1 00:00:10,344 --> 00:00:13,238 To know God as Father - 2 00:00:13,238 --> 00:00:17,377 that's just incredible. 3 00:00:17,377 --> 00:00:20,217 In 1 John, it says that there are 4 00:00:20,217 --> 00:00:22,000 only two type of sons - 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,724 the sons of the devil 6 00:00:23,724 --> 00:00:26,053 and the sons of God. 7 00:00:26,053 --> 00:00:30,296 And to know that I was a son of the devil, 8 00:00:30,296 --> 00:00:33,565 that I was an enemy of God. 9 00:00:33,565 --> 00:00:39,007 It's amazing how being lost, 10 00:00:39,007 --> 00:00:40,611 being without the knowledge 11 00:00:40,611 --> 00:00:42,392 of the true God of the Bible, 12 00:00:42,392 --> 00:00:43,671 everybody talks about God, 13 00:00:43,671 --> 00:00:44,699 and everybody says, 14 00:00:44,699 --> 00:00:49,254 "yeah, we're all children of God." 15 00:00:49,254 --> 00:00:52,583 But how can you be children of God 16 00:00:52,583 --> 00:00:55,933 if you're doing exactly what He says you shouldn't do 17 00:00:55,933 --> 00:00:58,348 and you're happy and enjoying it 18 00:00:58,348 --> 00:01:01,108 and rejoicing and actually looking forward, 19 00:01:01,108 --> 00:01:02,581 planning to do it. 20 00:01:02,581 --> 00:01:04,829 He said that for those who do that 21 00:01:04,829 --> 00:01:06,754 are His enemy. 22 00:01:06,754 --> 00:01:08,579 They're not His sons and daughters. 23 00:01:08,579 --> 00:01:09,840 They're His enemies. 24 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:11,071 And that's what I was. 25 00:01:11,071 --> 00:01:12,526 I was His enemy. 26 00:01:12,526 --> 00:01:16,632 I rejoiced in the things I hated. 27 00:01:16,632 --> 00:01:19,960 I actually found pleasure and joy 28 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:24,689 and happiness on doing the things I hated. 29 00:01:24,689 --> 00:01:27,895 And no desire at all in obeying Him, 30 00:01:27,895 --> 00:01:30,465 in honoring Him. 31 00:01:30,465 --> 00:01:32,406 See, He commands us to honor 32 00:01:32,406 --> 00:01:35,085 our father and our mother, 33 00:01:35,085 --> 00:01:37,771 because it's a picture of how His children 34 00:01:37,771 --> 00:01:40,661 need to honor Him. 35 00:01:40,661 --> 00:01:42,652 And I never honored Him before. 36 00:01:42,652 --> 00:01:44,277 I always did everything 37 00:01:44,277 --> 00:01:48,052 that He actually commanded me not to do. 38 00:01:48,052 --> 00:01:50,873 And the good that I did was for my own self. 39 00:01:50,873 --> 00:01:53,014 It was to absolve me. 40 00:01:53,014 --> 00:01:55,191 So knowing that, 41 00:01:55,191 --> 00:01:57,271 in the light of Scripture, 42 00:01:57,271 --> 00:01:59,113 I realized I was His enemy. 43 00:01:59,113 --> 00:02:01,832 I realized I was condemned 44 00:02:01,832 --> 00:02:04,490 by God the Judge. 45 00:02:04,490 --> 00:02:06,566 Many people say God is a loving God. 46 00:02:06,566 --> 00:02:08,489 He's not a judge. 47 00:02:08,489 --> 00:02:10,155 Well, I'm afraid to tell you 48 00:02:10,155 --> 00:02:11,896 that you need to read your Bible, 49 00:02:11,896 --> 00:02:13,551 because that is incorrect. 50 00:02:13,551 --> 00:02:16,646 He will judge everyone. 51 00:02:16,646 --> 00:02:19,085 Okay, as you live your life, 52 00:02:19,085 --> 00:02:21,671 His judgment is accumulating on your life 53 00:02:21,671 --> 00:02:23,703 over your head. 54 00:02:23,703 --> 00:02:26,011 That's why He calls all of us to repentance. 55 00:02:26,011 --> 00:02:27,941 Yes, Christ is love, 56 00:02:27,941 --> 00:02:30,246 but the first words that came out of His mouth 57 00:02:30,246 --> 00:02:32,576 in ministry when you read the Gospel 58 00:02:32,576 --> 00:02:35,529 is He's calling everyone to repent 59 00:02:35,529 --> 00:02:41,990 and to come to Him. 60 00:02:41,990 --> 00:02:44,351 It's in the Bible. Read it. 61 00:02:44,351 --> 00:02:48,668 Yes, He is love, but that's not all. 62 00:02:48,668 --> 00:02:51,327 He came not to condemn. 63 00:02:51,327 --> 00:02:52,234 He came to save. 64 00:02:52,234 --> 00:02:54,168 He came to perform and die on the cross, 65 00:02:54,168 --> 00:02:55,915 but He's coming back, 66 00:02:55,915 --> 00:02:59,216 and this time He's coming back as a judge. 67 00:02:59,216 --> 00:03:01,303 And He's going to condemn all those 68 00:03:01,303 --> 00:03:02,961 who are His enemies - I was that. 69 00:03:02,961 --> 00:03:04,017 I was His enemy. 70 00:03:04,017 --> 00:03:06,016 I really enjoyed doing what He hated. 71 00:03:06,016 --> 00:03:07,594 I really enjoyed doing everything 72 00:03:07,594 --> 00:03:10,209 He commanded me not to do. 73 00:03:10,209 --> 00:03:14,996 And now, by His grace, 74 00:03:14,996 --> 00:03:19,684 He moved me from being His enemy, 75 00:03:19,684 --> 00:03:21,215 from being a son of the devil 76 00:03:21,215 --> 00:03:23,636 into being a child of God. 77 00:03:23,636 --> 00:03:24,857 Through Christ. 78 00:03:24,857 --> 00:03:27,965 By Him dying on the cross, taking my place 79 00:03:27,965 --> 00:03:33,846 taking God's wrath for me. 80 00:03:33,846 --> 00:03:37,221 Giving me new life like 1 Peter says. 81 00:03:37,221 --> 00:03:40,397 Being born again like Christ telling Nicodemus in John 3, 82 00:03:40,397 --> 00:03:41,581 be born again. 83 00:03:41,581 --> 00:03:42,954 Unless you're born again, 84 00:03:42,954 --> 00:03:46,636 you will not be able to see the Kingdom of God. 85 00:03:46,636 --> 00:03:49,064 That's what He did in my life. 86 00:03:49,064 --> 00:03:51,875 I'm not claiming to be better than anyone. 87 00:03:51,875 --> 00:03:54,651 To the contrary, I'm claiming to know 88 00:03:54,651 --> 00:03:56,940 who I am without Christ 89 00:03:56,940 --> 00:03:58,971 and who I am in Christ. 90 00:03:58,971 --> 00:04:02,752 Actually, who I am in Christ I'm learning 91 00:04:02,752 --> 00:04:05,009 every day more 92 00:04:05,009 --> 00:04:10,955 the wonders of being a son of God in Christ. 93 00:04:10,955 --> 00:04:14,809 So, there is great joy. 94 00:04:14,809 --> 00:04:17,269 There is an amazing hope 95 00:04:17,269 --> 00:04:20,728 in knowing God as your Father 96 00:04:20,728 --> 00:04:22,250 through Scripture, 97 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:24,110 and being convinced through His Word, 98 00:04:24,110 --> 00:04:25,543 through His revelation: 99 00:04:25,543 --> 00:04:28,869 This is who I am. 100 00:04:28,869 --> 00:04:31,323 This is who I am - holy, 101 00:04:31,323 --> 00:04:34,859 and I will judge every soul. 102 00:04:34,859 --> 00:04:37,088 It is appointed to man to die 103 00:04:37,088 --> 00:04:39,374 and then to face God, 104 00:04:39,374 --> 00:04:42,281 to face judgment. 105 00:04:42,281 --> 00:04:46,482 The difference is how are you going to face Him? 106 00:04:46,482 --> 00:04:51,058 Are you going to face Him as His enemy? 107 00:04:51,058 --> 00:04:54,350 Or are you going to face Him as His son? 108 00:04:54,350 --> 00:04:57,747 And that's the difference. 109 00:04:57,747 --> 00:05:00,039 I am growing. 110 00:05:00,039 --> 00:05:05,750 I have many shortcomings. Yes. 111 00:05:05,750 --> 00:05:09,285 But I'm growing and He's teaching me 112 00:05:09,285 --> 00:05:10,369 because I am His son, 113 00:05:10,369 --> 00:05:12,429 because I believe in Him. 114 00:05:12,429 --> 00:05:14,866 When He says that Christ dying on the cross 115 00:05:14,866 --> 00:05:17,632 is sufficient for me salvation; 116 00:05:17,632 --> 00:05:19,091 when He says that I am wicked; 117 00:05:19,091 --> 00:05:21,659 when He says that I deserve to go to hell, 118 00:05:21,659 --> 00:05:23,565 I believe that. 119 00:05:23,565 --> 00:05:26,134 And that's why I cry out for Him to save me 120 00:05:26,134 --> 00:05:27,349 because I have no hope. 121 00:05:27,349 --> 00:05:29,760 I knew I needed to live according to the standard, 122 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,571 and I wasn't able to. I tried. 123 00:05:31,571 --> 00:05:33,686 And I wasn't able to. 124 00:05:33,686 --> 00:05:35,589 And today, I try, and I'm not able to, 125 00:05:35,589 --> 00:05:36,837 but guess what? 126 00:05:36,837 --> 00:05:39,370 It's not about me trying. 127 00:05:39,370 --> 00:05:42,842 It's about me trusting Christ 128 00:05:42,842 --> 00:05:45,461 and trusting my Father in Heaven 129 00:05:45,461 --> 00:05:48,701 when He says that my faith in Christ is sufficient. 130 00:05:48,701 --> 00:05:52,383 And as safe as I am in this chair right now, 131 00:05:52,383 --> 00:05:55,810 and I'm able to rest, 132 00:05:55,810 --> 00:05:57,470 that's what He calls me to do. 133 00:05:57,470 --> 00:05:59,866 To rest in His promise. 134 00:05:59,866 --> 00:06:02,974 And to rest in Christ.