Identification Truths Plus 2012
Courtney Hemenway · Mar 11, 2012
Identification Truths Plus, No. 10
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49263621628

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Lesson 8. A couple of you didn't have lesson 8. We're going to finish up. Yes, we will finish up lesson 8 today. Lesson 8. We are at question 7. This is the identification truths. We're on the tape. Lesson 8. Identification truths plus. Question 7. What do you think What do you think the highest union in existence is? Remember, we are in John 17, the intimate prayer between the Father and the Son. And so what is the highest union in existence?

For what? For us people? Father and Son being one. Okay. Others? Our relationship to Christ God. Being in Christ? Trinity? This is a trick question, Mike made it up, so I'm blaming it on him. I didn't make up the answer. I see this and I understand this, but I think it's a trick question. Is it Christ? No. Mike, the answer? It's the hypostatic union between the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and his humanity. Ooh, that is cool. See, that's why I thought it was a trick question. The hypostatic union, so static meaning what? Doesn't change, never change, right? The biggest permanent union is between Christ the deity and Christ the man. That's the greatest union.

Now, I think that is probably at the top of the tree and I think where Mike is getting at. That's what allows us, because he's the firstborn of what? The new creation. That's that first melding of the new creation, which is man and God. You put that species that we are now, the new creation, new in kind, new in quality, He's the first. So that union, everything trickles down, like Adam, we trickle down in the flesh. Now this union is the highest union, it all trickles down. that that union, or what we have, our new creation, new in kind, new in quality, that's that highest union.

So, do you want to explain any more, Mike? Well, I think it's hard for us to get our arms around exactly that the Lord Jesus Christ and the second person of the Trinity are the same person, but there's God and humanity that's been united now and will be like that for all eternity.

And so, I mean, when you think about it, it's really cool because it allows creation, you and I, to behold God in Christ. Without that, what would you see? You'd see like the Old Testament saints saw, which was kind of an image, or she kind of glory, or something like that. Yeah, you know, and I think that goes back to what, you know, I've explained several times about how now I understand Genesis.

I told man, it's not good to be alone. I was walking and talking with God. What do you mean I'm alone? Well, I'm with the God of the universe. Well, it was a different level. It was the creator and the creation. And there was a separation. I used examples like me and a dog. I love a dog. I have a great relationship. I have 500 pets. He's a Siberian Husky. They're pretty independent breeds.

Well, that's pretty much like Adam, too, I guess. But yeah, that relation is great, but it's not like talking to you guys, or my wife, or whoever. It's not that same level. What we now have in Christ is that level. We can now go, what, face to face. That's different. We're now at a different level.

So that intimacy that we have and all the things that we've spoken of here in John 17 now, we have access to that because of what Christ did on the cross and what he became, the firstborn of the new creation. And as we go on into eternity, again, we as a being in Christ, we'll have the same intimacy with the Father and the Spirit as Christ has. That's, you know, people who want to say that, well, we're all going to be a big lump group of people who go to heaven, play golf or whatever you do in heaven, or we're going to be like the Jews don't understand that this intimacy that we have in Christ with the Godhead surpasses almost Anything. Anything that you could possibly conjure up in your mind and that's the way because we have been elevated into Christ we have the capacity of intimacy with him on their level for all eternity.

Well that's why I love this passage. This is one I just love, the John 17, because he's saying that very thing. And I understand Mike's point. The highest union was Christ and man, that union. Because what it allows is everything he's talking about in John 17, that I share what his glory, spirit, his intimacy, one.

Just read this again and again, and if you really just start to fathom what he's saying here, That's what we'll get into some of this. You know, when does that begin positionally and conditionally? Yeah. Do you think that because that happened that there's a different level of intimacy that Christ had with the Father? Because I have done what you've asked me to do. I've completed this situation.

So even what we had before is even that much more. Well, he says that at the very beginning of 17, Father, that you will glorify me with the glory that we had before the world began, which to be glorified with the Father at exactly the same level and intimacy that they had before he became a man, which the Father obviously responded and did, and because we are in him, we are partakers of all of that. I mean the Lord Jesus isn't going to go into the back room every once in a while and sort of work things out with the Father and come talk to us, because our union with Wherever He is, we are.

Why is it so difficult for us to absorb that, to get our brains around that? I think because it's a spiritual truth. And we'll get into some of that. In that, I think, and that's why I really, I wish we had everybody down here in the identification because I don't think you can understand that until you understand who you are in Adam and our new creation in Christ and what happens in Romans 6. If you don't understand that, I think it's almost impossible to understand how you could have this intimacy. man and tries to get better and it's all in your own effort. I think this is a step that you have to have this identification, knowing that, before you can enter into a lot of the grace that is the reigning principle right now. Because this old man is always trying to do something.

When we get into grace, there is nothing we do except say thank And as you enter into that, I think you understand the intimacy. And I'm going to get into that, because I really, as I read and I've been studying this, I get more and more into the fact that, think of all the things we try and learn.

But, and this is really jumping to the end where I'm going to go to, but think of what So, what happens if you're about to die? You know you're going to die tomorrow. You've got to try and do everything you wanted to do that's important to you, right? I want to get it done because I know tomorrow I'm going to die.

I'm going to tell you what's on my heart. I'm going to tell you what's the most important thing to me. What is Christ saying here? Intimacy. Intimacy is the thing he talked about. One, I'm going to share my glory. I'm going to share my intimacy. I'm going to do it. Hours before his death, he's talking, and by verse 20, we're included into that. It's intimacy.

He didn't say, learn a bunch of verses. He didn't say go out and serve. He didn't say any of that. What did he tell us? Father, that they may be one, share my glory. I want that intimacy that we have. I'm giving it to you. That was the most important thing on his mind at this time, right before he went to the cross. What should we take from that? What should be our most important thing? To believe. Intimacy. To know Him. Think of all these verses. The verse, eternal life is what? That I may know.

2 Peter 3.18. To grow in what? The grace and knowledge. All these things about knowing. Again, I go back to what Mike said years ago to me, and it's helped immensely, is that you read the Word to know Him. Not to get a bunch of facts. to figure out how I can serve and do all this stuff.

Yeah, that's after you rest in your position. But really contemplate, and so it's kind of back to the end where I was getting to, was think about the intimacy of what he's talking about. Right now, hours before he goes to the cross, the most important thing he said was intimacy.

That's what he talked to us about. That's what he said to the father. That's what he requested. He didn't say that they may serve, that they may go out and whatever. His main focus was, know my son. That as you do that, you have intimacy with him and you have intimacy with the father. That was the most important thing on his mind at the time.

I take that as a lesson. So, I jumped way to the end of my, after we get through all this. But that really, think about that. When you think of, you've got to serve more, or I've got to come, you know, I've got to finish my lessons, I've got to go, and I've got to do this, and I've got to do that, and I've got to do this, and I've got to do that.

Did he ask for that in this prayer? He didn't. Just sit down and know him. Know that intimacy. That's what he wanted. The last thing he said before he went to the cross, was, I want you, by verse 20, to have this intimacy that I have with the Father, that I've had since eternity past. You have that now. Long answer. But as you begin to contemplate that, that changes you.

Is it the Holy Spirit that helps you, too? Absolutely. That's one of the other classes we need to teach, I think, too, is on the Holy Spirit. It's to rest in Him, and the Holy Spirit is the one doing it. As soon as we went through the Ephesians for husbands, I can't do that. I can't do that. All the requirements of being a husband, it took me 20 years to figure that out, or more, and I'm still just in the process of letting the Lord work through me. Not that I have to try and do, it's through the Holy Spirit working through me, because I can't.

When you come to the realization you can't, that's the beginning of where you can actually be, I think, used in a greater way by the Lord. Because it's not you. You can rest. You know, and I go through this. There's so many pieces and parts as you put them all together. If you know He's sovereignly in control, He wants this intimacy and all this. And can you be separate, you know, many verses, can you be separated from His love? No. So when there's a trial, does He go, honey, it's your day. I'm going to hit you. Yeah, I'm mad at you today. It's not.

So, you then get into, consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. How do you have joy in a trial? Well, you know he loves you. It can't be separated. He's sovereignly in control. So, whatever's happening is for your best. He still loves you. So, consider it all joy. Why? That you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. And it fits. So you have a trial, you know he's in control, he can't be separated from his love, well that's that peace that surpasses all understanding. In a trial, have that peace, that rest.

Why? Because of, and it all goes back to who is love, I think Mike has his circle there, God is love, and it all emanates from that position, and just walk it through. Whatever happens, if you know what's going on, he's in control, he wants you can't be separated. What are you worried about?

Unrested. In essence, it takes it out of your own hands. That's exactly it. Exactly. And just think what he's requesting here is this intimacy. He wants it. Who's the one going, mm-mm? It's like Mary and Martha. Yeah, I mean, that is a good picture. Which does he hold up? service and all the doing. And again, I'm a type A'er. I go to slay the world. I do the same thing. I'm a slayer.

But the Lord's teaching me, it's intimacy with Him. The doing comes out of your resting in Him. It's not out of my efforts. It's because as I rest in Him, who I am in Christ becomes more prevalent. It's like breathing. If I'm in Christ and who I am in Christ, it just happens because that's who I am in Christ. As I know who I am, and that's the studying and to know Him, is looking in the scriptures to know who I am. You look at Christ because who is that? That's who I am. Now I've really gotten all through this. But it's just, I really, as you probably know, I love this passage.

And as I thought about it more, like I said, if you really understand that this is the last thing he said before he went to the cross, the last real thing before the trials and everything, what was he thinking about? He wasn't saying, go serve, go do, go build 50 churches, go, you know, all this. It was intimacy. So, take that as the ultimate lesson of this. Alright.

Question 8. There are consequences along from our union with Christ. Look up these verses and indicate what the consequences are. So, John 20, 17. I'll read them just so we can speed along a little bit. So we can actually get through lesson 8 before the end of class here. John 20, 17.

Jesus said to her, Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and my God, and your God. So what's the consequences of this union? From that verse? Stunned silence again. Come on, it isn't that hard. What do you get? What's he saying there? My Father, your Father, my God, your God. Our God. He just said the union. My father, your father, my father, your God, my God.

I might point out too, in this interesting verse, some of the translations say, or Jesus said, don't touch me. And really what he's saying there is that he's telling Mary, look, there's an entirely new relationship now between you and me. And what you're trying to do is to rekindle the old relationship we had before I was crucified on the earth. But now it's different. So don't cling to me now. I'm going to go be glorified, then after that you'll be in one with me and you'll understand that my relationship with you is different now than it was before the cross.

Right. And actually my follow up is in that, in that also if we are positionally placed in Christ, where is Christ and by association us? Yeah. He's no longer a man. Where is he? He's with the Father. He's restored. Right hand of the Father. Right now. So, positionally, where are we? Right there. So that's what she was saying, don't cling to me in this, but for us, we have what he was saying, future to her, was don't cling to me now, but I'm going to be in heaven, and this is a new relationship that's going to happen. Okay? Romans 8, uh,

17. I, I, because I just have to, I, I went from 14 through 17 just because it has some of my favorite stuff. Romans 8, 14-17.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery, leaving fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry out, Abba, Father, Daddy. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs, and heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him. So, what do we have now? Adoption. Adoption. Children. Sons. Fellow heirs.

Do you believe that? How are you taking that up today? You believe you're adopted? You believe you're an heir? Family? Part of family, you know, when you get the heir and you're the heir and you receive all this good stuff in inheritance? Or if you had a rich uncle, you'd believe that in a minute, that you're an heir. You want to prove that. But which is more important? You're an heir. You look as expectedly or knowing that you're an heir to God or to Uncle Harry. Well, the problem of being an heir of Uncle Harry's, there's probably another heir and I have to divide it. And then it goes to the court and it's a lawsuit and it's terrible. Being a joint heir with Christ means there's no division.

Whatever he gets, I get. We get it all. Not just a portion. We get it all. So, do you understand what this means? The intimacy described in John 17, we can call out to the God of the universe, who created all things, holds all things together, call him Daddy, and we're heir to all of that. To the God of the universe, you're an heir.

That's why I said these 34 things we have, you just start mulling one or two of these things. Just think about that. What you have in Christ, our identification, separated from Adam, placed into Christ, all those 34 things, just pick one or two and think about it today.

It's difficult because it's so different from us and Adam because we work for everything. If you want the house clean, you've got to clean it. If you want supper, you've got to fix it. And so it's difficult for us because I think we feel that we have to earn it. Oh, beautiful. Beautiful. And I'm going to get into some of that. You're my perfect pitch man today. I knew I got up and down earlier. I left my computer alone for a few minutes. Did you come in and check on this thing?

No, that's a lot of it. And I want to get to that point. You said a real important thing about the first part of this, identification. As you start to see who Adam is, and see who you are in Christ, you know, it's that hymn, and the things of earth grow dim, strangely dim, in the light of, you know, as you see who you are in Christ, knowing him, this intimacy he's talking about, you start to see who you are. And that old Adamic nature becomes very ugly.

I want to do something. Who wants to do something? Adam does. Ephesians, we've been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. Alright, we'll move on. Ephesians 2.18, for through him we both have our access in one spirit to the Father, And so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints in our God's household. So what do we have there? Access. Access. We have access to the Father through the Spirit, and we are of His household. So, we have a citizenship in Heaven.

Right, Monique? Yes. They don't have politics there. You and I understand this, right? Even though we cheer about that football game going on, about all that election crud, our citizenship's in heaven and there's no politics there. We cheer for this stuff and we go crazy here like a football game. It means absolutely nothing in the long run. So we have to take that.

Do you think that way, that we are of God's household and that the place where we truly belong is in that household with the Father? Do you feel worthy of that position? It's not a matter of our worthiness. Yeah, but you think you're not worthy. So, you know, who doesn't, not worthy? Most of you went, yeah, I don't feel worthy. But I think that's, how you worded it is the problem.

It doesn't matter how I feel about it. The fact is, I can feel this way or that way about anything, but the fact is the fact, and you can't, my feelings don't have any bearing I was getting at. That's number one. It doesn't matter what we think. Number one, it's a fact. All these things we talk about in the truth.

But the second fact is, and I see most of you, and I do this because people always beat themselves up on their sins and all the different things, and I don't feel worthy. Why don't you feel worthy? Was Christ not enough for you? Well, it's such an awesome gift that it's sometimes difficult to comprehend. But our usual thing is, I'm not worthy. I need to do something. Climbing my knees up to the mountaintop. Why don't you feel worthy?

What has he said in John 17? I've given you this intimacy. I've given you all this stuff. I've given all these things to you. Christ died on the cross. So we'd have these 34, 216 things. But you need to do a little bit more. The other is, you know, sins. I sinned today.

I remember, I love you. One time you said you like stealing your neighbor's newspaper. I love that. I wondered about that. You know, Is God done with that sin? Or is he? He's holding that stolen newspaper. But you see he gave us that brain. He gave us the brain that makes us think that. What the heck did he do that for? That's true, isn't it? That's a good question. And my response is, did he know that? Yeah.

So did he make a mistake? He didn't know, that's why we had the flood. Did he make a mistake? No, because he knew ahead of time what we were going to be. So therefore, why did he give us the type of brain that we do have now? That's ridiculous. He doesn't want robots. That I think is number one. I think the biggest issue right here and about 10 minutes ago Monique said, I want to live by faith. Yes.

So what's the focus of your faith? Is the focus of your faith my behavior patterns? Or is it what the Word of God says is true of me? If I want to live by experience, I'm going to be defeated every single day, every single minute. If I live by what God tells me, which is where my faith comes in, then I live above the circumstances.

You have to understand this identification. That's why I said I just wish everybody was here and really starts to understand that separation between an old man and who we are in Christ. Because once you understand that, you can begin to enter into grace.

And grace is what? The unmerited, unlimited blessings. It's that unmerited part that drives people crazy. What we try and do, and we laugh about this because we teach grace and then we go out and we have a meeting, we talk, we go out and have a lunch meeting. Oh, I bought my lunch last week, so I'll buy it this week. What's wrong with that, Under Grace? He should buy all the time. What's wrong with that, Under Grace?

It's not a quid pro quo. If I do this, then I get that. Or since you did, it's not an if-then. It's a just-is. Perfect. You invite us over to your house for dinner. Okay, let me use somebody else. You know, what is it? Our first inclination. If you invite me over, what's the first thing you want to do? Reciprocate! Who's doing that?

We're trained, because in the world, the Adamic fleshly world, if I do this, I've got to repay you. Is there any repayment in grace? None. So, that's why, like I said, the foundational thing is separation, this identification and separation, because the only person who wants to do anything is the old edemic nature. So when you get that inkling to pay back God, or you don't feel worthy, who's the one not feeling worthy? It's the old man. Oh, I've got to do something. Isn't that good for the old man to not feel worthy? No, because he'll make you do something. Because what is your inclination? I've got to do something. That's true.

Under grace. Does a new man, positionally, we just said we're seated in Christ, in the heavenlies, next to the Father, in the Son. What do I have to do to make a better position in my new creation? Nothing. Nothing. Accept it. That's grace. Accept it. Thank you. When we get into grace, That's all you can do in grace is say thank you. Because it's nothing to repay. If it's repayment, it's not grace. But how does that change your life? Completely.

If I rest in who I am, if I rest in, I have more, you know, from mine, as I understand these truths more, I can only, you know, say this from my personal, what the Holy Spirit's working in me. As I rest more in the fact that who I am I don't worry about things. My ups and downs are, you know, if you understand he's sovereignly in control, he loves you, all the things I just went through, if you have a trial, if I have a trial, you know, we, we lost, uh, uh, Ava lost the diamond in her ring the other day, you know, and it was like, yeah, it was sentimental. You know, I keep thinking, you know, these rings have been around us for everything we've done for 33 years, but I was complete peace.

It was like, yeah, That's a worldly thing. And did God know about that? Absolutely. It wasn't a mystery. Rested. We prayed about it the other night. We were at a Bible study. We prayed about it. Get this, we drive home. I park in the exact same position. She gets out of the door, looks down, and the diamond's in the driveway. Right below our feet.

God didn't have to answer that way, but he did. And I would have rested either way. But if you begin to understand he's sovereignly in control, he loves you, when anything happens to you, do you get the Job and I'm going to tell you what I think and how you should have done this? No. He's in control. You rest in that. You rest in who you are.

You know you have this intimacy. I like the intimacy that I talk to God all the time and not in very flowery language. Did I go to my dad and say, oh sir, May I come and talk to you today and I'm going to put it in a ring binder and I'm going to explain the 14 things that I would like from you today dad. No, I have an intimacy that I talk to him on the drive and I do, it's an intimacy and as you do that, as you know him, that's who you are. And you operate from a position of rest, not from a position of work and strain and struggle.

It gives you freedom. Total freedom. That's where Paul says, the liberties we have now, it's phenomenal. Well, you know, we have that. We have the grace and we believe in it all. But sometimes... It's that butt right there. Yeah, your humanoid kicks in and So what do you believe in then? The world, or what he said? That's what I mean, you kind of slip off. But that's, as you trust in the facts, know, trust in these facts, what he's told you. Okay, 24-7 you... As you trust them more and more, it becomes, you realize who you are. Don't doubt what, you know, you see, you and I get in this politics, and when you see all this politics, bro, you get all wound up, and it doesn't mean anything.

Does God know who's going to be the next president? Absolutely. Does He know who's going to be my congressman? Absolutely. Is it my choice? I can vote and it's my privilege He's given me, but it doesn't mean anything. He knows who's going to be there. So turn your eyes away from the circumstances and on the person. And as you do that, as you get that intimacy with them, all this stuff, you see who you are. Don't worry about this.

I think sometimes we forget that along with our position in Christ before the Father is that we are indwelt by the Spirit of God, which is the third person of the Trinity. And it's his job to remind us of the things that we've learned. So you're going along and here comes this issue, and we think it's Spirit of God who will remind you, make you aware of the circumstance and say to you, hey look, this is A and B, you know, where are we here? You're a son, you're who the Word of God says you are.

At that point you exercise faith in that. You don't have to have a memory bank or a hard drive wired to your brain so that you always remember the right verse. That's what you have the Spirit of God for. course. That's the whole deal, is that you know and you rest in him. You know, as you said, like a trial comes. That's what I love.

I always have had James 1, a strange one. It's, Consider all joy, my brethren, when ye encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So when trials come, As I said at the beginning, just start putting all these pieces together and it's amazing.

He gave you that trial, in love, what? To show you, don't depend on yourself, depend on me. Who are you in Christ? Those are the trials. Are you dependent on yourself or on the Holy Spirit? So what? You may be perfect and complete. Perfect. That's where we're placed. That's positionally where we are.

I think there was an earlier question about why is it so hard to believe stuff. And I think one of the things is, since Jesus came to talk to the lost sheep of Israel, like you'll read a scripture that says, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and you don't do what I tell you to do. You know, if we sin, then there's this cloud, and fellowship goes away, that sort of thing. And so, it seems like there's this like, binary switch, where you're okay with God, then you're not, and if you confess your sins, then Satan will just forgive you.

So, do you understand what I'm saying? Yeah, this is, I think, the walking the flesh, walking the spirit. You know, am I focused on him or am I focused on the world, myself, and flesh? Which am I walking in? And remember the first down 1-9 one, remember that. That's just agreeing with what, it's not, all of our sins have been taken care of. This is just saying, that 1-9 is just saying, I agree with you, God.

I'm not acting like who I am in Christ. Who I am in Christ. I shouldn't be doing that. You've told me I'm this way, and I'm going right when I should be going left. That if I focus all my attention on the word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, then I won't live up to the responsibilities I have as a human being. And then God is really going to be mad when I don't. Or the second of that is apathy. I'm going to go in a room and just contemplate the Lord. care of my family because I'm preoccupied with Christ.

Has he put you in this position? Does he know where you are? Does he know that you're a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a mom, a dad? Does he know that? What is that saying? He's so heavily minded that he's no earthly good. That's a great saying. But it's knowing him. It's like I said, I don't have to think about breathing.

I go to, did Christ get up this week? Do we see in the scriptures that he said, I'm going to get up today and I'm going to get my checklist. I'm going to do it. Father's will today is A, B, C, D, and E. I'm going to check with the father. I'm going to have my refrigerator list today of six things that I'm going to do for the father today.

Is that what he did? You see that in scripture? What did he do? Just lived. just lived. Who he was, that was who he was. He did the Father's will because of who he was. Same with us. If we know who we are in Christ, it's not a refrigerator list. It's like breathing. I do it because that's who I am in Christ. How do you know who you are in Christ? Because you see who he is in the scripture. You know who he is. As you know him and you rest in him, you're like him.

That's that conformity. It's not an imitation. It's this transforming the 2 Corinthians 3 18th, the favorite verse. Like the Ten Commandments. We don't need them in front of us because we automatically do. We should have the Ten Commandments as far away from us as possible. Because we automatically do that. That's what the old man wants. That's absolutely what the old man wants. And I love when we get into these arguments.

We should have the Ten Commandments in every place. No we shouldn't. I mean it's It's putting us back under law. And there's so many scriptures that say we're not under law, we're under what? Grace. Get out from it. The only guy who wants to be under a law and do things is Adam. Because I do something and I get something. I do something and I get something.

Does Jesus sometimes repeat what some of the things in the Old Testament say? And you know, I think there's a Corinthians verse, and I can't remember exactly the reference, but it says the law was a tutor. Yeah. To what? To Christ. To Christ. And everybody quotes that and says, that's the law. The law was the tutor. The point is to Christ. What does the next verse say? They always omit that. What does the next verse say? The tutor was no longer needed. Bingo. The law is no Christ is here. What was the tutor? The law. That was only if you were a Jew. But the law was to point us to Christ. To show we needed Christ. The law was so sin would what?

Go away? Abound. Abound. How do you like that one? Read those scriptures. The law was here so sin would abound. Wait a minute. I thought laws were the regulator. That's that valve that shuts off the sin. Read the scriptures. Laws were so sin-ward about to identify you and all those, all the things in Adam. Can I quote Matthew 13? shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, with all thy mind. This is a first and great commandment. And the second is, Thou shalt love thy neighbors thyself.

And who's that to? I think he was talking to the Pharisees and the Apostles. Yeah, you know, I think that's a principle, not a commandment. It's a logical, and I don't know if that, is that to the It's not us. It's not putting us under the law. That was the commandment. A law that you cause and effect. Because how could you love your neighbor if he's a beast? But you're supposed to love him based on loving yourself. Exactly. Because, you know, who are you showing if he's a turkey?

You know, I go to this in a husband or wife. Let's make it really personal. When you look at the Ephesians passages on husbands, do this. Wives, be submissive or to be under. It's really respect to be under the teaching of. Does that say, husbands, do all this if your wife is submitting? husband's doing this. Is that what it says in there? That creepy neighbor that's just a...

Do I love him? No, he's a turkey. Are you supposed to love him? Answer? It's difficult. I can't pry that word out of you. You've got to start looking at who you are in Christ. Okay, let's just say... Okay, look at what's happening in Syria. Am I going to now love this leader? Should you? No. Does God love him? Well, I don't understand how he could, killing all those people. Does he know that? Did God allow that? So, I don't know why he lets it. Did he allow it? Yeah, I guess.

Do you consider yourself better than the leader in Syria? Yes. The raw material is the same. The raw material, who you are in Adam is exactly the same as him, as Hitler, as Jeffrey Dahmer, as any of the nasty uglies that you want to do that you think you're better than. Yeah. You're not. Romans 5 says that while we were yet unworthy, Christ died for the ungodly. Yeah.

You know, you're to love, you're not to approve of what he does, Not because we're better. Yeah, not because we're better. How does he see you and Adam and the leader of Syria or Osama bin Laden when he was alive, any of those? He sees you and Adam just the same. If you're in Christ, he sees you in Christ. But we can hate the devil, can't we?

Yeah. Sure. Yeah. But I always go to the, and I want to read this before, We've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, This was one, and this is... We have to finish A before we go to 9. What? We have to finish A before we go to 9. Okay, okay. Alright, alright. We'll debate that next week.

But this one is, you know, in the spiritual anthologies position papers, this was really good. And this was a lighter one than the one I was going to say. My quote, I was told when I found one of these, and I said, yeah, it's like shoving meat. Don't shove too much down. But this is one that Miles wrote. It said a lot of what, thinking about and what we've been studying. This is Rest in Your Residency. There is no time, and this was Miles actually. He quotes a lot of Brethren, a lot of different things, but this was Miles.

There is no time like the present for you to begin resting in your Father's presence. He sees you there in his beloved Son. It is a simple scriptural matter of seeing yourself there, quote, in full assurance of faith. You are there in glory before the Father, not in the flesh, not in the body, but in spirit as a new creation in Christ Jesus. This is not a time to visualize or even verbalize, and certainly not to fantasize. It is the time, by faith in the facts, to actualize. It is a time to rest in your residency, to personalize your position. The Father has seen you before his face ever since the day you were saved. Can you believe that?

In eternity past, he chose you for that position, according as he has chosen us in him, Christ, before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1.4.

As you by faith in the positional facts realize that you are in the Father's presence, you will not try to depend upon any sense of his presence. Adulthood supersedes childhood. Now you know his presence because you know that your position in the Christian life is a life of faith in the facts, nothing else. Thus, the Father enables you to live by faith so as to draw you into His presence, not you by a sense seeking to draw Him into yours. Great thought.

Fellowship between you and the Father involves oneness, a commonality. As you in faith occupy your position, you find yourself not only in His presence, but in His life and nature, the human divine newness of life of your rebirth. You are there in full acceptance of His beloved Son, and that is what you are. beloved of God. We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Your blessed responsibility and privilege for now is to quietly sit where you have been seated by the Father, and that is in His presence. You have no other place. This world is certainly not your home.

The Father, quote, has raised us up together and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2, 6. You occupy and abide in your position by faith. You will begin to experience the resultant fellowship as the Holy Scripture prepares you, 2 Corinthians 3, 18. As you rest, abiding above in your source, in Christ, who is our life, Colossians 3, 4, you will have a new appreciation of a sound doctrinal foundation and superstructure. Without regeneration, of course, you would not be authority, you would not be sure of where you are, and without acceptance you would not be able to rest where you are. Further, without knowledge of your identification with the Lord Jesus in his death and sin and life unto God, you would not even know your position before the Father, nor of your privilege to abide there in his Son.

And these same truths assure you that you have been freed from the old man by death and made a new man in the new man thereby being made fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. The basis upon which the Holy Spirit carries on the subjective work in you is the objective truth of your eternal completeness in the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified, buried, risen and ascended.

As J.B. Stoney stated, When I look at this place, he is not here. When I look at myself naturally, I am not fit for him. How happy then to know that I belong to the place where he is and that through grace I have been made suited to him in that new position so that I may set my mind and affection there as a place where my deepest joys are realized. Good stuff.

All right, let's close. Heavenly Father, we thank you just for the intimacy that we do have with you. We rest in the fact that you're in control of all things. Father, you are sovereignly in control. We rest in that fact. We thank you in the trials, the blessings, all because of your love. They're all done out of love. What? To draw us nearer to you, to see that dependency we have on you, to see that position we have in you.

Father, we just thank you again for who you are and what you do moment by moment in our lives. Father, we just uplift Fern as he gives the message and just pray that we'll prepare our hearts to receive it. Father, we do all these things in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus.