Answering the Great Questions of Life

The title today is Answering the Great Questions of Life. The sermon today will be somewhat graduate school, maybe. Here are 15 of the great questions of life. Now, we will not deal with every last one of these questions, but we will deal with a lot of them. And then I have my own seven greatest questions of life. Answering the great questions of life. Does God exist? Philosophers through the ages have wrestled with this question, so have theologians. Volumes and volumes have been written on it. Does God exist? What is truth? Apart from Revelation, why do you believe or what do you believe is the greatest proof of the existence of God? Apart from Revelation, why would you say that God exists if you believe that He does?

Does man have an immortal soul? What is the path to eternal life? What is good and what is evil? Who decides? What is the nature of the universe? Is there purpose in the universe? Are we free to choose? So we have fate versus free will. Is everything predetermined or are you actually free to choose? Which is supreme, man or the state? What should be the purpose of education? Which is greater, mind or matter? Where do we get our ideas and who will rule your life? There have been four great systems that have attempted to answer the great questions of the ages. The first and greatest system, the true system, is true religion. God is the author of true religion. He revealed Himself to our parents Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God's methodology is revelation. It is knowledge that cannot be discerned or gathered through the five senses. The second great system, an evil system that has attempted to answer the great questions of life, is false religion. The principle methodology of false religion is deceit.

Satan is more deceitful than any beast of the field. That old serpent, Satan the devil, who is deceiving the whole world. And Satan's appeal is largely to emotion, where God appeals to the heart and to the intellect, somewhat to the emotions as well.

The third great system that has attempted to answer the great questions of life is philosophy. The methodology of philosophy is human reasoning.

And philosophers have tried to reason and reason, and they ask more questions than they can answer. And the fourth great system that has attempted to answer the great questions of life is science. Their methodology is the scientific method. And now we are led to believe that science will eventually bring us immortality and will usher in a great age, a new age, of hope, peace, and prosperity. The vast majority of people who have ever lived and who are alive today live their lives never really considering why they are born and what is the purpose of human existence. The ones who do consider the great questions of life usually limit their quest for truth to the culture in which they were reared. The Chinese embrace their culture. The Indians embrace their culture.

And we could go around the world of the Russians, the Europeans, and come all the way back to the United States. And basically, the culture and the religion that you grow up in is the one that you embrace. And if they do get interested in religion, they usually accept what someone else says. They don't really go to a source, a source that can be trusted, and see for themselves if they even believe in God or say, well, I believe what the Bible says. Very few of them actually ever go to the Bible and really search it out for themselves. Humankind has been deceived and enslaved by Satan's first and greatest lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Once again, humankind has been deceived and enslaved since the time of the Garden of Eden when Satan deceived Eve. Let's go to Genesis chapter 3. And what is the greatest lie? The first and greatest lie told to human beings. We've got the answer. Perhaps you've already stated it in your mind.

In Genesis 3 and verse 1, we see false religions answer to the great questions of life concerning immortality. Now, the serpent, more subtle than any beast of the field which God had made, said unto the woman, As God said, You shall not eat of every tree in the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, We can eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. She added, Lest you touch it, unless God has said that orally, it's not written. And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die, the first and greatest lie that Satan told to Eve.

Whereas God had said, if you'll notice in Genesis 2, 16, 17, The Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it. For in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die, showing that man does not have an immortal soul, and that man is not going to live forever, apart from the Spirit of God. Remember that Romans 6.23 says, The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So God says in other places, for example, Ezekiel 18.4, Ezekiel 18.20, The soul that sins, it shall die. The Hebrew word, soul nafesh, is used for animal life. It is used for human life. And so, soul is what you are. You are a living, air-breathing creature. Soul is not something intangible, immortal, essence within you. It's what you are. You are a living, air-breathing creature. Virtually every false religion is inextricably linked to the damnable, abominable doctrine of the immortality of the soul. Satan's great lie, you shall not surely die.

Now, human beings can hardly conceive of their non-existence. If you just sit there for a moment and you say, can I conceive of me not existing? Oh, you may picture yourself in the coffin. Families gathered around.

Might see your flowers on the coffin. Know one day that you're going to lie there, but then do you really believe that that will be it? That you will never live again? While even those who don't believe in God, I believe somehow, some way, they think, well, this, even if I die, I'm going to keep on living. It's hard for, I know it's hard for me to conceive of non-existence. But, apart from God, you are going to die, and you are going to cease to exist.

So, I submit to you today what I believe are the seven greatest questions of the ages. Number one, does God exist? And, let's go to the first article of faith, and that is in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 is called the faith chapter. Hebrews 11 and verse 6. Hebrews 11 and verse 6.

The first article of faith. What is the first article of faith? If you're going to talk about spiritual things, you cannot see spirit. Spirit is invisible. Spirit is not discerned through the five senses. Thus, to be able to understand spiritual things, how are you going to understand it? What will be your source? What will you base it on? Now, there are various religions that have their so-called holy writ, and they go to the holy writ, many of them, and they base their faith on what's in that. And then there are a lot of people who just in their own mind somehow conjure up some kind of syncretic, that means a mixture of several different things, and they develop their own image of God. Ophraism. Ophraism is a syncretic religion. You know who Ophra is?

In Hebrews 11 and verse 6, Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for He that comes to God must believe that He is. So you have to believe that God exists if you're going to go anywhere spiritually, and faith has a concrete dimension, and it also has an abstract dimension. The concrete dimension, even in physical things, you can see that certain things happen, and you come to believe that. You know, if you drop something, it's going to fall. We know the forest there is gravity. You know that the hot stove burns you. You have faith in that. And then when it comes to spiritual things, what are you going to base it on?

Well, you, once again, you can't see Spirit. It's not discerned by the five senses. So if you're going to understand spiritual things, you're going to have to trust somebody else is what they have written, or some what is called revelation. So are you going to trust the revelation of Buddha? Are you going to trust the revelation of the Hindus? Are you going to trust the revelation of Mohammed? And I hasten with those three to say so-called, because I no more believe they are revealed from God than I believe that there is a man in the moon. But we have a lot of historical evidence and archaeological evidence and the testimony through the ages of the validity of the Bible. Continuing verse 6, you have to believe that God exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. So this is the first and great argument so this is the first and great article of faith that is to believe that God exists.

The second question is, who is God? If you would go to Isaiah 63 and verse 16. Isaiah 63 and verse 16, we'll see two scriptures here in Isaiah 63 that identifies who He is with regard to all humankind in which the Apostle Paul also affirms in Ephesians chapter 3 and we'll turn there immediately after here. In Isaiah 63 and verse 16, Doubtless you art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us. I don't think Abraham knew exactly what God was going to do through Jesus Christ and bringing many sons to glory. You may have never really focused on that verse. And Israel acknowledge us not, you, O eternal, Yahweh art our Father, our Redeemer. Your name is from everlasting. So God, who is God? He is our Father. Look at Isaiah 64 verse 8. 64-8. But now, O Lord, you art our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter, and we are the work of your hand. Now quickly to Ephesians 3. In Ephesians 3, in this prayer that Paul prays here in Ephesians chapter 3, we'll notice something similar in Ephesians chapter 3. And verse 14, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. So who is God? God is our Father. He is our Creator. Without Him, we would not have life.

Because of God's love, mercy, care, and concern, because He wanted to share who He is and what He is with humankind. He created human beings for that great transcendental purpose of being in His family.

And that leads to the next question. What is God? Let's go to John 4. We've already referred to this in somewhat of an abstract way, but concretely here in John 4 verse 24. What is God? What is His essence? God is Spirit. Once again, Spirit is not discerned through the five senses. It's invisible. On the other hand, we are flesh and blood, and we are able to discern flesh and blood through the five senses. God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Then, the next great question, what is God's purpose? What is God's purpose? I've already referred to this. Why did God create human beings? Let's go to Hebrews chapter 2. In Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 6, we'll see that the apostle Paul is referring to Psalm 8, in which David looked up in the starry heavens. Remember, he was a shepherd boy, and many a night, I guess, he spit out watching over the sheep as a shepherd.

He asked this question, what is man that you're mindful of him?

Hebrews 2 verse 6, but one in a certain place, David testified saying in Psalm 8, what is man that you're mindful of him, or the Son of man that you visit him? In other words, why were we created? Why are we here?

And then he goes on to explain that we were made a little lower than the angels, but we have this great potential in what God intends, that through Jesus Christ we can attain to immortality. Notice verse 9, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. So God's great purpose is to bring sons and daughters to glory in his family.

You know, the evangelists of the day, they skip over these great questions. They just urge you to give your heart to the Lord and all will be well. Now we come to the next great question, who is man? Who is man? And we go to Genesis 1 and verse 26. In Genesis 1 and verse 26, and God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness.

Now we had the argument in the church in the early 90s that some saying that God does not have form or shape, whereas Revelation 4 pictures God sitting on a throne.

Revelation 1 pictures Jesus Christ, describes Him walking among the seven candlesticks, which are the seven churches.

Very often, the body parts of God are referred to His face, His hands, His torso, His feet.

We're made in God's image, not only in form and shape to a large degree, but of all of God's creation, only man has the faculties of mind, akin to God. He can think, He can reason, He can think things out.

He can be creative. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, over the cattle, over the earth, and everything that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image, and the image of God created He Him, male and female, created He them. So who is man? Man is made in the image of God, but not of the same essence. And that leads us to the next question, what is man? And we look across the page to Genesis 2.7.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust to the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living, nayfish, a soul, an air-breathing creature, one who has life potential. But that man does not have abiding within him, inherit eternal life.

I heard a well-known prophecy preacher this week, Grant Jefferies. Grant Jefferies has written a lot of books. He appears on various of the religious television channels. He was talking about the resurrection from the dead, in which he basically stated that at the resurrection, the physical, corruptible body of man will be made incorruptible and immortal and join with his spirit in heaven. Once again, he said that it is a bodily resurrection.

We'll have a new body. Well, you could go along with a new body, but what kind of new body? The nominal Christian professing world tries to get you to believe that the resurrection from the dead is a physical resurrection. One of the reasons they do this is because some of them teach within the Trinity that the Father is eternally generating the Son, and that the Son was alive and well in heaven all along while there was a physical being called Jesus Christ on the earth. Then another problem presents itself at the resurrection. If the Father is still generating the Son in heaven, who is this resurrected being? Jesus Christ.

There are several facts that prove this notion to be blatantly wrong. Let's go to John 3, verse 6. Jesus Christ and his discussion with Nicodemus, who came and asked him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. I'm paraphrasing. In John 3, in verse 3, Jesus answered and said unto him, verily I say unto you, accept a man be born again. Now there's been great discussion in the church about born again.

You know, anathan, which can be translated born from above. And of course, God the Father is the one who begets us with his spirit. Unless a person be born from above or again, and literally to me it is again as well as from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Nicodemus understood it this way. And he said, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born? And that's the way he understood it. He understood it in terms of a literal birth. And Jesus answered, verily I say unto you, accept a man be born of water.

And when we are born in the physical sense, a woman's water breaks and comes along with the birth and of the spirit, he cannot enter in the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

Now let's notice what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write concerning the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 and beginning in verse 39. I believe 1 Corinthians 15.

You know, back when we were having the discussion in the worldwide Church of God with regard to the Trinity and one who said that God does not have form or shape. And then you read what we're about to read here in 1 Corinthians 15 beginning in verse 39.

If spirit does not have form or shape, and if we are given a spiritual body at the resurrection, how will we know each other in the resurrection if there's no form or shape? I guess it'd be sort of like the codes from outer space in these stupid Star Wars movies that are conditioning you to try to believe that a great invasion is coming from outer space, and the nations of the world be gathered together to fight against those aliens.

And in fact, they'll be fighting against Christ and the saints when Christ returns. If you don't have form or shape, how would we be identified? Oh, there goes Mr. Sallier. He's two beeps on God's great radar screen coming across here. He has no form or shape, but two beeps. Well, with billions of people, it'd be hard to get the beeps down to identify. 1 Corinthians 15, 39, all flesh is not the same flesh. There's a kind of flesh of men, a kind of flesh of beasts. Verse 40, there are celestial bodies, terrestrial bodies. The glory of the terrestrial is one.

The glory of the celestial is another. I reverse those. There's one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars, and they differ in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonors, raised in glory. It is sown in weakness.

It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. That's what the Bible says. There is a natural body. There is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul, an air-breathing creature. The first Adam, the last Adam, was made a quickening, a life-giving spirit. See, Jesus Christ was dead in the grave.

By the same spirit that God raised Jesus from the dead, He will also raise our mortal bodies. And we will be of that same spiritual essence. More about that later. The first man is the earth of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven. And as the earthy, such are also that are earthy, and as the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, of that one Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead. Now, 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 50 is the clincher.

If you insist that the resurrection was a physical resurrection, you won't be in the kingdom of God because, verse 50 says, now I say unto you, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. You will be changed into spirit. Whether you're alive or dead, if you are in the first resurrection, change to spirit. Neither does corruption inherit incorruption. I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep.

We shall all be changed. In a moment, the twinkling of the eye at the last trump, the trumpet shall sound. The dead shall be raised incorruptible. They shall be changed. The corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. So once again, one insists that the resurrection from the dead is a physical resurrection. They won't be in the kingdom of God because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

That which is born of spirit is spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh according to Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly shows us the state that you are in when you're born in the kingdom of God. The Greek word ganao is used in the New Testament when a woman conceives and when a woman gives birth. Now we've had debate even in the church about this, but let's see what the Bible says Matthew 1.20. When it comes down to it, brethren, the Bible is where we should be in believing the word of God.

Not accepting just what somebody else says, but what does the Bible say? Now we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day, and those who are called now are daily standing before the judgment seat of Christ. And what will be our source of truth? What will our faith be based on? In Matthew 1.20, but while he taught on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, that is to Joseph in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, for that which is conceived, and the Greek word for conceived is ganao.

That which is ganao in her is of the Holy Spirit. Now this word ganao, and you can look at whatever source you want to look, whatever commentary you want to look, and basically you're going to find this, that when ganao is used of the mother, it means to bring to birth. When it is used of the father, it means to beget or to engender. Now there are some that believe that it always means to bring to birth. Now look at Luke 1.13.

In Luke 1.13, the angel appears to Zacharias and prophesies, tells him of the birth of John the Baptist. In Luke 1.13, notice what it says that Elizabeth, his wife, will do.

Luke 1.13, but the angel said unto him, Fear not Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife shall, guess what that word bear is, ganao, you a son. She'll bring forth, she'll give birth to a son, and you shall call his name John. Now in verse 57, John 1.57, now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered, and she brought forth, guess what that word brought forth is? Ganao. And she brought forth a son, John the Baptist.

Now, we could, I'll read briefly here what Vine says. Ganao, to beget in the passive voice, to be born is chiefly used of men begetting children. More rarely of women begetting children, means brought forth or delivered, is delivered of a child, bearing children to contrast the natural birth of Ishmael and the supernatural birth of Isaac and so on. It is used of conception in Matthew 1.20 that we read, that which is conceived in her. It is used of the act of God in the birth of Christ, that is, resurrection from the dead, which we shall read in just a moment from the Scriptures. The Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word Ganao is Yalad. Spell Y-A-L-A-D. Yalad. Brethren, what I'm talking about today is guts.

In the human realm, the mother provides the egg or the ovum that is impregnated by the sperm of the father to beget a new life. It takes two. It takes the sperm from the father. They now have what's called in vitro fertilization, where you can, they call it harvest the egg or the sperm from the father and then through a process impregnate the ovum and place it in the mother's womb. So it is the sperm of the father in the physical realm that begets a new life. And, of course, it is the mother who carries that, first of all, embryo and then fetus and gives birth. We do not dispute that in the physical realm, as far as I know. In the spiritual realm, humans provide in the analogy the egg or the ovum. Our spirit, mine bears witness with his spirit that we are the sons of God. That's Romans 8-16. In the spiritual realm, humans provide the egg or the ovum and the father begets and brings to birth. And brings to birth.

Father begets and brings to birth.

Notice in Matthew 1 verse 2. Now, in the physical realm, in Matthew 1-2, Abraham begets Isaac. Abraham engendered new life, his sperm impregnated Sarah, and it was a supernatural conception. Thus, in Hebrews 12, Isaac is referred to as Abraham's only begotten son. And the reason for that is because he was the only one begotten in that way. Abraham had other children. He impregnated Hagar and had the son Ishmael. And after the death of Sarah, he married Keturah and had children with Keturah. Isaac begat and gendered Jacob, Isaac and Rachel, and so on. Now, Abraham was a powerful man, but Abraham did not give birth to Isaac.

That would be quite the trick if you could do that. If you could impregnate as a man and then give birth. Let's go to Genesis 17. Genesis 17 and verse 19. Genesis 17 and verse 19.

This is promising where the birth of Isaac is promised. Genesis 17 and verse 19.

And God said, Sarah, your wife shall bear your lot. It means to bring forth, to give birth. Sarah, your wife shall bring forth, to give birth a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him. And we are after the seed of Isaac. Why are we after the seed of Isaac? Because we are of faith. You can read about that in Romans 10. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. I have blessed him, will make him fruitful, will multiply him exceedingly. 12 princes shall he begat. Of course, another verse says that his hand, he'll be a wild man. His hand shall be against every man. And I will make him a great nation. My covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall, Yalad, bring forth or give birth unto you at the set time in the next year. Now also in Genesis 21 and verse 3, Genesis 21 and verse 3, And Abraham called the name of his son, that was born unto him, whom Sarah Yalad brought forth and gave birth. They called him Isaac.

Now let's note Psalm 2 and verse 7. Psalm 2 and verse 7. Psalm 2 and verse 7. This almost seems out of place. The first part of Psalm 2 is why do the nations rage and make war against and plot against God's anointed one. Then we come to Psalm 2 verse 7. Let's read verse 6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion, I will declare the decree, The LORD hath said unto me, You art my son. This day, yom, you know yom kippur? Yom means day in Hebrew. This day, this yom, have I, Yalad, begotten him or brought him to birth. This day. Seems like a specific point of time. Now, let's go to Acts chapter 13 and notice how the apostle Paul interprets Psalm 2 verse 7. I just read from Vines about this. Once again, I'll read what Vines says. Not that we care that much.

It is used as the act of God in the birth of Christ. Here in Acts, we want to start in verse 29. 13.

There are three or four great summary chapters in the book of Acts. Acts 2, of course, Pentecost. Acts 13, here, Paul's great sermon. In Acts 13 verse 29, breaking in on the thought, Paul is explaining the history of Israel, going all the way back to Abraham and tracing it up into the days of Christ, talking about how they had condemned and killed Jesus Christ. Verse 29, And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead.

Now, what we're going to see here is what raising from the dead is equated with. You're going to see that it is equated with Psalm 2 verse 7. Verse 31, Verse 31, And when he was seen many days of them, which came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who were his witnesses unto the people, it says about 500 in 1 Corinthians 15, And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled that same unto us, their children, in that he hath raised up their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again, as it is written in the second Psalm, And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now he is Now, no more to return to corruption, he said, On this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David, and that would be an interesting topic to pursue. The sure mercies of David has to do with the promises of the Messiah and the fulfillment thereof. Wherefore, he said also in another Psalm, You shall not suffer, permit your holy one to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption, but he which God raised again, saw no corruption. And so Paul equates Jesus Christ being raised from the dead with Psalm 2, This day have I begotten you, can thou brought you forth to birth? Now we want to look at Revelation 1 in verse 5, where once again the Apostle John equates resurrection with the firstborn.

In Revelation 1 in verse 5, and from Jesus, who is the faithful witness, and the prototarchos, the Greek word for first begotten, and in the New King James it says firstborn, Old King James says first begotten, the Greek word is prototarchos, which does mean firstborn, and the firstborn of the dead.

And he's speaking about Jesus Christ unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins and his own blood. Now we go to Isaiah 66. In Isaiah 66, we see a picture of that time in which we are going to merge into the millennium into the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints.

And the physical analogy of a woman being in travail and giving birth is used here for a nation being born in one day. You know, I think there are two places in the New Testament, I know for sure, of one place in 1 Peter 2.9 where the church is called an holy nation.

In Isaiah 66 in verse 5, hear the word of the eternal Yave, you that tremble at his word, your brethren that hated you, that cast you out from a namesake, said, let the Lord be glorified. Remember, it says in Matthew 24 that you shall be hated of all nations from a namesake, but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed. You shall be hated of all nations from a namesake, but there's coming that time in which it's going to be turned around. He will appear to your joy and to their shame.

A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that renders recompense to his enemies before she travailed. She brought forth before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Verse 7, before she travail, she brought forth, yalad, she gave birth, she brought forth before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child, who had heard of such a thing, who had seen such things. Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once in a moment in the twinkling of a nigh at the last trump? The dead in Christ shall rise, and those who alive and remain shall be caught up in the air. In a moment in the twinkling of a nigh, they shall be changed. For as soon as she travail, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to birth, and not cause to bring forth? Shall I, yalad, finish the task as the eternal? Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb, says your God? Well, the answer is no. Now go to Hebrews 12. Remember what the book of Hebrews does. The book of Hebrews compares and contrasts the elements of the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Today, we have a heavenly calling. Today, we have a superior priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek. Jesus Christ was made a priesthood, a priest forever, our high priest, after the order of Melchizedek. Today, we offer spiritual sacrifices, not physical sacrifices. Today, our reward is spiritual, not physical, and so on and so on. New Covenant compared and contrasted with the Old Covenant.

In Hebrews 12, in verse 22, in the preceding verses, he is contrasting what they heard, that is, Israel at Mount Sinai when the law was given, just before it was given, or during when it was given. And then verse 22, But you were come, in contrast to Sinai, you have come unto Mount Zion. What is Mount Zion? Unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the prototichos, the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you refuse not him that speaks, for if they escape not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven.

You know, this preacher, Grant Jeffries, went on to say that if man had not sinned, then he would have lived forever in the flesh. Now, the Jehovah's Witnesses have some kind of hierarchical kind of reward system that they teach regarding the kingdom of God and the reward. I have read what Jesus said in John 3.6, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born in the spirit is spirit. I've read 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

He went on to say that because he sinned, he corrupted his flesh, and that flesh had to be made incorruptible to go along with his immortal soul. And once again, just as I've said, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Now, when a person repents of their sins, exercises faith in the sacrifice of Christ, is baptized, receives the laying out of hands in the Holy Spirit, then God begets this person, and he is in the begatull stage. He or she has new life from above, abiding within he or she. Now, Paul calls it the earnest of the spirit. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 1, 22. 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 22. Now, this word, earnest, is similar to the term that they use in real estate about putting earnest money down. Some of the commentators translated literally as down payment.

In 2 Corinthians 1, 22. Who hath also sealed us and given us the down payment, the earnest of the spirit in our hearts.

Now, we can be called, and are called, the children of God.

But you're not yet born in the ultimate sense. You're not yet a spiritual being, a spirit being. Yes, you're a child of God, but you're not yet born of the spirit in the ultimate sense. Look at chapter 5, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 5. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 5.

2 Corinthians 5, 5. Now, he that hath brought us for the seth, same thing, is God, who also has given us the earnest, the down payment of the spirit. And as having received the spirit of God, we are the sons of God. We're called children of God, but we're not yet born of the spirit in the ultimate sense. Now, people talk about being born again Christians, but are they born in the ultimate sense? Go to 1 John 3, 1 John 3 and verse 1.

You know, as you walk around today, as you go into the shopping malls and the markets and the various places, the restaurants and so on, no one is going to look at you and necessarily say, there goes a born-again person. Neither will they say that about any who claim to be born again. Now, as you heard in the sermonette, if you are fulfilling one of the great purposes, and that is to be a light and to bear fruit, you can be known by your fruit and by your light. 1 John 3, 1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God. That's what we're called, and that's what we are.

Therefore, the world knows us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now we are the sons of God. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but that we know when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Now, what is he? Well, we have read from 1 Corinthians 15 that he is a life-giving spirit.

That's what the Bible says. Now, note Revelation 22. Revelation 22. Revelation 22.

This answers several questions with regard to God and body parts and all of that.

Revelation 22 and verse 1. He showed me a pure river of water of life, clearest crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Now, water symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Oil does. Water does. Christ said, out of my belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In the midst of the street of it, on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and His servant shall serve Him, and they shall see His face, poros upon. They shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads. See, at that time, after the resurrection, after we are born into the kingdom of God, we can look on the face of God. And no human being, no being in the flesh, can do that. Just about every false religion under the sun has its version of the immortal soul and how humans can attain unto salvation. The Bible makes it clear that eternal life comes from God in Christ, and that is the only way. Why is that so? It is because God and Christ are the only eternal beings. Now, eternity means no beginning and no end. That is very difficult to conceive of because we think in finite terms. So, if you're going to talk about eternal life and someone giving eternal life, then you must think in terms of beings who have existed in eternity. You don't go through eternity. You live in eternity. And it goes on and on and on and on.

All things were created by God through Christ. Several verses bear this out.

God created spirit beings, the angelic realm, but angels are not born sons of God.

Hear it again. Angels are not born sons of God. Angels were created to a certain level, and they were created for a specific purpose.

Now, on the other hand, human beings are created beings in the initial sense. That is, God created Adam. You know, God was, I guess you would call the first surgeon. He caused the great sleep to fall upon Adam. First one, I guess you would say, who used anesthesia. Deep sleep on Adam. He took a rib out of Adam, and from that rib he formed Eve, showing that they are to be one flesh. There, of course, there's a lot more to one flesh than that. And as we have read, human beings are created in the image of God, but not of the same essence. They are the dust to the ground. God is spirit. Now, the vast difference between humankind and the angels is that humans can be begotten of God's spirit and eventually born into the family of God at the resurrection, as I hopefully we have clearly seen. But the angels were created to a certain level of existence, and they were created to help us make it in the kingdom of God. Now we go to Hebrews 1. Hebrews 1. Now, perhaps when Satan understood what God's great plan was and is in bringing many sons to glory and the fact that the angels would not be heirs of God and join heirs with Jesus Christ, perhaps this is one of the reasons why he became rebellious and began to look at himself of his intelligence, his beauties, his wisdom, as it describes in Ezekiel 28. And thus, through his method of deceit, was able to deceive a third of the angels and have them join him in rebelling against God. Now, in Hebrews 1. 13. Now, Paul has asked this question a couple of times earlier in the chapter. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your foot still? The answer, never. Are they not all? For what purpose are they created? Are they not all ministering servants sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

So, angels are there to help us. Now, the argument has been made that we can never be on the God plane of existence since Adam and Eve were created beings. Now, listen closely to this.

The argument has been made that we can never be on the same plane of existence as God because Adam and Eve were created beings. Now, how do you combat or handle or rebut that argument? It's quite simple. It centers on what we just explained. Upon repentance, faith in the sacrifice of Christ, water baptism, laying on of hands, and God begetting you with His Spirit, says in 1 Corinthians 12-13, by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Man can baptize you in water, but God is the only one who can give you His Spirit. Now, that Spirit that comes into our mind and being upon repentance and faith is God's Spirit, His eternal Spirit, the Spirit that exists in eternity. And by that same Spirit, He changes our mortal bodies into glorious radiant spirit beings at the resurrection. Thus, after the resurrection and receiving the new birth, we are on the same plane, the same plane of existence as God and the Son. We will be then of the same essence as God. Notice 1 Corinthians 12-12. I've quoted it, but I want us to turn there. 1 Corinthians 12-12, somewhat the base here. 1 Corinthians 12-12, for as the bodies one hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, this is the eternal Spirit, the very essence of God, we're all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Now in Romans 8 and verse 11.

If you have not memorized Romans 8 and verse 11, then it's your shame, not mine. Romans 8 verse 11. But of the Spirit of him, God's eternal Spirit, but of the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall dwell in you. The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, we just read there's one Spirit, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive, quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you, that eternal Spirit. Now we look at verse 14. Romans 8, 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. You've not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of, and it should be sonship. Now there's some have debated this, but clearly the Greek word is weotheia. Some try to make the argument for adoption. In adoption, you have the same privileges and rights as the legal parents, but you're not of the same DNA. But with God, with us, we are begotten of the same essence, if you want to use physical terms, the same DNA as God. Same essence. Therefore, we have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, these Spirit, God Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs of God and join heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be glorified together. The fact that we shall exist in a dimension of being that the human mind finds difficult to grasp, I believe is one of the reasons why the Apostle Paul wrote what he did. Notice 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9. Forward list a little bit, please. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9. To exist in that dimension, that is, in that spiritual realm, as a glorious radiant spirit being, by the same spirit that he raised, Jesus from the dead, He will raise us from the dead, He will quicken our mortal bodies by the spirit that dwells in us, the same spirit that he raised, Jesus from the dead. 1 Corinthians 2, 9. But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered in the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. For God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him?

What is the main reason why I believe in God apart from reveal knowledge?

Just the spirit in man, in a human mind, would say nothing else makes sense. Because every theory with regard to the creation of the universe starts with matter already existing.

And to go from just existing matter to life is a quantum leap that the scientists have not breached. And I don't believe they ever will with all their test tubes. And who knows the things of God except through the Spirit of God? So when he comes down to it, you either believe God exists or He doesn't. You either believe in His revelation or you believe in some other revelation, or you are left to your own human reasoning. So where is mankind today? Basically, he is left to his own human reasoning. As Paul explains, go back now to Romans 1, as Paul explains here in Romans 1, this is what they are left with. 1 Corinthians 1, 18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, unrighteousness of men, who hold back the truth in unrighteousness. You know, you can even be, quote, Savior in the Church of God and hold back the truth in unrighteousness. Paul said, I have not neglected to declare the whole counsel of God. I don't spin it. I don't doctor it. I just try to read it and tell you what the Bible says. Hopefully that's what Paul did. Hopefully that's what the rest of God's ministers do.

Because that which be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them, for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. See, even if you just had human, the five senses and human reasoning, you would come to the conclusion that there must be something greater than just matter and human beings evolving to a state that they were currently in. And of course, they did not evolve. They were created. Even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations or vain reasonings. And that's what we have today. Remember, there are four systems that have tried to answer the great questions of life. True religion, false religion, philosophy, and science. The chief methodology of science is the scientific method, and the chief vehicle that they try to depend on is human reasoning. If X is true, then Y must be true, and things follow from that. Their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise. They became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like a corruptible man, birds, four-footed feasts, creeping things. God gave them over to uncleanness through the lusts of their own flesh and hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.

And so, one of the most powerful lobbying forces in the United States, and increasingly in the Western world today, are the homosexuals who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creation more than the Creator, who is blessed forevermore, for this cause, because they forgot God, God gave them up to vile affections for even their women to change the natural use and that which is against nature. And so, we see glorified television talk show hosts hosting various Academy Award winners or various programs of that ilk. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lusts one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which is fitting. And of course, you have AIDS and a host of other sexually transmitted diseases. One of the news items in your bulletin is, and this is from the Center of Disease Control, it is a government agency. It is not some right-wing conspiratorial, or whatever you want to call it, agency, and not that I necessarily trust the government, but that's supposed to be the chief voice with regard to disease in this nation, that one out of four teenage girls in America are afflicted with sexually transmitted diseases.

And it even talks about the quotas and the various racial stratus in the nation.

Where is humankind? Well, you see about it, you hear about it every day. And so Paul describes the fruits of man's thinking apart from God. You know, there are a lot of people who somehow, down in their inner recesses of their being, know better, but they somehow believe that they can live in both worlds. That is, they believe that they can profess to know God, and at the same time, be of this world. And in their self-delusion and deception, they somehow think at the end, everything will be okay, because it's difficult to conceive of non-existence. They sort of play the game of one of these days, I'm going to get my life on track. But one of these days never comes. They wind up facing death, drowning in the same old self-delusion and self-deception. You see, with God, there is no middle ground. Christ says, you're either for me or you're against me. So today, if you would hear His voice, harden not your heart. Today, you've been privileged to hear the words of life and the answers to some of the greatest questions of the ages. So as we reflect back on Thanksgiving and what we gave thanks for, let us be reminded of how blessed we truly are, because as the world is gripped and enslaved by fear, ignorance, superstition, and the dogmas of man, you know the truth, and the truth can make you free.