Unto Life-Into The Death With Christ

The speaker discusses the importance of the spring holy days and how they represent a renewal of their covenant with Christ. They emphasize the significance of their relationship with Jesus and the access it provides to God the Father. They explain that in order to be raised with Christ and have eternal life, certain transformations and changes must occur. They reference scriptures from Corinthians and John to support their points. They also highlight the role of repentance and grace in the forgiveness of sins. Overall, they emphasize the importance of their relationship with Christ and the promises and blessings it brings. blessed sabbath to everyone we are getting closer to passover so we can fill it in the air this reflection that we do this time of year and preparing for the spring holy day season the spring holy days are important to us in several ways mainly of course what they represent but also from the fact that we've come through an incredibly long period of drought if you will and darkness through this these were months the holidays of this world going back to october and so forth with the holidays of this world so we come into the spring holy day is very excited to be renewed in our covenant with christ to be renewed in our relationship and strengthen in our relationship with the father and reflecting on all those beautiful things that they have done in our lives truly our existence and our salvation is in christ for the first scripture today pertaining to the subject and i hope to help us to comprehend the a little bit closer the relationship that we have with jesus christ in this covenantal bond that we have there and it is a very important bond without which we would be floundering if you will in the wind we would not have the covering we would not have the protection that we need so the person that we are the person that we have become is a direct result of that relationship that we have with christ the perfection that we are aspiring to is a direct relationship with our connection to christ even access to god the father is important to that connection to christ without which we cannot have that connection now lyle last night gave the foundational aspect of this relationship that i'm going to build upon today and if you think of it that way i think it was very inspirational that god he gave the message he gave last night i was saying to myself i'm sure there will be some scriptures there left for me because the bible is pretty extensive so starting in the first corinthians 15 first corinthians 15 and we're going to pick it up in verse 35 first corinthians 15 and verse 35 and he says nevertheless someone will say how are the dead raised and with what body do they come now the resurrection is the the goal for all of us eternal life with god the father and jesus christ in the kingdom of god we're not going to be in the kingdom as flesh and blood we understand that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god so in order to be raised with christ to be a resurrected member of god's family some very important things have to occur and they're described very clearly in our relationship with christ and what this what his crucifixion means in our life and our bonding to him within it so he says in verse 36 fool what you sow does not come to life unless it dies and that is true green seed does not grow it has to be a dead seed and as it is as you plant that seed or sow that seed the body that comes up or the thing that that sprouts if you will is not the same body verse 38 says the god gives it a body according to his will into each of the seeds its own body so he he goes on to and gives an exhaustive explanation of how we are when we die we're buried and we're raised in the kingdom of god in the resurrection a totally different body turned with me to john 12 and john 12 speaks a little bit more on this topic so john 12 and we're going to start in verse 24 john 12 verse 24 truly i say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone you know we understand that that we all must die and god has designed itself but if it dies it bears much fruit the one who loves his life shall lose it and one who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life so yes we were made physical and the transformation from this physical to spirit requires our death and change in some instances it may be where you'll fall in the sleep and put in the greenery for some years as we know in other instances as those who are alive it is coming it would be at the twinkling of an eye so let's go on here to verse 25 the one who loves his life again to lose it and the one who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life if anyone will serve me christ is saying let him follow me and where i am there shall my servant be also and if anyone serves me him shall my father honor and we brethren believe this with all of our heart soul and being this is our hope and the promises of god and the things that the father in jesus christ has put before us as promises assured in the blood of christ now paul again had a very good understanding of this relationship and i like paul's writings from that perspective he is explaining a truth to a people with not traditionally had a relationship with god so he has definitely had to start with milk in almost every case until he could get to the meat in explaining that this wonderful gospel of the kingdom of god of the gospel of christ and all of those things that make life worth living to understand god's plan to understand god's truth turn with me to ephesians 2 let's look at a truth that he revealed to us there in ephesians 2 paul reminds us and he was reminding the brethren in his day he says and we remember again we don't dwell on our past but we don't leave the mirror and forget what manner of man we were we understand that we are a product of salvation we are a product of salvation and jesus christ's sacrifice is what makes that possible so we go the thesis to verse one now you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience among who also among who also we all once had our conduct and the lust of our flesh yes this flesh as it is as subject to the law of sin and death and by nature here is the way we were doing the things willed by the flesh by the mind in whatever degree of sin it was as michael heights has said in previous sermons all sin must be repented of all sin let's be repented of doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as the rest of the world we have this theme that is a part of this time of year a little leaven leavens the whole lot and then in verse four he gives hope but god who is rich in mercy because of his great love of which he loves loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses has made us alive together with christ for you have been saved by grace you have been saved by grace he goes on to show that he has raised us up together it has caused us to sit together in the heavenly places in christ this is hinting at a more deeper aspect of our relationship and that is our access so that in the ages that are coming he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in christ jesus yes the entire world will see the product of god's work in our lives they will see that and this indeed brethren is bountiful riches that we receive from god he describes here the dead unclean body that we existed in right because god sees us a little bit different now now turn with me to colossians 2 let's look at a couple more scriptures in colossians 2 and we'll pick it up in verse 9 here colossians 2 verse 9 he says for in him that is in christ dwells all the fullness of the godhead bodily and you are complete in him who is the head of all principalities and power in whom you have also been circumcised with the circumcision not made by hand in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of christ having been buried with him in baptism by which you have also been raised with him through the inner working of god who raised him from the dead so here's an operation that is very important to our covenantal relationship with god and verse 13 he says for you who were once dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh he has now made alive with him having forgiven all your trespasses he has blotted out the note of debt against us with the decrees of our sins yes there is a dead associated with sin the soul that sins shall die and we're not just talking about the physical death there the soul that sin sins unrepentant shall die he says which was contrary to us the decrees of i'm sorry the note of death against us with the decrees of our sins which was contrary to us we didn't have a whole lot to do with it in terms of the power of it but we must accept it of course must choose in faith to accept it and be a part of it so contrary to us he has taken it away he has taken it away and nailed it to the crumbs and what is being referred here in to here in this verse does not in any way mean that the commandments of god were nailed to the cross no not we're not going to sit back and let christ do all the work and we just ride on in as lazy bums so to speak spiritually the phrase note of debt against us with the decrees of our sin means that the note of debt or the listing of our sins against god that is what it is they're listed they're engraved with the engraved with the pin of a diamond if you will what is it going to take to get that out he goes on it expounds upon this in a way that our sins and the debt of our sins were nailed to the cross when christ was crucified and died and it is at this point that our sins were resolved if you will with the solution so upon true repentance of sins to god the father jesus christ blocks out blocks out that note of death through the remission of our sins the forgiveness of our sins the cleansing of us from those sins jesus christ who knew no sin was made sin for us and he paid the penalty in our stead he was nailed to the cross as a sin offering brethren for the sins of not just us but for the entirety of his creation the entire world the note of debt of our sins through that is represented in our faith and the note of debt of our sins was symbolically nailed to the cross not the commandments of god they stand forever we have a blessed calling a blessed opportunity by grace where the father has given us this chance let's go to ephesians 4 ephesians 4 before we go on too far too much further ephesians 4 verse 17 so then he says this is paul again speaking i declare and testify this in the lord that you are no longer to walk even as the rest of the gentiles are walking in the vanity of their minds having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of god through the ignorance that is in them not having an understanding not having this grace to comprehend these truths and to see this way which is from god at large the gentile nations were cut off because of the heartness of their hearts god gave them over to these things it is important to remember that their state is a product of their choosing they have cast off all feeling and have given themselves up to licentiousness to work every uncleanness with insatiable desire but you have not so learned christ if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him according to the truth in jesus we have this grace imparted to us we have this relationship inscribed in our hearts and in our minds this truth inscribed in our hearts in our mind and then we understand that we have to change so he says in verse 22 concerning your form of conduct you put off the old man the old man has to go which is corrupt according to the to deceitful lusts and that you all of us brethren be renewed in the spirit of your mind the spring holy days tell us and remind us that it's an ongoing process getting rid of sin is continuous it's daily the symbols the foot washing the bread and the wine are continuously daily available to us we take in christ every single day so yes we were dead in our sins and this was the state that we were in the state of the dead but this is not the death as it were the death will be needed here a sacrifice sufficient enough to be accepted by the father as payment in full yes repentance is required we need to recognize the unrighteousness of sin and we need to repent and come to the father and confess our sins through christ accepting that blood is payment yes but the other aspect of it important to eternal life is not within our powers see we in the righteousness that we bring represents a heart committed to god showing god that we desire to be acceptable before him but we recognize that we're in this fleshly frame but if we were standing there with our hearts committed to him committed to this way that we had seized truth and we are reaching out to god stretching our hands forward to find him to discover where he is and where we need to be the brethren all of our efforts will not be sufficient to justify us before god unto eternal life that has to be given as we'll see as we go a little bit further in but we can't drag the old man along with us everything as it were in the flesh must be destroyed in the watery grave must be left in the watery grave as lyle explained last night to a great degree our sins demands justice for our souls the soul that sins shall die god inspired the prophet ezekiel if you'll turn there ezekiel 18 to write let's go to ezekiel and let's go to ezekiel and see what in ezekiel 18 in verse 4 ezekiel writes he says behold all souls are mine and the soul of the father as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son they are mine the soul that sins it shall die so there's the law sin demands justice yes let's look here uh just a little bit further he says in verse 5 but a man who is righteous and does that which is lawful and right and has not eaten on the mountain nor has lifted up his eyes to to the idols of the house of israel nor has defiled his neighbor's wife nor has come near a ministry ministry woman and has not oppressed any man but has given the debtors pledge back to him as robbed as robbed non has robbed non by violence has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with garments he does not mend at usury nor has taken any increase he has with he has withdrawn his hand from iniquity has executed true justice between man and man has walked in my statues and has kept my ordinances to deal rightly he is righteous he shall surely live says the lord but brethren there is a process verse 10 and if he beget a son who is a robber who sheds blood and who does who does the like of any of those things in other words in the opposite end there's a different result but there there is a solution here we understand that every man woman and child ever born to me as an obligation to obey god obedience in the flesh is required it doesn't earn salvation and we understand that never obedience and righteous life is for all of us embrace and live in god's spirit make sure of it if we're yielding to it it tells us if we're going too far to the right or too far to the left if we are associating too deeply into darkness the spirit of god pricks our heart and our mind and we know that we're getting too close to those boundaries if you will away from the light away from the righteousness of god getting into the knowledge of the good and evil which is from ourselves having been turning our back away or not having enough time into god's word to recognize that he is the standard from which we draw what is right and what is wrong so we need to stay close to god in that and so this is the relationship that we have we have this condition yes in this body of sin we have this condition of sin in which we are under the death sentence and the death sentence is over us we are convicted of sin sold as a slave under sin so what's the solution let's go to ronin 7 ronin 7 in ronin 7 and verse 12 therefore the law is indeed holy and the commandments holy and righteous and good now then did that which is good become death for me may it never be but sin in order that it might truly be exposed to sin and me by that which is good was working out death so that by means of the commandments sin might become exceedingly sinful the purpose of god's commandments is simple they are an indicator of sin they define what sin is they have no power other than to detect or to define sin they have no power other than to define what sin is and if a man should walk in them the results are positive because the law is as good as right and it produces good and right things salvation is a different matter though salvation is a different manner in verse verse 14 for we know that the law is spiritual i am carnal have it been sold as a slave under sin because when i am working out myself i do not know for what i do not desire to do this i do moreover what i hate this is what i do the law of sin and death is at work verse 16 but if i'm doing what i do not desire to do i agree with the law that it is good yes i see that this is sinful and it must be repented of and overcome and i have a relationship with the savior who makes it possible he is going to ensure that the victory is ours he's going to work with us he's going to guide us he's going to keep us he's going to teach us and we're going to strive and we're going to fight and we're going to do yes we are going through our homes right now in anticipation of the days of unleavened bread looking for sin getting it out and that's what we're supposed to do every day of our life within our own lives within our own house get it out in verse 17 so then he says i'm no longer working in out myself rather it is saying that is within me because i fully understand he said i fully understand that there is not dwelling in me within me that is within my fleshly being any good for the desire to do good is present within me yes it is we all have it there the spirit of god grows within us it pushes us to righteousness away from sin in every sense but how to work it out that which is good i don't know how to do it brethren not alone i'm not depending upon albert's savvy i'm not depending upon albert's wisdom i'm not depending upon albert's strength hence the passover and what it represents in our life for the good that i do verse 19 the good that i desire to do i'm not doing but the evil that desire to do this is this i'm doing but if i do what i do not desire to do and this is the human state again i'm no longer working it out myself but sin that is dwelling within me consequently he says i find a law in my memories that when i desire to do good evil is present with me brethren we are in the flesh for i delight in the law of god according to the inner man but i see another law working within my memories warring against the law of my mind leading me captive to the law of sin that is within my own members members he concludes a wretched man i am this is our state brethren so the question is asked here by paul who shall save me from the body of this death who shall save me and he answers 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 but god has a greater and a more powerful remedy paul is describing the state of man and the need for christ and once we have him we have the solution yes the problem is sin and the solution is jesus the messiah the christ the savior of the world so brethren not only does light come but power god is coming to us to bring us to him us first as the first fruits yes each and every one of us was called of the father by the father let's turn to john 1 the gospel of john and let's go to verse 42 john 1 gospel of john and verse 1 and verse 42 here he is calling his disciples he says first he found his own brothers this is the calling of andrew the brother verse 41 andrew the brother of simon peter was one of the two who heard this from john and followed him first he found his own brother simon and said to him we have found the messiah which is being interpreted the christ and this is a treasure this is a pearl of great price if you will in this discovery in this grace that god has shed upon him this selection so christ has said he came to save and not to judge let's go to luke luke 2 gospel of luke and luke 2 and let's pick it up in verse 8 here is the pronouncement of him to the shepherds who were tending the sheep on the night of his birth verse 8 now there were shepherds in in the same country who were dwelling in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night suddenly an angel of the lord stood by them and the lord and the glory of the lord shined around about them and they were seized with great fear with great fear but the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold i am announcing to you glad tidings of great joy which shall be for all people so brethren the birth of the savior yes an incredible event announced and herald by angels a savior has come into the world yes for today in the city of david a savior was born to you who is christ the lord this is the incredible truth that we sometime overlook don't let the holidays of this world trip us up his birth was glorious his birth was announced with great heralding and gifts and shouts and anticipation jesus christ our one hope our one hope is christ and first timothy 2 let's go to first timothy 2 and verse 1 through 6 first timothy 2 verse 1 through 6 paul here says i actually exhort therefore first of all that supplications prayers intercessions and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all men and we preach the gospel to the world brethren as a witness to all nations we pray for the leadership in the world so that they don't annihilate the planet we pray that right and wise choices are made so the gospel can be preached and that within our own nations and within our own communities things are being done that won't hinder the gospel of christ nor our lives so that we can lead peaceful lives yes this is our prayer so we he goes on to expound in verse 3 for this is good and acceptable before god our savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth god's plan covers all humankind for there is one god one mediator between god and men the man jesus christ who gave himself as a ransom for us the testimony of which is to be preached in his appointed times and brethren this is one of those appointed times this is the season that we are renewing and rediscovering if you will if this relationship that we have with him this is one of those times the season of passover so think about it we have the witness not just from the angels pronouncing the glory of his coming his first coming the apostles as well as eyewitnesses not just angels and the apostles and the prophets but we have the father himself giving witness of his son in first john 5 in first john 5 and let's pick it up in verse 1 let's read a little bit about this everyone who believes that jesus is the christ jesus is the christ has been begotten of god and everyone who loves him who began also loves him who has been begotten by him by the standard we know that we love the children of god when we love god and keep his commandments for this is the love of god that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome yes that's our obligation this is our way of life this is who we are because this is the way we were meant to be from creation to be in compliant with the laws the statutes the judgments of god not our own thinking not our not the ways of this world not the influences of satan here in verse verse 5 who is the one who overcomes the world even the one who believes that jesus is the son of god verse 6 this is he who came by water in blood jesus the christ not by water only but by water in blood and it is the spirit that bears witness because the spirit is the truth the spirit is the truth so we have the truth given to us through understanding made possible by the spirit of god but verse 8 for there are three that bear witness on the earth the spirit and the water and the blood in these three witness unto one truth brethren if we accept the witness of men the witness of god is superior but this is the witness of god which he has witnessed concerning his son this is what the father said brethren this is what was heard by the apostles he says the one who believes in the son of god has witnessed in himself the one who does not believe god has made him a liar because he does not believe in the witness that god has witnessed concerning his son and this is the witness that god has given us eternal life and this life is in his son the one who has the son has eternal light the one who does not have the son does not have eternal life these things i've written to you because you who believe in the name of the son of god in order that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of god our calling from god is an incredible blessing and god has extended it to us and we have accepted it and now we're walking in we're in covenant with it we have pledged our life that this way is true and no other that this is of god not of made so we have the father and we have the son and paul shows in galatians 3 he shows in galatians 3 picking it up in verse 26 he says because you are all offspring of god through faith in christ jesus for as many as were baptized into christ did put on christ there is neither june or great there is neither bond or free there is neither male or female for you are all one in christ jesus and if you are christ then you are abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise yes that we are the sons of god is an incredible reality and realization the very sons and daughters of god begotten of him so let's look at some some types of this if you will in first corinthians 10 first corinthians 10 verses 1 through 4 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 that same spiritual meat and they all drink of that same spiritual drink for they drink from the spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was christ let's go to first peter first peter 3 in first peter 3 verses 18 through 22 he read he is here because christ indeed once suffered for sins the just for the unjust so that he might bring us to god on the one hand he was put to death in the flesh and on the other hand he was made alive by the spirit by which he also went and preached and to the spirits in prison which disobeyed in a pastime when was the long-suffering of god was waiting and the days of noah while the ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight souls were saved through water and all the remaining souls on earth died the soul that shan't fans shall die but eight souls were saved here through water in verse 21 and of which a life fulfillment is baptism and is now saving us not the removal of the filth of the flesh but an appeal to god for a good conscience brethren through the resurrection of jesus christ yes we believe that he is the messiah we believe that his life death and resurrection gives us eternal life verse 22 says who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of god angels and authorities and powers have been put in subjection to him all authority all power belongs to him so what is our relationship with god brethren what is our relationship with god we've received we've received the spirit within us of transformation the spirit of transformation is within us it was given to us the father is changing us through his son let's take a look at that at second corinthians 5 and verse 14 it says here for the love of christ compels us because we have thus concluded that if one died for all then all died yes christ died for all then all died and he died for all so that those who live should no longer live to themselves but to him who died for them and was raised again so here is this life now that we live because we are co-joined in his death is that we are alive now symbolically represented from the submersion on the water at baptism and the coming up out of the water to newness and life a new purpose a new focus a new reality for us is now in christ with christ alongside he and the father so let's see let's pick it up here again in verse 60 50 and so and he died for all so that those who lived should no longer live for themselves but to him who died for them and was raised again so then from this time forward we know no man according to the flesh the fleshly man is dead in the felt watery grave but even if we know christ in the flesh as fleshly beings yet we're not born spirit yet yet now we no longer know him accordingly jesus christ came in the flesh we know him as it was that he came in the flesh we believe that he came in the flesh but we know that he is not any longer he's not in the flesh now he's resurrected he's at the right hand of the father we no longer know him accordingly and verse 17 therefore if anyone be in christ he is a new creation the transformation has begun the old things have passed away they're dead they were left in the watery grave don't look back brethren to see if you can see if there anything there that you can use it is dead it is destroyed in the watery grave he says behold all things have become new and all things are from god who has reconciled us to himself through jesus christ the relationship that we have today is not with the world our allegiance is not with the world our allegiance is not with the systems of this world and we're not given over to satan and his pulls and his fancies to keep us in chains and darkness and death and misery our life is a new in christ again he's reconciling us verse 18 last half of that verse how who has reconciled us to himself through jesus christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation which is that god in christ reconciled the world to himself not imputing their trespasses to them and he has entrusted to us this message of reconciliation therefore we brethren are ambassadors for christ and god and as it were is exhorting you through us and this is the work of the ministry as paul was describing it there we beseech you on behalf of christ as we preach a sermon like i am today it's on behalf of christ this message he left in the word of god so it could be preached in his season we beseech you on behalf of christ be reconciled to god remain in that reconciled state with god if god is calling you respond to that calling see what god is offering and extending to you look deeply into his word and know the truth ask god to give you that insight and understanding for he has made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of god in him so that righteousness that god sees when he sees us is the exact righteousness that he sees in christ he doesn't see you the center man or the center woman he doesn't see you the imperfect soul struggling in the flesh he sees you in the righteousness of christ because your faith is in that blood your faith is in what he did for you jesus christ is our hope and our salvation brethren and this is a very important part of the message that i wanted to deliver in this time that i had let's take a look at acts 2 let's go to act the book of acts and then chapter 2 and we'll pick it up here in verse 14 in verse 14 we read then peter standing up with the 11 lifting up his voice this is on pentecost spoke out into them men jews and all those of you who inhabit jerusalem let this be known to you and pay attention to my word can you imagine that sermon can you imagine that day this is the beginning of pouring out if you will of the spirit of god so that man men and women would be able to see and understand coming out of darkness coming out of chains coming out of bondage that is spiritually verse 15 for these are not drunk a drunken as you suppose good is only the third hour of the day but this is that which was spoken by the prophet joel and it shall come to pass in the last day says god that i will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see vision and your old men shall dream dreams and even upon my servants and upon my handmaids will i pour out my spirit in those days and they shall prophesy and this pouring out of the spirit again is a product of what christ did for us the fact that he is now at the right hand of the father sending forth this power to those who that the father has given him and he says i will show wonders in the heaven verse 19 above and signs on the earth below blood and fire and vaporous smoke he's not done yet the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the lord so yes this work began on that day it will culminate at his return and the resurrected saints will be changed and the kingdom of god will be established upon the earth verse 21 and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the lord shall be saved because brethren who else is there what other name is there of men by which we may be saved there is no other there is god the father and there is jesus christ our lord and savior so he goes on to say in verse 22 men israelites listen to these words jesus the nazarene a man sent forth to you by god as demonstrated by works of power and wonders and signs which he performed brother which god performed by him in your month in your midst as you yourselves also know him haven't been delivered up by the predetermined plan and poor knowledge of god you have seized by lawless hands and have crucified and killed but god has raised him up having loosed the thrones of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it god has caused him to be the hope in the life that we hope in his resurrection is a part of that confirmation that affirmation that our faith in him is not in vain verse 25 for david speaks concerning him i foreknew the lord before the can before continually for he's at my right hand david says so that i may be may not be moved his strength is in the lord he seen therefore my heart rejoiced in my tongue was glad moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope and david's flesh is resting in hope in the grave for you will not leave my soul in the grave changing now to christ into david this is prophetic both of christ and the flesh and david's hope nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption and this is our hope brethren that yes we will die we will see corruption we will decay and become nothing but bones and dust but god will raise and will give us a new body at the resurrection he says you did not make me to know the ways he said you did make me to know the ways of life and so whereas apologies but whereas we will see corruption christ did not he did die but he was raised on the third day men in the verse verse 29 men and brethren let me speak to you freely concerning the patriarch david that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day therefore being a prophet and knowing that god had sworn to him in an oath that from the fruit of his loins as concerning the flesh he would raise up the christ to sit upon his throne he foresaw this and spoke concerning the resurrection of christ that his soul was not left in the grave nor did his flesh see corruption this jesus has god raised up whereof we are all witness we all are witnesses therefore having been exalted by the right hand of god in heaven where he is today brethren and having received the promise of the holy spirit from the father which i mentioned earlier he is sending forth that power into god's people he has poured out this that you are now seeing in hearing but david has not ascended unto the heaven but he himself said the lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until i have made your enemies a footstool for your feet therefore i let all the house of israel know with full assurance that god has made the same jesus whom you crucified both lord and savior brethren of the world this same announcement that was given on the day of his birth he has been made savior of the world and so we rejoice in that brethren and so verse 37 here is where we are and we've all been there now after hearing this they were cut to the heart and they said to peter and to the other apostles men and brethren what shall we do and then peter said to them repent be baptized each one of you in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sin and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the holy spirit for the promise is to you and to your children and to all those who are far off as many as the lord our god may call and with many other words he honestly testified and exhorted saying be saved from this perverse generation and it was perverse when peter made the statement in that day and brethren it is perverse more than it has ever been before the prophecies pertaining to the end times are coming to fruition these times that we are living in or as it were in the days of noah as it were in the day in sodom and gomorrah the sins are free ranged today it seems there is no constraint but here is where we are as they did in verse 41 those who joyfully received this message were baptized and about three thousand souls were added that day here's three thousand souls the father is called and he's working with and they verse 42 as we do as the family of god we come together as santa services like we are today and we find this time together in fellowship and love and we do this very thing verse 42 and they steadfastly continued in the teachings of the apostles which were teaching from the old covenant by far didn't have a new testament in their time teaching of the apostles and in fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers this is what they continued in and this is where we are we continue in this celebration of this calling that god has given us yes he is the lord our god he has told us who he is and we are the are becoming like him perfect as he is perfect as a matthew 5 of 48 tells us we are to be and how is this achieved the old self must die so that the new can live the old self must die so that the new can live if i can just take a minute or two more to cover three additional scriptures here in romans 6 and verse 1 in romans 6 we are not to continue in the ways of the old man any longer verse 1 what then shall we say shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound may it never be we who died to sin how shall we live any longer therein our calling is out of that brethren we are called unto life with christ verse verse 4 therefore we were buried with him let's verse 3 or are you ignorant that we as many as were baptized into christ jesus were baptized into his death therefore we were buried with him through the baptism into the death so that just as christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father in the same way brethren we also should walk in newness of life today we shall walk in newness of life in the spirit in the kingdom of god in that day but today because we're no longer in the flesh we're no longer held captive by the flesh we put that aside the old man has died we are raised in newness of life and so that jesus christ verse 4 was raised from the dead by the glory of the father in the same way we should walk in newness of life for if we have been cajoled together in the likeness of his death so also shall we be in the likeness of his resurrection that's our hope knowing this that our old man was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin because the one who has died to sin has been justified from sin so the gifts of life is through the justification given to those who have faith in christ we believe that his life death and resurrection gives us access and makes justification possible verse 8 for it now if we die together with christ we believe that we shall also live with him knowing that christ having that haven't been raised from the dead dies no more dead dies no more death no longer has dominion over him for when he died he died unto sin once for all but in that he lives unto god in the same way also you should indeed reckon yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to god through christ jesus our lord so this is the state that we have in our relationship with god today and this is uh our walk with god our hope in god our trust in god jesus christ tells us who he is jesus christ is the way the truth and the life as it says in john 14 6 is the bread of life john 6 35 he is the light of the world john 8 12 his light is now in us brethren now that he is with the father in heaven john 9 5 the door the access to the father that is what he represents for us john 10 and verse 7 he is the resurrection john 11 25 the true vine that supplies us john 15 1 this indwelling that we have acquires requires obedience and this is why we rejoice in him the sin that we have is exposed by the light that christ brings into our life so that we can get rid of it none of us have seen christ or the father but we know them we know them by the power in the indwelling of god that it that is in us that god has given to us that is the holy spirit our standing with god today is not the same as it was before we were called today we are co-joined with christ in life because we were co-joined with him in his death