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Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Turn to our first song this evening, our first hymn, I should say. Hymn number 24. Hymn number 2-4-24, and can it be that I should gain. Hymn 24-2-4. We'll sing there starting on that first verse. And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood. Died He for me who caused His pain. For me to Him to death pursued. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, thy for me. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, should die for me. He left His Father's throne above. So free, so infinite, His grace emptied Himself of all but love. And bled for Adam's helpless race. Tis mercy all, immense and free. For oh, my God, it found out me. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, should die for me. Long my imprisoned spirit lay. Fast bound in sin and nature's night. Thine eyes effused a quickening ray. I woke the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free. He I rose, went forth and followed Thee. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, should die for me. Amen. Good singing this evening. Brother James, will you open us in a word of prayer? Amen. For the next hymn this evening, turn, if you would, to 125, hymn 125, 125, The Solid Rock. 125, The Solid Rock, will sting there as always, starting on the first verse. My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. His oath is covenant, His blood supports me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, Even is all my hope and stay. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found, Rest in his righteousness alone, Fought less to stand before the throne. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. Amen. Good singing this evening. At this time, we'll go over our announcements for the church. If you need a bulletin, if you don't have one, raise your hand. Brother Brandon has got those. He can make the rounds with them. Of course, on the front there, welcome to Pure Words Baptist Church. It's November 4th. We have our Bible memory passage for this Sunday, so it would be this week, Romans 8, chapter 34. So you've got a few weeks left if you're trying to learn that chapter, Romans chapter number 8, just to be diligent. It's never too late to start. You know, a few weeks, what's that, four or five weeks at this point because we're kind of in the middle, four and a half, we'll call it, split the difference there. Plenty of time to learn that chapter. And the bigger the chapter, you know, Brother Nick and Pastor said before, the bigger the reward. So definitely, and the biggest reward is having the Word of God in your heart, right, memorized. So if you open up there on the top left, we have our service times, and underneath that we have our church-wide soul-winning times. We did go out this evening. We had two from the church group that went this evening. Is there any other salvationist report between Sunday and today that's not yet been counted? Going once, going twice, soul. Going twice, soul. So that's two. So that's good. That puts us over 599. I saw that number doing the bulletin, and I thought, man, we just need at least one to hit 600. So remember, though, the goal this year is 1,000. It's not too late. We can always just come out swinging, but still, even at that, you know, 599 people that won't have to taste hell, you know, because you guys are doing the work. That's a great blessing. Keep it up. Of course, we have on the top right side there, our expecting ladies. Please continue to be in prayer for Ms. Gomez and Ms. Darnell as their due dates come. Ms. Gomez, really quickly, and Ms. Darnell a little bit there in the future, but just be in prayer for them and their families. Underneath that, for upcoming events, at the end of this month around Thanksgiving time, our Thursday service, which would be Thursday the 25th, is not happening. So don't show up Thursday the 25th. Rather, that's being moved to Tuesday the 23rd. We've had this in the bulletin for a while. You're probably glossing over it at this point, but it's coming up. So don't miss the Tuesday service, and then show up for the Thursday because you're going to be out of luck, all right? And then next month on Thursday, December 23rd, we will have the Christmas Candlelight service, and so that'll be fun. Underneath that, we have our prayer request. Of course, still be in prayer for Brother Edward. He's here this evening. He's been here for a few services after kind of the surgery and the procedure. It sounds like everything's still going well. Is that right, brother? Amen. Well, we're going to keep you in our prayers and keep praying for you. We're glad. And I know Brother Edward has been really kind of a motivator for me, for sure, for soul learning. Because if Brother Edward's out there doing it, I'm like, I'm not letting anything slow me down, right? And so just a great encouragement, and so we want to make sure that we're lifting each other up in prayer and encouraging each other. If you have any prayer requests, even if they're not something public necessarily that you want announced, that's fine. If it can be an unspoken request or a private request, go ahead and email those in, though, to purewordsbaptist at gmail.com. I know Pastor does like to look over those and keep people in prayer. And, man, if you want any prayer warrior on your side, it's Pastor Shelley, right? I'd know that for sure. On the back there, we have a spot for notes and then the date again. And with that, we're going to go ahead and move on to our third hymn, our final hymn before the service, 129, hymn number 129, Rock of Ages. 129, 129, Rock of Ages, cleft for me. We'll sing there starting on that first verse. Rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which won't be absent, the double cure, safe from wrath and make me pure. Could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal no languor know? These for sin could not atone. Thou must save and thou alone. In my hand no price I bring simply to thy cross I cling while I draw this fleeting breath when my eyes shall close in death when I rise to worlds unknown and behold me on thy throne. Rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Amen. At this time, we'll pass the offering plate around. While the plate's going around, if you would turn to Romans chapter number four, Romans chapter number four, Brother Brandon will read that chapter for us. Over there in Romans chapter number four in the Bible reads, What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof the glory. But not before God, for what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also described the blessedness of the man, unto whom God impudeth righteousness without work, saying, Blessed are they those iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh his blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned, when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision, not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision? He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, the righteousness might be imputed unto them also. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised for the promise that he should be the heir of the world, but not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs of faith is made void, then the promise made of none effect, because the law worketh wrath. But where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that I might be by grace to the end of the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him who he believe even God, who quicketh the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken, so shall they thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness, that it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Have a quick word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for everyone here, Lord, we thank you for the Holy One. Amen. Amen. All right, thank you all for coming. Great to be down here again. It's been a while. But first I want to thank Pastor Shelley for giving me the opportunity to preach. And the last couple times that I've been down here, obviously it's been a while, but we've been doing the book of Romans, preached through Romans 2 and 3. We skipped one because I started right at the end of anti-pride month, and I figured, you know, we'd heard enough of that for a while. I'm sure everyone's got that chapter nailed down, and maybe we'll come back to that at the end of Romans. We'll revisit Romans 1. But we're in Romans chapter 4 tonight, and I want to go verse through verse through Romans chapter 4 and just see what lessons we can pull out of this great chapter in God's Word. Let's start in verse number 1, Romans chapter 4. It says, What shall we say then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. Now right off the bat, the first thing we can pull out of this chapter is that salvation is by faith, not of works. Salvation is by faith, not of works. And hey, we should never ever get tired of hearing about this doctrine or tired about hearing preaching about this subject because our main job as Christians is to go out into the world and teach people this doctrine right here, is to teach people this truth. And even today, we talk to many people that did not understand this. And thank God we were able to explain this doctrine to two people that got saved. But most people out in this world do not understand this. But right off the bat, look at what it says. It's saying, What shall we say then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? That word if is very important right there. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. So he's saying, If Abraham were saved by works, he would be able to boast. What is that implying? It's implying that he was not saved by works, that he was not able to boast. He's saying if. It would be like if I said, If Brother Cameron were preaching tonight, he'd be preaching on beans. But he's not preaching tonight, so he won't be preaching on beans. Right? That if is very important. If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. Meaning he was not justified by works. What's the only way to be justified? It's by faith, which we talk a lot about in Romans chapter 3. And so this thought of salvation is being picked up again in chapter number 4. Now, notice it says that if he were justified by works. Let's just play this hypothetical game for a moment and just pretend that salvation was by works, which it's absolutely not. What's the logical conclusion? If you were saved by what you do in your life, if you were saved by all of the good actions and good works that you personally performed, wouldn't you be able to boast about that? Wouldn't you be able to brag about all the good works that you do? And it says if he were justified by works, he would have whereof to glory. So Abraham would be able to boast and would be able to glory about all the great works that he did. And I've noticed a very common thing with people that believe in a work's salvation and it's that they're all a bunch of boasters. They all love to boast and tell you how great you are. Even today, the guy that we talked to that was unsaved, he said, oh, my mom and my dad are ministers and he literally said these exact words, I know a lot. I know more than the average person. I know a lot. He kept repeating that like two or three times, didn't he, Bro Jeff? Exactly. Now, what is he? He's glorying. He's boasting. He knows so much about the Bible. He's done so many great works for God, even though the guy seemed like he just got done smoking a joint just by the way he was talking and the way that his house smelled. He wants to brag to us. But guess what? If you were justified by works and if you were living a really clean life, theoretically, you would be able to glory. But we've got news for you. The Bible teaches that that's not the case. I'll read for you Ephesians chapter 2. This is a very familiar verse to you all. Verse 8 and 9, it says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And one of the things that Pastor Shelley has taught that you should do is you should just ask them these theoretical questions like, hey, you know, if I were to tell you, hey, I'm going to heaven because I'm a really good person. I read the Bible every day. I go soul winning every week. I go to church. Does it sound like I'm trusting in myself or in Jesus? And it kind of helps them to click. It sounds like you're trusting in yourself because you're talking about all the things that you do and all that you're trusting in is what you're doing, your works. And basically you're saying, look, I have whereof to boast. I have whereof to glory because of all these good works that I've done. But guess what? It doesn't matter how many good works that you've done. No one will ever be saved by works. No one is able to be good enough. No one is able to repent of enough sin to cut back enough sin in their life. It is impossible. And that is why salvation is by faith alone. And Romans chapter four is a great chapter, just like chapter three and just like the book of Romans as a whole to teach and to support this doctrine and to defend this doctrine. Now, keep your place there throughout the sermon. But go to James chapter number two. James chapter number two. James chapter number two is obviously a great chapter in God's word. And obviously we believe every word of it. But it's a chapter that unfortunately has been taken out of context and has been twisted and manipulated into teaching things that it's not teaching. And many false prophets love to take James chapter two and twist it and try to teach a workspace salvation from it. I believe that Romans chapter four is one of the best chapters in the Bible to help debunk the false teaching used out of James chapter number two. Now, look at James chapter number two, verse seventeen. This is where a lot of people will take you who believe in a workspace salvation. It says in verse number seventeen, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. And usually they'll just say, well, you know, the Bible says that faith without works is dead. So, salvation is a mixture of works and faith. That's something that they'll use. But let's actually read this in context starting in verse number fourteen. James two fourteen. It starts with this question. It says, what doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and hath not works, can faith save him? So, the question's being posed, what profit is it going to be if a man says he has faith, but he doesn't have works, can that faith save him? And it's a question. Verse fifteen, If your brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding he give them not those things which are needful to the body. Here's this common theme again. What doth it profit? It asks that question once again. Even so, so now it's connecting what he had just spoken. Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. So, when you actually read this in context, what is a dead faith? Well, it's a faith that's not profitable. It's a faith that doesn't profit your brothers and sisters in Christ. I mean, look at the example that it's using. Actually, think about this. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute, this is not some bum that's just refusing to work, begging on the side of the road for money, for free handouts. This is someone that's naked and destitute, and you're like, be warmed and filled, but you actually don't help them out. You actually don't give them the clothes that they need, the food that they need to fill their belly to help them. You don't give them that, well then at that point your faith is dead. Meaning, what does that mean? That you're not saved? No, what does it actually mean in context of James chapter two, it means that it's not profitable to your brother or to your sister that's naked or destitute. But the question is, can a person theoretically be saved by having zero works whatsoever? Can faith save him? Can you be saved by having faith and no works whatsoever? Well, Romans chapter four answers that question directly. Look at Romans chapter four in verse number five. Well, let's read verse four. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of death. Verse five, but to him that worketh not, this doesn't say that he has a little bit of works, that he sometimes goes to church, that he sometimes repents of his sins. No, this person has no works at all, none. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, that's Christ, his faith is counted for righteousness. So in the eyes of God, if a person has no works whatsoever, they don't go to church, they don't repent of their sins, they don't pray, they don't read their Bible, but they believe on him that justifies the ungodly, Jesus Christ, God counts it for righteousness. God looks down from heaven and sees a righteous person. Why? Because of their works? No. Because of the person that justifies the ungodly, Jesus Christ. So God looks down from heaven and sees that a man is righteous based on his son, what Jesus Christ did, not based on that person. So a person can have a dead faith and still be saved. Because Romans chapter four clearly teaches that if a man has no works whatsoever but faith, he still is saved. Now, you got false prophets like James White, who really, really loved James chapter two, and I'll actually get to his quote in a minute. Let's keep reading in James chapter number two. Let's look at verse number eighteen. In context of what we just talked about, James chapter two, let's read verses eighteen. It says, Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. And when you think about it from a human perspective, how am I going to show you my faith? By my works. That's the only way that you as a human being can see it. But God can see your faith whether you have works or not. God can see your faith. Verse nineteen. Now believeth that there is one God. Thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. Now, when we're talking about having faith for salvation, it's not like a head knowledge faith saying, Oh, I believe there was this guy named Jesus who existed and who died on the cross and who rose again. It's not just a head knowledge faith like saying, Oh, I believe there's one God. The devils have that head knowledge faith as well. The faith is trust. Where you're placing your trust. I like the example of, Hey, you know, there could be a police officer over there and I could believe that he exists, but does that mean that I trust him? No, not necessarily. But when it comes to salvation, it's not whether or not you believe Jesus was a real person. It's not whether or not you even believe the facts about Jesus' life and the things that he did. There's people that believe that Jesus really rose again from the dead that are going to split hell wide open because they believe salvation is by works or they believe they could lose their salvation. What faith is in salvation is where you're placing your trust. Are you placing your trust in yourself? Are you placing your trust in your church? Are you placing your trust in the fact that your mommy and your daddy was a minister like that guy was? Are you placing your trust in how many times that you've read the Bible? Or are you placing your faith and trust in what Christ did for you in his sacrifice? And are you trusting fully on him that it's sufficient to take you to heaven rather than on your own works? Verse 20, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? So you have Romans 4 saying, If Abraham were justified by works, implying that he was not. Then you have James 2 saying that Abraham was justified by works. How do we reconcile these two things? Let's keep reading. When he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar, Seest thou how? Now that word how is important because how means in what way, in what manner. In what way, in what manner, faith wrought with his works and by works faith was made perfect, meaning his faith was made complete. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness for he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how, meaning what way, that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. So how do we reconcile these two things? You have Romans 4 clearly teaching that Abraham is justified by faith, that if he were justified by works he'd be able to boast in glory. Then you have James 2 saying that he's justified by works and not faith only. Well it's really, there's only two conclusions you can come to. Either you have to come to the conclusion that salvation is a mixture of faith and works which is what many false prophets teach. Or you come to the conclusion that your works can justify you in the sight of men and your faith can justify you in the sight of God. Because God can see the heart of a person where even if he has no works whatsoever but believes on him to justify the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness. He's justified. He's saved. Why? Because he has faith. Now does that justify you in the sight of men? No. Because if you say to your brother or sister who's naked and destitute, be ye warmed and filled and give them not the things that are needful, I mean, you're not having works to show with that faith. And so you're not justifying yourself in the sight of men. Now if you're like Abraham who has enough faith to sacrifice his son, who has enough faith to be circumcised and to circumcise his whole family and to obey God's commandments, you could say that he was justified both in front of God and in front of men. Now, obviously when you have that understanding, this is not a contradiction in God's word. James 2 does not contradict Romans chapter 4. It's talking about being justified in front of two different audiences. God and man. Now, I brought up James White. I saw this video on YouTube the other day. It was called Greek Roman Catholics. James 2.24 continued. And in this whole video, he's just going back to the Greek. He's pontificating about all these Greek words. And he's basically just trying to twist what James chapter 2 is teaching. This is what he says. He says in James 2.24, which let's read that. It says, You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. This is what he says. He says, A true saving faith demonstrates itself as it did in the life of Abraham. True saving faith demonstrates itself as it did in the life of Abraham. So basically, according to James White, if you're truly saved, that means that you're going to live out that faith by showing works. Not only just works, but works like it did in the life of Abraham, which Abraham had an extreme amount of faith, willing to sacrifice his son. I guarantee there's a lot of saved people if the button was put on the pulpit, sacrifice your son because God told you to, they would not have enough faith to push that button. But are they still saved? Yes. Now, this is just a slippery slope that James White is teaching towards works salvation saying, Oh, well, yeah, it's by faith. But if you really have faith, it'll display itself in works. All that is is a thinly veiled works salvation. This is what the Mormons love to tell you when you talk to the Mormon missionaries. They'll say, We're saved by faith after all that we can do. That's what they say. They repeat that same mantra over and over and over. They think that James 2 is confirming that false doctrine. But look, Romans chapter 4 destroys this. Let's read this verse one more time. Romans chapter 4, look at verse 4 again, it says, Now to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of dead. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness. It's very clear. Salvation's not by works. It's by faith only. And I like what it says that, But to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of dead. Let's just play this hypothetical game again that we're saying that salvation was by works. Then what God would owe us would be a debt. Salvation would be a debt that God owes us rather than a gift by grace. But do I really have to prove to you that salvation's a gift? I mean, how many times in Romans chapter 5 does the word gift appear, speaking of salvation? Or Romans chapter 6? Or Ephesians chapter 2? I mean, over and over the Bible tells us that salvation is a gift by grace. We don't deserve it. It's not owed to us. God doesn't owe us anything. But if you believe in a work's salvation, you have to say, then God owes me that salvation, that it's now a debt that he owes me, that it's a reward, not that it's a gift by grace. And that's why you see the people in Matthew chapter 7 so upset that they're not being let in, and Jesus is saying, I never knew you. They're so upset because they're expecting that. They think it's what's owed to them. Us, we realize that we don't deserve it. The debt that we actually owe is hell. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's the debt that we really owe. That's what God owes me, is hell. But guess what? He had grace. He sent his son to live the perfect life that I can't live. He offered me a free gift that all I have to do is place my faith on what Jesus Christ did for me, and then he justifies me in the sight of God by believing in him. I don't have to worry about works to get myself to heaven because guess what? It's impossible. Now, should we do good works? Absolutely. And the story of Abraham not only proves that salvation is by faith, but it also proves that we absolutely should do good works and demonstrate that faith, but it's important to understand that salvation is by faith. Now, what's another thing that we can learn so far from the verses that we've been talking about? Not only is salvation by faith, but salvation has always been by faith. Salvation was always by faith in Jesus Christ, even in the Old Testament. It's not like God had a different dispensation back then that had a different mode by which you're saved. No, Abraham before the law was saved by grace through faith. And so we picked on the Calvinists a little bit with James White, but how about the Ruckmanites? The Ruckmanites love to teach that there's seven dispensations and not all dispensationalists believe this, but many dispensationalists believe that salvation was different in the Old Testament than it is right now. They'll say, right now we're saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There's no other way to be saved. They'll give lip service to that, but they'll say, but back in the Old Testament, it was a mixture of both works and faith. Or they'll say, again in the tribulation period, in the future, it'll go back to being a system to where it's by works and faith. This is completely false. This is, in my opinion, extremely serious heresy to teach that salvation was ever any other way than faith alone. Now, let's look at Romans chapter 4 again and look at verse number 1. It always says then that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. Who is this talking about? Abraham. Is Abraham an Old Testament or a New Testament character? Old Testament character. Is he before the law or after the law? Before the law. So I don't care what dispensation you want to save, the dispensation of the law, before the law, whatever dispensations you want to cut it up to, Abraham was saved by faith. But there's another person mentioned who is an Old Testament character in this chapter. Look at verse number 6. It says, even as David also described it, the blessedness of the man, unto whom God impudeth righteousness without works. Now, how was David saved? Was it by works? No. Because his righteousness was imputed to him without works. Now, David is someone who came after the law. So you have an example here of Abraham before the law, David after the law. How were they both saved? By faith, not by works. So you can't teach that salvation was any other way in the Old Testament. Now, obviously, there is a difference in the fact that the Son of God was not manifested. The name Jesus Christ was not manifested. But guess what? People knew that there was a Messiah coming that was going to pay for their sins, that was going to sacrifice himself for them, and that they had to place their trust in him to be saved. That's what they knew in the Old Testament. And guess what? That's what Abraham believed and that's what David believed. And thank God for the New Testament that sheds light on the Old Testament. And we can see exactly how these characters were saved in the Bible. Look at verse number 7. This is still David. This is what he was saying, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Sounds to me like David understood salvation. He's saying, you know, my sins are forgiven. He's not going to impute any sin to me. You know, I'm justified by faith. It's very clear, even in the Old Testament. Now, I'll read for you this. Go to Psalm 103. While you're turning to Psalm 103, I'll read for you Galatians chapter number 3. It says, In the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. You say, Brother Dylan, how did Abraham get saved? By hearing the gospel. That's what Galatians says. Abraham heard the gospel. There's not multiple different gospels. There's one gospel, the everlasting gospel, that was preached from Adam until the last human being on this earth dies. One way to be saved. No multiple ways of salvation. Not by a mix of works and of faith. It's faith alone in the Messiah and Jesus Christ. That's always how it has been. Now, go to Psalms chapter 103. Psalms 103. And we're going to read what David was quoted as saying in Romans chapter number 4. And let's read a couple verses here. It says in verse number 1, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfy at thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like eagles. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Sounds like he's talking about grace to me. For as the heaven is high above the earth, how great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Sounds a lot like eternal security to me, because unless you're a flat earther, the east and the west can never coincide. You can just keep going west, and you'll just always be going west. You can keep going east, and you'll just always be going east. You have to just have this stupid, retarded doctrine of the flat earth to ruin this great picture of eternal security that, guess what, your transgressions are removed far away from each other. Once you're saved, you're always saved, and that's a doctrine that you can learn from the Old Testament, meaning that people understood this during the Old Testament. It's not like when Jesus Christ came on the scene, there's this brand new method of salvation that everyone had to relearn, this new dispensation in which God is giving us a new plan of salvation, dispensational salvation is a damnable heresy. It is false doctrine, and in my opinion, any person that believes in dispensational salvation is not saved. Why would you say that, brother Dylan? Here's why, because point one of salvation, the first thing you've got to understand, is that you are a sinner condemned to hell, and that you cannot earn salvation on your own, because you're in a sinful condition. Do we need to go back to Romans chapter three, when God's explaining how wicked mankind really is, talking about the poison of asps is under their lips, their throat's an open sepulcher, their feet are swift to shed blood. I mean, God told us what mankind is really like. Step one of the gospel is Romans chapter three, for all of sin it comes short of the glory of God. And if you're going to tell me that you think it's ever been possible for someone to be saved by works, or by a combination of works and faith, it just shows me you don't even understand man's sinful condition. You don't even understand point one. This water bottle doesn't understand to stay on the pulpit. You don't even understand point one of the gospel. Our sinful condition. Anyone that believes in different modes of salvation, the Old Testament, in my opinion, is not even saved. If you're out there teaching that in the tribulation period, that you've got to work your way to heaven, and believe in Jesus Christ as a combination, you're not even saved. You're going to split hell wide open. It is a horrible, horrible false doctrine. So, James chapter number two. Oh yeah, okay, so James two, I'll read for you this. You could go to Job 19. James 2 10 says, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. So, if we're going to take their standard, that you're saved by mixture of faith and works, how would David have even been saved then? Because if David offended at one point, he's guilty of all, well, I can think of a few times David offended about murder, about adultery. Those are some pretty serious sins, yet the Bible's very clear that David was saved. So, it doesn't even make sense if you're going to add this mix of works and faith into a salvation process. It makes no sense whatsoever. Here's another person that was saved by grace in the Old Testament. Genesis 6 8 says, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. There is no dispensation of grace. Grace has always existed. God has always given grace to mankind. Every single person that's ever been saved has been saved by grace. Now, I'll read for you Acts 10 43 as you're there in Job 19. Acts 10 43, if I just had to hang my hat on one verse to prove this doctrine, I'd say Acts 10 43. This is what it says, To him, speaking of Jesus, give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Let's slow down on that verse. To him, to Jesus Christ, all the prophets witness, meaning their bearing witness of Jesus Christ, that, meaning so that, the reason for this, the reason why all the prophets are bearing witness of Jesus Christ is that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. So let me ask you, if salvation was not by faith alone in Christ in the Old Testament, why does the Bible say that all the prophets gave witness of Jesus Christ so that they would be saved by believing in his name? I mean, you cannot get around this verse and tell me that salvation was different in the Old Testament. Acts 10 43 destroys that false doctrine. Now I think Job understood this doctrine as well. You're there in Job 19. Job 19 verse 25. This is what Job said. He said, For I know that my Redeemer liveth. Who's the Redeemer? Who is the Savior? It's Jesus Christ. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God. So he understands, Job understands that he's gonna see his Redeemer, he understands that he's gonna die, that worms are gonna eat his flesh, but in his flesh he will see God. Verse 27, Whom I shall see for myself. He's like, let me make it really clear to you. I'm gonna see him in my flesh, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. It's like, wow, okay, I get it, Job. You're gonna see him, though my reigns be consumed within me. I mean, how can you look at this and not see Jesus Christ? You have to be unsafe. You have to just not understand the Bible to not see that Job is talking about Jesus Christ and that he believes that someday he will be physically resurrected just like Jesus Christ. Don't tell me that they didn't believe in the resurrection in the Old Testament because Job is prophesying of the resurrection right here. I mean, he made it so clear. Worms are gonna destroy my body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. I mean, he wants to really drive it in for us that he's gonna physically rise again and see his Redeemer, his Savior. I don't know how these dispensationals get around these verses. I'll read for you 2 Timothy 3.15. It says, This is Paul to Timothy. It says, And that from a child, thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Now obviously this verse applies to all scripture, but when you think about the time that Timothy was around, the New Testament was being written, when it says that from a child he has known the holy scriptures, you know what that's referring to? The Old Testament. And what is it that the Old Testament did? It says that the Old Testament was able to make him wise unto salvation through faith. Through who? Which is in Christ Jesus. So the Old Testament can get someone saved by pointing them to Christ Jesus. Now obviously in the Old Testament, like I said, you won't find the name Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, but you'll find Jesus Christ on every page of the Old Testament. You'll find him, the whole book is about Jesus Christ. The whole Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ. Go to Acts chapter number 8. Acts chapter number 8. We'll see another story proving that salvation's always been by faith. It's always been through Christ. Acts chapter number 8. Where did I go here? Let's look at verse number 30. And Philip ran thither to him, speaking of the eunuch, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? The eunuch is reading the book of Isaiah by himself. The spirit tells Philip to go and preach to him. He goes up to him and he asks him if he understands what he's reading, verse 31. And he said, How can I accept some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb done before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this, of himself or of some other man? So what is the scripture talking about? Who is this talking about? He's asking. Verse 35. Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus. So guess what? Philip's preaching to him from the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ, because he is all over the Old Testament. And does this person get saved? Yes, he does. Look at verse 36. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water, and the eunuch said, See, here is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believeth, with all thine heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. How did he come to that saving faith in Jesus Christ? Through the scriptures of the Old Testament. Now, look, I'm not recommending that we go out soul winning and go through the Ecclesiastes road, okay? I don't think we should go through the Song of Solomon road. I think we should go through the Romans road, okay? The Book of Romans is the best book about teaching someone how to get saved. But what I'm saying is that Jesus Christ still is in Ecclesiastes. He's still in Song of Solomon. He's still all over the Old Testament. And salvation has always been by faith through him. Last one I'll show you on this is Luke chapter number 24. Luke chapter number 24. This is after Jesus Christ had resurrected. And look at verse number 44. It says, And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms. We all agree that that's the Old Testament. What does he say? Concerning me. Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. All of those scriptures were about him. Verse 45, Then opened to heed their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. And so when someone can read Genesis and just keep on going through the whole testament and they say, I just can't see Jesus there. I just can't. I just don't know how anyone could have gotten saved in the Old Testament by believing in Christ. It's like, is your mind not open to the scriptures or something? I mean, are you even saved? That's what I would want to know. Like, it's so clear all over the Old Testament salvation's always been by faith. And Romans chapter 4 is a great place to prove that. Because you've got Abraham and David. Now let's go back to Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter number 4. And so look at verse number 9. It says, cometh this blessedness then, talking about salvation, cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision. Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. So when was Abraham saved? Was it after he got circumcised or before? It was before he got circumcised. Verse 11, And he received the sign of circumcision. I want you to remember that word sign. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised. That righteousness might be imputed unto them also. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. Now, I think an important thing to pull out of this is that it's talking about how Abraham was circumcised, talking about how he was justified before he was circumcised, but this circumcision was still important. It signifies that he'll be the father of many nations. And notice how this circumcision, what it's called, it's called a sign. It's a symbol. It's a sign. It's something that signifies something else. And I think it's really important to understand that there's a lot of things in the Bible that are signs that are good, that we should believe in, that we should embrace, that are good things, but we have to be careful that people don't take them to such an unhealthy extreme that it becomes a false doctrine. Because if someone wants to tell me that you have to be circumcised to be saved, they've taken something that God used, that was a sign, that was good, and now they're teaching a false doctrine from it. We have to focus more on what the sign represents rather than just coming up with these weird false doctrines that you need to be circumcised to be saved or something like that. I'll read for you John 63. It says, It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. You're not going to get saved by anything involving your flesh whatsoever. It profits you nothing. But circumcision still is an important sign. I mean it was a sign outwardly of the faith that he had inwardly. It was a sign, what's the exact wording, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised. It was a sign of that faith that he had inside. So what's another example of something that is a sign, that is a symbol, that's good, but people sometimes take to an unhealthy extreme and turn it into a false doctrine. How about baptism? Isn't baptism a sign? I mean does baptism save you? Does that actually wash the sins away from you? Absolutely not. Go to Romans chapter 6, flip the page to Romans chapter 6. It says this, Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. So what does baptism signify? What's it a sign of? Well it signifies that we are buried with him. It signifies the burial of Jesus Christ. We're buried with him into death. And then it says that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. When you're baptized aren't you put completely under the water, completely submerged, you're buried, and then you're raised up. What does that signify? It signifies the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. It's a sign is what it is. It's a sign that now we should walk in newness of life. And it's a sign that during the last days that we're going to be resurrected with Christ. Just like Christ was resurrected, our bodies will be resurrected someday. Now this is a great sign, right? But you have false teachers, people like from the Church of Christ for example, that want to teach this doctrine of baptismal regeneration. That you have to literally get baptized to be saved. That would be taking a sign and turning it into a false doctrine. That would be like if you told me that you had to be circumcised to be saved. Even though the Bible says that Abraham was saved before he was circumcised. In fact, you have to be saved before you're baptized. If you're going to do it biblically. I'll read for you 1 Peter 3 verse 21, it says, The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us. And it has in parentheses not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So notice what 1 Peter 3 clearly says that baptism is. It says it's a figure. I'm not just making this up saying that it's a sign. Baptism is a figure, it's a sign. That's what the Bible says. And if you read that, it says that the figure is actually what saves us. It's not saying that the baptism is actually what saves us. Because if you take off the parentheses and you just read this sentence, straight through, the like figure, the sign, whereunto even baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We're saved by Jesus Christ, we're saved by his death, burial, and resurrection. We're not saved by getting wet in a tub. I mean, it's just crazy what the carnal mind will come up with thinking that they're going to be excused of their sins because they got wet in a tub. It's unbelievable. The flesh profiteth nothing, it said in John chapter 6. It's not going to save you. You know, the Church of Christ probably would have a big problem with the apostle Paul. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter number 1. 1 Corinthians chapter number 1. We'll do verse number 14. Paul said, I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius. So if you take the doctrine that you have to be baptized to be saved, I guess this is how a Church of Christ would read this verse. He would say, I thank God that I saved none of you, but Crispus and Gaius. I mean, does anyone really want to say that that's all the people that Paul got saved? Lest any should say that I baptized in my own name, and I baptized also the household of Stephanus, besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. So he's separating these two things, saying Christ did not send me to baptize, but he sent me to preach the gospel. How could these be the same thing? They can't. So you can't say that salvation can be by baptism. Otherwise, you're saying that Paul only got a few people saved. But that would be taking a sign, like circumcision, and making it into a false doctrine. What's something else that the Bible says was a sign? How about the Sabbath? Go to Exodus chapter number 31. The Sabbath was a sign. The Sabbath itself was not something by which you could obtain salvation by following. It was a sign to signify something spiritual. Exodus 31, 13. It says, It says, Notice who sanctifies you. The Lord. Not you keeping the Sabbath. The Lord sanctifies you. But by the Sabbath that he gave them, it was a sign to remind them, oh yeah, God is my Lord that sanctifies me. Oh yeah, God created the heaven in six days, and he rested the seventh day. I rest my way into heaven. Salvation is by trusting in Jesus Christ. It's rest to be saved. That's the sign that it gives. Flip the page to Exodus 35. Exodus 35, verse 2. It says, And you're thinking, wow. Why is there such a severe punishment for breaking the Sabbath? I mean, being put to death for breaking the Sabbath? In Numbers chapter 16, you see a story of a man that picks up sticks on the Sabbath day, and he's killed. And you're like, man, isn't that kind of harsh? Picking up sticks and being put to death? But remember, it's a sign. What does it signify? Well, guess what? If you miss out on the New Testament Sabbath, you'll be put to death spiritually in hell for eternity. It's a very severe punishment when you miss the Sabbath of the New Testament, because what's the Sabbath of the New Testament? Go to Hebrews chapter number 4. Hebrews chapter number 4. Hebrews 4. Look at verse number 1. It says, Sounds like this is an intense thing we're talking about. Lest a promise being left of us, sorry. Lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed in faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest. And that's all that Sabbath is. Sabbath is a rest. He's saying that when we believe, when we have faith in Christ, we've entered into rest. As he said, I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Let's skip for the sake of time to verse 9. It says, There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. So there does remain a Sabbath in the New Testament. It's just not the Sabbath that the Seventh-day Adventists want to tell you about. It's the Sabbath of believing in Christ. It's the Sabbath of resting in Christ. Verse number 10. For he that has entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. So the Sabbath is a perfect sign signifying salvation. You don't do any work. Well, guess what? Salvation, we already talked about it. You don't do any work. All you're doing is resting and trusting in the Lord. And notice it's saying we should fear lest that promise is left of us. If you don't believe in Christ, you should fear. If you pick up sticks on the Sabbath day when God commanded you not to, you should fear. Why? Because you'll be put to death. That's what happened. Well, if you miss out on the New Testament Sabbath, you should fear because you're going to be put to death for eternal death in hell. It's a very severe punishment. But it's a sign, yet you have false religions like the Seventh-day Adventists that want to tell you that keeping the Sabbath is part of salvation. Is there anything wrong with the sign? Is there anything wrong with the Sabbath? Absolutely not. There's nothing wrong with any of God's commandments. It's one of the Ten Commandments. It's a great law. But guess what? It has nothing to do with salvation. Don't turn that sign into a false doctrine. And even from a practical perspective, you know, it's just good wisdom to take a day off. You know, work six days, take a day off. That's even good on a practical level. And you should work six days. If you're blessed and you live in America and you have a five-day-a-week job, well, I'd love to see you soul-winning on Saturday and get that sixth day in. You know, work six days. But take that Sabbath. But guess what? That Sabbath doesn't save you. It's ridiculous. Here's another sign. You're there in Hebrews. Go to Hebrews chapter number nine. Another sign, just like circumcision, just like baptism, just like the Sabbath, another sign you can look at is all of the Old Testament sacrifices. That is a sign. Look at Hebrews chapter number nine. Look at verse six. It says, Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, but into the second with the high priest, alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people. The Holy Ghost this signified that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing. Verse number nine. Which was a figure. So again, I'm not just making this up. This is what the Bible says. It is a sign. It is a figure, which was a figure for the time present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience. Could the people that performed the sacrifices, could they be saved from their sins, could they be made perfect by doing that? No. It was the sign that actually saved them. Verse 10, which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come and high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building. And I want to read one more verse. This is in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 4. It says, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. So again, the tabernacle, the sacrifices, what was it? It was all a sign. It was all signifying the true tabernacle, signifying the true sacrifice, you know, the lamb wasn't the true sacrifice. The lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, that was the true sacrifice. That's actually what can save you from your sins, wash you from your sins with that blood, not the blood of goats and calves and bulls and all of those things. So look, there's nothing wrong with the sign. I love reading the stories in Leviticus about the sacrifices. I love the law of the Sabbath. I love baptism. I mean, we're Baptists, okay? And every single one of God's commandments is good, is holy, is just. But don't take one of God's signs and turn them into a commandment for salvation. It's just taking things way out of context. We can learn a lot from these signs, but the sign itself is not what saved us. It's what the signs represent, which is Jesus Christ. Let's go back to Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter number 4. Verse 13 it says, for the promise that he should be the heir of the world, talking about Abraham, was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Now again, notice, salvation by faith has always been the plan. He's saying, look, this promise wasn't given to Abraham through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. So even when it was given to Abraham before the law, it was given by faith. That was always the plan. It says in verse 14, for if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. That's what I was saying, if these people that are of the law, now who would these people be that are of the law? Well I think this is obviously talking about the Jews. Those people that are clinging to the law, they've rejected the New Testament, they've rejected Jesus Christ, they are of the law. And he's saying, if they were heirs, if they were the people that were inheriting this promise that was given to Abraham, then faith would be made void, and the promise of God would be made of none effect. So what can we learn from this? That the Jews are not the heirs, the Jews are not God's chosen people, the Jews are not those that have inherited those promises, because if they were, then the promise of God would be made of none effect. I mean you would just have to just rip up the Bible and just say it's of none effect if you're gonna tell me that the Jews are the ones that inherited the promises. If you're gonna tell me that the Jews are the ones that are heirs. Why? Why would that make God's promise void? If the Jews were heirs today, why would that make God's promise void? Well, how is the promise given? Look again at verse 13. Was it given through the law? No. It says it was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law. Now these Jews, they are of the law. They're rejecting the New Testament, they're clinging to the law. It says it was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Well that would not be true if then those people that cling to the law are somehow the heirs. The promise was not made through the law, it was made through faith. Those people that reject faith and cling to the law, they're not the heirs. And if you say that you are, you're making the promise of none effect. You're going against what God has said, and that's why Zionism is actually a really wicked teaching. Because it's making the promise of God of none effect. You're not offending me personally by telling me that the Jews are God's special chosen boys. You're offending God. It's a false doctrine that offends God because you're basically just saying I don't believe your word. You're basically just saying I don't believe the promise that it actually was through faith. I think you can still be of the law and still be an heir, even though the Bible says the exact opposite. It's offensive to the Lord. Now, are the Jews of faith? Absolutely not. I'll read for you John 1-11, it says, He came unto his own, Jesus came to the Jews, he came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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. He came to the Jews, they didn't receive him, but those that did receive him, to them they became the heir, they became the inheritor, they became the sons of God by believing in Jesus Christ, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. How could the Jews be heirs when they rejected Jesus Christ? How can the Jews inherit the promises of God when the promise of God was Christ himself? They rejected Christ. They rejected the promise of God. The Jews are not God's chosen people today. The Jews are under the intense wrath of God. And the people that are going to have some of the worst punishment in hell are going to be the people where salvation was handed to them on a silver platter, what advantage then hath the Jew? Much every way, chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. I mean, they had everything given to them, and when you, given the oracles of God, all the promises given to you, and you reject Christ, you're going to have the most intense wrath of anyone else. You're going to have a lot more punishment than someone who heard a really bad gospel presentation one time by a televangelist or something. You know what I mean? When you're exposed, you have the law for hundreds and thousands of years, you are the people of God, and then God gives you the Lord Jesus Christ as your sacrifice, and you reject it. I mean, I pity their soul, because they're going to be burning in hell with intense persecution and suffering. Go to Galatians chapter number six. Galatians chapter number four. And of course, I don't want the Jews to go to hell. I want the Jews to believe in Christ, but if the Jews hate Christ, if they have been given over to reprobate mine, then yeah, I do want them to go to hell. I don't want them being on God's earth blaspheming his son, but those that are not reprobates, those that have not been given over to reprobate mine, those that can still be saved, I want those Jews to be saved. It's the Zionists that are telling them that they're okay how they are that are really hateful towards the Jews. Galatians chapter number four. Look at verse number 22. It says that you put off... Oh, I'm in the wrong chapter here. Sorry. Galatians chapter number four, verse 22. It says, For it is written that Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, the one by a bondmaid and the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise, which things are an allegory. So he's saying the story of Isaac and Ishmael being born is a real story, but it's an allegory, meaning it represents something else. For these are the two covenants, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The one from Mount Sinai, which gentereth to bondage, which is Agar or Hagar. That's Ishmael, that's the Old Testament, that's the physical Jews. Verse 25, For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, the physical people that call themselves Jews right now, and is in bondage with her children. And let me tell you, if you're unsaved, you're in bondage. You're not free, you are in bondage. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not. Break forth and cry, thou that travailest, for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, he's saying we, Christians, we, brethren, or as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. And that's what you've seen throughout the history of the world. Jews persecuting Christians, persecuting God's people. Nevertheless, what sayeth the scripture, cast out the bond woman in her son, for the son of the bond woman, watch this, shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. Isn't that what Romans chapter 4 is talking about? The people that are heirs? And it's saying the son of the bond woman shall not be heir. The Jews will not be heir. The Jews will not be inheriting the promises. The Jews will not be the children of God, unless they believe on Christ. Individually, of course, they can be saved. But as a whole, the Jews are not the heir. And it's not like God's just putting them in a little time out. God's just done dealing with the Jews for a while and he's going to play with the church and the church age and he's going to deal with the Gentiles for a little bit. But then he's going to go back to the special Jew. No, it says they will not be heir. There's no caveat to that. It doesn't say later they'll be the heir, though. All Israel will be saved. They'll actually all be the heir. No, it says they will not be heir. I don't know why the old-life bee can't understand how clear this is in Scripture. The Jews will not be heir. Romans chapter 4 is a great chapter to prove a lot of things and one of those things is to disprove Zionism. He's the father of many nations, the Bible says. Let's see, verse 15 of Romans 4 says, Because the law worketh wrath, for where no law is, there is no transgression. Remember, the Jews are of the law. And by claiming that they're going to be saved by the law, what are they doing? They're working wrath to themselves because they're going to be judged by the law. The Bible says in Romans chapter 7 that we are dead to the law. Okay? So, where no law is, there is no transgression. God doesn't see us as transgressing anymore. We're dead to the law. We're saved. He's forgotten of all of our sins. Verse 16, Abraham, who is the father of us all. So, Abraham, even though his physical lineage was the Jews, the Bible says that he is the father of us all. Now, how could that be? If I'm not physically related to Abraham, I don't know if I am. I'm probably not, okay? I mean, Norwegian, really far north, like where the sun doesn't go, okay? Not in the Middle East. I'm not related to Abraham. I'll just say that, okay? But even if me, I'm not related to Abraham, how could Abraham be my father? Well, go to Galatians chapter number 3. Galatians chapter number 3. I know he didn't look like me, okay? But look what Galatians 3.28 says. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. I'm not a child of Abraham because of my skin color. I'm not a child of Abraham because of my family's pedigree. I'm a child of Abraham because I'm Christ, because I belong to Christ. And at the end of the day, when you have your faith in Christ, your physical identity doesn't matter. There is no Jew or Greek. It doesn't matter if you're from Russia, or if you're from Mexico, or if you're from the United States. If you believe in Christ, you're of Abraham, and Abraham is your father. That identity goes away. It doesn't matter if you're male or female. You are a son or daughter of Abraham. It does not matter your identity. I'll read for you. Turn back to Romans 4. I'll read for you 1 Peter 2.9. It says, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So now, in the New Testament, there's just one nation, and that nation is a spiritual nation made up of a lot of physical nations. Made up of every physical nation in this earth, the people in those nations that believe in Jesus Christ. Hey, if you're from Israel, and you believe in Jesus Christ, you're part of spiritual Israel today. If you're from Morocco, and you believe in Jesus Christ, you're part of spiritual Israel. From Texas, spiritual Israel, if you believe in Jesus Christ. Romans 4, look at verse 17. It says, As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were, who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. So God, he foresaw these things. He knew that people from every nation under the world would believe in Jesus Christ, and become a child of Abraham. Last thing I want to go over in Romans chapter 4, where it kind of changes gears here. Let's read verse 19. It says, In being not weak in faith, I want you to remember that phrase. In being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Now notice the last part of this chapter, this passage here, it's emphasizing that Abraham had really strong faith, saying he wasn't weak in faith, he didn't stumble or stagger at the promise of God, he was fully persuaded in his mind that what God had promised he was able also to perform. So Abraham, not only was he just saved, not only did he just put his faith in Christ for salvation, but this guy had a lot of faith beyond that. He trusted God to a really, really amazing degree, and because of that, God was able to do some really great things through him and show God's glory through Abraham because Abraham trusted him so much. Let's go to Genesis chapter number 17 and we'll read the story that this is referring to. Genesis chapter number 17, we'll start reading in verse 15 it says, And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her, yea I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations, kings of people shall be of her. And Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee. And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee, behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. So God, he comes to Abraham and he says, in your old age, even though that you and your wife are in your nineties or hundreds, you're way way up there in age, you're going to have a son. You're going to have a son. This child of promise is going to happen. And Abraham kind of laughs, he questions, you know, how is this going to be? And then later on in the story, he circumcises his whole family like God told him to, he obeyed God. When I read this story, I'm kind of thinking, well, you know, in Romans chapter four, it's saying that he was not weak in faith, that he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able also to perform, that he didn't stagger at all at the promise of God through unbelief. And then I read Genesis 17, it's saying that God tells him this, and he kind of just like laughs and says like, oh, I want to get the exact wording that he says. He says, shall child be born unto him that is 100 years old and shall Sarah that is 90 years old bear? And some may say, well, is Abraham lacking faith here? Well, obviously not because the Bible clearly says that he was not weak in faith, that he staggered not at the promises of God, that he was fully persuaded in his mind. And the way I think about it is this, you know, in our lives and as a church and just us as individuals, oftentimes we may be confronted with a situation or a task God's asking us to do, or something that we really want to see God come through for us in, or just some big task that we want God to do. And it may kind of just make us laugh because it seems so impossible. It just seems like in a human perspective, you don't really understand how it's going to get done. You don't physically humanly understand how it's going to get done, but yet you still can believe that it's going to get done. You get to kind of laugh and say, man, I believe God's going to do this, but I believe God's going to do it. And that's what I think was going on with Abraham's head. You know, he's laughing. He's questioning. He's like, man, this sounds really crazy. This sounds like insane that people that are this old in age are going to have a kid. And he kind of laughs about it, but he believed it with his whole heart because the Bible says in Romans 4 that he did. He didn't stagger at it whatsoever. And in fact, right after being told this, he obeys God's command. He circumcises his whole family. And so, you know, it should inspire us to have great faith in the Lord and to realize that no matter what kind of battles we're going through, no matter what kind of hardships you're going through, no matter what you're praying to God for, it could be praying for a child. It could be just a battle you're going through. You can have that faith and say, man, I don't know how God's going to do this, but I believe he will. And right now, you know, that's kind of how I feel with steadfast, with a lot of the battles that we're in, you know, with the protest and just all the people attacking our church from every way you can imagine. I mean, Pastor Shelley is racking up enemies by the hour. I mean, it's impressive how many enemies he could just rank up so quickly, how many videos can be made against him, articles, just haters, death threats. It's impressive. And I'm just thinking like, man, I don't know how God's going to get steadfast out of this, but I believe he is. And I believe that when he does, that God will be glorified by it. And guess what? It was not written for Abraham's sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead. And guess what? We get a lot of faith by reading in the Bible the things that Abraham did. And guess what? It's amazing to think that when Abraham was going through this, he didn't have a Bible to open up and read and encourage himself. And God's people today can wake up in the morning, open the Bible, and encourage themselves and see all the amazing things that God has done. Not just to Abraham, to Moses, to Daniel, to Stephen, to the apostles, to the prophets. God has come through for his people every single time. And we actually have the blessing of opening up the Word of God and reading it and encouraging ourselves. Abraham's faith was way greater than ours because he didn't even have that and he still believed God. In Genesis 22, God tells him to sacrifice his own son and he's willing to do it. He didn't get Genesis 22 to open up and see that the angel is going to tell him to stop. He didn't get that. And you know what? In our lives, we do. And so we have no excuse, not to have a great amount of faith in God. We can read any chapter of the Bible we want. We can see how God has come through for his people. I mean, you really think I'm worried about a couple of reprobates attacking Steadfast Baptist Church when I've read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace? I mean, come on, it's not even close. When I read about Abraham, you think I'm worried about some faggots, you know, surrounding our church, yelling at our kids, yelling at the women. You think I'm worried about them? I've already read their end. It's called hell. I already know where they're going. I have full faith. I'm not staggering at that promise. I'm fully persuaded in my mind. I'm not weak in faith on that one. They're all going to hell. And they could yell at our kids all they want. They could, you know, scream the most sick, disgusting things at the people that walk in and out of our church. But I know they're going to hell. And I know that we have the victory in Christ Jesus at the end of the day. I mean, the story of Abraham is so powerful. And Romans chapter 4, I mean, the whole book of Romans just kills so many false doctrines, and it gives us so much faith. Destroys work salvation, destroys dispensational salvation, destroys Zionism, and all while doing so, gives me a lot of faith. That, hey, because of what Abraham did, I could believe on Jesus, and because of what Jesus did, I could believe anything. I could trust Jesus Christ for my salvation, and I could trust Him for my finances. I could trust Him for my salvation, and I could trust Him for my marriage, for my relationships in my life, for struggles that I'm going through, for battles that I'm fighting, for areas in my life where I need God to strengthen me. You know, the example of Abraham shows me that I could trust God no matter what. And as God's people, let's try to increase our faith. Let's increase our faith in the Lord. Let's wake up and read our Bibles and encourage ourselves with these stories and not let this world bog us down, not let the devil try to diminish our faith and think that God cannot get us through what we're going through. He absolutely can, and He will. Let's have a word of prayer. Lord, thank you so much for this day, and thank you so much for the book of Romans, Romans chapter 4. Just pray that you'd strengthen every single person in here, that you'd strengthen this church. Pray that everyone would be diligent to read their Bibles so that they could be encouraged with all the great wisdom and doctrine that you've given us in your Word. We love you so much, and in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Alright, at this time we'll go to our last hymn for the evening. Grab your hymnal if you would and turn to 147, hymn number 147, 1-4-7, leaning on the everlasting arms. 147, leaning on the everlasting arms. We'll sing there starting on the first. What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, how bright the path goes from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms. I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. On the everlasting arms. Amen, and with that you are dismissed. Have a good night. .