Lingering In Sin

In this GoToMeeting session, our speaker, Tom Fannin, discusses the story of Abraham and Lot in Genesis 13 and 19. Lot had to separate from Abraham because their possessions were too great to live together. Lot chose a fertile area but ended up in Sodom, which was destined for destruction. Two angels warned Lot and his family to leave, but his sons-in-law didn't take it seriously. Lot hesitated to leave, but the angels helped him and his family escape. Mr. Fannin emphasizes the importance of not lingering in sin and learning from the examples in the Bible. God shows mercy to those who repent. We should be grateful for God's calling and his mercy. Well, greetings to everyone. It's really nice to be back again on a GoToMeeting session. And, you know, time goes on as we know. And here we are now a few weeks past the Days of Unleavened Bread and making our way to the Pentecost. So, I want to start today by turning back to Genesis 13, if you'll go with me to Genesis 13. And we're going to kind of review a little bit about Abram or Abraham and Lot. Genesis 13, in verse 5. Now, it says here, And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land was not able to bear them that they might live together, for their substance was great, so that they could not live together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land. And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. So, see wisdom there on the case of Abraham, didn't want to have strife between them. And certainly, as God's people, as brethren, that's the attitude we should have too. And we see things maybe not going the way they need to be going, as we don't want strife or difficulties between each other. It is not the whole land, is not the whole land before you. I pray you separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zor. And Lot chose all the plain of Jordan for himself. And Lot journeyed east, thus they separated themselves from one another. So, we see here in the case of Abraham and Lot, they were both blessed, weren't they? They both had a lot of substance. So, let's move on to Genesis 19 and follow the story. So, they were both herdsmen. They both had a lot of livestock and family and servants. And as they separated, Lot chose an area that looked well watered, which if you have livestock, that's where you desire to go. But we know he went into Sodom with his family. And God told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And Lot was in the midst of that. We know two angels were sent there to warn Lot and his family. So, let's pick up on the account we find about this in Genesis 19. Genesis 19 and verse 12. Now, speaking here of the two angels, it says, And the men said to Lot, Have you anything here besides yourself? Bring your sons-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone else you have in the city, bring them out of this place. Because, again, it was going to be destroyed. So, by reading here, Lot had quite a bit of family there in that city. So, we'll be mentioning that in a minute. For we will destroy this place, because great is the cry of it before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. And yes, when there is a multitude of sin and wickedness, it even cries out when the Lord sees this. And Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Get up and get out of this place, or the Lord will destroy this city. But his sons-in-law, to them it seemed that he was jesting, to be jesting. They weren't taking him seriously. Boy, you can see when we think about the future and the things that are going to go on in the future and the warning this world will receive, a lot of people may think the same thing, that this can't be, this is not real. Verse 15, And when the morning dawned, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, Rise up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city. But it says here, But he lingered. And that's what we'll be talking about in the message today, is lingering. It says of Lot here, But he lingered. So the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him. And they brought him forth and set him outside the city. And it came to pass, when they brought him outside, they said, Escape for your life. Do not look behind you, nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed. So we know that Lot did leave with his wife and his two daughters. The others stayed behind. But notice here again in verse 16, speaking of Lot, it says he lingered. So this word linger, what does that mean? What was happening here? Well, linger, it means to have a hesitation, to be reluctant, to delay. And this is talking about something that's going on within the mind. Something you're considering or thinking about. You know, when we look at Lot and what was going on, did he have reason to linger there? Was there a lot on his mind? And when it comes to our physical lives and physically thinking, absolutely there was a lot going on with Lot here. You know, we read that he had his family there. It says he had sons-in-laws. Now, how many children? We don't know how many children he had, he and his wife. But he had sons-in-laws, daughters. Did he have grandchildren there in the city? Well, he very well could have, since he had children that were married, right? So he had his family there, his children, his grandchildren, possibly. That's where his home was. That's where he was established. And we read earlier that, you know, he had a lot. He had a lot of substance. So what he had was there probably in the city invested. So he had a lot invested there in that city. So, yes, when it comes to the flesh and physical and how we think, I can understand, and maybe you can too, why maybe he was lingering, considering thinking a lot about what was there and didn't have a lot of notice, did he? You know, he was told they needed to get out. So the question for us is, do we linger at times within sin? Or do we strive to come out continually of sin? Verse 16, I want to mention something back here, too. If you'll notice. The angels took Lot and his wife and the two daughters there, took them by the hand. And let them out of the city. It says here, the Lord, in verse 16, being merciful. So the Lord, with the help of the two angels there, got at least the four of them out. But the Lord, God showed mercy to Lot and his wife. Now, you have to ask the question. If God did not show mercy to them and doing this to them, would they have come out? Would he have lingered and considered and thought about these things too long? And have been a part of that destruction? Well, possibly so. But nonetheless, God showed mercy and got them out of that situation. Well, we know sin has stronghold, doesn't it? It works on us in a lot of different ways. And certainly it's a mental struggle. But we as men and women struggle with sin. It is strong. Now, back when you think of Cain and Abel and the situation they were in, particularly there with Cain, God told him about sin and how sin worked. It has a desire for us. But our jobs, especially us that are in the church that have God's spirit in this calling, is to rule over sin. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians, the 10th chapter. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 1. It says, Now I do not wish you to be ignorant of this, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. And all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and they all ate the same spiritual meat. And they all drank of the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them. And that rock was Christ. But with many of them, God was not pleased. For their dead bodies were strewn in the wilderness. Now, these things became examples for us. And that's what we're going to keep in mind as we think about Lot and what went on there. There's examples for us. So that we might not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither be idolaters as some of them, as it is written, the people set down to eat and to drink and rose up to play. Neither should we commit sexual immorality as some of them committed, and 23,000 were destroyed in one day. Neither should we tempt Christ as some of them also tempted him, and they were killed by serpents. Neither should we complain against God as some of them also complained and were killed by the destroyer. Now, all these things happened to them as examples and were written for our admonition on whom the ends of the ages are coming. Therefore, let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. So we have these things written for our examples, for our admonishment to learn from. So that's why we're going to be talking about, again, the example and what went on there with Lot. And, you know, when we think about sin and lingering in sin and what happens when we allow sin to take part and take hold, you know, we have the examples in the Old Testament. There are things that went on, but, you know, we have recent examples too. Many of us in our life where we've seen things take place within the church and what lingering in sin and allowing sin to take hold, what that has done to the church and to the body of Christ. So we have living and current examples as well that we need to keep in mind, thinking about what the outcome of some of those things were. Well, as we move forward to Pentecost and the Days of Unleavened Bread, again, these are things we need to be thinking about. Let's go back to 1 Peter 2. I want to go back to 1 Peter 2. I want to ask the question, how did we come ourselves to this understanding that we have about the truth? How did we come to this, to know this? 1 Peter 2, verses 9 and 10, it says here, So that's how we came to this truth, right? Through God calling us and through his mercy. We'll be talking more about mercy through the message, the mercy of God, even when we find ourselves in situations maybe where we linger. God's a merciful God, but we know it's through God's calling here, calling us out of darkness and his mercy that we have this understanding of the truth. Let's go back to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2, in verse 4, it says, So God's love, that's how we're able to have this knowledge of the truth, that God loved us and gave us grace through Christ. Let's go back to Deuteronomy 7. And again, we're talking about how did we come to this truth, to this understanding? To understand sin and understand darkness of this world, things we've been called out of. Deuteronomy 7, and let's look here at verse 9. It says, So, yes, we know there will be a day where God will repay to the face, because everybody will have to stand before God in judgment. We know this, but we're focusing again on how we come to this truth and this knowledge that we have. But it says here God's faithfulism, God's faithful us to keep his covenant with us, that as we went into covenant with him, he keeps covenant with us. But he also keeps mercy. Brethren, that's something we need to think about. Even the state we find ourselves in at times, where we're troubled and we have problems and trials, and maybe we linger in things we shouldn't be lingering in. God keeps his mercy with us as long as we're desiring to keep faithful to God, to keep, as it says here, his commandments and to love him. So we can always think about that and be thankful that God keeps mercy with those of us who do that. Let's also go back to 2 Peter. 2 Peter 2, and let's read in verse 7. And Peter, specifically here in examples he's giving, talks about Lot. So yeah, Peter in his day, just like us today, we read in the Old Testament about what happened, things were, as we covered our example, our admonishment. And Peter had knowledge of this too. 2 Peter 2, in verse 7, it says, And if he personally rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the lawless ones, living in licentious conduct, and yeah, he's called righteous Lot here, even though he was living in that environment, he was called righteous because, undoubtedly, Lot loved God. And he was trying to obey God and do right before God. He's called righteous Lot. For that righteous man dwelling among them, though seeing and hearing their lawless activities, was tormented day by day in his righteous soul. Says the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unrighteous to the day of judgment to be punished. We just read that again back in Deuteronomy 7. But we need to keep in mind that the Lord knows how. And sometimes the situations we find ourselves in, we don't know how. We don't know how we're going to get out of it or come out of it or be rescued. But the Lord knows how. And that's what we need to keep in mind. God knows how. In the case of Lot, he sent his two angels. But God knows how. We need to remember God does rescue us. He's very merciful to us. Let's be turning back to Colossians, the first chapter. In Colossians 1, and we're going to go down to verse 12, and we're going to ask a question of ourselves. And that is, could we have come out of sin or the bondage of sin on our own? Could we have done that? And the answer is, there's no way any of us could, of our own selves, come out of this world. In the grasp that Satan has on this world, we could not have come out of that on our own. Colossians 1, 12, it says, So God has personally rescued us, right? Because there is a power there that holds this world captive. In whom we have redemption through his own blood, even the remission of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And so, brethren, yes, God personally rescued us. And he continues to rescue us, doesn't he? It's, yeah, through the calling we had, and coming into covenant with God and Jesus Christ. That was a rescuing, but they continue to rescue us through Christ. So when we have sin in our lives, and we have difficulties and problems through Christ, and the grace given to us through Christ, and the opportunity we have to repent continually, as things come to our minds, God works through us with his spirit. We continually have a rescuing, and something we need to keep in mind. Because it's a struggle we have in the flesh, all of us. Paul had that same struggle. We'll read about that back in Romans. Let's go to Romans 7. Romans 7, verse 24, Paul says here, I thank God for his salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, on the one hand, I myself serve the law of God with my mind. But on the other hand, with the flesh, I serve the law of sin. So, you know, Paul's saying here, within his mind, Paul having God's spirit, just like we have God's spirit within us. Within the mind, there's a desire to obey God, and keep his commandments, and love God. But within the flesh, we find ourselves in a situation where we fall into sin. From time to time. In the lust of sin, in the desire and the drawing of sin. And it's a constant struggle within the flesh. But Paul goes on the right here in verse 1 of chapter 8. He says, consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Because the law of the spirit of life, that is that process that we went through. With answering the calling, being baptized, and accepting Christ as our personal Savior. For the forgiveness of sin, and receiving of the spirit. And Jesus Christ has delivered me from the law of sin and death. So we have continually, again, a deliverance. Back in 1 John, we know, in chapters 1 and 2, it talks about sin. And this propitiation we have, or this continuing atonement we have through Christ for our sins. And all we have to do is confess our sins. With a heartfelt confession and a desire to change, and our sins are forgiven. And then we continue to walk in newness, don't we? Just as Jesus Christ walked. So yes, we have this knowledge and we have this understanding. But yeah, within the flesh, we continue to struggle. Let's go back now to what we refer to as the faith chapter in Hebrews 11. We're going to talk about the patriarch Abraham here, but we'll ask another question. Could we go back? Could we go back to what we came out of? What we were drawn out of? Hebrews 11 verse 8, it says, By faith Abraham, being called of God to go out into the place which he would later receive for an inheritance, obeyed and went, not knowing where he was gone. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise like a foreigner, dwelling in the tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob. The joint heirs of the same promise. For he was waiting for the city with the foundations of which God is the architect and the builder. So, yeah, we know Abraham did these things by faith, but he was awaiting something different. Eternal life in the kingdom of God. Now, verse 13, it says, speaking of all the patriarchs here and those we know of in the Old Testament, says all these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar off and having been persuaded of them and having embraced them and having confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth. Because this is temporary, isn't it? What we go through here in the flesh on earth, it's temporary. But what we look forward to, all of us is, is eternal. For those who say such things make it manifest that they seek their own country as promised by God. And it is a promise that is eternal. Their own country as promised by God. And if on the one hand, they had let their minds dwell fondly on the place where they had come from, they might have had an opportunity to return. But now, on the other hand, they are aspiring to a more excellent country. That is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God because he has prepared a city for them. So that's who we are, brother. You know, we're aspiring for something better, aren't we? That's why we do this. That's why we love God in Christ and we're faithful to them. That's why we strive not to linger in things, but to try to continually come out. Because we want something better, all of us. You know, we don't want to go back, any of us. And as it says here, if their minds would have thought about these things, they could have had an opportunity to possibly go back. But they didn't. They remained faithful, just as we should. And in our time, we have seen some go back. So hopefully, God grants them repentance and mercy, too, that the ones who have gone back will come back out again. But let us just make sure that we're moving forward. Let's go back to Exodus 16 and look at a good point that's brought out here in Exodus 16, referring back again to the children of Israel. And we've already read a couple of times there that the things we see recorded for us in the Old Testament, we use for examples. Exodus 16. And it's tied right into the, as you know, we've just again, a few weeks from the Days of Unleavened Bread, it's tied right into the Days of Unleavened Bread. Exodus 16, in verse 2 and 3, and we know for Israel at this time, that are out of Egypt and they were on their way to something they had been promised. But they had their difficulties and their struggles. Verse 2 of Exodus 16, it says, The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt. When we sat by the flesh pots, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Well, yeah, maybe they thought about what they had come out of. And it was difficult. And God was testing them to see if they would follow God and be faithful to God and remember the things he had promised them, or they were going to this promised land. But, you know, in difficult times, they started thinking about what they'd come out of and what they had before. As it says here, they had bread to the full. But what were they in? They were in captivity. The captivity of Egypt. Within sin. There in that land. Within sin. There in that land. And God rescued them and brought them out. But then again, they started thinking about what they had. So, brethren, you know, hopefully we don't find ourselves in this situation where we think about where we were and what we had in the past. But we're thinking about the future. We're not wanting to go back to anything. But we're looking forward to life. Considering what it took, considering the personally being rescued and the promises we had to look forward to. Because there is a bread we should desire. There is a bread we should desire. And not desire the old bread that they desired. In captivity. So, you know, when we think about them and we think about us, what bread do we want? Let's go back to John 6 and Christ talks about the bread that we need to desire. John 6. John 6 and verse 32. It says, And Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but. Yeah, I'm sorry, did not give you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven. See how there was a bread that Israel received in the form of manna. But the true bread comes from God. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Therefore, they said to him, Lord, give this bread to us always. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me shall never hunger. And the one who believes in me shall never thirst at any time. So that's what we want our minds on. Not. The bread we had in the past, the things that we were a part of in the past, and maybe they were good things, blessings to us, but still they were a part of captivity of this world. But we want Jesus Christ. We want that bread of life, the bread that we never have to worry about hungering anymore. Because it fills us up. And it gives us the things that lead to eternal life. We come to Christ. But we come to Christ continually believing in him and trusting in him. And the promise is given to us. And the promise is given to us. So again, we have a choice. What bread do we want? Well, we look forward to the bread again of eternal life. So we know that. It's God's spirit within us that helps us to understand all these things we're talking about here in the message. God's spirit also helps us to move forward. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians, the second chapter. 1 Corinthians 2. In verse 9. It says, but according as it is written, the eye is not seeing nor the ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. So we know this is a prophecy. Things being talked about. But Paul goes on to say here in verse 10, it says, but God has revealed them to us by his spirit. For the spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among you understands, who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him? And yeah, that's how man understands what the things that go on in this world and. That's how men think men and women think based on what they see in this world and what they understand, according to this world. But that's not the spirit we've been given. We have a much better understanding. In the same way, also the things of God, no one understands except by the spirit of God. Now, we have not received the spirit of the world spirit that is of God so that we might know the things graciously given to us by God. So. We just need to remember the power of God's spirit. And what it does to us and what it does for us, teaching us, instructing us and leading us and bringing things to our mind that we need to know and giving us a better understanding. And if we. Are led by it. As sons and daughters of God. You know, we will be led in the right direction towards God and Christ. Let's go back while we're here in Corinthians, let's go back to 2nd Corinthians, the 10th chapter. So, again, we're talking about having God's spirit, the spirit that helps us to understand even the deep things of God. And it's a spirit of power. It's God's power. That he's given us. And we're going to talk about that. And we're going to talk about that. And we're going to talk about that. And we're going to talk about that. And we're going to talk about that. It's God's power. That he's given us. And we need to be using that power continually. So, again, as we're talking about this message that we can come out of things and not linger. 2nd Corinthians 10, verse 3. It says, for although we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. And, yeah, there is a warring according to the flesh, but that's not the war we take part in. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. But mighty through God. To the overflowing of strongholds. So, that's what God's spirit does within us. It helps us to overthrow strongholds. And we continually face strongholds. That's mentioned also in Hebrews 12. Let's go back there. Hebrews 12. In Hebrews 12, in verse 1, it says, therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great throng of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entraps us. And let us run the race set before us with endurance. So, brethren, do we all have sins that easily entrap us? Or do we all have weights in our lives? Well, I think we all would answer yes, we do. And if anyone says, no, I don't have weights in my life, things that are pulling me down. Or I don't have sins in my life that easily entrap me. Then I guess you've become the perfect person. But we know that's not how we are. We all have things we're trying to overcome and trying to escape. And trying to put aside. Going on to say here, it says, having our minds fixed on Jesus, the beginner and finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that lay ahead of him endured the cross. Although he despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now deeply, now meditate deeply on him who's endured such great hostility of sinners against himself. So that you do not become weary and faint in your minds. So, yeah, we need to consider ourselves and examine ourselves. And make sure we're continually coming out of these things so we can run the race. And we have God's spirit within us. That power to help overcome these things. And we have Christ as an example. And Paul writes here, you know, to meditate deeply on him. And what he went through for us. So we could have mercy and receive his help. And hopefully, if we think about that, when we have these struggles and difficulties and problems. It helps our weariness. When we think about what Christ went through. Well, we certainly don't want to be lingering then, do we, brethren, in anything. And we don't want to be lingering. Well, we certainly don't want to be lingering then, do we, brethren, in anything that is a stronghold for us. Or anything that entraps us. Or anything that may try to draw us back to what we came out of. We don't want to linger in that. We don't want to linger in that. Let's go back now to 2 Peter, the third chapter. 2 Peter 3. Let's go back to verse 10. 2 Peter 3.10. It says, Something for us to consider. Because we know this is coming. But according to his promise, we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth. In which righteousness dwells. That's what we read there back in Hebrews, right? We're considering Abraham and the other ones in the Old Testament. They were looking forward to a new country. Another life in the future. It's promised. For this reason, beloved, since you are anticipating these things, be diligent so that you may be found by him in peace. Spotless and blameless. So we know what's coming. Lot knew what was coming. Lot didn't have a lot of time. But Lot knew what was coming. And we also know what's coming. And that's why Peter admonishes us here. To be mindful of that. Who we should be. What our behavior should be. And we need to be coming out of this world. Coming out of sin. And not linger. So, brethren, we have time. Back in Ephesians, Paul writes, we need to be redeeming the time. Because the days are equal. And if any of us are sleeping, we need to wake up. So we need to be coming out of these things, don't we? And not lingering in any way. While we have time. Brethren, time will run out. There will be a time when the end will come. And these things will happen. So we need to be thankful again for God's mercy upon us. That we have time now to do some of these things. Let's go back to Romans. The 11th chapter. We're going to start in verse 17. Romans 11, 17. It says, But as some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and you became a fellow partaker of the root, and of the fatness of the olive tree. It says, Do not boast against the branches, but if you are boasting against them, remember that you do not bear the root, rather that the root bears you. Will you then say the branches are broken off in order that I may be grafted in? That is true. Because of unbelief, they were broken off. And you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he not spare you either. Therefore behold the graciousness and the severity of God. Upon those who fail, severity. Upon you, graciousness. If you continue in his graciousness, otherwise you also will be cut off. So, I bring this out just to remember we need to continue in God's graciousness. We need to continue in God's mercy. And we have to remember, as it says here, the graciousness, but also the severity of God. There is a judgment coming. And again, as we talked about, time will come to an end. And when we remember Lot, we also need to remember Lot's wife. Because when they came out, when they were personally rescued by the two angels and taken by the hand and led out of that city, and God had mercy upon them, the instruction was clear from the angels, don't look back. So, Lot's wife did look back. And when we know she was changed to a pillar of salt. So, again, we think about, brethren, the graciousness and the mercy of God. Let our minds be upon that. But there is also a severity that we need to consider, too. Let's go ahead and end the message by turning back to Hebrews, the 10th chapter. Hebrews 10, verse 32. It says, On the one part, you were made a public spectacle by both insults and severe trials. And, yes, being called, being a part of the body of Christ, being a part of the body of God, being a part of the body of God, being a part of the body of God, being a part of the body of God, being a part of the body of God, being a part of the body of God, being a part of the body of Christ, being God's children. We go through trials. We go through problems. We go through difficulties. And on the other part, you became companions of those who were enduring the same things. And, brethren, we're companions of each other, aren't we, all of us in the church, brothers and sisters in Christ. And we need to remember that of each other. We are companions. And we have each other to fall back to and look to. For you not only show compassion to me and my bonds, but also gladly endure the plunder of your possessions, knowing within yourselves that you have a greater and more enduring possession in the heavens. For this reason, do not cast away your confidence, which is bringing a great reward. For you need to have endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. For it is but a short time. Brethren, we need to remember this in our lives. It is but a short time. Life goes by quick, and this opportunity is just here and now for us. Until here, he who is coming will come and will not delay. Now it is written, the just shall live by faith. But if anyone draws back, my soul does not delight in him. But we are not of those who draw back unto destruction. Rather, we are of faith unto the saving of the soul. So, brethren, that's who we are. That's who we need to be. We are not those who draw back, but we are those who move forward and look forward to the saving of the soul, eternal life, through the resurrection. Christ being the first that was resurrected from the dead is our example. So, brethren, as we conclude and we think about the count, the Pentecost, and we are to count, and we look forward to Pentecost, let's consider this. Let's not linger in sin. Let's be thankful that we have God and Jesus Christ in our lives and the mercy they show us continually. Let's come out of sin. Let's look forward to the next holy day, Pentecost, and ultimately, the resurrection.