All right, if you wish to follow along, I want to read three verses, Galatians chapter four, verses nine through 11, as my text for this morning. And of course, I must say this, that Paul is continuing. It's so easy to get caught up on a theme that you begin to maybe take a verse out of its original context, but of course, as I said, Paul is continuing, but he writes these words to the churches of Galatia, and they are certainly a benefit to us even today.

He writes and says these words, verses nine through 11, but now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage. Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. And, of course, he does continue. And we'll look at that, Lord willing, maybe next week, specifically verse 12.

But I want to try to concentrate on this thought. Now, this is my title, Paul. I'll say it here, then you can get it up from the tape or whatever. Powerless and destitute versus might and abundance. Those two phrases, powerless and destitute. And then the exact opposite of those two things are might and abundance.

Powerless, Now, I know that he, Paul writes it, it says, ye turn again to the weak, and we often think of that as having a little bit of power, a little bit of strength. But if you look up the Greek word, it's the same word where Paul uses, in Romans five, I forget the verse exactly, but he says, when we were yet without strength, our weakness is complete. It's full, so that's the reason I use this. Powerless and destitute versus might and abundance.

Of course, I realized that as soon as I thought these words, these equivalent words to weak and beggarly, that is powerless and destitute, and then I thought of the opposites of that, might and abundance, my flesh immediately turned to me. for might and abundance. Okay, what kind of might do I have? What kind of abundance do I have? And this is done all over the world in so-called Christian circles.

Now, Paul speaks of weak and beggarly elements, and I've already mentioned it, but weak and beggarly, that is powerless. Beggarly is destitute. Not a beggar who has something. Beggarly is nothing. destitute, so it's powerless and destitute, and then the phrase elements could be translated common practices, common practices. Now, the fact that he talks about these common practices doesn't mean that all men commonly practice the same thing, but they all are commonly practicing weak and beggarly things. That's the point he's making.

The reason I point that out is this. I looked up the phrase on Google. Now, I don't encourage you to do this unless you're willing to wade through a lot of trash to maybe get a little morsel or two. But a lot of what I read on Google about weak and beggarly elements was pretty good. I mean, it was at least as far as a doctrine is concerned, it was pretty good. But of course, you know, when you Google something, you will have all kinds of different hits from different either individuals or groups of individuals having their say about this phrase, weak and beggarly elements.

And one caught my eye as I began, because they spoke of powerless and destitute. and common practices. But what was amazing is when they read this, they were totally obfuscating the truth Paul was saying here to these people. What they said, and I have it on my phone, but I'm not gonna get it out and find it and quote it. I will paraphrase it. What they're saying that Paul was saying here was that Paul was rebuking these Galatians for going back to their old idolatry. and there is nothing in the context whatsoever about them returning to their old idolatry. Now granted, idolaters observed days and months and times and years, and it varied with the various, as many different facets of idolatry there is, there's different facets of observing days and months and times and years, you understand that. But that's not what Paul's not rebuking, never, They were obfuscating what he's actually saying, and Paul's saying by turning to the law and observing these days and months and times and years, you indeed have went to what? Again to beggarly elements, weak and beggarly elements.

They were obfuscating the fact that Paul is calling their legalism and equaling it, at least in word and in thought, equaling it to the weak and beggarly elements that they practiced under idolatry. They have turned from Christ, though they did not deny Christ altogether, they had turned from Christ and went back to legal observances of days and months and times and years.

Now, I said that just to make sure that don't misunderstand when he uses the word again, That was their key. He uses the word again twice in that verse. What is it, verse nine, correct? Yeah. But now, after that you've known God, or rather known of God, how turn ye again? And this group of people, with one person at the lead, of course, was saying, see, he's talking about they were turning back to their idolatrous practices. That is not what Paul is saying.

but he is telling them clearly that they have abandoned worshiping God only in the person of his son and had turned back to attempting to mix legal rights and ceremonies with the worship of God in Christ. And that is idolatry. That is idolatry.

Now, I realize these are strong statements, but as I pointed out, And I have pointed out on several occasions in this letter, contrary to every other letter that Paul writes, save maybe Philemon, because it was a very short personal letter to a man named Philemon about Onesimus. But in this letter, Paul is relentless. He just keeps hammering on this thing, grace versus law, grace versus law.

When I was in Religion, and I call it religion, I realize that's a very broad general term, but when I was in religion, and it called itself Christian, I know now it was not Christian, but when I was in this religion, they always spoke, and when we would be taught in our Sunday school classes, or what messages I do remember hearing, Paul, they always said that Paul's, the book of Galatians is faith versus law, faith versus works, and that's not it.

These Judaizers were not denying the necessity of faith in Christ, but they were adding legal practices, legal works, trying to keep the law into the worship of Jesus Christ. It is grace versus law. And Paul doesn't stop. As I've pointed out over and over again, he gives a few basically hellos in the first few verses, and then starts immediately, I'm paraphrasing, I'm amazed that you've turned from the grace of God. to another gospel, and he doesn't quit. He doesn't quit. He doesn't quit and goes through the whole letter, and when he gets down to the end, but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything. And he's not just talking about circumcision, because when you add one part of the law, you must of necessity, if you're honest concerning the law, add all that the law gives. You can't pick and choose what parts of the law you want.

But listen to this amazing statement. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision. Now somebody says, we gotta be against the law. No, you don't have to be against the law. You simply have to teach the truth about what the law was given for. The law was given to show man, in particular, here's what sin, that's a sin. That's a sin. That's a sin. That's a sin. You're guilty. And that's all it can do. And it can only do that by the power of the spirit of God. because men naturally do not read the law and say, oh, I'm a guilty, depraved, hell-bent, unable, powerless sinner. They say, all right, let's get started. That's what the natural mind does.

So I want us to note just a few thoughts. First of all, three things this morning. And I know this is going to be, I won't say heady language because it's me speaking here. I'm not talking about my language, my words, but this is going to be heady truth. It's something that most people are never taught and they will not be taught in most so-called Christian churches today.

Now turn to, if you're following along, turn to Hebrews chapter seven first. And then I'll make the statement and then we'll look why I'm making such a statement. Such a statement that's not, that will be said in most so-called churches. Now listen to me, here's the first thing. Legal practices, when I say legal practices, it includes all. Paul's rebuked circumcision, right, that's clear, but now he rebukes what? Observing days and months and times and years. And these things under the old Sinai covenant were designed and ordained of God for the worship of God, for its time. But even then, the Old Testament prophets, David in particular, knew this, that God Almighty was not pleased, God Almighty was not satisfied with the blood of goats and calves and lambs and bulls and sacrifice. God was not satisfied. His holiness was not rendered at ease. with these things, though they were ordained of God.

As a matter of fact, what Paul is saying here in the immediate context, and I'll get to Hebrews in just a moment, what Paul is saying is these people had made keeping God's law out to be an idolatrous practice. Now that is a heady phrase, that's a heady statement, and I'm summarizing, I realize that. It's a heady statement because most people in this world that calls themselves Christians are not used to hearing things like that.

Then you're against God's law. No, I'm not against God's law, but I am defining that the law has a specific purpose, and that's it. And I'll give the illustration before I read, make the statement, and read two passages from Hebrews. Paul's used this illustration. Now he may have got it from somebody else, but that's all right. All of us get our truth from somebody else. None of us have any original thoughts. None whatsoever. And if your thoughts don't come from this book, it's a bad thought anyway. So be that as it may.

The law is like the x-ray that you get. It can show you, it can show you the problem. but it can't do anything about it. Absolutely nothing about it. But, and I pointed this out as well, and also it takes someone trained, someone that knows what that x-ray's actually showing you. If I have an x-ray done and there's a problem there, I can look at the x-ray, Tommy, and I don't see anything but some bones and a body. I see nothing. It takes someone trained. No individual is trained to say, to reveal what that x-ray of the law reveals. Only the Spirit of God can do that. Because I'll take that x-ray and I'll misread it. The doctor can say, I've had them take it, right there's your problem. And I say, I say it to myself, I don't get it. How's that the problem? But he knows it's the problem. I will take that same x-ray, Paul, and turn it into my bad, to my ill, to my hurt, to my harm.

The Spirit of God's the only one that could take the law of God and teach an individual how bad they really are and what sin really is, because in our flesh, we will justify everything. We will try to find that exception to every commandment of God. The Jews were notorious for it, and we're no better than they are. So again, listen to me, here's the statement, and then we'll read from Hebrews 7 and then Hebrews 10.

Legal practices are as powerless and destitute as idolatrous practices. You hear what I just said? Now in most people's so-called Christian's minds, the people that made a profession of faith, heard some preaching, came forward, decided to believe in Jesus, they have no idea what I'm talking about. But this is what the book says. Listen to Paul, or I say Paul, I don't know for sure who wrote Hebrews. Hebrews chapter seven, let's begin in verse 11.

If therefore, what's that next word? Perfection. And in this sense, he's not simply talking about maturity. He's talking about perfection. Sometimes the word perfection is used in the scripture. You could tell the context. It's not talking about absolute holy perfection. It's talking about maturity, growing, growing up. And as Tim James said about that, as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, we're like a cow's tail. It may get longer, but it don't go up. it goes lower to the ground. To grow in grace is to grow in my utter need of the free and reigning grace of God in Christ Jesus. That's what growth is.

Now look, if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received what? the law. That includes the Ten Commandments, okay? They received the law. What further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek? All of a sudden, Ellen, this man Melchizedek showed up in Abraham's day, right? He was in Abraham's day, and yet nothing after that, after that event, nothing else is said about him until David comes along and prophesies, thou art a priest for David, a man who was under the law, who was supposed to observe days and months and times and years, okay? Who was under that economy, yet he cries out under inspiration by the power of the spirit of God, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, speaking of Christ.

Now let's go on. What further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek and not after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being, what's that say? C-H-A-N-G-E-D. God changed the law. Now we're not, God did not change the law in its force against sin, but God is showing us that of the inability, that is, I don't want, the powerlessness of the law. He didn't have Christ come through the seed of Aaron. He come out of Judah, as we will read, look. that there is being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. Look, for he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar. Under law, it was illegal for anyone other than a Levi, under the tribe of Levi, to offer any sacrifices. If you were to offer a sacrifice for you, a pigeon, a dove, you didn't do it yourself. You had to bring it to a Levitical priest who did that for you.

Now look, which gave no attendance at the altar, for it is evident, do you see that? It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident. You see, what I'm saying, let me try to say this at this point. We're not trying to dig up some new doctrine, some secret hidden thing for our own particular denomination. This is what the writer of Hebrews says was the reality even under the Old Testament.

Look, and it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude or the similarity of Melchizedek, there ariseth another priest who was made, not after the law of a carnal. Do you see that word? This is what the writer is calling the commandments of God. Carnal, not because the law's bad, but the law deals with flesh. The law deals with our corruption. It's a carnal commandment. But after the power, do you see that now? The power of an endless life. You remember MacCasadech, it was said he was without mother, without father, without descent, without beginning and end of days, wasn't it?

Now this is my opinion, this is not, don't take this as the, my opinion is Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate visitation of Jesus Christ to Abraham. That's just a thought, just an opinion. But look, who was made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life, for he testifieth, thou art a priest forever, after the order of who? Melchizedek.

Now look, Here's the ticker. For there is truly a dis- annulling of the commandment, going before. Now someone says, that's just talking about that commandment. Yes, in this context, it is talking just about that commandment. That is, priests were to come out of the tribe of Levi. The writer of Hebrews is saying, but Christ, the Messiah, has nothing to do with Levi as his lineage. He came out of Judah.

But our text for a chapter, our textbook even includes circumcision. It includes days and months and times and years. And we'll look at it though. Of the commandment going before for the, what does it say about this law? Remember the law as a whole. You don't break, you don't have a little bit of law here and well, we want grace here and a little bit of law there and add a little bit of grace in here or vice versa. Look, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

Illustration, the brazen serpent, it was ordained of God. And when the people in the wilderness were being bitten, they were being bitten by poisonous serpents, and many who were being bitten, Tommy, were dying. Now, if you were already dead, the brazen serpent meant nothing to you. You were dead. But if you were bitten and still living, knowing, though, that you're going to die because hundreds of others have been knocked off right all around you, you were to look to that brazen serpent. Isn't that what the book says? That was God-ordained. And then the people of Israel kept that thing for years. And in Hezekiah's day, they begin to make an idol out of it and begin to worship it, even though it was ordained of God at one time for its purpose. Now they're worshiping it and Hezekiah comes and grinds it up into powder, casts it on the water and tells the people here, drink it. You know what he called it? Nahushtan. A worthless piece of brass. Can you imagine those religious Jews what someone thought when he said that?

That's what the writer's saying. For, look at verse 19, for the law made, do you see that next word? Nothing perfect. That's strong language, correct? Is that what's being taught out here in most so-called Christian churches? No. You have a little bit of law. Now, granted, most today, it's all what's being called moral law. But they still add in some rites and some ceremonies. and things, a little bit of dabbling to this and that. See it? For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Look at chapter 10, and you know this. Just the first few verses. For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, it's just the shadow. At best, Paul, as a shadow, it shows you an outline, but it does not give you true detail. That's what a shadow is, right? Tommy, you see the sun shining, and you see a little plant about that tall, and that sun shines. You don't see the plant, but all you see is the shadow. You may have no idea what that really is. It could be poison oak. Or it could be a stalk of corn coming up. You might not know. It's just shadow.

But look, for the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things which can never, with those sacrifices, which he's not talking about just now. He's talking about back then, even back then. can never, with those sacrifices which they offered, past tense, year by year, continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. Why? Because it is weak and unprofitable for that. It was never designed, we're not preaching against the law, we're talking about the true nature of the law. It was never intended to help us, other than to show us what sins are. But you remember what I pointed out from the scripture. We don't truly understand our corruption, how bad sin really is, until we see the Son of God crucified on that tree, and God the Father turning his back on him. Him! Him! The righteous, holy Son of God! and he's hanging there with sin, being a scripture made sin, made a curse, and God the Father turned. Now you talk about that shows me how bad my corruption really is.

Now let's go on. For then would they have not ceased to be offered because that the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of sins. Where's the only place? If you're born of God, that your conscience can be at ease by looking to Jesus Christ crucified on that tree in your place. When I look to that law, I still today, even as a regenerated believer, all I see is sin, sin, sin, sin. Because the law's dealing with my flesh. It's not dealing with the new man. Now look, because they'd have no more conscience of sins, but in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year, for it is not possible. Do you see that? Now remember, these things were ordained of God. But if I begin to practice those things now, what is it? Idolatry. It's saying that, gee, the real thing, the actual real thing's not good enough. Just give me a shadow. Just give me a type. No, sir.

Now, that's first thought. Legal practices are as powerless and destitute as idolatrous practices. That's why Paul calls them all, lumps them together, calls them all weak and beggarly common practices.

Here's the second thought. Now, my time is gone. I had three things to give you and then more after that. We may have to stop this and start back where I leave off.

Here's number two. Now this one you can go back to Galatians now. Galatians. Now think about this. I'm going to make these statements, and then I'll kind of give the summary of it at the end. So the statements as I begin will kind of seem open-ended. And I hope you'll see what I mean by that in a moment.

Legal Practices for Justification, chapter 2, verse 16. Okay, legal practices for justification. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. And what does faith in Christ include? It includes rejecting your legal works.

You see these, I say Pharisees, these men who were teaching this apostate error, this false gospel, were not denying that Christ and faith were necessary, but they were saying this other stuff is needed too. And look, what does true faith cause us to do? Not to even lean on our believing, but we believe on him who believed God perfectly. We rest in his faith, not our faith, though the very faith we have is perfect, for it came from God. It may be only a small measure compared to his, but it's his given to us in measure, Tommy.

Now look, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified, held not by believing, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. And remember, we went through this. This is Christ's own personal faith. Look, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be what? justified.

So there's the first, legal practices for justification. And I will add, legal practices for sanctification. Chapter two, verses 19 and 20. For I, through the law, am dead to the law. The law's not dead. God didn't have to kill the law. Christ said, I didn't come to destroy it. But to what? Fulfill it. Now bless God, it's either fulfilled or it's not. And even Paul read, Paul, what you quoted, what you read from said that the law is fulfilled not by us, it's fulfilled in us. It was fulfilled by Christ. It's fulfilled in us when we are in Christ. That's the whole context.

Look, for I through the law am dead to the law. That's the way God intended it. He meant it that way. Listen, that I might help. I live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh. He's not saying the flesh gets better, we'll see that in a moment, or changed, but the very life I live, even in this Adamic fallen body, this flesh, I live, how? By the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

The strength of faith for me is his faith, not mine. Because I must, with that one man, constantly cry out, Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. This man had something that most so-called Christians today got no idea about. They think they gotta deal with their own unbelief. He knew he couldn't. He knew it had more power than he had. Help thou my unbelief. So look, I said legal practices for justification, legal practices for sanctification, or attempts at flesh improvement. Look at chapter three and verse two and three. This only would I learn of you. Now is that really what Paul, I don't need, he's making a point, he is emphasizing here at this point in the letter. This only would I learn of you. Received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. Are ye so foolish, having begun in the spirit? Are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

The answer is absolute, unequivocally, read into the question. No, no. All the law does is it can expose your flesh, but it cannot correct it in any way. That's why the illustration of the x-ray, Paul, is good illustration.

Are you so foolish, having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? And I hate to use the word at best, that's not the right word. But for the sake of my lack of the language, the proper word, at best, what are we to do with our flesh? We are to mortify its members. We don't even mortify the flesh. We just mortify its member, appendages. You can't kill the flesh. You will have the flesh, I will have the flesh until we die and awaken his likeness or he returns and we're living and he transforms us in a moment, in a blink of an eye. That's what will be done with the flesh. And the flesh is never improved.

We've begun in the spirit. Don't try to improve your flesh, just kill it. Keep beating it down. And you know what you do when you beat it down today? Tonight it'll raise up even in your dreams. And somebody said, but God don't hold that against us. Oh, really? Where does that come from? The devil don't give you your dreams. It comes in this old evil flesh, even in our dreams.

But Paul, that's not my worst problem in the flesh. When I'm awake and at myself, my flesh still raises its ugly head. And why don't they just keep beating it, beating it, beating it, beating it, beating it, beating it. Somebody says, what does it accomplish? Just a continual beating, that's all it'll ever accomplish.

So legal practices for justification, two verse 16. Sanctification, two verse 19 and 20, or an attempt at improving the flesh, chapter three, verse two and three, are bondage, just as idolatrous practices are bondage, for they are both the elements or common practices of this world. They are dealing with our flesh. Now granted, there is some idolatry that I understand that feeds the flesh. I understand that. In mixed company, I wouldn't dare sit here and talk about some of the idolatrous practices, sorry, immoral practices that some idolatry holds to. But not all idolatry has to do with immorality, does it? No, not all idolatry has to do with immorality. But it's all what? Weak and beggarly common practices. and for me to attempt to bring my flesh in line with legal practices is nothing more than idolatry, because Christ is to be worshiped, and Christ alone.

Let me give you this third one, and I'll wind up, we'll stop with that. Third, Paul has just declared that the might and abundance is in Christ's work. before he gets to this phrase, right? Remember? How be it then when you knew not God, ye did service. And notice all this is past tense. He's not accusing them to going back to their old immoral idolatrous practices. He's saying you're turning to this legalism is idolatry, just like the old idolatry you claimed God called you out of. But before he even says that, he says this. Verse three, even so we were, when we were children, were in what? Bondage. Bondage under the elements of the world, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. How much of that did we have a part of? The only part we had of it in any way is he represented us when he did it. That's the only way we had a part. We accomplished none of it.

Now look, to redeem them that were under the law, he did this by himself, without us. He did it on our behalf, Pam, but we did not help Jesus Christ do this. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might what? Receive, and this is receive as in this. No, wait, not this. Not that. But how that glass received that water to start with when Penny, yeah, I guess you did. When Penny put this water in there, the glass just sat there and it received the water. You see that? It just received the water. Look, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Well, okay, at least now we start something, right? Right? At least now we start to work. We start to do something. Look, and because you are sons, God says, sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying. Who's doing the crying? The spirit. This don't start in us. God don't give it a kickstart and then it continues with us. He must continue doing the crying even himself. Christ in you, the hope of glory. It's the spirit of God crying in me, Abba, Father.

Thank God, though, we're one with him. Didn't our Lord pray these words? Turn back to John chapter 17. I'll give you this and make a couple closing statements and then Lord will take up where I'm leaving off. God willing, next Sunday. This is the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ himself. And let me just find a starting point. Let's look at John 17, verse 14. He says this, I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. And there's a lot of ideas about that. The devil, Satan, and I'm sure all that would be included. You know what the evil is? My flesh, that's the evil, okay? That's my real problem. My problem is not you, even if you go into apostasy. My problem's right here, I'm prone to it myself.

But look, look, keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through what? Thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And then look at it. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified, how? Through the truth. You want sanctification? Listen to the truth. You could say that, Tom, that's how you get it, yeah, through the truth, but that's how it continues. The truth don't get better. It don't get more truthy. It's truth. And bless God, when it starts to sanctify you, it's gonna continue to sanctify you, so listen to the truth. You see it? Listen to the truth.

Okay, I mean, let's go on. But here's the sanctified, they also might be sanctified through, I don't know why I keep looking at that clock instead of quit. Neither pray I, but here it is. Neither pray I for these alone, that's the 11. Remember, he wasn't praying for Judas. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word. And if any one of us here believes today, we have believed through one of those men's words. The only way we've ever believed is through the preaching of this book. not human opinions, not another gospel, it's through the preaching of this book. And if we believe this book, then forget all of that back behind there, just believe the truth of God's what sets you apart. And the truth of God's what continues to set you apart.

But then look, it's more than that. Which shall believe on me through their word that they all may be O-N-E, one. Now look, it gets even deeper than that, Helen, that they all may be one. As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee. How one are they one? One. These three are one. I can't explain that, I just preach it. These three are one.

Now look. that they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one, how? In us. Outside of the triune God, we have no oneness. The only thing we can agree on is in different little spurts, things that please our flesh. And it don't have to be bad things. You love baseball, I love baseball. We'll spend our time and money doing what? Baseball. Until you hear the truth. And it sanctifies you.

Now look, it's more than that. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. I don't care whether we see it or not. I don't see it in you. You don't see it in me, but bless God, Christ says it is in us, right? That the glory which thou gavest me, and the glory, sorry, and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. And one day it will. One day it will. Won't that be a glorious day?

People look at me now and they don't see a sanctified man. Come on, do they? Now you, because you have, because of the truth, some relationship to sanctification, you know a little bit about what sanctification, and it's not even the right word, Jody, looks like. Because you know a little bit about what sanctification is. It has to do with what? Being caught up with the truth. And remember, Christ said, I am the way, the truth. You don't have no truth apart from Christ. You don't get to the truth to get to Christ. You get to Christ, you're brought to Christ, and you have truth. And you see that, and you hear me speak of Christ, and you say this, I can relate to that man because he preaches, The truth. You look at one another and you can relate to one another. Why? Because you both believe the truth. What is it that joins us together? Jesus Christ. The truth. The truth.

So let me just give you this. And I said, I told you I'd make a couple statements. Legalism was never, is not, and shall never be a source of any kind of aid in our liberty in Christ. I don't need to preach to you the law. Now, I will mention the law, we'll talk about the law, it'll come up in the messages, but my message that I must preach is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Not just Jesus Christ crucified, it's Jesus Christ, the living, reigning Lord, and Him what? Crucified. That's what's gonna feed you. That's what's gonna keep you keeping on. Even when you fall flat on your face, what's gonna raise you back up? Me fussing at you and telling you how you broke the law? Well, you already know that if you're in Christ. You know you have. You know you have even when you're sitting there and denying it. You still know it, don't you? What's the only thing that lifts you up? To hear of your Lord hanging on that tree in your stead and God forsaking him so that God will never forsake you. Isn't that what encourages you? Now, if it don't, then you've never been sanctified by the truth. Amen.

Heavenly Father, these things are seeming so hard to say, but I'm forced to say they're not hard to say. They're just impossible for us to receive and believe and rejoice in, apart from the power and enablement of your spirit. Oh, God, teach us. Teach us, Lord.

So many things we're prone to lay our hands on, and it's not all immoral. It's not all unrighteous. Lord, cause us to ever remember and see the gravity of it that even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in your sight.

Lord, just constantly remind us of the glory and the splendor and the substitution and the representation and the redemption and the forgiveness that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. God, we need it.

Lord, we need you to be long-suffering with us, patient with us, and teach us, and guide us, and direct us. In Christ's name, amen.