Principles of Position, Lesson 7

Alright, we, I think, are in question four of lesson seven. Let me get back to that. We are in lesson seven of our class on position. We've been going in acceptance, again, which is, I think, a really key aspect in a believer's life. Just a few things. I think J.D. brought it up last week. Again, just our acceptance of what we think about the old man and our identification with the Adamic man.

But again, it's not hating the essence of the person who, is it essence? I don't know what that is. Essential being, I don't know the term, of who you are. God created you and that's who is then identified either with the Adamic man or Christ. So you don't hate that essential person, but it's the identification with the Adamic man. So what we're talking about is that, the acceptance in Christ, of who you are in Christ.

So I just want to go over that, because a lot of times we're talking about what the old man represents and trying to get rid of that, or not rid of it, but wrecking it dead. So I just want to get in that, that you don't hate the essential person that God created, but it's the identification with the Adamic man.

Good? Question four, lesson seven. What will allow us to be increasingly willing to reject self and to leave all that sinful source on the cross for daily crucifixion? What will allow us to do that? Tithing, right? Well, if it said who, it could be the Holy Spirit. Okay. Further? Well, underlying it all is the work of Christ in the cross and the crucifixion. Okay. That's what allows us. Yeah. So that's the underlying foundation, but what allows us now? Believing it. Holy Spirit.

If you're in Christ, you kind of automatically reject self, right? I wouldn't say automatically, no. I would say this is the process of spiritual growth. A lot of people still don't reject the old believers. Again, I look at the Christian bookstores. you know, how to improve the old self, you know? Oh yeah, I mean it's all those, you know, how do I do it? How do I, you know, they don't talk about, this is kind of, we've gone back a lot of times, the identification truths and the importance of that.

Because if you don't know you've been co-crucified, you're always trying to fix up the old man. And the old man is there cheering you on every minute that you're trying to do that. Or even like how to be a better Christian, right? Right, it's by yourself efforts to do this process, this program, this thing. It's always meant to improve yourself. And a lot of people do it, they'll go by now that it's the, now that I'm a believer, I have the power to have the old man be better. A lot of people go by that. It's couched in a lot of different ways, but it's all legal-based, law-based, work-based. And we know under grace, is it work-based?

Unmerited. So all those things we're trying to improve. So it's not automatic by any means. And it's the Holy Spirit, by faith, and what He's told us, that we grow into this. I was going to say reckoning ourselves dead in sin sums it up. Yeah, it's a process. And reckoning, that reckoning. And that's a process. I don't think it happens overnight. And that's what we're kind of going through. A lot of it through this is how the Holy Spirit is showing us who we are in Adam and exposing that. And that's part of this whole process, which we're getting into a little bit about, you know, that process.

Yeah. Well, but this, let's see, that simple source on the cross for daily crucifixion. Well, does that mean that just daily, you know, I know that you're going to, there are going to be things that are going to happen to you and you have to, let go of that self that was, well, I didn't mean that. Well, you know, that's not, you know, so you don't have to try to defend yourself. Yeah, I think it's a lot of it. You kind of touched on it.

It's the understanding that the co-crucifixion, it's the Roman six, And it's what Alan said. It's that reckoning that you're dead unto sin, but what's the second part? Alive unto God. A lot of people just want to focus on the reckoning dead, but the other is alive unto God.

What does that mean? So, I think that's the reckoning that old man is, in God's eyes, positionally, is done with. Done. And so in the little birdies they're teaching, you know, come over here, do this. You know, I think it's reckoning in time you realize you don't have to respond to that. Where I'm going over here and doing, you know, something that isn't who I am in Christ. And I think it's a process. You know, we say spiritual growth.

It's like in the 2 Peter 3.18, grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grow is a process.

You know, Mike said he talked to my Stanley and said, when will I be able to really say no to the old man? Basically something like that. His response was, when you realize you can say no, and not follow him, listen to him, and do his bidding. You know, and I'm going to get to one of the ones I want a lot of response from, is, we'll get to that, and kind of how, I'll say I'll get to that.

The other thing, which is, you know, we do it, the process is by the work of the Holy Spirit and faith, but we become more fully established in our position. Where are we? Who are we positioned in? That's the key. And that's done by the Holy Spirit and by believing.

But the whole thing in what our class is, is position. As we become more fully established in our position, we are increasingly willing to reject self, to leave all that sinful source on the cross as we just talked about for daily crucifixion. This progressive freedom from the dominion of self gives us a deepening rest in the Lord Jesus. We become rooted and grounded in the source of life where we grow effortlessly and fruit is born to his glory. Okay, so I asked again about how that's accomplished by faith and the work of the Holy Spirit.

My question is, and this is, as I was preparing this, I want to get feedback on this. What does that mean in layman's terms? You know, as I was preparing this, I thought, you know, we say these things, Mike and I will say these things, you know, but I struggle with them a lot of times.

What does that mean? I want feedback. What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit and faith to work on this position that we have of acceptance? What does that really mean? I mean, we say that, but sometimes I struggle with that, and I don't like personal, but it's how I really, day to day, what does that mean? What does that mean for me today at two o'clock? Tomorrow? What does it mean to really rely upon the Holy Spirit and to see my position in Christ?

Deafening silence. Nobody wants to step forward. I was just going to give kind of a personal example. Where I work, there are little nests of drama and trouble everywhere. Sounds like every job. Every job there's nests of trouble and so sometimes I like accidentally like walk into the nest and or poke it or something and I don't mean to but I do and then after I come away from the nest it's like I want to do the same thing I want to punish them. I want them to be punished.

You know what I mean? It's kind of like, it's like, oh, I hope, I hope this works out badly for them, you know, somehow. And then that is taking, I'm going into the position of thinking, I'm like God that I can judge other people. And then it's like, oh no. And then I can realize, no, this is all in God's hands. This is all God's circumstances. I'm able to grow through this circumstance if I get off my high horse.

I want to focus on the acceptance part though. What is the process for you to understand our position of acceptance? How does that happen? I mean, we say the Holy Spirit and faith, but how does that happen? I say I struggle with this, because I think, you know, we say this, but then when I think, what do I really do? Well, it's a lack of faith in the Word of God. So? That's the problem. You don't have enough faith to support yourself. Okay. Others?

Well, I still think that once you give up yourself and say, okay, Christ, I'm yours, and he comes into your life, and automatically, I do feel different. Automatically, I begin to grow. I mean, my whole life has changed. I mean, it was black, and then it's white. And I suppose there's shades of gray, but for me, it was one big change.

So on the acceptance part, do you feel accepted in Christ? Do I feel like I'm accepted? Oh, yeah. He died, so yes, I do. I believe firmly that even though I was mentally a Christian, that the one time I gave up everything and said, okay, this is it, and it happened. And so he was in me, and I was in him. Okay. Others? Yeah. Wouldn't it be, I mean, If you realize that there's nothing you can do and you just kind of resolve the fact that there's nothing you can do to do anything, make yourself look better in God's eyes.

But maybe it's like accepting a friend or a new believer. You know, they've got a lot to learn, but you just accept them where they're at. And if you realize that, that comparison, God does the same thing for us. He just accepts us where we are. and we grow spiritually. He knows how we can grow spiritually at our pace, not anybody else's pace. But just accept, you know, the comparison.

No, I like that. And I like it's a personal pace. You know, we're not all Charlie Browns. We're not all the exact same. And I think that is a very personal thing and it's on a track that he has just for you. To me the important thing here is not that we all grow different paces like we're doing it ourselves.

You know, I want to be on the slow track and you want to be on the fast track and so we go along our rates. It's the Holy Spirit that grows us. It's not us. is individual to us, but we aren't doing it. It's his work to convince and, you know, convict us of the truths of the Bible. And that goes back to, that's with the two issues, faith and the Holy Spirit.

Do you believe this? What he says? Did you have something? If you don't believe it and you're honest with God and you say, well, I don't believe it, then where are you? You need to speak up. They can't hear you. Who can't hear me? They can't hear you to answer. They're older. I think that there is a time when you recognize that What if I don't believe him?

And I'm honest with God about it. I read it, I see it, but come on, it isn't my experience. I think he expects us just to take him at his word. And then there's a dependency that he's going to work whatever that truth is into your life so that you do believe and settle down on it. And he works it, I think that the process is the same for process is not the same, but the process is death of the old life and the new. I think that's the process.

And so you have to become educated about what your acceptance is in Christ and at the same time you're becoming educated about what about you in the old man isn't acceptable. And then like Alan said, you come to the point where you reckon You agree with God about, I'm dead to all of it, it's not acceptable to Him, and I'm alive under God in Christ, who's totally acceptable. And a great discovery. It really wasn't about me to start with.

The reason why the question is, we say a lot of these things, but what does it really mean? And I think it still comes down to faith in the Holy Spirit. It's His work. and are believing what is true about us. And I'll say, we know the process, but the path is different for each one. And the speed is different for each one.

We've touched on it, but is it not also that it is Christ's acceptance that we're talking about here? But the understanding is that Christ's acceptance is because we're in Him, and that's where our acceptance is. Ultimately, that's it. I lose sight of that and think that I'm accepted. What about Christ behind that? Really, I'm only accepted because He's accepted. And that's going back to the other point that you're saying.

It's ultimately understanding our position. Our position of acceptance is in Christ. But that's the Holy Spirit convincing us of that truth. And do you understand that? I guess what I'm saying is if our focus is on us being accepted, it's the wrong focus. Our focus should be how marvelous that his work on the cross was so complete. He took me along through that process. And the identification, we have been positioned in Him. Right.

And that's the understanding, that if you understand that, how can you not feel accepted if you know, with the Colossians 3, we are hid in Christ and God. Amen. And if you understand that, how could you be more accepted than that? You can't. believing that. And that's where this process is, believing it and the Holy Spirit convincing us of that.

We're going to get kind of picky on a word that you used. You said you feel accepted. And so then, the thing is, if you say that, then if you don't feel accepted, it puts feelings as the thing that determines whether you're accepted or not. Yeah, you know, the feeling, but the feeling, the feelings, you know, we talked about this and we have differences, I think, on this. As far as the feelings, there are feelings.

Look at Galatians 5.23. Joy, peace, patience. These are all things. So that's the feeling that when you're convicted by the Holy Spirit, you have joy, peace, patience. All the things that are the fruit of the Spirit. And that's what I'm talking about. If I say a feeling, that's what I'm talking about. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is that. If I say a feeling, that's what I'm referring to. It's the joy, the peace, the patience that only the Holy Spirit can give you. And that's understanding our position of acceptance. that there is no better peace and patience or joy than understanding that we have been positioned in Christ.

And like I said, going back to the Colossians 3.3, is that we are hid in Christ, in God. I can't have a better joy, a better peace, any of those things, than understanding that truth that I have been hid in Christ, in God. This is our authority. how I feel, or what someone else says to me, well, how do you know you're in Christ?

I don't know, except for this. And so I think my reckoning is in regard to this. It's not in regard to anything else. Whether I feel, even if I don't feel accepted, this says I am, and this is the word of God. I want to interrupt, because this is actually kind of what Vern had, and I never get it Facts before the tracks and the feelings and the caboose and whatever. I have no idea. I can picture it. It's facts before feelings and faith in the facts. Thank you. And the caboose is the feelings. That's the point.

Right, so you don't try to get joy. You don't try to get peace. What you said was the backwards. I judge everything by my feelings and then I try and reconcile it to facts. That's backwards. The facts come before the feelings. So I don't ever justify my position by my feelings. It's a result of my position that I have the joy, peace, patience. So that, you know, someday I'll learn that. Faith in the facts. It's like the train on the tracks. I'm going to put that on my refrigerator.

I was wondering, you know that scripture that says that there's pleasure in sin for a season? Like if someone's at work and there's like a boss and everybody hates him and people are like gossiping and talking about this crazy boss or whatever. And there's just something that's wrong, but there's something like, yeah, this is juicy. I want to get involved in that, because it's fun to talk about this evil boss, but it's wrong. But that kind of stuff kind of lures us. And it's like when you say, what am I?

I'm a tap dance and I shouldn't be tap dancing anymore. Does that make sense? a different matter than, I think, acceptance. I want to refocus us back on acceptance. That's really the key is on the acceptance part. And I just want to explore some of it, because when we say a lot of these things, I think we say this and it sounds flowery, but it's really coming down to understanding our position. It's the Holy Spirit's job to convict us and convince us of that, but we have to believe it. That's ultimately, we have to believe our acceptance in Christ. And I think that's incredibly important for us to understand that. And he's explained that in so many different places, you know, John 17, our union with him, all these things that point to this, but it's, do you believe it?

That's really where we're at. Once you're saved, it's so complete, it isn't by degrees. It's all the way. Well, positionally, yes. Positionally, yes. It's 100%, or 33, or 213, or whatever we have, things that are immediately true of you when you believe. Yeah, that's 100%, never to change. And then for a while, you just think, wow, this is so wonderful. And then, life.

But I think that's the process of spiritual growth. And you can see in a new believer, they don't know a lot, but there's just this enthusiasm. You can chart almost every believer's path a little bit, you know, up and then they start showing you who you really are, who that old Adamic man is. And that's the process we're kind of talking about here, is that revealing of who the old Adamic life is, that's not who you are.

Because I think that's where I am. How did you get through that? Like, okay, I'm envious of this person. This person has perfect children, perfect... No, I know you laugh, but I mean, they aren't perfect. No, they aren't. I'm laughing because no, they're not. No, they're not. They are perfect. Everything in her life is perfect.

And then I start feeling envious. And then I think, how do you, in fact, I looked that up on the internet, how do I get rid of envy? Because envy, it says, can just, I guess that's a very bad thing. And any sin is the same, missing the mark. But what I would look at is that, where's your focus? I'm this person. Where should it be? I'm God. Where's your standard? It's in Christ. In Christ.

And that's the process revealing to you. That's, I think, that process. Why am I doing that? It's whatever you just said, you know, what Miles said, when you suddenly realize you can. That's the process. You realize that's not it. That's not who you are in Christ. Right. That's good. Is that good? It is. the old Adamic man. And you're reckoning yourself dead under that. I don't have to be envious of this family. One, they're not perfect. Two, I shouldn't be focusing on them.

Christ is the standard. Christ is the one. Christ is who we are. And that's the process. But see, the good thing is you're realizing that. it's when you don't realize that, you know, he's revealing it and you're not doing it. I was going to bring up that same thing. I feel like for me it's so easy to start to, you know, your focus should be on what Christ did on the cross and what that means for you. And for me it's so easy to just start comparing yourself.

You compare yourself to other people and then you feel like I'm not good enough. I'm not a good enough mom. I'm not a good enough wife. I don't spend enough time with my kid. And then you don't feel accepted and it's just getting your focus isn't on who you are.

Our position in Christ and our acceptance in Him. And that's the realization. I'm over here looking at this one. I'm in Christ. I've been hid in Christ in God. Double protection I say. You know what better position that you have than in Christ in God.

And it's hard in that moment. You just kind of want to you're wallowing in this and you almost have to... you have to realize it and just say to yourself, in that moment, like, right? I mean... No, no, mine is... I don't know. He's allowed that for that purpose. Understand that. He's allowed that to reveal this. He didn't say, oops. He's allowed those conditions for you to grow.

Sometimes it's an incredibly painful process. But you start realizing, I shouldn't be envious of that family. I shouldn't be envious of them. That's not my focus. And that's the process. And then you realize, I'm not accepted. I'm comparing myself to the Jones. Look at the house they have. Look at the thing they have. Look at the job they have.

Anything over here focused not on Christ is not going to give us any acceptance or who we are. But if you believe, like I said, in Him all things hold together. He's the one in control. He's a sovereign God. He's allowed these things. And he's allowing it for your growth. To realize that. He's the chaff.

He's getting you to say, that's not who I am in Christ. I shouldn't be worried about that. I don't think that I should be. I think I should be is almost setting up like another law. And then you find yourself and you say, I shouldn't be. I shouldn't be thinking about that. I think it's like, why would I be thinking that? Why would I think that I'm not enough? when I'm in Christ and Christ is everything. It's getting you back to the faith in what is true about you. Right. That's all it can ever be. It's the personal faith. Do I believe that? So the I is the personal faith part of this. Do you believe what he's told about you? It's not about, if you're I and you're focusing on how good you are and what... Or what you shouldn't do. What's your focus?

Right. That's the point. Everything you do to compare yourself, you know, and that's... I'm not saying that you say, I'm doing the... It's the realization, that's not who I am. I am in Christ. That's the process. It's not a set of rules, it's not anything that, it's just the understanding, the growth process, that that's not who I am in Christ. I go through that daily. And it's the growth factor. Yes. Back to this discussion about here I am, so I'm not a very good mom and I'm not a very good wife and I'm not this and I'm not that.

At that point in time, can I expect the Spirit of God to show me the answer? It isn't that I have trained my mind to the point that, �Oh, I know exactly what I am supposed to do here.� I think that the issue right there is that the Spirit of God is engaged And he's the one that will show you the truth. He's the one that will show you. Now here's what you do now. You trust me. You reckon.

It isn't that I wasn't in the precipitating cause, it's that he is. And so what I learned in that process as I go along in a daily life is to depend on him, not me. And if I'm misunderstood, what I'm saying is exactly, what did I say? He allowed that. Yes, he did. That's my point. It's not us and we think and all this. He's allowed that to grow you. But he also had the answer at the same time. That's part of what he's doing. He's convincing and convicting you. That's his job. And he's allowed you to do that to understand the answer. And the growing.

I feel like maybe half the time I come away feeling like not thinking of my position in Christ. And half the time I do. Yeah. Hopefully as we grow... Sometimes I think you come away and you realize it. You know, I probably should have known more there, or there's something missing here. I probably need to go find out maybe more about my position.

Again, orchestrated by the Holy Spirit to keep us moving towards understanding the position. At other times, there's a, oh, I do understand, and that's fine. But that, I want this crystal clear. My point is, that is the Holy, that's what I'm saying. He's allowed that. He's orchestrating this. That's my point. In him all things hold together. He's the one orchestrating this. We think we're in a random world or random this and I'm left and I'm, I'm, I'm. No, it's his process, his work.

He's allowed that. That's my point. But we can make it take longer. We can put our focus on, yeah, I am not good enough and oh I should have done that instead of done this and if I would have done this and we can go there. That's his work to convince and convict you. Yeah, but I mean we can kind of slow it down. That's so cool because that shows his acceptance of us. He doesn't condemn us and put his fist down and say that's it, you're out. He woes us along and brings us along in that. It's the world acceptance that is this world. So are we.

Exactly. Again, I just don't want to be misunderstood. This is His work. I can't believe it. Faith and the Holy Spirit. That's where we started this whole thing off. It's His work. It's His work. And when we go through this, it's Him working on you. in growing in Christ isn't a recognition on my part that I still have a sin nature that does not want me to be at peace with God. And it's still just as evil as it was before the cross. Reckon yourself with it. I'm an enemy of God and this is still in me.

So when I start thinking, why am I thinking this way? Or why am I drawn to that? Or why did I say? It's because that's in there. And recognizing it. Recognizing what the word says. I have peace with God. Question five coming up. I think Marla had something.

I was just wondering about how this is all discussions all on us, I, what about acceptance of other believers in their position where they are in our growth process, what they're going through? Because a lot of times I think we throw things on them. Yeah, that's a good question. Really the focus of this is our acceptance.

I think that is in the Christian living and Christ example is to accept others and especially believers. I go to the body concept. If you're hurting or whatever, you're the leg, fingers, toes, I'm concerned about you because you're part of the body, the body of Christ. You're just as accepted as I am in Christ. And that should be the focus too. No matter what you're going through, you're accepted as much as I am because there's no different standard for you than me because we're accepted in Christ.

Our position of acceptance in Christ. But yeah, like I said, I look at it as a body concept. If there's a believer that's hurting, it's Helen. She's hurting. You come beside her. There's all those things. Somebody's struggling in sin. You don't banish them. The purpose is restoration. They're accepted in Christ. You bring them. Your purpose is restoration.

I was just going to say, when I look at your family, I've never, I mean, there's a lot of families in the world, but you have one of the most precious, fruitful, That's it. That's what I say. Don't look at other people's families, no matter what. I'm not going to say anything. Anything.

I'm getting the leers from my kids. I have wonderful kids. I'm just going to make a quick, remind us of what Vern says and even what Micah said in the past. How do I get rid of of jealousy, or envy, or where am I? Judgment. Sure. And when I talk to Vern about some things we struggle with, he's always reminding us, this is exactly what you need. This is exactly what you need. This is exactly what the Lord has for you in the growth period that you're in, in your relationship, in your walk with your, whether it's family, yourself, but ultimately the relationship with Christ. He's using it. And Mike even said this, I think last Last time we were in his class, when we were asking for a prayer on things, he's like, it's hard for me to pray for that.

How do I pray to solve something or remove something from life? And the Lord's using it to teach us. Sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms me in the storm. It doesn't mean He removes me. And he's using all those things. We go through that. If you hear our prayers, it's about the circumstances. Not necessarily remove it, but to strengthen you and to further his purposes. Because he's using all things. And that's the key. And I agree with that. And that's my point, is that he's in control of all these things and he's allowing you to do this for your growth. And that's the key, is that he's using it all.

And when you say that, you know, the focus, I find in marriage and anything, the problem is that whenever something comes up, it's when my focus is on myself or something else. I go look at, you know, I know personal, but the thing is, you know, when I look at something and I see somebody do something, And I think, man, what if Christ treated me the same way if I did something wrong? And I do things wrong. How would Christ treat me? And that's kind of the acceptance and others. I have to go in it with a loving attitude. That's Christ-like. That's who I am in Christ.

And in a marriage, I find it very hard The problems arise when I take my focus off Christ. And I personally need something, or I personally this, or I personally an I, I, I, I, I. He uses that in my life when I get angry, or I get this or that. My focus is not on Him. And that's what He's using in my life. He uses a lot of that.

Are we good? Let me just quickly, a couple things, you know. The discussion, because I really thought this was, you know, when we talk about this, a lot of times we say this, but what does it really mean, and how does it, how do we get there, and all these things. I think it's great.

He uses all these things for His glory and His purposes, in all circumstances. And a couple things, and we'll read Ephesians 1, 5. Again, remember this whole is on acceptance. Having predestined us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace. So again, who's doing this?

It's Him. Wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. He has made us accepted in the Beloved. It's Him. It's our position, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of His grace. And then also, in learning to take our position in the Lord Jesus and thereby to abide in Him as our acceptance, we grow to expect less and less from ourselves and more and more from Him.

And from Psalm 62.5, my soul wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. Again, it's His work. Faith and the Holy Spirit. That's what's working to understand our acceptance in Christ and who we are in Christ. Our position in Christ. That's our acceptance.

Alright? I don't think we can get to five, but we have like one minute. Any other thoughts? So in that moment, whether it be how long when your focus isn't on Christ. Is it our... I mean obviously the Holy Spirit is always wooing us. Is it our response to the Holy Spirit or is it our responsibility to change our focus or is it just our response? I don't know how to ask it. Can I trust that the Holy Spirit will change my focus? Or is it also the possibility to think, like, I'm not focusing on my position in Christ, I'm focused on comparing myself to others.

I think he's convincing you of that, to where you then believe. Faith. That's not who I am. It's his process of working that truth into you. And that's where, I mean, I say, I was, you know, convincing, you know, Convince and convict us of these truths is the Holy Spirit's job. And that's where we go. We believe. We're convinced that that truth is true. And it's a process by which we are convinced of this truth.

And that goes, I think, to the personal faith part. You know, we know what faith is. It's not anything of us from our faith class. That's all of the things of God, the Hebrews 11. But, you know, part of that is personal faith. And that's the personal faith. Do we believe this? Do you believe that? And that's what I think he's convincing you of in these processes.

I shouldn't be looking at that. I should be focused on, that's not who I am in Christ. I go to that, I say that a lot myself. That's not who I am in Christ. That's not my position. That's not who I am. And that's the Holy Spirit convincing me that that's not who I am.

It's this person doing or thinking this. My comparison, my this, my wanting, my need, my desire that I think. I'm accepted in Him in Christ. That's my position. That's what He convinces me of. It's my personal faith to believe that. But that's the process. Again, I just go by, he's in control of all things. When we think we're out of control, why did I do that? Well, he's allowed that. He is allowed that for his purposes.

Again, his purposes are to glorify himself, glorify God, and to convince us of who we are in Christ. And that's really, I think, the acceptance part is where people get beat up so much and they worry about all this stuff, but God has allowed that to happen for His purposes. The Holy Spirit is using all things, all things, to get us to understand by faith the truths that are true about us, or the facts that are true about us.

Okay? Well, sorry. Question four. Alright, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you again just for the overriding truth that you have an eternal love for those who are in Christ. And we rest in that fact and we appreciate that fact and we thank you for that fact. And we thank you for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And again, it's His work to be doing all these things that we talk about. And we thank You, and we rest in these truths that You have told us, and we rest in Your Word. And again, we just thank you that you're in control and you have an eternal love for us. And we rest in those facts. And we have the joy, the peace, the patience as we understand those positional truths of who we are in Christ and all these different things.

And again, we thank you that You never stop working on us. Never. The Holy Spirit is always drawing us to your Son. And we thank you for that in all circumstances, in all things. Again, He is using all things to glorify you. So, again, we just thank you for this time, and we just pray for Vern in the next meeting, again, just to be able to bring us the Word and prepare our hearts to receive it. We thank you for all these things in Christ's name. Amen.