(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.) Amen. All right. Keep your place in Romans chapter 8 Now if you're wondering how in the world I'm gonna get through all of Romans chapter 8 in one sermon. I Was wondering the same thing about Tuesday when I had a sermon that was close to probably four hours long So what we're gonna do this morning is we're gonna break this thing up a little bit. I'm gonna spend Tonight and Next week in Romans chapter 8 and I'm gonna just preach on three verses in Romans chapter 8 tonight because I was the thing with Romans chapter 8 is there's so many great doctrines in this one chapter and I didn't want to preach a sermon where I would just skim over each one and Of course, I want to be able to explain everything biblically So tonight what I want to do is I want to look at Romans chapter 8 verses 28 through 30 And these are verses that are it's it's a great set of verses in the Bible, but it's used for a lot of heresy By a lot of Calvinists out there today and what I want to do is I want to explain these three verses in the sermon tonight and Another unique thing that we're going to do tonight is we're going to use Logic and reason to explain these three verses and it's funny because a couple weeks ago The guys were talking in a circle and this topic came up on what I'm going to talk about tonight And so what I want to do is I want you to just completely clear your minds on what you think you know About the book of life. I want you to just start with a blank slate And what I want to do is I want to explain Romans 8 28 29 and 30 Using the book of life Okay, so we're gonna do a study tonight on what is the book of life? And how does it help us understand these three verses? So let's first reread These three verses and in Romans 8 28 the Bible says and we we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose for whom he did for know 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 there. We see that word again them He also called in whom he called them. He also justified in whom he justified them. He also glorified predestination The term predestination make means to make firm beforehand There's this doctrine out there that teaches that God has predestinated Everyone on on earth everyone in history before they were even born God has chosen You don't get saved by the way. The Bible says you get saved you get saved because God chose you before everything began Okay. So what I want to do is I want to explain This using the book of life and here I have a quote first of all Don't read Bible commentary Because it is unless it is by a pastor That you know and trust but then that's not Bible commentary. That's preaching Right, but I want to read for you. I went and I looked for some Bible commentary on these three verses and I found Some really good stuff here. Now. There's this website called got questions. How many of you ever heard of got questions? It's it's a very dangerous website because it seems like it's kind of like Baptist sort of You'll see a lot of answers that are close to what we believe but I want to read for you what got questions Explains about Romans 8 29 and 30 in the by that not the Bible The got questions answer is this if God is choosing who is saved Doesn't that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? So far so good Somehow in the mystery of God he continues Predestination works hand in hand with a person being drawn by God and believing unto salvation God predestinate Predestines who will be saved and we must choose Christ in order to be saved That should raise some red flags that statement in your mind right there And then he says oh the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out now That's a misquote of Romans 11 using the NIV Okay, Romans 11 33. So that's another red flag. So here's a couple Bible reading tips Bible studying tips for you and I've already given you one of these tips But when you read that when you read his his God predestinates who will be saved and we must choose Christ And then he explains it by saying we just can't understand the mystery of God he says Okay, you must say no When you see things like that The Bible study tips. I want to give for you tonight is first of all Whenever you have a verse that that contradicts the way you're thinking about it or interpreting it contradicts clear scripture You are interpreting it wrong That's the first Tip and you've heard this tip before The second tip is this it's a red flag when something is illogical to you because God Give gave you your logic. God gave you your common sense So when somebody says things that you know You have free will and you don't have free will and those things are both true You must say no, there's something wrong here Okay, and This is the same for all heresy all heresy will lead you to this point where there's there's this you have free will and You don't at the same time and it's the beauty of the mystery of God No, you have no idea what you're reading in the Bible because you're not saved is The answer and I'm going to show you tonight and if you're confused by those three verses I'm going to show you what we're gonna do is we're gonna do this study We're gonna look at the book of life in the Bible and then we're gonna read those three verses again And they're gonna make perfect sense to you Just because you don't understand, you know a verse Doesn't you know but teaching a heresy out of that verse and applying that verse to a heresy is a completely different thing Okay. So first of all, just just blank slate your mind right now Let's just look at what the Bible especially we'll start out in the New Testament says on the book of life turn to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 so there's this book and it's not the Bible But the Bible talks about it several times. There's this book Called the book of life It's mainly called the book of life. You'll see in the Old Testament It's called a little bit different, but we can you know deduce that it is the book of life that they're talking about So in Thessalonians first Thessalonians verse 4 look at verse number 1 and We'll read a couple verses beforehand just to make sure we're getting the context Therefore my brethren dearly beloved and longed and longed for my joy and crown So stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved. I beseech Eudias and beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord and I entreat thee also true yoke fellow Help those women which labored with me in the gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life Okay Next so here we see what do we see here in first Thessalonians 4? Hang on let me turn there I Yeah, it was Philippians 4 that's where I'm going so it was Philippians 4 and verse 3 sorry about that So we see that the saved are in the book of life. Okay. He says my fellow laborers So we see that the saved are in the book of life in this book We have saved people the fellow laborers with Paul. Okay now turn to Revelation chapter 3 Revelation chapter 3 Revelation chapter 3 we're going to start reading in verse number 1 and The Bible says this in verse number 1 Revelation 3 and unto the angel of the church and Sardis right these things sayeth he that hath the seven spirits of God in the Seven stars I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God Remember Therefore how that's hath received and heard and hold fast and repent and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life But I will confess his name Before my father and before his angels so here we see Someone is blotted out of the book of life. So we have the book of life that has saved people's names in it and then we see The book of life that has names in it that God has blotted out. Okay now turn to Revelation chapter 13 Revelation Chapter 13 and look down at verse number 7 in verse number 7 and The Bible says this and it was given unto him to make war with the Saints This is the Antichrist at the end times and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world So here we see people's names that are not in the book of life and people that are still alive Okay, people that are still living Physically on the earth that don't have their names in the book of life. Okay Those that those that worship the beast in this case now turn to Revelation 17. I also want to point out Keep just go back to Revelation 13 and look at the end of verse number 8 where it says from the foundation Of the world. Okay So the book of the life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world meaning the beginning Before everything was made before any of us were even here Revelation 17 Let's look at the next reference of the book of life The Bible says in verse number 6 and I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration and The angel said unto me where wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her which have the seven heads and ten horns the beast that thou sawest was and is not again the Antichrist and Shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder Whose names were not written in the book of life? From the foundation of the world. So we see again this phrase from the foundation of the world so the the Verse before said that Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world. This says that the book of life Was from the foundation of the world Okay, so the book of life was from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is revelation chapter 20 Revelation chapter 20 Look at verse number 14 All you soul winners know this well and Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life Was cast into the lake of fire. So here we learn that if you are not in there after the first death You're going to go to hell So this book is pretty important you want to be in there before you die Or that's the first death or you're gonna get the second death Basically is what this says So we know that there's saved people in there We know that people are removed from there We already have a problem there, don't we? we know that the book was written from the foundation of the world and We know that if your name is not in there after you die physically, you're gonna go to hell. That's what we know so far Turn to Revelation 21 It's nice how the Bible fills in all the gaps for us I'm a little confused right now, but I don't think I'm gonna be confused for much longer Look at Revelation 21 and verse number 22 The Bible says and I saw no temple therein for the Lord God and Almighty and lamb are the temple of it and the city Had no need of the Sun. This is the New Jerusalem Neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the lamb is the light thereof And the nations of them which are saved remember that phrase Shall walk in the light of it and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it and the gates of It shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it and there shall and no wise enter into anything that Defileth neither whatsoever work at the abomination or maketh a lie, but but what but who's gonna be there then? But they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life again The saved are in the Lamb's Book of Life and they're in there after they die. Okay Revelation 22 Verse number 18 The Bible says for I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man any man Any man Any man Any man Shall take away from the words of the prophecy of this book God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and From the things which are written in this book the Bible So you just talked about two books there? the book of life and the Bible So here we see any man Can do something to get his name out of the book of life any man The Bible says that if any man takes away from the words that God wrote in the Bible That he will take his name he will take away his part out of the book of life So, let's recap, okay Let's recap. That was a lot of Bible reading. Let's recap Well, no first let's go to the let's look at Old Testament because the Old Testament Talks about this turn to Psalm Psalm 69 The Old Testament talks about the book of life as well In Psalm 69 verse 28 Psalm 69 verse 28 in the Bible reads let them be blotted out of the book of the living and Not be written with the righteous sound familiar David is praying the psalmist is praying that some these people would be that God would blot these people out of the book of the living the book of life Exodus 32 in verse 32, you don't have to turn there I'll just read it for you after Moses came down and he saw that the people had made the golden calf. He was he was Lamenting and he was he was trying to intercede to God For these people and he said yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book, which thou hast written Moses is like hey if you're not gonna forgive them just just just blot me out He's like all blot me out of the book of life Well, you're like well Moses was saved. Well, did God blot Moses out of the book of life? No Right Moses was just constantly advocating for the children of Israel He was a great leader and got into the point where he said God, you know Just take it out on me is what he was saying But he references the book that has these names in it that God blots people out of Daniel 12 in verse 1 Daniel says and at that time shall Michael stand up The great prince which stand it for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble Such as never was since a nation even to that same time and at that time the people shall be delivered Every one that shall be found written in the book People's names in this book again so Let's go and let's look at the what we've learned. So we know that in Philippians 4 3 I don't know why I had first Thessalonians written there That the saved are in the book of life Paul calls them my fellow laborers, right? It's the saved we know that Names can be blotted out and we know that I'm not going to preach on eternal security tonight But eternal security is very clear in the Bible even in Romans chapter 8 That if you're saved you can't be blotted out So we know that there's saved people in the book of life and there's also these other people in there That God blots out We know that some people who are physically living don't have their names in there People who have not died yet If your name is not in there after the first death we know that you're gonna go to hell, right and Then again, I mean we've seen several verses on those who are saved being in the book of life And then we know that any man can have his name taken out of the book of life Of course if you're saved you can't So, you know, you could have these people that ask all these questions. What if you're saved and you blaspheme the Holy Ghost? Well, we're not gonna go there because you know, those are those ridiculous questions, okay No man who's saved is gonna take the mark of the beast is gonna blaspheme the Holy Ghost. I don't even believe that's possible today and thirdly No man who's saved is going to change God's Word. I mean no one who is saved would do that. Okay now What does this mean? Oh And another thing we learned is that the book is from the foundation of the world turn to John 1 1 That's a hugely important Hugely important doctrine here John 1 1 the Bible says 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 So the Bible the Word of God was written before the world even began God just happened to use men to write it down and then he promises that he'll preserve it for us Doesn't it make sense that if the Word of God who is Jesus Christ, by the way The Word became flesh and Jesus has always been he was never created Doesn't it make sense that if God had his word established the word that he gave us The Bible that he would have already established the words the names that he put into the book of life You say well you make that assumption. Well, no, not really because it said it's from the foundation of the world But it makes perfect sense that that were the words in that book would be established from the foundation of the world Just like the Word of God that is given to us both in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ From the foundation of the world So here's the deal folks The book was already written All God has is an eraser and he uses it So, let me ask you this if this unconditional election this predestination if This was true Did God make a mistake? Why would there be people in the book that are not saved God wouldn't have to blot anybody out Because the book was written before any of us were here It makes no sense so this this You know this unconditional election that God had made the decision on who was going to be saved and who was not going to be saved from the foundation of the world makes no sense when you look at the book of life or any other part of the Bible for that matter Turn to 1st Timothy chapter 2. I Mean you certainly couldn't believe in eternal security and predestination Because look perseverance of the Saints that the P in Tulip is Not eternal security. They may tell you it is but it's not Perseverance of the Saints is Availed lordship salvation. That's all it is. That's why the Calvinists That's why the Puritans the Calvinists when they died they were scared to death on their deathbed Because they believe in the perseverance of the Saints which was really lordship salvation meaning they never really knew if They were one of the chosen They believed that God chose people but it depended you will do the works See if you're saved you will do the works and they knew all they look back when they were dying They look back on their life and they saw sin in their life and they're like man. Did I really persevere? Am I really one of the chosen? Well, no, you're not It is the is the reality of it. It's lordship salvation under a different name But if you read Bible commentary, they will say you will even hear him say it once saved always saved in certain places It is not once saved always saved. It is veiled works period and It's sneaky and this is one of the reasons that you will find people that are so wrapped around the axle That they will never get saved It's sickening Where'd I have you go first Timothy chapter 2, why did we go there? Every okay Let's see what God says, okay first Timothy chapter 2 let's look at verse number 1 What everyone starts in there it makes perfect sense with every other part of the Bible When you have a stupid doctrine and then you read the Bible and you're like, I'm so confused on the Bible I know I used to be really confused on every part of the Bible, especially Romans You you have to question that doctrine you have to Look at first Timothy chapter 2 in verse number 1 I exhort thee therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For kings and for all that are in authority That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved I mean what in the world? When it says he will have it means it's his will that all men be saved That's what it means in the King James Bible It's God's will that all men would be saved and you know what the book of life is proof of that Because he wrote everybody's names in there Everybody had a chance Everybody's names were in there, but God has an eraser It's more like whiteout John 3 16 whosoever believe in him should not perish I Mean we could go on and on and on and on Whosoever all men and I mean the the beauty of it is is in chapter 4 of 2nd Timothy chapter 2 who will have God our Savior Who will have all men to be saved I Mean that the the L in the stupid to look thing is limited atonement that Jesus just he didn't die for everybody I mean what? All men whosoever believeth in him Look if predestination meant God only chose certain people from the foundation of the world It would it would it would not be necessary to remove anybody unless he made a mistake You know, I mean Look, look folks. I mean I I didn't even really grow up I mean Lutheranism is kind of like pseudo Calvinism, but I didn't even really grow up around many Calvinists But man you read into this stuff It is it is very difficult for me to believe that someone could be a Calvinist and be saved Very difficult for me. I Cannot I can't logically wrap my head around it because from the very beginning of the of the the tulip the T is total total depravity and That's where they go with, you know, unlimited or unconditional election because you there's you're so bad You're just all evil all bad that you could never on your own You know choose God is the way they would put it Because you're so bad, but you know what There's people who are physically alive who don't have their names in the book of life I mean that is the reprobate doctrine right there. I Mean it all makes perfect sense But the problem with this Calvinism is they just from the very first letter you're down these rabbit holes That confuse you on what real actual salvation is, you know, unconditioned unconditional election, you know The you is that God's just simply chooses And if the Bible said that you know what I believe it Because you know, I don't need God to be fair in the Bible I don't need it to agree with you know, what I think should be of course I kind of have this Holy Spirit in me and I do agree with everything in the Bible But the point is that I've said many times from the pulpit that if the Bible says it Even if the culture you were raised in disagreed with it because guess what when I first became a Baptist There were some things that I had a hard time with But then I read the Bible and I'm like it does say that I Accept it because it's in the Bible. It's true But this I'm you know, it's not in the Bible they use John 15 5 I Mean it just shows you that they just don't even know that they're totally confused. John 15 5 says turn there They use it to justify unconditional election. I can't even understand what they're saying The Bible says in John 15 5 I am the vine year the branches He that abideth in me and I and him the same bringeth forth much fruit For without me you can do nothing what in the world Abiding Jesus and you'll bring forward fruit come soul winning and you'll bring forth fruit. I Mean this is a big deal. There's a lot of people wrapped up in this stuff All Right now, let's read Romans 8 28 through 29 And we know That all things work together For good to them that love God To them who are called according to his purpose and we'll talk about the calling of God here in a minute For whom he did for know I'm gonna read for you Jeremiah 1 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctify thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations Look up just do a Bible study on your own about God knowing your name and God knowing who you are John 10 3 says To him the porter opeth and the sheep the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice And he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out Look God has chosen everyone is really what it boils down to I Mean think about it. It matches up with with baptism That before I was alive once without the law God has chosen everyone if you choose You know to you know, and not everyone's a reprobate by the way You Know so don't go overboard on that one. I mean it's it's pretty bad out there, but not everyone is a reprobate You know the Bible you can you can miss it if you you get to total depravity and you've already gone off a left turn All right Continuing where were we at in verse 29 Verse 29 for whom he did for know He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that guess what that was not even talking about salvation. I Mean if you're saved today You're predestinated to be conformed into the image of Jesus. That's what God wants for you God Wants you to be conformed to be sanctified throughout your life Into the image of Jesus and that will never be perfected until we're all risen again That he might and then and then it explains it right after this I just love this to be conformed to the image of his son. Why? What's the point? I'm saved. Why why be conformed? It's more fun just to be a loser To be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren The example of your life should lead others to salvation So you can be the firstborn among many brethren So you can go get a bunch of people saved. It's like God told you to do go preach the gospel to the world Be an example to people in your life that they may come to the knowledge of the truth and you can get other people saved You can't lose your salvation, but you can cause other people to stumble and never get saved It's possible plenty examples of the Bible that plenty of men of God in the Bible Who just the next generation was just a bunch of wicked people? Plenty of people plenty of people I can think about in our own day and age great great men of God next generation nope There's no guarantee So be conformed to the image of his son that he may be the firstborn among many brethren Verse number 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate Them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and Whom he justified them he also Glorified look this is proof right here them. He also called because this is talking about salvation This is proof of first Timothy chapter 2 This is proof right here that God wants all men to be saved That God's will is that all men would be saved Because he's he's he's calling, you know, I know there's a lot of talk even amongst Pastors about the calling of God and all that kind of stuff But look God's will is that you get if you're unsaved The calling that God is doing to you or towards you is that you would get saved That is the calling and I've seen it I know I've gone up to the door and I've met people who are just like you know what I've been looking for the truth For some reason I just been I just been I want to find the truth and you know what that right? There is the one thing that I love trends. I love I've loved identifying trends in a way I've made a career out of it and I was you know, when we moved to California You know you go to a church and everybody's a little bit different everybody raises their kids a little bit different Everybody has a little bit different views on this or that, you know We all agree on the Bible But I'm just like you know what because I've met many saved people who just aren't Interested in coming in a Bible believing Church coming to a Bible believing Church. They're not interested in changing their life They're not interested in getting sold out for Christ. They're not interested in that You show them, you know hard Bible preaching and they just it just doesn't resonate with them. I Mean, you know what I'm talking about. You met these people they're saved But it doesn't resonate with them And I'm like what in the world do all these people have in common. There must be one thing That these people have in common and the one thing that I have found that people like us people like Verity Baptist, Sacramento I'm sure it's the same in the other just is that at some point in their life? They were all Looking for the truth Irregardless of what they believed themselves At every Every single one of those people you will find that in their life in my own life They just got to a point where they're just like, you know what? I don't even care what I believe. I Just want to know what's true That's the trend and you know what that is that's answering that calling Because you're taking your pride and you're putting it aside because what your pride it plugs your ears see Your pride plugs your ears. How many times did Jesus say? Those that have ears to hear let them hear. What do you think he was talking about? Jesus was literally speaking the Word of God to everybody and he's sitting there saying those that have the ears to hear let them hear Because some people whether it be pride in their own beliefs whether it be pride in whatever else Stupid pride in the tulip flower or whatever their their ears are plugged and They're not hearing that calling That God has for them because you know what they're in the book of life at one point at one point Ted Bundy was in the book of life That's why at the end of the documentary psychopath reprobates, you know, you'll hear pastor Jimena saying you know what maybe somebody Should have walked up to little Ted Bundy when he was riding his bike when he was 11 or 12 years old and Giving him the gospel Before some wicked people got a hold of him and he fell into this wicked life that started searing his heart and Plugging his ears and Then searing his heart more to the point where when that key came out to go in To that heart it just didn't fit anymore. See But at one point he was in there Yeah, I mean it's only thing that makes any sense folks Look Romans 1017 says then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God You hear the call Look, I mean the calling I mean I've heard stories like oh I was called to preach and I was knocked down on the ground and all this kind of stuff and You know and and that's what I was called to preach and You know The the calling for me and maybe it's different than other people. It was not an audible voice God didn't talk to me audibly. You're like But it was just you know, it was it was just you know, I you get saved You answer that call and then you open your heart to do what you're supposed to be doing You answer that call and then you know, you just you kind of get a Burden is kind of what happened to me like, you know, you should be doing more and Then you pray about it Because I mean the last thing I wanted to do is do something God didn't want me to do and you know, God doesn't speak to me audibly ever But you pray about it and just say God whatever you want and then you know You just kind of follow that burden, you know And that's how it happened for me. Maybe it happens different for other people, but you know, that's the calling That's that's the calling So, I mean I believe that I mean I don't believe you should go into the ministry if you just have no desire to be in the ministry You know, the Bible says a man desires the office of a bishop. He desires a good work, you know, and God gives you that desire So If you're saved you're being called to good works, okay, that's the call whether or not you listen is up to you and You can plug your ears even after you're saved. You can plug your ears You know those that have ears to hear let them let them let them hear turn to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 11 we'll end here. I Just want to bring you back Want to bring you back to I guess I have two more points here. I just thought of something I Want to bring you back to something here Turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and look at look at verse number 3 and look what Paul says and he fears for these people Look what he says he says, but I fear Lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ what The salvation is the simplest doctrine in the Bible It's simple and it makes perfect sense. Why it would be simple because God It's his will that all would be saved and some people are simple And you'll find that the simpler people are the easier are they are to get saved Because Their ears are open and their heart, you know is hopefully not seared. But I mean you'll find that people that just aren't Puffed up with all this pride are the easiest people to get saved is what you'll find So when you find people complicating salvation or complicating simple doctrines in the Bible Especially the simplicity that is in Christ. Just you got to get out. You got to run You got to get out of there It doesn't make it, you know it it the the simplicity that is in Christ. Is that hard to understand? I Mean these I actually had to go back. This is how bad it is. I actually had to go back and re-review what the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod thought or taught on salvation because it was so Complicated I couldn't even remember it It's It's pseudo count not even gonna go there but the point is that this sermon I was like, yeah This sounds a lot like this. I had to go back and review it Because my oh, yeah, I remember that. Yeah, and then that and God chooses you and oh, but this and that It doesn't make any sense. It didn't back then either. Yeah, see Look turn to act 16 Turn to act 16 we'll end here And this is you know, you know, what's great about act 16. It's just the Bible in general. I Don't know how many times I've read act 16 to people. I don't know maybe thousands of times but you know what these these verses in the Bible you can learn something new from these verses and Look at act 16 first of all first point on act 16 verse 30 This is the Philippian Jailer the Disciples that just got thrown in prison. They got beaten half to death. They're singing praising, you know He wants to know how to get saved so he asked him he says and brought them out and said sirs what must I do to be saved and They said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved They didn't say okay, here's the acronym and It's this and it's this and it's this and how do you have a couple hours? You know and a PhD Or whatever But look what else he says look it's just believe that's it. We could just read. I mean just believe but look what he says then and Thy house, okay. Let's read a couple more verses just for fun Thou shalt believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house and they spake unto him the word of the Lord and To all that were in his house They all must have been chosen from the beginning of the world What are the odds of that seriously? There's all these people in his house and every single one of them were the chosen ones pretty good odds, right? I mean, I Mean, we know even a Calvinist. Look seriously. No, let's let's let's break down the numbers. Even a Calvinist would say That most people aren't going to heaven right brother stuck in I argue it's either 99 or 98 No, he's he's a pessimist. I'm an optimist. I think it's 98 percent of people. I'm probably wrong But the point is there's very few people that are saved One or two percent of people here. I don't even know what it's like in the other parts of the world It's probably worse But here's the point if one or two percent of people are saved What are the odds that every single one of the people in that house say there was ten people in that house? They're all part of that one percent that God chose from the beginning of the world. Are you kidding me? That's a miracle in itself Let's keep reading see what happens they get saved And he took them the same hour that of the night and washed their stripes That was the disciples and was baptized he and all his straight. They all got saved. It's a miracle It makes no sense at all I Mean you have to be just a willing fool You know, hopefully there's a lot of people they just don't know They just get that are in this doctrine that just they just have that moment where they just want to know what's true Because if you believe in Calvinism and you read the Bible you are one confused individual. I'll tell you that right now Calvinist read the book of Romans you're gonna be so confused throughout the whole book So look the Bible is an infinite book I just I just love it I love how you can just but God wants all to be saved The book of life was written it from the foundation of the world Everybody's names in it Some people get blotted out before they're dead Most people get blotted out after they die That first death, okay So we got those three verses out of the way We'll hit Romans chapter 8 next week. All right, let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father We thank you for the book of Romans We thank you for the Bible Lord and we thank you for the book of life and we thank you for telling us about it you know you put these things in the Bible Lord so we can we can study them and You know, it just it Lord. It just makes so much sense thank you for the for the logic of your word and And for the the Holy Spirit that you've given us so we can just it's it's so clear to us to understand these things Lord what I pray that anybody that is wrapped up in these doctrines would just put their put their pride aside and just you know have That moment in their life where they just want to know What's true? Where they want to just you know, God just tell me what's true and then Lord send them a soul winner You know bring more soul winners Lord bring more soul winners to this church And send a soul winner to that person when they humble their heart and we'll get we'll get the gospel to them Lord We'll do everything we can Lord. We thank you. We love you in Jesus name Amen