The attitude of those chosen of God
Colossians 3:12-14 · Bob Eckel · Aug 4, 2019
Colossians (2019), No. 24
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926191549237

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

Let's begin by reading verses 8 through 14. We're covering 12 through 14 today. So who'd like to read starting at verse 8, please? No volunteers. Karen. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, wholly and dearly loved, loathe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Okay, thank you. How are we doing with all that? Okay, let's start with verse 12.

Therefore, as elect of God, by the way, the elect is in many versions, there's no modifier of elect, it's as elect of God, holy and beloved, that's you and me, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, so what's it there for? The old J. Vernon McGee, it's there for, what's it there for? everything that preceded it. Well, Margaret, you studied the handout, didn't you? Because we've been told to put off the old man, put on the new. Effectively, that's what it relates to. Therefore, in verses 8 through 11 that Carolyn read, that's really what we're dealing with there.

Leaving the old man behind putting it off and now putting on the new man Okay, so also the Jews and Gentiles are the same before God everybody's same for God, you know I always say when we think of earthly, you know, you know if you will biases and and and Prejudices and things that the whole world system deals with diversity and I deal dealt with this all all the time in my career and still dealing with it actually I You know, there's only one kind of thing that neutralizes all this.

It's the cross. Everybody's equal at the foot of the cross. And that's the only thing that makes everybody equal, is the cross. Think about that for a little bit. Isn't that true? I mean, we're all sinners. and the cross is there for the entire world. We're all equal there.

The world tries to legislate and make laws to make people respect everybody, but you can't be forced by law. Well, you can make the old man conform to the governmental laws that we're all, you know, subject to, right? I mean, you know, well, we saw that video the other night of somebody being arrested going 130 miles an hour and 55 miles an hour as well. Anyway, so we have laws. The old man must obey the laws, otherwise he or she's, you know, convicted of the law.

But nevertheless, I mean, the great equalizer of all men and women for all times across. And I think about that a lot. And I think even if you're having a conversation with an unsaved person who's into this social domain and modifying everybody to be equal, no, we're not all equal. That doesn't mean we need to have biases against particular types of people, no. I mean, because if we look at the cross, we're all the same there. So Jews and Gentiles, the verse 11, are all the same. We look at people from different heritages there in that verse anyway.

We'll leave that be. So we're now reminded we are elect or chosen of God. So what comes to mind when you consider that you're elect of God? I mean, don't look down. Just think about that a little bit. Or heirs. OK. Heirs means chosen. Elect is chosen.

I always like to think it's one of the riches of God's grace. Chaffer which is of God's grace elect is one of those which is always the one that I find hard because you know you're Maybe it's your own nature wants to say well some got elected some didn't God never says it never Yeah Yeah, well let's not get hung up with Calvinism versus Arminianism here.

How about our identification with the Lord Jesus Christ? You know, remember the scripture says God would have all to be saved, right? Bring everyone to salvation. So we have a free will. I mean, one of the big questions that I think many of us have had, I've had, is that what brings about enough faith to get saved? Is that generated by the old man, or in fact does God kind of spiritually connect us in His Holy Spirit? Anyway, that's an interesting conversation. But all that aside, once we're saved, we know we're elect. And so we're written in the book of life. I mean, the Lord knows this, but He doesn't, I think, control men. We're not robots. He doesn't zap us to be saved. I mean, He would have all men, women to be saved. So, let's not get wrapped up there.

A couple of verses came to mind, and it's identification-related. Luke 23-35, the people stood looking on, but even the rulers with them sneered, saying, he saved others, let him save himself, if he is Christ, the chosen of God. And then we turn to Romans 8-30, moreover, whom he predestined, meaning the elect, These he also called or were chosen. And when he called these, he also justified them. And whom he justified, he glorified.

How's that for identification? I mean, so this chosen or elect is the church. It's the body. And the identification we sense here through this first being the elect of God, we're chosen because we've come to salvation. Any other thoughts about this? I like to think of it as our spiritual resume. And that verse talks about we're predestined, we're called. justified, and so on, and glorified. That's our spiritual resume. Not because we have anything special, we put our faith and trust in Christ.

And the result of that is all those wonderful blessings. But the fact that on the cross, you know, he was identified as the chosen of God, and here we are, predestined, called, chosen, and then glorified with him. I mean, how's about that for identification? The elect of God goes beyond simply, I was doomed and cast to hell forever, versus being saved and going to heaven. That's the simple basis of our salvation, based on our sin being taken care of and our sins forgiven.

But nevertheless, this is a lot more than simply that. It's further modifying by calling us holy, which is what being set apart, and beloved, agape. Does anybody see any sequence here? elect holy and beloved. Roger, go ahead. This is a silent group here today. Okay, but but okay, so we're saved were elect were chosen called whatever Holy set apart.

What's it mean to be set apart? I Mean the Baptist might have something to say about that, right? I Mean, what what does it really mean to be set apart? Okay, but it's set apart positionally to isn't it I I mean, our citizenship is heavenly, even though this is our business address down here. Our full job is in heavenly places. So being set apart means that the believer, that you don't smoke or drink. I mean, the idea of being set apart is we're holy and set apart for God's purpose.

And I think Bonnie touched on that. Okay with that? And to be set apart, be loved. So we're beloved. Beloved by whom? The world? I don't think so. We're not beloved by the world, are we? So we're beloved by the brethren, we're beloved by the Lord first, but then we're set apart, beloved, and there the walk begins, right?

All right, let's go ahead. Now having put off or be clothed with the new man, his nature and his must, this is imperative, follow. So how does this new nature follow? Notice I don't have the answer for you in the handout. You want to say that more loudly so Wayne can hear you in the back of the room? I couldn't have said it any better, right?

So it's faith that operates in us to believe what God's revealed, and that's how this new nature gets manifested in us. So let's look at these various attributes. Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering. These are all fruits of the Spirit, are they not? So if you turn to Galatians 5, 22 and 23, you see these basically repeated. So these are all fruits of the Spirit. So remember, we're clothed with this stuff, and to be set apart is to have these things demonstrated in our life. Now, this isn't a yardstick we're putting to how you're doing. This is just what the new life looks like.

And if we're falling short, our faith is weak. And it does fall short, because we've got an old nature. So that old nature will fall short constantly. We're not here about buffing up or improving the old man. Adam can look pretty good sometimes. The old man can behave better to meet the self-righteousness that God hates. So we're talking about a new life set apart to carry these things out.

Tender mercies. Best translated here is compassion or being sensitive. Okay, Pat. In 12, doesn't it say, put on tender verses? It's telling us to do something, rather than having put on. Maybe it's my version. One of the verses, put on, is not a verb. I think it's the Yeah, in verse 14, put on is not a verb, it's a phrase. But no, you're correct here. Yeah, put on's an imperative, right. But what's that putting on?

It's talking about the new man, isn't it? It sounds like it's telling us to do something. Well, yeah, it's being set apart and having the old man dismissed and the new man living that life within us. Isn't it really just reckoning who you are? That's nice. I like that. Understanding who you are. How many times do you say that? If you know who you are, then what you do is evidence. It's not what you do, it's who you are. And once you know who you are, then what you do is evidence of who you are. It's kind of a lengthy thing, but I've said that to my children multiple times. Sure, Dad, right? Let's not hear that one again. Let me say it again.

It's not what you do, it's who you are. And once you know who you are, then what you do is evidence of who you are. So that's reckoning yourself to be already in Him. And so because you're already in Him and you understand that fact, then what you do is because of who you are.

And Pat, I've often said that the life of the Lord Jesus Christ within us is not something we account to ourselves and how well we're doing. I think it's a life lived out that is recognized by the body and maybe by the unsaved. But if we start taking credit for what we're doing, isn't that flesh that's really doing it? Well, and sometimes you have to reconcile minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. I probably should sit. That's reminding me maybe I should sit down. Yeah, you're right, Regan. So, other thoughts about this?

So, compassion, sensitivity. I think 2 Corinthians chapter 4 is the verses about comforting. Comforting is really something we've experienced that now we have compassion for someone else. After Sharon died, I must admit, when I ran into friends whose spouse had died young, there was an ability for me to reach them in a way that I never would have been able to do before. I mean, it's just an example of comforting or compassion relates to how God works in your own experience to grow you in grace so you can be helpful to other people. Again, we don't keep track of this. This is just the life we've been asked to lead by the power of the Holy Spirit and faith that we're called to.

Kindness, benignity, or better yet, warm heartedness and sweet disposition. Boy, Adam's not too good here, is he? If you're struggling with this, that's because Adam's trying to behave this way. That's the new nature. Think of the Lord Jesus Christ and His walk. We don't walk in His shoes, we walk in His power and His Spirit and His life. Alright, humility. I think this is incredibly important. It's a deep sense of one's moral ineptness.

And I say this, how often this fails to be recognized and demonstrated, and I believe is essential for manifesting the other attributes of the new man listed here. When we start from our zero-ness, our total indebtedness to the Lord Jesus Christ for what's been accomplished on our behalf, then that opens up the door to allowing tender mercies, kindness, and humility listed here.

And how about meekness? What's meekness? You know, it's a tough word to define. Meekness is not weakness. Yes, it's more of a gentle spirit. It's hard to define. You know, I am meek and lowly, right? The Lord Jesus, I'm meek and lowly. What made him lowly? What made the Lord lowly? He's making that statement in Matthew. He was the supreme creator of the universe, and now here he is, right on board. Here I am. I've got this human body that I'm living in. It's not where I once was, but that's where I'm at now.

It's a waste. I thought of Roger when I put this up here. So meekness is parates, an inwrought grace of the soul, that temper of spirit in which we accept God's dealings with us as good, and therefore without disrupting or resisting. Dot, dot, dot. Stop right there. That's a huge, huge step right there. Because my own experience, I'm always going to testify to this too.

A lot of times we think, maybe I didn't get the, you know, Did I get a fair deal here? In rod grace of the soul, that temper of spirit in which we accept God's dealings with us as good and therefore without disputing or resisting. Okay, and he's got other stuff, and I've tried to abbreviate this. This meekness, however, being first of all a meekness before God is also such in the face of men, even of evil men, out of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may inflict, are permitted and employed by God for the chastening and purifying of his elect. you know, a complicated definition, but I think the first part defines it and the second part's the application and the impact of this being implemented in our lives.

This is another life. This is not of the flesh. This is not of the old man. And remember, verses 8 through 11 tell us to put off this old man and put on the new. This is new man entirely. Long-suffering. Don't ask Margaret about this one, please. Patience, forbearance, or slowness in avenging wrongs. Adam's not good, at least my Adam's not very good at this, but anyway. Not so much the avenging wrongs, just I want stuff done, let's get it done.

I just want to share, I had a mom, my mother, and she grew up in a family of How come you're looking at her for that answer? It's that way, isn't it? I get verified a lot, right? She had to stand up for herself. She imparted that to her children. I'm not going to ask you what happened after that. you know, 4'6". No, she was like 4'10". Verification. Something about that other half that's out there. But honey, look what it says. It's written here. Love you, Margaret.

All right, let's go ahead. So then on to verse 13. So verse 12 really sets the stage here, does it, in terms of all these virtues, the fruit of the Spirit, if you will, in each and every one of us. So, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Wow. Now we're getting into really the nitty-gritty. This is all new man, isn't it?

The cross manifested in our lives is forbearance and forgiveness. Boy, I mean that relates to our day-to-day operations in every sphere we find ourselves in our homes and in our workplace and as we recreate or whatever else we do or when we drive, right? So forebearing, present mental partisanship, which often is active tense. Forebearing is really our responsibility. We're the ones doing this, pat back to what you indicated.

Putting up with others and enduring discomfort is kind of the simplification of this. If anyone has a complaint against another, forgiving. Coming from the Greek term charisma, actually, no grudges, no grievances. And again, in the Greek, the term is charismai, or whatever. But that's a grace-based kind of definition of forgiveness. Interesting that that comes out of the same. Well, there's no way you could do it if you didn't have grace, and you didn't understand what grace is and realize the grace that you've been given just to be a believer in what the Lord did.

Well, then you turn to 1 John 1.9 in terms of our daily shortcomings. We ask the Lord to forgive us. Well, that's kind of this grace-based entity, is it not? I mean, again, the cross is final. It's just the application of it to our lives.

Now, I mentioned this to one of our brothers this morning. Both forbearing and forgiving remind me of one of our brothers in this body. Who am I thinking of? It's Court Hemingway, and he mentioned this to us months or a year or two ago. We, our old man, choose to be offended. Isn't that kind of interesting? And ever since Quartz said that, it kind of has impacted me. I'm not sure why the font size is so reduced. There should be larger.

Anyway, all that aside, I mean, you know, it's the old man that gets offended. So when we're forbearing people who grieve us or we fail to forgive, That's really old man stuff. And so this idea of choosing to be offended is entirely how the old man deals with these issues. Everyone who is offended about everything. I mean everything. You can look at somebody there. Let me give you an example.

On the American Diabetes Association board, there's a sister in the Lord who's part of the board. She's an African-American woman from Hopkins and very successful in the academic space. Charita and Meredith Hawkins from Albuquerque, and I meet sometimes at meetings just to talk about things of the Lord. And they're both kind of short of what we teach here in terms of, you know, it's all kind of, you know, anyway, we'll just leave it at that.

So one other member of the board is a very outspoken individual, and he kind of can get into people's face. But I have a lot of respect for him, because he really has the American Diabetes Association front and center. But anyway, So he said something at a board meeting that I did not witness, I was not there for that particular meeting, that the woman who I mentioned, the believer, was offended by this. And so when they met, I guess, on the side, and he said, look, I have an opinion. I don't mean to offend you, but this is my opinion.

I'm going to speak strongly. And she basically got further offended by him coming to her. And so when we had breakfast, unexpectedly, the Lord brought her by for breakfast. She was leaving the meeting, and I was there for another day. So she just showed up at breakfast when I was eating by myself. And I said, Charita, maybe the way you ought to deal with this as a believer is just forgive this individual for what he did. I know you feel offended. How about forgiving, and she said, you're making me seem like more of a victim.

So what do you do with that? I mean, you know, I can't make the new man, you know, in her, but yet just mentioning her, you know, for, you know, you didn't like what he said, and so you were offended, and you're, he, she said, well, I'm here to make sure that my race and my gender is not impacted by his strong words, you know. I'm now the vice dean or associate dean of diversity at Hopkins, a high institution. And so she goes on and on, and I've been praying for her ever since then. She just doesn't get it, that her role as a believer, not that I'm there to be her judge, I'm just encouraging her, look, put on Christ, forgive him, forgive Julio, and move on. And now she seems like my comments to her have victimized her further.

So I mean, Again, is that of the Lord? I mean, my suggesting this to her, was that wrong? I don't think it was. I'm just suggesting this is an alternative way of dealing with him. Forgive him and move on, and respect him for what he said, and you may have been offended, but court, again, lovely phrase, we choose to be offended.

And that's really true, don't we? And I think, I remind myself of that not infrequently, that if I'm gonna be offended, that means that's Adam showing up, and he's offended. Not the Lord Jesus Christ within me. And that's not easy to think about. But the application, I think, is clear. Other thoughts on this? Pat. Well, it makes me think of the earlier verses. You know, the push side, malice. Seems like she can't, this is malice. towards this other individual? Yeah, and from an objective perspective, maybe she should feel offended.

But that's, I mean, Uli is a very, very strong-spoken individual. He didn't mean it. He didn't mean it as a personal offense. He was just making a point about board activities and how strongly he felt about certain issues. And because she was viewing this from a different perspective, she personally felt offended by this. And I think Julio told me that when he had this conversation with her, he didn't mean any personal offense. He just felt strongly about this. But then she felt attacked by him, even after the fact, when he went back to try to explain to her why.

And again, This is what growing in grace is all about. And I'm just using that as an example, and I pray for Charita. I sense my relationship with her has been distanced a bit, but when we have phone calls, we have a lot of teleconferences, and on the phone, you know, we'll acknowledge one another in terms of what we're saying.

But anyway, I don't sense the warmth we once had. Just a thought, we are spiritual in nature, as we people in Christ. Speak up, Roy, I'm sorry. We're spiritual. And I believe that it is our souls which we're offended. Our spirits do numb. Our spirits are crippled in Christ. And that's why he could say so adamantly here, Take the right position, whether or not you're offended or not. Walk by the spirit, not by the soul. Well, that goes back to what we talked about last week, with the diagram. I don't know, the soul is more emotional, right? I don't know, Andrew had this really cool diagram. Did he? Yeah. I didn't get a chance to look back at last week, so. I'm just sharing that because every single day we are faced with a choice to react or to be open to whatever people are doing, whether it be political or family or friends or what. How are they interacting with me? On the level as a man? It's only through that perspective All right, and even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. And this is an imperative. This is all new man stuff, too. I mean, forgiveness relates to the great act of Calvary and everything it represents. Why isn't this law, we're told, Pat, that this is imperative, do it. Why isn't this law? Because we fall short right this I'm sure in the 613 laws that Were given to the nation of Israel ultimately this one fell in there someplace, right?

All those fruits of the spirit are Packaged deal. It's all yeah part of the new man, and it's all in Christ and So who's doing the doing?

He is, not us. Except we can't do it. That sounds kind of wild and crazy, doesn't it? It does. I mean, he's doing it. I mean, you know, to think about, you know, A psychiatrist talking to you about these two natures you have, from a medical perspective that doesn't quite make it. But anyway, it was the old man that did that. I don't see that in my textbooks, right? You're dealing with the physical, not the spiritual.

All right, a couple of verses relate to this, I think. One, owe no one anything except to love one another, for he loves another has fulfilled the law. So he who loves another has fulfilled the law. So in a sense, Christ's love for someone else really is the law being fulfilled.

1 Peter 1.24, to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps.

So follow his steps I think really is in context identification. You should, what is it? Do what Jesus did. What would Jesus do? You don't understand identification. You could absolutely take stuff like this and do that and say that. Well, I don't know about some of you, but before I got saved, I thought the Bible could be used by anybody at any time to make any point they wanted to make. I mean, Old Testament stuff out of context, and this hit follow his steps.

We know here what that means. If you read that in context, he talks about him being crucified on the tree, et cetera, verse 224, et cetera. I just picked that up in terms of the Christ nature is, you know, his suffering, it relates to us being put in a similar position as believers, and his ability to forgive them, so.

All right, let's go on to Verse 14 But some versions have and here and above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection Above all or beyond these things put on love what other passage of scripture does that remind you of? The list of the fruits of the spirit Well, we're ready for that, but love.

1 Corinthians 13, right? Is love the final principle? We've discussed this here before. I have a different opinion, but I'm going to go beyond scripture. No, I mean, truth is what I, yeah, but truth wraps up everything in it, you know, I think, but the Lord doesn't, I'm on the way to truth in life, I mean, we know that, but I think, you know, without the truth, love can't be accepted for what it really is. The truth of the word of God is really what places love in its ephemeral position, in critically high position. And the love, you know, I like the term, you don't have to like everybody, you just have to love them. Talk about other natures, right? How are we doing here? Well, unlike the Lord, we have this other nature that sometimes doesn't allow us to respond in the way that he would have us respond. And what kind of love agape is this?

You all know this well. This is unequivocal, right? It's independent of any activity. Roger? I was just looking at 1 Corinthians 13. A lot of the patient shows up. You look at 13 and love is patient. We find all those other attributes show up in this text as love is this, love is that. It has all these attributes. Right. So love kind of summarizes all the things we just spoke about. Patience.

I think something happens to help me at times is that when I fall into this position of responding in the old nature I think, first of all, that's reactionary often and not responsive, but the second thing is to reflect on where our citizenship really is. So you pause a second, you don't react by, that's Adam reacting, you go and remind yourself where you're citizenship is, you pause a little bit and allow the spirit to work. I mean, it's not foolproof because Adam still hangs out, but nevertheless.

Remember, there's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, so when we fall short I mean, should I continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, no, no. But when we do fall short, we reestablish that fellowship and we move on. And when that love doesn't show up, we contest it and move on, let the Spirit continue to work in us. So, how do we put on this love?

Well, of interest, putting on love is a phrase, not a verb. So this is what I was relating to, Pat, when you mentioned putting on before. And you were correct in verse 12. But this is not a verb. So it's interesting. Putting on a phrase is nowhere else in scripture. And there's no verb tense here. So it's kind of interesting.

But above all these things, love, which is the bond of perfection. So put on love is kind of wrapped up in love as a noun here and not really a verb. imperative First John 2 5 but whosoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in him by this we know we're in him Whosoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected and what's perfect mean being perfected Yeah, it's completeness The bond of perfection is completeness I All right, there. That in which all the virtues are so bound together that perfection is the result, not one of them is wanting to that perfection. All right, last page here. So without love do these other attributes of the Christ life have no merit?

And I raise the question, perhaps verse 14 should have preceded the other ones. And Roger, as you mentioned, 1 Corinthians 13 does go back and reflect all these. Your thoughts about that? I mean, the scripture is what it is in terms of the order. I think the chapters and verses are not absolutely declared, but nevertheless, we use them as such.

So 1 Peter 4a, and above all things, have fervent love for one another. Again, that's impossible in the Adam nature of the old man or the sin nature. All right, if we love one another, God's love is perfected in us. 1 Timothy 1.5, now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and notice from sincere faith. I mean, it's the faith is the vehicle that allows this new life within us to be created and implemented. In the absence of faith, we just are not making it. So it's our faith that ultimately energizes the Spirit.

I love 1 John 4.12. So no one has seen God at any time, and if we love one another, God abides in us. and His love has been perfected in us. So this love, the emphasis of 1 Corinthians 13 and this manifestation of unequivocal love for fellow man is really how His love is perfected or completed within us.

So how do we deal with this? What about these mass shootings in the last 24 hours? As a body, do we respond to this in a particular way? That's a massive evidence of the world system and how it's gone astray, but nevertheless, day to day we all have circumstances that relate to this love for people who do bad things or people who offend us or ultimately make our lives more miserable.

Isn't that what all that is? It's all these people being offended by something. And so the way they think they have to deal with it is this terrible demons. But it does, I think, show. And it's not just here. It's worldwide. It's worldwide. It's a good thing our citizenship isn't here.

If this is all you had to look forward to every day, the news and the paper, boy, what a sad... And then you think about those unbelievers, that is all they have. That's all they have. So as a body or as an individual, how do we deal with this? Well, we get the Word of God and we learn of Him and the faith that that brings about within us gives us a different perspective. Any other thoughts about today's?

So who's teaching next week, Roger? Oh yeah, next week there's no, because of the campout, there's no Sunday school next week. Oh, okay. The following week, okay, good. We're gone. We wanted to do the campout. I know, we really wanted to. Well, that's why I said retirement. I have another meeting in bail. Yeah, I'm committed to a lot of stuff going forward. I'm not getting paid for any of this stuff. I guess why we have jobs on this earth. So anything anybody else wants to reflect on? It's almost time, but the buzzer hasn't gone off yet. Yeah.

This verse about, even as Christ forgave you, is comparing that over to Ephesians, where it says, forgiving one another even as God and Christ forgave you. And the thought occurs to me, does Christ have any feelings about all these people that he had to die for? And it's a difference between being justified and Christ's attitude towards those that he died for. And it's like, one is that God forgave you, the Father.

I'm differentiating, trying to differentiate if it's really saying that the person of Christ forgave us for what we've done, which I thought was, I don't know if anybody cares, but I thought it was a difference. No, it's an interesting point. I have thoughts on that. Obviously, I don't have the best answer.

Well, Christ was the person of God that that died for our sins. He was a part of the Godhead that did that. He became a man who died on our behalf. So he was a payment. He was God's justice. So this is where the three persons of God hit your head. So he's a person of God that paid for our sins to satisfy God's righteous demands. It's tough when you have three persons and one God. The Son comes, becomes a man, dies to the sins of the world.

So I think that's why it says, here it says, as the Lord forgave me. So you can think of it as the fact that since Christ, he's a part of God that died on our behalf. You can speak of it that way, but God has forgiven us, because God has won. It's not like a circular argument. Well, in a sense, I kind of see where you're going.

I mean, Christ paid the price, so he died for the sins of the entire world, and Christ was God's vehicle to do that. But yet, ultimately, we know some are not saved, right? Christ did what he needed to do for the entire world. But ultimately, those who don't come to salvation will not be accepted in eternal places. So that's God's domain. Christ paid the price, but yet all didn't come to salvation.

I think you've raised an interesting question there. Did God forgive them? Definitely not if they didn't come to salvation, right? Did Christ do what God sent him to do? Yes, he paid for all sins for all men for all time. But those who fall short, ultimately, there's no grace there.

So I think that's an interesting question. You always ask good questions. All right, so let's close in prayer. Roger, would you please? Dear Father, we thank you for our time today, Lord. the blessings we have, Father. Thank you for this lesson. In Christ's name, amen.