 Today we're in 2 Thessalonians. We're gonna look at verses 13 through 17 in chapter two. And so let me begin reading at verse 13. I'll read to verse 17, give you an introduction, move right into our study. So in 2 Thessalonians, chapter two, verse 13, Paul writes, we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord. Because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth, to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now, may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. So as we begin here, let me give you a little bit of foundation, a reminder of some of the things he had said. But Paul is beginning this portion of his epistle by saying that he is obligated to give thanks for them. Now that's the second time he's made that statement in this letter. If you remember in chapter one, verse three, he said he was obligated to give thanks for them and he gave us three reasons why he was obligated, bound to give thanks for them. And when we looked at verse three, I pointed those things out. He had said that he's obligated to give thanks for them first because of their faith, that their faith was growing exceedingly. And secondly, he was obligated to give thanks because their love for one another was abounding. And then finally third, he said I'm obligated or bound to give thanks for you because you exhibit great patience in the face of your persecution. So he's already mentioned that to them at the beginning of the letter, but once again he returns to saying that he is obligated or bound to give thanks on their behalf. You see, he had already given thanks on their behalf because when people experience difficulties, many believers just basically turn away. The difficulties are too much for them to handle. Their faith runs dry, they walk away from the things of the Lord. But that is not true for this church. In the midst of the trials, they were continuing to exhibit faith, they were continuing to show love and continuing to have patience. That was something that moved him to thank God for them. But once again here in verse 13, he says he's obligated to give thanks for them. He's prompted to thank God because they believe the truth of the gospel. And in believing the truth of the gospel, they are not believing the lie. You see, in verse 10, he had said, with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. They did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And so that speaks of truth being offered to them, but them refusing to receive it. It was something they had no appetite for, they had no desire for. It was not desirable to them. And the reason they didn't wanna receive the truth is because they preferred the system of the world. They had no desire for the truth of the gospel. So the love of the truth was not something attractive to them. You see, the love of the truth isn't simply loving truth in general. When he said they wouldn't receive the love of the truth, he's saying they would not receive Jesus Christ, who is the truth. It wasn't speaking concerning general sympathy for ideas. It wasn't saying that they didn't have a philosophic desire to know the meaning of life. It wasn't saying that. What he is saying is that these people will receive anti-Christ because they do not love Jesus Christ, and that's why they'll receive the anti-Christ. They're gonna receive the anti-Christ because of his great swelling words. They're gonna believe the anti-Christ because of his works and the wonder that he will cause them to experience by the things he's doing insane. And he's saying the reason they're gonna accept the anti-Christ, and again, remember, he's writing to people who are going through persecution and affliction thinking that they're in the middle of or going through the tribulation. So he's saying, listen, I already shared with you and have shared with you that people will follow after the anti-Christ who will make himself known, but the reason they will follow him is because they were not lovers of truth and insane, they weren't lovers of truth, they weren't lovers of the gospel, they were rejecting Jesus who is the truth. So they refuse to listen to what Jesus taught. They're gonna reject him and they'll reject his words. In John chapter eight, verses 42 through 44, Jesus is speaking and it says that he said to them, if God were your father, you would love me for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own, but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. So there's no desire for truth, they had no love for Christ, they didn't wanna hear his message and he said the reason you don't is because you're rejecting me because you belong to someone else. So that reminds me of something that Isaiah wrote about. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah was writing under the prompting of the Spirit of God and during his day, people were receiving false teaching and were rejecting his message and what he had to say in his message was not something that they wanted to hear. So in light of this, the prophet Isaiah spoke a word against these people. Listen to what he said. In Isaiah 30, verses nine and 10, this is a rebellious people lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord, who say to the seers, do not see to the prophets, do not prophesy to us right things, speak to us smooth things, prophesy to seeds. When he says, speak to us smooth things, it's another way of saying flatter us, say something to us we want to hear. And so there was a rebelliousness in the children of Israel in the Old Testament that continues through history. In the time of Jeremiah, another Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah prophesied concerning the people's openness to deception and Jeremiah 23, 16 and 17, he said, thus saith the Lord of hosts, do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, they make you worthless. They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise me, the Lord has said, you shall have peace. And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, no evil shall come upon you. So he's warning them, he's saying, like Isaiah had said, he's saying, they're just asking people to say the things that they want to hear. And so that's what's gonna take place and that's what Paul has been outlining concerning the last days and the deception. He's saying in verse 11, instead of receiving truth, they will receive the lie. They're gonna embrace the lie, the lie that the Antichrist is Messiah. So instead of embracing Jesus, they voluntarily will embrace the false Messiah and the result will be the condemnation because they had pleasure, he says, in unrighteousness. In other words, they embrace unrighteousness. When it says they embrace unrighteousness, it speaks of Antichrist teaching and his claims. They're gonna embrace that and hold fast to that. So God permits strong delusion to occupy their minds so that some will believe the lie. In other words, they prefer false apostles and the heretical doctrines to the pure truths of the gospel. And being always ready to receive any false Messiah, they systematically reject the true one. In John 319, this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. But the Thessalonians embrace the gospel and Paul is bound to give thanks. In giving thanks, it's an encouragement that he's giving to them. It's interesting that when somebody comes and shares with you that if they open up a Bible and they speak with certainty and give their testimony about the truth of what they're saying to you that many young believers are very prone to receive what they're saying. And they'll say things that tickle our ears. They'll say things that we agree with. And so we have a tendency of saying, well, they opened up the Bible. They use the name of Jesus. They must be telling the truth. But what happens over time is this. Listen, if you get saved, you begin reading the Word of God. And as you're feeding your spirit, as you're going through the Word, you begin to learn things about God. At the same time, you're going to church. As you go to church, you receive Bible studies. So you hear the study, you go home, you make sure it is rightly divided. You do the best that you can to check on these things and hold fast to the things that are true. And you begin to grow. And as you're growing spiritually, you begin to develop discernment. And so when somebody says something, you start saying things within yourself like, that doesn't sound like anything I've read and that doesn't sound like anything I've been taught. And so you begin to realize that some things being said don't necessarily line up with what Scripture says. You're gaining discernment, you just aren't aware of it. You're growing to understand certain things, but you're not aware of how that's taking place. When I first got saved, for example, some people knocked on the door, began to share with me, I was a brand new Christian. And as they were speaking to me, I began to say to them, you know, I don't think I agree with what you're saying. But that doesn't sound familiar to anything that I've been taught. Because the Lord was already giving me through his word and by his spirit, a sense of discernment. And sometimes the people that you're speaking to are so attractive in so many ways, you don't really see through them. But as you're growing older in the Lord, you start seeing more clearly. You see that they're wearing a mask. Just the other day, my grandson, who is less than four years old, his name's David, what a great name. David, my David was at the house and his father, my son, had bought him some kind of little kit you can get at toy stores and things. And it's just like three or four different false mustaches. You guys have seen those. So you open it and then you can paste it on your face. And he came walking in where I was and he looks at me and he stands there with his mustache and I look down at him. And I say, who are you? And then he takes it off and oh, it's you, it's David. Then he puts it back on. Where'd David go? He puts it back on. We kept going for some time. The funny thing is, is the Holy Spirit began to minister to me and said, you know, that's kind of like false teachers. They walk in, they have a little disguise, but a lot of people look at them. But with discernment and quite obviously knowing the true Christ and a true prophet and what they would be saying, they can put the disguise on all day long. But the fact is they're just being disguised. They're just disguising themselves. And that's what happens. You gain discernment. You see that that's a phony mustache they're wearing. So I scared him, I pulled mine off. No, I didn't. And so what it is, is he's saying you didn't give in to the lie. You didn't move in that direction. You won't give in to the lie. True believers won't. And so as he's speaking concerning this, and he's already been speaking concerning those things. In verse 13, he continues by saying something to them in this way. He says, we are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren, beloved by the Lord. Because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth. So notice he says, brethren who are beloved by the Lord out of the abundance of his love, God had chosen them for himself. Whatever God does for the lost always finds its origin in his love for them. Salvation is not impersonal. God is not some other out there, some cosmic energy. Salvation is personal. And God's love for mankind is personal. In Jeremiah 31 verse three, the Lord has appeared of old to me saying, yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you. We all know John 3.16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God loved the world. And first John 4.19, we love him because he first loved us. And God's love is revealed through his grace and his mercy towards sinners. God demonstrated his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And this grace and this mercy is revealed in the gospel of truth. And first John 4.19, this is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. So salvation is not possible for those who refuse the love of the truth. And the truth is Jesus and is revealed in the gospel. In the New Testament, the gospel is referred to as the word of truth. Colossians 1.5 speaks of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. And throughout the Bible, belief in the truth is the means of salvation. That's why in 2 Timothy 2.15 Paul said, be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. And so it's God's word, the word of truth that they've embraced. And so in verse 13, Paul calls them beloved by the Lord and reminds them that God had chosen them. Now remember, they thought they had missed the rapture, but Paul reminds them of their salvation in Christ. And this is what gives them peace in the midst of their afflictions. Now someone say, how irresponsible it is for this man to give them such a promise, to think that that's bringing comfort to them. How can you comfort somebody with promises of pie in the sky, buy and buy anyway? How can you say it'll get better and eventually you die and you go to heaven? But the thing is people don't seem to understand. That's been the hope of the church all along. We realize that we're just passing through. We realize that this world is not our own. At least we ought to. What strengthens me daily, what strengthens us daily is that awareness that truth is found in scripture. God's scripture brings me comfort and hope. And I am a sojourner, I'm a pilgrim. I'm passing through. 1 Peter 2, 11 said it like that, beloved I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul. So the Christian is supposed to know the world is not our home. The Christian is supposed to know we're traveling. We're traveling to heaven. Again in 1 Peter in chapter one verses three through five, the apostles said it like this. He said praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. Kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. Kept in heaven for you. In Philippians 3 20 our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So believers are given spiritual security through receiving and loving God's word, the word of truth. And that's something Paul made very clear in order to encourage the believer. When he was writing for example to the Ephesians he had said in chapter one verse 13 in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. So the security we have in Christ is what prompts us to praise God and the security they have in Christ prompted Paul to thank God. They received the truth of the gospel because they did, they reject the lie. Now notice in verse 13 he went on to say God has chosen them from the beginning for salvation the beginning from eternity. God determined to save them from all eternity. It wasn't an afterthought. He intended to save them. Quoting from Peter again, 1 Peter 1 18 through 20 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish without spot he indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you. So salvation began with God choosing them in the past continues in the present and moves on into the future. And so when Paul's writing to the Romans in chapter eight he says in verses 29 through 31 for those God for new he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Those he predestined he called. Those he called he also justified. Those he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us who can be against us? So the way of salvation is through the work of the spirit in combination with the gospel. When the message of the gospel is preached it's not a man's message. It doesn't originate in man's imagination. The gospel is never declared in scripture to be just something that was compiled by human beings. The gospel is a message that God gave to us. And the word of God is true. And because the word of God declares that the gospel is a message of salvation and in order for us to be saved we receive it it's important for us to understand that the message goes forth but requires the Holy Spirit to bring conviction. You've seen this, I've seen this where you're speaking to somebody on a one-on-one kind of conversational basis. And as you're sharing with them a little bit of what you know perhaps they ask you, what did you do this weekend? And you say, I didn't have much to do so I went to church. But as you're talking to them, they'll say, you go to church? Yeah, yeah, I've been going to church for a while. Really? Why? Well because I get taught about God. Why do you care about God? And you begin to share, well you know what? You knew me, you know what I used to do. You know how I was, the things I did, where I used to go. You used to hang around with me. You've seen me do a lot of crazy things. Yeah, yeah, I do remember that. Well God has changed my life and you begin to share with them the gospel in this church. Recently I got a letter from somebody in the fellowship, Facebook post and I saw the last name and I said, I've only known one person by that name, that last name, how'd they find me? No, I've only, I've only known one person by that last, actually two and I thought, I wonder. So I went to the profile and I went to see the information and I see the name and then it says married to and the name that this woman is married to is the name of the person I was associating. So I thought, what a small world because I haven't seen this person for 50 years. Yep. And so I'm thinking, no. So I write, listen, I knew somebody by this name. Could it happen to be your husband? And she writes back, yes, it is my husband. And she tells me, we've been in your church for a year but he couldn't believe that was you. I'm not kidding. Because we hung around in high school and she said, nah, I can't be David. That's not David because he and I, if you're here right now, my brother, you know what I'm saying, but it's true. The gospel transforms lives. It's not just the words, it's the power. It's the power. It's the power that God through his word in conjunction with the spirit works within you to make you unrecognizable to those who knew you best. That's what God's word will do. See, so Paul is blessed that they're not receiving the lie but what is protecting them is that they've received the truth. They've received Christ. They've received the message of the gospel and they have the power of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is working within them conforming them into the image of Jesus Christ. So when somebody is speaking and sharing if they're just giving their opinion or even their testimony, that's one thing. But when God's word is rightly divided and presented for what it is and people will read that scripture as we're going through the word and they see it, it applies to them. The Holy Spirit brings what is called conviction. When the Holy Spirit brings conviction, the word conviction speaks of bringing a sense that this applies to you. It awakens you to yourself. It gives you opportunity to be aware of who you are and it's the work of the Holy Spirit to do that. In John 16 verse eight, speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. It takes a Holy Spirit's conviction to awaken us to our sin because we have excuses. I make excuses for my life because I'm gonna take care in number one. I'm gonna take care of myself. I'm gonna present myself in the best light and I do that all the time, we all do. But we know what we really are but sometimes want to acknowledge it. The Holy Spirit will awaken us and will say, this is you. This is what you've been doing. And when he does that, that's called conviction. It awakens me of my sin, the sin of rejecting Christ, the sin of not wanting to walk in accordance to his will. And that's what happens. And so the Holy Spirit working with the word of God when that gospel is preached and the Spirit convicts, brings salvation to those who receive him. In first Peter one, two, Peter said, elect according to the foreign knowledge of God, the Father through sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you in peace be multiplied. So through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, God transforms us. He saves us. It's God's purpose to lead us to a life of holiness that comes by the Spirit and the word. And this sanctification is an inward process produced by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You know, I want to be very quick to always recognize the fact that I am a sinner saved by grace. And if I ever give the impression, anybody here that I don't know that, forgive me for that impression because I know what I am. And I know what I am without Jesus Christ. And anything I ever share with you, I share out of a heart that just desires to be honest with you and to be right before him. Understand that. But if you think that I think, if any of you ever got the impression that I think I'm better than you, God knows I'm not and so do I. I'm no better than you. I'm a sinner saved by grace. You know, when I first got saved, I went into the military three months after getting saved. I didn't have a church to continue attending. No excuse. I read the Bible. I had fellowship, but I was maturing very slowly. And when I got out of the army in 1972, early 73, I went to one of my cousin's marriage, or her wedding, and I was there at the reception and the reception was held at her home. And my cousin was a born again believer and I was too, but I was only two and a half years old in the Lord. And almost two of those years had been spent in the military. And now I'm out. And now I'm at her reception and I'm 23 years old and they're offering champagne and beer and it's free. If it's free, it's for me. And so I drink one. After all, I'm over 21. Drank another. Before you know it, I was starting to get kind of wobbly. We used to say buzzed. I don't know if that's used anymore, but, or we had our buzz on, you know, and that's what was happening. I got a little dizzy, those feelings. And I was sitting down on the couch and two guys once sat on one side of me, the other on the other. And they turned to me and they started speaking to me and they said, you know, Jesus Christ saves sinners. And I said, amen. Cause I'm a Christian already. Amen. Yeah, I know that. I said, you know, he could save you. I said, yeah, he has. And they share with me and share with me. And I'm trying to convince them that I'm a believer already. And I still remember when they finished talking, they had a frustrated look in their face. I remember them getting up and walking away and saying, all right, man, talk to you later. Cause I wouldn't pray with them. I said, listen, man, I am a Christian, but I was little, little drunk. And I still remember when they walked away, I said, there was a saying we used to say at that time, that Jesus freaks. I said, here, there or in the air. That's what we used to say. I'll see here, I'll see over there or in the rapture. That's what that meant. But I slurred my words, you know, here, there or in the air, you know. And they just looked at me. I didn't realize how unholy I was until the Holy Spirit convicted me and said, you are living in a way that makes believers think you can't possibly be saved. And it was things like that that I began to think about as a young believer, how then should I live? Well, getting a little high at a wedding probably is not the best testimony and things like that. So if there is anybody in this room that is struggling because you fail, I'm not giving you permission to continue. I know the Lord doesn't give you permission to continue failing, but I would say, guess what? If you repent, God will wash you, God will cleanse you. God will lead you, get into his word, get serious with Jesus, and who knows what God will do with your life. But don't make excuses for your sin anymore. Just say, God, I am miserable. I am going in the wrong direction. I wanna follow you. I'm open to you. And that's what happens. The conviction of the Holy Spirit and the combination of that with God's word, your desire to pursue him leads you into a holier life. And Paul is speaking concerning these kinds of things. And he says that in verse 13, that he says that God from the beginning shows you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. So the Spirit prompts you to desire holiness. God's word shows you what it is. How can a young man keep his way pure by living according to your word? That's how it works. And so he's speaking of the word, verse 14, where he says to which he called you, belief in the truth, to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has fulfilled his four ordained purpose by calling them through the gospel. Paul and Silas and Timothy, mentioned in verse one of this book, had been used by the Lord to minister salvation to them. It was by the preaching and receiving of the message that they had been saved. In John 6.63, Jesus said, it's the Spirit who gives life, the flesh, prophets, nothing, the words that I speak to you are Spirit, they are life. In 1 Corinthians 1.18, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. And so it's interesting that God intended to save them and us through preaching. Before they heard the gospel, they were walking in spiritual darkness. The wisdom of their philosophers and intellectuals did not produce spiritual relief. And so to reach them, God sent his son and the gospel message and it was communicated to them. Titus 1.3, Paul says, God has in due time manifested his word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior. Again, somebody can't be saved because they like your testimony. They'll see you and they'll say, well, that's great. You used to be an alcoholic, you used to be a drug, you used to be whatever you were. And that's nice to hear. I had a friend of mine, his name was Eddie. He said that to me. I was with him at his house. I was, again, I was a Christian, maybe four years old in the Lord. I was visiting with him, good friend from high school. And I said, Eddie, I said, you knew me at high school, you knew the crazy life I lived, you knew the way I was. He goes, yeah. I said, Eddie, I'm not that way anymore. You know, I'm not out getting high anymore, I'm not running anymore, I'm not doing those things anymore. And he says, Dave, I just figured you outgrew that. I thought you just grew up because Eddie didn't do any of those things. He wasn't that way at all. And it hit me. Way back in 74, it hit me. My testimony's not enough because people can think that you outgrew certain things or you just got tired of certain things. That's not what saved me and that's not what saves others. It's a preaching of the cross. It's learning to communicate to people this is our deepest need. You see, the reason we do things isn't simply because of my education or lack thereof or anything pertaining to that. The reason I do what I do is because my nature is sinful and I desire to do the evil. For within me there's an evil desire. I need that to be obliterated. I need that dealt with and that's why God sent Christ. Not so that I could try hard to be good because I can't. I used to have friends of mine who'd say, you know, Davey, you're not that good. What makes you think you're going to heaven? You see, I got saved into time when people actually thought that good people go to heaven. At that time they knew that sinners didn't and that only real good people went to heaven. And so I would say that and I still remember saying, I'm going to heaven because I was excited. I'm going to heaven. And they'd say, you're not good enough to go to heaven. And I still remember at the age of 20 saying, I'm not good enough, but he is. It wasn't that I kept the commandments that he did it for me. And that's, I learned that early. It wasn't by works of righteousness that I had done but according to his mercy, he saved me by the Washington Regeneration of renewing of the Holy Spirit. It was a work of God by grace I've been saved through faith. That not of myself, but it's a gift of God. Not of works, let's say a man should boast. I learned that early. And it's not a lesson that I didn't have to relearn because there've been times in my life like yours where I've thought I have to really try, I have to really try. And I learned that part of the trying is the dying. I have to die to certain things so I can live to certain things. And that's what happens as the word starts taking home in your heart and you begin to realize that. It's the society that we live in is not gonna be transformed by our testimonies. The society is transformed when they receive truth, when they receive the gospel. And that's what we give to people. Good people, to some degree, do exist in certain levels. There's none good, no not one in terms of ultimate righteousness. Everyone sins, I'll fall short of the glory of God. We know that. By nature we do that which is evil. We know that, at least we as believers know that. But there are certain kinds of good that are relatively good. And for me, coming from a relatively good society, I grew up in a time where good things were kind of the norm. To do good things were kind of the norm. In the 50s and all growing up as I did, they were kind of the norm. There were people that you didn't do certain things and you didn't do certain things and that's just because you had a whole community that would look at you and say that's not right and what you're doing is right and that's how I grew up. It was a time when I was able, I'll give an example, not like I'm tripping down memory lane, like oh, it's good old days, but just to give you some context, when I grew up, my dad would give me a quarter because the Sunday paper was a quarter at that time, that tells you how long ago that was, it was a quarter. And he'd give me a quarter, I would walk to the store, we had a corner store and I would walk to the store, I'd lift up the papers and there was a pile of quarters there and I would put my quarter amongst the pile and just drop it and then take the first paper. The papers were actually left out in front of the store before the store opened up. So people were not stealing newspapers, they were actually lifting the paper up and putting the quarter in and then they'd take the paper because they were honest because we still lived in a time where it was, that was to be admired and that's the way you should be. That was how I grew up. I grew up, if it was hot, we opened up a window. We weren't afraid that someone's gonna climb in and kill us, we didn't even think about that. I grew up in a time when you'd leave your car keys in the car, in the front yard and nobody was gonna steal your car, that didn't happen. I lived in a time when if I had left my bicycle outside that one of the neighbors would come and put it in the backyard to make sure I didn't get in trouble with my father for leaving my bike outside. It was a different time and a lot of people don't understand that. We're living in a time of instant everything now and everything is so rapid people don't relate to that very well. I lived in a time when you used to use something called mail and you'd actually write, you had to write and spell correctly and then you would send your letter and it would take three days to four days to get there if it did. And then they would write back. So guess what? If I needed help and I said, man, I'm in real need, help me. It would take me two weeks to hear them say, I'm on my way. I mean, that was about it. See, so we're living in an entirely different life. A time where music was entirely different and everything else, everything else. There wasn't any profanity on the airwaves or weren't marches for certain things there. None of that. I mean, the I Love Lucy show was still perpetually on reruns. I mean, they had a kid, but they slept in different beds and they thought, how'd that happen? They don't even sleep together because we didn't have that. See, so when you grow up, you have this idea that certain things ought to stay that way. But one of the things that I saw when I got saved was why these things were like that? Why did we have a society like that? And it was because the gospel still had that restraining kind of power in the nation I was growing up in where people didn't get mad if you said, Merry Christmas. That was normal. When stores were closed, when I grew up in my neighborhood, were closed on Sunday because everybody went to church and had Sunday afternoon meals. That's the America I grew up in. Now I'll give you some insight into the tears you'll see coming from me. Sometimes when I see how far we've drifted from that, but the tears aren't just that. The tears are because Christians are living like the world. And that's what concerns me. You know, I am more than willing to discuss with people whatever their concern may be, but what is new to me is having to speak to Christians to teach them, but God's word doesn't say that. This is how we should live. And then to hear people say, no, what? Grace, man, grace, grace is all grace. See, when I got saved, I learned what grace is because I came from a religious system that you had to work to go to heaven. That's why you never knew if you were gonna go. And when somebody gave me the gospel of grace, that God loved me, sent his son, died on the cross, was buried, resurrected the 30th, he ascended to heaven and 40 days later and all of that, I thought, that is grace. You mean, to me, it was amazing grace. But you know what happened? From those years ago, when I got saved, to now, people use the word grace to cover their sin, to give them permission to stay in it. And that's the stuff that you'll hear coming from my heart every sermon really is for us. Let's stay in the word. Let's walk in the spirit. Let's not get deceived by the flow of the world today. Let's remain firm with Jesus Christ. Let's be lights on the hill. Let's take that basket off that candle so that the world can see that we really believe what we believe because it's the truth, the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us live transformed lives. And that's something Paul is blessed about. He said, you will not believe the lie. And he's saying in verse 14, God called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. God works within you. He does it by his spirit to deliver you from evil and to transform you. And so, what began in grace will end in glory. Jesus spoke of this in his high priestly prayer recorded in John 17. In verse 22 of John 17, he prayed and said, the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are. In first Peter 1.7, Peter said, the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious and gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So Paul's point would be that those who are in Christ also share the glory of Christ. God's purposes for believers to eternally share in and reflect the glory of Jesus were being transformed and were being conformed into his image. And as someone once said, for the Christian, there can be no other glory. So he says in verse 15, therefore brethren, stand fast, hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now, may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Stand fast, brethren, stand fast. The term stand fast, remain firm, persist, persevere, keep standing. Since we've been saved by the gospel, stand fast to the gospel, hold tightly to the gospel. Like he says in 1 Corinthians 16, 13, watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Galatians 5, 1, stand fast, therefore in the liberty by which crisis made us free, do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. In light of the fact that the world is in crisis, and a greater crisis is coming, he's saying stand fast in the word. He had already said in verse two, do not be shaken in mind or troubled. So hold on, remain firm, be strong. For me, part of what helps me to remain strong is I have fellowship with people who are strong also. And they encourage me. So I see someone who is strong and I wanna be strong too, we can actually lift one another up. You know, going to me, if I fall and no one in there to lift me up, I have people who can lift me up. I have fellow pastors and brothers in the Lord who I can look to and I'll be honest with you, there are times when I say, you know, this is hard, I'm tired, you know, I'd like to give up. I've had it. It's easier to flow than it is to fight. I just as soon as like any dead fish just flow on with the current, but there's something inside of me that says, but you can't do that. It takes a living fish to go against the flow, so walk in the spirit. And I strengthen my own heart often, but I also need people who are examples to me. And seeing them and all, it encourages me. And even hearing sometimes the well dones or encouraging words or something can stir my soul and you're the same way. It helps me to proceed even when it's hard, even when it's tiring, even when you wanna give up. When I was in the military, once again, I was in the army, most of you know, I served with the 82nd Airborne. And the 82nd Airborne is known, was known in the military as being runners. We ran, we would run everywhere. And I mean, that's the way it was. And after I got out of jump school and after I had permanent party, you know, I started to get out of shape, so I started to run again. And I didn't like it because I'm not one who likes to run. You know, I don't run today. If I'm sitting down, I don't even run to the refrigerator. I'll say, Marie, can you run on over there? She likes to run, I don't. But I'll tell you, I used to run three to five miles a day, every day. That's what I did on my own, recreationally, because I got to love running. And so, it wasn't easy when it began. When I started running, I was out of shape. I'd been out of jump school, I was permanent party, we weren't running as much anymore. And before you know it, I'm just getting lazy and putting on weight. And I'm realizing how easy it is to put on weight. They give you three meals a day, and that's the way it worked. And now I'm gaining weight, I'm putting on weight, I don't like it, I have to work out, I start working, I start dropping weight, and so part of the way to drop weight for me was running. So I had a course, it was a three mile course, I used to run through a forest area. It was a three mile course, and three of my friends, four of my friends, and I decided to start running again. So there we go running out up this course. And as it's in the woods, I still remember my first run saying to myself, I hate this, there's no need in doing this, why am I doing this? You want to stop, I'm telling myself this, you want to stop. And so we're at the two mile marker, and I'm thinking, you know, if you stop, they're gonna think you're wimping out. Then I'd say, who cares? I'm tired, I'll go get a burger. I don't, you know, and I was arguing with myself. You gotta stop. And now my feet, those of you who run know what I mean when your feet feel like lead. Your legs are heavy. And you're saying to yourself, I don't want to do this anymore. I don't need this. And I'm starting to slow down. When off to my right in this field, there's a bunch of young kids who probably were high school age. And there was one of our sergeants, one of the airborne sergeants, and he says, and I heard them. They were about 50 yards away. I heard them when the guy says to the kids, you see those men? Those are airborne men. And all of a sudden, man, I can run. I'll never forget that. I'll never forget that. It's a truth. I'm just like a stallion, you know? I, so I learned a long time ago that it's encouraging when you got somebody on the sideline who was saying, now that's an example. Follow that. I learned that at the age of 23. Be an example and be encouraged by others. You can do it. Stand fast. Don't give up. Hold on and watch the glory of the Lord. Hold on. We're with you. We're cheering for you. We're on your side. We want to see you succeed. And stand fast. And that's what he's telling us to do. Hold fast. And remember, there are eternal benefits. In 1 Corinthians 15, 58, Paul said, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Don't be apathetic. Clutch tightly to the truth that you've received, he says. And he uses the word traditions. The word tradition literally is a giving over which is done by word or mouth or in writing. Tradition by instruction, narrative or preset. That speaks of the teachings of the apostles. It's been called Apostolic Doctrine. They're to hold fast to the teachings that they've received. Now Paul had received and he's simply giving that which he received in 1 Corinthians 11 too. He had said to the church in Corinth, I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. These traditions are not religious ideas. It's speaking of the gospel, verbally delivered, later written down. So he's saying, remain firm in the word. This is what gives you freedom and this is what gives you life. The great apostasy will impact those who refuse to hold fast to the doctrine. So the teachings of the apostles give you instruction and hold fast to those things. Paul first received them and he gave them to others. In Galatians 1, 11 and 12, he said, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Peter in 2 Peter 1, 16 said, we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power in coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. So stand fast, don't move away. Grasp firmly to it, hold tightly to the word of God. Stand your ground, don't let go. Plant your feet, clutch tightly to God's word is what he's saying and that's applicable to us too. And then finally, he says in verse 16, may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Under persecution, may God continue to give you encouragement as you obey him. We not only are to stand fast in God's word and guard it, but we're also called to do it. So Paul prays that God will encourage and establish them in every good word and work. If our lives contradict our preaching, the gospel's compromised, we lose credibility. So Paul prays that their word and works will be consistent and remember it is God's love that has motivated our works for him. It is the good works that are fueled by faith and testify of his saving grace. James 1.22 says it like this, be doers of the word, not heroes only deceiving yourselves. Titus 2.14 says, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifying to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Remember, this changed life isn't going to happen just by our own efforts. We are being sanctified by the spirit as we continue to believe in the truth. And remember, Philippians 1.6 which says, being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. God will work in you. God is working in you. And when you feel a sense of conviction, the wisest thing to do is repent. God be merciful to me, I'm a sinner. God, I'm weak, but you are strong. God, I'm faithless, but you are faithful. God, I need your help. Because Lord, I realize that every day I live is one less day on earth and one day closer to being with you. Help me to live like that. Help me to number my days that I might walk with wisdom. Help me to look for things that are still unseen with the expectant hope of one day seeing them with my eyes. Help me to realize that Jesus, when it's all said and done, this world is passing away, but your word never does. And that I have my name written in your book of life. And one day I will see you face to face and I will be brought into your image. Help me to know that Christian faith. And help me to be a witness of your glory because you are transforming me from glory to glory. And the day will come not that far from now when I will be known, I will know even as I am known. And I will have the opportunity to lay down at your feet and to simply say for eternity, thank you for what you've done for me. I love you Jesus, but thank you because you first loved me. May we stand fast in the truth.