You In Christ and Christ In You

Lesson 12, and we are at question 10. Is that right? All right. And we are going over John 17, 21 through 26. Question 10 of lesson 12. What is the great promise to believers given by Christ in verse 26? Verse 26, and I've made known made your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which you love me may be in them, and I in them." So what is the promise? It's not a trick question. You're so silent. You know, I'm not like Mike. I won't bite you. I won't hit. I won't do any of those mean things that Mike does. That's why I always sit three rows back, because, you know, he will punch me.

Yes? To see the glory? We will get that. What does it say in this verse? Yes, and the first part, which is the one that I think is amazing. What was the first thing she said? The love of God. The love of God. Now remember, this is Christ praying to the Father. I made known your name to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which you love me may be in them. So, he's saying the love between the Father and the Son, which is you know, from eternity past, intimacy that they have, the love that they have, He's going to give it to us, that may be in us.

My question is, always, do you believe this? Do you believe this? This day, when the trials come, do you believe that? Or is it only on Easter morning you feel that love? That's what it says, only on Easter morning. You get that. Or only on those days where you have blessings. When it's a great day, you have that love, right? Is that what the verse says? Stipulations to this? Only if you do 59 things this morning, you read your Bible this morning for two hours, you get this love?

No. No. You know, when we went through John, it was amazing how many things that we receive and there's nothing we do for it, which fits perfectly into what? Grace. We get this. There's no stipulations. You know, in salvation, how many of you, we talk about that. All through John, the invitation that he gives, it's always without any qualifiers. Just believe. That's the only thing. Faith. By faith, believe. There's nothing about, you have to clean up your act, You have to dress this way, walk this way, talk this way before you receive salvation. There's none of that.

We see it now in this, in his prayer, what he's talking about. The love between the father and the son. He wants that. He's saying, in them. Who's them? That's us. And it's with no prequalifiers. That's what I love about it. It's not if we're doing this, or if we're doing that, or there's not a cause and effect. It's given to us.

Do you believe that? In the blessings, and in the trials, in everyday life, do you believe that? Do you feel that love? Do you understand that love? Yeah? When it says that the love within you The love wherewith thou hast loved me may be ended. But it seems like what you're saying is more like we receive what we receive, like blessings and stuff. But yet, the way I was kind of wondering, is it like we are capable of demonstrating The next question I have is, how can this love be in us? And that goes with that question, how can this love be in us? And that'll answer the question about what, just what you're talking about. How is it in us?

To me it's a question of not what you feel. Right. That's why I kind of, I reneged a little bit on the feeling. It's not as much, it's in us. It's not, it's a part of us. It is not, you know, I think there is a, a feeling part of it, but that's not the key.

But I want to go back to how does this love get in us? Christ being in us. So what have we been talking about? What is the name of this? What part of this class are we in right now? Identification. That's how it gets in us. And so, you know, and understand this goes back to, this all relates back to the identification part. What is identification? Our death, burial, resurrection. New creatures in Christ.

Our life is His life. So, if that's true, it makes it very easy to understand this principle. That how can the love between the Father and the Son be in us? Whose life is our life? Christ. So if that's true, it's very easy to understand this principle, how love can be in us. Then, I think the second half of your question is, well, then what does that mean? Well, if we're walking in the Spirit, if we're walking in the Spirit in the new creation life, what will we do? We'll manifest that love.

And it's not an effort. It's who we are in Christ. This helps us to stop trying. See, that's why, you know, this is why we go through this, is the identification. If you understand all this, new creatures in Christ, then we walk into, as we're going into position and condition, but then also, you know, so the condition part, and then also the grace part. It makes it a lot easier to understand that, because it's not an effort. It's who we are, in Christ.

It's automatic. Well, it's automatic when you're abiding in Him. We have two natures, that there's always this conflict. I mean, I wish it was automatic that I'd always abide in Christ. But there's always, you know, and I think as we mature more, we have the tendency to walk and abide more, because the lust of the world and all these things become less and less, because our focus is on Christ. And then we tend to, yeah, those things that drew us away now, I find as I'm less and less drawn away, I mean I still am, I do stupid things and sin and do all these things, but I think as we mature, our focus becomes more and we just do those things. I always think that it's not an effort, it's kind of like breathing. You don't think about breathing, you just do. Well, as we abide in Christ, we manifest the love, the fruit of the Spirit, all those things, because that's who we are, in Christ. and the new creature?

Ephesians 15, 16, and 17 fit that? What you're describing right there? Go ahead and read that. Okay, it says here, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is made, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with the might of his Spirit in the inner man. that Christ might dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye be rooted and grounded in love."

Ephesians is that look from heaven down. So that's who we are. We're looking down. Positionally, that's where we sit. We're seated in heavenlies now. This goes back to our identification with Him, we're immediately seated positionally in the heavenlies. And that's where, when you look at Ephesians, we're blessed with all spiritual blessings. Positionally, that's where we are.

So that's always, I love that, that's always the thing. What more do you want than all? Is there a supplement to all that I don't understand? I always kind of chuckle about that. The blessings we are more in our conditional, our walk. We want the blessings here. Alright, so did Marla then answer your question? Alright. Question 11. What is the connection between what Christ is praying for here and what Paul is describing in Romans 6, 1-6? I'll read that. From Romans 6, what shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be. How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin." So how does that, what he's praying for here, how does that relate to the Romans 6 one?

Again, it stuns. It seems to me like it's all about our identification with you. She gets the prize. Yeah. Because none of this happens if we're not identified with them. None of this. If you aren't identified, and again, as I go back to this new new position we're in. And it all goes back to identification.

Once we understand this identification, Mike and I talked about this a little bit on some other discussions we had, you know, it always comes back to this identification because that eliminates a lot of the, not errors, but other thoughts about, you know, works or, you know, we were talking about overcomers and all these different things that come up. If you go back to the identification, it all roots back to the identification. If you know you're identified with Him, in Christ, and I always challenge you to go back and look at, you know, if you have a Bible program or something, do the in Hymns and in Christ or, you know, any of those, and you'll see all these blessings are in Him. There's so many that are in Him. And it goes back to the identification. What does that mean, in Him? the identification.

We have been our co-crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, newness of life, new creatures in Christ. So all this that he's talking about, and you look through John 17 and it is just rife with I in him, I in us, and we in I, and I in you, and you and I, union, union, union, identification. Romans 6 just tells you how you got there. John kind of tells you in this prayer all the beauty of what that means. Paul then says in Romans, this is how you got there. In Romans 6, in our identification.

Everybody good? Isn't the Holy Spirit the identifier of who we are in that sense of the term? Isn't the Holy Spirit the one that He's the one who convicts us. We identify ourselves through Christ, through Him. Without Him, you're not identifiable. It's a gift that you get when you are saved. Our identification is with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us, who is given to us as the Helper, the Comforter.

The one who... Another Comforter. That's who He is. But our identification is with Christ. So the Holy Spirit is the one who helps us with scripture or anything. He's the one who does the work here. Fair enough. I would say that it's the Spirit of God who perpetuates the action. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the one who baptizes us into Christ, unites us to Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. subsequent to that. He's the one that explains to us through the word what he did. Yeah. And shows us what reality is. Yeah. Do you agree with that bud? That's what I understand too. Yeah. That's what we all understand.

But again, I think I go back to identification. Our identification is with Christ. That's who we're identified. I think the Holy Spirit is the one who affects and does and supports and you know, but I go back to our identification is with Christ. That's who we're identified with.

And that's the Spirit's job, to reveal Christ to the believer. I think that's a great term. It's Him to reveal Christ to us. So the Holy Spirit is the facilitator? I think so, yeah. If you look in John 14 or 16 there, it says, He'll take up mine and reveal it unto you.

It's just a beautiful passage there. Yeah, we did a study on the Holy Spirit and I was amazed at what all the Holy Spirit does. I mean, you know, we think we have so much to do, No. You know, I look at this, and it was the Holy Spirit doing it all. I'm just in the way. That's my main thing that I do now, is just get in the way. It's the Holy Spirit that does all this. I just have to believe. If I do that, guess what? The Holy Spirit's free to do so much. I keep thinking, I have to do so much. It's not. All right. Lesson 13.

Now that we've gotten through chapter 17, I hope this doesn't sidebar too much, but could you just trot through once again the comparison of John 17 to the Lord's Prayer in Matthew and why 17 is more current with where we are. I guess my question is, who is the Lord's Prayer in Matthew? Who is that addressed to? Is that to us?

No, it's addressed to the Jewish people for the kingdom. If they would have accepted him as Messiah the first time around, so to speak, and the kingdom would have come right then. And it's that kind of behavior that he expects. It was an example for the Jews. His audience was the Jews.

So most people take that out of context. It's like everything, you have to see who they address. It's like the Beatitudes. Who are the Beatitudes to? Is that for us today? No. No. But a lot of people, oh, you know, blessed are they who, you know, blessed are they who. I go back to what I just said.

Blessed are they. Don't we have all spiritual blessings? put the puzzle pieces together. It doesn't fit to us who are new creatures in Christ with all spiritual blessings to be blessed. Also, it doesn't fit us being under grace in that those are causes and effects. If you do this, you will be blessed. If you do this, you will be blessed. If you do this, you will be blessed. That's not us under grace. It's not a picture of us under grace. The Lord's Prayer in Matthew is not for us. Oh my gosh, so we shouldn't say a prayer then?

No, no, no, no, no, wait, no. That particular one. The Kingdom Come is already here. It was already there when he died, right? What was that? Thy Kingdom Come? Didn't we get the Kingdom? No, Thy Kingdom. It's for the Jewish Kingdom to come. To come. Yeah, the Millennial Kingdom. So it's silly then to say that prayer. In the vein of, yes, that's what he told us to do. That was for the Jews. And for us to repeat that is really not for us.

17 is much more the Lord's Prayer for us, showing us the intimacy that we have with Christ and the Father. That's why 17 is a beautiful part of what we have. through our identification with Him. All these, the love within Him, the joy, all these things He promises in 17, that's for us.

So there is a big contrast. Yes, a lot of the world takes the Lord's Prayer and makes it this, well, you know, it fits in with all of this stuff with our grace. This is what you do. If you say the Lord's Prayer and you do 15 spiritual push-ups, God will bless you. Does that fit under grace?

No. No. I go back to my intimacy with Christ, where we can call Abba Father. I didn't go to my earthly father, my dad, when he was alive. He didn't say, OK, come to me, son, and say it this way. He didn't do that. I can come to Him and talk to Him anyway.

And so the misinterpretation of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew is that this is the structure and this is the way you have to do it. It was for the Jews and for the Millennial Kingdom to come. For us, we have the ability through the Spirit to come to the Father and say, Abba, Father, Daddy. I have the intimacy to come to Him, the God of the universe, and say, Dad, I don't even understand this.

I don't have to put it in flowery words. It took me years to figure this out. In the Brethren Church, a lot of men had great flowery, they were good prayers. And I always thought, man, I've got to get to where I can say this in this perfect, eloquent language. My prayers, when we'd lead in prayer, have to be in so eloquent and perfect words.

Until I started realizing, I didn't come about that way to my dad. Now we have the ability, through our identification, to come to the Father and say, Daddy, I don't understand this. You know, I did that a lot this last week. You know, Dad, I don't understand. Father, I don't understand what is going on. You have to show me. I trust you're in control. I rest in that peace. I don't understand it. Just give me that rest, that peace that surpasses all understanding. I'm resting in you. To me it's kind of interesting to think of the last line of the Lord's Prayer.

He does not intercede for sin. I think the big issue in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew is the forgiveness of sins. Because the issue in that prayer is that I'm not forgiven unless I forgive. And he even goes on in 14 and says, if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. Well, I as a believer forgive others because I already am forgiven. And so the whole foundation and the basis from which my relationship to sin and forgiveness is totally different than that of a disciple at this particular time, because it's before the cross, not after.

It would be a, I think it would be a helpful study to kind of itemize through the traditional Lord's Prayer and compare it with other things that are aligning us from that, more of a sequence from out of the Lord's Prayer into where we are now. a grip on that very quickly. Yeah, and like I said, I think the two ones that really kind of get misused is the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes.

Those two seem to be the biggest thing that people grab onto. And to me, in the identification, why do you do that? Why do people do that? You're untaught. Untaught, but there's something else that I think is fundamental to our identification. And we'll get it into the grace class. This leads into our grace class.

Why do you think people want that? And gravitate to that? Because they're looking for blessings? It's something to do. So they don't have to die to get there. Well, I don't think that. I think these are Christians, I think, believers. But they gravitate to that. These two answers, law and something to do. Who wants to do something? The new man or the old man? The old man. The old man does. So we fight that struggle all the time. Because we want to do something. It can't be free. It can't be unmerited. That's the old man saying.

Courtney, this came up when you were studying Matthew at Harker Bible Study. And Vern gave us some excellent information about the Lord's Prayer. About what a Jewish prayer is. If you just inquire of him, he can... Yeah, I was going to say, actually, I think that we actually had a part of the world class that he did that. Yeah, there may be something to answer that question. I think a lot of it is just knowing more about Jewish religion that helps you. And here's Christ, a Jew, teaching this prayer.

So I think it would help people to get a grip on that. their understanding of that transition from one end to the other. My point being, too, is that people find it easy to gravitate there because it's something to do. Yeah, I understand that. But as far as just the teaching of... At that point in time, Jesus walking on the earth at that period of time taught that prayer.

Now, after death and resurrection, now we're segued into this I think some of just the basics of the Gospel, who the Gospels were pointed to. You know, where Matthew was a Jew, Luke was the Gentile, no, or Romans? I can't remember. See, I have to go back on that. The Gospels are pointed to different groups.

And John basically is, remember, after the fact, after Paul's epistles have been written, he now goes back and records this. And his point is to point to the deity of Christ, that kind of giving, I don't know the right word, credence, but who Jesus was. All through John, you see, he's pointing to I and the Father, I and the Father, I and the Father, I and the Father, and pointing at his deity. So John points to that.

So there's some even underlying things beyond the Jewish, which the Gospels, you know, what they're focused on. And then, you know, it'd be good on the Jewish, you know, history and the culture and what was going on at the time. And to point out which ones, I remember Hal used to talk about that a lot, about who's the group, who's he talking to? And so I think it'd be good to understand the culture, why, and which passages focus to the Jews and to us.

I think if you don't have an understanding, you're going to have maybe a guilt complex of knowing you want to move into that grace thing, but you're afraid to let your grip go from this one that's traditionally been built into your life forever. Well, see, and that's where I think I've convinced Mike that identification is the key. The root goes back to this, because if you don't understand that new creature in Christ, in our co-crucifixion, and then you understand grace, which is unmerited, because unmerited, unlimited blessings, you understand the struggle between the old man and the new man. Because the old man always wants to do something. And that's why, like I said, I think it goes back to why we easily go back to that, and we want to grab onto that. I was just thinking, if you don't believe in distinctions, then that's the same thing.

Christ would say you'd have to try and incorporate that into it. Right. But I think that's a good point. I think maybe in one of the break periods or something, maybe that'd be a good thing for Vern or something to cover some of this. Just a brief outline of some of this stuff. misapplication of scripture one is to the kingdom teaching versus for us as the new creation. Alright, we good? Alright. Lesson 13, Romans 6, 14 through 23. I always like to read the passage for a raw context, so I'll read Romans 6, 14 through 23.

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be. Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

But thanks be to God, that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Again, just for your fun sometimes, if you have a Bible thing, do in Christ, in Him, and see how many times that pops up and what it's associated with.

All right, question one. In verse 14, from identification point of view, why are we not under law and therefore sin does not have dominion over us? So verse 14, for sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the law but under grace. Who is our master now? Christ. We're now bondservants of Christ.

Again, pounding it in. How did we get there? Identification. I'll give you some verses, and I can read through them. Galatians 2, 19-21. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly." Wow. I always think of that one when I try and grab onto law and works. Then Christ died needlessly. Another one, Romans 6, 8-11.

Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again. Death no longer is master over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life that he lives, he lives to God. So again, from identification, we are now We are now not under law. I guess the question is, if Christ is our master, and he's in him, is Christ under the law?

No. Bonnie, you have that perplexed look on your face. I'm trying to think of the good answer. It's a trick question, Corgan. Another rabbit trail. I don't want to give too many up. The rabbits are rampant today. It kind of scratches your head sometimes when you think about this. Why don't you take this from me?

You know, we know Ephesians 2, 8, 9, that by grace I was saved through faith, and now it works in my favor. It's a gift of God and all that stuff. So then it goes down, and we don't quite get to the bottom line, and then it comes around and tells you this at the very end of that. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. which God hath before ordained that we should walk in.

Now what about, what do we do with that one? Leave it. Thank you. I was just going to say that exact same thing. Do you believe that? I believe that, yes, but I don't think I can do it. I can do it. I think it's got nothing to do with what I do. What was the question you just asked a little while ago? How do you do that? Who's the person that...

It's in Christ. It's written in the prefix. It's created in Christ Jesus. That's who it is. And who does the work? He does it. It's created in Him, and we're in Him. So as a result of our relationship to Him, we do it that way. But if we're doing things that... If you act like you're doing a kind thing for anybody, that's being... that you're doing it with your own effort. You know, I look at motive. You know, if you're doing it because if you do, you know, walk the little old lady across the street, because you think you're doing it good and God will smile just a little bit more on you.

I don't know. I don't know about that. A lot of people talk about that. No. It's pretty clear. Yeah, the words, and this comes out, Can you do more works than what are planned for you? We always get to this one, you know. Can you do more than what he planned for you? No. You know, you may think you've got just a whole... You know, you've got a laundry list of things you want to accomplish, but Christ has a work planned for you. You're not going to do one more than what he has planned.

But it's through the Holy Spirit that allows you to do that. It's the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit. And that's what I said. They're all identified together. Right. If you're not, you know, if you're doing it on your own, one, that's not on the list. And two, you're going to fail. That's right. Did you have something to read? The good works that God foreordained that we should walk in them are of such a character that one, the believer couldn't do them outside of Christ. Like Paul said it in 2 Timothy, his body was worn out from God doing these works through him.

He could not physically stay up with them. So the kind of thing that even if we fantasize that I'm going to respond to what God wants me to do out of my flesh, one, you can't measure up, and two, if you could, you would wear out. Just the love we were talking about before. You can't do that in and of your own strength by responding to a command. It's impossible to do.

And any effort towards that, yet Christ loving through us is beyond anything we know of our own. Yet he does it. Yeah, and I go back to, you know, take my yoke upon you, and I'll give you rest. The work, but it's him doing it. It's not us. Anytime we're required, we fail. I just use that. And He may allow us to fail. I mean, He does. He allows us to fail routinely. But it's for a purpose. To draw us to Him and to glorify the Father.

All right. What relationship does a believer have to the law? If you haven't got it by now, I'm going to tattoo it on your forehead. Do we have a relationship to the law? No. No, no. Mike uses this a lot, I think. How can a dead person be under the law? When somebody goes home to be with the Lord, are they still subject to the 55 mile an hour speed limit? Do they still have to pay taxes? Maybe. Maybe. If it's the government, they've got to try and do that. All the riches we have, that's taxable.

No, a dead person is not under the law. And so the old crucified Adam, dead to the law. We have no relationship to the law. You know, and then we have to qualify that for all those people on tape and others. Does that mean you can speed and go crazy and not pay your taxes and break all the laws? Or steal the newspapers. I'm still worried about that. Are we subject to those laws still? Those laws. I mean, Bonnie's right. We don't have to, but what happens? There are consequences.

So, you know, and in our political realm, who puts our leaders in and all the fine things? Who puts all the leaders in place? We think we're so powerful, we vote them in, right? Who actually puts them there? Yeah, got this. You know, what is that, Romans, whatever that is. Yeah, 13, yeah, you know. Are you worried about the newspapers or the government?

Yeah, God puts them in. As much as I have my confessions and my political junkiesm, I fully rest in the fact that God allowed this. God allowed whoever, whether Republican, Democrat, Independent, whoever, He puts them there. He puts them there. I can vote, I can do everything, but in the end, God is in control. And I have to believe that. And if I do, and in Romans, it's 13 or 15 or wherever it's, you know, he puts all the rulers in place. And then we're subject to those. And so he's the one.

Yeah, obviously I wish there was a different outcome. But I rest fully in the fact that God knows. God didn't go, oh man, I was asleep on election day. You know, I was over here in Europe trying to get the Euro figured out when you He puts them in place, whoever. He's fully, and I rest in that. And all the things going on in the world. My citizenship is in heaven. I'm just a sojourner, I'm looking at the football game, watching what happens. And I'm waiting till I'm home. So, all right. Courtney, you didn't answer about Christ's relationship with the law. You asked that.

Oh, whether he, yeah, is he under law? That's kind of perplexing, right? Is he under a law principle? Let's put it that way. A law principle. Maybe I should state that. Is Christ under a law principle? No. What would you define what law principle is? Abiding under rules, regulations, the law, You know, is he under that or a principle of like cause and effect effort? I'm trying to see how you want me to define. I mean, if law is law is if you do this, you will receive this.

Is Christ under that or that? I don't know if I'm defining it well enough. I don't know. I just want to know. You have a better way to define it? I'm trying to figure out the law principle, which is really a, like I said, mine is a cause and effect or a works system. Is Christ under that system?

No. No, he's not. So maybe I stated a law principle. But on the other side, he's not lawless either. Right. He fulfilled the law. Yes, I guess that's right. He fulfilled the law. And that's the part that gets a little confusing. Right, and I guess it may have been misspoken. It's the law of principle. It's under the law of principle. How did he fulfill it? How did he? By dying. By dying, exactly. And that's how I fulfilled it too. I died in him. Exactly. Okay. All right. I had on that one on our relationship, Galatians 4, 4-7.

When the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law. So redeemed under the law. that we might receive the adoption of sons, because you are sons. God has sent forth the spirit of a son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God." Again, under a law system to a relationship. Under a set of principles that you have to do this to effect this to, I'm a son. Everybody understand? All right. Question three.

Provide verses that answer the question from Romans 6.1.

Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? So verse one. What should we say? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? No. And never be. Does this mean if we want, we can go on sinning because we're under grace, which is limitless? Is that true? Thoughts? May it never be? You know, I had kind of a twist on this one. I also said to some degree, this is true.

Where sin abounds, what does grace do? Superabounds. So, I mean, there is some effect that if we do sin, no matter what we do, does grace superabound over that? So he's saying, this is kind of one, you're a new creature in Christ. This is who you are. Is it logical that you keep on sinning? No. This is who you are in Christ. You shouldn't be sinning. But I go back to grace. It says even if you do sin, grace super abounds. There isn't enough sin that grace is just right at the edge. And grace is just about there. No. Whatever we do, grace superabounds. What rest and peace we have knowing that. I think we talked about this. Why dwell and worry about all your sins? Is God finished with your sins? Why are you worried about it? You get to the first John 1-9 with a confession. That's just agreeing with God. I'm not acting as who I am in Christ. You know, I'm a dog and I'm not barking. You know, I'm in Christ and I'm not acting the way I should. I agree with you, Father. That's the confession part, but...

Chastening, mentioned in Hebrews, speaks of the Lord as a chastening Lord. Does he take you, like 1 John 1, 9, I take that to mean that we agree with him that sin is horribly sinful, but he nonetheless wants us to acknowledge it. Or why did they put it in the Bible? I think it's to restore fellowship.

That's the whole purpose. Because if I'm not, what is the loss? Christ has dealt with the sins. So what is our loss? If we live in total freedom to where we want the law and we don't confess it to remember doing it, I think that is something we have to do.

And let me clarify two different things. Sins, there's still consequences of sin. I don't want to say that we just willy nilly. If you sin, there can be consequences. You know, if I go out and whatever. There are consequences to that. But God, it doesn't mean anything less to your position in Christ. There's nothing. And what the first John 9 is to restore that fellowship. If I'm sinning, well this is going to get to a question. Can I be abiding, walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh at the same time? No. So, confessing says, okay, I agree. I should be over here abiding, walking in the Spirit.

That's what that does. And that just restores the fellowship. I don't want to say just willy-nilly on sin. There are consequences of sin. There are things that he can say, OK, go ahead. He allows it. And then you suffer the consequences for it. Well, in our worldly days when mom and dad is See, now you'd be hauled away to social services and everything.

All right, let's close. We'll hand this out after we pray. Lessons for next week. All right, Heavenly Father, we just thank you. We thank you for this time. Again, just we just thank you for the intimacy that we can come before you. We don't have to come before you with flowery words or anything.

We come before you as a father that we can cry out, Daddy, and just express anything in our hearts, because you already know, in advance, before we come, everything, you desire to have us come before you. And that is an amazing thought, that you actually want us to come before you. And as we've read in John 2, you desire for us to be with you. And we just are humbled by that, just the thought that you actually desire for us to be with you where you're at, and also that you desire for us to come before you. So we just thank you again for this time to delve into your Word. We thank you just for the identification that we have in Christ. So Father, we just commit this to you now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.