Faith vs Reality

0:00 All right for this hour, I know we have been working on eschatology, and we've been looking at all the scriptures that kind of show the Old Testament, you know, confirmation of the dividic Covenant and the future Kingdom. So we've been going through those. We know that the book that we've been utilizing on Eschatology, they give us like multiple chapters to read at a time, so we've been working through that. However, we're going to take a little detour again today because we need to kind of go back and add to what we discussed last week. All right, so here's what's going on. So go ahead and do this.

0:41 If you're taking notes, I want you to write down two words. I want you to write down the word faith, and I want you to write down the word reality. Faith and reality. I want you to write down those two words, right because in some ways, this subject of faith and reality and how we understand them, I think greatly can describe kind of the thiological journey I've been on a good portion of my life. Right, So faith in reality. Now, the reason we're going to look at this is because here we have been working on starting last week a little before that on the podcast, what we're doing is we're going through the entire Book of Romans, looking at every therefore all right and what as we go, and it's used about twenty seven times to thirty three times, depending on your translation. Sometimes it's not therefore, sometimes it's where for other phrases. So we're going through. Now, Immediately we realize that there are four different Greek words that are translated therefore all right, and we notice that those four Greek words have very different emphasis. All right, okay, everybody remember though that. Okay, And so we went through the four Greek words. Now, to be fair, there is a fifth Greek word we'll get to when we get to Romans chapter four. There is a fifth one, but it's really kind of a combination of two different words.

2:06 But we'll get to all of that. So we we went through the Greek words, and I'm like, okay, we're onto something, and we're adding too, because typically when you go through Romans and you see it therefore, you just simply ask what is it there for? And then that's kind of the that's about the level we get. Now we're going a little deeper because now we know it's not just what is it there for? What is the Greek word behind it, because that may emphasize what the therefo is. Therefore, so we we we've been working on that, and then last week we went to Romans chapter one, verse twenty four. Now, again depending on your translation, you're gonna get either wherefore or therefore. But Romans chapter one, verse twenty four, we read, we read this word, these words, this is in the King James. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanliness through the lust of their own heart to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Right, everybody remember that verse. Now, immediately when we got to that verse, we started breaking it all down. What is the Greek word with all of that? We started breaking it down, and before it was over, I offered once again a what some may refer to as a controversial understanding of it.

3:25 Maybe we could call it a unique perspective. But so we did that. Now, what I wanted to do today is I was going to come in. We'll go straight to Eschatology the first hour, the second hour just kind of summarize what I said last week on Romans one twenty four, and go immediately to Romans two to one. Right, that's what I was going to do, but I've decided no, since I kind of offered such a controversial concept, I'm going to go back and build upon it and kind of add some supporting evidence for that perspective, and then we'll move on to two one in the next hour. So that's what we're going to do. But it all comes down to this concept of faith and reality. So here is the question for today, all right, and we'll be talking about this a lot, maybe as we move through the entire rest of the Book of Romans, looking at the their force when it comes to faith in reality.

4:23 As a Christian, as someone who believes in God, do you believe that faith and reality should be an agreement, connected and united or do you believe faith in reality should be in conflict with one another? Do you believe they should be in agreement or do you believe they should be in conflict? Yeah, should they be together or do you believe the shoul be in conflict faith in reality? All right, that's what I want you to think about now.

5:05 My this is my perspective on Christianity. I believe Christianity at large, faith and reality are in conflict, but they convince themselves that faith and reality are in agreement by basically making up and creating a fake reality. So I believe faith in reality should be in agreement. I believe the reality is when it comes to Christianity is they're actually in conflict. But Christians create a fake reality in order to make it work. That's my perspective, and my struggle with Christianity from the very beginning is right here.

5:51 It's this faith in reality issue. So let me give you some examples so you'll understand what I'm saying. Let's go to the most obvious example of this, charismatic theology. This is the best example charismatic theology. A foundational belief of charismatic theology is when Jesus died upon that cross, not only did his blood wash away our sins, but in his atonement he makes provision. He provides for physical healing in the here and now. It's not if it's God's will. It is God's will, you believe you will be healed. That's their belief. Now, anyone with a brain looks around, and what do you see? Something doesn't work right.

6:47 I mean that we're spending billions of dollars, trillions of dollars and researching this disease, in this disease, to try to find a cure, to try to do this, to try to do that. There's hospitals, doctor offices. Why because people constantly get sick and do what die? Or the charismatics continue to make this claim. I worked with so many charismatics who made this claim. Who would I could listen to the sermons from their churches where they're claiming, Oh, these people were healed, and these people were healed, and then they would come to work on Monday needing a doctor's apartment, like, you don't need a doctor's appointment. You don't get a doctor's appointment because you supposedly can heal yourself, so just go away. And in fact, instead of me sitting here making appointments, go stand in the parking lot and heal everyone. But they couldn't. They couldn't reproduce what they claimed to be real. So what was their super solution?

7:46 They created a reality that says, if you're not healed, whose fault is it yours? Because you don't have enough faith, So they can maintain this fantasy world in the face of evidence that would call it into question. Faith in reality are in conflict but in their minds, they made it work by creating a fake reality. Now see now that one we can all everyone here is like, yeah, those charismatics are out of their mind. I agree. I can't stand charismatic theology. I hate charismtic theology. But now let's bring it a little closer to home. Now, I'm going to go after basically one hundred percent of evangelical fundamentalism, because almost all of Christiandom basically teaches this. When you became a Christian dramatic music dun dun, dun, dun dum, you became a superhero. You say, well, no, that don't really teach that. Oh, yes they do, because Christianity inevitably teaches when you become a Christian. Guess what Now, now your eyes have been opened, you can now understand the Bible.

9:07 God is showing you and revealing to you what the scriptures actually say. The Holy Spirit is leading you into all truth. Is that not a common claim? Hey, how do you know that's what it teaches? The Holy Spirit showed me, The Holy Spirit revealed it to me. Well, now immediately you know what's being said there. We've talked about it a million times in the minute someone claims that, then they claim that their interpretation is what infallible because it came from God. Do you understand the problems that creates? Because what do we know after two thousand What do we know after two thousand years of Christian history? Then nobody agrees on what anything? Nobody agrees on anything. So either the Holy Spirit is just giving everyone fraudulent advice and information, or maybe the Holy sp It really is not leading us all into truth and that promise was for the people who wrote the New Testament and for the original disciples. But Christians continue to believe that even though all the evidence says what opposite? Oh, but do we stop there? Not only do the Holy Spirit supposedly gives us insight and understanding, what else does the Holy Spirit supposedly do? He gives us power? We have power, and what do we have power to do? We have power to say notice in and yes to God. We have power to say notice in and yes to God.

10:39 Now immediately that should mean what we should be perfect? But then we say, but but well, I mean you can't get perfect. Well, if I can't get perfect, then I don't obviously have the power to say notice in and yes to God right Arsi Spraul even taught that. Okay, that's ridiculous. It's utterly ridiculous to teach that. There is no evidence for that. But so they have to try to try to make Oh, but they go a step further, They go a step further, go a step further. If anyone is in Christ is a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have become new, and they mean that in reference to what how you live practically? Now, Wait a minute. If I have power and I'm a new creature and old things have passed away and all things have become new, what should that then mean sinless?

11:36 So but they'll teach that and say, but we still fight against sin. What am I fighting against? If I'm a new creature in the old is gone and everything is new, there is nothing to fight against. There is no longer sin in me. But they teach that and it so, so then what do we do? What do we do? Okay? There has They basically then you have to be transformed, you have to be changed, you have to have correct doctrine, you have to have all of this. And so how do they then deal with the fact that, well, nobody seems to agree, and people continue to sin, and people continue to sin, what is the go to solution? They're not saved? Oh wow, that sounds kind of like charismatics. Huh.

12:22 And we everyone in this room is probably fell into that trap to some level. I fell into that trap because this is the way I was taught. So my whole Christian life has been struggling with how do I reconcile faith with reality? How do I reconcile? How do I reconcile this? How do I reconcile this? How? How? And I've struggled and struggled and struggled and struggled and struggled with it. Now, what typically I tried to do was overcompensate, Right, Okay, Well, if I'm sinning here, then I'll so focus on the things I do well that the things I do well make up for the things I don't do well, so that at least I can convince myself we'll see there's change. But I didn't think about it logically because it's not that there's change. There would have to be one kind of change, perfect change.

13:07 If God is the one that I'm a new creature in Christ, the oldest God, like I never could reconcile that. So over time, if you've watched my theology, it's been constantly struggling right here. And it makes me mad that people would get upset at me, because all I'm trying to do is I'm trying to acknowledge my faith in reality should not be in conflict with one another. Now, some people will go to Hebrews and go but faith is the evidence of things not seen. It's the evidence of things not seen. It's not the evidence of things that aren't real. Does that make sense? I believe, for example, I believe that there will come a time that I'll have no sin nature and I'll have a glorified body.

13:53 I believe that to be a reality. Faith believes that even though there's no evidence to see that. Does that mean sense? But that's far different than believing something that's just not real, because these claims that Christians make are about reality that we should experience right here. When you claim that, hey, everyone who becomes a Christians is a new creature. Old things passed way, everything's come new and blah blah blah blah blah, there will be a change. You will be transforming all the trash that they say the minute you push back, then you get thrown out of the Kingdom of God. You get accused of being an Antinomian and you're not a Christian. Well, and I've said it so many times, why get mad at me?

14:35 If it's true to what, don't argue it? Live it? And typically the people who make all the argument it's almost an ever. What I love about how Christianity plays out. Rarely do you have fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty year olds making that argument. The people who always make these arguments are now married, have a kid, and go to bed at nine o'clock at night. Ooh, been transformed. The only thing that transformed is what your life changed. You older. You have a job. Now you have to pay bills, You have a wife, you have kids, you have responsibility. It's far. But you weren't talking a big game when you were seventeen doing all the things I know you were doing. Oh. You weren't talking a big game then, were you. But now that you're older and you're married. Oh, now Christianity demands a change. The only thing that changes you got old. It's not so easy to talk that game when all the hormones are flowing through your body and you don't have a relationship where you can engage in physical relationship or whatever. You know, then there's a difference. And it weird how the people who make the argument you're sixty ooh yeah, big change now and guess what you do? You now reduce change to what external? So I truly I get bothered that

16:12 people get mad when I simply say there has to be faith in reality. There's gotta be some We can't be living in a fantasy world. Same thing. I have my struggles with prayer, and so what did we find out? And saw eighty three When we start talking about prayer, a lot a lot of art understanding of prayer in the minds of most Christians is not based off theology. It's based off a superstitious idea that I go to God to change things. Well, wait a minute, so you say pray for this. Wait a minute, you're gonna pray to the very God who allowed that to happen and did nothing to intervene to stop it. That seems weird to pray to him. He's the one who didn't do anything to stop it. Why pray to me now? Oh?

16:59 And if you were reformed, it really makes no sense, right because you're gonna pray to the one who not only knew it was going to happen, normally allowed it to happen, but according to reform theology, decrete it to happen, and then His providence did what guided and directed it to happen. So then I'm like, well, then how should we pray? And we said, well, the Old Testament they prayed a certain way based off what fact the Covenant. Israel could pray in a way that we can't pray because God made a covenant to do what for them, Provide them, protect them, deliver them. Oh so when you read those prayers of the Old Testament, you're only we that makes perfect sense. They're praying in accordance to the Covenant.

17:46 In the New Testament, our way of praying has got to be somehow. We've got to find a way. How do you pray to be consistent? And so then looking things up, you're like, well, historically the reformed people like you don't really pray to change God. You pray really just to acknowledge God. You're sovereign in this situation. You may confess what you don't like it. You don't want it. That's called a lament, right, you scream out in pain about it, but you submit to it. It's more acknowledging God's sovereignty and your submission and expressing your frustration. It's not so much to chack now to say that in any church people lose their minds. But why would I pray that? Why would I say that? Because what is the reality? People constantly say, well, pray, pray, pray, pray, and guess what things are going to do? Oh, exactly the way God planned it. Now, I know that messes up everyone's theology of prayer. But my struggles in all of these areas of theology comes down to faith in reality.

18:44 I believe my faith in reality have to be somewhat in life. And so when I start calling into question lordship salvation, next thing, you know, I'm an antinomian. No, I'm not an antinomian. I just know this. Look at two thousand years a church history. What is absolutely true of every person? We continue to sin? We sin why and are thinking? We sin in our desires, feelings, emotions, and we sin in the words in which we say. Now that may manifest itself in different ways, and you know why, it sometimes manifests itself in different ways. One opportunity, You never know what you'll do if you have the opportunity, right, You don't know until an opportunity is what in front of you. You don't know what you're doing. Number two, stage of life, different stages of life. You're gonna it's gonna manifest itself and what very different ways. And so I'm so sick of the lordship people saying change, change, change, change, change.

19:57 When what can they not manage? They have to admit themselves, Well, we're not talking perfection. Well, then how do you measure imperfection as enough to demonstrate salvation? What's the only thing that can prove salvation? It would never be imperfection. The only thing that can prove salvation would be perfection. And where's the only place you can find perfection in Christ? Meaning then we focus on imputed righteousness. So my theology is just trying to reconcile these two. But people get mad and it's so frustrating. It's like, why are you getting mad? If that's your reality, then go show everyone that you can be perfect. Well, I'm not saying I can be perfect then what's the argument here that some kind you've got some measurement to determine how much imperfection is? Okay, and you still pass the lordship test? How much? If I break one law, I'm guilty of all? So that how can any lordship test ever work? Because if I'm just guilty of one, I'm guilty of all law. So I'm guilty of How do you measure that? It's all?

21:08 It all falls apart. So this really is my journey, is how faith and reality work. That's why I could never handle the charismatic movement because faith in reality didn't connect. Well. Then I thought I could convince myself of the reality of lordship. But immediately, if you just look at my progression over the years, I threw out the whole the Holy Spirit's leading us into all truths. I threw that out fifteen years ago. Right then I threw out the whole. If anyone is in crist as a new creature old tat I threw that out ten years ago, probably maybe even twelve years ago. But nobody nobody caught on when I threw that out. Everybody was kind of like, oh, well, okay, he just says a different neutripretation now understanding the implications that were coming because I was beginning to do what There's gotta be a connection between faith and reality. So then either I have to decide. I mean, I can just look at the church. Are people reading, are people studying or like, Okay, well that don't seem to love God with all their heart, mind, body and soul, that don't seem to treasure his word. Okay, I can't even get people to show up to church. So then my only option is to say, well, then nobody is saved. Well, then you realize, okay, well I may be doing these things, but I'm over here doing these things. I'm better than them and this, but I'm worse off than them than this.

22:32 So then then I have to come to the conclusion then I'm not saved. Well, I'm like, okay, so nobody is saved. Hm, my theology may be broken. So then when you start trying to reconcile this, then everyone gets mad at you. It's like, why are you getting mad? Just? Can you not be honest with yourself? Can you not be honest with yourself? But nobody wants to be honest. So I say all of that because Romans. When twenty four the same thing happened. I was like, wait a minute, maybe Romans one twenty four hits us with the reality that nobody wants to admit. So let's go back to Romans one twenty four. We're gonna build on this quickly, all right, Romans one twenty four, everybody there, Okay, I'm gonna read it. I've got so many notes here we'll get We're just gonna work through it, all right, So Romans one twenty four. First of all, where so look at this wherefore God? Also, and here's the three words gave them up? Gave them up? Now a couple of things.

23:42 Remember the Greek word for it's wherefore are therefore in Romans one twenty four is dia? Everybody remember that. Now, remember this has a slightly different emphasis. It's often used to draw a more emphatic or summarizing conclusion, sometimes with a sense of inevitability that something was inevitable, so it was inevitable that God gave them up. Remember it's emphatic, it's summarizing. Okay, it summarizes a point, moving to the conclusion or the result. All right, or everybody, remember everything about the Greek word, right, So I'm like, okay, so this is like inevitable, this is like drawing a conclusion wherefore God gave them up? Now, immediately we asked a question, well where does that wherefore go back to? And almost everyone agreed it goes back to where Okay, yeah, we think it goes all the way back to eighteen. We think it goes back to eighteen. We think that that's a good call. All right. Now, once we went back to eighteen, we started looking at this. Now, let me just make sure how most Christians handle this. Most Christians handle Romans one twenty four going all the way back to eighteen as that this is the Paul describing lost people.

24:58 The them are lost people, but it's not describing whom saved. That's what we were, but we're not that. And I came in and blew that all up, and I said that Romans one eighteen all the way following describes all of us saved and unsaved. And I know that makes people lose their minds, but I'm going to defend that. Okay, So let's go back all the way to verse eighteen and we're gonna work on this, all right, Everybody ready, to do a little work here. Now I'm gonna build on what we covered. Okay, I'm gonna build on what we cover. Right. So if you look at Romans one eighteen, what do we see for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness? Now right now, supp right here, So God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness. Now, let me ask you a question, our lost people ungodly?

25:53 Are Christians ungodly? I make the argument, yes, we are all ungodly? Right now? I got So I went back and forth with AI over this right because AI, at first was giving me the standard interpretation. So I kept challenging it, going well, wait a minute here, what about this? And what about this? And what about this? So so I kept giving them my perspective, and AI said, that's a valid perspective within Christian theology. You are reflecting the distinction between positional and practical godliness. And I was like, thank you. That's what I've been trying to do, because whenever you say are we godly? On one hand, I'm godly.

26:39 On the other hand, I am ungodly. But my godliness has nothing to do with what my action. It has everything to do with my position. So I was glad Ai was able to figure this out. This is what Ai said. Positional godliness is the idea that believers are declared right just before God because of the you did righteousness of Jesus Christ. When someone puts their faith in Christ, God counts Christ's perfect righteousness as theirs. This is a legal standing or status granted by God's grace based on faith ah Loan. In this sense, believers are considered godly or holy in their standing before God because they are in Christ. Everyone should say what amen? Now? Obviously, when it says God's wrath is what? How does this read in Romans whin eighteen revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness? Okay, well, on one hand, I'm godly and my position, but wait a minute, is there anything up with my practice? Well here's what Ai said. Now. Ai still throws in the typical evangelical understanding, which made me want to smash my iPad, But at least it was able to admit this. On the other hand, practical godliness refers to the actual outworking of righteous in a believer's daily life. It evolves the process of sanctification where a believer is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Okay, now right there, I already lose my mind, right, because if I'm empowered by the Holy Spirit to live

28:10 a godly life, then how godly should I be? Perfect? Because the Holy Spirit is what God himself, right, the third person of the Trinity. If he is empowering me to live godly, then there should be no hint of ungodliness in my life. See, that's the reality, the faith reality thing. So I already have problems with the Holy Spirit supposedly empowering me. So I get a little irritated with AI. But I'm like, okay, but then look what it says right after that, however, comma, and I'm like, oh, here we go. AI is gonna do the however, right, due to the presence of the sin nature, this practical godliness is never fully achieved in this life. Believers continue to struggle with sin, and their actions will always fall short of perfect godliness. I'm like, well, thank you for it.

29:13 Even though it tries to argue we have power, even AI has to admit, well, whatever power we have cannot get me to wear to perfection. Now, so that means already in Romans one eighteen, when it says ungodliness that refers to whom everyone? Right, what's the next part of Romans one eighteen? Well, uh, so we have against all ungodliness and unrighteousness who is unrighteous? Saved and unsaved, we are all unrighteous? And so guess what AI get? Did the same thing? Right? Right? AI said the same distinction appl to the concept of righteousness in Christian theology. And so what does it give me positional righteousness? And what do AI give me? Practical righteousness? All right? And guess what it acknowledges? Because of the ongoing presence of the sin nature, practical righteousness is never fully achieved in this life.

30:21 Believers continually fall short of God's perfect standard and must rely on God's grace and forgiveness. Even a I acknowledges we can't do it, all right, So now we're getting We're getting close, right, No, but wait, wait for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man? Who what's that last phrase? Who holds the truth in unrighteousness? All right? So? Okay? Or suppresses now almost inevitably you can ask any any Christian friend or family man you know, Ask them, does that apply to unbelievers? Guess what they will say. They will say no, all right, I'm sorry to believers, Okay, to unbelievers, yes, to unbelieve or to believers, they will say no. They will say, believers, do not do what to the truth, hold the truth and unrighteousness, or suppress the truth and unrighteousness.

31:21 I argue that describes you and me just as much as it describes anyone else. So I was curious, would AI agree or fight me on this? Right? So I asked, and they said, your perspective aligns with certain biblical teachings, particularly in Romans one. According to this passage, all people, both Christian and non Christian, can be guilty of holding the truth and unrighteousness to some degree. I'm like, it's agreed now. I had to go back and forth right because it was standing. It was given me the standard evangelical fundamental trash, where oh no, the last people do this.

32:07 We don't. We hold the truth and righteousness. We would never hold the truth and unrighteousness because we're superheroes. We're better than everyone else. Everyone else's trash. We're great, we're perfect, while we never say we're perfect. But we pretty much act like we should be right. So I was like, okay, well, I wonder how AI will try to explain this. So AI said this right. It quotes Romans one point eighteen, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The idea here is that humanity, ready ready is in fault in its fallen state, has a tendency to suppress or resist the truth of God, his nature, and his moral law. The suppression of this truth is an aspect of unrighteousness, and it is universal in scope, affecting all people because of the sin nature.

32:57 What causes us to hold the truth and unrighteous sin nature? Say that, I want everyone to say that again, what causes us to hold the truth and unrighteousness? Do you have this in nature when you're saved? Yes? Now, some Christians say you don't. Now the minute a Christian says, you know, have the sain nature when you're saved, then why should you demand of them perfection? Right? And none of them ever achieve it? All right? So I'm like, okay, now this is how So then this is what AI does gives me the non Christian for the non Christian For the non Christian, the suppression is often more evident. Romans one nineteen through twenty says God has made his existence and attributes clear through creation, so that all people are without excuse. Yet despite this revelation, many reject or distort the truth about God, choosing to worship created things rather than the Creator. This rejection leads to a various forms of unrighteousness and sin. So their argument is for the un Christian, this holding the truth and unrighteousness is what are evident. So what do you think AI is going to say about us? What do you think you want to know? They just acts like you want to know?

34:10 All right, here we go. For the Christian, AI says, although they have been redeemed and have received the truth of the Gospel, they still have the remnants of the sin nature and are succeptible, susceptible to sin and error. Now I don't like the way AI says we have the remnants of the sin nature. We don't have the remnants of it. Ladies and gentlemen, we have all of it, all right. So I disagree with AI and the remnants part, But it still says what we can do, what we are still susceptible to sin and error. Are Christians susceptible to error? Absolutely? It says Christians can also hold the truth and unrighteousness to some degree when they fail to live in accordance with the truth. They prefer Do we fail to live in accordance with the truth we possess? Yes?

35:06 Do we not fill all the time? All right? The Bible says, how does the Bible describe itself? This is our milk and our meat. It is to be desired more than gold and silver. Right, you are to love it. You are to desire it. You should want to memorize it, read it, and study it. What does every statistics say about the average christians involvement with scripture on a weekly basis? It's pathetic. Now. I used to use that as an argument that most people were not saved. You know why I would use that statistic as a reason because I did all of those things so I could prove my salvation by I read more, study more, no more. I've done more with the Bible than most people will do.

35:54 They'll never even come close. So I was like, WHOA, I'm better than everyone. So but guess what. There are other areas where I was not living in accordance with the truth that I know, but I can give you others. Do you know that the Bible tells you to love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Do you live in accordance to that truth? I mean, I can go on and on the Bible says be holy as God is holy. I can go on and on and on it. We know immediately that we don't live in accordance with it, right, we don't live in accordance with it. That was one of the arguments when we were going through the London Baptist Confession of Faith. We didn't even make it through the first paragraph because the first paragraph was using all this lofty language about how great the Bible is, how great the Bible is, how wonderful the Bible is. Right, So then I was like, well, whoa, If we're gonna sit there and confess how wonderful the Bible is, and you can do this, and you can do that it's amazing, Well then if everyone here confesses that and believes that, then it should be easy. You should want to study it, you should want to read it, you should want to know it. So that I gave everyone twelve methods of Bible study and said we'll go do them. Did anyone do all twelve methods of Bible study?

37:07 The answer is no. Well, you confessed how amazing the Bible is and how wonderful the Bible is. Well, obviously you're not living in accordance with the truth in which you claim. Right, We're all guilty of that. So even AI was like, hmm, that's holding what the truth in? What unrighteousness? This can happen through hypocrisy, inconsistency, or disobedience? Well, come on, are we constantly inconsistent in a Christian life? Yes? Are we constantly disobedient in a Christian life? Yes? Even though they have been freed from the dominion of sin. And I disagree with Ai on that. I disagree in what ways have we been freed from the dominion of sin?

37:58 As a Christian? We've been freed from the penalty of sin. Right, positionally, I'm free from the guilt of sin. I'm free from the condemnation of sin. But I am not free now. I know every Christian friend you know will say, we have been set free from the power of sin. Thank God, We're free. Last, free, Last is the way they'll preach it. You're not free of anything. Stop claiming it. You're delusional because if you're free, then you'll do what you won't sin, but you will have to admit you can't get to perfection.

38:47 If I can't get to perfection, then what's keeping me from perfection? The thing keeping me from perfection is obviously what demonstrating I'm not free from it? Right? Am I free from any rule Sarah wants to give me. Yes, she can make all the rules she wants. I have to listen to one of them. She had no power over me. Right. Her kids may have different situation, but I don't. She can say you're going to do this, and I can be like, because I'm truly free, Stephen, No, but I'm free, correct? But if I could not, if I had to do what she told me, then I can't walk around saying free, I'm free or lost? Well, Christians running around saying we're free from the power of saying, but we can't be perfect? Do you understand how utterly ridiculous that is? That is not logical, and that is once again demonstrates Christians or what not in touch with reality.

39:54 I am not free from the dominion of sin. Because I can't be perfect, and whatever keep me from being perfect has more control over me than anything you see Christians. That's gonna make Christians really nervous. So he will say, we have the power of the Holy Spirit, but if I can't get to perfection, then the sin in me is stronger than the Holy Spirit that's in me. Oh boy, that's concerning. And they say, no, that's not true. Can I be perfect? Well? No, then which one is more powerful? And maybe the Holy Spirit's not there to empower us the way we think he is. Oh, that's gonna be controversial. But we're not free. Does everybody understand that we are not free? So therefore, guess what we still do? In fact that even AI says they obviously AI doesn't refer to itself as a Christian, they still struggle with it and need ongoing repentance. So even AI says, hey, guess what as a believer, what are you? Go back to Romans one eighteen. I gotta I gotta try to get through this as FA so that I can't Roma's one eighteen.

41:02 What's the first description God's wrath has revealed against what all ungodliness? Is that true of you? And me as a Christian. Yes, we're still ungodly unrighteousness. Are we still unrighteous? Yes? Do we hold the truth in unrighteousness? Do we hold the truth in unrighteousness? Do Christians hold the truth in unrighteousness? Well? I just spent twenty minutes trying to say yes, right, So if you disagree, that's okay, but I'm gonna stay true to the fact. Now we hold the truth in unrighteousness. Over and over and over. That's everything we've been talking about for fifteen minutes, trying to demonstrate that we hold the truth and unrighteousness. Ai even admits it. Everyone has to admit it. Right, So wait, so continue going now verse nineteen. Now we're gonna move quickly through these because that which may be known of God has manifested in them, for God has showed it unto them. All right, that is true a believer and unbeliever? Right, yes, right, For the invisible things from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God had so that they are without excuse? Is that true a believer and unbeliever? Yes, it's true of everyone. Correct, because because that when they knew God, they glorified him, not as God. Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Now now again everyone's gonna say this is unbelievers.

42:27 But are we do we always glorify him? You know? Are we always thankful? And do we not become vain in our imaginations? As our foolish heart not darkened and deceived? Time and time again? That I'm so tired of this being blasted. You know what everyone does with this? They preach this, And guess who all this applies to? Almost inevitably homosexuals? How about pastor who's slamming him ten on the Bible? It applies to you. Oh but no, no, no, no, no, we're not allowed to do say that, are we? No? All right? Continue going verse twenty two. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. That to me, it should be put at the front of every church. That's what church is, ladies and gentlemen. Verse twenty two is church.

43:21 That's church. We walk through the door, professing ourselves to be wise, wise, And what do we do is we sit here and are you demonstrate we're fools? That's Christianity is the never ending game of pretending to be wise when nothing. All we are are fools. We pretend to be wise, we pretend to be godly, we pretend to be smarter, We pretend to be better when we look down on everyone, point our finger at everyone, condemn everyone to the tenth level of hell, thinking that we're better than everyone else when we're not. That's what Christianity is. A game where we pretend a reality that does not exist.

44:06 I know this is going to make me really popular verse twenty three, and change the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like a de corruptible man and the birds and four footed beasts and creeping things. Everyone acknowledges idolatry is more than just making an image. But guess what are we not all guilty of idolatry? And don't tell me Christians are not guilty of idolatry now verse twenty four. Wherefore this inevitable thing that is true of everyone, what is the inevitable result? Therefore God gave them up to uncleanliness, to the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. I'm going to argue. And I know this is gonna make everyone mad, but that's okay. You can have your own theory that that is true. We everyone, Christian and non Christian, we've all been given up up. And what's my argument for this? The reality of your life in my life?

45:06 What is the reality of your life in my life? Even after salvation? What happens. Let's go ahead and let's just acknowledge. Can everyone acknowledge this? Even after salvation? Can you be perfect? And positionally you can? Right? Practically we cannot. So if I cannot, then that means God has at least, at the minimum given me up to what a life of sin, even as a believer. He's given me up to it. And can we not agree that he's at least given me up to that much? Now he's not given me up to stay that way because we believe in glorification, the sin nature will go. But let's now read everything that happens. Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanliness, the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who change the truth of got into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who worshiped the creature more than the creator?

46:07 Has that not been my I have yelled and screamed about that my entire Christian life. Sure, what a church is constantly canceled preaching? For what fun? Food and activity? They have to have stinking small groups so they can hold each other's hands and sing kombay yaw and have friends, because I care about that more than I do God. Oh but if I say that, they get mad. Oh. No, we need the small group because it makes me a better Christian. Because you need friends. You just want friends. This is what got me in trouble in Nebraska when I was going to become the associated pastor because it was pastor appreciation night and I went off on the entire church. You want pastor appreciation? Well, instead of having a stupid cake downstairs and get him a card, how about you people actually show up to church on time. Hey, here's a novel idea. Why don't you actually bring a Bible to church? Hey? How come we have four hundred people here on Sunday morning and twenty on Wednesday. You don't appreciate the pastor, you're about to staking hypocrites. That is basically the end of my time at that church.

47:20 But it was such a game. We're gonna go down, Oh, pastor, we love you show up to church. How about do that? And I went in the pastor, but I could tell being a pastor that's no fun when nobody shows up, right? So what is it? Demonstrates over and over and over, what do we love more than we love God? Come on, what do we love? We love everything more than we love God. So that continues to describe us, does it not? Oh wait, wait, let's continue reading. Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanliness, to the luss of their own hearts, to decide on their own bodies between themselves, who change the truth? Where we read about that verse twenty five, verse twenty six. For this cause, God gave them up into vile affection for even their women, to change the natural use onto that which is against nature. Now, inevitably people apply that only to what homosexuality. That goes beyond homosexuality.

48:24 This is when we do what when we engage in anything that's against God's original plan? So this would also include what fornication, adultery, lust, pornography. Oh, now, people get a little nervous. They just want to be able to yell at whom homosexual. But I know it goes beyond homosexuality, You know how I know that. And likewise the men leaving the natural use of the women, burning their lust towards one another, with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving themselves that recompense of the air which are ways. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to our reprobate mind to do things which are not convenient, being filled with all all in righteousness. That describes what everyone. Well, what's next? Oh wait a minute, Now it's not just homosexuality anymore. Now we're getting into heterosexuality, right, wickedness? What's next?

49:31 Oh wait, No, churches, we never covet dew we right maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate. That never happens in church. We are also unified and we get along and there's never fighting and arguing, deceit, malignity, whispers backbiters. Oh, Christians never whisper and backbite? Do they know? Haters of God? Despiteful proud boasters and ventures of evil things, disobedient to parents? Oh, that never happens in the church. It does it without understanding covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who, knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. It made sure that it included basically what every kind of sin. Here is my argument. God created Adam and Eve. They fell into sin. The minute they fell into sin, they went and a downward humanity went on a downward spiral of sin, sin, sin, sin, sin, and God gave us all up to what? What did God ultimately give us up to our sin nature? How do I know God's given us up to our sin nature?

50:48 Even as a believer? How can I know that? How can I know I've been given up to my sin nature? Practically? Because I cannot get to perfection. If I cannot get perfection, the thing keeping me from perfection is what in control? So what have we been given up to our sin nature? And what is the inevitable result of being given up to U s in nature? Sin? All of those things listed are going to be manifested where in the life of those who've been given up to it. That means that those things are going to show up. Where in the life of believers and the life of non believers does those things show up in churches everywhere? The whole scandal this summer has been the huge the one of the largest megachurches in America located there and near Dallas.

51:46 Right the man. It came out that the man was engaged in some you know, sexual and morality in the past, and so everybody was like, okay, good. Come to find out the sexual morality in the past was he had sexual relations ongoing with a twelve year old. So guess what his ministry came to the end. The very next person they put in, Uh oh, he had to step down because they found stuff that he had done. Now people are leaving the church and mass. I don't know what's going to happen to the entire ministry. The whole thing is a mess. Well, oh, Tony Evans had to step down. I can go on and on and on of all the things that's just happened to Why those are just the pastors, forget all the people sitting in the pews. Week after week you read the Roy's report, child molestation, child molestation, child molestation, child molestation. It's constantly in the church. I mean, the joke is your kids are safer at a drag show than they are coming to church. Now, people get mad when I say that, But it's the reality and what and again, you've got two options. Change change something thing so that your faith and your reality will work. And so what do we do, Well, none of those people are saved, and not to do you get out of free jail card? For Christians, anytime someone does something we don't like, we just immediately say we would have been the one show him saying David, you're not saved. Solomon, you're not saved, Peter you're not saved, Paul,

53:17 you're not safe. We would have thrown everyone out of the Bible, out of the Kingdom of God. That's not the get out of free jail card, because as soon as you start throwing everyone else out of the Kingdom of God, you're inevitably gonna be left as the only one left. Or are you gonna have to throw yourself out? But what makes more sense. God gave all of us over to our sin nature, and what is the result of that the reality in which we live. Do you not live that reality every day? Do you not feel the sin in yourself. Do you love God the way you're supposed to love God. Do you love others the way you're supposed to love others. Do you love and cherish the word God the way you're supposed to love and cherish the word of God. Do you demonstrate that you're perfect? You know that you're not. So to summarize, and I'll end with this, just kind of summarize. And I didn't even get through half my notes. I mean, I I had so much, but so just kind of summarize. Right.

54:22 God revealed himself to man the invisible scene in creation. He showed himself and his deity. Yet man did not glorify him. They followed their wicked, sinful hearts, turned to idolatry, their own lust. So as a result, He delivered them up to themselves and their desires. This is clear in the history of Israel. It is clear and in the life of professing Christians today. By delivering us up, he has not made us perfect. Practically, that's what you see in every believer and in every church. People are still given up to their sinful natures. Because a man's rebellion, rejection sin, God there for delivered man basically to his own heart. Therefore, it is the inevitable consequence of a God who is revealing, who is revealing his wrath against people who know him. Are without excuse for being futile in there thinking because because we are arrogant, proud, we reject him, we suppress the truth. We're foolish, we're not wise. Therefore, God gave us up to our sinful desires, removing his restraining grace. This is true of everyone, but especially the Jews.

55:30 This is a form of judgment, allowing everyone to feel the full impact of their sinful actions with restraint removed. We're given up to a sinful nature as set of them, us, all of us. That's kind of quick summaries of what I basically say. Here's what happened Adam and Efel, and what was been was a downward trajectory. Can we all agree? And then God ultimately did what gave us up to our sinful nature and to our own hearts. Okay, do I No? That was me trying to summarize. Trying to I wrote down two different paragraphs trying to summarize because what I was going to do is is today. I was just going to come in and say here was my theory. Now let's move on, right, because because I was trying to find a way to make it simple, but I wanted to go back and try to prove my argument. My argument is based off what concept that faith and reality must what work together? What does reality tell me about you, me and all Christians that we're still centers and we cannot be perfect? All right? So then how do I understand that? Because Christians teach no, that's Romans one eighteen to twenty four and following. Those are the bad people. Those are a lot. That's not us anymore. We're done Dune, We're powerful. We don't do those things anymore. That is such trash. We not only do those things, And in fact, some of that describes us to the day. We love the creation more than

57:04 we love the creator. All of those things that everyone wants to go homosexuality, homosexuality, that's all people cannot They read Romans one and all they can think is homosexuals. Homosexuals, that's all they can see. Even AI acknowledge that the natural thing goes beyond homosexuality. And when you start reading some of that, does that not sound like all of us being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, conveteousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers backbiters, haters of God. That sounds like every church I've ever been in. Oh wait, that sounds like me. So then what does that tell me? I argue, we've been given up now in some ways, that sounds like some people are gonna say I just preached a weak, defeated Christianity. Maybe I am preaching a week defeated Christianity. But I know this.

58:05 That reality makes me have to do what then? I got to run to there? And my hope is in an imputed righteousness. That's why we believe in imputed righteousness, a forensic justification. I am declared to be that which I am not, And what am I declared to be? Perfect? What am I not? Perfect? Does my positional perfection excuse my practical imperfection? It doesn't excuse it. But we have to have a much more realistic understanding of what we can expect from Christians. What can we expect from Christians? Sin I'm not saying we should pat each other on the back and say, good job, man, you really got that sin in this week. I'm not saying we should do that, but I'm saying we should not be too surprised.

58:56 Right now. I may not understand Saracen. I mean like, I don't know what in the world that is. Okay, I've never even heard of such thing, right, But at the same time, I may not understand hers, she may not understand mine. But what can we understand that we all are given up to our sin nature? Therefore, guess what we know? Sarah will never reach perfection. I will never reach perfection. So then what's the inevitable result of not reaching perfection? A persistent state of imperfection? But what do we almost demand perfection? Because we cannot do what our faith and reality are in what conflict, we have to harmonize them. I believe Romans one a temm following helps me do what harmonize reality. I can understand a Christianity that says what we've all been given up to our sinful nature. I can understand that Christianity. I can understand the Christianity says I've been freed from it. Because if I've been freed from it, why do I keep sinning and every sermon that I ever heard that will say, Hey, all of you need to know that in Christ, you're a new creature. Old things that passed away, all things that become new. Five Sometimes within the same breath, they'll say, but we continue to fight and struggle against sin. And I just want to say, do you not hear yourself?

1:00:28 If I'm a new creature, there's nothing to fight and struggle against. So I believe Romans won. Does it describe the lost world? Yes, but it also describes us because we've all been given up. The way it manifest in us, will it be different than the way it manifest in them? Yeah? Well why because what's the big difference? As a Christian we refer to repentance as ultimately it's just to change your mind. Our brain has Our mind has changed about what we now acknowledge. All of those things listed there. We acknowledge that they are sinful, and what should we do?

1:01:11 Confess and fight against it? Where the lost world will say it's not sinful. That's the only difference. All right, we'll pray, well, got we come before you this morning? Lord. I know this is not a an easy concept, but Lord, I hope that if people can understand. It's just an attempt to try to explain the reality we all live. Lord, we don't understand why you would leave us in that reality. You could remove that reality instantaneously. Everyone in this room could be freed from a sinful nature and could be freed from sin. But for some reason you have chosen not to do that. So then all our hope is is not in being freed from the sinful nature in this world. Our hope now is that we are declared righteous because of your Son's imputed righteousness. That we take hope in, that we take refuge in, and that we are thankful for. And we asked us in Jesus name, and God's people said h