Sept. 1, 2024

Faith vs Reality

Faith vs Reality

A special focus in the midst of our study of the word therefore in Romans

A special focus in the midst of our study of the word therefore in Romans

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All right for this hour, I know we have been

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working on eschatology, and we've been looking at all the

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scriptures that kind of show the Old Testament, you know,

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confirmation of the dividic Covenant and the future Kingdom. So

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we've been going through those. We know that the book

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that we've been utilizing on Eschatology, they give us like

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multiple chapters to read at a time, so we've been

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working through that. However, we're going to take a little

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detour again today because we need to kind of go

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back and add to what we discussed last week. All right,

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so here's what's going on. So go ahead and do this.

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If you're taking notes, I want you to write down

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two words. I want you to write down the word faith,

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and I want you to write down the word reality.

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Faith and reality. I want you to write down those

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two words, right because in some ways, this subject of

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faith and reality and how we understand them, I think

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greatly can describe kind of the thiological journey I've been

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on a good portion of my life. Right, So faith

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in reality. Now, the reason we're going to look at

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this is because here we have been working on starting

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last week a little before that on the podcast, what

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we're doing is we're going through the entire Book of Romans,

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looking at every therefore all right and what as we go,

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and it's used about twenty seven times to thirty three times,

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depending on your translation. Sometimes it's not therefore, sometimes it's

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where for other phrases. So we're going through. Now, Immediately

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we realize that there are four different Greek words that

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are translated therefore all right, and we notice that those

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four Greek words have very different emphasis. All right, okay,

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everybody remember though that. Okay, And so we went through

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the four Greek words. Now, to be fair, there is

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a fifth Greek word we'll get to when we get

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to Romans chapter four. There is a fifth one, but

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it's really kind of a combination of two different words.

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But we'll get to all of that. So we we

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went through the Greek words, and I'm like, okay, we're

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onto something, and we're adding too, because typically when you

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go through Romans and you see it therefore, you just

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simply ask what is it there for? And then that's

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kind of the that's about the level we get. Now

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we're going a little deeper because now we know it's

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not just what is it there for? What is the

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Greek word behind it, because that may emphasize what the

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therefo is. Therefore, so we we we've been working on that,

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and then last week we went to Romans chapter one,

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verse twenty four. Now, again depending on your translation, you're

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gonna get either wherefore or therefore. But Romans chapter one,

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verse twenty four, we read, we read this word, these words,

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this is in the King James. Wherefore God also gave

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them up to uncleanliness through the lust of their own

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heart to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Right, everybody

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remember that verse. Now, immediately when we got to that verse,

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we started breaking it all down. What is the Greek

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word with all of that? We started breaking it down,

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and before it was over, I offered once again a

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what some may refer to as a controversial understanding of it.

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Maybe we could call it a unique perspective. But so

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we did that. Now, what I wanted to do today

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is I was going to come in. We'll go straight

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to Eschatology the first hour, the second hour just kind

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of summarize what I said last week on Romans one

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twenty four, and go immediately to Romans two to one. Right,

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that's what I was going to do, but I've decided no,

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since I kind of offered such a controversial concept, I'm

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going to go back and build upon it and kind

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of add some supporting evidence for that perspective, and then

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we'll move on to two one in the next hour.

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So that's what we're going to do. But it all

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comes down to this concept of faith and reality. So

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here is the question for today, all right, and we'll

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be talking about this a lot, maybe as we move

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through the entire rest of the Book of Romans, looking

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at the their force when it comes to faith in reality.

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As a Christian, as someone who believes in God, do

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you believe that faith and reality should be an agreement,

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connected and united or do you believe faith in reality

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should be in conflict with one another? Do you believe

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they should be in agreement or do you believe they

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should be in conflict? Yeah, should they be together or

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do you believe the shoul be in conflict faith in reality?

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All right, that's what I want you to think about now.

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My this is my perspective on Christianity. I believe Christianity

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at large, faith and reality are in conflict, but they

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convince themselves that faith and reality are in agreement by

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basically making up and creating a fake reality. So I

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believe faith in reality should be in agreement. I believe

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the reality is when it comes to Christianity is they're

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actually in conflict. But Christians create a fake reality in

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order to make it work. That's my perspective, and my

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struggle with Christianity from the very beginning is right here.

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It's this faith in reality issue. So let me give

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you some examples so you'll understand what I'm saying. Let's

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go to the most obvious example of this, charismatic theology.

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This is the best example charismatic theology. A foundational belief

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of charismatic theology is when Jesus died upon that cross,

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not only did his blood wash away our sins, but

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in his atonement he makes provision. He provides for physical

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healing in the here and now. It's not if it's

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God's will. It is God's will, you believe you will

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be healed. That's their belief. Now, anyone with a brain

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looks around, and what do you see? Something doesn't work right.

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I mean that we're spending billions of dollars, trillions of

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dollars and researching this disease, in this disease, to try

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to find a cure, to try to do this, to

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try to do that. There's hospitals, doctor offices. Why because

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people constantly get sick and do what die? Or the

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charismatics continue to make this claim. I worked with so

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many charismatics who made this claim. Who would I could

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listen to the sermons from their churches where they're claiming, Oh,

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these people were healed, and these people were healed, and

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then they would come to work on Monday needing a

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doctor's apartment, like, you don't need a doctor's appointment. You

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don't get a doctor's appointment because you supposedly can heal yourself,

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so just go away. And in fact, instead of me

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sitting here making appointments, go stand in the parking lot

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and heal everyone. But they couldn't. They couldn't reproduce what

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they claimed to be real. So what was their super solution?

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They created a reality that says, if you're not healed,

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whose fault is it yours? Because you don't have enough faith,

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So they can maintain this fantasy world in the face

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of evidence that would call it into question. Faith in

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reality are in conflict but in their minds, they made

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it work by creating a fake reality. Now see now

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that one we can all everyone here is like, yeah,

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those charismatics are out of their mind. I agree. I

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can't stand charismatic theology. I hate charismtic theology. But now

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let's bring it a little closer to home. Now, I'm

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going to go after basically one hundred percent of evangelical fundamentalism,

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because almost all of Christiandom basically teaches this. When you

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became a Christian dramatic music dun dun, dun, dun dum,

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you became a superhero. You say, well, no, that don't

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really teach that. Oh, yes they do, because Christianity inevitably

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teaches when you become a Christian. Guess what Now, now

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your eyes have been opened, you can now understand the Bible.

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God is showing you and revealing to you what the

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scriptures actually say. The Holy Spirit is leading you into

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all truth. Is that not a common claim? Hey, how

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do you know that's what it teaches? The Holy Spirit

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showed me, The Holy Spirit revealed it to me. Well,

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now immediately you know what's being said there. We've talked

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about it a million times in the minute someone claims that,

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then they claim that their interpretation is what infallible because

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it came from God. Do you understand the problems that creates?

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Because what do we know after two thousand What do

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we know after two thousand years of Christian history? Then

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nobody agrees on what anything? Nobody agrees on anything. So

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either the Holy Spirit is just giving everyone fraudulent advice

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and information, or maybe the Holy sp It really is

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not leading us all into truth and that promise was

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for the people who wrote the New Testament and for

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the original disciples. But Christians continue to believe that even

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though all the evidence says what opposite? Oh, but do

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we stop there? Not only do the Holy Spirit supposedly

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gives us insight and understanding, what else does the Holy

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Spirit supposedly do? He gives us power? We have power,

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and what do we have power to do? We have

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power to say notice in and yes to God. We

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have power to say notice in and yes to God.

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Now immediately that should mean what we should be perfect?

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But then we say, but but well, I mean you

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can't get perfect. Well, if I can't get perfect, then

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I don't obviously have the power to say notice in

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and yes to God right Arsi Spraul even taught that. Okay,

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that's ridiculous. It's utterly ridiculous to teach that. There is

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no evidence for that. But so they have to try

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to try to make Oh, but they go a step further,

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They go a step further, go a step further. If

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anyone is in Christ is a new creation, old things

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have passed away, all things have become new, and they

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mean that in reference to what how you live practically? Now,

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Wait a minute. If I have power and I'm a

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new creature and old things have passed away and all

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things have become new, what should that then mean sinless?

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So but they'll teach that and say, but we still

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fight against sin. What am I fighting against? If I'm

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a new creature in the old is gone and everything

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is new, there is nothing to fight against. There is

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no longer sin in me. But they teach that and

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it so, so then what do we do? What do

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we do? Okay? There has They basically then you have

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to be transformed, you have to be changed, you have

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to have correct doctrine, you have to have all of this.

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And so how do they then deal with the fact that, well,

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nobody seems to agree, and people continue to sin, and

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people continue to sin, what is the go to solution?

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They're not saved? Oh wow, that sounds kind of like charismatics. Huh.

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And we everyone in this room is probably fell into

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that trap to some level. I fell into that trap

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because this is the way I was taught. So my

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whole Christian life has been struggling with how do I

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reconcile faith with reality? How do I reconcile? How do

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I reconcile this? How do I reconcile this? How? How?

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And I've struggled and struggled and struggled and struggled and

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struggled with it. Now, what typically I tried to do

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was overcompensate, Right, Okay, Well, if I'm sinning here, then

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I'll so focus on the things I do well that

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the things I do well make up for the things

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I don't do well, so that at least I can

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convince myself we'll see there's change. But I didn't think

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about it logically because it's not that there's change. There

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would have to be one kind of change, perfect change.

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If God is the one that I'm a new creature

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in Christ, the oldest God, like I never could reconcile that.

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So over time, if you've watched my theology, it's been

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constantly struggling right here. And it makes me mad that

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people would get upset at me, because all I'm trying

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to do is I'm trying to acknowledge my faith in

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reality should not be in conflict with one another. Now,

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some people will go to Hebrews and go but faith

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is the evidence of things not seen. It's the evidence

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of things not seen. It's not the evidence of things

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that aren't real. Does that make sense? I believe, for example,

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I believe that there will come a time that I'll

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have no sin nature and I'll have a glorified body.

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I believe that to be a reality. Faith believes that

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even though there's no evidence to see that. Does that

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mean sense? But that's far different than believing something that's

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just not real, because these claims that Christians make are

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about reality that we should experience right here. When you

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claim that, hey, everyone who becomes a Christians is a

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new creature. Old things passed way, everything's come new and

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blah blah blah blah blah, there will be a change.

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You will be transforming all the trash that they say

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the minute you push back, then you get thrown out

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of the Kingdom of God. You get accused of being

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an Antinomian and you're not a Christian. Well, and I've

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said it so many times, why get mad at me?

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If it's true to what, don't argue it? Live it?

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And typically the people who make all the argument it's

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almost an ever. What I love about how Christianity plays out.

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Rarely do you have fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty

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year olds making that argument. The people who always make

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these arguments are now married, have a kid, and go

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to bed at nine o'clock at night. Ooh, been transformed.

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The only thing that transformed is what your life changed.

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You older. You have a job. Now you have to

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pay bills, You have a wife, you have kids, you

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have responsibility. It's far. But you weren't talking a big

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game when you were seventeen doing all the things I

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know you were doing. Oh. You weren't talking a big

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game then, were you. But now that you're older and

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you're married. Oh, now Christianity demands a change. The only

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thing that changes you got old. It's not so easy

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to talk that game when all the hormones are flowing

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through your body and you don't have a relationship where

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you can engage in physical relationship or whatever. You know,

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then there's a difference. And it weird how the people

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who make the argument you're sixty ooh yeah, big change

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now and guess what you do? You now reduce change

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to what external? So I truly I get bothered that

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people get mad when I simply say there has to

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be faith in reality. There's gotta be some We can't

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be living in a fantasy world. Same thing. I have

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my struggles with prayer, and so what did we find out?

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And saw eighty three When we start talking about prayer,

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a lot a lot of art understanding of prayer in

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the minds of most Christians is not based off theology.

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It's based off a superstitious idea that I go to

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God to change things. Well, wait a minute, so you

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say pray for this. Wait a minute, you're gonna pray

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to the very God who allowed that to happen and

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did nothing to intervene to stop it. That seems weird

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to pray to him. He's the one who didn't do

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anything to stop it. Why pray to me now? Oh?

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And if you were reformed, it really makes no sense,

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right because you're gonna pray to the one who not

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only knew it was going to happen, normally allowed it

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to happen, but according to reform theology, decrete it to happen,

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and then His providence did what guided and directed it

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to happen. So then I'm like, well, then how should

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we pray? And we said, well, the Old Testament they

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prayed a certain way based off what fact the Covenant.

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Israel could pray in a way that we can't pray

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because God made a covenant to do what for them,

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Provide them, protect them, deliver them. Oh so when you

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read those prayers of the Old Testament, you're only we

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that makes perfect sense. They're praying in accordance to the Covenant.

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In the New Testament, our way of praying has got

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to be somehow. We've got to find a way. How

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do you pray to be consistent? And so then looking

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things up, you're like, well, historically the reformed people like

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you don't really pray to change God. You pray really

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just to acknowledge God. You're sovereign in this situation. You

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may confess what you don't like it. You don't want it.

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That's called a lament, right, you scream out in pain

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about it, but you submit to it. It's more acknowledging

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God's sovereignty and your submission and expressing your frustration. It's

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not so much to chack now to say that in

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any church people lose their minds. But why would I

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pray that? Why would I say that? Because what is

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the reality? People constantly say, well, pray, pray, pray, pray,

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and guess what things are going to do? Oh, exactly

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the way God planned it. Now, I know that messes

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up everyone's theology of prayer. But my struggles in all

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of these areas of theology comes down to faith in reality.

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I believe my faith in reality have to be somewhat

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in life. And so when I start calling into question

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lordship salvation, next thing, you know, I'm an antinomian. No,

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I'm not an antinomian. I just know this. Look at

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two thousand years a church history. What is absolutely true

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of every person? We continue to sin? We sin why

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and are thinking? We sin in our desires, feelings, emotions,

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and we sin in the words in which we say.

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Now that may manifest itself in different ways, and you

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know why, it sometimes manifests itself in different ways. One opportunity,

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You never know what you'll do if you have the opportunity, right,

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You don't know until an opportunity is what in front

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of you. You don't know what you're doing. Number two,

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stage of life, different stages of life. You're gonna it's

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gonna manifest itself and what very different ways. And so

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I'm so sick of the lordship people saying change, change, change, change, change.

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When what can they not manage? They have to admit themselves, Well,

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we're not talking perfection. Well, then how do you measure

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imperfection as enough to demonstrate salvation? What's the only thing

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that can prove salvation? It would never be imperfection. The

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only thing that can prove salvation would be perfection. And

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where's the only place you can find perfection in Christ?

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Meaning then we focus on imputed righteousness. So my theology

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is just trying to reconcile these two. But people get

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mad and it's so frustrating. It's like, why are you

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getting mad? If that's your reality, then go show everyone

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that you can be perfect. Well, I'm not saying I

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can be perfect then what's the argument here that some

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kind you've got some measurement to determine how much imperfection is? Okay,

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and you still pass the lordship test? How much? If

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I break one law, I'm guilty of all? So that

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how can any lordship test ever work? Because if I'm

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just guilty of one, I'm guilty of all law. So

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I'm guilty of How do you measure that? It's all?

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It all falls apart. So this really is my journey,

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is how faith and reality work. That's why I could

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never handle the charismatic movement because faith in reality didn't connect. Well.

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Then I thought I could convince myself of the reality

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of lordship. But immediately, if you just look at my

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progression over the years, I threw out the whole the

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Holy Spirit's leading us into all truths. I threw that

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out fifteen years ago. Right then I threw out the whole.

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If anyone is in crist as a new creature old

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tat I threw that out ten years ago, probably maybe

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even twelve years ago. But nobody nobody caught on when

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I threw that out. Everybody was kind of like, oh, well, okay,

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he just says a different neutripretation now understanding the implications

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that were coming because I was beginning to do what

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There's gotta be a connection between faith and reality. So

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then either I have to decide. I mean, I can

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just look at the church. Are people reading, are people

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studying or like, Okay, well that don't seem to love

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God with all their heart, mind, body and soul, that

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don't seem to treasure his word. Okay, I can't even

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get people to show up to church. So then my

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only option is to say, well, then nobody is saved. Well,

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then you realize, okay, well I may be doing these things,

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but I'm over here doing these things. I'm better than

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them and this, but I'm worse off than them than this.

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So then then I have to come to the conclusion

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then I'm not saved. Well, I'm like, okay, so nobody

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is saved. Hm, my theology may be broken. So then

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when you start trying to reconcile this, then everyone gets

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mad at you. It's like, why are you getting mad? Just?

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Can you not be honest with yourself? Can you not

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be honest with yourself? But nobody wants to be honest.

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So I say all of that because Romans. When twenty

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four the same thing happened. I was like, wait a minute,

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maybe Romans one twenty four hits us with the reality

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that nobody wants to admit. So let's go back to

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Romans one twenty four. We're gonna build on this quickly,

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all right, Romans one twenty four, everybody there, Okay, I'm

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gonna read it. I've got so many notes here we'll

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get We're just gonna work through it, all right, So

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Romans one twenty four. First of all, where so look

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at this wherefore God? Also, and here's the three words

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gave them up? Gave them up? Now a couple of things.

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Remember the Greek word for it's wherefore are therefore in

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Romans one twenty four is dia? Everybody remember that. Now,

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remember this has a slightly different emphasis. It's often used

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to draw a more emphatic or summarizing conclusion, sometimes with

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a sense of inevitability that something was inevitable, so it

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was inevitable that God gave them up. Remember it's emphatic,

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it's summarizing. Okay, it summarizes a point, moving to the

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conclusion or the result. All right, or everybody, remember everything

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about the Greek word, right, So I'm like, okay, so

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this is like inevitable, this is like drawing a conclusion

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wherefore God gave them up? Now, immediately we asked a question,

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well where does that wherefore go back to? And almost

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everyone agreed it goes back to where Okay, yeah, we

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think it goes all the way back to eighteen. We

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think it goes back to eighteen. We think that that's

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a good call. All right. Now, once we went back

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to eighteen, we started looking at this. Now, let me

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just make sure how most Christians handle this. Most Christians

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handle Romans one twenty four going all the way back

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to eighteen as that this is the Paul describing lost people.

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The them are lost people, but it's not describing whom saved.

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That's what we were, but we're not that. And I

396
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came in and blew that all up, and I said

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that Romans one eighteen all the way following describes all

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of us saved and unsaved. And I know that makes

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people lose their minds, but I'm going to defend that. Okay,

400
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So let's go back all the way to verse eighteen

401
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:26.960
and we're gonna work on this, all right, Everybody ready,

402
00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:29.279
to do a little work here. Now I'm gonna build

403
00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:32.440
on what we covered. Okay, I'm gonna build on what

404
00:25:32.519 --> 00:25:35.440
we cover. Right. So if you look at Romans one eighteen,

405
00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:37.599
what do we see for the wrath of God is

406
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revealed from heaven against all ungodliness? Now right now, supp

407
00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:48.000
right here, So God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness. Now,

408
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:51.920
let me ask you a question, our lost people ungodly?

409
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Are Christians ungodly? I make the argument, yes, we are

410
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:06.240
all ungodly? Right now? I got So I went back

411
00:26:06.279 --> 00:26:10.160
and forth with AI over this right because AI, at

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first was giving me the standard interpretation. So I kept

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challenging it, going well, wait a minute here, what about this?

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And what about this? And what about this? So so

415
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I kept giving them my perspective, and AI said, that's

416
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a valid perspective within Christian theology. You are reflecting the

417
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distinction between positional and practical godliness. And I was like,

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00:26:33.400 --> 00:26:35.880
thank you. That's what I've been trying to do, because

419
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whenever you say are we godly? On one hand, I'm godly.

420
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On the other hand, I am ungodly. But my godliness

421
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has nothing to do with what my action. It has

422
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everything to do with my position. So I was glad

423
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Ai was able to figure this out. This is what

424
00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:57.279
Ai said. Positional godliness is the idea that believers are

425
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declared right just before God because of the you did

426
00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:03.839
righteousness of Jesus Christ. When someone puts their faith in Christ,

427
00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:07.079
God counts Christ's perfect righteousness as theirs. This is a

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00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:10.640
legal standing or status granted by God's grace based on

429
00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:15.720
faith ah Loan. In this sense, believers are considered godly

430
00:27:16.039 --> 00:27:18.960
or holy in their standing before God because they are

431
00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:25.640
in Christ. Everyone should say what amen? Now? Obviously, when

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00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:29.039
it says God's wrath is what? How does this read

433
00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:35.839
in Romans whin eighteen revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness? Okay, well,

434
00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:39.920
on one hand, I'm godly and my position, but wait

435
00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:43.359
a minute, is there anything up with my practice? Well

436
00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:46.279
here's what Ai said. Now. Ai still throws in the

437
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:50.240
typical evangelical understanding, which made me want to smash my iPad,

438
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But at least it was able to admit this. On

439
00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:59.480
the other hand, practical godliness refers to the actual outworking

440
00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:02.359
of righteous in a believer's daily life. It evolves the

441
00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:05.759
process of sanctification where a believer is empowered by the

442
00:28:05.799 --> 00:28:08.559
Holy Spirit. Okay, now right there, I already lose my mind, right,

443
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because if I'm empowered by the Holy Spirit to live

444
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a godly life, then how godly should I be? Perfect?

445
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Because the Holy Spirit is what God himself, right, the

446
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third person of the Trinity. If he is empowering me

447
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to live godly, then there should be no hint of

448
00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:31.839
ungodliness in my life. See, that's the reality, the faith

449
00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:35.440
reality thing. So I already have problems with the Holy

450
00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:38.160
Spirit supposedly empowering me. So I get a little irritated

451
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with AI. But I'm like, okay, but then look what

452
00:28:40.519 --> 00:28:45.000
it says right after that, however, comma, and I'm like, oh,

453
00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:48.480
here we go. AI is gonna do the however, right,

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due to the presence of the sin nature, this practical

455
00:28:56.119 --> 00:29:04.440
godliness is never fully achieved in this life. Believers continue

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00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:08.000
to struggle with sin, and their actions will always fall

457
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short of perfect godliness. I'm like, well, thank you for it.

458
00:29:13.720 --> 00:29:16.359
Even though it tries to argue we have power, even

459
00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:20.799
AI has to admit, well, whatever power we have cannot

460
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:26.599
get me to wear to perfection. Now, so that means

461
00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:30.359
already in Romans one eighteen, when it says ungodliness that

462
00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:34.759
refers to whom everyone? Right, what's the next part of

463
00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:43.240
Romans one eighteen? Well, uh, so we have against all

464
00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:51.119
ungodliness and unrighteousness who is unrighteous? Saved and unsaved, we

465
00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:54.720
are all unrighteous? And so guess what AI get? Did

466
00:29:54.759 --> 00:29:59.680
the same thing? Right? Right? AI said the same distinction

467
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:02.839
appl to the concept of righteousness in Christian theology. And

468
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so what does it give me positional righteousness? And what

469
00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:10.000
do AI give me? Practical righteousness? All right? And guess

470
00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:15.559
what it acknowledges? Because of the ongoing presence of the

471
00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:21.400
sin nature, practical righteousness is never fully achieved in this life.

472
00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:25.359
Believers continually fall short of God's perfect standard and must

473
00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:30.680
rely on God's grace and forgiveness. Even a I acknowledges

474
00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.880
we can't do it, all right, So now we're getting

475
00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:37.759
We're getting close, right, No, but wait, wait for the

476
00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:40.319
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness

477
00:30:40.359 --> 00:30:45.960
and unrighteousness of man? Who what's that last phrase? Who

478
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:53.119
holds the truth in unrighteousness? All right? So? Okay? Or

479
00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:59.160
suppresses now almost inevitably you can ask any any Christian

480
00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:02.160
friend or family man you know, Ask them, does that

481
00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:06.000
apply to unbelievers? Guess what they will say. They will

482
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:10.279
say no, all right, I'm sorry to believers, Okay, to unbelievers, yes,

483
00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:13.480
to unbelieve or to believers, they will say no. They

484
00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:16.359
will say, believers, do not do what to the truth,

485
00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:21.599
hold the truth and unrighteousness, or suppress the truth and unrighteousness.

486
00:31:21.880 --> 00:31:25.559
I argue that describes you and me just as much

487
00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:30.599
as it describes anyone else. So I was curious, would

488
00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:36.960
AI agree or fight me on this? Right? So I asked,

489
00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:41.160
and they said, your perspective aligns with certain biblical teachings,

490
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.160
particularly in Romans one. According to this passage, all people,

491
00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:49.480
both Christian and non Christian, can be guilty of holding

492
00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:55.519
the truth and unrighteousness to some degree. I'm like, it's

493
00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:57.720
agreed now. I had to go back and forth right

494
00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:00.839
because it was standing. It was given me the standard

495
00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:07.039
evangelical fundamental trash, where oh no, the last people do this.

496
00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:12.359
We don't. We hold the truth and righteousness. We would

497
00:32:12.519 --> 00:32:16.440
never hold the truth and unrighteousness because we're superheroes. We're

498
00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:21.759
better than everyone else. Everyone else's trash. We're great, we're perfect,

499
00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:23.960
while we never say we're perfect. But we pretty much

500
00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:27.480
act like we should be right. So I was like, okay, well,

501
00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:30.039
I wonder how AI will try to explain this. So

502
00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:33.960
AI said this right. It quotes Romans one point eighteen,

503
00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:36.079
for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against

504
00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:40.039
all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The idea here is that humanity,

505
00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:44.640
ready ready is in fault in its fallen state, has

506
00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:47.039
a tendency to suppress or resist the truth of God,

507
00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:50.440
his nature, and his moral law. The suppression of this

508
00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:54.000
truth is an aspect of unrighteousness, and it is universal

509
00:32:54.039 --> 00:32:57.720
in scope, affecting all people because of the sin nature.

510
00:32:57.920 --> 00:33:02.240
What causes us to hold the truth and unrighteous sin nature?

511
00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:04.559
Say that, I want everyone to say that again, what

512
00:33:04.839 --> 00:33:08.680
causes us to hold the truth and unrighteousness? Do you

513
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:12.720
have this in nature when you're saved? Yes? Now, some

514
00:33:12.799 --> 00:33:15.359
Christians say you don't. Now the minute a Christian says,

515
00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:17.240
you know, have the sain nature when you're saved, then

516
00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:23.160
why should you demand of them perfection? Right? And none

517
00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:26.599
of them ever achieve it? All right? So I'm like, okay,

518
00:33:26.680 --> 00:33:29.759
now this is how So then this is what AI

519
00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:32.319
does gives me the non Christian for the non Christian

520
00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:36.079
For the non Christian, the suppression is often more evident.

521
00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:39.000
Romans one nineteen through twenty says God has made his

522
00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:42.759
existence and attributes clear through creation, so that all people

523
00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:46.119
are without excuse. Yet despite this revelation, many reject or

524
00:33:46.119 --> 00:33:49.119
distort the truth about God, choosing to worship created things

525
00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:52.000
rather than the Creator. This rejection leads to a various

526
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:55.440
forms of unrighteousness and sin. So their argument is for

527
00:33:55.480 --> 00:33:58.799
the un Christian, this holding the truth and unrighteousness is

528
00:33:58.839 --> 00:34:04.000
what are evident. So what do you think AI is

529
00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:08.280
going to say about us? What do you think you

530
00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:10.760
want to know? They just acts like you want to know?

531
00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:15.360
All right, here we go. For the Christian, AI says,

532
00:34:16.199 --> 00:34:20.880
although they have been redeemed and have received the truth

533
00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:24.360
of the Gospel, they still have the remnants of the

534
00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:29.280
sin nature and are succeptible, susceptible to sin and error.

535
00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:31.559
Now I don't like the way AI says we have

536
00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:33.800
the remnants of the sin nature. We don't have the

537
00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:38.800
remnants of it. Ladies and gentlemen, we have all of it,

538
00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:42.719
all right. So I disagree with AI and the remnants part,

539
00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:46.199
But it still says what we can do, what we

540
00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:51.000
are still susceptible to sin and error. Are Christians susceptible

541
00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:54.920
to error? Absolutely? It says Christians can also hold the

542
00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:58.440
truth and unrighteousness to some degree when they fail to

543
00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:00.679
live in accordance with the truth. They prefer Do we

544
00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:04.920
fail to live in accordance with the truth we possess? Yes?

545
00:35:06.360 --> 00:35:08.480
Do we not fill all the time? All right? The

546
00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:13.360
Bible says, how does the Bible describe itself? This is

547
00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:16.719
our milk and our meat. It is to be desired

548
00:35:16.760 --> 00:35:22.440
more than gold and silver. Right, you are to love it.

549
00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:25.920
You are to desire it. You should want to memorize it,

550
00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:29.440
read it, and study it. What does every statistics say

551
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:32.559
about the average christians involvement with scripture on a weekly basis?

552
00:35:33.239 --> 00:35:37.960
It's pathetic. Now. I used to use that as an

553
00:35:38.039 --> 00:35:40.840
argument that most people were not saved. You know why

554
00:35:40.840 --> 00:35:44.079
I would use that statistic as a reason because I

555
00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:46.519
did all of those things so I could prove my

556
00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:51.480
salvation by I read more, study more, no more. I've

557
00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:53.480
done more with the Bible than most people will do.

558
00:35:54.079 --> 00:35:56.760
They'll never even come close. So I was like, WHOA,

559
00:35:57.440 --> 00:36:03.760
I'm better than everyone. So but guess what. There are

560
00:36:03.800 --> 00:36:06.480
other areas where I was not living in accordance with

561
00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:08.119
the truth that I know, but I can give you others.

562
00:36:08.840 --> 00:36:11.039
Do you know that the Bible tells you to love

563
00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:14.400
God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Do

564
00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:18.719
you live in accordance to that truth? I mean, I

565
00:36:18.760 --> 00:36:20.880
can go on and on the Bible says be holy

566
00:36:20.920 --> 00:36:26.039
as God is holy. I can go on and on

567
00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:28.559
and on it. We know immediately that we don't live

568
00:36:28.599 --> 00:36:30.960
in accordance with it, right, we don't live in accordance

569
00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:32.880
with it. That was one of the arguments when we

570
00:36:32.880 --> 00:36:35.000
were going through the London Baptist Confession of Faith. We

571
00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:38.760
didn't even make it through the first paragraph because the

572
00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:41.599
first paragraph was using all this lofty language about how

573
00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:44.559
great the Bible is, how great the Bible is, how

574
00:36:44.599 --> 00:36:48.239
wonderful the Bible is. Right, So then I was like, well, whoa,

575
00:36:48.360 --> 00:36:50.840
If we're gonna sit there and confess how wonderful the

576
00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:52.559
Bible is, and you can do this, and you can

577
00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:56.239
do that it's amazing, Well then if everyone here confesses

578
00:36:56.280 --> 00:36:58.599
that and believes that, then it should be easy. You

579
00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:01.119
should want to study it, you should want to read it,

580
00:37:01.239 --> 00:37:02.880
you should want to know it. So that I gave

581
00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:05.159
everyone twelve methods of Bible study and said we'll go

582
00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:07.800
do them. Did anyone do all twelve methods of Bible study?

583
00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:13.079
The answer is no. Well, you confessed how amazing the

584
00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:16.360
Bible is and how wonderful the Bible is. Well, obviously

585
00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:18.880
you're not living in accordance with the truth in which

586
00:37:18.920 --> 00:37:27.360
you claim. Right, We're all guilty of that. So even

587
00:37:27.400 --> 00:37:30.440
AI was like, hmm, that's holding what the truth in?

588
00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:38.079
What unrighteousness? This can happen through hypocrisy, inconsistency, or disobedience? Well,

589
00:37:38.119 --> 00:37:42.039
come on, are we constantly inconsistent in a Christian life? Yes?

590
00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:45.519
Are we constantly disobedient in a Christian life? Yes? Even

591
00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:47.719
though they have been freed from the dominion of sin.

592
00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:55.239
And I disagree with Ai on that. I disagree in

593
00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:57.559
what ways have we been freed from the dominion of sin?

594
00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:11.239
As a Christian? We've been freed from the penalty of sin. Right, positionally,

595
00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:15.480
I'm free from the guilt of sin. I'm free from

596
00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:19.800
the condemnation of sin. But I am not free now.

597
00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:23.199
I know every Christian friend you know will say, we

598
00:38:23.400 --> 00:38:29.039
have been set free from the power of sin. Thank God,

599
00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:32.519
We're free. Last, free, Last is the way they'll preach it.

600
00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:37.320
You're not free of anything. Stop claiming it. You're delusional

601
00:38:38.679 --> 00:38:43.480
because if you're free, then you'll do what you won't sin,

602
00:38:44.519 --> 00:38:46.800
but you will have to admit you can't get to perfection.

603
00:38:47.079 --> 00:38:49.760
If I can't get to perfection, then what's keeping me

604
00:38:49.800 --> 00:38:55.920
from perfection? The thing keeping me from perfection is obviously

605
00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:04.079
what demonstrating I'm not free from it? Right? Am I

606
00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:07.960
free from any rule Sarah wants to give me. Yes,

607
00:39:08.400 --> 00:39:09.920
she can make all the rules she wants. I have

608
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:12.599
to listen to one of them. She had no power

609
00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:15.920
over me. Right. Her kids may have different situation, but

610
00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:18.159
I don't. She can say you're going to do this,

611
00:39:18.280 --> 00:39:24.400
and I can be like, because I'm truly free, Stephen, No,

612
00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:30.960
but I'm free, correct? But if I could not, if

613
00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:33.679
I had to do what she told me, then I

614
00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:37.159
can't walk around saying free, I'm free or lost? Well,

615
00:39:37.239 --> 00:39:40.239
Christians running around saying we're free from the power of saying,

616
00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:43.159
but we can't be perfect? Do you understand how utterly

617
00:39:43.559 --> 00:39:48.880
ridiculous that is? That is not logical, and that is

618
00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:52.519
once again demonstrates Christians or what not in touch with reality.

619
00:39:54.360 --> 00:39:57.440
I am not free from the dominion of sin. Because

620
00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:00.880
I can't be perfect, and whatever keep me from being

621
00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:04.920
perfect has more control over me than anything you see Christians.

622
00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:07.639
That's gonna make Christians really nervous. So he will say,

623
00:40:07.719 --> 00:40:09.840
we have the power of the Holy Spirit, but if

624
00:40:09.880 --> 00:40:12.239
I can't get to perfection, then the sin in me

625
00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:16.119
is stronger than the Holy Spirit that's in me. Oh boy,

626
00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:20.000
that's concerning. And they say, no, that's not true. Can

627
00:40:20.039 --> 00:40:23.519
I be perfect? Well? No, then which one is more powerful?

628
00:40:25.239 --> 00:40:27.400
And maybe the Holy Spirit's not there to empower us

629
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:33.000
the way we think he is. Oh, that's gonna be controversial.

630
00:40:33.119 --> 00:40:36.400
But we're not free. Does everybody understand that we are

631
00:40:36.440 --> 00:40:40.559
not free? So therefore, guess what we still do? In

632
00:40:40.599 --> 00:40:44.760
fact that even AI says they obviously AI doesn't refer

633
00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:48.239
to itself as a Christian, they still struggle with it

634
00:40:48.760 --> 00:40:54.840
and need ongoing repentance. So even AI says, hey, guess

635
00:40:54.840 --> 00:40:56.960
what as a believer, what are you? Go back to

636
00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:59.480
Romans one eighteen. I gotta I gotta try to get

637
00:40:59.480 --> 00:41:01.679
through this as FA so that I can't Roma's one eighteen.

638
00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:04.840
What's the first description God's wrath has revealed against what

639
00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:08.360
all ungodliness? Is that true of you? And me as

640
00:41:08.360 --> 00:41:14.239
a Christian. Yes, we're still ungodly unrighteousness. Are we still unrighteous? Yes?

641
00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:18.519
Do we hold the truth in unrighteousness? Do we hold

642
00:41:18.559 --> 00:41:27.920
the truth in unrighteousness? Do Christians hold the truth in unrighteousness? Well?

643
00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:30.760
I just spent twenty minutes trying to say yes, right,

644
00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:33.880
So if you disagree, that's okay, but I'm gonna stay

645
00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:36.800
true to the fact. Now we hold the truth in unrighteousness.

646
00:41:37.239 --> 00:41:39.800
Over and over and over. That's everything we've been talking

647
00:41:39.800 --> 00:41:42.679
about for fifteen minutes, trying to demonstrate that we hold

648
00:41:42.719 --> 00:41:46.679
the truth and unrighteousness. Ai even admits it. Everyone has

649
00:41:46.719 --> 00:41:50.719
to admit it. Right, So wait, so continue going now

650
00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:53.440
verse nineteen. Now we're gonna move quickly through these because

651
00:41:53.440 --> 00:41:55.599
that which may be known of God has manifested in them,

652
00:41:55.599 --> 00:41:57.400
for God has showed it unto them. All right, that

653
00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:02.679
is true a believer and unbeliever? Right, yes, right, For

654
00:42:02.760 --> 00:42:05.159
the invisible things from the creation of the world are

655
00:42:05.159 --> 00:42:07.559
clearly seen being understood by the things that are made,

656
00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:09.679
even his eternal power and God had so that they

657
00:42:09.719 --> 00:42:14.199
are without excuse? Is that true a believer and unbeliever? Yes,

658
00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:17.840
it's true of everyone. Correct, because because that when they

659
00:42:17.880 --> 00:42:20.760
knew God, they glorified him, not as God. Neither were thankful,

660
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:23.280
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart

661
00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:27.119
was darkened. Now now again everyone's gonna say this is unbelievers.

662
00:42:27.199 --> 00:42:31.159
But are we do we always glorify him? You know?

663
00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:34.920
Are we always thankful? And do we not become vain

664
00:42:35.440 --> 00:42:41.599
in our imaginations? As our foolish heart not darkened and deceived?

665
00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:47.559
Time and time again? That I'm so tired of this

666
00:42:47.639 --> 00:42:51.480
being blasted. You know what everyone does with this? They

667
00:42:51.519 --> 00:42:53.840
preach this, And guess who all this applies to? Almost

668
00:42:53.880 --> 00:43:00.320
inevitably homosexuals? How about pastor who's slamming him ten on

669
00:43:00.360 --> 00:43:04.599
the Bible? It applies to you. Oh but no, no, no, no, no,

670
00:43:04.639 --> 00:43:06.440
we're not allowed to do say that, are we? No?

671
00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:10.280
All right? Continue going verse twenty two. Professing themselves to

672
00:43:10.280 --> 00:43:12.519
be wise, they became fools. That to me, it should

673
00:43:12.559 --> 00:43:15.239
be put at the front of every church. That's what

674
00:43:15.440 --> 00:43:19.039
church is, ladies and gentlemen. Verse twenty two is church.

675
00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:24.480
That's church. We walk through the door, professing ourselves to

676
00:43:24.519 --> 00:43:28.360
be wise, wise, And what do we do is we

677
00:43:28.400 --> 00:43:33.800
sit here and are you demonstrate we're fools? That's Christianity

678
00:43:34.079 --> 00:43:38.280
is the never ending game of pretending to be wise

679
00:43:38.519 --> 00:43:42.480
when nothing. All we are are fools. We pretend to

680
00:43:42.519 --> 00:43:45.519
be wise, we pretend to be godly, we pretend to

681
00:43:45.559 --> 00:43:48.360
be smarter, We pretend to be better when we look

682
00:43:48.440 --> 00:43:51.480
down on everyone, point our finger at everyone, condemn everyone

683
00:43:51.519 --> 00:43:53.800
to the tenth level of hell, thinking that we're better

684
00:43:53.840 --> 00:43:58.400
than everyone else when we're not. That's what Christianity is.

685
00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:04.360
A game where we pretend a reality that does not exist.

686
00:44:06.039 --> 00:44:07.519
I know this is going to make me really popular

687
00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:10.400
verse twenty three, and change the glory of the uncorruptible

688
00:44:10.440 --> 00:44:12.760
God into an image made like a de corruptible man

689
00:44:12.840 --> 00:44:15.239
and the birds and four footed beasts and creeping things.

690
00:44:15.320 --> 00:44:18.440
Everyone acknowledges idolatry is more than just making an image.

691
00:44:18.480 --> 00:44:21.119
But guess what are we not all guilty of idolatry?

692
00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:25.480
And don't tell me Christians are not guilty of idolatry

693
00:44:26.280 --> 00:44:34.039
now verse twenty four. Wherefore this inevitable thing that is

694
00:44:34.079 --> 00:44:39.679
true of everyone, what is the inevitable result? Therefore God

695
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:45.719
gave them up to uncleanliness, to the lust of their

696
00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:49.000
own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. I'm

697
00:44:49.039 --> 00:44:50.920
going to argue. And I know this is gonna make

698
00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:52.960
everyone mad, but that's okay. You can have your own

699
00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:57.480
theory that that is true. We everyone, Christian and non Christian,

700
00:44:57.679 --> 00:45:04.320
we've all been given up up. And what's my argument

701
00:45:04.360 --> 00:45:06.880
for this? The reality of your life in my life?

702
00:45:06.920 --> 00:45:08.880
What is the reality of your life in my life?

703
00:45:08.960 --> 00:45:12.199
Even after salvation? What happens. Let's go ahead and let's

704
00:45:12.280 --> 00:45:16.079
just acknowledge. Can everyone acknowledge this? Even after salvation? Can

705
00:45:16.119 --> 00:45:22.559
you be perfect? And positionally you can? Right? Practically we cannot.

706
00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:26.199
So if I cannot, then that means God has at least,

707
00:45:26.280 --> 00:45:30.079
at the minimum given me up to what a life

708
00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:38.559
of sin, even as a believer. He's given me up

709
00:45:38.599 --> 00:45:40.760
to it. And can we not agree that he's at

710
00:45:40.840 --> 00:45:45.480
least given me up to that much? Now he's not

711
00:45:45.559 --> 00:45:48.159
given me up to stay that way because we believe

712
00:45:48.199 --> 00:45:51.320
in glorification, the sin nature will go. But let's now

713
00:45:51.519 --> 00:45:55.119
read everything that happens. Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanliness,

714
00:45:55.199 --> 00:45:57.599
the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own

715
00:45:57.599 --> 00:46:00.400
bodies between themselves, who change the truth of got into

716
00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:03.000
a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than

717
00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:07.360
the creator who worshiped the creature more than the creator?

718
00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:10.280
Has that not been my I have yelled and screamed

719
00:46:10.280 --> 00:46:18.360
about that my entire Christian life. Sure, what a church

720
00:46:18.440 --> 00:46:25.840
is constantly canceled preaching? For what fun? Food and activity?

721
00:46:26.599 --> 00:46:28.679
They have to have stinking small groups so they can

722
00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:32.119
hold each other's hands and sing kombay yaw and have friends,

723
00:46:32.199 --> 00:46:34.679
because I care about that more than I do God.

724
00:46:35.239 --> 00:46:37.519
Oh but if I say that, they get mad. Oh. No,

725
00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:39.679
we need the small group because it makes me a

726
00:46:39.719 --> 00:46:44.559
better Christian. Because you need friends. You just want friends.

727
00:46:46.280 --> 00:46:48.599
This is what got me in trouble in Nebraska when

728
00:46:48.639 --> 00:46:51.199
I was going to become the associated pastor because it

729
00:46:51.239 --> 00:46:53.960
was pastor appreciation night and I went off on the

730
00:46:54.079 --> 00:46:58.039
entire church. You want pastor appreciation? Well, instead of having

731
00:46:58.039 --> 00:47:01.000
a stupid cake downstairs and get him a card, how

732
00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:04.639
about you people actually show up to church on time. Hey,

733
00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:06.800
here's a novel idea. Why don't you actually bring a

734
00:47:06.880 --> 00:47:09.800
Bible to church? Hey? How come we have four hundred

735
00:47:09.800 --> 00:47:13.360
people here on Sunday morning and twenty on Wednesday. You

736
00:47:13.400 --> 00:47:17.239
don't appreciate the pastor, you're about to staking hypocrites. That

737
00:47:17.320 --> 00:47:19.199
is basically the end of my time at that church.

738
00:47:20.559 --> 00:47:23.559
But it was such a game. We're gonna go down, Oh, pastor,

739
00:47:23.760 --> 00:47:27.280
we love you show up to church. How about do that?

740
00:47:27.840 --> 00:47:30.239
And I went in the pastor, but I could tell

741
00:47:30.599 --> 00:47:34.280
being a pastor that's no fun when nobody shows up, right?

742
00:47:36.159 --> 00:47:38.719
So what is it? Demonstrates over and over and over,

743
00:47:38.840 --> 00:47:40.800
what do we love more than we love God? Come on,

744
00:47:40.840 --> 00:47:44.719
what do we love? We love everything more than we

745
00:47:44.719 --> 00:47:48.119
love God. So that continues to describe us, does it not?

746
00:47:49.519 --> 00:47:54.800
Oh wait, wait, let's continue reading. Wherefore God gave them

747
00:47:54.880 --> 00:47:59.480
up to uncleanliness, to the luss of their own hearts,

748
00:47:59.559 --> 00:48:03.360
to decide on their own bodies between themselves, who change

749
00:48:03.400 --> 00:48:06.440
the truth? Where we read about that verse twenty five,

750
00:48:06.599 --> 00:48:08.639
verse twenty six. For this cause, God gave them up

751
00:48:08.679 --> 00:48:11.280
into vile affection for even their women, to change the

752
00:48:11.400 --> 00:48:15.480
natural use onto that which is against nature. Now, inevitably

753
00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:24.039
people apply that only to what homosexuality. That goes beyond homosexuality.

754
00:48:24.079 --> 00:48:27.360
This is when we do what when we engage in

755
00:48:27.400 --> 00:48:33.320
anything that's against God's original plan? So this would also

756
00:48:33.360 --> 00:48:44.119
include what fornication, adultery, lust, pornography. Oh, now, people get

757
00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:46.039
a little nervous. They just want to be able to

758
00:48:46.119 --> 00:48:52.119
yell at whom homosexual. But I know it goes beyond homosexuality,

759
00:48:52.159 --> 00:48:55.400
You know how I know that. And likewise the men

760
00:48:55.480 --> 00:48:57.559
leaving the natural use of the women, burning their lust

761
00:48:57.559 --> 00:49:00.000
towards one another, with men working that which is unseemly,

762
00:49:00.039 --> 00:49:02.679
and receiving themselves that recompense of the air which are ways.

763
00:49:02.719 --> 00:49:04.719
And even as they did not like to retain God

764
00:49:05.400 --> 00:49:07.719
in their knowledge, God gave them up to our reprobate

765
00:49:07.760 --> 00:49:10.599
mind to do things which are not convenient, being filled

766
00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:18.639
with all all in righteousness. That describes what everyone. Well,

767
00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:22.280
what's next? Oh wait a minute, Now it's not just

768
00:49:22.320 --> 00:49:30.159
homosexuality anymore. Now we're getting into heterosexuality, right, wickedness? What's next?

769
00:49:31.239 --> 00:49:37.000
Oh wait, No, churches, we never covet dew we right maliciousness,

770
00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:41.239
full of envy, murder, debate. That never happens in church.

771
00:49:41.480 --> 00:49:44.079
We are also unified and we get along and there's

772
00:49:44.119 --> 00:49:50.719
never fighting and arguing, deceit, malignity, whispers backbiters. Oh, Christians

773
00:49:50.800 --> 00:49:54.360
never whisper and backbite? Do they know? Haters of God?

774
00:49:54.679 --> 00:49:59.239
Despiteful proud boasters and ventures of evil things, disobedient to parents? Oh,

775
00:49:59.239 --> 00:50:03.079
that never happens in the church. It does it without

776
00:50:03.199 --> 00:50:08.159
understanding covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who, knowing

777
00:50:08.199 --> 00:50:10.440
the judgment of God that they which commit such things

778
00:50:10.440 --> 00:50:12.480
are worthy of death, not only do the same, but

779
00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:14.639
have pleasure in them that do them. It made sure

780
00:50:14.639 --> 00:50:20.599
that it included basically what every kind of sin. Here

781
00:50:20.719 --> 00:50:24.360
is my argument. God created Adam and Eve. They fell

782
00:50:24.400 --> 00:50:28.119
into sin. The minute they fell into sin, they went

783
00:50:28.280 --> 00:50:33.880
and a downward humanity went on a downward spiral of sin, sin, sin, sin, sin,

784
00:50:34.159 --> 00:50:40.039
and God gave us all up to what? What did

785
00:50:40.039 --> 00:50:46.119
God ultimately give us up to our sin nature? How

786
00:50:46.199 --> 00:50:48.320
do I know God's given us up to our sin nature?

787
00:50:48.760 --> 00:50:52.039
Even as a believer? How can I know that? How

788
00:50:52.079 --> 00:50:54.960
can I know I've been given up to my sin nature? Practically?

789
00:50:56.400 --> 00:51:00.599
Because I cannot get to perfection. If I cannot get perfection,

790
00:51:00.880 --> 00:51:05.199
the thing keeping me from perfection is what in control?

791
00:51:06.159 --> 00:51:11.679
So what have we been given up to our sin nature?

792
00:51:11.760 --> 00:51:13.800
And what is the inevitable result of being given up

793
00:51:13.840 --> 00:51:18.880
to U s in nature? Sin? All of those things

794
00:51:18.920 --> 00:51:24.000
listed are going to be manifested where in the life

795
00:51:24.039 --> 00:51:26.159
of those who've been given up to it. That means

796
00:51:26.199 --> 00:51:28.239
that those things are going to show up. Where in

797
00:51:28.280 --> 00:51:31.360
the life of believers and the life of non believers

798
00:51:31.599 --> 00:51:37.119
does those things show up in churches everywhere? The whole

799
00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:41.199
scandal this summer has been the huge the one of

800
00:51:41.199 --> 00:51:44.719
the largest megachurches in America located there and near Dallas.

801
00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:50.360
Right the man. It came out that the man was

802
00:51:50.400 --> 00:51:53.519
engaged in some you know, sexual and morality in the past,

803
00:51:54.159 --> 00:51:56.360
and so everybody was like, okay, good. Come to find

804
00:51:56.400 --> 00:51:59.119
out the sexual morality in the past was he had

805
00:51:59.239 --> 00:52:05.519
sexual relations ongoing with a twelve year old. So guess

806
00:52:05.599 --> 00:52:08.320
what his ministry came to the end. The very next

807
00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:11.199
person they put in, Uh oh, he had to step

808
00:52:11.239 --> 00:52:15.440
down because they found stuff that he had done. Now

809
00:52:15.559 --> 00:52:18.320
people are leaving the church and mass. I don't know

810
00:52:18.320 --> 00:52:20.280
what's going to happen to the entire ministry. The whole

811
00:52:20.280 --> 00:52:23.760
thing is a mess. Well, oh, Tony Evans had to

812
00:52:23.800 --> 00:52:25.920
step down. I can go on and on and on

813
00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:28.400
of all the things that's just happened to Why those

814
00:52:28.400 --> 00:52:30.880
are just the pastors, forget all the people sitting in

815
00:52:30.880 --> 00:52:36.880
the pews. Week after week you read the Roy's report,

816
00:52:37.239 --> 00:52:42.920
child molestation, child molestation, child molestation, child molestation. It's constantly

817
00:52:42.960 --> 00:52:45.840
in the church. I mean, the joke is your kids

818
00:52:46.280 --> 00:52:48.519
are safer at a drag show than they are coming

819
00:52:48.559 --> 00:52:53.559
to church. Now, people get mad when I say that,

820
00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:57.239
But it's the reality and what and again, you've got

821
00:52:57.239 --> 00:53:01.599
two options. Change change something thing so that your faith

822
00:53:01.599 --> 00:53:04.079
and your reality will work. And so what do we do, Well,

823
00:53:04.079 --> 00:53:06.800
none of those people are saved, and not to do

824
00:53:06.840 --> 00:53:09.519
you get out of free jail card? For Christians, anytime

825
00:53:09.599 --> 00:53:11.719
someone does something we don't like, we just immediately say

826
00:53:12.559 --> 00:53:14.280
we would have been the one show him saying David,

827
00:53:14.320 --> 00:53:17.880
you're not saved. Solomon, you're not saved, Peter you're not saved, Paul,

828
00:53:17.920 --> 00:53:19.840
you're not safe. We would have thrown everyone out of

829
00:53:19.840 --> 00:53:22.000
the Bible, out of the Kingdom of God. That's not

830
00:53:22.199 --> 00:53:24.599
the get out of free jail card, because as soon

831
00:53:24.639 --> 00:53:26.599
as you start throwing everyone else out of the Kingdom

832
00:53:26.639 --> 00:53:29.039
of God, you're inevitably gonna be left as the only

833
00:53:29.079 --> 00:53:32.079
one left. Or are you gonna have to throw yourself out?

834
00:53:32.599 --> 00:53:39.719
But what makes more sense. God gave all of us

835
00:53:39.800 --> 00:53:45.000
over to our sin nature, and what is the result

836
00:53:45.039 --> 00:53:48.440
of that the reality in which we live. Do you

837
00:53:48.519 --> 00:53:52.840
not live that reality every day? Do you not feel

838
00:53:52.880 --> 00:53:55.559
the sin in yourself. Do you love God the way

839
00:53:55.599 --> 00:53:57.320
you're supposed to love God. Do you love others the

840
00:53:57.360 --> 00:53:59.320
way you're supposed to love others. Do you love and

841
00:53:59.440 --> 00:54:01.119
cherish the word God the way you're supposed to love

842
00:54:01.159 --> 00:54:03.559
and cherish the word of God. Do you demonstrate that

843
00:54:03.599 --> 00:54:08.480
you're perfect? You know that you're not. So to summarize,

844
00:54:08.599 --> 00:54:12.920
and I'll end with this, just kind of summarize. And

845
00:54:12.960 --> 00:54:15.039
I didn't even get through half my notes. I mean,

846
00:54:15.079 --> 00:54:21.400
I I had so much, but so just kind of summarize. Right.

847
00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:26.239
God revealed himself to man the invisible scene in creation.

848
00:54:26.480 --> 00:54:28.599
He showed himself and his deity. Yet man did not

849
00:54:28.639 --> 00:54:32.639
glorify him. They followed their wicked, sinful hearts, turned to idolatry,

850
00:54:32.840 --> 00:54:35.199
their own lust. So as a result, He delivered them

851
00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:39.559
up to themselves and their desires. This is clear in

852
00:54:39.599 --> 00:54:42.800
the history of Israel. It is clear and in the

853
00:54:42.840 --> 00:54:46.920
life of professing Christians today. By delivering us up, he

854
00:54:46.960 --> 00:54:50.440
has not made us perfect. Practically, that's what you see

855
00:54:50.440 --> 00:54:54.960
in every believer and in every church. People are still

856
00:54:55.000 --> 00:54:58.159
given up to their sinful natures. Because a man's rebellion,

857
00:54:58.440 --> 00:55:02.559
rejection sin, God there for delivered man basically to his

858
00:55:03.039 --> 00:55:09.159
own heart. Therefore, it is the inevitable consequence of a

859
00:55:09.199 --> 00:55:12.239
God who is revealing, who is revealing his wrath against

860
00:55:12.280 --> 00:55:16.519
people who know him. Are without excuse for being futile

861
00:55:16.559 --> 00:55:20.760
in there thinking because because we are arrogant, proud, we

862
00:55:20.800 --> 00:55:23.960
reject him, we suppress the truth. We're foolish, we're not wise. Therefore,

863
00:55:23.960 --> 00:55:26.760
God gave us up to our sinful desires, removing his

864
00:55:26.840 --> 00:55:30.159
restraining grace. This is true of everyone, but especially the Jews.

865
00:55:30.320 --> 00:55:32.519
This is a form of judgment, allowing everyone to feel

866
00:55:32.519 --> 00:55:35.440
the full impact of their sinful actions with restraint removed.

867
00:55:35.639 --> 00:55:38.719
We're given up to a sinful nature as set of them, us,

868
00:55:38.960 --> 00:55:42.360
all of us. That's kind of quick summaries of what

869
00:55:42.440 --> 00:55:46.199
I basically say. Here's what happened Adam and Efel, and

870
00:55:46.360 --> 00:55:50.880
what was been was a downward trajectory. Can we all agree?

871
00:55:51.000 --> 00:55:54.639
And then God ultimately did what gave us up to

872
00:55:54.760 --> 00:55:58.679
our sinful nature and to our own hearts. Okay, do

873
00:55:58.760 --> 00:56:02.920
I No? That was me trying to summarize. Trying to

874
00:56:03.199 --> 00:56:05.679
I wrote down two different paragraphs trying to summarize because

875
00:56:05.800 --> 00:56:07.840
what I was going to do is is today. I

876
00:56:07.880 --> 00:56:09.400
was just going to come in and say here was

877
00:56:09.440 --> 00:56:12.519
my theory. Now let's move on, right, because because I

878
00:56:12.519 --> 00:56:14.039
was trying to find a way to make it simple,

879
00:56:14.599 --> 00:56:16.719
but I wanted to go back and try to prove

880
00:56:16.840 --> 00:56:20.760
my argument. My argument is based off what concept that

881
00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:28.760
faith and reality must what work together? What does reality

882
00:56:28.840 --> 00:56:33.039
tell me about you, me and all Christians that we're

883
00:56:33.039 --> 00:56:35.920
still centers and we cannot be perfect? All right? So

884
00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:39.280
then how do I understand that? Because Christians teach no,

885
00:56:39.760 --> 00:56:43.440
that's Romans one eighteen to twenty four and following. Those

886
00:56:43.440 --> 00:56:45.719
are the bad people. Those are a lot. That's not

887
00:56:45.960 --> 00:56:51.519
us anymore. We're done Dune, We're powerful. We don't do

888
00:56:51.679 --> 00:56:57.119
those things anymore. That is such trash. We not only

889
00:56:57.199 --> 00:56:59.559
do those things, And in fact, some of that describes

890
00:56:59.800 --> 00:57:04.400
us to the day. We love the creation more than

891
00:57:04.400 --> 00:57:07.880
we love the creator. All of those things that everyone

892
00:57:07.920 --> 00:57:12.320
wants to go homosexuality, homosexuality, that's all people cannot They

893
00:57:12.360 --> 00:57:15.199
read Romans one and all they can think is homosexuals. Homosexuals,

894
00:57:15.239 --> 00:57:19.679
that's all they can see. Even AI acknowledge that the

895
00:57:19.800 --> 00:57:23.800
natural thing goes beyond homosexuality. And when you start reading

896
00:57:23.800 --> 00:57:25.400
some of that, does that not sound like all of

897
00:57:25.480 --> 00:57:31.239
us being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, conveteousness, maliciousness,

898
00:57:31.280 --> 00:57:36.679
full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers backbiters, haters

899
00:57:36.719 --> 00:57:39.159
of God. That sounds like every church I've ever been in.

900
00:57:40.159 --> 00:57:49.000
Oh wait, that sounds like me. So then what does

901
00:57:49.000 --> 00:57:53.920
that tell me? I argue, we've been given up now

902
00:57:54.000 --> 00:57:56.639
in some ways, that sounds like some people are gonna

903
00:57:56.639 --> 00:58:02.480
say I just preached a weak, defeated Christianity. Maybe I

904
00:58:02.519 --> 00:58:05.000
am preaching a week defeated Christianity. But I know this.

905
00:58:05.440 --> 00:58:09.800
That reality makes me have to do what then? I

906
00:58:09.840 --> 00:58:12.719
got to run to there? And my hope is in

907
00:58:12.760 --> 00:58:15.719
an imputed righteousness. That's why we believe in imputed righteousness,

908
00:58:16.199 --> 00:58:19.679
a forensic justification. I am declared to be that which

909
00:58:19.719 --> 00:58:24.559
I am not, And what am I declared to be? Perfect?

910
00:58:25.559 --> 00:58:33.159
What am I not? Perfect? Does my positional perfection excuse

911
00:58:33.280 --> 00:58:36.840
my practical imperfection? It doesn't excuse it. But we have

912
00:58:36.920 --> 00:58:39.679
to have a much more realistic understanding of what we

913
00:58:39.719 --> 00:58:43.719
can expect from Christians. What can we expect from Christians?

914
00:58:44.239 --> 00:58:48.760
Sin I'm not saying we should pat each other on

915
00:58:48.800 --> 00:58:50.760
the back and say, good job, man, you really got

916
00:58:50.760 --> 00:58:53.079
that sin in this week. I'm not saying we should

917
00:58:53.119 --> 00:58:56.599
do that, but I'm saying we should not be too surprised.

918
00:58:56.679 --> 00:59:00.360
Right now. I may not understand Saracen. I mean like,

919
00:59:00.400 --> 00:59:01.880
I don't know what in the world that is. Okay,

920
00:59:02.000 --> 00:59:04.719
I've never even heard of such thing, right, But at

921
00:59:04.800 --> 00:59:08.719
the same time, I may not understand hers, she may

922
00:59:08.760 --> 00:59:14.840
not understand mine. But what can we understand that we

923
00:59:14.920 --> 00:59:17.559
all are given up to our sin nature? Therefore, guess

924
00:59:17.599 --> 00:59:21.599
what we know? Sarah will never reach perfection. I will

925
00:59:21.639 --> 00:59:24.239
never reach perfection. So then what's the inevitable result of

926
00:59:24.320 --> 00:59:30.280
not reaching perfection? A persistent state of imperfection? But what

927
00:59:30.360 --> 00:59:34.920
do we almost demand perfection? Because we cannot do what

928
00:59:35.159 --> 00:59:40.280
our faith and reality are in what conflict, we have

929
00:59:40.360 --> 00:59:44.639
to harmonize them. I believe Romans one a temm following

930
00:59:44.679 --> 00:59:51.440
helps me do what harmonize reality. I can understand a

931
00:59:51.519 --> 00:59:55.320
Christianity that says what we've all been given up to

932
00:59:55.320 --> 00:59:59.920
our sinful nature. I can understand that Christianity. I can

933
01:00:00.039 --> 01:00:03.679
understand the Christianity says I've been freed from it. Because

934
01:00:03.679 --> 01:00:08.559
if I've been freed from it, why do I keep

935
01:00:08.599 --> 01:00:12.519
sinning and every sermon that I ever heard that will say, Hey,

936
01:00:12.639 --> 01:00:15.039
all of you need to know that in Christ, you're

937
01:00:15.039 --> 01:00:16.960
a new creature. Old things that passed away, all things

938
01:00:17.000 --> 01:00:20.880
that become new. Five Sometimes within the same breath, they'll say,

939
01:00:21.000 --> 01:00:23.880
but we continue to fight and struggle against sin. And

940
01:00:23.920 --> 01:00:26.639
I just want to say, do you not hear yourself?

941
01:00:28.360 --> 01:00:30.360
If I'm a new creature, there's nothing to fight and

942
01:00:30.400 --> 01:00:40.719
struggle against. So I believe Romans won. Does it describe

943
01:00:40.719 --> 01:00:47.559
the lost world? Yes, but it also describes us because

944
01:00:47.559 --> 01:00:51.679
we've all been given up. The way it manifest in us,

945
01:00:51.800 --> 01:00:54.880
will it be different than the way it manifest in them? Yeah?

946
01:00:54.920 --> 01:00:57.320
Well why because what's the big difference? As a Christian

947
01:00:57.440 --> 01:01:00.480
we refer to repentance as ultimately it's just to change

948
01:01:00.480 --> 01:01:03.440
your mind. Our brain has Our mind has changed about

949
01:01:03.440 --> 01:01:06.760
what we now acknowledge. All of those things listed there.

950
01:01:06.840 --> 01:01:10.400
We acknowledge that they are sinful, and what should we do?

951
01:01:11.000 --> 01:01:14.079
Confess and fight against it? Where the lost world will

952
01:01:14.079 --> 01:01:21.000
say it's not sinful. That's the only difference. All right,

953
01:01:21.039 --> 01:01:23.599
we'll pray, well, got we come before you this morning? Lord.

954
01:01:23.639 --> 01:01:30.320
I know this is not a an easy concept, but Lord,

955
01:01:30.360 --> 01:01:33.079
I hope that if people can understand. It's just an

956
01:01:33.119 --> 01:01:37.119
attempt to try to explain the reality we all live. Lord,

957
01:01:37.199 --> 01:01:39.760
we don't understand why you would leave us in that reality.

958
01:01:40.239 --> 01:01:45.119
You could remove that reality instantaneously. Everyone in this room

959
01:01:45.159 --> 01:01:47.519
could be freed from a sinful nature and could be

960
01:01:47.599 --> 01:01:50.920
freed from sin. But for some reason you have chosen

961
01:01:50.960 --> 01:01:53.639
not to do that. So then all our hope is

962
01:01:53.639 --> 01:01:56.119
is not in being freed from the sinful nature in

963
01:01:56.159 --> 01:01:59.079
this world. Our hope now is that we are declared

964
01:01:59.159 --> 01:02:02.719
righteous because of your Son's imputed righteousness. That we take

965
01:02:02.800 --> 01:02:05.679
hope in, that we take refuge in, and that we

966
01:02:05.719 --> 01:02:07.480
are thankful for. And we asked us in Jesus name,

967
01:02:07.480 --> 01:02:12.880
and God's people said h