Still in the introduction to the book of Romans, and last week we finished off with verse 12. We looked at the mutual faith that Paul had with his audience in Rome. There's no difference between Any people who have been justified by God, whether they be in the case of Paul being the apostle to the Gentiles, or the people in his hearing, wherever somebody is a believer, they are co-equal with other believers. There's no hierarchy, nothing. There are offices and positions of order in the church, but nobody is more of a Christian than anybody else. Isn't that just so remarkable? Before you needed the priesthood, you needed those different things. And today in the modern churchianity, or religion I would rather call it, there is a hierarchy that's followed. Even in denominations, there's a hierarchy that starts with the top person that's in charge of a district or the country, then it goes down to the region, then it goes down to the district, and it goes down to the area where these churches all are together. But yet, they're together for the wrong reasons most of the time. We have this mutual faith in Jesus Christ, and the operative word is in Jesus Christ. Amen? Because you're in Jesus Christ, in the Gentiles, in Colossians chapter 1, I should go over there because I'm forgetting what I'm saying. Colossians 1.27 says that Christ in you is the hope of glory. Before the times, it was impossible for Christ to be in the Gentiles or in the church, but through the dispensation of grace, we have Christ in us. Christ is in us because we are in Christ Jesus. Think of that for a second. The most guarded place that you can be is in Jesus Christ. Amen. The most secure place that we can be is in Christ. Being new creatures, where? In Christ Jesus. So we're going to start off, I had started off with verse 14, but I didn't go through verse 13 last week. So that's what we're going to look at, is verse 13 through verse 17. And then verse 18, you see it says, the first word in verse 18, before we go up to verse 13, says, for, right? For the wrath of God. That's the reason our hope is in the righteousness given by God or imputed to us by God is because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. Verse 17, the righteousness of God is also revealed. They're both revealed from heaven. They were both revealed by God. Those that are in Christ has had that righteousness revealed and imputed to them through Jesus Christ. Those who reject Jesus Christ, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. I always like to say, and I say it kind of off the cuff, is after the church is gone, after the body of Christ is gone, all heaven will break loose. This is truly the wrath of God will come upon this world. So aren't you glad to escape the wrath? We've been delivered from the wrath to come. And you know what bugs me? I shouldn't really say what bugs me, is that there are more and more assaults on the pre-Trib rapture of the church. More people believing that we need to go through the tribulation. They're taking the Olivet Discourse out of context. They're applying that to the rapture rather than the return of Christ. But the reality is, our only hope is being in Jesus Christ. So let's start reading verse 13 through 17. And then I'll go backwards from there, from verse 17. I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. And Lord, we just pray that you would add your blessing to your word this morning. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So verse number 13 is kind of our segue verse. It says, now, I love when you see the word now. It's right immediately. Pay attention to this. Now, I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the Gentiles. We don't know exactly how many times it was that Paul purposed to come to Rome. We know that he was promised by Jesus Christ himself that he would get to Rome. Acts chapter 22, Jesus appeared to him while he was in prison and told him that he would go to Rome. The same way he's in Jerusalem testifying of him, he would do the same thing in Rome. I think I said Acts 22, but Acts 23 Paul's verses 23 to 28 is kind of the biography of what it took for Paul to get to Rome. It took several years of imprisonments, several years of trials, being in jail, being in squalid situations, but he finally did make it to Rome. So that's in Acts 23 to 28. And if we go to Acts 23 verse 1 and follow from there, but we won't do that. That's kind of a summary of that. We know of his imprisonment there and the like. The difference, and he would, if Paul, imagine if Paul, imagine if you will, if Paul were to author The Purpose Driven Life. Man, that would be a shipwreck, literally. Because that wouldn't go too well with the people that were buying that book. But if you can claim some giant purpose in your life, you know, it sells lots and lots. But Paul was left stranded, shipwrecked, all these different things. And on house arrest, being forgotten in prison for two years in Caesarea Philippi. All these different things. And the reason for that delay was that he may have fruit among you also as among other Gentiles. The reason that what happened is that Paul had gone to other places but never gotten to Rome and brought the gospel. That same fruit was the fruit he desired then. Ultimately, The enemy did not want the gospel to be spread. Typical, if you have the gospel, if you have the grace of God spread abroad, it takes a lot of people out of business, doesn't it? It takes idolatry out of business. It takes the religious institutions out of business, because they need to keep you in bondage. You need to keep on giving and giving and giving until you're blue in the face. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11. I don't even know if I'll get out of this verse, never mind what I had prepared. 2 Corinthians 11. And I know we've heard these verses before. Let's just go through verse 24 through 27. Of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes, save one." Think of Joel Osteen having that happen. Right? Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I've been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. in weariness, in painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. These are the things that Paul suffered. This is written to the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians, he would be writing the book of Romans around this while he was in Corinth at the time. And then verse 28, I know I said I wasn't going to go there. "...beside those things that are without." These are the things that personally happen to me besides the things that are without. "...that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." What kind of care did Paul bring to the churches? Did he set up ministerial councils? Did he tell them they needed to start small groups together and get a big band on the stand? No, the care he had for the churches, as one common denominator we see, is his prayer for them. Always to the Romans, he says, I'm always making mention of you in my prayers. Number one was the prayer that he had for the churches. in that prayer was that they be conformed to Christ. Nothing else. Now, I'm going to put down last week's notes there and throw them away there or put them aside. So because of his call by Jesus Christ to call him His great love that was showed to Paul, he had an obligation or a debt. He was a debtor. Verse number 14. Now we'll get back on track here. Romans 1. Verse number 14. He says, I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the wise, or the unwise. What was he a debtor? A lot of times we think of that as that he contractually owed something to them. Well, he had an obligation because of the grace that was bestowed upon him to share the gospel with them. In other words, he owed it to them. Have you ever had somebody do a favor for you? Now, I believe salvation is much more than a favor. Have you ever had somebody do a favor, then you feel obligated that you're going to return the favor? Well, Paul didn't have that obligation. He was complete in Christ. But yet, his obligation was to the Greeks and to the barbarians. The barbarians were other foreigners who didn't speak Greek, because Greek was the normal language that had spread throughout the region there. So it was a Greek or a barbarian. Paul ran into barbarians on the Isle of Malta in Acts chapter 19. So those were barbarous people that showed him great care while he was there. Even though they were not Greek, they were not Jews, they showed care unto him. He was a debtor. He was under obligation because of the great love that was shown to him to spread that gospel throughout. I think even Carol was saying earlier, it's this obligation of love. Christ has loved us. What do we do? We don't have to love one another because of an obedience to the law. We get to love one another. We get to show grace to one another. We get to share the good news. out of compassion and an obligation from the thanksgiving or the forgiveness we've received for Christ. For as Christ hath forgiven you, so ye forgive others also. We've had forgiveness, 100% forgiven. That's what we share with others as well, that same thing. He was debtor to bring the gospel to all. Let's go to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. I just wrote down Philippians 3.7. But I want to go back to verse number one. And I had verse nine marked down for later, so we'll go through at least nine, just in reading. You know, one of the things that I found so refreshing that I learned many years ago was when we look at the Bible, anybody ever go on a trip in the first place? The first time you go, you want to explore everything. You want to see what everything's like. I'm one of those, if I see a door that says, keep out, where do you think I want to go? I wanna see why they want me to keep out. That's my nature. That could be good or it could be bad at the same time. But our, what happens with Scripture, I think we have these lenses on that say, oh no, don't go there, keep out. Keep off the cliff, you might fall in. I think the greatest thing that we can do is be in that discovery moment. Why does it say keep out? Let's find the facts. Let's discover what the Bible says. Because in our own, we've had so many traditions, we've had so many feelings, so many different ideas that we've heard throughout our lives. I think it's always good to read the Bible and study the Bible, keep the context of who it was spoken to. I should admit this, but I was reading The 1542 Council of Trent. You know what's amazing? That says the same thing as the 1664, I think, Westminster Confession. The Westminster Catechism says the same thing about the perseverance of the saints. Basically, that doctrine is you will persevere. You will do good things, which always I question in my mind. If you had to totally persevere and do all these good works, where is your mind at? Your mind is on me. Mind is on self. I'm getting ahead of myself. I had something to say about that before or for after. It says, finally, my brethren, Rejoice in the Lord. That's a good place to start. That's a good place to stay. Rejoice in the Lord. Why? Salvation is a wonderful thing. Don't leave home without it. Amen? Salvation is amazing. Salvation is so complete that you have no more fear. or you shouldn't have fear. After all, you're in Christ, a new creature in Christ Jesus. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same thing to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. In other words, it's not grievous for me. It's not against anything at all. I have no problem whatsoever telling you to rejoice. It's safe. If somebody tells you all of their problems, they have a litany going on for 15 or 20 minutes, I have a quick three-word answer or four-word answer. Rejoice in the Lord. It's amazing what rejoicing in the Lord and who He has made you to be, your identity will clear everything up. Rejoice in the Lord, to write the same thing to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. I like the fact that under Judaism, the dogs are the ones who aren't circumcised, and Paul here is putting the circumcised and the concision together. Said, they're dogs. They're going to take away. They want to take away your salvation. And by the way, they can't do it. Look at verse 3. For we are the circumcision. Who's we? We is we. We are the circumcision. Man, woman, and child, I know it's anatomically impossible, are the circumcision through Jesus Christ. which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in your flesh. I don't say it says your, but in the flesh. Right? We should not have confidence in anything we can do, because having confidence, or un-confidence, if that's a word, will ultimately cause us to sin more. Right? Oh, Lord, look what I did. I did all these great things for you. I did it for the kingdom. That's a trigger word for me right there. I did it for the kingdom. No, you didn't. Christ will be king. He'll come on his own accord. We won't have to do anything to bring him back. And verse 4 is where I actually wanted to get to. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more." Right? So anybody that's relying on anything, Paul's saying, I have more. I have more reason in the flesh because of who I was before Christ. Right? Think of the wonderful things that we do. It almost sounded like the Wizard of Oz, but... Think of the things that we do won't add up to a hill of beans. Actually, a hill of beans in the tribulation was probably good to have, but it won't add up to anything because we have the righteousness of Christ without the law. It says, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the eighth day. Here we go, there's mark number one. I was circumcised right on the very day prescribed by the law on the eighth day. Of the stock of Israel, I am a Jew. I'm not only a Jew, I'm a Benjamite. The littlest tribe there was, and the loved of Isaac. The tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. That's like saying the Pope is the Catholic of the Catholics. I'm in a higher rank and position because of who I am in the Hebrews, as touched to the law, a Pharisee. I get all the I's dotted and T's crossed. I am a Pharisee. I'm above everybody else. I know not only the law, but I know the other laws, the traditions. I have it all. I've arrived. I am one of the greatest Like Muhammad Ali, I'm the greatest of them all. It was Paul saying, I've achieved more in the flesh than anyone could even imagine. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Does blameless mean he was sinless? No, but he knew Everything about the law and the loopholes that were put into the traditions and the law that would justify a person before man. Think of that today. We go to a lawyer, why? We try to find a loophole to get us out of trouble. Not that the law, even civil law today, is a bad thing. but it's been put in to show even how unworthy we are. That's what the Jewish law was, the Mosaic law. In verse seven, where I wanted to go, why he was a debtor. He says, but what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. All those things, those attributes that he had beforehand were nothing. They're loss according to Christ or because of Christ. Yea, doubtless, I like that, doubtless. This is a fact. I do not doubt. I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Think of that today. Think of our statures we may or may not have, but the greatest thing that we can have is being in Christ. I might attain to be President of the United States one day, but being in Christ is much better. no matter what position you may hold in the world. If ye doubtless and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them, but dung that I may win Christ. All those things that he lost, he not only lost them, he counts them but dung. One of my favorite Greek words, skubalon. The only thing good about dung or scuba lawn is that it can get stepped in. There was no good, all loss for him. In verse nine, I was gonna go back to this verse, I still might, and be found in him. not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." I want to revisit that after when we're in verse 17 of Romans 1, if we ever get to that far. But the reality, he was a debtor to bring the gospel to Greek and barbarian, and he was qualified to do so because everything he had before was counted as loss. Let's go back to Romans chapter one. Verse number 15. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. I like this term here, for as much as is in me is. I'm ready. Ever been waiting with expectation for something? I remember when I was a teenager waiting for my ride to go out for the night. I'd be all ready. And this person would say they're going to be there for 7.15. And so I'm waiting. All right, we're going out. You got to think of teenager thought here. I'm ready to go. Half hour goes by. I've been ready for a half hour. Where were you? I think we go through that same thing with our morning routines as well, right? We're ready to go. We're chomping at the bit. Paul, he said, basically, says, for as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel. I am ready to go there, and he wouldn't get there for several years. To you that are at Rome also, as he had done at Antioch, Ephesus, Athens, Corinth. He had withstood the camps of persecution against them, the Jews that were lying in wait throughout the world. He was ready to go to Rome just as Jesus had taught him. I knew I had written down this verse in Acts 23.11. It says, And the night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. I always loved that back when we were in the book of Acts. I always loved that fact that Paul was promised. Let me use these words here. was predestined by Jesus to go to Rome. You know, a direct flight from Rome to Corinth would probably be an hour. I don't even know. A direct boat ride wouldn't be all that long, but, or that should be from Jerusalem where he was originally, From Jerusalem to Rome would be kind of a relatively quick jaunt, even in ancient terms. But yet, he was held up. He had to play that waiting game of persecution and arrests and trials and all these different things. But finally, by Acts 28, he had gotten to Rome, and there he was in a house in Rome. He finally made it there. God, the Lord Jesus Christ, told him he would go to Rome, but yet he would have to wait. Even as he was ready to do so, he would still have to wait. Because from this point, when he wrote this in Corinth, he'd end up back in Jerusalem, where Jesus told him those words, or reminded him of those words in Acts 23. He was being persecuted in Jerusalem, and he was sent unto Caesar, ended up in Caesarea Philippi for a couple of years, and left abandoned there. And eventually, he got to Rome, didn't he? Jesus told him he was going to go, but yet, the time frame was not in accordance to what you would think. He had to endure much. Let's go to verse 16. I love verse 16. 4. Here's why I'm ready. 4. Here's why I'm ready to go to Rome. Right? Rome, the seat of power in the Roman Empire. Rome, the city of much idolatry, much wickedness, says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I'm going to go. I have nothing to hang my head on. I have much to hang my hat on. In the gospel, going to Rome, For it is the power of God. What's the power of God? The gospel. This is the power of God. You're looking for power? I just saw something about the power of the cross. I'm dating myself again. Who can remember? It was Huey Lewis and the News had a big hit song called The Power of Love. But there's power in the blood. Wonder work and power in the blood. There's power in the cross. The power in the cross is that Christ died, was buried, and resurrected. Right? The power is in that cross. I would hold to that power in the gospel, right here, verse 14, it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. I hold that power of salvation to be both justification with God and also sanctification being in Christ. You can't get around the gospel. I often say this, I always get back to square one, back to the gospel. You having a rough day? You might have had a coworker yell at you. You might have had a car pull out in front of you. Nothing of your own accord. And you get mad at that person or whatever. You're just having a rough day. The gospel is the power of God. The power of God will save you, will sanctify you, and that gospel is why we can also be glorified in Christ Jesus. to the Jew first, and also the Greek. We see, if we go to Romans chapter 10, that unto the Jews were given the oracles of God. Unto the Jews were brought the gospel. And all they had to do was believe that Jesus was their Messiah, their King, and they rejected that. Notice the first place, right? We often think of Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles or the Greeks. Notice the first place he went was the synagogue. I love the fact that's where they find the most heathen there, the unbelieving Jews. But they would at least have a nominal understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They could get them to believe that. They believed that he died, he was risen to save them. All that stuff was prophesied. But yet, the Gentiles, think of in Roman culture, think of Greek culture, think of in Thessalonica, the idolatry that was going on there, and all over Greece. You know, they had a notion of God, which is made, as we see further, in the likeness of four-footed beings. They were idolatry. They were stuck on idolatry as their culture. Not much difference between the Jews then and the Greeks, but at least the Jews had some knowledge of who God was. The monotheistic dog. Dog, dog, I meant God. Thinking about the dogs, the Gentiles. So, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believeth. We believe that we're justified in that salvation as will get us through and preserve us through trials and tribulation that we have to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now, verse 17, I'm going to make it. I'm going to make it through verse 17 here, but I don't know. Verse 17, for therein, what's the therein in there for? Because of the gospel, right? Therein, in the gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed. Now, I looked at the beginning, at the beginning I looked down to verse 18, it says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. For therein, in the gospel, is revealed the righteousness of God From faith to faith. The key words here is from faith and to faith. From, it means, get the Greek in this, it means from. That's the word ek. It comes from God. This faith is from God and the faith to faith. I believe that the word to is the word ice, which means usually into. So we have this faith from God, it's given, imputed to the believer. That's what faith is, faith to faith. In the past, I've always understood this as well, to mean that you're saved by faith, you're kept by faith. Doesn't matter, faith, faith, faith, which is correct. You know, we live by faith. What faith do we live by? The faith of the Son of God. Amen. He was faithful. He was just. Let's go to, actually, The faith is not and cannot be your own steadfastness. We'll see that all over. If you do a work on steadfast, you'll find messages all over about how you must be steadfast. You must do this, you must do that. But this steadfastness, it cannot be your own. You know what we do if we try to be steadfast? We'll knock ourselves out. If we're based on anything we can accomplish, that's why I always look at our identification in Jesus Christ. Buried with him, risen with him, right? Think of that, we're buried with Christ. The old man, I always like to say it, is D-E-A-D dead. He's buried, and the new man is risen with Christ Jesus. Let's go over to Habakkuk, the prophet Habakkuk. Some of you probably knew where I was going to go there, right? Habakkuk chapter two. I was gonna go just to verse four. I love this chapter. There's a lot of people that claim love this chapter, but we'll take it all out of context. But verses one through four, it says, I will stand upon my watch and set me on the tower. Now, who is the I here? Is it you and me? That's Habakkuk, the prophet, right? And I will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and make it plain upon... It says tables. Some translations say tablets. I've actually heard this in the past, saying, Write it on a tablet. Write the vision, what vision God gives you. You need a personal vision from God. Believe it or not, this is a very common teaching out there. Without vision, the people perish. That's dealing with prophetic vision, not any vision that we have. And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." You better keep running. Alright? Is it talking about us? Who do you think it's talking to? Who would be running? Running during tribulation. Right? For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it." I believe that's second coming language. Tarry, wait for it. He's coming again. Because it will surely come. It will not tarry. It says, though it tarry, it'll come because it will not tarry. Because actually, after this age is over and the church is gone, right back into all these prophecies being set in motion. Verse 4, Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him. The person is dealing with a person, but the second part, It says, but the just shall live by his faith. I'd say, whose faith would the just live by? The object here is God. God's faith, or faith in God. God is the one that cannot lie. Amen? Let's go back to our text here in Romans. And we're gonna take a little journey in closing. Actually, some of you probably don't care or probably some of you heard the news of yet another big wig Calvinist has bitten the bullet with a relationship with a woman. I don't want to demean him, but I think his doctrine of perseverance of the saints. Anybody you know there, Gordon? Did him in. I've said this before, I've known other people that have gotten in trouble with the law. I once knew a pastor, not personally, but he was a local pastor, every week, He would preach about not gambling. Remember this one? Helena remembers. Well, he got arrested. No, not him, he was a local, him too was. He would preach that don't do this, don't do that, don't do this, you're gonna fall if you do this. He was coming out of Foxwoods. after gambling and drinking for a night, drunk as a skunk. He wasn't even a Calvinist. Steve Lawson, you've probably heard the name before. It's a bigwig. He headed up Ligonier Ministries. He was part of Master's Seminary, or Master's, did I say it right, Seminary? I almost said Cemetery, but Seminary. He was a cohort of John MacArthur's. Well, evidently he'd been having a relationship with a woman. And I, yes, I blame him, of course, but I would also blame this doctrine of perseverance. that you will persevere. You will maintain good works. That's how you show your salvation. And I've said it enough that R.S.E. Sproul, at the same time, before he died, he didn't know if he had persevered enough to go to heaven. Sad. This doctrine of perseverance of the saints lays so much law and guilt on a person instead of trusting that they're in Christ. I think I used an example in replying to somebody about it. It's like being on the hamster wheel of the law. You ever watch hamsters? They can keep that wheel going for a long time and eventually they tire out and fall. That's what trying to maintain the law is like. Get tired of it. Say, I give up. I can't do anymore. So people succumb to the flesh rather than trusting in the grace of God and the finished work of Jesus Christ. The just lives by faith. Let's go while we go back to the book of Romans. I think, you know what? That's a good place to end right there. We'll pick it up with verse 17 next time. The just shall live by his faith. The faith. of the Son of God who loved me and died for me. Actually, close with one more thought. The object of faith is Jesus Christ. He is the one that is faithful to do the work of his Father. And I close in Luke chapter 22. This is in the garden. I stand alone in the garden alone. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. His flesh was saved. Remove this. It's about to take on the sins of the entire world, to be that sin offering. Now try just counting your sins. It's innumerable. Never mind the sins of billions and billions that were being cast upon Him. Father, if Thou wilt be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." I see that the faithfulness or faith of Jesus Christ. None of us could do that same thing, but Jesus did. Faithful to do all the will of God while he was on earth. Faithful to withstand the cross of Calvary. Oh, the darkness that came upon the world when he gave up that ghost and after he'd taken and completed that work of being that sin offering on the cross. That's where we get to look or get to, not look, but get to enact that faithfulness of God, never our faith, but it's His our faith in the faithful one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I'll hold the rest for next week. But the reality is that Jesus Christ did indeed die on the cross. He was buried and he rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures. That's what we believe today. We believe that Jesus died, died for our sins, was buried. Our sins were buried with him and risen again with him. The new man up from the grave, Just like Jesus came up from the grave, we identify with that. Amen. And think of this last thought. Because of that, we're positionally in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Practically, we're not there, but positionally we're with Christ. positionally and practically we're in Christ, but we're positionally in those heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Amen. What wonderful redemption. Sounds like a song, right? Wonderful redemption we have through Jesus Christ, our Lord.