 Amen. All right, keep your place in Romans chapter eight. Now, if you're wondering how in the world I'm going to get through all Romans chapter eight and one sermon, I was wondering the same thing about Tuesday when I had a sermon that was close to probably four hours long. So what we're going to do this morning is we're going to break this thing up a little bit. I'm going to spend tonight and next week in Romans chapter eight. And I'm going to just preach on three verses in Romans chapter eight tonight because I was the thing with Romans chapter eight is there's so many great doctrines in this one chapter. And I didn't want to preach a sermon where I would just skim over each one. And of course, I want to be able to explain everything biblically. So tonight what I want to do is I want to look at Romans chapter eight verses 28 through 30. And these are verses that are it's a great set of verses in the Bible, but it's used for a lot of heresy by a lot of Calvinists out there today. And what I want to do is I want to explain these three verses in the sermon tonight. And another unique thing that we're going to do tonight is we're going to use logic and reason to explain these three verses. And it's funny because a couple of weeks ago, the guys were talking in a circle and this topic came up on what I'm going to talk about tonight. And so what I want to do is I want you to just completely clear your minds on what you think you know about the book of life. I want you to just start with a blank slate. And what I want to do is I want to explain Romans 8 28 29 and 30 using the book of life. Okay, so we're going to do a study tonight on what is the book of life and how does it help us understand these three verses. So let's first reread these three verses. And in Romans 8 28, the Bible says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose for whom he did for know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren, moreover whom he did predestinate. There we see that word again, them he also called in whom he called them he also justified in whom he justified them he also glorified predestination. The term predestination make means to make firm beforehand. There's this doctrine out there that teaches that God has predestinated everyone on on earth, everyone in history before they were even born. God has chosen, you don't get saved by the way the Bible says you get saved, you get saved because God chose you before everything began. Okay, so what I want to do is I want to explain this using the book of life. And here I have a quote. First of all, don't read Bible commentary. Because it is, unless it is by a pastor that you know and trust, but then that's not Bible commentary, that's preaching. Right? But I want to read for you, I went and I looked for some Bible commentary on these three verses and I found some really good stuff here. Now there's this website called Got Questions. How many of you ever heard of Got Questions? It's a very dangerous website because it seems like it's kind of like Baptist sort of. You'll see a lot of answers that are close to what we believe. But I want to read for you what Got Questions explains about Romans 8, 29, and 30 in the Bible, not the Bible. The Got Questions answer is this, if God is choosing who is saved, doesn't that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? So far so good. Somehow in the mystery of God he continues, predestination works hand in hand with a person being drawn by God and believing unto salvation. God predestines who will be saved and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. That should raise some red flags, that statement in your mind right there. And then he says, oh the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out. Now that's a misquote of Romans 11 using the NIV. Okay, Romans 11, 33. So that's another red flag. So here's a couple Bible reading tips, Bible studying tips for you and I've already given you one of these tips. But when you read that, when you read his God predestinates who will be saved and we must choose Christ and then he explains it by saying we just can't understand the mystery of God, he says. Okay, you must say no when you see things like that. The Bible study tips I want to give for you tonight is first of all, whenever you have a verse that contradicts the way you're thinking about it or interpreting it, contradicts clear Scripture, you are interpreting it wrong. That's the first tip and you've heard this tip before. The second tip is this. It's a red flag when something is illogical to you because God gave you your logic. God gave you your common sense. So when somebody says things that you know you have free will and you don't have free will and those things are both true, you must say no. There's something wrong here. Okay? And this is the same for all heresy. All heresy will lead you to this point where there's this, you have free will and you don't at the same time and it's the beauty of the mystery of God. No, you have no idea what you're reading in the Bible because you're not saved. Is the answer. And I'm going to show you tonight and if you're confused by those three verses, I'm going to show you what we're going to do is we're going to do this study. We're going to look at the book of life in the Bible and then we're going to read those three verses again and they're going to make perfect sense to you. Just because you don't understand, you know, a verse doesn't, you know, but teaching a heresy out of that verse and applying that verse to a heresy is a completely different thing. Okay? So first of all, just just blank slate your mind right now. Let's just look at what the Bible, especially we'll start out in the New Testament says on the book of life. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. So there's this book and it's not the Bible, but the Bible talks about it several times. There's this book called the book of life. It's mainly called the book of life. You'll see in the Old Testament, it's called a little bit different, but we can, you know, deduce that it is the book of life that they're talking about. So in Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians verse 4, look at verse number one and we'll read a couple of verses beforehand just to make sure we're getting the context. Therefore my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Udius and beseech Sintitci that they be of the same mind in the Lord and I entreat the also true yoke fellow. Help those women which labored with me in the gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. Okay. Next. So here we see, what do we see here in 1 Thessalonians 4? Hang on, let me turn there. Yeah, it was Philippians 4, that's where I'm going. So it was Philippians 4 and verse 3. Sorry about that. So we see that the saved are in the book of life. Okay. He says, my fellow laborers. So we see that the saved are in the book of life. In this book we have saved people, the fellow laborers with Paul. Okay. Now turn to Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3. We're going to start reading in verse number one. And the Bible says this in verse number one, Revelation 3. And unto the angel of the church and sardis write, These things sayeth he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou hast to name that thou livest and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. For I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore, how thou hast hath received and heard and hold fast and repent. And thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in sardis which have not defiled their garments. And they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy. He that over cometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. But I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. So here we see someone is blotted out of the book of life. So we have the book of life that has saved people's names in it. And then we see the book of life that has names in it that God has blotted out. Okay. Now turn to Revelation chapter 13. Revelation chapter 13 and look down at verse number seven. Verse number seven. And the Bible says this. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints. This is the Antichrist at the end times. And to overcome them. And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So here we see people's names that are not in the book of life and people that are still alive. Okay. People that are still living physically on the earth that don't have their names in the book of life. Okay. Those that worship the beast in this case. Now turn to Revelation 17. I also want to point out keep just go back to Revelation 13 and look at the end of verse number eight where it says from the foundation of the world. Okay. So the book of the life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Meaning the beginning before everything was made. Before any of us were even here. Revelation 17. Let's look at the next reference of the book of life. And the Bible says in verse number six. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me where wherefore did thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carryeth her which have the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was and is not again the antichrist and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. So we see again this phrase from the foundation of the world. So the verse before said that Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world. This says that the book of life was from the foundation of the world. Okay. So the book of life was from the foundation of the world. When they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. Revelation chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20. Look at verse number 14. All you soul winners know this well. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So here we learn that if you are not in there after the first death you're going to go to hell. So this book is pretty important. You want to be in there before you die or that's the first death or you're going to get the second death basically is what this says. So we know that there's saved people in there. We know that people are removed from there. We already have a problem there, don't we? We know that the book was written from the foundation of the world. And we know that if your name is not in there after you die physically you're going to go to hell. That's what we know so far. Turn to Revelation 21. It's nice how the Bible fills in all the gaps for us. I'm a little confused right now but I don't think I'm going to be confused for much longer. Look at Revelation 21 and verse number 22. The Bible says, And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God and Almighty and Lamb are the temple of it and the city had no need of the sun. This is the New Jerusalem. Neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved, remember that phrase, shall walk in the light of it and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into anything that defileeth neither whatsoever work at the abomination or makeeth a lie, but but what, but who's going to be there then? But they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Again the saved are in the Lamb's book of life and they're in there after they die. Okay? Revelation 22 in verse number 18 the Bible says, For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man, any man, any man, any man, any man shall take away from the words of the prophecy of this book, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book, the Bible. So he just talked about two books there, the book of life and the Bible. So here we see any man can do something to get his name out of the book of life. Any man, the Bible says that if any man takes away from the words that God wrote in the Bible that he will take his name, he will take away his part out of the book of life. So let's recap. Okay? Let's recap. That was a lot of Bible reading. Let's recap. Well, no, first, let's go to the, let's look at Old Testament because the Old Testament talks about this, turn to Psalm, Psalm 69. The Old Testament talks about the book of life as well. In Psalm 69 verse 28, Psalm 69 verse 28 in the Bible reads, Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous. Sound familiar? David is praying, the Psalmist is praying that these people would be, that God would blot these people out of the book of the living, the book of life. Exodus 32 and verse 32, you don't have to turn there. I'll just read it for you. After Moses came down and he saw that the people had made the golden calf. He was, he was lamenting and he was, he was trying to intercede to God for these people. And he said, Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written. Moses is like, Hey, if you're not going to forgive them, just, just, just blot me out. He's like, Oh, blot me out of the book of life. Well, you're like, Well, Moses was saved. Well, did God blot Moses out of the book of life? No. Right. Moses was just constantly advocating for the children of Israel. He was a great leader. And to the point where he said, God, you know, just take it out on me is what he was saying. But he references the book that has these names in it that God blots people out of. Daniel 12 and verse one. Daniel says, And at that time, shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time, the people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. People's names in this book again. So let's go and let's look at the what we've learned. So we know that in Philippians four, three, I don't know why I had first Thessalonians written there, that the saved are in the book of life. Paul calls them my fellow laborers. Right. It's the saved. We know that names can be blotted out. And we know that I'm not going to preach on eternal security tonight. But eternal security is very clear in the Bible, even in Romans chapter eight, that if you're saved, you can't be blotted out. So we know that there's saved people in the book of life. And there's also these other people in there that God blots out. We know that some people who are physically living don't have their names in there. People who have not died yet. If your name is not in there after the first death, we know that you're going to go to hell. Right. And then again, I mean, we've seen several verses on those who are saved being in the book of life. And then we know that any man can have his name taken out of the book of life. Of course, if you're saved, you can't. So, you know, you could have these people that ask all these questions, what if you're saved and you blaspheme the Holy Ghost? Well, we're not going to go there because, you know, those are those ridiculous questions. Okay. No man who's saved is going to take the mark of the beast is going to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. I don't even believe that's possible today. And thirdly, no man who's saved is going to change God's word. I mean, no one who is saved would do that. Okay. Now, what does this mean? Oh, and another thing we learned is that the book is from the foundation of the world. Turn to John 1.1. That's a hugely important, hugely important doctrine here. John 1.1, the Bible says, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. So, the Bible, the word of God was written before the world even began. God just happened to use men to write it down. And then he promises that he'll preserve it for us. Doesn't it make sense that if the word of God, who is Jesus Christ, by the way, the word became flesh and Jesus has always been, he was never created. Doesn't it make sense that if God had his word established, the word that he gave us, the Bible, that he would have already established the words, the names that he put into the book of life. You say, well, you make that assumption. Well, no, not really, because it said it's from the foundation of the world. But it makes perfect sense that the words in that book would be established from the foundation of the world, just like the word of God that is given to us, both in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ, from the foundation of the world. So here's the deal, folks. The book was already written. All God has is an eraser. And he uses it. So let me ask you this. If this unconditional election, this predestination, if this was true, did God make a mistake? Why would there be people in the book that are not saved? God wouldn't have to blot anybody out, because the book was written before any of us were here. It makes no sense. So this, this, you know, this unconditional election that God had made the decision on who was going to be saved and who is not going to be saved from the foundation of the world makes no sense when you look at the book of life or any other part of the Bible for that matter. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter 2. I mean, you certainly couldn't believe in eternal security and predestination. Because look, perseverance of the saints, the P in tulip is not eternal security. They may tell you it is, but it's not. Perseverance of the saints is availed lordship salvation. That's all it is. That's why the Calvinists, that's why the Puritans, the Calvinists, when they died, they were scared to death on their deathbed. Because they believe in the perseverance of the saints, which was really lordship salvation, meaning they never really knew if they were one of the chosen. They believed that God chose people, but it depended. You will do the works. See, if you're saved, you will do the works. And they knew all they looked back when they were dying. They looked back on their life and they saw sin in their life. And they're like, man, did I really persevere? Am I really one of the chosen? Well, no, you're not. It is the reality of it. It's lordship salvation under a different name. But if you read Bible commentary, they will say, you will even hear them say, once saved, always saved in certain places. It is not once saved, always saved. It is veiled works, period. And it's sneaky. And this is one of the reasons that you will find people that are so wrapped around the axle that they will never get saved. It's sickening. Where'd I have you go? First Timothy chapter 2. Why did we go there? Every, okay. Let's see what God says, okay? First Timothy chapter 2. Let's look at verse number 1. What everyone starts in there, it makes perfect sense with every other part of the Bible. When you have a stupid doctrine and then you read the Bible and you're like, I'm so confused on the Bible. I know, I used to be really confused on every part of the Bible, especially Romans. You have to question that doctrine. You have to. Look at first Timothy chapter 2 and verse number 1. I exhort thee therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved. I mean, what in the world? When it says he will have, it means it's his will that all men be saved. That's what it means in the King James Bible. It's God's will that all men would be saved. And you know what? The book of life is proof of that because he wrote everybody's names in there. Everybody had a chance. Everybody's names were in there, but God has an eraser. It's more like whiteout. John 3.16, whosoever believe in him should not perish. I mean, we could go on and on and on and on. Whosoever, all men. I mean, the beauty of it is in chapter 4 of 2 Timothy chapter 2, who will have God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved. I mean, the L in the stupid tulip thing is limited atonement that Jesus just, he didn't die for everybody. I mean, what? All men, whosoever believe in him. Look, if predestination meant God only chose certain people from the foundation of the world, it would not be necessary to remove anybody unless he made a mistake. You know, I mean, look folks, I mean, I didn't even really grow up. I mean, Lutheranism is kind of like pseudo Calvinism, but I didn't even really grow up around many Calvinists. But man, you read into this stuff. It is very difficult for me to believe that someone could be a Calvinist and be saved. Very difficult for me. I cannot, I can't logically wrap my head around it. Because from the very beginning of the tulip, the T is total depravity. And that's where they go with unlimited or unconditional election because you're so bad. You're just all evil, all bad, that you could never on your own, you know, choose God is the way they would put it. Because you're so bad. But you know what? There's people who are physically alive who don't have their names in the book of life. I mean, that is the reprobate doctrine right there. I mean, it all makes perfect sense. But the problem with this Calvinism is they just, from the very first letter, you're down these rabbit holes that confuse you on what real actual salvation is. You know, unconditional election, you know, the U is that God just simply chooses. And if the Bible said that, you know what? I'd believe it. Because you know, I don't need God to be fair in the Bible. I don't need it to agree with, you know, what I think should be. Of course, I kind of have this Holy Spirit in me and I do agree with everything in the Bible. But the point is that I've said many times from the pulpit that if the Bible says it, even if the culture you were raised in disagreed with it, because guess what? When I first became a Baptist, there were some things that I had a hard time with. But then I read the Bible and I'm like, it does say that. I accept it because it's in the Bible. It's true. But this, you know, it's not in the Bible. They use John 15.5. I mean, it just shows you that they just don't even know. They're totally confused. John 15.5 says, turn there. They use it to justify unconditional election. I can't even understand what they're saying. The Bible says in John 15.5, I am divine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing. What in the world? Abide in Jesus, and you'll bring forth fruit, come soul-winning, and you'll bring forth fruit. I mean, this is a big deal. There's a lot of people wrapped up in this stuff. All right, now let's read Romans 8.28-29. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. And we'll talk about the calling of God here in a minute. For whom He did foreknow. I'm going to read for you Jeremiah 1.5. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. And before thou came as forethought of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Look up, just do a Bible study on your own about God knowing your name, and God knowing who you are. John 10.3 says, to him the porter opeth, and the sheep, the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth him out. Look, God has chosen everyone is really what it boils down to. I mean, think about it. It matches up with baptism, that I was alive once without the law. God has chosen everyone. If you choose, you know, to, you know, and not everyone's a reprobate, by the way. You know, so don't go overboard on that one. I mean, it's, it's pretty bad out there, but not everyone is a reprobate. You know, the Bible, you can, you can miss it. If you, you get to total depravity and you've already gone off a left turn. All right, continuing. Where were we at in verse 29? Verse 29, for whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. Guess what? That one's not even talking about salvation. I mean, if you're saved today, you're predestinated to be conformed into the image of Jesus. That's what God wants for you. God wants you to be conformed to be sanctified throughout your life into the image of Jesus. And that will never be perfected until we're all risen again. That he might, and then it explains it right after this. I just love this. To be conformed to the image of his son, why? What's the point? I'm saved. Why, why be conformed? It's more fun just to be a loser. To be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. The example of your life should lead others to salvation. So you can be the first born among many brethren. So you can go get a bunch of people saved, just like God told you to do, go preach the gospel to the world, be an example to people in your life that they may come to the knowledge of the truth. And you can get other people saved. You can't lose your salvation, but you can cause other people to stumble and never get saved. It's possible. Plenty of examples of the Bible of that. Plenty of men of God in the Bible who just, the next generation was just a bunch of wicked people. Plenty of people. Plenty of people I could think about in our own day and age. Great, great men of God. Next generation. Nope. There's no guarantee. So be conformed to the image of his son, that he may be the first born among many brethren. Verse number 30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Look, this is proof right here, them he also called, because this is talking about salvation. This is proof of first Timothy chapter two. This is proof right here that God wants all men to be saved. That God's will is that all men would be saved. Because he's calling. You know, I know there's a lot of talk even amongst pastors about the calling of God and all that kind of stuff. But look, God's will is that if you're unsaved, the calling that God is doing to you or towards you is that you would get saved. That is the calling. And I've seen it. I know I've gone up to the door and I've met people who are just like, you know what, I've been looking for the truth. For some reason I've just been, I've just been, I want to find the truth. And you know what, that right there is the one thing that I love trends. I love, I love identifying trends in a way, I've made a career out of it. And I was, you know, when we moved to California, you know, you go to a church and everybody's a little bit different. Everybody raises their kids a little bit different. Everybody has a little bit different views on this or that. You know, we all agree on the Bible. But I'm just like, you know what, because I've met many saved people who just aren't interested in coming in a Bible believing church, coming to a Bible believing church. They're not interested in changing their life. They're not interested in getting sold out for Christ. They're not interested in that. You show them, you know, hard Bible preaching and they just, it just doesn't resonate with them. I mean, you know what I'm talking about. You met these people. They're saved. But it doesn't resonate with them. And I'm like, what in the world do all these people have in common? There must be one thing that these people have in common. And the one thing that I have found that people like us, people like Verdi Baptist Sacramento, I'm sure it's the same in the other is that at some point in their life, they were all looking for the truth, irregardless of what they believed themselves. At every single one of those people you will find that in their life, in my own life, they just got to a point where they're just like, you know what, I don't even care what I believe. I just want to know what's true. That's the trend. And you know what that is? That's answering that calling because you're taking your pride and you're putting it aside because your pride, it plugs your ears. See? Your pride plugs your ears. How many times did Jesus say those that have ears to hear, let them hear? What do you think he was talking about? Jesus was literally speaking the word of God to everybody. And he's sitting there saying those that have the ears to hear, let them hear. Because some people, whether it be pride in their own beliefs, whether it be pride in whatever else, stupid pride in the tulip flower or whatever, their ears are plugged. And they're not hearing that calling that God has for them. Because you know what? They're in the book of life at one point. At one point, Ted Bundy was in the book of life. That's why at the end of the documentary, Psychopath Reprobates, you know, you'll hear Pastor Jimenez saying, you know what, maybe somebody should have walked up to little Ted Bundy when he was riding his bike, when he was 11 or 12 years old and given him the gospel. Before some wicked people got a hold of him and he fell into this wicked life that started searing his heart and plugging his ears and then searing his heart more to the point where when that key came out to go in to that heart, it just didn't fit anymore. See? But at one point, he was in there. I mean, it's the only thing that makes any sense, folks. Look, Romans 10.17 says, then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You hear the call. Look, I mean, the calling, I mean, I've heard stories like, oh, I was called to preach and I was knocked down on the ground and all this kind of stuff and that's what I was called to preach. And you know, the calling for me, and maybe it's different than other people, it was not an audible voice. God didn't talk to me audibly. You're like, whew. But it was just, you know, it was just, you know, you get saved. You answer that call and then you open your heart to do what you're supposed to be doing. You answer that call and then, you know, you just, you kind of get a burden is kind of what happened to me. Like, you know, you should be doing more and then you pray about it because I mean, the last thing I wanted to do is do something God didn't want me to do. And you know, God doesn't speak to me audibly ever. But you pray about it and just say, God, whatever you want. And then, you know, you just kind of follow that burden, you know. And that's how it happened for me. Maybe it happens different for other people. But, you know, that's the calling. That's the calling. So, I mean, I believe that. I mean, I don't believe you should go into the ministry if you just have no desire to be in the ministry. You know, the Bible says, if a man desires the office of the bishop, he desires a good work, you know. And God gives you that desire. So, if you're saved, you're being called to good works, okay. That's the call. Whether or not you listen is up to you. And you can plug your ears. Even after you're saved, you can plug your ears. You know, those that have ears to hear, let them, let them, let them hear. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. We'll end here. I just want to bring you back. I want to bring you back to, I guess I have two more points here. I just thought of something. I want to bring you back to something here. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and look at, look at verse number three. And look what Paul says. And he fears for these people. What could he say as he says, but I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Look, salvation is the simplest doctrine in the Bible. It's simple and it makes perfect sense why it would be simple. Because God, it's his will that all would be saved. And some people are simple. And you'll find that the simpler people are, the easier they are to get saved. Because their ears are open and their heart, you know, is hopefully not seared. But I mean, you'll find that people that just aren't puffed up with all this pride or the easiest people to get saved is what you'll find. So when you find people complicating salvation or complicating simple doctrines in the Bible, especially the simplicity that is in Christ, just you got to get out, you got to run. You got to get out of there. It doesn't make it, you know, the simplicity that is in Christ is that hard to understand. I mean, these, I actually had to go back. This is how bad it is. I actually had to go back and re-review what the Lutheran church, Missouri Synod taught, or taught on salvation. Because it was so complicated, I couldn't even remember it. It's, it's pseudo, I'm not even going to go there. But the point is that this sermon, I was like, yeah, this sounds a lot like this. I had to go back and review it. Because I'm like, oh, yeah, I remember that. Yeah. And then that and God chooses you and, oh, but this and that. It doesn't make any sense. It didn't back then either. Yeah. See? Look, turn to Acts 16. Turn to Acts 16. We'll end here. And this is, you know, you know what's great about Acts 16? Just the Bible in general. I don't know how many times I've read Acts 16 to people. I don't know. Maybe thousands of times. But you know what? These, these verses in the Bible, you can learn something new from these verses. And look at Acts 16. First of all, first point on Acts 16, verse 30. This is the Philippian jailer. The, the disciples who just got thrown in prison, they got beaten half to death. They're singing and praising, you know, he wants to know how to get saved. So he asked him, he says, and brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. They didn't say, okay, here's the acronym. And it's this, and it's this, and it's this, and how do you have a couple hours? You know, and a PhD or whatever. But look what else he says. Look, it's just believe. That's it. We can just read. I mean, just believe. But look what he says then. And thy house. Okay. Let's read a couple more verses just for fun. Thou shalt believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house. They all must have been chosen from the beginning of the world. What are the odds of that? Seriously. There's all these people in his house and every single one of them were the chosen ones. Pretty good odds, right? I mean, I mean, we know even a Calvinist, look, seriously, no, let's let's let's break down the numbers. Even a Calvinist would say that most people aren't going to heaven, right? Brother Stuckin, I argue it's either 99 or 98. No, he's a pessimist. I'm an optimist. I think it's 98% of people. I'm probably wrong. But the point is, there's very few people that are saved. One or two percent of people here, I don't even know what it's like in your other parts of the world. It's probably worse. But here's the point. If one or two percent of people are saved, what are the odds that every single one of the people in that house, say there was 10 people in that house, they're all part of that 1% that God chose from the beginning of the world? Are you kidding me? That's a miracle in itself. Let's keep reading, see what happens. Do they get saved? And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, that was the disciples, and was baptized. He and all his, they all got saved. It's a miracle. It makes no sense at all. I mean, you have to be just a willing fool. You know, hopefully there's a lot of people that just don't know, that just get, that are in this doctrine, that just have that moment where they just want to know what's true. Because if you believe in Calvinism and you read the Bible, you are one confused individual. I'll tell you that right now. Calvinist, read the book of Romans. You're going to be so confused throughout the whole book. So look, the Bible is an infinite book. I just, I just love it. I love how you can just, but God wants all to be saved. The book of life was written it from the foundation of the world. Everybody's names in it. Some people get blotted out before they're dead. Most people get blotted out after they die, that first death. Okay? So we got those three verses out of the way. We'll hit Romans chapter eight next week. All right? Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the book of Romans. We thank you for the Bible, Lord. And we thank you for the book of life. And we thank you for telling us about it. You know, you put these things in the Bible, Lord, so we can, we can study them. And, you know, it just, Lord, it just makes so much sense. Thank you for the, for the logic of your word and for the, the Holy Spirit that you've given us. So we can just, it's, it's so clear to us to understand these things, Lord. Lord, I pray that anybody that is wrapped up in these doctrines would just put their, put their pride aside and just, you know, have that moment in their life where they just want to know what's true. Where they want to just, you know, God just tell me what's true. And then, Lord, send them a soul winner. You know, bring more soul winners, Lord. Bring more soul winners to this church and, and send a soul winner to that person when they humble their heart. And we'll get, we'll get the gospel to them, Lord. We'll do everything we can. Lord, we thank you and we love you in Jesus' name. Amen.