Good evening. I wanted to take a moment here and just narrate something that I wrote because of some continual things that are going on in these Facebook groups, the Calvinist versus Arminians, and that people think that they can make a decision for Christ and that faith precedes regeneration and so on and so forth. And I know that everybody that is involved in the Reformed faith has heard this at one time or another. So I decided to write a little paper called, Who Chooses Who? And the text for this is John 3 verse 3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now in the body of this text, we see that the Lord Jesus is clearly laying down the principles of the knowledge of the kingdom of God. First and foremost, that a man must be born again. Second, that unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now, let's have a look at the definition of what it means actually to see. Now the Greek word here used is, I do. It's E-I-D-O. I do. Here's the definition in the Strong's Greek Dictionary, says that I do as a primary verb used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent of 3700 and 3708, properly to see, literally or figuratively, by implication, in the perfect tense only, to know, be aware, behold, can or cannot tell, to consider, have or know a knowledge, to look upon or perceive, to see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, and what? So from what we have here, it is plain that the Lord Jesus is not only talking about physically seeing the kingdom of God, but also that it cannot even be perceived or understood unless a man is born again. Now this is a heavy and serious declaration to those of the Arminian persuasion who think that faith precedes regeneration. It lays to waste all the verses where a false translation of world in verse 16 and what appears to be believing based on a decision of the will. But to put it all in clearer and in an undeniable manner, let us start from the first verses of the Gospel of John. Now I'm just going to go ahead and read the scripture here, and I have made some commentary after verse 12 and so on and so forth, but just follow along and You should be able to grasp where the Lord is going with this and where I'm going with this as well anyway John 1 1 in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men and And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, meaning the Jews, and his own received him not. And now verse 12, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Okay, now I'm going to stop for a moment here to give attention where it is stated in verse 12, that phrase that I just enunciated, as many as received him. Now, this is used by those in the Arminian camp to claim that a man can receive Christ based on a decision. It also is used in connection with another verse that comes in Revelation chapter 3 verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me." Now, the biggest problem today is that so many people, Arminian and Calvinist alike, take verses from various parts of the scriptures, cut and paste them, so to speak, into a self-gratifying doctrine that gives an alleged strength to their particular persuasion or position. in this case, giving the appearance of the sinner hearing the knocking of the Lord Jesus at the door of their heart and then by a gracious act of the human will they make a conscious decision to let him in. Now I don't have to tell you who know me and have heard me preach and the things that I read on here and those that have also heard and read the real doctrines of grace from my other colleagues on Sermon Audio and you know, all over Christendom, but that this cut-and-paste job is totally wrong. Jesus was talking to those who are at the church of Laodicea, not the unrepentant sinner as can be seen by the information provided in John 3 verse 3, where unless a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. And now we're going to get to the crux of the matter in the opening exegesis of John 3 verse 3. Okay, here we go. I'm gonna continue in verse 13, which were born of, or which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. I'm gonna read that again. Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Now for the learned man, woman, or child, this verse right here should put an end to the controversy of who chose who. The Apostle John leaves no chance of ambiguity to the reader or the listener. Now I'm going to break this down a bit and I'm going to add in some commentary by some Bible commentators of the past, Puritans of course, and to help, you know, broaden this out a little bit here in case you still don't get it. Okay, which were born. Now Matthew Henry and his whole Bible commentary had this to say about John 1 13. Now again, this is Matthew Henry. The privilege of regeneration, John 1 13, which were born. Now note, all the children of God are born again. All that are adopted are regenerated. This real change evermore attends that relative one. Whenever or wherever God confers the dignity of children, He creates the nature and disposition of the children. Men cannot do so when they adopt. Now here we have an account of the original of this new birth. 1. Negatively. It is not propagated by a natural generation from our parents. It is not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of corruptible seed. 1 Peter 1.23 Man is called flesh and blood, and because thence he has his original. But we do not become the children of God as we become the children of our natural parents. Note, race does not run in the blood as corruption does. Man's polluted heart or man polluted begot a son in his own likeness, Genesis 5 verse 3. But man's sanctified and renewed does not beget a son in that likeness. The Jews gloried much in their parentage and the noble blood that ran in their veins. We are Abraham's seed and therefore to them pertain the adoption because they were born of that blood. But this New Testament adoption is not founded in any such natural relation. Number two, it is not produced by the natural power of our own will. as it is not of blood nor the will of the flesh, so neither is it the will of man, which labors under a moral impotency of determining itself to that which is good, so that the principles of the divine life are not of our own planting. It is the grace of God that makes us willing to be His. Nor can human laws or writings prevail to sanctify and regenerate a soul. If they could, the new birth would be by the will of man. But, secondly, in the positive, it is of God. This new birth is owing to the Word of God as the means, 1 Peter 1.23, and to the Spirit of God as the great and sole author. True believers are born of God, 1 John 3.9-5.1. And this is necessary to their adoption. For we cannot expect the love of God if we have not something of his likeness, nor claim the privileges of adoption if we be not under the power of regeneration." That's Matthew Henry. Knot of blood. The choosing did not take place as a result of the natural birth, which in this case would have applied to the Jews since they were the chosen people of God. Albert Barnes in his commentary on John 113 states thus, not of blood. The Greek word is plural, not of bloods, that is, not of man. You compare that to Matthew 27 verse 4. The Jews prided themselves on being the descendants of Abraham, Matthew 3 verse 9. They supposed that it was proof of the favor of God to be descended from such an illustrious ancestry. In this passage, the notion is corrected. It is not because men are descended from an illustrious or pious parentage that they are entitled to the favor of God. Or perhaps the meaning may be not because there is a union of illustrious lines of ancestry or bloods in them. The law of Christ's kingdom is different from what the Jews supposed. And compare that with 1 Peter 1.23. It was necessary to be born of God by regeneration. Possibly, however, it may mean that they did not become children of God by the bloody rite of circumcision, as many of the Jews supposed they did. This is agreeable to the declaration of Paul in Romans 2, verses 28-29. The Geneva Bible notes has this to offer on John 1. of that shameful and corrupt nature of man which is throughout the scriptures described as an enemy of the Spirit. John Gill has this juicy bit to add, which were not born of blood or bloods in the plural number. The birth you're spoken of is regeneration expressed by being born again or from above by a being quickened by the Spirit and grace of God. by Christ being formed in men, and by partaking of the divine nature, and by being made new creatures, as all that believe in the name of Christ are, and which is the evidence of their being the sons of God. And now this is owing not to blood, or bloods, not to the blood of circumcision, or of the Passover, which the Jews had a high opinion of, and ascribed life and salvation to, and to which notion this may be opposed." So their commentators on Ezra 16 verse 6 where the word live is twice used, observe on the first live by the blood of the Passover and on the second live by the blood of the circumcision. But alas, these contribute nothing to the life of the new creature, nor its regeneration owing to the blood of ancestors, to natural descent as from Abraham, which the Jews value themselves upon. for sin and not grace is conveyed by natural generation. All men are of one blood and that is tainted with sin and therefore can never have any influence on regeneration. No blood is to be valued or anyone upon it but the blood of Christ which cleanses from all sin. Now we move on to the next portion. Nor of the will of the flesh Man did not make a decision to come to Christ. John Gill on The Will of the Flesh has this to say, man's free will which is carnal and corrupt is enmity to God and impotent to everything that is spiritually good. Regeneration is ascribed to another will and power, even to the will and power of God and is denied of this. nor of the will of man, Gil continues, nor of the will of man, the best of men, as Abraham, David, and others, who, though ever so willing and desirous that their children, relations, friends, and servants should be born again, be partakers of the grace of God and live in his sight, yet cannot, I'll say again, cannot effect any thing of this kind. All that they can do is to pray for them, give advice, and bring them under the means of grace. But all is ineffectual without a divine energy. So with the Jews, a man signifies a great man in opposition to Adam or Enish, which signify a mean, weak, frail man. And our translators have observed this distinction. Isaiah 2 verse 9, And the mean man, Adam, boweth down, and the great man, Ish, humbleth himself, on which Jarchu had on this note. Adam boweth down, i.e., little men, and a man humbleth himself, i.e., princes and mighty men, men of power. And so, Kimchi, on Psalm 4.2, O ye sons of men, observes that the psalmist calls them the sons of men, with respect to the great men of Israel, for there were with Absalom the sons of great men. Though sometimes the Jews say, second, Adam is greater than any of the names of men as Geber, Enosh, Ish. But now our evangelist observes, let a man be ever so great or good or eminent for gifts and grace. He cannot communicate grace to another or to whom he will. None are born again of any such will. And finally, but of God. Man in his corrupted state cannot does not have the ability and does not have anything to do with this transformation, this act of the new birth or regeneration. It is God and God alone who facilitates this new birth. Now we get to the cause and effect. Cause and effect. This is basically going to be verses that validate the doctrines of election, predestination, Again, regeneration. And these are just extra verses that you can use in any time to basically stump the Arminian and shut the Arminian up to the point to where there's no way he can refute what you're talking about. Okay? Now, the scriptures can be found in the next few verses of John chapter 3. Now, I'm going to focus these verses on John chapter 3, John chapter 6, John chapter 17, and then some in Romans and then Ephesians. But let me get to the scripture here. John 3 verse 4, Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? And Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel? and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, or truly, truly, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. Now, if I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now I'm going to stop there for just a second and refer back to John for 3 verse 3. That is the whosoever. Those that are regenerated are the only ones that can believe. Now when you leave that in its context, there is no way that you can look, that anybody can look at that word world and say that Jesus Christ died for every man, woman, and child that was ever brought into creation. It is impossible. You have to take this verse out of its context and add other verses to it which do not mean what the Lord is saying here. Not a chance. Okay, I'm going to read 316 again. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever or who is regenerated believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. And this is why God didn't send the Lord Jesus into the world to condemn the world, okay? Verse 18, he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Now, my brethren, this is how we should preach the gospel as it pertains to John 3.16. If we can preach the gospel like that to people that are not Christians and even preach it to people who profess Christianity in this context, there is no way, unless they're never going to be regenerated and that they're blinded, there's no way that they cannot see it unless they're blind. It's not all that difficult. Those who hear and ask the almost certain question, e.g., what must I do to be saved, etc., should be considered to have had an awakening to their natural condition. That's what should happen when a person hears this. Those who continue on claiming that they believe outside what has been explained here, you can almost guarantee that the message was not received and the claimant cannot be considered to have been awakened. They certainly will not have any inclination to ask any of the questions that come from the awakened sinner and almost certainly will not be regenerated at any time in the near future. Perhaps not ever. Only the Lord knows. Now, to finish up this short sermon on who chooses who, I'm going to add the scripture necessary to put a crushing blow on the Arminian who may still be in denial. And the scripture says that he cannot see or understand the kingdom of God anyway, but we're still required out of love and meekness to Christ to complete the preaching. John chapter 6. I'm going to start in verse 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I have said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not. Verse 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6 verse 39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." That verse in verse 39 right there is your perseverance of the saints. Right there. That fifth point of Calvinism. The Lord Jesus says here he's not going to lose any. Okay, John 6 40 and this is the will of him that sent me that Everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day Okay John 6 43 be murmur not among yourselves No, man, and now here we go John 6 44 no man can means has the ability to No man has the ability to come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him And I will raise him up at the last day now that Drawing him is regeneration Simple we haven't even left the gospel of john and the lord. Jesus is still expounding on this still expounding Okay Continue John 6 45 it is written in the prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father cometh unto me again regeneration John 6 46 not that any man hath seen the father save he which is of God he hath seen the father John 6 61 part B Doth this offend you? Verse 62 what and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing The spirit quickens quickeneth is another word for Affecting it affecting the generation or the regeneration the quickening Okay, the flesh profiteth nothing the flesh can't do it. You can't make a decision The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. Verse 64, but there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not. He already knew and who should betray him. verse 65 and he said therefore I said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my father again you cannot come to Christ unless you are firstborn again okay now here is the conclusion of all of this now note this is kind of bizarre but take it what you will John 6 verse 66 from that time Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." They couldn't take the fact that God makes the decision. God does the choosing. And men don't want that. Men don't want to have God make the decision. God forbid. Okay? That's John 6. Okay, all those verses in that context, again, is strength for John 3. and all the way down through John 3 verse 21. Again, now we're going to continue in the Gospel of John in John chapter 17. John chapter 17 starting in verse 6. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me. God did the giving, okay, and they have kept thy word. Verse 7, now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given of me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them. Here's the kicker verse right here. John 17 verse 9. I want you to mark this verse in your heads. John 17 verse 9. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. There is the death blow to the misconception of John 3.16 when God gave Jesus to the entire world, okay? Jesus comes right back and says here that he prays only for those who are given to him by the Father. He does not pray for the world at all. at all. Okay, verse 10, all and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. Verse 11, and now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, not the Pope, But God, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. Verse 12, while I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name, those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. You only lost one, Judas. That's it. That's it. Judas, the only one that Christ will ever lose, that were given to him by God. Okay? Verse 13, and now I come to thee, or now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Verse 14, I have given them thy word, and the world hateth them. The world hates them. because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Again, there's another slam on John 3.16, world means world. No, it doesn't. It does not. Get this in through your head. God did not save everybody. God did not send Jesus Christ to make everybody saveable. The Lord Jesus has said over and over, right here in this same chapter, They are not of the world. The world hates them. The world hates Jesus Christ. Why would God send Jesus Christ to save all the world if Jesus Christ is saying right here, and the world hates them? They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Okay, John 17 verse 15, I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world. He's not praying, rapture me out of here. Rapture my people out of here so they don't suffer. He's not saying that. And you shouldn't think that. You should just debunk that entire rapture nonsense right now. The Lord Jesus is not talking about that. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but thou shouldst keep them from the evil. Keep them from the evil. Well, we say what evil? I don't know. Pray about it. If you have the answer from the Holy Spirit and you read your scriptures, that evil should mean the lie that the Apostle Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians. Okay? The lie. The world would believe the lie. Okay? John 17 verse 16. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Okay? All the way starting from verse 6. Okay? John 17 verse 6. all the way up through verse 16, the Lord Jesus is saying over and over again that the elect are those who God gave to Christ. Okay? That Christ did not die for the entire world. Okay? Christ did not die to make the entire world savable. It's not happening. Okay? And for any of you that say, well he doesn't mean what he says here in the scripture, well how could he not mean it? It's all in the same chapter. It's all in the same godly prayer that he prayed right before he went into the garden You cannot Debunk this there is no way to shoot this down. It is plain as the day Okay, I'm gonna finish this up here and stop ranting here so you can get to doing what you need to do I don't want to make this a two-hour sermon Okay, John 17 verse 16, they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Verse 17, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. Verse 18, all the way down through verse 26, and as thou has sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them unto the world, and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Okay, I'm gonna stop just right there for a minute to give a quick note Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that right there says that Regeneration comes as a result from the preaching of the gospel The preaching of the gospel for them also which shall believe on me through their word." Continuing, verse 21, that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Verse 22, and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, not that they are perfect, but made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. Father, I will that they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou has given me. for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." All right, that's John chapter 17. All those verses in 17, you do it like that, John 3, you start in John 1, John verse 1, all the way down, John 1, 3, 6, and 17. You don't have to go anywhere else to explain this. Chances are if they're still not getting it, they're not going to get it. But again, so that we are completely thorough and they have absolutely no excuse, I'm going to give you some more verses here to use in the explanation of the doctrines of regeneration, election, predestination, etc. Romans 8 28 through 31. I'm sorry, 34. Okay, Romans 8 28 through 34. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them also He called, and whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Okay, there's Romans 8. Romans 9. Now almost everybody knows Romans 9 who's a Calvinist, okay, but for those who still You know, might be struggling with this. I'm going to read it anyway because I put it in here. And I'm also going to post this in PDF so you can have it to just print it out if you need to use it as an instruction manual. But I'm going to read Romans 9, 1 through 23. What have we got here? I'm sorry, 24. Romans 9 verse 1, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises. Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all? God bless forever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are all not Israel, which are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham. They are all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even our father Isaac. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand. not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. That's written in Malachi. Malachi. Romans 9 verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, so that it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, than that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault, for who hath resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel into honour and another into dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had aforeprepared unto glory. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." Okay, that's Romans 9, 1 through 24. Okay, the last bit of scripture I'm going to read before I close here is Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1, starting in verse 3. I'm going to take it all the way to verse 14. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom, prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are both in heaven and which are on earth even in him. in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest for the down payment of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. I hope and pray my brothers and sisters in the Lord that this woeful, pitiful sermon of mine will help you in your walk with the Lord. And may the Lord Jesus Christ bless and preserve you.