:55
a few
31:55
things.
31:57
As we
31:57
look out
31:58
far out
31:59
to the
31:59
horizon,
32:01
we can
32:02
be assured
32:03
that we
32:05
have access
32:05
to the
32:06
Creator.
32:06
so we
32:09
can pray
32:09
to Him.
32:10
We
32:10
can
32:10
fellowship
32:11
and we
32:11
can
32:11
approach
32:12
the
32:12
throne
32:12
with
32:13
boldness
32:13
because
32:13
of
32:14
Christ.
32:15
We
32:15
have
32:15
assurance
32:16
of our
32:17
future
32:17
glory.
32:18
And we
32:19
can hope
32:19
with joyful
32:20
assurance
32:21
because it
32:22
will happen.
32:25
We too
32:26
can be
32:26
fully
32:27
convinced
32:27
that God
32:28
is able
32:28
to do
32:29
what He
32:29
has
32:30
promised.
32:30
chapter 4
32:32
verse 21.
32:34
We have
32:34
assurance
32:35
that
32:35
suffering
32:36
will
32:36
occur.
32:37
It
32:37
isn't a
32:37
question
32:38
of
32:38
will
32:39
it.
32:40
It's
32:40
when
32:40
will
32:40
it.
32:41
We
32:42
will
32:42
suffer.
32:43
But
32:44
suffering
32:44
produces
32:45
endurance.
32:46
And
32:46
endurance
32:47
produces
32:47
character.
32:49
And
32:49
character
32:50
produces
32:50
hope.
32:51
Hope
32:52
that will
32:53
not
32:53
disappoint.
32:54
And we
32:55
have
32:55
assurance
32:55
that
32:56
God
32:56
loves
32:56
His
32:56
children.
32:57
We
32:58
have
32:58
proof
32:58
that
32:58
He
32:58
does
32:59
by
32:59
the
32:59
Holy
33:00
Spirit.
33:01
God
33:01
loves
33:01
us
33:02
when
33:02
He
33:02
created
33:02
us.
33:04
Loves
33:05
us
33:05
as He
33:05
calls
33:06
us.
33:06
Loves
33:07
us
33:07
as He
33:07
saves
33:07
us.
33:10
And
33:11
as He
33:11
glorifies
33:12
us in
33:12
the end.
33:14
If
33:14
God
33:14
loves
33:15
us,
33:15
let us
33:15
love
33:15
others
33:16
with the
33:16
same
33:16
certainty
33:17
and
33:17
fervor
33:18
as
33:18
our
33:18
Lord
33:19
Jesus
33:19
Christ.
33:20
2
33:21
Corinthians
33:21
5
33:21
14
33:22
says,
33:23
For
33:23
the
33:23
love
33:23
of
33:24
Christ
33:24
controls
33:25
!
33:27
Another
33:27
version
33:27
compels
33:29
us.
33:29
For
33:29
the
33:29
love
33:29
of
33:30
Christ
33:30
controls
33:31
or
33:31
compels
33:32
us.
33:33
Let's
33:34
pray
33:34
that
33:35
all
33:35
of
33:35
us,
33:36
member
33:36
or
33:36
not,
33:37
visitor
33:37
or
33:38
regular,
33:39
new
33:39
believer
33:39
or
33:40
old
33:40
believer,
33:40
be
33:40
controlled
33:41
by the
33:42
love
33:42
of
33:42
Christ
33:42
who
33:43
suffer
33:43
for
33:43
us
33:44
that
33:45
we
33:45
can
33:45
have
33:45
life.
33:45
Life
33:46
abundantly
33:47
And
33:48
life
33:48
assuredly!