The Doctrine of Justification (11/09/2003)

We've been talking about the wonderful things that Jesus Christ's death on the cross

Accomplished and last time we began to discuss the topic of justification

So we'll continue that theme this morning. Let's have a word of prayer again father

We thank you so much for each person here today We thank you for your great love which comes to us from eternity

To eternity we thank you that you had us in your heart That we belong to you from that time from always

Thank you that you have given us a Birth from above and Lord as you

Brought us into light. You gave us the ability to hear your words and to understand your words and to see

Jesus Christ by faith. We thank you for all these things father, we thank you that Because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ and its application

At your throne we stand justified today in him. We pray in his name.

Amen when we study justification we see

Many points as we go through a lot of scriptures We tried to start off last week with an introduction that just stayed in one passage in Luke chapter 18 starting with verse 9

So I'm going to use that passage once again as just the outline but today we're going to bring in other beautiful verses from the epistles of Paul from many places in his letters as God inspired him to give us some deep information about this concept of justification

Justification Before we begin the main thing to understand about it. Is that it is something that is done to you

It is not something you can accomplish yourselves it is something that God must do to us and for us and He can only do it in Jesus Christ and because of his death on the cross

So justification is something that God does to us he causes us to stand in a state of Being justified in a state of being as if we've never sinned in a state of being right

To be justified means to be made and counted righteous before God before a holy

God a God whose holiness demands perfect holiness

To stand in a right state beside before such a God and that's what justification

Accomplishes now, let's go into Luke chapter 18, but start with verse 9. Let's use this as an outline to cover some other scriptures

Some of it will be review if you weren't here last time and he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves

Now we won't read every verse in this passage because we we preached through this passage last

Sunday But remember that our first point about justification comes from that phrase.

They trusted in themselves And if you remember the story Jesus goes on and tells this to those who trusted in themselves

He says two men went up to the temple to pray the one was a Pharisee and the other was a publican now publican was a tax collector and he was

Taking money from the Jewish people and giving it to the Roman government The Roman government only wanted five dollars a head and the tax collector could charge 20 and keep the rest

So that's what they did and they were hated for this And so they became the symbol among the

Jews of the greatest sinner of all was a publican So you have to kind of think about this through the

Jewish mind to get all of it But these two men Jesus is telling this story to the religious people of Israel They're standing by listening the

Pharisees are listening and he says well there were two men one was a Pharisee The other was a publican that means the worst sinner that there was and the

Pharisees stood and prayed thus within himself God I thank thee that I am NOT as other men are

Thank you that I'm not an extortioner. I'm not unjust. I'm not an adulterer even as this publican over here and Jesus tells this story

He goes on and says I fast twice in a week now You see this man has devised his own religious system and we talked about last time how men think it's really great if I can devise my own system and then keep it and then be right with God and That is humanism and it's also

Arminianism theologically, which is where man thinks that he causes it all to happen man thinks that he builds the stairway to heaven and Climbs it he can build it.

Anyway, he wants to as long as he climbs it and That is false. In fact every

Religion in this world other than biblical Christianity builds its own stairway to heaven

You have the Mohammedans or those who believe in Islam you have the

Hindus you have the Buddhists you have the Mormons you have the Jehovah's Witnesses You have any manner of group the thing that binds them all together and makes them similar is that they have created their own system

Teaching one another that if we keep this system, we'll be right with God. So they go about to justify themselves

Themselves The Bible teaches this is impossible Because we're dealing with the

God that is holy and man cannot even comprehend what that means But what it means is that any of man's systems?

The best that you can come up with would come in the presence of this Holy God and be totally obliterated

Be totally destroyed standing in the presence of his holiness. And so none of these systems work

They're all put about by people as verse 9 says who trust in themselves

So all religious systems just remember this doesn't matter what name you put on it The only reason that matters is so you can teach your children's your children which ones they are

But all these religious systems that have a set of man -made rules to approach God Are kept by people who wish to trust in themselves and Jesus is teaching this

He says this man now has his own system verse 12 says I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I possess as if that's going to cause me to be justified before a holy

God Well, you know, let me I teach my little children this I say, you know, if you if you did so many sins

And then you do put some right things on top of those sins and then you do some more sins And then you put some more right things on top of those sins and then you do some more sins

Then you put some good things on top of those do the good things ever really eliminate the bad things or are they all just mixed together

Well, they're all mixed together and that is the problem you you cannot find any system that will cause a man in that state to approach a holy

God without being destroyed and Sent to hell forever So it doesn't matter what system you create whether you call it

Mormonism whether you call it Jehovah's Witnesses whether you call it Buddhism or whether you worship

Allah You heard about one of our generals didn't you one of our top generals today over in that arena?

Went to church on Sunday in his own church and got up and made a statement and he said We're going to win because we worship the true

God and they worship idols and he was castigated for saying that Even president

Bush himself gives him the cold shoulder now because he told the truth You see when you tell the truth, it's never popular

Because there is a mindset in the end times that the Bible tells us will be here

It is prophesied that in the end times there will be a mindset that wants to bring all people together into one religious system where there is unity and Love and we just get along and we just worship the same

God That's a mindset and it's called the spirit of Antichrist and it's in the world today And so never back down on your doctrinal beliefs

The only thing you have that would cause you to be separate from any other group is your doctrine Your love for Jesus won't separate you from them

Charlotte can I tell the story on you? I'm doing it anyway, because I got the microphone problem is

I know she might get it later but We always have fun at home when she goes to town to bring the movies back

Because she likes to try one new ones. You never heard of sometime. So she brought one home this weekend and You don't get to tell the part where I told you

I thought it sounded like it might be a good one don't tell that part but We didn't know we brought the what was the name of it something about something of light or something

Missionaries something so we bring it home. We plug it in We start watching it and we knew we had a problem when it said this is based stories begins in Utah You know,

I said, hmm, man. I'm glad Katie's not here this weekend She had a confrontation about Mormonism.

It's cool here. It's things about, Utah It's this nice well -dressed young man this perfect family I mean every hair was in its place everything every child was strictly totally obedient Perfect family and they send this young man off on a mission and it took you about the first 20 minutes to figure out

He wasn't going to war. He was going out as a an elder You see they take their young men and send them out as elders into the world as missionaries.

They call them elders I remember the two that came into my office and wanted to fist -fight me one day because I told him you're saved by the blood

You're not saved by your system. It's the blood of Jesus He got up out of his chair and reach for me and the other one sat him down.

His name was younger So he was elder younger But that's how they all are.

I said elder younger. You might better sit down. I know some old tricks No, I didn't tell him that But I said it's saved by the blood

There's no religious system that can save you and he just got furious found out later that these two

Young elders had been renting an apartment. I just had to be going down the street Knocking on doors and witnessing to people and the lady came out

So I'm so glad you're doing this because the Baptists don't do this enough The Mormons are always out doing this the batteries

I said why are you talking about Mormonship to two young elders live in or rent my Upstairs apartment and they got in there and they tore up all my furniture and began to throw it outside And go out and break it up and then they were calling on the telephone and and calling these poor nog

Pornographic numbers where these women would talk dirty to them They were too stupid to know the bill came to me and I knew these 900 numbers and I've got all that stuff and it

Was hard, but she said I think they were demon -possessed. What do you think about that? And I said how much time you got?

I'll tell you I said those two young men were in my office Wanted to fist -fight me the other day as they told me how to be religious.

You see these kinds of systems come from the flesh they come from humanism and From all of the best that man has to offer

But the Bible says none of that is good enough and Jesus said here they are They fast twice a week.

They give tithes of all they possess now Let's see what Jesus says about these Pharisaical people verse 13 and the publican he points over at the pumpkin.

Here's the sinner The one who doesn't keep this religious system the one whose kids are not all perfect All of the hairs on his head are not in place

His family looks a little bit scruffy and here he is standing afar off He won't even come near this religious man, and he would not so much as lift his eyes into heaven

But he smote on his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner and Jesus said

I tell you This man went down to his house justified rather than the other he doesn't say along with the other

The religious man went to hell This man went to his house

Justified and the reason is the religious man was trying to go about justifying himself

Trusting in himself Jesus told this whole story to people to certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and Despised others who did they despise they despise those who knew they weren't righteous

They despised anyone who said I can't be righteous. Therefore. I must trust strictly upon the blood of Jesus They'll get up out of their chair and reach for your neck every time if the law would allow them to Fortunately, we live in a country where he would have been prosecuted if he had gotten me

But If I'd been in Utah, I might not have made it that day Those who have strict religious systems who are bound in legalism hate freedom

They hate the freedom that comes with the blood of Jesus Christ and knowing that when he was on that cross

And he looked up and he said my father my God my God Why has thou forsaken me and then a few moments later?

He said it is finished. He had finished every work that could be done to justify

God's people He did it all we don't do it. And that's what makes the religious man.

So angry They pick up their stones to throw at the Lord Jesus Christ when he tells these same stories

Let me tell you Jesus did not go to the cross because he agreed with all the religions of the day

And he said all we all in love. We're just all going to get there the same way. It's the same God He did not go to the cross for that He went to the cross because he looked at them and he said you

Will go from the east to the west looking for one convert and you make all of your converts twice the children of hell

That you are that's what he told them He said you shall die in your sins for you believe not that I am he

Therefore you shall die in your sins. He said you whited sepulchers. You think you're alive, but you're walking

Men full of dead men's bones. It didn't sound like he was trying to get along did it?

But we have a mindset in these end times Where where the mantra is?

Oh, you shouldn't put Why he loves God as much as you do he's just going a different way

He has different set of rules and beliefs, but he's just as sincere in his faith Even our president has to say that today because if he didn't the whole

Arab world would just they're gonna kill They're trying to kill us anyway So, I don't know why where we get he gets out and we appease and we're gonna be better off But we appease them and all

Muhammad was just as wonderful as Jesus He Will answer for that someday.

I hate to say it because I love him I love President Bush, but that one issue

He fell short there But you know what? He probably didn't grow up in the church like this.

Did he I Doubt that he heard his pastor preach like this. I think he was pretty much a hellraiser when he was a young man

So he's learning Maybe he'll get there in the next term. Wouldn't that be nice?

I Can see it now. He'll go over there and look at mr. Arafat and say, you know, what? Yeah Well Jesus said this man

Went home justified that means someone greater than he had justified him because he couldn't do it himself

That is a great Beginning on understanding what justification means it is interesting in verse 13

Just to review where it says the man said God be merciful to me a sinner. The Greek word doesn't mean merciful.

It's Kind of a weak translation. It's actually the word Hellasterion, which is air everywhere else translated propitiation in the

Bible Remember propitiation is the one thing that when Jesus died on the cross

This was done to God the rest of the stuff was done to us Such as redemption.

We were redeemed by his blood were reconciled by his blood were justified by his blood But God was propitiated by his blood.

What does that mean? It means he was satisfied His justice was satisfied that Jesus death paid the price for sin.

God was propitiated This is one thing that none of the other religions in the world can ever accomplish and if you ever want to help a

Mormon or Jehovah's Witness or a Jew or someone who believes in another system realize first of all, you can't save them

So don't be frustrated because they're not going to really listen to you They can't listen unless the Lord turns on their listener, but we are still held bound by the

Word of God to witness So if God leads you to witness, let me tell you what to talk to him about Ask him.

Well, you know, what is your system have that propitiates God? And they're gonna go what'd you say?

Well, I want to know in your system what it is. It causes a holy Sinless God to be propitiated where you can stand before him and he's propitiated with regard to you because they have nothing

The only thing the world has is the blood of Jesus Christ Because this word when this man said

God be merciful to me a sinner It is the word in the Greek language Hilasterion which is really the lid or the covering on the mercy seat if you go back out in the

Old Testament and you look At the wilderness tabernacle and you had the altar which was the judgment seat of God and the she kind of glory presence of God dwelt upon it and no man could walk in the presence of that except one man once a year who was the

High priest and he could only come with the blood if he went without the blood he'd be destroyed by the holiness of God And he went in this place called the

Holy of Holies where no man could go But this one man that man pictured the Lord Jesus. He was a type of Jesus Christ who is our high priest and when the priest would go in he would sprinkle the blood of the offering on this judgment seat and it became what was known as A mercy seat at that moment

This is typical or pictures the very throne of God in the heavenlies

There is a real place that this was a model of and when Jesus died on the cross

He went and he presented his blood at the real place and he sprinkled his own blood on that throne of God Which until this time as man counts time was nothing more than a judgment seat where if any man came before it standing alone he would be cast into hell and he sprinkled his own blood on this seat and it becomes a

Hilasterion a mercy seat because it's the place where God his wrath and his justice is propitiated that means satisfied

God stands satisfied with regard to his children because the blood of Jesus has been shed on their behalf and Applied upon the judgment seat turning it into a hilasterion a mercy seat.

That's what this man said He said God be propitiated unto me a sinner this man unlike the man who tried to Trust in himself this man a sinner a publican knew he couldn't do that so all he could ask from God was that he might be propitiated toward him that something would

Satisfy you with regard to my sin because I know I can't get rid of it myself That man understood

God's justice and his mercy more than the religious man And that's why Jesus said that man will go home justified today

Not the other man Verse 14

I tell you this man went down to his house all ready Justified made just as if he had never sinned counted that way by a holy

God so the first point we learn is that self exaltation and Justification do not reside in the same person a person who exalts himself by saying

I have this system I have this holy book or I have whatever this thing is that I keep and Therefore I'm a good person and I live a good clean life

That man cannot and is not Justified before God he may stand justified before man in man's eye because man's eye looks at purity and cleanness and Character and says that's what pleases

God, but God nowhere says that God says your best Righteousnesses are as filthy rags to me

Because God is holy And so These kinds of systems don't work a self exaltation a self justification

One who goes about to make himself righteous Cannot be a person who has been justified by God because the two don't go together

Now that was the first point we took out of that passage Let me take you into Romans chapter 3 turn with me quickly.

We have to go quickly. There's so much Romans 3 19 Now we know that what thing soever the law saith

It saith to them which are under the law that every mouth may be stopped

You see God gives the law not to save people No religious system of rules ever saved anyone

But what he gives it for is that their mouths may be stopped whose mouth the mouth of a person who thinks his character

Is going to get him to heaven Which the Jews are the best picture of that I thought about the

Mormons because that came up with Katie and This story that I heard there at school but the

Jewish people In the Bible and over there in Israel right now are the greatest example of self -righteousness even

Paul himself Wept over the fact that they went about to make themselves righteous not understanding the righteousness of God Paul said and So he says now we know that what thing soever the law saith it saith to them that are under the law that every mouth

Might be stopped those who exalt themselves and say Oh God. I'm glad I'm greater than that man

I'm glad I'm not an extortioner. I'm glad I've got my little rules to keep I'll I will fast twice a week

Now, how does he know three times a week isn't better? I'll tithe. Well, how does he know 20 % wouldn't be better?

How do you if you got a system? How do you ever know that it's good enough? To please a perfect God you see it's impossible

It can't be done, but man always wants to go that route, but God says I will stop

Their mouths verse 20 therefore by the deeds the works of the law there shall no flesh

Be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets 22 says even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ and all upon all them that believe

But there is no difference for all have sinned. You see how it knocks down this Self -righteousness it stops the mouth of a person who thinks he's got a great system for all have sinned and come short of the glory

Of God is what God would tell them You can only be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ the

Bible says Who how can we all get along if that's true? How can we get along with those who have a

Religious system to approach God or what if they say they have Jesus, but they have a religious system that goes with it

Maybe even their own Bible the Book of Mormon, you know, I've got to have this other book. So I have Jesus plus the book

These works the things that we have to do. How can we? Even worship in the same room with such a person if the

Bible says Being justified freely by grace through the redemption. That is in Christ Jesus Jesus only

Whom God have set forth to be listen to this the one and the only propitiation through faith in his blood

The only thing that can propitiate God is Jesus blood and our faith in that blood and in that blood

Only you cannot mix with anyone. I know you can go to work with them You can go shop with them at the market

Paul tells us that clearly in Corinthians He said, you know be separated from but he says not all together because you couldn't get any work done

But he said don't fellowship with them Do not be a brother or a sister with them

Because what you may not realize you say well, they're a nice person, but what you don't realize is that they

Are bringing shame to the cross of Jesus Christ and to Jesus Christ in Hebrews chapter 6 it says that they would put him on the cross again and re -crucify him

Putting him to open shame Never let it be said that you would fellowship with such a person as That no matter how might nice they may look the

Bible says that Satan's ministers appear to be ministers of light Do we not know this scripture?

They appear as ministers of righteousness Yes, they're gonna look good. Yes, their hair is combed just right

Yes, their little family is perfect all the little children lined up and the little ties is everything perfect They appear to be ministers of righteousness, but they say that Jesus blood is not sufficient.

Therefore they blaspheme the blood of Jesus Christ And you're gonna be their friend

You're gonna be nice and sweet to them and help them along and go worship with them And we're all getting at the same place.

Well, then you're not a Bible Christian Or you don't know the Bible Now we're living in that day ladies and gentlemen young people you are living in the day where the mindset says

It's all mixed together and let's worship together and get our hands up look up to the same God We don't have to worry how we get there, but Jesus never lived that way

All of the Apostles were killed They all died except for John because they didn't live that way

They told those Jews who said well, maybe it is Jesus, but you also got to keep the law of Moses be circumcised

They said no, that's not what it's all about Paul said neither circumcision nor uncircumcision profited anything

But faith that worketh by love They were all killed for that message they would not mix in they could not it's like oil and water

You can try all you want. They won't mix together Nothing will mix with the blood of Jesus Christ It is the only thing verse 25 and Romans chapter 3 the only thing that propitiates

God Whom God had set forth to be the propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed

Through the forbearance of God now back to Luke chapter 18 verse 15

The next story comes about and says that he brought these little infants to Jesus And even as the apostles rebuked him says, you know

Don't touch them but when his disciples saw it they rebuked the children and Those who were bringing the little children verse 16 says but Jesus called them and to him and said

Allow the little children to come to me and for it forbid them not for such is the kingdom of God Truly I say unto you

Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein

This brought us to point number two last Sunday. If you remember in point number two was justification is not caused by knowledge or pride or strength such as an adult would have

But he says you must come as a little child now what's interesting about this I've said this before and you've heard this before that what this teaches is that you must have childlike faith in order to be

Saved and that's not a bad thing to say that the passage teaches but that's not really exactly what it teaches

Or let's put it this way. It's not all that it teaches. It's not even the main point So I want you to read it with me carefully.

Look at Luke 18 Look at verse 17 Truly Jesus says

Truly I said unto you whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child

Shall in no wise enter there and he was using these little children sitting on his lap as an object lesson

And why is it that we say well what that's teaching is that if you'll have childlike faith God will save you the truth is

What it's teaching is that unless you receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child. You'll not

Ever see the kingdom of heaven. How does a child receive anything? How does he if Jesus uses spiritual birth?

I mean physical birth is a picture of spiritual birth What does a child do to come into this world?

It doesn't do anything He receives it as a gift, but he doesn't do anything his birth has nothing to do with what he does or What he says or what he promises or what he strives for.

In fact, he didn't even really wasn't here until he was born He did not have the opportunity to do anything good till after he was born

You didn't know if he's gonna be Obedient or disobedient until after he was born the same is true of spiritual birth

Therefore all those who teach that there are there's a list of things that you must do a set of religious instruction

You must keep in order to be saved. They're all liars Because an unborn person can't do anything yet You must be born from above before you even have the opportunity to obey

But by the time you have the opportunity to say Lord, what would you have me to do? You've already been born again

God has already brought you into the family God the parent has done all the work to get you here

And that's why Jesus told them unless you come as a little child How does a little child come he is born?

He does nothing He's like the public and he says Lord. I can't do anything He says be merciful to me

I can't do anything That's like a little child And that's what this is teaching.

I would support this with Romans 8 verse 30 It says moreover whom he did predestinate

Them he also called and whom he called them He also justified and whom he justified them.

He also glorified. That's who's going to be saved Now notice it mentions our word we're studying in this verse the word justified who is it that is justified

We could go back in verse 30. It says those who were called If we ask the question, who are those who are called it says well those who are predestinated

Now that's very unpopular doctrine in our day and time you go back a hundred years ago and back beyond that.

It was the doctrine It was the greatest doctrine of the Baptist surely

But certainly of the Presbyterians the Lutherans all the reformed churches that came out of the

Catholic Church all believed in Predestination it was the Catholics who didn't Today now we've turned that around all the

Protestants and the Baptists now don't believe this today Because Satan has moved them into humanism you see if we don't believe that you are predestinated and That that's why

God called you and if that's why you were justified then you really believe you did it yourself You believe you played a part in your own birth

You cannot come to God as a little child if you believe that way therefore, you'll never see the kingdom of heaven

You see the Bible always Upholds itself the best way to interpret a passage is to let the

Bible interpret the passage Go find another passage if you want to understand what Luke 18 15 through 17 means go into Romans 8 chapter 8 verse 30

God has known his children before he made anything including a star including an angel including the world's

God knew you by name and he loved you with the knowledge that extended love.

It was a parent -child love and God spins everything out into existence and calls it into existence and the world is created and Time begins and Adam and Eve are in the garden and Adam and Eve sin

And that did not surprise God contrary to the Arminian belief. God already knew Adam was going to sin

Adam didn't know it. That was the problem, but God knew it In fact God had ordained it to be so Everything you see today.

God is ordained to be so If we have a problem with God over that means we don't know

God well enough yet But it is a fact and when it comes to this very important issue of salvation

And we're talking about this one little part very important part of salvation called Justification because you cannot be saved if God doesn't justify you

You can't be saved before God if you're not just in the presence of a holy God He must justify you the

Bible says that justification comes from Being called and that being called comes from being predestinated which means

God knew before the foundation of the world you would be saved and he Predetermined that you would be his child just like the parents determined.

They're going to have children Charlotte and I made a really interesting mistake one day when we were very young We'd been married a few years we started babysitting with other people's beautiful little children and playing with them a lot

And boy we'd bring them in, you know Put their little crib at the foot of our bed and put these little babies in there

Let them sleep right there in the room with us. Now. You don't do that when it's your child Usually you want to get some sleep so you put them in their room

Oh, we had fun with these babies and all of a sudden before we knew it. We were wanting to have some babies

We wanted to be just like those babies we were babysitting with it turned out to be better, of course but We purposed in our hearts to have children

It's just a weak human example, but Jesus used physical birth as the example for how it works spiritually

We purposed that they would come into the world. Jenny didn't have a thing to do with it Katie didn't have a thing to do with it.

Paul didn't have a thing to do with it none of them did we purposed it and we brought them into this world physically and Now they're very glad about that and they love us

Why is it that of all you adults in this room? My kids would pick me to go home with? Does that make you feel like they're unjust or being unfair

Why is it that of out of all the children in this room? I would pick them To help them escape if this building were on fire first, then

I'd come get your kids Why is that is that unjust? It's because they're mine.

Why is it that the world today condemns God? For having his own children and For not loving

Satan's children as much as he loves his children. The Bible teaches clearly. There are both Satan's seed and God's seed they're there.

So why do we condemn God for loving his children more than the others? It's because we've been

Armenian eyes for the last 100 years In all of our churches, but it wasn't preached that way back when days were strong, but we're in the last days

You have to search far and wide to find a preacher It'll tell you this is the passage of Scripture you might ought to look at because these passages are skipped nowadays

You sure won't hear a sermon on Romans chapter 9. I mean we're in chapter 8 and it's pretty bad here It's pretty rough for us.

But chapter 9 is the most hated chapter in the whole Bible Isn't it interesting that Jesus said you must come as a little child and Paul said

Those who are predestinated are called and those who are called are justified and those who are justified are glorified

What shall we say then to these things if God before us who can be against us?

Why he's our dad He's our parent. He's our father. He's our Abba He Despaired not his own son, but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him?

Also freely give us all things and that what you do with your children Everything you have is there someday

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect do you hear that word used much in preaching today?

Elect I mean God elects who will be his children Can God choose that is that fair?

It really doesn't matter if it is or not Because it's the way it is

Who shall bring anything to the charge of God's elected is God that justified them. You see we didn't justify ourselves

God called us and Knew us before the foundation of the world

Ephesians chapter 1 says and in time as we were walking down the road not knowing all these things in time

We heard a call from heaven just like Paul did and he looks up and says Lord What would you have me do now?

You're safe. You don't even know why you do You didn't plan it out. You didn't plot it. You found yourself saved one day

Because God had known you before the foundation of the world and as time went by he reached out and turned it up said you're

Mine, don't you feel it? Don't you sense it look at me in the face and tell me you can turn away from me and not one of you did

Irresistible grace He goes on and he says

Who is he that condemned it? It is Christ that died Yay, rather that is risen again.

Who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us? He is our lawyer

Every moment when you sin and Satan comes and accuses you in your minds And you probably not even say you wouldn't do something like that If you were saying

Jesus stands up at the right hand of God and says he's forgiven. He is justified by my blood

My blood has made him right He is mine So who can condemn such a person?

Jesus died for such a person who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall Tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword and on and on he lists everything in heaven

And everything on earth and says not one of them can separate you from the love of your parent your heavenly father

You must come as a little child It's all we have time for this morning.

We made it through two points out of our seven points So we'll pick this up again next Sunday. Let's stand and have prayer together

Oh Father we thank you for your word For it is truly that which separates us and calls us to your knowledge

To your mind your heart Father if we do not stay in your word

Then we go the way of the world whether it be the religious world or the darkness of this world.

We go that way So move us to stay in your word daily and to read and to study and To not read our philosophies into your word, but to read your word so that you might teach us

The truth you want us to know Lord cause us to live what we learn in the scriptures mold us more into the image of the

Lord Jesus Christ help us to be salt and Light not just light and love to this world, but salt

Help us to be a preservative help us to be something that might sting at certain times

But which is good Help us to be like the Lord Jesus in these areas father give us the grace and the strength to Explain to people who would ask us questions about the

Bible To just show them your scriptures and to get them to think about what you say

And may your Holy Spirit perform the work as We merely spread the seeds.

May you water and bring in the harvest father. We thank you for This day together for our fellowship.

We're about to have we ask you to bless our meal and we thank you for it And bless our evening services as well in Jesus name.