Galatians chapter three. For those of you who are involved in the Thursday night Bible study, this is going to be a repeat, somewhat. I've never preached the same thing twice, like I've preached the same message twice, but it's never come out the same way. So we'll see how it goes tonight. But we're gonna look at a doctrine tonight that I've alluded to, that we've spoken to, that we've really brought out quite a few times. And we're just gonna look at a bunch of verses that deal with this idea of being baptized into Christ. We're going to look at this thing out of Galatians 3.27. And before I begin, let's see. Brother Dale, would you ask the Lord to bless the time of preaching? Father, we're thankful that we can be in the house tonight, Father. Father, we pray that our ears will be open to receive, our heart will be open to receive what you have for us. Lord, I pray that you'd be with the preacher, Father, and give him clear utterance, Father, One thing that This is going to if the study is going to make any sense to you at all We are what we are doing is we are laying precept upon precept The precept that must be grasped and understood, and I believe that it is, for the most part, at least in knowledge understanding, I still don't understand it, but is the idea of the soul of Jesus Christ being made an offering for sin in hell. Isaiah 53.10 shows us that his soul was made an offering for sin. That sin offering, according to the book of Leviticus, is a burnt offering. And that offering was not made an offering until it was an offering made by fire. All right? And so that doctrine, that his soul was made an offering for sin, is an absolute must if we're going to go any further into this thing tonight. That is the base layer of this. All right? Jesus said through David in psalm 16 and verse 10, for thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither will thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. And prolong my days and all of this. And Peter tells us in Acts chapter 2 verses 27 through 31. Well, 22 through 31. He speaks of those things, he quotes that scripture, and he says, let me reason with you, men and brethren, David's sepulcher is with us until this day. He fell asleep. He saw corruption. He's dead. He's here. We can see his sepulcher. So this was not speaking of Jesus, but he himself was speaking of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ himself was speaking through him. And he said that quotes that and says that, So Peter clarifies these things. He fully expounds on this, this which was a mystery. Peter plainly tells us And then as you go into that, you find the doctrine of the soul of Jesus Christ, and the sufferings of His soul, and the torment of the soul, and all of those things, even where they're in the Psalms where it talks about that He is compassionate about the men who are set on fire. And that whole thing is an absolute necessity to understand anything that we're going to look at tonight. Now, from that point forward, we're going to get into this, Galatians 3 and verse 27. There's two things that we're going to really be looking at tonight. This idea of being in Christ, which we touched on this morning a bit, we've touched on that in the past, we've seen that, so this will be just shoring up that precept. But verse 27 says this, Now, As many of you have been baptized into Christ, what does that mean? The question stands to me, and this has always been something that I've kind of been pondering, something that I've been chewing on, something that I didn't have absolute clarity on, and I just wasn't sure. Why water baptism? If the baptismal waters are there to picture The death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, well then why don't we have a baptismal pit out back with a stone that we would roll over the pit? Lay somebody in it, roll a stone over, roll the stone away, pick them up out. Would that not picture his burial and his resurrection? So why water? This is something that I've been pondering and chewing on, and the more that I looked into this thing, the more that I really do see that it is those waters that Jesus Christ was drawn up out of, those many waters, that great gulf that was fixed between Lazarus and the rich man, that great gulf. Joe, come on in, we got a seat ready for you, right over there. Good to see you. And so that water pictured there, that very clearly shows that. Obviously there is no saving power in those waters. If it was, then you would be dependent on another man in order for you to be actually saved. Jesus Christ saves you and then you get baptized. There's no saving power in that water. That thief on the cross died in the New Testament. That thief on the cross was never baptized. And he said, this day thou wilt be with me in paradise, or shalt be with me in paradise. Jesus died first. A testament is not in force until the death of the testator. Jesus died first. That started the New Testament. Then the thief died. And so that doctrine of baptisms, those things in Hebrews chapter 6 wherein Paul says, you know, let us go on. Let's not lay again the foundations of the first principles of the oracles of God. Let's go on from that, of the laying out of hands and of baptisms and all of these things. He says, let's go on. And so with this, tonight, let's go on. Let's look a little deeper into this thing of being baptized into Christ. The first place we need to go to get an indication of what this is speaking of is Romans 6. So go there next. Romans 6. We're going to look at verse 3. One thing I love is the songs that were picked for this thing tonight. And the way the Lord arranged this, it speaks of the love of Christ and how precious and how beautiful He is. Keep those things in mind as we look at all of this. Just keep that in mind as you're going through these things. For Romans chapter six, we're gonna start in verse three, we're gonna read all the way to verse six. He says this, no ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we had been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. That's a moral imperative. There's no reason you should serve sin once you're born of God. It doesn't say that you can't serve it. You can choose to serve your sin just as much as those Israelites could have chosen to turn around and walk right back to Egypt. You can choose to serve your sin. You're a fool if you do. Fool said in his heart, there is no God. But this idea that we are crucified with him, our old man is crucified with him. Now, what is your old man? It's that sin nature. So if your sin nature is crucified with him, that means that your sin nature was crucified with him when he was crucified. You were there with him on that cross. For I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. We're gonna look at that in just a second. Do you see where we're going with this? You were baptized into his death. You were crucified with him. What all did his death entail? He was made sin for us who knew no sin. He was made into you on that cross. You were there with him on that cross. And when he gave up the ghost and his soul was made an offering for sin in hell, guess where you went with him? But did he leave you there? Just look at this. We have been planted together in the likeness of his death. We shall also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing again, we talked about that thing this morning. I know not how and I know not when and I know not why and all that that you know With things but I know whom I have believed He says this knowing this That our old man is crucified with him. I And so, back in verse three again, know ye not that so many of us, as were baptized into Christ, were baptized into his death? What is Paula telling you? That when Christ died, you died. You were baptized into his death. We're going to look at a phrase that John the Baptist uses here in just a little bit. We're going to go into Matthew in just a second. We've got a couple places to go before that. But we're going to look at this thing about the baptism of Jesus. What does it mean to be baptized into Christ? We're going to clarify some things. Hopefully at the end of this, there'll be a little light that'll come on and it'll be like, oh, huh. That's the way it was for me. Thursday night Bible study, that little light came on many as we went through all of these things. Again, if you were there, I apologize, but it doesn't hurt to reinforce this stuff, all right? We're just looking at the doctrines of the King James Bible. Let's go back into Galatians now. We're gonna look at that thing of Galatians 2.20. Remembering in Romans 6.6, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him. Now in Galatians 2.20, he says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me in the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. When you are crucified, you are killed. But nevertheless, you live. So what is that life in you? Well, it's the faith of Christ. That is the life that you are now living by. When you are born of God, you have passed from death unto life. Why death unto life? Because 2,000 years ago, you were crucified with Christ. This is the foreknowledge of God. This is that thing wherein Jesus Christ tasted death for every man. And of course, that speaks to mankind. But every single soul that has ever lived and will ever lived was with Jesus on that cross. He was made into the entirety of the sin of mankind. God made one man the entirety of the sin of mankind. He put the entirety of that thing on him and he became sin. He was made sin by his father. He himself knew no sin, but he tasted every sin that you've ever experienced in your life. at that point. He was accursed from God at that point. And the wrath of the Father was then able to be poured out in one place, one place, Jesus Christ. And that soul was sent to the place where sin goes, to the fires of hell. Now, let's look at Galatians 3.27 again. It's where we started. We're just gonna touch here, and we'll continue on. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. We're gonna look at that putting on Christ. Brother Dale Threadgill touched on this in the men's class this morning. But here, as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You've been baptized into his death. So you have been baptized into Christ. So when he died, you died. Now let's go to Colossians chapter two. Colossians chapter two. We're gonna look at verse 11. Let's start at verse nine. This is a good place for context sake. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And that is a verse that is a stumbling block to the Jesus-only movement, those ones that say there's only Jesus, there's not the Son, the Father, and the Holy Ghost. It's just Jesus, and he fulfills all of those things. There is a group of people that are out there like that. They deny the Father. What's it say in 1 John? If you deny the Father, you've denied the Son also. And so that nullifies that. This verse right here totally throws in the face of Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses Their Bibles change this terribly, so it cannot be found. In fact, I think maybe they even take this verse right out with no manuscript evidence whatsoever. But in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. That means the fullness of the Godhead was in the flesh of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ wasn't a man who became God. He was God in the flesh. God is Jesus Christ. That's what this verse is saying. Hallelujah. Verse 10, and ye are complete in Him. How about that? Let's hang it up, let's go home right now. Ye are complete in Him. Present tense, are. What more do we need? This goes right along with 1 John 2.20, and ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. That inward anointing, that anointing on the inward parts from the Holy One of God, Jesus Christ Himself, that inward anointing is the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ gives you that comforter. Because of that inward anointing of the Holy Ghost on the inward parts, you already know all things. And so as you are reading the Word of God, it's more like a recognition of something that you used to know, but you've just remembered, than it is learning a brand new thing. It's not a stumbling block, it's not hard, it's not something that you choke at. When you see it, you rejoice and it's like, ha, that's what it is. That's what it is for the believer, to read the word of God. Understanding comes to you. You're not like the brute beasts which do not have understanding. All those brute beasts are is they live and they die, they perish. The spirits of men go upward, the spirits of the beasts go downward. And that's it. Don't be one of those brute beasts. No, you already have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. Verse 27 in 1 John 2 says, and that same anointing which you received of Him abideth in you. And you need not that any man should teach you, but that same anointing teacheth you all things. You already know them. So when you come across them, as I've said before, it's just instant recognition. Again, I'll harken back to that thing where I played that, had Russell play the audio from that fly fishing video. The men were speaking in Swedish and then in clear, perfect English without an accent. He said, nothing new under the sun. It was just syllables before. It was just noise before. Nobody in here spoke that in your heart. And then all of a sudden, nothing new under the sun. And it was just like, I saw it on your faces. It was fun. Because I had that same reaction. Hey, I know that. I recognize that. Why? Because I already knew those words. It's the same thing with the Word of God for the believer. But you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power. In verse 11, now, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands. And that is a tremendous doctrine that we're not going to dig into tonight. Okay? That is a complete aside that needs its own hour and a half to even begin to scratch the surface on. But it says this, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Now think about that in relation to, let me turn there, I'll just read it to you. It's Romans 7 at the end of Romans 7. But verse 24, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And here in verse 11 he says, in putting off of the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Jesus Christ circumcises your heart. He first has to circumcise your ear so that you can hear the word of God. You listen to the word of God many, many times, but it isn't until Jesus Christ himself, through the Holy Ghost, through the preaching of the word of God, comes in there and circumcises that ear, cuts away the deadness of the flesh, so that you can hear spiritual things. Because your carnal mind cannot receive the law of God. Your carnal mind is not subject under the law of God, neither indeed can be. It is only ever enmity against God. So if you do something in the carnality of your mind, you are the enemy of God. What do you think is going to win that battle? Don't you dare brag on your carnal mind. That's a curse to you. It's killing you. Slowly, quickly, but it's killing you. Who says this in verse 12? buried with him in the baptism, or in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Buried with him in baptism, that's past tense. You've already been buried with him in baptism. Now is that speaking of the baptismal waters? Or is that speaking of being baptized into Christ? You've been placed in Christ. Look at this, wherein also ye are risen with him. It's already taken place. Your resurrection is already sealed. Why? Because you already resurrected with him. But it was through this, through the faith of the operation of God. Let's go to Romans chapter three. I want to look at that, the faith of the operation of God. Romans three in verse 24. says this, being justified freely by His grace. Now, herein is another thing by which you are justified. You're justified by His blood. You are justified by His faith. You are justified by His grace. And where was it, Theron? Just the other day, we found that we're justified by the righteousness of God. Where was that? Do you remember? I don't remember either. We gotta figure that out and write it down. There are things that we are justified by, and it's never by the works of the law. cannot be by the works of the law, cannot be by your own flesh, cannot be by your own merit, can't even be by your own will. It's all God. But being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that it is in Christ Jesus. And here it is, the faith of the operation of God, verse 25, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. How did he set him forth to be a propitiation? Through faith in his blood. God the Father had faith in the blood of Jesus Christ that he could set him forth to be a propitiation. And not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world. As we talked about that mercy seat this morning, that place where you bring your sins to. You don't come to that mercy seat begging for mercy and trying to clean your hands up at the same time. No, you grab every dirty, filthy thing that you can possibly find and you take it to Jesus Christ and you say, this is me. I need you. whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. His righteousness, whose righteousness? God's righteousness. He is declaring his own righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed. Those sins that you have been forgiven of, that the vilest sinner has been forgiven of, me, those sins, God needs to declare his righteousness. Why? Because somebody that I have hurt can look at me and see what God has given me in redemption and forgiveness and restoration. And they can blame God and say, God, why would you do that for him? What do you think the Jews would have thought if Hitler would have gotten saved? It's this type of thing. It would be a rapist that rapes a wife, kills her, and then gets saved. How does that husband feel? It's the remission of sins that are past, gone, gone, wiped clean, justified as if it had never happened, like there was nothing. purified, sanctified. And by the way, such were some of you. But he says to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past. Why does he have to declare his righteousness? Because mankind puts God on the judgment stand every day and says, God, you are not righteous in doing that. Go ahead and try that. Shake your fist at God. Go out in that parking lot and shake your fist at God and say, you weren't right for doing that. You know what he's gonna do? He's gonna put a King James Bible in your lap and he's gonna show you the righteousness of God. Look at this, verse 26, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. The justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. And so this idea of the baptism, being baptized into Christ, it is to show forth the righteousness of God. To show forth that He is just, but He is also the justifier of them which believe. Not just believe, but believeth. That continual belief. It's a repentance not to be repented of. The sorrow of the world worketh death, but the sorrow of God outworketh repentance not to be repented of. Now, let's go to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Again, looking about the death of Jesus Christ being baptized into his death. Ephesians 2. We start at verse 4. But he says this, but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. And remember, how did he show us that love? How did he manifest his love? The death of Jesus Christ. God commendeth his love towards us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Hereby perceive we the love of God, that he died for us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The way you see the love of God is to look at the death of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures. And when you look at the torment and the terror and the horror And the agony that Jesus Christ suffered for you in the flames of hell took your place in eternity in hell. How much greater is that love? And I know I've said it just recently, but it bears repeating. There were many people that were crucified. There were many men that died on a cross. There are many men even still yet today in third world countries, in Central America specifically, who will crucify themselves. They will be crucified on Easter and raised up and left there for a couple of hours. And people bring them money and they bring them gifts because they're living out the dying of the Lord Jesus. And then they bring him down and they heal his wounds and take care of him from there. That goes on. So why is it that the son of God sweat as it were great drops of blood in that garden? Why was it that he was in such great agony? Why is it that he had a cry that went up unto his father? Was it the pain of the suffering of the cross? No. It's because he knew what he was going to be made into. And he knew where he was going to be going. Because he kindled those fires. Everlasting fire. A fire that was kindled by the wrath of God for the devil and his angels. And is reserved for judgment. It's his righteousness burning. Behold, if I make my bed in hell, thou art there. It's His holy righteousness burning in the flames of hell. The agony and torment of hell and the lake of fire isn't that you're separated from God, it's that you are burning in the righteousness of God rightly for your sin and there's no way to hide. Think of that glory that's shown brighter than the countenance of the sun. And John, the one who laid his head on the breast of Jesus and heard that life-giving blood coursing through those veins, as his heart beat it, when he saw him in his glory, fell at his feet as dead. Now imagine not having anything to hide behind. That's the terror. Therefore, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. It's that judgment coming. It's no laughing matter. There's judgment coming. There's judgment coming. We continue on, but God, who is rich in his mercy, in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. So you died with Christ. You were baptized into his death. You are resurrected with Christ. You were raised up with him unto life. Even when we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace are ye saved. That deliverance is only by the grace of God. Grace is receiving something that you do not deserve, unmerited favor. He says this, and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Exactly. He raised us up. We've been raised to new life. Our spirit has already been resurrected. We are waiting for the resurrection of this body of this death. That's the adoption that we are waiting for. The adoption of our body. And when that final trump sounds and that final calling up of the assembly of God, that'll be it. The dead in Christ shall rise first, that resurrection, and we which are alive and remain should be caught up with them, shall meet them in the air, and we shall ever be with the Lord. But not all. Not all. Broad is the way. and broad is the gate, and how's that go? Oh, the way that leadeth unto destruction, leadeth unto death. Straight is the gate, narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life. And few there be that find it, few. Now, how many is few? In Noah's day, it was eight. Eight out of billions. Eight. And we think that the world is just gonna go crazy because all the millions and millions and millions and billions of Christians disappear. There's gonna be places around the world they don't even know something happens. They're gonna have to hear about it on the news. There's some churches where they won't skip a beat. They'll continue on in their worship service, worshiping those golden idols, those golden calves, and then the news reports will start pouring in. Few there be that find it. Where are we headed next? We've been baptized into Christ, baptized into his death, raised in the likeness of his resurrection. Let's go to Matthew chapter three now. Matthew chapter three. Now, if you remember, I mentioned something. I can't even remember when it was. Maybe it was even Wednesday night. That I woke up in the middle of the night and God gave me absolute clarity on a verse. Was that Wednesday night I spoke to that? Okay. Absolute clarity on a verse. Something that I've been chewing on and pondering on. The Lord woke me up and gave me clarity on it. And I said, well, that's what that is. And then I, like a fool, could not make myself sit up and write it down. Drifted off to sleep. Shocked myself back awake and tried to think, what was that verse? Okay, yep, that's what that was. Okay, I've got this. We're gonna read this thing tonight. Okay? Matthew chapter three. In verse 11, this is John the Baptist speaking. He says, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And then this is the verse that the Lord popped into my head and gave me clarity on, verse 12, whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor. That phrase, he will throughly purge his floor. He will throughly purge his floor. And I got to thinking, throughly, that means no part left unaffected. Every single part was touched by that fire. There's not a bit. Thoroughly, this building, if it was on fire and it was thoroughly burned, it would burn right to the ground. The only thing that would be left would be the unburnable foundation. I was probably preaching in that. If this building was throughly burnt, it was burned all the way through. Every single room would have burn damage in it. Throughly. All the way through. So Jesus Christ will throughly purge his floor. John the Baptist is saying this. He says, I will, the one who comes after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And he will, his fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with, and listen to this, unquenchable fire. Now you study that unquenchable fire out, and that is a fire that has been kindled and will never be extinguished. That's the fires of hell. That's where the chaff goes. Now, individually, your chaff has been throughly burned with unquenchable fire. It has gone through every single bit of you and has already been burned off. Where? In that unquenchable fire. Consider this. I've always heard it preached, and I heard it taught, and it never settled in my mind. It didn't fit. That he baptized you with the Holy Ghost, and that Holy Ghost was given at the day of Pentecost. Okay, I can see that. And that the fire was the tongues of fire on their heads. But that never fit right, because I know to be baptized means to be fully immersed in something, fully in it, completely under. If that baptism is pictured with the flaming tongues of fire on the head, well then we're baptizing wrong and the Methodists have it right. They just put a little bit of water on top. So how would he baptize you in unquenchable fire? When he died, you died. When you were baptized into his death, you were baptized into the fires of hell. And he gathered up the wheat into his garner, and the chaff was burned in unquenchable fire. Your sin 2,000 years ago was burned up. So the only sin that will send you to hell today is unbelief because of the faith of Christ. And he has been drawn up out, and you have been drawn up out. Is it not paid already? Has he not redeemed? Has he not tasted death for every man? Did not he do this for the entirety of mankind? And so, where is your sin? It's already been burned away. All he requires of you is to believe it. And then that's yours. And you're in him, seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, given the faith of Christ, given the entirety of the Godhead bodily. Amen. risen to new life, that you should not walk in the deadness of the flesh. Why? Because it's already been burned away, throughly purged. Where was it purged? What purges? Fire. Amen. And for me, it just clicked. We were baptized in the flames of hell with him. That's the fire he baptized us with. And this was before the fact. John the Baptist is saying, he shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and with fire. Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Unquenchable fire. You know what that means? There's nothing you could have done to make that fire any colder. so that it wouldn't burn away everything. There's not a single possible way that Jesus Christ could have come up out of the flames of hell with any sin still on him. He was made sin for us, was he not? Who knew no sin? Where was that purged away? The fires of hell. His blood washed away our sins and our sins were burned in the lowest pit of hell. Thank you, Jesus. Oh, the love of God to do that for this, this. Why? The love of God. Let's go back to Galatians chapter three. Galatians 3, 27 again. We're gonna just touch briefly here. It'll be a touch and go, and then we're gonna go over to Colossians two again. Galatians 3 and 27, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. As many as of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Now I do want to read to you Romans 13, 14. It says this, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. So your flesh has yet to be redeemed. Your flesh is still cursed. Why? Because your flesh is dying. And the wages of sin is death. But that gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That eternal life is Jesus Christ. We've seen that in Galatians 5, 12 I think it is, or not Galatians 5, 12, 1 John 5, 12. That is that eternal life. It's not 12. See there I've gone in and quoted wrong. We've got to look at it. Five. Verse 11, and this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Why? Because the only life you're ever going to find is in Jesus Christ. It's in the faith of Christ. That's the only place you're gonna find any life at all. It's in Him. Just because your body is not dead today does not mean you are alive. Is Jesus Christ alive forevermore? Does he have the keys of death and of hell? Where do you think he got those? When he walked up out of that place and locked it behind him. Amen. To destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. Hebrews 2.14, had, past tense. He don't have it no more. He had it when he approached unto God and said, God said to him, have you considered my servant Job? What is that, 2.18? I think Job 2.18 where he talks about that and he says, hey, you know what? Yeah, go ahead and touch him, but save his life. He could have killed him. Why? Because he had the power of death, but he doesn't anymore. So if anybody dies today, Who's the one that ministered that death? Jesus Christ himself. For the saint of God, that's precious. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Your end does not take God off guard. Oh, I didn't see that one coming. Never once has God ever in his entire existence of eternity ever said that. So why do we fear? Why do we worry so? Why do we get so anxious about tomorrow? When the only one in tomorrow is God. You think he being the only one in tomorrow could see what's gonna go on? Sufficient of the day is the evil thereof. Let him take care of that. but seek him while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. Now go to Colossians chapter three, or chapter two, I'm sorry. Colossians chapter two, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. And we're gonna look at verse 13. Colossians 2.13, and you being dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Every place you've trespassed the law, it's already been forgiven. And that's why God extends salvation to the entirety of the world, because it's already been forgiven. Your sin has already been forgiven. Yours has already been forgiven. Yours has already been forgiven. And all he tells you to do is believe the record that he gave of his son. You believe that record? You'll be saved from the wrath to come. You'll be delivered from yourself. You'll be delivered from the body of this death. That resurrection will be yours. You're gonna rise to new life in Christ Jesus. You'll have the mind of Christ and you will no longer be chained to your carnal mind. Why? Because I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's how I know he loved me, because he gave himself for me. No greater love than a man hath in this, that he lay down his life for his friends. That is love. And as we looked at last Wednesday night, love manifested is charity. You look at the death of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures, and you find God's charity toward you. Now, look at Colossians 3, verse one. We're gonna read down to verse 11, and we'll be done. Colossians 3, verse one. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on the things of the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. That's where your life's at. There's not a single man on this earth, including yourself, that can touch your life. No man has any power over your life on this earth. It's in God. What are you gonna do, ascend up into heaven, go into God, scoop that life out, bring it back down to earth and cast it away? That'd be the only way that you could undo what God has done. You'd have to pass from life unto death. And I'm pretty sure it's everlasting life. A life that lasts forever. It's an assurance that lasts forever. It's something that is there, that is solid. It is that hope of the resurrection. It has substance. It's faith. It's all by faith. And you don't even have to work up that faith. I know not how the spirit moves, convincing men of sin. wooing sinners through His Word, creating faith in Him. I messed up the beginning of that second part. Creating faith in Him is what God does to you. He creates faith in you. Faith cometh by hearing. And again, hearing by the Word of God. You know what the Word of God does? It is a sharp two-edged sword. It pierces and it accurately circumcises your ear so you can hear. It's the Word of God that enables you to hear the Word of God. How about that? Isn't it great to know it's all on him? You don't gotta do a thing. Just believe him. Believe what he said. Believe what he said. Believe what he wrote. Believe the word that he gave you. Verse four, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear. Who is our life? Ah, there. How did I not see this before? Like, for what, 15 years? I never knew that Jesus Christ was my life, that my life is Jesus Christ, that that is the life. For me to live is Christ never made sense to me. It never made sense to me. But I get it now. For me to live is Christ. Why? Because he's my life. It's him. He's the life that I now live in the flesh. It's not me. Glory to God for that. I messed this thing up. Mm. When Christ, I love it, it's just like kind of an aside. When Christ, oh, who is our life? Mm. Shall appear. Then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Right there's the rapture. Right there's the resurrection. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth Fornication unclean your members. What are your members? It's your flesh It's your body. It's your mortality, this meat sack that is carrying you around on this earth. If you're born of God, mortify that. If you're not born of God, you're enslaved to that. That is the work of the flesh. The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, oh boy, sounds an awful lot like this list. Let's read through this list first at least. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. In the witch ye also walked some time. Ha, there it is again. And such were some of you. You used to walk this way. If you claim to be born of God, why do you still walk this way? One of two things, either you're a liar or you're deceived. You're either outright a liar, saying I'm born of God, knowing very well you're not, or your heart is deceiving you. into thinking you're born of God, and all the while you're not. Do you have these? These members? Is it working in you? These works of the flesh which are manifest? Listen, those works of the flesh are in your heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. These are the issues of life, and it's killing you. in the witch ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these." Now, these are the things he's calling you to put off now. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. By the way, that applies to your thumbs too. Paul wouldn't have preached that, but Paul didn't have texting. Lie not one to another. Why? Because God desires truth on the inward parts, you liars, you bunch of liars. You think back through every single thing you've done today, even a half-truth is a whole lie. Boy, that'll preach. Write that one down now. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. You've already put him off. You put off the old man. Why? Because the old man is crucified. He's dead. He's gone. Why do you still live like he's in charge? If you are born of God, why are you still living like you're not? I just, I just can't quit. I just can't stop. Well, then you'd better take an honest, reflective look at the word of God in your life. And what the Bible says looks like salvation. If you don't have it, then you don't have it. I don't care what you prayed as a child. I don't care what you prayed as a teenager. I don't care what I prayed with you. Search those things. My biggest fear is that there are 16 souls that are going to go to hell and my name's going to be on it. So I led them to pray a prayer with no belief. I know some men that that number is 500. I can't imagine the weight of that. 16 is heavy enough. in verse 10, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Who is that new man? Jesus. Put ye on the Lord Jesus, Romans 13, 14. Put on the new man. where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all." Christ is all and in all. And so as we look at this here tonight, been baptized into Christ, been baptized into his death, You also have been raised with him in resurrection, and he hath made you to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He said that, John the Baptist said, he that cometh after me, whose shoes I'm not worthy to loose, but latch it of, he shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and with fire. and he will throughly purge his floor, gather his wheat into the garner, and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." I'm just presenting to you tonight, that is that baptism of fire. When he died on that cross, I was there with him. Paul said, I am crucified with Christ. He was crucified with Him. You were crucified with Him. You were buried with Him in the baptism of His death. And you were raised with Him. But you were not raised up the same way you went in. You're purged. He truly purged you. Every single bit of you touched, cleaned, purged, purified, sanctified, justified, Every sin, it's already been forgiven. Which is why the tragedy of a soul going to hell is so immense. Because there's no point to it. There's no point to it. It's such a waste because it's already been forgiven. There, and I think we're done.