Be Imitators of God as Beloved Children

[0:00] Hallelujah. Thank you for tuning in to this powerful message by David Entry at Karis Phase 2. Our Christ-centered youth services. You can never find Christ outside of the open Word of God.

[0:13] May Jesus Christ reveal himself to you as you listen. Chapter 5, verse 1. It says that, Be ye therefore followers of God. What's the meaning of that?

[0:27] It's not social media following. At that time, when we talk about following, it's not the social media type of. What does it mean to follow God? How do you follow him?

[0:39] Enoch worked with God, and he was not. Genesis chapter 4, 26 or 25, somewhere there. 524, rather. Enoch worked with God, and he was not.

[0:54] For God took him. That's kind of interesting. He was not. He worked with God, and he was not. He was not a human being. He was not. He was not.

[1:06] That's the, he was not. He worked with God, and he faded away. He was so much into God, so much into God, he eroded away.

[1:19] One theologian put it this way. He was working with God, and one day they were having sweet conversation. They were working. They were having sweet conversation. They were working. They were working sweet conversation.

[1:29] And then, now it was late, and God said, okay, you have to go back. But we are closer to my house. He was, okay. So God said, just come. So he walked with God, and then just God asked him to come.

[1:43] So he walked with God. But the reason I said is, you walk with God? When you are working with somebody, it's like the pace must be the same.

[1:54] But how can a man walk with God? Where were they walking? Will he be walking? Because the Bible says God is a spirit. Will he be walking in the air? How did he walk?

[2:05] Obviously, if you walk with God, you'll be not. He was walking with God. One of the ways to understand this is, and you walk with God for a long time.

[2:17] It's not just three days. For a long time. When you are walking with a child, and it's different if God is walking with him.

[2:28] He was walking with God. So he has to double up and catch up his pace with God. So you can imagine the amount of work involved in attempting to walk with God.

[2:42] Yet, Enoch walked with God. In fact, the Bible calls him, he was the first prophet. The first prophet, Enoch.

[2:53] He walked with God, and God took him. God likes him so much. He says, you know what? I don't want you to go back. You don't want something. You are chatting with somebody on the phone.

[3:06] And you like them so much. Are you still there? Are you still there? Okay, bye. Bye. He said, okay, bye. Are you there? Yes. You two are there. Okay, you go first.

[3:19] God said, Enoch, come with me. And God took him. I think the book of Jude calls Enoch the first prophet.

[3:31] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, Enoch also, servant from Adam, prophesied. He prophesied. Prophesied all these things.

[3:45] So, Enoch walked with God and spoke for God. Then we come to Ephesians chapter 5, and the Bible tells us to follow God.

[3:58] Be ye therefore followers of God. Let's go to American Standard Version. Then from there we go to English. Let's already allow.

[4:08] Let's go. Therefore, he imitates of God as the love of children. That's a serious one. How can you imitate God? So, that following, this is the right rendering.

[4:23] The Greek sounds more like imitation than following. English Standard Version. Same.

[4:34] Practically the same. Therefore, be ye imitators of God as beloved. Children who are loved imitate God.

[4:45] That's a big ask. Be amplified. Amplified. Amplified says that, therefore, be imitators of God.

[4:58] Copy him and follow his example. As well, as well-beloved children imitate their father.

[5:10] It says that, copy God. Imitate God. You know, I just said that, WWJD. I will do what Jesus will do. So, where is that?

[5:22] Imitates God. Here, it means that the statement, back to the English Standard or New American, the statement wouldn't have been completed.

[5:34] It will make sense. Without the us. You can only imitate God when you already have his nature.

[5:51] When you have Christians, we have the nature of God in Christ. So, God impacts his nature and his life in Christ into us.

[6:07] So, when you have Christ, what happens is you share the divine nature. You can't ask a dog to imitate you or copy you.

[6:19] But you can't ask a child to copy you. You can't ask a cat to imitate you. Even though, many, nowadays, we have a lot of cartoons that dogs are jumping, animals are playing, and all that, like human beings, donkeys are talking and all that.

[6:42] Lions are talking and lions are playing. You know, all those things, it's not real. It's not real. So, the reason why we can imitate God, in other words, we can live God-like, is based on the nature of God in us.

[7:04] Now, watch this. Look at verse 2. It will help. Verse 2 says that, We should walk in love as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

[7:24] Yes? We should walk in love as Christ did. But the Bible tells us in John 15, 13. Greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.

[7:45] There's no... When the guy says he loves you, don't mind. Jesus loves you better. When that girl tells you I love you, don't mind.

[7:56] Jesus loves you better. Jesus loves you better. Jesus loves you better. Because greater love has no man than this. Don't sacrifice the love of Jesus for a boy. Don't sacrifice the love of Jesus for a girl.

[8:09] Because greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Now, in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 2, we are being called into this kind of love.

[8:27] Walk in love as Christ. That's an example. Just give us how this love should be. So church people, when we love people, our love is not a romantic love.

[8:42] Our love is a Christ life. Our concentration on God's word helps us stay away from fleshly mess. Okay, so we are Christians, but that side of our humanity is still there.

[9:00] If you used to, if you like lasagna before you become born again, it doesn't stop. Sometimes you even like it more. Pastor, is it not so?

[9:15] Yeah. So, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Then he said, yet not I, but Christ who lives in me.

[9:29] And the life that you see me living, even though it's I and it's Christ, I live by faith of the Son. So, it's not my life I'm trying to just copy Christ.

[9:40] I live by faith of the, it's Christ who lives in me. That's when some demands can be made on us. Now, watch this. The New Testament, the Old Testament, or the Old Covenant is full of, is built on the law of Moses.

[9:57] It's law. So, Romans chapter 8, verse 3. What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh.

[10:08] God did. Who did? God did. God did. Let's all say God did. God did. The law was meant to accomplish something.

[10:21] The law was meant, watch this, the law was meant to make us righteous before God. Accepted before God. So, he said, God said, you want to have a relationship with me?

[10:35] These are the terms and conditions for a relationship with me. But the terms and conditions God gave us was so reflective of him.

[10:48] It was so depicted God's nature, God's character, and God's standard.

[11:00] So much so that when we brought ourselves near, it made us look like midgets. The standard of God is so high, a fallen human being cannot meet it. So, the law was given from God.

[11:14] Everybody say, the law is good. The law is good. According to Romans chapter 7, I think verse 13. It said, the law is righteous.

[11:25] The law is holy. The law is good. The law is pure. It said, therefore, the law is holy, verse 12, and the commandments are holy, just, and good. Good.

[11:37] The law is not bad. Just that we're so bad. When the law comes near us, it makes us look badder. When the law comes near us, it makes us look worse than we.

[11:51] So, kind of, we are better off without the law. We are. He said, once I was alive without the law. Romans chapter 7.

[12:03] But the law came, and death sprang up. Oh, look at from verse 9. Romans 7, verse 9. I was alive once without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

[12:18] Ah! I would have been okay if you have not brought this law. I died. So, why should God give the law that He knows will kill us?

[12:32] But, that's why I made you understand that the law is good. The law is good. Why is it good? Because it came from God. God is reflective of God's nature, God's standard, God's principles.

[12:50] So, the law in itself is good. But, we are so bad that when what was good came, it made us even look worse.

[13:01] He says that, look at, I was alive without the, I was not. I was alive, look from verse 9. Let's go to 9. I was alive without, the law.

[13:12] I was fine, doing okay. Not with my relationship with God, but at least I was managing like, ah, kind of fine. Look at verse 10. And the commandment, which was to bring me, was to bring me, so it, it carried the life.

[13:31] It had some kind of life. It was supposed to help me get life. That the law was to, rather, I found, to bring me death.

[13:41] verse 11, it gets even interesting. For sin, that's why it brought me dead. Because sin was hiding somewhere in my life.

[13:53] So, when, when the law came, sin took advantage of the law, and used it as a murder weapon to kill me. Because I'm so bad, sin has dominated my life.

[14:06] The appearance of God's standard, sin, make it so obvious, that I'm bad, and rather, the standard that was supposed to bring me life, ended up killing me. Because, this same thing, this same thing, this, this, this, this same thing, this same thing, not only our actions, not only our conduct, but our internal condition, became compromised.

[14:27] So, we have been, when man fell, we were compromised on the inside, not just only in our conduct. We became internally corrupt. The file has been corrupted.

[14:41] I was alive without the law. So, the law is good. So, Romans chapter 8, verse 3 says that, what the law could not do. In fact, chapter 3, verse 20, it says that, therefore, by the deeds of the law, shall no flesh, be justified.

[15:04] I mean, how can you try and be keeping law? So, God said, well done, well done. Why? Because the law is the standard of God. How can you, how can you tell God, okay, what's, what's your price?

[15:15] Tell me I'll pay it. Do, do you know what you're getting yourself into? 20 Kobo. 20 Naira.

[15:33] So, it's like telling God, they brought, they asked, tell, they told Moses, tell God, whatever you say we will do. God said, really? You have a high estimation of yourself.

[15:46] You look at me and tell me, whatever I say you do, you don't know you have fallen men. Moses, here are my commandments. The one who brought the commandments, the one who the commandments was given to, the first time, he broke the, all at once, all the 10 commandments, he broke all of them at once, smashed it.

[16:09] It says that, for by the law shall no flesh, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Okay, therefore, by the deeds of the law, if you are doing things based on the law, you cannot be justified in the sight of God.

[16:25] Maybe in the sight of people, they will be impressed. By God, they are not impressed. Why? Because by the law, is the knowledge of sin. Rather, you, the law is supposed to define sin for you, not supposed to help you, nor sin.

[16:41] Did you understand that? The law is just coming to define sin, so you actually know, how sinner you are. Because previously, you didn't know, how, because the law was not there, you think you are fine.

[16:53] So the law, oh, oh my goodness, am I that bad? You're going around telling people, you have bad breath.

[17:03] Meanwhile, yours is super. The law. Romans chapter 5, verse 20. It says that, the law came so that sin can increase.

[17:18] Moreover, the law entered, that offense might abound. Let's look at New Living Translation, how it will put it. It says that, God's law was given, so that all people could see, how sinful they were.

[17:33] It doesn't mean to help us. So, Romans chapter 5, chapter 8, verse 3 says that, what the law could not do, God did.

[17:46] That's a very important thing. God did. The law couldn't help us, God helped us. And how did God do it? By sending forth his son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and condemned sin in the flesh.

[18:01] Because no one could condemn sin in the flesh. Remember, sin was rather condemning you, with the law. The law came, sin will use the law to condemn you. For the first time, one human being walked on the earth, and he condemned sin in the flesh.

[18:17] That's a serious one. He condemned sin. He was in the flesh. And sin was in the flesh. And he was able to condemn sin in the flesh.

[18:28] He lived without sin. He obeyed all the laws of God. Because he is God. It's only God who can meet the standards of God. So God gave his standard. God said, you can't meet him.

[18:38] Don't worry, I can't be meeting myself. Because the truth is that, angels cannot live for you. Man cannot sin for angels to pay.

[18:50] When man sins, man has to pay for his sins. Right? If I'm owing you 100 pounds, I can go and bring 100 shekels.

[19:02] Or I can go and bring 100 yen. Or dollars to say, okay, that's your money. No, no, it's not the same. 100 dollars is not the same as 100 pounds.

[19:15] You have cheated me. Even 100 euros is not the same. Let alone could bring 100 Ghana cities. Excuse me. So then, if we were owing God, we have to pay it.

[19:36] But how can you pay your debt with God? The standard of God came to help us to see how much we owe. God said, give me this, give me this.

[19:47] I can't give. I don't have what it takes. God said, yes, I gave you the law to see how helpless. So Romans chapter 7, verse 25 says, oh, wretched man. That's the job of the law.

[19:59] The law was supposed to push you to the wall for you to be so helpless. And it will make you live somewhere else outside of yourself for help.

[20:10] Because human beings are so narcissistic, self-centered, and proud. We think, I can't do it. So God said, really? Here's my standard.

[20:22] Until you get so frustrated, realize I can't do it, you begin to look up to, who can help me? Oh, wretched man that I am, who can deliver me from this body of death.

[20:35] Somebody must deliver me. And he said, thanks be to God. I thank God through Christ Jesus. Hallelujah. Is somebody following something?

[20:47] Sounds very simple, but very, very profound. The Christian message is about a loving God coming to pay the price on the behalf of sinful men.

[21:02] So when Jesus came to live on the earth, he did two things. Number one, he lived a righteous life based on the law of God. So he could ask his opponents, opposers.

[21:16] I think John chapter 746 or 846, I think 746 probably. He said, which of you accused me of sin?

[21:31] Do you mind? He said, I was so tired, but when the word of God came, I revived. Yes.

[21:42] He said, the Lord came and sin revived. Me too, the word came and my spirit revived. Sit down please. He said, Jesus said, which John 846, which of you convict me?

[21:56] How can you, you can't convict me. You can't even accuse me, but you can't convict me. I've not done anything wrong. Jesus told him, this is not his friends, his enemies. Which of you convict me of sin?

[22:11] Do you look at him? The one who betrayed him, the man who betrayed him, what was his name? In Matthew chapter, I think 27, after Judas got the money for betraying Jesus, he went and returned, after Jesus had been arrested, he returned the money to the, in the temple, yeah, 27.

[22:33] Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had been, Jesus had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the jeffers, and the elders said, no, the money I got for betraying him.

[22:48] Here he is, here he is, take it back, take it back, I don't want it. Do you know what they told him? They said that, they said, say, because he said, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.

[23:03] He knew that Jesus was innocent. He knew it. That's why he said, please, I can't take this money. Now, the priests, these were priests, religious people, they said, it's none of our business.

[23:19] We don't care. We just want to get rid of him and you, you help us do it. We don't care. They knew, he threw the money on the floor and went.

[23:31] They collected the money and said, no, this money, they're religious, this money, it's not good to put it in the treasury because it's blood money. They knew it was dirty. It's in your Bible.

[23:41] It's because they are the price of blood. They can't put it. It's blood money. It's blood money.

[23:52] No, no, no, you don't want this money. It's to contaminate them. They knew Jesus was innocent because he was the only one who lived and was faultless and was sinless.

[24:06] He could meet the standards of God. How come? How? Because he was God himself. that's why he's the only one who can save us from our sins because in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 19 it says that you are saved by the precious blood, a blood without blemish.

[24:23] There's no spot. Without blemish, without spot. very pure. Acts chapter 20 verse 28 said, take it to yourself and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made the overseer to shepherd the church of God which God bought with his own God has got blood now.

[24:45] He purchased with his own blood. So Jesus was God. So that's why what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh.

[25:01] God did. That tells you actually Jesus was God. by sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh and on account of sin condemned sin in the flesh.

[25:17] So he did two things. His human living met all the requirements and the standards of God. And then after he had done that he went to the cross as a perfect man to die for imperfect people.

[25:33] So 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 or 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 it says that Christ suffered for for the those of us who are the just for the unjust that he might bring us 1 Peter 3 18 for Christ also suffered once for what sins?

[25:55] Can you imagine the only human being who lived without sins suffered for sins? He suffered for sins.

[26:09] Christ suffered also suffered once for sins the just for the unjust why? There's a purpose that he might bring us to God what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God did by sending his son so when he died on the cross he suffered and died there was a purpose for the suffering that's why Satan through Peter said you cannot die he said hey Satan get behind me because there's a purpose Satan wanted to block it for the first time Jesus called one of his disciples Satan get behind me because it was a demonic agenda to stop the cross that's why when he was on the cross they were shouting on him he said if you are the thief on the cross he said if you are a king save yourself ah he didn't come to save himself he came to save us he didn't come to save himself he came to save us that's why he had to stay on the cross to save us if he had tried to save himself we would have still been in our sin but he came so that he can bring us to God that's so sweet he came that he would bring us to

[27:33] God he suffered for sins once that he might bring us to God what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God did God did we thought the law could bring us righteousness the law couldn't do it God said I'm going to bring my righteousness so in Romans chapter 3 verse 20 Romans chapter 3 verse 20 therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in the sight of God remember for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh flesh he said therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in the sight of God for by the law is the knowledge of sin now look at the next verse verse 21 but now but now but now but now but now the righteousness of God outside of the law you can be a human being on earth and get right with

[28:46] God outside of the law God they said to Moses tell God what you say we will do so we can look good before you God said really he gave them they were flopping so how do we get to God there now the only way we can do is to make sure how do you pass an exam write the exam prepare and write the exam that's the only way you can't pass an exam you haven't written so if you're going to be right with God ask God for what he requires pay the price and get right with God and we ask he gave us the law the law rather made our condition worse suddenly after Jesus comes the Bible says that there is another way if I were you I would say hallelujah there is another way to get right with

[29:46] God outside the law outside you don't need 10 commandments 10 commandments 10 commandments can you keep it there are 612 commandments it's not little that's why it's called good news because the good news is that God has made a way to himself outside the law religion is still using systems to get to God religion man made systems to get to God God said you can't use systems to get to me because you can get to me you can get to me so he said I would rather come to you have you heard anybody who has gone to heaven and back say I'm going to visit and come you are so special no religion talks about their leader who is dead and back they die whether he's a prophet go and never come back and they can't say

[30:59] I'm going to visit God and come they look like representative of a deity and they can be very formidable and impress a lot of people but they themselves can't get to God God said we told God show us any way to get to you we are busy trying to fix things God said you know I care about you don't come I come and Enoch worked with God and he was not why why he didn't take God it must be initiated by God so he can help us salvation must be an initiation from God not man man cannot design a system to save us else we will be charged for it you have to subscribe you monthly fee so he says that

[32:05] God said I'm coming down so when he came down he didn't come as in his glory as God because he ran away he said angels have to keep telling don't fear please relax one day one day one day they were with Jesus he said let's go I'm going to pray Matthew chapter 17 from 1 to 3 and he took them to the mount and as he prayed the one God used to give them the law came to say you are the reason for the law Moses came the one God used to tell them about his plans and the prophets the leader of the prophets is Elijah Elijah also came both of these people no one saw their death Moses no one Moses God said I'll bury you myself else the

[33:07] Israelites will make a shine out of you so God took him somewhere and he vanished God buried him himself so no one knows where Moses was and Elijah Elijah just took him away that guy was serious prophet can you imagine he was walking he said I'm about to go I'm about to go before the invention of plane I'm about to go something take planes go somewhere on earth rockets space shifts they go to go to space but to go to heaven it must be something else he came and chariot of fire took him and he didn't burn him so he said senior prophet and yet in Jesus' glory the senior prophet appears and the law giver appears and

[34:09] Bible said they came and they were talking to him so when he was on the floor he said he said he called Elijah Elijah already came to talk to him preparing for the cross he said I called Elijah to bring Elijah said that's my boss what the law could not do so Jesus came down as God but not in his full glory as God else we will run away so when he took them to the mount of transfiguration he just allowed a little glimpse of what we because listen in John chapter 17 verse 5 says that oh now now oh father glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you that's that's yours he said glorify yourself glorify me together with yourself with the glory that

[35:18] I had with you which religious leader can say this he said I had glory with you which religious leader can dare to say I and the father are one which religious did anybody say something like that which religious leader can say before Abraham I am which religious leader can say I am the resurrection please sit down John 11 25 yes we can say that John chapter 10 verse 18 which religious leader said I laid down my life Magana Shagaya sit up which religious leader can say

[36:18] I am the way the truth no one comes to the father except by me which religious leader can say that let's get different when dying can tell a criminal today you will be with me in paradise!

[36:50] I can say this when he was dying can tell a criminal today you will be with me in paradise today you will be with me in paradise so he says glorify yourself in me with the glory that I had with you before the world began oh so he's trying to say that I have always been before the world began does it take rocket science to know that he's not an ordinary human being are you so damn how can you be so damn and think Jesus is an ordinary human being which ordinary human being talks like that that glorify me with the glory I had with you hey this guy feels himself he's telling

[37:53] God that I had glory with you before the world began! please sit down so the Christian message is Jesus is God and he came to die for our sins we are sinful we couldn't help ourselves and the standard of God was actually drowning us so he says that but the righteousness of God apart from the law watch this has now the righteousness of God apart from the law is now revealed being witnessed by Moses and Elijah whatever Moses wrote was pointing to the day that's why Jesus said in John chapter 5 46 that Moses wrote about me

[38:54] I was his subject I was his topic Moses you won't believe Moses wrote about me if you believe Moses you will believe me there's no way you can say you have followed Moses and I come and say no I don't like you because everything Moses was doing was about me so when I come it's so natural it's natural it just flows it flows when you see a man pregnant you be confused but you see a wife pregnant you are not surprised at all you are actually happy wow it's part of it's natural it flows it's a natural progression it's a logical derivation or progression so if you really following Moses there's no way I show up and you will notice me or you ignore me that means that you are following you are not following Moses you are following something apart from

[39:56] Moses you can't claim you know God and fight church he said if Abraham were your father John chapter 8 40 39 30 40 he said Abraham does not do these things you say he answered and said if you were Abraham children you will do the works of Abraham but you are of your father the devil hallelujah!

[40:35] Jesus came to live the standard meet all the standards of the law so that a human being has lived that life and accrued the credit so that when you come to, and then not just that, he went to the cross to die for our sins.

[41:00] So when you come to him and he lives his life in you, your sins are of a necessity forgiven. God cannot hold your sins against you if you are in Christ.

[41:12] Why? Because the sin has been paid for. John chapter 19 verse 30, he said, it is finished. I've paid.

[41:23] I've paid it for. It's finished. It is finished. I've paid for the sins of that brother. So last two weeks or so, I was teaching and I said, God doesn't forgive sins arbitrarily.

[41:35] They just look at you. Oh, the way you feel sorry. I forgive. No, he can't forgive sins. It's just like you go to the bank and you have taken a loan 10,000 pounds loan. And then later on, things didn't go well.

[41:47] And he told them that, you know what? Everything's for so. And the bank manager says, I understand. Don't worry. He just, no. If the bank manager likes you so much and you are his cousin or you are her friend, then she will have to use her own money to write off.

[42:04] No. No. So if God wants to forgive you, there must be legitimate, legal, judicial grounds for your forgiveness. Else, that's not justice.

[42:16] Why must he forgive this one and not forgive that one? That's not fair. It's not justice. So on the cross, two thieves, they are all condemned criminals.

[42:28] One received forgiveness, the other one didn't receive. On what grounds? Not because of what they have done, but because of faith in Jesus. So whilst he was dying on the cross, he wasn't dying his death.

[42:38] He was dying for our sins. So whosoever believes in him, the sins he died for, covers you, your sin. If you don't believe in him, you are on your own.

[42:50] You will die and go to hell and bang in hell. Why would you do that? I thought you were smart. Why would you do that? But I don't believe. Die and see.

[43:02] I don't believe it. I don't believe it. You believe your age? You believe your date of birth?

[43:17] Were you there? Did you supervise your birth? Please. Even sometimes, people are not sure of who their father is.

[43:28] So sometimes, in arrogance, I don't believe all these things.

[43:41] I don't mean, the Bible is not true. The Bible, you have read it from page to page, cover to cover. You've read it from cover. Did you find out yourself or someone told you it's not true? I thought you were a bit smart.

[43:55] Now you've hit below the belt and doesn't make you look wise at all. For it to say, the Bible is not true, the Bible is not true. On what grounds? What's your basis? Have you checked it yourself?

[44:06] Have you researched it yourself? You haven't. So why are you running on such a conclusion? What if eternal life is real? For it's appointed unto man. And after that, after that, not reincarnation.

[44:22] You are not coming back. You are not coming back. You are not coming back. Prepare to meet the Lord. You are not coming back. Prepare to meet your Lord.

[44:33] You are not coming back. Hallelujah. You stay there and say, I don't believe.

[44:44] I don't believe. It doesn't affect anybody but you. The thief on the cross. The other one said, I just want an escape. I'm not looking for conversion.

[44:58] I'm not looking for forgiveness of sin. I'm not looking for redemption. I just need an escape. Can this church help me just escape from my problems? I'm looking for a guy. And I hear that there are nice guys in the church.

[45:12] This salvation, salvation business. I'm not interested. So there are people who come around the church. There are mothers and fathers who said, I like the way this boy has changed. Can you come to your church?

[45:23] Ah. No. We are not a changing organization. We are a Christ organization. It is. If the person can receive Christ, then we can guarantee because the signs of a genuine conversion is that there will be a change of life.

[45:42] When people receive Christ, their lives invariably change. So some of you, already you know what I'm implying. I'm implying that the way your life hasn't changed, you have not been converted.

[45:53] You are actually not saved. You are actually not saved. You are actually not genuinely converted. You are not genuinely born again because one of the signs of genuine conversion is transformation of life.

[46:07] Transformed lives. So you are coming to the church. Oh, can we send some criminals here so that they can change? We can't guarantee. We can't guarantee.

[46:20] Because even Jesus couldn't change the other criminal. even Jesus. Now, it's not just that even Jesus. That criminal was at his last stages of life.

[46:33] And even that one could not be saved. He was dying. Why don't you die saved? Because really, you don't have anything to lose.

[46:47] So, that's why Jesus came to live a certain life to have the credit of righteousness. So, when you appear before God and you are in Christ, you don't come in your own righteousness because you don't get it.

[47:04] Your righteousness won't do. You come in somebody else's righteousness. Like, you want to go take your friend to the restaurant but you don't really have money on your own.

[47:17] Then, I give you my card. So, you can buy whatever because there's money on the card. It doesn't matter whose card it is as long as you have been authorized to use it.

[47:33] We have been authorized to swipe on the righteous account of Christ. You're authorized. So, when you are praying, that's why Christians pray in the name of Jesus.

[47:49] That means you are swiping not on your account, on the righteous account of Christ. That's what it means.

[48:00] So, as I told you, God doesn't arbitrarily just excuse people of sins. There must be grounds. So, Christ died so when God can forgive, he forgave on the grounds of the punishment he has given to Christ.

[48:15] So, he actually punished sins. But your sins will be punished. If you are in Christ, it has been punished in retrospect on Christ.

[48:26] It's already punished. So, when you are in Christ and you even fall into sin, as long as you are in Christ, God will not, he can chastise you, he can discipline you, but he doesn't punish Christians for sins.

[48:42] because it will be double jeopardy. He's already punished on Christ. Christ has absorbed, that's why on the cross, my God, why have you forsaken me?

[49:00] He took on, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21, God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us. Galatians chapter 1, verse 4, he says that God sent God, God's son, he gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of God the father.

[49:27] He gave himself for us. He said, yeah, I'll take the bullets, the bullets for him. He took the bullets for our punishment. So, Isaiah 53 said, by his, by the, the, chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are here.

[49:48] Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. what has this got to do with Ephesians chapter 5?

[50:00] Now, let's connect and close. Let's connect and close. I just got caught up in talking about Christ. It's so sweet. love it. Love it. Love it.

[50:11] One of the signs that you are genuinely converted is that you appreciate the gospel. Yes. I love it. And you have an appetite for God's word, the Bible.

[50:26] There's no amount of preaching of Christ or of the true gospel that will ever bore! So, now, the reason I told you so much about Jesus and what he came to do on earth and the law was that the law is 612 commandments and it's hard for the people to take keep.

[50:57] But what people don't realize is Christianity is harder because Ephesians chapter 5 verse 1 says that imitate God.

[51:13] That's harder than just keeping the law. Be imitators of God as beloved children. Be imitated. Jesus Christ, listen, in Matthew chapter 5, this one will be good for most of you, verse 28.

[51:31] Let's go to verse 27. Let's start from 27. You have heard that it was said of them of old. Thou shall not come in the old.

[51:43] So he said that's the standard. But I'm taking it further. He said looking, he said it has already happened.

[51:59] Which one is more difficult? Jesus' standard is higher than the Mosaic standard. So, what is this argument?

[52:12] If the law could not do some things in the flesh, and you are coming to help us, why do you lift up the bar? Why do you raise the bar? Why do you tell me to love my enemies?

[52:26] The law says an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But you are telling me that I should love my enemies. How can I do that? Jesus changed the game.

[52:38] So in Galatians chapter 5, verse 24, after he says, or 23 and 24, after he mentions the fruit of the spirit, then, verse 23, no, no, 23, it's a continuation from 22.

[52:57] He said, against such there's no law. No one can legislate against the fruit of the spirit. How can someone legislate against being meek? Some of you, the people you remember in your life, that are so nice to be with meek people, so gentle, even when you are wrong, the way they tell you, oh, you could have done it better.

[53:19] That's why some of you like some of your aunties and you don't like the others. The meek people, everybody likes meek person. Everybody likes someone who has temperance.

[53:31] So you misbehave and you are doing it, he has patience. Temperance. He has time, he has patience for you, he knows you are wrong, but he takes his time to help you to get it.

[53:42] How can you legislate against something like that? How can you make a law against love? Not lust, love. Verse 22, against love, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace.

[53:56] How can you make a law against peace? Against long suffering, someone who is able to take the pain for a long time without reacting wrongly? You can't legislate.

[54:07] So he says, these are higher standards. And he said, against such, there is no law. So you have come into something that is higher than ten commandments.

[54:22] Huh? Then I'm in trouble, how can I leave it? You don't have to leave it, you have to have the nature of Christ. That's the only way we can do it.

[54:33] We have the nature and the life of Christ. When you have the nature and the life of Christ, it comes naturally. So, what I'm trying to say is, if the Bible says that we should imitate God, that means we have the supernatural, supernaturally natural, or naturally supernatural.

[54:55] By default, we have that supernatural life that makes us be able to live and imitate Christ. Then he goes on, walk in love.

[55:07] Next week, I'll pick that. I should walk in love. Ask Christ to walk in love. Thank you for choosing to listen to this message by David Entry.

[55:21] We hope you were blessed by it. You can connect with David Entry on all relevant social media platforms, including TikTok and Threads. There's also many more messages to listen to from David Entry on all relevant streaming platforms and on the Karish Church app.

[55:37] Be blessed. Be blessed.