All right, for this morning,
we're back to Galatians chapter three again. Week before last, my message
was to the effect of Christ crucified among you. Now what I want to
do is read all three, all five verses, the first, I'm sorry,
what I want to do this morning is read chapter three, the first
five verses, I want to read them, not slowly, but I want to read
them, and if you're following along, or if you're listening,
whichever one, to listen to the words. Then after I read the
first five verses, I will go back, read it again, make a few
preliminary comments, and then I'll get into my message in earnest. So Galatians chapter three, verses
one through five. Oh foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth. Before whose
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you. This only would I learn of you. Think about it, this one question
he's asking. This only would I have learned of you. Received
ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of
faith. That's a vital, this only what
I learn of you. By the works of the Lord, by
the hearing of faith. Are ye so foolish, having begun in the
spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered
so many things in vain, if it yet be in vain? He therefore
that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith.
And let me summarize this. When I was in religion, and it
was called Christian religion, it wasn't Christian, they were
always referring this verse five to people among us. That's talking
about the Lord. He's the one that ministereth
to us the Spirit. I've never ministered to you
the Spirit, not in one iota. I don't give you the spirit in
any way, shape, or form, but be that as it may. Now, let's
look at it again. Oh, foolish Galatians. Sometimes
we need to be told the way it is. Yes, sir. If we're at fault,
we need to be told we're at fault. Yes, sir. But think about this
religion. So-called Christian religion
is full of rebuke before a fault's ever been exercised. They're
up there judging and condemning and warning everybody about going
to hell and they ain't even done anything yet. They do these warnings
because they think their warnings will keep people from doing it. Rebuke is for when you've already
messed up. These people had already started
to succumb to these false teachers. Paul would not dare have wrote
to them and called them old foolish Galatians, Jack, had they not
already began to succumb to this. Do you understand that? In these five verses, I could
spend weeks here, Sunday after Sunday, but I'm not going to
do that. Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? You've
been hoodwinked. You've been hoodwinked. that
ye should not obey the truth. Now think about this. This is
not because they'd turn back to drunkenness and debauchery. It's because they'd turn back
to the law. Think about that. Think about
that. That ye should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth
crucified among you. Paul said, it seems to me, I'm
paraphrasing, it seems to me that when you heard the gospel,
it was real to you. That's a paraphrase, it's real to you. This only would
I learn of you. Now, give me a straightforward
answer on just this one thing. That's what he said. This only
would I learn of you. Received you the spirit by the
works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Therein lies the rub,
does it not? Now, I'll give you my title before
I do any further. The beginning dictates everything. I'm afraid too many people's
had a false beginning. And that's why they're in so
much error down the line. Now these people had a good beginning
and had been bewitched. Some people just never had Jesus
Christ crucified among them. This only what I learned of you,
received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing
of faith. Are you so foolish? Having begun
in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Think of
the gravity of what he's accusing them of. Okay? You see, people, religious people,
even professing Christians don't understand the law of God. God's
holy. Just good law deals with the
flesh. It deals with our fallen, it
deals with fallen humanity and deals with our fallen humanity. It does not deal with us when
we were in Adam in the garden before the fall. The law deals
with the flesh. And oh, if God would ever open
our minds even further, and I say that because I believe he has
to a degree, and some other minds, Joe, I wish he would open them
up to start with. When you talk about law keeping, what you're
talking about is bringing the flesh in line. God demands it. But the flesh will not. This only what I learned of you.
No, I'm sorry. Are you so foolish? Are you really
that foolish? Have you forgotten? Are you so
bewitched that it's totally gone from you? And I'm putting my
thoughts in there now. Are you so foolish? Having begun
in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Have you
suffered so many things in vain, if it yet be in vain? Think of
what you went through when God Almighty began to convert you.
I'm talking about truly gospel convert you. Think of the turmoil
within your own soul and heart and mind. Think of the turmoil
you had with family members. Think of it. Have you suffered
so many things in vain, if it yet be in vain? He therefore
that minister to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
It's evident, it's faith. It's faith. Now one reason why
so many professing in professing Christianity are caught up with
keeping the law. The reason is because their message,
I didn't say their gospel, but they think it's the gospel. They
call it the gospel. They say, I'm preaching the gospel
just like I say I'm preaching the gospel. One reason, I said
one, there are others. But this is the chief, I'm afraid.
One reason why so many in professing Christianity are caught up with
keeping the law is because their message, it's not the gospel,
because their message begins with the law in the flesh. That's where it begins. They
think it all begins with the law. I mean, some even teach,
and I'll go into detail. I'll even name them by name here
in a little bit, God willing, if I don't kick over dead while
I'm doing this. They begin with the law, and
they say, well, the law, and I've said it, and I've said it
not because I actually believed what I was saying, I just didn't
understand what I was saying, that the law brings us to Christ.
It's not so. And somebody said, well, this
old, Paul wrote that it did. No, he didn't. If you'll look,
let me find it. It doesn't say for the law was
our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that's the way the
KJ puts it. If you look at, and we'll deal
with this later, we'll deal with that now. To bring us is not
that, it's in italics, they put it there. The law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ. Unto Christ. We began under a
schoolmaster. That's the way he words it in
chapter four. We begin under a schoolmaster,
we're under it, and under it, and under it, and under it, and
under it, and under it. Then God Almighty reveals Christ unto
him. The law doesn't bring you to
Christ. In an unregenerate state, the
law will make us nothing but hypocrites, self-righteous. That's what it'll do. So again,
the reason so many are caught up with keeping the law is because
their message begins with the law in the flesh. They preach
law for conviction, law for conversion, and law for sanctification. They
are consistent. I'll give them that. But they're
dead wrong. Their consistency is a consistence
in wrong. The reformed movement of the
day is saturated with this approach. And let me just explain, I did
not say the reformers. Okay, I said the reform movement,
but I'm not trying to paint a, I'm not trying to use a roller
brush just to paint everybody the same color. I want to try
to explain this. I'm trying to use a small, delicate brush. The reformers, who truly knew
God, I think they thought that they could reform Rome. But one
thing they did not understand is that Rome was apostate and
did not need reformed. God in the book of the Revelation
says, come out of her. If something is bad in the sight
of God, it doesn't need reformed, it needs abandoned. You understand
that? Now I think many of the reformers
come to understand that later. They realized they could not,
they did not reform Rome, did they? They had to break away.
And I know there's a better way to say it, but they had to start
a whole new movement. Or at least, Joe, a whole new movement got
started. Lutherans, Presbyterians, whatever
it is. The reform movement, though,
today is saturated with this approach, I said, but when I
say reform, I'm talking about those in this, and again, I'm
not trying to paint just with a roller brush everybody, but
the reformed movement. Some of them will have it on
their billboards, their little thing, Reformed Baptist. Reformed
Presbyterian, and generally, again, I can't paint that, Joe,
with too broad a brush. I've never traveled all over
the world to make sure every one of them are this way, but
many of them, when it says Reformed Baptist, or Reformed Presbyterian,
or Reformed Assim, whatever it is, most of the time, through
my experience, what I have experienced, has to do, it's this, they're
Calvinistic, they believe in sovereign grace, but they still
believe the law is necessary for something in the believer's
life. Now, the place I was born and
raised in was not Calvinistic, but they were Reformed in the
sense that they liked the laws and the rules to bring everything
into place. So when I talk about, if I mention the Reformed, or
the Reformed movement, that's what I'm talking about. If you can find one, that is
truly liberated from the law, tell me, I'd like to meet him.
I'd like to meet him. Paul calls legalism, now think
about this, and I will say this probably the next few Sundays
or at least the next few messages if something happens I'm not
here on a Sunday. Paul in this little letter is relentless. Have you read through it? I know
you have, I'm not rebuking, have you read through it? Once he
starts, He don't quit, all the way to chapter six, the last
few verses, he just keeps hammering and hammering and hammering.
In Romans, he deals with difficulties, troubles, things where maybe
someone was wrong, and he corrects those things, not by rules and
laws, but just by telling the truth. Here's how it is. And
Joey even goes on to walk, okay? In Galatians, he deals with all
of that, but it's still constantly hammer, hammer, hammer. Christ,
not law. Christ, not law. Christ, not
law. And he don't quit. Every time
you read, it's just another approach at the same error. Law instead
of Christ. You cannot have Christ and the
law. You either have Christ or you
don't have anything but everything else. So again, Paul calls legalism,
any legalism at any stage in a person's life. Paul calls legalism
foolishness. And I hear that in what we read.
These are the words he uses. Translated into English, I should
say. Foolishness and disobedience and so foolish and vain. My brothers and sisters, A person says they believe in
sovereign grace, the sovereign Christ, Christ's effectual work
at Calvary, and they read this book and don't see that they
are not under the law in any way, something is seriously wrong. Is it this? The beginning dictates
everything. I don't know in every case. I
don't know, but I'm warning. I'm warning. You see, these are
the very words, foolishness. And he's not talking at all.
When I was in religion, it's like you've fallen from grace.
And they would talk about going back to smoking cigarettes, going
back to drinking beer. You know what I'm talking about?
Going back to going to a bad picture show, you know, the R-rated
ones or the X-rated ones, God forbid. Isn't that right? Isn't that, that's what they
meant by falling from grace. What's Paul talking about? You
went from being a person who trusted wholly and solely in
Jesus Christ to now thinking somehow you can keep God's law. That's falling from grace. Trying
to be a good moral person and have some kind of little bit
of favor with God because of it. It doesn't matter whether
it's 99.9, as opposed to, what is it, point one, whatever it
is, Joe, forgive my mathematics at this moment. You see, I will
not argue the point, Paul's already stated it. I'm not gonna argue
that point this morning from this. We read this, I made a
few comments. If you don't see it in this letter,
you ain't gonna see it right now. God's got to do something
for you, and the problem is, if you don't see it, If you keep
going to but, but, but, if you don't see it, God's got to open
your eyes. And that includes everybody here,
me and anybody out there. This whole letter, Paul just
keeps on and keeps on and keeps on. It's like, Paul, go on to
something else. No, because this is a serious
problem. It is so deceptive. What's wrong
with being good? Right? What's wrong with keeping
the law? Right? It's damning if you think
you're gaining some kind of favor with God at any time in any stage
of your life. Before you are saved or after
you are saved or when you're in glory. We read a little bit,
Joe, just a little bit of glory, something of what it's going
to be like. The book of the Revelation, one of the last couple chapters.
You don't see no 10 commandments there anywhere. It's the Lamb
that's the light thereof, not the two tables of stone. We'll be worshiping the Lamb,
not the commandments. Think about this. Turn with me
to John chapter 16. I'll try not to keep you too
long, but this is important. This is important. I want to give you three things.
Well, think about this. Think about in light of what
we've read in those five verses. And think of my title, The Beginning
Dictates Everything. I mean, when you start on a trip,
if you get on the wrong road, Jack, to start with, you're in
trouble. It's gonna take some work, some maneuvering, to get
you back even to a good starting place. When it comes to this
spiritual thing, this thing of salvation, only God can do that.
But God does do that. Amen. God does do that. He will
bring his people in the line. And if there is, if there's no
chastisement, if there's no correction, I don't care if that correction,
Joe, is going from unconverted to converted, or converted and
fallen to the side and back in the way, it doesn't matter, it's
still a fall. Still wrong, still dishonors Christ. Number one,
you in John chapter 16? Think about this now. Spirit
conviction is about God's holy son, not our law deeds. Now I'm not saying the spirit
will never convict you of your breaking of the law, but if he
does it apart from giving you life, you'll just become a hypocrite
Pharisee. Me too, me too. You remember
there was a man that was moved by the Spirit of God, Joe, to
prophesy of Christ, didn't even know what he was saying. He knew
what he meant, but what he meant meant something totally different
than what the Spirit meant. Remember the Caiaphas, the high
priest? You remember that? But the man was steeped in what?
The law. The law. But the Spirit moved
him to say something absolutely correct. Again, spirit conviction
is about God's son, not our law deeds. Look at John 16, just
a few verses. And when he has come, of course
you know the context, it's the comforter, the spirit of God.
And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and
of righteousness and of judgment. Do you see that? Of sin, because
we've all broke the law. Is that what it says? Is that
his thrust? Is that the Spirit's thrust?
Is that where this conviction is? No. Of sin. Because they believe not on me. Do you see that? Our great sin. I didn't say our only sin. I've
even heard that preach. I've heard this preach. Jesus
Christ died for every sin except the sin of unbelief. Now if you
believe, you'll be saved. I was steeped in that one. Then
what about your unbelief? You're gonna go to hell for it.
Of sin, why? Because they believe not on me. You see, if you could keep all
the law and not believe on Christ, you're still a rebel against
God. Oh, God opened some eyes. You see
that? You see what this book's saying? The chief convicting purpose
of the Spirit of God doesn't have to do with all of our sins
under law. It has to do with our great rebellion
against God's dear Son. The chief problem of Israel is
this. I will not have this man reign over me. And that's my
chief problem of my nature. I will not have this man reign
over me. of sin, because they believe
not on me. But look, of righteousness. Okay,
well now we're getting back. There ought to be some law here,
right? Of righteousness, because I go
to the Father and you see me no more. You can look at the
law, you're not gonna see true righteousness, because your mind
and mine by nature will twist it. Excuse it. Confuse it. And obfuscate concerning it.
we'll pick out the ones that are easy and kind of let the
others go. If I don't have a problem with
the alcoholic bottle, but boy, I could sure hammer on live.
People do that, right? If I don't have a problem with
womanizing or manizing, however you say the second one, but I
don't steal nothing at work. You know what I'm saying? Our
flesh will pick and choose what it wants. There's not just ten,
there's hundreds. And all of those are summed up
in two. Love God with everything you
are. And anybody that doesn't see
that they don't is still unregenerate, unsaved, unconverted. And love your neighbor as yourself.
I don't mean just give great concern for you. It means love
your neighbor like your neighbor was you. Again, spirit conviction is about
God's Son, not our law days. Of righteousness, because I go
to my Father and you see me no more. Of judgment, because the
Prince of this world is Judge. Because there is something even...
We are totally, absolutely depraved. And then we have this plethora
of demonic forces of principalities and powers, spiritual wickedness
in high places that just keeps encouraging us toward that very
same thing. And yeah, we may, through a sheer
act of human will, move from drunkenness to sobriety, but
we still will not bow to God's Son. You hear me? We can give up the illicit drugs
and the needles and the pills, but we still won't bow to God's
Son. Oh, we'll go to church services and be moral and sing hymns and
do what we're supposed to do. But we still won't bow to God's
son. This is God's words on the matter. When the spirit of, what's he
going to convict you of? Sin, righteousness, and judgment. All of it. Who's
the one that judged the prince of this world? Him. The Son did. It all points to Christ and then
Christ goes right down and says, he shall not speak of himself,
but he'll speak of, not even of what? He'll speak of who?
Me. Christ. Christ. Christ. Now, I gotta jump to another
one. The fruit of the... The works of the flesh are manifest.
We'll look at that, God willing, later. And Paul goes down and
lists some of them, doesn't he? And he says, and such like, everything
like that. But then the fruit of the Spirit is what? Love,
joy, peace. Here's a question. Why would
a person who claims to have been delivered, remember the beginning
dictates everything, why would a person who's been delivered
by Christ seek to be under thou shalt not, when they can be under
love, joy, peace because they really don't trust God to do
it for them and in them. That's why. Give me a good, wind
me up and get me started, Lord. Now they're not gonna say it
just like, well, some might, but most are not gonna say it
that way. Wind me up, just get me started, Lord. I'll get to
the end goal. I don't need Him to wind me up.
I need to be, what's it, a marionette? Is that what that's called, Joe?
The puppet master guy? I need to be a puppet on a string.
I need God to lead me. This book says so. Guide me. Direct me. The head, the hands,
the feet, the heart. Everything. You see, people like to make
those statements, and I realize when they say it, you're kind
of taken aback. Well, you make us puppets on
a string. Start saying, okay. Because it's
God that works in us, his people, both to will and to do. Now, do I trust him for that
or not? But I fall so many times, yeah.
Yeah, you do. Peter, Satan has desired to sift
you as wheat. Who gave him that permission? Now we're getting down to the
nitty-gritty of who really believes God's sovereign and who's not.
Pardon me a moment. Now turn to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. Now folks, all of this is familiar
because the gospel hadn't changed. I'm just reiterating and hammering
on the same old same old over and over again. Remember the
first one, spirit conviction is about God's Son, not our law
dates. Here's the second one, 2 Thessalonians
2. Spirit conversion is about God's
Son and not our law deeds. Look at it, 2 Thessalonians 2
verse 13. But we are bound to give thanks
unto God always for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Okay, so. But look, then the next one,
where unto? So in other words, he said, okay,
truth, now he's gonna define it. At least, Joe, with a general,
but yet particular, I know that sounds the opposite, but a general
statement, but yet particular, where unto he called you, what? By our gospel. Anybody who thinks
the gospel and the law is the same thing, They're blind, they're
dead in trespasses and sins. Do you see it? Where into he
called you by our gospel, but kind of like Joe said, but not
just get us out of the hole, Joe. To the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, we either believe He's
sufficient, beginning, all the way through the middle and the
end, or we don't believe He has any sufficiency at all. I pointed this out to you earlier.
We don't just believe Christ, but we reject law. Those things
go together. But that's what the reformed
are steeped in. For them, it's okay. God says
it's not okay, you honor my son and him only, or you don't believe
with all your heart. You might believe with a little
piece of it, but you know what that piece of it is? Called the
flesh. You say the flesh can believe
in Jesus? Oh, second, let me read it to
you. I just want you to hear Paul
state it. Don't take it as Walter's words.
Let me find it, hold on. Listen, listen to the words.
You don't have to turn to it, listen to the words. Wherefore henceforth
know we no man after the flesh, yea? Though we've known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. There you go. There you go. How can that be if you take Jesus
plus something else? Jesus, plus something else, is
believing in Him by the flesh. Trusting Christ only and rejecting
everything else is believing with a new heart, with the new
man. Somebody says, that's tough,
preacher. Yeah, it is, because the thrice holy God said so.
Here's another one, turn to, well, no, you don't have to turn
yet. I'll make the statement because I've got four things
to show you here. I'll get right down, try to get
down to the nitty gritty. Well, yeah, I'm sorry. See, I
sat right here and lied to you right here as I was talking about
this, didn't I? Broke that commandment just right off the bat. Turn
to Hebrews chapter 13. You turn there and I'll make
the statement. Hebrews chapter 13. Listen to me. Remember, I said spirit conviction
is about God's Son, not our law deeds. Spirit conversion is about
God's Son, not our law deeds. Sanctification is an act of God. It has nothing to do with our
law deeds. Now this includes, I'm not going
into it here because Paul is dealing, especially in this context,
with law deeds. Right, he meant it, by works
of the law. But it doesn't matter whether
it's just man's ethical deeds. You know, man has his ethical
deeds, things he thinks right and wrong that has nothing to
do with God's law, right? And then you also have church
laws, rules, right? You have ecclesiastical laws
and rules. You have the elders have laws
and rules. Think about it. I said, sanctification
is an act of God. It has nothing to do with our
law deeds. Look at Hebrews 13 and verse
12. Hebrews 13 and verse 12 is where
I start, but before I do, let me say this. Sanctification is
an act of God by the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13 verse 12, wherefore
Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood. You see that, with his own blood.
Suffered without the gate. So that means there is some aspect. I don't know the best word. See,
sometimes I'm leery because I realize, you know, we just, I just pick
words out sometimes, Joe, they sound good to me, and later I
find out, well, that was a shot full of hail. You ever done that,
hmm? Wherefore Jesus also that he
might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without
the gate. That was done before we even existed. But look, let
us go forth, therefore, unto him without the cap, bearing
his reproach. Now, of course, now the writer
of Hebrews is using a metaphor because Christ had done a sin
to back to glory. But this is, in other words,
as he had to go without the cap and suffer reproach and indignity
and injustice. Let's go to where he is. No matter
what it costs, no matter what takes place, go to him. Now look,
for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually. That is the fruit of our lips,
giving thanks to his name. And somebody said, how could
that be a real sacrifice? Because in the flesh, we will
not. In the flesh, it's got to have at least a little. Oh, we'll
do it toward God, but got to have a little bit of me in the
midst of it. You see it? But to do good and to communicate,
forget not. For such sacrifices, God is well
pleased. Obey them which have the rule
over you and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy
and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Pray
for us. For we trust we have a good conscience
in all things, willing to live honestly. Now, I want you to
notice that, yes, it's about living good, living honestly,
doing what's right, but never is, okay, here, here's this commandment,
keep it, because the commandments always say this, thou shalt not. And if you do, you're guilty. You're guilty. What are you gonna
have then? That blood. That blood's the only answer.
Well, I can do better than put it in the balances. No. Any tilt,
any, no, no. Any weight of any kind on the
negative side when it comes to God's law, we're goners. We're
goners. Look at it. But I beseech you
rather to do this. that I may be restored to you
the sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good
work. Now isn't that just the best
way to sum it up? To do his will, working in you, that which is
well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, the who be glory
forever and ever, so be it. Amen. Folks, I'm saying it's
just give up. In all your doing, quit. Don't
quit the doing, but quit looking to it. Quit trusting in it. Quit
leaning on it. Trust Him to work in you that
which is well-pleasing in His sight. Think of it, well-pleasing
to a thrice holy God. You say, how do I do that? By
just quitting. Not quit doing good, Joe, none of those, but
quit doing it for any sense of favor before God. It's not gonna
make you one more I owe to sanctify. The more we do, listen to me,
and I'm not trying to encourage you not doing, I done stressed
it, stressed it, the more we do, the more we're gonna see
Him too. The more you do, the more you're
gonna see Him. See, that's where the Roman Catholics got it all
wrong. They thought by putting their priest in the monastery
or up there, Joe, in one of those places, all the vices and the
evils, it would be a lot easier to be holy, to be set apart for
the Lord. Joe, isn't that what they believed?
It don't work. It turned some of them, some
of them, into debaucherous men. That's what the law does. It
exposes our flesh, our corruption, our false religion. So again,
we're sanctified. Sanctification is an act of God
by Christ's blood. Now turn back to 2 Thessalonians
2 again. Pardon me. 2 Thessalonians 2. And think about this statement.
Now read the verses. Sanctification is an act of God
by the Spirit of God unto gospel conversion. Didn't we read that?
He chose us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. Do you see that? Belief of the
truth. Who's the sanctifying agent in
this thing? The Spirit of God is. And having
begun in the Spirit. See it? Ellen, I'm not trying
to get my own little point of view, our little doctrine. We're
talking, have you begun the spirit? You thou may perfect of the flesh. Through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto we called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So let's go on now. Therefore, brethren, stand. Do
you see it? Don't give in even the least
little bit. It may cost you beloved people,
people you care about. But who's more important, Christ
and His glory or you and your relationships in this world? Therefore, brethren, stand fast.
Now, I'm not saying for you to go out and be belligerent to
them. I am not saying that. But you stand fast. and you don't
try to make them see anything, just tell the truth of what God's
done for you, what he showed you, that's it. If they don't
believe it, they don't believe it, Jack. You can't make them
believe it. But look, therefore stand fast and hold the traditions
which you have been taught, whether by our word or our epistle. And
then some men come along and say, well, we can have our tradition.
No, he said, my traditions. And the only ones we know of
now, Joe, that we can rely on are in this book. You understand
what he's saying? You understand that? But look
at it. Hold the traditions which ye
have been taught, whether by word or our epistle, now our
Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even the Father which hath
loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through
grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word
and work. What's he say? You gotta trust
God. And I don't even know if I said
that. It ain't we got to, the only option is, trust God. He started this thing, now don't
you think you'll see it through? Yeah, sometimes He will let you
miserably fall flat on your face. Just like He did Job, just like
He did Peter, and others, just like He does us. And you know
what that does? That forces you to run to Christ.
Not by me getting up here and preaching to you, thou shalt
not. All that's gonna do is hammer you in the ground. That's all
it's gonna do. You remember what Peter said?
He said, our forefathers nor us were able to bear when it
comes to that. That's what he said, we wasn't able to bear
it. And yet religion, it calls itself Christian. Even Calvinists,
sovereign grace people, want to hammer God's people with the
law. Quit it! Love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
goodness, gentleness, meekness, faith, temperance. There is no
law against those things. Walk in those things. And when
you see the flesh manifested, abhor it, yeah. Yeah, abhor it,
but you know what? The only thing we can do to the
flesh is mortify its members. We can't kill it, but we can
put the members, You got a bad habit of something, you know
it dishonors God. Then cry out unto God for mercy
to lay that thing down. And you will in God's good time. You will in God's good time.
Remember Peter denied him, not one time and then all of a sudden
everything was fine. They may have happened in a short
period of time, but can you imagine the guilt in Peter's conscience? Three times and one of them was
to a little girl. Now go to Ephesians chapter 5
and I know this is taking a little long, but I don't apologize. You know what preachers use?
I know this is taking long, but I apologize. Well, I can't apologize
for it. Turn to Ephesians 5. Remember, sanctification is the
act of God by Christ's blood, by God the Spirit unto gospel
conversion. But listen to me, God's word
is the means, the means of sanctification. Ephesians 5, verse 25. Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave
himself for it. That's far more than just loving
your neighbors yourself. Look, that he might sanctify,
you see it? That he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water, how? By the word. And you know,
sometimes we do speak about the law. Sometimes we mention its
commandments. But that doesn't lift us up.
You know what that does? If you really hear it, it brings
you down here. It don't lift you up to Christ.
It brings you down here. Then faith causes you to run
to Christ. Faith causes you to run to Christ. Now that is so simplistic. Yet it is so profound and impossible
apart from the spirit and grace of God. Look at it, by the word. Remember John 17, our Lord's
Prayer. Turn to that one. John 17, on
this same subject, or this same point, I'm sorry. God's word
is the means of sanctification. John 17, and we get in verse
14. I have given them thy word. Do you see that? And the world
has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am
not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but thou shouldest keep them from
the evil. The, not just evil. The evil. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. And you know
what John says about law and Christ? The law was given by
Moses. Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. But I'm not making this up. And
yet, there is this deceptiveness when
you have some doctrine, some good sound doctrine, but you
mix me, you in with it. You know, you can't baptize error
and make it okay. You can't give it a religious
twist or a Jesus phrase and make it okay. It's either truly Christ
or it's nothing at all but condemnation. Now here's the fourth one. Turn
to 1 Thessalonians 5 this time. 1 Thessalonians 5. You know,
let me say this. You know, our makeup as human
beings, we love to have things, even if we're not, even if we
don't perceive ourselves as this, we like our ducks in a row. In
other words, if there's a goal to be met, give me the steps
to get there. Right, we like that. Because
it seems to make it easy. Give me the steps, tell me how
to get there. All right, look at this. 1 Thessalonians 5, here's
the fourth thing. God is the source of all sanctification,
and I'll put it this way for lack of better phrase than, no
matter what kind it is. If it's of any value, If it's
of any value, and it honors God, God's the source of all sanctification. Thus saith God, not me. Look
at 1 Thessalonians 5, and let's begin in verse 12. And we beseech
you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over
you in the Lord, and admonish you. In other words, don't be
mad because sometimes the preacher says things that hurts. Old foolish
Galatians, that had to hurt, right? and to esteem them very
highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren,
warn them that are unruly." He said, warn them. Why? Oh, because
you're going to hell, you're going to lose your... No. Why?
Because this is not productive to experiencing the joy of Christ
in this life. Now exhort you brethren, warn
them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded. Not everybody
gets it like I think I do. You understand? And not everybody
has the theological mind. You know what I mean? Comfort the feeble-minded, support
the weak, and be patient toward all. Why? Because, bless God,
we need it. God don't give any of us. All
of it like that. You remember Earl said, you're
not born. Spiritually speaking, you ain't born with a full set
of teeth. Be patient toward all. See that
none render evil for evil unto any man. But ever follow that
which is good, both among yourselves and all men. But you got to give
people the details. Walk in love, joy, peace. These
things will flow. They'll flow. to all men, rejoice evermore.
We're going out, pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks,
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the spirit, despise not prophesying. Prove all things,
hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of
evil. Look at it, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. Not H-O-L-Y, W-H-O-L-L-Y. And I pray your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming, not
that you preserve it, that it be preserved. He's putting the
emphasis, Ellen, where it's supposed to be. God does this. Again,
God is the source of all sanctification. Blameless unto the coming of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now if we just stop there, we
can say, okay, that's good instruction. Trust Christ. Lean on him, but
then look at the next verse. Faithful is he that calleth you,
who will also do it. Now if that don't let you breathe
a little bit, bless God, I don't have anything to help you breathe.
You know, you just don't see it. You don't see Him. Now turn
to Colossians 1. I have a little bit more to say.
Just bear with me. Colossians chapter 1. Yeah, I don't like
I said, I don't want to stop this and I want this whole thing
and force it leave. If nobody else hears it. I want
this little group to hear the full force of this clock. What
I say Colossians, the chapter I said one to I'm sorry, Colossians
chapter two. Before I read there, let me say
this. I say to the legalist now there's
one here. I see you folks. I think I know
you. And this includes me. God Almighty
all of a sudden shows you, you've got some legalism about you,
and just, what I say, own it. Own it, wear the shoes, Dorothy,
put them on. You don't even have to click
your heels, just put them on. They're yours. I say to the legalists,
to the reformed, and I'm trying to explain what I'm talking about.
Here's my quick, what are you reforming? What are you reforming? If it's bad, drop it. If it's
good, according to the word, take it up. Does grace make it
right for us to lie now? No. But grace puts it this way. The law says, thou shalt not
bear false witness. Never. Grace says, speak no more
lies but truth. Grace acknowledges what we do,
what we are that's wrong. The law doesn't. It says it's
wrong. You're under the curse and now what we're going to read
that You're under the curse, but let me let me go I get back.
Where's that? What are you reforming? What is your progression what
is it that you progressed in What is your progressiveness? I ask you. Not to give me an
answer so that you can make me feel okay or yourself okay to
me. Ask it before God. Before God. God, I've progressed in this. Do it. I dare you. It'll either damn you forever,
or he'll make that haunt your conscience until it forces you
to run to Jesus Christ. What have you progressed in?
Think about it. By nature, we're nothing but flesh. We're the
old man. In our unregenerate, even though
we're the elect of God, when we were unregenerate, all we
were was flesh. Old man. and it is deceitful
and corrupt above all things. It can't be reformed. Quit trying
to reform it. At best, by the power of God,
mortified. Mortified. Okay? The flesh ain't
gonna progress. What about, you got God's Spirit,
right? Does He need to progress? Does He need to advance in stages? He's God Almighty. He's not just
God's little helper that floats around unseen. He's God. It's
God in you, the Spirit. God in you. What about your new
heart? It don't need to progress. It
just needs renewal. And how's that? How's that sanctification
work? By the Word. Get into the Word. Believe God's Word. Hear God's
Word. Communicate with others who believe
God's Word. Fellowship with those who believe
God's Word. That's why God didn't ordain
this as some rule, supposed to meet one day a week. Sunday,
Sunday night, Wednesday or a Tuesday or a Thursday. This is not some
rule, this is for our spiritual well-being to gather together
in this group, one on one on one on one, and fellowship together
in the truth of the person and work of Christ. And I'm not saying it always
is this way, but folks, I can have a miserable, miserable week,
but when I come here and see you folks and hear Christ preached,
it gives me a little bit of light. in that dark place. A little
bit of light in that dark place. Now, Colossians chapter two.
Now think about this. I'm gonna read it, make a couple
comments, and I'll just close with prayer. Colossians two. For I would that ye knew what
great conflict I have for you, and for them of Laodicea, and
for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. And for
us, that really kinda stands out, because we remember Laodicea
from the, the seven church, one of the seven churches in Asia,
they had some troubles. There was some folks there thought
they were fine and they were in desperate spiritual straits. Now look, that their hearts might
be comforted, be knit together in love and into all riches of
full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom hid all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Folks, there's enough in this
book. about who God is, and who God
is in the person of his Son, and who God is through the work
of the Spirit. It'll keep you busy forever.
Spiritually speaking, we ought never become bored, because we
have before us the holy, inspired word of God, God telling us who
he is. And this I say, lest any man
should beguile you with what enticing words. Think of it,
air never, rarely ever just jumps out and bites you. It sneaks
in. Pinots like that fire ant down
there in Alabama, which thank God we didn't get into the nest
of them, but they were right there under the table, and Larry
and Robin said, don't get in the middle of that. The dog even
went over and stirred it up a little, and they went, oh, man. Why?
Well, they don't just jump up on you, they crawl up that bridge's
leg, and you don't even hardly know they're there until they
start biting and stinging. And this I say, lest any man
should beguile you with enticing words, for though I be absent
in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, joying and beholding
your order and the steadfastness of your, think of it, faith in
Christ. Remember, by faith, Noah built
a big boat. By faith, Abraham got up and
got out. I think faith's enough, don't
you? By faith, somewhat conquered, subdued kingdoms, Joe. Go, read
back, read the Hebrews again. Look, look. As ye therefore,
as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus, the word of the
Lord, so walk ye in him. How'd you do it? By the power
of the Spirit through a God-given faith. Just keep believing God. as best as God enabled. Just
keep believing God. Rooted and built up in Him. Established in the faith as you've
been taught, abounded therein with thanksgiving. When I was
in Sunday school, I remember they would sit around and debate
about which movies are really good. We'd be sitting there talking
about movies during the whole Sunday school class. Not even
about Christ. Of course, they didn't know anything
really about, but you understand what I'm saying? And they would
debate, okay, here's why this movie's wrong, because it has
this scene in it, or these words in it, so anything that has,
and you're just, you're constantly given the road path to hell. You don't even know it. But you're
constantly caught up with yourself, and what you're doing, and not
Jesus Christ. I'm not saying it's, sometimes
we need instruction and things, but that's not the point. If
you don't understand that going to a movie and seeing a bunch
of naked people while they're around having sex, if you don't
understand that's wrong, you got big problems. I mean, you
just, I'm serious now, you know that, you got big problems. And
if you don't understand the cap and the cork out of that Jack
Daniels bottle, going all the way to the bottom in two or three
drinks ain't bad for ya, then you got a problem. But I don't
have to hammer to you on that. That next morning you wake up,
you'll say, woo, that was a problem. Look, beware lest any man spoil
you through what? Through philosophy. They got
all the answers, but they don't have Christ. as the sum and substance
of it all. Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men and
after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. For in
Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. How could
you want any more than that? Why would you? Unless you really
don't have eyes to see it. You know, what little bit, Tommy,
he shows us is so glorious. It's like, wow, there's a lot
more too. You know? It's enough to keep you busy
in a good way. In a good way. And you're complete
in Him. And you're complete in Him. Do
you see it? Complete about everything. Wisdom. Righteousness. Sanctification. Redemption. Isn't that good enough? If it ain't good enough for me
or for you, I'm in trouble, you're in trouble. Heavenly Father.
Lord, these things are truly, as you put them in human language
for us, they're truly so simple. It's so beyond us and ourselves.
Even after you give us life, Lord, we're so prone to corrupt
and obfuscate. Now all those other things we
do, Lord. Lord, thank you for forgiving
us in Christ. Lord, lead us and guide us and direct us. When
we fall down, Lord, when we sin against you, oh Lord, chasten
us, correct us. Teach us the right way in Christ's
name. Amen.