Faith Lesson 13 week 5
Courtney Hemenway · Aug 2, 2015
Faith, No. 30
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492651175912

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

We are on lesson 13, faith class, and I believe we are starting on question 10. No, we got through 10. I put it on mine. It's on 10. I know you went a little antsy-pantsy over there, but we'll get through this. Yeah, we're on 10. Lesson in the faith class, lesson 13. And the question is, how important would you say knowing the things of God and grace is to the believer?

Chunk change? No, it's all important. Infinite. All important. I think this was a duh. This is obvious that the things of God. However, with that being said, that this is a duh, how much do you really think of the things of God? Daily. And grace, and the operating system that we function in now. Is that a daily thought of yours? A daily focus? It's getting to be. It is, you know, and I think that's a good statement. I think this is the growth, the spiritual growth. I don't think in any way, shape, or form you understand grace in a day.

This is a growing process and that's why the 2 Peter 3.18, grow in the grace and knowledge. And I think it's a growth process.

But I think, as I've said a lot of times now, I think the key is also intimacy with the Lord. because we need to trust Him. We need to really understand and trust what He is saying and all these truths. And again, I keep harping to this. I've been going through these things that we'll share after we get through all of our normal lessons.

Just a whole bunch of things that what the promises are that are in Scripture. And if you really look at those and trust Him through faith, biblical faith, our lesson is non-biblical and biblical faith. In biblical faith, It's mind-blowing. But all the results of those are peace, rest, joy, all the things, the fruit of the Spirit, all those different things.

So, again, it's real important in this faith class, again, just to understand that, remember our definition up here, faith is, and it goes back to the substance or the things of God. So the basis of faith, the essence of it, goes back to these things of God.

So, again, it's kind of a duh question. Yeah, these are important, but do we really understand that and make that something that is important to us? Day by day, moment by moment. So, I have a lot of different verses that, again, bring up the Colossians. Well, I should ask you, do you have any verses that you think of about the things of God or grace? before I start reeling off a bunch. Any verses that you guys had or think about? Ephesians 2, 8, and 9. Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, which...

For by grace you are saved from faith. Right. And it's not a... I have this, and it's kind of a long section, but I think it says both where we started from and where we are now. It's the Colossians 2, 20 through 3, 4. It's a bit long, but I start with 20 because it starts with what happens first.

If you have died with Christ, So, our co-crucifixion, our identification with Christ, all the Roman six truths, all those things. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees such as do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, which all refer to things destined to perish with use, in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." So, again, kind of the biblical, non-biblical, but started out with our death, our co-crucifixion with Christ. So if you have died and you've been identified with Christ, therefore 3. If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

4. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth.

5. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. I love that part. Hidden with Christ in God. Is there a better place to be?

6. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Again, it's saying here, if we have died, the position, we have died with Christ, we are positionally put in as son, we are now, where? Hidden in Christ, in the heavenlies, in Christ, in God. And then, are we to be focusing on the things of the earth and all these trivial things and all this stuff? Is that what we're supposed to focus on? No, it's the things of God. And the things of God are in Christ. So again, I like this passage. It starts out with our identification, our death, and then, since you have been, therefore, raised up, focus on the things of God.

You know, we get very distracted. I am a very distracted person when it comes to politics. You know, I get into all the politics and all the crazy stuff, but I always remind myself, again I've said this many times, it's like a football game. I get all excited, but it means nothing. It means nothing. In the end. You know, so we get all involved and you could have something else. You could be involved in whatever. You know, here earthly. But in the end it means nothing compared to focusing on the things of God.

So, I also said look at John 14, 7. This is another one, Christ speaking. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you know Him and have seen Him. So if we spend our time on the things of God or Christ, who will we also see? God the Father. So, again, think of that verse in Colossians that we just said, we're hidden in Christ, in God. So, we're in Christ, in God. If we see and we know Christ, we see the Father. If you've seen Him, you've seen the Father.

Just get an inkling of that. We get to know the God of the universe. The one who, you know, all these things, looking at the stars, looking at all these things, the one who created all that stuff, we can have an intimate relationship with that person. Think about that. The one who holds all things together, he wants us to have an intimate relation. And if we see Christ, we see the Father, God of the universe. We have that opportunity in Christ. I mean, that's why the question is, are the things of God important? Yeah. Because as we know Christ, we know who we are, and as we know Christ, we know the Father. It's incredible. John 17, 3. This is eternal life. that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Again, eternal life is what? Knowing Christ? And if we know Christ, we know Him. Again. So I said, look at the essence of faith, which we have learned is totally based on God and not us, how it blends perfectly with grace, which is also totally not based on anything we do, the unmerited nature.

So from the grace aspect, I looked at Romans 5, 20 and 21. The law came in so that the transgressions would increase. But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. The actual Greek means it's superabounded. It's not even in the same zip code as far as what sin is and how much grace we have. It's not even close. It's so much greater than the sin.

So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So from this verse, what is the reigning principle or what system do we as believers function under? Grace. It says, so grace would reign. So that's the reigning principle right now in verse 21. So grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So the reigning principle is grace right now. That's the system we operate as believers, is grace.

And going back to what our definition of grace is, is the unmerited and unlimited blessings from God, totally based on Christ's work on the cross. Again, the unmerited nature, it's what he did. So we're in this system that is not based on anything we do. It's on all the things God has done and is blessing us. And it goes back to what the essential essence of faith is. It's the things of God. It's about Him. The faith is based on the things of God. That's the essence of it.

So, I went back to the question, is it important for us to know grace? That's what we operate in. Should you be operating, I mean, if you don't know the operating system of a computer, fussing around on there. How good are you? But if you start knowing and learning the system and how it works, much more productive, much more right. How about for us, if we know the operating system we operate in, if we operate in grace, which is more important, to know the operating system of a computer or the operating system we live in?

As believers, grace is that much more important. So how important is it? Okay? Yes. My thought is that if I'm listening and I understand that I'm offering reigning principles to be grace, and I'm supposed to know that things of God are irrelevant, how come it isn't working for me?

Do you have faith? That's the answer. Faith in what? The specifics of the things of God. Right. So I think we're talking position of truth initially, that all of the things that the Word of God tells us about the Lord Jesus Christ and our association with Him in those things is what our position is. Not experience, no anecdotal evidence, it's just that God said so. And my job is just to believe. You know, that's a good point when you talk about position and condition. The beauty of the position and condition is, especially position, even if we don't believe it or understand it, it's still true about us. It's still true. Even if we are totally negligent of all these things that are true about us in Christ, it's still true. Whether we believe it or not, it's still true.

That's great. And we have that 33 things that Lewis Barry Chafer put together about what's true of you the instant you believe. Those are all true, whether you believe it or not, that's true. So the beauty of understanding that is the peace, joy, rest, and all the other things coming that you know that these are true about you. And again, the conditional part is more the one that You know, we're kind of locked in and we're up and down and we're this and that. But the beauty of the position is that it doesn't matter about what we do, how we do, whatever. It's true, whether we believe it or not. Totally separate. Okay.

Alright, so the things of God are important, and grace is too. And that's just, you know, again I go back to those things about, you know, which would you rather learn, the operating system of your computer or the operating system in which you live and breathe? You know, and that's, we live in the grace system. So, alright, question 11.

Do we walk either by being controlled by the sin nature or the spirit? So this is where I brought up, are we talking about positional truth or conditional? Positional truth or conditional? The walk is conditional. Conditional. Right. So we want to make sure, and this is an important thing, what is true about us positionally? What things don't change? We get locked a lot into the conditional part, which is up and down and all around. based on our faith or belief, those things, you know, those are conditional. They change. Positional never change.

So, now do we walk either by being controlled by the sin nature or the spirit? Is that a true statement? Yeah. Can you be controlled by both at the same time? No. Can you walk down the middle of the line? Right on the yellow line in the middle of the street? Can you do that? No, you can't. We walk in one or the other. We can only have one master.

Galatians 5, 16 and 17. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. So these are in complete opposition. diametrically opposed. You're either walking by the flesh or you're walking by the spirit. You can't be walking in both. Actually, I think you brought this up last week a little bit.

From these verses I've just read in Galatians 5, 16 and 17, in the battle between the spirit and the flesh, who is involved in the battle and who is not? The old man. Yeah, who's involved in that battle? When I say, but I say, I'll read it again, but I say, walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh, for the flesh sets its desire against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Who's involved in the battle?

The Holy Spirit. And the other entity? Flesh. Flesh. Yeah. Are we to get involved in this battle, so to speak? Oh, I thought you were raising your hand. Well, it is a battle. I don't know. If there's a battle, you must be involved. Are you a spiritual being or a fleshly being now? A new creature in Christ? Spiritual. So, this is a battle between the flesh and the spirit. Yeah. Or the Holy Spirit. The flesh and the Holy Spirit. But you're not talking about, I mean, my flesh? So it's a battle? Between the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Holy Spirit and your flesh. Within? Okay, well, that's what I know about that. We all do. Yeah. So, you know, it's again the thought that are we getting involved in this battle as a new believer, as a believer in Christ, a spiritual new creature in Christ? Is that our battle? No. No. It's the Spirit's battle. Which is kind of a weird thing to think about, you know, this war that goes on in you. I'll get a little bit in the next question about this battle and what it shows. It's basically the Holy Spirit versus the flesh.

The new person in Christ is not called out in this battle. But we want to get involved in this battle all the time. See, ours as a new creature in Christ is to grow in the grace and knowledge. That's ours, of course. Not to get involved in the flesh and battle with the flesh. That's the Holy Spirit. So, ours is to focus on Christ. The things of God. How can you say that you're not involved if it's still your choice to either walk in the flesh or walk in the spirit?

Yeah, it's conditional. That part is for us, and to me, that's the whole essence of this class, faith. You believe what's true about you. Right, but it's still, that's my choice to believe. Your will is involved. The only choice you have is do you believe or not believe. Right, but that does, you're involved. But it's not the battle part, it's your choice.

Right. But the battle is, okay, am I jumping on this side of the line? Yeah. Or this? But the battle is still the flesh versus the Holy Spirit. Sure. But we make the choice whether we're going to follow this master or that master. Yeah. That is correct. Probably made you more confused.

Okay, I also said With that knowledge, look at Galatians 5.25.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Again, we who are in Christ, if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. So again, taking us mostly out of the battle. If we are in our choice, our will, is to believe these things that are true about us. It's not our battle.

You can still have faith in what's true of you, but you can choose to ignore it, right? Yeah, but then you don't believe, and you're choosing wrong. If you choose what is true about you, and you believe, by faith, that, you know, reckon yourself dead unto sin and alive unto God, You made that choice. Yeah, I'm going to dance over here for a while. Right.

So it's not the battle. And faith is one of those non-meritorious things. Again, it's not an effort. It's just belief. Right. So that's not involved in the battle. But when you say battle, that battle That's the conflict, the stress between your sinful flesh and the Holy Spirit. We all have that battle going on inside of us.

Because we still have the two natures. They're not eradicated. We don't reckon ourselves dead. Again, death means separation and all the things we talked about. We still have two natures in us. And we'll see that in Romans 7. Paul's struggle. vividly demonstrates that we have two natures in us. That when we talk about, some of them are one nature people, that there's only one nature, that now we're a believer and we're only one nature.

I don't know where they're at. Well, we talk about that. The reason why they still sin is because they have memories of sin and they try and justify a lot of these things about trying to be one nature now that you have. a believer, but Paul vividly, as we'll go through in Romans 7, shows us that we still have two natures.

Yeah. A non-believer has only one nature. Correct. Correct. And they can only choose one thing. Which sin today? Even though it looks really good, you can be a really good non-believer. Yeah. But, there's only one thing you can choose. Sin. I think it's important for us to understand that the flesh is not necessarily desiring to manifest really evil, bad stuff through us.

Sometimes the flesh comes in this form of a Republican. What? We're conservative. Why can't I hear Republican? Yeah, he said sometimes the simple person can come as a Republican or conservative. Not just democrat. You always talk about Democrats. That's what I say. He was flipping it for today.

It really, you know, basically if you're a sinner that's all you can do. You can make it look pretty and you can, the deception of being nice and holy and looking like that, but you still, the only thing you can do is sin. It's the only choice you have. You can make it pretty, what's the old, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. So you can't dress up. You can make it look pretty, but it's not going to, it's still, it's still evil. Sin is still sin. So a non-believer can only do one thing. They can't, they don't have the life that we have in Christ.

What are you going to say with this thing going on with our daughter? There were times yesterday where this horrible hatred and just thoughts of like, how could I push this guy off the cliff, kind of thoughts. And there was something that suddenly just was calm and going, I don't know. That's, no, no. Not the proper response. That goes away. I mean, I could just really see this battle, and I'm trying to think, Like I think that's my new nature, and I'm wondering how does the Holy Spirit get involved in that part of me that goes, no, no, no, no, just those thoughts have to work.

Well, the first thing he does is he makes you aware of the thought process, which he did. And then you recognize that it's not of him. And the process is who do you believe right there? And you believe what you know to be true about who you are and who he is.

There's no question in the flesh you'd shove the guy off the cliff, especially if nobody was looking. Yeah. You know, the thing I go back to on that is When those things happen, who's involved in that? The self. The self is offended. So you want to go back to the point that you choose to be offended. It's always a weird concept, but you can do anything you want to me, but it's ultimately up to me to choose to be offended. And that's the old nature. Yeah, the self is the flesh.

You know, I think of Christ and all that went on with him. The world rejected him and crucified him. He didn't lash back out at him. You know, and I think of all the things that go on. Most of the things that irritate me, when I get to the root of it, it's self. Most of the unsettled things in my life, when I get down to it, it's self-based. When you focus on the Lord, a lot of the self isn't the center. It isn't the master. And things go by because it doesn't matter. I'm not there, but I get a lot more peace, rest, joy.

That's why I bring up these things. As you understand what's self-motivated and what's Christ-motivated. That's a growth process. It just takes a long time. But as you exhibited, that really didn't bother me. That's growth. That's understanding that it's not important to me. These things of the earth are not important to me. Things that are self-based become less important. Christ becomes more important. The life of Christ becomes more important than the self. And it's a process, it's a growth process and it doesn't happen overnight.

Question 12, I think we're there. Question 12, what is the sin nature's answer to failure? Try harder. Work harder. Somebody else's fault. Dump it on somebody else. I had work harder. Do more spiritual push-ups. Try to improve the old man so he can please God. Is that possible? No. What is the best thing that happened to the old man? He died, crucified, positionally, gone. The best thing to ever happen to the old man is to positionally be crucified, the Romans 6 truths. So what does that create?

If you try to do the fleshly or sin nature's way, what does that create? Failure. Failure. Conflict. No rest, no peace, no joy. Not anything of the fruit of the Spirit. Peace pays joy. All those. You don't have any of those. If we try to use the sin nature's answer to failure, you get none of those. Not even possible. I still always go back to that the world cannot give any rest. Rest is only in Christ. And there are some verses I can go over some of those. Rest is in Christ. Rest is not in the world. Peace is not in the world. Peace is in Christ.

Well, that's what Jesus said. Right. Not just me. No. And that's why I say it. And that's what I'm coming down with all these verses later. It still comes down to us believing that. This whole class is based on faith. Do we believe this? That's the point of it. Is it wrong to... I'm reading a book that I think is very good, but he talks about philosophy a lot. That's probably your first error right there, is philosophy. I know, I know, yeah. But he also... I think he's a Christian, or he seems to be.

It's Resilience is the name of it and it's written by a Navy SEAL and somebody told me about it and I think it's very good but I'm glad that I have this background but But it is, it's a wonderful book. You know, it will teach you how to, you know, probably as a Navy SEAL, be able to, you know, suffer, go through, plot on, go through anything that they throw at you. You know, the training and the resiliency, even by the title. How to survive in this world.

But he's stealthy. soldiers that have come back and they become alcoholics or they commit suicide or things like that. So that's what he's trying to do. You know, I got talking about this something this week. Great books, but what ultimately is going to help those people be free from alcohol, drugs, depression, all these things.

What ultimately is going to be? Is it going to be somebody telling you how to buck it up? How I did it? How I, you know, anything like that? Is that going to help them? Ultimately it's going to be the only thing is Christ. And you haven't read this book. No, I don't need to. I know you don't. He doesn't do that. He doesn't say like, you know, you've got to be strong. Whatever his method is, if it doesn't point to Christ, it's never going to offer peace. Never will. it'll never free them.

I think of, I was talking to somebody about this, one of the things that, you know, how is it else? The set free prison ministries. And I think of, you know, for a prisoner, how freeing the identification truths are. All your past, all your history is gone. All the abuse, all the drugs, all the, everything you had in this fleshly body is gone. You can release that. It's gone. Your history now is in Christ. How freeing is that? How do you get away from drugs and alcohol and depression and all these things?

You can do all the push-ups you want, but ultimately it's going to come to Christ. And if you're a believer, the peace and understanding is understanding He's the only one who can release you from that. And that's a fleshly thing. The only way you get it is positionally put in Christ.

And what a freeing, I just think, for the prisoner, for those, for the guy who's an alcoholic, I can tell you, go to a 12-step, I can tell you do this, don't walk to the bar, but ultimately it's going to be Christ that frees him. I really believe that. That no matter how many books there are and good things, ultimately it's got to be Christ that's going to free him. They can get out of some of this, but drop back, proceed a little bit. And I think those make you feel good. But ultimately to be free, it's got to be in Christ. I just know that's the way to freedom. But some people aren't open to that. So you might help them in a way that eventually they would be able to Except for Christ.

And I think God can use all methods. Even people who have the wrong motive, and I've got to look that scripture up, where Paul says people are doing it for the wrong motive, but he used them. I think they can use all these things, but ultimately, that's delaying. I mean, he could move and he could use all things. I fully understand that.

But ultimately, that's what I say, ultimately it's going to come down to Christ. And he can use all things. So I don't discount that, but I say ultimately it's got to come to Christ. How long do you want to delay before you get to Christ? He may need to use some of those things, but ultimately it comes down to Christ.

I was thinking, is it so simple that it's just down to which man? Are you in Adam or are you in Christ? And if you're in Adam, then you can be really good, but you're still inanimate. That's one of those things I think in our grace class or the identification class we do. The only question that remains for every human being on this planet is who is Christ. Ultimately that's the only question. All the others are peripheral. Which man? That's the deciding factor for eternity. So all the other peripheral stuff and everything still comes down to who is Christ.

Do you believe or not? I don't think you can leave out the cross of Christ. You can talk about who is Christ, but the issue is, in any set of circumstances, like the book you're reading, how much space does the author give to crucifixion with Christ? Because without that, stuck with man's remedy where the cross is the one event in Christ that positionally takes the believer out of man's environment into spiritual and because of that a man is free. So anything that does not focus on the cross of Christ in terms of a remedy for problems Really what the author will do is the answer will be somewhere back in the wisdom or the strength of the flesh or the man.

That's why identification truths are so important because the crucifixion was a total termination from a positional standpoint of everything we were in Adam including the world, including sin, the sin nature and legalism. It was a total separation. And there's a whole new life on the other side of the cross, a resurrected life, that doesn't need any promptings or help from the old environment. When Paul went to Corinth, he said, we've preached Christ and Him crucified.

That's it. That's it. About the person that said, She or this author is talking about how the Navy SEAL is trained to take care of himself. Biblically he doesn't enter into it. But what if one of these people he's talking to is a believer, then his faith is not strong enough to get him out of that hole. Is that correct? I don't understand your question. Well, he's failing. He is a believer, but he's failing. He doesn't have the strength, he doesn't have the faith to get out of that position. And is God using that? God is using it. For what purpose? To get him back in. Perfect. So, what's wrong with that? Nothing. That's the whole thing.

You know, we pray a lot of times to get people out of circumstances. God's using those circumstances as a drawing too. to draw to himself. So, you know, we pray a lot of times, but, you know, get him out of this circumstance. Well, God wants him right where he's at. We pray, I pray for understanding in the circumstances, I pray for him to draw closer to, you know, all these things, I pray. And that, I can pray that way, but I hesitate a lot of times to get out of circumstances.

Because I know God's using a lot of those circumstances to draw that person out. He never would see the self had he not been put into some of these positions. A lot of times you don't see the selfish until you go through a trial. Because then you start climbing on yourself going, hey, how do I get out of this? And the trial shows you, you can't. just what I'm getting into real quickly. That was the first bill, right? So it creates a conflict if we do the sin nature's way.

And we see this in Romans 7. I think this is graphically portrayed in Romans 7. I'll read from 14 to 23. I think a lot of believers identify in this, they've been through this, when they rest in self and the flesh for the answer. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage of sin. For what am I doing? I do not understand. For I'm not practicing what I'd like to do, but I'm doing the very thing I hate.

But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the law, confessing that the law is good. So now no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For the willing is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good that I want I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I'm doing the very thing I do not want, I'm no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members."

So I said, what is the result of following the sin nature's answer to failure? What is the result of that? A wretched man that I am. Conflict, unrest, loss of fellowship, and then we get to Romans 7, 24. A wretched man that I am. Who will set me free from the body of this death? So, again, the sins one is unrest, failure, conflict, all the opposite of what if you're walking by the Spirit. We can blow through maybe 13 real quick.

Romans 7.24 is a great place to begin in our Christian growth, which is, Wretched man that I am, who will set me free from this body of death? So yes, once we realize we can't be conformed to Christ's image through man's selfish work, we can begin to grow.

Reckon ourselves dead unto sin and alive unto Christ, Romans 6.11. This is where we grow.

Again, what Mike was saying, it's understanding our crucified position, the separation, that we are a new creature in Christ, Galatians 2.20 and 2 Corinthians 5.17. It's not I that live, but Christ lives in me.

All these things, when you start understanding that, we get, well, a great place to start is realizing, oh, wretched man, there's nothing good in my flesh. Zip. The best thing to ever happen to me was the co-crucifixion position. Alright, I just have one more. I'll get through it because I'm just going to read you verses. How does one get deliverance then? Question 14. You can just go down or write these.

I have Romans 6.11. Even so, consider yourself dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Again, the position in Christ.

Romans 7.25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other with my flesh the law of sin. So, thanks be to God through Christ. The answer is in there. Romans 8, 1 and 2. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Galatians 2, 20.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh. This is one of those ones that I go back to. I use the first part of this verse, but I blow by the last part of it. 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.

2 Corinthians 5.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away. Behold, new things have come.

And then lastly, Romans 12.2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. So, again, just a lot of things. How do you get deliverance? Through Christ. Alright, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you again. Thank you for this time. We just thank you again.

Continually think of just what it would be like not to have the indwelling of the Spirit and your Word. It would be impossible without the indwelling of the Spirit and the Word to function in our new life in Christ. And we just thank you again. that you have provided the Spirit. And when we look at all these things that you have told us true about us, it is through the Holy Spirit that allows us to realize that.

And again, we just thank you again not to rely on flesh and what it offers through self and the world. As you said, Christ was crucified and we're crucified to the world and the flesh. And we rest in that fact. And again, we just thank you again for all that you do for us moment by moment. And we thank you now as we go to the next meeting. We just pray you with Vern, just accurately bring us the word and prepare our hearts to receive it. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.