The Glorious Privileges of Election: Part 2

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The Glorious Privileges of Election: Part 3

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Well, I'm going to pick up where I left off on this sermon last week and Continue this is definitely going to be a three -part series.
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I see this now But we should not rush it. We should take in all the truth we can
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Praise God. This is a glorious glorious doctrine the doctrine of election.
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I Believe it's the most comforting to God's people more than any other doctrine
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Charles Spurgeon goes along and saying that as well So we're looking at part two today the privileges of election to go or should
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I say the glorious privileges of Election and we're going to look at a couple more today reading from the
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ESV Translation So please turn with me to first Peter chapter 1 first Peter chapter 1 verse 1 and 2
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Verse 1 and 2 Wonderful to open up God's Word We should never take that for granted.
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We have the Word of God in our own tongue in our own language as Believe Spurgeon said has come to us on the sea of blood
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Hear the word of the Living God Peter and an apostle of Jesus Christ To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion and Pontius Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia According to the foreknowledge of God the
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Father in the sanctification of the Spirit For obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood
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May grace and peace be multiplied to you May God bless the reading of his word to our hearts this morning.
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Let's pray father We come to you now through your son the Lord Jesus Christ our great high priest the captain of our salvation and we can only come this morning through the blood of the everlasting covenant in which he made a sprinkling
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The Holy Spirit on the cross Lord that was being given to us Only by your spirit only by your spirit.
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No other way. Can we come to you Lord? We cannot come Of our own
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Righteousness because our righteousness is filthy rags before you It's only because we are dressed in the righteousness of Jesus by faith alone
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By grace alone Lord may we never forget this may it not be
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Apathetic To our ears Lord may it be fresh and father only by your
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Holy Spirit Can you bring that freshness to us this morning Lord? We realize that there is no worship this morning in this entire world of those who come to you unless This worship
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That is pleasing to you Is through your son the Lord Jesus Christ and by faith in the
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Holy Spirit Only through your son by his shed blood in Which father you have appointed and only by the power of the
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Holy Spirit. Can we even worship you acceptably? so father with all that we've
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Bring before you today Lord. May we forget ourselves? May we forget?
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What is to come after the service? May we forget everything that has happened throughout the week and they now made
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Lord by your help focus on your son the Lord Jesus Christ Help us
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Lord in this hour. We pray as we study your word together We need the
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Holy Spirit Lord. I need the Holy Spirit in the hearing and in the preaching father
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We desire to see your son glorified and honored you honored as well
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Because when we honor the son we honor you And father we pray this
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We pray once again father that you would give us ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart to perceive
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The truth and that we may obey this truth Her father if we go away just knowing this and head knowledge.
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It's not it's gonna be vain We must put it forth in action It must be it must be practiced
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We must be living epistles So father we pray that this truth would take a hold of us
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Lord change us mold us make us more into the image of your dear son and And Lord, I would pray to sanctify us holy through your word lay hold of us
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Lord lay hold of us and Then the made the world see Jesus in us for your glory
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We ask this in Jesus name Amen, and amen The Apostle Peter addressed such a wide audience
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Which has read to us in these opening verses and We looked at that this audience in which he addressed was the persecuted
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Christians That had swept literally across the Empire mainly the on the
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Roman Empire under the menace and tyrant Nero The Apostle wanted and desired those believers to remember that in the midst of potentially great suffering and hardship and affliction they were still the chosen of God and that as such they could face persecution in Victory and in hope that was the purpose in which he addresses these persecuted believers
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That in the face of persecution He gives them a great hope and the hope he gives we are looking at Now as spiritual aliens and yes
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Aliens do exist if you a believer in Jesus Christ you are an alien Now we're not talking about an alien from Mars or something like that by no means
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We're talking about in the sense that we do not belong to this world We are exiles we are
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For Sojourners we are foreigners and Most important thing for Peter's readers was not that their relationship was to be to this earth but their relationship to heaven and He helps us get a heavenly perspective and everything that he says
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You know describing Abraham's hope And when we read about father
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Abraham The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 10 verse. I'm sorry chapter 11 verse 10
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That Abraham was looking for a city which has foundation whose architect and builder is
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God He was a stranger on this earth Everywhere Abraham went he was building tents.
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He did not settle down anywhere. He was building tents Constantly and that's the way
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Christians are we are building tents We're not camping out here and making this world our home because it's not our home
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Now understanding that great truth Peter actually the Apostle Peter in Identifies his audience as those who are chosen
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Elect Hand -picked or should you say special because really that's
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God's Word for elect that they are special If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you're special to God you're
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God's love gift and Chapter 2 verse 9 the Apostle Peter reiterates this great truth
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He says this you are a chosen race or a generation and then he says this you are a royal priesthood a holy nation a
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People for God's own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you
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Out of darkness into his marvelous light He's taken this great truth from Deuteronomy 7 6
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Chapter 7 verse 6 from the Old Testament the Pentateuch in which Moses wrote
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For you are a holy people to the Lord your God The Lord your God has chosen you.
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There's the word They're chosen you to be to be a people for his own possession
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Out of all the peoples are on the face of the earth What a great and glorious privilege
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Now keep in mind not only Israel But God's sovereign love and grace has also prompted the choice
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His choice of the church, which is the bride of Jesus Christ We see this in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11
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The Apostle Paul says this we have obtained an inheritance Haven't been been predestined.
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That's the word right there predestined means marked out Selected chosen
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According to his purpose Who works all things after the counsel of his will?
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That is what the Word of God has to say about predestination marked out
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You're the believers in Jesus Christ are marked out According to his purpose who works all things after the counsel of his will another verse
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Paul speaks of the church of Thessalonica to the Thessalonians. He says in 2nd
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Thessalonians 2 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you brethren beloved by the
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Lord Because God has chosen you from the beginning
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For salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth
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John 15 19 I spoke of it last week. I'll say it again Jesus says if you belong to this world, the world would love its own as It is you do not belong to this world, but I have chosen you out of this world
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And that is why the world hates you that's the words of Jesus so Jesus chose us out of this world and Because of this the world hates us not anything that we have done, but it's because They hate the truth.
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They hate the Christ that's within us and we're going to look why about that after a while but election sovereign
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Free grace of God that has chosen us and God has the sovereign right to do so He has the sovereign right to pick whom he so desires we looked at that last week from Romans chapter 9 and Our response to this glorious privilege is always worship
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It's always worship. That is our response and it also should be an encouragement to evangelize the lost
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Never in discouragement but always an encouragement to reach out to those that do not know the
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Lord Jesus Christ and our our Call to them or a message to them.
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I should say is be you reconciled to God? that is the message and It is also this doctrine should make the believer humble in the sense because it's all of God It's nothing that we have done
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It's all that God has done Because God is the Creator God is the sovereign
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Creator he has the sovereign right and we are the creatures of the dirt that deserve punishment in hell and do not deserve heaven anytime you hear people talk about that they're good and that's somehow that they
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Have a right to heaven and do not belong in hell You know immediately that they're lost in darkness because the true believer in Jesus Christ sees it quite opposite That we deserve hell.
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We deserve punishment. We deserve wrath and we do not deserve heaven we do not deserve this grace, we're undeserving and Actually when you look at grace and who
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God is in his grace. That's what grace is. It's it's giving Merit Undeserving favor
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Favor that we do not deserve To us who are deserving of hell
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That's what the gospel Shows us and I should
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I say the law shows us that and that we flee to the gospel so the elect are those
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Who are chosen of God we looked at that last week They are the called out ones.
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That is actually a definition of what the church is Israel was called out.
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The church is called out the church is picked out
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It is selected a lot of people don't like these kind of words in which I'm speaking to you this morning Because they feel like why would
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God select some and Pass over everyone else and so many people go to hell
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Well, they had the wrong view and and also that's one question But there's another one I've heard quite often and I'm sure you've heard it as well.
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How can a loving God send people to hell? to eternal hell and again, they do not have any concept of Who they are outside of God in their sin they have no concept or view of the sin that is within them or the great
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God of the scriptures and You see you hear a lot today that God is this
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God of love and That somehow this he would not allow a human race to perish in the eternal torment of hell
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But their concept of love and the love of God is completely erroneous and warped if you look at Scripture God is a loving
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God, but it's not the kind of love that they have been taught God's love and my wife and I was talking about this morning about those whom
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God chooses to discipline He loves those and whom he disciplines
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He disciplines them and we were talking about in the sense of fathers and and mothers that has the responsibility of training up children in the way that they should go and and discipline their children that is love because even the scripture says that God loves those whom he disciplines.
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He disciplines those whom he loves. I'm sorry. I get right here in just a second and if we do not have that we don't have a
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Security in God because there's a great security in that Because we know what is it?
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We belong to him in that a beautiful thing and even though discipline may not be pleasant, but we know that there's a loving
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God behind this and We know that why what is the security knowing that we belong to God?
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that is the security and They know so many people and so many children that are trained up and So -called trained up they're not really trained by their parents and disciplined by their parents
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No wonder they're so insecure because there's no discipline and the children's almost like crying out for the discipline within them
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Because they want to know they're loved You cannot separate this from scripture scripture and especially
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Hebrews chapter 12 speaks about that What a glorious thing to know that you are a child of God this morning
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Not because of anything that we've done But because of Jesus Christ and what he's accomplished on the cross and because of God the
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Father Has predestined and chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.
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We had nothing to do with it We're going to look at a little bit about this according to for knowledge
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So this is what we saw last Lord's Day about Chosen of God next we see
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That the elect are strangers in this world The elect are strangers in this world.
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Look at verse 1 Peter addresses once again believers in Christ as Some translations put it puts it as pilgrims
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The ESV says exiles or Strangers Strangers we are strangers.
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All right, and Peter will talk about this throughout this entire letter if you read the whole book First Peter he speaks about this.
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We are the elect. We're no longer part of this world Jesus even prays in John 17 14
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He prays to his father and this is what he says I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world
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Just as I am NOT of the world. This is the master the
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Lord Jesus Christ speaking He says if they reject me, they're going to reject you because of the truth
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Galatians 6 14 the Apostle Paul says at the end of this wonderful epistle
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But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world
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Notice what he says the world has been crucified to me and I to the world
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He's dead to the world the world's dead to him He has no heart desire toward the world or the things of the world in matter of fact
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John the Apostle The Apostle love says if any man is in Christ he's basically saying this if you're in God if you really love the world the love of the
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Father is not in you and That's it gets right to the point there
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What is our heart affections? What are what are what do we love this morning? What what is the thing that is first and best in our life today?
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Well, if it's not God then it's idolatry anything else other than God it is
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Idolatry, that's a hard word people may say well But I love my mother and I love my father and even Jesus said even if you love your mother and your father and your your
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Brother and your sisters more than me Basically, he's saying that you don't love me
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He refers it then and the old King James says if unless you hate and a lot of people take that wrong
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But what he was saying is you've got to love me first and foremost above everything
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Yes would love our family, of course, of course But the love we have for God is first first always and best now
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We're strangers in a foreign land beloved If you have it to realize this and if you're not is you have reason to question your salvation
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Because we are in a foreign land, but we're strangers and we're passing through we're sojourners
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And this word has a meaning of being a temporary resident just temporary resident
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We just a passing through this world's not my home It is our home is the eternal home called heaven where God dwells forever
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I like what Jonathan Edwards said. He basically said if is he if I get this, right?
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I'm gonna paraphrase it the best I can If if God is not your
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Basically saying first love if you cannot love God here, which is temporary.
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How can you expect to love God forever? That's paraphrase now, I'm sure there's you can put
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I should have wrote that down but Edwards was basically saying if in other words, and I'm gonna put it my words here if if people claim to love
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God and if they cannot live and Love God here on this earth How can they expect to love him forever?
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in eternity If they cannot love God here temporary
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That's that's a sobering thing to think of So If we are the elect of God, we are strangers in this world of sorrow and sin
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Then we are citizens of heaven and we are to have a different culture. We are a different people
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We have a different language. We have a different life. We have a different purpose
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We have a different meaning we have different expectations and our and it's because of what the gospel has done in our lives
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It's the change that Jesus has made and if there's not a change been made and so and people could say they're saved by grace all they want to say
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But if they're not been changed by grace, then they have not been saved by grace God has prepared a better place for us beloved and this is what this whole epistle is about It's to the persecuted believers and as they were being persecuted
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Peter is an apostle, but he's like a pastor He gives them some substance to hang on to something to ground themselves and the security that is forever and a living hope and He's speaking to the persecuted believers because they are people of God in the world, but not of the world
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You know, it's sad we don't hear that often anymore But that's the truth. And that's what the Scriptures teach.
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There's old him. I wrote the words of this down. It says It's it's it's called this world's not my home.
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Let me give you some stanzas of it I'm just a passing through my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue The angels beckoned me to heaven's open door.
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I can't feel at home in this world anymore I Stance it to they're all expecting me.
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And that's one thing. I know my Savior's pardoned me and now onward I go. I Know he'll take me through.
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I'm weak and poor and I can't feel at home in this world anymore Stands at three
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I have a loving Savior up in glory land. I don't expect to stop until I'm with him stand
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He's waiting now for me in heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore Then in the last stanza just up in glory land will live eternally
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The Saints on every hand are shouting victory their songs of sweetest praise Drift back from heaven's shore and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
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And I love the chorus. Oh Lord, you know I have no friend like you if heaven's not my home then
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Lord, what will I do? The angels beckoned me from heaven's open door.
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I can't feel at home in this world anymore Maybe we could sing that one day Even if it's not in our hymnal with what we ought to print it out and sing it because I'm telling you that's so true
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This world is not our home. We're just a passing through Only one life too soon to be passed only what's done with for Christ will last
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CT stud said God has prepared a better place for us And I'm telling you that's a hope it's another world and it's more glorious than this world and you know, there's beauties in this world, isn't it that God has made if you look upon it, but Sin has said so stained it and ruined it
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Brought thorns and thistles and pain and hurt and sorrow and death But there's a better place
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This world is not our home We've got to think about that Every time we do every time we get up every day.
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We must remind ourselves. This world is not our home So what does it mean to be a stranger on this earth as a believer in Jesus Christ?
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What does it mean? Well, I wrote down a few things first. We should expect some amount of suffering
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As Elizabeth Elliot said we might as well expect it to be normal Let's Take a hold of that Let's not let it be surprising if we do suffer some
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Or be considered strange on this earth that people will look at us as strange and odd Because we're not part of this world and not being of this world.
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We should not expect the world to love us and and welcome us and and and and as so many people in preachers try to do and the philosophy of Psychology is when friends and influence people.
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Yes. Jesus was a friend of sinners but he called sinners to repent and Anytime that happens there was always a division that takes place because the sword
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Jesus said that I did not come to bring peace but I bring a sword and Jesus divides
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No one has divided more than Jesus Nothing has divided more in this world than the gospel because dark and light has to be divided
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Water and oil cannot mix matter of fact
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The world will hate us because we're not of the world So we should never be it's surprised and expect the world to treat us good we we think somehow in our within our
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Mind that we are to be accepted but Jesus was rejected Jesus was cast aside.
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Jesus was crucified. He's the master They will hate us and they reject us.
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And again, it's because of the truth that's in us and Jesus that's in us That's an offense this truth.
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The gospel is an offense to the world That's let's look at it for a minute.
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What is that offense? It is the cross the cross of the
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Lord Jesus Christ offends people and it offends people because it confronts their sin and If we're not confronting people sin lovingly and gentleness speaking the truth in love
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Then we're not giving the gospel We always confront the sin and there's a way to do that and again
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It's never being bombastic and it's never beating people in the brow with the with the gospel
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But giving it in gentleness and loving kindness and grace the true gospel of Jesus Christ the cross of the
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Lord Jesus Christ is an offense to the non -believer and I'm sure you know this
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I Have come face to face with this even some in my own family that literally
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Cannot stand me bring the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ up because you see as Tozer said the cross will have no truck with the world it brings
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Adam to death It brings a verdict to the flesh death and People do not want to hear that but here's what they fail to look and see and it takes the
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Holy Spirit for them to see this only through the death through the cross and In the cross and death to self and death to the flesh.
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Can we know what eternal life is? Jesus said that it's at the corner wheat fall in the ground and bite alone and die
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It by abides there alone and and and he speaks that out from that death comes life
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There's no other way There's no other way so to have eternal life
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And that's why Jesus says if you're gonna follow me, he says you must first deny yourself It's self -denial not self -deceptive not loving self
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We hear that all the time don't we and it's sad But it's death to self and when we bring that gospel message to people people don't like it
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They don't want to hear it they want to hear something that wants to make them feel good make them feel happy Tell me about God's love
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Well, we are loving them That is God's love Warning them of the damnation of hell to come but there's a way to escape it
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God has made a way and he's made a way that We can have eternal life through Jesus Christ our
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Lord and that's what Romans says
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The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Well next we see that believers must continually be looking forward to and toward our heavenly country
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The believers must continually be looking forward and toward our heavenly country and which is the city of God where God dwells
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Heaven is heaven is because Jesus He is the heaven of heavens because without Jesus you take away
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Jesus you don't have heaven You can have the gate of Pearl you can have the glories of that Wonderful city and and no sin there and which would be glorious but you take away the one
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Savior who made it all and Paid it all So that we can even enter there.
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You don't have heaven Heaven's a holy place for holy people prepared by a holy
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God through a holy Savior by his Holy Spirit through his holy blood
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Everything about God's holy That confronts people doesn't it? Yeah, it does
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Go with me real quickly to Isaiah 35 Let's look at this a little bit
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Heaven is such a holy place Isaiah Isaiah is so rich, isn't it?
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Isaiah chapter 35 we're gonna just read this whole chapter because it's really not long But it's so much said within this chapter
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That it bears for us to look and it speak speaks of heaven really Zion's blessed future the future of Zion Notice notice what it says here
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Within this it's beautiful the wilderness of the desert will be glad And of the
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Arabah will rejoice and blossom like The crocus it will blossom profusely and rejoice with joy rejoicing and shout of joy
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The glory of Lebanon will be given to it in the majesty of Carmel and Sharon they will see the glory of the
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Lord and the majesty of our God encourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble
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Say to those with anxious heart take courage fear not Behold your
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God will come with vengeance The recompense of God will come
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But he will save you Then the eyes of the blind will be opened the ears of the deaf will be unstopped
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Then the lame will leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy for the waters will break forth in The wilderness and streams and in the
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Arabel now now, let me stop right there for a second You notice this happened. This is a fulfillment when Jesus came
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He brings liberty to those that are captives say
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Jesus is the anointed one and that's what actually speaking in verse 7 The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of the water
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This is what the gospel does and the haunt of the jackals is resting place grass becomes reeds and rushes
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And notice what it says in verse 8 a highway will be there and a road and it will be called the highway of holiness
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This is the road in which the those believers will be upon and those whom
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God elects The unclean will not travel on it This is not the road for the unclean
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But it will be for him who walks that way and fools will not wander on it No lion will be there
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Nor any vicious beasts go up on it these will be and these will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk there and the ransom of the
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Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion with Everlasting joy upon their heads and they will find gladness and joy and sorrow and signing will flee away
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That is a picture of heaven beloved This is what the gospel brings to the believer
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Go with me very quickly to Revelation was speaking about the highway of holiness
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Revelation chapter 22, this is the last chapter and This is the consummation of all things.
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This is this is The wrap -up. This is everything that is consummated and God says something to Jesus testifies to the churches notice in verse 12
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Let me back up a little bit here and this really gives us the perspective notice verse 11
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Let the one who does wrong still do wrong basically, you could the the principle of you can lead a
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Horse to water you can't make him drink. That's so true Listen what it says. I'm at the nature of people.
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Let the one who does wrong. Let him do wrong and The one who's filthy still be filthy
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Let the one who's righteous still practice righteousness and the one who is holy still keep himself holy
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Behold Jesus says I am coming quickly. My reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done
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Everyone's going to be judged according to their works Everyone no one will be missed verse 13
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Jesus I am the Alpha and Omega. That's the Greek word The first and the last the beginning and the end and notice what he says here blessed are those who wash their robes
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Only way to be washed is through the blood of Jesus, right and wash their robes so that they may have right to the tree of life and if you look in Genesis that that right was
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Was closed off to them because of sin man sin
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Now there's privilege privilege Privilege Wash their robes that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city
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Notice what he says outside of that city outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves underscore that loves and practices lying
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Loving their sin. They never gave up the love of that sin they were outside of this city and It's very specific and it speaks about those who?
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Who do those who do his commandments are those who have the right to the tree of life?
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But outside of this city this holy city are dogs That's the way
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Nonbelievers are described as dogs Sorcerers and very specifically sexually immoral a lot of sexually immoral people today and driven
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Loving sex lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God idolatry coveting those things before God Well, the
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Apostle Paul calls believers to set their minds on above. Let's go a little positive here
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Go with me to Colossians chapter 3 don't you love the
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Word of God? It sets our perspective, right doesn't it? Chapter 3 notice what he says therefore in verse 1 if you have been raised up with Christ I love the way he says if in other words, there's a possibility you have it
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But if you are in Christ, if you have been raised in Christ, you've been raised up with Christ He says keep seeking the things above Not on the earth why why above because this is where Christ is and Then he says he's seated at the right hand of God He's at the right hand of the majesty of God and in verse 2 set now.
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I love that seek and set those are two key words Seeking Jesus said it seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things to be added unto you
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Then he says set your mind We have to set our mind
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Brother Keith nailed that earlier a lot of times in our mind We get so caught up and the cares of the of this world our workplace our other things that are and we think oh
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It's so important and it may be at the moment, but there's something more important the things above the things above Not on things that are on earth
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Why verse 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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This is where your life is hidden You're hidden in with Christ in God You are protected.
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You are secure. You are the elect Verse 4 when Christ who is our life notice that who is our life?
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He's everything he's all in all Then you also will be revealed with him in glory in other words
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Peter even says this later on We don't see him, but we believe and we believe with joy unspeakable and full of glory
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But he's there he's risen and You have identified with him.
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You've died with him. You're buried with him. You're raised with him That's the gospel
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That's the gospel And he says since you have been raised
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Co resurrected You have union with Jesus Christ Spiritually entered into his death and resurrection at the moment of conversion
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Your life is transformed Changed These are glorious Glorious privileges and riches of the heavenly kingdom which are our disposal
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Why should we cast them aside? We should be seeking the Lord continually.
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That's what scripture says Praising him continually thanking him continue and then even set your mind
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MacArthur says this is a translated thing. I'll have that this inner disposition and He says it's as a compass points north the believers entire disposition should point itself toward the things of heaven
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Heavenly thoughts can only come by understanding heavenly realities from scripture in quotes. That's the way it should be
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Well, let's go next we should be different we should be different that's very obvious I won't dwell here long but We are a different breed of people, aren't we?
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around us For this world is not our home as we already looked and the elect are
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Strangers of this world because their home is in heaven. Therefore, they don't bear the marks of the world's culture.
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We are different Now I do have one scripture in mind here go with me to Titus chapter 2 a wonderful scripture that has been
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So abused but notice verse 11 For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men
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It does not mean right there that all men will be saved actually what it speaks of that the salvation has come to all men as an invitation to Whosoever will we had no problem with that doing but only
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God selects and appoints those That those who will come in the effectual calling in Verse 12 notice that this is what
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God's grace teaches us to do. This is how God's grace Instructs us to live it doesn't mean because I have grace
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I had the liberty to sin actually sin is a device and That's a hard task master
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And if we practice sin We are a slave to sin. That's what Jesus said
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Actually when we are saved by grace We are free not to sin verse 12 says is instructing us and this is what instructs us
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God's grace God's grace Very seldom you hear this, but this is the
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Word of God God's grace instructs us in Instructing us presently
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I should say to what deny ungodliness number one and Two worldly desires and Then he says it's a very practical very practical living and to live sensibly
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Righteously and Godly in this present age godly basically means godlike with the imitators of God If God shows mercy to us
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We are to show mercy if God has showed love to us We're to show love if God is gracious to us and we're to show grace if God has forgiven us.
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We're to show forgiveness You see it's past. We're mark. We are marked. We are elect and we show it by The way we live and then he says it gives a blessed hope looking for that blessed
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Hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us
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To redeem us from every lawless deed and notice what he says To purify for himself a people for his own possession.
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There it is. That is elect God's elect is a God's own possession.
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You have been bought with the price. You've been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ You're no longer your own.
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You don't have the rights to do what you want to do even in the body Now, I don't know about you, but that really
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Convicts me because it says I need to guard my eyes. I need to guard my ears. I need to watch my tongue
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I need a part of God guard on my tongue. And most of all I need to guard my heart Because out of the heart are the issues of life
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So what I read what I hear whom I'm with matters How I use my body matters
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Paul talks about this So we are to be a people we are purified for who himself
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I like what R .C. Sproul says the the the big idea of the Christianity is That we are to live before the face of God Even though we have a testimony before men, but ultimately and first and foremost is how
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I live before God's eyes Because that's all that's going to matter in judgment a
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People for his own possession. You are God's own possession zealous for good deeds
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Zealous for good deeds. Let's go on Well, the next is the elect are scattered like seed to produce a harvest scattered throughout
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Pontius Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia What is another privilege of the elect they are scattered seed
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Now, what does it mean here it does this word comes from the word just for dysphoria.
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It actually means this Dispersion in a sense it carries the idea of that which is sown sewn about It is a word used in of the farmer sowing seed in the field of believers are like scattered seed throughout
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This world the cause of persecution and we see this all throughout the book of Acts And you could see this
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Very quickly go with me to Acts chapter 8 and we'll look at this very quickly Look at Acts 8 3 through 5
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Just 3 through 5 real quickly But Saul began ravaged ravaging the church
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Entering house after house. This is before this is during Saul persecuting the church and dragging off men and women and he would put them in prison
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It's amazing what God did in this man Such a change such a change and in verse 4 therefore those who had been scattered
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There it is. That's been scattered went about preaching the words that was scattered about like seed
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Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them Notice what he preached he preached
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Christ That's the mission that's the message Jesus Christ the crowds with one accord were giving attention to what he said
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I was said by Philip as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing and For in the case of many who had unclean spirits and were coming out of them
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Shouting with a loud voice and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So they were was much
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Rejoicing in that city. There was effects because of the power of the Holy Spirit These Christians were scattered
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This seems to be an implication of Peter's use here the word scattered because which again means which is sown when a farmer sow seed he does it with a hope of having a harvest and This farming term would have encouraged the
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Saints Because why because behind the persecution God ultimately sowing these believers throughout the world in order to bring a harvest from the from the gospel
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So God may have allowed these believers to suffer the loss of their homes even at times to lose their very lives
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But beloved it was not without God's divine purpose that that's the key right there is knowing even in the in the face of such persecution and Trials and Lord willing if this ever comes to us, we are not to forget this because God has purpose
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We Understand God's hand is in it and the illustration of this is actually in on Genesis in the life of Joseph What was meant for evil
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God brought it about for the good? Ultimately to spread the kingdom of God and bring the good news and many sons to glory for the glory of God Beloved we serve a
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God that often makes the worst things best things. That's the kind of God we serve and It is
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God's hand that does it For his purpose and for his glory That's how we live and that's the way the believer is to live what was meant for evil.
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God turns it around for the good Think of it. It took the death of Jesus Christ the Son that knelt upon the cross of Calvary the worst thing that can ever happen
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Gloriously it became the best thing The most glorious thing that which was so terrible became the most glorious thing
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Believers in Jesus take comfort in this great truth because that's where we had that's where we find safety and Scriptures teaches us to rejoice in trials and tribulations because We know the victory is at the cross where Jesus won that victory
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Does this mean that a lack of persecution for the faith is more dangerous spiritually to the church in times of acceptance from culture?
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Well Very well could be Well, let me go to the last point in my closing and I'd like to make this my application point
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The elect of God are intimate with God They're intimate with God. Look at verse 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the
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Father Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the
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Father now, this is a another privilege But what does this mean?
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foreknowledge This is the elect now intimate with God intimacy even before time began
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In fact, this verse tells us why believers are elect and chosen by God and the text tells us according to the foreknowledge
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This is a very important word beloved that word foreknowledge of God the Father Now we got to understand what this means
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This one term and doctrinal foreknowledge and definition of foreknowledge has caused the controversy great controversy throughout the ages of church history
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The doctrine of election and it is the way people view foreknowledge Some have said that some has said that foreknowledge means that God would choose us in time
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Based upon the fact that God knew in advance Who would accept him and who we reject him who would believe and who would not believe?
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Now stay with me on this. This is so important However, this view makes
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God's choice not his choice at all It makes it man's choice
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If we accept that view that God chooses those whom he sees ahead of time to believe
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It makes man the initiator of salvation instead of God Amen it is and people don't realize it and it is a strict
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Armenian view. That's why I let some people Question can a person be saved and believing that where there's questions on that.
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We have to hit that on another time, but All based basically what they're saying all based upon the choice of man and not the choice of God That is the
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Armenian view the Calvinistic view basically says it's based upon God's choice
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And which scripture teaches Now others would go to other verses a lot of them would be in Hebrews We'd have to take the scriptures to the context.
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I don't have time to go to those verses this morning But let me tell you in a nutshell what he's talking about here Though though God is omniscient and he does know all things from beginning to end
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This foreknowledge beloved is not referring not referring to the knowing the facts ahead of time
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But God knowing people in an intimate relationship
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That's what it means now, why is that so important I Tell you why it's important I'm first of all, let me give you the
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Greek word translated for ordained for knowledge means for ordained in both verses
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The word does not refer to awareness Or what is going to happen like I said, but it clearly means a predetermined relationship in the knowledge of God God brought the salvation relationship into existence
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By this is what we're talking about. The RC spro has been talking about this by decreeing it
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Into existence ahead of time. No stopping it.
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It's going to happen Christians are for known for salvation in the same way and Christ was for ordained
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Listen is Christ himself was for ordained before the foundation of the world to be the sacrifice for sins in the same way
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Believers are chosen in God for ordained in a glorious in other words for the foreknowledge here, therefore means that God planned it out before time
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Before the foundation of the world not that he observed it before Thus God pre -thought and pre
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Meditated it. I'm sorry and pre ordained it I should say predestined each Christian salvation
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Before the foundation of the world. That's what we looked at last week Romans 9 Ephesians 1 You can take it all through the scriptures
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How can someone now this word know to understand this we've got to understand what it's on it to know throughout the
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Old Testament, it means an intimate relationship and Genesis 4 1
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And there's nothing bad about this. We see that Adam knew his wife and had a son
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Adam knew his wife Intimately You see
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How intimate that is and that's why the sexual bond within marriage is a holy thing
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It's a covenant and that's you see it's linked With this word.
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No No in the same way God knew certain believers even before they were born
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Chosen chose them for salvation. I Only have one verse here, but so many verses here, but I chose
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Jeremiah chapter 1 go with me Jeremiah chapter 1 The calling of Jeremiah and it is very clear in Scripture notice in chapter 1
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Look at verse 5
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Notice what the word of the Lord came to me saying in verse 4 God says to Jeremiah the prophet before I formed you before I formed you in the womb
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I knew you I Knew you there's that word intimacy Even before you were born you
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I had you in mind you are intimate That this is
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God. This is love This is way beyond us, but this is the way God is speaking to Jeremiah in other words
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I've called you you're my own you're my own possession notice what he says and before you were born
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I consecrated you and then he says I have appointed you a prophet to the nations
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He's humbled I'm telling you he's humbled I don't know how it should humble us But that is intimacy appointed before He was born
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We also see this intimate knowledge used also in reference to those who do not know God How do we know this go with me to Matthew chapter 7?
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Will very familiar verse, but let me say this. These are some of the scariest words
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You ever read in the entire Word of God that's it and You know this this and when it all comes down to Christianity, it's knowing
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Jesus Christ Knowing Jesus Christ intimately the ends the the conclusion
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Jesus gives Verse 21 right before he gives the parable of the two builders, which is really the final conclusion
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But here he's wrapping it up and he says to them and everything he teaches and then he says not everyone who says to me
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The same thing James emphasizes you can say it all you want to but if something has to be shown
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Has to be obedience you see and then what does he say? They say what do they say?
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Isn't this interesting Lord Lord they even call them Lord Will enter into the kingdom of heaven
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But he who does there it is does the will of my father who is in heaven will enter
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And this is scary, but notice what he says many will say to me on that day
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Lord Lord Did not we prophesy in your name in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name?
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perform many miracles And Verse 23 is the scariest words.
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Did you ever read? The most frightening words that we will ever read and Jesus has a profession to give to them and then
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I would declare to them. I never knew you
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In other words, I never had an intimate relationship with you that word knew
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Underscores that intimate relationship I never had an intimate relationship with you
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I you thought you were saved you were deceived you did all these things you called me
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Lord, but you did not obey me Then he what is he saying?
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Depart from me you who practice lawlessness They practice evil doing
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Well, the one great thing that should comfort the believer about the sovereign decree election is the truth that God knows us before the creation of the world
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But he calls for us to come know him Jesus invites people to come unto him and all you lay labor and heavy laden.
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I'll give you rest He knew us in a saving relationship. He affectionately calls us to be once Separated to love him and then serve him
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Not based on anything we have done but based on his sovereign grace So the elect of God are intimate with God he foreknows them
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Even before the end of the world This is a tremendous comfort and truth, especially
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God knows all our failures our sins our insecurities He chooses us to be intimate and love him to the very end and we do that's why we obey his commandments
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That's why a true believer Obeys what he says Jesus said that if you love me you would do what
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I say period Those are the ones that love him the ones that obey him
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Obedience comes out of that love God chooses us to be intimate with him
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Well, let me close this down God chooses us not because we believe Augustine but that we
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May believe notice what he said God chooses us not because we believe but because That we may believe
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Charles Spurgeon says I believe the doctrine of election because I am quite certain That if God had not chosen me,
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I should never have chosen him How true is? He says
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I am sure that he chose me before I was born or else. He never would have chosen me afterwards
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And he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me for I never could find any reason to myself
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Why he should have looked upon me with special love Sin and hell were married until repentance gives the divorce
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God still commands men to repent Jesus preached repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
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So, how does this come together go with me to John chapter 6 I close with this Notice what he says even though God has commanded men to repent from their sin to be converted
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Regeneration proceeds that see regeneration takes place when God does something and the work of the soul
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Conversion starts to play out in repentance and faith. Notice what
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Jesus says in verse 37 a chapter 6 Chapter 6 this is some good verses here
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Jesus says all that the father gives me maybe Might know
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All that the father gives me will come to me And notice what he says and the one who comes to me.
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I will certainly not cast out. He's to come
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But notice who initiated it the father According to his foreknowledge folks.
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This is what Jesus is talking about This verse emphasizes the sovereign will of God and selecting those who come to him for salvation
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The father has predestined those who would be saved This is absolutely sovereignty
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And then he says this in verse 38 for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him
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Who sent me this is the will of him who sent me that all of all that he has given me
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I lose nothing And it's beautiful but raise it up on the last day
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But this is the will of my father that everyone beholds the Son and believes in him will have eternal life and I myself will
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Raise him up on that last day. It's guaranteed Isn't that a great security? God will keep you
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The security of salvation is resting on the sovereignty of God and not my good works Not on how sanctified
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I am even though I will be sanctified but in when I'm not sanctified my justification is stand and stands fast and It's sure
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Because it's on Christ a solid rock MacArthur says the security of salvation rest in the sovereignty of God for God is the guarantee that all all
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He has chosen will come to him for salvation And the idea of gives me is that every person chosen by God and is and drawn by God in verse 44
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Must be seen as a gift of the Father's love to the Son The Son receives each love gift in verse 37 holds on to each each one of them in verse 39 and will raise each to eternal glory in verse 39 and 40 and No one chosen will be lost
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Romans 8 31 through 39 and this saving purpose is the Father's will which the
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Son will not fail to do perfectly in quote any glorious Isn't this wonderful?
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We have a steadfast salvation. We have a salvation to the uttermost There is a security in Jesus Christ, but we better make sure that we repent and even in that repenting
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He grants that to us What is the affection of your heart today?
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What is the first love of your heart? Is it Jesus Christ or is that the things of the world?
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Is it sin? Is it other things? I? Pray that Jesus Christ will surpass them all
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Surpass them all let's pray Father we thank you for this time Another wonderful hour and your word that we can study
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Praise you glorify you worship you and oh Lord just not to have the knowledge in our head
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But the knowledge of the truth in our hearts that we may love you more and more and That our love may abound more and more and if our love abounds to you more and more our love to one another will bound more and more
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Hope father enlarge our hearts that we just may love you more all the love that you have given unto us and you've selected us to believe even to the very end
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When our bodies in the grave, you're going to raise it up one day And we will eternally eternally love you and eternal bliss of heaven
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Praising you and worshiping you Worshiping the lamb of glory who shed his precious blood redeemed us
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Off the slave market of sin to purchase us as your one. You're the apple of your eye your own possession unto yourself
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Hope father forgive us for the times. We have neglected you Neglected prayer
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Not because we have to but because we don't delight in it Father may we delight in in loving you and your word and in the law delight in you and All that we do for your glory
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And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen and amen praise