 So, on the whiteboard, I kind of put the order of operations when it comes to our salvation. Also called the Ordo Salutis, which is Latin for the obvious, order salvation. So, now this is a logical order. Some of it's chronological. We kind of went over this before. Today we're going to primarily be focusing on regeneration and conversion. Is it a problem if I move around? Okay, I'm not used to being in the same spot, except when I'm typically working, I'm sitting in the same spot. Anyways, so this is the order of salvation. In eternity pass, God chose us. God foreknew us. He foreloved us. And all of this was determined in the past. Eventually he calls us, right? He calls Christians. He calls believers. He does this effectually. He does this intentionally and purposefully. Those who are called, as Romans chapter 8 verse 28 says, those who are also called are also justified. And those who are justified, they're also being more and more like the sun. And that would be sanctification. So you have the proper order. You have the effectual calling. Then you have regeneration. And we're going to go over regeneration and conversion today. Regeneration is a new birth. It's what it means to be born again. And what we're going to go over today is that regeneration is solely the work of God. It involves none of our works. It's not like you get baptized as a child and you're born again, like some religions cults teach. Regeneration is solely the act of God of which you're dead and your sins and trespasses and He gives you new life. And regeneration enables you to believe and to repent. So regeneration comes first, and then you believe and then you repent. The believing and the repentance comes with conversion. And conversion is kind of two-fold. I'm kind of giving an overview first. And again, both essentials and those in the regular, who are regularly here in this room, we're here today. So conversion is kind of two-fold. We see in Scripture that God both grants repentance and that faith is a gift. But at the same time, we make a conscious decision or we act. We act and we repent and we believe. And we'll look at some passages this morning that basically talk about when you're preaching the message, you command people to believe and to repent. So that's conversion. Justification is by grace through faith. Again, this is a logical order. I think some of these things happen kind of at the same time and close approximate to one another. So it's hard to say when they actually occur, but you see calling, regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, they're kind of all happening at once. And then you have sanctification. You are sanctified positionally and you are being sanctified as a process. And we're going to go over that not so much today, but regeneration and conversion is important to understand so you can understand how someone is sanctified. And then our eventual glorification. Like in 1 John chapter 3, it says, we will see him as he is and will be as he is when we see him. And all those who purify themselves, right, they look to that hope, they purify themselves just as he is pure. Right, so this is not, there is an outflow of understanding your salvation that has a direct application to your life as a Christian today. And if you're not a Christian, it still has an application, this conversion that we're going to be talking about today and regeneration. So who has the handouts? All right, so men distribute. Oh, some of you already have them. Okay, sweet. I just get so caught up. I don't know what's going on in those bright lights are just shining at me. Where's mine at? Thank you, sir. So again, we're going to talk about regeneration and conversion today. So let me give you a, I'm slipping out of words. Let me give you a definition of regeneration. And it's by Wayne Grudem. So regeneration is a secret act of God, which imparts, which he imparts, that is God, imparts new life to us. So let's look at some passages. And while we're looking at these passages, we're going to be answering two questions. The first question is this, what are some of the changes that have taken place in the lives of believers here in these passages? And also in these passages, what is the specific cause of these changes? It's good to have a definition first, because that definition gives you a direction of where to go. But keep in mind, the foundation of that definition has to be found in Scripture itself. So that's why we're looking at these passages. So first go to Titus chapter three. Am I speaking too loud? Okay. Am I speaking too fast? No. Okay. So go to Titus chapter three versus one through seven. And I'm going to be reading from the New King James, because I memorized some of these passages in the New King James. And if I read from another translation, it will trip me up. So chapter three, verse one, in Titus. The scripture says, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves are once foolish, deceived, foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. That having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So let's go through this together and ask these two questions. So again, what are some of the changes that occur with what takes place in the believer's life and what's the specific cause? So looking at Titus chapter 3 verses 1 through 7, how can we answer one or both of these questions? Pastor Mike, wait for the mic. So I think we see a change in verse 3 as the apostle Paul says, for we ourselves were once foolish, many continues. So that means at one time, those who have been, as it says, washed with regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, they were once foolish. So that means they're no longer foolish. Right, yep. I would say like in verse 5, you say he saved us not on the basis of our deeds. We can actually see here that our sin nature, in and of ourselves, that we wouldn't be able to save ourselves, that it is the work of God. Yeah, solely his work. Yep, that we would save. Yeah, the author here, the Holy Spirit, he clarifies that's none of our works. And he goes to the point to even say that it's not of our works of righteousness. And we know that no works that we do are righteous, right? All of our works are like filthy rags in his sight. So the author is stressing here that it is solely the act of God. Wait for the mic. To continue along with Pastor Mark was saying, Pastor Michael was saying, we're also no longer disobedient and we're also no longer let us stray as slaves to various passions and pleasures. Yep. That's a good point. Up in front. In verse one, it says, remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed. So it's showing here that we need that reminder. Yeah, even even that we are born again, we need to be reminded of the commands of God. So since we're no longer foolish, we're no longer disobedient, we're no longer deceived, we still need to be reminded that we are to be obedient and we are to be subject to authorities and ready for every good deed. So it's just an interesting contrast. Yeah. What about verse five that actually talks about regeneration? Is that verse five? Yeah, verse five. Well, verse five says, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he's saved us through his washing of regeneration, which means nothing about what we have done, but what Christ has done. Right. And here specifically, what person of the Trinity is at work? Clyde? Mike, guys, you got to be on your toes. Quick feet. Specifically, the Holy Spirit, I think, maybe was touching it when he spoke about not by our own works, but it's also because of the washing and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit that work in us that were able to live an obedient life. So that would be the cause. I guess that's the question you're asking. Yeah, it's specifically the work of the Holy Spirit. But we also see, before we go to the next passage, what we also see, it's, you see the trying God at work, right? So in verse four, it says, when the kindness and the love of God our Savior towards man appeared, right, the Father demonstrated his love towards us and the Son. That's going back to the previous chapter where it's focusing on Jesus' first coming and his second coming at the end of chapter two. So you see that's the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but it's primarily the work of the Holy Spirit. So let's go to our next passage and go to John. I hope some of you are writing these notes down on your sheets. So go to John chapter one, verses nine through 14. I'm going to have to pick up the pace a little bit so that we can get to conversion. All right, starting at verse nine, the scripture reads John chapter one, verse nine says, that was the true light, which gives light to every man coming to the worlds, right? You have John the Baptist and you have Jesus. Jesus is the light. John the Baptist testified was a witness of that light. That's the context. Jesus, the word that became flesh, that was the true light, which gives light to every man coming to the worlds. He was in the worlds, right, that he is talking about Christ. He was in the worlds and the world was made through him and the worlds did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him to them, he gave them the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and full of truth, full of grace and truth. So what does this passage, and we'll kind of touch on these quickly, we'll move a little faster. So what are some of the changes and what's the cause of these changes? Or who is the cause of these changes? I mean, first and foremost, I can say that God is the one who actually started that, but through the Holy Spirit. Yeah, what verses tell you that? I mean, I was not like, like going to any verses, but you could see in the first trial, he says that, but as many as received them to them, he gave the right to become children of God, which means that we preach the gospel and then they heal the gospel. And then there are God's chosen ones, and then they're going to become children of God. That you could see here that he said the children of God as many as received the word. Even to those who believe in his name. And verse 13, he says, who were born not of blood, not of the wheel of the flesh, not of the wheel of man, but of God. Right. I can't get any clearer than that. What about the does anyone see any contrast? Like, how does what changes occur with regeneration? Does anyone see that we become children of God in verse 12? It says he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name. And going back to Titus three. Verse seven, that having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So we're adopted by God as his children. Yes. So if you look up here with the Orosolutus, the order of salvation, these are not isolated. So sometimes when you look at scripture, you're going to see multiple of these. You're going to see regeneration, you're going to see adoption. You know, scripture is not a systematic theology. So in some places you'll see both, some places you'll see many facets of salvation. Yes. I would say the underlining cause here in John one is the incarnation and the work of Christ and his obedience on earth and his death on the cross. That's kind of what is the cause of how we can then become children of God. Right. It's redemption accomplished and applied. Right. It was accomplished at the cross in the life of Christ. And now it's being applied to believers through the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit. So before we move on, I'll point out some some things. Notice that he was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him to them, he gave them the right to be called children of God. So what happens when someone is born again? They're enabled. They have their affections and desires change. Right. Christ went to his own. That is the Jews and they rejected him. Right. They did not receive him. But those who are true children of God receive him. They embrace him. So they say these words like what John says in verse 14. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we, John, talking the apostle John, the writer, talking about himself and those who are with him, we beheld his glory. The glory as of the only begotten, depending upon your translation, I say I think it might say only begotten God. And New King James says only begotten of the Father, full of grace and full of truth. Right. That's John looking at Christ and saying that he is life. Right. It's like first John chapter one. The apostle John is being reminded of how he touched, how he handled Christ. And he says that Christ is eternal life. Right. So you see that change that has occurred because of regeneration, because of being born again. Go to John chapter three. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher. Come from God. For no one can do these signs that you do unless God was with him or God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it. But you cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes like a hurricane. So is everyone who is born of the spirit? That's my two cents for today. All right, so what do we see in this passage? Yes. So going back to the question, just like starting with the changes, it's more of the change of regeneration and maybe even positional because of the kingdom of God part. But being born again, it's not talking about necessarily fruits that change, but regeneration itself. Yeah. So if focus is on born again, if focus is on the causes of it, who causes it and how he works? Yes. I think it also speaks to the mystery of the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes. The Holy Spirit works on his own. Nobody can direct where the Holy Spirit goes. You don't know where the wind comes from. You only see the evidence of it. And so the Holy Spirit operates by his own will. Right, which proves that he's a person. True. Yeah. You see the same thing in John 1. 1st 13 says that we're not born of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of the will of God. So we don't choose God. It's the Holy Spirit that does the regenerating. Right, he's sovereign in this, right? It's not our will. It's him. It's his will. Yes. OK. Hi. I also notice here that it kind of goes to show that we really don't know whose God is going to save. Therefore, we should be witnessing to everyone. Yes. Yep. I mean, it does not really happen like that, like the regeneration. That's why in Ezekiel 36, God says that I have to give you a new heart, take the other stone and give you a heart of flesh. But it does that with the help of the Holy Spirit. That's how you see the Holy Spirit in work here. Like, if you read Ezekiel 36 verse starting verse. Because of time, just read part of it. Yeah, it says, I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my stature and you will be careful to observe all my ordinances. So which means that even, let's say like Christian life, we wouldn't be able to walk in to live it with God. Did not give us a new heart. Right. Yeah, that's Ezekiel 36 is like my favorite passage on regeneration. I think it illustrates most clearly about what regeneration is and what takes place with it and how it occurs. It is solely an act of God. So go also, this is extra, go to 1 Peter chapter 1. This is not in your notes. This is bonus. 1 Peter chapter 1, starting in verse 22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the word of God, which lives and abides forever because all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man is as the flower of the grass. The grass withers and its flower falls away and the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. It's through the word of God that someone's born again. We don't know how the spirit works. We don't know who's going to be saved and who's not going to be saved. It's kind of like in Acts chapter 10, Peter's preaching and in his preaching, all of a sudden, he's even finished preaching, the Holy Spirit comes down and changes those people. So what we see primarily with regeneration, we see, whoops, regenerate, is that right? OK, there's no spell check on these boards. So the cause, we see that the cause is God alone. God alone. It was accomplished by Christ's sacrifice. It was accomplished. And by the work of the Holy Spirit, it's then applied to us as Christians. And that is the work of regeneration. So we see that the cause is primarily Holy Spirit. We see that it's God's work alone, that there is no water baptism, that there is no decisions, that there is no even repentance and faith. It's not like one person believes and then they're born again. We see that being born again is solely the work of God is not of our works of righteousness, not even one. It's His work. But we see that it's a radical change, right? The regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit is something that's radical. We see the dead becoming life. We see the old man becoming a new man. So it is something that is radical. We also see that it's through the word of God, it's through the preaching, the foolishness of preaching that one is born again. And we also know that it is mysterious. This is something that's helpful to understand because if you're lost, you're like, well, how am I going to be born again? But scripture doesn't work like that. Scripture says that if you're going to be born again, it's solely the work of God. And so that brings us to our second point, conversion. Conversion. Again, I'll read the definition to kind of help guide us a little bit. And this is from Louis Burkhoff. I'll also read the title because it summarizes what conversion is. God turns men from sin to Christ. And they, that is men, willingly convert. So look at the definition. Definition, a two-fold definition must be given of conversion. Active conversion is that act of God whereby he causes the regenerate sinner, that means that he's born again, in his conscious life to turn to him in repentance and faith, right God causes and God turns. But notice part B, passive conversion, is the resulting conscious acts. It's a conscious act of the regenerate sinner, whereby he, through the grace of God, turns to God in repentance and faith. So how can you know that you're born again? You repent and believe the gospel. And scripture talks like that. Let's go through the book of Acts and let's jump around a little bit in the book of Acts. Go to Acts chapter three, verse 19. And I'm only going to skip around, I'm not going to read the context. Most of what we're going to see are either the preaching of God's word or the testimony of someone who preached God's word. So go to Acts chapter three, verse 19. And I'm reading from New King James, this time on purpose. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Notice that repentance is connected with be converted. Repentance, there is a command. When Peter is preaching, he says to the people, repentance, therefore, and be converted. Conversion is like a flipping of a coin. So it's connected with repentance and faith. So just like repentance is like a two-sided coin, we cannot separate the two. So when a person believes in his true saving faith, repentance is there as well. And if it's true saving repentance, faith is there as well. It's not like repentance is not like, you know, alcoholics anonymous, where you just say, oh, my name is such and such and whatever. And then you just change your life. It's not that. You have repentance, which is turning away from your idols to serve him, and you have faith. And that faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. And there is faith in this text, but we're not gonna jump there. You can look at all these texts that I'm gonna quote and acts and you'll find that the men and women, faithfully preach repentance and faith. So repentance is connected to be converted. Look down, same chapter, chapter three of Acts in verse 26. To you first, God, that's God the Father, having raised up his servant, Jesus, sent him, Jesus, to bless you in turning away one of you, every one of you from your iniquities. So you see in the preaching, in the same, you know, breath, Peter says, repent therefore and be converted. And then he says in verse 26, the reason why Jesus Christ was exalted was so that he can bless men and turn them, every one of them, from their iniquities. So you see that as commanded, but you also see that as a gift. Go to Acts chapter 11, verse, well, go to Acts chapter 11. I'll kind of do this at the same time. Go to Acts chapter 11. You probably have no idea what I just, what I'm talking about there. Go to Acts chapter 11 and look at verse, so I marked down the wrong passage. Go to verse, go to Acts chapter 10, and when Peter is preaching, I didn't mark this down, I should have marked this down. Go to chapter 10, verse 43. Peter is preaching to the household of Cornelius and look at verse 43. To him all the prophets witness that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. This is almost like the same words that Jesus said, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Believe in him and whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. Now go down to go to Acts chapter 11 and go to verse, go to verse 16. Peter is recalling the story of what happened in Acts chapter 10 to the Jews, right? Cornelius' households, there were some Jews that came along with Peter and Peter preached and Gentiles were being converted. And so he's recalling this story of how he preached to other Jews. And so Peter says, then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Verse 17, if therefore God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God? Not gonna go into detail about that, but Peter struggled a little bit with God showing grace to the Gentiles and that God was now acting and in a way of saving them. But notice what the Jews said, the Jews said of what he was recalling the story to, they said, when they heard these things, they became silence. And then they glorified God saying, then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. If you're familiar with Peter's preaching in Acts chapter 10, there is no mention of the word repentance. But what you see is that it's a two-sided coin. Repentance and faith always go together. And the Jews understands, when whoever calls upon the name of the Lord, they also understand that faith is always with repentance. And so they said truly, right? Then they said, there was silence. They glorified God and they said, then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. You see that faith and repentance, when it's preached, it's preached as a command. People are to repent themselves and to believe themselves. So the responsibility is on you. But notice that what scripture says is that repentance is granted. Repentance is a gift from God. Just like faith, faith is a gift from God. So now let's go to those passages there and we'll look at what are some evidences of true repentance and saving faith? Go to Ephesians chapter two, verses four to 10. We're not gonna go over verses one through three, but that's talking about someone who's dead in their sins and trespasses and they're made alive to Christ. That kind of sounds like this word over here, regeneration. So look at verse four. But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we are dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace he had been saved and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith in that not of yourselves is a gift of God. It is the gift of God, not of works, less anyone should boast, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So we're gonna be jumping like really, really fast. So I'll be answering some of these questions. So what are some evidences of true repentance and saving faith? First we see that faith is a gift of God. Salvation as a whole is a gift of God, including faith, right? We are saved through faith and it's by his grace. Now it's the same emphasis, same emphasis as in Titus chapter three and what we saw in John chapter one that it's by his grace, right? It's by his love and it's according with his mercy and we were once dead in our sins and trespasses but now we are alive to him. Now look at also what it says in verse 10, right? It's through faith wise so that no one can boast. Verse 10, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God doesn't just save us and say, here you go. Here's your get out of hell free card, right? He does save us from his wrath but also he saves us so that we can be his workmanship. He saves us for the purpose of good works. Titus also emphasizes that. So if you continue reading in Titus chapter three, he says, this is a good saying and worthy of all acceptance to remind them to do good works but notice that he is that God, our savior is gracious, right? Christ said, come to me all you have eladen and have burdens and I will give you rest for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. God not only makes us his workmanship but he creates us anew so that we can do good works. God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God gives us the power to good works and we do good works. Go to first Thessalonians chapter one, verse 10. It's the same language as before, right? You see in Titus that you were one's this but now you're this. Go to first Thessalonians. Did I say Titus? I said first Thessalonians. Okay, first Thessalonians chapter one and I'm gonna start a little later in chapter one and I'm gonna start at verse six. Yeah, I'll start with verse, I'll start with verse five. For our gospel did not come to you in word only but also in power and in the Holy spirit and in much assurance as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake, right? The gospel goes out. It's effectual. It's intentional. It comes out with power because of the Holy spirit. Verse six, and you became followers of us and of the Lord. Having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy spirit so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Acacia who believe and from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Acacia but also in every place your faith towards God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned to God from idols that turns to God is conversion. You turned God from idols to serve the living in true God and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. So conversion repentance is so close together, right? They're connected and so is faith that the means of someone who's converted where they have to do, they have to repent and they have to believe the gospel and it's radical, right? They turned from their idols and they served the living in true God and if you look at this passage their example sounded forth, right? They were probably preaching God's word in living as Christians live and their example was being sound forth. Paul says earlier and maybe there was others writing this. He says earlier in verse three he's talking about praying about them. He says, we give thanks to God always for you making mention of you in our prayers. Why? Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father. They were suffering with joy and that was, their life was radically changed. Paul was praising God for their work of faith, their labor of love and their patience of hope. They were looking forward to Christ's second coming as he mentions in verse 10 and to wait for his son from heaven. Who's waiting for the son from heaven? But those he's talking about here, the ones who were radically changed in the Thessalonians. Go to first John chapter three, sorry, first John, yeah, first John chapter three verses one through 10. What does it mean to be converted, right? It is a work of God, but it's also us willingly acts. We act, we believe and we repent. But as we see in scripture, God grants that repentance and God grants that faith. So, you know, so what do you do? Well, you know that, am I one of God's elects? You know, you start struggling with questions like that. Am I one of God's elects? Well, what you do is you repent and believe the gospel. I know it's not a complicated calculus question full of complex numbers and overly complicated. I'm a math teacher so I know what those things are. So it's not as overly complicated as that. What you do is you believe in your repentance, right? And it's through the word of God. So that's why Christ preaches, whoever desires come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Well, I don't know if I'm elects. Well, what do you do? You deny yourself, take up your cross and you follow him. Just know that when you do that, you're gonna be like Jesus' disciples in John, where Jesus says to them, don't think that you chose me, I chose you. So in John 1 John chapter three, we're not gonna get to finish this lesson. We're not gonna get to Matthew chapter five, but 1 John gives characteristics of what a converted person looks like. What does a person look like when they're born again? How can I know if I have eternal life? And if I lack joy in my Christian life, how can that joy be full? So I'm gonna read John chapter three, verses one through 10, and we'll just stop with that in a word of prayer. So John chapter three, verses one through 10 says, behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know him because it did not know him, be beloved. Now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and sin is lawlessness. And you know that he has manifested to take away our sins and in him there is no sin. Whoever abides in him does not sin. Lives a practice or lifestyle of sin. Whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him. That's in light of the context of first John chapter one. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil. For the devil has sins from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born again, whoever's been born of God does not sin. For his seed remains in him and he cannot sin. Not sinlessly perfect, but a lifestyle of sin. Again, you read this in light of first John chapter one because he has been born of God. So conversion, the word of God's preach, the means is repentance and faith. How is one sanctified process through the hearing of God's word, reading it and repenting and believing. And you see these radical changes, these promises in the word of God. And when you study salvation and you study the work of God in your life, that should drive you closer to him and loving him. And Christ said, if you love me, you obey my commandments. So let your joy be full by understanding how salvation works and then obey him. So let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, I just pray that this would be acceptable in your sight, Lord. I pray that these would be not my words, but your words, Lord God, and that through studying this both myself and then others that would be driven closer to you and nearer to you, Lord God, that we would love you more, that we would honor you more, that we would please you more. And if we're born again, by doing those things, our joy would be full. It's when we sin and we're born again that we hate ourselves, Lord God, and we pray, Lord, that you would grow us. Lord God, help us to understand these things. Help us to understand your promises so that we can live more for you. And in saying Christ's name, we pray. Amen.