We're going to go verse by verse, we're not going to finish the whole chapter though.
The book of Romans, especially the first half, is about salvation, but it's kind of really
deep things about salvation, gives you a really strong, deep, core understanding.
And so the name of the sermon is deader to the spirit, deader to the spirit.
And so the first one we have is this, decision.
There is a decision in May, it's a daily decision after you are saved, not to be saved, but
after you are saved, if you're going to walk in the flesh or in the spirit, okay?
Notice what it says in Romans 8, verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation that
that which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
This is a verse that is a great verse and it's often taken out of context, because some
people would look at this verse and say, well hey, there's no condemnation for you, you'll
go to heaven, and thereby that means you're walking in the spirit and not in the flesh.
They try to say, well salvation here is, do you decide to walk in the flesh or in the
spirit?
Hey look, there's hundreds of verses in the Bible that say it's just by faith.
But living for God is a daily choice that you make.
So in verse 1, what it's saying is, if you are saved and walking in the spirit, there's
no condemnation.
Now from a spiritual standpoint, it makes sense that there's no condemnation to someone
who's saved, because remember John 3 18, he that believeth on him is not condemned.
But he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of
the only God, Son of God.
So what condemns you is not believing, okay?
Once you get declared innocent, he's never going to declare you guilty.
You've been declared innocent 100%, but also in this life.
Look, if you're walking in the spirit, there's not going to be condemnation for you.
In general, when you're following God's rules, you're not going to get in trouble with the
law, okay?
Look, if you get in trouble with an authority, if you're nice, if you're respectful, usually
you don't get in trouble, okay?
And so when you look at the context here, they would try to take one verse out of context,
yet this whole chapter disproves work salvation, disproves Calvinism, okay?
Verse number 2, notice this.
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death.
For what the law could not do in that it was weak to the flesh, God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, enforcing, condemned sin in the flesh.
So the Bible says our flesh is weak.
Our flesh could not keep the law.
Our flesh could not be perfect.
So what did God have to do?
He had to send his son to die for us.
The Bible says about Jesus, in him is no sin.
All of us are sinners.
There's none good but one that is God.
The only one who could die for our sins is Jesus because he was God, okay?
Buddha did not die for you.
Muhammad did not die for you.
Jesus Christ, though, was God in the flesh, and he paid for your sins.
See, the flesh is weak.
We make mistakes.
No one is going to be declared innocent by their works or what they do because our flesh
is weak.
We break the law, okay?
Verse four, then the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not
after the flesh but after the Spirit.
So if you are walking after the Spirit as a saved person, the righteousness of the law
will be fulfilled in you, okay?
We're going to look at that here in a second.
But verse five, for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but
they that are after the Spirit do the things of the Spirit.
It is possible to be a saved person who's walking after the flesh.
We talked about that last week.
We're going to see that in this sermon.
So what he's highlighting is someone who is saved and walking after the Spirit because
you can be saved and choose to walk after the flesh, okay?
Go to Galatians five, Galatians five, Galatians chapter five, Galatians chapter five.
See, people try to make this about salvation, your decision to walk in the flesh or the
Spirit, but that's not salvation.
Salvation is just believing.
Choosing to walk in the flesh or in the Spirit, that is a daily choice you make.
You made a choice this morning whether or not you're going to come to church, and you're
here right now.
You made a choice to come to church.
You had that daily choice that you made.
Making these choices are daily choices.
You've got to make your decisions in life.
Galatians five, verse 16.
This I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, okay?
Remember how it said that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk
not after the flesh but after the Spirit?
See, if you're walking in the Spirit, you're not fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
The righteousness of God will be manifest in you if you're walking in the Spirit, not
just because you're saved, but if you are walking in the Spirit, then you'll see the
righteousness of the law fulfilled, okay?
Verse 17.
The flesh lusted against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary
to one and the other so that you cannot do the things that you would.
But if you be left with the Spirit, you're not under the law.
Now then it goes through verses 19 through 21, but notice verse 22, okay?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, weakness, temperance, against such there is no law, okay?
Now I mentioned it in the first sermon, and I'm gonna highlight it again, that look, when
you're saved and walking in the Spirit, there's no condemnation for you in this life, okay?
When you're, because we as people, we are told to obey our government when they do not
ask us to sin.
And look, that's actually unpopular to preach in today's world, but it's reality.
Now look, if your government tells you to sin, that would be wrong, but you are expected
to obey the God-given authorities in your life.
As a child, you're supposed to obey your parents.
As a wife, you're supposed to obey your husbands.
As a employee at a job, you're supposed to obey and be respectful of your boss, even
if they're wrong, even if you disagree with them, unless they ask you to do wrong, okay?
And if you obey the higher powers, the authorities in your life, you know what you're gonna find?
No condemnation for you.
You're not gonna get in trouble if you're just obeying, okay?
So look, when you're walking in the Spirit, it's gonna help you.
You're not gonna be condemned in terms of the fact you're not gonna go to hell, but
even in this life, against such there is no law.
When you're obeying God's rules, you're not gonna get arrested, okay, if you're
doing what is right, by and large.
Now, if there is a law that ends up going against the things in the Bible, then look,
this is invalid law.
For example, there are countries where it is illegal to go sowing.
Illegal, okay?
Now, we don't live in that country.
Praise the Lord for that.
If we lived in that country, we should disobey that law, right?
You say what?
Because we have God's rules that say we're commanded to preach the gospel, okay?
That is an example of a law that is corrupt and that is wrong, and you obey the higher
power of God's law and say, no, we're still gonna go sober.
But look, by and large, most laws by government do not ask you to commit sins.
Very rarely is there gonna be a law that asks you to commit sin.
Now, there are laws that aren't necessarily great laws.
They aren't perfect laws, but very rarely is there actually a law where the government
would say, I want you to worship Buddha, right?
Very rarely is there a law where they actually ask you to sin.
So look, when you're walking in the spirit, what you're gonna find is, you know what?
You're not gonna have a law condemning you in this life either unless you live under
a wicked government that's just against Christianity completely.
Look, that's really not our government.
Now, I'm not saying our government are just these Bible-believing fundamentalist Baptists,
but they don't restrict us from going sowing.
They don't restrict us from serving God in this country.
Now, there are countries where the government is part of a Muslim country, Muslim government,
and they would restrict you from serving God freely.
We don't live in that government, though, okay?
Now, turn to your Bible.
Go back to Romans 8, Romans 8, Romans 8, Romans 8.
Romans chapter 8.
So look, absolutely salvation is just by believing we've seen that chapter after chapter after
chapter, but here he's trying to recommend you to walk in the spirit, not to walk in
the flesh, but walk in the spirit.
Romans 8, verse 6, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So that they that are in the flesh cannot please God, okay?
Now, it is true that an unsaved person cannot please God, according to the Bible, but it's
not just saying an unsaved person doesn't please God.
When you are walking in the flesh, you're not pleasing God either, okay?
That's what this passage is referring to.
Being saved, that alone does not mean you're pleasing God.
You must also walk in the spirit if you want to please God, okay?
When you have a child, if my son is disobeying everything I say, I am not pleased simply
because he's my son.
I'll be upset then, okay?
It's the same thing with God.
God has rules for you, and praise the Lord, you're saved, but if you're not obeying
his rules, if you're not walking in the spirit, you're not pleasing to him.
He's not happy with you.
He wants you to actually follow his rules, okay?
Now, go to James 4.
James 4.
Because once again, it talks about being the carnal mind, and this idea for people that
say they're Christians that you cannot be a carnal Christian, okay?
Look, this is not saying that because you're walking in the flesh, you're unsaved.
You can be saved and walk in the old man, and walk in the flesh.
We're not robots.
We're not zombies, okay?
You have a free will which side you're gonna choose.
James 4 verse 3.
He asked and received not because he asked him this, that you may consume it upon your
lusts.
He indulters and adulteresses, knowing not that the friendship of the world is enmity
with God.
The Bible says the carnal mind is enmity against God.
So look, when you're basically following the world and walking in the flesh, they're
one and the same, okay?
You're an enmity with God, which means you are his enemy.
When you stand against God, you're becoming God's enemy, right?
An example of this would be, for example, if there's a pastor who gets in trouble from
priests or something, right?
And our pastor in Sacramento got in trouble with all these LGBT supporters and everything,
got surrounded by a thousand people.
And there are a lot of fundamental Baptists that said, well, he shouldn't have said that.
It's like you're really siding with the LGBT that is threatening to molest little kids.
You're siding with them over a fundamental Baptist pastor.
The question is, whose side are you on?
Because I don't think there's any question that God's on the side of the pastor preaching
against the sin.
And you make yourself an enemy.
You say what?
Because sometimes in life there are two sides.
And you can't say I'm in the middle here.
Some questions are yes or no.
Okay.
Is abortion okay?
It's a yes or no question.
If it takes you 10 minutes to answer that question, then, you know, you're just trying
to straddle defensively with both sides.
We're not politicians here, right?
It's yes or no.
And when you're not sure, you know what?
Just go to the other side because you're the enemy of God.
You're not going to side with God.
And when you're walking in the flesh and follow the things of the world and love the things
of the world, you become an enmity with God, the Bible says.
Okay.
Whosoever, therefore we, a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Turn to Romans eight, Romans eight, Romans chapter eight.
So you as the same person, because remember we talked about last week at the start of
the sermon where he transitions and says, I'm talking to brethren.
I'm talking to same people.
So he's trying to highlight to people that are saved.
Hey, it's great you're saying, but you're still not pleasing to God unless you're walking
in the spirits.
Okay.
That is what he's telling them here.
He's talking to same people.
He's saying, I want you to walk in the spirit.
Okay.
Not walk in the flesh.
So there is a decision to make every single day and throughout the day of right and wrong.
Okay.
There's a decision every day, but I want you to realize something else.
As a safe person, you are a debtor to the spirits, not to the flesh.
You are a debtor to the spirit.
Romans eight verse nine.
But you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit.
If so, we did the spirit of God dwelling.
Now many men have on the spirit of Christ is none of us.
And Paul say this, Hey, you know what?
If you're in the spirit, if the Holy spirit of God dwells inside of you, because when
you get saved, what happens?
You get in dwell with the spirit of God.
And it says, now, if any men have not the spirit of Christ is none of us.
He's saying, if you're not in dwell with the Holy ghost, you're not saved because
that's what takes place at salvation.
It's a spiritual birth.
Turn to acts 19, acts 19, acts 19.
So the birth that takes place at salvation is not a physical birth.
It's not a change in the flesh.
It's a change in the spirit.
You get in dwell with the spirit of God.
You've got the new hand.
It is not a fleshly change.
It is a spiritual change.
Okay.
Acts 19 verse one.
And it came to pass that while Paul was, Paul was at Corinth, all that had passed through
the upper coast, came to Ephesus and finally he served the disciples.
He said on them, have you received the Holy ghost since he believed?
And they said, I don't know.
We have not so much as her whether there be any Holy ghost.
That's a pretty generic question by Paul.
I mean, do you have the Holy ghost inside?
It's like you say, you're saved.
Do you have the Holy ghost?
Right?
Well, the obvious answer should be yes.
If you're saved.
If I asked you, Hey, are you in dwell with the Holy ghost?
Your answer ought to be yes.
If it's not a yes, then you're not saved or, you know, you're maybe a newer Christian
that doesn't understand a lot of these things.
But when you get saved, what takes place is you're in dwell with the Holy ghost.
So Paul talks to them here and in verse three, and he said on them on the, what then were
you baptized?
And they said on the John's baptism, he's saying, look, why were you baptized?
These are people that are disciples, meaning that they're, they're following or at least
trying to follow God.
Well, they think is right.
And then he's like, well, why are we baptized?
And they said, well, it's John's baptism.
So it sounds like they got baptized by John.
Okay.
Look, every safe person will baptize.
Because when we baptize somebody, it's not like a bright light shines above their head
where I see the words.
Yes, they are safe, right?
It's like you go off what they say they believe.
And I know that sometimes people could be deceived or confused or whatever or phony,
many different things.
And even John the Baptist has false converts for people that maybe he didn't get saved.
But he baptized because he heard they were saved and it turns out they weren't.
Now, one thing you have to understand is this.
John the Baptist baptized a lot of people.
Now, if you're only baptizing one person at a time, you can definitely ask them and find
out if they're saved and everything.
But everywhere at Verity Baptist Church, sometimes you have a lot of baptisms in a day because
there's a few new families at church and then they all just decide at the same time.
And it's hard to make sure with every single person with this one right after the other
to make sure that they're all saved.
And sometimes you might accidentally baptize someone who's not saved.
Okay, that's what we see here.
But notice what it says in Acts 9 verse four, because they said they had John's baptism.
Acts 19, Acts 19 verse four, Acts chapter 19 verse four.
Then said Paul, John barely baptized with the baptism of repentance.
Now, for a lot of preachers, the sentence ends right here, right?
Don't they stand behind the pulpit?
Well, all the great men of the Bible preach repentance.
John the Baptist preached repentance.
Jesus preached repentance.
Paul preached repentance.
Well, yeah, I mean, John the Baptist preached repentance.
Doesn't it say that?
He preached repentance.
The baptism of repentance.
Well, what does that mean, according to the Bible?
Saying on the people that they should believe on him, which should come after them.
That is on Christ Jesus.
See, when you get baptized, what that means is you believed on Jesus Christ.
And what's the requirement to believe on Jesus Christ?
You must put all of your trust on Jesus Christ for your salvation.
You cannot trust anything else.
So when it comes to repentance in regards to salvation,
it's when you change your mind about what you're trusting and put all that trust in Jesus Christ.
Did John the Baptist preach repentance?
Absolutely.
In regards to salvation?
Absolutely.
Saying on the people that they should believe.
Quit trusting what you're trusting.
Hey, quit trusting your iOS Catholic Church.
Quit trusting the seven sacraments.
Trust Jesus Christ alone.
What we tell people, they should change what they believe and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
It doesn't say repentance of sins here.
It just says repentance.
What does repentance mean?
It means the change.
Here's the thing.
Every good preacher is going to preach repentance in multiple ways.
In regards to salvation, they can change what you believe and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
In regards to holy living after salvation, you preach.
Hey, get the sin out of your life.
Repent of your sins.
Turn from your sins.
Not in terms of salvation, but after you are saved, you ought to change your life.
Now that's your free choice because you have a decision to walk in the flesh or the spirit.
Sometimes when you preach sermons,
you're almost afraid to say the word repent without clarifying, right?
Because I wish I could just preach a whole sermon and not have to clarify.
Just say, hey, you need to repent of your sins.
But the fear is someone's going to say, oh, he's saying you gotta repent of your sins to be saved.
No, I'm just saying after you are saved, I'm preaching to save people by and large.
Get the sin out of your life.
Okay.
And for John the Baptist.
Yeah.
He preached repent of your sins after people were already saved when he preached sermons.
But in regards to salvation, the requirement for baptism,
he preached that they should believe on Jesus Christ.
Okay.
That is what John the Baptist preached.
So look, if someone tells you, go back to Romans eight, Romans eight.
If somebody tells you, well, John the Baptist writes repentance.
Well, amen.
They get to ask 19 verse four.
Yeah.
Repent me or, you know, repent and believe the gospel.
Absolutely.
Leave the gospel.
Quit believing what you believe right now.
Change your mind because you cannot believe the gospel while you believe something else.
You cannot put all of your trust on Jesus.
If part of it is on Muhammad.
Right.
I mean, Hindus believe it in many manifestations of God.
He preached them about Jesus Christ.
It's like, yeah, I'll lean on Jesus too.
You got to quit believing in all your other.
You got to put all of your trust on Jesus.
Okay.
Not just, yeah, I'll add them to the list of my God.
Okay.
This is 3 million and one.
No, no, no, no.
It's one.
It's all or nothing.
Okay.
Romans eight, verse 10, Romans eight, verse 10.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because
of righteousness.
You say, why is the body dead?
And the spirit is like, because what got regenerate?
What got the life, the spirit, not the body.
Okay.
The body didn't change.
The spirit was granted life.
But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, well, you either raised up
Christ from the dead shall also click in your mortal bodies by spirit.
So in verse 11, he says the body is dead.
But then in verse 12, he says he shall click in your mortal bodies.
He has not quick in your moral body.
Quick means to make a lot.
He's not quick in your moral body yet because it's still dead.
But he shall click in your moral body.
When does he do that?
Well, for us, it's in the rapture.
Now, for people that get saved after the rapture, it's going to be the second resurrection.
But for us, we get our glorified body at the rapture.
He shall click in our moral body.
But right now we still have a moral body.
We still have a sinful question because in verse 11, he said your first day, he said
your body is dead because of sin.
He shall future tense quicken your moral body.
But he hasn't done it yet.
When you got saved, your flesh did not change one thing.
Okay.
Look, the book of Romans is about salvation.
The first half, but it's like really in depth.
Explain to the finer points.
What he's saying is this.
When you got born again, it was a spiritual birth.
Not visible.
Okay.
First of all, therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live after the
flesh.
See, here's the thing.
Since your flesh has not been regenerated yet, you're not in debt to the flesh because
the flesh didn't change.
What he's saying is you are in debt to the spirits, not to the flesh.
Why?
Because your body is going to be quick in one day is not completely yet.
Okay.
You are in debt to the spirits.
And why are we in debt?
Because look, when you're given spiritual life and Jesus paid for all your sins, I have
the attitude that you know what?
I got to serve God with my life now because he quickened my body.
He quickened my spirit and I have the spirit of God.
I ought to decide to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh.
The flesh has done nothing for me.
The flesh hasn't changed.
The flesh produces death.
The flesh produces destruction and misery and problems.
But the spirit, that's the rebirth.
So I got to walk after the spirit.
Why?
You're in debt to the spirit.
You're not in debt to the flesh at all.
The flesh can change.
Okay.
Turn to Romans.
Romans.
So how does this manifest itself of walking in the spirit and not in the flesh?
It manifests itself when you decide that you do not fulfill your fleshly desires, but you
decide to fulfill what God wants you to do.
So if you do not feel like reading the Bible, let's say you say, I don't feel like reading
the Bible today.
Well, you do it anyway.
You say why?
Because of the fact God's regenerating your spirit.
You're in debt to the spirit.
You do it to obey what God says.
You say, you know what?
I'm not going to please the flesh.
I'm going to please the spirit.
Okay.
Romans 12 verse one.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, they present your bodies a
living sacrifice, only acceptable unto God, which is a reasonable service.
According to God's word here, it is reasonable.
Your reasonable service to be a living sacrifice.
He said, Brother Stuckey, what does that mean?
Well, I mean, in Pomona, people probably think makarame, or it's like your living sacrifice.
You know, they crucify themselves.
Like that's not what he's saying.
Okay.
It's not saying become a living sacrifice literally like you do in some parts of the
Philippines or in India.
No.
What he's saying is basically you lay down your own desires and do what God wants you
to do.
When you do not feel like serving God, you serve God anyway.
Now, Jesus Christ said this.
He said, you know, I'm giving you an example to follow me.
And before he even died, I think it was John 15.
He said, I gave you an example and turn to John 15 real quick.
Let me turn to myself.
John 15, let me show you what I'm talking about here.
John 15 verse 12, John 15 verse 12, John 15 verse 12.
This is my command that you love one another as I love you.
Okay.
As I have loved you is past tense.
I want you to love everyone else as I have loved you.
Verse 13.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man laid down his life for his friends.
He says, you know what?
I want you to love as I've loved and I've laid down on my life for my friends.
But he had not died in the cross yet.
He's not referring to a literal dying on the cross here.
Now that pictures the death of Jesus.
But what he's saying is this.
We can symbolically lay down our lives for our fellow brethren on a daily basis because
isn't that what Jesus Christ did when he was here?
Did he come to basically make himself a king or did he come to serve others?
He came to serve others and he's saying, I want you to love as I have loved you every
single day.
I've lived my life caring about other people more than myself.
Then he says, greater love hath no man than this, that a man laid down his life for his
friends.
Look, you will probably not have to physically die for other people in this room, but you
can still symbolically lay down your life when you care about other people more than
yourself.
That's what he's referring to.
Okay, now turn, turn to Romans eight, Romans eight, Romans seven, eight.
So since you're in debt to the spirit, what does God want from you?
Well, what does he say?
Be a living sacrifice.
It means live your life for God.
Read the Bible every day.
Pray every day.
Serve God every day.
Don't fulfill the lust of the flesh and fulfill what God wants you to do.
Okay, so point number one is this.
We have a decision to walk in the flesh of the spirit after we're saved, but not to be
saved.
But after you're saved, you have the decision every day.
Point number two, you are a debtor to the spirits, not to the flesh.
Point number three, we have a declaration from the spirit.
The spirit declares onto us that we are saved.
Romans eight, verse 13 for if you live after the flesh, he shall die.
But if he do the spirit to mortify the needs of the body, he shall live.
Now, once again, these are already saved people.
But realize the flesh produces death, not just referring to the fact that physically
dying or seriously dying, but it's referring to the fact that when you fulfill the desires
of the flesh, it will destroy your life.
See, the flesh produces death and destruction and misery.
God's word produces life, not just to be regenerated and get saved, but also when you serve God,
you will actually help your life.
You'll be a blessing to your life.
When you apply these things to your life, it will fix your life.
If you apply the sermon on not being envious, that's going to help your life.
If you choose to fulfill the desire to go fresh and remain envious, it's going to destroy
your life.
It's going to produce misery and problems.
Verse 14 for as many as are led by the spirit of God.
They are the sons of God.
If we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, he had received the spirit
of adoption whereby we cry out upon verse 14.
What he says is this.
When you are saying and you have the spirit of God, you are a son of God.
We're Donald, right?
You are a child of God as a safe person.
The implication from verse 14 is that unsafe people are not children of God.
Now that ought to make sense to us as safe people because we are born again when we get
saved, born into God's family, right?
The Catholic church tells, it tells us that everybody's a child of God.
No, we're all a creation of God.
We're not all children of God.
You must be born again.
Look, safe people, they have the spirit of God inside of them.
They are the sons of God.
Now when a person gets saved, they realize and understand that they became a child of
God.
You don't get saved accidentally.
It's not like you wake up one day and it's like, man, I didn't think I was saved, but
I guess I am.
No, I mean, when you're saved, you're saved.
You're born into God's family.
Notice what it says in verse 15.
For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.
We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry out to father.
So the Bible saying in verse 15 from the context of verse 14, that when you get spiritually
saved, when you're born into God's family, the spirit of adoption, he does not want you
to have the spirit of bondage again to fear.
What he's saying is before you're saved, you're afraid, right?
You don't know if you're going to have you aren't aware if you're going to have your
worry whether or not you're saved or not.
Why do people get saved?
Because they're afraid of going to hell, right?
I mean, isn't that right?
He got saved.
You heard about how you're like, man, you heard about how you heard about the solution.
I'll take that, right?
I mean, it's a no brainer, right?
But of course I want salvation.
No one wants to go to hell before you're saved.
There's a fear there.
And God says, I do not want you to have that fear anymore.
Why?
Because I want you to realize you're my child.
But isn't it true that a lot of Baptist churches, they try to put you in fear every single day.
It's like, man, you're not reading your Bible.
You might not be saved.
Wait a minute.
I thought God said, I am not giving you the spirit of bondage again to fear.
God says, I do not want you to be afraid of your eternal destiny.
I want you to be saved and know you're saved and never doubt it.
And look, when pastors get up here and preach or hymns of sins, they scare people, right?
People are worried.
They're like, man, I thought I was saved.
I mean, I believe, but I'm not sure after that sermon.
Look, God wants you to have confidence that you're saved.
And I'll tell you what, it's a shame that people get saved.
And then after they are saved, sometimes they get worried because of the preaching.
I'll be honest with you.
I have not been worried about my salvation for a very long time.
But when I first got saved, I heard the gospel in plain as day.
I know I was on my way to hell.
I believe I asked you to save me clear as day.
But then I was listening to a lot of Baptist preaching.
Some was good and some was bad.
And then all of a sudden, sometimes you're worried.
I mean, I was 19 years old.
I've been saved for probably six months and everything.
It's like, man, I know I believe, but then they scared me.
And here's an example I've heard.
There's many examples, okay?
And I'll show you why this is the fullest example, but I've heard this example in the
sermon that the preacher was trying to scare people about.
They didn't remember the exact moment.
He said, if you can believe you're saved and you believe.
But if you don't remember that exact moment, then I'm not really saying what he was trying
to say.
Now, me personally, I remember the exact moment.
I remember the exact day.
Personally, October 9th, 2003.
Not everybody does, though.
For me, it was very clear because I wasn't a Baptist before.
I wasn't at a Calvinist church before where you kind of know some truth and you kind of
don't.
No, I was very unsaved, didn't go to church, and then I heard the gospel and it was like
from here to here very clear.
Okay, but here's the example I heard.
They said, well, let's say, for example, you met the president of the United States.
Okay, we'll just say the president of the Philippines.
Would you remember that day?
Well, of course I remember that.
I never forget if I met the president, right?
Well, what do you make the king of the universe?
Would you ever forget that day?
Now, here's the thing.
That sounds really nice and sweet and everything.
But here's the truth.
I did not remember when I got physically born into this world.
But I'm born.
I'm alive.
Because isn't that the exact example of the Bible being born again?
Does anybody remember the exact moment?
I remember that exact moment I was born.
I remember what room I was in.
I don't.
I mean, maybe you have this right now, right?
For me, everything before the age of five, I don't remember.
Well, I guess I'm not born again.
I guess I'm not alive because I don't remember that exact moment.
Okay, look, that's a foolish example.
Because the actual example of the Bible is being born again.
And nobody remembers when they've been physically born.
What's the proof that you've been physically born?
I mean, you're here, right?
Unless you're one of those people.
While we're not really here, we just think we're here.
Maybe 2020 is just a dream.
I'm going to wake up in 2020.
This is just a dream.
No, it's not a dream.
I know when things are a dream and when it's not.
This is not a dream.
This is reality.
Okay, look, you're here.
And that's proof you were born into this world.
Now, what's the proof God gives us in being spiritually born into history?
What do you believe?
Look, when I meet people out there that have the right answers.
They believe in eternal security.
They believe salvation by grace through faith.
But I believe they're saved.
And that's the proof that they're saved.
Now, if they were at a church that was kind of fuzzy on salvation,
the moment they got saved could be a little bit confusing to them, right?
For some of you, you might not know the exact moment you got saved.
I mean, many people I have baptized at this church and you're like,
the reason why you got baptized, I'm not positive if I was saved before.
It might have been, I might not have been.
It's like I got someone saved, someone between the ages of 10 to 30.
It's like, but here's the thing, if you believe now, guess what?
You're saved.
And you don't have to worry ever again.
If you are saved, God does not want you to have the spirit of bondage again to fear.
Because the proof of your salvation is the fact that you believe.
And if you believe the gospel, you're saved.
If you're trusting Jesus alone, you're saved.
You do not have to be in here.
See, the spirit declares to us we are saved.
And the most obvious way is the fact that you believe.
But that's not the only way you can know you're saved.
There are actually other ways as well here.
Now notice what it says, verse 16.
Verse 16, the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
The Bible says that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
So the Holy Spirit actually teaches us that we are the children of God.
Now the main way is the fact that you believe.
That's how we judge someone's salvation.
Do they believe?
What are some other ways that the spirit declares on to us that we are saved?
Well, another way that I know I'm saved is the fact that I understand the Bible.
When I read the Bible, I understand it.
It makes sense to me.
Because the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God,
for they are foolish in some way.
Neither can he know them because they are spiritually uncertain.
There are people that read the Bible and you ask them and they say don't get it.
I've known people that have read parts of the Bible and they literally just don't understand.
I'm not talking about the book of Ezekiel or the book of Zachariah.
But I'm saying just plain simple things in the Bible.
And they don't get it.
It goes over their head.
That's a strong indication that maybe they're not saved.
But they do not understand God's word.
There are people, you convince them to read the King James Bible.
You convince them that's the Bible you should read.
And they start reading it and they say man,
I'm switching to the NIV because I don't understand any of this.
I mean, in the beginning, God created the heaven and earth.
It's not that confusing.
Right?
And even the way the Bible is written, it's actually written in a pretty basic way.
When you start, it's not the deep things.
It's just, and look Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers,
they're not the most exciting parts of the Bible.
I mean the parts of Exodus are great.
Some parts are kind of like you're seeing the measurements and things like that.
But it's understandable.
When it says the color red, I mean, it means red.
I understand that.
When it says, you know, like, you know, five cubits or I mean,
when it says it's made out of this material.
Hey, maybe not the most exciting thing, but you can understand it.
It's not confusing.
The book of Genesis is not confusing, right?
I mean, it makes perfect sense.
The book of Genesis is not really a confusing book.
It makes a lot of sense.
Okay.
Now there are deep things in the Bible, but Genesis pretty bottom level.
You can read it and understand it.
You can have a six year old kid can read it and they would understand.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
Or if they're confused on something and you explain it, they're gonna be like, oh,
that makes sense.
Because after you've heard things explained to you either from me or somebody else,
and then all of a sudden you're like, that makes sense.
Why didn't I see that?
But then with unsaved people, you explain those same things.
They're like, I don't know.
They don't get it and say it's not confusing, right?
In examples, go to Matthew seven.
Matthew seven.
I'll give you an example of this.
Matthew seven.
Matthew checker seven.
Because there are certain passages that are kind of like,
they're really the ones.
It's kind of like a fork in the road.
One example is the parable of the soul, which we're not going to look at,
but we're unsafe.
People explain the parable of the sower.
It's like you're just too quiet and you're unsafe, right?
They just, they just don't get it.
And that's to say people, we get it and we know we get it, right?
It makes perfect sense.
Okay.
Another example is in Matthew seven.
Let me show you the first here in verse 13.
Matthew seven, verse 13.
Enter the end of the straight gate.
For wide is the gate, broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and many there be which go in their act.
Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which lead
from the light and few there be that find it.
Okay.
Now in verse 13 it says, why is the gate and broad is the way?
That's an example of synonyms.
Why in broad are synonyms?
And he's really re explained the exact same thing to emphasize.
Why is the gate?
Broad is the way.
Okay.
Now the Bible is written in a very articulate way and it makes sense
that if you do that in verse 13, you're going to do the same thing in verse 14
when you're describing life.
Cause notice what it said in verse 14, because straight is the gate and narrow
is the way which lead them to life is either be the fight.
Now there's people that say to be saved, you got to stay on the straight and narrow.
And they'll say, you got to stay on the straight and narrow.
Now hold on a second.
Straight here spelled S T R A I T.
That's a different word than straight.
Straight is S T R A I T H T.
That is straight.
You say, what is S T R A I T H T?
The Baron straight gets his name because it's very narrow.
He's saying straight is the gate and narrow is the way.
You say, well, how does that make sense?
Well, it makes sense because in verse 13, he said broad and wide, straight and narrow.
The Bible is written in a very intelligent, articulate way to make sense.
So he's not saying, Hey, you know, you got to stay in the straight and narrow.
You're off.
Whoops.
It's very narrow.
And whoops, I stepped off.
I lost my salvation.
I better get back on that salvation.
Nope.
Whoop.
No, you got to make it straight.
That's not what it's saying.
Okay.
It's like, you got to stay on the straight and narrow.
It's like, no, that's not what it's saying.
Okay.
All verses 13 and 14 are saying is, you know, most people go to hell and few people go to
heck.
Now, in modern versions, they change this to difficult is the way that they get on the
line or something like that.
It's not difficult.
The examples of the Bible are, I am that bread of life.
Eating is not fine.
I believe he says, I'm the living water drinking.
Do it easy.
I am the door opening another.
Some doors that are tricky.
You gotta have the key.
But look, in general, I'm the door.
Opening a door is pretty simple, right?
Living a good life.
Never being angry.
Always being nice.
Praying one hour a day.
It's difficult, right?
It's difficult to live a good life.
You don't have to live a good life to go to hell.
You say, what?
All you have to do is believe.
It's very easy.
But few people go to heaven.
Now, go to verse 21.
Verse 21.
Now, same people, we understand this.
Few people go to hell.
And look, when you start going soul running.
Because here's the thing.
Those of you that go soul running, you're like, absolutely.
Amen.
If you don't go soul running, you're shocked when you go out there.
It's like, whoa, I knew it was narrow.
But it is really narrow.
It's like, man, I thought narrow was like 10% of people.
It's like, no, 10%.
It's like, divide that number by, you know, 10 or something.
I mean, literally, it is.
When you need someone to save, it's awesome.
Because most times I was soul running, I don't need someone to save.
And this is a country that probably has a very high percentage compared to other countries.
Probably the US is number one with most saved people, I would assume.
And when I go soul running in the US, I mean, it depends.
Sometimes you run into a few saved people.
Sometimes you don't.
You run into some saved people.
But in the US, less than 5% of people are saved.
Now, obviously, as soul winners, we hope.
It's like, I really just hope people are really, really, really confused, right?
And look, I have that hope, you know, charity, you know, hope with all things.
I really do.
But the reality is this, you know, no.
It's like, most people are saved.
Now, are some people confused?
Well, absolutely.
But most people are just not saved.
Matthew 7, verse 21.
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
But he that doeth the will of my Father was the same heaven.
So look, unsaved people would look at verse 21 and say,
Well, see, few people go to heaven because you gotta do the will of God.
Every day, you must do the will of God.
You gotta do the Bible, go to church, do all of these things.
I mean, you gotta stand that straight and narrow.
You can't do this thing.
Straight and narrow.
It's so hard, right?
I mean, it's so narrow that if you're just, whoops, I'm out, right?
That's what they say.
Well, I don't have time to really, actually, go to John 6, verse 40, whatever.
Long-term is when I talk about how this type things.
John 6, verse 40.
They say you must do the will of God.
Okay, no problem.
You have to do the will of God.
I don't have a problem with that.
What does that say?
John 6, verse 40.
And this is the will of him that sent me.
Okay, this is the will of God, the Father, that everyone which seeeth the Son and believeth
on may have everlasting body, and I will raise him up from the last day.
What is the will of God for your life?
Well, number one, it's getting saved.
Now, yes, we understand there are a million things that make up what the will of God is
for your life, but you cannot please God unless you start at salvation, right?
He must be saved.
So why is it that people, you know, go back to Matthew 7.
Why is it that we're not saved?
Matthew 7, because they don't do the will of God.
They don't do any of it because it starts at salvation.
You got to get saved, and then you know what?
We are his workmanship.
God has a plan for your life.
He has things for you to do.
Okay, it starts at salvation.
Matthew 7, verse 21.
What is salvation?
Well, everyone who seeeth the Son and believeth on that salvation.
So in verse 21, it says that you don't go to the kingdom of heaven unless you do the
will of my Father, which is in heaven.
We just saw the will of the Father instantly.
Okay, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, we not prophesied in thy name, and in
thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works.
Now, in verse 22, you must realize the people here that are saying this are not Muslims.
They are not Buddhists.
They are not Hindus, because what it says is they prophesied in the name of Jesus Christ.
That's what they're saying.
They've done wonderful works in the name of Jesus Christ.
These are people that would claim to be Christians.
They would say, I believe in Christ.
So many people that claim to be Christians, according to the Bible, are not going to go
to heaven because they're not doing the will of the Father.
And as a soul wonder, that makes sense to us.
Because of the fact we run into people that would say they're Christians, but they're
not trusting Jesus for their salvation.
They're not doing the will of the Father then.
They are not saved, okay?
Verse 23, not only are they not saved, but notice verse 23, and then why to profess
unto them, I never knew you.
Depart from me thy work in equity.
What's saying there is not only are they not saved, they were never saved.
He said, why?
You can't lose your salvation.
Not only are they not saved now, they were never saved.
He says, I never knew you.
He didn't say, hey, I used to know you.
He says, I never knew you.
And my sheep hear my voice and I know her.
And they call me.
That's why in Luke 16, doesn't tell you who the rich man is.
Tells you who Lazarus is.
Why?
He knows the sheep, right?
He says, I never knew you.
So when we look at this, how do we interpret this?
Why are these people going to hell?
Well, in verse 22, what is their justification for why they should go to heaven?
They say, we prophesied in your name.
We preached in your name, Jesus.
We've done, we've cast out devils in your name.
We've done many wonderful works.
Okay.
Imagine you as a saved person ended up going to hell.
Now that's not possible.
We understand this, but I'm trying to give you an example.
Imagine if you got thrown in hell, what would your justification for God be?
Mine would be, you told me to believe.
I believed.
That's all you said I had to do.
I believe.
So why am I in hell?
Now what's the justification for these people that went to hell?
I preached in your name.
I did all these wonderful works.
How did I not go to heaven?
These are people that claim they believe in Jesus, but they're trusting in their works.
They're trusting in their actions.
For us, if we ended up going to hell and said, wait a minute, I believed.
I thought that's what salvation was.
These people, I did all these works in your name.
Jesus.
I mean, I'm a Jehovah's Witness.
Every week, knocking doors in your name, your true name, your true name.
Jehovah.
All right.
Not just your true name.
I've done it in your name, right?
That's what they would claim.
That's what they will claim when they do go to hell.
They're going to say this exact sort of thing, right?
Here's the thing.
To us, this passage is very simple.
I mean, isn't this just plain as day?
That's the fact they were trusting in their works.
They were never saved.
I never believed.
You say, well, how do I say people interpret this?
They interpreted, man, they went to hell because the way is straight and narrow, and they didn't
do enough good works.
It's like they did many wonderful work, but you got to do even more than that.
See, this is proof right here.
You really must be a good person.
It's not just for pinning up your sins much, but every day you must be doing what God says.
That is how they interpret it.
But I've seen this in action going solely.
I remember I was going solely with someone in Sacramento, and you see this from time
to time.
They'll bring unsaved people, bring up this passage to try to disprove us.
Right?
I remember I was going solely with brother Jericho, and, you know, he joined the church
and really started solely once he joined the church and everything.
And we're going solely.
And, you know, the person at the door brought up Matthew chapter seven.
He brought up this passage.
He was like, what?
He's like, this shows all you got to do is believe.
As a saved person, we understand this.
Plain as day, unsaved people, they don't understand.
They don't understand the Bible.
See, one way I know I'm saved is this.
I understand the Bible.
Now, I'm not saying I'm not confused on some things.
I'm not saying there aren't deep things in the Bible, but most of the Bible is not confusing.
You don't have to pass a calculus exam before you understand the Bible.
It's basic stuff.
I mean, it's just plain as day when you cross reference.
Now, if you're new at reading the Bible, obviously there's more you don't understand.
But once it's explained to you as a saved person, it makes sense when you believe the Bible.
Unsaved people, they do not understand the Bible.
They do not get it.
It goes straight over their head.
They go back to Romans eight.
Romans eight.
It cracks me up because they always go to the places that disprove them the most.
And try to prove their way.
They would literally go to the passages we just looked at in Matthew seven.
And you're like, what in the world?
I mean, they go to places that completely disprove them.
And they say, well, see, here you go.
And it's just like, yes, here we go.
Okay.
It's right there.
What is there a confusion about?
Okay.
They go to passages that completely disprove them.
And they do not just like, how does he go to Romans chapter eight to disprove?
Believe it in free will.
It's like, I mean, have you read the chapter?
And you're going to get one verse that you're confused about that we'll get to next week.
It's like, have you read the entire chapter?
It's like, well, it probably did.
You know, maybe in the originals, they did exegete that passage or whatever.
Right.
You know what they say?
Did proper exegesis, meaning go back to the Greek and Hebrew?
Right.
Yeah.
They probably read the passage in another language.
And look, you don't even understand in English.
It's like, why are you going to another language?
But you know, here's another way.
Spirit bears witness that we're saved.
Okay.
Another example is the fact that, you know, when a person gets saved, because there's
kind of two world views.
There's the belief that God created us.
There's a belief that in evolution and there is no God, the world created us.
Two different world views.
And depending on your worldview, it changes your perspective on everything.
It changes your perspective on the age of the earth.
It changes your perspective on abortion.
Look, I have known people that were unsaved and were pro-abortion.
They said, women have the right to choose.
And right after they get saved, literally, we're created by God, right?
Their perspective changes.
When it comes to the things of the Bible, I know that I'm on the side that defends the
Bible.
See, an example of this is when you have pastors that are saved men of God that are serving
God.
And then there's people that hate the fact that they're going solar.
They hate the fact that they're serving God.
They hate the fact that they're doing great works for God.
When we see lots of people getting saved in other places around the world, praise the
Lord.
It's great.
And then you see people that hate them.
Why do they hate them?
Well, it probably reveals something within their own heart.
Now, hopefully, they're just really envious people, bitter people, whatever.
But usually, what it reveals is the fact they're on the other team.
They're not on God's side.
They don't want to see people get saved, right?
Now, it is possible for someone to be backslidden and envious when you see that with King Saul.
Look, the fact that you believe in the things of the Bible, you like the words of God, you
love the words of God, you love God's word being preached.
That is a secondary truth that you are saved.
Now, if it's true, somebody could be saved and be backslidden.
I understand that.
But look, when you look at the world, they're against the things of the Bible.
They hate the book of Leviticus.
They hate the book of Exodus.
They say, well, you know, thou shalt not kill.
That was Old Testament, right?
It's like, do you believe the Bible?
Because I believe all of God's word.
As a saved person, you do believe all of God's word.
So look, the primary reason we know we are saved is simply the fact that you believe
on Jesus Christ.
That alone is enough.
But I want you to realize that's not the only way the Spirit declares to us that we're saved,
OK?
But it's not your works that are any of this.
Because I'm a saved person, people can do good works.
It does not matter if you're saved, OK?
So number one, we looked at a decision.
After you are saved, you have a decision every day to walk in the flesh or the Spirit.
Number two, you are a debtor to the Spirit, not the flesh.
Why?
Flesh didn't change.
Number three, the Spirit declares onto us.
So decision, debtor, declaration.
Number four, there is a delay in the regeneration of the flesh, in the regeneration of the body.
See, you are regenerated spiritually, and you are in debt because of the fact you've
been regenerated spiritually.
But there is a delay in the regeneration of the body.
Matthew 8, verse 17.
And if children, then heirs.
Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
So in Romans 8, verse 17, and if children, then heirs.
Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, OK?
What is an heir?
Imagine a prince who is the heir to the throne.
He's going to become the king one day.
He's not the king now, but he's the heir of parents.
He's the successor.
He's the chosen one to become the next king.
He's an heir, but he's not the king now because the king's still alive, right?
Well, here's why we're saying that us as saved people, we are heirs.
Why?
Because we will rule and reign with Christ.
But we're not doing that now.
We don't have a glorified body now.
There is a delay in the regeneration of the body.
But we have the promise of God.
We are heirs.
We know that we will one day rule and reign with Christ.
We will have a glorified body.
Joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with them, that we may be also glorified
together.
Verse 18.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
to the glory which shall reveal us.
So look, the world we live in now, there's difficulties, there's problems, there's sufferings,
there's trials, there are storms of life.
This life is going to be difficult until the day we die.
We have rocks in the account.
Sometimes things are going great.
Sometimes they're not.
Okay, we have sufferings.
And look, that's going to exist until the day we die.
But it's nothing compared to the glory that's going to be revealed.
It's going to be so great in heaven.
One day, not a good day right now.
Okay, notice what it says in verse 19.
Verse 19.
For the earnest expectation of the creature waited for the manifestation of the sons of
God.
Okay, earnest expectation.
What that's saying is this.
We know we are heirs.
We end when you die, your soul goes to heaven, but you still don't have a glorified body.
Well, we understand we're going to roll a regular price for the rain, which means the
rapture before that, when the rapture takes place, we get the glorified body, we are heirs
and we will get that glorified body.
The earnest expectation.
We know it will take place.
We are expecting it.
100% we know it's going to take place.
Well, what happens?
The earnest expectation of the creature waited for the manifestation of the sons of God.
What is manifest?
It's something that's made visible.
God was manifest in the flesh.
Okay, we're waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.
What is that saying?
It's saying there is no physical evidence that I'm a son of God.
None, but there is going to be a manifestation of being the son of God.
When we get the glorified body, we're waiting for the earnest expectation.
We understand that one day there's a manifestation of the sons of God.
That what we believe, we believe in Jesus Christ.
We have that confidence.
We know we're safe.
We've not been given the spirit bondage to get into fear, but I can't prove that to you.
I cannot hand you.
Here's my proof of being a son of God.
Here's my salvation.
There's no manifestation of that yet.
There's no physical manifestation.
Now, when we talk to people, the way we can tell if they're safe is what do they believe?
Because that's salvation.
But there's no physical manifestation that they are a son of God or a daughter of God.
But we wait for it because we know we will get the glorified body, which never grows old,
never commits sins, never has corruption.
We know we expect that one and we wait for that.
Verse 20, for the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly,
but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
One day, the old man is going to be given that liberty because here's the reality.
As a safe person, you do not always do what you want to do.
Sometimes you want to serve God.
Sometimes you want to do whatever, read the Bible, but you don't always do it.
You do not have 100% liberty right now because your body,
having liberty means you have the freedom to do what you want to do.
See, drug addicts aren't free because they don't want to be drug addicts.
Drunks aren't free because they don't want to be a drunk, but they are addicted to it.
Okay.
And us as safe people, we are not 100% free in terms of the actions we do.
You say, why?
Because we still do things we don't want to do.
I mean, if we had an altar call, which we'll never have here,
if we had an altar call at the end of service, and I said,
hey, if you want to start reading the Bible more, raise your hand.
Everybody's going to raise their hand.
Well, I mean, in our church, nobody will because they're like,
why are we doing an altar call?
But I mean, you would raise your hand and say, yeah, you know what?
I want to start reading the Bible more.
That doesn't mean you're going to start building it though.
You want to do it.
And that's proof of work that Paul last week in Romans seven,
we can send on the law that it is good.
We want to read the Bible more.
That doesn't mean you'll actually do that.
Why?
You don't have 100% freedom yet because you still have the flesh
that is fighting and warring against the spirits.
And you cannot do the things you would.
And when we do wrong, it's because our flesh will power the spiritual man.
We chose to do wrong.
And we will sin until the day we die.
Okay.
We do not have 100% freedom.
That's why we're waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.
I mean, wouldn't it be great to wake up and you had no desire whatsoever to do
wrong that you just literally wanted to do what was right.
All.
I mean, how great that when we're walking in the spirit, that's what we're doing.
But none of us are walking 100% in spirits.
Okay.
So notice what it says here in verse 22.
For we know that the whole creation grown and travail in pain together until now.
So the Bible says the whole creation grown and travail in pain together.
Not just saving the whole creation, not just unsaving the whole creation,
all the animals, everything growing the travel and pain together until now.
I go to Genesis three.
Let me show this to you.
Genesis because this world is different than it used to be.
It's completely different from when Adam and Eve sin.
It's completely different.
Right.
I mean, before Adam and Eve sinned, they pretty much just walked outside.
It's like, man, I got strawberries or blueberries.
I mean, that kind of shows us when you have too much free time to get in the truck.
Right.
That's one example.
When you learn battery, but it's pretty much just like that.
I mean, this is very easy.
Life was very easy and you see when life is too easy to get in the truck too much free
time.
But notice what it says in Genesis three verse 17.
And on the Adam, he said, because I was parking on the voice of my wife and has eaten of the
tree, which I commanded.
He's saying thou shall not live it.
Cursed is the ground for thy sake and sorrow shall not even all the days of thy life.
One of the curses was that you're going to be eating in sorrow.
What he's saying is this.
It's going to be hard.
It's going to be difficult.
You're going to work and work and work and work.
And it's like, man, I barely have enough to eat straight by.
I'm working.
Why can't I just have free time to relax?
Well, this is the curse.
No matter what it's going to be difficult and to eat it in sorrow.
Verse 18.
Thorns also this shall bring forth to me and now shall be here in the field.
And the sweat of thy face shall now be bread till thou return on the ground for Albert
what's now taking for dust our art and on the dust out that return.
What he says in verse 19 is you're going to do it in the sweat of your face, meaning it's
going to be a difficult life until you return to the ground.
That's a nice way of saying until you die.
It's going to be a difficult life until the day you die.
It's not going to be easy.
And isn't that true?
It's difficult.
Your life is busy.
You're tired.
You're exhausted.
Look, don't try to make life too easy.
Okay, it's meant to be difficult.
That's part of the curse that came.
Life is meant to be difficult.
It's meant to be hard.
It is hard.
Okay, this is the curse.
The Bible says in the sweat of my face.
But look, this is not just upon us to save people.
Unsafe people deal with the same thing.
Isn't that true?
The whole creation.
It's not just us to save people.
Life's difficult.
But being someone who doesn't go to church, that doesn't make your life easier.
It makes it hard.
Right.
If you say I'm going to quit church and just go back to the world, hey, your life's going
to be harder.
If you want to do that, go ahead.
But if you want to just multiply your sorrows, destruction and problems, then go ahead.
Because, look, yeah, you know, life's difficult.
Yeah, that's what it was.
Life is difficult.
That's what it says in Genesis three.
It's going to be difficult.
You say, brother, it's difficult.
You know, getting married, raising a family.
Yeah, it's difficult.
That's what the Bible says.
It's hard.
Life is hard.
It's hard working all the time.
It's still serving God.
I'm tired.
I'm exhausted.
Yeah, it's difficult.
That's what the Bible says.
It's not just us to save people that deal with that.
And us to save people.
Look, we slowly get older.
As you get older, you become more klutzy, right?
As you get older, you know what?
Your body starts to break down.
You can't do the things you used to do.
I mean, when you're younger.
I mean, as you get older, you know, I like to work out.
But as you get older, it gets a little more difficult.
You might have to have more rest days, more stretching.
Maybe you can't do what you used to do.
There's more likelihood of injury.
This is part of life.
Everybody gets older.
That's what it says in the Queen's guest.
It's wrong.
It's not just us to save people.
Unsafe people deal with the same thing.
So look, this whole creation grown and travail and pain
should gather until now.
You say why?
Because we don't have the glorified body.
Our body didn't change.
So yeah, it's tough.
We still say we still do wrong.
We still get old.
We don't have the glorified body.
Okay, it's changed ever since Adam and Eve sinned.
So the whole creation grown and travail and pain
should gather until now.
But notice verse 23.
And not only they, but ourselves also.
What Paul is highlighting is not just the unsaved world,
but ourselves also.
We have saved people go through the same things they do.
Ourselves also.
Now, why is he trying to make this comparison?
Because here's the difference.
We have a hope.
We will get the glorified body unsaved people.
Look, it's just going to get worse for them.
Look, when unsaved people after the great white throne
judgment, what do they get?
Where they're warm diagonals.
They get the opposite of glorified body.
They get a body that's going to last through the lake of fire
and never burn up.
The body is going to be regenerated with the soul
and forever.
They're going to be cast into the lake of fire.
The opposite of glorified body, whatever that is,
unglorified bodies with their heads.
We have the hope, the assurance, the expectation.
We will get a glorified body one day.
The world, they can do the same things we do.
And even more so because they live simple lives
and disobey the things of God.
Walking in the flesh causes destruction and death
and misery.
And they have their own hope.
That's why they're in fear.
They have the spirit of bondage to fear.
Why?
They're not saved.
Because unsaved people don't have any assurance.
They don't know where they're going.
We also, not only they, but ourselves also,
which have the first fruits of the spirit,
even we ourselves grown within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption to await the redemption of our body.
Now, why do we grow within ourselves?
Because one of the big manifestations for us
as saved people, the big problem is we still sin.
We want a glorified body so we don't do wrong anymore.
We understand this world is not my home.
I'm just passing through.
So I want to serve God as much as possible.
But we don't have the glorified body.
So we're waiting on the inside.
We're waiting for that glorified body.
When it says to with the redemption of the body.
See, the adoption is a twofold process.
You spiritually got born again immediately,
but there's also that promise that you will get the glorified body.
And we're waiting for the redemption of the body, right?
The earnest, you know, it's mentioned in Ephesians one.
There's a promise that you will get that glorified body,
but we don't have it yet.
You say, brother, do we have part of it?
No, you don't have any of this.
Nothing changed when you got saved.
Your body did not change when you got saved.
You don't have the glorified body.
You don't have part of it.
But getting saved doesn't magically say,
wow, man, I'm gonna live to be 140 now.
Because I've got a partial glorified body.
No, you're still gonna live the average life
that you would have before.
I mean, if you follow God's rules,
maybe your life's gonna go longer,
but you don't magically just live longer
because you're saved.
The body does not change.
That's what the Bible teaches, okay?
So we're waiting for this adoption,
the redemption of the body.
We know it's gonna take place.
Verse 24, for we are saved by hope.
Now, hope in the Bible is not something
where you're like, I hope I'm gonna go to heaven.
Maybe, no, it's a sure thing.
Hope in the Bible is something that is a sure thing,
but you don't have physical proof of it, okay?
You can look up hope throughout the Bible, okay?
We have a hope that's steadfast and sure.
We know it.
100% gets a guarantee.
But it's not a visible manifestation
because we're waiting for that day.
We haven't glorified God.
There's no manifestation yet,
and here's our salvation.
The way God's saved us is this.
You're gonna get saved.
You're gonna know you're saved 100%
and have no physical evidence as your proof
because you're saved by hope.
So the Bible teaches, we are saved by hope.
It's not something with visible evidence,
but hope that is seen is not hope.
For what a man seeth, why not to get hope for?
So what God's saying is this.
Look, if you can see the proof right here,
then why are you hoping?
I mean, it negates what hope is
because what hope is is something that you know is true,
but you don't have that physical empirical evidence
that is your proof.
We are saved with a salvation
where there's not that physical evidence.
We can say, here is my salvation.
And it says hope that is seen is not hope,
and that's how we're saved.
We're saved by hope.
We say, what are you trying to tell me?
Here's what I'm trying to tell you.
Got these other churches that are saying,
well, if you're really saved, there's gonna be a change.
That's not salvation, man,
because we're saved by hope.
Look, our salvation is something,
there's no empirical evidence.
When we go sowing, I cannot say,
well, here's my salvation.
This is why you should get saved.
Here's my proof.
You see the change?
There's no change, right?
There is no change in our bodies when we get saved.
Why?
We are saved by hope,
and hope that is seen is not hope, amen.
So if you've got a church that are saying,
well, you know, if you're really saved,
there's gonna be a change.
Hey, give me the picture.
What's salvation, my friend?
Right, right.
Because that is not salvation.
Hope that is seen is not hope, amen.
God says, when you get saved,
I mean, isn't it true?
You know you're saved,
but you don't have any evidence physically,
empirical evidence to say,
here's my salvation.
Now, when a person can say,
if they start coming to church
and start reading the Bible,
of course, you're gonna have started having a change,
but there's not a guarantee getting saved.
You're gonna have a change, right?
And somebody quitting drinking
is not proof of salvation, right?
There are unsaved people that quit drinking, amen.
Unsaved people quit doing wrong all the time.
That's not proof of salvation.
Being saved does not guarantee you're gonna change,
and it's not a problem to change salvation.
It's not evidence of salvation.
You say, why?
We are saved by hope.
That is what the Bible says.
So when you got these churches
that are kind of trying to have a good place,
well, it's just by grace through faith,
but if you're really saved,
there's gonna be a change.
This is more salvation, right?
And if by grace it is no more works,
otherwise, grace is no more grace.
I hope those people are just confused,
but they're preaching a life-work salvation.
But you don't get anybody saved.
You can tell them,
well, hey, you know,
if you're really saved,
you're gonna decide to start looking for God.
That's not salvation, right?
You're preaching another gospel,
and we are saved by hope.
God promises throughout this chapter,
we will get a glorified body.
We will have the manifestation
that we are the sons of God.
But it's something we expect,
the earnest expectation,
because we know it will take place.
But there's no proof of it.
When you get saved,
there's no change that happens
to your flesh at all,
not even a little bit, okay?
Verse 25,
but if we hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it.
What the Bible says is,
we really believe this,
but we do not see it,
because hope that is seen is not hope.
What takes place is we patiently wait for it.
And that's the truth.
We are patiently waiting for the day
when we do have that glorified body.
And we're kind of like Paul in the Bible,
where he says,
I am in a straightened place too,
having a desire to depart from it with Christ,
which is far better.
Nevertheless, the vital flesh
is more needful for you.
So what Paul says is this,
I'm kind of like in between.
I really don't want to die.
I mean, I get to go to heaven,
but it's more needful to be here
and preach the gospel
and get people saved, okay?
And that's the way we feel.
Now, I want to live a long life.
I want to live to be an old man
and have grandchildren
and great-grandchildren
and teach them how to serve God
and have a family full of soul leaders
and praise the Lord if that's the case,
but the alternative is not so bad either, right?
If I preach a sermon
and somebody gets angry
and stones me to death,
which I don't think will take place,
but you know, it's like,
yeah, I'm in heaven.
It's like, that's not a bad alternative, okay?
Look, we're waiting for that day
when we're willing to glorify God.
We'll know for no longer
can they stand alone
for no longer our problems.
We'll no longer grow old
and frail and sickness.
And the Bible says,
you know, God will wipe away
all of the tears from our eyes.
We'll wait for that day.
But there is no change
that takes place through the flesh
and through salvation.
It is something we hope for.
We know it will take place,
but there's no physical evidence
now that it's going to work correctly.
Dear Heavenly Father,
thank you for allowing me to be here today
and to see your word
and kind of understanding salvation
on a deeper level
and being able to disprove
a lot of most of the students
that are out there
that are preaching either Calvinism
or success.