1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,360 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,080 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,960 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the Light of the world 4 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:14,720 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and 5 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:16,720 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,800 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,280 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,560 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,720 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,560 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 11 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,920 divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:01:02,080 and Holy Spirit, forever. last episode, we concluded the 13 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,520 Acts of the Apostles of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Chapter 15. 14 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:11,400 I'd like to go back to our series that we began many moons 15 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:16,600 ago on the vision of hope, a serious sad programs in the 16 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:18,680 assumed language. We began studying the book of 17 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,200 Romans, St. Paul's Epistles to the Romans. 18 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,800 We had covered chapters one and two, and then we reverted back 19 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,760 to the studies of the Acts of the Apostles. 20 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,760 Just as a refresher. Well, those who like to listen 21 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:42,400 to the the two previous chapters, it is in the Assyrian 22 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,040 language. You'll find them on the YouTube 23 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,160 channel, the Church YouTube channel, assyrianchurch.tv. 24 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:53,640 And if you click on Vision of Hope, you'll find this hundreds 25 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:55,720 of episodes. They're in the Assyrian 26 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,640 language, but hundreds of episodes on the Gospel of 27 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,000 Matthew, St. Paul's Epistles to the 28 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:04,760 Galatians. We've covered all of that. 29 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:09,199 We began Romans and obviously the Acts of the Apostles. 30 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,600 So the the pass to the chapters one and two you'll find in the 31 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,520 Assyrian language. But just as a refresher, just 32 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,480 going back to what we studied in Romans chapter 2, basically 33 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,000 Saint Paul was writing to the Romans and also referring to the 34 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:27,840 Jews. He was, he was his writings up 35 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,200 to the Jews as well, because there was Jews in Rome, both the 36 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,600 Gentiles and the Jews. So he's telling the Jews that 37 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:38,360 boasting based on human ancestry had no place in the Kingdom of 38 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,200 God because they were boasting, you know, just like, just like 39 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,040 Acts of the Apostles chapter 15, there was an issue where they, 40 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,560 the, the, some of the Jews were saying that unless the Gentiles 41 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,400 are circumcised, then they cannot become Christians. 42 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,320 This is after receiving the Holy Spirit. 43 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,280 So we've covered that. If you go and listen to the Acts 44 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,560 of the Apostles chapter 15 on the, on the podcast, you'll have 45 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,440 all those programs there. So Saint Paul is telling the 46 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,920 Jews that you're boasting is, is useless. 47 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:10,320 It's got no place in the Kingdom of heaven. 48 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,520 And he teaches them that such people really they're not Jews 49 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:21,080 because they haven't understood the the, the spiritual meaning, 50 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,840 the spiritual message of the covenant that God made with 51 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,160 Abraham. Yes, you know circumcise and you 52 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,160 need to you know 8 day old child needs to be a male needs to be 53 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,280 circumcised or your servants. But there was a spiritual 54 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,080 meaning behind it. It was a spiritual it was a 55 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,200 foreshadowing of a spiritual conclude conclusion or a 56 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,400 spiritual fulfillment which is baptism. 57 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,560 Today having hindsight, we know that our circumcision is 58 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,840 baptism. We have circumcised in baptism. 59 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,680 Just like circumcision entails the spilling of the blood, which 60 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,160 is death, we also die in the waters of baptism, meaning our 61 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,120 heart, our minds, everything stops because that's how some a 62 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,720 person dies. The heart stops speeding. 63 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,160 There's no oxygen to the to the mind, and then the body shuts 64 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,440 down. So spiritually, this is what we 65 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,560 do in the waters of baptism. So when the child is brought out 66 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,320 of the water or the adult is brought out of the water, it's a 67 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,720 new life, new heart, new mind, new soul, new life in Jesus 68 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,080 Christ. So he's telling him that you've 69 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,720 misunderstood it. And if because you've understood 70 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,600 well, you're not really a Jew because you you've missed the 71 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,640 mark. And in reality, those who taught 72 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:38,760 the commandments themselves, they were strict on the 73 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,680 commandments brokered themselves. 74 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:42,280 You're not saying Paul says this. 75 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,520 Oh, sorry, Saint Peter says this in chapter 15. 76 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,360 He said, listen, we want to impose these strict commandments 77 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,840 and laws. Our forefathers broke them. 78 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:52,680 We broke them. So now we don't need to do that 79 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,480 anymore because it is not the will of God. 80 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,880 We are now living in the grace of God. 81 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,440 It's by the grace of God that we have now new life in Jesus 82 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,040 Christ. And because they were breaking 83 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,560 the law, they were enforcing it, but themselves breaking it. 84 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,600 The Scriptures say and Saint Paul says that God claims that 85 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,640 my name is being blasphemed in the Gentiles because of your 86 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,120 hypocrisy. And Christians, this is an 87 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,000 important message. Stop, pull aside, stop 88 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,560 vacuuming, stop washing dishes so put out, put down your your 89 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,080 spoon on your fork and your knife. 90 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:36,120 Listen, let us be very careful that our hypocrisy does not 91 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,480 'cause the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be blasphemed 92 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,720 without that means outside of the Christendom, those who don't 93 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,800 believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be very careful. 94 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:52,400 Sometimes we do become the cause of the name of Jesus being 95 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,760 blasphemed. Not within, not within. 96 00:05:54,920 --> 00:06:00,480 Don't ever say to me, don't ever dare say to me, Oh, you broke my 97 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:02,720 heart. Oh, you discouraged me a little 98 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,720 bit. Well, you claim to be Christian. 99 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,680 When you claim to be a Christian, that means you are 100 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,240 open to any rebuke, any admonishment, any correcting 101 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,240 harshly, because you should know the life of a Christian. 102 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,880 You should know what it means to be a Christian. 103 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,360 So don't Christians don't ever claim that. 104 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,640 Oh, I was discouraged. Oh, I was turned off by, by what 105 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,040 you said about Jesus Christ. If it's biblical, it's and it's 106 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:30,920 turning you off, switch it back on. 107 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,200 Great. Because the Bible wants to turn 108 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,680 you off and switch you back on the right way, the correct way, 109 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,040 so that you don't continue your life in, in debauchery, in, in, 110 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,720 in abomination, because you know, you, you feel that that's 111 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,160 how God is. No, no, no, everyone has their 112 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:48,680 own. Even in Christendom, people have 113 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:50,920 their own understanding of the, the laws of God. 114 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,320 No, no, they're clear cut. Unless you repent from your 115 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,600 evil, likewise you too shall perish. 116 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,640 Jesus said this, not Jen Art. Jesus plays me to his name. 117 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,640 So what God is saying is in the Gentiles. 118 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,080 My name is being blasphemed and we need to be very careful that 119 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,480 we don't become the cause of the blasphemy blaspheming of the 120 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,840 name of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gentiles and non Christians 121 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:23,360 and that the only circumcision Paul is telling him the the only 122 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,520 circumcision decision that is of value that you want to talk 123 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,960 circumcision. This is this is, these are the 124 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,360 church by the way, he's writing to the church in Rome. 125 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,360 The only circumcision is that of the Spirit, as I said, of the 126 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,400 heart. An outwardly sign means nothing 127 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,840 by themselves, nothing. You fast because you stopped 128 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,520 the, you know, dairy products and meats and poultry from your 129 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,840 mouth. But your heart has not stopped 130 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,960 in your mind and your eyes and your hands and your ears and 131 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,080 your mouth and your legs have not stopped from evil. 132 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:04,760 It means nothing. Your fasting becomes a diet, you 133 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,480 come to church, you pray, you praise, you quote scripture, 134 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,920 very scripturally versed and if you don't fulfill the 135 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,360 scriptures, it means nothing. Actually it's more condemnation 136 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,160 because then you can't say I didn't know the Lord will say 137 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,400 no, no, you preached, you were teaching. 138 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,400 That's why Saint James says let not all of you be teachers. 139 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:29,240 You have a harsh judgement coming upon you, and because 140 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,159 it's an output expression and doesn't have any inward 141 00:08:34,159 --> 00:08:38,799 influence, circumcision, it's been fulfilled already. 142 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:41,679 The purpose has been fulfilled, and it was fulfilled in Jesus 143 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,200 Christ when 82 was circumcised, right? 144 00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:48,840 So because an outwardly expression alone has got no 145 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:55,200 value thus far for this, therefore Gentiles do not need 146 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,120 to be physically circumcised because if they do what is 147 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:05,240 right, it amounts to the same thing we discussed in Acts 15. 148 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,200 That's when you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you 149 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,600 receive the Holy Spirit through baptism and your faith and the 150 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:19,760 grace of God, then it needs to be nothing else you know to be 151 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,880 done when it comes to circumcision. 152 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,880 So let's continue Romans chapter 3 and read on and see how Paul 153 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,080 is admonishing the Jews and he's going to give him give him a 154 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,800 little bit of a credit as well, because he's he's becoming very 155 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,400 wise. He, he knows something's brewing 156 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,840 between these people. Chapter 3. 157 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,200 Verse one. What then? 158 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,200 He asks himself, These are not Jews. 159 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:48,200 Asking What then is superiority of the Jew, Or what is the 160 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:54,240 importance of circumcision? Now by hinting that a Jew is not 161 00:09:54,240 --> 00:10:00,120 one which is merely outwardly, but he or the one which is 162 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:06,760 inwardly, he has set aside the hearing, the teachings, the name 163 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,440 of the Jews, the circumcision, and all the other particulars 164 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:12,800 that they would hold on to and boast about. 165 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:17,440 Just like what Paul said. I was from the tribe of Benjamin 166 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,040 according to the law. I was perfect according to the 167 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,800 law. Hang on. 168 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:31,520 But Saint Paul says the law is of no use and that the law could 169 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,600 not bring anything, could not bring salvation. 170 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,360 So why were you perfect? Well, what he meant is this. 171 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:41,200 In the law, one who would commit a sin had to do something, had 172 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,600 to go and offer a sin sacrifice, right? 173 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,720 So that's what Paul is saying, that regardless, even if I sin 174 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,960 not meaning that I'm perfect, I was, I was sinless. 175 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,600 He doesn't say that according to the law, when I sinned, I did 176 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:57,920 what I needed to do according to the law. 177 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,320 All right, so all these other particulars. 178 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,120 St. Paul is saying that these things 179 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:11,080 are of no use, and he wisely understands and feels moved by 180 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,720 the Holy Spirit, not knowing their thoughts as Jesus did. 181 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,880 No, no, no, moved by the Holy Spirit, he wisely sees that 182 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,280 there isn't objection that is going to start up and against 183 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:28,000 this he makes this stance. This is the objection and he 184 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,080 says, well, what use is there then why were we, if these are, 185 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,480 if these things you're saying Saint Paul are not no use to us. 186 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:40,520 What reason was there for that nation, our nation being called? 187 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:43,360 What reason was there for circumcision, for the 188 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:47,360 excruciating pain of a child eight days. 189 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,360 What reason is there to be given of all this? 190 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:55,520 And Paul answers it. It was a rhetorical question. 191 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,160 Paul answers it much in every way. 192 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:00,240 Yeah, there's a lot of advantage. 193 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:06,200 And now he's not boasting about them because he says the Jews 194 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,040 were the first to believe in the words of God. 195 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:16,280 So hey, this is great, he replies as he did before. 196 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,720 He's telling them that it wasn't of their own doing. 197 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:25,240 Yes, you believed, but it wasn't of your own doing because what 198 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,920 you did, many didn't believe what you did. 199 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,920 You kept on falling. You kept on grieving the Holy 200 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,200 Spirit of God. But the use, the advantage of 201 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:39,720 this is what God has done for you, You see, to be called a Jew 202 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:44,520 bought by God, and to know God's will and to choose the things 203 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,800 which were best. It wasn't of your own doing, 204 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,200 he's saying, but God did it for you. 205 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,120 And because God did it, of course it's advantageous. 206 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:59,520 And it came not because of your own doing and your own 207 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,480 well-being, but it came of the grace of God. 208 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:05,640 That means God, that means God did it. 209 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:10,760 Grace means God has done it, and this is echoing Psalm chapter 210 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:16,560 Psalm 147, in which King David also rebukes the Jews. 211 00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:20,600 Look at what he says. Has he not done so for all the 212 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,320 nations? Neither has he shown them his 213 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,680 judgments. He hasn't done this for all the 214 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:32,520 nation, only to you he's done. Moses too does this in 215 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,720 Deuteronomy chapter 4 verses 32 to 33. 216 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:40,040 But ask about the first days he writes that have been before you 217 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,600 from the day that God created the man on the earth from the 218 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,680 ends of heaven and onto the ends of heaven. 219 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:53,320 If there is one like the like. Sorry if there was the likes of 220 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:58,320 this great matter or there was anything hurt like this. 221 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,440 If another people heard the voice of God who speaks from 222 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:07,040 within fire as you heard and you lived, he did it through you. 223 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,280 So of course there is advantage, there is a benefit. 224 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:14,560 God has done it to you and the words of God, he says were 225 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:20,840 entrusted to you, meaning that the Jews people don't like 226 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,640 hearing this. Some, some nationalists don't 227 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:26,560 like hearing this because the Jews had the law put in their 228 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:28,200 hands. Why? 229 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:32,240 Why? Because gods thought so highly 230 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,160 of them. He loved them so much He 231 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:40,280 entrusted them His oracles, his prophecies, his visions, his 232 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:45,440 revelations, and these came from on high. 233 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:50,920 It wasn't for them, it wasn't by them, it wasn't because of them, 234 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,200 it was because what God has done. 235 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:58,120 So everything God does, of course, is a benefit. 236 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,680 Now when it comes to man, what we do, we're going to continue 237 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,160 reading verse 3. For what if some had not 238 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:10,120 believed? Could their unbelief nullify the 239 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,160 faith of God? What is he implying here? 240 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:19,000 He's implying that God again entrusted the oracles, his 241 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:23,320 prophecies, his revelations, the law to the Jews, not that the 242 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,240 Jews entrusted themselves to the. 243 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:27,920 It wasn't that they asked for it. 244 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:32,280 No, it's, it's what Paul says, you know, while we were still 245 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,680 sinners, Jesus died for us. We didn't ask. 246 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,600 He came down from him. We didn't go up and knock on 247 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:39,320 God's door and said, Lord, we need to save it. 248 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,400 Can you send it? No, Jesus came down while we 249 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,200 were sinners and it's the same thing. 250 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,520 It's not that the Jews entrusted themselves. 251 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:53,600 No, no, no, God did this. And now does that mean that the 252 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:57,160 unfaithfulness of these people means that God is an it? 253 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,040 Will God's faithfulness be affected by this? 254 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:04,160 Not at all. He says, no, beloved, when God 255 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:09,440 commands, when Jesus commands that we must love one another, 256 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:15,480 when Jesus commands that, we must be, you know, praying for 257 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,400 one another. And within Chrysostom, we don't 258 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,600 do this. We don't love our enemies. 259 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,280 We don't pray for our enemies. We don't feed them. 260 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,960 No, no, no. That doesn't mean God is not 261 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,800 faithful and God is not true. Of course he is. 262 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:33,480 You know, I always say, yeah, Christians may be bad people. 263 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,360 There are bad people. There are rotten apples in 264 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,480 Christianity. But Christ is glorified, is 265 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:46,800 holy, is pleasing every hour, every season, at every moment. 266 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,800 Christians. I think Gandhi was quoted saying 267 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,920 this. I don't like the Christians, but 268 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:54,840 I like their Christ. Well, why didn't you believe? 269 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,760 Maybe he did, I don't know. Maybe some say he repented, but 270 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,160 that we'll leave that to the right judgement of God. 271 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,920 God says no, no, no, let every man be a liar. 272 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:12,480 God is true, you know, for those who are trying to find, you 273 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:18,079 know, weaknesses and and and you know errors with God. 274 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,920 Don't do that. You are kicking against the 275 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,920 pricks you are kicking against the the the thorns. 276 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,079 Don't do that. You'll come out second best and 277 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:29,960 Paul says this to them. Let God be true. 278 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:36,920 He is true, then none believe in verse four he says, for by it 279 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,600 only God is true, and no man is wholly perfect. 280 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,880 And it is written that you may be justified by your words and 281 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:56,080 triumph when you are judged, then none believe would the more 282 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,520 justify God. Why? 283 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,680 Why, beloved? Why is it that when, when people 284 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:11,360 do not, you know, atheists say there is no God, they don't say 285 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:17,920 I don't believe in God because they say that if we say I don't 286 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:23,080 believe in God, that means there is a God, but we don't believe 287 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,080 in him. Well, there is a God, beloved, 288 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:30,560 my beloved atheist friend, there is a God. 289 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:32,840 I'm not going to go too much into that, but there is a God 290 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,680 and you should come in and and search for that true God. 291 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:40,280 All right, so just by these people not believing, God is 292 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:41,560 even more faithful. Why? 293 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,640 He fulfilled his work and his plan. 294 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:49,680 He still did it. See, whether we believe or not, 295 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:55,720 Jesus died for our sins. Jesus is our salvation, so 296 00:18:56,080 --> 00:19:00,840 because we don't believe, it doesn't deter and affect the 297 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,400 fullness and the fulfillment and the faithfulness of God. 298 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,600 He has done it. Jesus has died for you and I. 299 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:13,000 If there were a trial and an examination of the things which 300 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:18,160 God had done to the Jews and what they had done to him, the 301 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,040 victory would be God's, of course. 302 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,760 Yeah, God use them. God send them all the prophets. 303 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,080 God gave them the law, but they did not accept it. 304 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,000 And some rebuked and some rejected God. 305 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:37,680 The emphasis is this and, and it's quoted in Psalm. 306 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:45,600 And he quotes Psalm 51. For, for be it only God is true, 307 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,640 and no man is holy, perfect as it is written. 308 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:55,200 Psalm 51 four that you may be justified by your words and 309 00:19:55,200 --> 00:20:00,200 triumph when you are judged. I mean to that as approval to 310 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:05,520 these God has fulfilled God is judge just because you don't 311 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:09,080 believe it doesn't hinder the fulfillment and the faithfulness 312 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,360 of God. God, on His part, did 313 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:15,000 everything. So today, beloved, so today, 314 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,960 let's bring it home. God has brought salvation by his 315 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,360 grace. That means he did it. 316 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:21,800 This is grace. God has done it. 317 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:27,000 Hence Ephesians 289 For it is by His grace that we have been 318 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,080 saved through faith. That means God has done it. 319 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,560 We've been saved through faith. If we believe, and this faith 320 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:38,200 was not from, you see, all right, He's saying we've, we, we 321 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:39,840 believe, but that's not your faith. 322 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:41,560 What does that mean? It doesn't make sense. 323 00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:45,120 This faith, meaning not your faith, God's faithfulness, is 324 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:49,880 already done it because it's not because what you did, but it is 325 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:54,240 the gift of God, not of works. Lest anyone should boast. 326 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,880 God did it, not you. God has already done it and 327 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,160 doesn't mean that you don't need any more works because if you 328 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:05,520 continue reading it, yes it is. We need works and that salvation 329 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:11,400 is to all beloved, to all within the new Israel, the Church. 330 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,680 The new Israel is the church. Now if some are unbelieving, 331 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:19,480 some are disobedient, and rejecting God's faithfulness 332 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,600 will not be effective. Reject God, don't believe in 333 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:28,880 God, deny the existence of God. That will not affect God's 334 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,760 faithfulness. For the for the atheist, for the 335 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:38,120 for the Confucius, for the Gnostic, for the that haven't 336 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:41,560 received God through Jesus Christ, he's still faithful. 337 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:46,040 When you receive his son, you will reap from the gifts. 338 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,840 He is faithful. So just because you don't 339 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,760 believe God doesn't close shop and say, you know what I'm 340 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:52,760 getting out of here. That's it. 341 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:57,800 People not believing no Two Timothy 213 And if we believe 342 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:02,760 him not, he abides in his faithfulness, for he cannot deny 343 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,040 himself. He is love, He is. 344 00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:08,480 His love is always abound, always. 345 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:13,560 God is love. His love is always being poured 346 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,280 and made available for those who journey and receive it. 347 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:21,320 Unlike the so-called gods of the world, all these Pagan gods, 348 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,960 they are not faithful in their essence. 349 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,320 They are not faithful in their promises. 350 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,480 They do not abide anywhere. They're not omniscient. 351 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,040 They're not omnipotent. They're not omnipresent. 352 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,440 They are idle, dumb, dumb, dead, rotten, finished, gone. 353 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,800 But our God, beloved, is the true God. 354 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,120 All the other gods of the world are idols of the Gentiles are 355 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,440 idol. They come to naughty in the 356 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,440 course of time. Nature takes effect. 357 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:56,640 God is not affected by nature, by time, is not bound by that. 358 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,320 But all the other gods are. That's why they're not around. 359 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,160 But the God of all praise be to His name through Jesus Christ, 360 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:08,000 being one and only, being undeniable and true, is 361 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,600 faithful. He is always the same and 362 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,520 unchangeable. He is not misleading in His 363 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,880 essence or His promises. So just because you Jews didn't 364 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,480 believe and now I'm telling you, Saint Paul says that what was 365 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,920 then has no effect now. There's no, there's no profit 366 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,680 for you through that. And you can't say, well, what 367 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,560 was the use then God did it. Of course it was the the the 368 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,840 prophet the the fruit of his what the fruit of what God did 369 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:39,520 in the Old Testament was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus 370 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,240 Christ. And again Saint Paul writes in 371 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:49,080 one Thessalonians 524 faithful unchangeable is he who calls you 372 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,120 who also will do it. Some bells are ringing and they 373 00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:58,360 should be ringing Christians. You should be right now so, so 374 00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:02,400 puffed up spiritually, so encouraged by these words 375 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,600 because when you read Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8, all these 376 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,280 words that Saint Paul was saying prior to me reading you this 377 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,600 verse now are now going to be befitting for Jesus Christ. 378 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:19,920 Jesus the Christ he is yesterday, today and forever. 379 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,800 Praise me to his name because he is God, faithful and 380 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,480 unchangeable. Unchangeable. 381 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:33,120 So regardless, sometimes it annoys me. 382 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:36,760 We think that because we do this, because we do that, 383 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:41,000 because we don't receive, because we don't accept that God 384 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:42,720 is affected. God is not affected. 385 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,040 No, no, no. And when we say what use is 386 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,720 there for me when Jesus is asking me to turn the other 387 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:54,520 cheek, to sacrifice, to humble myself to, to, to, you know, 388 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:59,080 forgive those who do me wrong, What use then is there because 389 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,120 we see that there's no use in this world. 390 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:04,080 No way because we go from persecution to persecution. 391 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,800 No, no, no, God is faithful. Jesus is faithful when he said 392 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,880 humble yourself. There is a reward that's going 393 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,840 to be fulfilled when the Lord returns and we enter the Kingdom 394 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,360 of of heaven. Just write just like the the 395 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:21,080 oracles of God in the Old Testament will fulfilled all in 396 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,080 the Lord Jesus Christ. What we do today, what we 397 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:28,200 fulfill today, the promises of Christ today will be fulfilled 398 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:33,520 in the Kingdom of heaven, eternal life with the Lord and 399 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,080 Savior Jesus Christ. Praise be to his name now and at 400 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:38,160 all times and forever. Amen. 401 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,280 Please don't forget to rate and review this podcast and share 402 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:07,480 with your friends and family. We hope you enjoyed this week's 403 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:14,040 message. The For any future topic 404 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,160 suggestions or to give us detailed feedback, please visit 405 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:22,480 our link in the show notes linktr dot EE forward slash 406 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,440 double edged sword. Until next time, God bless you 407 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:25,760 all.