“Finding Your True Identity: Standing in Christ’s Finished Work” - Joe Stepp - Mother’s Day, May 11th, 2025

Love Mother's Day.

And I want to make sure that all the dudes in the room are set right before we ever get started.

You guys ready?

Because all the dudes in the room are good dudes, right?

Ladies, give a hand, yeah?

They're good dudes.

But just remember, there's always a better woman standing behind them rolling their eyes.

Amen?

You got it.

You got it.

Well, Romans 5.

So what I wanted to wrestle with today with you guys, and I may hop down and get on the floor with you, it's tough for me to stand here.

I got to move.

John, I got to move.

It's tough being a coach and a preacher, and you know how it goes.

For those of you don't know me, Joe Step, we moved up here about five years ago from Texas.

And any other Texicans in the room?

We got Texan people, right?

We have Oklahoma, even better.

my brides from Oklahoma.

Love you, Okies too.

For real.

With all the love of Jesus.

Yeah.

Amen.

And so I've had a wonderful opportunity to teach the high school Bible in Water Springs School.

And over the last, off and on the first two years and about the last three years,

I've had a chance to teach and be a part of leadership crew at our little cowboy church in Blackfoot.

out on Wheating Lane, if you all know Max and Mary Martin and that crew, we have our services

on Saturday night at 7, have a lot of fun out there. And so it's been a real honor to get

to share the word and come alongside and teach and walk with brothers and sisters. And so as we

start out today, I think probably stating something obvious that we're in a crisis of identity

in our culture, would you say amen to that? But it's not new. It's not new. It goes back.

You know, I look through the scripture and I think about statements that Jesus said,

the world will hate you because it hated me.

Paul warned that there's a time coming where they will not endure sound doctrine.

You go, okay, are we in a time like that where Christians are hated where even the people

in the body will not endure sound doctrine?

It takes time to think.

And I got to thinking about that because, you know, what really drives our culture, what's really

last generation of our culture, would we say amusement has had a big impact on our culture? Have you

ever thought, have you ever broken down amusement? I'm a word guy. Like, what does it mean to

muse? We don't use that term really in our culture anymore. But if you and I are musing,

what are we doing? You're thinking, you're meditating, you're working through something to muse over

something. If you put an awe in front of it, what does that do, English majors?

it negates it.

And if you put mint on the end as a suffix, it's the act of.

So amusement, by definition, is what?

The act of not thinking.

True?

And as believers, should we not be thinkers?

Should we not be those that are working through?

I see where Paul is reasoning and proving that Jesus is the Christ.

That means that words have meanings.

That means that there's a context to those words.

And as you dive into the word, it's absolutely necessary that we know the meaning of words.

We know the context.

Who's being spoken to?

What's going on?

And you and I, as believers, really need to be committed to this thing, the Word of God, the living Word of God, that we would be able to share truth.

Now, you and I know that at the outset, you and I have been called the plant and water.

what's the promise of God that when the word goes out Isaiah 5511 what is he say it will not return void it will accomplish the purpose for which he sent it

now let's be really honest because you and I have a motive of the word going out but have we considered that God has a motive in that that's above our motive and that's a tough one

Jesus said that the world will hate you because he hates me so you and I know that we can

we go out and share the truth, we risk offense.

But is that enough to shut you down, believer?

I pray it's not, because if you and I are going to be a light in the world,

then we need to go out and be that light.

Yes?

And so, Paul said that if you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus,

you will be persecuted.

And I look at this thing that is a,

I would say probably the number one agenda of the enemy

is to attack identity.

What happened in the garden?

What was the first question asked of the enemy?

Did God really say?

And I look across our culture at all the things that we're fighting,

the race issues, the abortion issues, the bias issues, white privilege across the board.

What is the underlying hiss of the snake in every one of those issues?

The woke movement, you name it.

Put anything on the table that's going on right now in our culture that is a dividing point,

it deals with identity, and the underlying question is what?

Did God really say?

Are you with me?

And how does it get guys?

It's really interesting when you start wrestling with the statements that are made.

A woman has a right to her own body.

How many of us would agree with you?

that. Yeah, you do. You can get up and eat breakfast or not. You can drink coffee or not. You can go to

bed early, stay up late. You can do, you have a right to your own body. But when the assumptive language

brings in, by definition that you can kill a baby whenever you want, you go, okay, well, that's a little

scary. So you see the guys. You see how the enemy deceives. Everybody with me on that? So all I'm saying,

I'm not coming in here and throw stones politically, I want to get down to a core of the scripture that

what is being attacked is identity.

And you and I as believers need to be aware of this.

So in Romans 5, we're going to dig in.

And John, I love what you had to say here because it's not if we're going to be in a battle,

it's that we're in a battle.

Why did Paul write what he did in Ephesion 6 about the armor?

Because the spiritual battle is a reality, not an if.

Parents, you know this.

Marriages, you know this.

You have kids, you know.

You're at a job, you know.

And just live in life.

and dealing just in this space,

how's that battle going?

How many of us struggle with that self-talk?

The insecurities, the what-ifs.

Am I the only one?

No, amen.

We're all wrestling with it.

So what is going to change that?

It has to be true.

Jesus promised.

You abide in my word.

You're truly my disciples.

You will know the truth, and the truth will what?

Make you free.

And so, as John has said,

I want to echo that.

We have to be very careful that we're not emotionally driven.

The truth has to be the cornerstone of everything,

beginning with identity and purpose.

Because if you don't let Christ, the Word of God,

define you who you are and why you're here,

the world will be happy to do it.

And it does a really good job.

The enemy is fantastic at it.

So I also think of it in this way.

how many times in scripture do we find don't grow weary don't become discouraged in your soul don't lose

heart my grace is sufficient is christ divided count it all joy comfort others if you've been comforted

bless those who curse you be steadfast immovable keep your eyes fixed on jesus why are those

encouragements all through Scripture. Why? Because you're going to. You're not a bad Christian

if you run it in the ditch. You're not a bad Christian if you're struggling with identity. You're

struggling with the questions. You're not a bad Christian. Let's put it in perspective.

How much did the enemy, through the Pharisees, bust Jesus about his identity? You ever looked at that?

Here's just some examples. Think about this. They call Jesus.

Jesus, a blasphemer. They called Jesus a Samaritan, half-breed. Y'all know the context on Samaritans.

He has a demon, they said. And actually, the accusation of having a demon comes up three different

times in John. Are you aware of that? They were really big on saying he was demon-possessed.

Attack on identity. It goes further. You're a glutton. You're a drunkard. You practiced by the power

of Beelzebub. You are a deceiver. You are a sinner. You were born of fornication. Now put that in context.

Jesus is in his 30s by this time, early 30s, and they tell him you were born in fornication.

What did they know? Do you think it was an issue of how he was born? Who was the father? Do you

you think that that was an issue in that society? Have you ever wrestled with that? She's pregnant?

Joseph's going to put her away? And they are still bringing up that accusation when she's truly a virgin

and, as Isaiah said, a virgin will conceive. We have a fulfilled prophecy. That was still an angle of

attacking identity 30 years later. Put that in perspective. So Jesus dealt with it. But what did Jesus do?

He spoke truth.

The response, if God were your father, you would have loved me.

I proceed forth and came from God, nor have I come of myself, he sent me.

Think of the I am statements.

Did Jesus know who he was?

I am the good shepherd.

I am the way the truth and the life.

I am the resurrection and the life.

I am the true vine.

I am the light.

I am the bread.

And you think about that, Christian, where do you and I stand when it comes to

truth, do we truly know who we are? That's the goal today is to wrestle with what the Bible says

is our true identity, our true spiritual standing. Pray with me. Father, thank you for the

opportunity to gather here. And because of your presence in the believer, we know that you're leading

us in truth. You're comforting us in every breath. That we're never alone in anything that we're

dealing with. Forgive us where we pray in a way. We hope you'll be with us. We pray you'll be

there or this. Rather be thankful, Father, that you are with us now. Even if we're going through

that valley of the shadow of death, what are we promised? Your presence. Father, thank you that you

are with us now as we work through your living word. This is your breath on paper. We get a fellowship

and communion with you. And thank you for the privilege. Thank you for the blessing that we get to do

this together. Unify us in truth, your truth, in Jesus' name. Everyone said. Amen, amen. All right. So,

in honoring God's word, let's stand, Romans 5, 1 through 5. If you stand great if you don't, I'd just say it.

All right, here we go. Romans chapter 5, therefore, since we've been justified by faith, we have peace

Romans 5 · chapter mention

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we also have obtained access by faith

into the grace in which we stand.

We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering produces endurance,

endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

And hope does not put us to shame.

Why?

Because God's love has been poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Can we say amen?

Amen.

You may be seated.

Thank you.

So a little context for this.

As you move through chapter four in the book of Romans,

we get to a guy called Abraham.

And we know about Abraham.

Amen?

Scotty teach on Abraham.

Does he help you guys know who Abraham is?

All right.

If he's not, pray for him.

We'll get him.

So Abraham, we know as Galatians and other Paul's writings,

he really digs deep into this because Abraham was justified by faith.

Yes?

he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

That is the root of what I would say is the most important doctrine that we build everything else around,

is that God is the one who justifies.

Now what does it mean to be justified?

Justification specifically is God taking his righteousness, the rights of Jesus,

and imputing it to the sinner who by purification,

faith has trusted Jesus as Lord. It's to be declared righteous. You and I don't declare ourselves

righteous. God does it because of our faith in the Lord Jesus. And so there at the end of chapter four,

if you'll read with me, verse 23, sorry, we'll back up to 22. That is why his faith, speaking of Abraham,

was counted to him as righteousness,

but the words it was counted to him

were not written for his sake alone,

but for who else?

Everyone in the room!

Think about that.

And he goes on, and this is why it's so powerful.

It will be counted to us who believe in him,

who raised from the dead Jesus, our Lord,

who was delivered up for our transgressions

or trespasses and raised for our justification.

He dies for sin, the blood covers sin,

he's raised up from the dead three days later,

and what?

So that we may be justified.

The sinner for the rights.

Now think about the beauty of grace and mercy in that context.

Now, is God just?

Absolutely.

1,000%?

No questions, right?

Let's suppose that God only acted in his justice.

what would everybody in the room deserve?

Death, that's it.

I am so glad he is a just God.

I'm even more glad he's a God of mercy.

And every one of us, that ought to open our eyes

because God has done something that is above and beyond

even the beauty of justice,

because justice requires punishment, judgment, and wrath.

and you and I have received grace and mercy

that the God of heaven would put on flesh and die in our place

have you trusted the Lord Jesus without a doubt

to know that he is truly the Lord of the universe

and that three days later God raised him from the dead

the declaration of Paul is anyone who believe in that Jesus

the Jesus of Scripture not the Jesus of culture

not the Americanized Jesus

but the Jesus who fulfilled every single

single promise, fully God, fully man, who died and rose again the third day, has ascended to

heaven, and by the way, is he finished? Do we live as if he's coming back? Well, I hope so.

And so we move then into our text. Therefore, and I love that, because he's laid the groundwork for

Abraham. Abraham justified faith, not just to him alone, but to us also who believe in Jesus,

whom God raised. Well, therefore, since we have been justified by faith, what's the context there?

Is this for somebody who's going to be saved? No, he's writing to those who have believed,

who have trusted, who have been justified, declared righteous. And he goes on to say,

what is the result of being justified by faith? What's Paul say next? We have what? We have peace

with God. Now think about that. If God is the one who gives us peace, can you improve on that?

Can you get peaceier? Can you improve on peace? So this is something I think is really critical for

believers, that you and I understand our reality. We understand our spiritual position with our Lord

Jesus Christ, with God, because we can only get to God through Jesus Christ. Amen?

I'm the way the truth and life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

He is the door.

He is the way.

How many doors on the ark, by the way?

How many doors in the temple?

Hmm.

I think the Old Testament was screaming something to us.

There's only one way.

That's Jesus.

So because God has declared us righteous,

because of our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ,

the scripture says,

we are at peace with him.

that is your spiritual reality relationship with God.

How many of us feel at peace on any given day?

You have financial issues, you have relational challenges,

you have the what-ifs going on in your own brain,

you've got securities, insecurities.

We have the feeling that I have to do better

in order for God to love me more

or step up in a certain way that God will finally be okay with me,

by the way, because you're a sinner, he would never be okay with you.

He was okay with Jesus.

And if you have trusted him by faith, now you're okay with him.

Can you get okayier?

No, you're at peace with him.

That's the declaration.

And this is my encouragement to you as believers that we would know what our standing is.

Because believe me, when you stand in the truth,

What can take us down if God before us, we are more than conquerors?

Why?

Does that mean everything goes our way?

No.

Okay, if you've read the book of Acts, you have a pretty good idea, yeah?

I think Paul went everywhere, spoke the truth, and he got busted up a little bit.

And by the second journey, what do you do?

Hey, you know what?

Probably need to enlist a doctor.

Yeah, let's do that.

Because that first one, being stone drug out of the town there at Icodium, Listra,

left for dead gets back up right beat within an inch of his life at philippi now none of us have

struggled that way i i don't think and we're whining about what so a little context

so i i really want to encourage you to meditate on that what what does it mean that

Paul says you and I as believers are at peace with God.

That means that through Jesus Christ, you and I are at peace with him because he's at peace with us.

That's his peace.

Now what's the next impact?

What's the scripture say there?

Read it with me.

We are at peace with God.

Then what's the very next statement in your scripture?

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, I love the word.

through because you have the Red Sea, you have the door, you have the rock, you have all the

things in the Old Testament that are amazing pictures of God doing something through something.

The beauty of the picture of through.

And then he says what?

This is an amazing spiritual reality, our standing with God.

Not only are we peace with Him, but through Him also, we have what?

We have obtained access by faith.

Hebrews four, we have a high priest that has passed through the heavens.

So what's the result of that?

That you and I in our time of need can do what?

Boldly approach the throne of grace.

You go, okay, well, let's put that in a larger context.

At the end of this, we find out the Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts.

How much of the Holy Spirit did God give us?

A half?

A third?

We got the Holy Spirit to prove God's love for us.

So anybody trying to gain or attain a larger hold on the Holy Spirit?

Do we go after the Holy Spirit thinking he ought to show up in a way that he hadn't been?

Are we guilty of thinking that God's holding out?

Are you and I in a position being taught or have been taught in error that somehow God's holy?

Well, I need more of this.

I need more of that.

I need more of that.

No.

What you need is submission, humility, and obedience.

That's what the body of Christ needs.

Like God's missed it somehow, because it's all about little old you.

I think we need to repent and get in a right spot.

Is that fair?

Is that fair?

Because, listen, the reality is when you look over time and the impact of our culture,

would we say that the culture has had far more of an impact on the church of Jesus

than the church has had on the culture?

So we need to be careful about that because this right here is what's going to help us continue to be that influence that we ought to be.

Based on truth, not emotion.

Not on knee-jerk reactions.

Not on feeling sorry for myself because I didn't get it the way I thought I should have got it.

I wonder if we could sit down with Job if we might be educated a little bit.

Okay.

That's another sermon, but we got to move.

So this is an amazing thing that because of justification, because of belief in Jesus Christ, we have access.

Right?

Now, as you look at the whole of the New Testament, we have presence.

That's why I think it's really important that we adjust our prayers.

We have access.

God is with us.

And I love Psalm 23.

Even though I walk through the valley of shadow death, I will feel no evil.

Why?

You're with me.

Now, did we pray that way?

God, I hope you'll be with me when I go to X.

God, I hope you'll be with my family when they're traveling.

Well, are they believers?

Why would you pray that way?

Let's change our prayer and say, God, thank you that there's nothing I'm going to deal with today.

Thank you that whatever I run into, you already know it.

So thank you.

Please give me wisdom in that moment.

Please help me respond in a way that honors and glorifies you.

Father, help me keep my flesh in check and stay submitted to the Holy Spirit.

Help me to do right because I know you're not going to miss it.

I teach my students to remember the work of the Holy Spirit.

He'll never miss the word of God or the will of God.

He's always on point.

It's you and I to have the problem.

So we have access by faith.

What do we have next?

Look at the next statement there.

Read with me.

We have access by faith and we what?

stand in grace

what

that was one for you and I

through the death barrel and resurrection of Jesus

who conquered sin, conquered death, conquered hell

boom! And what's he do? You're at peace with me now

because you've trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, you're at peace.

You always have access to me. I'm your perfect

father. I'm the good father.

I'm not an earthly father.

My ways are higher than your ways.

My words are higher than you.

My reasoning, my ultimate goals and purposes are not your ways.

They're past finding out, Paul says.

So let us be very careful, and maybe we need to repent here too,

that we have relegated the God of heaven to a earthly type father like you and me

that would make justifications, that would make consolations,

and reason our way out of doing the right thing.

Amen, fair?

So let's not relegate God to some humanly guy.

His ways are higher than our ways.

The beauty of this is, you and I stand in grace.

Now, what do you think the impact would be on that?

We could be here the rest of the day

sharing testimony of what it means

we would stand in grace. And that grace is what God gave. That is the beauty of the gift of Jesus,

doing for us what we could never do for ourselves or for one another. Amen? So that's an amazing thing,

isn't it? And this is Paul helping you and I understand our spiritual standing in reality.

Not an emotional place, but a spiritual reality. I'm at peace with him. I have access to him.

and I stand in grace.

Let's keep going.

What's next?

What do you find?

We have what?

We rejoice in what?

Something specific.

Hope.

And that hope is tied to what?

The glory of God.

Now the best I can understand about this is that the glory of God is when Christ comes back.

Do you and I have that kind of hope?

And by the way, is biblical hope or wring your hands, bite your nails kind of hope?

Well, I hope so.

Hey, are you born again?

Well, I hope I am.

Right?

It'd be like me saying,

sir, are you in the auditorium with me right now?

Well, I hope I am.

I'm really working on it.

I'm trying to be.

No, I think the scripture's pretty clear.

John writes to us in first John, what's he say?

I write to those of you who believe on the name of the Son of God

that you will know that you have eternal life.

Now, somebody who knows a relationship with God

and knows you have eternal life,

they're going to live a little different.

Think a little different.

Oh, by the way, I think it's a whole lot different because we used to be a dead thing,

now we're a living thing.

Amen?

He didn't come to pat us on the back and make our bad hairday a better hairday.

It's not a self-help program.

It is a transformation.

Death to life.

Phenomenal.

So we rejoice in hope.

And what I would say is how many of you in your journey as a Christian have come to the realization that

where you were in hope early on in your Christianity has only widened and deepened because of the experiences you've had.

And now you look more forward to heaven than you ever have.

That's an amazing thing.

Young people, have an ear.

And you need to be investing in the generation that is ahead of us and the generation that's ahead of them.

So you can appreciate what that journey looks like.

And that's where the beauty of the body and how we attain unity,

how we attain maturity and encouragement, correction.

So the older crew in the crowd,

does our young people need some correction every now and then?

I was going to say, that's where I was going.

You beat me to it.

We all need correction, don't we?

We all need correct.

Because God's got it right.

The Holy Spirit has it right.

That's why I love Romans.

Paul says, you know what?

You and I don't even know how we ought to pray.

But the Holy Spirit always prays according to the will of God.

He never misses it.

Aren't you glad?

And by the way, God begun a good work in you.

He will continue it.

That's the promise.

The Holy Spirit prays for you, right?

Because you and I don't know how to.

And we find out also Jesus is always intercessing for those who have come to God through him.

We have the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, at work on yours and my behalf, every breath and heartbeat.

That's good news.

Do we live that way?

Hmm.

maybe we need to step back and let truth set us free.

That doesn't mean you're going to be free of your issues and what the world brings.

It's common to man.

But it does mean we have a right eye and a right way that we can respond and continue to move.

Amen?

Okay.

So we rejoice in hope.

Jesus is coming back.

Yeah, that's good news.

So you know what?

Let's live in a way that we're not ashamed that is appearing.

Amen.

And I love this.

You know, Paul is a great salesman, I think.

Because not only does he tell us that we're at peace with God, we have access by faith, we stand in grace, we rejoice in the hope of God, what's the next statement he makes?

I love this.

Verse three.

Not only that.

More than that, right?

You ever heard those sales, what are some of the, QVC, anybody, QVC are in here?

eBay or anything?

All right.

Well, you know, it was always, they have a sales pitch.

I'm not relegating Paul to a salesman, but I'm just saying,

they always give you the deal, man, and not only that, there's more.

And then they give you the next thing, right?

And then you just can't help but to buy it.

Well, Paul says, how great is it that you and are at peace with God?

10 out of 10, right?

Access by faith.

Access with God, amazing, yeah, presence.

10 of 10.

Right?

We stand in grace, 10 of 10.

And rejoice and hope.

10 of 10. And guess what? There's more. Are you with me? Now look at the next one.

And this is where I think in American culture, if we're not careful, can really take us down.

Take a look. More than that, we rejoice in what? What is your word say?

Tribulation or suffering or affliction. Suffering, tribulation, affliction. We rejoice in it.

How come no one said amen?

How come no one said amen?

Everybody with me?

What does John say? John 2?

John 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces

and what's Paul say here.

Sounds like they're on the same page.

I love this.

We know that that suffering is going to produce three things,

what number one perseverance what else do you have there perseverance or uh what's another word for perseverance

is why i'm asking endurance okay well is a trackster going to get miss selina taught my son how to run track

amazing here's a thing does form matter does repetition matter how many of us could get out and

run a marathon right now why because we haven't trained

How many of us can go out and boldly share the gospel?

Well, we're not in the word.

I'm really happy to sit here and be told what it says,

but I'm not going to read it for myself.

Amen or me.

25 years of pasturing has taught me something

that we have a culture that's really, really happy to be told

what the Word of God says,

but we won't read it and work through it ourselves.

And the Holy Spirit it resides in you is your teacher, not me.

And that's absolutely powerful.

So all of a sudden we step back and we realize that in God's economy, suffering is an avenue to three things.

Endurance, character, and what?

Hope.

And he finishes and he says, and hope doesn't put to shame.

Why?

Because of love of God.

And by the way, how much of the love of God do you think?

Only on Mondays and Thursdays, only on Sunday morning, only when I feel like it?

no this is this is an absolute the love of god has been poured into our heart through who the holy spirit

who has been given to us how do we navigate our lives

paul would say it this way one of my favorite verses

galasians 220 i've been crucified with christ i no longer live christ lives in me that's identity

the life I now live in this flesh by the way eyesight hearing knees hips elbows fingers is it getting better

no this flesh is going to pass away and aren't you glad we're going to be made like him when he comes back

all right so in the midst of all the stuff that's common to us all the things that you and i deal with

all the stress all the pressure all the anxieties all the worries all the things you and i know that we've been

crucified with Christ, I no longer live, Christ lives in me. That's the believer's true position.

The question is, have you pushed him down and you think it's all about you and your agenda?

Because our identity has been completely changed. Metamorphosis. We're not that old man anymore.

But yet Paul would also say, we need to reckon ourselves dead to sin. I think that's a

breath-by-breadth journey. And you and I need to carry that close with us as close of the

reality of being at peace with God, standing in grace, access, presence that we are never,

ever, ever alone. And one of the enemy's greatest whispers in our ears, no one understands.

You're all alone. And he loves to isolate, doesn't he? Then Paul would say, the life I now live in

this flesh, I live how? By faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So let me ask you, why do we live as if we need Christ to come back and die and

resurrect again. Why is it that we live as though one time wasn't enough? I would love to have that

dialogue sometime. What justification do we have for disobedience? Do you see what I'm saying here?

Because as soon as I turn to my own flesh agenda, I'm stiff-arming Christ, the death-barrel and

resurrection. What Paul says, he's already proven that. Can he improve on the death-barrel and

resurrection? Is Jesus ever going to improve on that? No, that's final. That's once for all. So that's why

you and I can say, I stand in grace. I'm at peace. I rejoice in the coming back of Jesus because I know

that is what sets every day. I don't need a shot in the arm. I don't need a motivational speaker.

I don't need somebody to pat me on the back because Jesus has already done the ultimate. He's

proven his love. It's a done deal. And he's going to seal it by coming back.

Why do we live as if that needs to happen again?

And so wherever it is that we need to take our hands off and say, you know what?

I too easily get diverted.

I make it too much about me.

I make it too much about Sister Susie that sit in my chair this morning or whatever it is.

Because there's a lot of stuff that doesn't matter that sets us off and drops us down.

And we need to be honest about that.

but we come back to the very core and we'll wrap this up of the beauty of yours and my spiritual standing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Say them with me, we're at peace with God.

We have access by faith.

I stand in grace.

Wow.

I rejoice in hope.

I rejoice in suffering.

Why? Because the love of God has been poured into my heart.

So what? Amen.

So the question is, if you and I actually apply the truth and we walk in that reality,

I wonder how it will transform our relationships, our thought life, our interaction, our dialogue,

what happens behind closed doors?

Everybody with me?

How it is that you and I would pour into one another,

how it is that you and I would encourage one another,

how it is that you and I would get over issues

and love well, forgive well, because guess what?

It's the standard of Christ's forgiveness that you and I forgive.

It's the standard of his love that you and I love.

It's the standard of the Word of God

that we correct and rebuke.

that's necessary to.

It's necessary for us to be trained.

It's every day.

I love you guys.

I really appreciate the opportunity

to come in and encourage you.

And so as you and I walk in that truth,

as you and I remember the spiritual reality,

let's do it all for the glory of God.

Amen.

Father, thank you so much for our time together this morning.

Thank you for truth that sets free.

And Father, wherever day,

and we're struggling.

We got areas where we're weak.

We got areas where we're hitting walls.

We got pits that we're in.

We don't know how to get out of.

But, Father, what we know is that your word is necessary for us to be able to take the steps necessary.

So, Father, I pray today that just this reset, this understanding of who we are spiritually,

what you have done for us, the beauty of grace, will reset and help us to reevaluate in truth,

how to deal relationally, how do we deal with forgiveness, how to how to do we deal with forgiveness,

How do we deal with the struggle, at work, finances, where is it that I need to stand,

that I'm going to walk in a way that honors you because I cannot improve standing in grace.

I can't improve on peace.

I can't improve on that.

That's already one.

That's already final in our Savior.

There's a whole lot to be said about that.

Many other sermons and talks.

The Father, the truth sets free, and we thank you for your teaching today, your presence with us.

helping us know through Jesus Christ who we are and why we're here.

In Jesus' name, everyone's said.

Amen, amen.

Amen.