The Lord's Prayer - Our Sanctification (Lesson 10 continued)

Alright, lesson 10. We'll start, because I didn't think we got started, so we'll start at question 1. For those who don't have the questions, what would you say is the source and spring from which all blessings flow to us? Oh, yeah. These are questions for this week. If you don't have a copy of the questions, they're coming around in case I don't read the question. What would you say is the source and spring from which all blessings flow? There you go. We like that. So how do we get those blessings? What is the source of our life? Our union with Christ. Bingo! That's what, you know, it is. All blessings flow from the Father, but how do we get that? We have a union with Him.

And that is the thing, as I was saying in my prayer, that, you know, it's one of those things when you really try and grab a hold of that, that is amazing. When you look at John 17, which we've been going through, It is mind-boggling to me when you read that prayer, all the significance to us. This class is identification, and I think John 17, the reason why Mike put it in there, is this gives us one of the most intimate looks at our identification with Christ.

We spent a lot of time at the beginning of this class saying our identification with Adam. I think even Bob mentioned that yesterday in the service. Our identification with Adam and all that entails and the depths of that identification. All of us were born into Adam. All of us had that identification, and that's 100%. We've gone through in several messages or the classes discussing what that means and the beauty of Adam.

You know, everything, when we look at Adam, there is nothing good about Adam. And we were talking about it, I think, some of the things yesterday. We talk, and I think Bob may have mentioned it in what brought it up, was those who don't know the Lord, they think they have free will. They don't. They're in complete... Oh, maybe it was with you guys.

The free will and how false that is. When you're a non-believer, you are in complete bondage. All you can do is sin. And when we looked at Adam, That's all you could do. You have no freedom. All you can do is sin. And there's nothing that you can do but sin.

And the identification part, we've pounded this in and I hope it's getting in. It's something you can't wash off. It's something that you can't fix up. There's something that you can't put over you. You can't put a different pair of clothes on and look better than Adam. There's nothing you can do.

The identification is 100% through and through. The only way you can get out of Adam is by what? Death. That's the only way. Otherwise, you know, and we went in the beginning in Genesis about like produces like. Well, there's nothing, I mean, and Adam just produces Adam and Adam and Adam and Adam. There's nothing you can do, so you can't get out of that syndrome. There's no program. I think I had in one of my lessons, you know, what is the program that will help you fix up Adam? Name the program. It's the purpose-driven life, yes, that's it.

For a while there, it's the prayer of Jabez and all these different things, but none of those get us out of our identification with Adam. There's nothing we can do, so death is the only way out. That's the only way out of our identification with Adam. The beauty of that is we are then identified with Christ, and the depth of that identification is just the same.

Like produces like. This is a principle that God has instilled and he says in Genesis about like produces like. This is a principle. We now are a new creature in Christ. We are completely new and our identification is just as deep and that's why we go into such detail about our identification with Adam and how deep that is. Now you flip it over to our union with Christ, and that identification is exactly the same. It's exactly as deep. We have everything that's true about Christ, except for the deity, is true about us. Where like produces like.

And so, when we get into the The union part, it is magnificent to us as believers, reading John 17. When you read that, there's so many things about Christ saying about the union with his Father, but then the thing that goes on is we're in him, we have those same relationships. that union. I just love the intimacy in which he's talking to the Father, but then, I forget which verse it is, he basically says, and not only those, but those who believe, that's us.

He's latching us on to that prayer. And everything he's saying there is talking about the same thing for us, and that intimacy. So the source of all the blessings comes from that union. Everything we have is from the Father, but we have now a union. When you read in John 17, again, it gets kind of confusing when you actually start reading it, the eyes and those and us and this and we and them and the we, blah, blah. But it's just this constant description of our union with Christ.

Our union with Christ is where everything stems from. That's when we'll get to it. We'll get to it in a question or two here. Question two, what has Christ bestowed upon us that was given Him by the Father? What was given to Him? Somebody read John 17, 22-26.

Lord, which Thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I am them, and Thou are me, that Thou may be perfect in heart, and let me know that Thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved me. Father, I pray that they also, who Thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given me. For Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Okay, you know, again, just when you, you know, it's one of these things, and I think I bugged Mike last week about that, the, whatever the miles thing is, it's come to this, we have to, we have to trust God and what he says, or whatever, I forget, I paraphrase that. It's come to this, we need to trust God.

Well, when you read these things, do you really believe what he's saying there? Do you believe that? I mean, last week when we were going over the lesson, after I was reading John 17, do I believe that? Do you believe that you have a union as close as the Father is to the Son? Do you have that same union with Him? Do you believe that?

Lot of blank faces. Lot of blank faces. It's true. It is true. It's not something... Sorry, Andrew, we keep using your dad. I mean, he's face-to-face with them. We aren't. By faith now. But it's true of us. It's true. You have that union. And it's not something we have to do. We go through all the things with the old man. The old man wants to do something. The old man always wants to have something to do. That's what he gets his life from.

What do we have to do for this union? Believe. It's the only non-meritist act that we can do, is believe. That's the only thing. There's nothing we can do, nothing that deserves work or merit that gets us to this union. It's only by believing. That's the only thing. It's easy. So why do we not believe it? Why do we not revel in that? Why do we not have peace in that? I mean, do you believe that?

Yeah, yes, but then it's like, wow, today I'm, you know, I've got, that's going to be a tough day. I better do stuff, you know. Boy, I better learn, in my example, I better learn five verses today because the Lord will smile a little better on me if I just learn five verses. Man, I'm in trouble. I've gotten out of that mode a lot, but I still have a lot of the baggage when the old man goes, hey, hey, you've got to do something, you've got to do something. This whole lesson is about the union and what that means and what we have in that.

Going back to the question now, what has Christ bestowed upon us that was given Him by the Father? If you look at John 17, 22, glory, and the glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, and that they may be one, just as we are one." Again, union in here, they may be one, just as we are one. Identification, identification, we're identified with it. And what do we receive? The glory of the Father, He is bestowing upon us. that it may be the element in which we are to be qualified for union and communion with the Father himself. Thus, every believer in Jesus Christ shall be united to God as closely and as blessedly as it is possible for the creature to enjoy."

So, he's bestowed. Okay, now we go to mind-boggling number two. Not only do you have the union, but what is he bestowed upon you? Glory. Whoa, ratchet up the wow factor by another one. You know, you now have not only this union, but he's bestowed his glory. When you woke up this morning, did you feel the glory bestowed upon you? Before that first cup of coffee, did you feel that glory bestowed upon you? Yes? No? No? Some people would say glory. Well, some of you wake up and it's just glory that you wake up. A lot of times I'm that way. I'm not a morning person. What is it, Hugh Hewitt? Morning glory, evening grace, I think it is. Thank you, Lord, waking up and that I actually woke up today.

No, it's another thing. This is the intimacy of what we see in this prayer and our identification. This is all about identification, remember. Let's go again. Are these things that are going to happen to you or that you will get when we step into eternity? No. Do you believe that? We don't act like it. Oh, I know. See, that's the whole thing.

See, this is where we quickly gravitate into position and condition talks. Our position is where? We are seated in the heavenlies. Our position and condition, with our position, and we'll get into that later in this class, not this one, but later, with the 34 things that you have immediately when you believe in the Lord.

Chaffer put together. Louis Spirit Chaffer. And those are things that are true of you right now. Right now. Those are just 34 quick things that are true of you right now. And a lot of them are positional truths. Seated in the heavenlies, all these different things that we have immediately right now. Identification with Him. All these things are right now positionally.

Now, we flip over to the condition side. Condition is a whole other thing. Condition is our moment-by-moment abiding in Christ, and how we walk, our basic walk. That can go left, right, based on are we listening to the old man and what he wants, versus in Christ and focused on Christ. So there's two different aspects there that we'll look at.

But so many things are true of us right now, and I don't think the vast majority of us believe it. And when I wake up, do I really believe I have the glory bestowed on me? Man, before that coffee, I don't think so. I'm real grouchy sometimes before that. It's like Mike with his Dr. Pepper. I get nervous with him when he shows up with a Coke or something. Maybe that's what he did. He had a bad Coke yesterday or something. Not a Dr. Pepper, so he's suffering from that.

Okay, question number three, is there something beyond glory? We have glory bestowed upon us. Is there anything beyond that? The second question is, is there something greater than the glory of God? Yeah, glory bestowed upon us. Is there something? We're one with them, not just here you go and you're off on your own or whatever. We're one. Exactly. That I think is the union. This union, because that entails everything. Our union with Him, that's everything. Mike had a note here from Rutherford, a quote from him.

We have been in the habit of regarding glory as the end and ultimate climax of all that grace and love of God can do for us or cause us to attain unto. If such has been our idea, we are altogether wrong. Here we are taught that there is something beyond glory, even union with the God of glory, and that the glory given to Christ has been given by Christ to His people as a means and qualification for the realization, the enjoyment, and the manifestation of union with the Father. Again, it goes back to the union. The union, our identification with Him, What more could you have?

I mean, that's everything. We have the intimacy with Christ that Christ and the Father had. I mean, there are lots of times I'm crying out to the Lord and He knows everything about me. He knows everything I'm doing. He knows everything before I know it. The intimacy of which we have with Christ, that same intimacy is portrayed here in 17 as the intimacy that Christ and the Father have.

Do you feel that? And it's not a feeling, I shouldn't, I hate that word, feeling. Feelings especially are just blech. Because feelings go left and right, up and down, you know, which way the wind is blowing. Do you know that is a better thing, a better term. Do you know that? Do you rest in that? is the bigger question. Do you rest in that fact when the trials come? Do you rest in that when the blessings come?

Even bigger problem, I think. I call it the blessings trap. You get all these blessings, and boy, you're just flying high. But you forget to thank the Lord. You forget to do all this stuff. You think it's it. I think the blessings are worse than the trials sometimes. Because the trials you know, and you know you have to rely on the Lord. In blessings, you're suddenly flying by yourself, thinking it's great. So I tend to think blessings sometimes are more of a problem than the trials are. Trials, automatically, you go to the Lord. In blessings, a lot of times you think you're great and wonderful.

I call it the Nebuchadnezzar Syndrome. I do that in business when I get a big contract or I get some big thing, and I'm flying high and I'm driving away from the contract and all that's great, and I'm thinking, man, I'm great. I'm good. I'm really good. About halfway through it's, thank you Lord, you've done this.

Nebuchadnezzar, if you remember that, he goes out and looks at his great empire and he's on the roof and he goes, man, look at what I've done. He's with the beast of the field. He's a cow. He's munching on grass because of all the wonders that he thought he did. And it wasn't until when he looked up. Was that seven years or how many years was it? Seven years? Seven years that he was munching grass before he looked up and said, oh, I forgot something. So a lot of times I do that too. I'm hopefully not driving down the road turning into a cow or getting off the side of the road and grazing, but I do think of that a lot. Blessings sometimes become more problematic than trials.

But again, the union is the key here. The union is what is the ultimate... gift to us. We are now identified with Him. We have that union. I implore you to read through John 17 and the intimacy which he's sharing with the Father. Put yourself in that position. Think of yourself in that same relationship. He's pouring out His heart to the Father. And you have that same intimacy with Him. You can have that same intimacy with Christ. Think of that when the trials come and the blessings. This union, you have the identification with Him.

Number four. What then is the glory He has given to us? First of all, all the glory arising from the fact that, and if somebody can look up, Philippians 2, 6-8. Philippians 2, 6-8. Philippians 2, 6-8. but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a blond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself as he came, obedient to the point of death, even death in the cross."

Okay, the glory came from the fact that what did Christ do? What did he do from those verses? He emptied himself and took on the form of man, becoming a bondservant. He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even on the cross." So, the fact that we get this glory is because Christ stepped out of heaven, took on the form of man, humbled himself, went to the cross, and what happened on the cross?

Your sin, my sin, all the sins of everybody. Mike's favorite friend across the street's sins. Everybody's. It came on Christ. He took the form of man, took all the sin, and paid the price. That's how he humbled himself. He humbled himself, one, by taking on the form of man, and also took all the sins of all the world for all times. The ones even we're going to do tomorrow, the next day, 20 years from now. All that's on him. Humbled himself and died and paid the sin for that. Yeah, I think about that too, the intimacy. We talk about the intimacy now, the union that we have.

Can you imagine at the time that Christ is on the cross and he realizes that for the first time, basically, his father has to turn his back on him when he takes sin? And he's totally alone at that point. And the wrath of God has to be poured out upon him. Man, can you imagine that? From all eternity, you have this union. And at some point, Christ takes all the sin upon us in the form of a man, and God has to pay the price. You look at John 17, the intimacy.

What about that time when he was on the cross and God had to pour out His wrath upon him with all that sin? Man, what He did for us, the love He had for us. Again, I go back to the definition of love should be Christ when you look in the dictionary. Because what he did on the cross humbled himself, as it says here. And death on the cross for us. So that's how we attain glory, is because of what he has done, not what we have done.

Romans 5.8? But God commanded that the love for us in the world would be at seven days to Christ's hour. So, all the fruit of that infinite sacrifice, which has satisfied justice, glorified the law, and commended the love of God. So, through that act, He shows us His love. As I said, the definition of love should be Christ in the dictionary. There is no better definition of love than Christ.

All the fruits of his conquest of death and hell and the world and the flesh. He dealt with all that on the cross. All the fruits of his exaltation to the right hand of the majesty in the heavens. These are all things that are done through the cross and through Christ and how we get that glory.

Somebody for Romans 8.29 now. So these are all the things in the glory, what He's given us in the glory. It's the fruits, the love, all these different things.

And then Romans 8.29, somebody? So, what do you also have? You'll be predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Wow.

I looked in the mirror this morning. The time period we have here on earth is that period of spiritual growth or beginning the conformity to his image. A lot of days, like I said, I look in the mirror and it's not... But that's not the outward appearance.

It's your inward relationship with Him, the intimacy with Him. I think, as we talked a little bit, I think yesterday we talked to several people, but I think the conformity to Christ starts with our understanding of what we're going through here in the class, the identification truths, I think without those, I think you're going down several paths that are not necessarily heading for spiritual growth. They are fixing up the old man. If you don't know in Romans 6 that you were crucified, the old man was crucified with Christ on the cross, You're going to spend your life trying to fix up the old man. I mean, it's evident in much of the teaching today. And Micah said, and I've said too, you know, go to the bookstore. Go to the Christian bookstore today.

What is it? Help. Help. How to. How to what? how to clean up the old man. It is not developing intimacy with the one you have union with. It is not. And I think the fallacy that most teachers, Churches now, they don't have the identification down. They're trying to fix up the old man. And if you're doing that, are you going on a path that's going to develop intimacy with Christ, this conformity to Christ? I don't think so.

I speak from experience. A little bit of my past. I was an elder at a Plymouth Brethren church. pride of self and a lot of Bible knowledge and Bible studies. But I have the flat forehead to prove that a lot of those things were just hitting the wall. Another program, another study to try and get better. And I raise my hand. Until coming here and really getting the identification truths, have the scars on my back from years of trying to improve probably the old man and not resting.

I have more peace now than I've had in 20 years of knowing the Lord. Because I don't have to work. It's so stupid. It's so easy. That's why I say if you really read this and believe it, why don't we do that? It's so easy. Why do we want to work? Why do we want to beat our heads on the wall? Why do we want to struggle? You know, the intimacy with Christ gives us rest and peace that surpasses all knowledge. Right now, I have more peace than I've ever had. And that doesn't mean I don't have trials. I mean, we all have trials. But in the trials, it's so much easier. I rest.

And the identification with Him is, it's not what I do. It's what's Christ in me doing. And when I have that, when I really truly understand Romans 6 and the identification or crucifixion of the old man, I don't have to listen to that old guy. I don't need to fix him up. He's crucified. And when you realize that, it is so much easier. I just can't explain it unless you know that piece from Christ.

It's not working on the old man anymore. I think many churches and many programs don't... don't realize the Romans 6 and read it for what it says. And I think Mike said that several times. He hands the Bible to somebody and reads 6. What does that say? What does that say? That we were crucified with Christ. Do you believe that? Mike and I get into this whole argument a lot of times.

He thinks grace is the most misunderstood thing in the world. I think Romans 6 and our crucifixion is the most misunderstood thing. Grace is the second one. After you realize that, grace I think is then misunderstood. We don't understand grace. We were going through a study on Tuesday on grace. And as I said in my prayer, I think what would come up, the only thing you can say to grace is what? Thank you. What can I do for more grace? Thank you. There's nothing you can do for more of it. So I go back to the foundation. This class is, I think, of a critical importance to the starting point of spiritual growth.

Because once you realize your identification with Adam, and the crucifixion, and the removal of Adam, I mean, we still have two natures. The crucifixion is just rendered powerless. I don't know if you guys went through that story with the captain. Some of you guys have been through the class. It was a good picture of what that crucifixion means. It's not death and separation. We have only one nature now. That is not true. The crucifixion means it's basically There's nothing you have to do to the old man.

The story going that I think is apropos to this is, it's like a sea captain. He's going down. They're floating down, going through, and the captain is found guilty. And so they remove him. They tie him to the mast of the ship. He's tied up. He's no longer the captain of the ship. They have a new captain. So you're the crew. You listen to the new captain. You do not have to listen to the old captain. He's still alive, tied up, restrained on the mast. But he says, you walk by, hey, hey. Come here. Why don't you scrub the deck? Why don't you do this? You don't have to listen to him anymore.

He is not the captain. He's restrained. He's powerless. He's not the captain. But he's still alive. I think that was one of the examples or analogies that helps kind of show the two natures in us. He's still alive. You don't have to listen to him. You're not in bondage to him, but he's still there. You don't want to get into when Romans 6 and the crucifixion, you have to look at what it really means.

It's not death, so it's not a one nature. We're not a one nature creature now. We actually have two. Because if you believe the one nature, why are you still dancing when the music stops? Why do you still do those sins? If you're a new creature and that's all you've got, why do you sin? So there's two natures. There's a lot of people who try to justify that. It's old baggage, it's memories, it's all sorts of things. A new creature doesn't have any of that. No old baggage, no old memories. It's a new creature, new in kind.

Get on a little tangent there, sorry. Okay, question five. Is the Lord's request only for strong and deeply taught Christians only? Absolutely, thank you. Okay, question six. No. In verse 21, that they may all be one, even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us. Again, does your Bible have extra footnotes on that little thing? Just kidding. Does it have qualifiers on that? That only people who go to Holly Hills get that? Only people who memorize three scriptures a day. Only those who go to the rescue mission and serve. Only those who teach. Only those who... Read from the King James. See any qualifiers on that? Is there any qualifier on that? No. Do you have to be the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Christianity to be? Do you have to be the giant? Do you have to be anything? Do you have to be a growing Christian? You can be a backsliding Christian.

Really it is, and it's kind of a comforting thought as you do some of those things. The union is not broken. You are still of the same union. It doesn't put qualifiers on there to what you have to do. And that's the comforting part of this. It takes you out of it. You just have to rest.

Late-breaking mother news. In grace and love. You know, the Lord's Prayer is not for strong or deeply taught believers, but for the weakest and the feeblest and the most unlearned of all the redeemed family. The weak and the strong in one glorious bond of union by the Spirit through the Savior to the Father.

Does that give you rest? It's not that you have to be a Hal Malloy, a Vern Peterman, who knows far more than I could ever imagine. You don't have to be a spiritual giant to receive this union in any way, shape or form. Rest. It's not. You know, you've got this the day you believed. And it's non-revocable. You know, that's another thing that we always beat each other up on.

Man, I am not in union because I did something really dumb yesterday. I did something really bad today. Is that union broken? Does it say that it's only for those who are walking today in a strong union with Him? It doesn't. Rest in the fact that it's nothing that you do. This is something that we have the minute we believe. Non-refundable, non-revocable. You can't wash it off. You can't do anything. I mean, you can put a coat over it, Be stupid. You can do things like that, but if you take all that off, you're still in union with Christ. Rest in that. Rest in that fact.

Alright, number six. What is perfection? What is perfection? Bowling a 300. Batting a thousand. What is perfection? Perfection is in Christ. I think Mike had a few definitions here I should look at. It's a function, it's a noun. The quality or state of being perfect, lacking in no essential detail, as freedom from fault or defect. flawless, maturity, the quality or state of being saintly, an exemplification of supreme excellence, an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence, the act or process of perfecting. Are those good definitions?

I don't think so. I think our perfection is the full design in the new creature. Our full design in Christ. I had to be made complete. That is perfection. We are completed in Christ. That is where perfection is. It's nothing that we do. Again, if it relies on us, it ain't going to be perfect. In verse 23, what does that they may be perfect in one mean? Now that we've defined perfect as in Christ, but what does it mean, perfect in one, in verse 23? Is that perfect a noun or a verb?

I'll find out. Might try a different translation. Made perfect is the noun in one. Made perfect is a verb. Perfect, passive, participle, Passive, participle, masculine, plural, nominative. The one is an adjective, descriptive. So it is not... Well, to be made is passive, which means what? Passive means you don't do anything. Passive means the subject receives the action. So we have been made perfect, is something that is done to us. So do we do anything? No. And one is the adjective, which basically is descriptive. What's the unity mean? The unity? I have a version here that says perfected in unity.

Yeah, and that's it. It's the same as one. One is in the new America. That's kind of scary because that means all of us are. Wow. You know, you better get right and look around. Yeah. You know. But I think Mike talked about that last week even. That is kind of scary. Not scary, I shouldn't say that. It is something, and I think we went over that last week.

Do you know when you go to, when I travel and I'm away from here or something, it's just not the same. Or when you meet on a trip, you meet a fellow believer, isn't it kind of that automatically kind of, you know them. It's not like somebody who is a non-believer. It's just not the same. But once you know it's a believer, it is kind of like family.

We are going to be, we better get used to each other. Although, I think about that. We better get used to each other. So if you think I'm irritating, you've got an eternity to deal with me. But really, the part is, these shells are going to be gone. you know, all the imperfections, all the, you know, bad mustache, crazy hair, all those things are gone. We now, when we step into eternity, as I say, we'll shirk these shells and there won't be the old man, there won't be any of the imperfections. Are you going to tell me quickly it's going to be lovable? It could be. It could happen. It is, though. I'll get into the esoteric parts. I'm crazy. We get into this, Mike and I, and I may have gone over it the last time. It's kind of a weird thought. Just that very thought.

What goes through when you step into eternity? I mean, you can tell. because of an amount of transfiguration. We can identify people, but they weren't glorified. It's a different deal now. When I step into eternity, And I just have the image of Christ. I am conformed. I have no imperfections, no sin. What's left? I mean, Courtney has certain attributes. He does things, he's weird, he's strange, he's whatever.

Does that step through into eternity? What does go through? Because the difference between when Ben and I step into eternity. I'm going to be good looking. What actually goes through? It's kind of a weird thought. I haven't gotten a good answer. Because we're all going to be different. We're all there. We have essential identities to each and every one of us. But I think...

Most of my life is pretty imperfect. My thoughts, my life, all my history is clouded and shaded with a sin nature. Well, when I step into eternity and I have this perfect union, face to face, will I recognize Courtney? I mean, I don't know. What does go through? Because, I mean, most of my past, my history is tainted with sin and with stupid thoughts. You know, that goes through. I mean, I think we will be so focused on the Lord that that's the number one thing. I mean, that's it. But I'm going to be there. Ben's going to be there. Andrew's going to be there. Davis is going to be there.

We're all different. But what's left after we step into eternity? We use your dad, Andrew, but he smoked cigars. He was a gambler. All the history that's with him, it formed his personality. When you step into eternity, What's left? When we believe though, don't we have a new history now? Yes. It's Christ's history. Yes, it absolutely is. But we're still individuals. And what makes that individuality in eternity? Now you guys will all be up all night going, hmm. I wonder what that is. Didn't Paul say, also I am known, and I'm not sure of the context, but there's some mention of our identity, though in Christ, so I'm not sure.

That's the million dollar question to me, and I'm sorry to leave you with that perplexing non-answer. I'll just let you go now, it's the second bell, let's go, see ya. I do apologize, but that's one of the things which is, it is kind of interesting. What is left?

I mean, will Ben look good when he steps into attorney? Well, you know, the other is, will we, I think we'll be able to identify individuals still. And that's the kind of the quirky part, is that you'll still be able to identify people, without all the sin nature, without all the shells that we have and all that.

He had not risen, ascended and glorified, but Christ had a body that went through walls and all this, still had the marks. That's the other thing that I always think of. The only man-made things in heaven will be the nail prints that we put in Christ. Thomas, you know, still have the nail prints, but now in the glorified body, whether he still has those marks. But he's not glorified yet, so the analogy falls down a little bit, that he hadn't been glorified yet, risen, or ascended. So whether a new body knew, I don't know.

Now I've perplexed you. I didn't mean to leave you with an unanswered question. I think we're going to get the bill. Any other questions or thoughts? Or we didn't get through as many thoughts, questions. What's that? You know, you know, you know, the other thing is the fascination with that is we always think that, you know, there's a song. It's Audio Adrenaline or one of those. They'll play in football and tables, whatever that song is. I'm going to play football. I'm going to play and food and all this kind of good stuff. I don't think we're going to be thinking about football up there.

I just have this crazy idea that our main focus will be Christ. I don't know how much it is going to be worried about. We're going to see other saints, but are we going to be really even worried that I have to sit next to Ben for eternity? Do I really need to worry about that? I shouldn't probably worry about that now. I don't think I'm going to be looking at Ben. I'm going to be looking at Christ. So anyway, why don't we close with a prayer here?

Father, we thank you for just the knowledge that you get of our union with you. Father, it's come to this. We just have to trust you and what your word says. And we just thank you for the magnificent truths that you have about us. As we know your son, we are conformed to him. Father, there is so little we have to do. The only thing we have to do is believe. We put so many restrictions and burdens on ourselves. Father, all you've asked us to do is believe in what you've said.

John 17 with your prayer with the Son. We just revel in the intimacy that you and your Son have, and we have that same intimacy with you now. We can come boldly before you anytime, anyplace, anywhere, and have that same intimacy. We just thank you for these great truths that you have. Father, we just rest in them. Again, the only thing we can say is thank you. We just thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.