Four Things Every Christian Should Have

Alright let's grab your Bibles and let's go to Colossians this time.

Colossians chapter 1 turn there with me if you will, and regular talk about the will of God to give them so I will pastor. We just looked at the will of God for several sessions, yes, but in that we were talking a little bit more about tar individual lives and maybe what that means but in the conclusion of it all, basically from the Scriptures to come to the perspective that if you love God and you're walking in his spirit, and you're going to treasure God. And obviously you're not disobeying his word knowingly then do what you want, do what you wanted.

We see the apostles on numerous occasions as they plan their pasta Alec ministry Bell come to the situation and they'll say something like we did. What seemed best to us. They knew they were in the will of God. They knew they were called to plant churches and spread the gospel and I didn't know exactly what that meant all the time so I would think. Generally, Christians need to be done with.

There's this Mr. call 1000 outlined a detailed plan of God for my life.

Well there is, but only God knows that God's providence stands behind everything that happens or doesn't happen, but on our side. We just seek the Lord.

We love the more we treasury more. We walk in his spirit.

We don't violate Scripture and we do we want to do.

Continue God's will, about what should you buy this business are this piece of Landor should you start this kind of work are study this kind of discipline I don't know that what you want to do and then asked God to guide you and give you those red lights and green lights in yellow lights and turn signals, but now here in this text the will of God is a little different is more the will of God for Christians and how we approach our faith in Christ. Are you not to say how we approach our Christianity limit read the text Colossians chapter 1 verses nine through 14 for this reason also since the day we heard a bit. We have not ceased to pray for you and ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will. There is in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Verse 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, with the attaining of all steadfastness and patience joyously giving thanks to the father who is qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of light. He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Now this whole section builds on that phrase. The knowledge of this wheel and all spiritual wisdom and understanding in verse nine that were talking about God's will. Here he's talking about God's will concerning's salvation, sanctification, and that everything is for the glory of God. That's God's will that you understand that God's way of salvation that you understand God's will and God's means of sanctification and that you understand it's all about God and all about his glory.

I worded this way. In my notes just to to give to you what Christ did for you Rob salvation what Christ does in you brings sanctification and all is centered in God's glorification. That's God's will, God's will is that you grasp what Christ did for you as route your salvation. That is your justification.

Your standing before God, and that what Christ does in you brings about your sanctification. That is, your obedient faithful walk in service and honor of God in this life and that all is centered and that God might get the credit, the honor and the glory for saving you sanctifying you and getting you home one day to heaven are no that's what I want you to center on his forest with the will of God is that there's a reason for this and that is because the churches in this day were exactly like the churches in our day. In this perspective, there was so much false doctrine out there. There were so many people who were trying to take advantage of this exciting new movement called Christianity and what they would do. They would take their old man religion are there old worldly philosophy's philosophies and they would try to weave Jesus into it.

So basically they kept their earthly wisdom and are man centered view of life that another words doing things their own way, but they can't attached Jesus onto it. Now there were two main extremes, and there were thousands of points in between. As I say to ministries when I say two main channels of false teaching. One was the Judaizers are the legalist.

The Jewish legalist who would say that you gotta keep the law of Moses and you got do these things according to the law, ceremonial law, the moral law, etc. etc. but just tag Jesus onto it and you and I know that there people in our day that basically do that they come up with a new list of do's and don'ts, and then they tag Jesus onto it like this makes it okay so there was the Jewish legalist on the one hand that were perverting the truth, perverting God's will concerning salvation and sanctification and then there were the Gnostic teachers room of the Gnostics were self appointed elitist. They were the ones that would say if you want to know what God who God is and you want to know salvation. We have the real knowledge, and that's with the word gnosis or Gnostic means knowledge we have knowledge. Others don't have.

And you have to sit at our feet and understand our special insights. If you really want to know who Jesus is and how to be saved well. Both of those are are contrary to God's will.

Like I said that's a simplistic definition because there are various viewpoints under those headings but nevertheless that's the basic thing that was coming against the church. Now nothing has changed in 2000 years. We continue to get varying viewpoints and bearing approaches that come across the church today that says what if you really want to be like Jesus and in this whole thing that we been hearing in the last few years about well now this is a gospel issue where this is a gospel issue. Here's what to tell you the gospel is the gospel you know that issues to the gospel to get a man there, you don't. I had your present concern are your your presence a social need and say no. We got a jump on that because that's a gospel issue. Brothers and sisters, the Gospels, the gospel, it always has been the gospel. The people who been changed by the gospel may have a heart for certain things, but you can't tell me that every Christian has had the exact same part about this about all the sins and evils and injustices. That is a better enough for Satan -controlled sin filled world. You can ever get to the end of that. So I'm not going to dictate to you and you should not dictate to me and Christie should not dictate one another. You gotta be about this. You gotta be in this movement or that movement are. You're not a real Christian, really, you're not because these are gospel issue. While what I'm saying is I've been at this for decades now. And there's always a new emphasis of tagging something on it sometimes it's not so much a heretical false teaching, but sometimes it becomes sort of foundational and centered in people's doctrine in their lives. And then it really does become a false teaching. Here's what I'm saying to you, there will always be the temptations to move away from God's will concerning this is what salvation is. This is what sanctification is and it's all for the glory of God are to keep that in your mind as we go through this. So now concerning this. I just simply use the old title that I had years and years ago, but the body of it has changed somewhat and that is for things every Christian should have four things every Christian should have. Are you ready number one, a spiritual grass of God's will.

Spiritual grass of God's will and of the a very important word there is spiritual listen only the Holy Spirit can take the word of God and God you to the truth. Man cannot, by his own intellect study this Bible and find the truth. Are you hearing me. I don't care if you got a PhD in Greek and a PhD in and in Hebrew and Aramaic. The Old Testament original languages I don't care if you have a PhD in biblical theology and systematic theology and sociology net eschatology and ecclesiology, or whatever else you may have one and I don't care how much you study, you can not know the truth, therefore know God's way all, unless the spirit of God reveals it to you and I don't know why God chose it, but he's chosen the foolishness of preaching to be one of the primary ways the spirit shows you God's will from his word. That's why you better make sure you're sitting under someone who's doing their best to giving you thorough biblical preaching. Now I spiritual grasp of God's will look at verse nine. Again, get my glasses because I'm going blind all right.

For this reason also since the day we heard of it. That's we've heard of the faith that the new growing church in Colossae has.

We've not ceased to pray for you and there were asking God policies that you be filled with the knowledge of his wheel in all spiritual wisdom and understanding when you say this run up the bats. Those three words, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, you can consult scholar after scholar and it's very hard to find out just exactly what does the word wisdom mean and just exactly what does the word understanding mean, in contrast to the word knowledge. One thing we can get a general idea and that is knowledge means a collection of facts in your head but the true facts in your head the intellectual grasp. If you will. It never stops there. By the way, because it's very true you can you can have a person who thoroughly knows Orthodox Bible doctrine. They got it in their brain.

I got a brilliant mind and I can articulate it they can write about it. They studied it, but it didn't get past the brain now understanding and wisdom has more the aspect of knowing how to are limited this way.

Knowing how it works is one thing to describe something is nothing to know this is what it looks like in reality this is how it works out. So when this arena that the Colossae church was in a false doctrine particular false doctrine concerning who Christ is and how he saves us. Paul says I been praying that you have a full and true knowledge of God's wheel again. You just casually may look that's all God's will for my life know know know God's will concerning certainly your life but salvation and sanctification.

How men truly come to know God and truly please and live for God because the lot allies being taught. As I've said about that again. The look that the word knowledge has more the idea of a mental component where wisdom and understanding have more how does this apply and work out in life. Now, just as some subpoints there. One scholar said that knowledge is desirable only when seasoned understanding with the apostle Paul right to the Corinthians, and say he said knowledge puppet up knowledge can make you arrogant knowledge can make you prep but when you really understand that God's true knowledge about who Christ is and how he saves us. It can't push you up when you truly understand the truth about your sin. The Savior's death and sacrifice for you is everlasting love for you is cleansing the atoning work for you etc. etc. when you have more than just the knowledge but your beginning to grasp and understand that by the way, we never stop learning. It just gets richer and richer and more wonderful and more wonderful the more glorious and more glorious. But when you're on the in in that process.

As a Christian it crushes the pride factor brings what I call that sweet gospel humility that is essential for church to be a true church and a healthy church. So instead of viewing Christ as this mystical spirit thing that would be the Gnostic teaching that the the true Jesus came on Jesus at his baptism, but the true Jesus left Jesus at his at his crucifixion. Since it's a weird thing that they they came up with an they want you to be impressed with their keen insight will policy. Don't be impressed with them. That's not true knowledge that's false knowledge you need to know that Christ is literally God in human flesh. Christ literally became a man I Christ was at this spirit animation that came on this person called Christ and then pop back off of them. Again, like the Gnostic that this Christ was God of very God God in human flesh. John 117, he was the Word became flesh peace.

The true Savior sit from God and he became man. Now that's the will of God is the will of God, that you hold on to those troops and you believe those troops now at an hour arena.

I'm not aware of anybody attacking the person of Christ, but it will happen, and it does happen, it will happen again, especially in the higher educational realms of our world and also not only who Christ is but what he has done that is his work, he should posit I'm praying that you really have a true and accurate understanding so that you not be pulled away by these legalistic Judaizers who want to tell you yes embrace Jesus, but also you must sit at our feet, and let us teach you all these minutia of rules and rituals and guidelines here something brothers and sisters that has is it is a foundational element of all false teaching.

Are you listening to me control they want to give you the kind of doctrines that require you to sit under them so they can tell you what you must do if you're going to make it to heaven if you're to be pleasing to God.

I will rock the opposite. I want you to so no Jesus that you don't need me. I mean that I will to the soul, grasp the fullness the completeness, the perfection, the redemption that the glory of your salvation in Christ. Listen and in Christ alone so that Jeff cannot tablet is absolutely expendable by like those conjunctive words but you appreciate and thank God for the vessel. He does use to bring you the all sufficient Christ, a middle that you are you with me church on the balance of that not dismay brother man, but David brother Steve brother everybody we got. Now that's minimum who they are. Our my point is Jesus Jesus Jesus alone is our salvation. So he provided our salvation he paid for the penalty of our sin on the cross in our daily lives. Now he's working through us to help us overcome the power of sin had been one day in heaven by his own doing.

He will strip away the old man the old, polluted, corrupted/and he will give us a new body and we will be glorified and then forever be safe from the presence of sin pulses.

I want you to have that true knowledge of Jesus Christ.

That's God's wheel now we say that you met that wolf good. I'm done with that I agree with all of that know you're not there so much to all of this. There's point after point after dynamic after dynamic after principal after principle of all that Christ is about and you need to keep hearing the gospel because when you hear the gospel get another aspect comes out to you and listen to me. It makes you just love Christ even more. It makes you faithful to Christ even more. It makes you glory and what he's done for you even more. That's foundational in our sanctification.

In the course not only who is Christ and what he's done, but that we are absolutely complete in him, we are in Christ.

As Paul begins the letter to the Colossian church, I should say maybe the Colossae church. He says in verse to look at their chapter 1 to the saints.

That means holy ones and faithful brethren. Here's the here's the aspect in Christ you're not saints because of you, not saints.

Based on your merit or achievement your saints because you are those who are in Christ all centers in him. He makes us complete.

He he, Millicent, he is my righteousness before God hate. He stands before God and I stand before God in him and God sees his righteousness, and accounts me. Therefore, right just because I'm in him. Paul says I want you to grasp.

I want you to grasp what is the spiritual truth of God's will that it's all centered in Jesus Christ, your salvation, your sanctification is all for God's glorification now. XXIV things every Christian should know.

First of all we should have a spiritual grasp of God's will. Secondly, we need a spiritual walk in God's will. I spiritual walk in God's will. Again, spiritual is a key word is the word he uses to begin with, but is gonna bring it out more as we go through the text and that is that the Holy Spirit of God must enable you to esteem the word of God and glean from the word of God the things you need so you might know how to live your daily life in God's will. In truth and in righteousness and in holiness.

Look at verse 10 so that you will walk. None were just as I want you to understand God's true will about Christ and salvation. Verse nine to the end that verse 10 you live a certain way so that you may walk in a manner bursty and worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. A proper understanding leads to active application. Here's the point pulses when you really grasp God's will through Christ Jesus and saving you it's all about him.

Then something happens inside of you where you want to live for him. Even if you're not in grace, live church were a Baptist church you not in this bad, this church because you're trying to earn your way to heaven. You're in a Baptist church because God stood something in you and you want to be with the coming of the saints to live for God and serve God and help one another and encourage one another and hold one another accountable it's just natural for you now if you are not in Christ and you haven't grasp God's will in Christ Jesus and all that he's done to save you, then you probably won't like this church, but if you know those things you will enjoy a true church.

You'll be drawn to it. One thing we need to remind ourselves is that we are to know God's will that we might obey God's will not study God's will. I really think that's a failure among even good solid theologians and teachers and book writers today as there's far too much study and stuff and far too little obeying stuff.

He says right here. I want you to know it that you might live. It that you might put it into practice.

The emphasis on walking out what we know since Christianity, apart from all other religions. We walk in Christ we walk loving him and grateful to him for the full forgiveness and the full redemption he's provided for us. First Timothy 33, Paul writes that the Lord says you shall be holy as I am holy. We want to holiness is kinda on our former pastor used to say that there was a group called holiness group and you know the ladies all dressed in a certain way and they couldn't cut their hair and couldn't wear makeup and I don't know a lot of the scene were Bobby will call themselves the white socks and tennis shoes and denim dresses longer than dresses for the modesty we can learn something there. By the way, but you say that's not holiness that's for the fullness. His point was holiness is not putting on an outer thing is if you're holy you want to be modest and appropriately dressed. But the point is holiness comes from the heart and is that heart condition that were not of this world. We don't belong to this world. This world is not does not give us our values our principles to live by. We are set apart. That's what holiness were set apart, and to God as his people.

There's a difference in the way we raise our children of their should be. There's a difference in the way we view our spouses or their should be is a difference in the way we view our fellow man. In particular, the way we view one another in the church because we are people who are striving to be holy, set apart for God used for his purposes. We want to know him and we want to be like him uses the phrase in the verse 10 to please him in all respects other words, I think what Paul is saying in the context I don't want you to drift off into following the Jewish legalist and by the way, if you lived in this culture.

In this day that was a powerful temptation because that they sold permeated the culture when it comes to monotheism. The Greeks had their polytheistic theism in all their false gods and idols. But the Jews didn't have the truth, they misunderstood and misused. If they had the truth and so that would in a powerful temptation and I think what Paul is saying the moment you add Jewish law are eating legalism the Christ, then you are not pleasing him at all respects follow God's will, he saying which is to hold only to Christ, Christ and Christ alone finishes bearing fruit in every good work. In verse 10 know what this means is you're not just to be involved in good works, a man of the flesh can do that. The natural man can involve themselves in good works there. There's a lot of people in this world who have worked at disciplining the old man the old man and putting on the outer works of of of what appears to be goodness and righteousness and sanctification and separation from bad habits and sins etc. etc. like I said this morning in my sermon that'll make you a better neighbor. It might make you better member. The community didn't make you right before God, the Lord.

It's not just good works, but it's bearing fruit. He says in verse 10, a good works. Look at their so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work. It means the fruit of the spirit that the fruit that only the Spirit of God can produce it flavor. It is the tone. It is the spirit of the good work you perform.

Have you ever been around a real legalist. Their spirit is not good. They made.the eyes and cross the T-zone outward behavior, but their tone is harsh, usually it's it's it's legalistic is judgmental. It's overbearing, it's unkind. It's demeaning. That's not the fruit of the spirit. For the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. So yes, we don't do the don'ts and we are to do the deuces far as moral and upstanding conduct, but we do them from a heart that loves God, enemies were doing them out of the capacity that only the Holy Spirit can give you the loss man can put on some stuff outwardly but can't come from us are because his heart has never been changed that has that interesting phrase at the end of verse 10 and increasing in the knowledge of God was a Paul the artist talked about knowing the knowledge of his will in verse nine member's tenure saying increasing in the knowledge of God will. I think what he saying is a proper understanding of the knowledge of God concerning Christ and salvation leads to proper convert can't conduct rather and conversely not listen to me now obedience and living right because you love God leads to more knowledge, did you hear that God gives you more understanding of his truth as you live out the truth. He's Artie given you. There's a lot of Christians. I hadn't gone very far because they put learning over obedience they keep collecting facts in their head but they don't have true knowledge so you don't have knowledge with wisdom and understanding God gives you more knowledge, more wisdom, and no more understanding, as you obey what you've Artie been talked what you've Artie been shown a little escorted John seven right quick return back there with me. John chapter 7 and a look at verse 16. He's being challenged grumbled against undermine spoken against by the Pharisees of his day Jewish legalist of his day and that he says something missing in John 716 back to them. So Jesus answered them and said my teaching is not mine, but it's him who sent me over to God.

Probably you got problem with the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, that you claim you love EE Inc. I'm not the problem here. The God I'm obeying who is my heavenly father. He's your problem bodily child of God. If if you're striving to walk in the spirit and honor God's truth in the community. There will be times and people will come against you.

You gotta remind yourself it's not you that's the problem is the God in you.

They don't like is the God in you there attacking that's basically what Jesus is saying here. My teaching is not my take. You have a problem with my father. Then he says verse 17 a of John seven if anyone is willing to do his way all he won't know the teaching whether it is of God with our speak for myself.

The other words if you give your heart is been changed so that from the heart. You're not doing legalist at work that you might get to heaven. You're not about jumping through religious groups and observing certain rituals are obeying dues and not doing the don't so that you might somehow gain for yourself if that's in your heart, you're not getting you work but if your hearts can change what you know God saved you holy and only through his promised Savior and you would know my teaching is from God. Other words, you have a special understanding of more knowledge you want to know more, obey more you'll learn more live out what you know that I don't think God's talking about perfection here. I think he means that you you repent of where he shows you that you're on the wrong track wrong thinking wrong motives wrong attitudes wrong dispositions you're thinking strong evidence about your behaviors wrong and you begin to be a repent and you attack those things single God help me to be what ought to be and when that your attitude got to open up the floodgates of knowledge. I'm going to teach you more because I like your attitude your your had a parent do that to you as a parent, given that your child are not perfect and they struggle, but they come to you with a sweet and humble spirit of say mommy I want to do it right you know what you do you pour more on you pour more love you for more tension. You pour more information. That's what God is saying you got a heart to honor me and love me from your heart that I'm going to be more and more knowledge. The Bible says the things of the spirit are foolishness to the natural man is what that means brothers and sister you listen when you and I live in God's we all according to God's word illumined and made clear to us by God's spirit, the world will not get us the world will not comprehend what were about the world will not grasp why we do what we do.

So quit trying to help him get it.

There's an ongoing unit which you need to pray for is what I'm going to speak the truth and may your spirit open their eyes to the that's why I'm using spiritual in all these points because the spirit of God is essential. Lightfoot this theme Greek scholar in his commentary said the end of knowledge is conduct a person may say he knows God will really God saying if you say you know me you mean you obey me. If you're not striving to obey me you don't know me, I'd rather have a 12-year-old boy loves Jesus had learned much of the Bible that a guy with three doctorates teaching Sunday school at my church who didn't know God and done loving from his heart. This time the church quit being enthralled with worldly wisdom and worldly learning, but with godly holiness and obedience are out got hurry XXXIV think every Christian should have is a spiritual perseverance in God's will spiritual perseverance in God's will look at verse 11. We gotta get better textile Colossians chapter 1 verse 11. Nice is in verse 11. Building on what is already taught, strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, what is that that's the spirit in you this glorious Martin use the spirit of God in you, what for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience joyously is corneas in this Satan -controlled sin filled world. If you're striving to live for God and love God from your heart and embrace the doctrine of salvation is by Christ alone through faith alone for the glory of God alone.

Then you run into trials and difficulties in oppositions and people demeaning you people scoffing at you. Maybe losing the job. I don't know. It could be tough but they speak on this date certainly meant those things if not work. This is what I'm trying is that this mighty power that's in you. This spirit that is in you, will enable you to stay steadfast and even have joy in these trials. That's God's will for you friend that you will have a spiritual perseverance that kind of steadfastness and not turning back.

Not retreating only the spirit of God can enable a person to have. That's God's will.

That's God's will. I spiritual perseverance, not just in the way of an insight here. I think the key is to rest in his spring.

Is that not what he's bringing out.

He didn't just beat on you here and say, persevere, persevere, persevere. Here's what he says I'm praying you will be strengthened with all power not your power. That's God's according that he is glorious might well be saying you have an impotence within you. I pray you'll you'll rest in that and use that as the fuel you burn and living for God faithfully when the trials and the difficulties in the sorrows of the persecutions come your way and by the way when the Bible speaks of caring are crossover. The Bible speaks of perseverance.

It does mean all of our trials, but primarily it means the trials that come against you because you love Christ because as a businessman you can't do things of the businessman do because as a wife. Your priorities for your husband home are different than the priorities of the other women in the neighborhood and on and on and on we could go those are the trials that he's primarily I'm I'm convinced is referring to, not the common trials of sickness sorrows that all men face though that's included. Not saying that's not part of what we persevere through. Anyway, resting in his strength.

Three thoughts here. First of all, admit that you naturally will not desire to please God, just telling know lot be honest, so godly, you know. Naturally I don't desire to please you. The old Puritan said that the sea and switch my flesh loves. I hate when he was on a Cisco flesh still loves him but the new me hates. Just be honest, God naturally desire to embrace and walk in your truth. Secondly, admit that NaturallySpeaking you do not have the power to do what's right are to live a holy and psyched about life.

What I not only naturally do not desire it. Naturally I don't have any ability to do it like Paul would step in here and say that's why sit according to his mighty power. How does he actually worded in verse 11, according to his glorious might phrase his glorious might admit naturally that you don't desire to admit naturally, you don't have the power to do it. And thirdly admit that you want to do it and you want to do it right left natural. I don't want to but the new me doesn't want to. So Lord here we go.

Help me by your glorious might buy your strength literally that that the translation should be the might of his glory. It means that he is not mighty in what he possesses.

He's mighty because of who he is and he lives in you is my is an extension of his very holy character is who years it. It's is his mind is not something he developed his might this not something he received is just who years is glorious and my and he lives in your heart went out one of the illustrations. I thought about was that my grandfather was a steam engineer if you had any kind of machine that ran by steam power. He could run at the ran trains and he worked on all the TV a day off with a steam shovel and he actually was a quite serious diabetic and he lied on his applications as if they knew was a diabetic. They never give him a job. But he said how you know see them come out of the depression. He said had feed my family would trying to be deceptive. He was just trying to survive in any way he worked and never had an accident to end of the six days a week 10 hours a day working those steam shelves. But you know steam power is accrued power.

You get to keep from the: they are you gonna keep heating the. The bowlers and it is those old steam engines had an uneven uneven clock of a rhythm to them. It's all we had in those days, but it won the very polished smooth synchronized type of power and then we came and discovered petroleum power and gasoline and diesel now even electric and the difference is phenomenal.

So much so we don't even think about steam powered anything anymore was power when he says I want you to grasp and walk in the power of his glorious might within you.

He's talking about the smooth synchronized, glorious power of God, you have not only power you have the best kind of power in you get this done so persevere on through. Don't quit are bad this forefathers developed with they didn't develop it they got it from the Bible but I put it in paper the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Later we called eternal security. Later we called it once saved always saved bad bad bad replacements. We should stay with the perseverance of the saints because it would it would mean just you persevere on living for God and honoring God no matter what. If you really here's today it means you want done and I'll you don't do hope you don't and come to church anymore but your say once saved always saved. That's not the biblical doctrine and that's not what our forefathers taught. They taught the perseverance of those who are truly the faith. You might get down but you don't stay down. You might struggle but you keep scrabbling you buy Michaelmas put your life how our God is the God of the second chance now.

Our God is the God of the third chance in our God is the God of the fourth chance in our God is the God of the hundred chance he's not quitting. So why did you quit tired forgiving. He's rich in mercy, so you can quit keep on keeping on for the Napa we got COBIT and we got this way… Matter is glorious might is in you is not quitting on you. By the way he's not going let you quit on him. He might let you wander little bit on leash so you can just eat some of the filth of this world. Take some of the and so you realize just what you don't really want. He sometimes uses our own sin is our discipline, perseverance, we don't quit we keep on keeping on. Well number four this is my last one things every Christian should have lasted a before they should have a spiritual Thanksgiving for God's will, we should have such a spiritual Thanksgiving.

What I mean by that the spirits enabled us to see this to grasp it to understand it. It can't help but result in us being grateful and thankful for the salvation your I think. I mean, I really believe this not. I don't really mean this as a rebuke to the you but I do remove mean it as a reproof. I said this before you can have better preachers and better pastors but I have labored to give you the whole counsel of God. Sometimes I think you get numb to it. Something times. I think you get kinda callous to it.

Sometimes I think is, will we cut heard that a lot you got fight that because that starts affecting your gratitude factor that starts diminishing your thankfulness's not as sweet as it used to be is not as wonderful as it used to be is not his penetrating. Perhaps don't let that happen. Spiritual Thanksgiving for God's will know to say words are there in verse 12 giving thanks to the father who has would've phrase qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of life. Just the thought that God's will was.

I'm going to give them a salvation through the merits and the work of my son and by my son's work on their behalf alone. They now become qualified to be a part of the saints of light. If you really get that you be thankful to the day you die for undersigned that God's will was that he his son will provide my salvation and calls me to be the Lord's. He's acting on me. I'm not doing anything calls to me to be qualified as a sign of light problem with a lot of us as we don't have much of an understanding of our rigid depravity in the unfathomable glory of him taking us from a imp of darkness to now been qualified as a sign of light will battle to make you thankful actually is the idea of a judicial qualification but that I mean God has declared it. Look, it's a past tense verse in the original language.

He's not saying I'm working to get you qualified. He's not saying if you keep striving. You'll get qualified. He said no no no you are qualified because of God's will to save you through some I will preach another hour because I don't think you're getting thankful thankful thankful for the hat will not only that, only that he made me qualified but secondly, this spiritual Thanksgiving wells up in me because he's made me family. He's made me family. He says there in verse 13 he rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. This is a picture of him, reaching down and adopting me out of a far country and bringing me home to his country. I wasn't just kind outside the environment and the environs of his kingdom. I was way out there, and he reached down and brought me over and made me family did make me a bondslave with a a conditional element of becoming family, listen to me, God's will was through Christ Jesus you are now and like.

That's why anybody that can give a credible conversion testimony is welcome in this church.

I don't care red, yellow, black why I don't care educated uneducated. I don't care if you're a Bama fan an Auburn fan are Tennessee fan or whatever in the world. That's a bunch of silly nonsense compared to what were talking about anyway. If you know Christ you got home here. You are welcome here. All this nonsense about justice and equality can't tell you where he is pitching the true church penetrated church matters.

Christ, you are qualified you for God, and it qualifies you for a sinus program back all this nonsense about what you don't have enough of this ethnic group ethnicity nutritional have not enough of this race in your church to that right on to me. I wish they would all come all of his longest Jesus essay than there my brother there. My sister is listen to me. What unites us is mighty, so mighty, the things that the society would say separates us are now they're not even not even inconsequential there and obliterated the annihilated but you love Jesus were thankful. He's made us family in the kingdom of his beloved son. It literally means the son of my love.

He said you understand how much I love this son of mine and I let my son I love my son and now by my doing about my sons doing on your behalf have not made you family lacked your my son I can you go to bed not saying oh God, thank you. Oh God, thank you. Oh God, thank thank God for his will concerning salvation. One skip a lot of stuff.

Thirdly, Nunnally thankful that he's made me qualified this sign of blood. Nunnally think he's maybe family but thankful that he's redeemed a rather forgiven me.

Verse 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, the root word redemption come from the roots ran some come from the slave trade. You've heard this many times is the picture purchasing one and redeeming him by your payment out of his slavery and giving him a new life. That's what Jesus did for us.

We have a ransom that he paid for with his blood. Jesus said he gave his life a ransom for many. Mark 1045 he removed me from the cruel tyranny of Satan's dominion and made me a beloved child of God and then the word forgiveness here.

The very last thing in verse 14, the forgiveness of sins.

The word forgiveness hears a word that literally means to send away like one scholar says he said the word has the idea of letting see him go as if they've never been committed. God said my wheel is that my son Jesus saves you and he sanctifies you and one night he will glorify you and it's all for God's glory and and my son through his merits has done such a great job in the office of Christ, the office of Savior. He's done such a perfect job on now let your sins go as if they never even existed.

So when it God's omniscience.

He can't forget anything. That's true. He knows every sin you've ever committed, but he does not remember them to hold you against them for punishment doesn't remember the Mike that in that sense he let them go as if they were never there. The Old Testament writer said he's thrown our sins as far as the east is from the west. The Old Testament prophet Matt Micah 7 1960s cast our sins in the sea of our rather in the depths of the sea, God's will is that you have a spiritual Thanksgiving for God's will and God's will is that he saved you through Christ and Christ alone. Well, those are four things every Christian should have