Why Christians Should Persevere - 19

As I mentioned today we come to the conclusion of Philippians chapter 3 and we will touch briefly into the beginning of chapter 4 and I pointed out to you that the first verse of chapter 4. Become a little source of controversy to some people because the placement of adverse weather should be in chapter 3 of the under chapter 4 the beginning is a subject of some debate, as you know the verses in chapter divisions were not part of the inspired record. They were added later for our convenience and they were done with the contents in mind to try to make the divisions that logical and obvious places, but in some cases it's not so obvious. And it's not always logical, and this is one of those places where it could go either way. Naturally have no difficulty supporting its placement. As verse 22 of chapter 3, or as verse one of chapter 4. Either way, in order to save our exposition of this verse until next week, placing them in chapter 4 were going to use it to move backward into the last verses of chapter 3.

In our study for this morning. What is chapter 4 verse one say therefore, my beloved and longed for brother and my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord beloved, it obviously is order conclusion is that opening statement that opening word therefore tells us based on something that has gone before. Here's the exhortation. The exhortation is to stand fast to stand firm to be faithful to persevere and that exhortation is rightly based upon the great deal of the contents of chapter 3, and indeed even further back than that, but especially on what is said in the last two verses of chapter 3. Process for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by what she is able even to subdue all things to himself. Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my beloved, and so verse one of chapter 4 Springs is back into chapter 3 and we are going to look in verses 20 and 2104 reasons why Christian should persevere by why she would be faithful. Why should we keep on keeping on. Why should we not become discouraged, why should we fail to keep our eye upon the goal and to recognize that our victory in Christ has already been secured and will be realized someday.

Why should we persevere number one because our citizenship is in heaven. Number two because our Savior is coming again number three because our transformation is assured. Number four because Christ possesses irresistible power. Why should Christians persevere number one because our citizenship is in heaven. Verse 20 again for our citizenship is in heaven. Christians have heavenly citizenship. Christians actually have dual citizenship. That's not a very familiar concept to Americans because I don't think America Online allows dual citizenship. If you come from another country and want to become an American citizen. Then you have to forfeit the citizenship of your previous country in order to acquire that a great many countries. Maybe the majority of countries in the world will allow you to have dual citizenship. You can be a citizen of the United States and a citizen of France and so forth etc. Brazil, John can be a citizen of the United States and also citizen of Brazil, and thus it goes.

So that's true of the Christian as well. We have an earthly citizenship, but we have a heavenly citizenship. We are citizens of this world. No question about it, and therefore we are subject to the laws of this world were subject to the taxes of this world that we wish we could get out from under those remember that question came to Jesus, you and your disciples pay the tasks. In other words, are you citizens of this world you consider yourself to be part of this world and Jesus answered that by saying first of all tell me do the sons of the King's pay taxes are not of the answer was no. They don't so he was pointing to their heavenly citizenship. We are sons of the King, not on earth but in heaven, but nevertheless, he said, in order not to offend them, go catch a fish and find the Darius inside and take that and pay the tax because were citizens of two worlds were citizens of this world, so are subject to the laws of this world is in so far as they do not contradict the laws of God. The laws of our heavenly citizenship and we are subject to the taxes of this world were subject to many things that pertain to this world. We are citizens of this world but we are also citizens of heaven know this concept. I think would've run as an independent particularly with the Philippians because their city was a colony of Rome, and that again is a little bit foreign concept to us the way worked in that day what that meant was that all the citizens of Philippi were actually considered citizens of Rome. Most of the people that lived in the Roman Empire were not citizens of Rome. Most of them did not have the privileges of Roman citizenship.

Paul did as you know, that was quite unusual and use that skillfully on many occasions and even talk to us and Terry and his ally acquired Roman citizenship at great cost.

I had to buy and I don't know if that means he he bribed somebody or how that was required but did not acquire Roman citizenship by birth, but Paul said I did. I was born a Roman citizen that was a great privilege and was a privilege denied to most of the people who lived in the Empire but the city of Philippi had been designated a colony of Rome, and that was enough a term that meant that those people were citizens of Rome and consequently they demonstrated that they they dress like the people in Rome. They follow the customs of the people in Rome. I'm told that if you want to Philippi and that day at times you could scarcely tell the difference whether you were even Philippi or Rome because they were citizens of Rome and they acted like citizens of Rome so this illustration, the Paul gives is very very compelling to the people that is writing to when he says don't act like the world don't act like citizens of this world because your citizenship is in heaven. You are citizens in heaven and heavenly citizenship. Obviously takes priority over earthly citizenship. That's the highest citizenship. It's the one that we cling to as the world declines around us. I think we can appreciate more and more the fact we are not first and foremost citizens of this world really that in the secondary sense, but that our citizenship is in heaven as the world declines around us. I think are our loyalty to the world and our appreciation for the world and hopefully our love for the world also declined and we look more and more to heaven where our truces citizenship lines but nevertheless because we are people of the earth and live in this world we rub shoulders with people in this world we make transactions we buy and sell and we carry out our business in this world. From time to time. We have to be reminded of this truth. Our citizenship is not primarily on earth are primary citizenship is in heaven. Paul saying this in contrast to the people in verses 18 and 19 that we looked at last week. He said remember for many walk. These are professing Christians for many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is a structure in his God is their belly was glorious Duchenne who set their mind on earthly things. But in contrast to the act and a contrast of those who are living, and manifesting that their only citizenship is up on earth, and they live like it. They reflect that in their lives. Our citizenship we who are born again our citizenship is in heaven. Heavenly citizenship takes priority and heavenly citizenship dominates our behavior. Though we are in this world.

We no longer belong to this world system. We work within it.

Jesus talked about this in his high priestly prayer when he said that praying to the father about his disciples. He said they are not of the world, but there in the world. I'm leaving them there for the time being that's where we are. We are in the world and we therefore operate in the world and we we we can affect the world around us that we no longer belong to the world system. Because of this is what so glorious about it. We no longer share the world's condemnation.

We been removed from out from under the the condemnation that hangs over the world and the people who live in the world and we been placed in a different kingdom with the different citizenship and we no longer are under the destruction that awaits the world and so we look to our heavenly citizenship. It's a great privilege and we no longer belong to that world system and that's why we live like Christians not like worldliness.

There is a vast difference between citizens of heaven and citizens of Earth and Paul says that is manifested in the lives of God's true people, those that he referred to in verses 18 and 19, who thought they were Christians who claim to be Christians but whose lives were no different from those who are in the world. Paul says they are mistaken there and is destruction there still under condemnation in their lives reflect that were not saved by our good works or not were not saved from condemnation because of the way we live. But, we demonstrate the reality of salvation by the way we live and when we live like the world were demonstrating that we belong to the world. But when we live like citizens of heaven, we demonstrate that we have heavenly citizenship.

Furthermore, because we are citizens of heaven, primarily over the world in which we live. Then we understand that our warfare is spiritual warfare, not carnal warfare. This is sometimes difficult for us to grasp. The Bible tells us, we who are Christians, do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but what against principalities and powers the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. In other words, I warfare it very spiritual. We are actually warring against Satan and against spiritual beings.

It is a spiritual warfare you can't win a spiritual warfare with earthly weapons. You can't win a spiritual warfare by employing earthly techniques now, it occurs to me that a lot of Christians get the fight right but they don't get the right right you understand what I mean. Christians are to are engaged in warfare. We are to be fighting, but where to find the right way.

The biblical way. The way that we are instructed to fight according to the word of God, not according flesh and blood, not according to carnal principles, but rather according to spiritual warfare and we do understand that because were citizens of heaven, we don't we don't operate in the in the realm of our representing our Savior and fighting for truth we don't operate in the realm of worldly systems and worldly operations.

We don't belong to that anymore. We recognize that that's passing away, and we recognize that victory is not found in that level. We wrestle not against flesh and blood.

One example of that is that we as citizens of heaven understand the place of politics in our world, but we know politics will never listen to me will never listen to me will never sell the world's problems never because the problem is deeper than which party is in power, in which candidate is in place in which laws have been passed.

The problem is deeper than that goes clear to the heart goes to our very nature. Most of our sin nature and what we see in society around us and we see script society crumbling around us were saying as a demonstration of manifestation of the sinfulness of the human heart and all the laws in the world can change that in all of the political movements in the world can change that, and we understand that at least we ought to, and we should act accordingly. We know that politics can never solve society's problems and therefore we we do wage warfare against the sand and declension encryption that surround us, but we wage spiritual warfare. I think a wonderful example of that happen just in the last week or two Supreme Court tossed out Roe V Wade Christians rightfully applauded all across this land. It was a it was a on just ruling to begin with. It really wasn't based upon clear constitutional wording. It was shoehorned in.

And finally, finally, finally, it was rejected. Now is no longer a national right to abortion passes back to the states and the dust had scarcely settled on that until in the state of Kansas a conservative state, a Republican state. A red state, 70% of the people voted to retain abortion to reject any law in Kansas against abortion. They voted to retain the right of abortion. So the political battle. You might say against Roe V Wade was one and one we see we see the manifestation of the human heart can change this until you change human hearts and human hearts desire. No longer to see this going on in our society and how do you change human hearts, not by politics but by the gospel.

Please don't misunderstand me.

I'm not saying the Christian should be involved in politics we take up our earthly citizenship and we act as responsible citizens and we vote prayerfully and knowledgeably, and we do partitions participate, but we recognize this is a minor matter.

We do that as a matter of earthly citizenship just like paying our taxes and obeying the laws of our land, but we recognize that we are primarily citizens of heaven and any progress we make upon the earth has to be made in the realm of Christ's kingdom and therefore we give the gospel far higher priority than politics.

Why, because politics can change one human heart, but the gospel can and does change millions of human hearts. It's the power of God to salvation, and so we give priority to gospel work. We give priority to the work of churches that God is established to carry out this work of Christ's kingdom in this world we give priority to missions to proclaim the gospel not only here but around the world. We give priority to supporting the proclamation of God's word in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because if any serious and lasting change is going to take place in our society.

That's how it's going to take place as God is pleased to open hearts to his word and cause hearts to be changed by his word and until that happens, we can you know I don't know what your politics are, but you can put your political party in charge of all the branches of government and pass all the laws that you think out of the past and guess what American society remains unchanged will be due. But did you do will be due our citizenship is in heaven. So we should persevere because our citizenship is in heaven. Number two because our Savior is coming again back again to verse 24 citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior is coming again no note his exalted position. Now it is in heaven that indicates the completeness of his earthly minute mission.

He finish the work that he came to earth to do. And so he ascended back to heaven. He completed his earthly mission.

It indicates he is identity is true identity as God Almighty. Where is he in heaven. He's on the throne of God is not an angel in heaven worshiping around the throne of God crying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. He is on the throne of God in heaven that demonstrates who he is he is in heaven.

It indicates his present rule were not waiting for Jesus Christ to rule Jesus Christ is ruling now from heaven is that I can't see it but the Bible tells us so. So what are you going to do beliefs. I do believe the revelation of God's word, the Bible tells us that he is ruling now and that even though things look bad around us that he is orchestrating all of this for his purposes, just like Joseph, we heard that illustration that reminder so many times to his brothers, you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. The devil means it for evil but God is going to use it for his good all kinds of mischief is going on in our world by people who don't love the Lord and hate his word and they seem to be prevailing they mean it for evil that is in opposition to God in opposition to the Bible, but God means it for good. He has a way of working that out to accomplish his good purposes. You say will I don't I can figure out how that's going to happen I can figure out how is going to do that. Did you really think that God expected you to be able to figure all this out to Citrix to understand his mind the know what he's doing that you think he intends to reveal all of his thoughts and processes to you or do you think he intends for you to trust him when he tells us that he is ruling in the heavens and everything is being accomplished according to his will and so Jesus Christ is in heaven is ruling upon the throne of God and so because our Savior is coming again, and he is one of Majestic personage which you notice how rare this is defined for titles and names ascribed to him in one verse in one place.

Verse 20 we eagerly await for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ for guidance for names that are ascribed to him here, the Savior, who is in heaven. He's coming again. Now Caesar wanted to be called Savior and was considered to be the Savior of the people of Rome that he wanted people to look to him as their Savior.

He's the one who could save them.

He's the one who could help them. He's the one who could provide for them. Things haven't changed much government loves to do that whatever the government is whether it's up a monarchy like Caesar, or whether it is a representative government, but whoever's in government, whoever's in power.

Many times endeavors to get the citizens to look to government to supply everything look to us as your father look to us as your Savior will provide will make things right, but it doesn't work out very well because they're just fallen, sinful human beings like the rest of the Caesar wanted to be called Savior, but he's not Savior. Jesus is Savior. He is Lord and again Caesar wanted to be called Lord of S Christians went to their death by refusing to call Caesar Lord just calling the Lord and you'll be all right.

Can't do it. He's not Lord.

Only Jesus is Lord will come on we worship all these God you can call them all. Lord, you can add Caesar in their calling Lord to and then your life will be just fine.

You can live in peace and we will bother you can do it. Caesar is not Lord Jesus is Lord, then you die I'll die. I can do it. Caesar is not Lord Jesus is Lord he is Lord he is Lord he is risen from the dead, and he is Lord, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

So he Savior he's Lord is Jesus that speaks of course of his incarnation is humanity. He was born of a virgin, thou shall call his name Jesus that tells us that he took upon him human nature and lived that perfect life of obedience and no other human being has lived and then died a sacrificial death on the cross that he didn't deserve he didn't deserve to die at all because he's the only one who would live perfectly and therefore the wages of sin is death didn't apply to him but he voluntarily gave up his life. He handed over his life as a sacrifice for sin and he did that in humanity and so he is Jesus the man the sacrifice and he is Christ, and that means anointed one, the Messiah, the promised Christ of the Old Testament Scriptures has been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. He is Savior. He is Lord he is Jesus.

He is Christ.

That's what the apostles spread across the world to proclaim particularly starting in the synagogues, with the Jews. Stop looking for your Messiah to come. He's already, his name is Jesus, he came, he lived. He died, he rubs again he's back in heaven worship the promised Messiah has come, he is Christ that is coming again. We notice Paul's eager anticipation for his coming. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We eagerly wait this is interesting because as we see as we go on that Paul is talking about what happens when the Lord comes, namely that believers receive their resurrection. Glorified bodies and so it appears that Paul's eager anticipation of Christ coming is linked to that as much as it is anything else to link to other things that take place at his coming, but they are mentioned here, but he's coming the time. Therefore, of the believers full and final redemption is coming at his time of coming. He's coming. Therefore, the time of the Victoire's final conquest comes when he comes he's coming.

Therefore, the time of the believers vindication.

He believed the world scoffed, but he believes the world continues to scoff and sometimes persecutes when the Lord comes a believers faith will be vindicated and the world will be shown to have been wrong, terribly wrong, fatefully wrong all along but the Lord is returning. And when he does he's going to resurrect the bodies of believers from the grave, and this is a glorious future and therefore persevere persevere stand fast in the Lord, my beloved, do that because our citizenship is in heaven do that because our Savior's coming again in this this coming again of Christ created such eager anticipation of the heart of Paul. Why does it seem to create so little, eager anticipation in the hearts of so many Christians today have we grown cold.

Have we grown in different have we forgotten. There's a link between living like heavenly citizens and anticipating the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. John tells us in first John 33 that those who love his appearing live in a more godly way, I forgot the exact wording in I thought I could quote it flies away from me was I talking to you this morning about fading memory does happen. Does that.

So let's just look its first John 33 about a new Bible to takes me longer to find things that turn these pages are kind of stiff and the don't yield to my fingers quite as easily easily and everyone who has this hope that is the hope of the Lord Jesus Christ return everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure in eager anticipation for the return of Jesus Christ has a sanctifying effect of purifying effect upon the lives of believers we need to ask the Lord to stimulate in eager anticipation in our hearts, even as it did in the heart of the apostle Paul, but why should we persevere. Number three because our transformation is assured. And that's what Paul tells us moving out of the verse 21 when the Lord returns verse 21 who will transform our lowly body may be conformed to his glorious body and so there's a reference here to the body.

We now have in the body that we now have.

According to our text is a body of humiliation about it. It's in a humble state. What does that mean well number one it means is a body that's designed for, not for heaven and earth is certainly a lower state in heaven but number two as we know our bodies now though designed for Earth have been marred by sin. And so now we have another blow. You might say we were.

These bodies were made for heaven and upon earth. They have now been very damaged because of sin and therefore our bodies are beset by all kinds of infirmity and we all suffer infirmities from time to time, and many of us are dealing with ongoing infirmities, that we have to deal with and some are well-known and some are not so well-known, but things were struggling with.

Because our bodies are bodies of humility there bodies of this humble state is there bodies that have been touched by sin and they are bodies that are destined for death. These present earthly bodies are designed for heaven and they are designed to live forever, and so if you're not making preparation for death. You are closing your eyes as tight as you can against the truth, you don't have to even believe the Bible direct recognize this truth all you have to do is read the obituaries send we have deaths in our community. Every single day and all you have to do is attend a funeral service and are reminded at that service that we don't live forever. Nobody lives forever. Our bodies are destined for death and therefore for you not to prepare for the inevitable reality of death is most blind.

It is most foolish.

It is most bullheaded and it is most dangerous. These bodies are in humble state Greek philosophy likened the body to the tomb of the soul or in some cases the prison of the soul, and they thought in terms of the soul being released into the glorious freedom of death in the body that was holding back the soul would now be gone and the soul would be able to to enjoy greater freedom be able to develop into what it was supposed to be.

That was their concept about death and dying in the release of the soul. Well, you can see what I might have reason that way because they could see the crumbling of the body.

They could see the death of the body. They could see the problems with the body and therefore it seemed to them that the body was a great bondage. A great way to great hindrance and that what we long for was to be released from these bodies, but that's not the way the Bible tells us to think the Bible tells us to look forward to the glorification of our bodies not the removal of our bodies not the extermination of our bodies, but the transformation of our bodies and because of the transformation of our body that is coming we should persevere because that's a glorious day the body we have now has a lot of problems, but what about the body we shall have well it is going to be in conformity were told with the body of his glory.

And though we don't know everything we'd like to about the body of Christ when he came out of the debt we do know some things about it and we are told here that our bodies are going to be essentially the same as his. That's amazing. The body that is substance but not flat, not blood, body can 88 front of his disciples, but a body that is not bound by earthly limitations. He passed through walls.

The body apparently they can travel instantaneously through time and space like our bodies cannot were confined to one place at one time, and so forth and so on.

That's about it.

He had when he came out of the greatest glorified body and the bodies of believers are going to be like that when the Lord returns, we are going to have bodies like the one he had coming out of the great and that's no shabby prospect. In fact that's held up to us here as one of the most glorious aspects of Christ's return, John, Edie, one of the commentators I study for the book of Philippians said about the coming of Christ to change our bodies. He said and I quote the great function which Christ shall discharge that he is coming almost as if Eddie saying this is the primary thing that is coming to do. I don't know if that's really what he intended to say and I may be misunderstanding the statement, but he certainly wants to exalt the fact that this is one of the most important things the Christ will do it is coming, so it should not be undead negligible thought to us, we tend to scarcely think about this, we think about dying in our's souls going to heaven and like that's the conclusion of it all.

That's the finality of it all. Oh no no no no and working to find out when we die in our souls are in heaven without our bodies that we are still incomplete and there is a sense in which shade body. The soul knows that it's not complete and is longing for that day, when it shall receive its glorified body and then shall be complete salvation not only saves the soul salvation also saves the body but also in stages. The soul is saved first and is released at death then the body is saved when the current Lord comes a second time, a glorious reality.

So keeping that in mind, the faithful persevere to the end.

We've got a glorious future ahead of us and then finally one more. Why should we persevere because Christ possesses irresistible power. The last part of verse 21 again.

Verse 21 who will conform or transform rather our lowly body that he made to conform to his glorious body. Now this according to the working by which she is able even to subdue all things to himself, according to the working or the exertion of the power by which he will subject all things to himself.

Christ possesses irresistible power.

The power to accomplish our bodily glorification of skeptics like to look at this doctrine of the glorification of the resurrection glorification of the believers body and say ha ha that's impossible why the body decays or goes back to dust the dust particles get scattered many bodies are destroyed. What about the bodies that that at the ground and see eaten by the sharks. What about bodies that are burned up and and in a house fire in an you can't even find the body anymore.

What about this. What about that ha ha this idea of the Lord, transforming and resurrecting these bodies. That's a foolish idea.

No no no no no no no, not if you believe in what the power of God.

The people have trouble with believing in the resurrection and glorification of believers bodies are also ones who scoffed at the doctor and the creation that this world was created by the power of God and yet I mentioned Wednesday night.

A lot of scientists are not satisfied with the scientific explanations they are not satisfied with the generally accepted explanation of of evolution.

Some scientists is that what we need is a new new theory new doctrine of evolution, one we got. Now does not answer the questions. It doesn't explain what we see on a scientist many other scientists will tell you that, of course not, because it's not true but when you refuse to believe in a God is big enough to create all these things and refuse to believe that by his power he created everything that is seen and of course you have difficulty figuring out where came from God told us God's revealing to us. God's given us his word to simple as this. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth that includes everything that's comprehensive that explains it. We don't really need any more explanation than that, but if you say well I don't believe that all figured out for myself. I didn't get here that what I know I didn't get here.

That way, but I can't figure out how to get here but I know that way when you reject the truth and of course you can't come up with anything that's better because how can you come up with something that's not true that cynics that's going to explain what you need the truth to be able to explain. If you reject the truth. You will be able to understand it or explain it is the same way with the resurrection. How is Christ going to raise the bodies.

The decayed dying and dead bodies.

Body some that have been dead for thousands of years. How is he going to resurrect those and glorify those it is coming. I don't know anymore than I know how he created the world, but I know he will. And I know he's got the power to do it. He's going to do it by his irresistible power.

That's faith. We believe the revelation of God. He's got the power to accomplish our bodily glorification and therefore he has the power to subdue all opposition.

According to the workings by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. The present circumstances in our world look like they're going in the opposite direction away from God, away from righteousness away from his control. But in spite of appearances which look very daunting. The Bible tells us that he's got everything under control and when he comes going to see that he's able to subdue all things to himself who raised Jesus from the dead by the way, you can find statements in the Bible attribute that resurrection to all three persons of the Trinity. Sometimes were told that the father raised them sometimes were told that he was raised by the power of the Spirit sometimes were told that he was raised by his own power. The power of the sun, which is not surprising because of the doctrine the Trinity is true, then it is three persons.

The one God and so whatever one person of the Godhead. Does the other persons of the Godhead have done equally and what that means is that Jesus had the power to raise himself from the dead.

Jesus had the power to glorify his own body and if he had the power to do that. What he think you will have the power to raise ours and glorify our course you will, of course, he will, so has the power to accomplish our bodily glorification. He has the power to subdue all opposition and he has the power to establish his comprehensive rule the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and he has the power to contest to maintain his uncontested rule forever.

He comes is going to say that's it. No more opposition no more arguing no more bickering no more refusing to surrender and to obey every knee shall bow and every tongue confess from here on out. It's my kingdom and everybody's going operate according to my room and my kingdom all along that I've let you run your course for my purposes. Up until now, but now the time is come, and everything is going to be done according to my command and so Handel had it right when he comes again were going to acknowledge King of Kings and Lord of lords and King of King send over the Lords for for for for for an answer.

Can you just hear it glorious. That's the truth.

That's what this text is telling us he shall reign for veranda veranda.

I can sing and my voice is good and it's not good right now but anyway wish I could I do I can sing.

I just can't sing nicely to keep me from singing a song in my heart and he's coming when he comes is going to establish his righteous rule and it will be uncontested forever and ever and ever and ever will I let Jonathan sing that force that would sound a whole lot better than my singing heart. Let's wrap this up with some lessons.

First of all about world conditions. It's a simple as this. To start, despite what we see God is incomplete and perfect control.

Don't forget it.

Don't doubt it, in spite of what we say with our eyes. The Bible assures us that God is incomplete and perfect control. The Christians believe the word of God. We know that that is true, what is this tell us about the human body. Some important things I think about the human body. It is important that we avoid earthly growth glorification. These bodies of earth are not glorified. We try to glorify the writer. Paint them up, make them stronger and do the operations and the Botox and the different things to get to try to glorify these earthly bodies, but were were swimming upstream where we were fighting a losing battle. Doesn't matter how much of that we do.

We don't really gain much. We keep losing we keep losing the body state decay, they get weaker and weaker until they die.

In many ways it's something of a fools errand, isn't it.

And we need to understand that we don't want to try to glorify our earthly bodies but this is what our text is teaching us not only do we want to avoid earthly glorification, but we want to avoid earthly denigration. We shouldn't denigrate our earthly bodies. The Bible doesn't do that. That's Greek philosophy. The bodies of two devise a prison. The body is a problem. Don't honor your body.

No body is a glorious manifestation of God's creative wisdom and power and is destined for eternal glory can I say that again the human body is a glorious manifestation of God's creative wisdom and power and even as it now is marred by sin, it is nevertheless a glorious manifestation of God's creative wisdom and power and it is destined in the lives of believers for eternal glory.

Don't glorify these present earthly bodies but don't denigrate them either. My final lesson is about the role of faith. The role of faith.

Faith disappear decide if it is true faith. A lot of things that people call faith is not your faith a lot of things the people call faith is, I believe, really hard.

What I want to believe that there is no basis for it. True faith is believing what God has said what God is revealed that when God is set it. Then we can believe that we can count on it.

We can be sure of it and therefore we need to anchor our faith in the revealed word of God. Sometimes people bless their hearts.

They want so badly to have something happen they wanted. They wanted to be healed at one of their loved ones healed and they think if I just believe it hard enough it'll happen whether it were taught that by by false teachers and people here these things all the time just name it and claim and so forth.

If you believe this strongly enough than it will happen. And that's a a misrepresentation of what the Bible says we know that God can heal, but he doesn't promise.

In every case he will we note that it may be his will, and we are to pray to him and certainly to ask him to heal his being is where it will.

But our faith needs to be resting firmly upon the revealed word of God we take what he has said what not what we want, what what what we wish he had said what we want him to have said, we don't take his words and twist them, but we believe what is actually said Sony to anchor our faith in the revealed word of God. That means for those of you outside of Christ.

Let faith lead you to Christ and salvation believe God that that's what you need to do believe God. The problem with a lot of unbelievers is they think their intellect is superior to God's revelation. It's not know when you realize God's revelation superior to do your intellect and your willing to just like the childlike faith, believe what God has said then that faith will lead you to Christ lead you to salvation for those who are Christians. That means that our faith will govern our lives. We go to God's word we find out what he has said and we govern our lives accordingly faith isn't governing my life the way I think about a big why think Lord would have me do this. Why would think the Lord had me do that.

The Lord told me this Lord told me that he's told me a lot of things as well and everything he's told me is right in here. The problem is not that he hasn't told me anything.

My problem is I haven't paid attention to what he has said is I should and the more I do, and trust him for what he has said the more my life is guided by his word and the more I honor him. Shall we pray. Father, we thank you for your word that teaches us that guides us that rebukes us that strengthens us and we pray the Lord that you will give us persevering faith until the Lord returns and ushers in his eternal kingdom as we ask it in Jesus name, amen