Let's read verses 25 through
27. The Apostle Paul, the Lord through
the Apostle Paul, speaks of this ministry that
he has to preach the gospel. And for the church, he said,
verse twenty five, I made a minister minister to. For the church's
sake, according to the dispensation of God, that is what God has
given dispensed to me. Which is given to me for you
to fulfill, or that is fully preach the word of God, the whole
counsel of God. make it all known the mystery,
even the mystery. In another place, he writes that
the prophets, what the prophets wrote, they didn't necessarily
fully understand what they were writing. It was still a mystery. But now he says, Paul says, the
Lord has given to me to make you know this mystery, that even
they didn't fully understand, because the church, because Christ
hadn't come yet, you see, the church and so forth. This is
how it's known, verse twenty-five. Now, verse twenty-six, the mystery,
which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now
is made manifest, revealed, made clear to his saints. Are you
looking at it? Verse twenty-seven. To whom,
that is, to the saints, God would make known. What is the riches
of? Oh my, may we just, you know,
look at one diamond or gem, jewel, precious stone of this. The riches
of the glory of this mystery, which is among the Gentiles. See, he's writing to the Gentile
church, Colossians, and we're reading it. We're Gentiles. And
this is it, the glorious mystery is Christ in you, and the hope of God. Christ in you, a mystery. Now, the same apostle, the Lord
used the same apostle to write to the Corinthians. over in 2nd
Corinthians 13. Say this to them and us examine
yourself, whether you be in the faith. No, you not your own self. How that Christ be in you. Except the reprobate were to
reprobate that no one here is not going to examine himself
but he said now this is the hope of glory. This is the hope hope means confident
expectation means something you can expect to have hope because
you're not there yet but this is. your confidence and your
expectation of being with God in glory or in heaven. Christ
in you. This is it. Now what does this
mean? I got your attention. That's
hopefully the Holy Spirit of God. captured your attention. What
is this mystery? It's a mystery. Christ in you. Christ, is it real? Is this something
real? Is this figurative? A figure
of speech? Is it actual? What is it? What does that mean? Now, before going on, let me
say this. This is not something you can
really explain. But it's experience. Not something that can be explained,
but experience. But I'm going to try to explain
it. This mystery, from the scriptures
I am, this mystery begins, this mystery of Christ in you, begins
first with you in Christ. All right, go with me to Ephesians
1, Ephesians chapter 1. Now, do you know how many times
the word says in Christ? Do you know how often if you've
read it, you've seen it? It jumps out at you, doesn't it? Brother Stan read that Colossians
1, he said, he read this, it says, to the sites and faithful
brethren in Christ. You say it began there it begins
there with you in Christ the site sites made site by one set
apart. I got him right. And look at it and all the business
of the same. They all are saying the same
thing one minute. Look at Ephesians one, verses
one and two. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God, to the saints, to the sanctified one. That means
those that are set apart by God, at Ephesus, and to the faithful,
those who have faith in. In Christ. The science in Christ. Now what does it mean to be in
Christ that's the first thing we need to. Talk about before
we talk about Christ and you. Well like a child in his mother's
womb. That's as plain as it can get.
Like a child in the mother's womb. That's what I mean. That's what
I mean. I want to talk a little bit more
about that in a minute. But so many scriptures talk about
in Christ, in him, in whom. And let's look at this chapter
one, Ephesians. It says in verse two, grace be
to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh, blessed All praise, honor, and glory and worship
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, God who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly or spiritual
things or places in Christ. All these blessings that God
has blessed the saints with are in Christ. Read on, according, verse four,
according as he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation
of the world. All right? This thing of being
in Christ is talking about God Almighty choosing or electing
a people before the foundation of the world, before they were
born. before they've done any good
or evil. The purpose of God, according to lecture, that's
what we're talking about. Before the foundation of the
world, God Almighty chose a people. Every single individual that
will ever be saved was chosen or elected by God before the
world began, before they were born, before the world had an
existence. When Christ and the only ones
that existed were Christ and the Father. As it. And God Almighty purpose in his
mind is will and is. You're trying to explain what's
unexplainable, but God purpose this whole thing. Creation all. Salvation. Christ come. His glory. God's greatest glory,
chief glory to have a people. and live forever with him, to
just be in glory. And God Almighty chose these
people and put them, in his mind, in his will, in his purpose,
in Christ. Gave them to Christ. How do you
want to say it? Gave them to Christ. Put them
in Christ. He made this purpose I don't
like the word plan I just don't like it is not biblical but.
So I don't use it. I like purpose that sounds more
like it's it's going to be done whether you know it's not something
you try playing sounds like something you try you know maybe fail no
no this was a whole mind will purpose counsel of God Almighty
this thing. Concerning the people and Christ
those people in Christ saving of people. Before the foundation
of the world, God chose who he would save and put them in the Lord Jesus
Christ. You know, the Old Testament saints
were saved by the same person as we are, by Christ. Somebody says, but Christ hadn't
come yet. He's with the Father in the beginning. He always was, he said. Before
there was a sinner there was a savior. Christ is the lamb slain before
the foundation of the world you said. And anyway. Someone said I don't understand
election. I don't understand. One of our brethren. Made this
statement what's hard to understand about. No election is not you. You choose? What's hard to understand
about that? God elected, God chose the people.
It doesn't say, nowhere does it say we choose him. It doesn't
say that. It doesn't say that anywhere.
It doesn't say God's our elect, the elect God. It doesn't say
that anywhere. But it says many, many times, it talks about his
people being the elect. Christ himself called them the
elect. What's hard to understand about that? God chose whom he would when
you did you vote the other day. Anybody coercion. Yes a lot. And I tell you to
vote for. You don't need you to think a
lot of cash in the lab. You chose him not to. Anyway. I don't mind shows me what's
hard to understand about that. Here's the problem that most
people, and it's a damning problem. Most people just don't like it. Nothing hard to understand about
it. God chose whom he would. Why? Because he would. That's not fair. Oh, hold on
now. Hold on now. You have that right, don't you? Why not God? He did. The exercise of the chosen will
be won. I'll tell you who doesn't argue with this. I'll tell you
who doesn't have a problem with it. I'll tell you who understands
it. I'll tell you who it's made known
unto. I'll tell you who it's made known unto that God chose
a people before the foundation of the world. I'll tell you who
all knows this and understands fully and why. The elect do. They all know if God hadn't chosen
them. I have nothing to do with God.
Everyone of the elect know that. Everyone of the elect know that
the reason I am what I am today is by the sovereign electing
grace of God Almighty, one hundred percent, period, exclamation
point. Right? They don't have a problem
with it. In fact, they're going to be
praising God throughout eternity for it. Praise God who hath chosen
us, called us. Anybody that's got a problem
with that doesn't know God. Doesn't know God. That's all
there is to it. Well, you let it know. You see,
it's made known under them. Made known. You see, I was once
dead. God never entered my thoughts.
And now I think about Him all the time. I was once blind. Look at this whole creation,
not see God's hand in it, boy, I now see it everywhere. I was
once deaf, I could hear all the preaching I wanted to hear, all
the word of God I wanted to hear, but now I hear. I once never gave God a thought,
but now I believe God's chosen me. That's
why, that's why. And verse 5, it says, verse 4
says, And we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Son of Israel have been predestinated
up. There's that awful P word. I
shouldn't say awful. That's what people call it, though,
isn't it? I had a fellow tell me that one
time. He said, I believe anything but that predestination. And
he did. I mean, he believed anything. except for this. Leave the wildest craziest man-made
schemes may vain imagination. But us the elect those chosen
in Christ it says he predestinated us under the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.
It's all, why did he do this? To the praise of the glory of
his grace, his sovereign, electing, saving, keeping, calling, justifying
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted. Not acceptable, but
accepted in the Beloved, in Christ. Now all this happened, folks,
before we were born. When Christ, when God looked
at his son, see he had all these people in his mind, in his will,
in his purpose, you, if you're one of the saints, and he saw
you. He loved you in Christ. He purposed
all things, predestinated all things concerning you. I love
what Ralph Barnard said about predestination. You see, it's
talking about people being predestinated to be conformed to the image
of Christ, be made just like Christ, a people. Barnard said,
God, he said, God, in his own way, Barnard said, God got up
one morning and he said he took one look at his son and loved
him so much and admired him so much that he said, I'm going
to have a whole bunch of sons just like you. Just like you. To the praise
of the glory of his cross. All right. So, one of you, you
got any problem with this, that God chose a people before the
past? Aren't you glad he did? Spurgeon said, I'm so glad he
chose me before I was born. If he had waited until afterward,
he sure wouldn't have done it then. Chosen before the world in Christ. See, Christ is the elect, the elect of God, the firstborn.
of all creatures of many brethren firstborn the only one he was
the only one existed. This image of God the son eternal
there is love and only child God had an only child. And for he was all together that
predestined accepted redeemed by in the beloved when Christ
In verse seven, look at this, "...in whom we have redemption." These sons of His that are going
to be born in time, they're going to become sinners. And God's
holding them. God cannot clear the guilty and
will not clear the guilty. And God must, He must punish
the guilty. And God, the soul that sinneth,
must die. But God says, no, they're going
to live. They're going to live. I've chosen them to live before
me. Christ said, well, I'll die. I'm talking like a man here,
this was all known under God, you know, God's will and purpose.
And Christ, God said, you die, you go die for them. You go pay
the penalty of their sin. You go be their sin offer. You go redeem them. They're going
to be slaves on auction, slaves to sin. You go pay the ransom
price. He says, deliver them. You go
deliver them. You're my ransom. You're their
ransom. In whom in Christ, we have redemption. When did this happen? Before
we were born. Before we were born. You know,
none of the God or all his work. Here's what I'm trying to say.
Here's what here's the mystery. Christ came now. It was all done
before he came. You say as good as done when
God said it. Christ was a lamb slain before.
But Christ said, a body hath thou prepared me. He came in
the fullness of time, made of a woman, made under the law,
to redeem them that were under the law. Past, present, and future. Redeemed them. He came as born
of a virgin. Now, this is a mystery. That,
folks, there's not enough time to deal with one aspect of this
mystery. This eternal purpose of God. Christ came in the fullness of
time, the eternal Son, who was with the Father, became a child. What a mystery of grace, a mystery
of God. God became a man. God was manifested
in the flesh, born of a virgin. Now, that's a mystery. That's a mystery. You know, but that was our hope
of glory, Christ in her. This virgin, she had nothing
to do with it. Nothing to do with it. Mary's
egg played no part in the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. No. She's a borrowed womb. She's
just a vessel. A rented space. A rented space. Well, Christ
came, and he's called the firstborn of many brethren, and when he
came in his In him, in his loins, were a
whole bunch of people. Are you with me? Stay with me
now. This is going to be a blessing. It's going to be a blessing.
Over in Hebrews chapter 7, it talks about a fellow named Melchizedek. He talks about how this Melchizedek
came out to meet Abraham one time. Abraham, you know, is the
father of Isaac, the father of Jacob, Jacob being the father
of the twelve tribes of Israel, one of which is Levi, the priesthood
and so forth. You see, Abraham, long before
Levi, long before the priests, Abraham. All right? Abraham just came
back from a battle and this king of Salem, which incidentally,
which means peace. Name Melchizedek, where did he
come from? Nobody knows. He's a mysterious fellow. Oh,
hold on now. Yeah, we do know. We do know. Do you know? He didn't have a
father, didn't have a mother, had no beginning of days nor
end of days. That's what Melchizedek was,
king of peace. Well, he came out to Abraham. Now, Abraham is the father of
the faithful. Abraham is the father of all
the elect, Israel. In Abraham's loins are all of
God's people. You understand? In his loins.
And this is what Hebrews 7, in short, is saying, that Melchizedek
blessed Abraham. And Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. You know what Melchizedek brought
with him to bless him? Bread and wine. But anyway, Abraham
gave tithes, if you're still with me. He gave tithes to Melchizedek. And Paul goes to great lengths
to talk about how that now, later on, the Levites, people brought
them tithes. But you know, the Levites were
in Abraham's loins. They weren't born yet, and yet
Abraham, they in Abraham, gave tithes to this person. That's right. The less is blessed
of the greater, you see. This is a priest forever. Not an earthly, not just a... You
see, when Christ came, we were in his arms. All that he did,
we did. All that he was, they were. If somebody doesn't get a hold
of this, I am not preaching, OK? All that he did, they did. If there's a woman in here pregnant
this morning, I don't know who, if there is. Whatever you are,
they are. It is. Wherever you go, it goes. Whatever you do, it does. Whoever loves you, loves it.
Whoever you love, it loves. Whatever you eat, drink, they
eat, drink. They're one with you. They don't do anything. You do it all. See that? See, this thing begins
with you in Christ. Because he lived,
because Christ lived, they lived. Because Christ died. When Christ
died, they died. When Christ arose, they rose. When Christ sat down, they sat
down. If she sits down, she may be
seated. If she's resting, well, that's
where the type ends. No type is perfect, is it? But
when Christ arose, they did. When he fulfilled the law, they
did. When he was punished, they were. In fact. No, you don't, because
I don't think we need to look to a certain degree. That's best
way I can possibly. Describe it, you know, that's
what the Lord did used to describe it, John three, go over there,
John chapter three with. When my daughter was a real young
girl, one time she came home from church and. She kept hearing
about in Christ, in Christ, in Christ. And she asked the most
profound question, one that I wish adults would ask. She said to
her mother, I wasn't there. She told me later. No, yeah,
I was. We were riding along in a car.
I was driving. And no, I wasn't there. Anyway, I wasn't
there. She asked her mother, who asked
me later. But she said, mama, you talked about being in Christ.
She said, how does one get in Christ? Oh, I wish people would come
up and ask me that. I sure do. Well, I'll tell you what Scripture
says. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30. Of God are you in Christ. Of God are you in Christ. The
Lord called this the new birth. Alright, we're in Him. In His
loins. He's going to be in us. Are you with me? He's going to
be in us. We're going to be born. Newborn. Heaven born. Born of God. Born from above. A new creature created in Christ. By Christ. For Christ. Like Christ. From Christ. Christ in you. Look at John 3
with me. He summed up this mystery, talking
to this master, this teacher in Israel. John 3, he says this
in verse 3, he said, except barely, barely,
I say unto thee, except a man be born again, or from above,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. Well, Nicodemus didn't understand
that. How can a man be born when he's
old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and
be born? The Lord said, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except
the man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit,
capital S, is Spirit, marvel not. that I said of the you must
be born. Born of God, born again, born
again. Were you created the first time? A brand new creature? Huh? When a man and woman get together
and conceive a child and it's born, it's never existed before.
It's a brand new creature. Again, is it a new creature? Absolutely. It's a mystery though. Some men can't understand it,
can't explain it, so they don't believe it. Then they reject
him, the Lord. He said, don't marvel. Flesh is flesh. Flesh doesn't
get better. Flesh doesn't improve. Flesh
and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God. You must be born again
from above. A new creature, spiritual creature,
never existed before, creating the image of Christ Jesus unto
good work. Holy, unblamable, unreproachable
in God's sight. It's a mystery. You know, this
is a mystery just like physical birth is really a mystery. Stay
with me, all right? How long have I been? Not too
long. The mystery is the mystery of life. Life itself is a mystery,
but you know all the worldly wise people today are still trying
to figure out the mystery. Where did we come from? How does
a person get in Christ? God. How's the person born again?
God. Where did everything come from?
God. Why are they looking for answers
like that? Wise men are getting together, have been from the
beginning, trying to figure out the mystery of life. I'll tell
it to you. God. In Him we live and move and have
our being. God in the beginning, God created heavens and God created
man. Man is is the most miraculous,
glorious creature on the face of the earth, fallen though he
is yet. God. creating the image of God
monkeys not monkey never will be monkeys are never changed
from monkeys for thousands and thousands of years still stupid
apes. I do believe in a form of. Degenerative evolution I believe
man created upright and he's turned into a monkey. That's
what. It's created on. Standing upright,
now he's down on all fours, grumbling. Like an animal. Absolutely. God has to recreate him. God
has to take one of these and recreate him. Stand upright. He's a man. Knows God. Not just being a perverse animal. Right? It's a brand new thing.
The mystery, mystery, this new man, this new creature, this
new life. It begins, go with me to James
1, James chapter 1. This new life, Christ in you,
begins, James chapter 1, with seed. James chapter 1. You got Hebrews? James. It begins
with seed. Child is created in the womb.
Where is it? Where? Where does it come from?
Where does this new life come from? A woman doesn't have seed. Man has seed. Right? She must be impregnated with
man's seed or she's not going to get pregnant. Well, this seed, what is this
seed which we're born again by? Verse 18, of his own will, that
is God's will, begat he us. That means give birth to. or give life to concede with
what the word of truth. Turn to first Peter just a couple
of pages, a couple of pages of first Peter one. You have it
first Peter one. He talks to he writes to the
elect, then according to the foreknowledge of God, but over
in verse twenty three says being born again, not a corruptible
seed that is man's seed, not of the will of the flesh, the
will of man. But of incorruptible the word of God see more to see
God see which is the word of God. God's word is said to be
quick. What's that? Life. Life in it. Life in it. Life. Word of life it's called.
Like seed that has life in it. God's word has life in it. And
in God's own time. God's time. The Holy Spirit comes
and the wind blows where he listeth. You cannot tell the sound thereof.
So is everyone that's born of the Spirit of God. You don't
know. You know how to tell an imposter, a preacher and place
that if they announce a Holy Spirit revival, they're false. They don't have a clue who the
Holy Spirit is. The wind blows where he listeth. On whom he will. Well, anyway, this seed, the
Holy Spirit comes in time, God's own time, and he plants the Word
of God through this preaching. What I'm doing right now, this
is the foolishness of the world, but this is what God is pleased
to do. The sower went forth to sow. I'm throwing seed. What? Word. That's all I'm doing,
throwing out the Word of God. I don't know where it's going
to land. I don't know. I don't know which one's going
to grow. I don't know. It's good, isn't it? Good that
I don't know. I might take a little credit for it. This is why this
one on one thing just doesn't work. You get a whole, you got a bunch
of fallow ground. You got a handful of seed. I'll tell you who does know.
I tell you whose seed it is. It's God's. He said, My word
will accomplish that whereunto I send it. I will plant it where
I will, in whom I will, in whatever heart I will. I'll plant it there.
Seed. What's the seed? So he preaches
a word. Hold on a minute. Let's go a
little deeper. What's the seed? Capital S. Christ. Man is not
preaching the word of God unless he's preaching Christ, the word
of God. This is the mystery, the mystery
of the gospel. This is the gospel of Christ.
This is the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, which
is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is what God uses,
the preaching of whom God uses, the seed, which is Christ himself.
You know what Paul wrote in the Galatians, seed, not seeds, but
seed, which is Christ himself. He plants this gospel of Christ. We just read about reading by
him chosen in him and so forth. This is what got you. This is
what got you. Not sentimental stories, you know, Abraham's
faith. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no In the heart, where is it planted? Where does God plant
this seed? Where does it come? Where does it start? Where does
it go? It goes through here. It goes through here. This is where the seed goes in.
Right here. But it doesn't stay there. If
it does, no life. Where does it go? Out of the
heart are the issues of life. Let's work it down in the heart.
With the heart, man believeth in the righteousness. The heart,
the heart of the mistress. And this word of God goes down
into the heart. When does this happen? Nobody
knows. Have you ever planted seed? And
wait for it to come up and it doesn't come up. Brother Henry, I planted a bunch
of grass seed. It was old seed. Old seed. I mean old seed. I had it for
a long time. And I planted it all over some
barren or fallow ground. And it didn't come up. It did
not come up. And I waited and waited. I watered
it, I fertilized it, it did not come up. I thought, this must
be bad seed. Do you know that, lo and behold,
when I least expected, when I'd forgotten all about it, when
I thought it was all hopeless. Rebecca, here's hope, isn't it? God said, my word. My seed is
what I use. It will not return void. This
happened to me, Rebecca, a young man sitting under the preaching,
sitting under the seed, seed being sowed, seed being sowed,
but it didn't affect him at all. You don't know that. God does. He may lay dormant
for a while, and all of a sudden, God gets the glory that way.
God gets the glory. And here's what happens. I said
it goes down into the heart. You know what happens at sea? It's got to bust something up
to get out. This life, to show itself, it's
got to break up something. You with me? It's got to break
something. This old hard soil, it's compact
You break it up, break it up. When God, the Word, goes down
in the heart, the first thing it does is breaks it. Breaks
it. Over what? What's the break?
Sin. This is what God uses. Sin. People at Pentecost. And what
did they hear? Christ. And the people at Pentecost
have said, after God, in the fullness, in God's power, set
the Holy Spirit, the Word through the preacher. It says they were
picked in their hearts. They're all broken hearted. They
were a bunch of hard hearted people before then. You couldn't
touch them for nothing. But God, the Word of His power,
the sword of His Spirit, stabbed them in the heart. It's more
than that. And He's done an old heart. He
doesn't use an old heart. No, no, God cuts out that old
heart. It's hard, it's no good, got
to cut it out, need a transplant. It puts a new heart in there,
brand new heart, wasn't there before. Heart of flesh, sensitive,
tender, easily moved. And that heart's just, just malnourished,
broken, contrite. And it mourns and it feels guilt,
it feels sorrow, it feels need, desire. Help the babies. I think it was a six weeks old
and they get a heartbeat the first time you detect a heartbeat.
Something like that. Six weeks. Jenny, come on. Four weeks. Four weeks. That's
even more amazing than 30 days. You know how small that art is.
Isn't that amazing? This is of God. Isn't it? Oh, glory be to God, our Creator. A little bitty heart, a big lesson
of P, I guess. Beaten. Do you know something, John?
It has that same heart the rest of its life. Same heart. It's bigger, bigger, bigger,
bigger. It's still beating. It's alive,
that kid's alive, that child's alive. They're going to die with
that heart. The heart, the true heart, the
heart of flesh mourns. The first heart, when you beat
of a heart, a mother that do an ultrasound and she feels it
or whatever, it's alive. The heartbeat. That's how you
know it's alive. Same heart that in the first,
in the beginning, child of God, a new creature, that heart is
broken. It stays broken. It stays mourning
over sin. When I hear the gospel, it mourns
again and again and again and again and again. If not, You understand what I'm saying?
That heart feels, it's sensible. The new heart didn't feel anything
before. Now it does. It feels need. The same heart beats
all its life. Pricked by the Word of God. Contract.
Sensible. Feeling. Needy. Desirous. Desirous. Loving. If not, Heart's not right. Something's wrong here. Something's wrong. So the heart,
that's where it goes in. It breaks the heart over sin.
Then what happens? Then what happens? Out of the
abundance of the heart, the heart broken over sin, that's
the first thing it does. God be merciful to me as repentance
toward God. Let the blood of thy son be propitiate
and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. God, I've sinned against thee,
and thee only have I sinned, and done the same with thee.
Oh, have mercy upon me. You said Christ. God, would you? I need Christ. Saul of Tarsus. God said he's
alive. His heart's broken. How do you
know? He's praying. He's called on
me for mercy. He hated Christ before. Now he
needs Christ. Cry unto God. Cry unto God like
a child when born. Child when born. One of the first things they
do to a child when it's born is they want it to cry, don't
they? They want it to cry. Used to. They just swat it on
the bottom, didn't they? Smack it on the bottom. What
are they doing? Creating just a little bit of
pain. A little pain. All the tree huggers
out there, they won't do this anymore. They don't believe in
pain. Pain's a good thing. Things are
real good things. Well, anyway, creating a little
pain which causes that child to cry out. And what's it do?
It's filling those lungs full of air. It had never been breathing
before. It was in the mother. Now, this breath of life. It's
got to have this breath of life. This is what the Holy Spirit
does. It's the breath of life. The Holy Spirit fills this person.
When pain is caused, God is angry. You sinned against God. God be mercy. Cries out. I'll never forget when my daughter
was born, you know, when they're born, they don't look, oh man,
I thought she was dead. They all look awful, don't they?
I don't care what you mothers say, they look awful, covered
in all this feel you know they really do it's not the office
but look bad to me and I thought she was dead she's blue no oxygen
in. And that doctor as they progress
like. New things you know she that
doctor flicked her on the bottom of her little fat feet. And low and behold Wesley. You
know what I did I rejoiced. She's crying. Oh, that's a good
thing. It's a good thing. She's alive. I thought she was
dead. My child that was dead is now
alive. She's crying. She's crying. Born. I gave birth to her. I impregnated my wife or she
wouldn't be here. Isn't that right? That's right. I'm the father,
I beget her. So it is with those that are
born of God. And this happens, this cry. And like a child when
born, a child when born, his eyes are closed. Eyes are closed. Well, Hannah, I've got to use her,
because this is my experience. She started crying. And the doctor,
you know, we cut her umbilical cord. And she had those eyes
closed because she was screaming. I had those eyes closed. And
the doctor handed her to me. And I started talking to her. She heard my voice. She stopped crying and her eyes
opened. And Wesley, the first thing she
saw was me. And that's the first thing everyone
born of God sees. Christ. And. And then it goes on from
there on to perfection that that little baby. Is a woman. Young lady amazing that you all
say or grow up for your it's amazing. Feeling. Heart beating. Touch sensitive. That little baby, you know, wasn't
some of the first things that baby does is reach for things
and. Give her a little. They feel, you know, they were
before they were all warm and cozy, just swimming for nine
months. Come out into this world of pain, the first thing it feels
pain, cold. Dirty, you got to wash them.
Lonely. Oh, I was with the mother. Felt
the presence. Need her again. Put her up in her bosom. Let's
hold. Something to hold on to. Somebody.
Hunger. And thirst. Same thing. Hunger
and thirst is met in one place. That child needs one thing. And
not a man-made formula. One thing. That'll be its immune system
will be its nourishment, will be its growth, a mother's breast. You know, God says that very
thing about his word. It's my breast, the word of God
and milk, sincere milk of God's word. That's all I need. Cry
out for it, hunger and thirst for it. Got to have it. You know,
I must have, you know, I still love milk. I never get tired
of milk. I still love it. Elizabeth, I have to admit this.
I like chocolate milk. But Nestle's quick either. But
it's still milk. Love it. Can't get enough of it. That's
why I was born and like it. Love it. This is how I was born. This is how I was born. Right
here. I've heard all of this many times over. And I still
love it. Same thing. Same thing, milk. Old people still like milk. Old
believer. Need the milk. Then they begin
to crawl. You can't expect a baby to jump
up and run, can you, huh? No way. You shouldn't get mad
at them if they take a little longer to get up. Who determines
that, huh? Well, this child is smarter than
the other. He's walked it six weeks. fully on that. I don't know why everybody's
in such a hurry for a child to get up and go anywhere anyway.
It's going to be just like that and they're gone. Huh? Just hang
on to them as long as you can. Well, they crawl and then they
walk. You can't run before you walk. It's a slow process. A human
being is the slowest growing creature on earth. Why is that. That's God's will to show us
that this spiritual life this new creature is don't expect
to my I told my wife the other day you know when I was a young
preacher I expected entirely too much out of new believer
I told her now I don't expect anything nothing. I expect some
matter older ones But new ones, no, I don't, I
don't really. They're going to say all the
wrong things. They're going to have... But they are, if they're crawling
at all, they're crying and crawling and love the milk, they're alive.
They're alive. And so is everyone that's born
of God. A brand new creature. See, it wasn't there before.
It wasn't out there before. This is not the old man made
improvements on. No, sir. Brand new creature creating
the image of Christ created in Christ. Like Christ and in time,
you will start to see his image. Christ was the express image
of the father, was he not expressing. You know what God's people are
predestined to be? To express image of Christ. At first, you don't much see
this, do you? First, that child doesn't look
like the parent. But you know, they talk about
cloning. That's been going on for years. God's done it. God. Davis you you probably don't
think you look like your dad. In that funny you all see that
he look in the mirror he doesn't see his dad he doesn't think
he looks anything like his dad. I hope you grow in to be your
dad. But anyway. A child of God look in the mirror.
I don't look like Christ. I don't look like him. I don't
see any resemblance. Other people do. Don't they? What is this? Christ in you. Don't you Nancy? Others peoples
will say that's what this broken heart is. That's what this is.
Humility. Christ is meek and lonely. Humility, I don't look
like, but eventually you're going to be the express image. And that's what we all, you know,
when I was really young, I might not have wanted to look like
my dad, act like him. When I was a rebel, when I was
dead and I didn't want to, now I do, now I do. And you know we may not think
we look like him others do others see it though but eventually. You you will say you can say. And this is what Paul said no
you're not your own sales. Eventually you can say I'm not
what I ought to be. Far short. I'm not what I want
to be. I want to be like Christ in every
way. Totally conform to his image.
I'm not what I want to be. I'm not like I'm going to be.
He tells me he's going to perfect that which concerns me, but I'm
far short. But thank God. I'm not what I
used to be. No. No, you're not yours. Christ in you. See. Now, did I give the creature
any glory? No. This is just Christ got all the
glory. Of him, through him, to him,
for him, in him, because of him. It's all about him. But this
is the way it is. This is the way it is. creating the people just like.
That's what Barnard said he said salvationism God Almighty reproducing
the character of Jesus Christ in a human being. And it's a long process. But
he'll perfect that which concerns you because his seed remained
with him. That which is born of God sinneth
not, that which is born of God is incorruptible, fadeth not
away. Can't die, can't die. Can't sin,
can't die. Live forever. Altogether lovely. I could go on and on with this.
All right, let's sing a closing hymn. John, if you'll come up. 466? Yeah, 466. Stand and sing the
first and last verse. 466. Far from God and dead in sin,
no light my heart could see. But in God's Word the light I
found, now Christ liveth in me. Christ liveth in me. Christ liveth in me. Oh, what a place it is that Christ
liveth in me. With longing all my heart is
filled that like Him I may be. As on the wondrous thought I
dwell, that Christ liveth in me.