[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word.
[0:14] Amen. What a beautiful song. Not just beautifully sung, but what a beautiful truth. You know, Christianity is full of beautiful truth. And I know this sounds like a really simple statement, but I really enjoy being a Christian.
[0:27] Anybody else in here feel that way? You just really enjoy being a Christian? I mean, I've looked at the other alternative, and I'm really thankful to be a Christian. Not just where it takes me someday for my eternal destiny, but where it's placed me right now.
[0:42] In your bulletin on the front, there's a picture, and it may not make sense to you, but it's a screenshot from a video that before the service tonight, during our volunteers meeting time, we're going to show a video in here. It's about a 10-minute video.
[0:54] And it's just a testimony of a young man from the town of Agadir. Where is his name, Agadir? I'm not sure. But back there on the back wall, I could find out.
[1:05] It sounds like the name of the city or of a man in Morocco. I'm not sure. But on the back wall, there is a testimony. And Aaron, our missionary in North Africa, it was the first person that came to Christ in that ministry.
[1:17] And the man wrote a letter, and then Aaron shared that with our church and framed it, and we get to have that. And now Aaron's reconnected with him. And it's just a wonderful testimony of a person realizing what the gospel has done in changing his life.
[1:33] It's so exciting. You know, sometimes we make it act like it's not so exciting because it becomes common. And just because you're surrounded by other Christians, and you've been a Christian for a long time, or that you've carried this book in your hand, or maybe you've heard that song sung before, doesn't mean that it isn't the most exciting, wonderful truth in all the world.
[1:50] Kind of thought about how we do that with things. I had the opportunity this week to go on a trip, and I was on an airplane. And when I was there, a person beside me was complaining they couldn't get the Wi-Fi of the work on the airplane.
[2:01] And they were just so upset about it. And I was just thinking how the airline makes one of the most exciting things in the world the least exciting thing possible. They tell you to sit down and how to put your seatbelt on. But I'm thinking, we just took off from the ground, you know?
[2:13] We were stationary in this heavy thing that weighs tons and tons, and now we're flying in the air. It feels like we should clap every time we take off, you know? We normally clap when we land, but it's an amazing thing.
[2:25] But it became common because everybody around us is experiencing it, and we've done it before. And I don't want that to be the case in my Christian life. I want to continue to marvel at the fact that what he has done in my life.
[2:36] And so I got to work on a documentary called the India Film Project, and I'm so thankful. You know many of our hearts for the country of India, and God is allowing a desire to happen and a dream come true about making a documentary to help people see what we experienced when we went over to India.
[2:53] But one of the storylines that we're following helps illustrate this point, that a young man grew up in a slum. True story. And he grew up in a slum, and he was made an orphan at a young age. And he was picked up, and he was taken into an orphanage.
[3:06] And there he grew up, and he learned of the Christian faith, and he became a believer. From that time, he decided he wanted to go off to Bible college, and he did that. And then upon graduation, deciding of what he could do with his life, at his church, he signs what they call the martyr's oath.
[3:22] And he's given a bicycle and a Bible, and he takes off to start a church. Because he realized that all the things possible, and all the things fighting against him in India, the most wonderful thing he could go and do is share the message with other people that changed his life.
[3:37] And so today, as we look at this, we're going to end with a song. Singing is a great way to rejoice. And so I'm going to tell you the end. Where we're going, we're going to end with rejoicing. We're going to end singing today, a congregational.
[3:48] And I'm going to challenge you from the Word of God that you will rejoice in your salvation. In Romans chapter 5, verses 1 through 11. If you've been here for the book of Romans, you know 11 verses in Romans is a big chunk of text.
[3:59] Because there's just so much there. But we're going to look at different parts of it here, and look at what he did in justification. It's just so rich, and it's so exciting. Also, Paul said in verse number 2, he tells us to rejoice.
[4:11] In verse 3, he says the glory. And in verse number 11, we should joy. There should be no group of people that are more joyful than the Christian. Paul says that there's some things we should be happy about, to be joyful.
[4:23] He just explained what it means to be a Christian in this section on salvation. Now he's going to talk about the results of being a Christian. So it starts off with the word therefore. And he's summarizing what we had seen in the previous chapters.
[4:37] In light of everything God said about how man is sinful, and how he can't make it on his own. But God saves us, not because we deserve it, or that we earned it, or worked hard for it. But simply because our faith in God's grace, therefore, in light of the fact that God made us Christians by grace, because of this, we have some wonderful benefits that we should rejoice in today.
[4:59] So we've seen how we are justified, and what, and now we're going to look at the effects of it on our lives. And as I read through this, notice some of these plural possessive pronouns. We, and us, and are.
[5:11] And so these aren't just things that applied to the Apostle Paul many years ago, but these are things that apply to every believer in the room today. And it should cause us to rejoice.
[5:23] So let's start here in verse number 1, Romans chapter number 5, verse 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
[5:40] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope maketh not a shame, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
[5:56] But when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
[6:06] But God commended His love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
[6:18] For if we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also join in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
[6:34] So Paul is bursting forth with joy here, the benefits that we have. And he named seven of them that I see here. And you could spend a whole series on any one of these, but we're going to look at all seven of them briefly today.
[6:46] And he says we have peace with God. He says we have access to God. He said we have hope in life. He says our problems have a purpose. We have God's love in our hearts.
[6:58] We have the Holy Spirit inside of us. And because of this, we are eternally secure. And in our hearts, we ought to say amen to that. How extremely wonderful that is.
[7:09] Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you so much in preserving your word and allowing us to see this and giving us a reminder. Lord, through the Apostle Paul, the effects of justification in our lives, Lord.
[7:21] Lord, we ought to leave here today rejoicing. Lord, this ought to help put things in perspective. Knowing as Christians, Lord, we have troubles like anybody else would, Lord. But our troubles have a purpose, Lord.
[7:33] I pray that we will leave here today recognizing you've done something big in our hearts. And because of that, we're now able to attempt big things for you. We thank you for what you've done upon the cross.
[7:44] In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. So we know next Sunday being Easter, Resurrection Sunday. So many people refer this week as Passion Week. He will go to the cross, and then after the cross, He says, I go to prepare a place for you.
[7:58] But at the cross, He made some provision for us. Not only did He provide atonement for our sins, but He provided a new life for us. That everlasting life started at the point of salvation. It's not just something that we wait for, the full realization of seeing Him, but it's something that we have right now.
[8:14] And it's a wonderful thing. And Satan in this world would try to keep you so busy to think upon other things in your circumstances that you never really enjoy the fullness of the joy that's there for you.
[8:25] In our adult Bible fellowship class, we're going through the book of Philippians. And we're just going to be reminded of the fact that He has provided this joy for us. So last week, Pastor mentioned, first of all, in verse number one, that we have peace with God.
[8:39] It's a thing that everybody in this world is looking for. They're going after it in one way or another. Some people try to go about it by just staying good enough so that they don't feel like they messed up the peace with God that they would have.
[8:53] Others are trying to attain it through works. But it's something that's in the back of everybody's mind and heart. And it's placed there by our conscience, knowing that there is a division between us and God. But we are today people that have this peace of God.
[9:06] Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. And how do we have it? We have it through our Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor told us that in Romans 5 that we were enemies of God.
[9:17] And that because of sin is rejecting His Lordship, that that makes us His enemy. And it seems like there ought to be another word for it, doesn't it? It seems like, well, there's believers, but maybe there ought to be like a middle road.
[9:27] That there's people that aren't believers, but are they really enemies of God? And the Bible says that's not the case. There's either the people that are worshippers and believers of Him, or you are called His enemy.
[9:38] Because you will not submit. You're not people that say, our God reigns. Romans 8, 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not the subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
[9:52] It does not subject itself to God. Isaiah 48, 22 says that there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. That the majority of the world are people that have no peace of God.
[10:04] And though we're told that we are justified by faith. Romans 5, 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. And that's made possible through Jesus. And this is something that has happened.
[10:15] It is a finished work upon the cross. It's a past tense thing. Romans 4, 8. Blessed is a man whose Lord will not impute sin. And so, that's also said in the book of Psalms, that David knew the greatest thing in their lives.
[10:27] A truly blessed man is somebody who has their sins not imputed into their account. So, aren't you thankful today that we have peace with God? And all the things that you have to do this week, and all the things that you have to accomplish, men, all the things that your wife has on the list for you to fix around the house, and those that are employed at a place of business, all the things that your boss has for you, and parents, all the things that you have to do for your kids, and all the things that you want to progress, and all the to-do lists you have, that having peace with God has already been taken care of by Jesus Christ.
[11:00] And we could stop right there and have plenty of reason to rejoice and spend our lives rejoicing. And so, I'll just pause and just think for a moment, how do we ever cease to rejoice in this fact?
[11:10] And it's not just given, it's not just taken for granted that we have peace with God because we weren't born with it, and the majority of the world will never know it, but we haven't. So, not only did we see that, but we also see that we have access to God.
[11:22] We have access to His grace, but we have access by faith and to His grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And we looked at how the Jews couldn't get into the holy of holies, into the veil, and it says there in Ephesians 2.14, For in our peace which has made both one, has broken down the middle wall of partition.
[11:41] But Ephesians 2.18 says, But through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.
[11:54] Jesus Christ opened the door to God and ushers us in. And when we get there, we find no condemnation, we don't find judgment, we don't find vengeance, we don't find God, we don't find hatred, we don't find hostility, we find undeserved, unmerited, unending grace.
[12:11] And God is free to do that, because Christ has fully paid the penalty for all our sins. Now some of you may be familiar with this, but in the Muslim faith, they're told that depending on the day that Allah may be having, there's no guarantee that when you go to Him, that He is going to let you in, and that He is going to be pleased with your actions.
[12:31] And no matter how much submission you are to Him, and no matter how much you work at Him, it's still up to His discernment, if He wants to be happy on that day. And you could come to Him on a bad day. Well, I rejoice in the fact that I know there will never be a time that I stand before God with His wrath coming at me.
[12:47] That there will never be a time in all of history where I stand before Him guilty of my sins. But I will go to Him and hear, well done, my good and faithful servant, because of a peace that's provided, and now have access.
[12:59] And it says, access into His grace. I now live in a sphere of grace. I am completely surrounded by it. And that where sin-abound grace, much more abounds, and that's made possible by Jesus Christ.
[13:12] Can I just remind you that our lives are radically different because of what Jesus did. And in verse number three, we get on to the fact that we now have a hope. And not only so, but glory and tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works with patience, and patience, experience, and experience hope.
[13:28] In the New Testament, the definition of hope isn't a hope that it happens as indefinitely, but it's a confident expectation of something that will happen one day. And when we were saved, we understood that it was a guaranteed thing that in heaven, there was an expectation that one day there would be a place there for us.
[13:46] That's why in John 14, He says, He goes to prepare a place for us, that it's not up in the air. It's a wonderful hope. Meaning, no matter what you're going through, I can tell you, if you're a believer, things are about to get better.
[13:57] They're about to get a whole lot better, no matter what you're going through in life. Just as quick as a vapor rises into the air, your life is about to get a whole lot better, and we live with that.
[14:08] And so many times we live with just a temporary paradigm in life where we just look, and we just look so many years out. But as a Christian, we have to look past death. And we have to know that our time on here is so short.
[14:19] And it ought to affect the way that we think, and the way that we act, and our attitude today. And we can rejoice in that. Because I know you have problems coming up this week, and I know you have problems coming up in a few years, but can I tell you that a thousand years from now, life looks pretty good for you guys.
[14:35] And ten thousand years from now, things look really good for you guys. And ten million years, things look really good for you guys. And things are definite. And we should rejoice in this today.
[14:45] So we have peace with God, we have access to God, and we have hope in life. And 1 Peter 1.5 says, Who are kept by the power of God through faith and the salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
[14:57] That is the power of God through faith and salvation, that we are kept. And that makes us eternally secure. Some of you may have seen this in Burkina Faso, a shoemaker family.
[15:08] Their daughter who is in fourth grade, she was asked to use a word in a sentence, and she used the word security. And as a fourth grader, she said, spiritual security is better than physical security.
[15:23] That's pretty good, isn't it? I don't know how she did on the rest of the quiz, but she ought to get 100 on that, as far as I'm concerned. A little fourth grader. Isn't that unbelievable? On the mission field, and just the wonderful truth, she's learning that to be spiritually secure because of Jesus is better than physical security.
[15:41] And so that story that I gave about that Indian man that takes the bicycle and signs the martyr's oath, how can he live a life like that? And despite the circumstances around him, because he knows there's a security inside of him, that he can move forward confidently.
[15:55] So we see some things. The security of the believer, one, we find that it's anchored in the past because Christ made peace with God at the cross. Were any of you at the cross? Were you around?
[16:05] I know some of you are older, but none of us were around back in those days. Were we? No, so it was done in the past before you were around. He took care of it in the past. Jesus Christ on the cross, and everything he does, he does well and completely.
[16:18] So it's anchored in the past because Christ made peace with God at the cross. Without my help and without your help, he does this. It's maintained in the present because we stand in grace.
[16:31] It's not because we stand here with just a little bit of grace around us and we have to make sure we stand in this little bitty circle. And as long as we stand here, that it's maintained in our security because if we go too far one way or another, we lose it.
[16:44] So part of our grace is standing here, but we stand in the spirit of grace. We're so surrounded by it, we could run in any direction and we can't get away from it. And there's a security in that, that he gave us access to the Father through his grace and then guaranteed for the future because we were saved in hope that something changed and that is definite about our eternity from the point of salvation.
[17:06] And so those are wonderful truths. Now we continue in verses number three and four, as I said, patience, experience, and experience, hope. This is another exciting thing that as believers we should rejoice in because all of you and no one here as a Christian, I don't know if any of you came to Christ expecting that every problem would disappear.
[17:23] And I've heard that before. People probably thought at the point of salvation that things would change, that the sky would get a little bit brighter and more money would show up in your account and the old car that you had outside the church was a brand new car when you went outside.
[17:37] And we don't see those things that change, but the things that really matter are the things that really change. But what did change about our problems is that now our problems have a purpose. We don't suffer in vain and God does not waste suffering in our lives.
[17:52] We're gonna look at it from two aspects. One, righteous suffering for the name of Christ and also suffering that we bring on ourselves just by sinful behavior and he doesn't waste any of it. Our suffering has a purpose.
[18:03] Tribulation will bring patience, patience brings experience, and experience brings hope. Suffering for righteousness sake, Paul says that it was an honor for him to bear the marks of Christ upon his body.
[18:15] That we would get the joy of filling the suffering for Christ. It is a great joy to see his sustaining grace during these times. You know those three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace?
[18:27] I don't imagine that was part of their game plan for that month or week. I don't think that's really what they wanted to do. Do you expect that they did not look back on that with great joy of what God had done in their lives?
[18:40] Can you think of a fiery furnace experience in your life and you said, I would have never placed me and my family in that. But now when I look back on that and I saw God sustaining grace and power in my life and what he did, I wouldn't want to take that away for anything at all.
[18:55] And if you look back on your lives, you see that he did not waste that in your life. It is used to God to help us conform to the image of a son. That we're told at the point of salvation, that's his predestined purpose for us, that he's going to conform us into the image of a son.
[19:07] So anything that enters into our lives that does that, we should rejoice in and thank him for that. 2 Corinthians 12, we see Paul had suffered for his communion. Because of his suffering, he says that his prayer life and communion with God had grown stronger.
[19:23] I would say that all of us in here at times would say that we struggle with our prayer life and our communion with God. Could you imagine where you would be at if God didn't constantly bring you to a point where you were dependent upon him?
[19:35] If it wasn't for troubles that we deal with, how much more we would struggle with that area and spiritual discipline of prayer. And then we got the other aspect here, problems have a purpose in the chastisement for sin.
[19:47] The trouble we bring on ourselves because of sin, it's a loving purpose in our chastisement. Hebrews 12, 7 says, if we endure chastening, God deals with us as with sons.
[19:58] For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.
[20:09] Furthermore, we have our fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, which gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of our spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chasteneth us after their own pleasures, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
[20:29] So it speaks about a type of people that may persecute for their enjoyment, but it says that our God does it for whose purpose and for whose profit? For profit it is for you and it's for me that he would do that, that we are partakers of his holiness.
[20:43] Because he loves us so much that he would not allow us to continue in this sin, so our problems have a purpose. The ones we bring in ourselves, the chastisement, he will use for the area of holiness.
[20:56] So as a Christian, we have the same problems as other people. Christians are not exempt from problems. We have just as many as any other people. But now the problems take on a new meaning. Your suffering produces perseverance, which produces character, which will produce hope.
[21:10] But we glory, it says, in tribulation. If you would like to circle that, it says we do that in tribulation, and it doesn't say because of tribulation, and there's a difference there.
[21:21] There's a distinct difference in the fact that 1 Thessalonians 5.18, in everything we give thanks, not because of everything we give thanks, but in everything, rejoice because there is a purpose in it.
[21:32] We see this so clearly with Apostle Paul. 2 Corinthians 11.23-27, listen to what he says here. He says, Are they ministers of Christ?
[21:43] I speak as a fool. I am more, and labor is more abundant, and stripes above measure, and prisons more frequent, and deaths oft of joys. Five times receive thy forty stripes, saved one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck.
[21:57] A night and a day I have been in the deep, and in journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils my own countrymen, in perils by heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among the false brethren, in weariness, in painfulness, in watchings often, and in hunger, and in thirst, and fastings often, and in cold, and nakedness.
[22:19] Then if you turn over to the next chapter in 1210, you're going to see his attitude because of this. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake.
[22:32] Why? Can he be positive in this? Because when I am weak, then I am made strong. Why is it as a Christian, we so often times, find ourselves not rejoicing, as we should?
[22:43] Maybe we're missing opportunities, to rejoice, because our attitude, and mindset, is not the same, as the apostle Paul. No matter what you gave him, he found a chance to rejoice. You put him on a ship, and you shipwreck him, he's going to rejoice.
[22:56] You have him beaten, he's going to rejoice. No matter what you threw at him, he was going to find a way, to rejoice, because he understood, what God was doing, and that he had a purpose, in it.
[23:09] Do you think maybe in here, that the reason that we have, such a struggle, and rejoicing in our everyday lives, is because we don't see, what he brings into our lives, have a purpose. That we do not see, the hand of God, in our everyday lives.
[23:22] Could you just take a moment, and search hard, and say, how am I viewing the problem, that I'm dealing with? We don't have enough time, and in here, to go around, and we're not a self-help group, so we won't all stand up, and say our names, and tell us, of the problems, we're dealing with, because no matter, what the problem is, and no matter, how individual, and different it is, from one another, can I tell you, that the answer is the same, that we should rejoice, in the Lord, understanding, that he has a purpose, in your suffering, no matter how great, or how small it is in here, we should rejoice.
[23:55] How are you doing, with that church? How are you doing, with that Christian? Are we doing good with that, or have we taken it, for something else? And I want to challenge you, as my heart has been challenged, whatever comes into my life, take it and rejoice.
[24:07] The apostle Paul, seemed to do, a very good job, with that. He realized, there is a purpose. God's number one purpose, in your life, is to make you like Jesus Christ. God wants you to thank, act, and love the way, Christ thanks, acts, and loves.
[24:21] So we are commanded, to take up a cross, and we are in dear, in dear tribulation, but it has, it has a purpose. So why should we be surprised, if God's plan, is to make us like Christ, that we will not be treated, like Christ?
[24:35] And why can we not, rejoice in that? Why should we say, we want to be Christ like, we want to be made, into the image of the son, but we don't want the world, to treat us, the same way, they would treat Jesus. Because can I tell you, that the world is no different, than it was in his time.
[24:49] That if Jesus was to come now, and not 2000 years ago, humanity would still, crucify him on a cross, and we would still spit upon him, and we would still beat him. So don't be surprised, that when you are being made, into the image of the son, that you are treated, as the son.
[25:04] Verse number five, it says that, he has put, hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God, is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. Hope doesn't disappoint, that we will never be, disappointed in this.
[25:18] This speaks volumes, of our new ability, to love. It says, it's shed abroad, no small amount. It spreads to every corner, of our heart. And then we go on, to find out, what kind of love is this?
[25:29] It's the kind of love, that in verse six, it says, for when we were yet, without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely, for a righteous man, when one died, but per venture, for a good man, should one even dare to die?
[25:40] It contrasts, the type of love, God has for us, compared to the type of love, that we are able to have. Good, honorable men, have fought for our country, and died for people, they cared about in the country.
[25:51] And it says, the type of love, that God has, is even greater than that, that he dies for the enemy, and he begins to describe, that type of love, and you're like, what a remarkable love. And then it says, that he didn't give us, a small dose of it, it says that that love, is shed abroad in our heart, and that it goes, to every corner, of our love, every corner, of our heart.
[26:12] And so I'll tell you, that this ought to speak, volumes of our ability, to be loving. I don't know, that I can love that person, I don't know, that I have what it takes, can I tell you Christian, you do have, what it takes, to love that person, because his love, has been shed abroad.
[26:25] In the hymn, by William Calper, it says, ever since by faith, I saw the stream, by flowing wound supply, redeeming love, has been my theme, and shall be, until I die. That redeeming love, that you found, that salvation, that it was shed abroad, in your heart, ought to be the type of love, that you live upon, every day of your life, and ought to be, that what you ought to be, showing to this world.
[26:45] Jesus demonstrated, this love for us on the cross. He died for the ungodly, he died for the ones, nailing him to the cross. He loved us so much, that he gave us, the Holy Spirit. Verse number five, it says, it's shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.
[27:01] To me, this is one of the most, amazing aspects, of justification. When you stop to realize, that a third person, of the Trinity, is indwelling us. That God came in, that our hearts, became the temple.
[27:13] That he came in, and he lives, inside of us. That you're never alone, no matter where you're at, he is there. And let's just talk about, the Holy Spirit here, for a moment.
[27:24] The Holy Spirit, that we're told in Acts 9, 31, the comfort of the Holy Spirit. John 14, 26, he's called the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. We're told in John 14, 26, the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father, will send in my name.
[27:38] He shall teach you, all things, and bring all things, through remembrance, and whatsoever said unto you, the Holy Spirit, which pointed us, to Christ, the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify, of me.
[27:51] Ephesians 3, 16, we find that he will grant you, according to the riches, of his glory, to be strengthened, with might, by his Spirit, and the inner man. The Holy Spirit leads us, Galatians 5, 18, but if you be led, of the Spirit, you're not under, the law.
[28:05] He also convicts, when he has come, he will reprove, the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. The Holy Spirit empowers, but you shall receive power, after which the Holy Ghost, has come upon you.
[28:16] How many times, do you feel inadequate, for what God, would have you to do? So many times, we come to an opportunity, either it's sharing, our faith with somebody, or it's an obstacle, in our lives, and you just think, I'm just not capable, to come against this.
[28:32] Can I remind you, who lives inside of you, and how capable, they are. The Holy Spirit, that teaches, points to Christ, strengthens, leads, and convicts, and empowers. And thinking about, the Holy Spirit, living inside of our hearts, how often times, pathetic, and anemic, do our plans, for our lives seem, when we realize, what we have.
[28:53] It's like we have, all the ability, to make a spaceship, and we put the parts together, to make a blender. You know, we have been, we've been gifted, with so many wonderful things, and we just forget about it.
[29:04] We have it in our hand. You know, so many times, often, if you wear glasses, I'm sure you've been like this, you've had them in your hand, and you're looking for them, and you don't know, where they're at, or I've been on my phone, wondering where my phone is at, talking to somebody, and probably should, I think I probably discredit, everything I've said today, right?
[29:21] Outside of reading the Bible, but you do that, and so I so many times, go about my life, trying my best, to do so many things, and I forget, where my real strength is found, and the work of the Holy Spirit, in my life, and I'm thinking, I'm just not doing good, I'm not capable, but I realize, it was never about me, and it never will be, but what he gave me, what a wonderful gift, that everything is needed, for a job, in life, whatever, we were created for good works, and he has provided, everything needed, for it.
[29:49] Ephesians 1 15, we're told that, the down payment, or the earnest payment, for our salvation, is the Holy Spirit. Pastor mentioned this last week, or two weeks ago, if you deal with this area, of eternal security, if you wonder, if I'm saved, will you take it away from me?
[30:04] Can I tell you, if you put your faith, in Jesus Christ, he gave you the Holy Spirit, and he does not come, and go in a person's life, that he lives, inside of you, and that Holy Spirit, will finish, what he has started, and then we find here, lastly, we find eternal security, much more, being now justified, by his blood, we shall be saved, from the wrath, through him, being justified, we shall be saved, from wrath, through Jesus, and that we were justified, we were given, an unconditional promise, that we will be saved, from the wrath, Paul has proven, in four chapters, that we don't work, for our salvation, and you don't stay saved, by working for it, our security, is not based, on our faithfulness, but our God's faithfulness, he is not based, on our works, but Christ's finished work, on the cross, it says, we shall be saved, from wrath, and it says, through him, and that is better, in the words, of the fourth grade, in Burkina Faso, that is much better, than any physical security, Jeremy Hall taught us, at the men's conference, that one of the highest, paying businesses, in the world, where money is put, is in security, people are always looking, for businesses, or hiring people, that have a background, in criminal justice, whatever, because there's so many ways, that people are, stealing your identity, whether it be online, and people spend, all kinds of time, and energy, with security, either of their money, of their life, their safety, on their doors, that the most important, security would be, that of our soul, where we will spend, eternity, and I'm so thankful, that that security, has not had anything, to do with me, but it has to do, with Jesus, so can I ask you here, in closing, with all these blessings, of benefit, that God has given us, how should we, respond, verse 11 says, and not only so, but we also, joy in God, through our Lord,
[31:49] Jesus Christ, by whom we have now, received, the atonement, could I tell you, that the response, ought to be, that we ought to find, incredible joy in this, that we should be, the most joyful people, in this world, and because of this, we should commit, a living, a life for him, 2 Corinthians 5, 14 and 15 says, for the love of Christ, constraineth us, because thus judge, but because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then we're all dead, that if he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth, live unto themselves, but unto him, which died for them, and rose again, can I tell you, knowing what he has done for you, and what he has secured for you, and what he has given you, his salvation, how could you do anything, but love for him, so an application today, being in the fact, that we should rejoice, in him, we have been thoroughly equipped, to live a radically different life, we have been thoroughly furnished, for good works, how we've been thoroughly furnished, for this, and how we've been equipped, for it, because we have the peace with God, we have access to God, we have hope in life, we have problems, our problems have a purpose, we have God's love in our hearts, we have the Holy Spirit, we have eternal security, and too many times, as Christians, we only think of the Christian life, in light of eternity, and you know that you have heaven, and you know that it's one, wonderful, but what does that have to do, with the problems, that I have right now, and the here and now, and can I tell you, it has everything to do, with the problems, that you're dealing with, and the here and now, because when you got salvation, you got Jesus, and you got everlasting life, so can I challenge you, to realize who you are, in Christ, and rejoice, do that there in your seat, and pray, do that at the altar, but rejoice, pray through that, thank God for those things, say God I'm thankful, that you even hear me, when I pray,
[33:36] God I'm thankful, that you have given me, hope in all those things, and then Christian also, in here realize, who you are, in Christ, and live a life, that reflects the changes, that he has made, in your life, so many times, we do not live, the bold life, that we should, because we just forget, what he has made us, to be, remember I told you, at the beginning, he used all those, plural possessive pronouns, that this was an 11 verses, about the apostle Paul, or just about an apostle, what was said, is true of every believer, in this room, it is not something, that you attain to, it isn't like, among your Christian life, he says I'm going to give you, these seven different steps, along the way, and after you have attended church, for seven years, I'm going to give you, the first two, and after you've been faithful, to me for so many years, I'll give you the next four, he doesn't have a scheme, where he's going on, where he gives these out, over a year, at the point of salvation, all seven of those benefits, of justification, became yours completely, and let's rejoice in them, and let's make use of that, let's live a life, that reflects, that we have been changed, by the gospel,
[34:42] Heavenly Father, I thank you so much, that our lives, have been changed, by the gospel, that you left us, into this world, with a purpose, you left us in a world, that hates us, but Lord you equipped us, to do the work, that you called us to do, and you have given us, some spectacular benefits, the justification, that the gospel, not only changes our eternity, but it changes, our life, and Lord I pray, that today, and this week, and for the rest, of our lives here on earth, Lord we will live, as people that recognize, what you have done, at that, Lord I ask that you, will forgive me, so many times, of just forgetting, and neglecting these, gifts that you have given me, and I thank you so much, that you gave them to us, Lord as a gift, that we don't earn them, and they're not progressive, but you have given them, fully to us, to enjoy, and to act upon, this message, was recorded, at Vision Baptist Church, in Alfredo, Georgia, for more information, log on to, www.visionbaptist.com, where you can find, our service times, location, contact information, and more audio, and video recordings,可以 いる, you,