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00:00Well, how are you this morning?
00:06You're blessed.
00:11You know, you're blessed regardless of how you feel.
00:16How we feel doesn't change what the Word says about us.
00:18You all know that, right?
00:22That's why when in the natural you're feeling some type of way, you need to quote the Word
00:28and work the Word in those times and in those moments.
00:33Make your way to Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1, and I, of course, good morning and welcome
00:41to all of you, especially our, our, any visitors that we have, we'll formally welcome you a
00:47little bit later, but just a general hello and is everybody awake, and Ephesians chapter
00:582, the Spirit of God will wake you up, don't worry about it.
01:02Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1, saints, I need you to know I got a whole lot on the inside
01:15of me.
01:16I, I got, I got a whole lot that I, I can't wait until heaven authorizes me to share it
01:24with you, which I believe is very, very soon.
01:30But in the interim, we're gonna talk about the grace of God, if that's okay.
01:37And God for His grace.
01:40And we are, and this is our lesson, our title, we, we are as New Testament believers, we
01:46are in the age of grace.
01:49The age of grace.
01:50This is what we are under, and we're gonna begin here in Ephesians chapter 2, beginning
01:59with verse 1, Ephesians 2, 1, which reads, and you He made alive who were dead in trespasses
02:11and sins.
02:12Let's focus on that just for a second.
02:15Who were dead, were, past tense.
02:18Who were dead in trespasses and sins.
02:22We were dead in trespasses and sins because we, we were born dead.
02:26I wanna make sure you don't, you don't, you don't miss that.
02:33We were born dead, we were born into this world spiritually dead, in need of spiritual
02:38life, in need of being born again.
02:42When you get born again, you become spiritually alive.
02:46And so, before Christ, we were what?
02:49We were dead in trespasses and sins, but the first part of this verse says what?
02:53You He made alive.
02:54Paul, writing to the Ephesian church, but of course, it applies to those who are called
03:01to be saints.
03:03You He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you what?
03:08In which you once walked.
03:13You used to walk this way, you don't walk this way anymore.
03:16Because you've been made alive.
03:19People who have been made alive, they don't walk according to the course of this world.
03:25We used to walk according to the course of this world, but not anymore.
03:28It says, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to
03:32the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who what now works in the who, sons of disobedience.
03:42Who is the prince of the power of the air?
03:45That's the devil.
03:48The devil's not, he's not the prince of hell, he's the prince of the power of the air.
03:54Devil's not in hell, devil's never been to hell, one day he will be in hell.
03:59But as of right now, he has access to the first heaven.
04:04We know he has a habit of accusing the brethren, and so there's going to be a future war when
04:09we're out of here.
04:10This is after we're out of here, but Revelation 12 talks about how Michael and his angels
04:14fight the dragon and his angels.
04:16And when Michael and his angels prevail, the Bible says, there will be no longer, no longer
04:24any place for him in the heavenlies.
04:28No longer.
04:29Right now, he still has access.
04:31He's not, he's not a part of the family of heaven, where God dwells, that is.
04:36But he can still approach the throne of grace and accuse the brethren.
04:40He can accuse us.
04:41He did it to Job, Job 1.6, Job 2.1.
04:46And so, and so, because, because he has access, his realm is the second heavens, right?
04:51All right, think of vacuum or space.
04:54That's his realm.
04:55And it gives him access to the third heaven, paradise where God is.
04:58It gives him access through the first heaven into the earth realm to do what?
05:01To harass mankind.
05:05That's why he's called the prince of the power of the air.
05:08And it says, who now works in the sons of disobedience.
05:11Well, if I want to walk this way, this scripture tells me then that I used to be a son of disobedience.
05:20You used to be a son of disobedience.
05:22If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you're now a son of obedience.
05:27And you walk a different way.
05:28Verse three.
05:29It says, among from also we all once conducted.
05:32You all see the past tense here?
05:36You who were dead in which you once walked, we once conducted ourselves.
05:45That's, that's, that's, that's the old man, not the new.
05:51Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
05:57of the flesh and of the mind because the mind was influenced by the flesh and were by nature.
06:06You guys hear me talk about this all the time, right?
06:08The nature of a believer is righteousness.
06:13We inherited a new nature when we became born again.
06:19We left the old nature.
06:20Now the old nature still resides in our flesh, which is why we 24 seven have to keep our
06:27flesh under.
06:29We have to buffet our bodies.
06:32But notice again, past tense, we were by nature, children of wrath, just as the others.
06:42This is who we used to be.
06:43This is what we used to do.
06:45This is how we used to walk, how we used to live.
06:50Verse four, but God, that alone will preach, won't it?
06:56We go home on that note, but God, but God, who was what rich in mercy because of his
07:06great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive
07:13together with Christ by what?
07:16By grace, you have been saved and raised us up together and made us sit together in the
07:26heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
07:29Oh, let me, let me focus on verse six for just a second, because we need to really get
07:35a hold of where we're seated because we've been identified with him, him being Christ.
07:43We are seated with him in heavenly places.
07:45And Ephesians one tells us that he is seated far above, far above all principality, power
07:53and might, far above every name that has been named, every name that is named and every
07:59name that is to come.
08:01Jesus is seated, not just above, but what?
08:04Far above, he's seated at the right hand of the father and because we've been identified
08:10with him, guess who else is seated there?
08:14You and I seated in heavenly places.
08:16So that tells me that, that any name that, that, that contends with or conflicts with
08:22the name of Jesus, we are seated far above those names.
08:28So those names shouldn't be telling us what to do and how to dictate our lives and how
08:35to run things.
08:36No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
08:37They must submit to the name that we have the authority to use, the name of Jesus.
08:44Look at this.
08:45He made us alive together with Christ, raised us up together, identified with Christ and
08:51made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
08:55That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
09:01toward us in Christ Jesus for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not
09:08of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
09:17Let's unpack this eighth verse and this ninth verse.
09:21How have we been saved?
09:23By grace.
09:26Through what though?
09:28Okay, so, so obviously grace and faith are needed to receive salvation.
09:39Let me ask you this question.
09:42Between those two, what's our part?
09:47Oh, y'all are on it.
09:50What's our part?
09:52What's his part?
09:53Y'all are smart.
09:55I didn't even have to tell you.
09:59You already knew.
10:02Grace is, is, is, grace is the part God's already done.
10:08Faith is the part we're to do.
10:11For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's not because
10:18of you.
10:20And then it says what?
10:21It is the gift of God.
10:23Most think that the it is referring to the grace, it's not referring to the grace, it's
10:26referring to the faith.
10:29Faith is the gift given to us to receive salvation and then that same measure then must be developed
10:35over the course of our kingdom life.
10:40But grace is what God did.
10:42Grace, grace is why salvation is made available.
10:47Faith is how we receive it.
10:51The grace of God has presented salvation to us and it is by faith that we receive it.
11:00We know some have chosen to reject, so by faith we receive it, right?
11:05That not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest what?
11:10Anyone should boast, lest anyone should brag.
11:12If salvation is by works, then I receive salvation because of what I did, not because of what
11:19he did.
11:23Works are good.
11:25As believers, we should do works, we should do good works, but we don't have to do works
11:30to get saved.
11:33And watch this, neither do we have to do works to maintain our salvation.
11:40Salvation again is made available as a result of the grace of God alone and is received
11:47by faith alone, not of works, again, lest anyone should boast.
11:53Now the Bible does tell us that there are times we can boast.
11:57For example, when we find ourselves in tribulations, this is Romans chapter five, verses one through
12:01five, verse three specifically.
12:05When we find ourselves in tribulations, the Bible says we can glory or should glory, another
12:11word for glory is to boast.
12:13So we can boast in tribulations.
12:16It almost seems like, it seems a bit oxymoronic.
12:20Why would that be the time to boast?
12:22When I'm suffering, when I'm going through what seems or feels like hell, when I'm struggling,
12:31when in the natural I don't know what's coming next, that's when I'm supposed to boast.
12:38In the trib—I'm not boasting for the tribulations, I'm not glorying for the tribulations, but
12:43I'm boasting and I'm glorying in the tribulations.
12:49And who am I glorying about?
12:50Who am I boasting about?
12:51Who am I bragging about?
12:54God.
12:56That's the only time the Bible appears to authorize boasting, when I'm in the tribulation
13:03boasting on the God who's carrying me through it.
13:09But when it comes to salvation, if I have the audacity to think that my works got me
13:14saved, then I get to brag and I get to boast.
13:19But there's only one who gets to boast, it's us or it's God.
13:25I can boast about God in my trial, but regarding salvation, mm-mm.
13:34Because again, if I did it, I can brag about it.
13:36Verse 10, watch this though, we're His workmanship, poima in the Greek, His workmanship, which
13:46means we're what?
13:47We're His work of art.
13:49You're God's work of art.
13:50Did you know that?
13:51No, I need you to say it, I need you to say this with me, I am God's work of art.
14:01You need to look in the mirror and tell yourself that every day.
14:06I am God's work of art.
14:13You are, you are, we are, we are His finest creation.
14:21The cream of the crop, the piece de resistance, again, the magnum opus, the definitive work
14:30in His creation, because we're the ones made in His image according to His likeness.
14:34Why do you think the devil hates you so much?
14:39Think about it.
14:40Let's paint the scenario.
14:42Here you are, Lucifer, morning star, light bearer.
14:48You are called the anointed cherub who covered.
14:51You have authority that the other celestial creatures don't have.
14:55You are responsible for the worship.
14:57They worship and you literally carry their worship to the Father.
15:01Whoa, what a responsibility, but what an honor and a privilege.
15:04And you're such a unique cherub that you're made differently than the others.
15:09You have the same four faces and four wings as them, except you, Lucifer, have precious
15:13stones built into your person as well as instruments.
15:16You're a walking orchestra and choir.
15:23You were there before the earth was created.
15:29When the foundations of the earth were laid, many of your kind, other morning stars began
15:34to sing when the foundations of the earth were laid.
15:38And then five days later from the dust of the earth comes this creature that God calls
15:44man and, and, and father, God says to the Godhead, let us make a man in our image.
15:51According to our likeness.
15:52If you're Lucifer, you, you, you step back and you go, hold up.
16:01God I'm a bit confused.
16:02I've, I've, I've, I've been here a lot longer than them a lot longer than they, I have responsibilities
16:08that no other angel, cherub, seraph, et cetera, has yet.
16:14I don't recall you ever making me or my kind in your image, according to your likeness.
16:22What is this man creature and why are they so special to you now?
16:29When you approach it like that, you can then understand why he worked overtime to deceive
16:35the Adam in the garden.
16:39Not only did he witness the creation, he saw the transfer of dominion and authority.
16:45Why do they get to have that?
16:48So he says, here's what I'll do.
16:54I will do to them what I did to myself.
16:59I deceived myself and lost my position.
17:03Well, I don't want to be the only one in this party.
17:08So let me deceive them and cause them to lose their position.
17:14And that's exactly what happened.
17:17That's exactly what happened.
17:20And yet we're the ones he calls a work of art.
17:27We are the ones that get to be conformed to the image of his son, that, that, that when
17:33God looks at his children, he sees Jesus because we're the body of Christ.
17:40Again, conformed, oh my goodness, conformed to the image of Jesus who happens to be the
17:46express image of the person of God.
17:51You and I look more like God than any angel, any, any, any heavenly winged or non-winged
17:58creature.
17:59We do.
18:02Makes all the sense in the world that the devil would come at man hard.
18:06And not only did he do it then, he's continuing to do it.
18:11Don't you understand that, that, do you know how many of the matriarchs of Scripture had
18:19issues with their wombs, barren wombs?
18:24And women today still deal with that, struggling to get pregnant.
18:29We know that's not God's doing because he told man to be fruitful and multiply and fill
18:33the earth.
18:36We know who's behind the struggle from the early days, all the way back to, to Sarah
18:43and every other matriarch after, who struggled to get pregnant, whose womb was barren for
18:49years and years.
18:51And today, women experience that.
18:53My wife had an issue in the beginning, getting pregnant.
19:00We had a, we had a plan.
19:02After three to five years of marriage, we're going to start having children.
19:06Well, well, when the third year came, nothing happened.
19:10When the fourth year came, nothing happened.
19:12We're in the fifth year and nothing's happening.
19:17I'll never forget, it was, it was, it was during the Azusa Street Centennial celebration
19:23in 2006, the early part of the year.
19:27And it was a, it was a magnificent week that we experienced.
19:31Much occurred here in the Faith Dome.
19:34And when it was over, a couple days later, I get a phone call from some random woman,
19:43random, I think she said she was from the Midwest.
19:46I want to say Ohio, I'm not sure.
19:49But she said she had a word for me regarding my son, who, who, who wasn't here yet, hadn't
19:57been, hadn't been planted yet.
20:01I don't know who this woman was.
20:02She never said her name.
20:04She gave me one of the most powerful, comforting, inspiring words.
20:11And three months later, she's pregnant.
20:18But why, why would we have to go through all of that in the first place for her to get
20:25pregnant or any other woman to get pregnant?
20:28Because the devil hates family.
20:29The devil hates us.
20:30The devil hates the womb.
20:33And that's why he encourages certain things to occur, so that the family is hindered and
20:38the growth is stunted.
20:42Because we're his workmanship.
20:45Not only are we his work of art, but, but literally, we are, we're, we're God's poetry.
20:53That's what it also translates into.
20:56God's poetry.
20:57It says we're his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, watch this, for good works,
21:04which God prepared beforehand that we should do what?
21:08That we should walk in them.
21:09So, so good works don't get us saved, neither do good works maintain our salvation, again,
21:16that's grace alone and faith alone.
21:20But because we have been saved, we have been called to do good works and walk in them.
21:28Works being deeds.
21:30And remember, a day is coming, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 10, which says, for we all
21:34must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for the deeds or the works
21:41done in the body, whether good or bad.
21:46Now, when was I in the body?
21:48When I was on the earth, which means that the judgment seat of Christ isn't on the earth
21:53and I don't stand before that seat while I'm in my body.
21:59I have to leave my body, no, I take that back, forgive me.
22:06That happens when we're resurrected, so we'll be in glory, we'll be in our glorified bodies
22:11at the, at the judgment seat, but, but we're giving account for the deeds done in the body
22:16while we were living this life.
22:20And it says whether good or bad.
22:22Now, it has nothing to do with our salvation, but it does have to do with our rewards.
22:29And I don't know about you, but I want as many rewards as I can get.
22:35I mean, call me, call me, call me a little bit selfish, but I want all the crowns.
22:41I want all the precious stones, I want all the rewards, I want them all.
22:45And I really, I really don't want to give an account before Jesus for bad deeds.
22:51So, so I want to handle those while I'm here.
22:56I want to take care of those while I'm here.
22:58We should make sure we take care of those.
23:00Take care of those meaning what?
23:01Well, a bad deed or a bad work, that's a missed mark.
23:06So first John 1, 9, that thing, and keep it moving.
23:13We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand
23:19that we should do what?
23:20That we should walk in them.
23:24Romans, Romans 3, Romans 3, 21.
23:32When I, when I, when I teach on faith in the very near future, many of these scriptures
23:38will go to, but we'll, we'll focus on the faith aspect.
23:42Right now we're focusing on the grace aspect.
23:46Romans 3, 21, which says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law, meaning what?
23:53This is the righteousness of God that is obtained not via law, but another way.
24:01Now again, Israel was given the law of Moses and they could not keep it.
24:07The only one who could keep the whole law was Jesus and he kept it and he satisfied
24:12all requirements for us.
24:18And so now, as a result of that, we have the righteousness of God that is acquired
24:23by faith.
24:24Verse 21 again, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being
24:29witnessed by the law and the prophets.
24:31It was witnessed by them.
24:34We know that they, they got a glimpse of it because righteousness was accounted to many
24:39of them simply for believing God or doing what God called them to do.
24:47Believing in faith, acting on whatever the Word of God was for them.
24:51Genesis 15, 6 tells us that Abram believed God.
24:55In other words, what did he believe?
24:57He believed what God said to him.
24:58What did God say?
24:59You're going to be a father of many nations and you all the families of the earth will
25:04be blessed and you will have an heir who comes from your body.
25:09Well, the Bible says Abram believed.
25:11He believed God said it, so he believed it.
25:13And the Bible says God accounted it to him as righteousness.
25:18In other words, it was a, it was, it was a deposit of righteousness in his account that
25:24could be withdrawn at a later date, at a later time.
25:28That's how they were able to witness the righteousness of God.
25:32The law and the prophets were able to witness what you and I on this side of Calvary are
25:38declared.
25:40Verse 22, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus to all and on all who believe
25:46for there's no difference, right?
25:49There's Jew Gentile, there's no difference.
25:53It says verse 23, for all have sinned, all have and fallen short of the glory of God.
26:02All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God being justified freely by his what?
26:06By his grace.
26:07What does justified mean?
26:09Declared righteous.
26:10Having been declared righteous freely.
26:13In other words, you didn't have to work to obtain this justification.
26:17Having been justified freely by his grace through what?
26:20The redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
26:23So the grace of God was made available via the work of Christ.
26:28When Jesus' work was completed, that positioned all who would follow either, either all who
26:35were alive when he was crucified, when he was resurrected, and all who would follow
26:42that positioned them, that positioned us to receive that redemption.
26:48It says, it says, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a
26:53propitiation, meaning a mercy seat, by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness
27:05because in his forbearance, what's forbearance?
27:07That's long-suffering.
27:11No one has more forbearance than God.
27:14Look at how long he put up with us.
27:19Because in his forbearance, God had done what?
27:21Had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time
27:26his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in
27:31Jesus.
27:32So watch this.
27:33By, by the grace of God, salvation made available, redemption made available, righteousness made
27:41available and by faith we receive it.
27:45And it's settled.
27:47It's settled.
27:48When you receive salvation by faith, you can't become more saved in your life, more justified
27:54or more righteous.
27:56You receive all the righteousness and justification that you need to go forth.
28:03Again, it's the spirit part of you that's redeemed.
28:06It's the spirit part of you that's justified.
28:08The spirit part of you, the realest part of you that is righteous.
28:11Again, the soul then begins the process of being righteous and being justified and being
28:16redeemed and one day the body will be righteous, justified and redeemed.
28:22This is all because of his grace.
28:24Notice what it says.
28:25It says here in verse 25, the latter part, it says, because in his forbearance God, what?
28:30Passed over the sins that were previously committed.
28:34Think, think, think, think, think of sins as, as accounts written in your ledger.
28:43Well, when we all came to God, what a heavy ledger, maybe some more full than others.
28:53But watch this.
28:56The moment we heard that message regarding Jesus and a genuine change occurred on the
29:04inside of us and we made that confession and we believed in our heart with all sincerity.
29:10That ledger was white, clean, white, clean.
29:16Now now I'm born again.
29:18So if I err, if I err, there is a recording angel recording that deed.
29:25But if I confess my sins because he's faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and cleanse
29:30me of all unrighteousness, then that, that deed is erased from the record.
29:35The recording angel no longer has any knowledge of it because the way God works is when God
29:41forgives, he forgets.
29:46He forgets.
29:48And I've always been in awe of how God can forget something.
29:52He has omniscience, meaning he has all knowledge, and he has foreknowledge, which means he knows
29:58what's going to happen before it happens.
30:00What makes God very unique is that he has both.
30:03All the time, God knows what is happening and what will happen.
30:08No one has a better memory than God, and yet he chooses to forget our deeds.
30:14When we do our part, he chooses to not only forgive us our sins, but he chooses to forget
30:20our sins.
30:21Now here's my question to all of us, including myself.
30:24If God has forgotten my sins, why do I allow the devil to keep bringing them up?
30:36I mean, to be honest with you, we need to be like God.
30:38When the devil brings it up, I have no knowledge of what you speak about.
30:43I literally don't know what you're talking about, neither does God.
30:51That's how righteous God is.
30:54That's how much long-suffering and forbearance he has, pre-sin and post-sin, pre-salvation
31:00and post-salvation.
31:01Okay, let's look at this now.
31:04Let's look at chapter 5, Romans 5, starting with verse 12.
31:20This is how we come under the umbrella of grace.
31:26Romans 5, 12.
31:27It says, therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world.
31:30Who was that man?
31:32Okay.
31:34So Adam sins, Adam sins and now sin is here, sins in the earth.
31:42God did not ordain sin to be here.
31:48Did He allow it?
31:50He allowed it.
31:52Just because God allows something doesn't mean that that's His will.
31:58Everything that happens, there are some who believe that everything that happens is the
32:01will of God.
32:03That would be somewhat confusing, if everything that ever happens to anyone at any time is
32:10the will of God, just because He allowed it.
32:16It doesn't line up.
32:17So, what do I mean?
32:18Well, God tells Adam, don't eat the fruit from this tree.
32:23And the day that you eat of it, meaning if you eat of it, you'll what?
32:28You'll surely die.
32:29You'll surely die.
32:30Sounds to me like that's the will of God.
32:34That the will of God is that man, Adam, does not eat the fruit from this tree specifically.
32:42That sounds like the will of God.
32:44But Adam ate from the fruit or ate from the tree and God allowed it to happen.
32:50Does that automatically mean that was God's will?
32:53Absolutely not.
32:54God was very clear what His will was.
32:55Don't eat the fruit from this tree because in the day that you eat of it, you'll surely
32:59die.
33:00Now, some might say, no, it clearly must have been the will of God because the Bible tells
33:04us that Jesus Christ is the lamb slain before the foundations of the world.
33:11But see, that hits differently to God than it does us.
33:19See, when we hear before the foundations of the world, we hear a long time ago.
33:29But for God, you need to understand that for God, the beginning, before the foundations
33:37of the world, everything that happened during the Old Covenant, everything that happened
33:41during the New Testament, everything that has occurred up until right now, and everything
33:47that will happen that concludes the events of Revelation, for God is all happening in
33:53the same day.
33:57Because God lives in one eternal now.
34:01God lives in the right now.
34:04He's not bound by time.
34:05He created it.
34:08We know He's not bound by time because Ecclesiastes says, there's a time and a season for everything.
34:14Watch this, pay very close attention to what the Scripture says.
34:17There's a time and a season for everything under heaven.
34:22Under heaven.
34:23Times and seasons occur under heaven, not in heaven.
34:26And for sure, not with God.
34:31He's not bound by time.
34:33So, Jesus being the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world, to God, time-wise,
34:42there's no difference than the day everyone in this room was born.
34:48So again, what was the will of God?
34:52Don't eat the fruit from this tree.
34:54Adam ate from the fruit, or ate from the tree, he ate the fruit of the tree, and God
34:58allowed it.
34:59Why did God allow it?
35:01And then, let's take it a step further, because there were two trees in the midst of the garden.
35:05Don't forget about the tree of life.
35:08The tree of life was the tree that represented life and immortality.
35:11The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the tree that represented death and mortality.
35:17Well, after Adam eats the fruit of the wrong tree, God then says to Jesus in the Holy Spirit,
35:26he says, man has become like one of us to know good and evil.
35:31And now, we must drive him out of the garden, lest he take from the tree of life and live
35:39forever.
35:41What was God saying?
35:42God was saying, just like by my word, I couldn't stop him from eating from the wrong tree,
35:49by my word, I can't stop him from eating from the right tree in the wrong state.
35:59That's why he said, lest man live forever, live forever in his sin.
36:04So he had to drive man out of the garden.
36:07Because if man were to reach from that fruit, God would not have been able to stop them,
36:12not because God doesn't have the ability to, but because God is bound by his word.
36:20So what happens?
36:21Got to get man out of the garden.
36:23Place cherubim all around, or cherubim to guard the way to the tree, and a flaming sword.
36:31No one's holding the sword, by the way.
36:34People always picture the flaming sword being held by cherubim.
36:37No.
36:38No, you have cherubim and then you have a flaming sword.
36:43No one is holding the sword, and it turns every direction.
36:47Literally, in the Hebrew, we learn that what the flaming sword could do is spit out thistles
36:54that would hit the eyes, so that if man decided to try to come close to that tree, they wouldn't
37:00be able to find it because they couldn't see it.
37:05We got to get man out of here, and then we got to protect this tree of life.
37:09Well, here we are, verse 12, through one man, through one man, sin entered the world.
37:21And who hits the ride with sin, right?
37:27Death got on his smartphone, chose between Uber and Lyft.
37:34Saw that the driver was sin, said, let me get a ride.
37:40Death is here because sin is here.
37:42Remember, in the day that you eat of it, you'll surely what?
37:46Why was the death a sure death?
37:48It was a sure death because the first part of the death, or the first phase of the death
37:52was immediate.
37:53It was immediate.
37:55It was spiritual death, which was instant.
37:57See, just like becoming spiritually alive is instant, becoming spiritually dead is instant.
38:05So the moment Adam, the Adam, eats of the tree, eats the fruit of the tree of the knowledge
38:11of good and evil, immediately, immediately, their eyes were open to know things they were
38:18never supposed to know, because again, God never intended for man to know good and evil.
38:22He only intended for man to know God.
38:26That's it.
38:28That's it.
38:29Remember what the serpent said to the woman.
38:31The serpent, the serpent told the truth for deceptive purposes.
38:38So when Jesus says that Satan is the father of lies and everything that comes out of his
38:42mouth is a lie, that's true.
38:44Even when the devil speaks the truth, it's coated in lies.
38:49It's got a, it's got a covering or, or, or a frosting of lies that that's what it has.
38:54So did the devil tell the woman the truth that in the day that you'll eat of it, you'll
39:01be like God to know good and evil?
39:03Yeah, he did.
39:05But why?
39:06For the purpose of mankind losing their position with God.
39:09And the serpent was successful, which is why, what did, what did God say again?
39:14Man has become like us to know good and evil.
39:16Man was already like God, but now man is like God knowing good and evil, which they were
39:21never supposed to know.
39:24Amen.
39:28So the sure death was what?
39:32Spiritual death.
39:33Immediate separation.
39:34Watch how the separation works because that's what, see, sin is a separator.
39:40You know it is.
39:42Because if you've ever done someone wrong or someone's done you wrong, there is a period
39:45of separation.
39:48Now thank God for his grace when relationships get restored, we can rejoice about that.
39:54But there may be an immediate separation because of error.
39:57Well, what did sin do?
39:59Sin separated mankind from God.
40:03Then on top of that, sin separated the male from the female.
40:08I've shared this with you before, remember, remember we don't know no Eve before sin.
40:21Find me Eve's name before sin.
40:23You can't find it.
40:25All you find is the woman.
40:28Why?
40:29Because there was a woman and there was a man and they were Adam.
40:35And what did sin do?
40:36Sin separated the man and the woman.
40:39And now the man has become a man named Adam and the woman becomes Eve, the mother of all
40:44living, Genesis 3.20.
40:48Separated man from God, separated man from woman.
40:53And then what happened?
40:54That spiritual death caused physical death to come into the world and Adam and Eve began
41:00to die physically.
41:02And now everyone born into the world is born into sin.
41:07Everyone born into the world is born into a world starting the process of death.
41:16Because when I was born into this world, I didn't begin to gain life, I immediately started
41:21losing life, immediately.
41:25Now we want to be those who experience long life.
41:30If the Lord tarries, meaning if he waits and he doesn't appear before we all pass away,
41:36we all should be aiming for long life.
41:40We should be, we should be aiming for past 80, past 80 years.
41:45That's what we should be aiming for.
41:47Seventy years will be the, the, the, the year of, year of generation.
41:52Seventy years is a, is a biblical generation, but we, but the psalmist said if reasoned
41:56by strength, 80 years.
41:59And I want to, I want, I want more than 80.
42:04I want more than 80.
42:05And here's what I found.
42:06I found that God's okay with that.
42:08I found out that he's okay with that because there's certain scriptures that he gave me
42:11that if I do, see there's some scriptures, the only way you're going to experience the
42:16benefit is if you meet the condition.
42:21You got to do the if.
42:24There's a if, if you don't do the if, I mean two scriptures in particular where technically
42:30God was speaking to Israel or speaking to Job, but it's applicable to us.
42:35Isaiah 119, if, if you obey and serve me, I'm sorry, if you be willing and obedient,
42:43you shall eat the good of the land.
42:45That's what God had the prophet tell Israel.
42:47I believe it's applicable to us today that if we be willing and obedient, we'll eat the
42:51good of the land.
42:53He told Job, Job 36 11, if you obey and serve me, you'll spend your days in prosperity and
42:57your years in pleasure.
43:01It sounds like if I meet that condition and God's not a respecter of persons, so what
43:05he was telling Israel through Isaiah and what he was telling Job, it seems like if I'm on
43:09the other side of Calvary, which is a better covenant established on better promises than
43:13Job 36 11 and Isaiah 119 and every other promise under the old covenant hits differently
43:19for me under the new covenant.
43:23It's better.
43:24Psalm 84 11, the Lord God is a son and a shield.
43:29No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
43:33Seem like that would be better for me under the New Testament since I'm under the Testament
43:36and under the covenant that's a better one established on better promises.
43:42So I have, you and I have better than Isaiah 119.
43:44You and I have better than Job 36 11.
43:47You and I have better than the 23rd Psalm.
43:52That's what the scripture says.
43:54It's the 91st Psalm that says, if you dwell in the secret place of the most high, well,
44:00you abide under the shadow of the almighty and then everything else is contingent on
44:04that.
44:05And what's verse 16 say?
44:07God says he'll satisfy us with long life.
44:12First Peter 3 10, he quotes the old Testament.
44:16If you love life and you want to see good days, let your tongue refrain from evil and
44:23your lips from speaking deceit.
44:25Bible tells me what I need to do to have long life.
44:29But again, the moment I'm born, the moment I begin to die, I am that.
44:34Why do you think it's called being born again?
44:38Jesus said, if you want to see the kingdom of God, you can't just rely on your natural
44:42birth.
44:43You need a spiritual birth.
44:45You want to see the kingdom of God.
44:46You must be born again.
44:48Now, spiritually speaking, there's no death, which is why Jesus said, he who believes in
44:53me will never die.
44:55It doesn't mean that the flesh won't go back to the earth.
44:59That'll happen because the flesh isn't saved.
45:03Again, there will be the one generation that doesn't die because they'll be here when the
45:08Lord appears.
45:10They'll be the generation that doesn't see death.
45:13But it doesn't mean that their bodies haven't been dying up until that point.
45:16Because again, the moment we're born, we start to age.
45:20We start to move forward in years.
45:23So we begin to die.
45:24We're not gaining life when we're born into this world.
45:27We begin to lose life.
45:31And that's because of who?
45:33That's because of Adam.
45:35And so verse 12 again, therefore just as through one man, what entered the world?
45:40Sin entered the world.
45:41Sin is here because of Adam.
45:43It says in what?
45:44In death through sin.
45:46That's because of Adam.
45:49It says, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned.
45:54We all sinned in Adam, therefore we're deserving of death via Adam.
46:01Verse 13, for until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is
46:06no law.
46:09You can't be held accountable for what you don't know.
46:14If there's no law, how do you know what's right and wrong?
46:17So he says what?
46:18It's not imputed when there's no law.
46:19Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses.
46:23Because when Moses came, that's when we get law.
46:28Wow, this just, wow, I never saw that before.
46:34Watch this.
46:37The nevertheless, that just did it for me.
46:43God through Paul is showing us that it doesn't matter if you didn't have a law and didn't
46:49know what was right and what was wrong, you're still dying.
46:54That's why, look what he says.
46:55He says, verse 13 again, for until the law, sin was in the world, but sin wasn't imputed.
47:02Why?
47:03Because there was no law.
47:04Nevertheless, death still reigned from Adam to the person who brought us the law.
47:10That was for me.
47:11He says, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression
47:15of Adam, who is a type of him, oh, look at that, a type of him who was to come.
47:23It says, but the free gift is not like the offense.
47:27For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God, there it is, the
47:31what of God?
47:32The grace of God and the gift by the what?
47:35Grace of the man, the one man, Jesus Christ abounded to many.
47:42And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.
47:46For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift
47:52which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
47:56Okay, so with sin comes guilt and condemnation, right?
48:00When you're in faith, there's confidence and assurance.
48:04Again, that's why you can't be in faith and be in the flesh at the same time.
48:09It doesn't work.
48:10Those who are in the flesh can't please God.
48:12Those who are in faith do please God.
48:15So, so with, with Adam's sin came what?
48:20It came, came condemnation.
48:23The one offense resulted in condemnation.
48:26But the free gift which came from many offenses, well that resulted in justification.
48:32Verse 17, for if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, how much more
48:38those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life
48:42through the one, Jesus Christ.
48:44This is why 1 Corinthians chapter 15 refers to Jesus as the last Adam.
48:53There were two men, one lived, one still lives.
48:58There were two men whose decisions affected all of us.
49:04Whose decisions immediately had an impact on every man coming into the world or every
49:11man who lived in the world presently and every man coming into the world.
49:16Two, the first Adam and the last Adam.
49:21They both represented mankind.
49:24And they both were tempted in the same three areas, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes,
49:29pride of life.
49:30Same three areas.
49:32Lust of the flesh, Adam was hungry.
49:37Lust of the eyes, saw the fruit.
49:40Pride of life would become like God knowing good and evil.
49:46He failed.
49:48Last Adam was tempted in the same three areas, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride
49:52of life.
49:53Lust of the flesh, what did the devil say?
49:56Come on, command the stones to be turned to bread.
50:00Lust of the eyes, look out, look at all the kingdoms of the world, they've been delivered
50:06to me.
50:07Worship me and I'll give them all to you.
50:10Pride of life, throw yourself off the cliff.
50:13It's been written, his angels have been given charge over you.
50:16The angels got you, just go ahead and jump.
50:19Pride of life.
50:20Well, well, well, where the first Adam failed, the last Adam would succeed and then gives
50:25us a pattern.
50:26This is what we do when the tempter comes.
50:29It's amazing.
50:30Jesus didn't square up with the devil.
50:37He didn't say, I'll meet you outside, probably because they were already outside, but still.
50:42No, he didn't, he didn't, he didn't give them any of that.
50:45He simply gives them the word.
50:48He just, he gives them the word.
50:50Oh yeah, man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the
50:54mouth of God.
50:57He hits them with a, you shall not tempt the Lord your God.
51:00Every single area, all three, when the devil came at Jesus, Jesus responded with the word
51:06and therefore succeeded, which positioned him to make his way to the cross, to die so
51:10that righteousness could be made available to us.
51:15Where the first Adam failed, the last Adam succeeded.
51:18So look at verse 17 again, for if by the one man's offense, death reign through the one,
51:23much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign
51:28in life through the one Jesus Christ.
51:29Now here's a slight difference between the two.
51:32In other words, the results of what the two did, the first Adam sin causes us to automatically
51:41be born into sin.
51:44The last Adam's act does not cause us to now be automatically born in the righteousness.
51:51We don't come here safe.
51:52I got to do is look at the condition of the world.
51:54Look at the history of the world from the time Jesus ascended to the right hand of the
51:58father up until now, and that'll tell you mankind was not born in the righteousness
52:02automatically just because of the first Adam's error caused every man to be born into sin
52:07automatically.
52:08No, no, we're still born into sin, but righteousness is made available to us.
52:13Salvation is made available to us.
52:17Verse 18, therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men resulting
52:23in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men
52:29resulting in justification of life.
52:32For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners.
52:38You see that?
52:39Many were made.
52:40Notice that it doesn't read this way.
52:42So also by one man's obedience, many were made righteous.
52:46No, it says what?
52:48Many will be made righteous.
52:51But in order to be righteous, you have to call on the name of the Lord.
52:56You have to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that he's Lord, that God has
53:01raised him from the dead, and then you will be saved.
53:06It's not an automatic thing.
53:10Verse 20, moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded,
53:19grace abounded much more.
53:22So you can know this to be fact all the time.
53:28There's no expiration date on it.
53:31Grace will always win over sin.
53:35Always.
53:38Grace will always win over sin.
53:43This is something that we need to implement in our own lives as we deal with our brothers
53:47and sisters in the Lord, because we have a habit, because we're so—we're so ruled
53:53by our flesh that when our brother sins against us, we allow carnality to take the driver's
54:01seat and we respond to their sin with sin.
54:06And we justify our sin because we were first wronged.
54:13But look at what they did to me.
54:15No, no, there's nothing like responding to the one who has wronged you with grace.
54:25Because our lives pre-Christ offended God, but he had long suffering.
54:34So where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.
54:39We can even say it like this, where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.
54:46Where sin will abound, grace will abound much more.
54:53But remember what Paul says in the first verse of the next chapter.
54:56Just because that's the case, that doesn't mean we continue in sin.
54:59Look, verse 21, it says, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through
55:06righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
55:12All right, we'll pick up next time.