For the purposes of the recording, we are in chapter 2 of the book, 20 Basics Every Christian Should Know. This is part C of chapter 2 for us. We're on page 30, God is Holy. Let's read the first line. The Lord our God is holy. That means he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor. Holiness then means that God is what? Separated from what, everyone? Sin, so that we need to understand this about God. God is separate from sin. There is no sin in God. There is no darkness. The Bible says there's only light in God, right? Sin and God are unmixable, right? Unmixable, right? God's holiness provides a pattern His children are to imitate. So that when God is holy, then he commands from us that we would be what? Holy. This is what we call sanctification. Which my wife and I were talking about earlier. Right? Sin is an offense to God always and at all times. Would you agree with that statement? Sin is an offense to God. If you're holy, right, then sin is the antithesis of what you are. God hates sin and God demonstrates the fact that He hates sin because it's an offense to Him. God's demonstrated His love toward us that while we were yet still what? Sinners. Christ died for us. Now think about it. If God hates sin and all sin is an offense to God, then we were in constant what? Trouble. Offense to God. Yet God demonstrated His love, the Bible says, and that He sent His Son to die for sinners, even though they were a constant, what, offense to them. Think about what that means about your salvation and then what an act of love God had to do. He had to overcome His disgust for sin in order to save you. Right? And Christ being God in heaven. Correct? The Son of God. Right? God the Son had to be willing to come and become a man and live among sin. It's like, you know, leaving glory and coming and living in the mire. Correct? Deal with our sin problem. Carry our sin to the cross. The Bible says that God made him who knew no sin to be what? Sin. for us. So think about the magnanimity of that statement, how big that is, the fact that Christ had to become your sin on the cross so that the Father would punish it. Okay? If God hates sin, right? If God is holy, the Holy God carried your sin to the cross in the form of God the Son, right? In the person, excuse me, of God the Son. So do you understand how big that statement is, right? Okay, so your sanctification is a big deal. God's holiness is our pattern. I want you to look at Hebrews chapter 12, verses 10 and 14, because they speak of holiness. Hebrews 12, 10 and 14. Hector, when you have Hebrews 12, 10, would you read it for us? 14 now, Hector? Okay did you see those two verses? So we talked about earlier before we started recording we talked about the fact that God just doesn't smack you upside the head because he's angry at your sin without letting you know what's going on. But then the Bible in Hebrews chapter 12 makes it abundantly clear God does deal with sin in the life of the believer doesn't he? Because God's ultimate concern for you is what everyone? Holiness. Does that make sense? holiness and then in verse 14 he tells you strive for what holiness so let's let's take a step back this is an attribute that we don't share with god man is what sinful god is holy we don't understand that now when we become christians we start understanding that don't we but in our natural state we have no idea What is holiness? And God has nothing to do with sinfulness. Do you see that? So that we're on opposite sides of the spectrum. Right? Now that we've become Christian, God says, now you have my character. Correct? Now you're my child. You have my blood coursing through your veins. You've been adopted into the kingdom of God. Now you're supposed to look like your father in heaven. So now we are concerned with what? Holiness. Holiness. Anybody ever see something in you that you hate? And you're like, I can't believe that's in me still. I've been walking with the Lord X amount of years. How does that still be? Okay, good. That's a good thing, by the way, that you feel that way, right? You want to feel that way. Anything that offends God should offend you. Okay, does that make sense? So even in you, so that David says in the Psalms, he says, what? Lord, search my heart. and see if there's what? Any wicked way within me. So that David says I want to be holy. Isn't that what he's saying? Holy I want to be. What is the command for us in Peter? Be holy for I am what? Holy. Now what's the problem? We're not holy to a certain extent. We're not and to a certain extent we are. We've been sanctified by the blood of Christ so that God sees us as his holy children. The Bible says what? You are a holy generation. So we are holy to the extent that God has made us holy. But what you're saying, Glenn, is that I know me and I have inclinations. Do you know why you still battle between the two? Because we're still not human? Because we, yeah, although we've been made, born again of the incorruptible seed, we still retain part of the old nature, don't we? And so that they're what? Warring, says the Bible, against what? Each other. Anybody ever fear war going on inside of you? Okay, alrighty. So that you're warring. And so, but that's a good struggle. Okay? And the right side of the struggle, the side that reaches out to God, will always be victorious if you're walking in the way you're supposed to walk and not neglecting the means of grace. Prayer, seeking God, worshipping, you know? So the more you feed your spirit, the easier it is for you to move away from temptation and be holy. The less that you feed your spirit, would you agree with that statement? The easier it is to disappoint God. Is that true always of you? Okay, so take a moment and look at your neighbor and confirm to them this truth, okay? Talk to them and say, this is when I failed God the most, and this is when I'm the most victorious, okay? Go ahead and go, take that few seconds. Let's get you guys back. Let's get you guys back. When do you feel God the most in your life? Anybody want to volunteer what you guys talked about? Vicky, go ahead. Okay, so when you stop trusting in God, then you find yourself sitting against the Lord more, right? Okay. Anybody else? Yes. When I'm driving down the freeway. I don't even want to discuss that one any further. Yes. When you feel victimized in a way or so, right? That's when you're like, you know what? Okay? But wasn't Christ victimized? And didn't he treat people differently? So can you treat people differently in that situation? How would it happen? What would need to take place in you to be able to do that? Yeah, if you're seeking God more, in this situation you will act more like God. Does that make sense? Alrighty? It's when you've neglected those things that you can't treat me that way. Does that make sense to everyone? You can't do that to me. Yeah, did you hear what she said? Jesus specifically tells his disciples what? Pray that you do not enter into what? Temptation. Key, right? So if that worked for them, extrapolate, that has to work for me, right? Alright, anybody else? Good. Alrighty. So, page 31, talking about God is holy, that first paragraph at the top, the last sentence, we must seek to do that which is in line with God's moral character, for that is the ultimate standard of righteousness. Do you get that? So the ultimate standard of righteousness is to behave like God would behave in every situation. Okay, so let's come back here. The ultimate standard of good is to act like God would act in every situation. In the old times, how many of you ever read the book by Sheldon, In His Steps? Anybody? OK, just my family. OK, guess what? Homework. It's a novel. So how many of you like to read novels? You like novels? OK. All righty. If you'd like to, read In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. M. Sheldon, I think it is, right? It is a classic literature. And how many of you have ever seen kids walking around with the band, rubber band, on the WWJD? What would Jesus do? That's not something new. That's been around for a long time. It comes from that book. He wrote a book about fictional characters that said, what would happen if I lived my life doing only what Jesus would do at every situation? What would it cost me? What would I gain? If in every situation I would say, what would Jesus do in this situation? And whatever that is, I will do it, even if it's contrary to what I want to do. Okay, can you imagine? Alright, so in every situation, you're angry, what would Jesus do in this situation? Right? It's that 10 second rule, right? And they said, what would happen to a community? What could happen to the nation? If every Christian lived by WWJD, what would Jesus do? And they would stop, they would think, they would come to the conclusion, this is through scripture, right? Not because of feelings. This is what Jesus would do in this situation. Now I will behave that way and I will do that. No matter what it costs me. Can you imagine? I'm thinking that's pretty heavy. This was just a literature book, but it really shocked a lot of people, that thought. What would Jesus do? That has to be the Christian's understanding. God's moral character has to be my moral character. How God would behave in a situation is how I'm going to behave. Practically then, someone calls, You don't lie, right? Because God would never what? Lie. You see? You can go from the big to the small. We talked about it kind of briefly about sneaking into a movie, right? You would never sneak into a movie. Why? God would never sneak into a movie. Does that make sense? By the same token, you won't sneak in the candy in the purse. Why? Well, first of all, God wouldn't have a purse. But if he did, He wouldn't sneak candy in the purse to a movie theater, right? And we could tell. There was a lady that called on the radio, and I'm already digressing. There's no way I'm going to finish. But there was a lady that called on the radio and said, listen, the government, you know, the IRS taxed me $5,000 extra more than they should have. And the pastor's listening, going, yeah. He goes, and they did it on purpose. They told me, we just, the IRS told me, I don't like you. The IRS agent, I'm going to cost you every dime I possibly could. And they took about $5,000 from me. more than they were supposed to, but I couldn't fight them. It would take me $15,000, $20,000 to try to get $5,000 back. I just said, OK. He goes, now I have a chance to make this deal. And if I make this deal and don't report things, I can get about $5,000 back. He goes, I think it would be fair because they owe me $5,000 for what they did. What should I do, Pastor? You see where the temptation is to say, sock it to them. They did it to you. Everybody, you do it to them. It's only fair. They owe you money. How would Jesus behave there? Anybody have scripture? Give unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. Give unto God the things that belong to what? God. What would Jesus do in this situation? Let him keep that extra $5,000 and pay the extra $5,000 in taxes. Wouldn't Jesus do that? And so the pastor says, Hey, listen, You can't do this. And she's like, but you don't understand. He goes, I have a feeling you knew this already. You were just hoping that a man would make a mistake so that your conscience would be OK to do it. But I think you know already that this is wrong. Do you understand? So that in big issues and little issues, if you decide that I'm going to live by God's moral character, then you're living unto holiness. So does everybody see practically what holiness looks like? It's not just I want to be holy, Lord, clapping a song. Refiner's fire, make me holy. I want to be holy. Set apart. Is taking practical steps and say, if I want to be holy, I got to think of what God would do in every situation. And I'm going to behave that way. Easy or hard? Well, to a certain extent it's easy because we know how God would behave. Hard because it fights against us. Right? What we want to do. So does everybody understand what holiness looks like now? What does holiness look like? Everybody say God. Yeah, that's it, right? Alrighty, let's move on then to the very next thing here. God is just. God is just. Do you guys see that? And that is on page 30 and 31. God is just. What does that mean practically? Well, it means that God never does something that is wrong. Would you agree with that statement? God never does anything that's wrong. How many of you agree? Raise your hand. I really want hands raised. Okay, good. So everything that's happened is right. Well, if God is in charge of the world and history and everything has happened according to His sovereign will, everything is right. According to Him and according to what He's doing. Okay? Even if it looks what? Wrong. So 9-11, was just. Do you know how it was just? No. But will God work it out to his great plan and what he's doing? Yes. Do you understand how that becomes a really difficult situation for us? Just. God does whatever is right all the time. We must seek to do that which is in line with God's moral character. We talked about that for that standard of righteousness. Because God is just, there also must be a punishment for sin. Do you agree with that statement? Yeah? So it is just that God punishes sin, correct? How do you explain our salvation in terms of God's justice? How was it just that Jesus died on the cross so that you might live? Talk about it real quick. You can sit right here, man. Okay, let me bring you back. How do you explain our salvation in terms of God's justice? Because some people would say, well, that he would die for your sin. That's not Just. He didn't deserve it. There's no other way. So that made it just? Okay. Do you see where this becomes then difficult for us to look? Yes, Christy. Substitution. And I get that substitution, but did that make it just? You see? Yes. Yeah, and that's really what we get to. It's not a matter of justice, it's a matter of grace and mercy. So that the just God, because of his mercy and grace, saved you. And it wasn't that he did something to his son that his son wasn't willing to undergo. What makes it just is the fact that God wanted to save you, wanted to send the Son. But what makes it just is the Son wanted to come and do it for you. Now, if the Son said what? No, no, no. God did it to Him anyway, then it becomes what? Unjust, right? Because, I mean, yeah. But it was, in other words, this was in the mutual counsel of the Trinitarian God, right? God was doing it together. God didn't do anything to the Son that the Son didn't want. to do in order to save us. So that's what makes it just. Okay? How is it just that only a few are saved? Let me ask you that question. Do we believe that salvation belongs to God? Yes or no? Yes. So that God chooses those whom he's going to save. How is it just that God has chosen you and not this person here, this invisible person that you can't see? Why you? He's chosen every single human being to be saved? Scripture does not teach that. I know that that's what we want to believe, but the scripture shows that God has chosen a number to be His, and His alone. Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice. So those that are God's given unto me, right? And Jesus says, I laid down my life for My sheep, and he also says, I lay down my life for many, not all. So that's an interesting dynamic, isn't it? Okay? So how is it just that some of us are saved? Because would you agree that if this person right here, this invisible person goes to hell and you go to heaven, there's nothing better in you than him or her? Were you wiser than he was that you came to the Lord? In other words, can you take credit for your salvation in any way? So if it's an act of God and God has done it for you, then we must conclude that God hasn't done it for him. Correct? That's how our free will was. Okay, so now we're getting into the free will debate, okay? So that you exercised free will and you came to the Lord and He did it, then you have something to boast about. Because you did something that He didn't. Okay? So again, you get some of the credit. But according to the Word of God, how much credit do you get in salvation? None. So now we're back to that place where God has to do something. So how is it just that some are saved by God's grace and some aren't? Yes? Okay, you're talking about the freedom of God, which we're going to talk about in a little bit, yes? He didn't have to save anyone. Do we get that? If God had stayed in heaven and said, I'm just going to let them all go to hell, would that have been just? We don't like it, but would it have been just? Did God have to save us? Were we getting the penalty of what we deserve? Okay? So that God could have stayed in heaven perfectly content being God. Remember we talked about He was perfectly content? And He could have said, you know what? They made their bed. Everybody, lie in it, right? He didn't have to save anyone. That God saves one person is mind-boggling. that God has saved so many throughout the ages of history. This is testament to His greatness. But He does, God, listen, God has to save this many people. Zero. He doesn't have to do anything. We sinned against God. We rebelled against God. Correct? Correct. So then would Jesus not have had to die on the cross? Yeah, God, He didn't have to. He chose to. Do you see the difference? Right. What about when you said something Jesus not wanting to die on the cross, but he did say the words, why have you forsaken me? Okay, so let's take a step back. Jesus and his deity chose to come and die for us. Jesus in his humanity, seeing what was going on, said, Father, if there's any other way. Not, I don't want to do this. If there is any other way, then let's do it. You know what I mean? Because, come on, the whole cross thing? Heavy. OK? Does that make sense? Jesus never said, God, I don't want to die for this. Don't make me do this. Do you see the difference? If you figure it out any other way, I'm down with that, basically. You know? To use the real theological term right there. But, OK? But he says, but if not any other way, then not my will. but your will be done." I'm submitting it to you, Father. Do you see the difference? So it's not that he didn't want to. If he said, if you can figure out another way, I am so open to that. And that's okay, right? But ultimately he comes to the conclusion where he says, what, not me, but you, whatever you want. Okay, so does that answer that part of it? Okay, it's not that he didn't want to, he just, you know, the heaviness of the cross was looming on him. He's bleeding, he's, you know, Father, right? He's in distress, he feels the burden being laid upon him and it's heavy. Alright, and so he says, Father, if there's any other way. Okay, that wasn't a weakness, that was a submitting to the Lord. Does that make sense to everyone? Okay, so that's it. And so that was the one question, then you said something else I can't remember, I'm sorry. What about on the cross? What happened on the cross? That's when the father in his justice has to punish sin. So what does the God do? He punishes the son with all the sin. He can't even bear to look at his son because he made him an innocent to become sin for us. And the son feels that disconnect from the father for the first time in eternity. forever, how brief or long that was. He says, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Well, because you're sin on the cross and I'm punishing sin. And it's something that Jesus signed up for. Does that make sense? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So does that make sense to everyone? So you still have that look. Are we good? Okay. okay all right so I just want to make sure I don't want to move from here it might my goal is not to get through the chapter my goal is to get you guys understanding so I don't want to move from there unless you guys have you know you got it okay okay we will discuss that in a little bit those are God's desires God desires that no one should rape ever again would you agree with that statement it's God decreed that it's gonna happen God said, absolutely, I will not allow it anymore. How do we know that God has never done that? Because it's still what? Happening. There's a difference between God's decree and God's desires. That's what I'm trying to tell you. And we'll talk about those in a little bit. I think that will clear it up. Hopefully, if we get that far. Then you get to the question, why me? Absolutely. You definitely come to the question. So let's go back to that question. The question was, why is it just that God saved some? Yes. He can save whoever He wants. The question is not, you know, it's not fair that He didn't save them. The question is, wow, I can't believe He saved what? Me. That's what doesn't seem fair, right? That He saves any. God didn't have to save one person and He would have been holy and He would have been right. He chose to intervene. He didn't have to. How do you know He has saved you? How do I know that He saved me? Okay, that's a totally different question and we'll move there. I've come to the Lord through His faith according to the Word of God that He's given me. He's the author and the finisher of my faith. I understand who He is, which is impossible to do unless God has opened your eyes according to the Word of Scripture, right? So the Word of God says that to the natural man the things of God are foolishness. but those being saved, you understand the Word of God. So the fact that I understand the Word of God, the fact that I love Him, the fact that I want to conform my life to Him, the fact that I want to live in holiness, the fact that I want you to do the same thing, shows evidence is in my life to be saved. Listen, salvation is an internal thing. Does that make sense? So that, I hate it when people say, well he prayed a prayer so he was a Christian, he just never walked with the Lord. That's nowhere in scripture. Bible says by their what? Fruits. You shall know them. So I'm going to ask you, does my life evidence the fruits of someone that is saved? And that loves the Lord. That's how I know. Okay. So that James says, you show me your faith. Everybody. without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works. Now, does work save me, yes or no? No, absolutely not. But once I've been saved, will the works of God flow from me? Yes. And is that the evidence of my salvation to the world, to you at least? God knows that I was saved on whatever day whatever time you know that that's when it happens but you don't know that so that you tell me you're a Christian and you love the Lord and you want to be in ministry here but the evidence of your life show me something differently I'm gonna say no thank you very much does that make sense absolutely it has to make sense because I have to see the fruit in your life to know that you right that's the only way I know because I'm not God I can't see your heart. I can't see, oh yes, she really is saved. I saw Jesus in that heart. Okay, I can't do that. Does that make sense to everyone? Okay, so the only way I know is by your fruit, by your testimony, by your life, right? And so that's why God says in the book of Revelation to the Ephesian church who got a slap on the hand that said you've lost your first love, but before that God says to them, You have tested those who say they're apostles and you found them to be what? Liars. And God says good job. How did they know? They looked at the person's what? Life. You tell me you're an apostle, I'm looking at your life. Yeah, you're an apostle of Jesus Christ, buddy. Okay, does that make sense? So imagine if we applied that test to everybody, those televangelists and what their lives are like and everything. Do you see what would happen? Would enough people be fooled or a lot of people would forget you? I know that you're not really a man of God. Do you see what I'm trying to say? opulence that they live in, right? There's one new guy, what was it, dollar guy asking for 60-something million dollars for his new private jet to fly all over the world and preach the gospel. The best jet, obviously. And you're looking at that going, is that the way Christ would live? Answer. Is there anything wrong with the ministry having a plane to cart the guy around the world? No. Do you have to have the most expensive, most opulent, most lush plane that there is? Okay, do you see the difference? So that's how I know someone's salvation because I am not God and I can't see inside the heart. You know, all I have to go by is your life. Okay? You all right? And that doesn't mean you become a new Christian, you're a new Christian, right? And I'm looking at your life, and I see those blunders that you do, but I also see that trying, that love for God. I can see, I'm not saying you have to be a perfect person. I'm just saying that I gotta see that life growing in God. Does that make sense? That's how I know you're safe. That's all I can do. How do I know that I'm safe? I just know that I'm safe because I've come to the Lord. How do you know that I'm safe? You gotta study my life. Okay? Does that make sense? Did I answer the question? Okay. Yes? Well, that's what I just said. I know that I'm saved because I know that I'm saved. I know that I come to the Lord. How do you know that I'm saved? by their fruits you shall know them. If you love me you will keep my commandments. If anyone says he loves the Lord and does not live like he lived, walk like he walked, he is a liar and the truth is not in him. All of that proving faith without works is death. All those things prove one thing. Worst doesn't save us, but once you've been saved, the works of God, like a river, are going to flow from your life. So you're going to look at that life and see that. So how do you know I'm saved? Well, study my life. Right? How do I know I'm safe? I just know between me and the Lord. You know, I know what's happening in my heart. I can't prove that to you, except that you hopefully see He loves us. As a pastor, He's teaching us the Word. You know, He wants us to grow in righteousness. He's, you know, you see and hopefully say, our pastor is saved. Thank God. Because having a pastor that's unsaved would be a bad situation. Does that make sense to everyone? Alrighty, good. Any other question? By the way, brother, thank you for that question, because even though I wasn't part of it, it's an incredibly important question, so that you guys need to study for everybody else's life, you know? Before you jump, don't just say, everybody's a Christian because they named Jesus. Look at the life. Remember that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of what? Light according to scripture. So can his what? His workers disguise themselves as people of light and they're not necessarily of the light. Does that make sense? Anybody else have any questions? Concerns? Comments? Alright, let's move on. Alright, let's go on to the next one. God is jealous. You guys see that? How many of you have a problem with this one? God is jealous. No? You don't look at jealousy as being something bad? You see, I think of jealousy and I think of something what? Bad. So that the fact that I say God is jealous, oh, it hurts. It is not human jealousy, is it? How many of you understand that? Okay, good. You see, when I first read God is jealous in scripture, I had a huge problem with it. Because in my head, jealousy is, you know, a negative dark emotion that clouds right thinking and makes you take leaps of, you know, that are not true, and how many people have been killed because of jealousy, how many marriages have been destroyed because of jealousy. You know what I'm trying to say? And so when I think of jealousy, I think bad, bad, bad. And here the Bible says God is jealous. And you're like, what? But the jealousy of God is for what? His own glory in His name. In other words, God protects His integrity, His character. Right? And so if God is jealous, no wonder He tells us in the Scriptures, I should not have any image. or anything in my likeness, right? Because you can never capture who God is. So you're worshipping false instead of true. Does that make sense to everyone? So idolatry is bad, because no matter how good you are at your idolatry, you can never capture who God truly is. How can you capture a God that is holy, righteous, just, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, love, all the attributes that we say, how can you capture that in a statue or in a thing? Anyone? It's impossible. So you're worshipping something less than what He really what? Is. Does that make sense? So that's God's jealous. He's jealous for His name, for His honor, and for His glory. He protects His name. He protects His honor. He protects His glory. Because it's holy. Right? So no wonder one of the commandments says, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Why? Because His name is the highest thing in heaven. He's the Lord. So when you use the word You use the name of Jesus Christ as a dirty cuss word, or God-you-know-what, or whatever it might be. You're using the name of God, and you're using it as the basest thing. And God is jealous for His name. Does that make sense? When He swears in heaven, He swears by Himself, because there's nothing higher to swear by than Him. And you're taking his name and throwing it in the mud and stomping it with your feet. You see what I'm trying to say? So God is jealous for his name. God is jealous for his worship. God is jealous for his people. God wants you holy, right? He wants you pure. He's jealous for you. He doesn't want to share you with the things in the world that will defile. So God's jealousy leads to better. Man's jealousy leads to what? Worse most of the time, right? Right, but God's jealousy leads to better. So his jealousy is a good thing. Our jealousy is not necessarily a good thing. Any questions on God's jealousy? I know that one was fast. Okay, good. Let's move on. I wanted to get to this one today. God is wrathful towards sin. Page 32. God is wrathful towards sin. One of the attributes of God is that although God is love, God is also wrath. You can't have one without the what? Other. God is going to pour his indignation on sin one day. He's done it. a couple of times in history. Can somebody tell me when God, biblical history at least, I know that, okay, yes? Noah's Ark. Sodom and Gomorrah. There you go, you're thinking, right? Sodom and Gomorrah. Noah's what? Ark. God demonstrated that He hated sin. Would you agree with that statement? When God is drowning the world and everything in it, and the Bible says specifically because of sin, and it grieved God that He made man, Because of the sinfulness that was involved, then you can say what? Man, God really does hate sin. God is wrathful. The wrath of God is poured out. Where else was the wrath of God poured out? On the temple, Jesus started throwing things. My Father's house shall be called a house of what? Prayer. Think of God's biggest demonstration. I just gave you a clue. Yes? At the cross. My God, my God, we just talked about it, what? Why have you, what, forsaken me? This is God pouring out His wrath on the Son so that He doesn't pour it out on you. But God poured, in other words, your sin didn't go unpunished. They just went unpunished on you. Okay? It's not that God forgave it and pretended it wasn't there. God punished someone for your sin. In other words, your sin didn't just, God just didn't make them go away presto change-o. God dealt with them. Does that make sense? Did you have a question? Okay, so that God poured out wrath for sin. Does that make sense to everyone? I mean, someone paid the price and it was Jesus. So you didn't have to. What does it say for man that doesn't come to Christ? The wrath of God abides. The same wrath that was poured on Christ finished the statement. will be poured on them. Okay? Nobody gets away scot-free. Every sin has to be punished. Every sin will be punished. Every sin in us has been dealt with at the cross, but it was paid for. It was done. Does that make sense? In other words, it wasn't like unbelievers' sins. They got to pay for it, but our sin had no consequence. It had consequences. The Son of God was butchered on the tree. Okay, there was consequences for your sin. There was consequences for my sin. So that God being wrathful means every sin needs to be dealt with. How many of you don't like the attribute of God is wrath? Does anybody? You want to think of Him as loving, wonderful, nice, hearing God? You got to look at God is wrath too. Has God demonstrated wrath in history, biblical history? Absolutely. He promises in Peter, That one day the heavens will melt with a fervent heat and all of creation will be undone. Read the book of Revelation. Jesus comes with the sword that comes out of his mouth. Right? And the blood shall be as high as the horse's bridle as he tramples the grapes of wrath. God is wrath. He is love. And He forbears on His wrath. He holds His wrath back until the right time. But there will be a time when God has to pour out His wrath. He has to. Every sin has to be dealt with. And we're getting close. Amen? Absolutely. So question. Someone read to me John. Glenn, do you mind if I pick on you? John 3.36. You're worth waiting for, so it's okay. It's an awkward silence on the tape, but that's okay. Okay. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life. The wrath of God remains on them. Heck, you quoted that, right? Did you see that? So if you believe in the Son, you have what? Life. That doesn't mean that your sin was not paid for. It was paid for. But whoever does not believe in the Son, the wrath of God, what? Lives. Abide on them. That's every person you know that's not saved. Every person. Revelation 20 15 says the following. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. God's wrath being openly displayed there. How is the wrath of God set aside for you? It's set aside on the fact that Christ paid, right? And we talked about those Old and New Testament portions of Scripture. Let's look at the next quote. Anybody have any questions on the wrath of God? I don't have a question, but just listening to this just makes me want to go out and tell more people. I agree with you. You realize their position, the unbelievers' position. Hector said that You know, knowing this, that the wrath of God abides on them should cause you, stir you to tell other people about Jesus Christ, right? Because their sin could have been paid for on the cross, right? And so, it's not that they're getting away with anything, right? But might as well avail yourself of the price being paid instead of paying your own price. Does that make sense? So yes, it should move us to witness to more people, absolutely. Anybody else have a comment, question? Did anybody get scared when you start thinking about the wrath of God? Aren't you glad that it's covered for you? But I mean, it's a scary thing. It is good to have the fear of God. The fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom, the Bible says so. It's a wise thing to fear the living God, right? Absolutely. Let's move on to the next one. I was going to say verse, I'm sorry. Can you tell I'm a minister? Page, God wills what he wills. Do you see that? That's a fancy way for saying that God is sovereign. This is the sovereignty of God. In other words, whatever God deems he's going to do, he's going to do. And nothing, nothing can stop him. So let's go back to my sister, my sister's original thing. You said, Terry, you said, well, 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 and 4, you didn't quite say it that way, but 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 and 4 says something about God. Can somebody read 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 and 4 out loud? Whoever has it first, just raise your hand. No. 1st Timothy 2, 3 and 4. Okay, Ellie. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior who decides all people to be saved and becomes the knowledge of the truth. Did you hear that? God what? Desires all people to be saved. Do you agree with that statement? Yes or no? Good. It's in the Bible. You should. Okay. God desires that all people are saved. Has God decreed though that all people will be saved? No. Do you see the difference? There's a difference between a desire and a sovereign edict from the king that sits on high. How do we know that God has not decreed everybody should be saved? Not everybody is saved. People die all the time unsaved. If God had said, I will demand by my power and my counsel that every human being will be saved, what would happen? Everybody will be saved. Why? Because He's God and whatever He says goes. So there's a difference between the desires of God and the edicts of God. Do you see the difference? Let me put it to you this way. Does God desire that people treat each other nicely all the time? Yes. He desires it. Absolutely. Has God issued an edict that that's what's going to happen? No. How do you know? The freeway. Right? Right? We don't treat each other nicely on the freeway. That was to the believer. Because only the believer through the Spirit of God can do something like that. So that's a commandment for you. Turn the other cheek. It's only to the believer. The unbeliever can't do what the Holy Spirit He doesn't have the Holy Spirit inside of him. You can do it because you've been empowered by God. He can't do, he can't please God. Doesn't the Bible says that in our natural state we can't please God? Does that make sense? So be careful when you take those statements, you know, and apply them to all because they're not all universal. They're too the believers. So when Jesus says to Peter, Peter put away your sword, he who lives by the sword dies by the sword, right? There are people that are going to live by the sword and they're going to die by the sword, right? But the Christians shouldn't live by the sword, right? I mean that's, does that make sense? That the Christians should turn the other cheek, wouldn't that all possible, right? Or what's going on in the situation depends on what's going on, right? And we could go through the remit, one here, one there, but I mean, on the average, it's for the gospel's sake, right? When you're being persecuted for the gospel, you should turn the other what? Cheek, according to the Word of God. Does that make sense? So that we take those statements and we know what they are. But let's go back to the desires versus edict. Does God desire that husbands stay with their wives and not get divorced. Has God commanded, issued an edict, that all husbands were going to stay with their wives and never get a divorce? No. Okay? Do you see the difference between desires and edicts now? So that the heart of God is open, right? But the edicts of God, when God says, I swear to you by my name that this is going to happen, It's done. That's what we call a decree, an edict. It's unchangeable. It's unbreakable. You can fight against it all you want. A good example of this, God has said David would be king. Samuel had come, dumped the oil off the horn, right? On his head, right? The oil in the horn, right? Said, you're going to be the next king of Israel. What happened then? Saul fought against it tooth and nail. He chased him up and down every single mountain. He threw spears at him. He turned on his whole family. He did whatever he had to. He tried to kill them at every step. And no matter what he did, at the end he ends up dead. And who becomes king? David. Why does David become king? The Lord had issued an edict that David would be king. It was a pointless battle for Saul. He wanted to engage in it, but he might as well have taken off the crown and said, here you go. Right? Because it's over. He didn't. He fought against God, but he lost because God had said, it was an edict, it was a decree, David will be what? King. Saul couldn't kill him. That didn't mean that David just sat there and said, throw your best spear, you can't kill me. He didn't tempt the Lord. Right? Right? He ran. He hid. He did all the things he needed to do right. But ultimately at the end, David would be king. And Saul ended up dead. Saul got so mad at his son, he cussed at his son. He said, you son of a perverse woman. If you put it in today's vernacular, I'm not going to. He's calling him something really terrible. Alrighty? And so, I mean, he got mad at his son. I mean, he just all over the place. But ultimately David becomes king. He can't fight it. David's son, There's an edict that God says, I'm going to tear this kingdom away from you, and I'm going to give it to your enemy. What was the son? Hold on one second. What was the son? Does anybody know? No, no, no. Solomon. Solomon sinned, and God says, I'm going to take the kingdom away from you when you're dead, and I'm going to give just a partial kingdom to your son because of what you do. What does Solomon do? He starts persecuting the guy that God says is going to take the other 10 parts of the kingdom. Jeroboam, right? Yeah, it was Jeroboam, right? Yeah. And he goes after him, and he becomes Saul. Fighting against God, and ultimately what happens? Exactly what God says is going to happen. So, an edict is unchangeable, because God is sovereign. Desires are desires. We can't get those two confused, okay? So, God desires that we all stop sinning. God desires that we all treat each other with love and kindness. God desires that we all would stop killing, murdering, raping people. God desires that we would all stop being racist. God desires all these things, but He hasn't decreed it. He allows sin to run its course on this world. So that we see our need for Christ. Anybody have any questions? Let's continue with this one just for a little bit. In this part of God's will, Absolutely. What could separate us from the love of God? predestined. That's a decree. The work of salvation was decreed. You know what? If you guys want, we can take a break after we finish this one and we can do a whole thing on free will and election. Would that be okay with everybody? Okay, so let's finish chapter two, however long that takes us to do. Next year sometime we'll do that one about free will and election. The year 2016 or 17 or somewhere around there, okay? But okay, we'll take a break and then we'll do one just, if that's interesting to everybody, you guys want to discuss those things? Okay. Absolutely, definitely we'll do that because it's important. If it's bothering you, I want to make sure that we cover it, okay? And it's more than I can do in the last five minutes that we have here, okay? Obviously, it's been a debate raging in the church for 2,000 years. I can't cover it in five minutes, okay? But okay, let's move on. Acts 2, verse 23, speaking on God's sovereignty. God wills what He wills. Ready? Men of Israel, hear these... Oh, I'm sorry, brother. I'm going to stop. Matthew, you had a question. I didn't mean to ignore you. In the Old Testament, in Old Judaism, they would say, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God I didn't quite get that, brother. Can we talk about it afterwards? Okay, thank you, because I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that. All right, let's go back to Acts chapter 2, verses 22 to 23. After the study, you and I can get together, okay? All righty. Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst. As you yourselves know, this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Did you hear that? This Jesus, who was delivered up according to what? God's definite plan and foreknowledge. So you didn't do anything to Jesus that God hadn't already ordained was going to happen. But you didn't know that, did you, says God. So you're still what? Guilty. You're guilty because of the evil in your heart, but you did exactly what God wanted you to do. But because you didn't know you were doing God's will. Do you see what I'm saying? God says, I can still hold you guilty for your heart. But Jesus ending up on the cross was God's plan all along. He had to end up on the cross. God had decreed it. Do you see that? Does that make sense? So there's a little taste of that whole free will, election, you know, okay? Man doesn't know what God has decreed. So man thinks he's making all these choices and this and that and they're based upon hopefully either loving God or hating God, right? And so it moves on from there, but we'll get to it. God is not to be blamed then for the evil in this world. Who's to blame for the evil in this world? Man. Notice that these men did evil. They crucified Christ with lawless hands. In other words, they broke the law of God. The Ten Commandments to a Jew, that was the worst thing you could do, right? God says, you did it. You did it wrong. You murdered him and you're guilty. However, the good that came out of that was God's what? Platon, your sanctification, your redemption, your justification, your salvation. So God takes the good Man takes the what? The bad. And isn't that the way it worked? Did those guys say, let's crucify Christ, the prophecy might be fulfilled and we might be saved. Is that what they did? They're like, let's kill the bugger, right? Let's get him out of the picture so that we can take control and power. They were totally evil, yet God had a totally good purpose. Mind-boggling how that works. And that's probably where the confusion comes from. Because it's just mind-boggling how they could be doing the worst that they can, at the same time that God's doing the best that He can. It's just mind-boggling. But that's why He's what? God, and I'm not, okay? God is not to be blamed for the evil. Think of Joseph's captivity. What does he tell his brothers? You meant this for evil, but God meant this for good. Again, there's where they're doing evil. They're held accountable for their evil. They lived a whole life of tragedy because they were guilty all their lives. And when Joseph revealed himself to them, they started crying, right? Thinking he was going to kill them. That means they were carrying guilt for a long time. Yet God had always meant it for what? Good. That's an amazing statement, right? Genesis 15, 19-20. But Joseph said to them, Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. You meant this for evil, but God somehow meant it all for good. Mind-boggling. It's totally... So how do you answer the problem of evil? Anyone? Why is there evil? Why does God allow evil? How do you answer that question, Christy? Well, the good belongs to God and the evil belongs to God. Yeah, you turn to Genesis and say, listen, I don't know how it works in every situation. I don't know how it worked in 9-11. I don't know how it worked in World War I. I don't know how it worked in World War II. I don't know how it worked in, you know, you can go on and on and on. I don't know. But I know that there are instances in the Bible where God says, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. So if that's the case here, and that's the case at the cross, and that's the case in this portion of Scripture, then it must be the case here. Just because I don't know all the particulars, because it's not revealed to me like it is in Scripture, does not mean that God has somehow done something evil or something wrong in this situation. Does that make sense? So we take the testimony of Scripture and say, okay, if that's the way it works, it works. I don't need to know the particulars. I just need to trust that God knows what He's doing. And I'm just going to go along for the ride on this one. And if He wants to explain it to me, great. And if He doesn't, He's God. Amen? Amen. All right. All right. Page 5. Oh, I think we got it next week. I'm almost sure we got it next week, OK? We're going to start with God. Page 5 of my notes, not page 5 of yours. God has freedom, OK? We're going to stop right here, because it is 7.15.