For our scripture reading, and also I'll be using this for my text this morning, turn with me to Paul's second epistle to Timothy. Second Timothy, chapter one. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. to Timothy, my dearly beloved son." He was converted under Paul, and so Paul lovingly calls him his son. Mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord.

I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience. Let me tell you something here. Yvonne asked me a question earlier about this. How did Paul serve with his forefathers? He's simply calling his forefathers those who did the will of God. He's putting himself in alignment with them. I'm of this group, not this one.

I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience And without ceasing, I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands."

That is, Paul took part in the ordination of this young preacher. For God had not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." That's what God's given to the believer. Boy, look at those things. What a gift of God's grace, of power, and of love and of a sound mind.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner. But be thou partakers of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God." There's always going to be afflictions associated with the gospel. You believe the gospel, you're going to suffer affliction.

You know where most of it comes from? Your own family. Your own family. Nobody was more angry with me over the doctrines of grace than my own dad. Boy, he wanted, I don't know, to excommunicate me from the family, I guess. He was so angry. Called the people that I was hearing and who was teaching me, called them a cult.

But he says, you be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. God brings these things to pass. And he brings them to pass for his glory and his power. That's what upholds you during these times of affliction. It's what keeps you from going over to the other side. Who has saved us? This God, he says, and this power who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own power and his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death. and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which is in thee, that good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me, of whom is thy jealous and homogeny.

The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesipus, for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my change. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out diligently and found me, and the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy in the Lord in that day. And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest. very well. May the Lord add his blessing to the reader of his word. I invite you to turn with me back to Paul's second epistle to Timothy. While you turn him, let me say a few things. I study and preach every week, believing this, that God will use my mind in my heart to speak to chosen sinners. If I didn't believe that, I'd fold the book and go home. I'd start mowing grass or cutting logs or whatever I could find to do. I'd just stop.

I never know who's going to come through that door. I never know. I've had Sundays when People came in here that I didn't know from the man in the moon. Just saw our sign and decided to stop and worship on vacation. Had others invited who came and wished they hadn't. Sat there jiggling their leg and looking around the room until time was up and out the door they went. But I never know who's coming through that door or why. Or why. And that's why Now, I see problems. All churches have problems within.

And I try to deal with those things as God gives me an understanding of them. I try to deal with those things from the pulpit and in the scripture. I try to deal with them. Sometimes I have to deal with them on a personal level. I prefer to do it from here so that all will learn. But I never know who's coming through that door. And so when I'm in my study, I just try to follow what my mind and heart is receiving from the word of God. And I let him do the leading as to what and when.

But at the base of it is this. I believe God uses my mind and my heart to speak to chosen sinners. But I do know these four things. I know these four things for sure. And these are things I didn't know before. These are things that God has revealed to me when it pleased Him. And the first thing is this, that God our Father chose a people to salvation in Christ. I know that's so. I know that's so.

I've heard all the arguments pro and con. And the scripture, with overwhelming evidence, proves that God our Father chose a people in Christ to save. He chose them to salvation. He didn't choose them to the opportunity to be saved. He chose them unto salvation.

Isn't that what it says in 2 Thessalonians 2.13? He thanked God because God chose them from the beginning to salvation. And he chose them through a chosen means. Sanctification of the spirit and belief in the truth. And Paul said that's why he called you by our gospel. That's how you come to know what you know. That's how come I come to know what I know. And you cannot seriously study the Bible and come away denying election. Anybody who denies election has never seriously studied the word of God.

In Ephesians 1-3 it says that God our Father blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ according as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Now I don't care if you're an eight-year-old child, you understand what those words mean. That's simple language, isn't it?

Now you're just going to have to call God a liar if you deny election because that's what he's saying. He tells us concerning the Jews who, for the most part, rejected Christ as to Jesus being the Christ, and seems as though all would be damned. Yet the scripture reminds us in Romans chapter 11, verse 5, that at this present time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. They didn't get what they wanted by seeking after it, but the election obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

That's what the scripture said. And very pointedly, our Lord, when addressing the hierarchy of Israel, who was demanding from him whether or not he'd be the Christ, they said, if thou be the Christ, just tell us plainly. Say, I'm the Christ. He said, I said that. I told you that. And I told you that plainly.

At the beginning of that discourse, that's what he tells them. I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, not for the wolves and not for the goats, for the sheep. And then they turned around angry and said, if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. And he said, I told you. And here's what he told them. He said, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. They know when I speak and when I don't. And I give unto them eternal life, and they'll never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. God has purposed to save every sinner that he chose in Christ. Every one. He's not going to lose a woman.

And then secondly, I know this. When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. The Son of God came into this world in the person of a man. He's the God-man. There's just one, one mediator between God and men, just one to make the peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he came here and he accomplished our redemption.

He brought out a perfect righteousness which God demands from every man. You want to know what God demands from you? Perfection. Absolute, total, godly perfection. You're going to have to be as good as God. Religion says do the best you can and God will accept it. No, he won't. Cain tried that. Go back and read about it. God had no respect to his sacrifice. And he has no respect to any man who offers the best he can. And it may be great. It may be great, but it's not great in his eyes.

He demands absolute, total perfection. When he gave the typical sacrifice, here's what he said, it must be perfect to be accepted. That's pretty plain, isn't it? All right, he came and accomplished that. He brought out for us a perfect righteousness and a perfect redemption. Why did he do it? that we might receive the adoption of sons. You're not going to be a son unless you have a perfect righteousness and no sin. My sins have to be put away in such a way as honoring to the character of God. The soul that sinneth shall surely die. His justice has to be satisfied.

He's not up there with a big eraser and just saying, well, I've got all this here, and I'm just going to wipe it out. You go, but don't do that anymore. How many times have you told that to your children and watched them go directly over there and do what you just told them not to do? God's not that foolish. I'll tell you how he puts away our sins. He killed his son. He put our sins on Him and poured out His wrath on Him like the greatest sinner that ever lived. Poured out His, exhausted His wrath on His Son. I can't imagine. Can't imagine. I can only stand and wonder.

You see the Son of God die on the cross, men spitting in His face. This is the Son of God. Spitting in His face, laughing at Him, mocking Him. You think God wasn't willing for Him to perish? Sure He was. Sure he was. One man's offense in the garden plunged the whole human race under the condemnation of God. And here's the Son of God on the cross, the sinless Son of God on the cross, and men are spitting in his face, laughing at him.

You think God wouldn't have burnt this world up over that if he weren't willing for him to die, if it wasn't his will for him to perish? My soul. I'll tell you why he didn't. He didn't because he had our sins on him. He bore our sins. And thirdly, I know this. All God's elect will receive a divine effectual cause to salvation. And it'll be by faith in Christ.

In John 6.37, our Lord said this. And you may be asking your question right now, OK? God's got an elect people. How do I know if I'm one of them? How will I ever determine that? Am I going to determine that by my deeds? No. Well, then how can I determine that? Here it is. Our Lord said, well, just turn with me over there.

I want you to read this for yourself. I quote this all the time, but I seldom have you read it. John chapter 6. Now what he just told the hierarchy of Israel, the high priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, their model citizens, so to speak, here's what he said, I say unto you that you've seen me and believe not. That's what he told them. You don't believe. He could see their hearts. I can't see yours, but he can. And he saw theirs. And here's what he said. Verse 37, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. They're not going to come to the front. They're not going to come to a denomination. They're going to come to Christ. Well, how do they know who Christ is? They're going to hear. How are they going to hear? God's going to send them a preacher. Now, I just know this myself. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Oh, but what if I'm a great sinner? Though your sins be like scarlet," he said, I'll wash them white as snow.

How many harlots and tax collectors, huh? Everybody here has some politician that they despise. Well, that's how Israel felt about tax collectors, especially Jewish tax collectors, turncoats. How many of them did he save? Lots. Lots. Who'd he go home to eat with, the Pharisees? No. He went home with Matthew, a publican. Had a whole house full of publicans. All kinds of publicans ran, showed up. An old harlot showed up and was washing his feet with her hair. Oh, if he knew who she was, he knew who she was. He knew what she was. He saved sinners. That's why he came. That's what Paul said.

I come down from heaven, listen to this, verse 38. Not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me, And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, he perceives who the Son is, he seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at the last day. Every sinner for whom Christ lived and died and ascended into heaven to intercede for shall be brought to faith in Christ without exception, every one of them. It'll be effectual faith because that faith will lead them to repentance. They'll learn to despise themselves. They'll have no confidence in the flesh. They run into a problem. They're not going to start looking within. Huh?

And lastly, I know this. The means whereby he will effectually call sinners to saving faith in Christ is the preaching of the gospel and effectual working of the Holy Ghost in that. I want you to turn with me one more time to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Now in Paul's opening address in chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians, he told them, I know your election of God. Boy, I can't look at you and say that, but he could. He could. I know your election of God. I want to believe that of everybody here. I do. And Paul gives you five or six reasons why he said that.

He said, our gospel came not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost and much assurance. Is that confidence in you? Confidence? No, that's assurance in Christ. That's what Paul preached, Christ. Found assurance. He's able. He's able. And I'll tell you when you're going to believe on him, when you're persuaded that he's able. How much truth does that take? Enough to persuade you that he's able. I don't know how much that is.

But listen to this, 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, some man's opinion or some man's idea about the ministry, but you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. Now listen to this, which affectionately worketh also in you that believe. What's that mean?

That means you're persuaded. Oh, I still got reservation. You're not persuaded. You'll know when you're persuaded. Yes, you will. You'll know. You'll know. Paul said, don't you know your own selves how that Christ dwelleth in you except you be reprobate? I know where my hope is. Do you? My hope's in Christ. The Christ set forth in the word of God. That's where my hope is. All of it. These four things I know. shall come to pass. They're going to come to pass. And these things, more than anything else, dominate my studies and preparation to preach.

God's purpose cannot fail. Christ's atonement cannot be ignored. God's spirit cannot be resisted. And God's gospel works effectively in all that believe. That's just so. Now here in 2 Timothy 1, Paul's talking about the power of God bringing the afflictions of the gospel into the lives of all those who preach it.

Affliction. Affliction, pain, suffering. They're going to suffer reproach. They're going to be accused wrongfully of this, that, and the other. And why is that? You know, when I was growing up, one of the things I wondered about after making a profession of faith in the church is why these people back in this day hated believers and why they didn't hate me. I wondered about that. These people were ready to kill these men, stone these men, do anything to get them out of their sight, hire thugs to beat them up, hire false witnesses accuse them wrongfully in court, set them up, burn them at the stake. Well, how come everybody that I told about my profession of faith wanted to encourage me? That's great. That's good. I'm glad you did that. Huh? You mean you don't hate me? No, I don't hate you. Not till I learn the truth. Boy, go tell somebody the truth.

You'll find out why they hated these men real quick. They hate God. They don't hate their God. What do they hate? The God of this world. You read about him over in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. The God of this world, Paul says, hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. That's why I preach what I preach. The God of this world is bound by the will of the sinner. He wants some folks to be saved, but they won't let him.

He's knocking at the door. Won't you open the door? You couldn't open the door if you want to. Heaven's door. How are you going to open it? When the Spirit of God took John up to show him things in heaven, it said there was a door opened. He didn't open it, and nobody knocked on it. Christ wants you in your house. He'll kick the door down, bar and jam. That thing will hit the floor. He'll open it up. He's not standing outside knocking on the door. That's the God of this world. And that's why your mind's blinded. We have these preconceived notions of who God is. The God of this world loves everybody.

He don't hate anybody. Then why is there going to be a judgment? Why is there a hell? And why does he say, Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated? He didn't say he didn't like him as much. That's what people say that means. That's not what he said. He said Esau have I hated. I despised him.

The God of this world loves everybody. He's not willing that any should perish, is what they told me. He's restrained by their so-called free will. God can't violate your will. Oh, he'll teach you different if the time comes. He'll step on your will. You can't will away a common cold. You're going to will against God, who created the world? Give me a break.

God of this world will use any means to accomplish his end, no matter how trivial they seem to be. He'll let men go dancing in the aisle, waving their hands, talking gibberish, calling it gift of God, huh? I don't care how trivial it is. And men will, they will rest their soul on that.

Give them an experience, usually deliverance from death of some kind or disease or something. One man told me, he said, I was laying on the battlefield, my throat was cut ear to ear. bayonet, laying on the ground dying. He said, I promised the Lord if he'd save me, I'd serve him the rest of my days.

I said, I just got one question. Did you? He just looked down at the ground. God don't make deals with men. He knows what, he don't need anybody to tell him what's in a man. That's what he said. That's what the Lord said. I don't need you to tell me what, I know what's in you.

God of this world is glorified. in members, not in name, and not the glory of his own character. He's glorified in members and large denominations and buildings that you have to stand back two blocks to get in a picture. That's not the glory of God. John said, the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. Now listen, the glory as of the only begotten of God, full of grace and truth, not full of members.

The God of this world rewards men's works. They receive their reward as a payment. not by the grace of God, not the gift of God. And so they brag on it throughout all eternity. What I'm laboring to show you is how men's minds are blinded by the God of this world. That's what Paul said. Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. When God shines his light on false religion, I'm going to tell you, you're going to see it the same way Paul did.

It's all dumb. And all these things that made up your hope of glory, you're going to take them all out and throw them on the dung heap. Because that's what they are, and that's all they're good for. God of this world can just wipe away men's sins as though they never happened.

Oh. All right, so preacher, how does God save sinners? Here it is, 2 Corinthians 4, verse 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That's how God saves sinners. Paul wrote to Timothy and said, the God whose power ordained our afflictions has saved us. Same God. He saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Now, let me give you six things. I'm just going to give them to you very quickly, and you can look them up or do what you want to when you get home. But I want to give you six things very quickly that will help us to understand what does it mean to be saved. Somebody said, are you saved? Well, I don't know what you mean. What do you mean? We were watching a movie last night, and this one lady secretary asked the other one, said, have you found Jesus? And she said, well, I didn't know he was lost. He's not lost.

We are. We are. All right, let me give you these six things very quickly. Paul immediately, when he starts thinking about God and talking about God, he immediately goes back to the beginning of the work and says, God hath saved us. That little word hath, that's past tense. This salvation's a done deal. Just like he told Judah, he said, I've already given the land to you. Now you go up. God saved us, that's what Paul's telling Timothy. God did. We didn't save ourselves and nobody talked us into this. God saved us. That's where our hope is, our hope's in God. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Our God is truly God. He's almighty. He's eternal. He's God. He created all things by the word of His mouth. He just spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. He created all things and by His Spirit recorded all things concerning His purpose and grace.

Moses wasn't there when God created the world, but he wrote about it like he was sitting in the stands watching. Huh? Told you what he did before the first day, told you what he did on the first day, all the way through all six days, and then said, God rested. Moses wasn't there. How'd he know this? Who told him? Adam was the first man. Adam didn't tell him anything.

How'd Moses acquire this information? by the Spirit of God, by the Spirit of God. And that's where we start. We start with the book of God. Everything we need to know is recorded in the book. The book tells us in our text that God saved us from the beginning, now watch this, according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus.

Why didn't He just give it to me? Why was He going to give it to Christ Jesus? Because I'd spoil it, I'd ruin it, and I wouldn't manifest His glory. But not so in Christ. He's going to uphold His glory. Somebody told me, you can't preach eternal justification. Why not? Is God not eternal? Did He do something in time that He didn't purpose to do from the beginning? Is there anything between then and now that could stop him? No. Then we're eternally justified. That's what Paul's saying. He saved us. God has saved us. I don't have to worry about the rest of it if I know who God is. Who's going to resist him? Who are thou, old man, that replies against God? You ain't nothing. You're a lump of clay in the potter's hands, and he's forming the vessels of honor and dishonor.

He's God. That's our problem. We don't know God. We know the God of this world. Our heads are filled with false concepts of God. There's no telling how much religious luggage I'm still carrying around. My head and heart was filled with it. God saved us from the beginning according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ. In Ephesians 111, Paul said, in Christ, we have obtained an inheritance." Listen to this, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Was there any possibility that those people at the trial of Christ would let him go? Not one possibility. Was there any possibility that they might just whip him and turn him loose? No. Why? Because they all gathered together to do what God's hand and God's counsel determined before to be done. Read about it in Acts chapter 4. That's what Paul says. We're predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things. What's that mean? That means all things. After the counsel. of his own will.

You can trust a God like that, can't you? Listen to this, Romans 8, 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. That means that we understand the Son to bear the perfect image of God. That's what that means.

That he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he called, whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified." How did he do that in the person of his son? And why did he say these things?

So we could understand what Romans 8.28 means. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. All right. Here's the second thing. To be saved is hope in the meritorious accomplishments of Jesus Christ. All provision for salvation is purposed in Christ. His purpose of grace was given to him to fulfill.

You can read about it in Revelation chapter 5, the line of the tribe of Judah coming and taking that book from the hand of God, that seven-sealed book. This is the whole eternal counsel of God in redemption. Nobody's worthy to take that book. They can't open that book or even look on the book without dishonoring God.

But one was worthy, Jesus Christ. He took the book. You don't take nothing from God unless he gives it to you. He didn't go up and snatch the book. He went up and the Lord handed it to him. He took the book. He received it. He opened the seals of the book. He fulfilled everything that the book demanded. He fulfilled it.

Well, where's that at in your text? Look at it here in verse 10. Paul said he saved us in verse 9, called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, giving us in Christ Jesus before the world began, verse 10, but is now made manifest. What's that mean? That means now it comes to pass. It's not just in promise. It's not a thing that men talk about.

It's a thing accomplished. Now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. Now the gospel is Christ and Him crucified. Christ and Him crucified. The gospel is substitution and representation and eternal union with Christ. That's the gospel. The gospel is the accomplishing of the redemptive will of God to save sinners for the glory of God. The gospel is a person. It's the Son of God and the Son of Man, the God-Man, Christ Jesus, our Lord. And because Now listen to this.

This work is what the scripture calls the new birth. The new birth. Why would he call it a new birth? Because a new man is being created in you. I've got a message prepared. I hope maybe to bring it next week. a picture of the hope of sinners. This is exactly how God saves sinners. He puts a new man in you, one of a kind. He puts the promised son of God in a sinner. Does he not? A new man, that's the new birth.

We are Ephesians 4.22 to put off concerning our former behavior, the old man. What's that? That's that man that you were before God revealed Christ to you. Everything you thought and said back then, that's the old man.

Old man. He's corrupt. Scripture said, according to deceitful lust. He lusts and desires after things, and it deceives him into believing these things are given to him of God. The old man born of Adam, he's a chip off the old block. He's corrupt according to deceitful lust.

But our hope is Christ in us, is it not? That's what we hope to be like. That's where everything we need comes from. So we put off the old man, and the scripture says, put on the new. What's that mean? That means he's established in us as a real person. And our hope's in him. That's what I don't desire to be what I was. I'm being saved from what I was. I desire to be like him. And that's the promise of God. We're going to be just like him. Just like him, we'll see him. We'll know him as he is. We'll be like him. Well, that hope starts right here. That's not something that's just going to happen in the click of a finger in eternity. It'll be perfected. But it begins right here, right now. I used to tell this story. There was a family in our church years ago, and they owned this seafood restaurant. And I love to go there and eat, boy, especially their seafood casseroles out of this world.

I could just keep eating. But in there, they had this one tray, and it had these little half ears of corn on it. And it was in a sweet and spicy butter. Had a little stick on them. And had this little three or four-year-old boy over there sitting at the table.

They pretty much stripped him down, rolled his shirt up, and he was eating his corn. I mean, he just kept eating. He got all the kernels off of it, and he was just eating on the cob. And they got ready to go. Everybody was done, and they were trying to get him to lay down that corn so he could put his coat on. And boy, he'd hold on to that corn cob, you know. And they'd threaten him, and he'd just hold on to that and shake all over, you know. And then they'd start promising him stuff, and he'd just shake his head, no, he ain't gonna let go of that corn.

And finally, the owner of the restaurant came over, and he said, I see you having a little trouble. He said, do you mind if I try? And they said, no, go ahead. We've tried everything. He pulled out a Hershey bar. And the kid dropped it here at the corner. When are we going to leave this old man? When are we going to put him off? When we see something better. Huh? See something better.

Nobody will have to threaten you. It's not the fear of God that drives you to repentance. It's the goodness of God. And He don't drive you to repentance, He leads you. How does He do it? Showing you something better. Christ in you, that's the hope of glory. And that's what we hope to be like. That's where everything we need comes from. And we need to put off that old man and put on the new.

Salvation not just escaping judgment and forgiveness for sin, it's being an heir of God. God's making me his son. His son. What's that mean? That means I'm an heir of God. Be just like his son. To as many as received him, now listen to this, to them gave he power to become sons of God. How does he do that? Shows you something there. Where do you see it? In the gospel. In the gospel. Now listen to this, Romans chapter 8 verse 10.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we're debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh. If we live after the flesh, we're going to die. That's where we was when God found us. That's where we were when God gave us the new birth. But if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, What's that mean?

You consider this body dead. This flesh and all that it thinks and reasons and wants and desires, just consider it dead. It's a corpse. And you're going to drag it through until you yourself become a corpse. You're going to drag that old corpse around. That old man. You're not going anywhere. If you live after the flesh, you'll die, but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh, you'll live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Why are they being led of God? Nobody else is. Because God gave them power to become sons of God, and he shows them something nobody else sees. Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

It's not given unto them to understand the things of the kingdom of God, but it's given unto you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be led. You wouldn't be led. Carnal minds are enmity against God, not subject to the law of God or authority of God, neither indeed can be. And we've not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. God doesn't beat us down the road to repentance.

He leads us. He leads us. We receive the spirit of adoption. You know, I told you that illustration about those little adopted kids, and they get in this big mansion. And they tell the driver of the limo that brought them over there, said, what should we call him? He said, call him Abba. How about what? And then lastly, what does it mean to be saved?

It means I have a great high priest seated at the right hand of God, whoever liveth to make intercession for me. I don't look at a worldly priest and hope that man is a representative of God. I look to the priest who entered in with his own blood into the holiest of all and obtained eternal redemption for us. He's seated at the right hand of God. That's my priest. He don't have to say anything to intercede for me. He just sits there. His person pleads for my soul.

If any man, any believing man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So what does it mean to be saved? It means I'm saved in the eternal purpose of God. I'm saved by the accomplished redemption and righteousness of Christ. I have the revelation of Jesus Christ in me. I believe the gospel of Christ. And I believe these things, and these things take place in me by an inward work of the Spirit of God.

And I have a great high priest, whoever liveth to make intercession for me." And that's what Paul told Timothy. That good thing that's in you, you keep that by the Holy Ghost. You keep that. You minister to that. You do whatever is necessary to feed that. You maintain that by the Holy Ghost.