Do you know and understand and appreciate what she just sang? Jesus Christ is a fountain opened for me. The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me. He has done all for me that my soul requires and given all to me that God requires of my soul. And more than that, He has given Himself for me.

Now realizing that, I want this morning to make a call a call to consecration. I'm calling for you and myself to give ourselves up entirely to the cause of Christ. I'm calling for us to live on this earth for the glory of God and to walk before men in godliness, righteousness, and truth. I want to promote godliness among the people of God. I want us to avoid the passions of the flesh, the lust of our own hearts, and the corruptions of our decadent society.

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, if it's appeared in our hearts, teaching us, effectually teaching us, educating us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly right now, right now, in this present evil world.

How can I persuade you and myself to live in this world for the glory of God? What will motivate the people of God to godliness? I had a conversation this past week in Michigan in which a number of pastors were involved and my reputation had preceded me for what I believe and preach. And these fellows were greatly alarmed and very much concerned about using the law of God in the kingdom of God, in the church of God.

You got to motivate folks. You got to motivate folks. You got to have some basis of motivation, some basis to get the job done. The only thing we can see is law, law, law, law, law, law, law. It was a long luncheon. A long luncheon.

Well, I will not. I refuse. I refuse. I will not take you back to Mount Sinai. I won't do it. I won't do it. No matter what the consequences are, I won't do it. I will not threaten you. with the terror of the law. I will not hold before you fear of punishment as a motive for anything. I won't do it. If we have to shut the doors, I ain't gonna do it. If I have to go back to getting a job selling, I'm not gonna do it. I will not bring you under the law for anything. Never, never.

God's people are free from the law. I have more respect for you more respect for God and more respect for the gospel than to stand before you with a whip of the law and try to keep you in line and get you to do what you ought to do. If you need that kind of motivation, I suggest you go anywhere else. You won't get it here. You will not get it here.

And I will not try to motivate you with any promise of reward, not on your life. I will not promise you anything in this world or anything in the world to come based on what you do for Christ. I won't do it. I will not do it. If you need a motivation of reward, If you expect to gain something for what you do, I suggest, honestly, sincerely, I suggest you go somewhere where they preach work salvation. You will not hear it here. You will not hear it here.

Go somewhere else. We are free from the law and we do not mix works and grace. The reward of heaven is not based in any way on anything you or I do. Our reward in heaven, our reward in everlasting glory, our reward in the heavenly inheritance is that which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has earned for us by his obedience, has bought for us by his death, and has claimed for us by his resurrection. There is no basis whatsoever in the Word of God for motivating God's people with the threat of the law and the promise of reward. If the fear of punishment or the promise of reward will get you to do what the love of Christ does not constrain you to do, I'm afraid you simply don't know God. Now, you can write that down. You can write it down. I think it's worth remembering. If the fear of punishment or the promise of reward will get you to do what the love of Christ does not constrain you to do, I'm afraid it's because you just don't know God. You do not belong to God, and the works you perform in that case are only the works of self-righteous morality.

I'm not in the least bit concerned or interested in promoting morality among ungodly men. I'll leave that for moralists. I am trying to promote godliness and true consecration of heart among regenerate men and women. And I'll use no argument but this. You're not your own. You're bought with a price. That's all. Look over in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19. 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 19, Paul is here reasoning with the Corinthians. He's laying down argument after argument after argument as to why these Corinthians ought to cease from their strife. ought to cease from their divisions, ought to cease from their carnal and ungodly ways. He's dealing with incest. He's dealing with fornication. He's dealing with men and women going to law with one another. Men and women who claim to be believers, who claim to walk in the name of Christ, who claim to walk before God saved by the blood of Christ. Paul says, now don't do that. Don't do that. Don't behave like this. This is carnality. This is fleshly. This is ungodly.

What motive does he use? What motive does he use? Verse 19. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Now, West Rose Bloom, that's all I've got to say to you. And that's all I've got to say to me. You're not your own. You're bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God. That's all I've got to say. That's all I've got to say to any of us, to any of us. I'm appealing to you on the basis of God's mercy in Christ. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, by the mercies of God, Bob Poncer, by the mercies of God, I beseech you, present your body, a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God. That's just right, isn't it? That's just your reasonable service. That's just your reasonable service.

But my argument will have no power with a man who has never experienced mercy. I'm reasoning with you on the grounds of divine forgiveness. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. But the argument will have no power whatever over one who does not know forgiveness. I'm calling for godliness. I'm calling for righteousness. I'm calling for consecration of life to the glory of Christ, for the glory of God. And the basis of my appeal is this. The love of Christ constraineth us. The love of Christ constraineth us. But my appeal will have no power over men and women who do not know the love of Christ.

Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word, because having been forgiven much, she loved much. How about you? How about you, David? How about me? Will you be motivated by law? Do you need that? You need somebody to stand up here and whip you spiritually, whip you in your conscience, and terrorize you and threaten you and promise you reward or promise you punishment based on what you do? Is that what you need? Or will you be motivated by grace? Would you do more, give more and be more for Christ if you thought that in doing so you'd be turning away God's wrath from you or gaining something from him as the reward of your labor?

I recall I think I may have told you this before, but I recall when I was a young man, I hadn't been posturing very long at all. I was just 21 years old. And I was talking to some men about the Mormon and Russellite missionaries in our area. They were making a canvas of the area and look out West Virginia at the time. One of the older deacons made this response. He said, if I thought my salvation depended on my works, I'd be out there with them. And I said, what? What are you saying? What are you saying?

You see, if the law, if the law is more powerful to motivate you than the gospel, it's because you're yet in bondage to the law and yet under its curse. Believers are motivated by grace.

Now, I want you to look at this text here in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20. I'm going to make two statements, and then I want to address one question briefly. My first statement is this. Paul says it, we belong to God. What know you not your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. God lives in us. God's taken up his abode in us. God dwells in us. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God. And ye are not your own. Ye are not your own. We do not belong to ourselves. We belong to God. We do not belong to one another. We belong to God. I do not belong to my wife. I do not belong to my daughter. I belong to God. We're not to be the servants of men and we're not to be the servants of ourselves. We're to be the servants of God in all things. We belong to him.

In 1 Corinthians 7, in verse 23, Paul says, you're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men. Now, I know that there's a sense in which all men and women belong to God as creatures belong to the creator, as subjects belong to their king, as property belongs to its owner. All things and all people were made by God and for God. All are ruled by God's sovereign will, and all are owned by God rightfully and totally. He is the Lord of both the dead and the living, both the righteous and the wicked, and it's God's right as God to do with his own whatever he will. No reasonable person would ever dispute God's right to rule totally in absolute sovereignty over everything and everybody. God owns you, locked, stocked, and barreled. God made you. You breathe God's air, eat God's food, and live upon the bounty of God's good hand. It's only right that God do with you what he will. If he will, he can save you. If he will, he can damn you. If he will, you'll live a while longer. If he will, you'll drop dead before I speak my next word. God owns you. You have no claims upon him whatsoever.

However, we who believe belong to God in a different way. Our relationship with the eternal God is an intimate, loving, family relationship. We belong to God like a child belongs to its father. We belong to God like a wife belongs to her husband, or like a willing bond slave belongs to his master. You see, we belong to our God by the sovereign purpose of his grace. In old eternity, God loved us. God determined to save us. He said concerning us, I will be their God and they shall be my people. Were it not for God's electing grace, no one would ever be saved. Indeed, were it not for God's election and determination to save some for the glory of his own great name, the world would never have been created. God made this world because he chose to save a people.

John Blanchard said, God's sovereign election is the mold into which the whole universe is poured. Take away the glorious truth of God's unconditional election, and not only would every Christian fall out of the church, but every star would fall out of the sky, and every page would fall out of the Bible.

Election. Oh, what blessed good news. Election is the act of God's sovereign, eternal grace. It is an eternal, immutable, irreversible act of grace. God in eternity chose a people. If you believe on Christ, if you trust Christ, if you're redeemed by Christ, it's because God from eternity loved you, because God from eternity chose you, because God from eternity set his heart upon you and determined to save you.

Election is an unconditional choice of discriminating love. I know what the babblers of religion say in our day. Mr. Graham says election is like this. God voted for you and the devil voted against you and you cast the deciding vote. Ha ha hee hee. Blasphemy. Blasphemy. Election is God's unconditional choice. His determination sovereignly to save a people whom He would save. Now that's right. The Word of God is very plain. He didn't choose you because you were good or because you might become good or because there was some possibility of good in you. He chose you because He was determined to make you good. He was determined to make you holy and righteous in Jesus Christ.

Election is in Christ and election guarantees the salvation of those people whom God is determined to save. Yes, if you are elect of God, you will be saved. You certainly will. Somebody says, you mean no matter what? No. I mean if you're chosen of God, God will see to it that you hear the gospel. God will see to it that you repent and believe the gospel. God will bring you to Jesus Christ effectually and make you willing to come to him. That's God's purpose of grace. I'm telling you that election guarantees the everlasting salvation of all whom God predestinated unto life.

but we also belong to God by the special purchase of his son. Now look at this text clearly. Verse 20, for ye are bought with a price. Now look at that. Here is a clear statement of the doctrine of particular redemption. The common theory of redemption is that Jesus Christ died for everybody. If that's the case, this verse of scripture is a mockery. It's a mockery. Look at what it says. Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

If the Son of God paid the redemption price for Judas as well as for you, then this argument has no force at all. If the difference between you and Judas is not what Christ has done for you, but rather what you have done for Christ, why should you be expected to serve him? Do you see what Paul's saying? Paul's whole argument for consecration, Paul's whole argument for godliness is that you have been specially purchased of God. Jesus Christ redeemed you. If Jesus Christ redeemed those who perish in their sins as well as you, his argument has no force. It has no meaning. It has no value. God's done something special for you. God gave his son for you. Does that make sense, Lindsay? He gave his son for you. Now, since he died for you, you belong to him. Glorify. Glorify.

You see, Christ did not die for Judas. He did not die for men who suffer the wrath of God in hell. His blood was not wasted on those who are not redeemed by him. The blood of Christ was not shed for the damned. The Son of God did not redeem any who are not redeemed, but he did by you. If you're a believer, you're a believer because Jesus Christ loved you and gave himself for you.

Notice what the scripture says. Turn back to, or over to Ephesians 5. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25. All the way through the Word of God, when it talks about redemption, it talks about special redemption. When it talks about redemption, it talks about effectual atonement. When it talks about redemption, it talks about redemption of a particular people.

Ephesians 5, 25. Husbands, love your wives just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. But didn't you love everybody? Well, if he did, husbands, you love all the women. If he did, give yourselves to all the women. No, no, that's kind of ridiculous. Husbands, love your wives, particularly, singularly, delight in them, rejoice in them, give yourselves for them. just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

And the reason he did was that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, and that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

You, you, you. You particularly, you believers, you, God's elect, you're bought with a price. The Lord Jesus Christ bought our worthless souls out from under the curse of God's holy law. The price of our redemption was the precious blood of Jesus Christ and he willingly, voluntarily paid the price. He laid down his life, a ransom for us. What shall we not give him?

Again, we belong to God by the saving power of his spirit. We were dead in trespasses and in sins. We were in bondage to Satan. We were in bondage to sin. We were in bondage under the curse of the law, held under the law as justly condemned prisoners under its dreadful curse. But the spirit of God came and set us free by the irresistible power of his grace. We were dead, but he gave us life. We were blind. But he gave us eyes and caused us to see. We were ignorant and could not know Christ, but he revealed Christ in us.

Do you see? Do you see, Bill? It's because he made you see if you do. Do you live? It's because he made you live. Do you know Christ? It's because he made you know him. That's what he's done for us. That's what he's done for us.

We had no ability to change our deplorable condition, but he gave us power to become the sons of God. If he hadn't called you Joey, you would not believe. If he'd left you like you were Mark, you'd still be lost in false religion. But he gave us power to become the sons of God, the sons of God.

We had no will. no inclination to come to Christ. I didn't want Him, nor did you. Oh, it would have been all right to go to heaven when I die. It would have been all right to stay out of hell. It would have been all right to have my life kind of straightened out a little bit and get in good standing with my family again and get in good standing with friends and neighbors again. Kind of straighten up things, that would be all right. But I didn't want Christ. I didn't want somebody to rule me. I didn't want somebody to govern my life. I didn't want somebody to dictate to me the course and direction of my life and all things. I did not want one to be my Lord. I did not want one to be my master. But today, I want nothing more. Nothing more fully. Nothing more completely. Nothing more constantly. than that Jesus Christ should exercise absolute, total dominion over my heart and my life.

Oh Lord God, rule me. Force me to do your will. Force me to do your bidding. Force me to walk before you with love and faith and gratitude. Force me to let go of this world and to cling to Christ. Force me. Force me by that sweet, constraining force of your all-prevailing love here.

So that's strange language. Want the Lord to force you to do something? If he doesn't force me, Bob, I won't. My flesh rebels against It's not my nature, not my nature to submit. It's not my nature to consecrate myself to him. It's not my nature to let go of this world. It's not my nature to turn loose of myself and my way and my will. It's my nature to cling to those things.

Lord, God forced me to follow Christ. We had no will to come. But in the day of his power, he made us willing. We had no ability to come. We had no ability to be saved by his grace. We had no ability to change our natures. But he caused us to believe. He caused us to live. He caused us to come to Christ.

Children of God, we've been saved by the grace of God. Our salvation is not in the least degree attributed to our own free will or to any works of our own. But by the grace of God, we are what we are. We belong to God. We belong to God by the purpose of grace and election, by the purchase of blood and redemption, and by the power of the spirit and regeneration.

But more than that, we also belong to God by the solemn profession of our faith. Twenty-two years ago, my, how the time has flown by. Twenty-two years ago, I was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. I submitted myself to the ordinance of baptism as a believer, and I knew what I was doing. I wasn't baptized as a little boy, as a child, ignorant. I was baptized with full awareness of what I was doing, in obedience to my Savior. It was a voluntary, deliberate, solemn act of obedience. And by my baptism, I publicly declared to all the world that I believe and follow Christ as my Savior and my Lord. That's what baptism means.

I call upon you to believe and be baptized. I call upon you to repent and be baptized. I call upon you to confess Christ in baptism. But in doing so, I call upon you to do certain specific things. You see, in baptism, we who believe have confessed four things before God and men. By my baptism I have confessed symbolically that I'm crucified with Christ. I'm dead. You don't bury a man who's living, you bury a man who's dead. You sprinkle water on a living religious fool. You bury a man who's dead. I'm buried with Christ because I have been crucified with Christ. I now live by the power and grace of God in Christ Jesus as I've come up out of the water. Symbolically I confess I'm risen. The Lord Jesus has raised me from the dead by the power of his grace. And I've given my heart's allegiance to Jesus Christ.

What does that mean? That means I'm rising up out of this water to walk in the newness of life. To walk as a new man. I'm determined by the grace of God to walk before him. in a totally new way. No longer self-serving, but Christ-serving. No longer self-pleasing, but God-pleasing. No longer self-guided, but Spirit-guided. I'm determined. I'm determined. I can't do it, but I'm determined. I'm determined by the grace of God to walk in the newness of life. And I now live in hope of the resurrection. That's what I've confessed in my baptism.

Having made such a profession of faith, I've said to God, I've said to my family, I've said to my friends, I've said to the world, and I say to myself, I'm not my own. I'm not my own. I call on you to confess faith in Christ. I call on you to believe Him and believe Him to be baptized. But when you're baptized, I'm telling you, this is what you're saying. And don't get in the water and make it a mockery. Don't get in the water and make a mockery of Christ in the ordinance of the gospel. Don't you do that. Unless you recognize the solemnity of it, I'm saying to you, this is what we say in baptism. I'm not my own. I've been bought with a price. I belong to God.

Now don't expect me to act like somebody who belongs to you. Don't expect me to act like somebody who belongs to myself. Don't expect me to act like somebody who belongs to my family. Don't expect me to act like somebody who belongs to my wife and my daughter. I belong to God. He redeemed me. He loved me. He gave himself for me. I belong to God. I've taken that profession of faith seriously. And the older I get, the more seriously I take it. I've opened my mouth unto the Lord. I can't go back. Can't go back. That's what Jephthah said. You remember over in the book of Judges? He said, Lord, if you'll deliver the enemy into my hands, first thing comes out of my house when I get home, I'll sacrifice that to you. And God gave him a great victory. Oh boy, God gave him a victory. And he went home rejoicing. He went home anxious to make a sacrifice to God. First thing out the door for that darling little girl. He said, I've opened my mouth to the Lord. I can't go back. Here she is. Here she is. No matter what it costs. No matter what it costs. I'm consecrated to him. Oh Lord God, make it so with me, make it so with me.

Now secondly, since we belong to God, we ought to glorify him in our bodies and in our spirits. JD belonged to God, but to what he says, therefore glorify God. Therefore glorify God. Since God chose me, redeemed me, and saved me, I'm not my own. I belong to him. Since I've willingly given myself up to the claims of Christ as my Lord, I belong to him. Now, Pastor, what does that mean? It means this. Because I belong to God, I have nothing to fear and everything to comfort me. You see, I'm a child of God. The eternal God is my father. If that's the case, what shall I fear? What shall I fear? I'm not my own to provide for myself. God's my provider. I'm not my own to guide myself. God's my guide. I'm not my own to protect and defend myself. God's my defense. That's what we studied this morning in Sunday school. God's my defense. God's my defense. I belong to Him. Whom or what shall I fear? I belong to God.

More than that, it means this. Because I have willingly given myself to Christ, as a voluntary bond slave and to be completely under his dominion. Turn over to Luke chapter 14. I keep reading this at home, in my office, late at night in the motel rooms when I'm I keep reading it to you and I keep praying, God, teach us, teach us, teach me and teach your people what our Lord is teaching us. Luke 14, 26, if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

That does not read, it does not read, if any man come to me and hate not father, mother, brother, sister, wife, and children, he cannot be a good disciple. That's not how it reads. That does not read, he cannot be a faithful disciple. That's not how it reads. That does not read, he cannot be a carnal disciple. That's not how it reads. It reads, he cannot be my disciple. Just can't. Just can't.

Come to Christ, follow Christ, but I'm telling you it's going to cost you. It's going to cost you. It's going to cost you. You can go anywhere you want to in this town, most anywhere in the world, and you can find you a preacher who'll tell you it won't cost you anything. I'm telling you it's going to cost you everything. If you want somebody to scratch your ears where they itch and pat you on the back, make you feel good about half-hearted religion and half-hearted Christianity and half-hearted faith and half-hearted love and half-hearted commitment, go somewhere else.

I'm searching my own soul and searching yours. I'm telling you, any man comes to Christ, you're going to have to follow him and it's going to cost you everything. Everything. Everything. Every relationship, every interest, every concern, everything, everything.

Verse 33, so likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Lord, here it is. You remember how the Lord spoke and said, Abraham, and the Lord said, When he said, here am I, he meant here am I. Everything I am, everything I possess, everything I own, every ambition, every desire, every talent, every possession, here I am. The Lord said, let's see, give me your son. Give me your son. I'm not my own to follow my own will. My will is insignificant. My will is meaningless. My will is rubbish. I'm not my own to follow my will.

Some years ago, Brother Mahan was down in Mexico chatting with Walter Gruber, and things were a little tough. Things were real tough in those early days. And Walter's down there with his kids and his wife, sleeping in hammocks stretched across one room. just struggling to survive. And he said, Walter, are you happy down here? Walter thought a minute and he said, Brother Mahan, being happy ain't got anything to do with it. That don't have anything to do with it. I'm where God wants me to be. Now that's got a lot to do with it. That's got a lot to do with it.

I'm not my own to follow my own will. Following my own will would dictate a lot of things I do differently with my wife or with my children. Following my own will would dictate doing things a lot differently in the course of my own personal life and in the course of the ministry that I pursue. I'm not my own to do my own will. I'm not my own to lend my service to anyone else. I'm not my own to serve my own interest in this world. I have no property of my own, no rights of my own, and I should have no will of my own. I have found personally it far easier to give up property and even to give up rights, but oh God for grace to give up my will.

Thirdly, since I belong to Christ, I have no legitimate concern in this world but His glory. Another, we've been praying these past few weeks for the Todd. He's our friend. He's God's servant. As far as we can see, God's church needs him. Hate to lose such a man as that. But our greatest concern is not for his health, but for God's glory. And that's his greatest concern. I have no right myself to serve or seek any cause in this world except the glory of God my Savior. Now that includes family and friend and personal ambition.

Someone was asking me recently, I've been preaching on this line, young lady said to me, Oh, what about my responsibility to my dad and my mother. And I responded to her by saying, you dare not neglect any responsibility to your parents or to anyone else. You dare not neglect any responsibility of life. You dare not abuse any of those things. But you dare not allow your family to keep you from doing the will of God. You don't do it. You just don't do it.

I wonder, I wonder if Abraham had discussed with Sarah what he was about to do, whether or not he had gone up to Mount Moriah with Isaac. He had better sense to even talk about it. sense than even talk about it. You see, now I tell you this, men and women and young people, I say it to my own daughter, I say it to the rest of you, family, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, family is always an unsafe guide in determining the will of God, always. There are no exceptions. There are just no exceptions.

I hope that with my family I can be a pastor as well as a father and a husband. But I'm telling you, when you determine anything by family relationship, you'll never determine right. You'll never determine right. Never. Whether or not my family agrees has nothing to do with me serving God. Whether or not my family understands has nothing to do with me doing the will of God. Whether or not my family accepts it has nothing at all with me doing the will of God. When God speaks, it's mine to do. It's mine to do. I have no right to serve any concern but the glory of Christ. Everything I am, everything I own, everything I control, every relationship of my life must be must be, must be subservient to the glory of God.

Now, my flesh rebels against it. My flesh rebels against this complete subjection to my God. And I know that in this world, I'll never attain that kind of allegiance that I desire to give to Christ. I'll never, I'll never reach that kind of obedience. But this is what I strive after. I cannot be satisfied with less. And I can't let you be satisfied with less, Merle. This is it. This is it. Complete commitment and consecration of my being to Jesus Christ.

Well, how? How can I live in this world for the glory of God? Well, I'm interested in that. I'm interested in that. So many things in the way. So many people in the way. So much self in the way. Well, you can't live in this world for the glory of God by changing your attire. That's attire, not your tires. By changing the way you dress. I've been around a while, and I've been around a good bit. Most conservative religious people think that godliness has something to do with the kind of clothes you wear. kind of foods you eat, the way you comb your hair, you know, you can change all your outward appearance, all you want to. It has nothing to do with godliness. Nothing whatsoever to do. God has no more regard for short-haired men than he does long-haired men. He has no more regard for women who wear slacks than he does for women who don't wear slacks. So it's dumb to even talk like that. It's just ridiculous. It's just ridiculous to imagine that God in glory is interested in what you wear. That's stupid. Nobody but blind religious fools think like that. You can't glorify God by changing your diet. I'll not eat this, I'll not eat that, I'll not drink this, I'll not drink that. I'm going to eat clean foods. For some of you, that may sound ridiculous. I'm telling you, there are books and books and books and books written about religious diets, Christian diets, and Christian this and Christian that.

You can't glorify God by changing your outward appearance, by putting on one of those Colgate smiles, or by putting on a long face. You can't glorify God by isolating yourself from other people. Now, if I could just separate myself, just separate myself. I see people all the time, all over the country, they take their kids out of school and isolate them and they educate them at home. And most of the time, the kids, man, they got hard, they got a hard life ahead of them because they never learned to live in the real world. And mama and daddy really think that their kids aren't bad like everybody else. They really think their kids aren't, the evil's not inside them, the evil's outside them. So if I can just keep my little Johnny away from bad Billy, then he'll be all right. Maybe the Lord will use that for him. Foolish. Foolish. You don't glorify God by isolating yourself from men.

The only way to glorify God is to live with men in this present evil world. How can I glorify God in this world? Well, first, my body, which is the temple of God, is to be used for the service of God's glory. That's what the temple was for, the glory of God. That's all. I must endeavor to keep my body under the rule of Christ, not giving in to the passions of my sinful flesh. That's called temperance. That's called temperance.

Some of you have spent more time with me than others have. And if you spent much time with me, you are aware that I have certain things that I have difficulty dealing with, don't I, Bob? And occasionally, it's in my nature to settle disputes by clipping a fellow under the chin. That's just my nature. But you don't do that. You just don't do that. That's not the way you live. You control that. Now that's a bit far out, but that illustrates exactly what I'm talking about. Our nature is evil. Our nature is evil. Just nothing but evil. Our nature is to lash out. Our nature is to strike out. Our nature is to be bitter. Our nature is to be mean. Our nature is to be angry. Our nature is to be selfish. Our nature is to be covetous. Control it. Control it. It's called the fruit of the Spirit. Temperance. Temperance. Control from within.

I must employ my body in the worship and service of my master. I must use my body to serve and minister to my father's children. Just recently we've had half a dozen men from Ashland, without being encouraged by their And without being asked by me, they came down here and after working hard long hours, come down here on Friday nights and spent Saturdays over here wiring this house. And I thought last night when I went home, serving one another willingly. God teach me to be like that. Teach me to be like that. Teach me to earnestly, willingly, delightfully serve my father's children. Whatever I do with my body is to be done as unto the Lord for the glory of God, whatever it is. Whether you're talking about working at home, working on the job, whether you're talking about pleasure, relaxation, whatever I do, do it for the glory of God.

Now, people get the notion when you talk about this that I'm talking about going around and reading your Bible all day and praying all night. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about living for the glory of God. Lindsay, I'm talking about going to work tomorrow and honoring God and serving him as you work at that insurance office. Oscar, when you get on the tractor and set your tobacco, I'm talking about serving the cause of Christ in what you're doing.

So how do you do that? Let me try to illustrate it if I can. Faith, my daughter Faith, honors me by doing what I require of her. There's just certain things I require, and she does them, and she does them honorably. But she honors me just as much in her most pleasurable recreation as she does in her most demanding labor, because she honors me. She honored me no matter what she's doing. I have no reason to suspect otherwise. I've never had any report that she's ever spoken an evil word about me, but always sought to honor me, to honor me. Whether she's involved in going out with a bunch of kids or on a hayride down at Oscar's farm, or whether she's cleaning the office, she's honoring me. She will honor me just as much. in serving her husband as a wife and serving her children as a mother as she does right now in her words of highest respect for me.

Whatever you do, children of God, do it for the glory of God. Honor Him. Honor Him. And you can be sure of this. I will glorify God in my body if in my spirit in my inner self, if in my heart I glorify God. Glorify God in your body and in your spirits, which are God's. Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

What is that? Well, honor him with a spirit of faith. Believe God and you'll glorify God. Honor him with a spirit of love. If you rule by love for Christ and love for his people, you will glorify him. Honor him by spirit of obedience. If you truly endeavor to obey your master, you'll honor your master. Honor him by spirit of submission. If you willingly submit to the will of God and the rule of providence, you'll glorify God. Honor him by spirit of devotion. Devoted hearts honor the one to whom they're devoted. But that devotion involves self-denial, self-sacrifice, commitment, faithfulness.

My son, our father says, give me thine heart. Give me thine heart. This is my call to consecration. and I issue the call for the glory of our God."

Jonathan Edwards said of David Brainerd, his son-in-law, who was a great missionary to the American Indian, he said, any gospel that can produce a man like David Brainerd is worthy of any man's obedience. Any gospel that can produce a man like David Brainerd is worthy of any man's obedience. God make me so to live in this world that my conduct and my life commends the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.