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And that was a question of who was his neighbor. The priest who was supposed to lead people in compassion and concern and helping people who are in desperate straits, as we find there in Hebrews 5, that he has to have compassion on those who sin through ignorance, when he saw the man beaten up by the robbers and bleeding, lying alongside the road, he went clear to the other side, lest he would be unclean, as he was on his way to the temple to do his righteous work. And then along came a Levite. And he walked over a little closer and curled up his nose, and he didn’t want to make himself unclean, because after all, he had important work to do at the temple. So on he went. Here comes a hated and despised Samaritan. Despised and hated of the Jews, just like the Palestinians are today. “We don’t like you, we won’t eat with you, we won’t smell in the same room with you. And if we have a chance, we will kill you.” And that’s the same answer that the Palestinians have for the Jews.

So the Samaritan came along, took care the man, put oil and wine in his wounds, took him to the inn, and told the innkeeper, “Now here, I’m giving you some money. You take care of him, and if there’s any more that’s due on my way back I’ll pay it. But make sure he gets well.” Now in a rare case you could see a Palestinian doing that for a Jew, or a Jew doing that for a Palestinian. But how rare it is. So Jesus showed by that example who you are by birth. Though God did use the children of Israel, does not give you and “in” with God if you are a sinner.

So He said, John 8:37, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you.” Isn’t that interesting? If God’s word has no place in an individual, what is there in the place? Hold here in John 8, and let’s come back to Ephesians 4. What is there in the place? Now let’s pick it up here in verse 22, so we see the process. Because this is a process, brethren. The whole thing of conversion is important.

Now I’ve got a letter that I’m writing right now about why we go through the trials that we go through, because many people count it that if they go through a trial that’s a sign that God doesn’t love them, because they still remember too many things of the false religions of the world that, “you are to be happy, happy, happy, and no problems and no difficulties, and just do what you want to do, and God will be with you, and love Him with a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart, and everything’s fine. If you have problems, God is against you.” No. That’s not true. If you have problems and trials, God is trying you and the testing you. God is with you. God loves you. He is not against you. We’ve all gone through them. And I’ve gone through them myself, as all of you personally know. Come down to the very bottom of the valley of death, so to speak. And it’s very discouraging, very debilitating, and really takes its toll. And you do feel in some ways, “God, where are You? Have You forsaken me?” And then you come to your senses and say, “No, God hasn’t forsaken me.” And you begin to pray and ask, “God, help me to understand what I’m going through.” And that’s when I began to have some right thoughts about the situation.

But salvation is a process of putting out and putting in. Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Just like that stupid tune, or message of an advertisement that you didn’t want in your brain, and yet it kind of clicks in there once in a while. “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” So it’s an ongoing process. “And that ye put on the new man,…” So you have to grow in grace. You have to grow in knowledge. And these things come by trials and difficulties, see. “…Which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). So in all of this and what you’re going through, what I’ve gone through, what people are going through today, and in confronting things in the world, what you’re really experiencing is this: you’re experiencingthat there is a tug-of-war between the old man and the new man. The old man doesn’t want to give up, and the new man is not quite strong enough to resist it. So that’s why you have to come to Christ. And always remember this: if you’re in trouble or you have a problem, don’t run from God, run to Him.

Remember what happened to Elijah after the great miracle, after the 450 priests of Baal were killed? And they all ate at Jezebel’s table? Now the wrath of Jezebel, the daughter of the Canaanite priest, who married Ahab, and so then the great miracle occurred that the drought ended and everything was flooding. And after that miracle, rather than thanking God and having strength, what did Elijah do? He ran away like a whipped dog, whimpering clear down into the cave in Mount Horeb (that’s where the 10 Commandments were given). And went in there and said, “Oh, Jezebel’s gonna get me!” And so God finally spoke to him, not in the rain, not in the thunder, not in the earthquake, but in a small still voice and said, “Elijah, there, there.” I’ll just sort of paraphrase it. “Cheer up, old chap. There’s seven thousand that have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

Which is interesting, isn’t it? What does that show? I just thought of that yesterday. What does that show? They had freedom of religion. And isn’t it interesting that how few there are that really have not bowed the knee to Baal in a land full of religious freedom like the United States today? Amazing. So you see, when this battle between the old man and the new man and discouragement comes, don’t give up, because God is creating in you the new man in the righteousness and holiness of Christ. So yield to God. Take your problems to Him. Lay them out. He’ll answer. Did God say He would answer? Yes. He promised He would. Can God lie? Of course not, otherwise He’s not God. Will he answer? Absolutely. In the way that we may think? Probably not. But nevertheless, He will answer. And I’ve experienced that many, many times.

Now notice our part: “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members of one another. Be ye angry, and sin not:…” (Ephesians 4:25-26). One of the easiest things to happen is get angry - get angry at something, or get angry at God, or get angry at a situation, and then you keep it and you retain it. Now we’ve all gone through that. Everyone of us. Question: what did it profit? Nothing. Did it sour your mind? Did it destroy other people’s relations with you? Of course. Who can abide in an angry man or angry woman’s house? There are many proverbs. You could go read about that.

“Be ye angry, and sin not.” In other words, be angry at the deed that is wrong, but don’t be angry at the person, and don’t sin by retaining it. Rather, you do as Christ and Steven did, “Father forgive them what they do,” and, “Lord, don’t lay this to their charge.” “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath…” Absolute rule number one. Never take your anger beyond sundown. Now then, if you’re so cunning as to wait until after sundown to be angry, then you’re obligated by the next sundown to get rid of it. Now here’s the reason why: “Neither give place to the devil” (vs. 26-27).

Now notice what Jesus said back here in John 8:37. “I know they ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you.” So we can give a place to Satan the devil, right? Yes. Now back here to Ephesians 4 again. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,…” (vs. 28-29). Now he’s talking to Christians. They’re in the process of overcoming. So he’s saying, “Look - you’ve got to get rid of that.”

“…But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (vs. 29-32). So that finishes the process of overcoming, in giving no place for the devil.

Now in this case, back to John 8. Let’s come back here now. If the word of God has no place in a person, then who takes that place? Satan. How does he do it? As the prince of the power of the air. Now let’s see it here. John 8:37, “…Because My word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with My Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.” Now they get into a heated argument. “They answered and said unto Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill Me, a Man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.” Now we’re going to see they had no place for God, but they had plenty of place for Satan the devil. “Then said they to Him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:37-41).

Now there’s something else that’s also interesting to understand, which is this. Outside of miracles, many things happen which a casual observer would think would be just that of human endeavor. So that’s what they were saying of Jesus. God worked it out so that those who didn’t believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ would have an excuse to reject Him. And Satan took full advantage of this, and in the religion of Judaism today and Islam religion today, the hatefulness toward Jesus Christ, being a true Son of God, is absolutely incredible. And as adamant as can be, just like this argument here. So that’s why God did it the way that He did.

So they said to Him, verse 41, “We be not born of fornication; we have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do ye not understand My speech? even because ye cannot hear My word” (vs. 41-43). In other words, “There’s no place for the words in your mind.” And to hear means to hear so that they would understand. And they couldn’t understand it. And there are people who are so wrapped up in the ways of this world, the religions of this world, or the atheism of this world that there is no place for God, and Satan is right there, Johnny-on-the-spot, to fill the space. So they cannot have entrance into it.

And in reading this book about what people believe in the canonization of the New Testament, it is mind blowing some of the things that these people believe. And in it you can see Satan’s hand, that there’s no place for the truth. So we have the same experience it is here.

Now continuing on, verse 42, “Neither came I of Myself,…” So He wasn’t an upstart. He wasn’t wandering in the wilderness one day and all of a sudden, “Ding!” the idea came to Him that He would start a religious movement. “…But He sent Me. Why do ye not understand My speech? even because ye cannot hear My word.” Why? Verse 44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” Now these are religious people, brethren. These were people even keeping the Feast of Tabernacles at the temple. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (vs. 42-44).

And he is the one who misrepresents and twists and turns, and causes confusion and doubt. And he can do this in many, many ways. And if someone gets discouraged and down, we need to help them up. They need hope and encouragement. So that they, what is it said, don’t be wrapped up in it over self much pity. Over much self pity, rather. Because when you… and that’s why I wrote in a letter that when you’re in a trial and you’re just looking to yourself alone and you’re not looking to God, that’s what Paul said to those in the book of Hebrews - looking to Christ, the beginner and finisher of our faith. That’s why when we go through these things, that’s what we have to do.

In order to overcome Satan the devil, now, let’s come back to Ephesians 2, we need to also realize that in order to overcome Satan the devil, who’s the prince of the power of the air, we need to constantly look to Jesus Christ. Not to the circumstances. And always remember Peter and walking on the water. Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you, bid me to come on the water.” He said, “Come.” He started walking on the water. Then all of a sudden he looked at the circumstances and started sinking. He said, “Lord, save me!” And Christ reached out and pick him up and said, “ O you of little faith.” And remember, as soon as they got in the ship the winds ceased, and the waves quit, and they were at the other shore. Now the moral of that story is, when you’re right smack in the middle of a trial and your sinking down, if you look to Christ and ask for help, He’ll lift you up. He will. He’s promised it. And that’s how you overcome the prince of the power of the air. By the power of Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit. By giving no place in your mind to the prince of the power of the air.

Now back here to Ephesians 2:3. “Among whom also we all had our conversation [conduct] in times past in the lusts of our flesh,…” Whatever that may be. That just doesn’t mean sex alone. That’s of physical goods and physical things. Because a carnal mind is minding of the flesh. “…Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;…” And of course, what is one of the big sellers today? Mind control. Develop your mind. Tap the inner powers within. You are more than you ever thought you were. Yeah - Robin. I don’t know if it’s his first name or last name, but I saw him on “Larry King Live” promoting the very same thing, you see. Now that’s exactly what Satan told Eve. “Look, you can decide. You can grow. You can be like God. Tap the inner powers within you. And I’ll be there to help you,” I will add.

(Audience comment). Comment was made that there were some people they knew in the church of God that left the church of God, and they went and - part of his seminar is, your advanced seminar, is that you overcome the flesh by walking on coals of fire. And what you get into with all of that is demonism. What is the insulation between the feet and fire? Some spirit being down there? Now let me show you my arm. I burned it. There are few scars there, and there is a scab here. I burned it three weeks ago, and I had two spots with third degree burns all the way through the skin to the flesh, and the rest of it just the second and first degree burns. And it was innocent that I did it by turning over a piece of meat that I was frying. And it’s splashed. And I burned myself.

So how is it that people can walk on coals? It’s not because of any inner strength or super spirit that they have of themselves. It’s because they become demon possessed and demons help them. They’re working with familiar spirits and they are following the course of this world and Satan the devil. And because they do it, they have a superior self-righteous attitude, that they are better, and greater, and stronger, and more powerful in personality, and mind, and ability, than other people. And, “I’ve done this on my own, and God, take a hike.” Those are the desires of the flesh and the desires of the mind.

Continuing on now in verse 3. “…And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” For lo, always remember this: their day comes. Because God is not swift to execute His judgment, do not for one minute think that it’s not coming, and will come; yea, in fact is already come, because the judgment is, they’ve been given over to these demonic and satanic forces. Now concerning us, here’s how we came to be where we are. Lest in condemning the things of the world and of Satan the devil, we get lifted up in self-righteousness and think that we’re something great. That because we know the word of God and keep the Sabbath and holy days, that we have an inside track that the world doesn’t have. In a sense we do. But by whose power? But by whose spirit? Christ’s. How is it done? It was done by grace. It was done by mercy.

Verse 4, “But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…” “With” means “joined to.” Made us alive together with Christ. “…(By grace ye are [have been] saved;).” And that means from Satan the devil and your sins. We know that salvation is a process. The first point is: you have been saved from your sins and Satan. The second point is: you are being saved if you stand in the gospel. And the third point of salvation is: we shall be saved, and that will be the permanent salvation at the resurrection. But nevertheless, by grace, which is the gift of God.

Now if we had to pay great money for it, we might think it would be of more value. But if you pay great money for something, and even earn great money, like many did in the stock market. And when you set your heart on it, which many of them did, they now have no value. Because that’s the way with Satan. He gets you all enticed in your lust and gets you all on the bandwagon. And then he pulls the rug out from underneath, knowing that he’s going to profit. In relationship to the stock market, remember, the money went somewhere. Someone has it. Somewhere. And since you don’t, where did it go? Let’s go on here.

Now we need to look and focus in on our calling. “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places [things],…” What is the heavenly thing that you have and that only those in the church of God have, which the world does not have? Now it says “places” here. Now places will come later. Things are now. What is the thing of God that we have? The Holy Spirit of God. That’s how we sit together with Christ. The Holy Spirit, which is greater than anything in the world. Greater than physical life itself. Notice, and there is a reward coming. “That in the ages to come…” (vs. 5-7). That’s why look for the coming kingdom. That’s why we always need to focus in on Christ.

Let’s go to Hebrews 12 for just a minute. I already quoted, but let’s turn there, because this is very encouraging, very corrective, and also very inspiring. Let’s begin right here in verse 1. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,…” I mean, you’ve got the whole Bible for example, correct? Yes. “…Let us lay aside every weight,…” Sometimes we get weighed down. And that’s called what? A depression. Or bad attitude. Or as they say today in modern parlance, a funk. Another way to say it, because it’s more than you can bear, it’s a load. “…And the sin which doth so easily beset us,…” It does, because the flesh is right there, wanting to sin, willing to sin, planning to sin. That’s the nature we have to overcome. “…And let us run with patience the race that is set before us,…” (Heb. 12:1).

Speaking of races, remember the tortoise and the hare? You have to run with patience the race set before us. Here’s what we need to do in all circumstances. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,…” Look at His example. Look at what He faced, and knew what He faced. “…Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (vs. 2). So that’s why it’s good, if you’d like to, go ahead and study through that section in the Harmony and see what He endured. And then read the section on the resurrection, the Wave Sheaf Offering Day. What a great and fantastic victory that was, brethren. “For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself,…” (vs. 3). Which we just read of in John 8, as well as many others, in the trial and crucifixion and so forth. Now notice. That’s why you need to consider Him. Consider what He has gone through. “…Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (vs. 2-3). Now years ago I wrote the next three words right by it, because this is implied. You faint in your minds, “…and give up.”

Verse 4 is kind of a nice way of saying, “So you think you’ve got it tough. So you think your circumstances are such a weight that you can hardly bear it. So you’re close to a mental, and nervous, and emotional breakdown. You’re self-centered. You’re not looking to Christ.” He’s saying, “You haven’t had it so tough yet.” Verse 4, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” I have yet to anoint anyone for being wounded, and bleeding because they were fighting overcoming sin. Now the day may come when we have to resist unto blood or death.

But I’ll tell you one thing, unless we’re firm and resolute through the power of God’s Spirit, and God’s way in love and faith, then when that day comes then weakness is going to come. And we’re all going to be confronted with that. Because we are marching slowly and surely, and inexorably toward the time of the mark of the beast. And then we’re going to be confronted with the most powerful, logic and mis-logic that Satan can put forth. Which will be something like this: “So you’re one of those that won’t take the mark in your right hand or in your forehead. So you say you do this because you believe in God. Well, does your God want you to starve? Does your God want your children to go without? Doesn’t the Bible say that if you don’t provide for your own, you’re worse than an infidel? Now how can you be against this wonderful new invention that we have? And really, it’s just the size of a large kernel of rice. And you can have everything that you need. You can work, you can feed your family, you can feed yourself. Now it’s all up to you.” That’s going to be hard, isn’t it? And lo, it is coming. That’s why we need to be strong in Christ.

Now let’s come back to Ephesians 2. Let’s finish this a little bit more. That’s why you need to keep your mind on the things that are coming. Because it is the hope of God, the hope of eternal life, the hope of the return of Christ, the hope of the kingdom of God, which is higher and greater and better and more important than anything else in this world. But you don’t come to that conviction instantaneously. You come to that conviction by experience, by growing, by overcoming, by trials, by triumphs; by failures, by prayer, by study, by anguish. Now verse 7, “That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” )Eph. 2:7). And won’t that be something, when you’re resurrected as a spirit being with a spirit body with glory, and you shine just like Jesus Christ does? And you are in the first resurrection? And you can live forever, you can rule and reign with Christ? You can help set this world straight. You can truly end wars. Because Christ is going to end them.

Now verse 8. “For by grace are ye [have been] saved through faith;…” That is, faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, faith in His blood for the remission of sins, faith in the existence of God, faith in the word of God, faith and obedience to God. “…And that not of yourselves:…” Because it didn’t come from within you, or me, or anyone else. It came from the power of the Spirit of God. And “it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship,…” Now you see, God is likened unto the potter, and we are the clay. And God is going to mold us and make us into what He wants. Because we are His workmanship. And He has a way of that workmanship, which is patterned after Christ. “…Created in Christ Jesus unto good works,…” And those good works are the spiritual works of love, and faith, and temperance, or that is, self control; of hope, of overcoming, of yielding to God; the faith of loving one another, the faith of loving God. And all of those are good works. “…Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (vs. 8-10). As compared to verse 2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world…” So you see, we have the change on how we walk.

So the world that we have to face today is an entirely different world than when many of us who came into the church 30, 40 years ago had to face. Now those in the world today have many different problems that we did not have to face. But nevertheless, the solution is still the same. But what we have to do, we have to have a recognition that there is, like in the days of the Ephesians, there was the power of Satan the devil at Ephesus because of the religion of Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians. And the occult was rampant.

And so again, we’re faced with the same kind of world. The same kind of psychological, and mental, and demonic problems that they faced then. And so what we do in our lives today, and what we do in the future is we’re going to have to account for that, and approach new people from that point of view, so that they can relate to the Bible and relate to the things of God. Rather than saying that what is in the Bible is just a stuffy old religion for old people who are going to be gone in a few years anyway.

So anyway, that’s not what I planned to talk about. I spent three hours preparing for the sermon today. But I guess we will let this one stand.

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