Well, good to be with you. Thank you so much for the Word before. Nothing like ascending. Brother James prayed. My son sent me a text before. He said, I'm praying for you, Dad. They listened last night. He said, I'm praying for you, Dad, that God would help you to preach the Word. There's no words. I think of Ezekiel, a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you. I watched it. God allowed me to see that. He took away the stony heart out of his flesh and he put in his heart and heart of flesh and put his spirit within my son and his wife and caused them to walk after his statutes, willingly, lovingly. I always love Cornelius. I love every centurion that I read about in the Word of God. Cornelius prayed. God had heard his supplications and Peter came. I love what Cornelius said. To Peter, when Peter came, he says, now we are all here. We're seated. We're ready to hear everything that God has commanded to you to tell us. And beloved, that's the way I always want to come to the Word of God. I want to hear what my commander has to say, the captain of my salvation. So last time we were in Colossians, we'll be in Colossians again. You can turn there. Colossians 3. If you'll come with me to the throne of grace. Father, thank you. Oh God, for your love, your great love. Where have you loved us? Father, without your love, where would we be? And we know that you commended your love toward us amazingly while we were yet sinners and your enemies. You reconciled us to God by the death of your Son through your precious blood. Thank you so much for your salvation. Oh God, I pray that you would help today as I believe you already have. Father, I pray that you would receive all the honor and all the glory for all that is said. And Father, even if you give us More hours in this day may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord. My strength and my Redeemer. Our strength and our Redeemer. Our God. Thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Paul starts in just a short review. He says, if you're risen with Christ, if you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. If you're risen with Christ, you are loved by Christ. He said, if that's who you are, set your affection on things above. Seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. And so as we continue in the practical, Paul comes to two more practical commands that he's going to give us imperative commands. And I like to call this first command a search and destroy mission. I'm sorry, it's my military stuff. He lists some enemy insurgents that we are to Put to death. Put to death in you that which is still earthly of the world. These insurgents whom Paul lists, these sins and these enemies, if we're not watching for them, they will rise up within. If you allow them, they will try and take the ground. Again, they will try and take the ground of your heart. What Paul is teaching is don't wait for that. You must not be idle. We must be sober and vigilant as we have an adversary who is the devil, who is a roaring lion, who walks about seeking whom he may devour. So you have an enemy within your own borders. And it's you. Mortify the first Command, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. I like to use the first words of Colossians 3 to precede every passage in this chapter. If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. If you then be risen with Christ, set your affection on things above. If you then be risen with Christ, you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. If you then be risen with Christ, when Christ shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. And if you then be risen with Christ, mortified. Therefore, your members which are upon the earth. The doctrine of mortification, my friends, is a practice. It's the practice of the Christian. It is the work and practice of your faith. It is the outflow of your faith. It's essential to your sanctification. There's this putting off and there's this putting to death. And in a moment, we'll see there's a putting on. We don't just put off, we also put on. Now, I believe the truth, this truth becomes a reality in every Christian when God saves them. Back to that Ezekiel verse, a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you. That new spirit doesn't like sin. And so it kind of begins to happen spiritually in a spiritually natural way. that the Christian begins to turn away from that which he used to love. He hates that which he or she used to love. So along with your new nature and your new heart in Christ, you will find yourself, when God saves a sinner, that sinner turns saint, finds themselves deliberately and willingly hating what they used to love, knowing that this is wrong, this is not right, even though you may not know what it's called yet. You might say the doctrine of mortification. I don't know what that is, but I hate that sin. I don't want to go back to that sin. I don't want to go back to the jail cell, the captivity that I was in. You will begin to actively participate in this spiritual mission, this search and destroy, this putting to death, the killing of the old you. The old man with his deeds, Paul says in Romans eight, he says it also here in Colossians, I think in verse nine. For what's the old man and his deeds? Well, it's your old behaviors. It's old sinful thoughts, deeds. It's bad habits. It's wicked practices. It's evil ways. It's evil speaking. It's who you once were. Among also in time past you walked according to the course of this world. You're not on that course anymore. As you grow in grace and in the knowledge of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the captain of your salvation, you should and will become seasoned and you should become battle-hardened in this spiritual conflict that you're engaged in. When God saves a sinner, he's on the field now. He's on the field. And it's the will of your commander and captain that you know your enemy. know your enemies, and that you put them down, put them to death before they rise up and attack. The scriptures are replete with this putting off, this awareness that we should have, this spiritual awareness. James says, wherefore lay apart all superfluity, put down all malice, And all hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings. And as newborn babes, I'm sorry, this is Peter, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. Christ turned to Matthew five, twenty seven. Let me just show you this from the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew, chapter five, verse twenty seven. In fact, James says, wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. And he says, don't just be hearers of the word, but doers of the word. And beloved, we are to come to this mirror of the word. It's like a mirror. And we are to come to this mirror of the word and we're to look into it and we're to to do what it says. And listen, that's I think I said that yesterday. That's the delight of the child of God. We love God's word, but we hate every false way. So we come to the mirror of the word and we all know somebody mentioned mirror. Yeah, you mentioned mirror. So so what do we do when we come to the mirror? I mean, you know, we got up this morning. I told my wife, I said, oh, I forgot to shave. Does it look bad? She says, no, but yeah. So we come to the mirror. What do we do when we come to the mirror? We look and we see something, we go. We do. I mean, that's what we do, right? We come to the mirror. That's what we need to do here. Whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein. In other words, and we don't go to the mirror and find a big smudge in our face and walk away without wiping it off and doing something about it. So how much more when we go into the mirror of the word and we see it and we continue therein. So we're not forgetful hearers or seers of what we see in the word. And so The Apostle Paul's teaching us that this is basically where we get the general orders of our commander. And he's teaching us about our Christian lives. James 5, 27, the Lord Jesus here. He said, You have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And then this is very violent. what he says here. If your right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. If your right hand offends you, cut it off and cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Cast the evil eye out. Cut off the sinning hand. We know that doesn't mean literally. He's talking about the actions of our eyes, what we see, what we embrace, what we shouldn't see, and the sins of doing of our hands. Paul says in Romans chapter 6, he says, let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof, but yield yourselves as those that are alive from the dead. And If you then be risen with Christ, you're alive from the dead. Christian, you're alive. And as much as you believe in Christ, that he saved you from your sins, you need to believe Christ every single day that you're freed from the dominion and power of sin in your life. Reckon ye yourself to be dead indeed unto sin. So now yield yourself, not unto your earthly members, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead. and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. That's who we are in Christ. But this passage teaches us, and it ought to teach us, that sin, it ought to be very abundantly clear to us that sin is still dangerous to the Christian. Still very dangerous. All you have to do is, a passage of scripture that I'd love to go back with, and the story would be different, is David. I'd love to go back to 2 Samuel 11 and see David get up on the roof and turn around and run, pluck that eye out. But it's sad to see the sweet psalmist of Israel fall. Hebrews, beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. but exhort one another daily, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Listen, the worst kind of deceit is self-deceit. The worst way to fall into sin is starting to secretly embrace a sin that no one knows about, and you begin to coddle this thing in your heart Secret sins, the worst kind. Why? Because you're the only one that knows about it. God knows about it. It's better, it's never good to sin, but it's better if somebody sees you, a brother or sister can come and help you. And so be so careful. Listen, this list in Colossians 3, I call it the terror watch list. We need to watch out for these sins. Paul says, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. And you notice the first one is always a first in the epistles fornication. I mean, Paul telling them, mortify, put to death the old man, put to death fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, sinful passions, desires, unlawful things that we know are wrong, and covetousness, which is idolatry. We begin to worship things, and we want things, and we greedily thirst after things in this life, and they become idols to us. Here's where you must be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. As you move about and traffic in the world, when you go to work, when you go to the store, When you drive in traffic, you want to see how good your sanctification is and how well you're walking with God. Just go get in the traffic jam. And you see people, we heard it the other day, Kyle came and got us and he was getting in, cutting in a lane, you know, not rudely, but somebody and Kyle rightly just said, you know, like, sorry. But you want to see your level of sanctification? Go drive. Go drive. If somebody shakes their fist in you, yeah, I'll see you in church. See you at the meeting. Beloved, if you're going to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you must always be on your guard. Guard the eye gate. Guard the ear gate. The touch gate. From the sin influences in the world, you must be so careful of being re-influenced. You know, sometimes I think we let the enemy back in and then we're going to go kill him. So we begin to let let these sins back in and they come back in by subtlety. Where? The television, social media, just those two things principally. John says, love not the world. I mean, listen, the world's coming at you every day, Christian. The world is coming at you. John says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father. And it's passing away. And listen, you Christian, you're no longer made for the world. You have been created in Christ Jesus. You have been recreated. You've been reclaimed by God the Father through Jesus Christ. You are his workmanship in Christ Jesus. You're a new creation. This is not your home. You have dual citizenship. You're here, but your citizenship is in heaven. And so, beloved, that's where our hearts must be. So we're not of the world, so don't go out and live like you're in the world. In fact, Paul says in Romans chapter 12, he says, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed. And that's a present tense term. Continue to be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and perfect will of God. Good and acceptable and perfect will of God. These sins are not enemies of the world and they're not enemies to the world. And you can't go out and parlay with them. You can't go out and rub shoulders with these sins, these subtle influences. You can't let them back into your mind. These sins are like terrorists. You know what terrorist doctrine is. Terrorists will move into a country, and terrorists are very patient. They'll move into a country, and they'll live among the people whom they are going to terrorize. They befriend them. They become their neighbors. They develop relationships until all of a sudden, boom, they hit them. So that's terrorist doctrine. And listen, we need to be so careful of letting sin back in. Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yields ye your members. Yields ye your members. You know what yield means. When you're trying to get on the interstate, it says yield. When you go out into the world, don't yield to sin. Don't yield. My little children, these things I write into you that you sin not. And listen, God has given you the spirit of God within. You're led by the spirit of God. You need to have a steady intake of God. Beloved, that's you say by grace, so we say through faith and not of ourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. He's given us a new heart and a new spirit. He gives you the capability to do these things. Where God commands, God gives the capability. And so in verse six, And I'm not going to explain all these sins to you in detail. You know them. Verse 6, Paul says, for which things sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. These are the same sins that the lost partake of. They should not be what we partake of. This is who you were. It's not who you are in Christ. In the wits you also walked sometime when you lived in them. He goes on, but now you also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds. Anger. James says the wrath of man works, not the righteousness of God. Listen, I can tell you as a young Christian, I anger problems. And you know what? Every now and then it wants to it wants to rise up. I need to cry out to the Lord to help me. But, you know, so often sin is blinding. You know, it it blinds you. It starts coming up and you start thinking about This is your issue and you're right about this. So you're going to go and take this fight out and beloved. Don't do it. Cry out to the Lord. Ask Him for grace and for help. And listen, this is the amazing part of the Christian life is when we live in a way in which we are completely dependent on the Spirit of God and on our God to help us to navigate through these difficulties and these providences that come into our lives. God will help us. He will help you. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. God's going to help you with that. And so, beloved, we need that help, that aid. I think of lying. You know, lying is probably such a prevalent sin. I get so convicted if somebody asks me a question. I mean, to the point of, how are you doing? Oh, I'm fine. And I'm really not. Now I try and say I'm fine a little worse for wear. But I want to be honest. I want to glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to walk in His ways because I love Him. And I have a sense of His great love wherewith He has loved me. And even now, beloved, I have a hard time with Him loving, with believing that you love me, Lord. If you understand what I'm saying, how could you love me, Lord? When God saved my son, I read that verse the next day, the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much. I said, can that be me, Lord? It can't be me. I read Psalm 116, I love the Lord because he has heard the voice of my supplications. Therefore, I will incline my near unto him as long as I live. I'll call upon him as long as I live. Call upon the Lord. Ask the Lord daily for help and for grace to navigate in this life and to put to death the old man, to put him off. Listen, this is a practice of your faith. Christ gave you the faith and now you must use it. The second command after putting off the old man, sanctification continues by putting on or adorning yourself with a new man, which he says is renewed in knowledge. So he helps us to understand how this takes place. We are renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. And I think I said this yesterday. God is re-imaging you. I don't know what that means in computer terms. I said that before. God is re-imprinting his image upon your soul. God saved you from your sins and now God is reclaiming you. He has reclaiming you. He's recreating you. He's reclaiming you after the image of Christ. He's re-stamping the image of Christ upon you. The Christian life is in many respects. I was a project manager at Jackson Barracks and we would renovate old buildings, these really old historic buildings. In renovation, there's always demolition first. And so demolition, there's demolition and rebuilding. Solomon said there's breaking down and building up. And so these things, they happen simultaneously. So there's tearing down, there's building up, there's transformation that will continue in you as a Christian until you reach your shoreline. This transformation, this renovation, this continuing to tear down and build up, that's the Christian life defined. God is conforming you to the image of Christ. He's continuing to do that. It doesn't cease until you reach your shoreline. And God says, hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. And so when we reach that shoreline, we'll be in that glorious place that our brother just preached about. In Romans, Paul says, Romans 13, you could look at it, Romans 13, 11. In fact, that last passage was from Romans 8, from whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. And that's the work that God is going to do in you, child of God. Here in Romans 13 11 Paul says in that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believe that's your final salvation. The night is far spent the day is at hand and therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and notice let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. He's talking to believers. My brother, he says, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision to the flesh to gratify its desires, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, my brethren. How do you do that? Well, you have the means of grace which God has given you. Listen, some of the most precious times for me is by myself in the Word. Just all alone in the Word. Just seeking the face of God in secret prayer. Crying out to the Lord. second elder in our church, he called it praying without a filter. We need to be real when we pray. We need to really commune with God. The means of grace here, gathering with the saints, attending unto the preaching of God's word, hearing what God would tell me from his word like the band with Cornelius. We're all here ready to hear. That's the spirit that we should come with every time we come to the word of God. We're here. We're ready to hear. It's not about the speaker. It's about Christ. It's about Christ coming through the speaker. I'm a worthless speaker. I'm an unprofitable servant. I'm an unworthy speaker. But listen, if you come in the spirit on the Lord's day and when people of God gather, God's going to speak to you in spite of the speaker. God's going to speak to you from His Word. We need to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. I can't say enough. Eat the book. Eat the Word. I'm not saying don't read other books. But man, make the Word of God your necessary food. Eat it. Commit it to memory. Memorize it. Listen, one day You might not be able to carry one of these. So what do you have to go on? In fact, if this was taken away from you today, could you live your Christian life without it? I mean, we might think, you know, so many Bibles in the world never happened. Oh, I don't know. Maybe not. I don't know. I hope it doesn't. But listen, you need you need the word of Christ to dwell in you richly. And then you go out into the world and that's how you Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. That's how you're salt of the earth, the salt of the earth, the light of the world. And so you're adorning Christ. So don't ever look at this as a task and as a chore and as laborious when you're new to knowledge. This is not like I'm not going to school. Well, I am because right before this passage, Paul talks about us learning Christ. I want to learn Christ. And so we need to be renewed in knowledge. Beloved, we have to look at our communion with God as, in the Word, in any of the means at which it comes to us as putting on Christ, adorning ourselves with Christ, getting to know and love Christ more. Looking at that man, that ascended man who died for our sins, that resurrected perfect son of man who sits in the heavens right now, who lives and reigns and intercedes for us right now. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh. This transformation, this re-imaging takes place as you adorn yourself and Paul says, holy and beloved. You can see in verse 12, put on therefore. So, Paul, now, teaches us what we are to adorn ourselves with. Put on, therefore, is the elect of God, holy and beloved. Bows of mercies, compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, being long-spirited, being patient, forbearing one another. and forgiving one another. I appreciate what Brother Ken said, he said, you know, it's hard. You got some folks that maybe it's hard to love down here. And folks may not love you the way. They should down here. But God in the sanctification process of you. He's going to on purpose Put people in your life that are hard to love for you. Why? To teach you how to love as He loved you. Some people think, well, how can you not love me? What's not to love? Love your enemies. Love those that press your buttons. Love. Listen, you just look at the truth of Christ with his apostles and them arguing about who's going to be the greatest and them fighting and just different things. Beloved, they're us. But God's going to put people in your life so that love can flow out of you toward them. And listen, God will do this in you. He will teach you. He will help you. God's helped me in that case to sit and listen to someone. And listen, I'm just being honest. You know, you go to somebody's talking to you and you're like, oh, that's sin in me. No, I need to be able to listen. Lord, help me with your grace. And you know what? God has. I want that. I want that love. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. I want that. Lord, help me to put on these wonderful, these beautiful graces for bearing one another and forgiving one another. There's one forgiveness. Put on forgiveness. Our God is ready to forgive, and that's how we should be. We should be on the springboard of being ready to forgive. Don't grudge. And listen, in that prayer in Matthew six. Jesus goes back to that one supplication. When he teaches us how to pray. He goes back to it. He says, let me reemphasize this. If you forgive not your brother their trespasses, neither doth your heavenly father forgive your trespasses. I've heard people say I could never forgive them for that. There are attitudes. That we need to expunge, we need to kill out of our minds. Listen, we're not of this world. We shouldn't behave. Like those that are of this world, and this is part of it, forgiving, being of a forgiving spirit, not being offended when the world is offended, not patterning patterning ourselves after the world. The amazing thing about this is you see, the world exercises a church like discipline on people. They're not saved. But when somebody does something, everybody attacks him. You should apologize for that. And then when the person apologizes for it, they still don't forgive him. No, they want to run him into the ground. It's like they won't forget beloved. We need to be like our father. Somebody confesses. We need to. I forgive you. We need to be ready to forgive. We need to be not grudge holders. Listen, this adorning Putting on of the new man will not happen automatically. You have to put the new man on. You must go to the spiritual armory for these adornments of Christ, these protective graces, these living virtues which are otherworldly. This is the Christian's equipment. You need to be spiritually equipped. Put these graces on, holy and beloved, elect of God. Cultivate these graces within you by the good seed of the word. So, child of God, you're you're called and commanded to kill the old man, you're called and commanded to put on the new man, to nurture, to feed, to strengthen the new man. I love second second Samuel three one. In that passage, it says, now there was long war between the house of David and the house of Saul, long war. The house of David got stronger and stronger and the house of Saul got weaker and weaker. The house of the son of David needs to be made stronger and stronger in us. In the house of the God of this world, the kingdom of this world, the world must get weaker and weaker. Listen, Paul goes on, and I'll draw to a close here. In verse 14, he says, and above all these things, the greatest endowment of all of these beautiful spiritual garments, these adornments of grace is love. It is distinct. It is above and beyond all the other garments, above all these things, put on charity. Beloved, this agape love, which does not originate in this world, it's otherworldly, it does not originate here, it's not a human invention, It does not originate here. It's like a coat or a belt. It's like the glue that handsomely unites all of these beautiful, gracious garments together in your spirit, child of God. This charity, this love, it is the bond of perfectness. Look at second Peter, chapter one. I apologize for my voice, got a little scratchy. Second Peter chapter one. Excuse me. In verse four, Peter writes, whereby are given unto us, well, look at verse three, he says, according as his divine power. Has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue." God's given us all the equipment. He's given us all the graces, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these great and precious promises you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And besides this, give all diligence Add to your faith virtue. Add means make every effort. Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. This love. Put on charity, beloved. You want to learn about it? Fall in love with Christ. See the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know that love, which it's like saying it's unknowable. But he prayed for those Christians that they would know it. that I would know it in the experience of my Christian life. Finally, Paul says, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body and be thankful. Beloved, be governed and ruled within by the peace of God. Therefore, being justified by faith, you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, beloved, let that peace within you. The kingdom of God is within you, and part of that kingdom that is within you is righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Ghost. Thou, God, will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. Back to set your affection on things above. Seek those things which are above. When your peace is disturbed, and those times happen, and our peace will be disturbed. Paul says, be careful or be anxious for nothing. But in everything, in everything, in every situation, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That's written for us to enter into It's for you, child of God. That peace that is beyond all understanding. I heard my son tell me, Dan, I lost my job, but I'm at perfect peace because God saved me. Did y'all hear that? I thought I was maybe talking too loud. I will keep him in perfect peace. Let the peace of God govern the word rule. Actually, it's like an umpire. It's like a it's like a referee. Let the peace of God govern. Within you. Let him govern, let him give you that peace, and finally, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, I love this passage. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, but not just by rote. In all wisdom, Think upon it. Ruminate upon it. Meditate upon it. Think about it. Seek those things which are above in the Word of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts as unto the Lord. And then, whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." This is high ground, beloved. This chapter is high ground. It propelled me through a deployment when I was separated from my wife and my children and had no church to attend. God used this, this chapter, this passage in the Word of God. I often thought if that's the only place that I had to graze, it would be sufficient. It would be enough. But God has given me so much more. God has given you so much more, children of God. And so remember, as I finish Don't let the old man climb back out of his hole. Put him to death daily. Let not sin reign. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. Now you're a new creation in Christ. You no longer wear that clothing. You no longer speak the language of the world. You speak the language of heaven. You are a citizen. of that heavenly Jerusalem. You speak the language of Zion. You're a new creature. You wear different clothing. You don't wear strife and anger and hatred. You wear compassion. You wear love. You wear kindness. And the beautiful and handsome and overcoat that goes over it all is that agape love. Beloved, We serve such a wonderful God who has given us this word. How can words off of a page How can this help me and transform me? Well, I'll finish. The writer of Hebrews says, the Word of God is quick. It's alive. This is not just a book. It's the Word of God. It's the living Word. It's quick. It's alive. It's powerful. It's sharper than even a two-edged sword. It pierces to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit. and of the joints and marrow. It searches you. And we should want to be searched by it. It's a discerner of our thoughts and intents of our heart. And one thing I've found about children of God is they want their thoughts to be discerned. They want what this Word will do in them and for them. We want that. It's not like I don't want to see this. No, I want to know, Lord, And listen, I know we struggle sometimes and we're cold and that's when we need to pray like David. And I'll finish. David said, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Help me, Heavenly Father. Oh, I pray God would help us today. I pray that God would help us in this earthly life, this pilgrimage. That we would arm ourselves with the same spirit. Peter talks about arming ourselves. Arm yourself with the word of God, my beloved brethren. And then you'll have what it takes to put down the old man and to adorn yourself with the new. If you're outside of Christ. Dear soul. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. The qualification for you, if you're lost, is to say yes, is to acknowledge, yes, I am a sinner. If you're a sinner and you're lost and you understand that you qualify. Christ came into the world to save sinners. Seek ye the Lord. I think I said it yesterday. You're in the best place you could be. As one that's lost best place you could be right now on the planet, being with other saints that could point you to Christ. That could tell you about this wonderful Lord and Savior, this man that was nailed to the bloody cross of Golgotha. Died in the place of Barabbas, I love the story of Barabbas. I often think of Barabbas sitting in the jail cell, and he hears the guards coming, the centurion, and he hears them coming. And when the guards get there, he's thinking, well, here we go. I'm going to be nailed to that cross out there, executed. They cut the shackles off. Can you imagine that? You're free to go. There's another man out there that's going to die in your place. I often wonder if Barabbas hung around to see the man that suffered and was executed, died in his place. Substitutionary death, died in this place. Sinner, you are Barabbas. If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. Believe Christ today to the saving of your soul. All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. So come to Christ. Come to Christ. Pray with me. Thank you, Father. I pray that you would help us.