What a pleasant surprise. Thank
you, Eric and Ruth. If we're going to continue to
have Eric, soon we'll get a bigger bench. Thank you. That's great. Thank you. Thank
you. Thirty-six years ago this week,
you called me to be your pastor. I take the privilege and the
responsibility more seriously than anything in this world saving
the knowledge of Christ himself. I give myself relentlessly to
study and preparation and I made it my determination from the
beginning every time I stand in this pulpit to minister to
your souls to make three things abundantly clear. I want always
and I am determined always to show you your sin. Your sin. That's what you are. That's what you are. I want always and I am determined
always to declare to you the perfect redemption, grace, and
salvation that's to be found in Jesus Christ, our Lord. And
I want always, and I am determined always, every time I stand to
speak for God, to make you to know the greatness of our God. Oh, may God be pleased to seal
those things to our hearts continually. As you're turning to Romans chapter
8, I want you to listen to three statements. May God the Holy
Ghost enable you to hear them for Christ's sake. Number one,
the Lord Jesus Christ is the sinner's only hope. You have no hope before God except
Christ. The hope of salvation is not
in yourself. It's not in the church. It's
not in the practice of religion. It's in Jesus Christ, the Lord,
who is our hope. He who knew no sin was made saying
for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And there is no other means of
salvation for you except Him. Second, Christ alone, who is
our only hope, is all God's salvation. God's salvation Simeon held the
little child in his arms It's Mary and Joseph brought him to
the temple and he said Lord now let thy servant depart in peace
mine eyes Have seen thy salvation whatever salvation is Christ
is it Whatever salvation is Christ did it and Whatever salvation
is, Christ gives it. There is no aspect of salvation,
no redemption, no righteousness, no sanctification, no heavenly
glory that's not ours only and fully in Jesus Christ the Lord. Believe on the Son of God and
salvation is yours. The God of glory. Thirdly, the
God of all grace. is willing, able, and anxious
to save sinners for Christ's sake. The God of all grace is willing,
ready, able, and anxious to save sinners for Christ's sake. Learn
this about God. He has mercy on whom he will
have mercy. He has compassion on whom he
will have compassion. Don't ever forget his great glorious
sovereignty. But be sure you learn this. He
delighteth in mercy. God delights in mercy. That means it gives God great
pleasure to save sinners. He calls us, invites us, commands
us to trust his darling son. Will you obey his call? Will
you now trust the Lord Jesus Christ? How sad our state by
nature is. Our sin, how deep it stains. And Satan binds our captive souls
fast in his slavish chains. But hark, the voice of sovereign
grace sounds from the sacred word. Oh, you despairing sinners,
come and trust upon the Lord. My soul obeys the Almighty's
call and runs to this relief. I would believe thy promise,
Lord. Oh, help my unbelief to the blessed
fountain of thy blood incarnate God, I fly. Here, let me wash
my filthy soul from sins of deepest dye. Do you now trust Him? Do you now trust the Lord Jesus
Christ? Has God saved you by His grace?
If so, here in the 8th chapter of the book of Romans, you will
see how God the Holy Ghost describes this new life that is ours in
Christ Jesus. If right now, right where you
are, God gives you faith. Oh, oh, if you can now believe
on the son of God, hear what God, the Holy Ghost says about
this new life he has just given you in Romans chapter eight,
verses nine through 17. This is what God has done for
us, is doing for us and shall yet do for us by his grace. Oh,
may God, the Holy Spirit awaken you. give you grace and life
and faith in Christ Jesus the Lord. Our text will be verses
9 through 17, but let's begin reading again at verse 1. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Those who are in Christ Jesus are those who walk not after
the flesh, but after the spirit. Those who are in Christ live
by faith in Christ. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh. God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in
the flesh. The law could never bring in
righteousness. The law could never put away
sin, but Christ did. That the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us. who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh. Flesh is flesh. That's all it
ever was. That's all it is. That's all
it'll ever be. But they that are after the spirit,
the things of the spirit, spirit is spirit. For to be carnally
minded, fleshly minded, is death. But to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. Why is that? Because the carnal
mind hates God. In the totality of his being,
the carnal mind hates God. Hates everything about God. Hates
who God is, what God does, and what God demands. The carnal
mind is enmity against God. That shouldn't require any argument
or any demonstration to prove it. You know it so in yourself. And if you listen to folks on
television talk about things that takes place in this world,
whether you talk about floods or hurricanes or tornadoes or
murder or rape or robbery, and you ascribe God's providence
to being in control of all things, men rise up in a rage and laugh
and mock when they're not full of bitterness and cuss because
of it. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. The carnal mind despises the
fact that God is. The carnal mind says, God, step
aside. You've got no right to exist.
The carnal mind says, God, you've got no right to do anything,
to determine anything, to accomplish anything. You can only exist
as I allow and no other way. The carnal mind is enmity against
God, not just at enmity against God. This is what it is. Your
heart, your nature is God-hating. Your heart, your nature is God-hatred. God-hating. Read on. For it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So much
then for your imaginary good works. So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. Until you're born again, you
can't please God. Without faith, it's impossible
to please Him. That's where we were when God
saved us by His grace. That's what we are by nature. But thank God that's not all
this chapter says. Read on. But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit. God's translated you into a new
realm of life. If so, be that the spirit of
God dwell in you. Now, if any man had not the spirit
of Christ, he's none of his. You who are born of God are not
in the flesh. You live by faith in Christ. You walk in the spirit and no
longer live after the flesh. You're no longer carnal and spiritually
dead, but alive to God and spiritual. You no longer live after the
flesh, but after the spirit. You no longer mind the things
of the flesh, but the things of the spirit. You no longer
live for the world, but for God. You no longer fulfill the lust
of the flesh, but live to fulfill the desire of Christ and his
glory. You no longer trust your works.
As if you make yourself righteous, but the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
If so, be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, now all
of this, all of this, this living in the spirit, this living in
Christ, this living with God, all of this is true. You live
by faith. If the spirit of God dwells in
you, if the spirit of God doesn't dwell in you, you're still dead
in trespasses and sins without God, without Christ. without
hope lost and undone under the wrath of God. That's precisely
what the apostles tells us in the last part of verse nine.
Now let's pick up at verse 10. And if Christ be in you, if Christ
be in you, this is what it is to have Christ 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. Verse 12. Therefore, brethren,
we're debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh. For
if we live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you through
the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live for
as many as are led by the spirit of God. They are the sons of
God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit that we're the children of God
and the children, then heirs of God, heirs, heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together. Now, by the grace of
God, being born again by God the Holy Ghost, being made new
creatures in Christ, now we are the sons of God. Imagine that. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. What manner of love the father
hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God from
eternity? But now right now we are the
sons of God Let me make five statements and I'll give you
this message in these verses of Scripture number one In order
to show us more fully the blessedness of being in the spirit the Apostle
first described what we are by nature. In verses 6 and 7 and
8, the apostle described for us our natural, fallen, depraved
state as the sons and daughters of Adam. And what an alarming
description it is. Fallen man is carnally minded. He lives after the lust of his
flesh. fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind. That's true of all human beings
by nature. The man without Christ is dead spiritually. Some of you here are dead in
trespasses and in sins. Dead. Dead. or very much alive to the flesh,
but dead to God. No spiritual life in you. That means that you haven't the
ability to even be aware of your condition. You're dead. That means that you can do nothing
to change your condition. You can pray 24 hours a day,
it won't change a thing. You can go to church seven days
a week, three times a day. It won't change a thing. You
can read the Bible all the time. It won't change a thing. You
have no ability to change your condition. You're dead in trespasses
and in sins. The one thing you do is hate
God. Unless God stops you. in your
mad rush to hell you will remain dead forever and enter into the
second death in everlasting judgment. That's the nature of man. That's
the condition of man. That's our nature and our condition
by nature. That's what we are if we're without
Christ. Look back, oh my soul, look back
and remember with gratitude the rock from which you've been hewn,
and the hole of the pit from which you were dug. God give
me grace never to forget. And such were some of you. And such were some of you. Oh, you didn't all live in debauchery. No, some of you lived respectable, moral lives. Good folks. Kind of folks everybody
wants their son, daughter to be. Good folks. But you lived
all your life dead in trespasses and sins. All your life fulfilling
the lust of the flesh and of the mind. Others of us, were not moral, upright representatives
of humanity, but the lowest beast of humanity. And we live the
same way, dead in trespasses and in sins. I just caught Skip
and Sandy's eye. Y'all still had the respect of
all the folks you went to high school with. They were high school
sweethearts. and still have you take care
of alumni stuff, respectable folks. Not the way I went to
school, not what I was. But you, Skip Gladfelter, and
Don Fortner were exactly the same, just sin, God-hating sin,
dead in trespasses and in sins. But now, you're the temple of
God. and the spirit of God dwells
in you. Now you're not your own. You've
been bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and
in your spirit, which are God's and not yours. Second, in verses
nine through 11, the inspired apostle tells us what it is to
be brought by God out of our state of nature into a state
of grace. This state of grace is a state
of life, life in Christ, life in the spirit. Life in the spirit
simply means this. We live in God and God lives
in us. To be indwelt by the Spirit of
God is to be indwelt by God the Father, indwelt by God the Son,
indwelt by God the Spirit, indwelt by the triune God. God comes
in the new birth and takes up residence in the soul of man. The life of God in the soul of
man. That's what the new birth is.
To have the Spirit of God dwelling in us is to have God dwelling
in us. Look at verse 9. But ye are not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so, be that the Spirit of
God dwell in you. Verse 10. And if Christ be in
you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. Now, I looked at that a long
time, and I studied all I could study on that. What's he talking
about? The body is dead and the spirit is life. If Christ is
in you, if Christ is in me, though these bodies must die and are
dying because of sin, the body is dead. The spirit is life and
we having the life of God in us live and must live because
of righteousness. Righteousness can never die.
Righteousness can never be punished. Righteousness can never come
into condemnation. But we live because of that righteousness
that is ours in Christ, because of the righteousness he accomplished
by his obedience and death as the sinner substitute. Because
of the righteousness of God imputed to us, declared to be ours because
it is ours, as we obeyed God in Him even unto death, who died
for us and rose again. And because of the righteousness
that has been imparted to us in the new birth. We live and
shall live forever and cannot come into condemnation because
of righteousness. This is how John puts it in Revelation
chapter 20 and verse six. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection. The first resurrection, not the
resurrection of the body. The first resurrection is the
resurrection of the soul in man. Resurrection from spiritual death
to spiritual life. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection. On such, hell can have nothing
to do. On such, he that is partaker
of the first resurrection shall not be made to be subject to
the second death. The second death has no power
upon him. Look at verse 11. 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. We no longer
look to the body and the deeds of the flesh for righteousness
before God. The body is dead, dying because
of sin. The body is not renewed until
the resurrection, when these bodies are sown in the dust of
the earth. At the appointed time, when Christ
comes again, they shall be raised up, but not till then. The child
of God, the heaven-born soul, doesn't expect righteousness
from death. All men without Christ, they
may deny it with their lips, but all men without Christ, you
who are yet without Christ, If you do not believe on the Son
of God, it's because you expect goodness from yourself. You expect
to find something in yourself to commend you to God. Those
who are born of God expect nothing good from death, from the flesh. The child of God doesn't look
for anything good out of that dead stock called flesh. Died
daily the Apostle said though our outward men perish the inward
man's renewed day by day And when this body returns to the
dust then this body this mortal this mortal Shall put on immortality
This mortal shall put on immortality We're sown a natural body but
raised a spiritual body we're going to the earth in corruption
and but shall be raised in incorruption. Now look at verse 10 or verse
12 rather. Here's the third thing. All that concerns this physical
body of flesh. All the workings of the body
of sin and death distress and afflict our souls in relentless
opposition to the life of grace, but we're not debtors to the
flesh to live after the flesh. Christ has freed us from all
the debt of sin. We owe nothing to the flesh and
we owe nothing to God's law. Christ has freed us from all
debt. Therefore, brethren, we're debtors
not to the flesh to live after the flesh. For if you live after
the flesh, you shall die. But if ye through the spirit
do mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live. God, the Holy
Ghost, preserves us by sanctifying grace from the horrible, baleful
influences of the flesh. This flesh. Warring against the
spirit and the spirit against the flesh. How on this earth
can we prevail over the flesh only by God dwelling in us. By God the spirit, we're enabled
to mortify the flesh at the deeds of the body. Not by our strength,
we don't have any. Not by our exertions, we are
nothing but weakness. But rather by God's all-sufficient
grace, we persevere and prevail and triumph over the flesh, more
than conquerors through him that loved us." What on earth does
that mean, more than conquerors? My dear friend, Brother Harry
Graham, I asked him that question one time we were reading the
chapter of Romans together. He said, to be more than conqueror
means that he who opposes us, has been so thoroughly conquered
that he can never rise again. So thoroughly conquered that
he can never rise again. It is God, the Holy Ghost, who,
by his grace, bears us up and carries us through this world
and through this sojourn here. Without him. We are like Samson,
with all his hair shaved off and his bald head shining just
like all other men. That's the only difference between
Lindsey Campbell and anybody out here in the prison, the only
difference. That's the only difference between
Don Fortner and any drunk you might find in the gutter still
this morning, the only difference. Without him, Like Samson, we're just like
all other men, like Samson with his head shaved. But with him,
all the foes of our souls, all the Amorites, and Hittites, and
Gemmusites, and Philistines opposing us, who reside in this mortal
flesh, shall never prevail over us. I just recently read the
book of Judges. Over and over and over and over
and over and over and over and over and over again the children
of Israel sinned against God and they Followed the gods of
the Philistines and they followed the gods of the Amorites and
they followed the gods of their own imaginations and God would
send Godless reprobate men to rule over them for a while and
Then he would raise up a judge to deliver them Deliverers, Saviors. Here we are in this Philistine
land. And we can't drive the Amorites
out. We can't drive the Philistines
out. We can't drive out the Amalekites
and the Jebusites. Rather, they're always there
lusting against the Spirit. But blessed be God, the flesh
lusting against the spirit shall never prevail over the spirit. Listen to this. You can look
it up in Isaiah 59. When the enemy shall come in
like a flood. The spirit of the Lord shall
lift up a standard against him. Being born of God, we owe the
flesh nothing. We owe God everything. We're
debtors to God, the God of all grace and to him alone. Oh, what debtors we are to God,
our father who chose us. What debtors we are, my brother,
my sister, to God, the son who redeemed us. What debtors we
are to God, the spirit who called us a debtor to mercy alone of
covenant mercy, I see. Number four, number four, being
born of God, sinners saved by the grace of God, living in this
dark, dark world, are led by the Spirit of God. Look at verses
14 through 16. Having free access to God in
Christ, by Christ and with Christ. Having free access to the throne
of grace by the blood and righteousness of Christ. We can and we do say
with all the blessed liberty of grace, our father, which art
in heaven. We lift our hearts to God and
say, Abba, father, to the God of glory. Robert Hawker rightly
observed, no servants, no bondsman, no unregenerate. None but the
family of God in Christ who are heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ can so approach God and claim such a relationship.
Look at verse 14. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Believers enjoy eternal
life in Christ because we have the Spirit of life. And we have
the spirit of life because we're the sons of God. To be led by
the spirit, to walk after the spirit, to live by faith in Christ,
all express the idea of being under the government and rule
of Jesus Christ the Lord by his spirit. God's people, all of
God's people, all of God's people, I'm not saying this is what they
should be. I'm not saying this is what they
ought to be. I'm not saying this is what they are if they're good
children of God. All of God's people live in this
world under the constant efficacious influence of God the Holy Spirit. How is that? How is that? Just
like a father. Merle, you got grandbabies are
grown now, got great grandbabies. Do you remember when your boy
was just a boy and you take him by the hand and lead him? Take
him by the hand and lead him. What's that mean? That means
everything's all right. You take him by the hand and
lead him. You lead him through some difficulties. Sometimes
you let go of his hand, but you still got him by the hand and
you watch him fall. And you see him grow as he suffers
various things, but all the while, under his father's hand, under
his father's care, under his father's direction. So you and
I are led by the spirit of God and he never takes his hand off. He leads us away from sin and
away from all dependence on our own righteousness in paths we
didn't know before. He leads us in the way we should
go. and pairs of faith and truth and righteousness. He leads us
to Christ, to his blood, to his righteousness, to his faithfulness,
to all the fullness of God and grace in him. He leads us into
the presence of God. He leads us to the throne of
grace and he leads us at last into glory. The Spirit of God
leads us to see the iniquity of our hearts and to lay hold
of Christ and salvation by Him. God, the Holy Ghost, leads us
into the grace and love and favor of God in Christ our Savior. They are the sons of God, the
objects of God's peculiar love and tender care, who thus are
led by the Spirit. were adopted by God. Adopted
by God as his own dear children from eternity in everlasting
election. We didn't become the sons of
God by believing in Christ. Oh, no, no, no, no. Because we
were God's adopted sons at the appointed time of love, God sent
the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father,
chosen sinners. come to know their election and
their adoption. Chosen sinners come to know their
redemption and their calling only as God sends his spirit
into their hearts in the saving operations of his grace. I know
God chose me and wrote my name in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. I know that Christ
died for me, redeemed me with His precious blood. I know that
I'm one of His sheep for whom the Good Shepherd laid down His
life. I know that I have been called of God because the Spirit
of God has led me to cast all hope on Christ the Lord. Do you find yourself saying no to the flesh? and believing
on Christ? Do you find yourself now believing
the Son of God? But preacher, I don't feel. I
didn't ask you what you felt. But preacher, I haven't. I didn't
ask you what you haven't done. But preacher, I have. I didn't
ask you what you have done. But I might. I'm not asking you
what you might do or might be. I'm asking, are you caused of
God to give up all hope in yourself and trust Christ alone? That's
what it is to be led of the spirit, to have the spirit of adoption.
We are the sons of God. Our Lord Jesus said, or John
said concerning our Lord Jesus to as many as received him, to
them gave he the power to become the sons of God. Years ago, Brother
Darwin Pruitt walked in the office when he was still here before
anybody else got here. opened his Bible to that passage
of scripture, he said, that word power, does that mean authority
or right? Does that mean might or authority
and right? I said, yes, that's what it means.
It means he gives us the ability, the ability to be the sons of
God. And he gives us the right to
be the sons of God. because men has received him
to them gave he the ability and the right to be the sons of God. Oh, what a privilege. John Gill
said this is a privilege that exceeds all others. It's better
to be a son than a saint. Angels are saints, but not sons,
they're servants. Gill goes on to say it's better
to be a child of God than to be redeemed, pardoned and justified.
It's a great grace to redeem from slavery, to pardon criminals,
and to justify the ungodly. But it is another higher act
of grace to make the criminal your son. God has made me his son. God has made you his sons and
daughters by his almighty grace. If we are the sons of God, if
we are the children of God, we should live in the enjoyment
of all the privileges of full grown sons and daughters in the
family of God. Soon we shall know what it is
to fully enjoy the glorious liberty of the sons of God. But even
while we're living in this world, in the spirit, we should live
in the joy of life in Christ. The joy of life in Christ as
the peculiar objects of God's love and his everlasting kindness. Look at verse 15. For you have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received
the spirit of adoption. whereby we cry Abba Father. All who are led by the Spirit
of God are the sons of God. And the Holy Spirit enables us
to confidently approach God as his children. A few years ago,
we were down in Crossville, Tennessee, and Brother Mike Walker and I
and his brothers were preaching a conference, and Mike was studying
one afternoon. And he put a sign on the door,
just wrote it out, said, please do not disturb. Studying. And his granddaughter had been
out with some folks, and they came back and they said, oh,
we better not go in. Said, he said, of course, not
to disturb. She said, that don't mean me,
and took the sign down and walked in. And it didn't mean her. She's
perfectly welcome to come in. Grandchildren can get by what
children can't ever get by would do it. She just walked right
in. It's like it didn't mean a thing, because it wasn't intended
for her. Wasn't intended for her. You and I. will never see our God hang out
of do not disturb side. We have perfect liberty always
in Christ Jesus to come to the throne of grace, obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. The spirit of God given
us is created in righteousness and in true holiness. That new
man in us were made partakers of the divine nature. And this
is a blessed spirit of adoption, not a bondage. Churches, religion brings bondage,
terrible bondage by rules and regulations men devise, threatening
punishment or promising reward. God in Christ by his spirit brings
liberty. Blessed Liberty Religion says bind him up tight
as you can the Savior says loose him and let him go Loose him
and let him go One of the greatest statements I ever heard brother
Maurice Montgomery make he made from this pulpit many many years
ago Focus How do you tell a man to live? What he ought to do
and ought not to do. And Maurice said, if you love
Christ, do what you want to. If you love Christ, do what you
want to. Oh, that's it. Liberty, liberty. Oh, but that'll cause if you
love Christ, not yourself. If you love Christ, do what you
want to. That's called liberty. All who
live in the spirit, live in the liberty of the sons of God from
hearts of God, given God, love, gratitude, faith, and joy. We
gladly and confidently look upon the holy Lord God and call him
our father and delight in his company for 60. The spirit itself
bears witness with our spirit that we're the children of God. Now I hear folks say, I know
Bobby Estes is a Christian because his witness bears witness to
my spirit. That's not what he's talking about. That's not what
he's talking about. Two drunks bear witness to one
another. That's not what he's talking about. What's he talking
about? The spirit bears witness with our spirit. The spirit of
God takes the testimony of God in his word and verifies it in
our experience of grace when he gives us faith in Christ.
This is the witness of God. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. Anyone, man, woman, or child,
old or young, anyone, no matter how upright and moral, Anyone,
no matter how self-righteous, anyone, no matter how vile and
base, who believes that Jesus has fully accomplished all that
God said the Christ would accomplish. That Jesus of Nazareth has brought
in everlasting righteousness and put away sin and made an
end of sins and finished the law and fulfilled all the prophets.
Anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ And this is written. This is
written so that you may forever spend your days beating yourself
and doubting and saying, oh, I don't know whether I'm saved
or not. I don't know whether I know God or not. I don't know
whether I'm lost or damned. I just don't know. I hope maybe
someday I'll know better. No. These are written, Mark Daniel,
that you may know in spite of everything you are by nature.
in spite of the body which is death, in spite of all the corruptions
of Adam in you, that you may know that you have eternal life. Now one more thing. Now let's
come back to this. Being the children of God in
union with Christ, verse 17, we are heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ. If that don't ring your bell,
your clacker's broke. We're heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ. That means everything that the
God-man, our mediator, earned and possesses as the result of
his obedience to God as Jehovah's righteous servant is ours in
him. Ours in him. he who is the Christ
of God possesses as the reward of his obedience. We possess
in him co-possessors of heavenly glory because God has promised
the Lord will give grace. And when grace is fully given,
he'll give glory to. Amen.