Book of Romans - Ch. 9, Vs. 17-Ch. 10, Vs. 9 (03/19/2000)

Park Meadows Church

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Open your Bibles to the 9th chapter of Romans, the 17th verse.

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Paul had just made the statement, so that it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

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For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have

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I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

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God had a purpose in Pharaoh. David, what was it?

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To bring glory to himself. Alright. I would like for you to turn to the book of Proverbs, please, to the 16th chapter and the 4th verse.

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Bill, I'd like you to read that for us. Well, you're going to have to give me a second to give you a reading.

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Well, I thought you were already there. No, I was catching up with the other place. And the reference is

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Proverbs 16. 16 and 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

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He has made the wicked for himself. He has made the wicked for the day of evil.

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Bill, what do you think all of that means? Well, I think

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Brother David had it right last week. The evil are in the world to shape the children of God to be what they ought to be.

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Alright. Therefore, have thee mercy on whom ye will have mercy, and on whom ye will ye harden up.

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Hard words is so true. It is

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God's prerogative. It is

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His design and He will harden the heart.

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When we say choice, we're thinking of choosing up sides. Choosing one over another and so forth.

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Much as we did with young people in school. But that's not what it refers to here.

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We're His choice because we've always been His. And He didn't have to choose us out of it.

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It may seem like that to man, but it is not that way. Thou wilt say then unto me, why don't ye yet find fault?

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For who has resisted His will? Of course, that's a question that demands a negative answer.

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No one has resisted His will.

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So why don't ye yet find fault? The fault here has got to refer to judgment.

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Why would He judge us if He has chosen us? And why would He judge the evil because He has chosen them for the evil?

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Who can answer that? Why are we...

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Because we still have to be held accountable for the things that we do. Why? We have responsibility.

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I mean, it's not just a free ride. We still have responsibility. We're an example to others by the way we live also.

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And we know better. You're absolutely right. Reward.

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So, why are we judged? We're judged because of the decisions that we make.

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The choices that we make. Because from our perspective, we do make those choices.

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Because we want to. It's just that simple. Everybody does what they understand to do.

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That's why we can be judged. And that's what David was talking about.

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My mom pointed out a verse here when you were in Proverbs 16, 4.

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Proverbs 16, 1 shows the mechanism you're talking about.

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It says, the preparations of the heart in man. And the answer of the tongue is from the

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Lord. So, man is free to think what he wants to think.

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And to choose what he wants to do. In his heart and in his mind.

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And we're responsible for those thoughts. That's right. And what we do is of the

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Lord, which that's the ordained part. What we say, once it comes out our mouth, it's part of history.

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That's right. But we're responsible because we thought it up. We thought we thought it up.

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Yeah. Well, we thought what we wanted to think about it.

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Alright. Alright. That one key point, if you can get that fixed in your mind.

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Because most people, most seminary students stumble over how can God be sovereign and man still be judged.

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And it's simply because man does what he does, isn't it?

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I'd like to make one statement on that. Alright. I sense we're already judged.

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So, the judgment is already there. And what the Christian must do is work himself out.

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He's responsible for his own salvation in that sense that we're already judged and we have to seek

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God now after we're saved. Alright, we're told to work out our own salvation.

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That does not mean to acquire it. Alright. Nay, but,

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O man, shall the thing of form say unto him that form...

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Silly question. We think because we're in heaven, we can get up and walk around.

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...has not the power of power, but he is the same lump to make one vessel into honor and another unto dishonor.

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Certainly God has that power and that right. Yes. Back when

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I was doing... Does God reason?

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You know, he appears to in time from our point of view. But in reality, he doesn't reason in a linear fashion like we do, one thought at a time.

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He knows all things. Well, does he reason? No. You're saying no to his no?

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I'm agreeing with his no, so that's a yes no. There is a verse,

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I suppose we should go to in Isaiah, the first...

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No, sooner or later. What chapter?

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Isaiah 1, 18. Greg, can you get there, please?

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Isaiah 1, 18. Come now and let us reason together, says the

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Lord. Though your sins are like starlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

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All right, he says... Well, he doesn't need to reason.

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So it has to be said for us that we need to align ourselves with his thought.

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All right, can two reason together, Bill, without some change on both sides?

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Yes, if one side is entirely right. All right. Which, in this case, it would be.

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The word here is your call, and it means to judge, to decide, to appoint, to show to be right, to prove, to convince, to chasten, to redeem.

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When he's saying, come, let us reason together, it doesn't mean that he's going to change.

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It just means that he's going to judge your reason. To reason implies doubt and uncertainty.

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You see that, Russell? Now, Russell, does

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God make decisions? Not from our standpoint.

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Maybe from our standpoint it appears that way, but they've all already been made. All right, he does not make decisions because on both of those accounts, it is.

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It also infers one other thing, and that is that the outcome of the reason wasn't preached. You reason in order to move knowledge to something, a conclusion that God already has.

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All right. Verse 22, what if God, what if, what if God is willing to show?

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Does he have to show us his right? He does, but he doesn't have to.

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And to make his power known, does he have to make his power known?

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Any time there's a question.

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And to make his power known. The seeds that were planted in the, we talked about in the sermon last time, these seeds of, these tares that were planted by the evil one in the world.

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But what is the vessel? It's the person. The person. So, if he wants to make life fitted for destruction, that's up to him.

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I have a question. All right. Why is it that this chapter does not finish the argument between the, what they call the

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Calvinistic position and the Arminian position? Why doesn't this chapter finish the argument about who's in control?

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Because it seems very clear. Well, I think it does. It does for us, but it doesn't, it doesn't outside these walls very much.

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Is it because people are afraid to even go into this passage? That's right. And I, I hope that all of you never go in.

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All I ask of any of you is don't lose the reason that the other side, if we can say that, will not even do.

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There are those people in this world that, after their assigned work is finished for Satan, will go into hell forever.

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Proverbs 16, 4, The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for that day of evil, and that he might, which he had afore prepared.

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Where did afore mean, Trudy? Before time, before, when there was just none.

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That's right. At some time in the eons past, and we have for a time,

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God has not been fitted all of these, nor has he just,

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God also made, made certain ones for heaven, and they can go nowhere.

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Do you believe that? Good. Will there be anyone in hell, or heaven, because of you?

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Because everybody is sinning. This means that no matter how poor a witness you are, you will not sin with them, too.

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But if you could, if you fail to witness somebody, then you are sinning.

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That cannot be. Sin is a composite.

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Sin is a composite of you. 24,

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Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the

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Gentiles, none but of them, as he hath said also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her people, which were not my people.

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Gentiles. Gentiles. You and I. Is there anyone here part

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Jew? A little bit of Jew? A real small portion.

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You're all Gentiles. Salvation is of the Lord. Most people believe that man must accept it.

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Is that right or wrong? That's a great one, yes.

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I don't have to do anything. That works. All right.

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When it comes to salvation, what occurs? I become aware of it.

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You will never be saved as long as you believe you must do something. Brother Otis, there is nothing you must do, but there are many things you will do.

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Oh, yes. Yes. You will accept it. That's right.

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And you will get baptized. It's interesting, isn't it? Yes. You will do good works.

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Yes. But it's all after the fact. 26.

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And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was set, there shall be no more.

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This doesn't seem to occur to me.

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Well, I guess it's about time.

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For the most part, the Jews have hated the Gentiles all along, both sides.

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And until salvation comes, until the gospel comes, they have considered that the

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Israelites, all the rest of the

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Gentiles, are to be saved. But these people that were not my people, are my people now.

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And they didn't want that. This is one thing they had against me. Isaiah also cried concerning Israel, through the number of the children of Israel, those of the descendants of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.

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Greg, what kind of word is shall? Imperative. And it means what?

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It also means the one that is speaking, that does want to speak and hear has the power.

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28. For he will finish the work and cut it short. Because a short work confuses a long day.

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Well, I was going to ask you what you thought that meant.

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But since you asked me first, I thought that the time in years on this earth is not going to be long.

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It's not going to be millions, like the evolutionists say. It's a short work.

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In other words, there's going to come a time in the fairly near future, where the

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Lord's coming back. All right. These terms used in the 28th verse are forensic.

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I don't know. I can't give you a good definition. What did you say? I didn't bring a definition.

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Bill was forensic to me. Well, I know what a forensic scientist does.

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It's someone who studies and makes a determination about an outcome based upon evidence that was left behind.

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All right. So, these terms are forensic and refer to the conclusion of a judicial judgment.

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The Lord has tried them and found them guilty and will immediately execute upon them.

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And that is, it will not be anything. It will be immediately.

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And as Isaiah said before, except the Lord of Sabaoth hath left us a seed, which is a good word, we have been as Sodom and been made like unto

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Gomorrah. Now, you remember

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Sodom and Gomorrah. He's saying here that except the

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Lord of Sabaoth hath left us a seed, we would have turned out like Sodom and Gomorrah.

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What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed Lot, why didn't they?

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Was given to them. Was given to them. So all was given to the Jews. They had attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

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The same faith. The same righteousness. Exactly as the Jews so proudly claimed.

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Church members that think they were good enough to be saved or think that they are good enough to be saved.

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I don't think they are, but there are church members in other churches that believe that.

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But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, had not attained to the law of righteousness.

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Wherefore, or why? But as it were, for they stumbled after that stumbling stone.

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As it is written in the Old Testament, those who ever believed on him shall not fear.

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If you are truly saved, and if you're in the study of the

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Word, then you'll have no fear of man also. Chapter 9 and Chapter 10.

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My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might all have such a yearning, heartbroken desire for all of his brethren to be saved.

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That even though he was the apostle to the Gentiles, wherever he went, his main thrust was to the

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Gentiles. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, it should be for God, but not according to Christ.

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Explain to me this little word, zeal. That's devotion or a great desire.

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All right, Diana, what do you think? I was whispering to him. Here's the deal,

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I think, of his whole witness. They just have this overwhelming desire to see that they tell you what they know.

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All right, you didn't have to. They have a zeal for God.

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For God, yes.

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And they don't have a knowledge. Did they have?

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They had knowledge. They knew they were right, but they did not have the right knowledge.

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Zeal without knowledge, lots of exercise, nothing accomplished.

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And convincing you that he's there. And trying to convince you that he's there.

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For they being ignorant of God and going about to have not submitted themselves.

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Doesn't that sound like today? Yes. Exactly. There's something

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I do not hear in most churches today that we must be taught that we are to submit our will to the

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Lord each and every day. The modern church today goes like this.

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Monday, to have basketball. Tuesday, to have football.

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Wednesday, they play volleyball. Thursday, they have baseball.

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The modern church is so heat up with programs, anything to keep your mind off.

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You have nothing to do.

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Scripture must be obeyed with the obedience of belief. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.

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To everyone, how many have ever come down and done it all yet?

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Turn to Philippians 1 .29. There's a few key verses that you must remember forever.

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Bill, you go to Philippians 2 .13. John, would you read to us the

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Philippians 1 .29? For you have been granted the privilege, for Christ's sake, not only to believe in and here to rely on and trust in Him, but also to suffer as He has.

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Did you know He changed your belief? There was a time that you didn't want anything to do with Him.

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You didn't believe it. But then there was a time you did. Something had to change, and it wasn't you.

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Bill, read Philippians 2 .13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do on His good pleasure.

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Now, Bill, tell us, how does He work in us? He puts the desire that you have to study about the

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Scripture in you. He puts the desire for you to believe in you, and He puts the ability and the action to your beliefs.

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So He's responsible for it all. Anyone want to add anything?

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The Holy Spirit speaks of who?

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Christ. Christ only. The Holy Spirit doesn't lead you to buy a new car, or a new house.

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What was that? The guy on TV said He leads us to buy a million bucks. We might get more information on that.

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Did Jesus keep the law for us? Yes. What did you say?

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He kept the law for the Father. Well, did He keep it for us?

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He kept it in Him. There's a way in which you could say that. In our place.

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But He kept it primarily to please the Father. Right. Why did He have to keep it,

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Greg? Because we're not capable of doing that. But there's a reason ahead of that.

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That may be the perfect sacrifice. Who said that? That's right.

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If He had not kept the law, He could not have been my substitute. But He didn't keep the law for me.

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He kept it for the Father. It simply means that if you claim the law as your salvation, then you shall live and die.

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But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this life. Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven, that is, bring

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Christ down from above? Or who shall descend into the deep, that is, bring up Christ again from the dead?

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As if we could but be saved by our own efforts.

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But what saith the word is nigh unto you?

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Clarence, you're in a talkative mood this morning. What does it mean, the word is nigh unto you?

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Well, that's not far. Even in your mouth.

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Greg, all you have to do is speak. And in thy heart. And it's there to be spoken.

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That is the word of faith which we preach. It has become a part of you.

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That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

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Remember, there's no maybes or mights in the word. I've got to tell you this.

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She has a sister in law. Bless her heart, she'll do anything in the world.

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But she believes that you're not saved until and only if you can go to the front of your congregation and confess audibly the

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Lord. Because it says, Shall confess with thy mouth the

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Lord Jesus. She's the same one that believes you're not supposed to bring a dog into church.

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Based on Scripture. It does say something similar to that.

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But you're not to bring the money gained from a dog. And a dog is a male prostitute.

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Bless her heart, she believes it. I haven't tried to change her.

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All right. If you confess with your mouth, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

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But who can believe? Anybody?

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Everybody? The chosen people. When can they believe?

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All right. Certainly not the lost sinner.

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Not the one who is a servant of Satan. This is true.

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But if it were not for Jesus giving us the belief we could not be saved.

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You see how he has worked every little detail.

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What was that? The thing that I think confuses people is that thou shalt believe in thy heart.

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They believe that they can muster up enough belief to believe that Jesus is truly sent to them.

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And I think that even as much as I think I know, I ought to do it on my own.

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To have that belief on my own. So I think that that sentence confuses me because they say, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

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So they believe that they can muster up enough belief to do it. That's right. And that's the sad part because I don't know.

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I think that saying that you can do it without God. Yes. Every sinner thinks that.

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Do any of the lost people in the world believe they're lost? No. Does a sinner know he's a sinner?

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Did you know you were a sinner? Did you know it after you were saved?

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In Romans 1 .6. Joy when

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I'm in worse. Were you ashamed?

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Maybe the best thing to say is have not been ashamed of how you were. What did I say?

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You said that you know you were a sinner after you were saved. That's right.

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Yes, I know I was. That's the past tense. I'm an

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English speaker. I didn't interpret it like that. And I'm the interpreter.

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Where did you live? Ten. Ten, that's where we'll start.

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Or somewhere here and there. Could we discuss that verse in time a little more?

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Which one? I have a question here. Or maybe I'm going to make a statement.

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That if we confess with our right mouth the Lord Jesus, that's what he does.

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He does that through us. Because we've read today in Proverbs that he controls what we speak also.

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What about a deaf and dumb person that cannot speak? He is self -believing and ignoring.

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But what I'm saying in all of that is that God is performing all of this, and the confession is our life confessing him.

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We don't have to confess it all the time. That's right. It's just one of the rituals of the church.

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Some of us keep ordering, all right, it's all right to go down and confess.

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Only if you're convinced that's what you should do. Not by persuasion.

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Not if you're persuaded. Do nothing because you're persuaded. Do all things because you're convinced.

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And do nothing because somebody else does. That's good.

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Any other questions? The Bible says we are persuaded.

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That's what it talks about. From a man's viewpoint, Paul says, I am persuaded.

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Persuaded means by God. It's a passive word. We look at it in the

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Greek, so it means we're persuaded by God. That's right. He's talking about being deaf. He's talking about nothing separating him from the love of God.

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He's persuaded that his salvation is to come. So what

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Paul was saying is I am convicted that I am persuaded. That this is what

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God wants me to do. That's perfectly legal. What I was referring to, do not do it just because somebody else wants to and they talk you into being deaf.

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I think that before I got saved, I knew I was deaf. I knew I couldn't do it. But I think that I thought that I was as good as anybody else.

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And that would save the solution. But I know we know that we sin before we get saved.

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Because there are people out there that just sin and do wrong and say they don't care. I was thinking the same thing.

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I think there's a difference between a lost sheep and a lost goat. And I don't think the lost goats know they're sinning.

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Another thing that's hurting me is we were lost sheep. So even before salvation, we sinned and were convicted of it.

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Well, that's exactly it. But I think lost goats know they're sinning because they're saved to sin. And they don't care.

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Well, they don't know that. If someone kills someone, they know it's wrong.