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It's a real honor to welcome the
Reverend Benji Davis to the 

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pulpit this morning. 
Benji and his wife Ashley, who's

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here somewhere on this side, are
visiting from Winston Salem, NC,

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where Benji is the rector of 
Christ Church in Winston Salem. 

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When I saw we had this difficult
passage that I didn't want to 

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preach on food, sacrifice the 
idols, I thought, I know just 

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the guy and Benji. 
I told the 9:00 AM service that 

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I couldn't think of any idols 
here in Washington, but I 

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thought maybe an outsider could 
think of a few. 

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So it's it's great to welcome 
him, our brother, and be 

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prepared for an excellent 
sermon. 

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Let's welcome Benji Davis to the
Church of the Resurrection. 

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Thank you. 
Thank you, Dan. 

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It's so good to be with you this
morning and good morning. 

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If you would go ahead and turn 
to that lesson from First 

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Corinthians chapter 8. 
As you turn in there, I just 

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want to give you greetings from 
the folks at Christchurch. 

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We, we love you all. 
We pray for you and pray that 

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God would bless you as a 
congregation, strengthen you so 

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that your fidelity to Christ and
his gospel may shed the light of

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the gospel here in this city. 
In our lesson there in verse 

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one, Paul shifts his focus to a 
new topic now concerning food 

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offered to idols. 
And we were joking in the first 

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service that Winston is full of 
idols. 

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And then someone came up to me. 
It's from the area and mentioned

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Krispy Kreme. 
If you don't know, Winston Salem

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is the home base, the founding, 
the birth place of Krispy Kreme 

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doughnuts. 
And yes, we probably do idolize 

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our doughnuts a little too much 
there, but I'm a fan of Reds. 

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If anybody's from the area, you 
might know. 

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Anyways, this new topic 
concerning meat offered to idols

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and whether we can eat it or not
really garners Paul's attention 

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from chapter 8 all the way 
through the beginning, verse 1 

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of Chapter 11. 
Yet the issue of eating or not 

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eating meat to idols that's been
offered to idols reveals 

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underlying issues present within
the church at Corinth concerning

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here, particularly in our 
lesson, Knowledge and love. 

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Now, admittedly, as it's been 
known, I'm not from this area of

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the country, I'm not from these 
parts, but I imagine that 

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knowledge is a significant 
commodity and rigorous thinking 

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of valuable skill in the city 
that has an Intel community. 

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We don't have one. 
We might need one, I don't know,

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but we don't have one. 
We don't have lots of think 

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tanks like here in DC. 
And of course we have a few 

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universities, but I think 
there's a good number of them 

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here in the area. 
And we can go on and on, talk 

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about ways that knowledge, 
critical thinking, intellect is 

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a valued asset here in the city 
like DC. 

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And in a culture characterized 
by professional intellectuals, 

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it's all too easy, all too easy 
to believe that right conduct 

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and true and lasting 
transformation and change begins

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and ends with knowing the right 
things, with knowing the right 

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things, with possessing the 
right ideas, the right 

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knowledge. 
If only the right ideas and 

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policies were to prevail and be 
in place, then. 

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And you can add your optimal 
outcome to the end of that 

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sentence. 
However, Paul reveals that 

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having the right ideas do not 
necessarily lead to right 

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conduct or to human flourishing 
or to giving glory to God. 

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Look at me there at verse one. 
Here, Paul likely draws upon a 

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slogan that was used by the 
knowledgeable within the 

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Corinthian church to champion 
their practice of eating meat 

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offered to idols. 
We know that all of us possess 

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knowledge. 
We know that all of us possess 

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knowledge. 
And Paul gives the content of 

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what they knew in verse 4 by 
citing what we might say are two

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additional slogans. 
Therefore, as to the eating of 

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food offered idols, we know 
that. 

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And here's the first one. 
An idol has no real existence. 

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An idol has no real existence 
and that. 

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And here's the second, there is 
no God but one. 

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You see, the knowledge they 
possessed was not a problem. 

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This is true and accurate 
knowledge. 

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The psalmist declares in Psalm 
115. 

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Their idols are silver and gold,
the works of human hands. 

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They have mouths, but they 
speak, not eyes, but they do not

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see. 
They have ears, but they do not 

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hear. 
Noses, but they do not smell. 

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They have hands, but they do not
feel feet, but they do not walk,

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and they do not make a sound 
with their throat. 

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Idols. 
There are no idols. 

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There are no real existence to 
them. 

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The psalmist agrees. 
Or we could turn to the great 

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Shema of Deuteronomy chapter 6. 
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God,

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the Lord is 1 So the content of 
their knowledge was not the 

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issue. 
And and Paul highlights this 

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maybe even more explicitly in 
verse 2 when he says if anyone 

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imagines that he knows 
something, he does not know as 

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he ought to know, as he ought to
know. 

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You see, Paul here addresses the
issue of right knowing, the 

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right use of our knowledge. 
He is not in this moment, 

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correcting the content of their 
knowledge, but rather how they 

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are employing it in their lives 
as a basis for their conduct. 

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He's critiquing how they're 
employing their knowledge in 

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their lives as a basis for their
conduct. 

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Paul saying that knowledge 
alone, even true and accurate 

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knowledge, even true and 
accurate knowledge about God, is

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not sufficient to produce right 
conduct or to effect lasting 

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change and transformation. 
Look again at verse one. 

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We know that all of us possess 
knowledge. 

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This knowledge, this true and 
accurate knowledge, Paul says, 

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puffs up. 
But love builds up and in this 

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we have a grave warning. 
Knowledge, even true and 

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accurate knowledge, possesses a 
danger if it is not sublimated 

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to a love for God and a love for
others. 

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True and accurate knowledge 
poses a danger for us if it is 

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not controlled or directed by a 
love for God and a love for 

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others. 
As we continue to read in 

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chapter 8, it becomes clear that
the knowledgeable group within 

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the Corinthian church use this 
knowledge to further their own 

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interests at the expense of 
others within the church. 

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They use their knowledge to 
serve themselves, this true and 

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accurate knowledge about God. 
And we see this kind of over and

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over again in the letter. 
There's a consistent underlying 

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themes that regardless of the 
the presenting issues, there's 

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these underlying things that are
the real core of what Paul is 

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addressing in this letter. 
You see, with this knowledge 

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that they had, they claimed for 
themselves a right, a freedom to

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eat idle meat. 
Yet, as Paul reveals in verse 

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11, their use of this knowledge 
for themselves generated 

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detrimental outcomes. 
Now, Paul does not identify 

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exactly what motivated them to 
exercise this freedom, 

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regardless of the downstream 
impacts it would have on others 

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or even maybe even themselves. 
But we can surmise that it 

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likely was to retain a certain 
level of status or to advance 

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their standing within Corinthian
society and culture. 

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In ancient Corinth, there was no
clear dividing line between what

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was social or secular and 
religious, cultural and 

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theological, as we attempt to 
maintain those distinctions 

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today. 
They were intricately connected 

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and intertwined. 
And since Pagan temples in 

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Corinth and Pagan shrines served
as locations of meals essential 

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for conducting business and 
politics, for advancing 1's 

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social and vocational standing, 
to refuse to eat meat sacrificed

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to idols would serve to 
effectively cut one off, to 

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sever one from an essential 
dimension of life within the 

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city of Corinth. 
And while the overarching topic 

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here for Paul concerns the 
nature of idolatry generally, 

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Paul's less concerned with the 
physical idols and even the 

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question of of concerning of 
whether it's whether we eat meat

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or not that's been sacrificed to
idols. 

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Rather, here at the beginning of
this section, he focuses on the 

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issue of knowledge and its 
proper use. 

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He focuses on idols that are 
entrenched within our heart and 

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within our thoughts. 
And these idols, for the 

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Corinthians, appear to be 
connected in some way to 

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individual freedom. 
That becomes the dominant 

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concern of Chapter 9 and yes, 
even idolatry as we tackle in 

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Chapter 10. 
The dominant idols of the heart 

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seem to be individual freedom 
but also personal advancement. 

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Knowledge, even true and 
accurate knowledge used to 

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advance our standing or to 
ensure our rights, produces, 

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according to poll pride. 
This knowledge puffs up. 

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This knowledge produces arrogant
conceit, a looking down on those

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who might not possess it, and 
this pride eventually leads to 

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loveless conduct, loveless 
conduct, and ultimately and 

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tragically, to destruction, to 
destroying one's brother or 

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destroying one's sister in 
Christ. 

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Paul remarks #7 that not all 
possessed this knowledge, 

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meaning not everyone in Corinth,
the Corinthian church was at the

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same place of understanding 
concerning food sacrificed to 

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idols. 
Because psalmist, he says, 

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through former association with 
idols, eat food as it's really 

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offered to idols, and their 
conscience, being weak, is 

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defiled. 
So their use of this knowledge 

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to exercise freedom to further 
their own advancement led to the

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destruction of their weaker 
brothers and sisters. 

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As Paul notes in verse 11 when 
he says and by and so by your 

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knowledge and so by your 
knowledge. 

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This weak person is destroyed. 
The brother for whom Christ 

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died. 
And as Paul references, and as 

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Paul's reference to Christ self 
sacrificial death sets this 

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entire topic within its proper 
frame, it draws into greater 

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focus the consequence of using 
knowledge to advance one's own 

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ends, one's own self, and to 
ensure one's own rights. 

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Listen to verse 12. 
Thus sinning against your 

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brother and wounding their 
conscience when it is weak, you 

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sin against Christ. 
You sin against Christ. 

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This is serious what Paul's 
addressing here. 

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You see, Christ is the Plumb 
line according to which we are 

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called to build one another up 
in love with our knowledge. 

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This is not an either or 
knowledge versus love. 

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This is having holding them into
proper relationship. 

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Paul's not saying knowledge bad,
love good. 

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Paul's saying our knowledge 
controlled by a love for God and

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one another, leads to 
flourishing, leads to glory 

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given to God. 
If we allow our knowledge to 

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puff us up, it leads to the 
destruction of our brothers and 

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sisters, and it leads to us 
giving great offense to Christ 

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himself. 
You see Christ, who possesses 

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all knowledge in love, gave up 
countless freedoms and rights 

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for the great benefit, not of 
himself, but for those who were 

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weaker than himself when he 
willingly submitted to the 

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cross. 
Reference Philippians chapter 2 

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in the great Christ him there 
that clearly articulates that 

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fundamental tenet of our faith, 
that example of Christ. 

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This is why Paul claims in verse
12 that you are not only sitting

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against your brother, you are 
fundamentally sitting against 

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Christ, who by his death has 
been building up your brothers 

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and sisters, you included. 
Through it. 

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You see, Christ reveals to us 
that knowledge, like authority 

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and power are to be employed to 
elevate others, to build others 

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up. 
As Christians, as little 

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Christs, we are to employ our 
knowledge to elevate, to lift up

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those who are weaker in 
knowledge like a trellis. 

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I hope that kind of really 
captures your imagination around

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this. 
Like a trellis that is used, it 

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provides scaffolding for a vine 
to reach heavenward so that it 

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can enjoy greater amounts of 
sunlight and also be safeguarded

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from being trampled under foot. 
You were to use your knowledge 

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and love as a trellis so that 
others can be elevated and built

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up and raised to glory in 
Christ. 

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Like Christ, we must sublimate 
our knowledge to love for God, 

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allowing such love to direct and
channel our knowledge for His 

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glory in one another's good. 
Look with me again back in 

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verses 2 and three. 
If anyone imagines that he knows

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something, he does not know as 
he ought to know. 

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But if anyone loves God, he is 
known by God. 

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Verse 3 is a is a bit confusing,
maybe perplexing. 

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It doesn't quite seem to flow 
from verse 2. 

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We might have expected Paul to 
say something like this. 

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If anyone imagines that he knows
something he does not yet know, 

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as he ought to know, But if 
anyone knows as he ought to 

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know, he is known by God. 
That flows really well. 

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00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,520
Paul maybe should have 
considered that, but that's not 

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what he wrote. 
Rather, in place of if anyone 

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knows, as he ought to do, Paul 
wrote If anyone loves God, If 

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anyone loves God. 
In refocusing upon the love of 

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God, or the love for God, he 
reveals that the difference 

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between imaginary knowledge and 
real knowledge, between 

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idolatrous knowing and faithful 
knowing, is whether such 

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knowledge is submitted, 
directed, governed, channelled 

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by the love, by a love for God, 
by an overriding passion to love

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God with all of our life, 
especially our mind, especially 

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our intellect. 
For Paul, knowing as we ought to

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know is defined by such love. 
And in fact, this is a fairly 

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dense claim, because as Christ 
teaches us to love him, to love 

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God the Father is to keep his 
commandments. 

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It's an exalted calling we have 
to use our minds, our knowledge,

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directed by a love for God, 
directed by a life that is 

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wholly submitted to his will in 
way, a love which of course, has

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been pioneered and perfected for
us by Christ himself. 

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So how do we tell the difference
between imaginary knowing and 

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right knowing? 
I love Paul. 

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Sometimes we Paul can be very 
complicated. 

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Peter acknowledges this. 
There are other times when 

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Paul's quite simple, 
straightforward. 

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I love the simplicity and the 
straightforwardness of this. 

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How do we know the difference 
between imaginary knowing and 

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real knowing, faithful knowing? 
For Paul, it's simple. 

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Imaginary knowing leads to 
pride. 

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It leads to being arrogant and 
conceited, to being puffed up 

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and right knowing. 
Knowing that lovingly builds one

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another up, and knowing that 
loves God, right? 

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Knowing builds one another up, 
it encourages, it strengthens, 

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it supports others, and it 
seeks, delights in, relishes in 

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glories in God, His way, His 
will. 

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You see, if your knowing doesn't
make you delight in God, if your

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knowing does not love God and 
lay down, or love and lay down 

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your life for people, then you 
do not know as you ought to 

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know. 
You do not know as you ought to 

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know. 
Church of the Resurrection, Who 

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are you serving? 
Who are you serving with your 

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intellect? 
Who are you serving with your 

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mind, with your knowledge? 
Are you serving God by loving 

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Him and loving one another? 
Or are you serving your own 

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advancement or safeguarding your
own rights or freedoms? 

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Prayerfully consider that today,
this week, as you think back and

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meditate over this passage. 
OK, but how do we cultivate? 

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How do we cultivate right 
knowing? 

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All of us, Like myself, I put 
myself somewhere on the spectrum

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between idolatrous knowing and 
right knowing. 

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You can determine which side of 
that I'm on. 

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And how do we cultivate right 
knowing? 

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Is it by pulling ourselves up by
our bootstraps? 

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Kind of a just be better, just 
try harder, just love more, love

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God, love others. 
Come on, you can do it. 

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Well, look at the end of verse 3
at the end of Paul's thought. 

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Here we find our beginning place
for beginning to cultivate this 

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right knowing. 
If anyone loves God. 

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Now pay attention to this last 
phrase. 

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He is known by God. 
He is known by God. 

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Right knowing begins with the 
grace of God. 

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Right knowing begins in and 
surrounded by and saturated in 

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the grace of God. 
This language of being known by 

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God refers to God's gracious act
of election of choosing you in 

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Christ. 
We hear it in the Old Testament,

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Amos chapter 3. 
You only referring to Israel. 

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You only have I known of all the
peoples of the earth. 

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Israel was known. 
It was they were chosen by God 

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in Ephesians chapter one, that 
beautiful passage Paul writes in

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verses 3 and 4. 
Blessed be the God and Father of

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our Lord Jesus Christ, who has 
blessed us in Christ with every 

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spiritual blessing in the 
heavenly places, even as He 

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chose us in Him before the 
foundation of the world, that we

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might be holy and blameless 
before Him. 

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And here's the point here, I 
think is the good news for us in

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First Corinthians chapter 8. 
Right knowing is rooted in God's

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grace. 
It's sourced in a humility that 

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comes from maturely recognizing 
that everything you have and 

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everything you are is the result
of God's lavish, unmerited 

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favour and grace. 
You have no leg to stand on 

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apart from God. 
You have no mind. 

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Apart from the One who holds all
things together by the word of 

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His power, you are nothing apart
from God. 

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He did not choose you because of
your mind. 

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He did not choose you because of
your extent of your knowledge, 

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the depth of your knowledge. 
He did not choose you because of

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your intellect. 
He chose you according to the 

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purpose of His gracious will. 
He chose you and His Son because

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He loves you and because He 
loves His Son. 

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He delivered you from the domain
of darkness and transferred you 

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into the Kingdom of His beloved 
Son. 

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Jesus is the one who reconciled 
you even though you were 

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alienated and hostile in your 
mind, doing evil deeds. 

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He reconciled you in His body of
flesh by His death in order to 

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present you holy and blameless 
and above reproach before Him. 

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This is grace upon grace upon 
grace. 

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This is where we begin to direct
our knowing to its proper ends, 

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recognizing that God has given 
us everything. 

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And here's how we maybe begin to
cultivate that right knowing 

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this week as you ask yourself 
those questions, who am I 

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serving with my mind, with my 
intellect, with my knowledge? 

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Add this, meditate upon and 
inwardly digest the marvellous 

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grace of God that's been given 
to you in Christ. 

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It's been extended to you by his
divine Providence and sovereign 

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will that's been lavishly heaped
upon you. 

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And as you increasingly see how 
gracious He is toward you, and 

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how every atom and every aspect 
of your life is a result of His 

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remarkable, unbelievable grace, 
then you will grow in humility 

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and ask Him to give you that 
gift of humility. 

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And from that humility you will 
practice a right knowing that 

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employs your knowledge, that 
employs your knowledge, your 

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intellect, to love God and to 
love one another more fully in 

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line with Jesus himself. 
The result will not be 

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destruction, but rather God's 
people, His holy temple, the 

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body of Christ continually being
built up one spiritual stone 

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after another into God's holy 
habitation. 

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The result will not be sin 
against Christ, but rather glory

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heaped upon Christ, praise 
extended to the Father and to 

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his Son, and all of this will be
to His glory. 

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All of this will be to the 
advancement of the gospel in 

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this place. 
Can you imagine? 

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Can you imagine the testimony 
your lives will be if you fully 

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submit your knowledge, your 
intellect, your mind to love God

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and love your neighbor? 
What a light that would be in a 

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city like DC and in a city like 
Winston Salem and throughout 

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this world. 
I will be praying for you. 

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Pray for me. 
The God helps us, strengthens 

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US, empowers us for that 
essential work in this world so 

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that God might be glorified, 
others might be drawn to Christ 

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and built up to full maturity in
Him. 

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And name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. 

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Amen.