You In Christ and Christ In You
Mike Doyle · Apr 26, 2009
You in Christ & Christ in You, No. 17
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926131587764

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

OK, just to kind of tell you where I'm going over the next few weeks, we're going to work on less than 14 today. And then I don't have questions for next week, because what I'm going to do next week is kind of kind of do an introduction to grace. And so rather than have questions, we'll have questions the following week. We'll we'll we'll do just define definitions and. That kind of thing on what grace is, what it isn't, what we hope to learn in our study of grace, and not only the position of grace, but also the practical living and abiding in grace. So that will be next week.

This week, I've done a couple of things in the questions this week, if you've noticed. One is that I kind of went out of sequence from what the course title is, which was to do position and condition last. But I thought now would be an appropriate time to at least introduce some of position and condition, at least define it. Because a lot of what we've talked about so far, especially the Roman six truths, are positional. And as we go through the questions today, hopefully you'll see what I mean by that. And we'll define position and condition. And then towards the end of the questions today, I begin to talk a little bit about grace. So I'm trying to do a segue here is really what's happening. All right. To the rescue. Do you want to know? OK, because we've got some up there. Anybody else?

OK, so the first question that we have for today is to look up in the dictionary and define the following key words. And these are kind of interesting words. The first one was principle spelled with a P.R.I.N.C.I.P.L.E. Anybody look them up in the dictionary.

Basic truth. Basic truth. A rule. A rule. OK. Anybody else. Principle. This in the head of your high school. This is a different principle. My definition is a comprehensive. and fundamental law, doctrine or assumption. The laws are facts of nature underlying the working of an artificial device. The basic way in which something works. The standard. OK, I think the best and easiest definition is the basic way something works. Here's the example.

Principle of gravity works that way every time, right? In all my life, whenever I've dropped something, it never went to the ceiling. Why not? There's a principle called gravity. It works the same way every time. So when we begin to talk about spiritual principles, guess what? They work the same way every time. That's why I wanted you to look up that word.

So when we talk about principles of salvation or principles of spiritual growth, They are specific. Get my definition. They are specific, comprehensive and fundamental laws, doctrines or assumptions, and they don't vary. All right. Any questions about principle?

Second one is position. Now can be several definitions of position. You could say, well, it's to put or place. OK, put in place the act of placing or arranging the point or area occupied by a physical object, a position, the place where something or somebody is, especially in relationship to others. Position.

So when we talk about positional truth, OK, what we're talking about are principles that are put in place and can never be modified. They can never be adjusted. Once the principle is in position, it's there forever. Christ rose from the dead. That's a principle of position. Not ever going to change. So when you start to study the Word of God, like Romans 6 that we've been studying, You know, I was crucified with Christ. That's a principle and it's a position. You cannot change it by your attitude, your behavior, or anything else.

God put it in place and it's there. Okay? Position. And the third word I want you to look up was source. Give me a definition of source. A point or origin. Okay? The point of origin, or the procurement, the beginning, the origination, the source. Okay? So if you put those three words together, principle, position, and source, what have you got?

You have basic principles communicated to us by God, that's our position, and the source is Him. They came from Him, so they can't be varied. So as we go through and talk about position and condition, especially position, I want you to hold fast to the idea that positional truth has a source in God alone and it operates under a principle that He's put in place and it can't be changed. So the second question is, what is meant by our position? If I said to you, Courtney, what's your position as a Christian? That's right. It's the source of your Christian life. Your position is the source. It's perfect. It's established in the Father's presence, and it was established at the cross. Okay?

2 Corinthians 5.17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, so if you're in Christ, here comes the principle of position.

He is a new creation. You guys all walk around thinking, I'm a new creation. Last time you went to the doctor, you said to him, hey, I'm a new creation. I don't need anything you're giving me. I'm a new creation. Principle of position. I'm a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. So you say, well, yeah, I'm still acting like one of them old guys.

Sorry, that doesn't change your position. So your focus in your Christian life is supposed to be on your circumstances or on your position? It should be on your position. So I would say that if you're going to spend any time learning anything biblically, you ought to learn positional truth first, don't you think? Because that's the thing that doesn't vary. Now you're going to vary all over the place, but your position won't. And oh, by the way, God's attitude towards you won't change either because he functions based on principle and position.

Acts 17.28, for in him we live and move and have our being as certain as also our own poet said, for we are also his offspring.

Are you God's offspring? Are you a legitimate, organic offspring of God? Not everybody went, yeah, no problem. Yes, you are. You are not a member of the Jewish race anymore. You are now a heavenly person, the legitimate offspring of God. That's who you are. And because God is holy, your position has to be like Him. It has to be holy. It can't vary. Ephesians 2, 6 and 10.

And raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Position? Is that a positional truth? Have you been raised with Christ? Have you been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus? Yeah, it's the source of your Christian life, it's your position, and it's the principle. It's in Ephesians what? 2.6 and 2.10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus under good works. Were you created in Christ Jesus? Were you created under good works? Are the good works positional?

Absolutely. which God has before ordained. There's a source that we should walk in them. It's unchangeable. People laugh at me when I say, when we get to the beam of judgment, Courtney and I are going to sort of stumble up there and Courtney's going to say, I did one more than you ordained. And I'm going to say, yeah, and he picked up my slack. No. No. God has before ordained not only your position, but the works you're going to do in that position. And Mike, we will do them? Yes, we will.

Every single one of them. And you won't do one more. Or one less. That's really cool. So you can relax and let the Lord do what he wants to do. If you're working really hard and you don't understand positional truth, all you're doing is building a bigger fire. You got that one, didn't you?

Is that things like baking cake or so and so and so on? Yes. Is it more the idea? No. No, it's just meant the things that we do, they glorify God. The glorifying of God, the work. Yeah, I think so. I mean, you know, this is going to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm going to do it anyway. I was down here yesterday vacuuming this room. And I'm thinking to myself, somebody else ought to be doing this. But I'm thinking, oh, the Lord's happy about this, so I'll keep going. And I'm thinking to myself, is this one of those things that you want to dance with me with the Eureka?

Yeah, it sure was. Absolutely it is. I think you run into a problem when your mentality is, I've got to do some more. you know, rockin' here, rockin' there. I'll give you a good example. If I'm a husband, and God says, you know, your prescription, your principle is to love your wife as Christ loved the church. Did He foreordain for me to do that? Yeah, He did. Yeah, He did. Mike, how do you know that that just wasn't your own nature, though? Oh, what, yesterday? Yeah.

You know, it very well could have been. And I'm glad you brought that up, because it very well could have been. But I don't worry about that kind of thing because I think, well, you know, I either didn't add anything yesterday, but I'm OK. You know, I'm comfortable with whatever the Lord's doing. Yeah. Yeah.

I think the minute it's like that, you know, John 15, the vine and the branches, the vines over here on the branch and the fruits here. And I'm supposed to look at the vine all the time. I keep doing this. When I start thinking about how my works are coming along, I'm peeking at them.

It's a huge attitude. But your attitude is created and sustained by what? By your position and the source of your Christian life, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the principles that don't ever change. So if I get a self-thought, This is really selfish. You know, if I get a self thought, I mean, I have one, I have the avenue of escape to is that because I know the principles and I know my position.

OK, I recognize what's happening right there. So I'm not puffing myself up or doing too much or feeling bad that I'm oh, I better go up and do the room upstairs. You know, maybe the parking lot needs vacuuming. I don't know. And here's another thing.

When God foreordained the works that you should walk in them, it doesn't necessarily mean that when the need is there, that's what the work is. You understand what I mean by that? In other words, there's a huge need to feed the hungry. Does that mean that's what you're supposed to do? No. There's a specific call by God to do the works that He foreordained, and you'll know what they are. And you'll be involved in him in a humble way, trusting him to do...

I think one of the reasons Roger and I had to make the decision, we had to make the decision, whether Vern was going to go back to Africa. What it came down to was, we felt God wanted him to go back there. Okay, it's okay with us. There were a hundred reasons why not to go, and one really good one why he should go. Because we thought God was calling him to go back there.

We don't know why necessarily, but we're comfortable with that. It seems like the works, that you will do them. I wonder if that's more conditional? The works are, yeah. But you're saying we will do them. I guess by being for or named, that means we will do them.

That's where you get that from. Let's go to the next couple of questions and then I'll come back and visit that, because I think that's that's really where the, you know, the wavering comes or the maybe not the clear understanding because. Well, I'm going to move ahead.

What are the elements of your position? You come up with that. Unchangeable. It's unchangeable? Okay. What else? Secure. It's secure. Okay. What else? I have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of them. Number 1, they're based in grace. Okay. Number 2, they're the source of your Christian life. Number three, they're based on facts and not promises. They're perfect. They were established in the Father's presence at the cross. God established them at the cross. And it's how God sees me.

As Courtney said, they're unchangeable. They can't be forfeited and they can't be changed. They are the object of our faith, and to sum it all up, they are the Lord Jesus Christ. So, if you're writing them down, I'll wait a second. Could you just say them again, please? Okay. Based on grace, I'm grace. The source of the Christian life. Based on facts, not promises. They're perfect. Established in the Father's presence at the cross. unchangeable, the object of our faith, and summed up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the $4 question, cheap question. Is the position for every believer the same? Is the position of every believer the same? Everybody think yes? Yes, absolutely. The position of every believer is the same. So, you know, I'm a dirty dog sinning all the time.

Monique's not. Our position is the same. Alright, we've got position. Any questions on position? Condition. What's meant by our condition? We'll use the word condition. By the way, you'll hear similar if you study the Brethren at all. They would use the terms standing and state for position and condition. So if you're reading Brethren like Darby and those guys, you'll see those terms used when you see what you're standing, you're standing, you're standing. They're talking about position. We're talking condition. They would say state. They would use the term state. So condition. How do you define what your condition is? You're either in or out of fellowship. In or out of fellowship.

Our walk. Our walk. That's really the simplest way to put it. It's what we are in our Christian walk, in which we develop from infancy to maturity, and it's variable. It changes all the time. The factors or circumstances that affect the situation somebody is living in or working in, the general state or mode of existence, especially one characterized by hardship or suffering. Your condition can change. Heidi's condition changed drastically a week ago. Vern Peterman's condition changed last Sunday when his father had a heart attack. His condition totally changed.

Get an airline ticket, go to California, right? Minister to my family out there. Did that affect his position at all? Not a bit. But his condition when, you know, I'm going along and I'm resting on my Christian life and something hiccups and now I'm all nervous and sweaty and no faith and I'm just having a terrible time. Affect my position? No. My condition's all over the line.

Spiritual growth is to get your condition to line up with your position. That's what spiritual growth really is. Okay, wait a minute. I've got to write this down. Okay, spiritual growth. Having your condition line up with your position. Thank you. Okay, so what are some of the elements of your condition? You can say that they are the experiential aspects of the Christian walk. Would you say Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw the glory of the Lord Jesus, was that positional or conditional? Conditional. Yeah, actually it was both. But yeah, it was conditional. It was an experience that he had.

Your spiritual condition is dependent on your position. It's variable. It changes at any given time. Well, what I mean by that is this, is that in spiritual growth, when you're growing, that your spiritual condition is dependent on your position, if you're growing. Now, your condition may be influenced by worldly facts and that kind of thing, but as you grow spiritually, it is dependent on your position. But your position never changes. That's right. That's right. So then the condition will be up and down, but not the...

Yeah, and as you grow spiritually and you begin to rest and abide in Christ, what's happening is that your condition is beginning to line up with the facts of your position. And there are resulting experiential benefits from that. Courtney talks a lot about rest. He didn't get rest because he decided one day, well that's going to be my theme from now on. No. You get rest because you begin to settle down in your position.

And oh by the way, God's promise is that he will work the facts of our position into our condition. He's promised to do that. He's going to do it. He's going to conform us to the image of Christ who is our position. And even though your condition is all over the lot, he knows. This isn't a big mystery to him. He knew. How could he stand it? We're all over that.

You know, if he were a lesser God, he wouldn't be able to. If I was God, you'd be in big trouble. Well, I mean, if you think about it, all the people in the world know that it happens. That's often struck me. I can hardly stand it knowing the few issues I know in our country. What if I knew every issue? And you consider however many billion people are on the planet, how many of them are Christians? Small minority, right? And how many of those Christians are actually growing spiritually? Probably the same percentage, right? So the Lord is dealing with all of these people that just hate Him. Millions, billions of them. And He deals with them every day. Because he's the first parameter.

Can God himself separate us from the love of God? No way. That again frees us. It's not what we do. The freedom of grace is that even though we're stupid, we do dumb things, we're all over the map. Grace super amounts. Love super. We can't separate it. No matter what we do. And that is the piece of the rest of the freedom that we have.

Well, and you begin to understand, because I think when you first approach grace and first start to understand position and condition, your sin nature tells you, well, you know, I'm kind of a loose person, I can't keep my act together, and if I buy into this grace thing, boy, I'm really going to go off the bridge. Because we don't understand how powerful God's grace and love towards us is, to cause our behavior to change. By grace alone, not by law, not by handcuffs, by grace alone.

Okay, is everybody's condition the same? Are positions the same? Is everybody's condition the same? Absolutely not. When we concentrate upon our condition, we're not living by faith, but by feelings and experience. This is a little talk I ought to give to 17-year-olds. The inevitable result is that we become increasingly self-conscious and self-centered. Our primary responsibility is to pay attention to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our position, and rest in Him as our position.

Our conditions are all different. All believers' conditions are different. Our experiences are different. Our environment is different. The influences on us are different. God takes all that into consideration, and as He causes a believer to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we begin to settle down in a position that's unchangeable.

Now, what's cool about that, is even though everybody's position is the same, the manifestation of the grace of God through each believer will be different. Because we don't all have the same gifts, and we don't all have the same works that we've been given. Every one of us is different.

Every single one of us, it's like We went and gave them blood, and they're doing a blood screen on us, right? And they're looking at all those little pieces, and they're in parts to make sure they're all working the way they're supposed to be, and there's millions of them. Well, there's millions of members of the body of Christ, and each individual little one is doing what God has ordained them to do, not only for their spiritual health, but the health of the whole body in general, to manifest the glory of Christ.

So our condition can be all over the lot. And as we all grow spiritually, our conditions will still be different. Understand that? I mean, you and I may be a lot more spiritual than I am, and be way involved in something, and I'm involved in something else. Our conditions are different.

Our position hasn't changed. See, that's why when we get together, we share the Lord Jesus Christ. We share the same Lord, and He is the same to both of us. because he's the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus isn't different to Calvin than he is to me. He's the same because he's my position.

So, when it comes to spiritual growth, I want you to think hard about this question. What must be firmly established in us before we are prepared to move forward in spiritual growth? What do you have to be settled down on, convinced of? Would you say that we were crucified with Christ? I'm going to say no, because that's an element of growth.

This is before you start. What do you have to be sure about? Your position. Our position of salvation is what I'm after. You have to be really clear and firmly established in the positional truth of Christ dying for us, for our sins, and raising again for our justification. Only then are we prepared to see our position and enter into the benefits of having died with him and risen with him.

You see that? What I find interesting is that And all of you have probably experienced this. Somebody shows up in your life and they're having trouble spiritually and they want to counsel with you. And if you go and launch right into identification truths, sometimes you'll lose them.

Because, especially in today's Christian environment, the first thing I do is I want to know, tell me about when you got saved. And how did that happen? And exactly what was presented to you? What did you believe? So if a guy says to me, well I stepped Jesus into my heart, I say, well did somebody ever give you the gospel? Because that's not the gospel. You know? Well I made a commitment to Christ. I say, well gee, he's real happy about that, but that's not the gospel either. Well I went forward, so what? You understand what I'm saying?

In order for somebody to grow spiritually, they've got to be settled down in the birth truths. They've got to know their salvation, what the principles are, and that they're established in what those are. They're saved forever. Their sins are dealt with. Christ died for them. And that position and that principle is in place. They won't grow otherwise. Because then you come up to them and tell them they died on the cross for Christ. They're thinking, are you crazy? What do you mean I died? I'm here. Christ died 2,000 years ago. See that? So if they're not settled down on the security of their salvation, they're not going to grow. They're not ready for the growth truth.

Because think about it. How crazy is it when someone says to you, do you know that you died when Christ died? You say, well, what movie have you been watching? Or as the kids would say, what have you been smoking, buddy? You know, it's crazy. Who would buy that?

Well, someone who's settled down on the fact that Christ paid the price and penalty for their sins. I think that's a really important point. If you find yourself ministering to somebody regarding spiritual growth, make sure that their salvation is settled. That they know the facts and they believe the facts and they're settled down on them. The gospel message and faith in Christ as their Savior. Like you're saying, they could be saved, but they need to understand. They're ignorant. They may not know. Sure. I mean.

Yeah, I'm thinking about the possibility, which I think is my kidding, of being a Christian for a very long time and not being afraid that I'm not saved. And yet. Is it possible not to? Well, it must be. possible not to understand the other things that you listed. I think so. Life and death and so forth. Oh sure. And so consequently does that person remain a faith and grow like to one year or whatever at a certain point and then not progress beyond that but be stuck there? I think so.

I think the churches are full of people like that. You know they may be doing works you know, high profile, low profile, something, but they're not growing spiritually. They're not growing into their position. They're not being transformed and conformed to the image of Christ.

So we could say milk and meat. That's right. So the salvation part. Sure. The salvation is the milk, that's right. Yeah, and you just, we were with a little boy last night, what is he, under a year? And you're just watching him since the first time you saw him, you know, he's growing. And now he's starting to eat solid food, and I compare him to my son who's 17. Boy, what a long way those parents have to go, you know? And then I look at Nick and you and I think, well, gee, John's got a long way to go still. But he's established, and he was born, and he got fed milk, you know? And he got solidified there.

It's the same way in spiritual growth. Same way in spiritual growth. Okay, but, you know, You could be saved if you believe and all that, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you understand every line in the Bible. Oh, that's true. That's true. And what I mean is that the understanding has to do with your salvation, the birth truths, how you got saved.

As an example, on Wednesday night we're starting to study Romans, right? Well, the book of Romans is just the survey course and it's the basic doctrines of Christianity. The first five and a half chapters deal with birth. Birth. And there's a lot that goes into that. One of the things is your position before God. How does He view you now that you're saved? I have access. Birth truths. He was raised for my justification. Birth truths. What do you mean birth truths? It means the truths of salvation, not growth truths.

Not until you get to Romans 5.12 and he starts into the doctrine of two men, and the issue changes between sins and sin, that you start to understand growth.

Because up until the time of Romans 5.12, the whole issue is about your sins, the bad stuff that you did. The beginning of growth is understanding what God did to you, the sinner, to take care of the issue of you and your sin nature. That's growth.

What does the term identified mean when it applies to the believer in the work of Christ on the cross? Now we just jumped into growth. What does the word identified mean? If I say to Calvin, Calvin, you're identified with Christ. Well, let me back up. I say to Calvin, Calvin, you're identified with Adam. What do I say? What am I saying? You're a sinner. Yeah? What else?

Everything that's true about Adam is true about Calvin. Everything that's true about Adam is true about Calvin. Everything that's true about Adam is true about Calvin. Every single thing. Didn't leave anything out. because his identity, his essential identity is with Adam. Now, when, this is a hard question, when did God identify you with Christ? When Christ died. Anybody else? We were predestined years, years ago. Yeah, when did God see you in Christ?

He's known you in Christ from the foundations of eternity. Your essential identity has been in Christ forever. Now, from a conditional standpoint, he comes down through the time-space reality, you become a human being, You show up on the planet and you're identified with Adam, right? Because everybody who comes on the planet. But God doesn't see you there. Because he sees you in Christ. From the foundations of eternity.

And how do I know that? That's because he told me. So, my essential identity, everybody in this room's essential identity is Christ and has been in Christ for all eternity. Because when God conceived you in his mind, in Christ, that was much as reality as you're sitting in this room. Because he never went down through eternity and said, you know, I don't know, this Roger guy, I know I conceived him, but he's not old enough, I think I'll boot him out. No. No. So, my father, in eternity past, formed me positionally as an individual in his mind. Is that reality? Yes it is. Is that a position? Yes it is.

He formed me actually, conditionally, at a later date in my mother's womb. Are you with me? Are you tracking with me okay? The fall did not unmake me as a man, a particular person. My new birth does not unmake me as that man. In other words, when Roger got saved in Christ, he's the same man. He's the same person. His nature changed. He's the same person.

What is intrinsic to my personhood I never lose. My identity has never changed. Whatever change I pass through at my new birth, as to spirit and soul, whatever change awaits my body at the rapture, I shall never lose my essential identity. with whom my father conceived me before the foundation of the world."

By the way, you don't want to enter into this conversation with a non-believer. You don't want to go there. The whole deal with a non-believer is their sins and their separation from God. My crucifixion with the Lord Jesus did not affect my unique identity as newly created in Christ Jesus. It destroyed positionally all that I was in the fleshly Adam. Behold, all things have passed away positionally.

Romans 6.6 sets forth doctrinally and positionally what happened to me as identified with the Lord Jesus in his death unto sin on the cross.

Paul wrote, knowing this, that my old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be put out of business, that henceforth we should not serve sin. I, the old Adamic man, was crucified with him, that the body of sin, sin in total, all of sin, might be condemned, put out of business, but guess what? Not forgiven. Your old man was forgiven? No, he was condemned. I, the sinful one, was condemned in the death of the cross in order that I might be recreated in the risen life of the last Adam.

My essential identity has always been in Christ. You should be standing up here looking at the looks of people. But that's true. Courtney and I, when we first started hanging out, we talked about this one time and tried with finite minds to come to an understanding. Here's why I think this. I'll give you how our discussion went.

When God conceived me in my mother's womb, I was a finite person, right? I didn't have eternal life. I didn't have anything. I was going to live for so long on the planet, my body was going to die, and then my soul was going to go to be wherever. But I had a beginning at my conception, right? Isn't that when I began? from Adam.

So 35 years later, some guy comes along and gives me the gospel and I believe in Christ. And when I do that, God through the cross takes me out of Adam and puts me into Christ. Now, how far back does my history go now? How far back? So could God say I've known you in Christ? Sure he could. because I just left the guy that had a beginning and now identified with the one who had no beginning. So the father can say, well, I've known you in Christ since the foundation of eternity.

Okay. Now, that's trying to explain an eternal fact in a time-space reality. It's kind of tough to do. But all I know is that he said it and I buy it. So my position can never change now because it's hooked to, united to, identified with the one who is unchangeable from all eternity, from all eternity.

See that? And I'll put it this way. For anybody in this room to be lost, you know what would have to happen? Christ would have to get unglorified, come back down to the earth, go down in the grave, die, get back up all bloody, up on the cross, go through that, and go all the way backwards to before he died. I'm so identified with him that anything that happens to him happens to me. You see that?

Just like when I was identified with Adam, anything that's true of Adam, guess what? It's true of me too. Is that alright? Why do so few believers benefit from the identification truths? That's right. That's step one. You have to know them. You have to know what they are. If you don't know what they are, you can't benefit. Okay, what else?

So you could be a Christian but you don't know this and so you're out? Well, you're not out of security of your salvation. What you suffer from is a lack of spiritual growth because you've got to have the information to grow. But a lot of churches don't teach this.

Well then, what do you do? You know what I mean? I mean, I've never heard of what you're talking about. I know. I mean, that's the tragedy. They're always going to be there, and they're not growing because nobody goes into this. I mean, few. That's true. That's true. I can't add to that. That's right.

Here's the other thing, the other element that goes into this spiritual growth thing is need. You know, the Lord in his infinite wisdom comes around and creates needs in people's lives, doesn't he? Doesn't he do it? He sure did it to me, does it to me all the time, does it with my sinfulness or whatever, but he created a need. And so in order to separate me, or in order to give me the motivation to move forward, he did it by creating a need in my life.

If he didn't create the need, I'd have been, as Miles used to say, a pew parasite, not going anywhere. You know, just sitting there, sucking up whatever. And my attitude would be, oh, this church has got to do all this terrific stuff for me. I better walk out of there feeling good.

So what's going to be the result if a believer doesn't know of his position in the Lord Jesus and how to abide in him as his very life? He won't grow. Now I've had people, after I've made that statement in front of class, I've had people come up afterwards and say, well I know so and so, and he doesn't know any of this, and boy he's a spiritual guy. And I always challenge him, I say, sit down and talk to him, with the Bible in front of him, with Romans 6, and see how much he knows. And the other thing is, I say, scratch him a little bit and see how he does. In other words, you know, because if I'm abiding in Adam, trying to Christianize the self, you push me, good old Adam is going to come right out at you. If I'm abiding in Christ, that won't happen.

So what would the answer be here on 10? First of all, you have to know the facts. And that's really the whole answer. You've got to know what the facts of the spirit, what your position is. You've got to know what happened. Mike, it just doesn't seem like a lot of Christians really want to understand this stuff. That's true. I get confused about that. Yeah, I don't think. I mean, they're not.

Happy in the knowledge that they have. And satisfied with that. Actually, Courtney and I can give you. Hal came to a church that Courtney and I attended. And he spoke for maybe, actually over a period of five years, he spoke maybe six weeks at a time, each year, for five years. And at the end of five years, he stopped coming. So, sad to say, out of the people that attended that, there are very few. Courtney is the only person I know personally, other than us. So, I mean, it's mind-boggling. So, there the truths are presented, but the hearts aren't...

I mean, it's... Because otherwise, what fights it is the old man. I think of 20 years of doing things. I'm a doer. I'm a type A, go, kill, slay, take the world on. And until you know about the identification, you can't understand grace. And that's why, Monique, when I think of all the churches, think of how many program after program after program after program after program that the churches do And that's the old man. The old man wants to do something.

And when, you know, you fail, and I keep thinking how many programs we went through, and it's like, well if this was THE program, why do you run into the wall and why do you fail? You know, and just after a while it's like, you know, and the Lord lets us do that. I think he lets us go through that to get to the point where, well are you done? You know, are you ready to understand this and let me do it?

And I think there are so many churches, but I think what fights it is the lack of understanding of the old man and the new man, and our new creatures in Christ. Because the old man will fight it all the time. Well sure he will, because if you're a... I'll hurry up so we can get out of here.

If you're a good suburban believer who doesn't know the identification truths, and you're doing really well in the church, and everybody loves you, and you take a shower every week, you know? And somebody comes in and says, You know all of this wonderful Christian person you are? Christ crucified you on the cross. You're going to die. What's your reaction?

Fat chance of that happening. I'm comfortable. I'm not buying into any of this death stuff. I'm not going to die with anybody. I'm saved. The threat of the cross to the old man is so severe that he will do anything but not do anything. You with me on that? The old man will do anything Christian so he doesn't have to die, cease to function.

I don't know if this will help or not, but my mom, bless her heart, never heard about identification truths, never heard about position or condition, but in talking with her, She loved the Lord Jesus so much. And she was a fervent Bible reader. And in the process, she came to understand this relationship with the Lord Jesus with a different term. She called it, I've been set apart, I've been sanctified. And conditionally, using my word now, she didn't use that word. But there's a progressive sanctification going on also. And I'm very wicked, I know it. But God is making me into His image. She did that just by reading the word and looking at the Lord Jesus. incredibly gracious that he will come to a believer. I got to close. So it's a blessing to know that. It's just the most wonderful thing when you get it. Yeah.

Father how we love you today and boy we thank you for what you have done, not only for us, but to us, that we are in fact identified in the source of our very life and our position in the Lord Jesus, that we may grow in the knowledge and grace of him and abide in him and rest in him, Father. We thank you, we pray in his precious name. Amen.