Who You Are In Christ, Spiritual Blessing Perspective

The first one is in the eternal plan of God. It's obviously going to go through all past, present, and future. What does the impact of being in the eternal plan of God have upon past, present, and future impact on the believer? Okay. Well, the Lord would have all come to Him. So I would say that everyone, whether you're a believer or not, there is an eternal plan. Some are predestined in the past. of believers specifically. God is not willing that any should perish, that all should come to repentance.

But in this context I think this is talking about the blessing that we have because we have responded to the Holy Spirit and by doing that we now are in his eternal plan and we have a future, we have a present, a past, and a future. So in that perspective then we would have been before the foundations of the earth, of the world, in his eternal plan. Yeah, what's interesting, we've got to get retroactively put, I mean, once we accept him, then all of a sudden he says, well, I chose you from the foundation of the world.

Right. And you scratch your head and you say, I don't understand that. Exactly. Yeah. Right. Can we, we're, we can write. Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah. That's the idea is write, write on them. Make funny pictures of me. Do whatever you're going to do. omniscience knew that we would be saved, those of us that are. And that he had a plan for our life. And for who are we surprised by? We can't probably see that, even as we live our lives and by our, sometimes our actions. And so I think that makes us lean all the harder on knowing him better.

And it's always just a lot 1st and Ephesians 1 deals with the concept that we've been chosen before the foundation of the world. So that's all position. And it goes on to say that we're accepted in the beloved, but before the foundation of the earth or the world is just a concept that is eternity relevant, but we can't describe eternity.

It's infinite on both ends. Yeah, I think the definition of eternity is like a period of time that has no definition. So, it's definition is not a definition. Or a lack of definition. So if, you know, in the eternal plan of God, if eternity is no definition, we're placed in there, that relates entirely to citizenship. That's neat. Yeah, and I mean the eternal plan of God is It's vast beyond anything that we can comprehend, but for the believer, you know, a big part of that is being conformed to his image.

But that's the present tense, right? That's the present tense, yeah. So that's the present eternal plan of God for us, being conformed to the image of his son. Romans 8, 29, right? Yeah, and I mean, so past, I mean, he's dealing with people who are not in him. I don't know. Maybe we'll look at that. Yeah.

Just like you said that there's no definition for eternity because our minds can't grasp that concept. I don't think we can grasp what it's like to be separated from God either. I mean, in this world, even though we're in this world, we're part of God's plan and God made this world and, you know, to try to understand what separation from God is. I think it's the same impossibility of understanding what eternity is.

All we know is that it's not good. Right. But he created it too. It's part of his plan. That's true. Yeah. It's not something St. James does. It's separation. So it's separation. It's hard to understand. Another thing to do when we look at these is try and look at them as a possession or a position, and maybe write that next to it. I would definitely say that in the eternal plan of God is a position, not a possession. So yeah, let's do those two things. We're gonna look at past, present, and future impact on us, and then try and look at each one as a position or a possession. And sometimes that's gonna be really hard to do. And sometimes you're gonna say it's both. But we'll look at that this morning. Curtis, you go to the next one.

That one seems a little like... in the camp of possession that we've been redeemed. You're right. Whereas the world can't say that they've been redeemed, but we can say that. Yeah, we have a possession of redemption from sin. But we're also in a position of being redeemed. So that's one where you can kind of look at it as both.

What do you guys think past, present, and future impact of being redeemed? Were you always redeemed? No, but it was before today. So it's past. Right. So in the scope of yourself as a believer, at one point in time you weren't redeemed. You were in Adam. So present would be in Christ and redeemed. Do we have a future redemption to look forward to? Yes. We'll be at the right hand in the heavenlies. Glory. We're positionally now, but then we'll be there physically. Conditionally. Maybe not physically.

Our position and condition will wind up. And all the redeemed will be manifested. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. In the heavenly scene, the redeemed are there with him. But there's nothing more to be accomplished, right? Right. Everything was accomplished on the cross. There's just a, like Margaret is pointing out, a position and condition lining up.

We still are, we're not in the heavenlies physically yet, I guess. Spiritually, yes? Physically, no? Conditionally. Physically, because I don't think, I mean, we won't, it won't be our physical bodies that have them. I don't think. We won't look the same. A new Margaret. But the issue of condition and position are position and position really is equal in the present as it is in the future. I mean, we sense our earthly condition, but before God it's meaningless, right? Right. But then we won't even have an earthly condition. Correct. Yeah, it was the second Corinthians where Paul's talking about that, right?

I mean, I think we sometimes lose track of the fact that our condition before God is irrelevant. It's relevant to us, because we fall short when we trust the sin nature, right? But before God, our condition is as the Lord Jesus Christ. Yeah, he doesn't see our sins at all.

And that's something we need to continually be uplifted by and encouraged by the Word of God. Because I would suggest the majority of the body oppressed today lives with this sense of their condition and how apathetic it is. There's no question that that's true. But the question is what pair of glasses are you going to look through? Yeah, that's the Colossians 3. have your mind set on things above, not your condition here, but your position there.

But I think the future redemption that I'm talking about there is the redemption of our bodies, and Paul talks about that in 2 Corinthians 5. That's what we have to look forward to is the redemption of our bodies. Alright, so our next riches of divine grace is reconciled. Is that possession or position, or is it both? Probably both.

Who has a good definition for reconciled? Just to get our minds wrapped around what that is again. Originally it said to change exchange as coins for others of equivalent value. Reconcile those who are at variance. Return the favor. Be reconciled to one to receive one in the favor. The word is in the Aorus passive voice, which indicates that it is a completed past action with ongoing results. God exchanged our position as enemies for a position of intimacy.

That's a good definition. So redeemed and reconciled are going to look kind of similar in the spiritual blessing perspective of past, present, and future. At one point in time you weren't reconciled, you were in Adam. Currently you are, if you're a believer, you're reconciled, you're in a position of, what was your term there? A position of intimacy. So from enemy to intimacy.

And the future is, we're always going to be that way. There's nothing that can strip your reconciliation away. So would it be fair, Kurt, to say that because we were redeemed, we can be reconciled? Because Christ was propitiation for our sins under redeemed. Yeah, I would agree with that. Without redemption, you can't have reconciliation. I mean, you have to be redeemed to be reconciled.

It kind of seems like the entire 33 riches, he didn't, you know, it was given to us in toto, you know, the whole, we get the whole enchilada. It's not like you have to wait in one to get the other. Right. So I'm just trying to distinguish that. I think it's important to realize we have the entire package. Because some people say, well, you got to get more spiritually mature before you have some of these things. Oh no, yeah. Now you may not realize it.

And that's a key thing. That's the maturity. You may spend most of your Christian life not I think that's kind of key. Yeah, that's Bob, when Bob pointed that verse out earlier, seated with Christ in the heavenlies, that's, I believe that's also a, you know, it's completed past action. You know, it's not something to look forward to. Positionally, you're there. And because of that, you have all of these, all the spiritual blessings, all of these things are there.

But reconciliation without redemption, Right. You get them all at once, but they do link up together. Yes. So in other words, according to what Roger said, even though if they do happen in some kind of sequential order, it's so quick, who cares? Right. Moment of belief. You got it. Yeah. Here it is. Moment of belief.

Another thing that you pointed out, many of these will be phrased in scripture, at least in some passage, when they are, Error is tense. Completed past action. So it emphasizes, we're not waiting for this to happen. It has already happened. And you have it as your position in Christ.

And I think that's actually how Schaefer, at least my understanding, compiled a good part of this, by tracking that through and looking at these things and saying, OK, that's a completed past action. Add that to the list. You keep adding to the list. Sure, yeah. Bob, you're going to add something to it?

The term reconciliation, I think, takes on a slightly different flavor, and I'm not sure I can really distinguish this, but if you turn to Ephesians 2, 14-16, you get a hint of this. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of the commandments contained in ordinances to make it himself of two, one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both. What's both? Unto God and one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. The flesh and the law.

So redemption takes on a little different definition, and again I'm not sure I could articulate that clearly, but Adam was innocent, right? Originally. Yeah, so he was neither redeemed nor reconciled, but yet he had not sinned yet, right? He didn't need reconciliation or redemption. He was untested. So when he sinned, he became unredeemed and unreconciled, correct? So they're wrapped up together there. But the reconciliation seems to me to be kind of the fact that Adam is separated from God and also the legal system is the demand to be satisfying God was inadequate, inept. Whereas redemption seems a little simpler.

I don't know. Go on. Go on. No, no. That's good. I think they're not exactly the same. Does anybody else have a thought about how they might differ? Yeah, I do. Okay, go Carol. To me, redeemed is paid for, like purchased. And reconciled means you line up perfectly together. You cannot really tell where... There are no differences between. Like, you're reconciled to the Father through the Son, so there is nothing between you to prevent your relationship, your standing, so on. How about this? You're checking out at a grocery store and you've paid for your purchases, and then you consume them and you become one.

Well, according to the lesson plan, reconciled had more to do with no anger. peace that's why he said were they connected because well God's demands were made complete right in the cross in a sense the reconciliation is all the law the flesh all that has been wrapped up but you know in scripture there are you know to put a point to it there were certain people that said that they found favor with God that's the ultimate like Mary and Moses and Abraham and a few others that he mentioned but it's no anger no more. So when Adam sinned, then God was, his wrath was upon him because of his sin. When Jesus died on the cross, he was the propitiation or the price, he paid the price for that sin and once it was paid there was no longer any anger and so people returned or were reconciled to God because there was no longer any wrath. And that's what the Ephesians that you quoted said also. It wasn't said by abolishing it is laced with enmity. So I think it's talking about abolishing the wrath that God has. Right.

So here's a verse Galatians Galatians 3.13 says, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. So we went from a position of being under law and under sin and Christ redeemed us from that and put us in a position of being under grace and a position of being free from the power of sin. The reconciliation is dealing with the enmity, the being in, you know, two different places. Yeah, you know, Romans 5, 8 through 10 adds more to this, I think. It says there, but God commanded his love towards us in that while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more than being now justified by his blood, redeemed. Okay, we're justified, redeemed by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. Wrath. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, notice there's a distinction there between justification and reconciliation. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. present tense.

So that helps a little bit. Justified by his blood. But then, oh, by the way, because we've now been reconciled, so that relationship has been made right. Right. And now you can live in him. And that's where they're still very similar. They're very similar. They do distinguish themselves. you know, the cross is what, you know...

Yeah, while we were yet sinners, yeah. So it emphasizes that act on the cross was complete and in total, you know, it took care of all the issues, if you will. It's like that though to be reconciled, you had to be justified first. And remember, the justification was his death for us as sinners.

Well, and just kind of building on top of that doesn't make any sense to say that redeemed is the purchase and the price of the blood being made and that just it's almost instantaneous Yeah, I think redeemed is first on this list for a reason. And it's because Christ's blood is what redeems us and it's the first aspect of being saved is that redemption and then all these things kind of follow suit with it just like that. Just like first we're redeemed, then we're reconciled or made right, now we have access to the throne. Which is on page 3. Yeah. But I think the point that we made earlier is it's not you're redeemed for maybe three years and then you figure out what reconciliation is and then you're reconciled and then you go, oh man, now I'm reconciled. It took me five years to figure that out. Now I have access to the throne. Wow, it took me 15 years to figure out I had this. No, it might take you that long to figure out you have it, but it's true of you right now.

No, but Kurt, I would claim that many believers are in that mindset. I mean, they may say, yes, I'm reconciled, but in terms of the life, trusting that it's the new creation in Christ Jesus that lives the Christian life, not themselves through the power of the flesh. Probably all of us in this room have lived that for a little while. I know I did. And you know the neat thing here it says, but being reconciled, we're now not only reconciled before God positionally, but we're reconciled in the present time by his light. I know, I know, I know. Yeah.

You know, and you know, this is so powerful. This is sort of a rabbit trail, but I was, my sister, I was talking to her yesterday online, we were typing, chatting with each other, and she's studying constructivism right now, and that's basically, we learn from our experiences. And for yourself and for other people that lived in an experiential side of, man, I don't have these things. If you let that be truth to you, it's terrible. It is.

And that's one of the things that I find so refreshing about Holly Hills and churches that teach this is truth. You may be experiencing one thing or another, but come over here, come over here and let me show you truth. And that is very refreshing about this church and some others. Any church that teaches the Bible is truth in your experience, you may be experiencing something, but that's not what you base truth on. But Kurt, I would challenge that statement simply to say lots of churches say they're teaching the Bible, the Word of God in truth. I mean, so what's that all about? But are they really? Well, is that because we have a narrow, exclusive view that we're somehow privileged to see the Word of God as truth? I don't know.

I think the hungry heart describes it best, because when you dig deeper and drill down, it's not a matter of us pleasing God, it's living by faith. Sure. And that's why we gather here, I think, and that's why, you know, the criticism of that is always let go, let God, so you can just do what you want. I don't know about you, but I'm called to a life above which is not of the earth, more so by His great grace and truth. And that's not let go of God. It's the freedom I have at Christ Jesus to listen to a doo-wop song from the 50s and enjoy it, right? Without thinking that I'm violating God's creed by listening to an oldie. I mean, it's a freedom that's positionally based and really lives through your life and lifts you up. Gives you joy of your salvation.

But a church to claim that their church is based on the word of God and they teach truth, I would say a certain percentage of those, maybe in the majority really, are still kind of under this legal system of what are you doing for God these days? Yeah. Well then I guess the way to phrase that is I'm sure glad that I know that my experience is not the basis for truth but God's word is. And I may experience something that tells me one thing, but God's Word tells me something that is different, and that's true. It's true. Anyway, so our next topic there, related to God through propitiation.

You never thought redeemed and reconciled were going to take 20 minutes. You know what, maybe this is what we do for the next four weeks, Bob. It's good, and it's good review. You know, that's exactly what we wanted to set this time aside for, was to review. So that's, I don't, they can, one of them can take an hour, and that's fine. Well Kurt, you have a chance at the end of this one more time, so you can come back. That's right. We'll get it all done by the time you come back. That's right, yeah. Yeah, you can have one more time, that's right.

I appreciate it. So related to God through propitiation, who has a good definition for propitiation? I can paraphrase Burns. It says, this is the satisfaction of God's character of righteousness, holiness and justice, which must be satisfied so as to make payment sufficient for the redemption of every human being on the planet. Sure, go ahead. Please do. Can you shorten it? I can't because it's a paraphrase. It's already short. But I think substitution works.

Substitution of God. Christ was 100% God. He was the only one who could live a perfect, sinless life. God had to be sacrificed in a human body for it to work. That's why he came. So he could do it all. And he paid the price, was the substitute, because he took on the sin of the whole world for anyone to whom it might apply. And everyone. Right. Well, to shorten it, you could say it's the satisfaction of God's character Yeah, I think to include the satisfaction of God's righteous character is important in the definition.

You know, I know if you think about propitiation, I try to simplistically think of it in terms of the Old Testament, the mercy seat. And so what is the mercy seat? What's mercy? And what's grace? I mean, Verne does such a great job, in my opinion, defining this in terms of mercy is withholding just punishment. Right? And grace is blessings undeserved. Yeah, mercy is withholding what you deserve and grace is getting what you don't deserve. Right.

And in the Old Testament, the mercy seat is actually the place, literally the place of propitiation. So that mercy seat is where God was able to be satisfied about the sin issue. And that was, you know, so we have a link back to the Old Testament, that picture of the mercy seat. But I think you also have to see that it says redemption Not of the believer, but of every human being on the planet.

It makes it available. Right. Christ's work on the cross satisfied God's righteous character for all man. Right. Well, it's there and it's available. Right. Exactly. It's a matter of appropriating it. Exactly. And believing. And Stan, that's by faith. Exactly. That's our definition, I think, that Margaret always repeats so well. To believing what God revealed, right?

Do you think our value in this scenario, you know, you hear a lot of statements, we are valuable to God, and I've been thinking through this a little bit, and I forgot where I was referring to this this week, just reading some stuff, but according to this, the main issue for God, the Father, and for us that expressed, I guess you could say, our value. That we were worth something to him to be saved and be identified and so on and so forth. Where would you say all that plays into? Our value? Yeah. Let me answer this a little bit differently than you expect. Mike Doyle gave an example when he was talking about propitiation.

And he says, Bob, you come over to my house and my dog comes over and bites your leg and messes you up. Can my dog apologize to Bob? The dog doesn't have the ability to apologize to Bob. I come over, I take the dog aside and I apologize to Bob. And Bob accepts my apology. See, Bob and I are on the same level. The dog and Bob are not on the same level.

So when we have sin, we sin against God, we bite God on the ankle. Or however you want to look at that. Can we apologize to God? Are we on the same level as God for Him to accept that apology? To make that right? No. But Christ coming down, Christ on the cross is on the same level as God. He can make it right. So in the same view as, the dog can't make it right with Bob, but I can. We can't make it right with God, but God can. And that's a Mike Doyle. I won't take credit for that, but it's a good one.

Actually, just to build on your idea about the value of man, there's actually a turn on the flip over the first page. And the value of man, this is always in John 17, that we're a gift. from God the Father to God the Son, and this is us. This is the fallen man. So there is a value there. Right, and when we did that class, when we talked about that, the value is that we are in Christ. Exactly, that's excellent.

Yeah. But still, there is an aspect in which God foreseeing that, the value is inherently there, and so it's It's interesting, we call it a gift. I mean, I don't feel like I'm a gift. I feel like I'm a burden, maybe, but a gift. But God sees us. He sees us. You know, time isn't an issue. He sees us. He sees us in Christ with all the blessings that he's given us. And he says, that's a lot of value because it's just like my son.

Well, that's the conversation I want to stimulate because somewhere I read this week might have been out of that Hungry Heart book. But the issue that a lot of Christians get hung up on is that they just on their own merits are worth something. And really it had nothing to do with that. It had to do with God. Like it's stating right here in Burns' description, God's character had to be satisfied. That was the supreme first issue. And everything else got kicked into play because of that.

Yeah, because of sin, and Romans talks about this, because of sin, God can't be in relationship with you. If you're in sin, the common person, whoever, if they're in sin, if they're in Adam, God can't have relation with them because his character is too great to have relationship with sin. He can't do it. It's impossible. I don't have a good metaphor for it, but he can't. His character cannot be in relationship His holiness cannot be in fellowship with unholiness.

And so that's where propitiation, his character being satisfied, comes into play. But also the value of man, which is what Stephen was talking about. You go all the way back to the first chapter in the Old Testament. It talks about the life is in the blood. He required Christ for the blood spilled. The death of Cain was an example. Man being created in the image of God. All of these examples.

And then it talks about God's will So there is an inherent value to man. I think it's because he's created in the image of God. And because of this, you know, whatever it is, you know, his value is there. I would say that his value is that God loves you. I think there's some kind of inherent value.

But isn't there something to, because in the very beginning, God created Adam to have fellowship with him. He wanted the fellowship with him. I mean, he didn't just create Adam just to be on the earth. And so then when Adam fell, he couldn't have the fellowship.

And so I think that's really what he wants is the fellowship. But it's the highest order of creation. God could share fellowship with an elephant. Right. No, but he wanted the fellowship. But in order to have the fellowship with us, we have to be out of sin. And the only way that could happen is the death of his son to cause him to be well. What Steve asked was the inherent value of man.

But we have that. Yeah, there is something there. Right. It's not in man, it's in God. God assigns the value. That's right. I agree with that. It might just be too that there's no question about the inherent value of man, but it might be that that just in our conversations and teaching we skirt over the issue of God's character being satisfied.

It doesn't shift the importance of man's inherent value. It's just that we don't always get around to that. I never did in any other discussions for 25 years sitting in various Bible classes. You know, that character of God's satisfaction never surfaced. But don't you think some of it too is because A lot of teaching that we get, a lot of teaching I got, is that we're inherently valuable without God. And that's sort of what I grew up learning, is that, you know, you were valuable as a person, and God kind of wasn't part of that. I mean, we were valuable. Man is inherently good.

Well, that's, you know, incorrect. Right. Yeah, the phrase, oh, he's a good person is an oxymoron. Right. There's no such thing as a good person. They're all an atom, and they're all sinners. Right. Well, then if you listen to the radio talk show at all, once in a while these issues come up and the point comes up. Well, there's no way a good guy can get jacked on that. So, you know, that that goes in that direction. Well, then you just have to explain to him that his character is so much greater than yours. That's the world's. Well, and that's because they've placed themselves on the same level as God, or they want to place themselves on the same level as God. They don't want to be the dog, they want to be God. But they're not, they're the dog. Well, this whole concept is wrapped up in the term self-esteem. Stan, what do you think of self-esteem? What do I think of self-esteem? There's two phrases that I like to do there. Self-esteem and self-sufficient.

Well, self-esteem as the world has it today, I think is incorrect. Yeah. Because it says that there has to be, you know, you have to have some kind of value. But I know from my personal experience that unless you have some degree of understanding who you are, it's very difficult to to achieve anything in this world, if that's popular or not. But still, there's a value there. But the way the world puts the priority on it, I think, is wrong. It's a world metric, is it not? Yeah.

If I know that Christ loved me, and I really accept that and know that with all my heart, then it's really not necessary, I don't think, that I have a lot of self-esteem. But before I get to the point where I can accept Christ's love for me, I think I have to work through the worldly process first, if that makes sense. But once I can grasp the love of Christ, I don't think the self-esteem really makes a difference. Right, and to be in the world system of self-esteem makes sense because you're of the world until you're in Christ.

You can't understand being... Christ esteem. Well, and that's actually what I like. I like to do that, actually. I was going to say the two phrases, self-sufficient and self-esteem. I like to replace those words with Christ. Because I'm not self-sufficient, I'm Christ-sufficient. So before you're saved, you're self-sufficient. Well, maybe you are. Well, that's all you have. That's all you have. That's what you have. Right.

But I would claim that in the field of psychology and counseling, this is a major threat that runs through this. In fact, your self-esteem and your self-confidence and your self-sufficiency. Obviously, then there wouldn't be all these self-help books. Oprah wouldn't be popular. Back to the exchanged life and the identification truth, I'm sure this would likely come up in Christian counseling to a large extent, too. I mean, When we think of our self-worth, we think of ourselves as being made equal with the cross as sinners saved by grace. It all begins there. That's where self-esteem begins and ends. Being sinners saved by grace. It ends there.

But that's not a worldly discussion, is it not? The world may look at you, Curt, and say, you've got your act together, you're happily married, you have a child, you're actually part of a social group, and you should feel you've got a good job, you should feel good about all that. So that's your self-esteem, right?

And we can fall into that trap too. But Bob, if you were counseling somebody and you knew that they were not a believer or a Christian, would you immediately go to the love of Christ and the identification procedure? can get a new focus. I bet if you look in the presence today, you would probably, and I'm guessing, but I think you'll find one of two types of people, either so far to the right that they think that they're so great that they can do nothing wrong, or the other type of person that thinks that they are not good and have to continually strive to become better. The middle class probably isn't there, mentally. Okay? Is it where? I think it's extremes. don't you think you can have esteem of self through Christ?

Right, that's my point. I mean, so whatever we in this room accomplish on this earth, we give to the Lord, right? I mean, he's used this vehicle to accomplish A, B, and C. Right. But in terms of eternal value, it's only that life in Christ that glorifies and pleases God. Yeah. And everything else is wood, hay, and stone. I mean, I've been fortunate to have a good job, and I love my work, and I have an opportunity to be engaged nationally and internationally, and I give that to the Lord.

There's nothing about these accomplishments here that mean anything. Yeah, and He's used you in those situations, too. Well, we'll let Him be the judge of that. Outside looking in, it sure seems like it. Well, praise the Lord. That's all I can say. Exactly. But, you know, the self-esteem concept is one that gets buried at the foot of Calvary. I mean, that's where it is. And it has no meaning for our lives at all. Because we're created as new creations in Christ Jesus. And that's what God says.

I have three pair of boots in my closet that were worn out from me just yanking on them. Bud is absolutely trying to raise himself up like an old man. Bud, did you have something to add? Well, I think the fundamental scripture in the Bible is our righteousness.

I sometimes identify with that when I find myself here. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, one of the things about being Christ-like is putting aside self. That's one of the main, you know, Christ did that. He put aside self. And then we're called to do the same thing. I don't think we have enough time to jump into another one. I appreciate everybody's conversation this morning. It was good. Let's end in prayer and we'll go do the main service. Lord, we thank you for our time together this morning.

Looking at the scope of who we were, who we are, and who we continue to be throughout eternity, it's all tied into you, at least the present and future are. Thank you that the past is no longer part of us. The in-Adam, the lack of redemption, the being un-reconciled to you, that those things are no longer a part of us. Really, what we talked about this morning was focusing on you and not self.

If we live our lives that way, it's going to please you and you're going to work through us and glorify you. I'm just really blessed that we are even able to glorify you. Know that it's all about you working through us. We praise you in Jesus' name, Amen.