Are You Dead Yet?

Let me ask you this question. Are you dead yet? Seems like a rather odd question to ask, doesn't it? Are you dead yet? Did you know that in order to really live, you must first die? That's what the scripture tells us. Did you know that if you're not dead yet, you aren't really alive either? So what am I talking about? Has it finally happened? Have I lost my mind? No, I haven't lost my mind. The Bible does talk about life and death, and it talks about the absolute necessity of dying in order to really live. So it is a valid question. Of course, you're all obviously alive. I see that you are. There's a sparkle in your eyes. You are alive. You're there in the flesh. But again, are you dead yet? Today we're going to see what the Bible says about dying in order to really live. We will see how we must die and how we must now live also in order to be given the gift of salvation, the gift of eternal life. Today we see around us many, many frustrated, angry, confused, hopeless people. In fact, suicide is at an all-time high among teenagers these days, probably among all people as far as that goes. It seems in a sense like many are somewhat like the walking dead, the zombies. They really don't have a lot of hope. They don't know what's going on. From a spiritual standpoint, they've never found their way. Spiritually, they don't know where they've been and they don't know where they're going. They have no clue, really, from a spiritual sense, in a very real way they are lost. So in order to find themselves, they first must die.

How must they die? Let's go to Romans chapter 6. I'm sure some of you recognize Romans chapter 6 as the baptism chapter. Romans chapter 6. We'll break into the middle of it and we'll come back and read the context somewhat later. But let's go to Romans chapter 6 verse 8, where it says, now if we died with Christ. So Paul is talking to the church at Rome. He says, now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him. Does death have dominion over you?

Have you thought about that? Does death have dominion over you? If you now heard the blast of the seventh trumpet and Christ returned right now, would you be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, since you are alive physically? If Christ were to return right at this moment, would you be changed in the spirit? If you would, then really, death has no dominion over you. Death has no dominion over you, just like it had no dominion over Jesus Christ, who was resurrected from the dead. His father resurrected him. So have you thought deeply about that and what that means? Even now, if you are truly converted, if God's spirit dwells in you, then death has no real dominion over you, even if you're old and gray. If you're close to dying, I know that's a relative term, but if perhaps in the next five or ten years you may be in the grave, just realize that death has no dominion over you. You shall rise from your grave at Christ's return.

So that's extremely comforting to realize that. As we grow older, I would imagine that becomes even comforting. On the other hand, those who died and were not yet converted, many people have died, billions of people have died in the past. They weren't converted. They didn't accept Christ as their Savior. They never had God's Holy Spirit in them. And they will be held by the grave at Christ's return. Death does have dominion over them in that sense. They're not going to be resurrected. Not yet. They're going to have to wait a while.

They'll have to wait a thousand years. Christ is going to return. He's going to reign on this earth for a thousand years. Those who are the saints, who have been changed into spirit, will live and reign with Christ for the thousand years.

After that thousand-year period, there will be another resurrection, a general resurrection, a great white throne judgment time period. People will come out of their graves. Death will no longer have dominion over them. It'll have dominion for a thousand years, but it won't have dominion at that point. They're going to be resurrected, and they will have an opportunity at that point to choose life. And if they choose life, then death will no longer have dominion over them. They will also live forever.

Only those who will not choose life, those who reject Jesus Christ, reject the Father, reject God's way of life, only they are going to be cast in the lake of fire. Only they will be burnt in the lake of fire. They will suffer the second death, and death will have dominion over them forever. They will not rise again. Let's go back to Romans 6. What else are these two verses saying?

Are they not saying to be truly alive a person must first die in the waters of baptism?

Once a person has died in the waters of baptism, then they should be fully alive.

Let's go back to Romans 5. We will read quite a bit, so please pay attention as we read these verses because they are vital to our understanding of what is going to be happening to us in the future. In Romans 5, verse 17, it says, For if by the one man's offense or by the one man's trespasses it is hearkening back to Adam, when Adam sinned, and of course, Eve sinned as well, mankind sinned.

For if by the one man's offense or trespass death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. There is no other name given under heaven whereby anyone will be saved. Therefore, as though as through one man's offense, again speaking of Adam, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation. The death penalty came upon all of us because we've all followed in Adam's footsteps. We are all sinners and the wages of sin is death. It's condemnation. Even so, through one man's righteous act, speaking about Jesus Christ who was perfectly righteous as well, who never sinned and laid his life down.

That was the righteous act. He sacrificed his own life for us and of course, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, the one who had been with him from eternity, the word, the logos, the spokesman, who divested himself of his divine nature of his spirit and became born of the flesh, became born of the Virgin Mary, conceived of the Holy Spirit.

So Christ is the Messiah and is through his righteous act of laying his life down for us. That the free gift, verse 18 again, the free gift came to all men because we don't deserve life. None of us deserve it. We deserve death. The wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. So the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

We were justified, made right because of Christ's sacrifice. Our sins were forgiven. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so also, because we all followed in Adam's footsteps, so also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. That's what's going to result in our becoming truly righteous is through our acceptance of Christ as our Savior and by allowing Christ to live in us and to have our sins forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, putting sin out of our lives and walking in newness of life, walking with God and with Jesus Christ in a righteous manner.

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. It says, verse 20, Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. Sin is the transgression of God's holy and righteous law. God is the law giver. He makes the laws. We are to keep them. We are to observe them and follow Him out of love and respect for our Creator. There were sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so, grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So again, we all came under the death penalty because we are all sinners. Sin reigned in death. That's what we deserve. Adam died. Eve died. All of Adam and Eve's children died. We all eventually will die. Satan lied. He said, You shall not surely die. But, of course, they did die, and we've been dying as well. So again, the law entered that the offense might abound, but grace abounds much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so, grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So we are to follow Christ's righteous example. His example was a perfect one. Our example is not a perfect one. We all fall short of God's glory. We're all sinners. We all have to repent of our sins. What shall we say, then? Paul asked this question.

What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? That was actually some some irrational thinking that was going on back in those days. They were thinking that the more we sin, the more grace abounds. Therefore, God is glorified in some way, which was nonsense. And that's what Paul says certainly not. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we, who died to sin, live any longer in it? Okay, how did we die to sin? We died when we were willing to accept Christ as our Savior and to go under that watery grave.

And we're going to read about that as we go on here. Certainly not. How shall we, who died to sin, live any longer in it? We're to come out of sin. That's what the days of an leavened bread picture. Putting leaven or putting sin out of our lives. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death? The reason we were baptized is because Christ died for us.

That's the only thing that makes baptism powerful. That's the only thing that makes baptism work, is that Jesus Christ died for us. So we were baptized into Christ Jesus.

We were baptized into His death. Verse 4, Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death. So there's symbolism that's being used here. When we go under the waters of baptism, we go under a watery grave. Our old man is buried, in a sense. He's buried in that watery grave. That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life. So when we come out of the watery grave, our sins are forgiven. We're perfect in that sense. For a brief moment, for a short time, we're perfect. Our sins have been forgiven. Now we are to walk in newness of life. We're to change our lives. We're to no longer walk in the sins that we once walked in. And God gives us the strength to overcome. He gives us the help that we need to put sin out of our lives. Unfortunately, we're not capable of putting it out perfectly like Christ was perfect. None of us have lived up to that. I certainly haven't. I believe that I was forgiven my sins when I was baptized, when hands were laid upon me. I believe I received God's Holy Spirit, as you did.

And I have walked in newness of life because I've walked a repentant life. That's the key is repentance. We should be sorry for our sins. We should feel guilt when we sin.

We should ask for forgiveness. We should believe that we will be forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Now that's what makes sense. When we stop and think about it, Christ died so that we might all have eternal life. He didn't die so that we could all remain in our sins. He died so we could come out of our sins, that our sins could be forgiven, and that we could learn to walk in newness of life, striving to be righteous as He is righteous, allowing Him to live in us. So going back here to verse 4, therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, while we were being baptized, we were united together in the likeness of His death, at baptism certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. So coming out of that watery grave is symbolic of a resurrection. We've been resurrected to life, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Christ, with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. See, no longer will Satan have us in bondage. Satan is the God of this world, and those that follow him are in bondage. Those who continue in their sins are in bondage to Satan the devil. For he who has died has been freed from sin. When we come out of that watery grave, then our sins are forgiven, we're freed from sin, and upon repentance we will continue to be freed from sin. But to think that none of us ever sin after baptism is truly wrong thinking, isn't it?

You know, that's the human condition. We're going to sin until we are changed to spirit. Now, we should strive to put sin out. We should be overcomers, because only those who overcome will Christ grant to sit with him on his throne. So we have to live a life of overcoming, but we also have to live a life of faith, knowing that when we do sin, our sins are forgiven because we've accepted Christ as our Savior, and we are striving against sin. You know, we haven't given in to sin. We're striving against it. We're striving to put it out. We're continuing to fight the good fight. We're continuing to run the good race, and we're never giving up. And we're going to continue to fight the battle until we are saved truly at the resurrection. To he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved. So if we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us upon our death, then that Spirit seals us for the resurrection. And then we will become Spirit, no longer subject to sin.

We will become like Christ. We will see Him as He is, and we will be like Him. That's what the Scripture tells us. So going back to verse 8, knowing if we died with Christ, we believe that we also shall live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Christ is never going to die again. He died once for us. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

The second death, it isn't going to happen with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was perfect.

He's been changed to Spirit. He's back to His divine state, you might say, or His divine nature. He's at the right hand of God the Father. He's a Spirit being. And He does not sin. He will not sin. He cannot sin. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all. But the life that He lives, He lives to God. Yes, He lives to God the Father. God the Father is perfect. God the Father is without sin. Jesus Christ was without sin. Now He's been changed back into Spirit, as He was in the beginning. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body. So Paul is talking about someone who's been baptized, someone who's come out of that watery grave. He says, therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body. It's still possible to allow that to happen after baptism. A person can go astray. They can yield to Satan, the devil. Satan can bring them under bondage once again. If they're not repentant, and if they're not seeking forgiveness for their sins, and they're continuing in their sins, then sin can reign over them. It says that you shouldn't let not, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lust. Because the flesh is weak, and you are weak, and I am weak. But we are made strong in Christ Jesus if we yield to Him and allow His Spirit to guide us, and if we walk in the Spirit, but we can still walk in the flesh, can't we? We still have the capacity to walk in the flesh. Verse 13, and do not present your members, in other words, your body, do not present yourself as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead. Yes, we're alive from the dead. The wages of sin is death, but our sins are forgiven. In Christ Jesus, our sins are washed away and we're made new in Christ and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. So we're supposed to now walk in the Spirit. We're supposed to allow Christ to live in us, Christ doing the works in us, helping shape us and helping us overcome and put sin out of our lives. For sin shall not have dominion over you. Verse 14. Did I read 13? Okay, verse 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but you are under grace. We in the Church of God firmly believe that we are under grace. We're under no illusion whatsoever that we'll be forgiven and that we'll achieve salvation or be given the gift of salvation because we're under grace. Our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So we strongly believe that we are saved by grace. Otherwise, we would all be cast into the lake of fire because we're all sinners. None of us are perfect. Thankfully, we are forgiven through Christ's sacrifice for us. Verse 15. What then shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Okay, that's a good question. So is it okay to just sin? Once saved, always saved? You don't have to worry about it. You've been saved. You can go sin. You don't have to be concerned about that.

What's the answer? Certainly not. Certainly not. You know, you have to continue to put sin out of your life. Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one slave to whom you obey? So the point is, we're going to be a slave to something. As a human being in the flesh, we're going to be either a slave to Satan the devil and to our own flesh, motivated by Satan the devil, or we're going to become slaves of God.

And we're going to surrender our lives and we are going to die to ourselves.

So you are that one slave whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness. But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yes, we were all slaves of sin. Before we were forgiven our sins, before our sins were washed away in the blood of Christ and in the waters of baptism, we were all slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered, that form of doctrine to which you were entrusted.

We have been given God's holy law. Paul said God's law is holy and just and good. That's in Romans chapter 7, the next chapter. Nothing wrong with the law. The law is holy and just and good. Christ didn't come to do away with the law. Think not that I came to do away with the law. Christ did not come to do away with the law as so many people teach.

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Our sins were forgiven, now we become slaves of righteousness, striving to be righteous. I mean, isn't that our goal? To become righteous. That's what I strive to be righteous. Unfortunately, I fall short. I'm not perfect. You fall short. But we should all strive to be righteous and to follow Christ's example. Paul says, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.

For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, when you were in your sins, your sins were not forgiven, you were unclean, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, because the more we sin, the more we sin. That's just the way it goes. You have to fight against sin, otherwise you end up sinning more and more. Leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. God says, you become you holy even as I am holy. We're supposed to follow the example of God the Father and Jesus Christ. We are to be holy as they are holy. We are to become perfect. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

So we're to put on the mind of Christ. Verse 20, for when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. You were not a righteous person. Then you were a slave of sin. You were sinning. You were certainly not a righteous person. Verse 21, what fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? When we look back at our past and even our recent past to some degree, because again we all continue to sin, we should be ashamed of our sins. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. If we continue in our sins and we become slaves to sin once again, then we should be very fearful because the lake of fire awaits us. If we give in and stop fighting the good fight and we become weary and well-doing, we no longer want to fight the good fight, we give up, then we can be cast in the lake of fire eventually. So, verse 21, for what fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end is everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, we can have great confidence in knowing that our sins are forgiven.

That it is a gift that God the Father and Jesus Christ desire to give all of us. They want everyone to repent and to learn to walk in righteousness and to have repentant hearts and minds. God doesn't expect us to be perfect in this life. He doesn't expect that, but He expects us to be repentant.

There's a big difference between perfection and being repentant. We should strive, obviously, not to sin, to put sin as far away from us as we possibly can. Then we are pleasing to God, but we know that eventually we're going to fall short, no matter how hard we try, because we can't of ourselves ever become perfect. Only when we become spirit and born into the family of God will we truly reach perfection. The gift of God is eternal life. That's what we all need desperately is that free gift of eternal life.

Let's go to 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. This talks about how our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your body is the temple of God's Spirit because God's Spirit dwells in you. 1 Corinthians 6. We already read that, didn't we? No, 1 Corinthians. I'm in Romans again. I need to go to 1 Corinthians. So do you. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. Paul writes, or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Because you are not your own. That's why I say we have to die. We're no longer our own. For you were bought at a price, therefore glorified God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. So here it says that we are bought at a price, and that you are not your own.

So if you're trying to be your own boss, if you're not willing to let anyone else tell you what to do, then you are in danger. You are in great danger. That approach is not even realistic in this life. You know, we all have to be willing to yield to our bosses, to our husbands, to our wives at times. When they're right, men, we have to yield and submitting one to another in the fear of God. It's what the Scripture says. So we should be willing to take certain correction from our mates and be repentant for our sins. So you were bought at a price. So what is that price?

What is that price? We're told that we are to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirit, which are God's because we're bought with a price. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. It tells us what that price is. I think you already know what the price is. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 17. But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk, and so I ordain in all the churches. Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. At this point, it's really not something that we should worry about. Circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Keeping God's commandments, keeping the Ten Commandments, keeping the laws and the statutes of God, that's what really matters. So let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. So let's read a little bit further here. Were you called while a slave? There were slaves back at this time. It was going on. In fact, up until what, 100 years ago, 150 years ago, there were slaves here in the United States. Were you called while a slave, do not be concerned about it, but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price, do not become slaves of men. Of course, Christ bought us with his shed blood. You were bought at a price, and do not become slaves of men. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. Thankfully, none of us are slaves. We've all been called in a free state. We don't have to be slaves to men. In that sense, some were slaves to men back when this was written. But we are bought with a price. Acts 20 verse 28 makes it real clear what that price is. Acts 20 verse 28, Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Christ purchased the church with his own blood. So if you are a part of his church, Christ is the head of the church, then you have been purchased by his blood. Christ died for you right now. Now is the time of your calling. Remember, judgment has begun at the house of God.

Judgment is upon each and every one of us because our minds have been open to God's truth. God has shown us his truth. He has opened our minds.

And so it is our responsibility to yield to him and to become a slave, to surrender our lives to him at this point, to walk in newness of life, to put the sin out of our lives, to strive to become perfect as Christ is perfect. That should be our goal, to become like Christ. Christ purchased us with his own blood. He died for us with his own blood. Now, in Ephesians chapter 1, if we'll go there for a moment, Ephesians chapter 1 speaks of the gospel of your salvation.

The gospel of your salvation. What is that all about? Let's go to Ephesians chapter 1. And we'll read in verse 13. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13.

In whom in Christ you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, Christ came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

There is a kingdom that will be established here on this earth when Christ returns.

And then, of course, that kingdom will be expanded throughout eternity, throughout the universe, by God and by Jesus Christ. In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, sanctify them through thy truth. Your word is truth. God's holy word has been preserved for us in the Bible. The Old and the New Testament have been preserved for us.

After you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. God seals us to the power of His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit dwells in us. It's not a third person of a trinity.

It's a power. It's the power of God. God is Spirit. Christ is Spirit.

So the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. What promise? The promise of eternal life.

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, it is the guarantee of our inheritance. When we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, then we are guaranteed salvation. That's the whole key, is having the Spirit of God dwelling in us. It is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory. So it is a guarantee. The Holy Spirit is a guarantee. And if we go to chapter 4, verse 30, it says, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We're not to grieve God's Spirit that dwells in us by turning to sin. Sin grieves God's Holy Spirit. If we start down the road of sin, then we need to seek repentance so that that sin will be forgiven so that we'll no longer grieve God's Holy Spirit. Because God will take that Spirit away from us if we go too far. If God sees that we've gone too far, only God knows what too far is. I'm not the judge of that. But remember what David said. He prayed that God would not take the Holy Spirit from Him. After he'd sinned with Bathsheba, after he'd committed adultery, after he had Uriah killed, he committed murder, he prayed, God, don't take Your Spirit from me. He realized that God had the power to do that. So he sought repentance. Psalm 51 is a psalm of David. It's a psalm we should read regularly because we all need to seek repentance upon our sins.

So we have been sealed, as it says here in verse 30, and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So when a person dies and they have God's Spirit dwelling in them upon their death, that Spirit seals them for the resurrection. And they will become born into the family of God at the resurrection, at the day of redemption when Christ returns. That's when we shall be redeemed, but we'll be changed into Spirit. If we are called, chosen, and faithful, being called isn't enough. Being chosen isn't enough. That's not enough either. We have to also be faithful. Called, chosen, and faithful.

Now in Colossians chapter 3, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God and set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth. And then he mentions a variety of sins that mankind commits, such as fornication, uncleanness, passion, lust, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. The Bible is very clear that we must not continue in our sins. We cannot continue as disobedient children. We've got to repent of those sins and turn to God, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these things. Look at everything that we're supposed to put off. Anger. Any of you ever have trouble with anger? Does that ever rise up within you? Anger? That's a sinful act. To be angry in an ungodly way, there's a certain righteous indignation. There's a certain righteous anger that's fine. But I'm talking about the selfish kind of anger. When we become angry because we're being selfish and we're allowing anger to dwell up in us. So anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. God doesn't want you to be speaking in a filthy way. You're to clean up your mouth and no longer walk in that way. I find myself sometimes reverting back under certain circumstances. I'll say things that I hadn't said in a long time.

Because the flesh is weak. And as a child, as a teenager, I developed a pattern of cussing, of swearing. And once in a while, unfortunately, I'm not proud of it. And I don't do it in front of people. At least I have enough self-control when I'm around people.

I don't let those things slip out of my mouth. But sometimes, if I'm all alone and I'm not as close to God as I should be, I can say something that I'm really not proud of. So, it's a lifelong battle to put sin out of our lives. Filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another. That's another thing. Lying comes easy for people. Doesn't it? It actually comes pretty easy. You have to fight against not lying. If you've done something that you shouldn't have done and someone questioned you about it, it's pretty easy to lie. You know, it's pretty easy to lie. Look at Ryan Lochte. Now, there's a guy, Ryan Lochte. Remember him? He's in the news right now. He's a swimmer, Olympic swimmer. He lied. Evidently, he lied. I mean, it sure looks like he lied about being mugged and being robbed over there. I mean, he was trying to cover up his own bad behavior. So, he lied about it and it looks like it's biting him in the backside. That's what happens. Be sure your sins will find you out. That's what the scripture tells us. Your sins will find you out. Don't lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds. Okay, so this is talking about a converted person. Paul's talking to converted people. He's telling them, you know, don't continue lying. That means probably some of them were lying. Some of them were getting angry. Some of them were having filthy communication. You know, they weren't perfect yet. They were growing in the grace and knowledge of God and coming to a better understanding of how they ought to live their lives.

And having put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him, whether there is neither where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Okay, so God is not a respecter of persons. We should not be respecters of people either. We should not put other people above. Some people above others. We should respect everyone, have love and respect for all people.

He says in verse 12, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Remember, we will be forgiven in the same manner that we forgive others. So we need to be forgiving people. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection. God is love. None of us are perfect love yet. You're not there yet. I'm not there yet.

Above all these things, put on love, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. The church of God, the body of Christ, Christ died for His church. Christ is the head of the church. He died for the church. He died for each and every one of us. Verse 17, whatever you do, do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Christ, through Him. For we all...

I don't want to read all this, but you can... it talks to wives, it talks to husbands, it talks to children, it talks to slaves, it talks to everyone, telling them how they ought to live their lives, that we ought to serve the Lord Christ, is what it says in verse 24. In verse...

it says, masters give your bond servants what is just and fair. So even if we were to have slaves, we would have to treat them justly and righteously and the way God would have us do, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. God is our master. We're to follow Him. We're a slave to God our master. In 1 John chapter 5, a couple verses here. 1 John chapter 5, verse 10 and 12, 10 through 12, he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. He who does not believe God has made himself a liar because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of his Son. And this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. We know that it's through Christ we're forgiven our sins. We know it's not the law that's going to save us. It's the sacrifice of Christ and our acceptance of His sacrifice for us. God gives us eternal life through His Son. I'm not going to go to Romans chapter 8, but we could read the whole chapter, and it would be good for you to read that in this context, but I don't want to take the time to do that now, especially verses 1 through 11. But I will conclude the sermon by going to Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2, verse 20 and 21, among my favorite scriptures, in the Bible. Galatians chapter 2, verse 20.

I have been crucified with Christ. Okay, I have died. So are you dead yet? Hopefully you are dead.

You're dead in Christ. You've died in Christ. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So we have to get out of the way and allow Christ to live in us. Yes, Christ lives in me in the life which I now live in the flesh. Yes, we're still here in the flesh. I see you're still alive. I'm alive. We're still here in the flesh. We've died in Christ. We've died in that watery grave. We're now walking in newness of life. I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's how we're saved. Through the love of Christ and love of the Father. For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son. Verse 21. I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. Of course. None of us are righteous except when Christ lives in us.

When Christ does the work in us, there's nothing good that dwells in us except the Spirit of God. So, brethren, thankfully, we have died in Christ. So are you dead yet? If you are dead with Christ, then you are walking in righteousness. You're striving to be righteous. That's your goal. You want to become righteous. You want to put sin out of your life. Christ is indeed living in you. He is the hope of glory and of eternal life. So, brethren, die daily with Christ and let Him live in you.