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God's Sovereignty In Salvation 4

Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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  1. Welcome to the NECF Podcast, where we share our weekly sermons and faithfully interpret the Bible to encourage and direct you on your spiritual path.

  2. We are devoted pastors and special guests, devout to the depths of the Bible, exploring its profound lessons and useful applications for your daily life.

  3. God's choice of faith, by which men are saved, is God's sovereignty.

  4. Join us as we explore the timeless truth that have the power to change people's hearts and minds, promoting a closer relationship with God and a firm belief in His promises.

  5. Thank you, the pastorates, for the time to teach and to be able to share with God's people God's word, the revelation of His word, and to open our eyes to seek God's truth.

  6. This evening will just be to be the final teaching right on the sovereignty of God actually to be the final conclusion so this is like the conclusion of the sovereignty of God that I've been teaching from catatismos right so this is like the conclusion of it.

  7. I've been searched all the scriptures and understood what God wants, what the word of God is saying is important that we actually teach it in a balanced way, in a way that when we go, we are without questions right when we go we have clarity.

  8. I would like to please tell some people here, right in our church that you would go out right you have lens, you know, to some extent some scriptures and interpretations and understanding.

  9. However, when you go out you would meet people right.

  10. So that is why in this church we better make sure that we give you a balanced doctrine, right, so that either ways where you are confronted to explain the scriptures you can explain the scriptures with boldness with all certainty, and you will not be drawn away by any wind of doctrine.

  11. So, this is the conclusion of the sovereignty of God, and I like, I like to start right. I like to first start by saying that by revising what we did the last time actually by revising what we did the last time.

  12. In the Romans, we established again in Romans Romans chapter one chapter two chapter three, how all men, right, how God desires all men to come to the knowledge of Christ right, and we brought about three teams from that Romans chapter one chapter two and chapter three, that are all

  13. nations, right, all nations, especially referring to the Greeks, the Paparians the Jews, the Gentiles using different variations to explain people who are away from Israel, who are not Israel right as the use of Greek, Paparians, Gentiles right those people

  14. right using those variations to explain those who are out of what I call the common words of Israel, right, and those were actually Israel right I mean Israel by birth, and explaining that all nations right, come to the knowledge of Christ true words, true

  15. words of faith so faith was another team that we identified, identified feet, and we identified righteousness, the righteousness of God, the righteousness of God, and we were able to see that in places where the righteousness of God is mentioned.

  16. Right, they are almost the same scriptures, where faith is mentioned.

  17. Right, so we will always find faith, right because men will receive that gift of righteousness, receive the gift of righteousness by faith. Right, so we, we can observe that consistently in the book of Romans, so we proceeded, right, to therefore establish

  18. that all nations will come into Christ will come into righteousness of God through faith. Right, so we established that all nations will come into the righteousness of God, through faith, with no favoritism, and that day, I just mentioned favoritism, I didn't go to the scripture

  19. because I explained that very very well. Right, because I was just trying to paint some pictures, and all of that. So today, we'll go to, we'll go to the scriptures, right to explain to show that actually he was talking about salvation to all men, and that that was the

  20. context in which God was explaining or in which Paul was writing that God does not show favoritism. Right, so this is what we are going to check the scriptures now.

  21. Okay, so let's go to Romans one again, let's start from Romans one again.

  22. Romans one. Again, and just go to Romans the first, first chapter.

  23. I'm just going to read from verse 16 and verse 17 as the first scriptures will read, verse 16 and verse 17. So, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the part of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

  24. So first, and also to the degree for in it, the righteousness of God is reviewed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith, right, right, you're surely by fed action that's a reference to a book chapter two, this form.

  25. Right, it's actually referring to our chapter two.

  26. That's for so if we even go to our book chapter two verse four.

  27. If we make reference to that scripture.

  28. To be able to see me right, how about actually put it so look at how about putting. Let's look at chapter two.

  29. Right, so, behold, his soul is popped up, it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith, right.

  30. The righteous shall live by his face. So this is where he was quoted right from so we live Romans and go to about so talking about talking about a face that someone had right a face in a person, right, so he's talking about faith, actually in Christ.

  31. Right, so we actually came to faith by the faith of Christ.

  32. Right, so we have to say that we came to faith by the faith of Christ so I will refer to his feet right means that someone is involved in that context. And here that is where he quoted, and we see that it is applied by Paul in the context of salvation saying that we will live by the

  33. faith of Christ right by the face that Christ had we will be part of those who will partake, just like some people used to mistakenly say, not mistakenly but we used to say to as well, that Abraham is a project, a father of faith right people say this thing like

  34. father of faith, and all of that now this scripture is actually revealing that Christ is actually the father of faith right, so Christ is faith, it is from his feet that we part two.

  35. Right, and become believers and that's why you will see that scriptures will say that Christ is the auto and the finisher right the auto and the finisher of our faith which is the alpha and the omega of our faith right wonder perfect all things in all himself right so the

  36. the fullness of him will fit all in all so to for experience his feet the face of a person, and that is the face of price the faith Christ had, and we are partakers of that same thing.

  37. So good to see that all men must have this feet. This space that is found in Christ. All men must have it.

  38. Romans chapter two verse 11.

  39. I think I'll just read from, from, this one.

  40. I will just read verse chapter two, therefore you have no excuse, oh man, every one of you who judges for passing judgment on another you condemn yourself because you the judge practice the very same thing.

  41. Do you suppose, oh man that you judge those who practice such things, and yes, do them yourselves, and you will escape in that you will escape the judgment of God, or you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience,

  42. not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.

  43. In fact, when God's righteous judgment will be reviewed, he will render to each one, according to his works to those who by patients in doing well sick for glory and honor and immortality.

  44. He will give eternal life right, but for those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be right and furry.

  45. Do you see that there is no salvation and distress for every human being.

  46. And the last paper says that, who does evil, and if you first, do you see, and also what the Greek.

  47. Does it sound like Romans chapter one, the 16.

  48. Yes, it does sound like romance of the one 16 salvation to the Joe.

  49. the first to the Jew and then to the Greek, right?

  50. Then we'll come to Romans chapter two verse,

  51. that's verse nine.

  52. It says, there'll be tribulation and just for every woman

  53. who does evil and the Jew first and also the Greek, right?

  54. For it's glory and honor and peace for everyone

  55. who does good and the Jew first also and also the Greek.

  56. The Greek, for God shows no partiality, right?

  57. So we would ask ourselves,

  58. what is the context of God shows no partiality?

  59. It is in the context that any man, right?

  60. Who believes, right?

  61. So we know evil is disbelieving, right?

  62. Evil is just believing and good is believing, right?

  63. Who does good?

  64. It's not talking about an action of charity,

  65. we're talking about faith

  66. because that is the context of chapter one,

  67. chapter three, chapter three,

  68. we have seen that clearly that is requiring faith.

  69. So we will see that he's saying that to the Jew first

  70. and to the Greek.

  71. So therefore we can come to a conclusion to say

  72. that salvation is to all men and whosoever believe, right?

  73. Whosoever believes in glory and honor and peace

  74. for everyone who does good, who believes.

  75. But whosoever does evil, right?

  76. There will be tribulation and distress

  77. for everyone who does evil.

  78. It's about salvation talking about salvation.

  79. So when you say God is not a respecter of persons, right?

  80. In this context, right?

  81. In this context, we will be in this context,

  82. romance is about salvation

  83. that God does not in any way, right?

  84. Use ethnicity, nationalism or background of anybody, right?

  85. To judge them into salvation,

  86. but God judges us into salvation by faith.

  87. So God does not use ethnicity, nationalism

  88. or anyone's background to judge them into salvation,

  89. which is to bring them into salvation, right?

  90. I use that word to bring them into salvation,

  91. but he uses the faith of everyone

  92. to bring them into salvation.

  93. So when you use that word in the context of romance,

  94. God shows no partiality.

  95. He's simply saying that all men who have faith will be saved

  96. and all men who do not have faith,

  97. that is nothing we can do about them

  98. because they'll be separated from God.

  99. This is God's sovereignty, God's choice of faith.

  100. Now we explained this in Catechismos, right?

  101. We explained this in Catechismos.

  102. God's choice of faith as a means by which men will be saved

  103. is God's sovereignty, right?

  104. And that is what we see here,

  105. that God shows no partiality, that's what, you know,

  106. as sovereign God, Bible says God is a righteous judge, right?

  107. When we call God a righteous judge, right?

  108. This is what it means, okay?

  109. When we refer to God as a righteous judge,

  110. like this is what it means,

  111. that all men can come into salvation by faith, right?

  112. Though it's open, all men can come through that.

  113. So having explained this, we will now proceed to Romans 11.

  114. Because Romans 11 is where I said that I saw certain things

  115. that we needed to clarify.

  116. And we began to clarify that on Sunday.

  117. Romans 11, just go to, we'll go straight to this 11,

  118. 11, 11, right, we'll start on Romans 11.

  119. So 11, 11, that sounds interesting.

  120. Yes, so it says, so I asked,

  121. so we are there, Romans 11, 11, right?

  122. So I asked, did they stumble

  123. in order that they might fall?

  124. So by no means.

  125. Rather, through trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles

  126. as to make Israel jealous.

  127. And we explained this,

  128. that Israel is not intentionally fallen, right?

  129. God did not say Israel would disbelieve,

  130. so that the Gentiles would believe.

  131. Then after they believed, you will come into salvation

  132. by the faith of the Gentiles.

  133. No, that's not it.

  134. We already established every man will come by his,

  135. you know, by the faith that he has in Christ.

  136. So they're saying that Paul is using this pattern of right,

  137. saying by no means,

  138. which is similar to like God forbid, kind of.

  139. Right, it's a rather, through their trespass, right,

  140. through the salvation, through their trespass,

  141. has come to the Gentiles as to make,

  142. salvation has come to the Gentiles

  143. as to make Israel jealous.

  144. And one of my thoughts, right,

  145. these are my thoughts, which I probably would check

  146. as we move on, is that the persecution

  147. that comes to the church, right,

  148. the persecution that comes to the church, right,

  149. is one of the two by which the message reaches the Gentiles,

  150. actually, the persecution that comes to the church, right?

  151. So because the Gentiles,

  152. so the Jews oppose the message

  153. and they persecuted the church, right?

  154. So the persecution of the church, by that,

  155. we saw that when Philip left, right,

  156. don't forget the 12 apostles were always in Jerusalem,

  157. what people like Philip and those other disciples, right,

  158. they left, they traveled to many other places.

  159. Now they didn't go there to start a new life.

  160. They didn't go there to relax.

  161. They didn't go there to look for greener pastures.

  162. They didn't go there, you know,

  163. to look for things that were not in Jerusalem,

  164. but they went there preaching the gospel, okay?

  165. That is what you will observe, right,

  166. that the disciples that were scattered abroad, right,

  167. they went abroad preaching the gospel.

  168. So by, we can say that by the persecution

  169. that comes from the Jews to the church, right,

  170. we see that many people that were actually not Israel

  171. were able to hear this message.

  172. So what we're trying to explain is that

  173. the good part of this persecution or this unbelieving,

  174. right, of the Jews is that these Gentiles have believed.

  175. Now, verse two now says,

  176. now if their trespass means riches for the world

  177. and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles,

  178. how much more with their full inclusion?

  179. And I said that this full inclusion is not correct

  180. because these people included their own interpretation.

  181. So today, that's one of the major things

  182. we are going to do.

  183. We are going to see how Paul used the word.

  184. Please, KJV will use the word fullness,

  185. which is correct, right?

  186. Fullness is the correct word there.

  187. So we're gonna see if the word full inclusion

  188. or the inclusion of Israel, right,

  189. you know, does it mean full inclusion?

  190. Does it mean all of them, you know, will be saved, right?

  191. So that's what we're gonna check.

  192. So we are gonna check the use of this fullness.

  193. The first thing to note is that the word fullness

  194. there is pleroma, P-L-E-R-O-M-A, right?

  195. The word fullness means pleroma.

  196. And interestingly, in the epistle,

  197. Romans is the first,

  198. so we see that it's first used in Romans.

  199. So it's the word pleroma.

  200. I'm gonna check scriptures that is in here.

  201. It is also used in Romans 11, 25,

  202. which is the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, right?

  203. The fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

  204. So verse 11 and 25.

  205. Now, we need to, I'm not gonna check any of that.

  206. I'm not gonna check the gospels for this.

  207. I'm gonna check how Paul in his letters

  208. used the word fullness.

  209. So I'm sticking to the autos usage of the word fullness,

  210. right, to establish this truth.

  211. I'm sticking to the autos usage of the word fullness

  212. to establish this truth.

  213. So I'm gonna check the epistles.

  214. So the first scriptures are that Romans 11, 12.

  215. We have Romans 11, 25.

  216. Romans 11, 25.

  217. Now the next scripture is Romans 13, 10.

  218. Romans 13, 10.

  219. Let's go there and check what's Romans 13, 10.

  220. How the word pleroma was used in Romans 13, 10 by Paul

  221. in the same scripture, right?

  222. In the same book.

  223. So from verse, Romans 13, 10.

  224. Say love does no wrong to enable.

  225. Therefore, love is fulfilling the law, right?

  226. It's fulfilling the law.

  227. Love is fulfilling the law.

  228. So what does this mean?

  229. Now, what we'll see is that in the New Testament

  230. interpretation of this word, right?

  231. When you check the New Testament interpretation

  232. of this word, pleroma,

  233. I think I should give that first.

  234. Because when I give that,

  235. it helps the context of what I'm teaching, right?

  236. It helps the context of what I'm teaching.

  237. So pleroma would mean not inclusion, right?

  238. You have to first put that down.

  239. That not inclusion, not to include something in something.

  240. But the body of believers that are filled, right?

  241. So in this, in your blue letter Bible,

  242. tell you that it is in the New Testament,

  243. the body of believers as that which is filled with.

  244. Right, so the body of believer, which is filled with.

  245. So it's talking about a group of people

  246. that are filled up with something, right?

  247. That are filled with the abundance of something.

  248. That carries the wholeness of something.

  249. Rather than saying that it is a whole people

  250. joining something, it actually,

  251. individuals being filled, being whole, right?

  252. Being whole, right?

  253. Being a full part, carrying a full part of something.

  254. Right, so that is what it is.

  255. So it is like being filled with a presence,

  256. an agency, right?

  257. To become an agent of something, right?

  258. Because you are full with it.

  259. You are agent of something.

  260. The presence of something, right?

  261. The riches of God and of Christ, right?

  262. So see that the riches of God and of Christ.

  263. Now let's look at the law

  264. and apply being filled with something, right?

  265. Being filled with something.

  266. So we will see love does not wrong enable.

  267. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law, right?

  268. What we can see is that in law,

  269. law actually, or rather,

  270. the law is actually filled with love, right?

  271. So what we can see in the law,

  272. law actually fulfills the law.

  273. The way to put it is,

  274. all that is found in the law is love.

  275. Can we say that?

  276. All the abundance of the law is love.

  277. All the fullness of the law.

  278. So that is to say, law is the fulfilling.

  279. We can say law is the fullness of the law,

  280. the rumor of the law, right?

  281. Love is the fullness of the law,

  282. which is the play rumor.

  283. We cannot say love is included in the law.

  284. Did you see how inclusion cannot work there, right?

  285. So I tried to use from my own kind of translation

  286. that says full inclusion, right?

  287. So we cannot say love is full inclusion of the law, right?

  288. Or rather, we can say love, right,

  289. is the fullness of the law, right?

  290. So whatever is found in the law, right, it's love.

  291. It's not just included in the law,

  292. it's the fullness of it, right?

  293. So we also go to another scripture, Romans 15, 29.

  294. Romans 15, Romans 15, 29.

  295. I know that when I come with you,

  296. I will come in the fullness of the blessings of Christ,

  297. of the blessing of Christ, sorry.

  298. So I know that when I come to you,

  299. I will come in the fullness, right,

  300. of the blessing of Christ.

  301. So it means that in Paul's coming,

  302. is coming being filled, right,

  303. being filled in the fullness of the blessing of Christ, right?

  304. So in Paul's coming, verse 28,

  305. when therefore I have completed these

  306. and I have delivered them to what has been collected,

  307. I leave for Spain by way of you, understand?

  308. And I say, I know that when I come to you,

  309. I will, excuse me, I will come in the fullness

  310. of the blessing of Christ.

  311. So Paul is saying that I will come in the fullness,

  312. I will be a blessed, a full blessing to you

  313. because I'm filled with the blessing of Christ.

  314. I just, and a figure of speech expressing

  315. that is coming to bless them because it's full, right?

  316. It's full of the fullness of Christ, right?

  317. It's coming in the fullness of Christ.

  318. It's not talking about Paul being included, right?

  319. We cannot say come in the inclusion

  320. of the blessing of Christ.

  321. It's already full, right?

  322. It's fullness of Christ, right?

  323. It's not a full inclusion, it's fullness.

  324. It's a thing that has taken, right?

  325. So we find that there, that is not talking about

  326. being added or something,

  327. but talking about actually a reality.

  328. Right, talking about a reality of Paul

  329. coming to you in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

  330. 1 Corinthians 10, 28, 1 Corinthians,

  331. we want to establish that it is not talking about

  332. some people being included in a particular thing,

  333. but talking about them being filled in abundance,

  334. actually them being filled in abundance

  335. of the blessings of Christ.

  336. So 1 Corinthians 10, 28,

  337. 1 Corinthians 10, 28 says,

  338. but if someone says to you, right?

  339. If someone says to you this has been offered in sacrifice,

  340. then do not eat for the sake of the one

  341. who informed you and for the sake of conscience.

  342. Right, you really, I'm writing my right scripture.

  343. The fullness of the son.

  344. I do not mean your conscience was for ease.

  345. Let me check several ones.

  346. So there are a few actually.

  347. There was some of the 28.

  348. But I'm gonna check which of the Corinthians scriptures

  349. brings these, but let's go to Galatians 4, 4.

  350. Let's go to Galatians 4, 4 while we talk about the scripture.

  351. Let's go to Galatians 4, 4.

  352. Yes, it's the 28.

  353. Is it 28, right?

  354. Probably I'm reading the wrong thing.

  355. No, read to the end.

  356. You see, these translations, they will help us.

  357. Okay, I'm reading, sir.

  358. But if someone says this has been offered in sacrifice,

  359. then do not eat for the sake of the one

  360. who informed you and for the conscience sake.

  361. So they just put a dash here, in here.

  362. That this is, but even when one says this is offered

  363. in sacrifice, not for the sake of that,

  364. which is sure for the conscience sake,

  365. but it adds to the lot, like there's the error.

  366. So 14 Psalms 24, right?

  367. That's Psalms 24, right?

  368. Psalms 24, we can go there and just add that to it.

  369. Thank you, sir.

  370. No, maybe I should change my translation.

  371. Maybe I should change my scripture that I'm using

  372. because I actually know it sounds,

  373. but I think I was just looking for,

  374. so some 74, just put some 74 across that, right?

  375. So it's talking about the edge of the Lord

  376. and the fullness thereof.

  377. And that's what it was quoting when it comes to eating,

  378. responding to the fate of others, right?

  379. Actually responding to the fate to the conscience of others.

  380. The edge of the Lord and the fullness thereof.

  381. So it means that all, it is talking about all that

  382. is in the edge.

  383. It's not talking about an inclusion of something

  384. in the edge.

  385. It's not trying to say the edge is included in the Lord

  386. or the Lord is included in the edge, no.

  387. It's talking about all that is found in the edge, right?

  388. Still the same word, the rumor, the fullness,

  389. the abundance of the edge is the Lord, right?

  390. So it's not giving, it's not giving an action word

  391. like inclusion, right?

  392. So we are seeing that from this kind of teaching.

  393. So yes, thank you, first Corinthians 10, 28.

  394. So we have Dalatians 4, 4.

  395. Dalatians 4, 4.

  396. We need to check all the way except there is any way, right,

  397. that we use it in the first place.

  398. Dalatians 4, 4.

  399. When the fullness of time has come, right?

  400. When the fullness of time, I think this is the only one

  401. that's a little bit tries to deviate from the pattern

  402. of having the fullness.

  403. It's just talking about the fullness of time, right?

  404. It's just talking about, this is more or less talking

  405. about the completion, right?

  406. The completion or at a particular certain,

  407. at a certain point in time, right?

  408. It's talking about the completion,

  409. the kind of a fulfillment.

  410. We can use the word the fulfillment of time, right?

  411. Fulfillment of time.

  412. So it means that when all things have been put in place.

  413. So let's say what happens.

  414. When the fullness of time has come,

  415. God sent forth his son,

  416. born of woman, born under the law, right?

  417. Born of woman, born under the law, right?

  418. To redeem those who were under the law

  419. so that we might receive adoptions as son, right?

  420. And because you are sons,

  421. God has sent the spirit of the son into our hearts,

  422. crying out by father.

  423. So you are no longer a slave,

  424. you are no longer a slave but a son.

  425. And if a son, then hers with time.

  426. So this one is again talking about an appointed time.

  427. An appointed time, where all things are fulfilled, right?

  428. An appointed time.

  429. So this is the only one that, you know,

  430. it does not also mean the inclusion of time.

  431. Nevertheless, you can use inclusion of time here.

  432. But the fullness of time, the abundance of time,

  433. in keeping up with God's promise, right?

  434. It's talking about the fullness of time,

  435. the abundance, the, how can I put it?

  436. The appointments, right?

  437. Appointed time for which Christ should come, right?

  438. Talking about the appointed time to which Christ.

  439. So it's not really using the word here

  440. in the way we have been saying it,

  441. but at the same time,

  442. it's not talking about the inclusion of time.

  443. So it's talking about the time where things

  444. have been put in place for Christ to come

  445. when everything is completed.

  446. And everything is completed onto a time, right?

  447. So completeness of time, right?

  448. So we see it here, fullness of time,

  449. completeness of time,

  450. where everything has been put in place.

  451. So this is just the only one that actually

  452. deviates a little bit,

  453. yet it does not mean inclusion in that context.

  454. So Ephesians 1.10, Ephesians 1.10.

  455. We establish this truth and we'll proceed.

  456. Ephesians 1.10.

  457. As a plan for the fullness of time,

  458. similar to Galatians 4.4, right?

  459. As a plan for the fullness of time

  460. to unite all things, right, in heaven and on time.

  461. So it's talking about completeness of time,

  462. actually, completeness is bringing everything together,

  463. right, bringing everything to arrive at something, right?

  464. Bringing everything to arrive at something.

  465. It's like the fullness of time,

  466. when everything is set and everything,

  467. the action of God comes into play, right?

  468. To unite all things at an appointed time,

  469. just like I said, I said at appointed time.

  470. So we see two contexts where it is used.

  471. An appointed time where God does things

  472. and the fullness of which is our reality.

  473. Galatians 3.19, which was the one I think.

  474. Said, and to know the love of Christ

  475. that surpasses knowledge,

  476. that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

  477. So all the fullness of God,

  478. the reality of a believer that is found in God,

  479. the blessings of Christ as we see in Paul,

  480. explaining that it will come to them

  481. in the fullness of the blessing of Christ, right?

  482. It's coming to them in the fullness

  483. of the blessing of Christ.

  484. So it's similar here,

  485. to be filled with the fullness of God.

  486. Ephesians 4.13, let's include that as well.

  487. Ephesians 4.13.

  488. Ephesians 4.13.

  489. To the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ,

  490. so that we may no longer be children tossed around

  491. to our flow by the waves carried about

  492. by every wind of doctrine.

  493. It's not talking about inclusion, really.

  494. It's talking about fullness, right?

  495. It's talking about the fullness of Christ, right?

  496. We grow up, it's talking about unity in faith,

  497. knowledge of the Son of God,

  498. to mature manhood, to measure,

  499. to the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ.

  500. So it's talking about coming to the reality

  501. of all that is ours in Christ, okay?

  502. It's talking about coming to the reality of all that is,

  503. because if you read that from verse 11,

  504. it gave them apostles, prophets, evangelists,

  505. shepherds, teachers, to equip the saints

  506. for the work of the ministry,

  507. for the building up of the body,

  508. until we attain unity in faith,

  509. and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

  510. to mature manhood, to the measure of the statue

  511. of the fullness of Christ.

  512. So you are coming into that true knowledge.

  513. You have the fullness of Christ,

  514. you are coming into the measure of the statue,

  515. true knowledge, that is why it says,

  516. the knowledge of the Son of God, right?

  517. So through the knowledge of the Son of God,

  518. we attain the measure and the structure

  519. of the fullness of Christ.

  520. We come to see it, and to make it a reality

  521. in our lives, by knowledge.

  522. So we see all that is also about knowledge, right?

  523. So we go to Colossians 1.19,

  524. which definitely will be similar to this.

  525. Colossians 1.19,

  526. and additionally put all the scriptures in it,

  527. just take time to do it.

  528. For in him, all the fullness of God

  529. was pleased to dwell.

  530. In him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

  531. Talking about Christ, right?

  532. All that is in Christ.

  533. From verse 15, is the image of the invisible God,

  534. the firstborn of the creation, for by him,

  535. all things were created in heaven and on earth,

  536. visible and invisible,

  537. thrones of dominions, or rulers, or authorities.

  538. All things were created through him, for him,

  539. and he is before all times,

  540. and in all things hold together.

  541. And he is the head of the body, the church,

  542. he is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead.

  543. And that in everything, he might be preeminent.

  544. For in him, all the fullness of God.

  545. So everything that pertains to God

  546. was pleased to dwell in Christ,

  547. and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

  548. whether on earth or in heaven,

  549. making peace by the blood of his cross.

  550. So everything that pertains to God was in Christ.

  551. That's God.

  552. That's why we say he's God.

  553. See, that's why we say Christ is God.

  554. Everything that is God is in him, right?

  555. So God.

  556. So that is what we see.

  557. You see that he's talking about him

  558. having the fullness of something.

  559. So Colossians 2.9, Colossians 2.9,

  560. for in him again,

  561. the whole fullness of the dead dwells bodily, right?

  562. In Christ, the whole fullness of God dwells bodily,

  563. and to have been filled in him

  564. who is the head of all rule and authority.

  565. So to bring everything together, right?

  566. We have seen that he's actually talking about

  567. the reality of a believer,

  568. which is the fullness of Christ that a believer has,

  569. the fullness of God, which is Christ, Jesus, right?

  570. In those two contexts.

  571. And the last one is talking about the completeness

  572. or the completeness of time.

  573. Now, when we talk to Romans 11,

  574. so we will now understand now, again,

  575. to read Romans 11, 12.

  576. Now, if they are trespass means riches for the world,

  577. and if they are failure means riches for the Gentiles,

  578. how much more will their fullness means?

  579. What does fullness means?

  580. Means that they come to the knowledge of Christ.

  581. They are being filled with the fullness of Christ, right?

  582. For a person, all the time scholars use the word fullness

  583. in his epistle, he uses it in regards

  584. to the fullness of Christ, right?

  585. Apart from the one that he uses in the time,

  586. he uses it in regards to the fullness of time,

  587. sorry, the fullness of Christ, the blessings of Christ.

  588. So now let's look at it.

  589. If they are trespass means riches to the world,

  590. and if they are failure means riches to the Gentiles,

  591. they are trespass, which is they are missing the mark.

  592. Israel means, second, they are failure,

  593. means failure to believe, to attain righteousness.

  594. So the opposite of that will be attaining righteousness,

  595. right, and trespass, which is like missing the mark,

  596. will be getting the points, I mean, hitting the point,

  597. getting the mark, understanding what the law says,

  598. for example, right?

  599. So trespass failures will definitely be matched up

  600. with their opposites, which will be to hit the mark

  601. through faith, right, and to be able to, I mean,

  602. failure means they get a pass mark, which is true faith.

  603. So that fullness would mean that they are standing firm.

  604. How much more will their standing firm means, okay?

  605. So it means that how much more when they come to believe,

  606. how much more when they are filled with the fullness of God,

  607. how much more when Israel realizes that Christ is the Messiah,

  608. Jesus Christ is the Messiah, right?

  609. How much more when they are filled

  610. with all that pertains to God.

  611. That's what it's saying about fullness, right?

  612. That is what it's saying about fullness.

  613. So it's not saying full inclusion,

  614. it doesn't mean they are fullness to be added to the faith.

  615. No, now when we go to 25, right, when we go to 25,

  616. we will now apply the same thing here.

  617. We'll apply the same thing in 25.

  618. Lest you be wise in your own sight,

  619. I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers.

  620. A partial hardening has come upon Israel

  621. until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

  622. What is the fullness of the Gentiles?

  623. Does it mean that all the Gentiles in the world

  624. will believe?

  625. All the Gentiles, Jews, Greek,

  626. everybody who are not in the commonwealth of Israel

  627. will come to believe?

  628. No, it cannot mean that, right?

  629. It cannot mean that.

  630. So people say, oh, when there's a particular number

  631. of Gentiles that must come in,

  632. and it's a revelation, you will find,

  633. they will use revelation to explain that to you

  634. because they are misquoting and misinterpreting revelation.

  635. So there's a particular number of Gentiles,

  636. when they come in, then Israel,

  637. God will now turn to Israel and he will begin to,

  638. there's no number, I don't know if people are playing

  639. with numbers, they just leave numbers alone, right?

  640. Leave numbers, let's focus on the script.

  641. There's no fullness, because this fullness now,

  642. they are really using numbers to explain the fullness.

  643. The fullness of the Gentiles means

  644. when the Gentiles begin to believe, right?

  645. When the Gentiles are filled,

  646. the same thing is repeating in verse 11,

  647. that Israel will be jealous when he sees Gentiles come

  648. to enjoy the blessings of Christ, right?

  649. When Israel sees Gentiles coming to enjoy

  650. the blessings of Christ, right, he will feel jealous.

  651. So he uses the word pleruma,

  652. which is the same word he used there,

  653. until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, right?

  654. Has come in is actually, it's not like they are coming

  655. into Erbun or coming in, it's actually talking

  656. about their state and their condition, right?

  657. So it's talking about, so this is the way

  658. we can read it again, this is the way we can read it.

  659. Partial hardening has come upon Israel

  660. in order that Gentiles might believe, right?

  661. Partial hardening has come upon Israel,

  662. some Israel disbelief in order,

  663. that word until there, right, is not like

  664. until we are waiting for all the Gentiles to come in.

  665. So when all the Gentiles come in,

  666. then Israel will now believe, no, that's not it.

  667. That until is not a time to say until the number is full,

  668. no, that until is saying that partial hardening

  669. has happened to Israel in order that Gentiles might believe

  670. and that will be their condition,

  671. has come in is condition, it's not like there's a,

  672. it's not talking about coming into any Erbun or anything,

  673. it's actually talking about their state,

  674. their condition of being.

  675. So when Gentiles become blessings of Christ,

  676. which is the fullness of Christ, right,

  677. Israel will be jealous, verse 11 and 12.

  678. Through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles

  679. as to make Israel jealous, right, to be passionate

  680. about what they have held onto, right, to examine it again.

  681. Now, if their trespass means reaches to the wall,

  682. their failures also means reaches to the Gentiles,

  683. how much will their feelings,

  684. so here it's also talking about the fullness of the Gentiles

  685. and the Gentiles will be filled, right,

  686. with the blessings of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

  687. Now, do we all get that now, right?

  688. We get that, right, the fullness of the Gentiles,

  689. talking about the fullness of the believer,

  690. the fullness of the believers, right, they are full.

  691. It's over, so in order that the Gentiles might believe,

  692. right, might come into a condition,

  693. and in this way, now this is the last one, verse 26,

  694. that's, you know, it's quite a little bit tasking to explore,

  695. but it says, in this way, all Israel will be saved, right,

  696. in this way, all the, verse 26, all Israel will be saved.

  697. Now, the word, in this way, all Israel will be saved.

  698. First, if we use the context, right,

  699. from Romans one, Romans two, Romans three, right,

  700. and continue in that pattern,

  701. the first thing we establish is that faith

  702. will make a man come into righteousness,

  703. and it is for all nations,

  704. and any man who comes into faith, right,

  705. who believes will be saved, right,

  706. salvation is to everybody.

  707. Now, if you now come here and say that all Israel

  708. will be saved, and you call that an election,

  709. or, you know, just a choice of God,

  710. you would have thrown away all of that.

  711. So you have missed the whole context of Romans, right,

  712. but if you observe, the use of all, right,

  713. the use of all actually talks about

  714. some of a particular type, actually.

  715. The context at which we are going to use all here

  716. is the sum of a particular type.

  717. So we can say that, in this way,

  718. some of a particular type of Israel will be saved,

  719. and those are the people that have faith.

  720. I will explain it again,

  721. the word all there is past, P-A-S, right,

  722. is not used always for general,

  723. in fact, it can be used for individuals

  724. who come to believe, right.

  725. It can be, and when it's used collectively, okay,

  726. when it is used collectively,

  727. it is used for some of a particular type, right,

  728. collectively, some of a particular type, P-A-S, right,

  729. past, that's the Greek word, is just so.

  730. It means that in this way,

  731. all Israel of a particular type will be saved.

  732. Don't forget, if you go back to Romans 9,

  733. it says not all Israel are Israel.

  734. Do you remember, right, Romans 9,

  735. not all that are from Israel are Israel, right?

  736. Israel is not by natural bed, right?

  737. He explains that, right, he was that.

  738. So it means that some have faiths,

  739. and some don't have faiths.

  740. Do we get it?

  741. So he's saying that in all of these,

  742. while the fullness of Gentiles comes,

  743. and they have this condition of faith, right,

  744. some people in Israel will realize it,

  745. and they will come to believe, right,

  746. they will come to believe.

  747. And that is the explanation of that speech, okay?

  748. You can study, you can check the word first,

  749. you can pay attention to it.

  750. So the word until, I've explained it,

  751. is that in order for,

  752. in order for something to take place, right,

  753. come in, as come in, again, I explain,

  754. it's talking about their condition of being,

  755. their state of being, fullness of Gentiles,

  756. their state of being believers,

  757. their state of being filled with the blessedness

  758. of the word, the fullness.

  759. And in this way, all Israel will be saved,

  760. as long as I have a vision,

  761. and as come to the knowledge of Christ,

  762. we say why?

  763. Because it says the deliverer will come from Zion,

  764. and he will banish ungodliness from Jacob,

  765. and verse 27, this will be my covenant with them

  766. when I take away their sins.

  767. So we can say that all men now, confident,

  768. because there's no other scriptures

  769. that actually make such a,

  770. what I say, explanation that can lead to wrong assumptions,

  771. or that can, if you don't read well,

  772. we would miss the mark, right?

  773. There's no scripture, this is the only scripture.

  774. So we can say that all Israel too

  775. will come to the knowledge of God, right?

  776. Using every context of Romans and verse 28.

  777. Verse 28, it says, as regards the gospel,

  778. enemies for your sake, right?

  779. The word they are is not there, right?

  780. As regards the gospel, enemies for your sake.

  781. For as regards election, they are beloved

  782. for the sake of their forefathers, right?

  783. As regards election, they are beloved

  784. for the sake of their forefathers.

  785. So, excuse me, basically saying that we,

  786. as regards the gospel, to us,

  787. if you see a Jew, is an opposition, right?

  788. Is an opposition, the word enemies, right?

  789. Say it opposes, right?

  790. It's opposing what you believe, right?

  791. If you see a Jew that has not believed to us,

  792. they are enemies, right?

  793. And quote really means opposition

  794. to what we believe to the faith, right?

  795. As regards the gospel.

  796. As regards election, yeah, right?

  797. They are beloved for their forefathers' sake.

  798. So it's talking about the fact that their forefathers

  799. received the oracles of God, right?

  800. And as a result, they are beloved.

  801. Now, let's see what that means.

  802. Verse 29, it's very popular scripture

  803. that we use regularly, which is,

  804. for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, right?

  805. So we always use the scripture,

  806. for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.

  807. You say, ah, that guy speak, let me say something.

  808. That believer, he gets angry quickly.

  809. Used to, you saw people, right?

  810. But he still speak in tongues and he sees vision.

  811. But the gift of God are irrevocable.

  812. We just use it and we mesmerize that scripture, right?

  813. Just deal with that scripture.

  814. It's better to always read the scripture.

  815. I always say, don't quote us.

  816. We've always said, I guess we're getting to that knowledge.

  817. As scriptures are not for quoting

  818. and using anyhow, they are for explanation.

  819. So what does it mean that the gifts

  820. and calling of God, right, are irrevocable?

  821. What does it mean?

  822. That the gifts and calling,

  823. is it talking about spiritual gifts?

  824. Do you think it will be talking

  825. about spiritual gifts in this world?

  826. Haven't been reading from Romans.

  827. This is not Corinthians, you know?

  828. Haven't been reading from Romans

  829. and since salvation, salvation, salvation, salvation.

  830. So therefore, we can come to say

  831. that the gift of God that is without repentance,

  832. it refers to God's promise of salvation,

  833. which he fulfill, right?

  834. So we gotta say that the gifts and calling of God

  835. that are irrevocable, it's God's promise of salvation

  836. to these people, right, that he fulfilled, right?

  837. He promised them salvation, right?

  838. And he fulfilled it.

  839. God's promise of salvation, right?

  840. True faith to these people and that he fulfilled.

  841. So, because this is the context of what is taken,

  842. let me see, as regards to God's Buddha,

  843. your enemies, they are your enemies,

  844. but as regards election, right?

  845. As regards election, which is the same word, eclogy, right?

  846. They are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, right?

  847. So he's trying to explain something here

  848. that when it comes to the issue of Israel,

  849. now, so listen to his explanation,

  850. let's listen carefully, right?

  851. When it comes to the issue of Israel,

  852. God has promised salvation through Israel, one.

  853. So the Messiah will come through Israel, that's one.

  854. In Israel, right, in Israel, they will call Israel,

  855. many people, right, many people, many people of faiths,

  856. many people have come to faith in Israel.

  857. So first, God promised salvation through Israel.

  858. Did he fulfill it, right?

  859. God's gifts and his calling, right?

  860. Did he fulfill it, that it will come to the,

  861. did you remember that even when Moses said,

  862. when God, as it's written in the books of the Lord,

  863. that let me clear this generation

  864. and start a new people with you, right?

  865. Moses said, no, right?

  866. Let's just people will say that you are not able

  867. to bring them to the land that you have promised them, right?

  868. So you are not able.

  869. Now, that's part is relating to the saying that

  870. God's promise of the Messiah from Israel was fulfilled

  871. despite all their disobedience, right?

  872. So God promised that the Messiah will come to them

  873. and the Messiah came through Israel.

  874. So that's God's gifts and calling, that's one,

  875. that's one, one, so we pick that one.

  876. Now, the second thing is that as many as believed in that,

  877. okay, as many as believed in that,

  878. they received the promised salvation.

  879. So first, that the Messiah will come through Israel.

  880. Secondly, that as many as believed in that message of Christ,

  881. they received the salvation.

  882. Okay, they received the salvation.

  883. So God's gifts and calling, right?

  884. It's talking about our calling into salvation, right?

  885. Our coming into salvation, right?

  886. The gift of God is salvation.

  887. We receive it through faith, right?

  888. God did not withdraw it.

  889. And as part in Israel, the Messiah came through them.

  890. And secondly, in their lineage, many people believe.

  891. Okay, several people believe.

  892. We have Abraham, we have many, that's why you will see that

  893. even from verse 11, sorry,

  894. even from verse one of chapter 11,

  895. Paul already stated that there are many in Israel

  896. that would, if you check verse one,

  897. that is actually the opening of chapter 11, verse one.

  898. That is actually the opening of it, right?

  899. That's actually the opening of that chapter 11, verse one.

  900. Saying that I myself am in Israel and I believe, right?

  901. And when Elijah said, God has abandoned him

  902. and he's only one left,

  903. he said that I've kept 7,000, some remnant.

  904. So here he's also referring to as many, right?

  905. That I believe they have received it, right?

  906. So this is not something God withdrew.

  907. God did not operate, he did not hold back.

  908. He did not hold back the promise of salvation.

  909. God did not hold back the promise of salvation.

  910. God did not hold back bringing the Messiah from them.

  911. God did not hold back from them

  912. who believe the salvation of God.

  913. So let's read the verses that follow.

  914. The verses that follow tells you the answers to it.

  915. For just as you were once at a time disobedient to God,

  916. for now have received mercy because of their obedience,

  917. to day two have now been,

  918. so day two have now been disobedient

  919. in order that by the mercy shown to you,

  920. they may also receive mercy.

  921. So it's about salvation, right?

  922. For God has consigned all to disobedience

  923. that he may have mercy on all.

  924. All the debts of the riches and the wisdom

  925. and the knowledge of God are unsachable, are his judgments

  926. and are inscrutable in his ways.

  927. For who has known the mind of the Lord,

  928. or who has been his counselor, right?

  929. Or who has given a gift to him that he may be repaid.

  930. For from him and through him and to him are all things.

  931. To him be glory forever and ever.

  932. Amen.

  933. So we can see that he's also talking about salvation,

  934. nothing relating directly to the gifts, right?

  935. Nothing really pointed to it,

  936. it was pointing about God's mercy.

  937. And I said that when we say, when God says,

  938. when we read it in verse nine,

  939. that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.

  940. But God have been mercy saying that anyone who has faith

  941. is the person I have mercy on.

  942. If you don't have faith, then you cannot reach my mercy,

  943. right?

  944. Indiscriminate, throwing out of, I mean, mercy

  945. and indiscriminate, randomly choosing people.

  946. But based on God's principle of faith,

  947. we have many people coming into the knowledge of Christ.

  948. So we can conclude and say with all those points,

  949. that our prayer for Israel is that they may be saved.

  950. Just like Paul read in Romans chapter 10.

    Romans 10 chapter mention

  951. So when we pray for nations,

  952. it's the same way you will pray for any country in the world

  953. that they may be saved,

  954. is the same way you will pray for them,

  955. that they will come to the knowledge of Christ, right?

  956. If you want them to be saved, don't forget,

  957. we are commissioned to be saved.

  958. So preach the forgiveness of sins, right?

  959. To preach repentance and forgiveness of sins

  960. in the name of Christ.

  961. So if you want them to receive that,

  962. which is the gift of salvation, right?

  963. If you want them to receive that,

  964. your prayer will be that they will be saved,

  965. rather than any other prayer.

  966. So the same way I'll pray for somebody from Tanzania,

  967. I was going to come to Papua South Africa

  968. and pray for them that they will come

  969. to the knowledge of Christ.

  970. It's the same way you will pray for them.

  971. So there's nothing wrong in praying

  972. for nations of the world, right?

  973. Well, how do we pray for nations of the world, right?

  974. That they might come to the knowledge of Christ,

  975. that laborers and preachers might, you know,

  976. be part of those nations,

  977. explaining that law that they have received, right?

  978. To them, explaining the oracles to them,

  979. and showing that by this,

  980. having faith and seeing Christ in this,

  981. is how you come to the knowledge of Christ.

  982. Okay, so these are spiritual realities

  983. that we just explained and open our hearts to see

  984. that everything is actually about faith,

  985. receiving the salvation of Christ,

  986. and coming to the knowledge of God.

  987. Are we blessed?

  988. So we are blessed.

  989. So I'll be watching us write our statements

  990. towards these nations,

  991. and when people post things,

  992. if you start posting things,

  993. and we start seeing you posting things like,

  994. pray for, I'll just message you,

  995. what kind of prayer do you mean, right?

  996. So that we can be sure of the kind of prayer you mean, right?

  997. Having this knowledge is very important

  998. because it's going to help us to lead other people our rights,

  999. to help us to lead other people our rights,

  1000. and we will not be misled when we are reading the scripture.

  1001. Thank you for listening to our sermon today.

  1002. We hope you were blessed by this teaching.

  1003. If you want to learn more about our church,

  1004. please visit our website or follow us on social media.

  1005. We would love to connect with you and hear your feedback.

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  1008. You never know who might need a word of encouragement.