What Salvation Looks Like From Gods Perspective — Jono Sims

Salvation From God's Perspective

Would you take out your Bible tonight and open it up to Romans chapter 8? And while you're turning there, I just want to say that I love you from the very depths of my heart. I've been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for 18 years now, and I've never, in those 18 years, been more loved and respected and treated with honor than I have these four days.

Just in coming, the way you prayed for me, just had absolute clarity on the messages that God wanted me to bring, and that's a credit to your prayer. And I just want to tell you, thank you for how you've loved me and how you have encouraged me.

And I'm leaving revived, and I just thank God for you. And of course, your staff and all the guys here, they're my best friends all the time anyway, but I've never been around a group of men that were more at this thing for souls than this staff.

I mean, all these guys, all they want to talk about is souls. And folks being converted and living their lives for the glory of God and making disciples. And man, it's challenging. And I've been sharpened and I've been challenged just by being around the staff and these interns and these men of God all this week.

And so I just want to tell you from the depths of my heart that I love you. I'm with you. Stay the course. And you are headed in the right direction. And while I know we never arrive, thank God we can at least be on the right road.

Amen. And so stay the course, stick with the word of God, stick with sound doctrine. And one day we'll hear the Lord say, well done, good and faithful servant. Romans chapter 8, verses 28 through verse number 31.

The Human and Divine Sides of Salvation

I want to talk to you tonight about what salvation looks like from God's perspective, our entire lives. We've been taught what salvation looks like from the human perspective. And that's understandable because that's the perspective that most directly applies to us.

Repentance, faith, belief, surrender. We sing, I've decided to follow Jesus. All of those things, the the human perspective. But in Romans 8, 28 through 31, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse of what salvation looks like from God's perspective.

Now, most of us get saved understanding only the human side of salvation. But what a wonderful discovery it is after we're saved to learn that long before we were thinking about God, he was thinking about us.

Now, while we will never, with a finite mind, be able to comprehend the length and the breadth and the depth and the height of God's salvation plan. And while there will always be questions about God's sovereignty that we will not be able to answer, it is still our duty and our responsibility as disciples of Jesus Christ to study the scriptures and grow in our understanding and our appreciation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If all we ever see is the human side of salvation, that is our response to God, we can be saved for sure. No doubt about that. But we'll be robbed of the joy and the peace and the comfort and the assurance that comes with a fuller and a deeper understanding of God's eternal plan for our souls.

Now, what this study has done for me is it's flooded my heart with the joy of the Lord and it has assured my soul of the comfort of knowing how much I'm loved, eternally loved by my master. When I consider all the planning and all the thoughtfulness and the sacrifice and the wisdom that God expended to reach me, I've got to tell you, it's overwhelming.

It's hard for me to accept that God loved me so much that even before the world began, he had my salvation planned out. And yet that's exactly what this text reveals. When the spirit of God presses this doctrine on the heart and the mind of a redeemed child, it's both gratifying and humbling at the same time.

I'm grateful that God went to these depths to reach me, but I'm humbled as I face the fact that I am simply not worthy. And that's why we call it grace. It's OK to start this journey as a disciple out, understanding only that you're a sinner and that you repented of your sins and that you chose to turn to Jesus Christ.

But as you mature in your walk with the Lord and you diligently study the Bible verse by verse, God is going to reveal to you a family secret. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain.

And he's also going to reveal to you that he chose you in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before him in love. Ephesians one for the human side of salvation is real and it's not to be ignored.

But beloved of God, so is the divine side. Yet it's so neglected in our churches. I was born into a Southern Baptist family. I was saved in a Southern Baptist church. I was educated, prepared for ministry, at least that's what they call it, in the largest Southern Baptist seminary.

And yet never one time was I taught what I'm about to teach you tonight. It grieves me that I live 28 plus years of my life not being exposed to this truth. And it even grieves me deeper when I understand from just a simple reading of the Baptist faith and message, article five, that this is a part of my denominational heritage and doctrine.

So I pray that this study tonight will bring some balance to your theology and deepen your respect for and appreciation for and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it. What I'm about to preach to you is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:28–31 and the Order of Salvation

I want to ask you to stand tonight with your Bible open to Romans eight, verses twenty eight through verse thirty one, and keep this in mind. We're looking at salvation and what it looks like from God's perspective, Paul says, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are. There's a definite article here, the called ones, the way it reads in the Greek, to those who are the called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow.

He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called and whom he called, then he also justified and whom he justified, then he also glorified.

What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Father, I pray tonight that your precious Holy Spirit would open up the truth of the gospel and Lord, that we would see how awesome and how great our God is and the salvation that he provides, which is only through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And it's in his name we pray. Let the church say, man, would you be seated, please? Tonight, I want to focus on four things that reveal what salvation looks like from God's perspective. Very simple for you to follow me with.

First of all, I want to look at some things that God did for us before time began. Secondly, I want us to explore what God did for us in time in our own human history. Then thirdly, I want us to look at some things that God will do for us after time has ended.

And then I want to make a very simple, practical application of this truth. So we have three tenses here. We have before time, we have in time and we have after time. Now, let me tell you the way this this passage of Scripture is broken down.

When you get this, you've got the text. And so going in, let me tell you that there are six verbs in this text and these verbs are joined together by the conjunction K .A .I in the Greek, Kai, which means he also.

In other words, he's saying, I did this and I also did this. Then I did that. Then I also did this and I did this and I also did that. This conjunction joins these six verbs together so that none of them stand separate or distinct from the other.

One necessarily leads to the other, necessarily leads to the other, necessarily leads to the conclusion. In other words, these verbs joined together by these these conjunctions show us what salvation looks like from God's perspective.

God's Purpose Before Time Began

Now, let's begin with what God did for us before time even began. Look at verse twenty eight again. And let me just tell you right up front, I know Romans 828 is one of the most popular verses of Scripture in the entire Bible.

I'm not going to really deal with that tonight. I'm just using one word from that verse. I wish I had time. It's a whole nother message, though, to deal with Romans 828. But look at that verse. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are, as it says in the Greek, the called ones, according to his purpose.

Would you underscore that word purpose? That's the first verb for whom he did for no second verb. Then he did also predestinate third verb to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

So, first of all, what did God do for us before time? Well, God had a purpose. Amen. That's what he says. He says the called ones, verse twenty eight, according to his purpose. In other words, God's purpose was determined in eternity past before the world even began.

That word purpose pro thesis pro means before thesis means a setting forth. W .E. Vines, in his Greek dictionary, says it is a personal interest which God set forth before a four ordained purpose. The purpose we have been called to is a purpose God marked out for us.

Ephesians one, even before the world began. Now, I made a discovery as I study this text. God is purpose driven. We serve a purpose driven God. Now, God is purpose driven. We're purpose given. In other words, my job tonight is not to figure out my niche in this world or figure out my unique purpose.

My job is to get in the Bible and find out what the Bible says my purpose is and get busy, busy fulfilling it. And here's the neat thing. God's already determined what the purpose is. And you know what the purpose is?

The purpose is in Christ that before the foundation of the world, I'd be conformed into the image of his dear son. God had a purpose for my life before this world ever even began, that he would work on me and work in me and conform me in the image of Christ.

And one day I'm going to be just like him. That's the purpose of God. God had that purpose for me and God had that purpose for you before the world ever even began. Not only his purpose, but then he mentions another verb.

He says, for whom he did foreknow, progenosco, it means to know someone beforehand. It does not speak of events. It speaks of people. He says, for whom God foreknew, not what God foreknew. And this word foreknew is not mere knowledge of people, but it rather means to know them intimately.

As a matter of fact, in Matthew chapter one, verse twenty five, it's used of a sexual relationship. That's knowing someone very, very intimately. It's the same idea. Jeremiah had. God said before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

And before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you and ordained you a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah one five. Kenneth Weiss, in his Greek word study book, translates this word for no. He says, quote, It means more than a previous knowledge.

It is the sovereign act of God for ordaining certain from a man from among mankind to be saved. Let me read that again. Kenneth, we says it's more than just previous knowledge. It speaks of the sovereign act of God for ordaining certain from among mankind to be saved.

Now, here's the classic argument against election. The classic argument is always for knowledge and man will say this. They'll say, well, God looked down through time and he saw who would believe. So he chose them on the basis of their belief.

And those who hold that view, they argue and say, well, that's because for no is the first verb. And since for no is the first verb, then predestined, called, justified and glorified all relate back to for knowledge.

So those things happen simply because God knew who would believe and therefore God knew who would be saved. If you're listening, would you say, man, the only problem is for knows not the first verb. Purpose is the first verb.

It says the called ones, according to his purpose. In other words, you're saved and I'm saved, not because God saw anything in us. We would be or do. We're saved simply because it was his purpose to save us.

In other words, it speaks of divine initiative. What I talked about last night in John 3, 16, we're born dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2, 1. And if God does not quicken us, if God does not make us alive, we'll never repent and we'll never believe.

Listen, we would never choose God in a thousand lifetimes. The Bible says, as it is written, there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that understand it. There's none that seek it after God.

They've all gone out of the way. They're all unprofitable. There is none that do it good. No, not one. Romans 3, 10 through 12. So God couldn't look down through time because, first of all, there is no time for God to look down through in heaven.

He's in glory. God didn't look down through time to see what you would do because you're dead in trespasses and sin. He already knew what you would do. And that's absolutely nothing. So God, because of his great purpose, moved on your behalf and infused that quickening ray of the Holy Spirit in your life and enabled you to repent and enabled you to believe the gospel.

Predestination and Conformity to Christ

There's something else God did for us before time. He had a purpose for us and he foreknew us and then he predestined us. That's what it says. Now, pay attention to the conjunction again. K .A .I. In the Greek, he also look at this for whom he foreknew, he also did predestinate.

In other words, every person that God had a purpose for every person that God foreknew, he also did predestinate pro horizontal horizon comes from this word. It's the Greek word horizontal pro means before horizon means the boundaries.

In other words, it literally means to mark out the boundaries beforehand. It means to predetermine or to appoint someone to salvation. So before the world began, God marked out the boundaries. He set the horizon for all of his children that would believe in him.

And what is that boundary? What is that horizon that we might be conformed into the image of his son? Sumorphous icon. It means to be fashioned. It means to be formed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

At conversion, God begins the lifelong process of sanctification, of conforming us into the image of his beloved son. Before the world began, God's purpose for your life was that you be just like Jesus.

You were foreordained and you were predestined to take on the character and the qualities of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the point. Every single person that God had a purpose for, he knew them before the world began and everyone he knew before the world began, he predestined them to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Then what's the logical conclusion? If you're not being conformed into the image of Christ, you don't belong to him. Are you listening to me? This is not be like Jesus. If you want to, this is your foreordained purpose.

This is the reason for which you are faced on this planet. You are by God being conformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Marvin Vincent says it's the great law of conformity to type as the bird life produces up a bird.

So also the Christ life produces Christ likeness in our inward nature. The point is, there's no such thing as being saved unless you're also being transformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did God predestined us?

He tells us that he, Jesus, might be the firstborn among many brethren. Prototokos, it speaks of position. It speaks of prominence. It speaks of preeminence. When all the sons of God are gathered together, Jesus Christ will outshine them all.

He's the first. He's the highest. He is the best. None of the other sons would be sons if it were not for the firstborn son. He is, as Peter says, precious and elect. He is the eldest son. And our salvation makes his glory even that more radiant.

And the Bible says that before the world, God had a purpose for us. God foreknew us. God predestined us to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus because Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Calling and Human Response in Time

That's what Jesus did for us before this world was ever even created. But then look at the second thing. Not only what did he do with us before time, but what did he do in time? Look at verse 30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate.

Here's that conjunction again. Conjunction. Junction. What's your function? Moreover, whom he did predestinate them, what he also what? Called there's that little Greek word again, K .A .I. Then he also here, the Holy Spirit connects my call to be saved, your call to be saved to the predestined will, the foreknowledge and the purpose of God.

In other words, every person God had a purpose for, he knew every person that he knew intimately before the world began. He predestined and every person he predestined or chose. Listen to me. He also called Eccleson.

It means to bid one to come unto me. It literally means to call by name. The prefix before Kaleo means to call out from among the rest. This is where the sovereign eternal plan of God collides with our human responsibility to repent and believe the gospel.

Because God had a purpose for our lives, because he knew us, because he sovereignly chose us in Christ Jesus to be conformed into his likeness. In time, in human history, he called us and he called us by name to come and follow Jesus Christ.

And that is the point at which we repent of our sins. We place our faith in Jesus Christ and we can sing. I have decided to follow Jesus. This text teaches that every person God has a purpose for, he knew before the world began, every person that God knew he predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Listen to me and every person, every one of them, every one of them. Everyone that God predestined will in their human history receive an effectual call to be saved and by effectual, I mean, it affects what it intended.

An effectual call means it gets the job done. An effectual call means it does exactly what God intended for it to do. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them to them eternal life and they shall never perish.

Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Listen now, my father, which gave them to me, is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. And you may be enjoying the pleasures of sin tonight.

You may be minding your own business, you may be doing your own thing, and then the call of the master comes, come unto me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. And all of a sudden you find yourself burdened over sin.

You find yourself sorry for your transgressions. You find yourself deeply desiring the forgiveness of God and in repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ in childlike trust. You turn to Jesus Christ.

When we first hear that call, we don't realize that God had it planned before the world began. All we know is we're a hell bent sinner, that Jesus Christ is a savior and that he's calling us to himself.

But what a wonderful discovery it is to find all of that time that God had our salvation thought about and planned about before we ever even knew we had a need. It should also be stated that there is no salvation apart from a human response to the gospel.

Everyone God calls must respond in repentance and faith or there is no salvation. Spurgeon said, quote, A man is a fool to think that some decree in eternity past will affect his soul if he does not repent and believe the gospel.

End of quote. When God calls, we have the human responsibility to move. When God calls, we have the human responsibility to repent. When God calls, we have the human responsibility to exercise saving faith.

Which are all gifts by grace, so you say through faith that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans two for the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

Justification in Human History

Now, look at this. It says those whom he called and there's that little conjunction again. Chi. Those that he called, he also what? Justified again, every person, listen to me now, you listen to me. Every single person that God had a purpose for before this world began, every single one of them, he foreknew every single one of them, he predestined every single last one of them.

He called and likewise every single one of them that he called, he also justified. There's no break in the verbs. One leads to another justified to you. That's the theme of the book of Romans to be justified means to be declared innocent.

It means to be acquitted legally of the charges against you. That's why Romans eight verse number one says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. You say you're not righteous, you're declared righteous and you are not just acquitted.

You are declared acquitted of the charges. Everyone whom he called, he also justified. He took away the penalty, he took away the guilt of the sin. Though God has a purpose for us in eternity past and though God knew us intimately, even before the world began and though God predestined us to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Are you listening to me, though? All that is true. Don't clock out on me here, though, that God had a purpose for us. God foreknew us, God predestined us, God called us. Listen, in time, in human history, we must be saved justification.

I'm going to lose some of you here. Are you listening to me? Justification does not take place in eternity past election does, but not justification. Election is unto justification. In other words, election leads to your salvation, but it is not your salvation.

In other words, in time, in your human history, you must repent in time, in your human history. You must believe in time, in your human history. As Jesus said to Nicodemus twice, you must be born again.

Which is one way we can identify hyper Calvinism, according to Timothy George. Hyper Calvinism teaches the false doctrine of eternal justification. In other words, by eternal justification, the hyper Calvinist would say, oh, you're saved from the foundation of the earth, so there's nothing to do.

No repentance is necessary. No faith is necessary. There's no born again experience. You just elect. And that's from eternity past. You're already justified. You already say. So there's absolutely nothing that you must do.

That's heresy, because the Bible says you must be born again. The Bible says repent and be converted. Epistrophal be turned about that your sins might be blotted out. No man can claim to know the Lord without a born again experience and proof of a born again experience is the fruit of our lives being conformed and transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorification and the Assurance of Salvation

What happened before time, what happened in time, God called us, we responded and we were justified. And that leads us to what is going to happen after time. Are you listening? Look at verse 30. There's that little conjunction again and whom he justified.

Look at it. He also them, he also there it is again. There's no break in the verbs. He also glorified. Now, let me summarize again, everyone, everyone, not most, not some, every single one that God had a purpose for before the world began, he foreknew them.

He predestined them, which means he chose them to be conformed to the image of Jesus and everyone whom he predestined, he also justified. And this Texas, every single one whom he justified, he also glorified.

In other words, your glorification is a guarantee. The word glorified, doxozo, we get our word, brother Tom, doxology from that word. The word glorified means to be brought into the full splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's our final. The Baptist faith and message says our final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed in heaven with Jesus Christ. It's glory land. It's when we're with Christ. It's about being in heaven.

It's fully and finally being transformed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye into the likeness of Jesus Christ with absolutely nothing lacking. Not like the cults teach, we don't become little Jesus's and we don't become little gods, but we do become like the Lord beloved.

Now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we should be. But we know that when he shall appear, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purified himself, even as he is pure.

First, John three, two and three. I want you to notice something that will absolutely bless your socks off if you're listening. That little word glorified, like for new and predestinate and called and justified has the suffix ed on the end of it, which in English speaks of what tense past, present or future.

In other words, God had a purpose for me past tense. God chose me past tense. God justified me past tense. And the Bible very clearly says those whom he justified, he also G .L .O .R .I .F .I .E .D. You say, but I haven't experienced it yet.

My whole point, God's not bound by time. All those guys that say, man, God was up in heaven and he looked down through the annals of time. There are no annals of time. God looked down through the corridors of history and there is no history.

From God's perspective, and that's the title of my sermon, what salvation looks like from God's perspective, from God's perspective, man, listen, your glorification is a finished event. It's settled, it's done, nothing can change it, nothing can make it not be, nothing can abort this process.

Our glorification, if you'll allow me to speak in time, because that's the only terms I have to operate by, our glorification is the next great event on God's predestined calendar. It is as much a part of God's predetermined will for my life as my justification.

Glorification is as much the will of God for my life as my calling. Justification, excuse me, glorification is as much the will of God as my sanctification. I can give you the verse of scripture on it if you want it.

Philippians one, six, I'm confident of this. He who began a good work in you past tense will perform it present tense until the day of Christ Jesus future tense. He started the good work in me, regeneration and justification.

He is working that work in me, sanctification until the day of Christ Jesus glorification. Here's the way it's stated. Everyone whom he knew and chose, he had a purpose for. He called and everyone whom he called, he justified and every one of them.

He will also glorify. That's why Jesus Christ, the night before he died, said, Father, all that you have given to me, I have lost none of them except the son of perdition that the scriptures might be fulfilled.

Everyone that God gave to the father is coming. Everyone God had a purpose for in eternity past is coming. Everyone whom God sent an effectual call to is going to respond and everyone who responds is going to be saved and everyone who is going to be saved is also going to be glorified.

I want you to listen to this. I want to quote it word for word. Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which he regenerates, justifies, sanctifies and glorify sinners. Let me read that again.

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which he regenerates, justifies, sanctifies and glorifies sinners for heaven's sakes. Pastor, where did you find that? The Baptist faith and message of the Southern Baptist Convention adopted in 1925, ratified again in 64 and approved again in 2000, three times.

That's our denomination statement of faith. In other words, what Article five teaches is this, your justification, your sanctification and your future glorification are all the result of God's sovereign choice in eternity past.

That's what that statement says. That's just Baptist doctrine. That's what we cut our teeth on. That's what makes us who we are. Let me show you one other thing. Notice the practical application of this truth.

God's Sovereignty as Comfort and Security

Verse thirty one. Are you all with me? Are you asleep? Here's the application. I'm so glad I don't have to come up with a clever application tonight. The application is this. What should we say to these things?

What are you going to say about this tonight when you leave? What are you going to say about these things that you've heard? Here's what I hope you'll say. If God be for us, who can be against us? I'm going to get me a shout out before I leave you all.

Amen. What should we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Man, the doctrine of God's sovereignty and salvation was not meant to make you mad. It was meant to make you glad. The doctrine of God's sovereignty is not meant to confuse.

It's meant to comfort. You know, the problem we Southern Baptists have been disjointed from doctrinal preaching from so long that we don't even understand that what we call once saved, always saved or eternal security grows out of the doctrine of election.

That's where it comes from. For heaven's sakes, we don't understand that we're cutting our own legs off when we fight against this doctrine, because that's where we get eternal security. Because God had a purpose for you and because God's purpose caused him to know you even before the world began and because God has protested you to look just like Jesus and because God called you and because in your human history you responded to the gospel and he justified you.

He is also going to glorify you. Here's the question. This is the practical application. If God predetermined that these things happen before the world even started, then can anything in the world stop it?

No, and that's why Paul said this, for I am persuaded, verse 38, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, no power, no thing present, nothing to come. No height, no depth, no any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Because God has an unfailing, because God has an everlasting, because God has an eternal purpose for my life and that purpose involves me being chosen and that purpose involves me being called and that purpose involves me repenting of my sin.

And that purpose involves me placing my faith in Christ and that purpose involves me being saved and sanctified and one day glorified. Absolutely nothing, nothing, no, nothing can stop the process. What a rock, what an anchor for the soul.

This is not some fickle little thing that's subject to the whims of every changing emotion of mankind. It is anchored in the providence of a holy God. Now, let me tie two things together. You know why you fear, man?

You don't have a good doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Just tie that message I preached earlier in the week to this one, we fear man because we don't fear the sovereign God of the universe. When I was going through the book of Job, an old writer said this, if you don't fear God, you'll fear everything else.

If you fear God, you won't fear anything else. I'm telling you right now, I don't understand it and I don't have all the answers, but I sure do love it. Let your conversation be without covetousness. And be content with such things as you have, for God has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say, here it is, the fear of man.

The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man should do to me. I'm in Christ's hand and Christ's in God's hand before the foundation of the world and nothing or nobody can take me away from my master.

Our God reigns. Our God is in control. Listen to me. I know folks are wringing their hands and the world's spinning out of control and it just seems like wickedness is winning. Are you listening to me?

To the contrary, everything's right on schedule. Everything is right on time. God is absolutely 100 percent in total control. Our God reigns. Father, in Jesus name. I just pray, dear Lord, that as the Baptist faith and message says, this doctrine would promote humility and exclude boasting.

I pray, dear God, we boast only in the cross of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your forgiveness for a wretch like me. Dear God, thank you that I don't have to come up with some new Wang dangled purpose for my life, but I've tapped into your purpose before you formed me in the womb.

You knew me and you ordained me a prophet. And God, I believe tonight, this very evening, I am fulfilling the predestined will of God for my life by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that my brothers and sisters would come to think of themselves that way and God, that we quit being blown by every wind of doctrine and stop fearing man and that we would anchor our confidence within the veil on the rock.