1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,320 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:07,000 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,920 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world 4 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,640 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by Your law and 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,680 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,760 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,200 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,520 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,680 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,520 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 11 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,880 divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,560 and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen. 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:05,920 Romans chapter 3 we left off at verse 9, prior to that police 14 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,360 talking about the Gentiles who didn't have the law, but they 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:14,920 had the law of the nature and that they also transgressed the 16 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,600 law and they're in the same predicament. 17 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,240 But the Jews, obviously they had the law and he was, he's a 18 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:26,120 little bit harsh on them because they also transgressed the law 19 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,760 and we left up, left off at verse 9 where Paul says what 20 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,600 then do we uphold that is superior? 21 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,160 We have already decided concerning both Jews and 22 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,720 Aramians or the Gentiles, for they are all under sin. 23 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,320 They're all under sin, not sinners, but they're all under 24 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:48,200 sin. They're all enslaved, affected 25 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:55,240 by sin, driven to, driven by sin to transgress the law and the 26 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:00,920 commandments, forgetting that God, the creator of heaven and 27 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,880 earth, has given them the law to keep things in check, basically 28 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,600 to manage them. But they transgressed because of 29 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,640 their free will. They forgot to feed the Lord, 30 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:21,520 for he, he is a consuming fire. They didn't even uphold the law 31 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,400 because of their fear of the law. 32 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,400 They didn't uphold the law because there was a promise and 33 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,120 they didn't uphold the law because they loved God. 34 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,480 So they failed and they became sinners. 35 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,120 In verse 10, he goes on and says as it is written, we're going to 36 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,000 talk about that as it is written. 37 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,960 There is none righteous. No, not one. 38 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,440 No Jew, no Gentile. And you know what righteous 39 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,320 means? No one that is right. 40 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,080 We're going to talk about that. No one that's righteous. 41 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,680 No, not one. There is none who understands. 42 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,960 There is none who seeks after God. 43 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,520 They're all gone astray and they have been rejected. 44 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:08,160 There is none who does good. No, not one. 45 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,680 Their throats are like open sepultures. 46 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,880 Their their tongues are deceitful, the venom and ASP's 47 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,760 is under their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing 48 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,760 and bitterness. Whoa not their ours today. 49 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,520 We can relate to all this. They are over quick to shed 50 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:36,240 blood, swift at shedding blood. Murder, destruction and misery 51 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,320 are in their ways. They have not known the path of 52 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,920 peace. There is No Fear of God before 53 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,720 their eyes. It's a it's a salad of Psalms 54 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,280 and A twist of Ecclesiastes in there. 55 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,400 And why? To display, to show them the 56 00:03:54,480 --> 00:04:02,080 outcome of being under sin, the influence of sin, the danger of 57 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,840 sin. He's accused the Jews and the 58 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,880 Gentiles. He's already told them what 59 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,840 their what their, their crime is. 60 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:17,040 So now he comes to mention of righteousness, which is by faith 61 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,680 righteousness meaning the chaos they were in, the dilemma they 62 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,120 were in, the era that were that they were in. 63 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,320 God came to make it right. That is what righteousness 64 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,120 basically means. God made it right through his 65 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,520 Son, Jesus Christ. So now he's going to tell them 66 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,680 that righteousness came by faith meaning, and by grace and your 67 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,120 faith meaning, God did it. That's what grace means. 68 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,800 God did this. God made it right through his 69 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,240 Son. Now keep in mind again, his 70 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,960 audience are Jews and Gentiles who have converted. 71 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:53,360 So now he's telling him, listen, it was your faith. 72 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,480 It was nothing that you did what you did. 73 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,480 You deserved eternal condemnation, but God came and 74 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,440 made it right. But I'm trying to I, I want to 75 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:09,120 remind you that you don't return back to the to, to, you know, to 76 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,600 your, to your previous life. You don't turn back. 77 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,200 You don't go back to your vomit as a, a dog does to returns to 78 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:17,800 his vomit. You don't turn back to your 79 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,360 sins. Don't let people fool you and 80 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,720 say to you that you need circumcision, Kosha and what 81 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,120 have you. No, no, no, that's all. 82 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:27,280 That's all. That's all being fulfilled. 83 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,720 You've been made right by faith showing that since the law of 84 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,120 nature for the Gentiles, they had the law of nature was of no 85 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:42,400 advantage and also for the Jews, the written law was weak in the 86 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,760 flesh. He goes on to say this, let me 87 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:47,560 read it to you, chapter 8. We're going to talk more about 88 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,600 it when we come to it in three years time maybe, but we're 89 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,240 going to talk about it Romans chapter 8, verse 3. 90 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,440 For the law was weak through the weakness of the flesh. 91 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,760 So God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, 92 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:05,360 likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin, in order to 93 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,120 condemn sin by means of His flesh. 94 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:09,720 We'll talk about that in in detail. 95 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,640 So the law which was written, the Mosaic Law, the law of the 96 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,880 flesh, was weak because of the flesh. 97 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:23,960 But both of these had burdened those that use them incorrectly, 98 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:29,920 or abuse them, or disobeyed them, and made it plain that 99 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,520 they were worthy of greater punishment. 100 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,840 The written law, the law of nature, only emphasized that you 101 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:45,280 need greater punishment. Hence the salvation, which is by 102 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:51,520 grace was necessary because nothing else would bring 103 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:55,880 yourself, nothing else would save you from that perdition. 104 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:01,560 Now using that word, I'm going to read to you from the Liturgy 105 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:10,520 of the Mystery or the Sacrament of Holy Baptism to show you that 106 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:16,040 liturgy is not just some man made prayers that we repeat 107 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,280 every time. Thank God. 108 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,680 Thank God because there are some people who pray. 109 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,960 They call freestyle and preach to God. 110 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:26,800 They're not praying, they're preaching to the Lord. 111 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,040 They're telling the Lord what it is that he needs to know. 112 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,440 He knows. Jesus said before you open your 113 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,960 mouth, your heavenly Father in heaven knows what you need. 114 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,120 You know when you pray for someone who has a, has a 115 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,000 problem, has a, has an illness, back pain, you don't need to 116 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,520 tell God which disk it is, what number disk it is, and why the 117 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,880 pain is there. No, you don't need to do that. 118 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,760 So let me recite these liturgies that are the theology of the 119 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,000 Assyrian Church of the East. You know, the Apostolic 120 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,680 churches, the Orthodox churches, the Apostolic churches. 121 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,920 Listen, Catholics are Orthodox. Don't get offended. 122 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,000 I'm sorry. You're a Catholic. 123 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,120 You're an Orthodox. Orthodox. 124 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:12,880 You're a Catholic. Don't get offended. 125 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,440 Look at the terms, look at the terminology. 126 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,400 I'm not going to go into that. You go and read the terminology 127 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:23,440 and know that Rome Catholic doesn't mean Pope Leo Orthodox 128 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:24,880 doesn't mean all these patriarchs. 129 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,120 No, no, no. Just go and read them. 130 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,880 And you know that, yes, the Catholic Church is an Orthodox 131 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,240 Church. The Roman, the, the, the 132 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,000 Orthodox Church is a Catholic Church. 133 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,960 All right. They all have their liturgy 134 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:41,360 spelled out to them in their sorry, their faith, their dogma, 135 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,640 their doctrine in the liturgy. This is how they taught their 136 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,840 people. Because remember again, let's 137 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:52,800 take John, the Gospel of John in the year Atad, the Gospel of 138 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,240 John was written. So for 80 years people didn't 139 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,080 know in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God 140 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,320 and the Word was God. Yes, they did. 141 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,880 Yes, they did. Actually, the first written 142 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,560 accounts are Saint Paul's epistles. 143 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:11,360 In them he mentions Jesus, God. So not as some of these, what do 144 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,560 you call them, Unitarians? I don't know. 145 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,200 You know, they, they come up with this idea that it's the 146 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,840 church that brought up this understanding that Jesus is God. 147 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:23,040 No, Jesus is God. So through the liturgy they 148 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:27,440 taught the faithful the Christian faith. 149 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,280 Let me read it now. This prayer is said after the 150 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,840 the candidate has been baptized and then the priest lays the 151 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,960 hand on the candidate and that is the time that the person, the 152 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:42,800 candidate receives the Holy Spirit. 153 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,600 Male, female, adults, what have you. 154 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,760 Listen to What we the priest recites, we listen to. 155 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,600 I'm sorry, listen to you're probably saying hobby. 156 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:54,440 Just say it. Just say it. 157 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,880 Get on with it. Listen to how this understanding 158 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,160 these, this letter of Romans to the Jews and the Gentiles and 159 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,280 the Christians today, the Jews and the junctiles who are the 160 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,600 people of the way today. We know as Christians how they 161 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,120 brought this and understood this and taught this through the 162 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,480 liturgy and their prayers. I'll now say it. 163 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:20,480 We from the beginning of our existence have corrupted the 164 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,680 honor of our freedom. Free will. 165 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:27,400 The Church understands and accepts and preaches free will. 166 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,640 If a preacher tells you there is no free will, walk away and say 167 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:37,520 bye, bye bye heresy, heretic. No free will. 168 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:43,360 No, no, no, there is free do. Free will of our existence have 169 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,840 corrupted the honor of our freedom. 170 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:51,400 It was an honor to be given freedom through the seduction of 171 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:57,200 our captor Satan, and have rejected the upright confession 172 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,360 of your godhead through godless worship. 173 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,440 Through godless worship, I do this going back now. 174 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,240 Now I didn't do this, but my kind did. 175 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:16,800 Yes, man was under corruption of your godhead through godless 176 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,840 worship. However, however, your grace, 177 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:21,560 the Assyrian Church of the East knows grace. 178 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:23,480 I'm sorry, you don't need to teach me grace. 179 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:25,960 I know grace. I know my forefathers know 180 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,080 grace, knew grace and taught me grace. 181 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:34,320 However, your grace that means what you did did not leave us to 182 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,840 the perdition or the punishment which we deserve because of our 183 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,800 wickedness. But, and this is grace, this is 184 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,920 how God did it. This is grace, this is the work 185 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:49,600 of God, but by the revelation of the flesh of the only begotten 186 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,680 from you, God, the Word, they knew, Jesus is God, praise be to 187 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:59,040 His name. You turned us back to you and 188 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,280 made us worthy to know You, lifting up the humiliated state 189 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,520 of our nature by the taking of our first fruits. 190 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:07,920 Jesus Christ, praise be to his name. 191 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,160 And you appointed us heirs of the good things to come which do 192 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,120 not pass away. God did this. 193 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,240 Nothing about circumcision anymore. 194 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,800 Is it because the candidate has already been circumcised without 195 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:25,800 without the circumcision of the flesh? 196 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:30,640 No put to death in baptism and brought to light to life. 197 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:39,520 Now to emphasize his words that because you are under the the 198 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:46,320 effect of sin and what you did in that predicament. 199 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,160 In that state he brings another accuser, that is King David. 200 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,520 Now we saw this in the book of Acts as well, chapter 15, when 201 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,160 they were deciding whether we circumcise or not, they quote 202 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:01,960 from the Old Testament. Yes, of course he brings another 203 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,840 accuser that is King David to accuse them of what they were, 204 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,240 to remind them that your king also said this, Speaking of the 205 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:15,320 same things in length, which Isaiah mentioned briefly. 206 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:17,880 He goes on to say as it is written. 207 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,440 Now, just a, a side note, as it is written is very important. 208 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,160 And I've mentioned many times that you know, the Gospels, the, 209 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:29,040 the, the Pentateuch or the Torah or the substitution wasn't 210 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,240 readily available for people. They cost a lot of money and for 211 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,760 them to have been written to bring a writer to write that 212 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,360 would have been very costly, but they would pay because it is 213 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,080 important. So when you see as it is 214 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,680 written, everything else is written, all these, this is all 215 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:48,440 written. So why is Paul saying as it is 216 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,280 written, that means this is very important, very important. 217 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:57,280 It costs money to write this because it was so important as 218 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,760 it is written. There is not a just person, not 219 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,280 even one. Now this is a starting point for 220 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:10,040 Saint Paul to list their evil deeds and even add some worse 221 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,640 ones. What they did when they were BC 222 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:15,640 right? That's why they needed 223 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,320 salvation. He's showing them that this was 224 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,400 the result of them giving into sin because of the free will. 225 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,280 We said it in the in the prayer of baptism, the the honor of our 226 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:31,120 freedom, the free will which they were also given, but 227 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,840 through their free will they gave into sin, which they were 228 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,720 also under perdition or punishment. 229 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,440 And also this is to show that there was no hope for them 230 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:48,160 unless God had done what he did for their salvation through 231 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:49,880 their grace. God did it. 232 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,040 The law couldn't do anything. You were weak, you were evil. 233 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:58,880 The law was weak wasn't penetrating right now this is a 234 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,440 difficult statement. You know, people quoted today 235 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:06,600 just to show that you know, and the emphasis is works will not 236 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,160 save you. Your deeds will not save you. 237 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,320 I mean to that no one says you, you can't work your way to 238 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,280 heaven. But let me tell you, you will be 239 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,320 judged according to your deeds. And that's script. 240 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:20,240 It's all scripture. Saint Paul says it, Christ says 241 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:21,640 it. You will be judged according to 242 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:23,240 your deeds. If your deeds are evil, you 243 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:24,560 cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven. 244 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,000 Period. Very simple. 1 + 1 is 2. 245 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,800 That's not racist. By the way. 1 + 1 is 2. 246 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:36,400 OK, 1 + 1 is two, 2 + 2 is 4. So put it together, it's simple. 247 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,280 You cannot work your way to heaven because God's already 248 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:40,840 done it. God did this. 249 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:46,720 It's available, but you need to have faith and you need to have 250 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,880 the, the tentacles or you need to have the, the proof or the 251 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,120 evidence of your faith. The evidence of your love for 252 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:59,680 God is the righteous living and the good deeds that you produce. 253 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,960 So it's a difficult statement to understand, not in the way that 254 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,200 it's being used today. How is it that let me you know, 255 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,240 let's ask the question, how is it that possible that not even 256 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:17,280 one Jew or one Gentile had ever done anything good? 257 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,520 There's Paul saying that there was not even one person to show 258 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:26,320 hospitality to feed the hungry. This is what the fathers are 259 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,040 quoting. I'm quoting the fathers. 260 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:32,960 I'm sorry to clothe the naked or do anything that is similar. 261 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:37,600 I It really doesn't seem possible that Saint Paul means 262 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,040 exactly what what, what, what we're thinking, right? 263 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,720 Maybe the Father's right. What he meant was to be 264 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:49,240 understood as if someone lays, for example, they're bringing an 265 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,920 example. If someone lays a foundation for 266 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:58,840 a house and puts up one or two walls, the stucco people or the 267 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:03,520 electrician does the electrical work, it cannot be said that the 268 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,760 electrician built the house, right? 269 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:13,000 If Nergal, our brother Nergal, who's 100% sure and 110% not 270 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,560 sure sometimes, right, Steven, he can't claim that he built my 271 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:22,960 office because he did the electrical work, No, nor the 272 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:27,119 plumber nor the painter, just because they did some work on 273 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:33,120 it. The person who has built the 274 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:37,200 chair the the the house is the person who begins from the 275 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:42,400 beginning and completes it. Now, if Stephen builds his own 276 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:47,280 house from groundbreaking and does everything, the electrical 277 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,960 work, the carpentry, the plumbing, the kitchen and what 278 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:56,600 have you, the landscape, yes, Stephen can claim I built this 279 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,680 house. But if you say to Stephen, oh, 280 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:01,640 that means you did everything, No, well, you know, not the 281 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:03,320 electrical. Well, no, you didn't, Stephen. 282 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,560 You had a hand in building this house. 283 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:07,840 So then the Father's going to say that. 284 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:13,480 It may be that here the apostle is saying that no one has done 285 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:18,960 good in the sense that no one has brought goodness to 286 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,880 perfection and completion. Just like Stephen cannot claim 287 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:27,240 he perfected that he completed it because it wasn't him because 288 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,280 if there was no electricity, the house would be flawed. 289 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:35,440 It would not be completed the but only one person. 290 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:41,080 And if we ask ourselves who is truly good and who has done good 291 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:50,200 perfectly, completely, John 1011 should be echoing bells ringing, 292 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:58,000 he who said I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Good 293 00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,400 Shepherd. John 1011. 294 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:04,120 And again in verse 15, he says the Good Shepherd lays down his 295 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:06,400 life for the sheep completely. He did it. 296 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,000 He laid his life. He was the Good Shepherd. 297 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,080 He led his sheep through green pastures. 298 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:18,280 He did he even went after the goats, he even went after the 299 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,200 sheep. He says that we're not of his 300 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:24,160 flock to bring them all and he laid his life down for them. 301 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,800 That is good only God is good because God is good in 302 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,160 completion. You cannot find you know we have 303 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,720 all these would be as if could be and I'm not being 304 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:35,640 disrespectful. I mean realistic. 305 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,320 You know all these foolish would be as if could be want to find 306 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:47,080 fault with God kicking you know kicking against the thorns that 307 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,920 God is not good God is good is complete. 308 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:57,160 You cannot find the full of a flaw in in God's work. 309 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,480 You cannot find evil in God has to even say that. 310 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,440 No, you know when Jesus says you know? 311 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,320 Some people read the scriptures. Luke chapter 6. 312 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,400 Blessed are the meek, but woe, woe, woe. 313 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:17,080 You know that woe is equal to cursed, are you? 314 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,600 Oh, you see this Jesus is cursing. 315 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,720 No, Jesus does not curse anyone. But let me tell you, when you 316 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:32,600 don't fulfill his commandments, the curse you bring upon 317 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:37,120 yourself. Saint Peter writes that if we 318 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:41,160 are suffering because of righteousness, you have a 319 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,040 reward, but if you're suffering because of your evil, what 320 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:52,080 reward do you want? When I'm doing 110 on a 60 speed 321 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:57,120 limit St. and the police officer pulls me over and gives me a 322 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:01,560 ticket, Don't winch. I can't complain, right? 323 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,640 It's my fault. But if I'm doing 55 and then the 324 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,160 police officer says to me, you were doing 100 and I have 325 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,200 evidence, No, no, that is not correct. 326 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,360 So the first is your own fault. You did it. 327 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,520 So when we, when we disobey God's commandments of love, we 328 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,800 enter into hate and hate brings murder. 329 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:30,880 So Jesus didn't curse. He's telling you and I that if 330 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:35,560 we don't obey, then we bring that curse upon ourselves. 331 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,160 Verse 11. There is none who understands. 332 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:42,880 There is none who seeks after God. 333 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,800 And you know what Saint Paul admits to this himself when he 334 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:51,080 says for we know partially and we prophecy partially. 335 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,160 We don't know completely. We don't understand if Saint 336 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,680 Paul is saying this and we're going to read a bit about that. 337 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:01,400 If Saint Paul says this by about himself, who can who can claim 338 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:06,720 that he understands fully, just like salvation? 339 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,440 Let me give you an example. Paul knew he was saved. 340 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:16,520 Paul knew he was being saved, but Paul tells us that he 341 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,880 doesn't know if he will be saved, meaning he will enter the 342 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,560 Kingdom of heaven. You know, I've been saved. 343 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:29,120 I have been saved each time I sin, and I'm deserving of 344 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:33,640 eternal punishment. The Lord Jesus Christ forgives 345 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,920 me and absolves me through his Body and Blood, the Holy 346 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:42,560 Eucharist, not just bread and wine, not the Last Supper, the 347 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,440 Mystical Supper. And then I live again. 348 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,320 But will I remain in that until the Lord returns? 349 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,640 I too do not know. If the Lord returns tomorrow, 350 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,520 where are you going? Where will you be? 351 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,160 He never claimed to even know that he was. 352 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:05,720 He never claimed that he knew or he was certain that he will 353 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:07,840 enter eternal life in the Kingdom of heaven. 354 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,760 Don't jump, don't jump, don't, don't switch off, don't switch 355 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:13,720 off. Let me read your scriptures, 356 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:19,400 Philippians 312 to 14. I have not yet received it, 357 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,760 neither am I yet perfect. But I run so that I may obtain, 358 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:29,040 I may obtain the thing of which Jesus Christ apprehended me. 359 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,440 Not I have, I may not. I have already done it, my 360 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:35,640 brethren. I do not consider myself to have 361 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,760 obtained it. But I know one thing. 362 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,480 I have forgotten that which is behind me. 363 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:45,360 And I reach out before me, and I run toward the goal, to take the 364 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:49,880 victory of the calling of God from on high in Jesus Christ. 365 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,200 Jesus the Christ, praise and glory be to His name. 366 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,840 And he goes on to say one Corinthians 1312. 367 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:04,240 Now we see as in a mirror in an allegory, but then face to face. 368 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:07,760 Now I know partially now he's talking now when he's writing 369 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:11,880 this, but then I shall know as I am known. 370 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,440 So no, you can't claim that you have understood. 371 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,040 You know, I had a friend who'd say the Gospel of John. 372 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:23,720 I know I the only person who can correct me if is if John was to 373 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,000 be resurrected and to come and correct me. 374 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,800 That's pride. That's pride that just goes to 375 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,680 show you such a fool because you think you know, but you don't 376 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,640 know. That's what Paul is saying 377 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,760 today. We don't know, don't claim to 378 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,200 have understood and even seeking God. 379 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:45,440 Why is he saying that? Because as long as we are one of 380 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,920 the Father's rights, as long as we are preoccupied with the 381 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:54,480 cares of the body and seek the things of the body, we cannot 382 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:58,320 seek God, nor can we think His thoughts. 383 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:01,360 We can't. Who wasn't in the Old Testament? 384 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:10,160 I think it was one or two Chronicles, ASA ISA, who 385 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:11,920 received so much blessings from God. 386 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:16,240 He was blessed by God. He was suffering something with 387 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,640 his feet. His feet became lame and he was 388 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,040 crippled, right? He didn't see God anymore. 389 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,640 There was prophets there. I've got the name. 390 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,240 He didn't seek their prayers. You start worrying about Oh my 391 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:33,360 God, Oh my feet, Oh my feet. No, When we are blessed by God 392 00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:38,640 and then in our lifestyle we have physical illnesses or 393 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,560 something else. OK, continue to seek God and 394 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,640 thank God and glorify God not only when he gives you 395 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,560 blessings, but only when sometimes things come upon, come 396 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,680 upon us, whether it's his will or whether it's, it's his 397 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,360 knowledge. You know, seeking God is also 398 00:25:54,360 --> 00:26:00,160 seeking his will. We seek for God by inquiring 399 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:05,360 after His will. The Sinner, the sinners haven't 400 00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:07,520 known the will of God, of their master. 401 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,320 That's why they sin. Romans 12/2 Be not likened unto 402 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:15,160 this world, but be changed by the renewing of your mind, that 403 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:19,040 you may discern what is the will of God, good and acceptable and 404 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,320 perfect. God wants us to be good, to do 405 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:26,920 good, to work good, to produce fruits of good, to work in His 406 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:32,280 vineyard, to work in His field, to do His commandments, to 407 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,720 enter. See, these are all deeds, and 408 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,000 these are all good, and they're acceptable to God. 409 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,000 They're perfect. When we seek this, then we will 410 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,840 not sin. As John writes in his first 411 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:48,920 epistle, chapter 3, verse 6, no one who remains in him in Christ 412 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:52,600 commits sin, and no one who sins has seen him. 413 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:57,840 Neither sorry, no one who sins has seen him, neither has known 414 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,440 him. When we sin, we're forgotten. 415 00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:06,240 Our knowledge of God is taken away, our sight, our gaze, that 416 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:11,840 God is taken away, beloved. But when we live with Christ, we 417 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:18,640 seek for Christ, we seek Jesus, we try to understand the will of 418 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:20,720 Jesus Christ and we fulfill them. 419 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,480 Then and only then we can become complete. 420 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:31,080 Then we can say there is righteousness, but that needs a 421 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,520 lot of prayer and fasting and strength. 422 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,000 From the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, 423 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,120 praise and glory be to His name now and at all times and 424 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:41,920 forever. Amen. 425 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:11,400 We hope you enjoyed this week's message. 426 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,640 Please don't forget to rate and review this podcast and share 427 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,400 with your friends and family for any future topics. 428 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,520 Suggestions are to give us detailed feedback, please visit 429 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:25,840 our link in the show notes. Linktr dot EE forward slash 430 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,800 double edged sword. Until next time, God bless you 431 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:29,080 all.