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The Issues about Women's Liberty pt 20 · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. Lord, I honor you. What a privilege.
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What a privilege to go through your work. Thank
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you, Father. Hallelujah. Amen Let's take our
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seat Deuteronomy chapter 22 Deuteronomy 22 Look
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at verse 5 Deuteronomy 22 verse 5. A woman shall
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not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor
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shall a man put on a woman's garment. For all
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who do so are an abomination to the Lord your
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God. We started on Sunday. our discussion on
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a woman's dressing. Part of the series we said
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on issues about women's liberty. That's how we
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title it. And we noted that most times when the
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discussion of addressing comes up. A popular
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text that many believers turn to is Deuteronomy
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22 verse 5. And we said that to understand this
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text we need to do some studies. We began by
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answering a few questions which is a usual way
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in which we study Bible by looking at the context.
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We answered two questions last Sunday. Who spoke
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those words and to whom was he addressing them?
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We say it was Moses and he was addressing it
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to the children of Israel, particularly the generation
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that were either born in the wilderness or they
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were less than 20 years when they left. Egypt.
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But the older generation actually died in the
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wilderness. So this is a generation he was communicating,
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particularly Deuteronomy. And we stop at when
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we were looking at Romans chapter 7. So let's
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go to that place. So the other question that
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we are yet to answer is why. That is why Moses
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wrote these words, especially now in regards
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to this verse 5. Why? Let's go to Romans chapter
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7. That's why we stop. Romans 7 verse 7. Romans
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7 verse 7. Let me read to 13. And what shall
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we see then? Is this the law sin? Certainly not.
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On the contrary, I will not have known sin except
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through the law. For I will not have known covetousness
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unless the law has said, You shall not covet.
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But sin, taken opportunity by the commandment,
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produce in me all manner of evil desires. For
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apart from the law, sin was dead. Verse 9. I
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was alive once without the law, but when the
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commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And
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the commandment, which was to bring life, I found
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to bring death. For sin, taking occasion, by
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the commandment deceived me, and by it killed
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me. Verse 12. Therefore the law is holy. and
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the commandment holy and just and good. Has then
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what is good become death to me? Certainly not.
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But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing
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death in me through what is good, so that sin
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through the commandment might become exceedingly
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sinful. And so we first started to look at particularly
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verse 9, which is one part that is sometimes
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confusing when you read this text. Verse 9, I
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was alive once without the law. And we try to
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ask the question, what does that mean? Was Paul
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referring or saying that he was physically alive
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before Moses gave the law? And we say, no, that's
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not what he's trying to say. Because if you look
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at the context, that was not the discussion.
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We said actually Paul lived about for more than
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1 ,500 years after Moses was honored. And then
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we looked at what actually that meant. And we
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started looking at some keyword there. We said
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was alive was translated from the Greek word
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zao. And then we said that word zao is a verb.
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The noun that was derived from that, we call
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it zoe. And that's what we normally, we know
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that one, zoe. And we said this zao means to
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live, to breathe, to be among the living, to
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be active. And the word once we noted is pote,
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which means at full time or at some time. or
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in the time past. And we looked again at that
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verse 9, and we noticed some of the words also,
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like revive, and we said revive was translated
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from the Greek word anazao, which implies to
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live again, to recover life, or to raise to life.
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And the word we said anazao was used in the parable
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of The lost son. Are we together? Or we call
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the parable of the prodigal son. Amen? Let's
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go back to that text also. Let's read it quickly.
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Luke 15. That word, which is to revive. Are you
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in Luke 15? Luke 15. I will read 24. Verse 24.
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I'll read verse 24 and 32 because that's where
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the word revive or anazao appears. Verse 24,
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for this my son was dead and is alive again.
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He was lost and is found. So that means what
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he's trying to say that the word dead means he
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was lost. Are we together? Means alive again
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means he was found. Amen. Now go to verse 32.
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Verse 32 says, it was right that we should make
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merry and be glad for your brother was dead and
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is alive again, was lost and was lost and is
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found through the same communication. Amen. So
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Jesus used the word alive again in this text.
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And what he's trying to say is not saying that
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the son was physically dead, no, and was brought
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back to life, no. Alive again we saw that it
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means he was brought back to awareness or consciousness.
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Another thing again we should note that when
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the father was talking, it means that they were...
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He has seen him again. You remember when he said
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he was dead, that means he was separated from
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him. He was not seeing him. But now the boy has
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returned back, means he's alive again. Amen.
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So the time I was alive, seen revived, and I
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died, we saw in verse 9. are actually spiritual
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terms and should be understood in the context.
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And I don't want you to forget that Paul in the
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context was speaking about sin and the law. Are
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we together? When you read from chapter one,
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of course, Pastor, you might help us for those
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of us who are in the training center in the center
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for us to study from the book of Romans. Excuse
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me. So I want to read some few texts so that
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you understand from where Paul was coming. Go
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back to Romans, go to Romans rather. We have
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not gone there before. Amen. So go to, go to
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Romans, Romans chapter three, verse 20. Romans
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chapter three, verse 20. Therefore, by the deeds,
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Of the law, no flesh will be justified in his
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sight. For by the law is the knowledge of what?
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Are we together? Is the knowledge. So that means
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the awareness of sin is brought about by the
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law. Hallelujah. Okay, that's very important.
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Go to verse, chapter 5, verse 13. Romans 5, 13.
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Romans 5, 13. He said, for until the law, sin
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was in the world. Are we together? Yes, but sin
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is not imputed when there is no law. Okay, so
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Paul talks about the consciousness of sin or
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what we call the awareness of sin. which is brought
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about by the law. In fact, this is what the writer
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of Hebrews was talking about in Hebrews chapter
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10. Go to Hebrews chapter 10. And that's why
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those who live by the law will always and consistently
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be seen conscious. Are we together? Seen conscious.
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Look at Romans chapter 10. Sorry, that's a Romans,
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Hebrews chapter 10. For the law having a shadow
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of the good things to come and not every image
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of the things can never with these same sacrifices
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which they offer continually year by year make
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those who approach perfect. For then, will they
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not have ceased to be offered? For the worshiper
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once purified will have had no more consciousness
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of what? That means if the law could make a man
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perfect, there was no need for a year by year
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coming to be purified again. But verse 3, but
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in those sacrifice, O sacrifices, there is a
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reward, a reminder of what? Of sins every year.
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For it is not possible that the blood of bulls
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and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when
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he came into the world, he said, Sacrifice and
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offering you did not desire, but a body you have
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prepared for me. In burnt offering and sacrifice
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for sin, you had no pleasure. Then I said, Behold,
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I have come, in the volumes of the books it is
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written of me, to do your will, O God. Previously
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saying, Sacrifice and offering, bond offerings,
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and offerings for sin you did not desire, nor
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had pleasure in them, which are offered according
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to the law. Then he said, Behold, I have come
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to you to do your will, O God. that he may establish
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a second. Verse 10. By that will, we have been
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sanctified through the offering of the body of
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Jesus Christ once and what? Once and for all.
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Verse 11. And every priest stands ministering
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daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifice.
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which can never take away sins. It can never
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take away sins. But the only thing we have seen
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is that there is a reminder of the sin, the consciousness
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of sin. So that was what actually Paul was saying.
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You understand? By the knowledge of sin, the
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law brings the knowledge of sin. Verse 12, he
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said, but this man, after he had offered one
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sacrifice for sin forever, sat down at the right
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hand of God. For that time, waiting till his
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enemies are made his footstool. Of course, the
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book of 1 Corinthians told us that the last enemy
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that shall be destroyed is what? Is death. Verse
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14. For by one offering, he has perfected, you
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see, what was not perfected year in year out
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by sacrifice, One offering has perfected forever
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those who are sanctified, not those who are being
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sanctified. It's all a continuous thing. That's
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why he said it's once and for all. Hallelujah.
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Amen. So you and I do not need anything. That's
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why the man of the spirit is not sin conscious
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because his sins has been taken away. He's not
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under the law. Are we together? He is not under
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the law. Amen. Hallelujah. He said, for sin shall
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no longer have dominion over you, for you are
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under grace and not under the law. Romans 6,
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14. So in verse 9 of Romans, if you go back to
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Romans, let's go back to Romans. So if you look
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at Romans 7, Verse 9. That word died was translated
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from the Greek word apotnesko. That is A -P -O
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-A -P -O -T -H -N -E -S -K -O. A -P -O -T -H
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-N -E -S -K -O. It implies to be slain, to be
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separated. to be separated. So in the parables
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that Jesus gave, when the father said, for this
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my son was dead, he was not referring, as we
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said, the fact that he was physically dead. No,
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but he meant that they were separated or that
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he did not see him again because that separation
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did this. didn't allow him to see the son. Thus,
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it's alive again where we saw in that Luke 15,
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24 and verse 32 was to communicate the fact that
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the son now has returned and he could be seen
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and now they are not separated. Amen. Hallelujah.
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Are we together? So, therefore, when you look
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at that verse 9, we can See that Paul is talking
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about that he was without sin, the consciousness
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of sin. If you can put all those things together,
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what Paul is saying, the explanation is that
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I was not conscious of sin before. But when the
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Lord came, I became conscious of sin. Simple
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and short. Are we together? Yes. That's what
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Paul is trying to say. And remember we said,
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the consciousness of sin is brought about by
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what? The law. And also, not just only the sin,
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the consciousness of your state. When Paul said,
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when Paul said, sinly revived and I die, what
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he's trying to say is that, remember, that word,
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I died was describing his state. Now I'm using
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I, I, you know, there has been an argument. Was
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Paul talking about himself? Because when you
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read that throughout, was Paul talking about
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himself or is he talking about the experience
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of another person? Amen. I think when our brother,
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is he anointed? Yes. Anointed once was asking
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of this, I think we have to do a study from chapter
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4, 5, 6. We read through up to chapter 8. You
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understand? Because we wanted to see was Paul
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actually talking about the way he was using I,
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I, I die, I this, I this, then sin this, then
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sin this. You understand? And then we look at
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where he was talking about, oh, wretched man
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that I am, who would deliver me from the ground
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of sin. And then he entered chapter 8, you understand,
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and keep discussing by time. He was describing
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that man that is under the law and don't have
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the spirit, you understand, because that's what
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it means. By the time you read verse 8 of chapter
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8, it now says, so then, those who are in the
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flesh cannot please God, but those who are not
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in the flesh, but in the spirit, if, I mean,
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those who are not in the flesh, but in the spirit,
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if indeed the spirit dwells in you, now, if you,
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if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ,
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he is not of his. Definitely, Paul is not describing
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his state. because he has the spirit of God,
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you understand? And of course, he's not a wretched
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man. Are we together? We have noted in a number
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of texts, sometimes you can use an analogy to
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like identification. Like I can be talking now
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and I said, you see, any man that is stealing
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is definitely going to be miserable. You see,
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when I do this battle, I'm actually going to
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end up a miserable man. Now, I'm not talking
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about myself. Did you understand what I'm trying
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to say? So, but you know, there is a way you
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can use I in a sample. You are not speaking about
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your reality now. Amen. So that's exactly what
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Paul was trying to do here. Amen. So now that's
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not the point, but we're trying to say that it's
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about what Paul is trying to describe is that.
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A man, when the Lord came, he brought consciousness
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of sin. He brought consciousness of sin and the
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state of a people. And that's why, if you look
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at verse, what do you call it? Chapter 8, Romans
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chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, verse 2. He said,
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for the Lord. of the spirit of life in Christ
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Jesus has made me free from the what? From the
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what? The law of sin and what? And death. That's
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what the law, the law of Moses brought. When
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you live by the deeds of the law, you understand?
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This is what we call the law of sin and death.
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So when he said sin revived, It means I became
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conscious of sin and I died. It means I became
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conscious of sin and the state in which I am,
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which is death. Amen? So, but there is something
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I want us to look further, which is verse 7.
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Go back to verse 7 of chapter 7. He said, what
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shall we say then? Is the law sin? Is the law
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sin? It is certainly not. On the contrary, I
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will not have known sin except through the law.
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For I will not have known covetousness unless
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the law has said, you shall not covet. You shall
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not what? Covet. So Paul was directly quoting
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from... what we call the Ten Commandments. We
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have seen it already. And that is Exodus 20,
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verse 17. Talking about you shall not covet.
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Exodus 20, 17. Now, you can recall that earlier
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in our discussion that we state the differences
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between the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments.
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One of the points we raised was that the Ten
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Commandments was directly given by God. And then
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the law of Moses was written by Moses personally.
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We saw it in Deuteronomy chapter 31, particularly
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from verse 24 to 26. And we saw that the Ten
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Commandments was given by God on the mount, on
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Mount Sinai. We saw that also in Deuteronomy
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10. Verse 1 to 4. So we also noted that the Ten
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Commandments were received before the law of
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Moses, certainly. Because the first and foremost
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we saw, and I wanted to note something which
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I want to make clear. That before the Ten Commandments
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was written, even on the stones, in the sand,
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the stone tablets, they were first spoken. Please
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note that one. This is very important. Before
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the Ten Commandments were even written on the
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stones tablets, they were first what? Spoken.
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Amen? And before the law of Moses was written,
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the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stones
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were written. Did you see the order? Good. Now,
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because there is something very important I want
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us to see later on. So go to Exodus 34. Exodus
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34. And remember what I said last Sunday? That
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I said Moses' teaching, the law, was based on
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the Ten Commandments. Is that okay? And that's
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why you saw that even the Ten Commandments are
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also again written in the book of Moses. Is that
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okay? In fact, it was repeated again. It was
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first written in Exodus and then repeated in
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Deuteronomy. Showing that this generation that
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we are talking about are the Deuteronomy generation.
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The Exodus generation that the first was given
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to them, they have already perished in the wilderness.
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Because at this time that we are discussing,
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they are just about Jordan, to cross the Jordan.
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That's the end part of Moses' life. Okay. Deuteronomy,
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they say, okay, I say Exodus 34, right? Exodus
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34. I want us to read. Let me start from reading
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verse 1, Exodus 34, 1. And the Lord said to Moses,
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cut two tablets. cut two tablets of stones like
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the first. And I will write on these tablets
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the word that were on the first tablet you broke.
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The question you want to ask that, what cost
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Moses to break the first tablet? Amen. Okay,
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look at verse 27. Then the Lord said to Moses,
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write this word for according to the tenor of
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these words, I have made a covenant with you
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and with Israel. He was there with the Lord 40
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days and 40 nights. He neither eats bread nor
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drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the
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words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
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Now it was so when Moses came down from Mount
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Sinai and the two tablets of the testimony were
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in Moses' hand. When he came down from the mountain,
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that Moses did not know that the skin of his
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face shone while he talked with him. So when
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Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses,
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behold, the skin of his face shone and they were
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afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to
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them and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation
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returned to him. And Moses talked. Afterward,
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all the children of Israel came near, and he
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gave them as commandment all that the Lord had
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spoken to him under Mount Sinai. Verse 33 And
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when Moses had finished speaking with them, he
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put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in
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before the Lord to speak with him, he would take
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the veil off until he came out. And he would
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come out and speak to the children of Israel,
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whatever he had been commanded. And whenever
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the children of Israel saw the face of Moses,
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that the skins of Moses' face shone, then Moses
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would put the veil on his face again until he
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went in to speak. Hallelujah. Amen. Now, this
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was made reference in 2 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians
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chapter 3. I want to look at chapter 3. 2 Corinthians
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chapter 3. Let me read verse 3. Clearly, You
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are an epistles of Christ ministered by us, written
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not with ink, but by the spirit of the living
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God, not on tablet of stones. Listen, that means,
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please listen to me. That means I'm coming to
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you. Just follow me. I'll be saying some few
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things and we'll build that. That means the desire
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of God was not to write his words on the tablet
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of stones. Are we together? Now note that, I'm
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coming back to it. In answer, not on the tablet
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of stones, of stone, but on the tablet of flesh,
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that is of the heart. And we have such trust
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through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient
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of ourselves to think of anything as being, from
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ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who
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also made us sufficient as ministers of the new
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covenant. You see that? Not of the letters, but
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of the Spirit. Where is the Spirit written? In
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the tablet of flesh. For? The letters killer,
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but the spirit reward gives life. But if the
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ministry of death written and engraved on stones.
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was glorious so that the children of Israel could
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not look steadily at the face of Moses because
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of the glory of his containers. Which glory was
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passing away? How will the ministry of the Spirit
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not be more glorious? For if the ministry of
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condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness
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exceeds much more in glory. For even what was
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made glorious had no glory in this respect because
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of the glory that excels. For if what is passing
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away was glorious, what remains is much more
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glorious. Therefore, since we have such hope,
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we use great boldness of speech. Unlike Moses
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who put a veil. over his face so that the children
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of Israel could not look steadily at the end
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of what was passing away. But their minds were
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what? Oh, talk to me. Their minds were what?
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Were blinded. For until this day, the same veil.
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So what Moses was putting was a shadow, was actually
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depicting the reality, the spiritual reality
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of these people. Did you understand what I'm
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trying to say? He said, until this day, the same
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veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old
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Testament. Because the veil is taken away in
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Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read,
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that is when the Old Testament. What is describing
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as Old Testament is the system of unbelief. Do
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you understand what I'm trying to say? Are we
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together? That's why we say Old Testament is
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all books. Old Testament, New Testament is all
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books. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes.
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You say, but even to this day, when Moses is
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read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless,
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When one turns to the Lord, the veil is what?
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Is taken away. So, but their minds were blind.
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So what he's trying to describe is that there
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was a necessity to put down the law. I mean,
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the Ten Commandments. Let's start from the Ten
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Commandments first. We are not even going first
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to the law of Moses. From the Ten Commandments,
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it has to be put down because these men have
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rejected. what was spoken first. Are we together?
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It were rejected the plan of God. The plan of
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God was this and that was why Jeremiah noted
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it. When you read in Hebrews chapter 8, you see
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also the plan of God. He said, I will write my
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laws upon your hearts. That was the, it's not
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upon the tablet of a stone. That was the desire
34:33
of God right from the beginning. Hallelujah.
34:50
Deuteronomy chapter 12. Go back to Deuteronomy
34:53
chapter 12. 4. Let's read 4. Deuteronomy 4. Look
35:14
at verse 12. And the Lord spoke to Moses out
35:21
of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound
35:25
of the words, but saw no form. You only heard
35:29
a voice. So he declared to you his covenant,
35:32
and he commanded you to perform the tenth commandment.
35:37
And he wrote them on the two tablets of stone.
35:43
And the Lord commanded me at that time to do
35:46
what? Hey, talk to me. To do what? To teach you
35:51
the status and the judgment that you might observe
35:55
them in the land which you cross over to possess.
36:01
You see, this is where Moses began to take from
36:06
the Ten Commandments and do what? To teach them.
36:13
That's where we start having the writing of the
36:16
law, which we now call the book of the law of
36:22
Moses. Amen. Now look at what Jesus did. Let's
36:28
just look a little bit about Mark chapter 10.
36:33
In Mark chapter 10, 19. And you know the commandment.
36:53
Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not
36:58
steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud.
37:03
Honor your father and mother. Where is this located?
37:07
In the 10th commandment. Are we together? Amen.
37:15
You can see that when Jesus was, Jesus didn't
37:17
say just 10th commandment. He was just saying,
37:19
You have heard from the commandment. He didn't
37:21
say 10 commandments. Amen? He just called them
37:29
commandments. Look at Romans chapter 10. Let's
37:35
see one of the apostles, particularly Paul again.
37:43
Let's go to Romans chapter 13. Romans 13. Verse
37:49
8. Oh, no one anything except to love one another.
37:57
For he who loves another has fulfilled the word,
38:02
has fulfilled the law. For the commandments,
38:07
you shall not commit adultery, you shall not
38:13
murder, you shall not steal, you shall not be
38:15
a false witness. You shall not covet. And if
38:19
there is any other commandment, and all are all
38:23
summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love
38:29
your neighbor as yourself. You shall love your
38:33
neighbor. So the same goes with Paul. He did
38:35
not refer to it as 10 commandments. Are we together?
38:40
He summarized it. Did you understand? Of course,
38:46
Paul was quoting from the 10th commandment as
38:48
we noted, as it is written in. And then by the
38:55
time, listen to me, these words, you shall love
38:58
your neighbor as yourself is a quotation from
39:02
Leviticus 19, 18. It's a quotation from Leviticus
39:07
19, what? 18. So what Paul did, of course, we're
39:17
going to see it because he saw it also from Christ.
39:20
What Paul did was to summarize a section, you
39:25
understand? You can actually divide the Ten Commandments
39:27
into two. So the second part of the Ten Commandments
39:32
that Paul quoted, that has to do with men. You
39:37
understand what I'm saying? If you divide it,
39:40
One part, especially if you are looking at Exodus,
39:43
Exodus 20, we look at from verse 12 to 17. This
39:48
is talking about toward men. Or if you look at
39:51
it from Deuteronomy 5, verse 16 to 21, it's also
39:57
talking about them towards men. That's what Paul
39:59
quoted. What Paul did was to summarize it as
40:03
one. What is it? It's a love your neighbor as
40:07
your what? Yourself. Now, listen, this one does
40:14
not, I hear some people quoting this verse very
40:16
badly. You know those proponents of self -love?
40:22
How can you know how to love somebody? Unless
40:26
first you know how to love yourself, then you
40:30
will know how to love your neighbor. Where did
40:33
you hear that kind of interpretation? No, no.
40:39
You understand? There is nowhere that says you
40:44
should love yourself. Nowhere. You understand?
40:49
Because how you know to love is by you having
40:54
the love of God, not to love yourself. How can
40:56
you know how to love yourself? Amen. Now, what
41:02
am I trying to say? So Paul summarizes it like
41:06
that. Go back to Matthew 22. Matthew 22. Matthew
41:12
22. Let's see what Jesus, because Paul was speaking
41:15
from how Jesus did something to the Ten Commandments.
41:19
Remember, we said Jesus, no, Paul never called
41:21
it the Ten Commandments. Matthew 22, verse 36.
41:41
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the
41:44
law? Jesus answered to him, You shall love the
41:50
Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
41:56
soul, and with all your mind. This is the first,
42:00
say to your neighbor, the first commandment is
42:06
not to love yourself. but to love the Lord. You
42:11
know, that's why I'm trying to decongest that
42:13
problem. That is saying that the way to know
42:16
how to love your neighbor is to first know how
42:19
to love yourself. That idea of self -love is
42:21
a world system love. You understand? The first
42:26
is said, the commandment. This is the first and
42:33
the great commandment. And the second is like
42:36
it. you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
42:45
On these two commandments hang what? The law
42:50
and the prophets. That's what he's saying. On
42:55
these two. So when we bring the word of Jesus
42:59
and as well what Paul has already told us, remember,
43:03
this love your neighbor as yourself also, Jesus
43:06
was quoting from Leviticus 19. So what we can
43:13
see is that Jesus summarized what we call the
43:18
Ten Commandments into just one. Because both
43:22
of them mean the same. He said the second is
43:25
like the first. So that one has parts. The first
43:33
part and the second part. And when you look at
43:38
that, I've already mentioned thou shalt love
43:41
your neighbor as yourself. But loving the Lord,
43:44
the path is toward God. When you look at Deuteronomy
43:47
chapter 20, verse 1 to 17, it talks about things
43:51
toward God. And then, of course, if you are looking
43:57
at Deuteronomy, you see Deuteronomy chapter 5,
44:00
verse 6 to 22. All talks about God. We've already
44:06
dealt with the issue of like Sabbath, like the
44:08
issue of many things we discussed in this short.
44:12
That the Sabbath is describing rest in Christ.
44:17
Are we together? So the point is that if you
44:24
look at verse 37, yes, he's talking about loving
44:29
the Lord. with all your heart, with all your
44:32
mind, with all your soul. Remember also, this
44:36
love is a combination. Jesus also used text and
44:41
summarized that. Are we together? Look at Deuteronomy
44:44
chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. So love your
44:47
neighbor as yourself is Leviticus 19, 18, right?
44:52
Loving the Lord your God with all your heart,
44:55
with all your soul, with all your mind is taken
44:57
from this text. Deuteronomy 6, verse 5. And you
45:10
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
45:13
and with all your soul and with all your strength.
45:17
Look at chapter 10, verse 12. Deuteronomy 10,
45:21
verse 12. And now, Israel, what does the Lord
45:26
your God require of you? But to what? To fear
45:31
the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and
45:34
to love him, to serve him. To serve the Lord
45:39
your God with all your heart and with all your
45:41
what? Soul. Look at chapter 30, verse 6. Deuteronomy
45:48
30, verse 6. And the Lord your God will circumcise
45:59
your heart and the heart of your descendant to
46:04
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
46:08
all your soul, that you may what? Please note
46:14
those, especially two texts. He said, what did
46:17
the Lord require? He said, that's what you require
46:20
from you, to love the Lord your God. In the Psalm.
46:26
And then he said, this is what you will do. And
46:28
you do what? And you leave. That's what you will
46:32
do so that you leave. So what can we say? We
46:40
can see that Jesus is re -explaining the Ten
46:43
Commandments. That the way the Ten Commandments
46:48
were written were actually not to be as rules
46:56
and regulations, but you are a message of the
47:01
gospel. That's why he said, that is what the
47:04
Lord required from you. And that if you have
47:07
done that, you will live. So there is life in
47:11
obeying the commandment, the 10th commandment.
47:15
But you see, it's not just rules. It's not just
47:17
the first one is, I don't call the name of the
47:19
Lord in vain. Because that's what Israel took
47:22
it, literal. And they are running. And when Jesus
47:25
explained, he explained to it and now condense
47:30
it into those texts. So from Jesus' words, what
47:38
does it mean to love the Lord? Because that's
47:41
what he said. If you love, you will live. To
47:45
love the Lord with all your heart, with all your
47:47
soul, and with all your mind. What does that
47:51
mean? Look at John 14. Verse 21. He who has my
48:17
commandment and keep them. It is he who do what?
48:23
Who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved
48:27
by my Father, and I will love him and manifest
48:30
myself to him. And Judas, not Iscariot, said
48:34
to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest
48:38
yourself to us and not to the world? Look at
48:43
the answer. Jesus answered and said to him, If
48:47
anyone loves me, He will keep my words. And my
48:53
father will love him. And we will come to him
48:57
and make our home with him. He who does not love
49:03
me does not keep my commandment. And the word
49:09
which you hear is not mine, but the father's
49:12
who sent me. So since loving him means keeping
49:17
his commandment, Do we agree there? Amen. So
49:22
the question is that, again is, what is this
49:27
commandment? How can a person keep it? Did you
49:33
hear the question? What is this commandment that
49:37
Jesus is saying? If you keep my commandment,
49:39
you are the one that love me. And how can a man
49:43
keep it? Look at from verse 6 of that same John.
49:57
Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and
50:00
the life. No one comes to the Father except through
50:03
me. If you had known me, you would have known
50:08
my Father also. And from now on, you know him
50:14
and have seen him. the Father, and it is sufficient
50:21
for us. Verse 9, Jesus said to him, have I been
50:25
with you so long and yet you have not known me,
50:28
Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father.
50:33
So how can you say, show us the Father? Verse
50:38
10, do you not believe that I am in the Father
50:42
and the Father in me? The word that I speak to
50:47
you, I do not speak on my own authority, but
50:51
the Father who dwells in me does the work. Verse
50:57
11. Believe me that I am in the Father and the
51:04
Father in me, or else believe me for the sake
51:10
of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say
51:13
to you, He who believes in me and the works that
51:19
I do, he will do also. And greater works than
51:23
these he will do because I go to my Father. Verse
51:27
13. And whatsoever you ask in my name that I
51:31
will do, the Father may be glorified in the Son.
51:35
If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
51:40
If you love me, keep what? If you love me, do
51:46
what? Keep my commandment. So that means whatever
51:54
he has been saying before, before verse 15, this
52:01
is what? This is commandment. In fact, from verse
52:07
1, he said, he said, let not your heart be troubled.
52:14
believe, it's not you believe in me, no, because
52:17
they have not. Believe in me, in God, and believe
52:22
also in where? In me. If you begin to look at
52:26
it, that's the, that's the always decision. He
52:28
said, believe in me. At least if you're not believing,
52:30
believe in the works. Didn't I tell you, I am
52:33
my father, because that was what he was telling
52:35
them. I am my father, I want, so believe it.
52:38
Did you understand what I'm trying to say? So
52:42
the commandment here is belief. That's why by
52:46
the time he came to verse 15, he said, if you
52:49
love me, keep my commandment. What's the commandment
52:52
he has been given? Belief. Okay, let's look at,
52:57
John clarified that more because he's the writer
53:00
of this text. Are we together? First, go to 1
53:04
John. Go to 1 John chapter 3. Look at verse 22.
53:13
John, in his epistle, gave more light on what
53:16
that commandment is. Chapter 3, verse 22. And
53:22
whatever we ask, we received from him. Remember
53:27
in John 21, he said, ask. Did you see that place?
53:32
So he said, whatever. We ask, we receive. So
53:37
in that text of John, he was not talking about,
53:40
because he said, ask anything in my name. That
53:43
anything. Oh, glory to Jesus. You know, sometimes
53:47
we like using, when we say anything, it just
53:50
means his car. No, I want to go to America. No,
53:53
I want to go to, no, that is not the anything
53:55
you are talking about because it's contextual.
53:58
Are we together? So John came here and he was
54:03
saying, And whatsoever we ask, we received from
54:07
him. Because we do what? We keep his commandment.
54:12
And do those things that are pleasing in his
54:15
sight. What are those things? And this is his
54:20
word. That we should do what? In the name of
54:27
his son Jesus. And do what? And love one another.
54:30
That's why he said, this is the commandment.
54:33
These are the things that please him. As he has
54:40
commanded or given us his commandment. Verse
54:44
24. Now, he who keeps his commandment abides
54:49
in him. That's the point. Remember what he said
54:51
in that verse 24. You understand? He said, the
54:55
one that keeps his commandment, we will come
54:58
together and make him our what? Our home. Did
55:03
you understand what I'm saying? Yes. So that's
55:07
what it means. He said, he who keeps his commandment
55:10
abides in him. Because now he becomes the abbot
55:16
of God. And the commandment is to believe. And
55:27
by this we know this. And by this we know that
55:30
he abides in us. How? By the Spirit whom he has
55:37
given us. Whom he has given us. So to love God
55:42
means to keep his commandment. And to keep his
55:46
commandment means to believe in him. So when
55:51
Jesus was saying, love the Lord with all your
55:53
heart, he said, believe in him. That was why
55:56
in Deuteronomy, Moses was writing to the children
56:00
of Israel. He said, this is what the Lord demanded
56:01
of you. That when you believe him, you live.
56:06
And the living there he's talking about is a
56:08
life everlasting. So the 10 commandments are
56:13
not regulations. They are actually the gospel.
56:19
To believe in the son of the living God. And
56:26
he make his home with us. Who loved him. Who
56:30
believed in him. Who believed him. That's life
56:37
when you have the spirit. When the spirit has
56:40
make you his home. That's life. That's salvation.
56:46
The word home there in John chapter 3. Verse
56:51
23. Earlier did I say 24? It's 23. Yes, John
56:57
chapter 14, verse 23. Yes. He said, Jesus answered
57:08
and said to him, if anyone loves me, he will
57:11
keep my word and my father will love him. And
57:15
we will come to him and make our home with him.
57:20
That word home there, is the Greek word money,
57:24
which is the same word with mansion in verse
57:32
2. You know, some people have been believing
57:34
and trusting God that in heaven there are two
57:37
mansions, three mansions. Their own is under
57:40
construction. The one is under construction.
57:43
In my father's house are many mansions. That
57:49
word home, It's the same word with damn mansions.
57:54
It means in my father's house there are dwellings.
57:59
Home. It means resident. So you are the father's
58:10
house. You are the dwelling. His dwelling place.
58:17
His resting place. Are we together? Jesus, after
58:25
the walk of salvation, he rested in you. Did
58:30
you understand what I'm saying? When Jesus said,
58:36
all ye that are heavy laden, come, I will give
58:39
you rest. What he is saying is that, come, I
58:41
want to rest in you. That's also what he is saying.
58:46
Rest means to carry Christ. That's what it means.
58:51
To be the resident of Christ, that's rest. That's
58:56
rest. So the result of the indwelling. Listen,
59:06
when you become the resident of the Holy Spirit,
59:10
the resident of Christ by loving God. So next
59:13
time you read texts, many texts like All things
59:24
work together for the good of those who do what?
59:31
Who love God and are called according to his
59:34
purpose. What is love? Belief. You got the point.
59:39
You know, most times when they say love God,
59:42
you think you should do step one, step two. You
59:45
understand? That's what they say. And some of
59:47
us always sing, I love God, Lord, I love you.
59:49
You think it's prayer, study, going to this,
59:53
going to that, going to this, going to that.
59:55
All these things are good. But to love God means
59:58
to believe in him. Amen. Say, I love the Lord.
1:00:02
I love the Lord. So next time you are singing,
1:00:05
I love you, you understand? Know what you are
1:00:08
saying is that, I believe in you. So like Nathanael
1:00:13
Bassey would say, Jesus, the son of God, I believe
1:00:18
in you. I believe. It also means, I love you.
1:00:24
That's also what it means. So in your mind, don't
1:00:27
be thinking about works when you say you love
1:00:30
the Lord. Do you understand what I'm saying?
1:00:32
Yes. So by the time you love the Lord, kept his
1:00:38
commandment and you have become the resident
1:00:41
of God, then there is something that is produced.
1:00:46
The result of his indwelling in you is what we
1:00:50
call love toward others. What we call the fruit
1:01:00
of the spirit. You understand? Love, joy, peace,
1:01:06
patience. You know, Galatians 5. That is the
1:01:10
result of the dwelling. Give me an amplifier.
1:01:18
Give me an amplifier. Galatians chapter 5, verse
1:01:21
22. Galatians 5, verse 22. But the fruit of the
1:01:29
Holy Spirit, the what? Give me, not classic,
1:01:35
if you have the amplifier, not classic. Yes.
1:01:41
But the fruit of the spirit, the what? The result
1:01:47
of his what? Presence within us is love. And
1:01:55
they are in his body. All of these ones, they
1:01:57
are love. It's just a valid expression of love.
1:02:01
That's why It's not a type of erudite. He might
1:02:06
say, is. No. All these things here, they are
1:02:12
called love. That's why you see, Jesus was talking
1:02:18
about the second is like the first. The second
1:02:24
is like what? Like the first. Let me end by giving
1:02:29
you this text. Look at how Paul puts this text.
1:02:38
Ephesians chapter 1. I'll just read Ephesians
1:02:41
1. Ephesians 1 .15. And I'll also read Colossians
1:02:47
1 .4 and Philemon 1 .4. Just this way to see
1:02:51
that one is not... That's why Jesus put it. He
1:02:55
said first and then the second. Did you understand
1:02:58
what I'm trying to say? Good. Look at how Paul
1:03:01
put it. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 15. Is it here?
1:03:08
Wherefore I also after I heard of what? In the
1:03:14
Lord Jesus. That means after I have heard your
1:03:17
love. The first. And what? And the love to what?
1:03:23
To all sent. Give me Colossians. Colossians 1
1:03:26
verse 4. Since we heard of your faith in what?
1:03:33
And of your love which you have what? Toward
1:03:38
all saints. Philemon 1 .4 I thank my God making
1:03:46
mention of thee always in my prayers. Hearing
1:03:52
of your what? Which is faith? With thou hast
1:04:01
what? Wait, wait, wait now. Where are you running
1:04:03
to? Where did you run to? Go back. You see that?
1:04:13
Hearing of thy love and faith, with thou hast
1:04:16
toward the what? And what? All sense. Is always
1:04:24
first the love of God. Meaning to have faith
1:04:28
in him and then toward the side. Because it is
1:04:32
his indwelling that produces the fruit which
1:04:37
we love one another. Which we do what? We love
1:04:43
one another. So a man must first believe. A man
1:04:48
must what? First believe and then the next do
1:04:51
what? So let me give you these thoughts as we
1:04:55
close. In the epistles, you will never see anywhere
1:05:02
where they ask to love the Lord. That was why
1:05:06
you saw in Romans 13, what Paul did was to tell
1:05:11
them what? Love your neighbor as yourself. But
1:05:15
he never told them to love the Lord because they
1:05:17
have done what? They have loved the Lord by believing
1:05:20
in him. So the second thing again I want you
1:05:23
to note is that Now, by this explanation that
1:05:28
the Holy Spirit has provided, the Ten Commandments,
1:05:33
they are a revelation of who Christ is. They
1:05:39
are a revelation of who we are in Christ. There
1:05:45
are no rules and regulations. The Ten Commandments,
1:05:48
in essence, were not given as rules and regulations.
1:05:54
They are not a demand of performance by God.
1:05:59
No. They are a revelation of what God will do
1:06:04
in us and do through us. That the Ten Commandments
1:06:11
is not or are not given as rules and regulations.
1:06:21
They are not a demand of performance from God.
1:06:26
No. They are a revelation of what God will do
1:06:31
in man and through man. And that's why Jesus
1:06:35
said the first is like the second. So the 10th
1:06:41
commandment is a promise of God. So next time
1:06:46
you are reading, don't read them as rules. Are
1:06:51
we together? And I want you never to forget this
1:06:54
sequence. First, this promise. So when you hear
1:07:01
that at Mount Sinai, when they came to Horeb,
1:07:04
he described and told them what to do. And they
1:07:09
rejected. You knew that he gave them the promise
1:07:12
and they rejected. Did you understand what I'm
1:07:14
saying? Now by this explanation that Jesus and
1:07:17
the apostles gave us, we knew that the 10th commandment
1:07:20
was the promise of God. What he wanted to do
1:07:23
in them and through them. But they rejected it.
1:07:26
So God now wrote it on the tablet and told Moses,
1:07:31
this is what you will do. You have to teach them
1:07:33
this castle. Are we together? And that was how
1:07:37
Moses began the writing of the law. Remember,
1:07:41
but these are people. who refuse to believe.
1:07:45
When we come, as God will give us opportunity,
1:07:49
we'll begin to now ask, how now and why? You
1:07:53
know, remember, we have not answered the why.
1:07:55
Why did Moses write the law? Since there is the
1:07:58
Ten Commandments. Are we together? And that was
1:08:00
what God asked him to teach them. We have read
1:08:03
it already. Why did Moses have to write a law?
1:08:08
Already there was the Ten Commandments. Are we
1:08:10
together? which already is on a tablet. He would
1:08:13
have been using and be every day. We say, okay,
1:08:15
today we are reading this and keep teaching them.
1:08:18
But why will he go on to write the law or the
1:08:22
book of the law? Amen. Can you just appreciate
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God? We appreciate you being here today. We hope
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you carry this word with you throughout your
1:08:33
week. Don't forget to check the show notes for
1:08:36
additional insights. Stay connected with us through
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our website. or follow us on social media. If
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you were encouraged, share this message with
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someone you care about. Until next time, stay
1:08:48
blessed.