Sermon Tone Analysis

Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)

 

 

You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to learn Truth from the Word of God.

 

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth," (John 4:24)

 

 

 

Slave Market of Sin

 

       *The Godhead*

 

       IN OUR STUDY OF THE TRINITY we learned that God has both essence and Personality.

By essence we mean the characteristics or makeup of Deity.

Many passages of Scripture describe God in the plural, or as having separate Personalities.

Other passages describe Him as being One.

Whenever He is described as being One God, it is always a reference to His

essence or character.

In addition, God exists in three separate and distinct Personalities.

The First Person is called the Father; the Second Person, the Son; and the Third Person, the Holy Spirit.

Each member of the Godhead possesses all of the characteristics named in the essence box.

So we say that God is One in essence and Three in Personality.

(Eph 4:4-6)

 

       *The conference in eternity past *

 

       In eternity past the three members of the Godhead held a conference.

It was then that the Divine decrees were established.

(Acts 2:23; Eph 1:4; Eph 1:11; Eph 3:11; (1Pe 1:2) In Their omniscience, the Members of the Godhead looked down the corridors of time and saw man in a sinful condition: They saw him Spiritually dead and subject to eternal condemnation.

Because of the character of God, a plan was developed so that man could choose between eternal condemnation and eternal life.

*The plan*

 

       All three Members of the Godhead are involved in the plan.

God the Father is the author and designer of the plan; God the Son is the executor of the plan; and God the Holy Spirit reveals the plan to man.

This plan of grace includes three phases.

Phase One is Salvation and was provided by God the Son, Jesus Christ.

Born of a virgin, He was true God and perfect humanity; He lived a sinless life which reached its peak at the cross and was consummated by resurrection and ascension.

Phase One was executed by Jesus Christ, and for all who accept His work on their behalf, there is no eternal condemnation, but eternal life.

(Rom 8:1)

       Phase Two of the plan of God is designed for the believer in time, and begins at the moment of Salvation and continues throughout his earthly life.

This provision is a supernatural way of life in which God the Holy Spirit indwells and fills the believer for the purpose of function and service.

(Zec 4:6)

       Phase Three is eternity and is executed by God the Father.

It begins when the believer’s earthly life terminates, and will be wonderful beyond description!

(Rev 21:1-27)

       Because the members of the Godhead are gracious, every provision was made for man long before he existed.

Man was created without sin or the sin nature, and for an indefinite period of time man and woman enjoyed fellowship with Christ in the Garden.

What caused them to become alienated from God? (2Co 11:3) Their sin of disobedience to God’s expressed will! (Gen 2:17; Gen 3:6) Their negative volition toward God’s Command produced Spiritual death, (Gen 2:17) and they received Satan's sin nature; (John 8:44) and the inability to have fellowship with God in time.

Adam and Eve attempted to hide in the Garden first of all, behind a barrier of self-righteousness, (The first sin nature satanic thought: if we are right with each other; we will be right with God) represented by the aprons of fig leaves; (Gen 3:7) and next, behind a barrier of trees.

Yet they need not have hidden at all, for an even greater barrier now existed between them and God; the barrier of sin!

 

       *The barrier *

*http:~/~/www.dictionaryofdoctrine.com~/files~/Barrier.jpg*

 

       God is on one side of this barrier and man on the other.

You must understand that no one has ever removed this barrier by his own works or efforts.

No matter what his abilities, talents, ethics, conduct, assets, or any other factor, man is helpless.

(Psa 39:5) The removal of the barrier is solely the work of God, and apart from Divine intervention, man would face eternal condemnation.

As a teaching aid, let us say that the barrier is composed of the following six bricks.

1.

Sin: /“For all have sinned and fall short [Missed the mark] of the glory of God.”/ (Rom 3:23)

 

       2.

The Penalty of Sin: /“For the wages of sin is death . .

.” /(Rom 6:23)

 

       3.

Physical Birth: Man is born physically alive, but at the same time he is Spiritually dead, that is, without fellowship with God.

(Rom 5:12; Jas 2:26)

 

       4.

The Character of God, or His Divine essence: Man simply cannot measure up to the Divine characteristics of perfect God.

Remember that men are not created equal; some men are inherently more intelligent or more able than others.

But no man is as good as God; even Christ in His perfect human nature!

(Mark 10:18; Luk 18:19; Php 2:6-8)

 

       5.

Man’s Relative Righteousness: No matter how good man may be, his human righteousness is still lacking, so we call it -R.

6.

Man’s Position in Adam: His short physical life span versus eternal life — /“In Adam all die...” /(1Co 15:22) The fact that this barrier exists is very bad news.

By an act of sin, man erected the barrier; but because the members of the Godhead loved man even before his existence, provision was made for the removal of the barrier.

(1Co 1:30) This is the Gospel very good news

 

       *Grace found a way *

 

/       Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” /and you will know the Truth, [The Thinking of Christ] and the Truth will make you free."

[From the control of the old sin nature] (John 8:31-32)

 

       Jesus was making this remark to believers when a group of bystanders began kibitzing.

These observers were — the religious members of the Sanhedrin.

These Pharisees and Scribes were always dogging the footsteps of our Lord, seizing every opportunity to criticize and malign Him.

They were like many of the religious organizations in our country today who are critical of the Truth, constantly discrediting the Bible as the literal Word of God.

Once a person has received Christ as Savior, he must continuously study the Word of God if he is to discover and utilize the Divine operating assets available to him.

Jesus was emphasizing this point when He said, /“If you abide in My Word.”/

Based on the technical structure of the Koine, (Common) Greek language, every time you find the word “if” in the New Testament, it means one of four things:

 

       1.

First-class condition: “If” and it’s true.

 

       2.

Second-class condition: “If” and it’s not true.

3.

Third-class condition: “If,” maybe yes or maybe no.

       4.

Fourth-class condition: “If,” I wish it were true but it’s not.

To illustrate: In the great temptation of, (Matt 4:1-11) Satan said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God” — first-class condition — and You are! In, (1Jn 1:9) we find another example: “If we confess our sins” — this is potential, the third-class condition — maybe yes, maybe no!

Each class of these conditional phrases is important because it affects the meaning and translation of every “if” passage.

The “if” in, (John 8:31) is a third-class condition; this is the expression of volition and it should read literally, “If you continue in My Word — maybe you will, and maybe you won’t.”

Generally speaking, this is the picture of all believers; it is a matter of their free will.

Some choose to continue in the Word; they learn Divine operating assets and apply them with the result that they have a life of peace and power, strength and stability.

Other Christians are saved and have eternal life, but they have negative volition toward the Word of God and never “get with Thinking Truth.”

They live by their emotions and rationalizations.

The most miserable people in the world are Christians — those who make the decision not to continue in the Word.

On the other hand, the happiest people in the world are also Christians; those who make many positive decisions to learn and Think with the Mind of Christ.

(1Co 2:16)

 

       /And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.

(Form the control of Satan's system and the old sin nature) /(John 8:32)

 

       I remember that where I went to college, the liberal arts building had this phrase over the entrance.

I learned many things in that college; none of which ever liberated me from anything!

Of course, this Scripture is not referring to academic knowledge or philosophy.

“Truth” is a reference to the Word of God.

As Jesus used it here, it applied to the Doctrine of Divine Thinking, connected with Phase Two of the Divine plan --- the operating assets for the believer in time.

Knowledge of these Thoughts provides liberty and freedom to serve the Lord and grow to Spiritual maturity!

However, /“know the Truth”/ also has another application: the Truth is the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Jesus said to him,/ “I Am the way, and the Truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” /(John 14:6) Jesus was saying in effect, “When you know Me, I liberate you.

You shall be made free.”

Jesus continues His discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees as they arrogantly attack His Words.

*The four enslavements*

 

       They answered Him, /“We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free’?”