Let's see what time I started there. If I lose track of that, you all are in trouble. And then I may be in trouble after that. I have a lot to get to today, but I do want to give you the words of the song that my brother Joe Belusick sent me this morning. But briefly, real quick, I bring you greetings from Joe and his wife Debbie, the folks at Chapel, Sovereign Grace Chapel, and from Paul and Paula, And God willing, we hope, depending on at least, maybe a few others hope to see you Saturday, at least be able to make it up here then. This is a song that Joe sent to me this morning. The song is entitled, My Times Are In Thy Hand by Horatius Bonner. My times are in thy hand. My God, I wish them there. My life, my friends, my soul, I leave entirely to your care. My times are in thy hand, whatever they may be. pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as thou know best for me. My times are in thy hand. Why should I doubt or fear? My father's hand will never cause his child a needless feteer. My times are in thy hand, Jesus the crucified. Those hands my cruel sins had pierced are now my guard and guide. My times are in thy hand, such faith you give to me, that after death at thy right hand I shall forever be. I like those words. Good words. All right, if you wish to follow along, turn to Paul's epistle to the church at Ephesus, chapter four, Ephesians chapter four. chest congestion, so I do, if I start to get a little tickled, I have to stop for a moment. Would you please forgive me? I have, like I said, I have much to go over this morning, so let's just get started. Ephesians chapter four is kind of a place to start. I want to read the first six verses. Therefore, I therefore, Paul rather writes, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you're called, Notice he didn't say walk worthy of the Lord, because none of us can attain to that. But we can walk worthy by his grace, worthy of the vocation wherewith you're called. With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering forbearing one another, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, even as you're called in one hope of your calling. one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all. Now turn to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. We'll just see something that's a little different here. And I just wanna read one verse, John chapter 14, verse 27. This is Christ speaking, remember what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. Now this is Christ speaking before his crucifixion and he said these words, peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth. Now the world can give peace. But that's not the kind of peace that Christ gives. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. One fact is clear from these two texts. Not all peace is the same. Now, I had this passage came to my mind two or three weeks ago. And I'm not here to preach on current events, although I may refer to some current events. My message is the personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what current events are going on in this world. But it's clear. Not all peace is the same. Thus, my text is a starting point, not the full subject of my message. My subject this morning is peace, peace. Now, turn to Romans 12. If you're following along, turn to Romans 12. I'll make a statement, and then we'll read what Paul wrote to us under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Romans chapter 12, I'll begin in verse 17. Let me make this statement first of all. There is no question, there is no doubt as to this, that God's people are to seek to live peaceably amongst our fellow men and women. Verse 17 of Romans 12. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, do you see that? If it be possible, because I will preface what he's about to say, it's not always possible. Look what's happened in the Middle East. Some of those people, you can't reason with them. There is no reasoning with them. But if it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all men, do you see that? We are not to become or try to be the enemies of anyone, although some people will often think we are because we tell them the truth. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, this is God speaking, now vengeance is mine. Now look at it, I will repay. I know this world is But God is also a God of vengeance. And he says, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thy enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. So again, there is no question God's people are to seek to live peaceably amongst our fellow men and women. Now turn to 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter 3. I will make this statement and we'll read the passage. 1 Peter 3. There is no question that God's people are to be peaceable amongst one another. Okay, simple enough. There is no question. It's in God's holy word. God's people are to live and be peaceable amongst one another. 1 Peter 3 and verse 8. Be all of one mind. Of course, this is talking to believers. You're not going to have the same mind as an unbeliever. They don't think like you. They don't believe like you. Let's talk about believers. Finally, be all of one mind. having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing, you see it? But contrary wise, you see it? But contrary wise, blessing, knowing that ye are there unto call that ye should inherit a blessing. He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, if they speak no guile, let him eschew, or that is, avoid evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensue it. You see it? Go after it. Go after it. So it's clear from the two texts I've read that not all peace is the same, is it? There's a peace that we're to strive to have amongst our fellow human beings, but Paul clearly puts limits there, if it be possible, as much life within you. But when it comes to God's people, we're not given any leeway in that. We're to be, as our text, we're to be even what? We're to be with all loneliness and meekness, with all suffering, forbearing one another in love. Why? Because we're hard to put up with. It's just a fact. Some of us may be a little harder to put up with than others, but we're all hard to put up with in our own way. And everything to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. So again, there's no question we as God's people are to seek to live peaceably amongst our fellow man. And there is no question that God's people are to be peaceable amongst one another. But let me say this, there's also some peace that is dangerous. First Thessalonians, turn to First Thessalonians. There is some peace that is dangerous. Now I know that seems to be a juxtaposition of thought in philosophy and all of these other things, that peace is good no matter what. It's just not so. It's just like all love is not good. If any man loved the world, that's a love, isn't it? The book says, if any man loves the world, what does it say? The love of the Father is not in him. That's what it says. So there's a love that's bad. There's peace that's bad. 1 Thessalonians 5, both the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write of you. That's why when I stand behind this podium, I don't get up and try to talk about the times and the seasons. Paul said he didn't have no need to write about it. Then why do I ever need to talk about it? We got a person to talk about you. He is coming, and he will make sure that everything he's ordained in this book will come to pass at God's ordained time. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. I don't care how well we have our ducks in a row, we're not gonna figure out the times or the seasons. It's just not gonna happen. I know people have charts that can give you a timeline, They have no idea what they are talking about. But, look at it, here it is. For when they shall say, peace and safety, do you see that? Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as prevailed upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. What? In the world is Paul talking about? Well, turn to Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 6. And I kind of feel that, you know, Paul being a man of scripture was probably referring to Jeremiah, though he did not directly quote Jeremiah, but Jeremiah chapter 6. Listen to what Jeremiah said in his day. And one reason I point this out is to let us know this is not some new phenomenon. This happened way back in Jeremiah's time. It was still happening in Paul's time. And although I am not a prophet, I'm just a preacher of the gospel, I'm here to say that it's still happening in our time. People are crying out, peace and safety, when there is no true peace and safety. Look at how Jeremiah put it in his day. Jeremiah 6, for the sake of time, just a couple verses. Verse 13, for from the least of them, even unto the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness. Doesn't that sound like a, Testimony of our day is get, get, mine, mine, mine, have, have, have. Isn't it? I'm right in the middle of it too, folks. I'm not rising above that. It's all right down here in this God-awful old man that I still have. Covetous, covetousness. And from the prophet even unto the priest, everyone dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, do you see it? Slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace. I'd have to say a few things about this. You heard the phrase, and I don't know that it's as popular now as it used to be, and I don't get this illustration to be funny, but it was popularized by the movie Forrest Gump. When Lieutenant Dan was in the middle of that hurricane on that fishing boat, and he was up on the top of the mast shaking his fist at God, and screaming at God, and daring God. And after all was over, Forrest said he made his peace with God. Man cannot make peace with God. To attempt to make peace with God on your own is to insult the Father because His Son made peace. It is to insult God in everything that He is. The popular phrase, make your peace with God, don't do it. It's like the phrase, I actually seen one of those on a yard coming up here, prepare to meet thy God. You know what they're talking about? Get ready, do what's right, live right. Believe right. That's what they're talking about. And ain't what the prophet meant. He meant brace yourself. God's coming. That's what he's talking about. Prepare to meet thy God. Jesus Christ is our preparation. We meet God in him, in mercy and grace, for we will meet God in wrath and vengeance and judgment. It's one or the other. It's one or the other. So again, I say some peace is dangerous. Now turn to Colossians chapter one. Let's look at what Paul wrote. And oh, may it be that the spirit of God in myself anew and afresh this morning and in you anew and afresh this morning, or if you're here, it's never happened to you. I pray God falls upon you in mercy and grace even this very day. May it be as I read these words, Colossians chapter one, And I make a few comments from these words. I pray that God will open our hearts and minds up to see the truth, the truth about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians chapter one, we'll begin in verse 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. In other words, someone says, but why do you make so much of Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Because it pleased the Father to make so much of him. That's why. I don't, most of you probably know the, it's the account of Esther, and somebody asked, Mordecai was put on the king's white horse, and somebody says, why should Mordecai, that old Jew, ride the king's horse? There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for Mordecai to ride the king's horse, except the king said so. Therefore, Mordecai will ride the horse. But our Lord Jesus Christ deserves this honor. He earned it. He merited this honor. He is chief among 10,000. He is the fairest of all. Look at what it says. Verse 19, for it pleased the Father that in Him should all foolish dwell. And having, what's that word say? Now don't block out all of what you've heard from religion out there. God helped me to block it out this morning and pay attention to the words on the page. Look at what he says. And you, oh wait a minute, I'm sorry. Verse 20, and have he made peace? Stated, it's made peace, do you see that? Made peace, not made it possible, not made it available, he made peace. And when did he make peace? Through the blood of his cross. Peace is made, my brothers and sisters. It's done. There is no more making peace with God. Christ made full, exact payment of all those necessary before God's holy justice and God's holy law. He made peace through the blood of His cross. and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be things at earth or things in heaven. Why would he state something like that? Because there were some redeemed people who were already in glory when Christ died. But he still had to die for it. Listen to me. I don't mean this to be disrespectful or dishonoring to God. Had Christ not died on that tree, God Almighty would have yanked all those souls out of glory. and had to cast them into the midst of the blackness of hell forever. Because Christ had to make peace through the blood of his cross. But the gospel message is, he did. I'm saying it's done. The work's done, folks. Don't lift a finger. Somebody says, make peace. No, receive him who is the peace. Who made the peace is it. So hear it again. having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things with himself. By him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven and you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, that sums me up well. That sums me up well. The wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, how? Not when you come forward, Not when you pray the prayer. Not even when you believe and repent. How does it say he reconciled? Notice there's not even a period after that word, you see it? We're still continuing with the thought. And yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. And you know who Jesus Christ died for? all who start in the faith and continue in the faith, if ye continue in the faith. You see, if you read this, you've got to say, if you're honest with yourself, you've got to say that the language, even in our English version here, and I'm reading from the King James Version, that the English says this, those that Jesus Christ died for, he reconciled them and they're okay. Isn't that what this says? In spite of what they are by nature, When God first began to open my eyes to that, it was so much more peace than what I had in religion. Jesus did it for everybody. Now I've got to somehow make it work for me. Isn't that what they teach? Now, I'm maybe being a little oversimplified, but ain't that what they teach? He did this peace thing. He did this reconciling for everybody, then they have to do something to make it work for them. Is that not what they preach? That's not what this book teaches. It's not what this book teaches. Turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. We'll see it. Paul states it. He's talking about the same subject, 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I'll begin in verse 18. I said, I don't want to rush through this. This is so vital that the, and we'll say it this way, and then I'll have to hinge it up. It's so vital that we get this right, because it's not just believing in Jesus. You've got to hear about who he is and what he's done. Romans 10 makes it clear on that. You gotta hear who he is and what he really did. And if you reject who he is and what he really did, I don't care how much of a Jesus you believe in, if you believe in the wrong Jesus, you're in trouble. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, let's begin in verse 18. Read it all later to make sure I'm not taking this, dragging it out of the context. And all things are of God. Now look at the language. Oh God, help us. Look at the language. Let's not just read it and say, okay, I understand that, and then revert to this brainwashing that all of religion's done. I still have to, Jason, I still have to fight with all that rubbish. Just like the children of Israel, when they came back from Babylon, before they could even build the walls of the city, they had to clean up what? All the rubbish. My, my, I've got a lot of rubbish laying around. I'm still cleaning up on it. Still cleaning up on it. Look at what it says. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us. Do you see that? Do you see the tenths of that? It's done. The great transaction's done. That's why, although that phrase is not in the Bible, that's what the writer was talking about. in all things, or of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the service or the ministry of reconciliation, to wit," Paul said, in other words, I'm going to explain this, okay? So all that means, to wit, it's an old English phrase, let me explain, that God, W-A-S, you see that? That God was, in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. So since they were reconciled, look at what it says, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Preacher, it sounds like it's saying whoever he died for, their sins are not going to be accounted to them. That's exactly what it says. So if you want to believe he died for all, you are forced then to say that the book teaches Christ will save all. But we know it's not what this book teaches, does it? It said he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Who are the seed of Abraham? Believers, Galatians chapter four. Believers, he said Christ came to save the world of believers. You know what it says, what is it? I'm gonna turn to this one, you don't, you can turn to it. I'm not telling you you can't turn to it. Revelation chapter five, verse nine, they sang a new song, saying they are worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. You see that? That means God has saved the world. Right? He saved the world. Not everyone in the world, but he has saved the world. Back to 2 Corinthians 5, to wit, now that is to explain that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. What are we, we're not offering it, we're preaching the word of it. Reconciliation's done. Christ accomplished it, he did it. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's name, be ye reconciled to God. He's talking still to believers. What's he saying? Lay down our arms against God. He done laid down his against us. Now we ought to lay down ours against him. And this is a constant warfare. I tell you this, if you do this today, and I got no problem being irreconcilable to God, if you find yourself striving for that today, you're still gonna need it tomorrow. And you're still gonna need it the day after that. Because inside of these bodies is an old corrupt man that is corrupt according to deceitful lusts. And he will turn his back on God and turn you away from God, else God Almighty lays hold of you in sovereign saving grace. I got to be saved as much today as I needed to be saved almost 50 years ago. God still has to lay hold of me every day and bring to my heart and mind the word of reconciliation. Walter, it's done. Quit fighting against God. Walter, it's done. and just believe God. Relax. Quit working your soul and spirit to the bone, trying to somehow appease God. It's done. Reconciliation is accomplished. Be ye reconciled to God, for He, that is God the Father, hath made Him, that is God the Son, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be. What's that say? made the righteousness of God in him, in him. Clearly not all peace is the same peace, is it? Not all peace is the same peace. Now here's the fourth thing. You didn't know I'd already went through three already, did you? There is a peace that transcends all other forms of peace, and I've just opened the door to it here. I've already mentioned it, but let's look at this in detail. Now, I'm not going to read all of this, but there is a piece, if you want to look at it, it's Isaiah 54. This is an astounding, just one verse, it's an astounding thing, astounding statement that Isaiah makes. In Isaiah 54, verse 10, there's some things about this peace that I've just mentioned. This Christ came and made peace. He reconciled the world unto God. I'm saying that this peace is a God-ordained covenant peace. That means God swore on it. He swore on it. Now look at it, Isaiah 54 verse 10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on me. It says in the book, God swore on it. And because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. This piece, God covenanted. He swore on it. And I'll use a little artistic license here. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit of God in eternity took hands on the deal. It's a covenant. It's an agreement. Doesn't that kind of give you a little breathing room? There's another thing about this piece that transcends all other forms of peace. This piece has the reigning prince of God as its source, Isaiah chapter 9. Isaiah chapter 9, in verse 6, for unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. The government shall be upon his shoulders. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. the mighty God, the everlasting Father. Here's the summary of it, the Prince of Peace. Peace is, there's a lot of ways to describe peace, but when it comes to a thrice holy God, that even the angels have to cover their faces when they fly before him. And you talk about me, a fallen creature, expecting to find peace before a God like that? This person here, he's talking about the Prince of Peace. Here's peace. It's okay. This God will not consume me. This God in love has received me unto himself in the person of his son. He's already touched his son in wrath and judgment. And I'm in Him, and if you're in Him, He will never, ever, ever touch us. He can't. He's done touched His Son. Reconciliation's had, peace is made. Here's another thing about this, Isaiah 26. Isaiah's just an astounding book. Dave, how much stuff I missed, and I've been trying to read this book for almost 50 years, you know? Isaiah 26, there's one verse here. I'll make the statement, then I'll read the verse. This peace, I'm talking about that, this peace that transcends all other forms of peace. This peace is never by our merit. That's why you don't make peace with God. You receive him who's already made peace with God. Look at verse 12. Astounding statement. Lord, and notice that's all in capital letters. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us. for thou also hast wrought all our works in us." Did you see that? Who gets the credit for it? He does. Even when I am reconciled to God, when I lay down my arms, when I bow before his son and I receive him and say, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief, he's the one who gets the credit for that. He gave me that faith which was to believe. When I shook my hands in his face, metaphorically, if not literally, I'm not going to go and tear it down on top of that mast. How many people have done it down there? So I will not have God reign over me. Well, he is, whether you like it or not. And I just pray he bows you to the feet of his son now, because one day he will bow all men and women to the feet of his son, one day. So again, this piece is never about our merit. Here's something else. John chapter 16, turn to John now. I said, I've tried to give you a couple of illustrations of peace that enables us to breathe. I said, it's okay, you know? But that's just expressions. The Word of God, if I believe the Word of God, if God gives me the faith just to believe the Word of God, I can't help but experience that peace. Now this is, okay, John chapter 16, or John, where was I? Yes, John 16. Think about this peace, this peace that transcends all other forms of peace. This peace does not bring a trouble-free life. Now, what does religion teach? A lot of it today. If you come to Jesus, boy, all your troubles will just start to melt away. I'm here to tell you it ain't so. You will start to find troubles that you didn't even know exist. And you will begin to see things about yourself that you begin to abhor, that you never even recognized before. You didn't even know they existed in you. That's how blind I was. That's how dead in trespasses and sins I was. Look at it, John chapter 16, these are the Lord's words, verse 33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me, there's the key, isn't it? Isn't it? That in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have, what? Tribulation, that means pressure to be squeezed on. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. So who does it depend on? Him. You see it, right? It depends on Him. All right, now back to our text, Ephesians chapter four. I'll give you a brief summary of Ephesians four. Especially this unity or this peace. This peace. has oneness as its guiding factor. That's what we've already read. I'm not gonna read through verse one through six again. This peace has oneness as its guiding factor. Our exhortation is not to keep the peace. That's not what it says, does it? It says endearing to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. If the peace ain't already there, you're on the outside. You see it? You're on the outside. We're not trying to keep the peace. He keeps the peace. But we're in a endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit. And you can take that to be both capital and small, because the spirit of God, where's he at in a believer? He's not up here. Where's he at? He's in here. This is a different attitude. It's an attitude God gives you, and that attitude's called the new man. And He's created in righteousness and true holiness after the image of Him that created Him. Now, I have sometimes a hard time seeing Him. I see the old man way too much. But if I'm one of God's, He's given me life by His Spirit and converted me by His gospel, I got the new man down in here. I got the new man down in here. Now think about this. Again, our exhortation here is not to keep the peace, but rather to endeavor, that is to put forth strong effort, to hold close, to keep the oneness, the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Consider, peace is so because there is one body, so there is no me. Right? One body, therefore there is no me. Well, I gotta have my way. No, not if you're in one body. He said, that's why there's peace. It's one body. We're not out to get one comeuppance on somebody else. If you are, that's your old man showing his ugly head. He said, at best. At worst, it's the absence of the new man. I just will not. I'll leave there and go somewhere else. Bye. Bye. Because we're to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. One body, no me. One spirit, that's one divine leader. Who leads your church? Better not be the pastor. It better be the spirit of God. That's right. Now he is, it's not, the word's not in the scripture, but I've heard it used, and I see no reason to fault it. He is at best an under-shepherd, but remember, Christ is the great shepherd. He's the chief shepherd. Only him. Only him. So remember, one body, know me only. One spirit, yet one divine leader. One hope of our calling, that's Christ himself. If you're not caught up with Jesus Christ, you're not saved. You're still lost. I don't care how much doctrine you know, how accurate you are, how moral you are, I don't care. If you're not caught up with the person of Jesus Christ, you're lost. And I say that not to be mean. Maybe if there's somebody here like that, you ought to open your eyes and you can say, wouldn't you rather find it out now than to find it out at the great white throne? Huh? Folks, I was a young preacher. I thought I had the bull by the tail on a downhill pull. to preach for a Bible meeting to get paid for it. And all of a sudden, God brought me down on many notches. I thought I'd been saved for years, Jason. I found out I didn't even know God, and I didn't even know myself. It was a rude awakening, but I thank God for it. I thank God for it. It didn't feel good going through it. And you know what? I still go through it today. After day, after day. You know why we still got the old man? Because every time he rears his ugly head, it forces you to run to Christ. Have you done it? It forces you to run back to Christ. One body, one spirit, one hope of our God, one Lord. Christ dictates all. You see, if we really lived with this truth, one, one, one, we would never have another squabble, but we don't always remember those things, do we? Well, I jumps in there all the time. Ego comes in all the time, don't it? And I'm not pointing my fingers at you, I'm talking about me. One faith, we all believe the same Christ. That's exactly right. Isaiah the prophet said, we all, when it comes to the person of the Messiah, if you're a true believer, you believe just what everybody else believes about him that's a true believer. They shall see, here's the word, I, to, Now there's a lot of things we may disagree on, but we don't disagree on the person of Christ. We don't, because he is the preeminent one. So again, one body, one spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, we all confess God's Christ. That's what baptism is. That lady will be baptized, I pray you will be confessing Christ publicly. He's my Lord. I obey Him. I follow Him. I trust Him. I cast my all upon Him. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. And one God, Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. This is one, one, one, one, one. Diversity is out. I started to call this no diversity, but I thought, now that's kind of jumping ahead of everything. You see, in the body of Christ, it's not about diversity. Turn to Paul's epistle to the Galatians. I say, in the body of Christ, it's not about diversity. Now I've got to find, yes, Galatians chapter three. You see this, and I'm not saying all diversity's evil. That's not what I'm saying. Don't go to say the preacher said all diversity's evil. I'm saying in the body of Christ, it's not about diversity, it's about oneness. Union, that's what it's about. Union. When I look at Paul's words, Galatians chapter four, let me find my spot. It was right here in front of me a minute ago. Okay, Galatians chapter three, I'm sorry, not four, Galatians chapter three. Verse 24, we're gonna get a little bit of the context here, but I'm not gonna deal with all that. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ. that we may be justified by faith, but after faith has come, we're no longer under the schoolmaster. Quite clear. After you believe God, you're not under the law anymore. It's that simple. Right there in black and white period, that settles it. and settles it. Look, but after the faith has come, we're no longer under a schoolmaster. For you're all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek. You see it? Diversity's out. You see it? There's neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither bond nor fruit. There's neither male nor female. For you're all one in Christ Jesus. You see it? Well, diversity, it's out. It's out, because it ain't about us. It's about Him. Because we're the body. You know how good the body is without the head? It ain't worth squat. And if ye be Christ, then are ye Abraham seed. That's right, you are a true Jew. A true Jew in the way that really matters before God. Now, I feel for everybody over there in the Far East for what all's going on. It just, I've seen some of those things and my heart just aches. I think about it in the evenings when, Dave, I shouldn't be. I should be thinking of more lovely things, more, and I'm talking about on both sides. I see suffering of some people, they got no choice in the matter. I had somebody at work, it was an inmate, and he told me, he said, well, God will take care of them Jews. And I thought, he's not red, he don't know. If I only told him what a true Jew was, he'd have no idea what I was talking about. Who is a Jew? Circumcision. It's not outward. It's inside of the heart. That's who a true Jew is. They're not all Israel, which are of Israel. Some of those Jews over there in that land are reprobate, and some are elect. And in this town right here, some are reprobate. Some are elect. Isn't it just a pleasure for once in a while God shows you one of the elect? He calls them out of darkness. Puts them in the light. When he puts them in the light, other people in the light will know they're in the light. They're going to know. There's going to be a unity there. You see, when God saved me, I didn't want to be with God's people. After God saved me, I didn't have a problem with coming to church. It used to be just, oh, I've got to go this evening. If I don't, I make my daddy look bad, and my mommy look bad, and everybody else look bad, and the church look bad, make myself look bad. Now it's a joy to come be with God's people. It's just a joy. All right, let me sum this up. This piece was wrought and is to be preached. Turn to Ephesians 2. We're almost to the end. Ephesians chapter 2. This peace was wrought by Christ and is to be preached. Ephesians chapter two, look at verse 13. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace. Do you see it? For he is our peace, and hath made both one. That is, the Jews who were elect, and the Gentiles who were elect. In and of themselves, by nature, they were adversaries, and we still see that going on today. As I said, God, Jason, God gave me this message two or three weeks ago, before all this stuff broke out a week ago. But God will take care of his people, even if he has to kill them to do it. Even if he has to kill them to do it. Somebody said, I don't know about a God like that. Well, I understand that. I really do. At one time I didn't, but I do now. Where are we at? Ephesians chapter 2. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, made both one. And hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity. You see, he did it all. He did it all. the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself of the two of twain one new man, so making peace. Daddy might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, not by something that happens later. Now they experienced this unity and peace later by regeneration and conversion, but the work's done. the work's done, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace. Do you see that? Not offered it, not suggested it, preached it. And you know what? He's still doing that today, though he's sending his right hand to God the Father. He sends pieces of clay like, see? And pieces of play like you, if you go out and speak to others of the personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He's done for you, we're still preaching peace. Don't try to get them to make a decision. You got people you care about, don't try to get them to make a decision. Pray God they get interested in Jesus Christ. They'll get somewhere then. They'll be starting on the journey then, for through Him, For through him, we both, as Jew and Gentile, have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now, therefore, ye are no longer strangers and forerunners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God." I want to stop with that right there. You see, not all peace is the same. But the peace of God is the same in all that God's pleased to bestow it. That's why, you know, it amazes me. I mean, when I was in religion, we'd go to other places and you'd find people believing this and believing that, right in the same assembly, about Jesus Christ. The places I go to now, everybody believes the same thing about Jesus Christ. Why? One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Heavenly Father, oh God, help us. Help us. Help us to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. Help us to be always receptive in receiving him who wrought peace and is our peace. May it be all to his name's honor and glory, in Christ's name, amen.