What a message, that song. I do love that phrase. He says, cancel guilt. You ever heard of such a thing? How is that possible? What a mystery, isn't it? How can guilt be canceled? You can take someone's fine and pay it. But how can you cancel guilt? That's an amazing thing.

It's a thing only God could do through Christ. It's how God can be just and justify the ungodly by that man's death. That's the only hope. And what a sure hope we have. Before we begin the message, we'll go to God in prayer again. I ask you prayers that God would use His word. God would send this gospel out It's always my desire that everyone hear it, believe. I always want everyone who hears this to believe. I'm not God. God said my word will go out of my mouth, and it will accomplish the thing that I said.

And you that are going to see this, Talking about the union in Christ this morning. If you're in Christ, God's word was sent to you on purpose to save you, to deliver you. Christ was sent on purpose. This was not accidental, was it, that you believe on Christ? That's not accidental. That's on purpose.

And everything that God is doing is to bring you to himself. It doesn't matter what we see or the experience or anything like that. It doesn't really matter, does it? How? God's going to bring us to Himself. That's His purpose. That's His will. Who will stop Him? Nobody. I think that's wonderful. Nobody remove me from Christ.

Pray for God's power upon the Word. Pray for those that are sick, those who are suffering in the body and mind, those who struggle in the flesh. Pray that God would heal and deliver them. Pray for God's churches, God's people. I know this, we have a blessed situation, we have a blessed God has blessed this congregation in so many different ways. The unity, the union we have, the love, the fellowship. I pray God preserve it and keep it. Pray for those that are outside of Christ and our families, remember them. Don't neglect to pray. Sometimes I feel like a hamster in a wheel, nothing's happening. What does that matter? Ask the Lord, and keep on asking.

I know God will be gracious to His people. Let's go to Him in prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow ourselves again before You, recognizing our need, constant, perpetual need of the grace and power of Thy Spirit. that we should constantly, perpetually believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that we who have believed, we who are promised that we shall be kept in the faith, give us even this moment, looking, keep us looking to Jesus Christ, the sum and source of our life and our salvation. set our minds and hearts and affection off of the things of this world and upon him. He who is seated on the throne of heaven ruling all things after the counsel of his own will.

Pray, Father, this day that you might be willing to call the lost. Use this message. Use the gospel and the power of your spirit to give life and faith And those you have called, I pray that this message would be a comfort to them. I know this is the intent of the text. And Father, I pray that you would comfort your people, strengthen them in the inner man, encourage them to endure by faith, looking to Christ. And we pray these things, Father, in the name of Jesus and for his sake.

Amen. Alright, take your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. We're entitled to this message, A Vital Union with Christ. A vital union with Christ. And we can see this in verse 1. In his salutation, Paul says, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the Apostle describes those to whom he's writing the Church of the Thessalonians. Now, if he would have stopped there, we'd have no confidence this letter was written to us at all. But notice he describes to whom he's talking to even in the Church of Thessalonica.

It is this, to those who are in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus He's speaking here of union. Union. Those who are in the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we're going to see this, that the only way we can be in union with the Father is that we must be in union with Jesus Christ. There's no other way for a man to be in union with God the Father except through union with Jesus Christ. We'll see that later in John chapter 17 in our Lord's High Priestly Prayer. But I want to speak to you this morning about the vitalness of union, the importance of union. The importance of union. That's my first point.

I want you to understand that without union with Christ, without being in Christ, there are no blessings. no lasting blessings, no spiritual blessings. There is no grace from God our Father and there is no peace from our Lord Jesus Christ except you are in union with Him. You may be joined to a church, you may be a spouse to some religion or some system of theology. That is not union with Christ. Joining a church is not union with Christ. Espousing some doctrinal position is not union with Christ.

But this union with Christ is an intimate, personal, and vital union. It is a living union. Without it there are no spiritual blessings and no salvation promised except to those who are in union with Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ testifies of this. Go to John chapter 15. Our Lord Jesus Christ gives this illustration, this analogy in John chapter 15.

Jesus said this, I am the vine and you are the branches, he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them in the fire, and they are burned. Jesus here declares this, I am the vine, what does that mean? I am the source of all life and fruit, of the branches. You take a vine and it's got branches going out of it. Without the vine, the branches wither. They die and they're good for nothing. They produce nothing.

Jesus said, except you abide in me, you can do what? What can you do? What can you do outside of union with Christ? He says, You can do nothing except wither and die and be burned. That's all you're going to do without me. He's the source of our life. It's a living union. Without him, I have no life. Except I abide in him, I have no life. What does this mean? He's all my life. He's all my life. Is this your relationship to Him? Are you in union with Him? If you are not in union, you are withered.

Look at the world. Just step back and look at it. Look how men hunger for power and wealth and pleasure and family and all of these things, they just heap it in. They just, it's like they're just all grabbing. You ever seen that little game, Hungry Hippos? They just, little hippos just trying to grab the marbles. That's what men are. They're just grabbing and grabbing and they pull it in and they keep pulling it in. And what? Everything they pull in withers. It's useless. It's empty. can do nothing for them. But all who are in union with Jesus Christ are living branches.

And we bring forth much fruit. Fruit. Fruit is what? Fruit of the Spirit. That's what a living branch brings forth. Fruit. Fruit of who? The Spirit. Religion has it going from the outside in. They think fruit is made by what you do. You do something and that produces fruit. You see, they got it coming from the outside, going to the vine. They think, well, if I do this, then that's pleasing to Christ. That's helping Him.

Backwards. Any fruit that the believer has comes from his union with Christ. It comes from Christ through us, not by our works and it worked in us backwards. And so what do we have? We have the fruit of love. Everyone's in union with Christ has love, love for Christ, love for the brethren, love for his gospel. We love him.

We have joy, not in this body. You have joy in this body, you have joy in this world. They're fleeting, aren't they, man? The little, it's like a firecracker just pops and it's over. That's joys in this world, we have those. That's not our joy, is it? My joy comes from this, I'm in Him. That's a joy, to know I'm in Christ.

We have peace with God. Where does that come from? Does that come from ourselves? No, it comes from the vine. Joy, peace, meekness, confession of our sins. We bow before Christ. We have faith in Christ. Where does that come from? That comes from the vine. That comes from my union with Him. And so we have all the fruit of the Spirit here. You that are in union with Him. A truth, some 30, some 60, some 100. But everyone has fruit, this fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. And also we have knowledge, we have understanding.

If you're in union with Christ, you are alive spiritually, by the grace and power of the Spirit you produce fruit, all because of the vine, and you have knowledge. Go to Colossians chapter 1. You there in union with Christ? Colossians chapter 1, look at verse 26.

Paul talking about the gospel that he's given to preach, he says, even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. What's that mystery? It's the gospel, isn't it? The gospel's a mystery. Man, that is, to the world, it's an enigma, it's foolishness, it don't make any sense, I can't grab a hold of it, I don't believe it. Why, it's a mystery!

It was a mystery to me until God revealed it. He reveals it to who? His saints, to whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery. This mystery, this gospel is rich in glory among the Gentiles. And what's this mystery? Here it is. Look at that. Look at the mystery. Which is Christ? That's a mystery. Christ in you, what?

The hope of glory. What's your hope of glory? If you had to answer that question, what is your hope? What's your confidence of eternal glory? On what do you stand? The saints, we understand this. My hope of glory is in Him, is being in Him, Christ in you, you in Christ, the vine and the branches, the head and the body in union together, inseparable union. That's my hope of glory. That's the believer's hope of glory. Christ in you. Paul says, when we're born again, what did he say? He said, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. You see then the importance of this union?

Without it, there's no life. Without it, there's no fruit. Without it, there's no There's no love. There's no joy. There's no peace. There's no temperance. There's no meekness. There's no fruit. There's nothing. Except you abide in me. You can do nothing.

Now, what do we say who are in him? Amen. That's right. That is my whole confession. Without him, I have nothing. But in Him, in Him, I have everything. In Him, I have everything. Are you in Christ? Without Him, you are dead. Your religion is dead. Your works are dead. You're without hope. But in Him, you have hope. In Him, you have life. In Him, you have glory.

Go to John chapter 17. Look over to John 17. Our Lord and our High Priest in the prayer speaks and actually He prays for this union. He pleads with God for this union. Look what He says in verse 9. He tells you who He's praying for. He says, I pray for them. I pray not for the world. Who are them? But for them which thou hast given me, for they belong to you." They're thine, they're yours. Look at verse 20. He said, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be in union, one, that they all may be one. You that believe, are you any different than any other believer? Were you saved any other way? Were you saved by any other blood? Were you saved by any other means? Were you saved by any other grace?

Aren't we one? Aren't we one? What he prays for, as thou fathered art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one, listen, in us. In us. that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, 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." How are the believers made perfect? How are all of us who are so vastly different made one? because we were made perfect in one. You may look at me and you surely may be superior in many things, but in this you are not superior, and neither am I. We are made perfect by the same Savior. The same righteousness I have, you have. The same Savior I have, you have, made perfect in one. And that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. How much does the Father love the Son? Can you measure that? Try to measure the love of the Father for the Son. He says those who are in union with Christ, the Father loves them even as He loves the Son. That's how much He loves you.

Now I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't dare say that. I'm so glad the Son of God said it. You see the vitalness of this union. Paul said, I am crucified with Christ. What does that mean? I'm in union with Christ. When Christ lived, I lived. When he honored God, I honored God. When he died, I died. When he paid for sin, I paid for sin in him. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth where? In me. The life I live now in the body, I live by the faith of the Son of God, not faith in, faith of the Son of God.

You see, the source of all my life is the faith of the Son of God. Not my faith in God, I can't live by that, can you? Is that any ground to stand on, your faith in God? Man, that faith varies so much. There's no rock in that. We're going to see the importance of faith in just a minute. Faith is necessary. But I do not stand on my faith.

I stand on His. And if I stand on His faith and for righteousness, then that faith in righteousness, seeing I'm attached to Him, I'm one with Him, flows to me. See, the vitalness of that, that's the glory of it, being one with Christ. Therefore, all that Christ has is also mine. I am his. But the reverse is true, isn't it? He is mine. He's my life. He's my salvation. He's the source of everything.

And this is given, we know this, we know that this union was not made in time, was it? I experience it in time. We're going to talk about that in a minute, the experience of our union. But I know this, that you that are in Christ, this union was not made in time. It was in eternity when this union was made.

God put, if you are in Christ today, know this, God puts you in Christ from eternity. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. in Christ Jesus. According as He had chosen us in Christ.

See the union? Before the foundation of the world. This union is vital. Therefore, listen to me, you that are in Christ, this union is inseparable. I can get it. If you put yourself in union, you surely could take yourself out. That's just so. If I willed it so, I can unwill it.

If that was the power that put me in union, then I could surely, if I had the sovereign power to put myself in Christ, then I surely have the sovereign power to put myself out. But see, we who are in Christ know this, I did not put myself into union with Christ. God put me in union with Christ. And because I was one with Christ when He lived, when He died, and when He rose again, I know this, Paul said this, what then can separate me from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus?

If you are in Christ Jesus, tell me one thing that can separate you. Well, my sin. My sin can separate me. Wait a second. Did not Christ fully pay for all thy sins? If it is paid and God cannot demand twice payment, how then shall your sin separate you? Man, you can't teach that. Man, these people go out there and commit all kinds of wicked things. You teach that?

Now, somebody's in Christ. Oh, no. See, somebody's in Christ understands what it cost Christ. And because of the love of God that flows from Christ through me, I do not love my sin. I love him. And it is the love of Christ that constraineth me, not my love for Christ. My, it is the love of Christ that constrains us from sin. We don't want this stuff. I weep over this constantly, mourning my sin. But I know this, if I'm in him, God put me there and nobody take me out. Jesus said no man shall be able to pluck you from my hand.

Union. See how vital it is? Second thing, how do I know I have this union? If that's something vital, then it's necessary for us to understand how we might know our union. See, I can't put myself in there. Am I in union with him or not? Everyone who is put into union from eternity will have an experience of this union. There's no doubt. What is the evidence of my union?

It is this. Faith, hope, and love. Look back at your text. Look at what Paul said. He said, those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Father, and in the Son, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks unto God for you, always for you, all. making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. See the three graces? Everyone who is in Christ have these three, faith, hope, and love. And once you understand this, the greatest of these, Paul said, is love for the simple reason love continues.

It's not that it's a greater grace. It just continues. Faith is going to be lost in sight. Hope is going to be lost in reality. The only thing left in heaven will be love. But faith is the root of hope and love. Without faith, there is no hope. You can't hope in something you don't believe. And you can't love something you don't believe. Faith is the root. It is the root evidence. It is the initial point of our union experimentally, faith. A person who, you can know everything about this doctrine that I'm preaching, excuse me. You can have a knowledge of election and redemption and union and you can have a knowledge of all that, but unless you believe, You can't have any claim to union with Christ. You can't have any claim to it unless you personally believe.

The message of our gospel is that in Mark 16, 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believes, now baptism is not an act like faith is. Baptism is simple out product of faith. It's confession. Any of you not confess Christ? You that are in Christ, do you not confess Him? It's like saying, hey you, living, do you breathe? Of course you do. These things are connected. They're together. Of course you confess Him.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. Now I know only the elect will believe. I readily see that in Scripture, plainly. As many as the Father giveth me, Jesus said, shall come to me. You know what I don't know, is I don't know who they are. It's a wonderful thing God restrains that from us. What arrogant, proud people we would be if we knew. We don't. Usually we guess wrong. Is that not right? How many times you guessed wrong? That's why I said don't pluck them up. Don't pluck up the tares with the wheat because you don't know the difference. But this is the only difference here is faith in Jesus Christ. Love for Christ and his brethren and hope in Christ. Now Paul says this in our text. Look at your text. in verse 4, knowing, brethren, your beloved, your election of God. Now how in the world did he know that? How did he know their election of God?

Faith, hope, and love. When one is in union with Christ, these graces are readily displayed, just like fruit. Comes from God, comes from Christ, through us and out. You know, the only person who really don't see that is us. That's alright. Faith, hope and love are the graces that God produces in everyone in union. John says this, as many as received Him, John 1 and verse 12, as many as received Him. Now what is it to receive Him?

If I'm dying of thirst, and I look at this water, and I know this water can give me life, I know it can sustain me, I know it. With all my heart, I know this water can sustain me. Yet, if I do not receive it, I'll die. And so, what does one do that's thirsty? Oh, everyone that's thirsty comes to the waters, come buy wine and milk without money, without price.

And immediately, when one is quickened from the dead, that's exactly what we do. You ever seen, I'm sure you've at least seen it on television, someone resuscitated, they're not breathing. Somebody does CPR on them, and all of a sudden, they, they suck in that air.

Was that an act of volition? They say, well man, I decide to breathe. Did you decide to believe or did you just believe? You didn't believe, you just believed. Where did that come from? John tells you, it's by the new birth. It's not by the will of man. It's not by the blood. It's not by the will of some other man. It's by the will of God that you were born again. And those that are born again, what do they do? They receive. They receive life. Immediately when the Spirit of God enters, they receive life. They receive Christ. They believe on Him.

And true faith, it abandons all else but Christ. If you're in union with Christ, I know this about you, you abandon all hope in anything else. I think of when the Lord was told the Apostle Paul on that boat in Acts. Remember, there was that big storm and he said, look, except you abide in the ship.

We all perish. One of you tries to escape. Listen, we all pay. Why? It ruined the picture. That's why it would ruin the picture. Christ is the vessel. He's the ship. And except you abide in Him, you'll die. Listen, what'd those soldiers do to lifeboats? They cut the lifeboats. What did you do when you came to Christ? You cut all of the lifeboats.

There's my righteousness, gone. There's my works, gone. There's my religion, gone. I'm all in Christ. Look in Philippians, see if that's not what Paul said. See if this is not true faith. Philippians chapter three. Look what Paul did with his religion, with his good works. Philippians chapter three, verse eight.

Yea, doubtless I count all things but loss. All things but loss for this one thing. Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss. Not only did I count it, I suffered it. It wasn't just mentally, academically, it was totally, vitally important that I count all of that loss. I have suffered the loss of all things and presently do count them but done. for this one thing that I may win Christ and be found in him.

What does that mean? Not having mine own righteousness. What did he do with his righteousness? Cut the light bulb. Gone. True faith abandons self-righteousness. Abandons it. Counts it as done. But that which is through the faith of Jesus Christ, that's where my righteousness come from. Where's your righteousness come from? Is your righteousness a cooperative effort? You helping him out on that? Is that working out for you? We don't help out in anything. Everything we do is out of love and thanksgiving and praise. But it adds nothing to my righteousness.

My righteousness is by the faith of Jesus Christ. Which is of God by faith. Now there's mine. There's my faith. There's faith, right? My righteousness comes by the faith of Jesus Christ and it is received of God by faith. Even my faith is of God. Is this your faith? This is the faith of everyone who is in union with Christ. Scripture says, for without faith it's impossible to please God. You see, I please God the same way Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, all of those prophets pleased God. They pleased God through faith in Christ Jesus. They believed him. They trusted him. Now listen, if you, I know this, if a man continue in unbelief, he'll go to hell because of himself. It'll be his, it's totally his responsibility. I know this.

But we who believe know this, if I have any faith at all, it is a gift of God. And if I continue to believe in Jesus Christ, I know this, it is by the power of God. Why do we keep saying this? Because this alone gives glory to God. The moment I put my finger to it, I'm taking glory from God. I'm robbing God. of something that belongs to Him.

And so we who are in union with Christ, we know this, we believe in Christ alone. And this is all the work of God. Now I ask this, is there any that need this union? Does anyone know that they're outside of Christ? And look, the scriptures are clear. Come to Christ. Plead for mercy. Bow yourself before Him and confess you have no power in this. That's what we all did, isn't it? Isn't this what you did when God opened your heart to see you were withered, you had no union? And God, by grace, moved your heart to plead for mercy. And what'd you find? What'd you find? When you came to Christ, what did you find? You found mercy. You found union. And we who are in union have all the righteousness Christ, all of the love of Christ, all of the glory of Christ, all of the grace of Christ, all of the peace and joy that comes from Christ is ours.

Two, to those that believe. Now I'll move quickly on this next two because they're pretty much tied together. The means of faith. The means of faith. Look back at your text. Look what Paul says about this means. He said, knowing brethren your election of God. For our gospel came. Not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." Our gospel. How does faith come? Listen to me. Our gospel.

Without this, there is no faith and there is no union. This is the means. This is the means that God has chosen By which a man believes on Christ and is in union with Christ experimentally. It is through the preaching of the gospel. And Paul reminds him of this. Our gospel. The importance of our gospel. Listen, no man will believe without the preaching of the gospel. How do I know that?

Because the scripture is clear. It's plain. I've got many texts. Just look over 2 Thessalonians. You're right there. 2 Thessalonians 2. Look at verse 13. We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you for salvation. He chose you. He put you in union with Christ in election. In the redemption of Christ, you were in union with Christ. through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you," how? By our gospel.

Why do I spend so much time in this book? When I preach to you, I spend my time in this book. Now why? Because I don't care for anything outside this book. If I quote somebody, it's just because he said it better than I can say it. But he's not saying anything different than I'm saying. Why? Because this book is saying the same thing. And if he don't say something according to this book, I don't care what he says.

We preach the Word. Paul said to Timothy, preach the Word. Not anything else. Preach the Word. When? When it's popular and when it's not popular. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering. Why? There's going to come a time when men are not going to endure sound doctrine, but heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. They're going to go after fantasies. They're going to go after fables. They're going to go after storytelling, myths, science, politics.

What they're not going to endure is the sound doctrine of this Word. They're not going to preach it, and they're not going to listen to it. But those in union with Christ do. Why? Because we know something about this Word. This Word is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. That's what we know.

That's how we believed. That's how Abraham believed. That's how Isaac believed. That's how Jacob believed. That's how Moses believed. There was no other way. They all heard the Gospel. And when hearing the gospel, they what? They believed. Paul said, how can you believe on him you have not heard?

Impossible. I was just walking through the woods one day and I believed. Liar. That's a lie. If you're walking through the woods and a message of the gospel came to your mind, I can understand that. But the woods had nothing to do with it. Creation had nothing to do with it.

It's the gospel. It's the gospel. Faith cometh by what? Hearing. Not just anything. You can't just hear anything. Hearing by the Word of God. See why preaching Christ is all important? Because He is the sum and theme of this book. But I also know this, go back to your text, the word of God is necessary, preaching is necessary means, but the last thing is this, the power of the Holy Ghost. Paul said, my word didn't come just in word.

It came in power of the Holy Ghost. Holy Spirit is just as much deity as the Son and the Father. There is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, equal in power, in deity, in every attribute. When we preach, we glorify the Father, we magnify the Father, we declare the justice of God the Father, and we magnify the Son.

I know this, that the Spirit is worthy of praise and glory and honor But why do we not speak of the Spirit so much? Because the work of the Spirit is not to speak of Himself. That's amazing, isn't it? He's worthy of all the attributes and glory but He says that He has not come to speak of Himself but Christ.

How do you know the Spirit moves in a congregation? When Christ is magnified. How do you know when a sinner, when a dead sinner receives life? That's the work of the Spirit. And immediately, when a sinner receives life, he believes. That's the work of the Spirit. And you this morning, as I magnify Christ, and you believe on Him, what is that? That's the work of the Spirit. You can't have that without the work of the Spirit. The work of the spirit to modern religion is that you jump up and down and dance or have some kind of emotional experience. And they say, well, that's the spirit. I don't know. Maybe you had too much chocolate. I don't know. Maybe you won the lottery and you're really happy or whatever. I don't know. That's not always a manifestation of the spirit.

Sometimes, I'll tell you what, we're down in our face and we're weeping and crying and hurting and in suffering. And what do we do? We look to Christ. What is that? That's the work of the Spirit. My word doesn't come in word only. It comes in power and demonstration of the Spirit. And the evidence is faith in Christ. And faith always works. Isn't that what he said? Your work of faith. You know, faith always produces. It does. If you really believe, Don't you really give everything for Christ? Isn't that, is there anything you want to hold to yourself? Anything you want to keep for yourself? No. Faith longs to glorify Christ.

Labor of love. Longsuffering with one another. What is that? That's the work of the spirit inside of a believer, when we're longsuffering with one another. Forgiving one another. Listen, even as Christ, God the Father forgave you for Christ's sake. That's how you are to forgive one another. Isn't that love? Preemptive forgiveness. That's what we should be. We should be proactively forgiving before I even offend. Isn't that what he does?

Labor of love and patience and hope. You that are in Christ, you have a hope. You have a confidence that those who are outside of Christ don't have. They may have confidence in their wisdom and their understanding and their knowledge and their witches and their other things, and you may fear that you're not going to get enough money to eat tomorrow. What does that really matter? You have a greater hope than they do, a greater confidence that you're going to receive everything. Your inheritance is what?

Everything if you're in Christ. May God the Spirit show us the vitalness of being in Christ. You must be in Christ. Without that, there is nothing. And only those who believe are in Christ. And this is through the preaching of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit.

That's what Paul's saying in our day. And what should we do? What Paul said, giving thanks. I mean, is this not the sacrifice of praise? We should praise our God. We should be thankful. I'm saying this in spite of my own murmuring and complaining constantly.

I should be most thankful that God put me in Christ. I was not worthy to be put in Christ. I did nothing but rebel against my God. And yet in love he put me in Christ. And by grace, through faith, I am in Christ and nothing can take me out. Nothing can remove me from Christ. That's the power of the Holy Spirit. Now what Peter said, you're kept, kept by the power of the Spirit of God unto salvation, ready to be revealed at last time.

I pray God will bless this to you. Let's stand and be dismissed in prayer. Glenn, would you dismiss us in prayer, please? Thank you, Lord, that you allow us to be here from our precious beginning. A successful Savior who came from all of your people, who is you in all that you do. Thank you, Lord, for him who loved us, gave himself to us, Unworthy we are. Thank you, Lord, that you love us.

For the everlasting life. Put us at cross, or restore us to heaven. Trust in what we've done for sinners. Lord, for everyone in this place today, we pray that you'd be pleased to cause them to look at Christ, Thank you, Lord, for this time today to be with you. Bless our time together. Thank you. Lord, forgive us for our sins. I want each member of the cross to receive you. I believe in our own understanding. We ask you the same for our sins.