THE SECRET IS OUT AND WHAT IS THE SECRET? MILLIONS UPON THIS EARTH WILL ONE DAY GO TO HEAVEN WITHOUT DYING AND THOSE WHO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO SLEEP IN THE GRAVE, WILL BE RAISED UP. NOW THE LIVING SAINTS WILL BE CHANGED
IN A MOMENT AND THE DEAD SAINTS WILL BE RAISED FROM THE GRAVE. THERE IS GOING TO BE A RESURRECTION.YOU SEE, GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH US. WHEN WE DIE WE GO IN THE SPIRIT IMMEDIATELY, AH, TO HEAVEN, BUT THE BODY GOES TO THE GRAVE TO
AWAIT THE RESURRECTION. WHEN ADAM, AH, SINNED AGAINST GOD, HE DIED IMMEDIATELY IN HIS SPIRIT, PROGRESSIVELY IN HIS SOUL, AND ULTIMATELY IN HIS BODY. AH, WHEN OUR LORD REDEEMS US, HE PUTS THAT IN REVERSE. WE’RE JUSTIFIED IMMEDIATELY IN THE SPIRIT, SANCTIFIED PROGRESSIVELY IN THE SOUL,
AND GLORIFIED ULTIMATELY IN THE BODY. GOD IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE THESE BODIES OF OURS IN THE GRAVE. WE ARE COMING OUT OF THAT GRAVE. YOU SAY, “ADRIAN, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT?” YES, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT. YOU SAY, “ISN’T THAT A LITTLE SUPERNATURAL?” THAT’S IT;
YOU’VE GOT IT. THAT’S IT. THE WHOLE CREATION IS SUPERNATURAL. GOD MADE EVERYTHING OUT OF NOTHING. YOU THINK HE CAN’T RAISE ME OUT OF SOMETHING? PROFOUND TRUTH. SIMPLY STATED. THIS IS LOVE WORTH FINDING WITH PASTOR, TEACHER, AND AUTHOR ADRIAN ROGERS. WOULD YOU TAKE GOD’S WORD AND FIND FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER
15 IF YOU WOULD. IN A MOMENT WE’RE GOING TO BEGIN READING IN VERSE 45. BUT, AH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, AH, WE ARE TALKING TODAY ABOUT THE VICTORY THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS WON OVER DEATH. THE TITLE OF OUR BIBLE STUDY THIS
MORNING; THE DAY DEATH DIED, THE DAY DEATH DIED. NOW DEATH IS A MONSTER TO BE DEALT WITH AND WITH EVERY TICK OF YOUR WATCH, SOMEWHERE ON PLANET EARTH, A SOUL DIES. [SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP] PEOPLE ARE DYING. ALL AROUND PEOPLE ARE DYING, AND YET, HUH, WE, WE DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT
DEATH. WE DON’T WANT TO FACE DEATH. YOU MENTION DEATH AND PEOPLE WILL CHANGE THE SUBJECT LIKE THEY’RE SWITCHING CHANNELS ON TELEVISION. PEOPLE DIE AND THEY DIE IN STRANGE WAYS. HAROLD LEE DUNCAN WAS CUTTING HIS GRASS; HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE WATCHING. SUDDENLY HE SEIZED HIS LEFT SIDE, CRUMPLED TO THE GROUND,
AND HE WAS DEAD. A SMALL, HALF INCH PIECE OF WIRE, NO BIGGER IN DIAMETER THAN A PENCIL LEAD, HAD BEEN FLUNG BY THAT POWER MOWER INTO HIS HEAD, ENTERED HIS BRAIN, AND HE DIED INSTANTANEOUSLY. DEATH IS A FACT AND PEOPLE DIE SUDDENLY, INSTANTANEOUSLY,
AND IN STRANGE WAYS. THERE ARE THREE THINGS I WANT US TO SEE IN THE SCRIPTURE, AH, THAT WE ARE GOING TO READ IN JUST A MOMENT, AND I’LL TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE AHEAD OF TIME. I WANT YOU TO SEE THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTY OF OUR REDEEMER. I WANT
YOU TO SEE THE SACRED, UH, MYSTERY OF OUR RAPTURE. AND THEN I WANT YOU TO SEE THE STEADFAST MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS, NOW OF THE REDEEMED. NOW LOOK IF YOU WILL AS WE READ THIS SCRIPTURE AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIND THOSE THINGS. FIRST CORINTHIANS AND READ WITH ME NOW BEGINNING IN VERSE,
CHAPTER 15 BEGINNING IN VERSE 45, “AND SO IT IS WRITTEN, ‘THE FIRST MAN, ADAM, WAS MADE A LIVING SOUL; THE LAST ADAM WAS MADE A QUICKENING,” THAT IS, A LIFE-GIVING, “SPIRIT.’ HOWBEIT, THAT WAS NOT FIRST WHICH IS SPIRITUAL, BUT THAT WHICH IS NATURAL.” THAT IS,
THE FIRST ADAM CAME BEFORE JESUS. “AND AFTERWARD THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL. THE FIRST MAN IS OF THE EARTH, EARTHY; THE SECOND MAN,” THE SECOND ADAM, “IS THE LORD FROM HEAVEN. AND AS IS THE EARTHY, SUCH ARE THEY ALSO THAT ARE EARTHY; AND AS IS THE HEAVENLY,
SUCH ARE THEY ALSO THAT ARE HEAVENLY. AND AS WE HAVE BORNE THE IMAGE OF THE EARTHY, WE SHALL ALSO BEAR THE IMAGE OF THE HEAVENLY. NOW THIS I SAY, BRETHREN, THAT FLESH AND BLOOD CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD; NEITHER DOTH CORRUPTION INHERIT INCORRUPTION. BEHOLD,
I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY; WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMP, FOR THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, AND THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE, AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED. FOR THIS CORRUPTIBLE
MUST PUT ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY. SO, WHEN THIS CORRUPTIBLE SHALL HAVE PUT ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL SHALL HAVE PUT ON IMMORTALITY, THEN SHALL BE BROUGHT TO PASS THE SAYING THAT IS WRITTEN, ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH,
WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY?’ THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN, AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW. BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, WHICH GIVETH US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE YE STEADFAST, UNMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF
THE LORD, FORASMUCH AS YE KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD.” NOW THINK FOR JUST A MOMENT ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTY OF OUR REDEEMER. WHY IS HE KING? WHY IS HE LORD? HE HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD AND HE IS LORD. JESUS
CAME OUT OF THAT GRAVE AND JESUS BECAME THE DEATH OF DEATH. NOW LISTEN TO ME. WHEN JESUS WALKED OUT OF THAT GRAVE HE DID MORE THAN SURVIVE DEATH, ARE YOU LISTENING? HE DECIMATED DEATH. HE DIDN’T SURVIVE DEATH; HE DESTROYED DEATH. HE IS CALLED, “THE FIRST FRUITS,” AND HE IS CALLED,
“THE LAST ADAM.” LOOK IF YOU WILL, AH, IN THE SCRIPTURE AGAIN HERE IN VERSE 47. LOOK AT IT, “THE FIRST MAN IS OF THE LA, IS OF THE EARTH, EARTHLY; THE SECOND MAN IS THE LORD FROM HEAVEN.” HE IS CALLED, AH,
“THE SECOND MAN,” OR AGAIN LOOK OVER IN VERSE 22 IF YOU WILL. HE IS CALLED, “THE LAST ADAM.” “FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE.” HE IS, “THE LAST ADAM.” THE FIRST ADAM WAS THE ADAM THAT MARRIED EVE,
AND THE LAST ADAM IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW, IN THE FIRST MAN WE ALL FELL. IN THE SECOND MAN WE’RE ALL REDEEMED. I READ SOMEWHERE OF SOME MEN WHO WERE CLIMBING THE MATTERHORN, THAT MAJESTIC, MAJESTIC, UH, MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND AND THERE WERE FOUR OF THEM
TOGETHER. THERE WERE TWO GUIDES AND TWO TOURISTS. FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS A GUIDE, THEN THERE WAS A TOURIST, THEN THERE WAS A GUIDE, AND THEN THERE WAS A TOURIST. AND THEY WERE GOING UP THAT STEEP, AH, ICY SLOPE AND THEY WERE ALL TIED TOGETHER. NOW THE,
THE LAST MAN, AH, THE, UH, OR THE FIRST, THE LAST MAN TIED TO THE ROPE WAS A TOURIST AND HE PUT HIS FOOT DOWN ON THE ICE AND HE SLIPPED AND HE SWUNG OVER THE SIDE. WHEN HE DID HE WAS TIED TO THE SECOND MAN WHO WAS A, A,
THE NEXT GUIDE WHO WAS A, A, A SKILLED ALPINE CLIMBER, BUT HE WAS DRAGGED OVER. WHEN HE WENT OVER HE, UH, HE PULLED THE NEXT MAN OVER. NOW THE LEAD GUIDE FELT THE TUG ON THE ROPE, HE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING,
AND HE DUG HIS CLEATS IN AND PUT HIS PICKAX INTO THE ICE AND BULGED HIS MUSCLES AND HELD FOR ALL HE COULD HOLD, AND THESE OTHER THREE MEN WERE DANGLING, BUT THEY FINALLY GOT THEIR FEET BACK ON AND ALL FOUR OF THEM WENT UP, AH, THE MOUNTAIN TOGETHER. NOW FOLKS,
I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT FIRST MAN WHO SLIPPED WAS ADAM, BUT THAT LAST MAN WHO HELD WAS JESUS. HA, HA, WE’RE ALL TIED, WE’RE ALL TIED TOGETHER, BUT THANK GOD, THANK GOD FOR, AH, THAT, UH, THAT LAST MAN, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
WHO HAS SURVIVED FOR US. NOW, NOT ONLY IS JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE CALLED, “THE SECOND ADAM,” OR THE, “THE SECOND MAN FROM HEAVEN,” BUT HE IS ALSO CALLED, “THE FIRST FRUITS OF THEM THAT SLEPT.” IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WHEN THEY WERE HAVING A HARVEST THE
PRIEST WOULD GO OUT IN THE FIELD AND THEY WOULD FIND A SHEAF OF, OF FIRST RIPENED GRAIN. THEY WOULD TAKE THAT INTO THE TEMPLE AND, AH, THEY WOULD HAVE A, A REAL CEREMONY CALLED, THE FEAST OF THE FIRST FRUITS, AND, AH, THEY WOULD TAKE THAT, AH, SHEAF OF GRAIN AND THEY WOULD
WAVE IT BEFORE THE LORD AND THEN PUT IT ON THE ALTAR. WHAT IT WAS WAS THANKSGIVING TO GOD AND AN ACT OF FAITH SAYING, “LORD, THIS TYPIFIES THE HARVEST THAT YOU’RE GOING TO GIVE US.” NOW JESUS IS THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE RESURRECTION. AH, HE, MY FRIEND,
HAS APPEARED IN HEAVEN FOR US, AND LIKE HIS RESURRECTION, WILL BE OUR RESURRECTION. AH, WHEN HE COMES AGAIN WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THE HARVEST, OF WHICH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE FIRST FRUITS. NOW HERE’S THE SECOND THING I WANT YOU TO SEE. NOT ONLY THE, THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTY OF THE REDEEMER,
BUT IT FOLLOWS AS NIGHT FOLLOWS DAY YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THE SACRED MYSTERY OF THE RAPTURE. WHAT DOES HIS RESURRECTION HAVE TO DO WITH OUR RESURRECTION? WELL, OUR RESURRECTION, WE ARE, WE ARE THE HARVEST, HE IS THE FIRST FRUITS, SO PAUL FOLLOWS THIS UP A LITTLE BIT, AH, IF,
IF YOU WILL, AH, LOOK IN, IN, AH, VERSE 51. HE SAYS, “BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY; WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP,” THAT IS, NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DIE, “WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED.” SOUNDS LIKE A MOTTO WE COULD
HAVE IN THE CHURCH NURSERY. “WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED.” [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER] HUH, HUH. “BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY; WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMP;
FOR THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, AND THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE, AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED. FOR THIS CORRUPTIBLE MUST PUT ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.” NOW, NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS, “BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY.” NOW HOW DOES THAT SENTENCE BEGIN?
“BEHOLD.” IT MEANS PAY ATTENTION. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION? THE APOSTLE PAUL IS TELLING YOU TO PAY ATTENTION. “BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY.” NOW WHY DOES HE CALL IT A MYSTERY? WELL, IT’S A SACRED SECRET. A MYSTERY IN THE BIBLE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD NOT FIGURE OUT YOURSELF. HUMAN WIT,
WISDOM, AND INGENUITY, SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION WOULD NEVER SHOW IT TO YOU. IT IS A TRUTH REVEALED, AH, BY DIVINE REVELATION. AND THIS IS A MYSTERY, IT IS A SACRED SECRET THAT HAD BEEN A SECRET FOR MANY YEARS. IT WAS NOT REVEALED TO THE ANGELS. IT WAS NOT REVEALED TO
THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS. IT WAS A MYSTERY. AH, NOT REVEALED TO ISAIAH, TO JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, THEY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THIS MYSTERY UNTIL IN THE LAST DAYS GOD REVEALED THIS MYSTERY. THE SECRET IS OUT AND WHAT IS THE SECRET? MILLIONS UPON THIS EARTH WILL ONE DAY GO TO HEAVEN
WITHOUT DYING AND THOSE WHO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO SLEEP IN THE GRAVE, WILL BE RAISED UP. WE CALL THIS THE SACRED MYSTERY OF THE RAPTURE. YOU SEE, GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH US. WHEN WE DIE WE GO IN THE SPIRIT
IMMEDIATELY, AH, TO HEAVEN, BUT THE BODY GOES TO THE GRAVE TO AWAIT THE RESURRECTION. WHEN ADAM, AH, SINNED AGAINST GOD, HE DIED IMMEDIATELY IN HIS SPIRIT, PROGRESSIVELY IN HIS SOUL, AND ULTIMATELY IN HIS BODY. AH, WHEN OUR LORD REDEEMS US, HE PUTS THAT IN REVERSE. WE’RE JUSTIFIED IMMEDIATELY IN THE SPIRIT,
SANCTIFIED PROGRESSIVELY IN THE SOUL, AND GLORIFIED ULTIMATELY IN THE BODY. GOD IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE THESE BODIES OF OURS IN THE GRAVE. WE ARE COMING OUT OF THAT GRAVE. YOU SAY, “ADRIAN, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT?” YES, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT. YOU SAY, “ISN’T THAT A LITTLE SUPERNATURAL?” THAT’S IT;
YOU’VE GOT IT. THAT’S IT. THE WHOLE CREATION IS SUPERNATURAL. GOD MADE EVERYTHING OUT OF NOTHING. YOU THINK HE CAN’T RAISE ME OUT OF SOMETHING? OF COURSE HE CAN, OF COURSE HE WILL. AH, THAT’S THE REASON THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID TO AN INCREDULOUS KING WHOSE NAME WAS AGRIPPA IN ACTS
CHAPTER 26 AND VERSE EIGHT, “WHY SHOULD IT BE THOUGHT A THING INCREDIBLE WITH YOU, THAT GOD SHOULD RAISE THE DEAD?” IN THIS CHAPTER PAUL GIVES AN ILLUSTRATION OF IT. AH, LOOK IF YOU WILL IN, IN CHAPTER 15, UH, VERSE 35, “BUT SOME MAN WILL SAY ‘HOW ARE THE DEAD RAISED UP?’” I MEAN,
GOOD NIGHT, HOW’S, HOW’S THIS GOING TO HAPPEN? “‘AND WITH WHAT BODY DO THEY COME?’ THOU FOOL, THAT WHICH THOU SOWEST IS NOT QUICKENED, EXCEPT IT DIE.” WHEN YOU PUT A SEED IN THE GROUND THAT SEED HAS TO DIE BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO LIFE. “AND THAT WHICH THOU
SOWEST, THOU SOWEST NOT THAT BODY THAT SHALL BE, BUT A BARE GRAIN, IT MAY CHANCE OF WHEAT, OR OF SOME OTHER GRAIN. BUT GOD GIVETH IT A BODY AS IT HATH PLEASED HIM, AND TO EVERY SEED HIS OWN BODY.” NOW THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, “WHY SHOULD YOU MARVEL AT THE RESURRECTION?
EVERY TIME YOU PUT A SEED IN THE GROUND YOU HAVE A PICTURE OF THE RESURRECTION.” A SEED GOES INTO THE GROUND, IT DIES, AH, IT, IT, IT IS BURIED, IT DIES, IT ROTS, BUT OUT OF THAT SEED COMES NEW, GLORIOUS LIFE, MORE GLORIOUS THAN THE SEED THAT WENT IN THE GROUND. BUT,
NOW HERE’S THE POINT. FROM THE TIME THAT JESUS WENT AWAY TO THE TIME THAT HE IS COME AGAIN, HE COULD HAVE COME AT ANY MOMENT. UH, WE ARE NOT WAITING FOR SOME SIGN TO BE FULFILLED. THOSE THINGS MAY ENCOURAGE OUR FAITH IN A WAY,
BUT THEY DON’T PROVE THAT JESUS IS NEAR. HE COULD HAVE COME AT ANY TIME. YOU SAY, “WELL PASTOR, AREN’T WE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS?” WELL THE LAST DAYS BEGAN AT PENTECOST. FIRST JOHN TWO VERSE 18, “LITTLE CHILDREN, IT IS THE LAST TIME, IT IS THE LAST TIME.” JOHN SAID THAT 2000
YEARS AGO. AH, THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS IS ALWAYS IMMINENT. AH, THE EARLY CHRISTIANS LOOKED FOR JESUS TO COME. PHILIPPIANS THREE VERSE 20 PAUL SAID, “FOR OUR CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN, FROM WHENCE ALSO WE LOOK FOR THE SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.” HE TOLD THOSE IN THESSALONICA IN FIRST
THESSALONIANS ONE VERSES NINE AND 10. AH, HE SAID, “FOR THEY THEMSELVES SHOW OF US WHAT MANNER OF ENTERING IN WE HAD UNTO YOU, AND HOW YE TURNED TO GOD FROM IDOLS, TO SERVE THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD. AND TO WAIT FOR HIS SON FROM HEAVEN.” THOSE EARLY CHRISTIANS 2000 YEARS AGO WERE
WAITING FOR JESUS. THE APOSTLE JAMES SAID IN JAMES CHAPTER FIVE AND VERSE EIGHT. “STABLISH YOUR HEARTS; THE COMING OF THE LORD DRAWETH NIGH.” PAUL TOLD TITUS IN TITUS TWO VERSE 13 WE ARE TO BE, “LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOR,
JESUS CHRIST.” FOLKS, WHAT AM I SAYING? I AM SAYING THAT JESUS MAY COME BEFORE I FINISH THIS MESSAGE. NOW WE HAVE AN IDEA WE’RE LIVING IN THE LAST PART OF THE LAST DAYS, SURELY, AND WE’RE 2000 YEARS CLOSER TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS THAN
THEY WERE IN PAUL’S DAY, BUT I’M TELLING YOU, FROM THE TIME THAT HE WENT UP PEOPLE WERE REMEMBERING THE MESSAGE OF THOSE ANGELS WHICH SAID, “YE MEN OF GALILEE, WHY STAND YE GAZING THUS INTO HEAVEN. THIS SAME JESUS WHICH IS TAKEN UP FROM YOU SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE
SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN.” SO WE’RE WATCHING AND WAITING FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO COME, AND HE MAY COME AT ANY MOMENT. SO, WHAT HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT? WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTY OF OUR LORD. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND BECAME THE DEATH OF DEATH. AND THEN WE’VE TALKED,
NOT ONLY ABOUT THE, THE, THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTY OF THE REDEEMER, BUT THE, THE SACRED MYSTERY OF THE RAPTURE. AND NOW LET’S MOVE TO THE THIRD AND FINAL THING. AND THE THIRD AND FINAL THING, FOLKS, IS THE STEADFAST MINISTRY OF THE REDEEMED. WHAT DOES ALL OF THAT MEAN TO US? WELL,
NOTICE IN VERSE 54. HE BEGINS IT WITH THE WORD SO, HA, HA, SO, NOW HE’S, HE’S, HE’S BUILDING TO A POINT. HE IS NOT TRYING TO MAKE BETTER THEOLOGIANS OUT OF US, HE TRYING TO MAKE BETTER CHRISTIANS OUT OF US. SO, LISTEN TO IT NOW, “SO, WHEN THIS CORRUPTIBLE SHALL HAVE PUT
ON INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL SHALL HAVE PUT ON IMMORTALITY, THEN SHALL BE BROUGHT TO PASS THE SAYING THAT IS WRITTEN, ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY?’ THE STRING OF DEATH IS SIN, AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW. BUT
THANKS BE TO GOD, WHICH GIVETH US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE,” UNDERSCORE THAT, “THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE YE STEADFAST, UNMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, FORASMUCH AS YE KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE
LORD.” NOW, WHAT’S HE TALKING ABOUT? HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE VICTORY AND YOU AND I ARE TO BE LIVING EVERY DAY, EVERY MOMENT, SERVING CHRIST IN THE LIGHT OF THAT VICTORY. WHAT HE IS SAYING IS THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS CONQUERED DEATH. JESUS HAS BEEN
THE DEATH OF DEATH SO HE TAKES THE PAIN OUT OF PARTING, THE GLOOM OUT OF THE GRAVE. HE TAKES THE STRENGTH OUT OF SIN AND THE STING OUT OF DEATH, AND HE GIVES US A HOPE THAT IS STEADFAST AND SURE SO THAT WE CAN LITERALLY MOCK DEATH. WE
CAN RIDICULE DEATH. WE CAN LAUGH AT DEATH. NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS. “O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING?” WELL, HE SAYS, AH, THE STRENGTH, AH, “THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN, AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW.” THE LAWS MAKE SIN SIN AND SO THEREFORE, SIN BECOMES A STING TO US,
BUT JESUS CHRIST PULLED THE STING FROM DEATH. JESUS TOOK THAT STING IN HIS OWN BODY AND REMOVED IT FROM, AH, DEATH. HE FULFILLED THE LAW FOR US AND THEREFORE DEATH HOLDS NO TERRORS FOR US. IF I CAN ILLUSTRATE THIS WAY; AH, AH,
AH, AH, A WOMAN HAD HER TWO CHILDREN IN A GARDEN AND THEY WERE ENJOYING A BEAUTIFUL DAY LIKE WE HAVE TODAY, AND A BIG BEE LIT ON THE LITTLE BOY AND STUNG HIM AND THE LITTLE BOY BEGAN TO CRY AND THERE CAME, A,
THAT SWOLLEN PLACE WHERE THAT BEE HAD STUNG THE LITTLE BOY. AND THEN THE BEE BEGAN TO BUZZ AROUND THE LITTLE GIRL. HA, HA, THE LITTLE GIRL WAS FRIGHTENED TO DEATH AND SHE WAS TERRIFIED. BY THIS TIME THE LITTLE BOY HAD QUIETENED DOWN, AND THE MOTHER SAID, “DARLING,” TO THE LITTLE GIRL,
“DON’T BE AFRAID. COME OVER HERE AND LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING. LOOK REAL CLOSELY AT BROTHER’S ARM. DO YOU SEE THE STINGER THAT’S THERE? WHEN THAT BEE STUNG LITTLE BROTHER HE LEFT HIS STINGER.” DID YOU KNOW THAT A BEE DOES THAT? HE CAN’T STING BUT ONE TIME. DO YOU KNOW THAT? HA,
HA. “AND THE BEE LEFT HIS STINGER IN LITTLE BROTHER. DO YOU SEE IT THERE?” SHE SAID, “NOW SWEETHEART, THAT BEE CAN’T HURT YOU CAUSE HE LEFT HIS STINGER IN LITTLE BROTHER. HE MAY BUZZ, HE MAY FRIGHTEN YOU, BUT HE CANNOT HURT YOU.” NOW FRIEND,
I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. THE STING OF DEATH WAS TAKEN BY JESUS AND DEATH CANNOT HURT YOU. AH, DEATH MAY FRIGHTEN YOU, BUT, BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT JESUS HAS TAKEN THE STING OUT OF DEATH, AND JESUS HAS TAKEN THE GLOOM OUT OF THE GRAVE AND YOU HAVE,
REMEMBER WE SAID THE RAPTURE WAS WHAT? AH, THE, THE LIVING SAINTS WILL BE TRANSLATED AND THE DEAD SAINTS WILL BE RAISED. NOW NOTICE THE TWO-FOLD ANTHEM OF THE REDEEMED WHERE THE APOSTLE PAUL HERE IS ILLUSTRATING IT. WHEN, WHEN JESUS COMES AT THE RAPTURE YOU AND I ARE GOING TO LOOK
BACK AT THE GRAVE AND AT DEATH AND WE’RE GOING TO MOCK THEM, AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN, AH, WHO HAVE BEEN RAPTURED, AH, AH, AND WE NEVER DIE, WE’RE GOING TO SAY. “O DEATH,” HA, “WHERE IS YOUR STING,” AND THOSE WHO HAVE COME OUT OF THE
GRAVE ARE GOING TO SAY, “O GRAVE, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY.” AND THEN TOGETHER WE’RE GOING TO SAY, “THANKS BE UNTO GOD THAT GIVETH US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” AMEN? NOW, NOW LISTEN, COME TO THE BOTTOM, BOTTOM LINE OF ALL OF THIS. THERE IS THE,
THERE IS THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTY OF THE REDEEMER, THERE IS THE SACRED MYSTERY OF THE RAPTURE, AND THEN THERE’S THE STEADFAST MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS. NOW I’M SAYING IT ALL TO BRING YOU TO THIS POINT. LOOK AGAIN WHERE HE SAYS IN VERSE 58, I BELIEVE, THEREFORE, LOOK AT IT,
LOOK AT IT, “THEREFORE, THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE YE STEADFAST, UNMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, FORASMUCH AS YE KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD.” YOU ARE TO HAVE STABILITY; BE STEADFAST. DON’T GET BLOWN AROUND;
STAY IN THERE. WE’RE LIVING IN A DAY WHERE EVERYTHING THAT’S NOT NAILED DOWN IS COMING LOOSE. “THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE YE STEADFAST.” HAVE STABILITY, BE UNMOVABLE. AND THEN HAVE FERVENCY, “ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.” NOW, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN,
AND YOU DO, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? GO TO WORK FOR JESUS. OCCUPY TILL HE COMES. GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF THE CLOUDS OF PROPHECY AND GET YOUR FEET ON THE SO, ON THE PAVEMENT OF SOUL WINNING. AND YOU KNOW THE, THE GREAT PROOF THAT YOU BELIEVE THESE
THINGS TO BE TRUE IS WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO WARN MEN AND WOMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? THERE NEEDS TO BE ST, STABILITY. THERE NEEDS TO BE FERVENCY. AH, “ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.” AND THEN THERE
NEEDS TO BE EXPECTANCY. “FOR YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD.” IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS, IT PAYS EVERY DAY. NOW WE KNOW THAT JESUS LIVES. HERE’S THE QUESTION; DO YOU LIVE? HA, I DIDN’T SAY DO YOU EXIST;
DO YOU LIVE? ARE YOU SAVED? DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE SAVED? WELL, YOU CAN BE SAVED RIGHT NOW. GOD WILL SAVE YOU IF YOU’LL TRUST HIM. AND I WANT YOU TO PRAY THIS PRAYER AFTER ME OUT OF YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW, “DEAR GOD,
I KNOW THAT YOU LOVE ME AND I KNOW LORD JESUS THAT YOU WANT TO SAVE ME. YOU DIED TO SAVE ME. LORD JESUS, I NEED TO BE SAVED. I WANT TO BE SAVED. I WANT MY SINS FORGIVEN. I WANT TO BE READY WHEN I DIE, OR WHEN YOU COME,
TO MEET YOU. FORGIVE MY SIN. CLEANSE MY LIFE. TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE. BEGIN NOW TO MAKE ME THE PERSON YOU WANT ME TO BE. AND LORD JESUS, HELP ME NEVER TO BE ASHAMED OF YOU BECAUSE YOU DIED FOR ME. IN YOUR NAME I PRAY, AMEN.
In part one, we looked at the logical version of the problem of suffering and evil.This argument attempts to show that since suffering and evil exist, it is logically impossible for God to exist, and we explained why even atheist philosophers admit that this argument fails. But wait. It may still be argued
That while it’s logically possible that God and suffering both exist, is far from likely. There’s just so much pointless suffering, it seems improbable that God could have good reasons for permitting it. This is the probability version of the problem. Suffering provides empirical evidence
That God’s existence is not impossible, just highly unlikely. Is this a good argument? Consider three points. First, we are not in a position to say with any confidence that God probably lacks reasons for allowing the suffering in the world. The problem is that we’re limited in space and time, and in
Intelligence and insight. God, on the other hand, sees every detail of history from beginning to end, and orders it through people’s free decisions and actions in order to achieve his purposes. God may have to allow a great deal of suffering along the way. Suffering which appears pointless within our limited scope of
Understanding may be seen to have been justly permitted by God within his wider framework. Sometimes what we experience makes no sense until we gain a wider perspective and see the big picture designed by the Creator. Here’s the second point. Relative to the full scope of the evidence, God’s
Existence may well be probable. You see, probabilities are always relative to background information. For example, if we consider only how much this man weighs, we would say it’s highly improbable that he’s a world-class athlete. But when we’re willing to consider new information, that he’s a professional sumo wrestler and
The world champion, we quickly revise our view. In the same way, when the atheist claims that God’s existence is improbable, we should ask, improbable relative to what background information? If we consider only the suffering in the world, then God’s existence may very well appear to be improbable, but if we’re
Willing to look at the full scope of background information to take into account the powerful arguments for God’s existence, we may come to a very different conclusion. The third point is Christianity entails doctrines that increase the probability of the coexistence of God and suffering.
Consider four of these. First, the chief purpose of life is not happiness. People often assume that if God exists, his role is to create a comfortable environment for his human pets. They think the ultimate goal of our lives on earth is happiness, and therefore, God is obligated to keep us happy.
However, Christianity presents a radically different view, that the purpose of life is to know God. This alone brings true, lasting fulfillment. Suffering can bring about a deeper, more intimate knowledge of God either on the part of the one who’s suffering or those around him. The whole point of human history is
That God, having given us free will, is drawing as many people as he can into his unending Kingdom. Suffering is one of the ways God can draw people freely to himself. In fact, countries that have endured the most hardship often show the
Highest growth rate for Christianity. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Second, mankind is in a state of rebellion against God and His purpose. Terrible human evils are testimony to
Man’s depravity, a consequence of his alienation from God. The Christian isn’t surprised at moral evil in the world; on the contrary, he expects it. The third doctrine states that God’s purpose is not restricted to this life, but spills over beyond the grave into eternal life. This world is just the
Beginning, the entry way to an unimaginable, never-ending life beyond death’s door. Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, underwent afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, hunger; yet he wrote, we do not lose heart, for this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for
An eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Paul understood
That life on earth, and whatever suffering it holds for each of us, is temporary. Our pain will not endure forever, but our lives with God will. Paul was not belittling the plight of those who suffer horribly in this life. Indeed,
He was one of them; but he saw that those sufferings will be overwhelmed forever by the ocean of joy that God will give to those who will freely receive it. And the fourth doctrine is this: the knowledge of God is an incomparable good. Knowing God
Is the ultimate fulfillment of human existence, an infinite good. Thus, the person who knows God, no matter how much he has suffered, can still say God is good to me. So if Christianity is true, it’s not at all improbable that suffering and evil should exist. In summary, for all these
Reasons, the probability version of the problem of evil is no more successful than the logical version. As a purely intellectual problem, then, the problem of evil does not disprove God’s existence. But even if those intellectual arguments fail, the emotional problem of suffering and evil
Remains very powerful. If you have suffered deeply, or if you’ve watched someone you love go to intense pain, you may be thinking, so what is God exists? Why would I want to respond to him or worship him? I feel cold and empty, and
Want nothing to do with him. You’re not alone. God knows your name; he knows who you are and what you’re going through. God promises to be with you through your suffering. He can give you the strength to endure. Jesus Christ also suffered;
Although he was innocent, he was tortured and sentenced to death.His suffering had a purpose: to provide you and me the life-giving connection to God. Not only does God exist, but he loves you. He seeks after you, he offers you hope, and in time, he will make all things new.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
If you read your whole Old Testament, you never see a demon being cast out of anyone. Ever. How in the world when Jesus shows up and he starts doing that? Did people automatically in their heads think: “Well, this is what the Messiah is supposed to do! This is a sign of Messiahship.”
Where does that come from? Psalm 91. Which, you know, in recent days, you’ve heard this quoted a lot: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty… he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge… You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness.” In the corona environment, this passage gets quoted a lot.
And unfortunately, in some cases deeply out of context to suggest that well, you know, Christians can do whatever they want here because God will protect us and we won’t get sick and. Okay, that is not what the passage is about. The passage is much cooler than that. It’s more sinister too.
Psalm 91 is a psalm that was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in a jar with four other Psalms that are not in the Hebrew Bible. There are extra Psalms among the dead sea scrolls, we have 150 in the Hebrew Bible,
But this one that is in the Hebrew Bible, obviously, was put in this jar with four other ones. All four of those other ones are exorcism Psalm. So well, why would they lump Psalm 91 in there? That doesn’t look like an exorcism to me,
I’m, you read the whole thing and there’s no like casting devils out or anything like that. Well, if you read it in Hebrew, and you were a literate Israelite, you would know that words like pestilence (Deber). Okay, there’s pestilence there. Deber down here, Qeteb (destruction), “the arrow that flies by day.” Okay, right here.
This whole motif of the arrow flying by day and the tear of the night. Right here; Pahad. These are names and titles and epithets of Canaanite deities, all of them. To an Israelite, a Canaanite deity was a demonic, a sinister and evil spirit, you know, a power of darkness. That’s why Psalm 91 was lumped into that
Because this is a prayer of protection and thwarting of powers of darkness in ancient Jewish thought. What else is interesting is this psalm in the Hebrew Bible, you notice there’s no superscription. There’s a psalm of whoever. In the Septuagint, it’s a psalm of David. Okay, also in the Septuagint, there are certain different wordings,
The Septuagint would have been based on a Hebrew text. Is a translation of Hebrew, that don’t always align with a traditional Hebrew text. But in the Septuagint, where it’s a psalm of David, there are a couple of psalms that use specific words for the Psalms, and the hymns and the,
I want to use the word spell, because that’s what it means, or can mean, of David and Solomon. Okay, that in the poetry, the literature, they produced, some of that stuff uses vocabulary that you will find in exorcistic material in the Second Temple period. And so this answers an important question.
And here’s the question. And maybe you’ve wondered this. If you read your whole Old Testament, you never see a demon being cast out of anyone. Ever. There’s actually only two references in English Bibles to demons; Shedim is usually translated demon, which isn’t the greatest translation,
But we’ll run with it for the sake of the illustration, Deuteronomy 32. And then there’s a Psalm. Okay, but you never see a demon or a hostile evil spirit cast out of anyone. How in the world, when Jesus shows up, and he starts doing that, did people
Automatically in their heads think: “well, this is what the Messiah is supposed to do! This is a sign of Messiahship.” Where does that come from? It comes from what I just described. It comes from certain Psalms being associated with David, and a few with Solomon. In the Second Temple Period
There was the belief that David and Solomon had power over evil spirits. And so if the Messiah is a descendant, he is The David, The Son of David, he should be able to do that too. So this is something that we wouldn’t get because we’re not living in the culture.
And we’re not familiar with how Psalm 91 in particular was viewed. But when Jesus shows up and starts doing this, the bells and whistles are going off in people’s heads. This is an important thing he does to convince them that he’s the Messiah. And Isn’t it odd that Satan would choose Psalm 91
To quote to Jesus, in a temptation, and he quotes the part, down here, “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” So what’s really going on here is Satan is fishing for information.
He’s got Jesus in front of him, he knows who he is, he knows why he’s there. His silly Kingdom of God stuff, okay. But he doesn’t know what the plan is. So he’s there to tempt Jesus. Try to shortcut the thing. And you know, the last one is the worst because it’s idolatry.
It’s just kind of a terrible attempt. But this one’s interesting because let’s say that Jesus looks at Satan and says, “Yeah, that’s a good quotation. Yep. Yep, you know, that’s a, that’s an exorcistic psalm. And I’m the son of David, and I’m supposed to be able to cast out demons.
And if that’s true, then the rest of the stuff in the song must be true too. So go ahead, it’ll take me up to the top here, I’m going to throw myself off.” What happens? Okay, let’s say the angels catch him. What is Satan learned? He can’t kill him,
So we’ll take killing the Messiah off the strategy plan. But Jesus knows, that’s exactly what needs to happen. “So I’m not going to demonstrate anything for you. You’re not going to learn anything in this conversation.” He just tells him that you hit the road, “you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
And that could be a reference to himself. But it could also be another way of saying; “You shall not try to convince me to let God show you the hand that he’s going to play.” He has to die. He must die. Again, it’s an interesting tit for tat conversation
between these two. And again, my take on it is that Satan actually was fishing for information. It’s not a worthless conversation. And the fact that he quotes Psalm 91 I find really interesting because of its nature. You know, the servant (Israel) out in the wilderness. I mean, let’s think of Jesus
Now as the representative of the corporate nation. Did Israel in the Old Testament pass the test of being God’s servant? Well, yes, and no. You know, they get to the promised land? Sure, after they fail, and then they wander around for 40 years. So there’s that checkered past. They don’t really complete the conquest.
They ask for a king to replace God as the one who fights for them. And then three kings later they go off and start worshipping other gods and end up in exile. So probably no, they really don’t pass the test of being God’s representative son and his servant, but Jesus does.
He passes the test. And now it’s Game on. His ministry begins.
I was wondering if you could clear this up for me. So… argues that Christ’s suffering was equivalent to our eternal damnation on account of the infinite dignity of Christ. So he appeals to the divine nature of Christ and that absolves the issue. But earlier this morning you mentioned that when Christ experienced the
Loss of fellowship with the Father it was through his human nature and not the divine, and so what I’m having a difficult time understanding is how we can appeal to the divine nature of Jesus in order for the sacrifice to be sufficient, while denying that it is the involvement of his divine nature.
This is a tremendous subtlety of Chalcedonian orthodoxy concerning the two natures of Christ. And that is that there is only one person who Christ is, and that is a divine person. It is the second person of the Trinity. There is no
Human person who is Jesus of Nazareth. There is a divine person who has a human nature as well as a divine nature. So it’s not that in virtue of his divine nature that Christ makes atonement; it is that you have a divine person who in his
Human nature bears our sin and punishment, and it’s the person that is divine and is the one who suffers and dies and so forth for our sins, but he does so with respect to the human nature.
This one this morning when you were supposed to get the other one so uh those of you who do not have um the nature of christ as related to the nature of man that’s what we’re giving out this time and if you did not get the one that we did this morning which
That was the nature of sin let me know as well and i still have some available uh for you but we want to make sure everybody has this study that we’ll be looking at this afternoon on the nature of christ as we know this is once again a another hot button issue
Within seven day adventism what kind of nature did jesus have did he have the nature of christ or rather the nature of adam before the fall or did he have the nature of adam after the fall and and uh we know that much revolves around this ellen white tells us that
The the nature the humanity of christ means everything to us the humanity of christ means everything to us and it is the golden link which connects our souls to heaven jesus the fact that he came not as god but he came as a human being
In the form of a human being and in having taken the likeness bible says of what kind of flesh sinful flesh in the likeness of sinful flesh we’re going to start out trusting that everybody’s received it we’re going to start out we’re not going to obviously go through each of these and
At the end of this session i also want to give opportunity for questions and answers that you may have um but we’re going to start out we’re not going to go through every single one but the first section is what was the nature of man at creation now this is more or less
Basic foundational uh we know that god created man how in his own image in the image of god created he him male and female created he them this is an incredible advantage that god has given us the fact that we were made in god’s own likeness
In the book sons and daughters of god the very first page is a very powerful statement there sons and daughters of god page one it says that human beings were a new and distinct order of beings you know and and it’s interesting because in genesis chapter 2 we find that the record says
In verse 1 the heavens thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them so if i’m understanding this correctly human beings were were the crowning act of god’s creation this was the last stop you and me when we were created
And he said we we’re going to make this order of being new and distinct from every other order of being that we’ve made we’re going to make him in our own likeness then she says he alone is made is is capable of partaking of the divine nature you didn’t get that
It said he alone is made capable of partaking of the divine nature what kind of nature does god have what is that what what is divine nature what what consists of the divine nature all knowing right he’s all omniscient what else is part of god’s omnipresent everywhere present he’s he’s in contact
With all of the areas of his vast creation what else pure he’s righteous holy what else he’s omnipotent and omnipotent all power unlimited power so god is telling us that he made us capable of being a sharer in those things are you starting to get this hallelujah i’m serious
It almost sounds like heresy right i mean if it weren’t for the the servant of the lord saying that i’d say it is heresy but god said it and i believe it steps to christ 17 man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind he was perfect in his being
And in harmony with god his thoughts were pure his aims holy 8mr 39 he was furnished with what kind of nature holy nature what else sinless what else pure and undefiled now we we found out this morning that once adam fell he could no longer pass to his posterity
What he no longer possessed and what is that a holy nature sinless so this should forever settle in our minds the the notion because i’m telling you brothers and sisters there may not be anybody here today that believes this but i have talked to a number of seven-day adventists who believe somehow
That infants are born sinless and somehow they don’t become sinful until they make a choice to sin that’s not that’s not what god says you know the bible says we are all as in what unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are filthy rags that’s not even talking about the bad
Deeds that’s that’s your good deeds are like filthy rags and if you go and look at what isaiah is actually saying there in that text it’s talking about women’s menstrual rags and they didn’t have tampons back then so those rags were just good enough to do what with them throw them away
One time use that’s how our good works are in god’s sight see and then job tells us who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean see so it’s impossible by the very nature of the laws that are in operation since creation for adam to have anyone come down line from him
Now that he has fallen being sinless impossible see the only way you and i can attain to sinlessness is by faith in christ jesus he says that’s why in fact let’s go to john chapter three and see something very significant that jesus is saying on this subject because
We need to make sure that we understand these foundational principles of the plan of salvation in john chapter 3 jesus is having this conversation with a church leader and he tells him you should know these things you mean you’re a teacher in israel and you don’t know these things and he tells him
In verse 5 verily verily i say unto you except a man be what born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of god that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit and what is jesus saying there
When you’re born the first time you’re born of the flesh isn’t that right when you’re born the first time you are not born of the spirit otherwise you wouldn’t need to be born again right there’s nobody born of the spirit but one person and who was that jesus christ conceived
Of the holy ghost see so jesus didn’t need to be born again we do isn’t that right we every man he said except a man be born again there’s no exceptions to this now it doesn’t it doesn’t forego the fact that those who may be born into a godly family
They’re going to have some advantages isn’t that right with the mother and father have devoted their lives to christ and even from the earliest moments while that child is in the womb they are singing the songs of zion to it reading the word that child is going to
Have some advantages over somebody who doesn’t have that isn’t that right but it still does not constitute that child sinless why because it the genes go all the way back clear to who adam and none of us escape that okay so we were furnished with this holy nature sinless pure undefiled but
The second part of our study how did sin affect the nature of man now let’s go back there i know you you know this but you know let’s go back there to genesis 3 and look at how sin affected the nature of man right there in the garden
Before we even get put out of the garden watch what happens this is uh genesis 3 starting at verse 8 they heard the voice of the lord god walking in the garden in the cool of the day and adam and his wife did what now did they ever do that before no
It before this time it was a delight to see jesus coming to talk with them right now something has totally changed in them that caused them to want to do the opposite see before there was like a magnet jesus is here now those magnets are turned the other way
And we’re hiding from jesus amazing then it says from the presence of the lord amongst the trees of the god the lord called to adam and said unto him where art thou and he said i heard your voice in the garden and i was afraid what was he afraid of
Where did that come from where did this fear come from sin right sin had totally transformed their whole outlook towards god now totally now watch this i was afraid because i was naked lost the presence the lost the glory of god and i hid myself and he said who told you
That you were naked have you eaten up the tree where have i commanded you that you should not eat and adam said yes lord i did please forgive me that’s not what he said right he said the woman whom you gave to me to be with me she gave me of the tree
And i did it now just a little bit ago adam we’re told by inspiration was looking upon eve and because he loved her he did what he hate because he couldn’t he couldn’t imagine an existence without her so supposedly because he he loved her so greatly he was ready to share her fate
And now who knows this may have been just a hour two later would it he’s ready to throw her under the bus see get her she did it i was not responsible for this i was minding my business doing what i was supposed to do
And you god gave this woman to me see so it’s not my fault yeah it’s your fault and her fault that’s basically what he’s saying isn’t it you see what sin does how quickly the change has come remember this morning we said the principle of what selfishness is now in control
See the law of sin is in the flesh it’s all about me now sorry eve you know i mean i i felt like i loved you before but now that it’s judgment time you’re on your own see what i’m saying that’s that’s what that’s what it came down to
Now let’s see what happens with e okay lord didn’t even deal with that right there he said okay um the lord god said unto the woman what is this that you have done and the woman said lord i am so sorry please forgive me i did exactly what you said not to do
Didn’t do it same principle in her right the woman said the serpent beguiled me and i did eat in other words you know i mean you had this serpent in here i mean if he was if you didn’t allow him to be here we would be all right today it’s not me
Get the serpent he did it see and this this is see again this is now passed on to every one of us in our nature we we naturally do not want to take responsibility for our own sins right we naturally when somebody comes to reprove us for sin
We’re ready to be on the defense isn’t that right we’re ready to think of how that does not apply to me automatic the principle the law of selfishness see this is a ruling dominating force that’s now in control of the thoughts and the feelings of mommy and daddy adam and eve see
All right so when we go over to romans 7 we see paul bringing this out also in a very powerful way this chapter of course being another very controversial part of scripture what does paul actually mean what is what is he actually saying here but paul is underscoring
That we have something operating in our nature that is more powerful than your will okay in romans 7 verse 14 for we know that the law is spiritual but i am carnal sold under sin who sold him unto sin adam and eve right so we were born on a plantation brothers and sisters
We were born on the plantation we didn’t make that choice and this is why god has pitied our estate can you say amen today he knows we didn’t make this choice he knows we can’t be as it were blamed for how we came into the world we didn’t have a vote in that
Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if we could have sat back and say you know in this list of jeans i don’t think i want that one put that one to the side that one yeah i’ll take that one we didn’t have that choice did we no you got whatever
Came from the genetic code of your mother and your father period and who knows what is upline from that tree see they can be things that come back your mother and father is like where did that come from you know granddaddy wasn’t like this i don’t know grandmother wasn’t like this see
Things you know they’re things we are still studying about the genetic code and discovering that that are incredible but this law of heredity it it dictates that like begets like and therefore it is just as impossible for any one of us to be born into holiness innate holiness
As it is for a shark to give birth to a giraffe it’s not going to happen like begets like it’s a law see so as paul goes on he says he he starts breaking down how it has been demonstrated that i am sold under sin 4 verse 15 that which i do
I what allow not for what i would that do i not but what i hate that do i you read the greek there that’s what i practice now just before anybody gets worried i do not believe that this is describing the victorious christian living okay so you can have a sigh of relief
Right but this is what we need to come to grips with in order to get to the other side of victoria’s christian living we first have to realize how hopeless a situation we are in so that we can be ready to be saved by the savior
He says if then i do that which i would not i consent to the law that it is good the law is not the problem is it now then it is no more i that do it but what sin that dwells in me now that kind of verse right there
Doesn’t fit into a whole lot of people’s theology it sounds like paul is abdicating all responsibility for what he’s doing he’s saying i’m not doing this sin that lives in me is doing this is that what he’s saying that’s what he’s saying isn’t it and he says it more than once
He says for i know that in me that is in my flesh dwells how many good things no good thing for to will is present with me you see the choice is here right now this is what he’s dealing with i’m choosing to do good right i’m making a decision
I’m going to do good right then he says but how to perform that which is good what can’t find it where is he looking for it in himself and that’s why he’s not finding it because it’s not here the will to do it you know he says i delight in the law of
God the law is doing its job it’s showing us man we’re in trouble it’s doing its job it’s just showing you you got mud on your face you need something to clean that but you don’t have any cleaner on you see so he says for the good that i would
I do not but the evil which i would not that i do there it is again now if i do that i would not it is no more i that do it paul’s being repetitive here that means this is something we really need to get right repetition deepens the impression
So paul’s saying it over and over again but sin that dwells in me i find then a what there’s that word a principle a law that when i would do good by choice evil is present with me so what happened here as we’re seeing here by this study of the nature
Of christ and the nature of man and how sin affected us the genetic code which started with adam and eve was corrupted does that make sense the genetic code was corrupted and therefore every person coming out from his loins would be receiving corrupted code that’s you and i isn’t that right
It’s a law this sin has been passed down by law and this is what he’s finding out this is what we need to find out for i delight in the law of god after you inward man but i see a what another law where in my members
Warring against the law of my mind and doing what else bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members see oh wretched man that i am who will deliver me from the body of this death now this is the place we have to come to
Before we can be saved we have to see i am messed up and if i’m going to be saved at all it’s got to be jesus coming in and saving me from myself see so we have to see that there’s nothing that we can fix about ourselves nothing that we can patch up
We have to be delivered from this body of death you see when he says that it’s in my members what is a member of body parts that’s literal what he’s saying that’s not just spiritual talk our brother was just mentioning this at the uh the table
You can as it were peel back the skin of your head and you will see starting from your brain what are called nerve patterns and those nerve those brain nerve patterns are the habits that have been developed in you both by inheritance and by cultivation
So we are as as you’ve all heard we are creatures of habit see so these things are written in fact when david says in psalm chapter 51 verse 5 he says i was behold i was what shapen in iniquity and in sin then my mother conceived me now that that’s con
Significant what david is saying there when he says i was shaping in iniquity david is talking there about the formative time when he was in his mother’s womb when those first two cells came together and then started multiplying that’s when the shaping took place for every one of us
And david is saying i was shaping i was formed and developed in the womb in sin it’s written in our very genetic code and this is why every single person since the beginning of the fall has sinned that’s why the bible says if any man says i have no sin
What does he say about you you’re lying truth’s not in you it’s there is a law there are laws in operation here and adam just happened to be the progenitor of the race the one who gets to pass down to every generation past the results of what he did
You see it would have worked the other way if adam had remained faithful we would have been born holy we would have been born sinless see born in harmony with the will of god by law but the law works either way see now jesus steps in this is where some people
Uh have have wondered well doesn’t jesus step in and undo everything that jesus did yes but that’s where we must make a choice see notice in i’m not going to go back there for sake of time but in john 3 jesus actually says that he
That believes not on the son of man he says he’s condemned what’s the next word already in other words your default position in adam is condemnation that’s what we read in romans 5. see so your choice not to believe in jesus and take the escape route out of your lost condition
You are thereby choosing by default to stay in adam and be condemned you’re condemned already that choice was made for you by adam thousands of years ago so you don’t have to do anything but what you naturally do to remain in condemnation but you do have to make a choice
No i’m getting off this ride i’m not going there with you satan amen you know when the when the lifeboat comes by i read this some years ago i think it was by j.h wagner and he was dealing with this very issue of how uh you know people have a hard
Time accepting that somebody else could make a decision for me like adam in the garden and he says you know if somebody pushed you into the water and you started drowning you know and then a uh lifeboat comes by to save you are you going to us
Stay there while you’re struggling to to keep from drowning and say well i i first got to find out who it is that pushed me in here and it’s i’m not responsible for this i didn’t get in here somebody else got me in here are you gonna
Go through all of that are you gonna accept the salvation that’s here to get you right you’d be crazy if you didn’t right so you know we may not be able to fully understand all of these things but the the bottom line is that jesus has made a way of escape for
Every human being on the planet every human being was represented by adam and every represent every human being was represented by the last album praise god now let’s see how much more we can cover of this going on to the the second page um in regards to how
The how sin has affected our nature uh notice in in uh counsels the teachers page 33 on the second page the transgression of god’s law brought woe and death in its train through disobedience man’s powers were perverted and selfishness took the place of love his nature became what so weakened that
It was what impossible for him to resist the power of evil impossible see now the only way it is possible for you to resist evil is by connecting with jesus christ then it is possible then sin is not excusable anymore see but we must first become aware
Of the salvation that is available to us see and that’s where you and i come in see there’s so many people out there that have no idea that the lifeboat is here to get them and jesus has sent you and i to go get them and let them know he has some salvation
For you so his nature became so weakened that it was impossible for him to resist the power of evil all right now skip down to the little statement there from education page 29 notice this one the result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Is manifest in how many men’s experience every man’s experience there is in his nature a what bent to evil a force a what force which unaided he will have a hard time resisting he cannot resist why because this is a law a principle principles do not respect your freedom of choice
If i go on the top of this roof and decide to violate the law of gravity believing that i’m going to do it am i going to break the law or is the law going to break me yeah exactly right a force which unaided he cannot resist
All right reviewing hero 5 27 84 just before his cruel death jesus said the prince of this world comes and has nothing in me hallelujah satan could find nothing in the son of god that would enable him to gain a victory he had kept his father’s commandments and
There was no sin in him that satan could triumph over no weakness or defect that he could use to his advantage but we are what sinful by nature and we have a work to do to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement was jesus sinful by nature are you sure
Alleluia if he was sinful like us he would need a savior but jesus took sinful nature upon him but he did not become sinful by nature there’s the difference and this is where this is the the distinction we must make right now this one is not in your
Study this is signs of the times 2 13 93 when man sinned all heaven was filled with sorrow can you imagine for through yielding to temptation man became the enemy of god a partaker of the satanic nature the image of god in which he had been created was marred and distorted
The character of man was out of harmony with the character of god for through sin man became carnal and the carnal heart is enmity against god is not subject to the law of god neither indeed can be all right now on to the next page three the words this is from spaulding and
Began 209 this words flesh or fleshly lust carnal us embrace the lower what kind of nature corrupt nature the flesh of itself cannot act contrary to the will of god we are commanded to do what with the flesh crucify with the affections and lusts so it has to have the consent of your
Will now this is on the other side of the equation once we have come to christ and we’ve been made aware that he has power to deliver me from myself now i understand that this slavery this bondage that i’ve been involved in i can break this now with with god’s help
And i don’t have to be a slave to these passions anymore i don’t have to be a slave to this appetite anymore amen these are the things that we come to understand when christ comes into our lives so what is required to read what was required to redeem man from the fall
Into sin okay and in romans 4 23-5 it says now it was written for abraham it was not written excuse me for his abraham’s sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we do what believe on him that raised up jesus our
Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offenses what part of the the work of jesus is that speaking of when he was delivered for our offenses the crucifixion this is the delivering up of himself to pay for the infinitesimal amount of sins that are represented by all of the race
Of adam he delivered himself up for our offenses what’s the next part but and also was raised again for what reason our justification see it wasn’t enough for the debt to be paid justification is where it where jesus now fixes what’s wrong with you ellen white says that justification is not a mere
Judicial act whereby he sets you free from condemnation but it is also reclaiming from sin see that’s justification by faith when we accept the work that christ has done for us he not only says i forgive you but i also give you for your sins my righteousness see what forgiveness entails
It’s not just saying okay i won’t be mad at you anymore it’s also saying i’m gonna reach into your life now and start changing what you are and making you what i am that’s god’s justification making you right praise god all right now notice i’m just going to read this
Last uh sentence of the statement from 2sp that spirit of prophecy volume 2 pages 9 and 10. this is what was required to redeem us his life jesus life was of sufficient value to rescue man from his fallen condition see an angel couldn’t do this because not only do we need to be
Forgiven but we needed somebody who who was whose life was of sufficient value that he could actually impart his life to all of us angel can’t do that because he gets his life from the same source that we get ours from and an angel’s life would not pay all of the debts
Of all of us but jesus could his life was of sufficient value to rescue us how did christ undertake now we get into just what type of nature christ took it says in john 1 14 what somebody read it for me the word was made flesh and dwelt among us
Now one thing we can we can be certain of that when the bible speaks about flesh what kind of flesh is it talking about sinless or sinful i heard both well let me ask you when adam was created in the image of god what kind of flesh did he have sin less flesh
After adam’s sin what kind of flesh did he have sinful so then when jesus comes into the world and receives flesh of man what kind of flesh did he receive sinful sinful flesh there’s only one kind of flesh now that we are on the other side of the garden of eden
Only one kind that’s why uh john says in first john chapter 4 that if if when you’re trying the spirits any spirit that confesses not that jesus is what come in the flesh single article in the flesh he’s not of god see so if you’ve got somebody preaching to
You that that jesus came and sinned less flesh what does that say about that person that’s an antichrist you’re dealing with he failed the test because jesus came in the only kind of flesh that humans have sinful flesh praise god it wouldn’t be in any test for jesus to come in sinless flesh
We don’t have that we’re not tempted adam wasn’t even tempted by sin sin less flesh right so we needed somebody to come down to our level and take our kind of equipment on you know so and then of course romans 8 3 and 4 god sending his own son in the likeness of
Sinful flesh and for sin condemn sin where and if he condemned it where it was in the flesh he condemned it praise god that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled where so you know there goes this idea that jesus fulfilled all the law so we don’t have to keep it
That’s not what he said does it yes that’s right what good would that do if jesus just did it for himself he said in john 17 i say for their sakes i sanctify myself you know that they also might be sanctified by the truth so that the
Law of righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit all right many other excellent texts here that make it very plain hebrews 2 14 to 18 for as much then as the children who are the children that’s us
All right as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death if he had sinless flesh he wouldn’t have been able to die adam would never have died if he had
Remained in sinless flesh and if he had remained faithful to god his flesh would not have become sinful flesh jesus came with sin full flesh so that he could die for us you see that to destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil did you know the devil
Had the power of death but jesus took it away from him praise the lord wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren now is this all things is there no how do i want to put this are there any any particulars in which he was not made
Like like us let’s read the next uh statement here 16 mr 182 but as christ humbled himself to to the nature of man he could be tempted he had not taken on him even the nature of the angels but humanity what read this together with me perfectly identical with our own nature except
So is there any exception except what does the word accept mean that means that that was one area that he was not taking on what we have except without the taint of sin a human body human mind with all the peculiar properties he was bone brain muscle a
Man of our flesh he was compassed with the weakness of humanity as it says later on that he was capable of yielding to temptations now james chapter 1 tells us that god cannot be tempted with evil that means impossible it’s impossible for god to be tempted with evil you cannot tempt god
To overeat you cannot tempt god to commit adultery you cannot tell none of the things that we are tempted with are a temptation for god that’s what james says so he had to come close enough to us to be able to be tempted with these things and that’s what he did see
But he did not take the taint of sin in other words he did just like we said before he did not become sinful he was not born in sin but we are born in sin you see the difference okay now i love this one it’s very short medical ministry page 181 was one
Sentence but very significant it says he took upon his what kind of nature sin less nature our sin full nature that he might know how to that are succeed so if we want to consider this is jesus he comes into the world and in his entrance or as he enters
This world what kind of nature does he have by heritage a sin less nature but he takes upon this sinless nature what our sin full nature how many natures that does that give him two you see the point so we cannot see the problem with so many of us is we are
Trying to do exactly what inspiration said not to do to present him as all together human such a one is ourselves he says it cannot be that’s right he wouldn’t be able to save us at all you know that’s right so he took upon what he already had from eternity
He didn’t get rid of that it didn’t disappear it was still there in him but he clothed it that’s another way that ellen white likes to refer to it he clothed his divinity with humanity see so it was close enough to him that he could feel the promptings of this sinful flesh
He could know what it is like notice it says so he could know how to help us aren’t you thankful for jesus he came that close so that he could literally feel in himself what it is to be tempted in your flesh what it is to feel those promptings to
To want to just lash out of somebody when they get on your nerves see all of the things he covered all the bases inspiration says hebrews 4 15 we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities hallelujah but was in all points
Tempted like as we are what a savior now here’s an interesting point as well you and i we’re born into this world we have our line of lineage our lineage and whatever is imparted to us in our particular line those are our particular temptations you have your temptations i have mine
I may have no problem with some of the areas that you have a problem with and vice versa isn’t that right and it all is determined by what came down your particular line but jesus it tells us um this is in your study as well like every child of adam
I’m not looking at it right now but it says like every child of adam jesus accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity see but now jesus somehow this is mysterious but somehow jesus is partaking and accepting of that law of heredity i believe covered all of the lines
Not just his particular line because he had to be able to be tempted in all points like as we are see there’s another thing that only god could do only a divine being could do because he made us see he had the capacity in his soul and his being
Of being able to cover all of the lines of heredity in himself and feel the temptations that all of us feel that i may not feel or you may not feel but there’s not a one of us who will be able to say that you don’t know what
It’s like to be in my shoes jesus he covered all the bases see only a divine being could do that see this is why colossians chapter 3 believe it is says when christ who is our life shall come christ is our life he doesn’t just give you life
He is our life there’s some deep deep ones on that as well uh notice uh confrontation 78 by experiencing in himself the strength of satan’s temptation and of human sufferings and infirmities where did he experience it in himself in himself okay he had all the strength of the passion of humanity
In himself upon him uh 3sm 139 and 40 he came not to our world to give the obedience of a lesser god to a greater but as a man to obey god’s holy law and in this way he is our example so there’s only a slight difference in jesus test to our test
Jesus test was to maintain the holiness that he had from eternity the test was to to determine whether jesus would be able to resist yielding to this sinful equipment that was upon him throughout his lifetime now we on the other hand come into the world already submitted to it
By the laws of heredity we come into the world with these genetic codes already having pre-programmed you to submit to them before you even know about the gospel or you had sufficient uh development or growth to figure out right from wrong this is why children small children four you know it
You’re telling you alive where did that come from who taught them that see where did that come from yes sir you know yeah this is already hardwired into our very being you see so jesus is coming in to overcome res uh the temptation to yield to our equipment
We are coming from the state a different standpoint we are needing to overcome what we have already been subjected to do you see the difference see we’re in the pit already thanks to adam we need a strong hand to reach down and pull us out he couldn’t save us if he got already
All the way down in the pit but he came close enough so that he could experience what we experience and overcome on our behalf all right now let’s skip on to uh page five um just a few things we’ll notice here in in uh section 5 to what extent did
Christ identify with fallen humanity it says in 5 bc 1080 satan assailed christ through every conceivable form of temptation now just conceive in your mind of the types of temptations you know some some people wonder did jesus ever have to deal with this or did jesus ever have to deal with that
What did god say he covered all the bases every conceivable okay now this is this next one you might want to put a asterisk beside this because it is not a published statement you have to get this from the from the uh archives but it’s interesting what it says coming
As he did as a man to meet and be subjected with all the evil tendencies to which man is heir notice what we just mentioned how we all receive a heritage of sin that is particular to whatever our fathers and our mothers and our forefathers have passed on to us
But jesus comes and gets subjected to all of those that man is heir to all right in the next statement he was dependent upon the omnipotent for his life christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it does what partakes of the divine nature that’s a good one isn’t it
That lets us know everything jesus did you can do it by god’s grace by dwelling in him by faith all right it says then the next one the humanity of christ was taxed as none of us will ever know so if you’re tempted to think well jesus had an advantage over me because
He was he also had a divine nature you will never know none of us will ever know just how taxing the test was for jesus jesus was if when you put everything together jesus if anything was at a disadvantage to you and to me let me give you one example when
You and i sin the bible says we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous who was jesus advocate should he send who was going to come and save jesus if he sinned one time was there going to be a second chance for jesus
And we’re going to see we’re going to see i’m i’m going to hold your points because we’re going to have a time for questions and answers but i got some statements in here that answer that question powerful way in fact well i want to skip over some of these but uh notice
On page six it tells us in 21 mr 402 and 3 every step christ took was taken in full entire dependence upon god that’s what we need full and entire dependence on god because we’ve learned we’ve understood that there’s nothing in me you know jesus said when you’ve done
Everything that is commanded of you to do then this is what i want you to say we are unprofitable servants we have done what was commanded of us that’s what jesus said and i looked up that word unprofitable and it means worthless i said i had a hard time with that at
First when i read i was like wow lord you mean we we’re worthless how is it that we are to con how to say that we’re worthless servants but that’s what he said this is the this is how we are to regard ourselves when we do all that god has commanded us
When we adopt health reform when we adopt dress reform when we adopt sabbath reform when we adopt all of the reforms that god has called us to re to adopt and god does expect us to do that right we’re not in any way belittling these things because they are very necessary for your
Preparation to pass the investigative judgment amen god gave us these messages and he means business about it right so we’re not in any way belittling these things but when we’ve done all of these things we’re still to understand that they are not the bases whereby i am being allowed into the
Kingdom of heaven you see that’s not the basis what is the basis christ and his righteousness what he did you see jesus the law i think i have this one in here um anyway it tells us and this is based on galatians uh what paul says in galatians that
Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them and then ellen white comments that the law demands of us perfect unbroken obedience throughout the entire existence of man that’s what the law demands of you now how many of us have that to offer
See not one that’s why you can never be saved based on your record it’s all by grace god has loved us and therefore he has imputed christ’s righteousness to us and credited to us so that we when we’re allowed into the kingdom of heaven we’re allowed based on the supposed fact that
You live the life that jesus did of perfect obedience from birth till death you see that that’s what it means by imputing to you is credited to your account see just as fully as it was credited to our account that we did what adam did when we had no choice in that
It is also credited to us that we did what jesus did even though we didn’t choose that either see that’s the gospel brothers and sisters and it’s incredibly good news it’s so good that people can’t blame bring themselves to believe it they think it’s too good to be true
The thought that the righteousness the perfect record of christ is credited to you and me based on no merit of ours at all it’s a precious thought see all right um okay notice this one this is also on page six 16 mr 1 82 and 3. this is this is significant
As well it says the divine nature combined with the human made him capable of yielding to satan’s temptations here the test of christ was what far greater than that of adam and eve for christ took our nature what fallen but not corrupted and would not be corrupted unless what
He received the words of satan in the place of the words of god so he took our nature fallen but not corrupted remember that very important okay all right let’s go forward in uh page seven notice i’m just picking certain things out of here i encourage you of course to
Read the whole context even beyond what i have in here of all of these statements it will be a very fruitful study for you guaranteed it says we should have no misgivings in regard to the what perfect sinlessness of the human nature of christ perfect sinlessness why because he did not once yield
To that sinful flesh only at that point would it have become his own but he never owned it it was only on him by lone you might say for a temporary period of time does jesus have sinful flesh now no he said he has a glorified body
And if we’re faithful what’s going to happen with us we’re going to have a glorified body like unto his glorified body bible says so thank god he came off victorious um okay go ahead and as i said on your time look at the rest of these we’re gonna skip forward fast forward
For sake of time um page 8 signs of times 12 9 1897 the human nature of christ was like unto ours and suffering was more keenly felt by him why for his spiritual nature was what free from every taint of sin so what part of christ’s nature was sinless spiritual nature
You know a.t jones says it this way don’t drag his mind into it see don’t drag his mind into his taking of sinful nature upon him that nature remained perfectly free from sin thank god all right then the next one youth instructor 6 2 98 in his human nature he maintained key words
Maintained the purity of his divine character see so again this underscores that jesus comes into the world with what he had from eternity he didn’t give that up he ellen white says that he didn’t go out of himself to another but he took humanity into himself and gave humanity and existence out of
Himself that’s deep 1sm 250 is where that’s found he didn’t become somebody else it was still jesus there but it says he maintained what he had by the same methods that you and i must gain what he had amen amen amen all right then um notice at the bottom of the page
21 mr page 11 christ did not need to fast for 40 days because of inward corruption or to subdue self he was sinless it was on our account that he fasted all right um now page nine top notice this one that goes together with one we just recently read signs of the
Times 1 16 96 christ did no sin neither was god found in his mouth he corrupted not human nature and though in the flesh he transgressed not the law of god in any particular the humanity of christ is called what that holy thing where did that come from
Scripture of luke chapter 3 believe it is where the angel is speaking of jesus at what stage in his life in the womb and he calls jesus what that holy thing now could any of us be referred to when we were in the womb as that holy thing that’s in your womb
That’d be blasphemy right this is jesus coming here the what inspiration has to say this whole section goes into the subject of infants and the unborn right we’re going to skip past that and on page 10 um d.a desire of ages 5 14 even the babe in
His mother’s arms may dwell as under the shadow of the almighty through the faith of the praying mother isn’t that a blessing john the baptist was filled with the holy spirit from when his birth wow if we will live in communion with god we too may expect what
The divine spirit to mold our little ones even from their earliest moments wow praise god you know so and now interestingly enough again on this point of what this constitutes ellen white says about john i believe it’s in the same book desire of ages that john had by nature the faults and weaknesses
Common to humanity but the touch of divine love had transformed him see so even though this is the same john that was filled with the holy spirit from his birth from the womb but she says that he had what faults and weaknesses common to humanity see so even this great advantage does not
Render an infant sinless see we all need to be born again amen there’s not a single person that does not need to be born again the second time and now this is another one that’s not in your study this is 2t 391 this one sentence children are born with the animal propensities
Largely developed so on the other side of the equation the parent’s own stamp of character having been given to them so if we’re not living holy lives if we’re living sinful lives what happens to our child they receive notice he says they can actually be born with animal propensities largely developed
That’s very significant now when that child is born how would you be able to tell from looking at the child that its animal propensities are largely developed the animal propensities what do you know the child needs to eat right and the answer that i believe to that is you cannot tell
You cannot tell because there’s not sufficient growth or maturity for him to manifest those animal propensities see until that takes place that’s when you will see now what why do why am i bringing this up because once again this this gets into the genetic code and the fact that while we’re being
Shapen in the womb those cells and this this is a fascinating area of study genetics the cells are loaded with information just like computer chips and when those com those cells start coming together and multiplying they are already pre-programmed with information of how to shape you
How to form you what to impart to you from your mother father grandmother grandfather and on back all of that information is already in those first two cells from the time they come together and start multiplying see and so those parents who are giving loose rain to their passions
This is the context of this statement the fact that we can be intemperate even in the marriage con marriage ban in the marriage relation isn’t that right yeah god says that we’re to be temperate in all things even in our marital privileges amen mighty quiet in all things
So she’s talking about marital excess in this very context and she says when we are out of control with our passions in the marital uh union the child is going to be endowed with animal propensities largely developed you see very important that we understand these things all right on the page 11
You in summary section number eight how can the humanity of christ be described nine be a seven bc 904 she says christ could have done nothing during his earthly ministry and saving fallen man if the divine had not been what blended with the human the limited capacity of man cannot
Define this wonderful mystery the blending of the two natures the divine and the human when will it be able to be explained never so you know we’re just scratching the surface here this this afternoon that’s about all we’ll get we’ll never be able to fully explain
But boy we sure try hard don’t we will never be able to fully explain this wonderful mystery now blending notice she’s using the term blending of the two natures when you take a blender and you put some ingredients in it put some water and you know some oats and
We’re going to make some old burgers you know well i i guess you don’t have to use a blender to make old burgers do you but uh let’s make some soy milk then you know we put some soy powder yeah smoothie you know whatever you whatever you prefer
When we put those articles in the blender before we push the button can you tell where the smoothie uh parts of the banana is and where the uh pineapple is can you can you distinguish all those things you can still distinguish all that but once you push that button what happens
You can’t tell where that banana is and where the pineapple is and where the apple is right it’s all blended up see this is what happened when jesus joined himself to this human race it’s mysteriously blended now come on sir forever brothers and sisters jesus is to be this way
He made an eternal choice for us a fundamental change in the existence of jesus has been made forever he’ll never go back to how life used to be before he left heaven all right in in section 9 there’s much more there about the mysteries and so on but in section 9
What were the risks involved in christ’s mission in human form right notice in hebrews 5 7 it says who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplication with strong what crying and tears unto him that was able to do what save him from death
And was heard in that he feared now it says that jesus was engaging in strong crying and tears about what being saved from death do you think this is talking about gethsemane this is not talking about gethsemane i believe this is giving us a window into what
Life was like in general for jesus because as we just alluded to a little bit ago you know we have a phrase of walking on eggshells this is this is was jesus life see we’re told by inspiration that if satan had touched the head of christ
All it would have taken would be one thought of sin and what would have happened to jesus this is it this is it probation is over and and we’ll see that in these statements that follow jesus had no second chance jesus had no backup redeemer to come and redeem him
This was the last stop not only for jesus but also for us okay 7 bc 926 he became subject to temptation what is the next word there endangering as it were his divine attributes what does that mean it means that jesus being who he was as god being kind being loving being caring
Being patient being temperate all of those divine attributes could have become just the opposite with jesus endangering who he was s t 5 10 99 for a period of time christ was what on probation are we on probation yes can we compare our probation to jesus probation no
He took humanity on himself to stand the test and trial which the first adam failed to endure had he failed in his test and trial he would have been disobedient to the voice of god and what else would have happened the world would have been lost next one
10 mr 386 to the honor and glory of god his beloved son the surety the substitute was delivered up and descended into the prison house of the grave the new tomb enclosed him in its rocky chambers if one single sin had tainted his character the stone would never have been rolled away
From the door of his rocky chamber and the world with his burden of guilt would have perished 1sm 256 page 12 could satan in the least particular least particular have tempted christ to sin he would have bruised the savior’s head as it was he could only touch his heel had the head
Of christ been touched the hope of the human race would have perished divine wrath would have come upon christ as it came upon adam christ and the church would have been without hope isn’t this something brother sis you see what was at risk with jesus every day every day was a new possibility
That he just might fail i’m serious and brothers and sisters this means that if he had failed guess what that’s right and guess what else moses elijah enoch come on back down it’s over that’s right it’s all over paul’s in collection page 400 christ has found his pearl of great price and lost
Perishing souls hallelujah he sold all that he had to come into possession even engaged to do the work and run the risk of losing his own life in the conflict and we’ll just stop there i think that’s a good place for us to pause and think diligently
On what it cost us or rather what it costs god to redeem us from sin what would cause jesus to be engaged in strong crying and tears to his father to save him from death see when we’re finding it so hard to give up those things that we love so
Much it’s because we’re not looking at this right here see when we’re told that the cup trembled in jesus hands that his father gave him the drink for us what does that mean it means that it was a struggle for him it means that it was a very real temptation for him
To let ungrateful man die for his own sins and go back to heaven it’s very real this is how serious sin is so before we entertain uh questions answers comments whatever you have let us bow together and once again ask god to help us to receive the hatred of sin
That we must have to enter the eternal kingdom of god oh lord we are humbled as we think of such a great price that was paid for our redemption we can’t understand it we cannot fathom how we are worth so much to you but lord because you have paid the price you didn’t
Draw back even though you were tempted to do so lord we it is just our reasonable service to surrender all to you it’s our reasonable service lord to do whatever you would have us to do it’s only our reasonable service lord to be perfectly obedient to all of your commandments
And lord we surrender this afternoon take us lord you know we’re powerless in and of ourselves to be perfectly obedient but lord we accept your gospel that in christ what is impossible is possible we thank you lord for this window of viewing our savior and eating his flesh and drinking his blood
May this be but the beginning of a continual feast for us of his flesh and his blood and we know lord that the more time we are spending doing this the more easier it will become for us to separate from sin the easier it will become for us to view
Sin like you view it and the more hateful sin will become in our eyes that cause this that we have read thank you father for your great salvation in jesus name amen amen praise god i saw my brother’s hand if you have any questions or comments you would like to
Make now is that opportunity um yes of the sanctuary with this rope and as i studied and studied the scriptures i never could find a rope being in the century right and this uh kind of related to that that’s what i saw when i threw up my hand i mean i saw that
And and i wanted to ask you about that expound on that could you do that for me sir right right from what uh uh from what i have found i haven’t found anything that actually corroborates that tradition now i heard brother corn say it may be in josephus writings okay
From what i understand that is just an historical um point that’s brought out by jose josephus and saying that’s what they did but it’s not it cannot be found in scripture right right okay okay anyone else pastor i had uh read in the spirit of prophecy we were sharing earlier in the beginning
And i read where it says that christ had designed us or we were designed to be the counterpart of god hallelujah he’s awesome that one word right there is very significant counterpart uh of god you know we we we are only faintly understanding our privileges as having been made in the image and
Likeness of god and you know that brings to mind um the fact that we are told that now you know ellen white says in desire of ages that uh the fact that jesus has come into the world and become one of us or be joined himself to us
He says it brings us even closer to god than we would have been had we never sinned amen you see and this is uh i i think i have this statement somewhere in my notes um yeah i can’t find it right away but nevertheless she does say
That uh we have the privilege of partaking of a nature higher than that which was forfeited by transgression see so in other words uh now that sin has come into the picture and god has put in effect the plan of redemption which was made well back in eternity past
We are now even brought to a higher plane of existence than had we never fallen because jesus is now a permanent member of our race of beings hallelujah yes my question is concerning adam and eve um we know that god cannot be tempted with sin
Right so he cannot be even moved to sin and um i know that adam and eve were created in his image when the temptation came to them was it really a okay i know eve started off because she was deceived and she fell there but with adam was he
Moved to sin or was he created in god’s image where he could not be tempted to sin or move to sin or you understand where i’m coming from maybe you may want to elaborate a little more yeah okay man was created in god’s image but man could not be moved to sin yet
Adam was moved to sin he was tempted with sin okay right so uh you know adam in other words even though he was made in god’s likeness uh nevertheless we know that uh he had obviously the ability to be tempted you know but it was not inward temptation
Because he because as we read he was made holy you know there was not an inward pull it came from without and this is why jesus temptation was far greater because it came from in and out outside with jesus anyone else um i would like to say maybe to add to that
To your question it could kind of be like lucifer how we see that he was created perfect in all his ways but yet he still entertains sin so i don’t know how to explain that that’s the mystery of iniquity but that could possibly be a factor into why adam
Agreed to sin yes yes and uh it was strictly we might say a matter of faith see uh adam and eve had never ever seen anything die and so all they had to go on is what god said now here is a totally opposite saying totally opposite talk
Who are they going to believe as all that that was the whole test who do i believe this serpent or god they chose to believe god i mean uh satan you know yes anyone else all right thank you very much jesus had no advantage over us
But the way he was different from us was that he um spiritual nature was without a taint would you consider that being what enabled him not to sin no because once again uh it was not as we read christ did not rely on his power to as god
Resists sin that would have been no contest whatsoever so the way in which christ maintained his purity was the same way in which you and i must attain purity by total dependence on god praise god amen anyone else okay would you like to do so all right let us pray
Kind heaven father we thank you the lord for this time that we have spent in your place of holiness and your presence and may the things having to follow that we have learned be rooted and grounded within us we will hold on to your unchanging hand and not fall that’s right
For this is the only way heavenly father that we will not fall amen is to be consecrated unto your will that’s right and hold on to your hand your leading your guiding through your holy spirit and may we be overcomers thank you
Christ has two natures one human one divine they are both united in the person of God after we can make this clear if you will take a pencil in your hand now that pencil has a nature as is not in other words is the nature of the
Thing that right do you notice that there are before you two nature’s one the nature of the pencil the other the nature of your hand how are they unite in your one person so it is possible to have the union of two natures in one person returning now to our pencil the
Pencil oven by yourself cannot write you put it down on a chair or table before you that pencil cannot write Kenny a pensioners like man you cannot bear the daddy-o now put your hand in the air bring it down that pencil here you have a union
The nature of the hand which is united with your person and the nature of a pencil now the pencil can do something which by itself it could not do so the hand your personality coming down to that pencil represents the person of God and the divine nature coming down to
Human nature and when God comes down and takes upon himself a human nature United with his divine nature and divine person and now just as that pencil could do something which happened by itself it could not do so Yuma nature United with the person of God can now begin to do
Something which of and by itself it could not do before once God took upon himself our you you can act in our day every one of the actions of that human nature would have an infinitely notice I a word a tear a step that human nature was inseparable from the person that is
Why one breath of God made man would have been enough to obedient why then God suffer so much he took upon himself argument nature love knows no limits then the only way to prove perfect love is by the surrender of all open one hands and so God took upon
Himself our union nature and he said he loved the Sun to the end and if you were the only person in the world who ever did you would have come down the desert that just for you alone that is how much you have You
