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Living Waters of Grace 12.18.25 · Living Waters of Grace / Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland Sunday Services

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This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Lewis
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Harold, assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland
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County in Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Lewis as he
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continues teaching through God's Word.
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And those are the three things that I think about even today.
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Well, I know who I believe. I believe the author of the true
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Word of God. I believe what's in here.
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Not some of it. All of it, all of it.
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No one can tell me. Well, some of these things
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aren't necessarily true because they're not for today.
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No, no, no, you can't tell me that all of this is God's word.
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And if it's all God's Word, then it's all truth that.
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Sure is a simple way to look at the Bible.
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If the Bible is the word of God, then it's all truth.
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It's as simple as that. Today, Pastor Lewis shows us
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that some within the church are approaching the Word of God like
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it's the local Chinese buffet. I'll take a little of this and a
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little of that, but I don't want any of that.
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The Bible isn't meant to be approached like a buffet.
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You must take the entirety of the Word of God into your very
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person. It is all meant for your good.
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Now here's Pastor Lewis in the Book of First Timothy, chapter
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one with today's edition of Living Waters of Grace.
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So we aren't saved because we do good things, say, because we
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believe in him who is good. And then is the last I'm just
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going to mention here is this prosperity gospel.
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Prosperity gospel teaches that we are saved to be rich, you're
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saved to be happy, you're saved to be healthy and whole, that if
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we give our lives to Jesus, then we will live a blessed,
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prosperous and happy life. But in order to do that, you got
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to give, you got to plant some seeds.
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You know, you got to give, you know, you have to, you have to
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give to the church and then you can receive these, these things
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that Jesus can offer once we give to him first.
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Well, Jesus already died for us. There's really nothing we can do
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for him, right? He already died for us.
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It's all done. It's finished.
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He said it on the cross, it's finished.
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So we know that that's not a a true gospel.
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So we have to be careful of some of the doctrines that can make
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their way into the church. But Paul said that these
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doctrines, these doctrines, these other doctrines, these
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fables, which are basically just myths, they're untrue.
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You know, these things along with endless genealogies.
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And what he means here is that there are people who are
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actually trying to achieve righteousness through their
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lineage based on who they're related to.
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You know, this is my lineage. And you heard the Pharisees do
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it. We're of Abraham, we're
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Abraham's seed. Jesus said before Abraham was I
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am, so it has nothing to do with who I'm related to.
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My mother could be saved. If I'm living like the devil,
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I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be saved unless I repent and
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trust in Jesus Christ for my salvation.
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We all got to have that relationship with Him, not just
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because we're related to somebody who does.
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And they were trusted in some of these genealogies.
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And these things weren't doing nothing but causing disputes and
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speculations. But Paul said these things don't
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edify. You see, they can't change our
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lives. These new doctrines can't change
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our lives. Or we can make you feel good for
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a while because they do address your flesh.
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They go right to your flesh. But it does nothing for the
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spirit man. So the spirit man doesn't grow.
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We don't become more mature in the Lord listening to strange
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doctrines. The only thing that causes us to
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grow is the word of truth, the gospel of truth.
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Jesus said sanctify them by your truth, not by these other
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gospels. Sanctify them by your truth.
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Your word is truth. So we're sanctified by the truth
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of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So then we go on to verse 5 and
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it says now the purpose of the commandment is love.
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So Paul says, look, that other gospel were dumped, other things
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that they're teaching those false teachings.
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It's not doing anything but bringing speculation, disputes,
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causing us to go into more sin, causing people to go into more
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sin. It's not doing anything for our
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hearts. It's not changing us.
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It doesn't do anything for us. But the purpose of the
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commandment, that means the true doctrine is love.
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The gospel is a love message. It's a love message for God.
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So love the world He gave his only begotten Son.
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Romans 5 and 8 says that he demonstrates his love toward us
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and that why we were yet sinners.
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He died for us. The gospel is a love message.
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It gives us a love message. It gives us love.
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Jesus say, you'll know them, you'll know them by their love
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for one another, You'll know that they are my disciples by
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the way that they love one another.
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Now the purpose of the commandment is love, and it's
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love from a pure heart, which means that a love, a heart
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that's untainted, a heart that's uncorrupted by worldliness.
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So it's a pure heart. And we know that it's the pure
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that sees God, right? I mean, when we look at the
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beatitudes, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see
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God, they shall see God, the pure in heart.
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So it's love out of a pure heart.
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It's also love from a good conscience.
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You see, the Word of God, the gospel doesn't give, it doesn't
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teach condemnation, it doesn't teach judgment and condemnation
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and all those kind of things. You don't feel condemned.
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Paul said There is therefore no condemnation to them who walk
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not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
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There is no condemnation. We don't have to feel condemned
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when we read the gospel. The law makes us feel condemned
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or when people make you feel like you don't measure up, that
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causes condemnation. And Paul says here it's it's
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it's love with a good conscience.
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Our conscience is clear. If I do wrong, I repent and I'm
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back in fellowship with God. I don't have to carry around
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condemnation and feel like I've fallen out of love with God
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because I did something wrong. God said there's nothing that
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can separate us from his love. And then it says here and from a
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sincere faith, the sincere faith, not a hypocritical faith,
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not someone living double lives, not someone acting like they're
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keeping the law and putting all this bondage on other people to
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keep it and they can't do it themselves.
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That's a hypocritical law. That's a hypocritical gospel.
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That's not what this love is coming from.
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It's a sincere gospel. We sincerely love the Lord.
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We are sincere before Him, even when we repent.
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Lord, I blew it. I messed up, please forgive me.
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I desire to do the right thing, but sometimes I don't.
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Lord, please forgive me. That's a sincere heart.
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A sincere heart. And then he goes on to verse 5,
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it says from which some having strayed meaning from the sincere
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faith or the word of God, some having strayed, they they've
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turned away from it and having turned aside to idle talk, idle
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talk, vain talk, empty talk. It doesn't go anywhere.
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It's circular, it's speculation. Majoring on the minors is
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basically what that is. It's idle talk, verse 7 says,
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designed to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what
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they say nor the things which they affirm.
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They don't even understand what they truly believe in.
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They don't understand exactly what they're standing on.
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They don't have a real good understanding of it, and it
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can't. If, if it's not truth, then it's
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always changing. Then it's always changing.
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So you don't really know what you're standing on.
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You don't really know what you're standing on.
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When I was, when we were, when we were younger, when we first
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got saved, our mentor used to tell us, he said, look, you need
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to know three things. You need to know three things
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about your salvation. First of all, you need to know
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who you believe. Secondly, you need to know what
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you believe. And thirdly, you need to know
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why you believe it. And those are the three things
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that I think about even today. Well, I know who I believe.
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I believe the author of the true Word of God.
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I believe what's in here. Not some of it, all of it, all
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of it. No one can tell me.
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Well, some of these things aren't necessarily true because
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they're not for today. No, no, no, you can't tell me
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that all of this is God's word. And if it's all God's Word, then
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it's all truth. It's all truth.
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So that's who I believe. What do I believe?
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I believe that Jesus Christ is the true Son of God.
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I believe he came and he died for my sins and your sins.
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I believe that he was buried, and I believe that on the third
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day he arose. And I believe that we have
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eternal life in Him. For those who believe on him,
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that's what I believe. And they say, well, why do you
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believe it? Because God said it.
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For me, it's very simple. I believe because God said I'll
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have to give a dissertation while I believe it.
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God said it. Now we hear people say God said
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it, I believe it. That settles it.
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I used to say that too. I don't say that no more because
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it doesn't matter whether I believe it or not.
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It's still true. So the word, so it should be.
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God said it, and that settles it.
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There's nothing in between my believing it or not, my
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believing it or not believing it.
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Doesn't make it any less true or any more true.
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And we need to understand that as a community, as a society,
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people think that because they don't believe something that
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they read in the word of God, then it's not necessarily true
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because it doesn't make sense to them.
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Sorry. Just because it doesn't make
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sense to you doesn't mean it's not true.
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It's true anyway. 2 + 2 equal 4. If I have 4 beads sitting up
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here, I don't care what you do with it.
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If I put these two over here together with this two over here
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and put them together, I'm going to have 4 beads.
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Whether I believe it's true or not.
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It's 4B sitting on my table. God's word is true whether we
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believe it or not. So that's why I believe it,
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because God said it. So then he goes on here and he
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says in verse 8. So apparently what we learn is
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that this problem that they had with bringing with the strange
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doctrines, it had to do something with the law.
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They were misinterpreting the law or misusing the law.
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And we know that Judaizers were coming into different places and
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that's what they were doing. They were misusing the law.
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Judaizers were saying, yeah, it's Jesus Christ.
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Plus, OK, you know, you have to believe in Jesus Christ, but
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then you also have to get circumcised.
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You can believe in Jesus Christ, but you also have to keep the
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law of Moses. OK, That's Jesus Christ plus.
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There is no Jesus Christ plus. It's Jesus Christ.
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We're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ
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alone. That's it.
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There is no Jesus plus. But they must have thought that
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there was a Jesus plus, so Paul says.
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But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully.
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When the law is used the correct way for what it's intended for,
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the law is good. In evangelism, people who
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understand the law and are able to share the law in a way where
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people understand there's that balance between law and grace.
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The law is good. The law is good.
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The purpose of the law, and this is what we're going into now,
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the purpose of the law is to point out our sin.
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That's what the law is for. It was to point out our sin.
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How do I know that? Well, let's look at a couple of
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verses that tells us that. How about we do that?
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Let's go to Galatians first. Now let's go to Romans.
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Go to Romans first. We'll do it in order.
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Go to Romans first. Romans chapter 3, right around
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the beginning of Romans, Romans chapter 3 verse 19 says, Now we
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know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under
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the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may
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become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
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law, no flesh will be justified in His sight.
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For by the law is the knowledge of sin, for by law is the
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knowledge of sin. The law simply points out our
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sins. And then let's go to go to
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Galatians. Let's go over to Galatians and
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go to chapter 3 in Galatians, and I'm going to start right
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here, verse 21. It says for if there had been a
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law given which could have given life by righteousness, for if
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there had been a law given which could have given life, OK, truly
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righteousness would have been by the law.
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But the Scripture has confirmed all under sin, that the promise
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by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
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But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law,
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kept for the faith which would come afterward be revealed.
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Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we
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might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are
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no longer under the tutor. So it came to point out our sin.
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It was not a remedy or a cure for our sins.
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So the law is like a thermometer.
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Laws like a thermometer. A thermometer can tell you
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you're sick, but it can't cure you.
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It tells you you're sick, but it doesn't cure you.
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A laws like that tells you just how sick we are, but there's no
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cure in the law itself. So let's let's go on.
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We know that the law cannot empower us to change.
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The law cannot be on the inside of us.
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The law is on the outside. It's the new covenant where God
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said, I'm going to put my law in your heart and I'm going to put
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it on your minds and your sins. I will remember no more.
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And that's because the law giver is now in each and every one of
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you and me. The law giver is in US.
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So all we do is submit to the Spirit that's in US, and that's
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how we walk in obedience to the Lord when we submit to the
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Spirit that's in US. So then we go on here in verse 9
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where it says now knowing this, that the law is not made for a
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righteous person but for the lawless.
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OK, So what I'm going to do now, I'm going to mention these
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violations and these first six violations that I mentioned are
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all going to fall under the 1st four of the 10 commandments.
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It's very interesting how Paul did this.
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He says here the law is for the lawless and the insubordinate.
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That means the disobedient or the rebellious is for the
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ungodly and for sinners and for the unholy and profane.
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OK, that's who the law. Those six, you look at those six
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things and they fall under the 1st 410 commandments.
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It's very interesting. Thou should have no other God
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before me. Thou should have no graven
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images. Thou should not take the Lord's
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name in vain. Thou should remember the Sabbath
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and keep it holy. All those things fall under
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these, these things that Paul just mentioned.
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So now we're going to go to the next 8, which are going to fall
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under the next. This might be complicated, might
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fall out of the next 5 of 610 commandments because he doesn't
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mention covetous here, which would have been the 10th
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command. We don't mention that one, but
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he does mention the first, that next five of the 10 commandments
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and I'll go through them. But he says here it says for
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murderers of fathers, murderers of mothers, that means you know
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your patricides and your matricides, people who kill
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their fathers and their mothers. You know the 10 commandments
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tells us that what, that we have to honor our fathers and our
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mothers. And then it says for manslayers,
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10 commandments said thou shalt not commit murder.
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So it falls under that. And for fornication and
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sodomites to commandments, they should not commit adultery.
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But these fall under sexual immorality.
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These fall under sexual immorality.
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But I also want to point out to you that since we're on the
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subject, I want to point out to you that he separated
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fornicators and sodomites, or in some versions it may read
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homosexuals. In some versions.
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He took the time to point that out because I believe He's
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letting us low. He's letting us know that being
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a homosexual is no less of a sin or no more of a sin than being a
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fornicator. Having sex outside of marriage
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with a woman is no less of a sin than two men having sex.
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It's all sinful to the Lord. It's abominable to the Lord.
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OK, but I also want to point this out because somebody might
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be thinking, but wait a minute. What if the two men are married?
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What if the two women are married?
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Is it still a sin? I have a resounding yes, it's
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still a sin. God does not acknowledge
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homosexual marriages, a man to man.
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God does not acknowledge that marriage.
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He does not acknowledge the marriage of two women.
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God does not acknowledge that. How do you know Lewis?
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Well, because back in Genesis when God was talking to Adam and
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Eve and He was talking about their marriage, he said for this
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reason, this is back in chapter 2, verse 24.
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You can check it out. He said for this reason shall a
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man leave his father and his mother and be joined to his
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wife? Under no circumstances is a wife
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ever identified as a man. A wife is a woman, and then if
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you go to Matthew chapter 19, verse 5, Jesus said the exact
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same thing. For this reason shall a man be
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joined together with his wife. For this reason he leaves his
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father and his mother, and he's joined together with his wife,
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and the two shall become one flesh.
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That's the institution of marriage.
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And I'm sorry, but the one who created the institution has the
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right to call what it is, in my opinion.
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I can't go into your house and I tell you what the rules of your
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house is going to be. You ain't going for that, nor
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can we do it with the institution of marriage.
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So let's go on. So then he says for kidnappers,
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some people believe that the Bible doesn't talk about
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slavery. For slavery.
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The Bible was doesn't doesn't mention anything about that.
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Well, here's one place that it does because it's kidnappers.
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He's talking about men, Steelers, men stealers, men who
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actually steal other men or women and force them into
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slavery. That's what this is talking
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about. And then he says for liars and
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for perjurers, I mean, all liars.
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And we know that all liars have their place in the lake of fire.
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But what's interesting, I looked up now, you know, the penalty
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for perjury is a pretty severe penalty.
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I mean, it's a, it's a third degree felony here in
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Pennsylvania. It's a pretty severe penalty,
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and the penalty, the punishment for it is like $15,000 in fines
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and up to seven years prison time.
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That's pretty severe. But that is nothing compared to
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what a unrepentant, unbelieving liar or perjurer is going to
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have to face when they face eternity in the lake of fire.
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It says for if a perjurus and if there is any other thing that is
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contrary to sound doctrine, well, maybe somebody is sitting
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here and thinking, well, I don't do none of those things.
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Just because it doesn't list, it doesn't mean this is an
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unexhausted list. OK, this is not everything, but
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he said he captures it at the bottom when he says in any other
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thing that is not contrary to sound doctrine.
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OK, so we're all lawbreakers, We've all broken the law.
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We all need the grace of Jesus Christ.
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We all need the love of Jesus Christ, and we all need the
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mercy of Jesus Christ. And thank God it's there.
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Amen. Thank God it's there.
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So to teach this, to try to teach this, if somebody tries to
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teach the law and use it as a way to keep you in bondage or
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use it as a way to control you or ever try to get you to think
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that the law is your way to righteousness or right standing
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with God, or that the law is the way to salvation, that is misuse
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of the law. That is misuse of the law.
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The law is there to point it out.
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This is sin. God's grace and His love and
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faith in Him is the way to salvation.
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Believing on Him, that's the way to salvation.
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It got to be balanced. Amen.
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And then of course, verse 11 says, according to the glorious
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gospel of the blessed God, that's the balance which was
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committed to my trust. I just want to close with this.
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Romans 10/4 says for Christ is the end of the law for
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righteousness for everyone or to everyone who believes.
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People try to use doctrine to do whatever it is that they wanted
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to do. They try to use it to control
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you. They try to use it to condemn.
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They try to use it to try to get you to think that you have to
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complete a bunch of do's and don'ts in order to be righteous
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or in order to be saved. But the Lord has come.
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Lord Jesus Christ has come for our salvation.
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He's already paid the penalty for it.
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He's already paid the penalty. And as I said before, we now
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have the Spirit of God living on the inside of us that all we
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have to do is yield to it, to Him.
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And He is the one that empowers us to live holy.
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He empowers us to change our lives.
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He empowers us to understand when we have violated the law of
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God and we repent and we turn from it and God is there with
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his arms open, just like we are with our children when they
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violate or one of our rules or they violate something in the
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household. We don't kick them out forever.
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We don't look at them haughty, but we invite them back when
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they say, mom, dad, I'm sorry. And they come and give you that
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hug around your waist. You melt.
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You melt and we serve a God who loves For us to acknowledge that
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we're in agreement with Him that we have sinned, but He also love
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it when we come back to Him and we admit that we're wrong and we
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repent and we are able to restore.
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He restores. Our fellowship with Him isn't
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awesome. What a plan.
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What a plan. Thank you for tuning in to
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Living Waters of Grace with Pastor Lewis Harold.
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We're currently in the books of First and Second Timothy.
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Some of the things included in these New Testament letters from
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Paul are that the young and newly established Pastor Timothy
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was being encouraged to hold fast to what was true.
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He was challenged to confront and address the false teachers
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that were rising up. He was also reminded to accept
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his calling to the ministry with gratefulness and to address the
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happenings going on in the Ephesian church.
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Paul was imparting his experience and knowledge to the
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next generation. Timothy was receptive to
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learning and gleaning what he could from Paul's wisdom.
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This is how it should be in ministry across multiple
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generations. Those who have lived a little
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more life should be open to sharing their successes and also
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things they've learned along the way.
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That we're not a wind. The younger generations coming
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up can learn and appreciate much from those ahead of them, and
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perhaps avoid some of the same pitfalls that their mentors work
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through mentoring. It's a beautiful relationship
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when the hearts are in the right place to learn and grow.
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We trust that you're in a community where this is
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happening. Older ones providing advice and
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wisdom, and each side learning and growing from one another.
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This certainly was the case for Paul and Timothy as they were
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comrades for the sake of the gospel.
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For more information on where this teaching came from, go to
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calvarychapelonline.com. There you can also learn about
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our service times to join us in person.
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This has been living waters of grace.