Wanna pick up where we left off last week. We looked at the 28th verse last week, and I'll probably go ahead and read through this again. But just to kind of refresh our memories about where we've been, we've looked at, we've been going through Romans 7 and 8.

I have been putting forth that the Bible does not teach in a progressive sanctification. The Bible doesn't teach in a progression of holiness that we are getting more holy and less sinful. And that Paul was making this argument in seven and eight But in that argument that Paul is making that there is no good thing that is in us, that the flesh profits nothing, that oh, wretched man that he is, all this verbiage that Paul uses, not only in Romans, but throughout his epistles.

And we find that throughout the whole entire scripture, that man is completely and totally depraved. There's nothing that we can do that we could ever do to satisfy God's justice that could ever make us acceptable before God, and that all of our acceptance, all of our legality of salvation and our experiential part of salvation is all done and worked out by God himself, and that we don't have any hand in any of that.

And I think that's one of the main reasons why Paul is going through a lot of this, especially as it goes over into Romans 9 and 10 and 11, is that Paul is showing these Roman believers, and specifically the Jewish believers among them, that salvation is completely and totally by God, and that it has nothing to do with works, it has nothing to do with anything that we do.

And in making this argument, Paul has used himself as an example that before Christ was revealed in him, Paul was looking to the outward appearances. He was looking to the outward things. He was looking to works to justify him before God. And that everything that he did as a Pharisee among Pharisees, all the keeping of the law, all the persecuting the Lord's people, all those things that he was doing, he done in a religious zeal because he believed that if he would do those things in serving God, that he would be accepted of God and that he would be saved and that he would be kept from destruction.

But Paul said that whenever Christ was revealed in him, meaning whenever Christ was born in him, whenever he was born of the spirit and he was given spiritual life and spiritual understanding, something that without that, we continue on thinking that we have a zealous work that we can present before God. But before he was born again, he did not realize the depravity that all those works that he was doing were filthy rags, that all those things that he was doing as he himself claimed was as done, okay? in being saved in the aspect of being born from above and giving spiritual birth and understanding, Paul then began to see himself as Scripture puts it out.

We are worthless, we have nothing to offer God. God doesn't see anything that we do in this flesh as righteous, as holy, as acceptable. And Paul, once he came to know that, began to see that there is no hope of salvation in the natural man by the natural man's works or anything that he can do. Matter of fact, he is so dead in trespasses and sins that he even writes in the Corinthians that the natural man, he cannot see the things of the spirit. He cannot perceive the things of the spirit. He cannot receive the things of the spirit because they're spiritually discerned and natural men are not spiritual men. There has to be a spiritual birth from above before anybody has the capacity. And see, that's what we're talking about. We're not talking about that God is just out here saying, you know, trying to give salvation and nobody has the ability, therefore nobody's gonna be saved.

Had a gentleman this last couple of days that conversing with back and forth on another brother's comment that he had made on Facebook. And whenever we were putting forth that salvation is by the sovereign grace of God, and that it's not about your free will, it's not about your decisions, it's not about your works that you do. This man is taking offense of that, and then we said that the natural man doesn't have the ability to believe.

Well, he says, well, I don't know anywhere in the Bible that it says that the natural man don't have the ability to believe. And he said, if you believe that, then how can anybody be saved if the natural man doesn't have any ability to believe? And that shows

And I don't mean this in a derogatory way towards this man, but I mean this in the best sense that I can mean it. The man is ignorant of the scriptures. Not that he's stupid, but he's ignorant, meaning that he has yet to learn or yet to be revealed or understand the scriptures.

The scriptures teach that the natural man cannot believe, that the natural man cannot do anything towards God. And whenever we put that forth, and give him scriptures, well, yeah, the Bible does say that, and I give him like about 10 scriptures that prove that natural man has no ability to believe, no ability to have faith, that the faith is a gift that comes from God, and that it doesn't come until we've been born again.

I give him all these scriptures and stuff, and even after seeing all those scriptures, he still comes back and he says, the Bible doesn't say anywhere that the natural man can't believe. And if you believe that, then nobody is ever gonna be saved because you have to believe to be saved. And I said, well, there's where another part of your error comes is we aren't saved by our believing.

Our believing is a showing that we have been saved. It's an evidence that we have been saved and that the belief comes because we have been born from above. And that's what we were trying to push towards him is that this whole gospel message is not a offer to somebody that if they'll do this, then God will do this. It is a declaration. It's declaring what is true about salvation and is true about God's people and how they were saved.

And if you're a child of grace, it is good news to you on how you were saved, not on a laundry list of things that you must do so that God will save you. And still at that point, the man said, you know, then obviously nobody can be saved if that's the case. He just didn't understand what we were talking about.

But this is what Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about the natural man cannot do these things. And whenever he came to realize that, he began to see, well, if the natural man can't do anything, then there is absolutely 0% chance of anybody being saved except by the sovereign grace of God.

that the only people that are saved are the ones that God has chosen to be saved, that God wills to be saved because God has been not only clear that his choice of his people was before the foundation of the world, that takes it out of anybody's hands, but he has also made it very clear that eternal life only comes by Jesus Christ, who has been given power over all flesh to give eternal life to only those that God has given to him. So that takes it out of my hands. That takes it out of anybody's hand. If salvation is only by God's choosing and is empowered only by Christ, who has given us the ability to know spiritual things, to believe spiritual things, and first and foremost has raised us from spiritual death, then there is nothing we, I can't raise myself from spiritual death.

A man who is dead and trespasses in cannot come alive. I mean, you think about that in the natural realm. I mean, every one of us here would think it would be completely silly if we'd go to a funeral and that dead person that's laying in that casket there, if we would all gather around their casket and just start saying, hey, come back, come back, come back alive. And we'd start saying, you just have to will to come back. Just make a decision. Just choose to come back. You can do it. If you'll just listen to what we're saying, then you can come back alive.

I mean, people are saying, well, that's silly, because a dead person is dead. They're not able to hear and understand. That's why Paul, that's why the Holy Spirit uses that illustration in the scriptures whenever it says that we are dead in trespasses and sins. and then we are dead spiritually. He gives that illustration because that lets us know that apart from a new birth, we are dead spiritually. If we don't have a new birth where we become alive spiritually, all we are is dead and dead people can't do anything spiritually.

Therefore, if we can't do anything spiritually, we cannot do anything within the kingdom of God, nor can we get in the kingdom. Jesus said that Unless you're born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. And then a little bit later, he said, you cannot enter into the kingdom, but you have to be born again. And God's kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. It's not a fleshly, earthly, it's not a physical kingdom, it's a spiritual kingdom. So everything that is done within this kingdom is done in a spiritual way, through spiritual means, with a spiritual ability.

Therefore, unless we're spiritually alive, We have no sight or entrance into that kingdom, and we surely don't have any ability to function within that kingdom. The things of that kingdom of believe, and receive, and repent, and trust, and love God, and love your brethrens, and love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, all those things are spiritual works that are done on the inward side. And that's what God does in us. He works those things in us. And if God doesn't do that, there is nothing that we can do that can produce that. There's nothing that we can do that can work that up.

I can't work that up. I can't work up faith. I don't care how much I read this. I don't care how much I listen to sermons online. I don't care how many Bible conferences I go to. I don't care how much someone preaches to me unless God himself by his spirit comes and gives me life and then opens my eyes and understanding to what this is even saying and meaning, then I'm still left to the natural man. And the natural man can't receive or believe or do anything.

So I am beholden to God. So that means I am saved in God. I'm saved by Christ legally. But as far as we're talking about experiential salvation, meaning that We have been born from above. We have been converted. We have been given repentance. We've been given faith, spiritual life, all those things. I'm beholden to God to do that. I can't start that. I can't stop that. It only happens whenever he decides to give it. And so Paul realizes that even whenever that does happen and he's given that, We're given the understanding of who our old man is. That's why in chapter seven, Paul said, I see that everything I do is wretched and vile and not worthy of God. And that I want to do good. My inward man wants to do good. I want to do what's right. I try to do what's right. But everything that I do is tainted by my flesh because my flesh can do nothing right before God.

Therefore, I'm left with only one hope. And that is what Christ has done in my place for me. And that's why he began chapter eight with, therefore there is now. Because to the child of grace, their mind is gonna be in conflict because their desire on the inside is to do right. Their desire on the inside is to honor God. Their desire on the inside is holiness. But they can't perform that on the outward man. They can't do it. What they are inwardly Cannot be seen outwardly because of this body of death and Paul at the end of seven asked a question who shall deliver me From this body death we carry around this body of death our whole entire life God hasn't changed that he hasn't made it where once we're born again Now this outward man begins to be better and better and better that was Paul's argument All I see is that it's getting worse and worse and worse. The outward man perishes, but the inward man is renewed daily. The inward man is growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet the outward man continues to perish. He continues to be under sin. He continues to be unable to please God and everything that the hand is put to is blemished by that sinfulness.

And so Paul says, there's this argument, this war, this conflict, the war against the flesh and the spirit. And he says, for the child of grace, that mindset then becomes, you know, I obviously must not be his son because look at how I'm living. If I'm, you know, I know God has justified me, but what about all this sin that I continue to do? And so Paul said, there's therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Let that be your mindset. No, God knows that your sin is still here. He's left you in this position of still being in this body of death so that you, by hope, would continue to trust in Christ.

Because if you begin to be more and more holy or sinless in your flesh, then your hope is no longer in Christ, but it is on what you do for Christ. Now your hope is put back within yourself where you were when you were a religious zealot, whenever you were an unsaved, if you would, an unsaved sinner that was out there trying to be a religious person. Paul said the reason that we're given this body of death and the reason that we're given the sufferings that we suffer is so that we might stay humble and that we also might continue to live in complete and total dependency upon Christ Jesus for everything, for our legal standing, for our relationship, and for our practical life, everything in our life.

I don't know, and I had this conversation with a brother yesterday, you know, how do I know, and I wrote that article and I passed it out to you guys a few weeks ago, How do I know that the good works that I'm doing outwardly, loving my brethren, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, all these things, how do I know that those things are works that God is doing in me or the religious zealous works that I'm doing outwardly, which are dead works, that I'm doing and producing outwardly in my own mind of saying that I need to do this so that I would have an outward appearance of righteousness? I mean, I lived a whole entire life and I say I continue to do this, but I continued, I had a whole entire life before God revealed these things to me that thinking that all these outward appearances, I, you know, I love, you know, I tried to express love for the brethren. I tried to express love for God. I tried to do all the things that the Bible told me to do and I did them outwardly and I was able to do that outwardly, but I don't believe that I was converted. Later, now looking back at it, I wasn't converted. I wasn't a believer. But I was zealously religiously trained to do these things.

I grew up in a household that went to church every time the door was open. Everything was about God, was about God, was about God. Everything was religious. It was about a relationship with God. It was about serving God. It was about doing this and about doing that. And so my mindset was that is what I got to do. And whenever I do that on the outward, then God is going to be pleased and that my fellowship will still be there and everything. I'll have communion with God as long as I'm doing. But, you know, if I'm not right with God. Then that fellowship is broken, that relationship is broken and. Here I am, God doesn't and hear my prayers and God doesn't bless me and God doesn't do this or doesn't do that.

And see that right there is completely opposite of what the scriptures say. The scriptures say that he chastens those that he loves and that those that he loves, he has given his spirit and in that spirit, that spirit is the one who does the works, not you. He does the works. How do I know that they're mine or whether they're his? I don't know. So what do I do? I do like what Paul is telling us to do. I changed my mindset. I quit looking at the outward appearance. I quit looking at the arm of the flesh or depend upon the arm of the flesh to do this. And I look to what God is doing and his promises. He promised to work in me to will and to do. To will and to do. So I rest in the fact that God is the one who will enact in me, who will by his sovereign influence cause me to will and to do his pleasure.

The Bible says that we are his workmanship. It didn't say that he gave us work for us to do. No, we are the ones who are being worked. We are his workmanship. God is working us. He's working in us. and we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. If God promises that he is working in me, then those works that he ordained before the foundation of the world, they're not gonna change because God doesn't change, right? God doesn't change. God's mind doesn't change. God's purpose doesn't change. God's decree doesn't change. And if he decreed those works before the foundation of the world, then that means that I will walk in every good work that God has ordained for me. No more and no less. And that if Christ died for me, then every sin that Christ died for, I'm gonna commit that sin. No more and no less. I'm not gonna sin more than what Christ died for, otherwise I won't be saved. And I'm not gonna sin less than what Christ died for, otherwise Christ died for some sins without cause.

Same thing with our words. I cannot do any more works than God has ordained. God has said, this is what you're gonna walk in, and I will walk in it. So I rest in knowing that God controls all of it. That's what Paul is saying. Let our mindset be in this. And he's given us this reason. That's why I said in chapter eight, a couple weeks ago that we looked at, that we have been made subject to vanity in hope. God has placed us in here so that we would have hope.

Now, last week, we looked at verse 28. Let's pick up reading there and I'll read down through 30. And we know and we talked about the we who are the we. Well, we refers back to the beginning of chapter eight. There's therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. That's the we. The we who know are the ones who are in Christ Jesus. Those who are in Christ Jesus have the spirit of God. And Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter two tells us that the spirit of God is given to us that we might know what has been freely given to us. The spirit has to be given to us so that we might know. And what is it that he gives us to know what has been freely given? What has been freely given to us? Well, Ephesians tells us that we've been given all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The Bible tells us that he has given us all things to work for our good right here, verse 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

Now, I failed to mention last week, and maybe I did and just forgot, but he says that all things work together for good. He didn't say that all things were good. He said all things work together for good. Now, we've seen that the all things there, I believe, can have two contexts. There's an immediate context, and there's a broader context that we find throughout all Scripture. Context that we see throughout all of Scripture is that the all things literally mean all things God has Determined and decreed all things he is predestinated everything that will ever happen The end from the beginning Okay He is determined all those things. So all things are Working for God's purpose. So I believe there's a broader context But a more specific context we see here is these all things are referring back to what Paul mentioned in verse 18, when he said, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, or what is found in verse 20, the vanity that we have been subjected to as the creature of God, the new creature of God, we've been subjected to this sinful body of death And so the sufferings that we go through in this body of death as the true born children of God that are placed in this earthen vessel, that these things work together for good. He reiterates who it's to, to them that love God. We spoke about that last week. The only ones who love God are the ones who God has loved first. And I want you to pay close attention to that because it's gonna come up here in our next verse.

that he loved us because he loved us, we love him. OK, that's 1 John 4 19. We love him because he first loved us. God said that he has loved us with an everlasting love. OK, so we have been loved with an everlasting love. That love has been shown to us. And we talked about this several weeks ago in another sermon that I preached on. But the way that God shows or demonstrates his love for us is in the fact that he has elected us in Christ Jesus, that he has chosen us in him. That's the sign of his love. And then that love is manifested in the fact that Christ comes and for that particular people that he chose, he redeems them from the death and sin that they have been subjected to in the first Adam. that love is shown in that particular people being redeemed out of the same lump of humanity of Adam, first Adam, that they have been brought out of that, redeemed from that, and in the end, what is on the inside will also be seen on the outside. This body of death will be put down, and the new body that will be put on will be incorruptible, and we're gonna look about that here in just a few minutes.

So them that love God are the elect of God who were chosen before the foundation of the Lord. And he said to them who are called according to his purpose. And we know that his purpose in Romans chapter nine says his purpose is according to election.

Now, verse 29, it says for whom. Now, whenever you see that word for, It's saying, hey, this is in consequence to what we just saw. OK, the reason that all things work together for good is because the word for it could also mean because because. The reason that God has subjected you to vanity and that in that vanity you go through sufferings of the inward man and the outward man and the conflict that you experience through that and the outward persecutions that we experience because we believe on Christ and we believe the true gospel. These sufferings are for purpose and for a reason. And he's fixing to tell us what that is.

For whom he did foreknow. Now, the first thing I want you to pay close attention to, brethren, is the word whom. Notice if you would there in your Bibles that it says for whom he did foreknow. It doesn't say for what he foreknew. You see the difference between that? You understand why I'm even bringing that up. The reason I'm bringing that up is because old Mike Smith who used to preach a false gospel, used to say that God foreknew that I would choose him, make a decision for him, ask him into my heart, and because God saw that, he elected me to be his child. So God foreknew what would happen

Now, at one time, I thought God looked down the corridor of time, and he's seen down the corridor of time what Mike would do, and because what Mike would do, then God said, I'm gonna elect him. But then as I begin to grow deeper into my opinionism, I begin to say, well, God isn't confined to time, He lives outside of time and he sees everything, the beginning from the end, all at one time. That he sees everything all at once. Therefore, he's not looking down the corridor of time into the future. He's just seeing everything in the everlasting now. And so God sees that I choose him and he elects me to salvation because I'm choosing him. But in all of that error, All I was doing was trying to preserve the free will of man. Whether it was God looking down through time or whether it was God seeing time all at one point, the thing still remained is God doesn't transgress our free will. He doesn't make us saved when we don't want to be. He doesn't save us without our permission. He has provided a way to be saved. He has provided a plan of salvation, but unless you choose it, unless you decide, unless you repent and turn to Him and choose Him and make Him the Lord of your life, then He's not gonna push that on you.

See, that's hogwash. That's a false gospel. I preached that for a long time, brother. Many of my friends and family are still caught up in that error. but it didn't say for what he foreknew. See, if God is looking down on what I do and action, then he would have said for what he foreknew, but he didn't say that. He said for whom. There was a whom. Whenever I use the word whom, what does that refer to? It refers to people, right? That's a term that we don't use the word whom. I mean, like, I don't come out here and I rake up these leaves out here and I say, let's rake up these whoms. You know, I realize that there's a pile of leaves over there. It is a pretty big pile. No, if that was a group of people standing on it, say, hey, there's a group of people over there. They. See, these terms refer to people, they, them, whom, for whom God foreknew.

But let me go ahead and read the two verses and I'll come back. So you'll know why it's important that we look at these things this way. Because it says, for whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate. Ooh, that's that dirty word. Right? That's that dirty word that nobody likes. God predestinates something. God predestinated. People don't like predestination. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover, or in addition to that, whom he did predestinate Again, whom he did predestinate, not what he did predestinate, although he did predestinate the what. It says, moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Well, wait a minute, preacher. The Arminian says that God calls everybody. The Reformed Baptist and Reformed Protestants, they say that God has an outward call that goes out to everybody. So therefore, God calls everybody. Well, brethren, that's not what we're talking about. Because these people who are called are a specific group of people. It's not everybody. This isn't talking about a general call.

Now, just as a side note, I don't believe that God has a general call that goes out to all people that has a true intention to it. Do we preach to all people? Absolutely we do. Does the gospel go out and is heard in the ears of all people? Absolutely it is. Does God ever intend for those who are out there who are not His elect to hear that message? Absolutely not. I know people say that salvation, that God, that whenever Christ died, that it is sufficient for all, but efficient only to the elect. That's ridiculous. If you just think about that, that don't make any sense. It's only sufficient for those whom it was intended to be given to, and to those whose it's intended to, it is efficient. It will happen. but it's only meant for them. God didn't have a blanket death, but he's only gonna apply it just to his elect. No, he only died for the ones that he chose, and the ones whom he chose, those are the only ones he calls to that salvation.

Not to mention that if you remember the context of the whom here, or the we of verse 28, that love God who are The called. Remember last week, we talked about the call. That's a definite article, the, in front of called. That means it's a specific group of people. We saw that in 1 Timothy, or excuse me, 2 Timothy chapter one and verse nine, where it said that he had saved us and called us according to his, saved us and called us with a holy calling. not according to our works, but according to his mercy and grace, which he, his purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the world began. So that calling was the eternal calling. That calling was a calling that happened before the foundation of the world. This calling predates Adam. So we weren't elected in Adam as the reformed people tell us, that God after Adam died, elected a people in Adam. No, he didn't. He elected a people in Christ. We say Adam is the first Adam and Christ is the second Adam, but that doesn't mean that Adam came before Christ came. We say that in the term of, as it pertains to our relation in this flesh. Adam is the first Adam and we are in him. Christ is the second Adam. He is the spiritual man. And we are in him if we have been elected of God. That's the context of verse 28. So for whom he did foreknow goes back to the called who are called according to his purpose in election. Those who got elected before the foundation of the world are the ones whom he foreknew.

and whom he foreknew, the Bible says, moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. You notice all that's in the past tense? That means God is not in the act of, right now, justifying people. They're already justified. There are standards justified. We are already glorified. You say, well, how do you know that? Well, I don't. I thought we weren't glorified until the end. Brethren, there is a glorification that comes at the end. I'm not denying that. But we are already glorified in Christ Jesus. How do I know that? Because of the inner man that is in us. He is the seed of Christ and he is without sin. He is perfect. He is created in true righteousness and holiness that is glorified.

Matter of fact, if you look at verse, if you look at verse 29 in the Young's Literal Translation, of course, if you notice there, the 2B in our King James Bible, that's in italics. That means that the King James translators That 2b is not in the Greek. Okay, it wasn't in the Greek manuscripts. They added 2b in the English translation to make the flow of the sentence go more, better. But the 2b is not there. In Young's literal translation, The to be is not even added, even though it's in English. It's not even added. It says that for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, conform, past tense already, conformed to the image of his son.

Now, brethren, I believe that that new creature that was subjected to vanity, that new creature that is born from above is glorified, but it does not yet be seen. outwardly what is on the inward. Now bear with me, and I think I have Bible to back that up. What is seen outwardly is not what is true inwardly. That is why Paul made that argument. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Because what is on the inside serves the law of God, but what is on the outside serves the law of sin. All I can do is serve the law of sin in my outward man, but my inward man serves, does serve completely and totally to his fullness. It serves the law of God. Why? Because God is in me working to will and to do his good pleasure. God is in me and I am his seed. I am the seed, the spiritual seed of holiness, righteousness, Christ himself.

That's the conflict. That perfect man and this imperfect man hate each other. They have conflict against each other. And the whole purpose of all of these passages is to give the child of grace knowledge and hope of what is to come. That though the inward man, who struggles because of the outward man, one of these days he will go into the glorious liberty verses 21 of chapter 8 he will be delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of god whom he did predestinate them he also called to him we call he also justified to whom he justified them he also glorified now where do i get some of this terminology about the inner man and the outer man, and putting off these things. Well, turn with me, if you would, over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Look with me starting at verse 35.

But some man will say, how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it dieth. And we know that that's a principle of scripture, right? Unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it dies, it will bear much fruit, right? And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or some other grain.

But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds, There are also, there are also, pay close attention here, celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from another star in glory.

So also, so also, so in likeness, in the same way, is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. The body is sown in corruption. This outward man, this body of death, is sown into the ground in corruption, but it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.

See, we don't yet have our spiritual body. We only have this natural body. but after we die at the resurrection, our body will resurrect as a spiritual body, not a natural body, okay? So right now, we have been subjected to the vanity of the natural body in our first father, Adam. The natural man, houses the spiritual man. The spiritual man does not yet have his spiritual body. He has a natural body, which Paul calls a body of death.

Now look, pay close attention and follow along with me. Don't check out. So it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam, which is Christ, was made a quickening spirit. How be it that was not first, which is spiritual. Brethren, that tells me, that is one of the reasons why, this is the proof verse, if you've ever listened to me for any length of time, that I say that Adam was not created spiritual. He was created natural. That was not first, which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual.

The first man, Adam, is of the earth, earthy. The second man, Christ, is the Lord from heaven. First man is of the earth, earthy. If we are created after that man which is of the earth, earthy, then we are of the earth, earthy. We are created in the same likeness and image of him, Adam, of the earth, earthy. So therefore our body is earthy. Therefore we are earthly. But it says here, as is the earthy, meaning that we have the likeness in Adam, such are they also, excuse me, as is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

So that tells me as we bear the image of Adam, those who are in Christ Jesus also bear the image of Christ. But look what it says here. As we have borne the image of the earthy, that's past tense. Matter of fact, it's past tense and a going on. It's a present perfect. It means that it's something that happens in the past and continues on. As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall, future tense, bear the image of the heavenly. So now we bear the image of the first Adam which is natural and the natural man cannot do spiritual things. Cannot be pleasing to God.

But it says that those who are of the heavenly they also will bear the image of the heavenly. So that means there's going to come a time brethren whenever this body of death will not be my suit of clothes. the person that I am inwardly that's born from above, that spiritual Mike that came from heaven, he's not gonna be wearing this body of death, he's gonna be wearing a body like the heavenly, like the second Adam.

Look at verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. That means this body is not gonna make it into the kingdom of God, into heaven. It's not gonna make it into the kingdom of God because that's not the body that is prepared for that place. There is a body, there is a house that is prepared for you in that kingdom.

Now this I say, the flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. He says, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall, future tense, all be changed. In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible, this outward man, must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So then, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. See that? The strength of sin is the law. What is it that makes us, in this outward corruptible man, sinners? The fact that we cannot keep the law. The fact that the law has been given to us, it has been given to show us that this body of death cannot keep it. That we are unrighteous. This body of death is an unrighteous person.

The strength of sin is the law. My sinfulness comes because the law has been given. The law is holy and righteous and just and perfect, but I'm not. And therefore, I cannot keep that law. Therefore, that law condemns me as an unrighteous person. It declares over me that you are unrighteous. Because if you were righteous, you would keep this standard, which is me, the law. But you can't keep it. Therefore, you're condemned. Because everyone who transgresses the law of God, the Bible says the wages of sin is death. The Bible says that the soul that sinneth, it will surely die.

But Christ has conquered death and sin that has reigned over us. his children, those who are his spiritual seed that lives in this earthly vessel. This earthly vessel is going to perish. But the child of grace that is within us is going to continue forever. And God has made a provision that that man will not be out there floating unclothed, but that he will be clothed. With an incorruptible immortal body.

Now who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God that through Jesus Christ this body of death will be put down and we will be conformed into that image. Now turn back with me to Romans chapter 8. Is that not what he says there? Whom He did predestinate, then He also called. Whom He called, He also justified. And whom He justified, He also glorified. All of this is past tense because it is the decree of God. In the mind of God, in the purpose of God, in the decree of God, it's all finished. It's all done. It's not going to change. It's not going to waver. Nobody is going to lose this. Nobody is going to miss this. Nobody is going to accidentally be forgotten.

There's not going to be somebody clear on this other part of the world that decided at some point to move up into some cave somewhere and become a recluse and nobody reaches them with the gospel. If that person is a child of grace that God has chosen from the foundation of the world, It doesn't matter how far remote they get from everybody and everything and the preaching of the gospel, that child of grace will be given faith to in Christ Jesus and come to know Christ Jesus and he will believe upon him. He will be saved and his body of death will be put down and he will be given a new body and he will be with Christ forever.

Not one person will be lost. That is the greatness of the gospel. That is the greatness of God's salvation, is God's salvation takes everything out of man's hands and gives it only to God. If it's left in man's hands, it might not happen. I mean, think about it. If salvation is up to your feelings, your choice, your decision, your will, if salvation is up to your believing, What if you never heard the gospel? What if somebody never preached to you the gospel? What if I don't get to everybody and preach to them or somebody else gets to them? What if all of us that come to you to preach to you don't do it in such a way that convinces you?

Well, guess what? Your eternal destiny is now at your command. Your eternal destiny is now up to you taking what's here and making sure. How do I know that what I'm believing is actually all true even? Even to this day and right now as I'm preaching this sermon, how do I know that everything that I'm saying in this Bible is true? Because I've thought that certain things and was, I was sure about it. There was no way that I was wrong about that, that God has later taught me. There's something, matter of fact, some of the things that I've preached in these last few weeks are things that God has taught me recently. My mind has changed. How do I know I'm not going to change my mind again?

I've seen some people, dear, precious people that we have loved as our own family, we've loved, have seen them grow up in church, love the gospel, preach the gospel, share the gospel. I've seen them turn and their life now is so wicked. And they have even denying God, the existence of God to some degree. Atheist at worst, agnostic at best. turned from God into their own sexual wickedness. I've seen these people that have completely and totally, it doesn't matter what God says, I don't care to even, I don't even know if there is a God. Now, where is the security of salvation if somebody that has grown up their whole entire life hearing the true gospel, if somebody their whole entire life has professed outwardly that they believe this gospel, their whole entire life have preached to others this true gospel. Can walk away and now deny that God even exists and live in debaucherous lifestyles? How in the world can I think that my eternal destiny rests in my knowledge? It can't because my knowledge waivers. It's tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. The only thing that I can know for sure and ever be sure of is what the Holy Spirit teaches me. When he teaches me. And it testifies that to this. He brings me back to this. It will be found in here.

But brethren, listen, it may not be revealed to me right away. But if salvation depends on me knowing this, then what if I don't know? What if I don't ever come to know? And what if I am deceived and I'm knowing wrongly? And I get to heaven and I'm the one that's in that passage in Matthew.

Lord, Lord, did we not do all these wonderful things in your name? Did we not cast out demons in your name? Did we not cast out devils and heal people and do all these things in your name? Didn't we preach the gospel in your name? Didn't we come to church every week in your name? Didn't we give money for the support of the ministry in your name? Do this or do that or whatever it is in your name. Did not lead Bible studies. Did not, you know, have a men's group. Did not have a women's group. Did not have a children's group. Did not have this organization and that organization and this different program. And we did it all in your name. Only to find out Christ saying depart from me you worker of iniquity. I never knew you.

You hear what he said there? I never knew Look at verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of God.

See brethren, that's why, that's why the name of this church, we don't have a plaque or a placard or a sign, the name of this church is Sovereign Grace Baptist Church. The reason we love Sovereign Grace doctrine is because when grace is grace, true grace, whenever the gospel, the true gospel is known and understood, we see that salvation is imminent. Salvation is effectual. Salvation will happen. Salvation has been accomplished. Therefore, every one of its recipients for whom it was purposed will receive all of what Christ has done for them. It's not left into their hands to mess up, to neglect, to deny, to reject, to not fulfill, to not experience. God has promised God has purposed, God has promised, God has delivered in Christ Jesus everything.

And listen, when God predestinates, you know the word predestinate, you know what that means? What does the word pre mean? Remember we used the word pre in front of something before. Okay, what does the word destinate mean or destiny mean? It means your destiny. to determine the end, right? God has predetermined everything. But specifically here, for whom he foreknew, that means the one he foreloved, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of God. That means everyone that is involved in this we, this lovers of God, the called, the brethren, the whom, these people, there is no possible way that they will not be conformed to the image of God. There's no possible way.

And that is why it's good to hear preaching that takes everything out of man's hands and puts it all in God. That's why it's great and good news to hear preaching that it is not of your will, is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God, who showeth mercy. And it's wonderful that God is sovereign in the fact that he can show mercy to whomever he wants to show mercy. And he can show grace to whomever he wants to show grace. And if grace is something that is earned, then it isn't grace. Therefore, if it is something that you have to do to earn it, then you can't get it because salvation is only by grace, or by grace are you saying? If it's a work salvation, then it is a true salvation. You don't want it. You don't want that kind of salvation, because that salvation is going to end you up somewhere besides being conformed to the image of God. It's a false salvation.

See, brethren, it isn't just, and I want to clarify this, It isn't just us versus them, okay? That's not the purpose of why I say these things. It's not me against my old understanding or my own preaching. It's not just that. It's not Arminianism versus Calvinism, although I don't consider myself a Calvinist. I can't stand that term. It's not that. It's not Arminian versus sovereign grace. It's not all about just that, that we are choosing sides. It's about the truth. And it's about what is the good news.

If the good news revolves around something that you must do according to the scripture, you can't do anything. So then at the end of the day, there is no good news for you. But the good news is that God has done and then by grace, he gives it and bestows it on whoever he wants to give it to and those who he does give it to. There's no way they can lose it, and there's no way they can miss out on it. It will happen, and God will do everything within you to accomplish his purpose.

Therefore, Paul here is making his argument that even though we're in this body of death and this inward man continues to have this warfare, our mindset, remember, goes all the way back to some of the beginnings of our preaching in this, We have a different mindset. Our mindset isn't looking to the arm of the flesh or the outward appearance. It's looking at what God has already done in Christ Jesus. God has already done all perfected obedience on our behalf. Therefore, there is no perfected obedience for me to accomplish for my standing with God or for my continual walk with the Lord.

Because God will cause me to do whatever he wants me to do to accomplish His purpose and to experience the things that I experienced, even if it's suffering. Guess what? Your sin is also part of your suffering. We continue in this body of death, committing sins, and God has purpose for those sins to continue in the purpose that He has in showing us our dependency upon Jesus Christ.

You know what the, you know, whenever I sin, you know what that makes me want to do? At first, I love it. The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. But guess what? Whenever the Holy Spirit comes and convicts me, you know what the first thing I want to do? I want to run back to Christ. Not only because I love Him and I'm sorrowful that I've sinned against Him, but I also want to run to Him to thank Him that there is no condemnation in Him. And therefore, that sin that I just committed is not going to throw me out of fellowship, relationship, or it's not going to keep me from getting to heaven. That that has no bearing because God's salvation is outside of me and what I do. It's what Christ has done. That's the good news. That's why it's good news.

And Paul is saying our mindset should be looking towards that, not towards what we produce in the flesh. And there's hope, brethren, because one of these days we will be rid of this conflict of the flesh and the spirit, and we will be glorified in the outer man as much as we are glorified in the inner man. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called whom he called he also justified and whom he justified he also glorified

all right i'm gonna stop right there and we'll pick up with that lord willing next time anybody i got any questions any comments all right y'all be in prayer for the phillips uh they're not here again today last week was they weren't here we ended up finding out there was a little mix up they did forget and think we were going to be gone another Sunday and everything. So they weren't here because of that. But today they woke up and they had some issues at their house. Their hot water heater was not working. They didn't have any hot water. And all of his electrical stuff seemed to look all right. But he was afraid to leave the house because he didn't know why it wasn't working. So he was afraid there might be sort of a problem. So, he wanted to stay there and figure out what was going on and not leave the house.

So, anyway, be in prayer for the Phillips but be in prayer for them also cuz they've had a rough few weeks, brethren. They've had some issues and uh I don't feel at liberty to say that. I don't know if brother Larry has um said anything publicly about what all they're going through but um but anyway, I don't wanna say that on camera or anything like that cuz I don't know. Uh Now, whenever we get off camera, I'll share that with everyone that hasn't been here. But be in prayer for the Phillips family. Be in prayer for the rest of our family. We've all kind of been under the weather for the last couple of weeks. Still stuff hanging on. It's a cling on. It doesn't let go.

So anyway, anybody got anything else? How's your friend doing, Daniel? She's doing all right. She's not going to be back until February. because apparently somebody in her family accidentally hit her with something, like hit her in the back with something. And so they said that she won't be back until February. Okay. We'll continue to remember Lindsay, right? Yep. Continue to remember Lindsay. She had her surgery on her back, but she's had some complications since then. So continue to remember them. Glad to have Heather and all the kids back. Been sick, gone last week. Oh yeah, okay. So Andrew's teacher, I remember him in the prayers. Waylon's sick today, so pray for him. Zach, he's been deathly sick the last few days, but looks like he's kind of back among the living here. He still looks like death warmed over, but he's at least among us now.

Anyway, thank you all for your prayers. Let's bow and have a word of prayer.

Father, once again, we lift these things up to you, knowing that you are the author and the finisher of all things. Father, we also know that you are the great physician in all these sicknesses and all these surgeries and things that revolve around that. We know, Lord, that you can control all that and that you can heal those as you see fit, Father. So we just pray that your will will be done in those things. You might give comfort to those people as you bring them through it.

Lord, we do pray for Brother Larry this morning, his family, that you'd be with him. We hope that nothing serious has happened in his house. Lord, that you continue to be with him and his wife as they deal with some of the things in their personal life. uh it's going on and with their family and uh things are going on with their businesses and things like that lord we ask that you be with them and uh father we just thank you again for christ we thank you for your sovereignty knowing that all things work together for good to them who are the called according to your purpose and lord we know that these sufferings that we experience in this life do not compare to the glory that will be seen whenever we are fully clothed with that immortal, incorruptible body.

And so Father Lord, we just pray that you would just keep us in this life as we continue through the sufferings through this body of death. And Lord, that you might give us hope, that you might give us faith in Christ Jesus, that you might keep our mindset upon him, trusting in him. May your gospel be a source of joy and comfort to your little children, wherever they may be. For it's in Christ's name that we pray, amen.