In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of repeatedly hearing and understanding the message of God. He explains that hearing the message multiple times helps to break down walls and allows people to truly grasp its meaning. The preacher also highlights the significance of love and giving in the Christian faith, stating that when we have love in our hearts, we naturally want to give to others. He references the book of Acts and encourages the congregation to love the Lord with all their hearts and to love their neighbors as themselves. The preacher also discusses the concept of maturity in faith, pointing out that while some Corinthians were growing spiritually, many were still focused on worldly desires. He urges them to turn away from their old ways and be renewed in their minds, putting on the righteousness and holiness of God.

We urge you to listen to all the tapes in this series in numerical order so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of this series. Boy, ain't he precious. And brother, when you're walking around, you don't have to worry. You don't have to go and ask somebody if you're doing what's right, really. Don't go find four or five people that's walking this stuff to vote on something the Bible's teaching. They'll always tell you what the devil says. Okay. Now, that's good. Now, so, let's see about them people. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians 3. I just want to go back there. You can take those first three scriptures and build you a denomination if you wanted to. 1 Corinthians 3. I'm going to start in verse 2 first because I like the way Paul did things. Chapter 2, verse 1. And hear what Paul had. Paul had all the academics and he was out helping God out, wasn't he? He wanted to let people know. I'm going to tell you what, that's one of the smartest men that lived here in those days. I want to show you. Let's see how much pride he had. Let's see how he came. What Paul looked like when he came to town. Verse 1. And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or wisdom, but claiming you the testimony of God. I didn't come with superior pride, spiritual pride. I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and I walked in much fear and trembling. Amen? And my message of the gospel and my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in what? It's a demonstration of the Spirit and power. You can know God was on it because God was manifested there and He brought conviction to you. Amen? That your faith should not rest on folks. Your confidence is not in man and folks. The wisdom of men, but it's on what? The power of God. And what is the power of God? The gospel, it transforms and changes and informs us the image of the Lord Jesus Christ so we'll love one another as He loved us. Folks, I want to tell you something. Can you imagine us getting together right here and loving one another the same love that the Lord Jesus Christ loved us? Honey, we know all about curses. I'm going to show you this over here. As a friend of mine said, the chain gang comes marching in. We know all about curses. We know very little about blessings. Because we've been so busy in strife and stress and approval of man and all the rest that goes with it. Busyness and restlessness and all this trying to do a work. That God, if He could just get us, our hearts right there, He'd do it all over the place. You know what the fruit of righteousness is? Put it up there. You know what the fruit of righteousness is? Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness, temperance, and faith. You know what the fruit of righteousness is? Proverbs 11.30 said, you become a tree of life. You become a tree of life. Life. You minister life. The Spirit of God. It's not about your academics, your intellect, or where you went to primary or third grade or didn't go. They didn't even care about what was in the first church. And they were one heart and one mind. And no one was in any need because they loved one another as themselves. The church didn't start in Reformation. It started in the book of Acts. And I'm going to tell you, when you have this love in you, if you love your neighbor as yourself, what would you want to be hoarding something for? You couldn't keep from giving it away. And the more you give, the more you get. God gives you a career of giving. What one thing have you ever done in your life that made you happier than anything else is giving to someone you love? That's how we're made. Satan teaches you how to get. God teaches you how to give. Amen? Now, but Paul starts out verse 6, Yet we do speak among a wisdom among those who are white. Now listen, I want to tell you something. He said, now you Corinthians, I want to tell you all something. You're not mature. Now there's some of you really going on with God. But you know, you're a bunch of fleshly people. You're like mere men of the world out there. You're still walking that stride from judgment. He said, the wisdom we speak of is for mature folks. That's reading it said over in Hebrews 5. He said, press on to maturity. Don't let this thing about raising dead and elementary things like raising the dead and stuff go ahead because the important thing for you to do is to become mature, complete, and perfect, and holy. Amen? Don't get caught up with the byproducts of Jesus. You better get caught up with Jesus. Become mature. Love Him with all your heart. Amen? So we have a wisdom. This Bible right here, you start out with the milk. So you might grow in respect to salvation having a pure heart. That's where you have to start. Put that oven up there. We use it more. That's where we are right there. When we get on the oven, we'll put it up there. Verse 7, we speak God's wisdom in a mystery. What kind of wisdom is it? It's a hidden wisdom. So what does He say to them in chapter 3 verse 1? And brethren, I could not speak to you as spiritual men. You're not spiritual men. You're not mature men. You're not but as men of the flesh. You're natural men. You're like men of the world as babes in Christ. Now, you've just started. And I give you milk to drink, give you a little old thing. I can't get you on into the wisdom of God because it's for mature folks, you little old babies. And I couldn't speak to you as spiritual men, but as men of flesh as the babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. You can't handle the solid food because it's for the mature. Do we see that in Hebrews 5? The solid food is for the mature. That's what solid food is. Meat. Amen? I think James kind of passed out a little yesterday. But the solid food, for you are not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you're not yet able. For you are still what? What's those two words? What's both of them? You're still flesh. You know why you say still fleshly? You're not supposed to remain fleshly. Amen? You're still fleshly because you're little old babies. Right? It's not good to remain fleshly. For you are still fleshly, for it sits there. And he goes ahead and describes it. Since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not what? Fleshly. Now, he goes on to tell them in this same chapter. Now, folks, I want you to know that you're going to be saved as through what? You're going to be saved as through what? Now, you know you're going to have to come through that fire to have the nature of God. That's what he told them in Revelation 3. You don't know yet. You better buy me gold, refine my fire, you Laodiceans. You don't know that you're naked and lost. Because it's the one that overcomes that's going to sit on the throne with me. Isn't that what he told them? Amen? Now, you're still fleshly. Now, let's turn over to... The Bible didn't end right there, did it? One more time. The Bible did not end in the third verse, did it? It's the more Bible. Okay, let's turn to 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12. Verse... Let's look at verse 14. Paul says, Here for the what? For the what? I'm ready to what? I'm coming back, aren't I? Huh? Right? Coming back a third time. And then over there, I'm glad the Bible didn't... I'm glad we found about third visit because he might have some more to say. Since first visit, right? He'd come back a third time. Okay, now. We look there in verse 20. For I am what? Is that what Paul said? I'm fearing for you. I'm fearing for you. Let's see what Paul's afraid for him. That perhaps when I come, I may find you to be not what I wish. I'm going to tell you in a minute what he's talking about. He thinks that strife and jealousy is going to still be there. That's what he's fearing. That I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found, but you know what you wish. Because if I still find that strife and jealousy there, I'm not going to be what you wish. Amen? That perhaps there may be what? Strife, what else? Uh-oh! Then it's not supposed to still be there, right? I'm afraid when I'm going to come back to you, that that strife and jealousy, that angry temper, dispute, slander, gossip, arrogance, disturbances... Look at me, folks. See it right there. Right here it is. Right there it is. This is what Paul's talking about right here. You little old babies, you better go on and be mature. A mature man saved. I fear for you. Let's go on. Well, you're going to see why I fear. Verse 21, I am afraid, I fear that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I may what? I'm going to mourn. I'm going to cry my eyes out over many of those who have been sinning. That strife and jealousy we saw in 1 Corinthians 3 in the past. And you've not what? You've not overcome it. You've not repented. And then of the what? Uh-oh. Look here. Here it is. Right there. There's the impurity. Right there. An impure heart. The impurity and immorality and what else? The impurity, immorality, and sensuality, which they have what? Circle that word four times. Now, what is they that strife, jealousy, and all these works of the flesh? What do they do? They practice them. Circle practice four times. They're practicing. They're practicing these things. You continue to practice them. You don't overcome them. Amen? Why now, what is he saying to them right there? Turn with me over to Galatians. Hold your place and turn to Galatians 5, because I'm going to come back there. Okay? Galatians 5. You don't have to turn very far. Turn to the right about four pages. Are you there? Now, here's why Paul said he fears for them. Now, were they about to bite and devour one another? Look at verse 14. For the whole law is fulfilled in the statement, you shall love your neighbors yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be what? Consumed with walking in the deeds that they were walking in. But now verse 16. And when we read that, let's don't act like it's not in there. But I say, walk with the Spirit and you what? I can't hear you. You will not carry out what? Can I tell you another way to say it? When you walk with the Spirit, you will not carry out lawlessness, breaking God's law. Now, how many see that? Amen? Now, let's look at verse 19 and we'll start. For the deeds of the flesh are evident. Can you hear the flesh come out of somebody's mouth? Selfishness, self-centered, greed, selfishness, jealousy? Yes. Now, the deeds of the flesh, let's put it, the deeds of lawless are evident. Which are immorality, impurity, sensuality. They're those same things again. Idolatry, sorcery, imitation. What's those two words? Strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes. Now, we're mentioning all the fleshly deeds right there. Verse 21. Envy and drunkenness, carousing and what? Things like this. Selfish nature of Satan of which I forewarn you just as I forewarn you that those who what? I can't hear you. Those who practice such things shall not what? Now, what did Paul say he feared for them over there? I fear for you that you will still be practicing these things when I come back. And I'm not going to spare anybody when I come back if it's there. I'm not going to be what you miss. If you're not walking in love, I'm not going to be what you wish. If I find you to be not what I wish, I'm not going to be what you wish. Because I'm not going to come here and water down a word to please you. I'm going to tell you what it says. And I'm not going to spare you at all. And I fear for you that you're still practicing these things. Because it goes on in verse 24. And it says what? Verse 24 he says, Now those, he describes the body of Christ, those who belong to Jesus Christ have what? Crucified the flesh with its what? Does your Bible say that the ones that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ died the flesh of their desires? I can't hear you. They do. All right. Now, if you died the flesh of your desires, is that what the Spirit of God leads you to? To die to the flesh? If you're led by the Spirit of God, you no longer walk after the deeds of the flesh? Now folks, this is where we're going to start from right here. Because we're going to get into some pretty good things. And I want you just, we've got to hear this first and get everybody kind of caught up here. But if you're led by the Spirit, I want you to see right now. But verse 22, but the opposite of the fruit of the flesh is going to be what? Huh? Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness, temperance, and faith. I want you to look on the screen. See them? Is that fruit coming out of this man's mouth right here? He has a changed heart. Isn't that right? He has a new fruit, right? Because if you're led by the Spirit of God, you'll not carry out the desires of the flesh. But if you're led by the Spirit of God, you put to death the deeds of the body. Then you have a new fruit. And that's what Jesus Christ leads us to do. And what does the rest of that verse say? That's a fruit of righteousness against such things. I can't hear you. That's what sanctification is. Having a pure heart. So that you'll be holy and blameless. You know, I remember I didn't even ever use that other verse there in Ephesians. I'm going to read it to you right now. I want you to hold your place because I just was reminded I never did. Hold your place, turn to Ephesians 5. I want you to see this again. It's the church of Jesus Christ. It's coming from verse 27. And he's going to present to himself the church in all her glory. She's having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing. But in verse 27, she's going to be what? Holy and what? You know what a blameless person has? She's going to have a pure heart. She doesn't walk. She has a decent working place. You know how you know that you're not walking out of the flesh? You walk in peace. That's how you know. Folks, I want to tell you what. When you receive Jesus Christ as Lord, you're walking in covenant right then. And he's going to perfect you to receive your inheritance. You're going in to possess the land. Because the Spirit of God is going to leave it. But if they're too big and too mighty and all these things, you want to grumble, complain, then you're going to die in the wilderness just like Israel did. It wouldn't go in to possess the land then. You'll die in the wilderness. Amen? Now, how is she going to become holy and blameless? Look in verse 26. He's going to sanctify her, having cleansed her by the what? The worship of the Word of the Lord. Now, let me ask you something. How can the Word... Tell me something. Put that back up there, brother. How are you going to be cleansed by the Word of God to remove all the works of jealousy, envy, anger, worry, criticism, rebellion, retaliation, revenge? How are you going to be washed by the Word of God to remove these things right there? When you don't love the Lord more than you do these things right here. You're not going to give these things up right here as long as you love them more than you do God. So that's the reason the first thing you do is draw near to God for the relationship to love Him more than you do anything else. Because if you don't, the Word will never wash you, and if it never washes you, your life will never change. You'll just sit in a religious setting and show up for the religious exercises. You'll never change. And if you're sitting right there and love the Lord with all your heart... You know, Luke 14 and Matthew 8 talks about the people, the marriage supper, the lamb. We're getting ready to come out and meet the bridegroom. That's what the trumpet is blowing because the church has fallen away from the faith the most part. So we've fallen away, so we're coming out to meet the bridegroom. We're getting ready. The wise virgins are hearing the sound of the trumpet. The others have got their oxen. They've got their family. They've got their business. They're building and everything, and we cannot come. And they make excuses, and that's what's happening today. Who wants to come and hear the Word today? People are programmed in a religious setting to be bored with the Word of God. To sit there for two hours, you mean all day you've lost your mind. Who loves God that much? No, you're programmed that way in a religious setting. When you've got a false assurance, you don't have to hear the Word of God. You can walk at ease and Zion after the comforts of the flesh. The nature and character of Satan with a false assurance. Now, let me tell you another way to see this so you'll understand exactly where we are. I want you to turn back to Galatians 2, so you'll just see the setting right here that we have. Galatians 2, Galatians 3 rather. Verse 1, You foolish, what? You foolish, laser. Verse 3, Are you so foolish, having begun with the Spirit, are you now being what? All right, now, you know, listen. There's no way. Look here. When we're trying to enter into heaven, we've got some doctrine that does not conform us to God. Do you know what we're going to do? We're going to be led after fleshly achievements. A man who leads there, he has to have, in Jeremiah 23, you have to have fleshly visions and dreams. And since you don't know what holiness and righteousness really is, you know, what you do, he has his flesh, and we're going to go build these outward things. You know, kind of like a landslubbed drive or something they're going to do, you know. And then we show up and we get all excited. We built this, and we built that, and here's our thermometer going up, and we did this, and we did that, and we're doing this, and boy, everybody's excited in the flesh. But it doesn't produce holiness. You know what it is? It's the works of the law. Trying to fulfill the law other than through holiness and righteousness. That's what the works of the law is. And so then, you're in the same place where the Galatians are. You're looking at a distorted gospel, a contrary doctrine, that does not conform you to godliness, and you're trying to be perfected while you continue to walk the way. As it matters, you're serving God after the flesh. See, what did Paul say in Romans 1? I serve God in my spirit, amen. That's where you and I serve. We serve in the spirit. We overcome the flesh. Flesh is the nature and character of Satan. We walk in the flesh, but we don't want to walk after the flesh. We walk in the flesh, but we no longer war after the flesh. In other words, we no longer hit back at anger, unforgiveness, resentment. But our weapons are mighty in God now in this word of God, to turn down strongholds and fortresses. That's what the word of God is. That's what the powers of darkness have built into us. And we take every thought captive, all the speculation and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. And every thought that exalts itself against the love or law of God, we take captive right there. Because why? Well, to love the Lord with all our heart is just to be a natural, normal thing. We don't have, oh, I've got to take thoughts captive today. I've got to go obey the law today. I've got to love the Lord. My whole motivation is to love the Lord all day long. I wake up in the night, I'm loving Him. And He's loving me. Amen? And He does things to encourage us, cause us to love Him more than anything, more than anything. He's got a love and a capacity of love we can't even comprehend and see. We'll not comprehend it until we have the nature of Jesus. So they're trying to be perfected in the flesh. And look in Galatians 1, what He told them right there. He said, verse 6, I'm so amazed that you're so quickly deserting Him. You started out in the Spirit and you're deserting the Lord Jesus Christ who called you by the grace of God for what? You're getting a different gospel. Verse 7, it's a distorted gospel. When you distort the gospel, it does not conform you to God. I want you to know it becomes a curse for you, walking in the flesh. But even though we are an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preach to you, let him be what? That is what the curse is. And He said it again, the same thing. If anyone's teaching a doctrine, it doesn't lead you to be doers of God's law through Christ, to bear the fruit of rights against which things there is no law. They're leading you to walk on the judgment of God's law. How many see that? Because see, if you're not led from the character and nature of Satan, a gospel that's contrary and distorted will allow you to still walk in these things. That's what it did in Galatians. They started out in the Spirit, they got with a distorted doctrine, and now they're walking in the flesh trying to be perfected. Is that exactly what your Bible says? That's what He was telling the Corinthians. That's exactly what He's saying. So then we see right there what Paul said to them in Galatians 1. I didn't come to tickle you folks' ears either. He said in verse 10, Am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? Am I striving to please men? Am I going to change everything or am I going to tell you the truth? If we were still trying to please God, I would not be a born servant of Christ. For I would have you to know, brethren, that the gospel which you preach for me is not according to man. Man doesn't preach. I didn't get this gospel from man. I got it from God and I've come to say it. And I'm not pleasing men and trying to get your approval, but try to change some of it. And then he said to them in Galatians 2, verse 17, But if while seeking to be justified in Christ, you think... Now I want you to remember what he said in Romans 2.13, it's not the hearers of God's law that's going to be just, but the what? The doers of God's law, and that's what Jesus Christ the Spirit and the Word lead us to do, to be doers. If while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found what? Look at me up on the board, folks. He said, now here you are, you've got over and lined up with a distorted gospel, and doctrine right here, and you're walking, you started out in the Spirit, and now you're what? Trying to be... Look at me here, folks. You're now being perfected how? I'm about to fall down. You're now being perfected how? Let's go back and read it again. I don't... You're in Galatians 2, right? Huh? Now I want you to talk to me. Now verse 17, If while seeking... Were they trying to be... Seeking to be justified in the Lord Jesus Christ? Did they start out in the Spirit, and now they got back in the flesh? Amen? And we ourselves now, if you're going to be justified in Christ, and now you've found yourself sinners, walking after the deeds and works of the flesh right here. There it is right there. This is how you're found to be a sinner. If anybody wonders what sin is, it's deeds and works of the flesh. Amen? And then he asked him this question, Is Christ the minister of this sin you're walking in? I mean, I want to ask you folks, is Jesus leading you all to do all this? Is Jesus leading you to do all this criticism and unforgiveness and pride and malice and grumbling and murder and irritability, approval of man? Huh? That's what he's asking. He said, now here, you started out in the Spirit, and now you've got this distorted and doctrine is contrary, and now you're back in the flesh, and you're saying you're being justified in Jesus. Is Jesus the minister of this sin? Can I tell you what's happening today? The distorted doctrines and gospels today is telling the whole world, on television and everything, that Jesus is the minister of all that junk. They're saying Jesus Christ is our Lord. And that's what the Galatians were doing. Corinthians too. I know. I just wanted to tell the Corinthians also. Let me put it that way. Don't turn to Corinthians too. Now, I'll read it again. Verse 17. But if while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ the minister of this sin? May it never be! You're not being led by the Lord Jesus Christ. You wouldn't be bearing that fruit. Amen? You're not. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out what? The desire of the flesh. Amen? Now, he's fixing to get them all straightened out over there in just a minute, but that's where we are right now. Verse 18. Now, I want you to watch this. For if I rebuild, if I start rebuilding what? That old flesh nature which you repented and laid down your life and turned from. If I start rebuilding that which I once what? That nature you destroyed, and you turned away from, you repented of, you laid down your life. Once again, you found yourself to be what? Now, I hope everybody's not missing what I'm saying right here. Folks, if you start out in the Spirit and turn back to the flesh, you turn back into the law, and you'll be destroyed. You will endure to the end. And that's exactly what he's telling me today. Now, what do you think Paul was telling them over there? He said, I fear for you that that strife and stuff. He said, I'm going to mourn. I'm going to cry my eyes out. I fear for you. I'm not going to spare you when I come. I'm going to tell you. I'm going to come a third time, and I'm going to tell you right now before I get there. It better be gone. Because Christ said in the ministry of that sin, He said, I'm fearing for you. I'm fearing for you. You're not headed for the kingdom of God in that direction. Amen? Now, where Paul says in verse 20, look at me. I'm an example. I've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I, I, me, my flesh who live, but it's who is it that's living through me? Christ who lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by what? I'm walking by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me. Now, just so you have a little example of it, you look there in verse 19, for through the law I died to the law that I might live to what? To God. Now, I want you to hold your place right there, and I want you to turn back to me to Romans 7. Can you hold all those places and just turn with me to Romans 7? Romans 7. Romans 7, look in verse 1. Or do you... Is everybody there? Hurry. Romans 1, verse 7. I mean Romans 7, verse 1. 7-1. All right, verse 1. Or do you not know, brethren, for I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law has jurisdiction over a person as what? As long as you live, I want you to know that God is judging you. Amen? Now, we know in 1 Timothy 1... Listen to me. I don't have time to turn over. Let's do it. Can you hold right there? No kidding. This is really good. 1 Timothy 1. I want you to see it so you'll know that doctrines and denominations that do not conform you to godliness are a curse. Okay? I want to show you. I don't want to just say they are. I just want to show you. Now, we know that the law is not made for a righteous man. And we see this right here. Verse 9. For the law... Verse 9. The fact that the law is not made for a what? A righteous man. Now, look at me, folks. Look at me. If we follow the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, will we not be holy and righteous? Will we not bear the fruit of righteous love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness, temperance, and faith? Now, everybody look at me right here. When we follow the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will bear the fruit of righteousness. Amen? The law was added because of the transgressions. So if you won't walk in time with the Lord Jesus Christ for Him to perfect you and bring you back into reconciliation with God, then the law is there to destroy you. The law of love. If you won't walk in love, God's already got His... You know, we've got physical laws. What about the law of gravity? You step out a ten-story window and He won't wait to tell you there's a law of gravity, will He? Is that right? Same thing, the law of God is the law of love. When you break it, buddy, you broke it. And all the spiritual forces that are in this world are the forces of darkness, the forces of light, the forces of God, the angel of God, the Spirit of God, is everything to perform that law. They're looking at it, God's got a law. And when you walk in it, obedience to it, all heaven's poured out on you. And you prove yourself your son of God because you want to walk and act like God instead of walk and act like the devil. Now that law stands there for everybody that won't be holy and blameless like God. Everybody that does not want to love one another as Christ loved you, that law stands right there to judge you. When you break that law, that's how the power of darkness gets ground in your life. And they begin to get in there and they just become, look at me, they just become like a moth, just like rottenness, and they begin destroying you and just sucking the very life right out of you. Amen? Why don't you see it? Verse 9, Realizing the fact that the law, that's the law of judgment, is not made for a righteous man, that's the one that walks in covenant, but here is who the law is made for. It brings wrath on those who are lawless. It brings wrath on those who are rebellious. It brings wrath on those who are ungodly. It brings wrath on those who are sinners. It brings wrath on those who are unholy and profane. It brings wrath on those who have killed their fathers and mothers. It brings the wrath of God on the murderers. It brings the wrath of God on immoral men. It brings the wrath of God on homosexuals. It brings the wrath of God on the kidnappers. It brings the wrath of God on liars. It brings the wrath of God on perjurers. And it brings the wrath and curse of God on whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching according to the glorious gospel of Christ. Any doctrine that doesn't conform you to God is a curse. Just exactly like Paul said in Galatians 1. He said it twice. They're cursed. And I want to tell you what, when you come up and you join yourself to it, you better repent and break all the curses because you got yourself another Jesus. And sickness, disease, the curse of slander, the curse of God is a compulsion to go curse and slander and all these things came on all of you. If that particular body had not dealt with this, maybe an immorality among maybe the elders or deacons or whatever like that and they want to push another, see, a curse of immorality come on. And a curse of divorce can be on a congregation. All these kind of things get on people. You just have all these things. And so that's what happens. When you join your heart to harlot, that's exactly these things come on you. God doesn't bless ignorance. I'm showing it to you in the Bible right here. Remember or not? Now, I'll tell you what, we're going to go later on and I'm going to show you how the powers of darkness carry out all these things. They devour your limbs. And see, when you know what the truth is, the wisdom of God, the fear of God began in wisdom and then the ones that fear of God want to know what God's saying right here. Amen? And we're not going to look it through the eyes of some doctrine. We look this Bible through the eyes of God and we're going to take it all, every jot and tittle I want. Don't you? Now, what is this problem with them right there? See, the whole problem is doctrines that do not conform you to God. It's a problem all the time. Look in 1 Timothy 1 verse 3. As I urged you upon my departure from Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach what? Strange doctrines. Because Paul is saying the doctrine that I teach, the gospel I teach, is this, verse 5. But the goal of our instruction, the gospel we teach, is what? Love from what? Now folks, is that exactly what I'm telling you up here on the screen? It's love from a pure heart. Love, joy, peace, love. That's what Jesus Christ came with, the Spirit and Word to perfect in you and I. Everything else is a lie. And they're strange doctrines. That's the reason he told the apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, this is what they labor. They labor to perfect this nature and character of Jesus Christ in every person. You get up and under, you don't be lords over God's heritage. You become an example to the flock and get up and under them and help them. Amen? And all the pastors, they're all craftsmen, they have special anointings to work together to encourage the people, come on, be like God. And you know what you do when you come through these fiery trials? You prove you love God with all your heart. God's got the test out there. And if you don't love him with all your heart, it's because you love other things more than he don't want you. But he said, those who love me are going to obey my commandments. Those who hate me, I'm going to, to their face, I'm going to destroy them from this earth. I'll wipe them off from the face of the earth. That's what's not told. That doesn't fit in doctrines where men with selfish ambition, never repented, have handed down to their forefathers who didn't understand the works of darkness. And an enemy come to kill, steal, and destroy. They don't understand it. They didn't understand it, and so we get controversial questions. They explain away that part of the gospel where we've got an enemy come to kill, steal, and destroy. And while we get to steal, kill, steal, and destroy, while the doctrines they left to capture our hearts, when you're about six and you learn, just like a bunch of high school teams, here's a black, red, blue, yellow over here, and all compete and compare themselves among themselves, measure themselves by themselves, and they're without understanding because we're not measuring up the yardstick. That's the Great Falling Away. The yardstick is Jesus. We love as He loved. Now, it's love from a pure heart, verse 6. For some men straying from these things, straying, like the Galatians did, from love and pure heart, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to speculate. Here's some kind of speculation. See, the Lord says, without the sanctification, you're not going to see the Lord. Well, here's what we do. Let's all sit around and get us a little group together. Well, what if you die? What if you would die? He said, well, faithful, He'll call you and He'll bring you to pass. What's that? They're just walking in all they know over there. Well, they shouldn't be overjoyed to a harlot and to a man because Jesus said, I'll lead you in all truth, you know. And so, when we get to a dollar speculation, we'll say, God isn't really saying that. He's saying this. And so, you get your doctrine because you want to change God to fit your intellect and your selfish heart. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? That's how you get strange doctrines. Amen? I'll tell you right away, if you've got over 400 of them, somebody's wrong, right? Verse 8, But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. You better believe it. If we use the law to condemn sin, brother, that's good. Listen, if you don't have the law, if we hold the law up here, look at me. Somebody not looking again. If we have the law up here, no one understands sin. And Paul said unto his soul, The law, Jesus came to save you from the wrath of God's law. So, you use the law to say, Hey, God, what have I done wrong? Right here is what you've done wrong. You don't love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. And this is what's in your life. Amen? So then, what does a person do when he sees the law? He sees right away, Wretched man that I am, I agree with the law in my inner man, but I see a different law working in my members, like Paul, the law of sin and death. Wretched man that I am, who's going to set me free from this body of death? There's no hope for me. Thank God through Jesus Christ who came to be an example for me and went to Calvary and I have a place to put my sins. Glory, hallelujah. I ought to get Bob up here to beat that guitar again. This would be a good time for a bug zapper, wouldn't it? You better stay ready, brother. Don't take so long getting up here next time, either. We're set free through the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen? Now, verse 9. Realizing the fact the law is not made for a righteous man, a man that walks in covenant, but for those who do not walk in covenant and teach whatever else is contrary to sound, teachment to the glorious God. So let me see that hole up your hand. You see the curse that comes on it. Can I tell you something? It's a dwelling place of demons. You know why it's cursed? Because they do not teach righteousness right there. And if you don't teach righteousness, you can never be free from the law. And I want to show you that. Well, of course, you can already see that, but I want to just show it a lot clearer. Now, we're going to get just a little groundwork here, folk. And I'm going to tell you what. We might do this all night if you want to. All right, now, we're back in, where were we a while ago? Romans 7. Romans 7. Let's look in verse 1. Or do you not know, brethren, for I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? Now, here where Paul said, you remember he said, I died to the law over in Galatians 2. Well, let me look at it over here. Let me just read the verse to you. Paul said, 2.19, For through the law I died to the law, that's the law of God, that I might live, what? To God. In other words, I'm dying to the law. I'm going to show you how you die to the law and how you live to God. He's fixing to explain it here. You ready? Romans 7, verse 4. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the law through the what? When I come to the body of Christ, I die to the law, that you may be joined to another. To him was raised from the dead, that you may, and what are you going to do when you join to Christ? You're going to bear fruit for what? Put it up there, brother. Here's the fruit you bear for God when you join the Lord Jesus Christ. You've been bearing fruit for death before and the devil, but now you bear fruit for God when you join the Lord Jesus Christ, because immediately you start being led to the Spirit of God and you no longer will walk in the flesh. Is that what your Bible says? Amen? Praise God. And then we go on to the next verse. Verse 5. For while we, what? You were in the flesh. Put it back up there. Yeah, you got it. No, you hadn't. Got it up there. Verse 5. For while we were in the flesh, do you see it up there, that anger and unforgiveness? The sinful passions which were aroused by the law. Hey, folks, look at me. Look at me right here. Do you know why the law arouses the sinful passions? Because everybody in the world doesn't see anything wrong with walking in these things until you see what? The law. And then when you see it in the law, an old wretched man that I am who's going to set me free from this body of death, I don't stand any chance. I've got death, hell, demons, and a hell waiting for me all over the place. You go fall at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ and you get on your face and ask for mercy and grace because there is no help or no hope for you anywhere else except in Jesus and it's all grace. Glory to God, that's good. How about the sinful passions that are not aroused? You don't even know you're a sinner until you see the law. And the law is not preached over the pulpit today because judgment is left out. And so, therefore, people don't understand what sin is. They don't know that the judgment of God is not taught and the powers of darkness are destroying them and they're not hearing the truth. Now, for while we were, verse 5, while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were in the work and the members of our body and what was it bearing fruit for? Look at me, folks. While you were in the flesh and you're bearing this fruit of flesh right here, death, the powers of darkness, is all over you. Death is working in you physically and death and hell is waiting for you. Are you hearing what I'm saying? That ain't death. But, I'm babbling in there again, but now we have been released from the law. That's what Paul said. I've died to the law. How have you died to the law? How have you been released to the law? Why are you no longer under the law? Because I having died to that which had me in bondage, bound, and right there it is, right there. You're no longer under the law. Look at me, folks. Everybody looking here? Don't you miss this? Somebody's not looking again. Look here. But that which had you bound to the judgment of God's law was an unrighteousness that you walked in. But you having, through the body of Christ, you died to the bondage, that which had you bound. This is what has you in bondage right here. It has you a slave. You're a slave of sin. And you get set free from being a slave of sin. Romans 6. And you become a slave of righteousness. Amen? Through Jesus Christ. Amen? You become a slave of righteousness. Now, let's see it again. But now we have been released from the law. You're no longer under the law. Having died to that by which we were bound so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the law. But now, see, you bear a new fruit. You bear a new fruit for God. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness, temperance of faith. Now listen to me. We saw it. Against such things you are no longer under the law. Amen? Is that right? And when you walk on that, what are you walking in? You've obeyed the commandment of Jesus which says you're going to love one another as I have loved you which fulfills the commandments of God which says love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Amen? Is that right? Okay. Now, while we're there, let's go to verse 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? No, it's love. May it never be. On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except what? You would... Hey, folks, if the law is not preached, people cannot even understand the sin and rebellion and judgment that's on them. Amen? Praise God. Now we look over there in verse... Let's look over further in 7. Verse 22. For Paul said, I joyfully concur with the law of God which says love the Lord with all my heart, my neighbor and myself, and my inner man. But Paul says, I see a different law in the members of my body. Look at it up here. It's the law of sin and death. When you do these deeds of the flesh right here, the powers of darkness have ground to bring work and death in you. Amen? And he said, I see a different law in the members of my body. It's waging war against the law of my mind. It's making me a prisoner of the law of sin, which is the law of sin and death, which is in my members. Wretched man that I am, who's going to set me free from this body of death? I have no hope. Nowhere, Paul says. The Bible didn't end there, did it? Except through the Lord Jesus Christ. And then the next chapter right there. Because Paul says in verse 1, Therefore you know the law brings condemnation. We see that in 2 Corinthians 3.9. The law is therefore now no condemnation for those who are what? In Christ Jesus. But verse 13, For if you're living according to the flesh, you're going to what? If you continue to walk by this flesh, you're going to die. Amen? Because you're going to be destroyed under judgment of God's law. But if by the Spirit, you're led by the Spirit. Do you remember the Scripture? Walk by the Spirit and you'll not carry out the desires of flesh. But if you're led by the Spirit, you're putting to death the deeds of the body. You're going to what? That's exactly what you do. And so this is written, he said in verse, back up to verse 2, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from what? The law of sin and death. That's what happened to Paul right there. He got Jesus Christ, set him free from the law of sin and death to the Spirit of God because he's putting to death the deeds of the body. And how does he do it in verse 4? In order that the requirements of the law, the requirements of the law, the requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not what? The requirements of the law are fulfilled in the body. The body of Christ does not walk out of the flesh. Let me say it one more time. The body of Christ does not walk out of the flesh. Who no longer walk out of the flesh but they walk how? But they walk according to the Spirit. Amen. Now look over in 14 so you'll know it's the body of Christ. For it's all who are being led by the Spirit of God. That's what? These are the what? Sons of God. Amen. If you're led by the Spirit, you're a son of God because you're led by the Spirit, you no longer walk out of the flesh. Now you look there in verse 7. Because if your mind, you're walking like the world out there and your mind is set on the flesh and things of the flesh and the world, you're hostile toward God and you do not subject yourself to what? The law of God. Now let me ask you something. If you move into a religious setting, it's the same thing. It's hostile toward God and you do not subject yourself to the law of God. Now listen to me folks. I want everybody to look at me. Do you remember that you're dead in your trespasses and sin of which you formerly walked according to the course of the world, the works of darkness and the powers of darkness are working into these sons of disobedience who walk out of the flesh. Did we see that a while ago? They're called sons of disobedience. So then if you leave the world and then you move into a religious setting that still walks and talks like the world and they're calling that love to bless God and curse your neighbor instead of love of the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor is yourself. Then you're blessing God but you're cursing your neighbor and you're still a friend of the world and you're making yourself an enemy of God and you're walking the world flesh and demonic and that's what he calls the whore and the harlot and the adulteress. Now how many see that right now? That's who the harlot is. How many haven't any problems seeing that? Hold up your head. We need to get this straight before we take off here in this other, you know? Amen? All right now. If we look... So this is where we're walking today. One way or another. Verse 6. Can you hold one more place? Can you hold Colossians 3 there just a minute? I want to show you something now. Just get your fingers around there where you can hold them. A minute. And we're going to take off through this. I'll tell you what. You don't be studying the Bible and just see a bunch of things right there and then all of a sudden something else and I've just got to mark it. You don't see me. Look at me right here. You don't see me in bed here. I've got my fingers full. If I let my fingers go, I'll lose my place. It's the way I've got it turned and I'm wanting to come there and I can't get that page turned there. And I have to get over there and I have to lick my finger where I won't hold it right there. Whoo! Boy, it's good. I get in some of the awfulest fixings when I get and hold these places. This is good. Do it. Because this is the way the Lord... I mean, He just leads you all over the Bible. You know what I mean? I'm not in my notes now. I just want you to know this. I'm just listening to it. All right, now. I want you to see something here. In Romans... Let's just read verse 6 now. In Romans 8, verse 6. And then I'm going to let you let it go. I'm going to read verse 17 first. Verse 17. Romans 8. If children heirs also of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we are going to suffer with Christ in order that we may be what? You're going to be glorified with Him. Now verse 6. Back up to verse 6. Romans 8, 6. For if your mind is set on the flesh, you see it on up there. If your mind is set on these things, the greed, the world, the things in the world, worry, and all of these kind of things, I'm going to tell you what. I'm going to tell you, if you walk around worried, you're not walking in peace. If your mind is set on these things right up here, if your mind is set on the flesh, it's what? Death is working in you because the powers of darkness ride in through this stuff right here, and they're building up fortunes and strongholds. You might think you're in pretty good health today, but I'm going to tell you what. Those diseases and sicknesses and strongholds are going to show up one of these days. And then when you find yourself in pit 4 and you're in the hospital and whatever it is right there, then what are you going to do then? Because you've been rejecting the Word of God to find out how to get out of this stuff. Amen? Besides, if you're not being led by the Spirit of God, Jesus Christ isn't in you anyway. You're just religious. Now verse 6. For if your mind is set on the flesh, it's death, but if your mind is set on the Spirit, it's going to be what? Life and peace. Now let me ask you something. I want you all to tell me something right here right now. Everybody look at me right here. Now, if our mind is set on the things of this world, isn't that the things that bring selfishness and greed and stealing and hatred and criticism? Isn't that the way the world walks right here? And selfishness and self-centeredness, their minds are set on things of the world? And it's the mind of Satan. All right, then what do we come? We repent, and that's laying down your life. Because why? Your interest and your heart's no longer interested in the things going on in this world. Your mind is set on things in heaven because you're doing the will of God here on earth as it's done where? In heaven. So you don't walk and talk like the world when they gossip, slander, anger, unforgiveness, and all these kind of things. You don't care on conversation with them to judge and condemn people, and they hate you. You won't walk and act like them. Amen? You walk and act like they do in heaven. Amen? So we look there in Colossians 3, and we see right there, verse 1, If then you've been raised up with Christ, you're going to be seeking the things where? The thing above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. That's where your heart is in. So you're going to set your mind on what? Things above. If your mind's set on things of the Spirit and things above, you're going to be walking how? In peace. Peace is going to be a hedge around you, and life is going to be working in you. Amen? That's exactly what we saw there. But your mind is going to be set on things above, and what's the rest of that verse say? Your mind is not going to be set on things on the earth. Well, say, well now, what am I going to do to make a living? Well, I think we all have to make a living. Are you making it a 24-hour-a-day career? Do you know you can go make yourself a living while you don't build yourself a kingdom here? You can have your mind set on things above. Amen? Is that right? Okay. Now let's just continue in 2 Corinthians 3 right there and see what he says right there. Now verse 5. Therefore you consider the members of your earthly body as dead to... Now you saw these things over there in 2 Corinthians 12 when Paul was talking to the Corinthians. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body you're dead to immorality, you're dead to impurity, you're dead to passion, you're dead to evil desire, you're dead to greed. All of these things amount to what? Idolatry. That's the second commandment. You're not loving the Lord with all your heart when these things are in there. For it is on account of these very things that the wrath of God's law will what? Come, and it's on you right now if you're practicing, and in them you also what? Verse 7. You once walked, you're part of the body of Christ, you're not walking there anymore, when you what? You were living in them, you're not living in them anymore, but now, now, now, now, you put them all aside. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech, all this works of flesh from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you've laid aside the old man, the old flesh with its what? Evil practices in nature and character of God, and in verse 10, so we'll be conformed to the image of the Lord. Amen? Now, so we got through 1 Timothy 1. We just let that go, okay? And now we're just holding Galatians and 2 Corinthians, all right? Now we're back over there in Galatians 2. Is everybody there? Have to use all your fingers when you're doing this. Galatians 2 and 2 Corinthians 12 is the only thing you're holding now. Now I want you to see something. Now let's get this picture right now. I want you to look at me here just a minute. We started out by seeing that the Corinthians right there were still striving jealousy, and Paul said, now the things I want to share with you are for mature people. I've got meat, solid food I want to share with you, and I can't share it with you right now because you're babes. You're just babies, so I'm going to give you a little milk and I want you to start growing in respect to salvation. Paul left. And then he wrote him a letter and said, I'm coming back for the third time. And he said, right now have fear. I fear for you folks. Because if you walk out of the flesh, you're not going to enter. If you practice what is in the flesh, you're not going to enter into the kingdom of God. And I pray when I come there, I'm not going to find what I wish, in which case, if I don't find what I wish, if that stuff is still there, it's going to be still strife and jealousy and all the works of the flesh still there, then I'm not going to be what you wish. And I'm going to mourn, I'm going to cry my eyes out if I come back there and you folks are still walking in that stuff. And all that strife and jealousy and evil practice which if you practice it, and if you practice it. Because Paul is teaching about salvation here. Paul wrote Galatians and then he told Galatians the same things. And here you folks, you started out the Spirit of God. You received Jesus and you started out the Spirit of God and now you folks are back in the flesh again. You let someone come along with this distorted doctrine that does not conform you to God and it's a curse. Did he say that in Galatians 1? There's a curse on it. And you're walking under a curse. He said, you folks right there, you think you're being justified in Christ. He said, this stuff you're walking in right here, is Christ the minister of that? Is He leading you to do all of this works of the flesh that you're walking in right here? May it never be. Amen? And then he told them, verse 18, for if you start rebuilding that nature and character of Satan which you once destroyed, you laid it down and gave it up and putting it to death, you prove yourself to once again being what? You're walking, you're right back on the law. Now let me ask, let everybody see this right here folks. When you join your heart to a doctrine, look at me here folks. When you join your heart to a doctrine, now many of you had a real experience of the Lord and you get in some religious setting and then you lose your first love and you wonder whatever happened to you. The doctrines that do not conform you to God, you're sitting under that kind of teaching and it'll lead you, it'll lead you away from your first love. You're living your first love but not being led by the Spirit of God. Are you hearing what I'm saying? And you'll sit right there and you're right back a transgressor and all the hell that used to be on you out there in the world is back on you again because you moved into a religious setting, you're blessing God and you're cursing your neighbor once again and you're not a doer of God's law but you become a judge of it like the rest of them. Amen? So now I want you to see what Paul said. For through the law I died to the law. How did he die to the law? By getting rid of that which had him bound. Isn't that right? So he'd bear fruit for God. Isn't that right? He's no longer a transgressor. But see he said, you folks are a transgressor again. And he said, I've been crucified with Christ. That's how I died to the law. I give up the flesh. It's no longer I live but Christ lives in me. And later on we're going to see something in Philippians 3 about that. Okay? And so then he went on in Galatians 4 and this is going to be kind of helpful to you. If you see there, verse 9, But now that you have come to know God, 4 and 9, But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it you're doing what? You're turning back to the weak and worthless elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again. Amen? Isn't that interesting? So what does Paul say in verse 11 to the Galatians? We know what he said to Corinthians. What did he say to them in, what did he say to Galatians right there? Huh? I fear for you that perhaps I have what? Labored over you in vain. See, you can labor over somebody in vain. See, if you're not perfected in love, you've labored over them in vain. Now, I'm going to, what is the labor that Paul is supposed to do with them? That Christ be formed in them. You see it right over there. Look in verse 19. My children with whom I am again in labor, I'm going, let's start all over again, until what? I can't hear you. Christ is formed in you. Did we go over to Galatians 5 a while ago and see the whole steps of how you died the flesh and you put it to death right there until you bear the fruit of rights against such things? There is no law. That's how Christ is formed in you. And when Christ is formed in you, you're going to love one another as Christ loved you. How many see this? How many don't want to see it? Now, I'm going to tell you something. If this is the first time any of you have ever heard anything like this, and I'm seeing you kind of look and you're just kind of wondering here and everything, I'm going to tell you something. You know why I keep going over these things? Because if you, people are sitting over here, through here. See, this thing right here, every time I share it, it tears down walls. It tears down walls. There are people that hear this the third and fourth time before they ever really see it. How many had to kind of hear this two, three, four times before you ever heard what I was saying? Hold up. Everybody look around here. These hands are up right here. You can't get it the first time you ever heard it. So don't you sit there and get under any condemnation right here because this is good news right here, folks. It gets rid of all the strife, stress, and works. But this is the reason I go back over it. And I'm not here in a revelation meeting. I'm here for you to understand, get free, and be a success in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's some things we could take it off on and what persistence that's going to be. And every time... I'm going to tell you something, folks. This is the reason when you come back here that you just keep getting freer and freer and you're getting encouraged and things like this because it keeps tearing down walls and walls and walls and walls and you get free. We have all these kind of walls built up in us. Isn't that right, brother? And this Word tears it down. And see, this is the reason I encourage people to come back to the meetings and everything like that. I don't know what they're going to look like in the future but it's because we're not built... You can't build no ministry with this kind of Word. Do you understand what I mean? If anything, you'd go crawl in a hole or something. But see, it's really... See, the whole motivation of what we want to do... I want to see the body of Jesus Christ come together in love. And that's what we want to do. You hear what I'm saying? And so I want you to know coming to a meeting is not... To come to a meeting... We're not saying the things to build up anything except the body of Christ right here. I hope that's clear to you and I hope you see that. For you to be a success in Jesus. And that's just a part. Now, he said, My children with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. Now, you know what I'd like to do? I wish you'd hold that place and go over to Ephesians 4 just a minute. And I want you to see something so you'll understand what is supposed to be taking place today. Ephesians 4. Now, is Paul an apostle? What did an apostle do? It went around as a craftsman of the Lord Jesus Christ to build Christ, to form Christ in people. Amen? What is the commandment of Jesus? That we're going to love one another as He loved us? Is that His commandment? How do we have to do that? In order for what? So we'll be a doer of God's law because Jesus came to prove it's not the hearers of God's law who are going to be judged before God, but the doers of God's law who are going to be justified. And that's where the Spirit of God leads us. Walk with the Spirit and you will not care what desire to pledge. And the craftsman, apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher are the people that labor over, that have the anointing to labor of the body of their Christ, to get in under them, to encourage them, not be lords, to bring their straw and their brick to build up their reputation, because they're still walking this and haven't repented. Amen? Amen. But it's to build them up so there'll be a success in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen. So then we see them today. Here's what happens, verse 11. Verse 11, And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors, some as teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the service, to building up the body of Christ, not dividing the body of Christ up in separate kingdoms, little kings and big kings, little king bows to big king, being lords over God's heritage and then protecting them and giving them controversial questions so they can never hear new truth or anything else, while they hold them in bondage to men's salaries and men's selfish ambition, until, verse 12, His equipping the saints to build up the body of Christ, not to put it in captivity and tear it down, until we all, all, all, it's built up until we all, all to unity of the faith. That's one heart, one mind, one purpose, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, we're going to become what kind of man? One more time, what kind of man? That's a mature man that eats the meat. That's the one that has the divine nature and it's to the measure of the stature, the same stature which belongs to Paul as to Christ. That's what the pastor, teacher, prophet, that's Christ formed in you. That's what the labor is. Paul, later on, is going to say in Philippians there, I didn't have not one person, I had only one person I could send to you. I had only one person, I won't show that to you all later, I only had one person I could send to you. Because everybody else is seeking after their own self-interest and selfish motives and they wouldn't come there and teach you the truth. You'll take the Bible and you'll fulfill selfish ambition. And I said, I can only send Timothy to you, he said, I'm the only one I can send to you. Paul, of all that was going on, he said, I've only got one man I can send to you. The rest are selfish interests. They're still walking and they're going to have this stuff right here. Are you hearing me? Now, therefore, it says in verse 14, as a result, we're no longer to be what? Since we're mature men now, we're not going to be the little babes and children like we saw over there in 1 Corinthians 3. We're going to be tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine. These doctrines have distorted the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ until it doesn't conform you to God. This gospel distorted and a contrary doctrine which curses people and a man that teaches doctrine. It's a trick we amend by craftiness and deceitful scheming. They take the Bible and it's got all kinds of knowledge and historical revelation about it, but they never repented. Look at me. They never repented of these deeds right here and they do not walk in repentance. And what do they do? They'll use the Word of God and partial truth, sir, to put people in bondage to them. And that's exactly what Moses led the people from in Egypt to build their brick and straw and all the judgments of frogs and all these others on them. And you see it once again in Revelation. And it's coming on this whore-harlot church today. God is saying, let My people go that they're going to come out and worship Me. And their hearts harden and they're not letting them go. You see, Jude, they're holding them in captivity. And they're devoid of the Spirit of God. And Christ is coming for those who do not obey the gospel and don't even know God. And He's one to come and the first one to get this Zion, He's putting it together right there. It speaks any words against it. Verse 17. Now, let's go back up to verse 15. What you're going to do, you're going to speak the truth and love. We grow in all aspects into Him who is head, even Christ. The whole body being fitted and held together by the every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part causing the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Every time Paul came to see a new body and everything, he said, I will come here and I want to make my joy complete. I want to see how much you've grown in love since the year before. And he said, Timothy, I want to hear about you. I want to find out about you. It makes my joy complete that you go on with God. Glory be to God forevermore. Your love is going to increase for one another. And you know, I fear that the tempter might have tempted you and you turned aside and he told a testimony and that my labor over you would be in vain once again. Fit that into once saved, always saved. You know what? Buddy, I want to tell you something, folks. There is no greater security on this earth than the security of a believer. But I'm telling you, it's false teaching to bring the security to the unbeliever. False teacher, false teaching is simply this, giving people a false assurance. There's no greater, but I'm going to tell you what. You're going to start out in the Spirit of God and you're going to continue there. Amen? I want to tell you, this is good news, folks. Now when I say we're waking up from a nightmare and I want to tell you something, we got a little truth here. Don't see it, you don't get in your ditch with spiritual pride here, folks, because we don't know much yet. But I want to tell you, this is exciting. You can tell that God's around and you start seeing these kind of things. Amen? Now I'm going to tell you something that rests in peace is something, boy, I'm going to tell you something, it's just foolish some of the things we've done and we're just going to just lay it. I'm going to tell you, I can't tell you what grace has been on my life since the first of the year. And I see it on others too, brother, sister. I really do. And boy, we're just going to get in and start loving and encouraging and helping one another. And we say, this love starts manifesting through us. And we say, boy, over here that hadn't got much or something, we have some people in here that came up here and they're sleeping in the tent in the park. I said, brother, I believe we can help you all get a room. He said, no, we don't need no room. We're used to sleeping out like this. And they get people in parks and love on them, tell them about Jesus and end the word all the time. Going through the parks of San Antonio. They're right here right now. He said, it don't bother us. That's the way we live. They get them in air condition and make them sick. I don't think the Lord would let them get sick there, but He wouldn't let them get too comfortable either, I don't reckon. Maybe we might all stay in the tent tonight. Verse 17 says this, but I say therefore and affirm together with the Lord that you walk with me You walk no longer just as the world's walking out there. You walk no longer like the world out there. Amen. And how are they walking after where the world walking? The lust of flesh, the lust of the eye, they're walking in the futility of what? They're walking in the futility of their mind. Being darkened in what? They have no spiritual understanding excluded from what? Life of God. Why are they, what's their problem? The ignorance that is in them because of what? They have an unrepentant heart. It's a hardened heart. Isn't that right? You no longer walk like them. That's what He's telling the Ephesians like that. You no longer walk like the world out there do. They have no life of God. And they have become what? Callous. Having given themselves over to what? Sensuality. That's the works of the flesh for the practice of every kind of what? Look at me folks. Here's where the world walks. Right there. There's the impurity with greediness right there. The works of the flesh. And He said that's where the world walks. And don't you give yourself over. And don't you walk like them because it's all the futilities. It'll never accomplish nothing. It's just death. It's death every day and death. The only thing you can do. We talked about it. If you build you a house with 17 stories in it, all you can do is eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom in it. That's all. The rest of it, you get puffed up and tried what you've got. We've got 14 bedrooms we don't use. Verse 20. But you did not learn Christ in this way. And if that's the way you walk, you've got another Jesus. Is that what it says? Verse 22. Then in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old stuff which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit. You lay it all down and be renewed in your mind. You're going to have a new mind, the mind of Christ. And then you're going to put on a new self and the likeness of God which is righteousness and holiness. Amen? Now we come back to Galatians 4. And we saw what Paul had told them. He told them back in verse 9 that you've turned back the weak and worthless elemental things. Verse 11. I fear for you that perhaps I've labored over you in vain. Is that right? Verse 19. My children, with whom I am again in labor, until what? Christ is formed in you. Now let's go to Galatians 5. It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Now let me ask you something. How did Christ set us free? Because we are in bondage to the works of flesh, in bondage and slavery to sin. And Jesus Christ sets us free when we put to death the deeds of the flesh right here. And that's what the Spirit of God leads us to do. We get set free and we walk in peace and freedom with the hedge around us when our mind is set on things of the Spirit. Amen? Glory be to God! That's good. It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, what are you going to do? You're going to keep standing firm and you're not going to be a subject again to the yoke of slavery. In other words, we're not going to turn back again to Galatians. Don't you turn back to some distorted gospel or doctrine. Don't you turn back to the flesh and get back in that bondage of the world again. Amen? Verse 2, Behold, I, Paul, say to you, if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. I want to tell you something, folks. Don't think about just going back until you start sacrificing bulls, goats, and heifers if you get in bondage to anybody's distorted gospel that causes you to think you're going to get to God except through holiness and righteousness. That's bondage. Let me show you where these people walked at. It's the same thing today. Look in Galatians 6. Galatians 6. Verse 12, Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh, that's the people that make a good showing in the flesh, are the ones that walk in the flesh. Amen? They try to compare you to being circumcised and other come but God by fleshly works and rituals, simply as they do today, simply that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Brother, when you start using a whole countless list word right here, you upset some people. Because their works is what's reading them. Come and climb up my tower here into heaven. I am and there's nobody but me. And then we see there in verse 13, For those who are circumcised, they do these fleshly works and rituals, do not even keep the law of the self, they're not fulfilling God's law through Christ themselves, but they desire you to be in bondage, they're circumcised, their works are ritualized works, that they may boast in what? Your flesh. They want to boast in their flesh, their achievements and nickels, noses, and numbers, because that's what fulfills fleshly desires. And they can hold it up there and get the approval of people. Flesh wants the approval of man. Flesh helps God out. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now, let's go back over there where we are. In verse 2, Chapter 5, verse 2, Behold, I, Paul, say to you, that if you receive circumcision, Christ is what? Of no benefit to you. And verse 4, You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law, you've fallen from grace. In other words, how are you going to be justified by the law, folks? Folks, if there's any way you're trying to get to God, and you're trying to keep His law, through some ritual, or any kind of works, other than making Jesus Christ, total Lord of your whole heart, being led by the Spirit of God, to be perfected in love, and be the holy and blameless bride He's coming for, you're walking on the works of law, you're walking on that curse of God's law, which I've showed you in 1 Timothy, I showed you in Galatians, and all over there. You quit walking under grace. See, the whole business of fulfilling God's law, is walking in rest and peace. When you don't have rest or peace, you've made a mistake. Go to God. Repent. Before the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you turn from it in your heart, the blood of Jesus will come over you, and that stronghold will come back over you. But if you will not go to the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will not repent, God sees you as loving those sins more than you do Him. And that's why the judgment of God has to stay there. Now, a Christian person will repent, and he'll get back in peace. A religious person has already got his false assurance right here, in his doctrine right there, so he walks just like the world, with more and more bondage, and more and more bondage, and strongholds and fortresses build up, and diseases come on in, until he is destroyed. Does everybody hear what I'm saying? Huh? Now, that's what religion is doing today. That's why Babylon is the dwelling place of demons today. And we have deliverance ministries in some of it. We have all kind of, you know, signs and wonders, and all kind of things. But when you deal with why the demons are there, then you deal with our doctrine ain't working. And then today, you know, men go to seminary, and they go to schools. And the primary thing that they learn is how to protect that doctrine, because they learn the isolated scripture that protects that doctrine. And then the man goes out there, and he learns how to lord and dominate, because if he has got all this selfish ambition in his life, and they have all that selfish ambition in his life, he just learns how to learn how to quick them, and dominate them. Because when you've got a flock like the devil right there, they'll kill you unless you become like them. They'll absolutely kill you. And later on, they show in Proverbs, when you go teach an ungodly people, a wicked people that they're righteous, you're cursed. And all those words of the congregation is going to come on you, and I've got pastors and cast out sickness, diseases, and all this kind of stuff on them. When you take a doctrine, and you teach wicked people, and this is something that pastors are getting themselves out of, all of us are getting all kinds of stuff off of us. And I hope we can get them free of some of these things here. Now, let's see at verse 4. You have been severed from Christ. You who are seeking to be justified by the law, you have fallen from grace. Now, let me tell you another place to put it. Turn to Hebrews 10. Turn to Hebrews 10. Verse 26, For if you go on sinning willfully, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a place for your sins. Oh, anybody look at me here just a minute. If you learn what the truth is, and then you go on willfully choosing sin instead of God. You choose to love sin more than you do God. There no longer remains a place for you to see sacrifice. Because Jesus came in his blood of his covenant, and the cross. So you could have a place to put these sins, because if you don't have any place to put these sins right here, the demons are going to destroy you on this earth. And then God is going to destroy you forever in hell. You'll be there forever more. Now, there's a thing called sin unto death. A sin unto death. If you have a person, you know, you start out with the Lord, then you go in and you get a false assurance over a doctrine. And then you're taught right there, since you have a false assurance, you're not going to listen to any parts of the Bible. It tells you you have to die of the flesh, you have to give up grief, you've got a false assurance, you're going to hold on to everything you can in the world, right? So you sit there and you learn to resist the word of God, and you start being a good Presbyterian, being a good this or a good that, or a good this or a good that, and a good this and a good that, instead of being a Christian. And you learn to resist the word of God, and resist the word of God, until finally the only thing that matters to you is being a good this or a good that. That's your whole life. And then when someone comes with the word of God and wants to lead you out of spiritual darkness, you're just like the Pharisees were when Jesus came in John 8. You're offended. Because the words that Jesus spoke would not fit in their doctrine. So you stumble over the stumbling block, you stumble because he becomes a rock of offense. You're offended by that part of the Bible. So you can't be led out of spiritual darkness because you've hardened your heart to the point that the word of God cannot wash you anymore. That's a sin unto death. Now, so just in case that something wants to condemn you, that you commit a sin unto death, I have an idea that the people sitting here right now have not committed a sin unto death, or you wouldn't be sitting here these hours wanting to hear what the word of God is saying. But I'm going to tell you what, you can take these same things, and you can go to someone, and anywhere you want to, and the first scripture that you say is contrary to their doctrine. Bang. They don't know anything about the Bible, but they learn to be offended because that controversial question is a religious stronghold in them. And immediately demons say, Christians can't have demons, and bang, you won't receive that. He believes in sinless perfection. Blame, I don't want to be holy and righteous. Blame, I don't want to be this. You can't heal this. On and on and on. Are you hearing what I'm saying? And that's the only thing a person knows, show up to religious exercises, bring us nickels, and go out and help us build up this man's kingdom right here so he can be a lord over God's heritage. Bring you brick and straw, and he gives you a false assurance. And he's your king, and he's got you some princes ruling over you. You don't know anything about the Word of God, and if you ever find anything in the Word that don't fit in that doctrine, they withdraw fellowship from you. Now verse 26 again. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain expectation of what? And now what happens when you break the law? If you continue sin, if you have been walking in sin, what happens? A lot of heads come down, as we saw in Galatians 2, and you're back in judgment again. Amen? You're a transgressor. A terrifying expectation of fury of fire. I'll come back over here later. Verse 38. But my righteous one shall live by faith, but if he shrinks back from the Word of God, you shrink back from the Word of God when you love other things more than the Word of God. My soul has no pleasure in them, but we are not of those who are going to shrink back to what? We're not going to shrink back to destruction, but we are of those who are going to have what? We're going to have faith in the Word of God so we can what? Do what? The preserving of the soul. Amen? Now let's go back to Galatians 4, verse 4. For you have been severed from Christ, verse 4, you who are seeking to be justified by the law. You have fallen from grace. Grace comes to being led by the Spirit of God, the Word, and the Lord Jesus Christ. And verse, by the way, Galatians 3, let's see, 324. I want to read that right there. Therefore, through the law has become our tutor, leading us to Christ. Isn't that right? That we may be justified by what? You're going to be justified by being led by the Spirit of God, and that's what grace is. This is why Jesus leads us through the wilderness into the promised land. Isn't that right? To possess the land. Paul said to them in verse 7, you were running well, who hindered you from obeying the truth, the Word? When you quit obeying the truth, brother, you start falling from grace. Amen? You start practicing sin willfully. Right? And then Paul goes ahead in chapter 14. He begins, look in verse 14, he said, now he begins to tell them how Christ is formed in them. And this is what has to happen to you and I. For the whole law is fulfilled in the one word, in the statement, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But see, you folks right there, if you're abiding and devouring one another, walking in the flesh, take care lest you be consumed by one another. Because if you're led by the Spirit of God, verse 16, you will not carry out these desires of the flesh. You started in the Spirit, and now you're back in the flesh, devouring and abiding one another, and Christ be informed in you. I want you to know if you continue to be led by the Spirit, I'm back in labor with you until Christ is formed in you. We're going to get rid of that flesh. Amen? Amen. We're going to labor with you again. And then we see in verse 16, it says, walk by the Spirit and you will not what? Carry out the desires of the flesh. But another way to say it, if you walk by the Spirit, you'll no longer be walking under the judgment of the law. Isn't that right? That's exactly what it's saying in verse 18. But if you're led by the Spirit, you're no longer what? You're no longer beyond the law because of the Spirit of God to lead you. You won't be breaking God's law. Amen? If you do, you're going to lose your peace until you get repented. Amen? Praise God, that's good. Now, I want to tell you, when we're walking in stuff, folks, it's just fit time every time you see each other. Folks, are you having little experiences of something jumping up and down in you every once in a while now? How would you like to have that jumping up and down in you all the time? If I'm loving you as Christ loved me, I don't want you to know I don't want to even sleep at night. Can you imagine what God's doing with us right now, folks? I don't want to stop nowhere and count to you. I can't hear you. Huh? Okay. Now, so then that's reading, he said, now verse 19, Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, and he goes on to share in the strife and jealousy that the 1 Corinthians 3 was walking in right there. And he goes, and also, if you see right there, the immorality, impurity, and sensuality in verse 19. Do you see that there, strife and jealousy? That's exactly the same thing. He's saying these all through the books of the Bible. I want to tell you, all these books of the Bible are saying the same thing. When you start looking at this, some other way besides, you look through the eyes of God instead of the eyes of doctrine, you see the same thing in every book through his New Testament. This concludes tape number two.