Justification, Baptism, Laying on of Hands, and the Unpardonable Sin

The title today, Justification, Baptism, Laying on of Hands, and the Unpartable Sin. Showing the relationship between all of these and the need for it. According to Romans 3.23, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Every person who's ever lived or ever will live will sin and come short of the glory of God, with one exception, and that is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul also writes in Romans 6.23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So each one of us has personally and individually sinned, and therefore each one of us, and every person that's ever lived or ever will live, has the death penalty on our heads, or have had it on our heads, and needed a Redeemer, or will need a Redeemer, to pay the penalty for sin. Now listen and listen carefully. God and the Word reached an agreement on how they could formulate a plan whereby they could reproduce themselves. The God-kind, one of the great laws of biology, is that kind produces kind.

God, of course, can create anything that he wants to create, but since both God beings are co-eternal, meaning they've always existed, one who became the Father and one who became the Son, co-eternal always exists and uncreated, as we'll read in just a moment from Hebrews chapter 7. And of the same essence, they both have the same essence, the Holy Spirit within them. We'll read later Ephesians chapter 4, which says there is one Spirit. Or 1 Corinthians 12-13 says that by one Spirit we're all baptized into one body. There was no family relationship before this plan was enacted. Let's look now at Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews 7, the first three verses, verifies much of what I've just said.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, a priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, see, Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God. Read about it in Genesis 14. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, so therefore uncreated. Without father, without mother, uncreated. How many notes have you taken so far?

Do you know, can you just say, they are co-eternal, uncreated, they live forever. Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of days.

But made like unto the Son of God abides a priest continually. Speaking specifically of Jesus Christ, the one who became Jesus Christ, God the Father was also there as we read in John 1.1. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God, showing that they existed co-eternally. All humans are sons of God by creation. But not all humans are spiritual sons and daughters of God, spiritual sons and daughters.

God and Christ could create humans, but they would not be sons and daughters since they did not go through a spiritual, begettle, and birth process. We go back to John chapter 1 and read John 1.1.

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Now verse 12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God, born of God. So humans were created in the image of God, but not of the same essence. They were made from the dust of the ground. We know Genesis 2.7. God created Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living nayfish. That is, a living air-breathing creature with life potential. When all is said and done, soul really means life potential. It is something you are. You are a soul. You have life. And how do I know that? Matthew 10.28. Fear not him who is able to destroy the body, but fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna Fire. When you are thrown into Gehenna Fire, as it says in the last couple verses of Revelation chapter 20, from that you experience the second death from which there is no resurrection. So in order for this plan to be reenacted, one of them had to agree to go through a process of begettle and birth to bring the plan to complete fruition. Of course, it's an ongoing plan. We're in that plan, hopefully. But in addition to being begotten by God the Father, this is a very important point here, but maybe we don't emphasize enough. In addition to being begotten by God the Father, the Word had to agree to be made flesh and die for the sins of the world, and moreover, He had to qualify to be the Redeemer by living a life of perfect obedience. He cannot be the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world and sin. Jesus Christ, look at John 15.10, He said Himself that He perfectly, as we'll read here in John 15.10, He says Himself that He perfectly obeyed His Father's commandments. This is John 15.10, if you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. And then we go to Romans 8, and beginning in verse 1, these verses here are so important to fuller, deeper understanding of what Christ did and what we are to do. Now, chapter 7, Paul describes the warfare that goes on between the mind of the flesh and the mind of the Spirit, and how that the mind of the flesh will always be there warring against the mind of the Spirit. But He keeps Himself in subjection and with the mind of the Spirit, who He obeys the law of God. Now verse 1 of chapter 8, There is therefore now no condemnation to those which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

See, every human being is a Son of God by physical birth, but you have to be begotten and hopefully eventually born into the family of God to be a child of God by begettle and birth.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin, sin and death. In order, we're going to talk about how you are freed from the law of sin and death, but that you can go back and lose that life and commit the unpardonable sin. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, and we hasten to add parenthetically here, even if one could perfectly keep the law after being convicted of sin, that would not pay the penalty for sin. Only a life could do that because the wages of sin is death.

God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, the Word was made flesh, dwelt among us, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. How did he condemn sin in the flesh? He lived in the flesh and yet did not sin. Thus he condemned sin in the flesh.

Through mortifying the flesh and living by the Spirit, one can live sinlessly, as Christ did. That the righteousness of the law might be filled in us, the righteousness of the law. That is obedience to the law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life in peace.

So we see that Jesus Christ came and he condemned the law of the flesh by living a perfectly perfect life. Somewhat of a summary verse of this is verse 13, which says, for if we live after the flesh we shall die, but if we through the Spirit do mortify. How do we mortify through the Spirit?

Is it axiomatically? In other words, just because we have the Spirit, do we axiomatically mortify the flesh? No, we have to make a decision. We have to make a decision, and we have the will to do the mind of the Spirit. But if we through the Spirit do mortify, that is to put to death the deeds of the flesh, we shall live. Do we understand that Jesus did not obey the commandments for us as some contend?

Oh, he kept the law, therefore we don't have to, because he is the righteousness of the laws that talk like that. They're religious people who apparently believe and teach that since Jesus kept the commandments, believers do not have to obey the commandments. We'll examine that, talk about it.

Jesus did obey the commandments, as we read from John 15.10. I have kept my Father's commandments. He did obey the commandments while living in the flesh, qualifying him to be the perfect Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world. So now let's explain the process of justification, the title of justification, baptism, laying on of hands, and the unpardonable sin.

The gospel has to be preached. The gospel has to be preached. One of the purposes for Christ raising up the church, if you would turn to Matthew 28, verse 20, one of the purposes of raising up the church was to take the gospel to preach the gospel to the world. We're not convicted by anything other than the Spirit of God and the Word of God. Now we can be convicted of a lot of things that are not spiritual that lead to life eternal. We can be convicted of all kind of things, but to be convicted of things that are spiritual and lead to life eternal, we need the Spirit of God and the Word of God to convict.

This is Matthew 28, 19. Go, you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you, and lo, I am with you even unto the end of the age. Now in Acts chapter 1, Acts chapter 1 deals with Jesus Christ's ascension back into heaven Jesus Christ had been resurrected after being crucified and spending 40 days with the apostles, appearing to them at least three times, perhaps more, but we know of at least three places.

Just before he ascended, they asked him, will you restore to us the kingdom now? So let's read the words of Jesus here in Acts chapter 1. We'll start in verse 4. And being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

When they therefore come together, they ask him, said, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power, but you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in Al Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

So they were to take the gospel message to all the world. So he commissioned them to do that, and so that was one of the main reasons why the church was raised up. Now that is a part of what the church is doing today is hopefully taking the gospel message to the world, and there are so many avenues and ways to do it today that were not available in times past, but there is so much more confusion in the world than there has ever been in the history of humankind. If you were living in Israel, even during the days of Jesus Christ, and even though the Romans had taken over, they were a subject nation, they were still living in a pretty much a theocratic kind of governmental system, whereby they exercised their own law and rules up to the point of they could not put a person to death.

Now you look at Romans 10, Romans 10 verse 14, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they preach without a preacher? So one of the things, of course, the church tried to do and the many schisms that have taken place is to provide pastors, preachers, teachers to the various congregations around the world. And we really need to be teaching and preaching the Word of God as never before. Now, you look at verse 17, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Now you turn back to John chapter 16, so we see that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That's a part of the convicting process. Preachers, teachers. Now, in John 16.7, the context of this is Jesus Christ is talking to the apostles that evening before he was betrayed and the mock trial was held, instructing them about things that were to come.

And so we read here about sending the Holy Spirit. Once again, this is John 16.7, "'Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter,'" the paracletus, "'and in John 14.26,'" and you ought to put that in your margin, John 14.26 says, "'the comforter is the Holy Spirit.'" The comforter is the Holy Spirit.

John 14.26, "'The comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send it unto you.'" Actually, in Greek language, it would be him. We know it's not a person. And when it has come, it will, elencho, E-L-E-N-C-H-O, it means to convict. What is conviction? Conviction is to have something, a weight, I call it a weight upon your mind, a sense of urgency that this thing is true. And I believe it, and I need to do something about it.

And when it has come, it will reprove, elencho, convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

So we see that God's Spirit and Word convicts a person of sin. That person comes to understand that the death penalty is upon him or her, and that apart from God and Christ, he-she is going to die the second death. That is one of the realities that a person needs to come to before being baptized. That if I want to live forever, I've got to have this penalty paid. And Christianity is the only religion that really has a remedy for the sin problem.

The conviction by the Spirit and Word of God lays a weight on a person's mind that he-she must act or needs to act on that conviction. I use the analogy of a tennis game, or you're playing ping pong, or some game in which the ball is served over into your court. Nice fat lob. All you got to do is return it, whether it be volleyball tennis, bad mitten, table tennis, whatever it might be, and you return it. If you don't return it, then you're quenching the Spirit. You're quenching. You're delaying the conviction. This leads to, this conviction should lead, not always, to the necessary steps that one must take in order to be justified. So let's illustrate this from Scripture and with a diagram. And we'll put a diagram here. I want you to draw a vertical line straight down your paper, and up here put repentance. If you're watching this later, a straight vertical line on the paper at the top of that vertical line, right, repentance. At the bottom of that vertical line, right, faith in sacrifice of Christ. S-C, sacrifice of Christ. Repentance on this side in your sins. On this side of the line, you're still in your sins. The death penalty is still on your head, but you want to move over to here. You want to be justified.

So on the left side, you put in your sins, the death penalty is still on your head, justified. And if you are justified, you have passed from death unto life.

From death unto life.

Now that briefly is a diagram of justification, that one must repent of their sins, exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, and through this process, they are justified, and they move from death unto life. Now let's read from Scripture what we have shown here diagrammatically. In John 5 and verse 24, maybe you're still in John, we'll see here what I have written here, but in the last chapter of the Bible, you're still in the death of death unto life. In John 5 and verse 24, now in when you're reading the Bible, every last aspect of what is involved in the whole things is not given. An aspect is given, but not the... in most cases, not everything that goes with it is given. In John 5, 24, verily, verily I say unto you, he that hears my word and believes on him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. On this side, the death penalty is on your head. On the other side, you're passed from death unto life. You look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, it speaks of you, the believer, upon repentance, exercising faith in the sacrifice of Christ, he is now to become a new creation.

We'll read verse 16 as well. 2 Corinthians 5, 16. Wherefore, henceforth know we know man after the flesh, yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know you him no more, that is, after the flesh. We know him now of the Spirit. In the spiritual sense, he is the firstborn among many brethren, therefore we're not ashamed, or he's not ashamed to call us brethren, as it says in Hebrews 2. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away, behold things, all things are become new. So he is passed from death unto life. In order to pass over the line from death to life and becoming a new creation, requires those two steps, repentance, faith, and the sacrifice of Christ. So now let's read and comment on scriptures that support the diagram. So we go to Romans 3 and verse 23, and we'll start with the first quote of the sermon, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. What are we going to do about it? What did God ordain and set in motion? In Romans 3 and verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Jew and Gentile. Chapter 1, he takes the Gentiles to task. Chapter 2, he takes the Jews to task. Chapter 3 begins to summarize what is the remedy.

Being justified freely by his grace, divine favor. It is because of his divine favor that you were created in the first place by his divine favor that he set in motion the family plan by his divine favor how sin can be overcome, how it can be forgiven and overcome by his grace through the redemption that is the buying back power that is in Jesus Christ. Being justified freely by his grace through the buying back power that is in Christ Jesus, wherefore God has set forth to be a perpetuation through faith in his blood, whom God has set forth. That is, Jesus Christ has set God set him forth to be a perpetuation for our sins. He went in our stead so we didn't have to have to die to declare his righteousness. God has kept his word. There are many shades of the meaning of righteousness. That God has kept his word and he has set us a savior, the prophesied Messiah, for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. Where's boasting then? It is excluded by what law of works? No, but by the law of faith. And of course, this is where a lot of people get tripped up, saying, well, the law is done away with because you're not justified by keeping the law alone. But, as we shall see, faith is inextricably linked to obedience. Then we come down to verse 31, which in essence summarizes the process. Do we then make void the law? Paul addresses that very question. Do we make void the law through faith? Why don't you read this verse? Why don't they read this verse? God forbid we establish the law. How do we establish the law? Because if the law were not in effect, there would be no need for a Savior. The death penalty would not be on your head. Sin is a transgression of the law, 1 John 3.4. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So, by being justified by faith, you establish the law. That is, you have to have a Savior, a Redeemer, a propitiation to go in your stead. Otherwise, you would have to die.

And thus, the law is established. Now, Paul further addresses this as the law done away with in Galatians 2. Galatians chapter 2. So, that's why we can make the statement that obedience is inextricably linked to faith, or faith is inextricably linked to obedience. You can't have faith, saving faith apart from obedience. In Galatians chapter 2, verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. Perfect obedience? No. But by faith in Christ Jesus, or Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. That's a gibber. Do within, therefore void the law through faith? Well, let's see. Verse 17, but if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin. God forbid it would be a mockery. It would be a farcical tragedy. Why give a sacrifice? If you could just keep on sinning and yet be justified. For if I build the things again which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Thus the faith one has to be justified by the sacrifice of Christ, that faith is necessary. And so we have established the fact that the law is still in effect, both from Romans 3 21 and from Galatians chapter 2 verses 16 through 18.

Now we keep saying, or I've said two or three times, that faith is inextricably linked to obedience. We get into what I call a catch-22, and some people, even the church, would say, I don't keep the law to be saved, but I keep the law because I am saved. We're going to examine that there is a reciprocal relationship and something that the believer must do. Yes, it is a gift. Now we'll look at a few places here. Look at Acts chapter 2, the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent. Even here we'll see that the gift is conditional. Peter preaches an inspired sermon. Verse 37, they are convicted by it, pricked in their hearts and saying, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter's response in Acts 2 verse 38, then Peter said unto them, what must we do? He said, repent! Stop breaking God's immutable spiritual law. Repent and be baptized every one of you. See, this is a place where I said in every verse you don't get every last aspect, because he has the repentance, but also here it's not included. You have to have faith in the sacrifice of Christ as well. Those two things are necessary. Here he includes one, repentance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So he gives two conditions here.

One is to repent and to be baptized. Now there is an instance in which the Gentiles, Cornelius's house, they were baptized after they received the Holy Spirit. Now turn a few pages forward to Acts 5.32. The first few chapters there of Acts this tie is focusing on the ministry of the apostles shortly after Christ's ascension in and out of the temple and the great opposition they met that they were met with by the religious leaders of the day where they were continually threatened and also beaten.

They would have probably been put to death had it not been for the intervention of Gamaliel and perhaps some others. In Acts 5.32, and we are his witnesses of these things, and so also the Holy Spirit whom God has given to them that obey him. So obedience is inextricably linked to faith. Faith is inextricably linked to obedience. Now if you go forward to Romans 2.13, in Romans 2.13, this is a verse I remember that when I was first reading the literature and coming into the church, of course I was teaching adult Sunday school when I was 20 years old and basically believing at early point of that that the law had been done away with. And then I read Romans 2.13, and Romans 2.13 speaks of the future. We'll read it and then look at this.

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. If you want to remain on this side, passing from death unto life and justified, you have to be a doer. You have to obey. So once again, faith and obedience are inextricably linked together. Now some quote Galatians 2.20. I want to look at that for a moment. Galatians 2.20, and some people go around parroting and saying, Christ is living his life all over again in us. No, Christ is not living his life all over again in us. Christ is living in us through his Spirit, but we have to make the decision as to whether or not we are going to obey.

If that were true, if Christ was living his life all over again in us, would we sin? He lived perfectly. He condemned sin in the flesh. He never sinned.

We have the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ within us.

Those who are led by the Spirit of God and mortifying the deeds of the flesh, they're called the children of God. Can I decide that I'm not going to obey? Of course I can.

More about that a little later. Galatians 2.20, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. See, that crucifixion is, as we will note in just a moment, when you are baptized and go under the baptismal waters, figuratively you have been put to death, buried with Christ in baptism.

Then you come up out of the water to live the resurrected life and receive the laying on of hands. But not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God. I have faith in the Son of God, but He will deliver me, He will take care of me, but He is not making my decisions. He's not forcing me to obey. I can disobey, as many people have proved, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Now, when I was studying coming into the church, I brought this up. Well, I know that so-and-so over here, Mr. So-and-so, you know, he is a drunkard. He's been baptized. He claims to be a Christian. Well, if they go, if they're living in sin, it's just because they were never converted in the first place. But if they were truly converted, they wouldn't be doing that.

So we have God and Christ in us through the Holy Spirit, but after we are convicted, we must make the decision as to whether or not we're going to obey. If Christ was literally living His life all over again in us, He would never choose to sin.

Some make a similar claim in conjunction with Ephesians 2.8. So let's go to Ephesians 2.8 forward a few pages. Ephesians 2 and verse 8.

For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Now, does that not of yourself modify faith or does it modify the gift of God? You see, if faith was strictly dependent upon God always, and we didn't have to do anything, then if any were lost, it would be because God didn't have enough faith.

Now, there's an interesting thing about faith, and it's the only one of the gifts of the Spirit that is like this. It is a gift of the Spirit, and it is a fruit of the Spirit. I'll hold your place there. Look at 1 Corinthians 12, where the gifts of the Spirit are listed.

In 1 Corinthians 12 verse 9, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. Now, if you turn back there to, still holding your place in Ephesians, to Galatians chapter 5 verse 22, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, tempest against such, there is no law. The fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. So you see that faith is a gift of the Spirit, and it is a fruit of the Spirit. When God convicts us through His word and Spirit, and the word is preached, and we are convicted. And once again, using this analogy of some kind of game in which a ball is served into our accord, if we return that that served in our accord, if we obey, act on the conviction of our spirit in faith, then God adds to our faith, and He gives us more faith. And increasingly, as we obey and we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit, exhibiting faith in our actions as we live our lives. So back to Ephesians 2.8. When I was in Pasadena in the late 80s, I wrote an article.

I excerpted a couple of paragraphs from that article dealing with this Ephesians 2.8. Of course, I had some discussions with evangelists along the way regarding this, but the logic to me should be clear. So once again, Ephesians 2.8, by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

The phrase, and not of yourselves, has two possible antecedents, either salvation or gift of God, or faith. Does not of yourself modify faith, or does it modify the gift of God? In the original text, the word faith is feminine. Therefore, it cannot be the antecedent of the pronoun that which is neuter. In Greek, as in English, the pronoun always agrees with the antecedent and gender. Since faith is feminine, it cannot possibly be the antecedent of that not of yourselves, this expression, that is, not of yourselves, modifies by grace or you're saved, that not of yourselves. See, faith is a gift of the Spirit and a fruit of the Spirit, but if faith was strictly a gift of the Spirit, then you would never lack faith. You know, the disciples came to Jesus and said, Lord, increase our faith. They said, well, if you had faith of a mustard seed, you could say, remove this mountain and fall into the sea, and so on. See, faith, once again, is a reciprocal relationship, whereby when you are convicted, you begin to act on that conviction in faith. And in turn, God increases your faith and you begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit in faith. I hope that we all know that we are personally accountable to God and Christ for the decisions we make. Do we know that?

We look at Romans—I don't have this in my notes—but this is so important because people get confused on this. We're always accountable. God and Christ give us the Holy Spirit. They're living within us, but at the same time, we must exercise and act on that. Look at Romans 14 and verse—we'll start in Romans 14.9. For to this end, Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and the living. Why is he also the Lord of the dead? It's because they're going to be resurrected, and they're going to be judged. Whether they are first resurrection or second, they'll be judged. The saved, those that are spirit died faithfully in the spirit begotten and born. At the resurrection, they'll be rewarded. But why do you judge your brother, or why do you sit at nothing your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, for it is written, as I live, says the eternal, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So I hope we understand that we are accountable for our actions, and that God and Christ and the Holy Spirit are there alongside to help us. But there is another aspect to this. So each person is accountable to God. After being justified, we are viewed as sinless. We've crossed that line. We've moved from death unto life. The death penalty has been paid. We're reconciled to God. So let's look at Romans 5 and verse 6.

See, time slips away. In Romans 5 and verse 6, For when we were yet without strength, and due time Christ died for the ungodly. And see, this is about having that death penalty removed and coming to the state of being whereby God the Father views us as sinless.

Verse 7, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commends his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, much more than now being justified by blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. He is living his life or his Spirit. His life is in us. His life essence is in us. The life essence of God and Christ are in us.

We'll see more about that as we go along. For when we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. God and Christ are living within us. After we are justified, we enter into a covenant of sacrifice with God and Christ.

After we are justified, we are viewed by God the Father as sinless, and he can now give his Spirit to us. But before the laying of hands, we're baptized.

Psalm 103 verse 112. Psalm 103 verse 112. He is removed from us our sins as far as the east is from the west. That is infinity. The slate is wiped clean. He can live. He can give us now his Spirit of Begaddle. We'll read that verse in just a moment.

So we then can enter into a covenant of sacrifice with God and Christ. We agree to bury the old man and live the resurrected life. Look at Romans 6 over a page, or maybe the same page.

Romans 6 verse 1. Shall we say then, shall we continue in sin? I think we've covered that sufficiently. That grace may abound, God forbid, no way, no how. How shall we that are dead to sin, living in longer therein? See, that sin has been covered. It has been removed by the blood of Christ as far as the east is from the west. Know you not that as many of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death, this is crucified with Christ, the old man. Therefore we're buried with him by baptism into death, that like his Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. Even so, we also should walk in newness of life, the resurrected life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, and henceforth we should not serve sin. So, baptism, you enter into a covenant of sacrifice, a living sacrifice. You're putting the old man to death, crucified. You're still alive, and you're to be a living sacrifice. Like even in this ministerial conference we had here at the beginning of August, where one person says, well, some people think they can put off baptism and be in the second resurrection.

If you are convicted of sin, if this weight and urgency has been laid on your mind, and you continually reject it, refuse it, put it off, what happens? I look at Proverbs 29.1.

Proverbs 29.1. We have a lot of second, third-generation Christians who have lingered, as it were, sort of like the Roman ruler that Paul encountered. Paul, after he heard Paul, he said, Paul almost now persuades me to be a Christian. Proverbs 29.1. He that being often reproved hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. You see, the conscience can be seared. Look at 1 Timothy 4. 1 Timothy 4 speaks of the conscience being seared. See, Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5.20, quench not the spirit. What happens when you quench the spirit?

Well, it becomes easier to quench it the next time, and it becomes easier and easier from that time forward to quench the spirit. And this knowing within yourself slowly fades away, and the conscience is seared. This is 1 Timothy 4. 1. Now, the spirit speaks expressly that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared by a hot iron. And then it speaks of some ways whereby the conscience can be seared. Of course, that's not an exhaustive list. There are many ways when you continually quench the spirit. Take, for example, in the pre-flood world in Genesis 6.3, it says, God says, My spirit shall not always strive with man. I mean, God pleads, and he pleads, and he draws and beseeches through various means.

And eventually, the conscience is seared. What can you do?

If you're convicted of God's spirit, and God's spirit is striving and pleading with you, you'd better choose life. After justification and baptism, we have the laying on of hands. We receive the essence of God. We are begotten by God, the Father, through His Spirit. Now look at 1 Corinthians 12. When counseling people for baptism, I often say, you know, I can baptize you in water, but only God can baptize you with the Holy Spirit. That's between you and God. Yes, man can put you under the water, but only God can give you His Spirit. And we read this here in 1 Corinthians 12 verse 12. For as a body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Now quickly to Ephesians chapter 4.

In Ephesians chapter 4, before the last split in which we had the split of those who are now in cock were going their own way, I gave a passion pleading to the brethren in Houston on a holy day and read these verses right here.

In Ephesians 4, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation whereby you are called. With all holiness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, there is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called, in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Well, you might say, well, the Bible speaks of three baptisms. There is the baptism by water, which we read from Romans 6. There is a baptism by fire, which you don't want, and there is a baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is one baptism into the body of Christ, and it is done by God. So there is one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

So this, Ephesians 4, is a great unity book. Now back to the diagram.

So after being justified, baptized, and having received the Holy Spirit, can you go back into from one side of the line to the other? I think that some of our people perhaps have this idea that one day you're over here, the next day you're over there, and the next day you're over there. So let's say tonight or today you have sinned some sin, and before you go to sleep you don't repent, and you die tonight. So what happens? Of course, you're justified here. You have not committed the unpardonable sin because you sinned one sin, or maybe more than one that you haven't repented of. Almost all of us have some sin that we're fighting continually.

But as long as we are fighting, that's one of the keys. Now, I think we have come almost to the point that some believe that there's no such thing as an unpardonable sin. So as I said, the title, Justification, Baptism, Laying on of Hands, and the Unpartable Sin. Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6, the first three verses there give you the basic doctrines of the church. Two of them I covered under justification, faith from dead works or repentance from dead works and faith in God.

Now, the doctrine of baptism, verse 2, the laying on of hands, and this we will do if God permit. Now, verse 4, this is where you and I should be.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have been, no, I want verse 3 when I said, you and I. And this will we do if God permit. That is to go on to perfection. So we have to back up to verse 1. Therefore, leaving the principles of doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Then parenthetically, there is the rest of verse 1 and verse 2, and then continuing this we will do. That is, go on to perfection.

That's where we should be. Going on to perfection. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead work, faith in God and the sacrifice of Christ, baptism laying on of hands, resurrection and judgment. We've got that down pat.

We're going on to perfection. But we look at verse 4.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucified themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shape. So if you go back to this side of the line, you can't go back over here. You can forget it.

Does the scripture bear this out? Does that mean that you are living, you don't sin? No, it doesn't.

Now look, Hebrews 10. We go forward to Hebrews 10, verse 26. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins.

Now, I just wonder about here the people who have been in the church. They've kept the Sabbath for some all of their lives. They've kept the Holy Days, and they leave the church. They trample on the Sabbath day. They even forget when the Holy Days are.

But hopefully there is still some spark of truth and life from God abiding within them. God is the ultimate judge. We'll illustrate in just a moment with a rubber band. For if we sin willfully after that we receive the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sore punishment suppose you shall receive. How much sore punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant whereby he was sanctified, set apart and unholy thing and hath done despite under the Spirit of grace? You see, James 1, 17, 18 says, by his own will gave he us the Spirit of truth. With God every... well, that's verse seven. I'll quote 17 first, that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from the Father of lights with whom there is no veribleness neither shadow of turning of his own will begin he us with the word of truth. See, God was individually personally involved even in calling you to begin with John 644, no man comes with the Father unless the Spirit draws him. The Father draws him through preaching in the word of God. And then you receive the very essence of God and you put that, trample that underfoot. I mean, these verses are quite clear. Works sort of like this. Here's the rubber band. You know, you can go... how far can you go from God? Well, you can go a long ways. We've had people come back to church, been out about 20 years, and you can come back, and you can go out, and you can come back. But there comes a point, a point beyond which there is no return. And when that line is broken, that's it. Now, of course, God is the ultimate judge. Now we close with Jude. So in admonition to all of us, these wonderful words of Jude, we seldom read from Jude. Mr. Stewart did in the sermonette last week.

Brethren, these are the words of life. I hope you really understand them. See, one of the things I talked about two weeks ago is we need to know the Word of God better than a constitutional lawyer knows the Constitution. You cannot do it by just assuming, just sort of fluffing through things. You've got to pour over. Jude 14.

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

These are murmurs, complainers, walking after their own lust, and their mouth-speaking great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage, sycophants. I don't know anybody that likes a sycophant. I don't think a sycophant likes a sycophant.

But, beloved, remember you the words which have spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. How that they told you there would be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lust. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, and of some have compassion making a difference.

See, God is the ultimate judge. He knows. And I think the person's own conscience knows when they've crossed the line. And others, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. So do we know any we can pull out of the fire? Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with an exceeding joy to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen.