1Peter 1 CYoung 5.23.24

The speaker is discussing 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1 and 2. They explain that Peter's letter is addressed to Christians who are strangers and pilgrims in the world. The Christians are scattered throughout different provinces of Asia Minor, which is now Northern Turkey. The speaker emphasizes that Christians should not live worldly lives and should set their minds on heavenly things. They further explain that the term "elect" in the passage refers to those who have obeyed God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. The speaker clarifies that God's election is based on man's free will to obey, and God desires that all would be saved. They conclude by saying that man must choose to believe and that God elected Christ to bear the penalty for sin. I want you to turn your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1, and we're only going to cover verses 1 and 2 tonight, and we may not even cover all of this for you, but we're going to make some good points tonight, and we're going to leave it at that, Lord's willing, and then we'll pick up tomorrow. So tonight, we begin to spend some time with the Apostle Peter, and we're going to hang out with Peter for a little while, and learn some things from Peter, and we're going to start by reading the first book of Peter, and so tonight, we start in chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, okay? So let's see who Peter addressed this letter to, all right? So could our first reader read 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 1? Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Athenia. All right, so we see here that the apostles were sent to Christians who were strangers, all right, which means sojourners, or we can call them pilgrims, aliens, which means they are strangers in the world. They were scattered. This literally means they were dispersed throughout the areas that Ms. Roberts just read, Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Athenia, you know, and these were districts of the Roman Empire known in Peter's day as Asia Minor, but known today as Northern Turkey, okay? So we see that Peter, he addressed this to Christians in general, whether they were Jews or Gentiles who were scattered throughout various provinces of Asia Minor, all right? And we see that these Christians were living among people who did not share their conduct nor their citizenship in heaven. Therefore, they are known as strangers and pilgrims in the world, and it's the same for Christians this day. We are strangers and pilgrims to this world, and that is why we are commanded not to live worldly lives, and when I state that, don't go after things of the world above pursuing your spiritual life above all else. Don't get involved with the sins of the world, sharing in the sins of the ungodly, and putting your mind in the world, but we ought to set our mind on things in heaven. Let's read 1 Peter 2, verse 11 for a cross reference, then we move on to verse 2. All right, so these Christians are addressed again, once again, as strangers and pilgrims, and their citizenship is in heaven. They are not of this world, so Christians are not of this world. Why? Because when we obeyed the gospel, we was brought out of the world. We was brought out of darkness into God's marvelous light. We was born into his kingdom of his dear son, okay? So therefore, we are now strangers and pilgrims on this earth, and what are we to do as strangers and pilgrims of this world? We ought to live as though we are sojourning in a strange country. We are aliens. We don't belong to this place. We're just passing through, okay? And we have a job to do, and that is to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Okay, so as we continue with 1 Peter 1, verse 2, could our next reader read that for us? Cathy. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Okay, and then my manuscript goes on to read, Grace unto you and peace be multiplied, though this is not added in every manuscript. But here we see their spiritual conditions, the ones who Peter is addressing. We understand their spiritual conditions. They are the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Now this is something that we all need to be all ears on because a lot of people get this wrong. A lot of people use this to say that, well, God already chose who was going to be saved before the world began, so how could he hold anybody accountable for not obeying the gospel if he already selected the man? But as we understand God's plan of predestination, we're going to understand that God has elected the plan, not the man. So let's understand what I'm saying. So Peter addresses those who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Okay, now, so the person's address has been chosen by God when they obeyed the system of salvation by grace through faith is what I'm saying. So the question has been debated for centuries whether salvation is granted by God's unconditional election of specific individuals or by means of obeying his chosen plan. Okay, so let me break it down in simpler terms. Since God has all foreknowledge and he can know what man would do before man do it, God, before the world began, had already planned that all who would serve him would do so by being in Christ Jesus. And this is a term that the Apostle Paul uses a lot in a lot of his letters. Everybody's not in Christ Jesus. But these who Peter is addressing in his letter, they are the ones who are in Christ. And even Christians today, they are in Christ. Why and how did they get into Christ? Well, because they obeyed God's plan of predestination. All right, they came to God through his son, Jesus Christ. They were washed in the blood of the Lamb. And it's at that point that they were added to Christ's kingdom. The same as saying his church, the universal church. Okay, but let's go a little deeper. As we see, the character of God implies that his election is conditioned on man's free will towards obeying. And God is no respecter of persons, which means he don't show cause of certain favoritism, but he treats everybody else different. No, he has one plan for all mankind, all right? And he gives all mankind free will choice. Prime example, Adam and Eve in the beginning, he created them. He had foreknowledge to know what they was going to do before they did it, but yet he did not leave them with free will choice. He knew that they would sin. So therefore, even before the world began, God had already planned that he was going to reconcile the whole world back to himself in Christ. Let's read Romans chapter 2, verse 11. Okay, Romans chapter 2, verse 11. It says, For there is no partiality with God. All right, so God don't show no respect to persons. He don't, ain't nobody exempt from what he has laid down, okay? Ain't nobody exempt. He don't say, well, I just go back on my word such as you. No, there's no respect of persons with God. Acts 10, 34 and 35. Could I have the next reader read that? Yes, you can. Okay. 34 and 35, it says, Then Peter replied, He has no favor to him. In every nation, he accepted those who fear him and did what is right. All right, so we see Peter stated, where he stated, God don't show no favor to the man, but everybody in every nation who fears him and works righteousness is accepted with him. So everybody who come to God with the reverence for him and the respect for him and be obedient to his plan of redemption, then he allowed them to serve him. No matter if you Jew, Gentile, no matter what your nationality is or your geographical area. Amen. And furthermore, it is his desire that all would be saved. Let's read 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 4. Robin. Coming as unto a living stone, disallowed. Thank you for using global telling. But chosen of God and precious. Amen. Since we wait a minute for Charles to call back, would you read down to verse 12, Robin? Yes. So picking up in verse 5, we also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient. The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made ahead of the corner. Do you want me to keep reading, Mike? Yeah, Charles, I asked Robin to read down to verse 12. Okay, all right. And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient. Whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which more against the soul, having your conversations honest among the Gentiles, that were as they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Amen. Amen. Amen. Go ahead, Charles. All right. Thank you, brother. So we see here that furthermore this is God's desire that all will be saved and that none shall perish. All right. So what I'm saying is it follows that if man's salvation is unconditional, depending solely on God, then all shall be saved. But that's not the case because, however, all would not be saved. If you look at the Bible, even though God desired man to be saved, all would not be saved. Why? Because everyone is not going to obey the gospel. Do they have an opportunity to be saved? Yes, they do. Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. Let's read them. 10. 11. All right. So we can look at the Scriptures and understand that, therefore, man must choose whether or not to believe. So like I had stated previously that what God has elected is the plan, not the man. So to break it down for you, rather than choosing specific individuals who alone can be saved, he elected Christ to bear the penalty for sin. So God has the sovereign right to choose the means of salvation, and he predestined that forgiveness of sin would be by means of the sacrifice of Christ. Okay? Let's read Ephesians chapter 1, verses 4 through 14. Kathy? Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasures of his will, through the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved, in him who we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound for us in all wisdom and truth, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his pleasure, which he purposed in himself, that in dispensation of the fullness of the time he may gather together in the one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. Yeah, come on. Yeah. In him also we have obtained our inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the gospel of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. In him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also heaven believed you were filled with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purpose possession to the praise of his glory. All right. Wonderful. Now, if you pay attention to this reading starting at verse one, it states Paul. So Paul is the writer and he lets you know that he's an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. So he was appointed an apostle by God. He was not made an apostle by man. And Paul said he's writing to the saints. Okay. And that's the same as Peter was writing to. He was writing to the elect. All right. And the saints, the word saints are short for sanctified, sanctification. So who are those saints? They are the ones who have been sanctified. All right. And he arrived to the ones which are in Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. You pay attention to that term, in Christ Jesus. Not everybody is in Christ Jesus. Why? Because they haven't obeyed God's plan, the plan that he elected. Okay. So Paul continues on and he states in verse three, Now these spiritual blessings, they consist of things that you will see throughout this, such as wisdom, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, prudence, and things of that nature. This is like stated as the believer's heavenly bank account. It's the inheritance that's laid up in heaven for the saints. But these blessings are in Christ. So if you are not in Christ, you don't have an inheritance that's laid up in heaven. And then verse four states, So you mean to tell me that God had already made a plan before one day of creation ever came to be that everybody who would serve him would have to be in Christ? That's exactly what the scriptures say. According to he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So you're telling me that Christ was already existing before one day of creation ever came to be? So this how I know that John 1, 1 is true? When it states, When it states, That's exactly what I'm telling you, that Christ was in the beginning with God. Okay? And God had already put that sign. He had foreknowledge to see that Adam and Eve was going to sell him in the garden. But he did not lead them with free moral choice. But don't worry. Through grace, God said, I'm going to redeem mankind. But the only ones who are going to be redeemed is those who follow my plan that I have elected in Christ Jesus. So if I say, well, we've got a talent show going on. We've got a big web banquet going on over here at the Convention Center on Highway 82 at 8 o'clock. And then at 8 o'clock, you're over there at the gas station. And then you holler about why I didn't get in. Well, did you not get in because the web banquet is not going on? No. My plan is still in motion. You just didn't come and follow the plan. So you didn't get in. And it's the same way with salvation. God has a plan. He has elected in his son Christ Jesus. Okay? And the only way to get in Christ is by following God's plan of redemption. So as we continue on in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 5 stated, heaven predestinated us unto the adoption of children. So God had already determined that he will predestine us to be his children's house by Jesus Christ, the same as saying in Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. So it wasn't nothing that we could do to earn salvation or make it available for ourselves or for others. God had determined that we would become his sons and daughters by being in Christ, and this was by God's good pleasure of his will. This was by his grace, his unmerited favor. We couldn't work for it. We didn't earn it. We didn't deserve it. We were deserving of death, eternal separation from God. But God had predestined and elected a plan to bring us back to himself. That's the deep love that God has for mankind. Amen. That's mercy. That's grace. All right? And then verse 6 states, to the praise of the glory of his grace, unless you know that it was by grace that this plan was elected, wherein he hath made us accepted. How? In the beloved. So you're telling me no matter how religious I am, how many scriptures I know, how much my grandmama went to church, my granddaddy went to church, if I ain't learned how to be in Christ and obeyed that, then you're telling me I'm not acceptable to God? So just being a good person ain't good enough? That's exactly what I'm telling you. No matter how many people you feed, no matter how good you is, there's some really good people who ain't in Christ, people. There's some really good people who ain't saved. There's some really good people who died and ain't saved. But we see a good person die, we say, well, I know they're going to heaven because they went to church every Sunday. I know they're in heaven. They want to help everybody. I know he's in heaven. He'll give you your shirt off his back. But that don't determine us being made righteous before God, no. We are only accepted in the beloved. So if I ain't read the New Testament and learned about Christ's kingdom and how to become a member of it, you're telling me that I'm not in the beloved? That's exactly what the scriptures is telling you. You're fooling yourself. So verse 7 states, in whom we have redemption. That is, in Christ we have redemption. Oh, that's the plan, that God will redeem man by being in Christ. So whoever don't come to God through Jesus is not accepted. Okay, so it states, in whom, that is, in Christ, we have what? Redemption. This is one of the inheritance of the saints, now, that's in the beloved, redemption. Through what? His blood. So you're telling me, how do I come in contact with the blood of Christ? Romans chapter 6 say that we are buried with him in baptism. So you're telling me it's at that point that I am put in the beloved? It's in baptism, yes. That is the time when you enter into the body of Christ. That is the time that you are baptized for the forgiveness of sins and your sins are washed away. You have been redeemed. You have followed the plan that God had elected. So now you are in the beloved. Now, if I say, well, I've already been baptized. Well, if you can't teach me this teaching, then you ain't obeyed the gospel because you can't be taught wrong and baptized right. All right, then, as we continue on, it states in verse 8, well, he hath abounded towards us in all wills and impurities, having made known unto us the mystery of his will. Well, what's the mystery? What this is, it's talking about a mystery. But it says here, having made known unto us the mystery of his will. So you're telling me it was a mystery, but now it's been made known because it's something that's been made known. It's no longer a mystery. Well, what was the mystery? The kingdom. The kingdom, the church of Christ Jesus, the one and only church you will find in your Bible. Amen. The kingdom of Jesus Christ. This is the great mystery. God had this held up way before the world even began. I'm going to establish a kingdom in my dear son that he will be ruled over. And all who come to me through Christ, I will add them to this kingdom. The same is said to Christ's body. The same is said to his church. But this ain't no physical building. This is a universal church. It's spiritual. What do I learn about this church? In the New Testament in your Bible. This is what the apostles misunderstood. They thought that he was coming to establish a physical kingdom. This is what the Jews misunderstood. They thought he was coming to establish a physical kingdom and reign in Jerusalem like David. But no, no, no, no, no. He come to establish a spiritual kingdom. And it has been established, people, in the states in verse 9, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed well in himself. And in the dispensation of the fullness of time, that's just like saying that when the time is fulfilled and when the time is right, he may gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. So you see our attention to this in him, in Christ, in one. So where I get the Baptist church from, where I get the Catholic church from, where I get the Pentecostals, where I get the Latter-day Saints, where I get all of these religions from, if it ain't but one kingdom that's established in Christ. If the Bible stated that in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he might gather together in one all things. So where all these churches come from that I don't see in my Bible, man, that's where they come from. If you trace the history back, it's going to trace you back to some man. If you trace the kingdom that I'm a part of back, it's going to trace back to Jesus Christ, even back to God. This is the only church you're going to find in your Bible. And if we haven't learned how to become a member of it, we're fooling ourselves. So verse 11 states, in whom also we have our plan and inheritance. So you're telling me if I'm not in Christ, I'm not a part of this inheritance? So this ain't an inheritance that can be passed on through my father, my mother? So you're telling me the only way that I can become part of this inheritance that consists of redemption, forgiveness, wisdom, eternal life, is by being in Christ? That's exactly what I'm telling you. In whom also we have our plan and inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. That anyone who would serve him, is y'all with me? That anyone who would serve him will only be able to do so by being in Christ. We have to follow the plan. And what's the purpose of his plan? Verse 12 in Ephesians chapter 1 states, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. That's to choose. And verse 13 stated, whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth. What is the word of truth that these people heard? Well, it goes on to state the gospel of your salvation. Oh, they heard the gospel. And they trusted in it, which means they believed. Okay? But that ain't all they did. And what is the gospel? Oh, they'll tell you, well, that's Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. No, that is the gospels about the life of Christ. His death, burial, and resurrection. If I say what is the gospel, you tell me, hey, brother Charles, it's the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's the good news about the risen Savior, the Messiah, who can take away sins. But you got to be in him. Okay? And then it states, in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and whom also after that ye believed. So you're telling me that they hear, believe, also? So you're telling me when I was growing up and I went to that Baptist church, and they told me, look, raise your hand and say this sinner's prayer, that that prayer ain't nowhere in the Bible. You're telling me that when they pour the chalice to the front of the church and say, anybody who want to accept the Lord as your personal Savior, come to the front and repeat after me. You're telling me that that ain't how I get into the kingdom? That's exactly what I'm telling you. Amen. You have one minute remaining. You're telling me that believing alone is not enough. That's exactly what the New Testament is showing you and telling you. It's saying in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard, so they hear. After you heard the word of truth, what is the word that they hear? The gospel of your salvation. And whom also after that ye believed, so they believe as well. You will seal with that Holy Spirit a promise. And belief carries the meaning to obey. So they not only heard God's plan that he elected, but they obeyed it. After that they had heard it and believed it, which is the earners of all inheritance unto the redemption of the person possessed. What is the redemption of the person possessed? They're talking about the church. It's the kingdom. Amen. Amen. So we're going to wrap it up right there for the night, and we're going to pick back up there tomorrow. But I have a few more words to say when I dive back in right after this. Thank you for using Global Teleink. What did you say? The child got us chewing on meat tonight, didn't he? Yes, I hope so. Amen. He kind of lost me there when he was talking, but Ephesians 1.1 was referring to that, and Kathy didn't read that. I don't think she did. I was distracted. Ephesians 1.1 says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Jesus Christ. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I guess I wasn't reading it. I'm not sure who it was. The child read it, or he referred to it. Yeah. Anyway, looking back at it. Did you all hear me? Yes. Yes. All right, wonderful. God has elected the plan, not the man, you know. So when you hear people talk about predestination and all that, how God predestinated us, and they say, oh, well, God had already chose him to be in Christ and chose me. Oh, they say, well, look, God got a calling on your life. But no, God has a calling on everybody's life. God calls us all by the gospel of his dear son, but it's up to man to believe and obey. God decides that all people would be saved. Okay, but all people would not be saved. Why? Because they would not follow the road that leads to eternal life. They would not follow God's plan that he has elected. All right. And God has the sovereign right to choose the means of salvation, and he predestined that forgiveness of sin would be by means of the sacrifice of Christ. And the gospel then is God's power to save. Let's read Romans chapter 1, verses 16 and 17. Okay. Romans 1, 16 and 17. So Paul said he wasn't ashamed of the gospel of who? Christ. So this means he was preaching the gospel of Christ? He was preaching the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ about Christ's kingdom that had been established? That's right. This is what he said he's not ashamed of. So do I preach Charles or do I preach Christ? Even when Jesus came, he preached his father, and he preached a lot about the kingdom. Jesus said any man who wants to know the truth, they should be able to tell concerning the teaching, whether it be from God or whether I speak of myself. Or my own authority. Okay? So we need to be noble like those in Thessalonica and Berea, and we need to search the scriptures daily to see whether or not the things that are being taught are so. We need to read our emails that Mike put together and go back over these verses and read and read and pray for understanding. But you also can call and give Mike a call. You can give me a call, Tim, and say, look, I want to study a little more. I need a little personal study. I got a question. I promise you we ain't going to get mad. I promise you we ain't going to want to fight or get mad or nothing. We're going to be glad you called and that you got a question. Even if you got a doubt, we can clear that with scripture. So we see here that the gospel is God's power to say. Now, people are called to God through the gospel. So you're telling me that all these denominations and religions, if you look at their creed that they follow, they all have some plan for salvation, but it's not according to the Bible? That's what you're telling me, Charles? That's exactly what the New Testament is telling you. Let's see how God calls us. Let's read 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 13 and 14. Did she hear? That's for us. We can help, but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters, loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the good news. Now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. All right. So he called them through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by all gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. All right, so you're telling me that God don't call me by telling a man to come tell me that God got a calling on your life and you're going to be special, you're going to heal people, and you're fighting God, but God got a calling on you, and you need to go to church. That ain't how God called them. He said that these people were saved and sealed when they obeyed the gospel of truth, after that they had heard it and believed it. This is the pattern that we see in the New Testament. They hear the gospel. They believe in God and in his son, Jesus Christ. They confess that Jesus is the son of God. They repent. They make the firm decision within their heart to turn to God and turn away from sin, and then they are baptized. Listen, listen now, for the remission of sins, not all churches baptize for the remission. I think you need to call your preacher and say, when you baptize me, what did you baptize me for? Now, don't get it twisted. Now, some are baptized for the remission of sins, but you ask them about the kingdom, they can't tell you. If you ask them about what is a testament, they can't tell you. Why? I know that, because if they knew that, that they would have already purified their souls to obey the truth. So all who yield themselves to this call by obedience will purify their souls and be added to God's family by the means he elected. So you're telling me that when I obey the New Testament gospel, I'm not obeying the gospel to be added to the church, to first wrap the church on Third Street? That's right. Now, how many times have you seen them set chairs out and say, everybody who wants to receive the Lord as a person of faith, raise your hand and repeat after me. And they say the prayer. How many times have you seen those same people throughout the year raising their hands? Okay. And then they set chairs out in front of the church and say, anybody want to become a member of the church, come up front and we'll, you know, baptize and you become a member of the church. Well, we don't see that in the New Testament. I see that when people obey the gospel and they are baptized for the remission of sins, they are baptized into Christ, into his body, which is into his kingdom. The same as saying his universal church, not a building. So all Christians everywhere who have obeyed the gospel according to the New Testament are members of this universal church. It is a spiritual kingdom. It's not a building. I don't look at a building and say, look, there's the kingdom of God. No. Now, though those individuals may have obeyed the gospel according to the New Testament, know that it's a local church, that they are members of the kingdom of God. But this is a local, independent congregation. Okay. The church is universal, that we are added to when we obey the gospel. So the only way to be added to God's family is by the means that he elected. And we got three more scriptures, y'all. Bear with me. Let's read 1 Peter 1, verse 22. Let's see, Robin. All right. So Peter told these individuals that they had purified their souls. Well, how did they do that? They say, in obeying the truth through the spirit. So let's get this through the spirit right first. When he say through the spirit, this means that they obeyed the truth that was revealed to God's holy apostles, the holy scriptures, that was revealed through God's Holy Spirit and was written down for us. They purified their souls in obeying the truth. So they had to do something. And a lot of people, once you explain to them the salvation of the New Testament, they say, well, that's words. Salvation is a word. It's works of righteousness. It's works of obedience. You have to do something. If I give you a faith with a million dollars in it and say, look, look, you can have that. That's yours. But you got to put the combination in to get it out. Did you work for it? Did you earn it? No. You just followed the plan that I elected to give you that faith. You didn't work for that, you didn't earn that, and you got it by grace. Even though you had to put the code in before you get the money out, you didn't work for it, you didn't earn it. And it's the same with salvation. God has elected the plan by which we will be in fellowship with him. He has selected the plan by which he will interact with man. His covenant is based on his own conditions in which he will interact with man. And if we don't follow that agreement, we will not be in his will. Amen. And the way that you obey is by purifying your soul to the obedience of the truth. Well, how do I learn how to obey the truth? Well, you can read the book of Acts and you can follow that same pattern. Okay. Let's read Titus chapter 1, verse 1. We'll get one more stitch after this, y'all, and we'll close out. Titus chapter 1, verse 1. Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God, elect, and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness. Okay. So Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God, elect. So he became an apostle by God and he obeyed the plan that God elected. How? And the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. And what happens to those who obey this plan that God has elected? If you look at Titus chapter 1, verse 2, it states, in hope of eternal life. So God promises eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. So this was God's plan before the world began that he would redeem man by being in Christ and that he would give us eternal life. All who abide faithfully in Christ unto death. And our last set of scriptures for tonight will be Romans chapter 6, verses 16 through 18. Cassie? 16 through 18? Yes, ma'am. Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slave to obey, you are that one slave whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness. But God... Okay, I wasn't sure. Go ahead, go ahead, I'm sorry, go ahead. Is it to 18? I'm sorry. Yeah, read down to 17. Okay, 17. But God bethinks that through you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. So it stated, Paul stated that do you not know that to whom you give yourself service to obey his service, you are to whom you obey. So what he's saying is that as mankind, whatever we practice, we are slaves of it. So before Charles became a Christian by purifying his soul through the obedience of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I was a slave of the devil because I was walking in darkness. I was practicing unrighteousness, ungodliness, and I was a slave of sin. I practiced it. I got good at it. But when I obeyed the gospel, I then became a slave of righteousness. But notice that I had to do something in order to become a slave of righteousness. I had to obey that form of doctrine, which the word doctrine means teaching, which was delivered unto me. And what was that? It was the gospel. I was taught the gospel. It was taught about Christ and his kingdom. And I said, oh, I've already been baptized, you know. And then he just kept teaching me and teaching me for nine months straight. And then he finally clicked with me. I'm not a part of Christ's kingdom. I didn't even know the gospel when I got baptized. So how could I have obeyed it if I didn't know it? I wasn't even taught right. I didn't even know what sin was. I didn't even know what faith was. I didn't even know who Jesus is. So how could I be a member of his kingdom? I cannot be taught wrong and baptized right. And then I realized, oh, the church I was baptized, that is not even in the Bible. So I went the same hour of the night in the midnight hour. And I was straight away I was baptized for the remission of sin.