buddy. Today's kind of a little bit different day. Give it just a few seconds here to see if anybody comes on. We had about eight to 10 inches of snow these last couple of days, so church is not meeting this morning. But I thought I would come live this morning and just to have a little bit of a devotional or something here. I'm just filming this down here in my bedroom. So forgive any anything you see in the background that might be messy or whatever or the reflections.

Very cold here in Missouri today. We We were dipping right around the zero mark and we are, like I said, we got about eight to 10 inches of snow in the last couple of days. So it looks like we're going to be shut in for another day or so at least, because I don't think it's supposed to get up into the 30s until Wednesday. So it's going to be messy around here.

Well, I don't know if anybody's logging in or looking or anything. That's irregardless. I'm going to continue to press on here, brethren. I wanted to maybe speak on something this morning, and I know I've spoke on this not too long ago, and I speak on this fairly regularly, but it seems to be a conversation that continues to keep coming up. Matter of fact, I had this conversation with a dear relative, dear brother, yesterday, and I just thought I would maybe talk about it this morning as well.

We talk a lot about faith, and anybody that's listened to my preaching quite extensively or anything like that knows that my position is that we are given faith by God and that that faith isn't what saves us. That faith is evidential of a saving that has already taken place. However, most of the professed Christian world preaches and teaches that salvation is a byproduct or something that comes from you believing. that it is something that Christ made provision for. However, it doesn't become yours in possession until you believe. And once you believe, then God gives you the gift of faith. Once you are, excuse me, once you believe that God gives you the gift of eternal life,

However, that is actually putting the horse before the cart. Turn with me, if you would, over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. I think the reason why most people get faith wrong, number one, is because of the traditions of man that has been ingrained into our mind over all these last couple hundred, 300 years, that faith is something that man has the ability to do. Once we learn that faith is something that man cannot do, then we realize and come to what the Bible actually teaches is that faith truly is a gift.

Yesterday, the brother I was speaking to made a comment that both of us agreed that faith is a gift of God. However, if faith is a gift of God, then that then that infers that you don't have it. If it's a gift, it's something that's given to you, meaning that you didn't have it. Someone else has possession of it, and they have to have the authority and the ability to give it to you. So if faith is a gift of God, then that means that I didn't have it. And if I don't have it and possess it, then I can't exercise it. until it's been given to me.

And then how do we know or how does the Bible tell us that faith is given? Well, we know it's given as a gift, but how is it given? Is it given to everybody? Well, if it's given to everybody, then everybody has faith. If it is given to everybody, then the Bible's wrong whenever it speaks that not all men have faith. I believe that's in Thessalonians. Right off the top of my head, I can't remember. I think it's in Thessalonians, but the Bible says that not all men have faith. So something's not jiving there whenever we say that all men have the ability to believe. We just have to redirect our belief away from ourself and on to God.

But I want us to start at the beginning. I want us to start looking at what the Bible says about faith and the ability that the natural man has. Because if we see what the natural man teaches, or what the Bible says about natural man.

I'm sorry if I stutter and pause and stuff. I'm not used to preaching at my face on a screen here. I'm used to just getting up in front of people and begin to preach, so it's a little awkward for me, but we'll press on anyhow.

Turn with me, if you would, over to 1 Corinthians, and I want you to turn to chapter 2. We have to get some basics down before we can dive into other theological speak about faith, about salvation. Does faith cause salvation? Is faith first and then salvation comes after faith? Or does salvation come first and then faith?

And so I also see there's some guys that y'all's commenting there as I'm speaking. I don't know if this happens all the time whenever I'm preaching, but if it is, I'm sorry. I can't hardly read that, nor could I keep up with it as it's rolling. If there's something that you really want me to stop and talk about, throw up a lot of exclamation points or something that maybe I can distinguish what's going on there. But otherwise, it's just going to distract me.

But I don't mind stopping and answering questions. So feel free to ask the questions and I'll be glad to stop and answer those questions. But I may not notice it right away. So make a make a big fuss there on the scroll, and I will stop and read your comment.

But anyway, let's look at 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And I want us to look down at a few things here.

Number one, Paul, whenever he was writing to the Corinthians here in this, in chapter 2 and verse 2, he said, Verse one, whenever I came to you, I came not with excellency of speech or with wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. So he came to deliver the testimony of God. He didn't come to bring a persuasion to persuade people or give an offer or to give any kind of a invitation. to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to give the testimony of God.

And he did that not as an offer or not as an invitation because he knew the nature of faith. He knew the nature of salvation, that salvation was all finished in the work of Jesus Christ and that it was all bound up and determined before the foundation of the world.

However, he came and give the testimony of God for the sake and the comfort of the brethren who have already been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and then revealed these things through quickening, giving of faith, giving of spiritual life, and so he knows that these brethren will be given understanding to know what the testimony is saying and will be given comfort and rest, which is basically what faith is given to us for.

Faith is given so that we might rest in what Christ has already done. Not faith is something that causes something to happen or produces something or merits anything. Faith is actually something that is given so that we might be able to experience enjoy and rest in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done in not only the saving of his people, but also in the revealing of God himself. Now, look if you would there, he says in verse two, he says, for I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. So what is the testimony of God? not for you to believe, not for you to receive, not for you to repent, not for you to do all these other things. Although those things come because the child of grace who's been given the Spirit of God and has the Spirit of God working in him to will and to do his good pleasure, that child will produce these things and experience these things.

However, that is not what we go to preach to people. We go to preach to people the testimony of God, and the testimony of God is what Christ has done, whether it be in his perfect law obedience on our behalf, in our stead, for us, the righteousness that he walked for us, or whether it was the death that he died in our place. That's the testimony of God. And that's what Paul came and shared.

He says, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling and much speech. And my preaching was not with enticing words or man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." So here Paul makes it clear that our faith should not be in the wisdom of man, what man teaches, what man preaches, what man shares in the thoughts of man. has his own thoughts about things, his own psychology about stuff and everything.

But Paul said, we didn't come preaching the wisdom of men. We came and we preached the testimony of God and that is because that faith is going to respond or receive the testimony of God. It's not gonna receive the testimony, man, Jesus said that my sheep hear my voice and they know me and they follow me. They don't listen to somebody else. They're not gonna listen to the wisdom of men. The child of grace, that inward man, is going to follow and hear what Christ has said, and it's going to rest.

That faith that is given to us as a gift is going to be given to us to hear and to rest and to respond to what Christ has done. And so he goes on to say that it doesn't stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. If my faith reaches out and rests on Christ, If my faith, and I say my faith, I'm not meaning Mike's faith, I'm meaning faith that has been gifted to me. If I rest in Christ or believe on Christ or trust in Christ, If I look to Christ as my righteousness, that was a gift that God given me, not only that, but it's something that God empowers in me because faith is not inherent in the natural man.

Look with me, if you would, on down here a little bit further. He says, but we speak the wisdom of God in the ministry, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, They would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But it is written, I have not seen nor heard or entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit.

So these things are spiritually revealed. No one knows these until they're spiritually revealed. It says, for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God, for what man knoweth. Now remember, we're talking about understanding and receiving the testimony of God, the preaching of the gospel. You know, people are saying that, well, you have to hear the gospel be preached so that you can believe, and once you believe, then you're saved. Once you're hearing and believing, then you're saving. But here, Paul is saying that the testimony of God can't even be understood or known without the power of God, without the Spirit of God. That has to be first. We have to be made alive We're dead in trespasses and sins, brethren. We are spiritually dead. We hear and respond and experience nothing spiritual.

Jesus said that a man must be born again before he can see the kingdom of heaven, to see not only the testimony of the kingdom of heaven, but also to be able to see and to know the things of God about Christ. Yeah, men can gather facts about Jesus, as I mentioned to the brother yesterday. You know, I know a lot of people that believe that Jesus died and was buried and rose again, but how was that? How did he do that? For whom did he die? How did he die? What was the purpose? What was the outcome? Is there an effectualness to this? I mean, the Scripture says that we are to believe that Christ died according to Scripture, that he was buried, and that he was raised according to the Scripture. Well, how was that according to the Scripture? all those things.

Well, that's what we're talking about. Men cannot believe those things and understand those things, much less receive those and rest in those without the Spirit of God first giving him life so that those things now, experientially, are things that he loves, enjoys, and finds comfort and peace in. Let's go on. It says, But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth no man."

Brethren, that is clear as day. No man knoweth the things of God. except for the Spirit of God. No man knows these things. But you're saying, well, you know, we do know these things. I mean, there's people all over the world that know these things and believe these things. Well, what caused them to differ? What caused them to differ in going from not knowing to knowing? Because the Bible says that no man knoweth these things but the Spirit of God.

Now, I'm gonna trust God instead of trusting the theologians or trusting even my friends and family. God says that no man knoweth these things. So if anybody does know these things, then they know them because something has been enacted upon them to cause them to know that. And then I believe it is what we see right here in verse five, the power of God. By God's grace, he has caused us to believe. And I'm going to read some verses here in a bit. that pertain to that to show that it is something that is given to us.

Now, but let's move on forward. 1 Corinthians chapter two, verse 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God. Now, if somebody has received the spirit of God, then that means that that person has been born from above. If they have received the Spirit of God, then that means that the Spirit of God is dwelling in them. And if the Spirit of God is dwelling in them, that means that they are already saved, right? They're already saved. The Spirit of God comes and dwells the child of grace and that child of grace is quickened by the fact that the spirit is now in them. They are now spiritually alive because the spiritual seed has come and taken up residence in that vessel of clay. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God What's the purpose? Why does God send it? And especially, again, thinking in relation to what Paul is arguing here.

Paul is arguing that man cannot believe the testimony of God except the Spirit of God do something in the power of God to that person. And here we see in verse 12 that we have received the Spirit that we might know the things that are freely given to us, that free salvation, that free righteousness, that free holiness, that free redemption that comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. We can't know these things without the Spirit of God being in us.

He says, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

See, the natural man, with the wisdom of man, teaches that, oh, well, Christ died for us, but we have to believe on Him. And if we believe on him, then we'll be saved. See, it's something that's conditional. The natural man is always gonna default back to a self-righteous position of do and receive, do and receive. Rewards-based system, works-based system. They believe that we are gonna receive something, but only if we do something first.

And the gospel turns that upside down. It's completely opposite. The gospel is that we don't have any conditions to keep. that Jesus met all the conditions that is needed for our salvation and that God has been, that God is satisfied, that God has rested in the work of Jesus Christ. It's a finished work. Yes, brother, it's a finished work.

And so we see that we do not speak in man's wisdom. That's why what I preach and most men like me that preach these things, that's why most of the time that it isn't received well for modern Christianity, the majority of the professing Christian world, is because it sounds opposite and is opposite of what they hear most of their lives in all these false churches.

So we see that we do not come teaching in man's wisdom, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Now that's the thing that comforts me, brother. It's because sometimes I may come with a wisdom of man teaching. I may come and I may present to our church something that to me sounds right. And in the past I've done that. And there may be things even now that I do that I'm not above error.

And I may come and I may teach something that to me, I've worked out in my mind, that to me sounds logical from what I read of scripture, and it may not be the teaching of Christ. I've had to go back and apologize for some things that I've taught here in Joplin, especially things that I taught before I came to Joplin. And that's very humbling.

But brethren, if there is any teaching of truth, it's going to always be the Holy Ghost that teaches us those things. Whether I confirm that in my preaching or whether the Holy Spirit confirms that to you in the Word of God itself, that's going to be His teaching. He's going to be the one who speaks into you what is truth and confirms to you what is truth, brings you into that truth. And whenever I happen to preach it, it's just going to be something that your heart is going to receive as truth because the Spirit has already taught you that. But let's move on because I want us to see first that this faith is an inability that we have. Verse 14, but the natural man receiveth not. Now, brethren, this again is a very clear cut thing we already seen in verse 11 that No man knoweth the things of God. No man knoweth the things of God.

Now, the Spirit is telling us here through Paul that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Now, let me ask you just, I mean, I know this is simple, and I know this is, you know, seems to be facetious, but I'm not trying to be this. Is the gospel, is the gospel a thing of the Spirit of God? Is justification, your justification, is it something that is known by the Spirit of God? Is it something that is freely known? Is it something freely given to us? Is it one of those, in Ephesians chapter one, is it one of those spiritual blessings that was given to us? Is salvation, in its totality or within its particular sections. Man, I'm losing my train of thought trying to read you guys' comments there. I'm sorry. Is those things the things of the Spirit of God? Because it says here, the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God.

So we've got to ask ourselves, what are the things of the Spirit of God? Well, I believe that they're the teachings of God because we've just seen that the testimony of God is something that is not understood by the wisdom of man or is preached by the wisdom of man, and it is not something that is known by the natural man. It is only known by the Spirit of God, and that no man knows these things, but the Spirit of God is given to us so that we might know those things. So whatever is found in the Spirit of God section there, the things of the Spirit of God, The natural man can't know that.

So that means, brethren, that means that we have to be born again first. We have to be born from above first to receive and understand those things according to this passage right here. So this principle takes precedence over every verse in the Bible that says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This right here takes precedence over everything on there that says repent Everything that says to do this or do that, this right here takes precedence. The principle that natural man cannot, but spiritual man can. We have to be made spiritual.

As a matter of fact, if we keep on reading, that's exactly what this passage says. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. See, the things of God, just like me yesterday, that post that I posted, and all the talk below that, When people have not been given to see and to understand that, they have not been given faith to receive what is being said in the gospel, They look at that and they say, that's foolish. That's foolish. You don't get saved to believe to be saved. See, it's still ingrained in their mind that you have to believe to be saved. Therefore, being saved before you believe is foolish because they believe that salvation comes after you believe. And so that's why I'm trying. And again, it can't be me because I can't change people's mind, nor can I teach that. I can't make the Spirit reveal something to you until he decides to do it himself.

But you cannot put faith before spiritual life, because faith is a gift of God. It's a spiritual gift. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, faith. Faith is a gift of God. And that means it's a spiritual gift. And if you are dead in trespasses and sin, you are not spiritual. You are dead in trespasses and sin.

Now look what it says here. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness on him. Now look what it says. Follow with me. Neither can he know them. That speaks of ability. Brethren, that does not speak of willingness. It isn't willingness. It is an intellect. It isn't speaking of intellect. It isn't speaking of willingness. It's speaking of ability.

We have an inability in our natural self, in who we are in Adam, before our new birth, before our quickening, we have an inability to discern, to know, believe, receive, trust in, rest upon spiritual things. We cannot discern those things, brethren. It says, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because. What is the reason that we cannot know them? Because they are spiritually discerned.

Well, wait a minute. I can spiritually discern those things. I'm discerning those things spiritually. I'm reading my Bible. I'm praying. I'm seeking after those things. Brethren, the Bible says that no man knoweth the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him. Even so, the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God in him. Verse 10 said, But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. See, they're revealed. and they're given by the Spirit. They're taught by the Spirit. The Spirit has to be present first before that we know that.

This principle has to be understood and it has to be believed and it has to be the catalyst upon which other verses that we are given as conditional type verses are understood. He says, Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself has judged no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we," who? Who are we? But we have the mind of Christ.

Well, we are the brethren, those who have been given the spiritual life, those who the Spirit of God is in us, those who believe or have been given to know the testimony of God. If you go back to the beginning of the letter to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, those are who are there. So brethren, that principle is first. We have to be born from above. We have to have the Spirit of God in us, and that only happens if Christ died for us and that salvation has already been given to us.

Now, what is salvation? Well, salvation is not necessarily-now, let me back up just a minute. I don't want to be confusing, nor do I want to be misunderstood. Salvation from first to last is by the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation began in eternity and salvation continues on into eternity, but what happens here in time, the salvation that we experience in time as the believer and everything, that's not conditional either. That's by the revealing of the Holy Spirit as well.

However, the legal standing, what makes us righteous, what makes us forgiven, what makes us justified, what makes us sanctified before God, our legal standing before God is rooted and grounded in election. It is secured only by the work of Christ alone. That's the grounds upon which redemption, upon salvation is done. We are saved by his faithful work. That's what we are saved by.

So our salvation is in what Christ Jesus did. It's not in what you do in time. That is not what saves you and makes your standing. which would be righteousness before God, it's not by anything that you do. It is by what Christ has already done. That's where salvation is.

So whenever we ask the question to folks, or other people ask question, what must I do to be saved? Well, the answer to that is if you're a child of grace, you're already saved. You've already been saved. But what must you do to be saved from wrong knowledge? What must you do to understand what you are to repent from? Well, that comes from the Word of God. That comes from doctrine that comes from the Bible, that comes from preaching and teaching, those things right there, whenever we hear that and are taught by the Spirit, by the way, because again, I can read and preach and teach all these, but until the Spirit bears witness with these things, that these are truth, then all that is in vain.

But whenever the Spirit of God reveals these things, makes these things known to me and everything, That's whenever I begin to know and experience and believe and to receive and do all these things. That is being saved from wrong knowledge. That is giving me repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. That's what the repentance is that we preach. That's the repentance and faith that we are to tell others about. That's the salvation that we experience in time is the saving from wrong knowledge of thinking that salvation comes by our believing, that salvation comes by our works, by anything.

And I know people keep saying faith isn't works, faith isn't works. The Bible says that faith isn't works. It says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. It's a gift, it's not a work. Brethren, that is such a misunderstanding of that verse. It's just crazy. And I know I was one that, I believed it just like that. But, Number one, we gotta know what that faith, whose faith is talking about there. The context of that faith, that for by grace are you saved through faith, the context of that goes all the way back to Romans chapter three. It's the faith of Christ. It's his faithfulness, not ours. It says, for by grace are you saved through faith. And it says, I mean, just very pointedly, and that not of yourselves. It's not your faith. It is a gift of God. For by grace are you saved. Paul said that just a few verses before that in Ephesians. For by grace are you saved through Christ's faithfulness and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. not of works, lest any man should boast."

But a lot of people say, well, there you go. The Bible says that faith is not a work, it's a gift. Brethren, faith is a work. I will say that faith is a work. I'll go on record to say that faith is a work.

Jesus responded whenever they said, what must we do to do the works of God? Jesus didn't say, well, wait a minute, there are no works to do. He didn't say that. How did Jesus respond whenever they asked, what are the works that we must do? What must we do to do the works of God? Jesus could have took that opportunity and preach a non-works based system right there, but he didn't. Why? Because he knew that faith is a work, but it's not your work to do, it's his. It's the work of Christ.

He said, this is the work of God that you believe. It's the work of God. It's the work of God in the fact that Christ's work of faith is what justified you and is laid to your account so that whenever you stand before God, you are declared righteous. Whenever you stay, matter of fact, I'm, I'm declared righteous before the foundation of the world because of union to Christ Jesus.

All those who are in Christ Jesus are blessed with all spiritual blessings. Uh, blessed is the man unto whom the Lord impute, if not iniquity. Um, he has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen perverseness in Israel. You know, that is something that happened before the foundation of the world. That is the declaration and the standing.

God said that he has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places. As according as we've been chosen in him before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and without blame. So the purpose of God in declaring us just before the foundation of the world is so that we might always be holy and without blame before him as we have stood in Christ Jesus.

Now, Christ came to die. He still had to come to die. He still had to make that sacrifice and live that faithfulness for us. But brethren, that was declared from the foundation of the world because our surety stood in our place. And his word, his promises are yea and amen. Are they not? And so if we stand in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world already justified, if we stand that way, then belief doesn't bring that justification. Our standing before God is because we are united to Christ Jesus. That grounds took place in Christ Jesus and what he did on our behalf is the sole reason anybody is saved. The sole reason that anybody is saved. and you believing that is evidential that you are already saved. So salvation is a gift of God, and it's his faith that gives it that.

Now, I wanna look at a few other things, and I really got way off track on how I wanted to approach this. In John chapter six, I know we go there quite often, but turn with me to John chapter six. I want to reinforce this and the Bible, or I should say the Bible will reinforce this, that faith is an inability of man and it has to be given. In John chapter six, look with me at verse 37, Jesus says, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me will I unknowwise cast out. So here again, we have another principle that we have to interpret all of these believe, receive, trust, repent, all these conditional admonishment verses, we have to view those in light of clear prescriptive, principled verses here that have already been given to us. We see here that all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. So there's a quantitative number of people that are gonna come to Christ Jesus, and that is only the ones that are given to him by the Father. God has given Christ to be the representative of his people that he has loved. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.

That word come there is believe. Look with me, if you would, in the same discourse that Jesus is in. Verse 63 says, It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing. So therefore, brethren, you cannot believe in your flesh. You have to be made spiritual. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and life. But there are some of you that believe not." Now here Jesus is the one who is equating believe and come. For there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him. He's the one that makes that connection. He's the one who makes that synonymous. Come and believe is synonymous. He said, you don't believe on me or you won't come to me. As I said, no man can come to me except it be, and this is up in verse 44. No man can come to me except, there's only one exception. There's not many exceptions. There's not something else in scripture. Well, because the Bible says, believe and thou shalt be saved. That, that, that means that now it's belief. No, that's not. There's only one exception.

This show sheds light on why some believed and are saved. No man can come to me except. The Father which hath sent me, draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Every man, therefore, that have heard and have learned of the Father cometh to me." So it's the Spirit that teaches us. They have learned of God, the Father, and it's Jesus that they are brought to. They come. They believe upon him. Why? Because of the work of God in the heart by being made spiritual. They're made spiritual. They are given spiritual understanding. I know I keep reemphasizing that, brethren.

No man can come. That speaks of ability. It is not speaking of willingness. It's not speaking of intellect. It's speaking of ability. No man can come except the Father draw him. So the Spirit is what gives us life. The Spirit is what gives us the teaching and the understanding. The Spirit has to be there first. We have to be saved first, brethren. We have to be saved first before we can be saved from wrong understanding. We have to be saved in the legal sense and then saved in the experiential sense. And all that saving is by the hand and the work of Jesus Christ, whether it be his legal activity or whether it be his comforting activity in sending himself as the Spirit.

Look with me if you would in Ephesians again, Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 says, And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the the spirit that works now in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. And were by nature the children of wrath even as others, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, there's that love again, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ." And then here he says, by grace are ye saved. He didn't say by grace through faith are you saved, but that's implied because it's Christ's work. By grace are ye saved. and hath raised us up together and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Christ, that he might show what has been freely given us." That had to be done first. We had to be quickened. We had to be raised with Christ Jesus. We had to be quickened so that throughout the ages, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.

For by grace are you saved through faith." That's Christ's faith, not our faith. That's Christ's work of faith, not his giving us faith. Now, he gives us faith so that we can rest in what his faith did, but that is speaking of his faith because that has been the driving content or context of Romans. and it's still the driving context of Ephesians. Not by works. He says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself, clear as day, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. So even faith, which is a good work, God ordained that for us. And we can't walk in it unless God ordained it. And we can't walk in it unless God works it in us. We can't do it unless God wills and works in us, right?

Brethren, it's just amazing how clear these things are. But again, if the Holy Spirit doesn't open our eyes and open our hearts to see these, all of our loved ones, all of our brethren, that we know, friends and family and everything like that, they're not going to see this. They're going to think it's foolishness. It takes the grace of God. It takes the mercy of God and the grace of God and the work of God to open up people's eyes.

Look with me at Galatians. Galatians chapter 4. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father, Now, I know on the outset, you're probably wondering, why are you bringing this up in the context of what you're talking about?

And because ye are sons, so being sons is, how should I say this? Being sons is a prerequisite of what follows. Being sons is the antecedent, is that the right word? If not, forgive me. Being sons must be first before the Spirit comes in and before we cry out to God, Abba Father. Because ye are sons speaks of eternal election. Because ye are sons speaks of eternal vital union. Because ye are sons God has sent forth the Spirit. So it wasn't because you asked, it wasn't because you willed or decided, it wasn't because you believed, it wasn't because you did any good works, it wasn't because anything that you did, because you are sons. It's because of the state of personage that you are in Christ Jesus, in your union with him, because you are his son. And we are made his son before the foundation of the world. All that the Father giveth me, These are his sons.

It says, and because ye are sons, God has sent his, so who does God send his spirit to? The ones who ask, the ones who believe, the ones who receive? Well, I would say yes, but don't get the horse before the cart. It isn't because you asked, it's because you believed, because you were sent the spirit, because you were quickened, And you were quickened because Christ died for you and Christ died for you because you're an elect child of God. That is the way that it works. That's the chain. And because you're sons, God sent forth his spirit into your hearts. crying, Abba, Father.

See, brethren, we will not ever cry out in faith to God unless we are sons of God and God sends His Spirit into us. Regeneration, brethren, as most people call it, now I refuse to call it that. I call it quickening. Regeneration, I believe, is speaking of the Lord Jesus' death and resurrection. But regeneration, as most people call it, but quickening in my terminology, Quickening is the cause of faith. It's the cause of faith. It's the evidence. Faith is the evidence that we have been quickened.

Now, in my opinion, whenever you see this in scripture, you've got to dismiss gospel regeneration, people that believe in gospel regeneration. Anyway, I digress. I'll save that for another day. Let's look at something else here. Because I do believe that election and faith are inseparable things. They go hand in hand. We've already read that that because we are sons, we cry, Abba, Father. We've already read, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Okay, so we already see that election and faith are already going hand in hand.

But look with me, if you would, to Acts chapter 13 and verse 48. This was the verse that the Lord really opened my eyes to about sovereign grace and predestination and election and all those things. Acts chapter 13, if you would, and in verse 48, it says, when Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And then it says here, again, here's another principle that we have to understand and apply in interpreting all of the believe and be saved type verses.

And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. As many as. So again, if anybody that's ever heard me preach on this before, you've heard that phrase, as many as, that's quantitative. That's a specific group of people. Who are the specific group of people that will believe? Okay. As many as. As many as does not mean everyone. And even the word everyone can be quantitative whenever it's put into a context. You know, everyone at this house is snowed in. Well, is that said anything about people up in Oregon? No. Brother Tito, Gabriel, are you snowed in today? No. Who am I speaking of when I say everyone was snowed in? I could be talking about everyone in my household. I can be talking about everyone in Joplin. I can be talking about everybody in Newton County, in Jasper County, everybody in Southwest Missouri, everybody in Missouri for the most part. It's quantitative.

It says here, as many as were ordained to eternal life, believe. It's not backwards. As many as believed were then ordained to eternal life. And those who are saying that we have to believe and then be saved are saying this is opposite. They're saying contrary to what the word of God says. The word of God says the ones who are ordained to that belief comes because of ordination to eternal life. That means that election is the causal factor of belief. So only those who are elected. So if you believe in election, then you have to believe that salvation comes before believing. Your belief is in effect It is the outcome, it is the fruit of salvation, not the cause of it. That's why we reject conditional salvation. That's why we reject any kind of conditions on salvation, of any kind of part of salvation.

As many as were ordained to eternal life believe. But brother, here we see that this is connected to our election. Now, I just preached on this recently, but I wanna go back to it. Go to Jeremiah. Go to Jeremiah chapter 31. Isaiah 31. Now remember what we just read back here in John. All that the Father gives me shall come to me. but some don't believe, some don't come. That's why Jesus said, no man can come except it were given unto him of my father, right? Verse 44 says, no man can come to me except the father which has sent me, draw him. Now that word, draw him, And that word given unto him is used interchangeably. If you haven't moved from John six, look at it there. Jesus in verse 44 said, no man can come to me except the father with his sent me draw him. And then in verse 65, he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him. So given unto us and drawn. is interchangeable. Jesus is using that as being interchangeable. So to be drawn of God means to be given faith, right? Now let's go back to Jeremiah chapter 31, and I'm just about done here. I really wanted to get to a lot more, but it's almost been an hour. Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse, 3. It says, The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. With lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

But he also says that he has loved us with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. So his eternal love for these people, the as many as, or those given to Christ, those who will believe, the believers, it's all quantitative. It's all statements of fact, brethren. It's not conditions, it's statements of fact. Whenever someone is called to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that if you believe, you will, whatever, those are all statements of fact.

Whenever Peter said, whenever they said, what must we do? And he said, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. That wasn't a condition. It was because of the remission of your sin. We don't repent and get baptized so that Jesus will wash away our sins. That's what the Campbellites believed. They believe that our sins are actually washed away in the waters of baptism. But that's not what Peter was saying. Peter was saying that repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Change your mind about where your righteousness comes from and that your works can't do anything and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and those things will prove or show or be evidence that you are saved.

Jeremiah 31, we see that loved was first, then drawn. The word drawn means coming, coming means believing. So the only ones who are given to believe are the only ones who will believe, are the ones who are given to believe. The ones who are granted to believe. And that is because of their love. So faith and election are inseparable, brethren.

Now it's right at an hour. I might go ahead and let me just get my thoughts out here. I got a few more verses that I've written down that I want to actually get to. So if you're all right, I'm going to go ahead and keep on the truck. And if you don't mind. sitting for another few minutes, those who are watching. Those who are watching after the fact, you can cut this off and start it back up anytime you want.

If faith is something that cannot be done in the natural man, and if faith is a fruit of quickening, so we have to be made spiritual first, And if faith is a cause of election, then that means that faith cannot be the ground of my justification. And when I say that, I mean my natural faith or even my God-given faith.

Romans chapter five, verse nine, if you would, Again, remember, matter of fact, let me just go to Romans 3 before I go to Romans 5. Look at chapter 3 and verse 20. Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Okay, number one, justification doesn't come by the law. And I would say that this right here is talking about the old covenant law. And I believe that the old covenant law covers everything, civil, ceremonial, and moral. I don't believe that the Bible ever dissects the law into pieces like civil, ceremonial, and law. I only say that because men do. I believe that that's talking about the law, but let's apply this to New Testament law, the New Testament law to believe. Okay? It says, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. My believing is not gonna make my justification. And I think this is gonna be made clear here in a second. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets. So the law and the prophets actually told us where our righteousness comes from, and it never was by the law. Never was meant to be. The law was never meant to make us righteous, and neither is your believing.

Let's move to the New Testament. Your believing, your repenting, and your works were never ordained to be the cause of your righteousness or salvation. It's never counted. It's never even considered. God never considers you in righteousness because he always only considers his son.

Verse 22, here it is.

Even the righteousness of God, let me back up, but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness, or meaning this righteousness that it's talking about, even the righteousness of God, so what is the righteousness of God? Whatever you believe? Is that considered the righteousness of God? No, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, by faith of Jesus Christ, by faith of Jesus Christ, not by faith of Michael, it's by faith of Jesus Christ. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. So the fact that we believe is evidence that the faith of Jesus Christ is our righteousness, are believing evidences that we have been given the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not causal. It isn't what God looks for and says, okay, now I see you believe in Jesus Christ, so I'm going to apply the righteousness of Jesus Christ to you. No, the righteousness comes because or excuse me, the believing comes because the righteousness of God has been given to us, given to our account.

And if it's been given to our account because we have been saved already, God sends his spirit, because we are sons, God sends his spirit, because we are already his children, because he is the one, we are the ones for whom he died, Because of that, God sends his spirit unto the ones that God has given to the son. He sends his spirit into us. By faith of Jesus Christ, upon all of them that believe, not because ye believed, but upon all them that believe. That's just quantitative, brethren. It's statement of fact.

for all sin falls short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. See, the justification doesn't come at your believing. The justification was freely by the grace freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. Justification is always tied to the work and faithfulness of Christ alone. In every page of this book, we have to see the principle is it always goes back to Christ and not you. So whenever it talks about you believing or Abraham believing, It isn't, that's what God looked at, and once he saw it, he declared them righteous. No.

Matter of fact, that's what some even will say in verse chapter four. It says, what shall we say then that Abraham, our father, as pertained to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath wherefore to glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. Now, what's Paul doing here? Paul is giving you a quote. He's quoting the Old Testament, okay? So to know what Paul is talking about, we have to go back to the original context and see what was being said here because it said in him, now to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned, of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the godly, His faith, now again, we gotta go back and we gotta find out whose faith is counted for righteousness.

Abraham believed God and what was counted unto him for righteousness? If we go back to the context, so turn with me, brethren, back to the context in Genesis chapter 15. Some of y'all that listen on a regular basis, you've heard me reference this before and Brother, I can't see any other way to see this other than what it plainly says here.

Genesis chapter 15. Look with me, if you would, at verse 1. After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. So what was promised to Abram as the inheritance for Abram? Christ himself. It was Christ who came and talked to Abram. He said, I am thy shield. or thy covering, thy protection. I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

And Abraham said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eleazar of Damascus? Abram said, behold, to me thou hast given no seed, and lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, this shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Now we have learned in Galatians what the seed is. This is not talking about national Israel. It's not talking about ethnic Israel. It's not talking about physical Israel. The seed here in 15.5 is speaking of the singular Christ Jesus. It's talking about Christ Jesus, okay? He says, so now Abram has moved, God is moving Abram out of the natural into the spiritual. He's using the natural and the physical as types and foreshadows, but he is bringing Abraham into the understanding of the spiritual.

Now, if you'll remember, the New Testament says that the gospel was preached unto these Old Testament saints. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Abraham saw my day. They said, well, how can you, you're not yet 33 years old. How can you say that you were before Abraham, you know? Christ preached himself to Abraham.

Now look at verse six. He says, let me back up again. He says, look now toward heaven and tell the stars if they'll be able to number them. And he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he, Believed in the Lord. Now, who believed in the Lord? The context is Abraham. Abraham believed in the Lord, and he, who's the context? Abraham. and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Now all the reformed people and most everybody else comes back, Armenians included, come back in here and say, and he believed in the Lord and he and they believe that that's talking about God. And God counted it to him, it being his belief, to him for righteousness. And that's where they get the doctrine that of justification by faith alone meaning their faith in God or their faith in Christ. And they believe that justification comes at the moment that someone believes. It's because they erroneously or they ignorantly have not come back and looked at the context. And the context here is Abraham believed in the Lord and Abraham counted it. Now, what does that it refer back to? Well, in the context, it refers back to verse five, the seed. See the seed is made a noun there. Therefore it refers back to a noun. And he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness.

So what is that saying? Abraham believed the gospel about Jesus Christ being his shield and his great reward, his righteousness, He believed in the Lord and he counted the seed that was to come to him, Abraham, for righteousness. Meaning, Abraham rested in Christ as his righteousness. Christ's righteousness is what God was counting as Abraham's righteousness, not Abraham's believing. Abraham's believing evidenced that Christ's righteousness was imputed to him, but it wasn't the causal factor. Abraham's faith wasn't the causal factor, brethren. And that is what Paul is quoting back here in the text in Romans chapter four.

And so now we see that it is Christ's faith that is in view In chapters three and in chapters four, on into chapter five, where we see, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, here again, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Justified by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ, justified by his faith. by whom we have access by that faith into his grace. How do we have access unto God? It's by the finished work of Jesus. Jesus' death on the cross is what gained us. The veil was rent when Jesus was crucified. The access to God in the Holy of Holies opened up when Christ's blood was shed. And then whenever he returned into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for us, we can boldly come before the throne of God.

Why? Because we have faith in him? No, by his faith, by his faithfulness of what he has done into the grace wherein we stand and rejoice. See, that's what faith does. Faith stands. and rejoices in the hope and in the grace that has been given to us in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And not only so, but glory in the tribulations, also knowing that tribulations work with patience, and I won't go on through all that. So brethren, that faith that we are justified by is Christ's faith. It's not our faith.

Now, Look at 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. See, a lot of people are out there evangelizing, reconciling the world back to God. But see, reconciliation isn't something that we can do. Reconciliation is something that was done in Christ. We were reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ, by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things pass away. Behold, all things become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, not the ministry of reconciling people to Jesus Christ, the ministry of preaching reconciliation, preaching how reconciliation took place.

See, it's not by our faith that we are going out and preaching, and people are hearing, and therefore they are becoming filled with faith, and then that faith then reconciles them back to God. No, no, we have the ministry of reconciliation and that is the preaching of it. Look if you would. To wit, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. So God was in Christ, not in you. God was in Christ, reconciling the world. So whenever Christ was dying on the cross, that was his work, that was his faithfulness of bringing you back to God because you belong to him from the beginning because you were given to him by God. If you remember, God was the one who had us. Jesus even prayed that in John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me. They belong to God. They were given to the Son. to be reconciled back to him so that the son would be glorified, that God would receive glory. And so that is the way. So Christ is the one doing the reconciling and is doing the reconciling by his own self, by his blood.

So Christ, God was in Christ. We know that because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ, right? That if you've seen the Father, you've seen him, that he is all of the Godhead bodily. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing the trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation." The word of reconciliation, not the act of reconciliation, the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God in your mind. Be reconciled back to God. You're already reconciled to God. That's the word of reconciliation, that Christ reconciled you back to God. And whenever it's preached to those who have been given spiritual understanding, then they are reconciled back to God in their own mind, in their own understanding, in their own experience.

Why? Because whenever a child of grace is quickened from above, he is given to know his sinfulness. He is given to know his inability. He is given to know his unrighteousness. He is given to know that there is nothing that he can do to gain God's favor, and then the pressing weight of sin comes upon him. The gospel of reconciliation, the gospel of forgiveness, the gospel of redemption, comes in and becomes the good news that guess what? You don't have to be. You don't have to do. You don't have to accomplish. It was already done for you and applied to your account.

For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we, this is how we are made righteous, not by our believing, for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, not the righteousness of God in our own works, in our own self, in our own activities, that we are made the righteousness of God in our union and in the imputation, not in the activity and the impartation.

Anyway. I know I've gotten worked up on that, but to me it's a very passionate thing, because this is the very thing that most of my loved ones miss. They continue to walk in the wisdom of man in so many things. I know that me being passionate about it isn't going to even change anything, but I sure hope it shows my love and my caring about these things, and that I'm just not cold and dead and hard against it towards anybody for that fact. All of us is beholden to the grace of God.

So let me kind of wrap this up or maybe summarize this. Faith exists for what? Well, I believe that faith exists for our assurance. God gives us faith for our assurance. I know that there's some primitive Baptists that are going to squabble at that, and I consider myself an old-school, predestinarian, absolute predestinarian Baptist. as well, but I cannot deny what the scripture says. The Bible says, now that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. So faith is given to us for our joy and peace and assurance, our hope, our hope. It's given to us, but it's in the power of the Holy Ghost. It's not by what I see externally, outwardly, even my faith.

Seeing me believing the doctrines of grace, believing sovereignty, believing imputed righteousness, even that should not be the source of my assurance because I've known a lot of people Matter of fact, I know some people very personally who used to preach and teach and hold and diligently defend sovereign grace who now have completely left the faith and have denied God altogether and don't believe God or Christ or anything at all. So I don't believe it's just because somebody outwardly believes or teaches these things that that should be the source of assurance.

No, our source of assurance, the Bible says that that it is the Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are His. It's a work of God in us. And sometimes the Lord gives that work, and sometimes the Lord withholds that work. Sometimes I don't feel assured that I'm His. But the Lord, the Holy Spirit never leaves me there that long and comes and does brings me sweet whispers of redemption into my heart and into my ears.

But the reason that I see here that faith is given to us is that it might give us joy and peace. Well, you can't have assurance without peace and you can't have peace unless there's some assurance. And again, that's something that the Holy Ghost gives us.

Back again in Romans chapter one, or not Romans chapter one, Romans chapter five one, says, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And so if we have been justified, then we have also been given faith, right? Romans. Romans 8, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of a son that he might be the firstborn. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

So we see here, brethren, that those who are elected of God, who are called, predestinated, those who are called, them are the ones he justified. and those would be the ones that he glorified. So there is an assurance that if I've been justified, and if I've been given faith, because justification by the faith of Christ guarantees that Michael Smith or anybody else who is a child of grace will be given resting, peace-loving, peace-giving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But another reason that faith is given to us, brethren, that I've seen is found in Hebrews chapter 12. It's not given to secure salvation. It's given as an evidence of salvation. But in Hebrews, we learn that faith is given to us so that we might worship the Lord. Look at Hebrews chapter 12. Verse 28, wherefore we receive in a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

We are given faith so that we might worship the Lord. And how do we do that? We worship him in spirit and in truth. We worship him by preaching the testimony of where we started this thing, the testimony of God. That's what our worship service is around, the testimony of God, the things that are freely given to us by the Lord. So, brethren, faith magnifies grace. It doesn't magnify man's ability or man's works. Faith always magnifies grace. It always magnifies Christ. Faith always bows. Faith always rests. Faith always confesses. Faith always rests in what Christ has done.

So, that's all I got to say on there. I'll probably stay here just a few more minutes here, see if anybody had any questions. I guess let me scroll down through here and see if any y'all had any.

questions i'm not going to man alive there's a lot of a lot of conversation here um bear with me i'm just going to scroll through here and see if anybody asked any questions or anything we obviously see who's the talkative one of the bunch just kidding brother you know i love you and i appreciate all the comments

Well, brothers, I'm not seeing any questions right off the bat here. There's a lot to go through here. Hey, Brother Ed Snyder, where are you from, brother, if you're still on here? Where are you from? I've seen some of your comments here and there and everything, and that name sounds familiar. Have I met you in person? If I have and I've forgotten, I am so sorry. But I have seen your comment, and I was kind of interested in where you're at. I know where Brother Tito and Brother Larry's from. and Brother Darryl. I know where they're from and where I've talked with them, but if you're still on here, I'd really like to know where you're from and if I've ever met you before, because your name sure does sound familiar and everything.

Brother Gabriel, I don't think so. I don't think the Raiders are ever going to win another Super Bowl, brother. Okay, Brother Gabriel's saying that Brother Ed used to be on some of the Zoom meetings with Brother Lackey. Boy, I miss Brother Lackey, I miss those Zoom meetings. Even though I didn't get to come to very many of them due to my work schedule. Well, Brother Ed, I'm sorry that I didn't remember that. You'll have to let me, Maybe if I saw your face, maybe I would remember you and everything. I'm good about remembering faces, but boy, I'm horrible about names.

All right, well, guys, if nobody else has any questions or anything, I'm going to stop this and it'll be... It'll be up for viewing later on when YouTube gets it all situated. And again, be praying for everybody around this area. Lots of snow around here. I'm sure travel is going to be pretty hard for the next few days. For all you brethren that are watching that come to our church and everything, we miss being with you guys today. Brother Larry, you and your family, Heather and your family, brother Dan. We miss being with you guys today. My two boys down in Arkansas miss being with you guys today. You guys be careful if you have to get out, but don't get out if you don't need to and everything. Hope you're staying warm.

We love all y'all, all you guys that are always joining us. We appreciate that and everything. Share, uh, share these things with other people that you might think that, uh, uh, rejoice in the truth as we do, uh, and everything, not for my glory or for my popularity or anything like that. I could care less about any of that, but, uh, I know that there for a long time, there used to not be very many old school, uh, predestinarians, uh, on, on internet. And boy, I just crave to hear preaching and teaching from that. And so if you know others that might find this profitable or comforting, just share that with them and everything. We love you guys and Lord willing, we'll see you guys next week if all the snow melts by then. So y'all have a good day.