THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 11-04-18



LESSON TITLE: "IN DOCTRINE SHOWING INCORRUPTIBILITY"



WELCOME

TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.

WHAT A PRIVILEGE WE HAVE THIS MORNING TO JOIN TOGETHER IN THE STUDY OF GOD'S LIVING WORD. WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR PROGRAM AND WE THANK GOD THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TOGETHER THIS MORNING TO GLORIFY OUR CREATOR. MAY WE EACH DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME ACCEPTABLE IN HIS SIGHT AND ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. NOW, LET'S APPROACH OUR FATHER'S THRONE IN PRAYER.

PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE'RE SO THANKFUL THIS DAY FOR THE MANY GREAT BLESSINGS YOU GIVE US FOR WE KNOW ALL THINGS COME FROM YOU WHETHER PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL. AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT GREATEST OF ALL BLESSINGS, JESUS AND THE GREAT SACRIFICE THAT HE MADE AS WELL AS THE RESURRECTION ON THE THIRD DAY. AND FATHER, WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THIS GREAT GIFT WE ARE ABLE TO FIND OURSELVES IN DIRECTION AND WAY TO YOU AND WE'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT GREAT REWARD AND PROMISE OF HEAVEN SOMEDAY AND HELP US TO LIVE EVERY DAY WITH SUCH INSIGHT. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE AVENUE OF PRAYER AND WE PRAY THIS PRAYER IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON JESUS. AMEN.

WHAT A WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS TO LIFT UP OUR VOICES IN PRAISE TO GOD. FURTHERMORE, WHAT A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR THE FRUIT OF OUR LIPS IS TO OUR CREATOR. SO, THIS MORNING WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER OUR FIRST HYMN OF THE MORNING. THE NAME OF THE SONG "THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD!"



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS



LIVING IN A WORLD THAT IS FULL OF SO MANY PEOPLE, WE ARE REMINDED EVERY DAY HOW DIFFERENT EVERYONE IS. THINK ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS, AT TIMES, TO GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE AND TO OVERLOOK EACH OTHERS IMPERFECTIONS. PROBABLY EVERYDAY, WHETHER IT IS AT HOME AMONG FAMILY, AT WORK AMONG COWORKERS, OR AT SCHOOL AMONG PEERS, WE ARE FACED WITH GETTING UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO US OR SOMETHING THAT OFFENDS US IN SOME WAY. MAYBE THE COMMENTS MADE ARE NOT EVEN TO US OR ABOUT US, BUT STILL, THEY OFTEN BOTHER US ENOUGH FOR US TO PUT THEM IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND, SO THAT WE CAN REMEMBER THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS. FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES WE WANT TO CONSIDER SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, FORGIVENESS.

ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL PRINCIPLES FOUND IN THE BIBLE IS FORGIVENESS. IN FACT, WE CAN QUOTE SCRIPTURE AFTER SCRIPTURE, THAT REMINDS US OF THE NEED TO BE A FORGIVING PEOPLE. HOWEVER, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT AT THE HEART OF IT ALL, GOD WAS FIRST WILLING TO FORGIVE. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT GOD FIRST GAVE HIS OWN SON TO DIE ON THE CROSS TO PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS. THUS, WE READ, "IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS," EPHESIANS 1:7. AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE NOT ASKED TO BE A FORGIVING PEOPLE BECAUSE WE ARE SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT, BUT WE ARE ASKED TO FORGIVE BECAUSE GOD FIRST FORGAVE US. IN MATTHEW 6:14-15, JESUS SAID, "FOR IF YOU FORGIVE MEN THEIR TRESPASSES, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL ALSO FORGIVE YOU. BUT IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE MEN THEIR TRESPASSES, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES." HERE WE LEARN THAT THE ONLY WAY GOD WILL FORGIVE US, IS IF WE LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS.

THE LESSON OF FORGIVENESS IS A HARD ONE FOR US, BUT NEVERTHELESS IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THE "UNFORGIVER" WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN. PAUL PUT IT WELL IN COLOSSIANS 3:13, WHERE HE SAID, "BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, IF ANYONE HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANOTHER; EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO YOU ALSO MUST DO." WE MUST BE PATIENT WITH EACH OTHER IN THIS LIFE, REALIZING THAT WE ALL HAVE FAULTS AND SHORTCOMINGS. SO, WE MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS, AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN US.

ISN'T IT THE GOLDEN RULE THAT ADDS ANOTHER ASPECT TO THIS STUDY? "DO UNTO OTHERS, AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU." IF WE WANT TO BE FORGIVEN BY GOD AND OTHERS, WE MUST LEARN TO BE FORGIVERS OF OTHERS FAULTS. THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD. FINALLY, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, "DID JESUS HAVE TO BE ASKED BEFORE HE FORGAVE OTHERS?" WHAT ABOUT ON THE CROSS, JESUS WAS ASKING THE FATHER TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAD NOT EVEN ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS YET. ARE YOU STRIVING TO FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE OF JESUS? OR DO YOU KEEP THINKING, HE OR SHE NEVER ASKED ME FOR FORGIVENESS OR SAID THEY WERE SORRY! LET'S LEARN TO BE BETTER CHRISTIANS, BY LEARNING TO BE MORE CHRISTLIKE. ISN'T THAT WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT?

TODAY WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STUDY ENTITLED, "SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE." OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC OF THE DAY WILL DEAL WITH, "IN DOCTRINE SHOWING INCORRUPTIBILITY." SO PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US THIS MORNING AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG I WILL RETURN WITH THIS LESSON FROM GOD'S WORD. IT'S NOW TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN OF THE MORNING, THE NAME OF THE SONG, "SEEK YE FIRST."



LESSON

BY RAY SULLINS



THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING WITH US TODAY AS WE NOW GO TO GOD'S WORD AND LOOK AT ANOTHER LESSON FROM TITUS CHAPTER 2 WHERE WE'VE BEEN TAKING THE THEME OF OUR SERIES FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS NOW. YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY PAUL TOLD TITUS WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO SHOW FORTH IF HE IS GOING TO BE THE SERVANT OF GOD THAT HE NEEDS TO BE. AND IN THE CONTEXT ACTUALLY PAUL IS ADDRESSING THROUGH TITUS THE CONCEPT OF OLDER MEN, OLDER WOMEN, YOUNGER MEN, YOUNGER WOMEN AND THERE IN VERSE SEVEN YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT HE SAYS IN ALL THINGS TITUS WAS TO SHOW HIMSELF AS A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS. NOW AFTER HE MENTIONED THAT PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS AND THE FACT OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON. HE THEN GETS SPECIFIC AND HE SAYS IN DOCTRINE AND THEN THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR THINGS THAT HE MENTIONS IN DOCTRINE. HE SAYS IN DOCTRINE SHOWING INTEGRITY, IN DOCTRINE SHOWING REVERENCE, IN DOCTRINE SHOWING INCORRUPTIBILITY, AND IN DOCTRINE SHOWING SOUND SPEECH. AND SO AS WE CONSIDER ALL OF THOSE TODAY WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE CONCEPT OF INCORRUPTIBILITY. NOW IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IF YOU'LL LOOK IN YOUR BIBLE PERHAPS IF YOU HAVE A NEW KING JAMES OR A KING JAMES, I BELIEVE SOME OTHER TRANSLATIONS WOULD BE THE SAME. YOU'LL HAVE A LITTLE REFERENCE MARK THERE THAT TAKES YOU TO AN 'N.U.' AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THIS WORD IS NOT ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN SOME OF THE MANUSCRIPTS. THE BETTER MANUSCRIPTS OF MAYBE THE COPIES OF SCRIPTURE, OLDER COPIES OF SCRIPTURE, HOWEVER IT IS INCLUDED IN SOME GOOD MANUSCRIPTS AND THEREFORE THE WORD ITSELF DOESN'T TAKE AWAY. IT CERTAINLY ADDS SOMETHING BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM TRUTH AND IT WOULD ONLY ADD THAT WHICH COULD BE PROVEN IN OTHER PLACES. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD TODAY EVEN THOUGH THAT NOTATION IS THERE AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS WORD AND THIS IDEA OF INCORRUPTIBILITY.

AND USUALLY AS WE DO TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF INCORRUPTIBILITY, WE NEED TO DEFINE THAT TERM. IT REALLY COMES FROM A WORD THAT CAN BE SEEN IN MANY OTHER PLACES IN THE SCRIPTURE AND IT CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED NOT ONLY INCORRUPTIBLE OR INCORRUPTIBILITY. IT CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED IN THE IDEA OF IMPERISHABLE OR EVEN INDESTRUCTIBLE. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT IT KIND OF TAKES IT TO THE NEXT STEP. AND IT REALLY GIVES THE IDEA OF NOT BEING LIABLE OR CORRUPT OR CORRUPT IN ANYWAY. AND THERE'S EVEN A CONCEPT IN THE DEFINITION OF DECAY IN THE STRONG'S CONCORDANCE. THE IDEA THAT REALLY THIS THING IS UNABLE TO DECAY OR TO DETERIORATE IN ANY WAY. AND IF WE'LL COMPARE THAT TO EARTHLY THINGS WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS BECAUSE EARTHLY THINGS DETERIORATE. I'VE HAD THIS SUIT FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS AND IT CAN BEGIN TO SHOW WHAT? DETERIORATION IN THIS SHIRT FOR A WHILE AND IT CAN BEGIN TO SHOW DETERIORATION AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE BEGINS TO DETERIORATE. PHONES AND CARS, EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY GETS OLDER AND BREAKS DOWN. BUT IT IS SAYING HERE THAT THE WORD OF GOD, THE DOCTRINE OF GOD MUST ALWAYS SHOW FORTH AN INCORRUPTIBILITY. SOMETHING THAT IS IMPERISHABLE.

PAUL USED THIS WORD IN OTHER CASES OFTEN IN TRYING TO HELP THE CHURCH. FOR INSTANCE AT CORINTH, UNDERSTAND THIS VERY IDEA. IF YOU'LL NOTICE WITH ME FIRST OF ALL IN FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER NINE WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PRIZE THAT WE WAIT FOR, NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS THERE IN VERSE 25 OF FIRST CORINTHIANS NINE. HE SAYS, "EVERYONE WHO COMPETES FOR THE PRIZE IS TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS. NOW THEY DO IT TO OBTAIN A PERISHABLE CROWN, BUT WE FOR AN IMPERISHABLE CROWN." YOU SEE AGAIN, NOT THE CROWN OF THE EARTH THAT YOU MIGHT PUT ON AND THE SILVER MIGHT TARNISH OR THE GOLD MIGHT ACTUALLY BECOME DULL AT SOME POINT OVER THE AGES. BUT A CROWN THAT IS IN IMPERISHABLE. A CROWN THAT IS NOT GOING TO DECAY LIKE THE THINGS OF THIS EARTH BUT A CROWN THAT IS ETERNAL AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT IDEA A LITTLE BIT LATER IF TIME PERMITS THERE IN THE BOOK OF PETER.

BUT WE ALSO CAN TURN OVER TO SECOND CORINTHIANS AND THERE IN SECOND CORINTHIANS IN CHAPTER FOUR, THE SAME CONCEPT A ROOT WORD IS USED THERE IN VERSE 18 WHEN PAUL SAYS THIS. HE SAYS, "WHILE WE DO NOT LOOK AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SEEN." AND THEN HE SAYS, "FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORARY, BUT THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SEEN ARE," WHAT? "ETERNAL." YOU SEE IT IS THAT IDEA OF UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A DISTINCTION MADE IN THE BIBLE BETWEEN THE FLESHLY OR PHYSICAL THINGS OF LIFE AND THE SPIRITUAL THINGS. AND DON'T MISUNDERSTAND BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST SAY THE WORD FLESH, WE AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THAT WHICH IS CARNAL OR THAT WHICH IS SINFUL. THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE. IT IS SIMPLY AGAIN THE CONCEPT OF SOMETHING TEMPORARY AND THE FACT THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO LAST FOREVER. IT IS PERISHABLE. IT WILL DETERIORATE. IT CAN DECAY. AND THEREFORE, AS PAUL SAYS, WE DON'T LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND PUT OUR HOPES AND TRUST IN OUR CONFIDENCE IN THINGS THAT DETERIORATE AND DECAY LIKE THE THINGS OF THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. BUT GOD IS ETERNAL! THE THINGS OF GOD, THE SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD ARE ETERNAL. AND THAT'S WHY WHEN WE GET OVER ALSO IN THE BOOK OF CORINTHIANS BACK AGAIN TO FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15 AND WE SEE THE DESCRIPTION IN CHAPTER 15 THERE ABOUT THE HEAVENLY MAN THAT IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD AND THE EARTHLY MAN THAT WAS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF ADAM. ONE DETERIORATES. ONE ACTUALLY DIES AND RETURNS TO THE DUST SOMEDAY AND THE OTHER ACTUALLY GOES AND RETURNS WHERE ACCORDING TO WHAT WE READ IN ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 12. RETURNS AND GOES TO BE WITH GOD! SO THOSE HEAVENLY THINGS THAT REALLY AFFECT US FOREVER AND EVER WITHOUT END AS IN CONTRAST TO THOSE EARTHLY THINGS THAT ARE TEMPORARY INCLUDING OUR OWN BODIES THAT NOT ONLY DECAY, BUT AS WE KNOW HEBREWS CHAPTER 9 VERSE 27 EVEN, WILL DIE AND BE PUT IN THE GRAVE SOMEDAY. NOW WITH THAT IN MIND THEN IN FIRST CORINTHIANS 15 GUESS WHAT HE GOES ON TO SAY? HE SAYS THAT WHEN THE LORD COMES AGAIN IN THE MOMENT OF THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE HE SAYS THE THINGS THAT ARE INCORRUPTIBLE, THERE VERSE 52, THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED BECAUSE THE CORRUPTIBLE MUST PUT ON INCORRUPTION. NOT THE SIN OR THE CARNALITY BUT THE FLESH MUST BE REPLACED WITH SOMETHING OF A NATURE THAT CAN LAST FOREVER.

AND SO WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS THEN IN OUR MINDS AND ALL THESE CONCEPTS BEING APPLIED WE THEN THINK ABOUT OUR MAIN TEXT ONCE AGAIN. AND HE SAYS THAT IN ALL AREAS SHOW YOURSELF TO BE A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS AND IN DOCTRINE SHOW INCORRUPTIBILITY. IN DOCTRINE DON'T BE WHAT? DECAYING. IN DOCTRINE DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO PERISH. WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT DOCTRINE? IT TELLS US THE VERY THING THAT WE SEE WITHIN THE OVERALL CONTEXT. WHAT DID HE SAY IN VERSE ONE? HE SAID, "SPEAK THE THINGS WHICH ARE PROPER FOR SOUND DOCTRINE." THAT TELLS US THAT DOCTRINE IS ESTABLISHED IN THE WORD OF GOD. THAT THE TEACHINGS OF GOD, THE DOCTRINE OF GOD, CAN BE KNOWN. THEY CAN BE READ. THEY CAN BE UNDERSTOOD. THEY CAN BE FOLLOWED. AND THEREFORE DON'T ALLOW THE DOCTRINE TO WHAT? CORRUPT OR TO PERISH OR TO SOMEHOW DECAY. THAT MEANS THAT I'M GOING TO KEEP READING GOD'S WORD AND AS I READ IT I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT I DO WHAT IT SAYS. THAT I FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD. AND THAT'S WHY ALSO IN THE SAME CONTEXT OF TITUS CHAPTER TWO THERE IN VERSE EIGHT SAYS SOUND SPEECH. HE SAYS ALSO SHOW YOURSELF TO HAVE WHAT? SOUND SPEECH THAT IS ACCORDING TO WHAT? IN DOCTRINE SOUND SPEECH. AND THEN AS HE CONTINUES THERE IN VERSE 10 HE ACTUALLY AGAIN SAYS THAT WE MAY ADORN THE DOCTRINE OF GOD. YOU SEE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO NOT CORRUPT OURSELVES. THAT WE DO NOT BECOME LIKE THE WORLD OR THE THINGS OF THE WORLD THAT THEN WOULD LEAD TO A CORRUPTIBILITY THAT WOULD CAUSE US TO BE CARNAL OR IN SIN OR SEPARATING OURSELVES AS WE WELL KNOW FROM GOD ALMIGHTY.

PAUL ALSO ADDRESSED THIS TO THE CHURCH AT ROME. YOU MIGHT LOOK WITH ME THERE IN ROMANS CHAPTER ONE AND THERE IN VERSE 23 WHEN HE IS TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT THE ROMAN WORLD AND THE PEOPLE OF ROME OFTEN HAD GIVEN THEMSELVES TO THE IDOLS OF THIS WORLD AND THE THINGS OF THE WORLD IN A SINFUL WAY. AND THEREFORE IN VERSE 18 HE SAYS THE WRATH OF GOD IS GOING TO COME UPON THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE, THOSE WHO ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS. BUT NOW NOTICE THE WORDING THAT HE USES IN VERSE 23. HE SAYS THAT THEY, VERSE 22, WERE PROFESSING TO BE WISE AND ACTUALLY HAD BECOME FOOLS AND CHANGED THE GLORY OF THE INCORRUPTIBLE GOD INTO THE IMAGE MADE LIKE CORRUPTIBLE MAN. THEY HAD TAKEN GOD AND PUT THIM AND FASHIONED HIM INTO IDOLS AND EARTHLY THINGS. REMEMBER ISRAEL? WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY MADE A GOLDEN CALF. AND YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T SO MUCH TO ME THAT THEY WEREN'T WORSHIPING GOD OR INTERESTED IN WORSHIPING GOD. THEY WANTED TO SEE GOD. AND WHAT DID THEY MAKE GOD? LIKE A CALF! LIKE SOMETHING OF THE FLESH. LIKE SOMETHING CORRUPTIBLE. A COW LIVES AND IT DIES LIKE ALL OTHER FLESH. BUT DID YOU NOTICE WHAT PAUL SAID THERE? THEY CHANGED THE GLORY OF AN INCORRUPTIBLE GOD, A GOD THAT DOES NOT PERISH, A GOD THAT DOES NOT DECAY, A GOD THAT IS NOT TEMPORARY OR ETERNAL.

BUT NOW THE BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT OF THAT IS TO ME IS WHAT WE AS FOLLOWERS OF GOD ARE PROMISED THAT ABILITY TO DO WHAT? TO PUT ON INCORRUPTION, TO BE UNPERISHING, TO NOT DECAY. WE ALSO ARE TOLD THAT WE WILL SHARE IN THE GLORY OF GOD AS RECIPIENTS OF THE ETERNAL REWARDS. AND SO AS PAUL SPEAKS HERE ABOUT THE GLORY OF GOD BEING INCORRUPTIBLE. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL SHARE IN ETERNITY WHEN WE HAVE PROVEN OURSELVES NOT ONLY TO LOVE GOD BUT TO SERVE GOD AND TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT HE HAS COMMANDED.

FOR THE FINAL FEW MOMENTS HERE IN THE LESSON WE WANT TO TURN OVER TO THE BOOK OF PETER. BECAUSE PETER THERE IN THAT BOOK, FIRST PETER, HE USES THIS CONCEPT THREE MORE TIMES. THE SAME WORD OR AT LEAST THE SAME ROOT OF THE WORD AND HE HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND AGAIN HOW THAT WILL APPLY TO US MUCH BETTER. THERE, FIRST OF ALL, FIRST PETER CHAPTER ONE AND THERE IN VERSE FOUR. AFTER HE MENTIONS THAT WE HAVE THE HOPE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OF ETERNAL LIFE, HE SAYS IN VERSE FOUR, "TO AN INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE AND UNDEFILED." THERE IT IS! AN INHERITENCE THAT DOES NOT FADE JUST LIKE THAT CROWN WE'RE GOING TO WEAR THAT IS NOT PERISHABLE, THAT IS ETERNAL. YOU SEE, HE SAYS THE INHERITANCE, THAT IS HEAVEN ITSELF. AND IN FACT THAT'S WHAT HE GOES ON TO CLARIFY. IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS INCORRUPTIBLE THAT DOES NOT DEFILE AND WILL NOT FADE AWAY. AND THEN IT SAYS RESERVED FOR YOU IN HEAVEN. THAT'S WHERE WE FIND THIS ETERNAL REWARD. THIS IS WHERE WE WILL HAVE THIS INCORRUPTIBILITY, THIS NON-TEMPORARY BUT AN ETERNAL EXISTENCE THAT WILL NOT PERISH. THAT WILL NOT FADE. THAT WILL NOT CORRUPT. THAT WILL NOT BE DESTROYED BECAUSE WE WILL BE WITH GOD AND THEREFORE BASKING AND ENJOYING THE GLORY OF GOD, THAT INCORRUPTIBLE GOD IN AN INCORRUPTIBLE FORM OURSELVES. YOU SEE THEN HOW THIS WORD PLAYS SO WELL INTO THE OVERALL DISCUSSION? UNDERSTANDING THAT GOD IS INCORRUPTIBLE! THAT HIS WORD IS INCORRUPTIBLE!

GO OVER LATER IN FIRST PETER CHAPTER 1 VERSE 23. HE SPEAKS THERE THAT WE HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED BUT IN CORRUPTIBLE SEED. GUESS HOW? THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. YOU SEE, IT IS THIS WORD. IT IS THIS DOCTRINE. IT IS THE TEACHINGS, AS PAUL TOLD TITUS, THAT WE SHOULD SHOW INCORRUPTIBILITY FOR THERE IS NO CORRUPTION IN THE WORD OF GOD. IT IS PERFECT! IT'S GOD'S WORD SO IT IS PERFECT AS HE IS. AND THEREFORE, AS WE ALSO UNDERSTAND, IT IS SOMETHING THAT GIVES US THE HOPE OF WHAT? ABIDES FOREVER. AND IN VERSE 23 OF FIRST PETER, CHAPTER 1 AGAIN, HE SAYS THAT THE WORD OF GOD WHICH AGAIN HELPS US TO BE HAVING THE SEED THAT IS INCORRUPTIBLE LIVES AND ABIDES FOREVER.

AND THERE FINALLY NOTICE THE BEAUTY THAT PETER SPOKE OF IN CHAPTER 3 OF THE SAME TEXT AS HE SPEAKS THERE ABOUT THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES. AND HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN AND NOTICE THE WAY THAT HE SAYS THERE. HE SAYS, VERSE FOUR OF CHAPTER THREE, "RATHER LET IT BE THE HIDDEN PERSON OF THE HEART, WITH THE INCORRUPTIBLE BEAUTY OF A GENTLE AND QUIET SPIRIT, WHICH IS VERY PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD." AS A WOMAN IS DESCRIBED THERE, WHEN SHE'S RIGHTEOUS, ALL CHRISTIANS ARE DESCRIBED. MAY WE AS THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, NOT ONLY STRIVE TO KNOW HIS DOCTRINE, TO SHOW OURSELVES A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS IN ALL THINGS. BUT MAY WE ALSO STRIVE TO BE INCORRUPTIBLE NOW AS GOD IS, AS HIS WORD IS, AND MAY WE LIVE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE WORLD CAN SEE GOD THROUGH US. NOW THE QUESTION FOR YOU IS: ARE YOU GOING TO ACCEPT THAT CHALLENGE? ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE AS GOD COMMANDS THAT YOU MIGHT RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE?



CLOSING COMMENTS



LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD'S DAY MORNING AT 730 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.

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WHAT TYPE OF DOCTRINE TO YOU ASCRIBE TO BEFORE GOD? IS YOUR DOCTRINE IN ACCORDANCE TO HIS, PURE AND PERFECT AS HE HAS DEMANDED. WHY NOT MAKE SURE THAT THE DOCTRINE YOU FOLLOW IS RIGHT BEFORE GOD TODAY!