In this sermon, Harold discusses the narrative of the Good Samaritan and draws attention to the often-overlooked significance of verse 26. Harold explains the importance of understanding what is written in the law and how one reads it, emphasizing the need to interpret and apply these teachings to one's life. He also highlights the importance of discovering truths for oneself in the context of making disciples, understanding salvation through scriptures, and recognizing the role of actions in demonstrating love for God and one’s neighbor. The sermon underscores the necessity following God's word as the path to eternal life.

00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks
01:55 The Parable of the Good Samaritan
03:52 The Importance of Discovering Truth
07:49 Questioning the Lawyer's Motives
13:57 Understanding Eternal Life
18:19 The Authority of Scripture
28:17 Reading and Understanding the Law
36:24 The Lawyer's Correct Answer
42:10 Final Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

You have your Bibles, I would invite you to turn to the Book of Luke the 10th chapter in verse should be verse 26, stake right off, but, 25 is where the text or where the story starts. But verse 26 will be our text. And our text is really those, what the title is, what is written in the law, and what is your reading of it, but attitude.

Go ahead and turn to that passage because we'll be focusing on that passage, the entire lesson, pretty much. And we'll be looking at the context and you'll be at advantage, I think, if you have your Bible open so you can see what we're referring to. Thank you for being here. I hope that you have enjoyed the singing and I've been uplifted by it, and I hope that the things that I have to say will be.

Benefit to you, and it will probably just remind you of some things that you already know, but I hope that that too will be a benefit to you. My guess is that most of us are familiar with the Book of Luke in the 10th chapter in verse 26. You've probably have read it many times. This is the narrative.

That begins with the lawyer coming to Jesus and asking him the question. But it ends with Jesus telling the parable of the good Samaritan how that there was a, a man that went from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves and was beaten and robbed and left for dead. But then they Levi come by and he passed over on.

The priest came by and passed over on the other side, and then a Levi came by. Passed on the other side, and then the Samaritan, the one that you would think that probably would be the least of the ones to stop and helped him stop, helped him, carried him to an inn, paid the innkeeper to keep him then, and told him, take care of him.

And when I come back, if, if there's anything else owing, I'll pay you that. But I think probably most of the time we concentrate on that parable of the, so. More so than the verses that introduced that, like chapter 10 and verse 26. And it's just recently, I think I, I know I've read the passage lots of times, but it's just recently really, that I've really took note of it and it wasn't because I was turning to Luke in the 10th chapter and, and wanting to reread the, the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Rather, I was reading a book in talking about making disciples or disciple making, and the writer quoted this passage, and this is the only verse he quoted. And I guess that caused me to look at it a little different. And I began to realize that verse is not just a bridge to get us to the parable of the good Samaritan, but that that verse has truths in it.

That we need and that others need. Also, the, the reason that the author had even made mention of this was he was trying to make a point about making disciples. And that's not what our lesson's going to be about, but I'll share that with you so that it may be of some value to you and, and we can gain some other thoughts with it.

I think probably the writer's use of that passage probably is best described by his own words. A truth discovered is more powerful than a message discussed. And if you're familiar with this, you know that this lawyer, this one trained in the law mowers, came asking Jesus a question. Jesus deferred that question, and the writer, this book thinks that his intents was good, or his intention was good in asking Jesus the question, and that Jesus didn't just answer him right off, but rather ask him these questions that you see behind me because he wanted to make the man discover the truth rather than just telling the truth because he thought that would be more powerful.

Then if he himself told him, and it may be that that may be something that you want to think about. I've thought about it and I would tell you, I would think that that's the words of a wise man, maybe a, a, a person that is quite capable of writing a book, but I would write to you or warn you that it is still the faults of a man.

That's not what's written actually in the scriptures. In fact, as I thought about it, I thought about the book of Proverbs and where the writer tells us in chapter 23 and verse 23, that we are to buy truth and sell it not. And what that tells me is that all truth is valuable to us. Whether I happen to find it.

Whether somebody points me to it and I look it up myself, or if I'm just at my desk reading and studying and find it myself, or somebody comes to me and tells me, look, this. This is what's true. This is what the scriptures teach. That truth is still precious to me. However I find it and should be something that I can use and valuable to me.

That I want to hold on to. I think it might be true that sometimes people appreciate a truth that they discover themselves rather than having somebody teach them something. And especially if we are forcing them to, to a conclusion they don't really like. I think I can tell you truthfully and maybe even call to mine, at least I have something in mind that I sat down and discussed somebody, the scriptures and I won the argument.

And in fact, I baptized the lady that night and that was the last time I saw her. I don't think that I really converted her. She just didn't know how to answer the truth and. And she wasn't going to really live by that truth didn't seem like, and maybe if you discover it yourself, maybe you were a little more acceptable of it.

I have to tell you that as I read it too. I, I wonder about the motive I, the law on this occasion. I may mention that this writer particularly thinks that his right or his motives was good. That a number of people would say there's no reason to impugn the lawyer's motive on this occasion that he's a lawyer, he's somebody that is trained in the law and he just wants to know the abilities of Jesus.

He's coming and teaching and, and he wants to know just where would Jesus rank on this ladder of, of good teachers. But if you read that passage when he tells us that he came testing the Lord, that word tested is translated in the king game version, and you'll find other places that that word is translated tempted.

And in fact, every time I see it used in the scriptures. It seems to be more the idea of trying to ensnare somebody or call somebody to fall, more so than just just testing them to see where they are in some kind of realm of something. For instance, in the Book of John in the eighth chapter in verse six, and this is the occasion when the Pharisees anal took the woman that was.

Caught in adultery and brought her to Jesus, wanting him to pronounce sin sonar. But if you look at verse six, it says, and the woman, they brought, the woman taken in adultery testing him. That word testing is the same word that we've got in our text. He came test testing Jesus, testing him that they might have something of which to accuse him.

So it's obviously in that context that the word test is tempt or trying him with a motive that's less than pure. They're wanting to find something wrong with Jesus, or at least something they can use against Jesus. If you look at the book of Matthew in the 22nd chapter. The question about the tribute when they brought Jesus some corns and says, whose pictures on this or, or should we pay tribute?

And Jesus showed them the corn and asked him whose pictures on it. But verse 15 of that chapter says they plotted how they might entangle him. What was there a reason for giving them him the coin? Did they really want to know whether they should pay tribute to Caesar? No. They were hoping to entangle him.

And in verse 18, Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, why do you test me? That's our word again. But notice he, he associates that with wickedness. And again, if you're reading some translation, it is a word that can mean tempted. And so the question is, why are you tempting me? Why are you trying to ensnare me on this?

Perhaps also one of the most strongest things to consider is that in the book of Matthew, in the fourth chapter in verse one, when the devil came tempting Jesus, that's the same word. And it's for sure that Satan wasn't trying to, to help Jesus or just to assess who Jesus was. He knew who he was and, and he was trying to get Jesus to yield to his, his things or his will.

I, I thought for a while that the reason for Jesus asking this question would be that he recognized that this lawyer was trying to ensnare him, and he was just going to ask the question back or ask a question back so that. He couldn't grab hold of anything that Jesus said, you know, it's hard to argue or you don't want to argue with yourself sometime.

So I thought, well, maybe Jesus is just asking him this question to keep down the, the argument between the two. Just let the lawyer, he's a, he's a lawyer, he's trained in the law, let him answer it and then go from there. And that's what happens. Of course. But I'm not sure of the motive still of Jesus in asking the question, because in the book of Matthew in the 22nd chapter, you have a very similar situation where another lawyer comes tempting Jesus, and it's told us there that he's tempting him.

That's the way it's translated there. And his question is, what's the greatest commandment? But do you know what Jesus said? He didn't say well and ask him a question because he was trying to attempt. He answered and gave him the answer on that occasion that the lawyer in Luke 10 is going to give Jesus on this occasion that you need to love your neighbor with all your heart or love God, all your heart and soul mine, and love your neighbor as yourself.

And so I'm not sure why Jesus asked the question. I would say that Jesus, somehow in his wisdom. Recognize that that was the best thing to do. One more thought before we actually get into our text. We need to turn our attention to the question that the lawyer asked. He starts the conversation and he says, teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Our text is Jesus's answer to that question. Here's where it starts. It starts with this lawyer asking Jesus, what must I do to have eternal life? Can you think of a more important question to ask somebody than what must we do for eternal life? Or what must they do? Or what must I do? The word eternal strong says it's perpetual.

You've seen these perpetual motions and you get 'em started and they just keep going and going and going and going and, and that's the idea of eternal life. You have life and it's not going to end. It's just going to keep going. Abbott and Smith says that, which is without end and Lyell Scott says It's everlasting.

You know, ever. It's just going to go on and on. That's how long it lasts. Then Theor just says it's without end, never to cease. And so that's something to consider and you could see why somebody would want to know what must I do to have everlasting or eternal life? But eternal life is more than just existence.

I want you to look, if you would, to the Book of John in the 10th chapter for a moment. Or at least listen while I turn there, and I want you to notice particularly the Book of John in the 10th chapter, or excuse me. Yeah, John, try this. We'll, will use John 10 in a minute. This is John five though, I think, or maybe both of 'em are in 10.

Let me look. Verse chapter 10 and verse 28 is what I want. And Jesus says, I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them outta my hand. My father who has given me or them me is greater than them. That's still not the passage of must be five, but I'm looking for the passage where Jesus is talking about the resurrection.

Should be five. He's talking about the resurrection and he tells them that the hours coming when the resurrection is going to happen, and they that have done good unto life. And then in contrast to that, and they that are evil, he says they shall have eternal damnation or damnation. And what I want you to see is that.

Both of these people, those that are good, they're gonna have eternal or be eternal. They're going to have eternal life, but even the evil, they're gonna be raised from the dead and they are going to exist. He says they'll have eternal damnation, but he doesn't call that life. And the point that I want you to see is it's eternal life is more than just a life that continues, or an existence that continues it's life.

It's a blessed existence. Revelation the 21st chapter, you remember, he calls and and talks about that God himself will be there. And we'll have eternal life. There'll be no tears, no more death, no. So no crying, no more pain, no more sun of Moon needed will be illuminated. By the glory of God, the lamb will be the light.

And so it's more than just eternal existence. It is a blessed existence that he's talking about, and that's what this lawyer has come and asked Jesus about. What about eternal life? What do I have to do in order to to have eternal life? Now, we could talk a lot about eternal life, but the main thing for us right now is just to remember that this is the question that precipitated the answer that Jesus gives, that Jesus listens to him, and then he answers him with these two questions.

Let's look for a moment at the question that he asked. The first question that the man asked or that Jesus asked the man is what is written in the law? Lemme tell you why I think Jesus asked that question. Where did the law come from? Why would he send him back and say, what does the law say? Well, it's because the law, and I think he's talking about the law, Moses there, but we could use the same thing and just say, what about the scriptures?

Or what about the New Testament? But the law came from God. You remember Exodus 19 and 20, you when Israel came out of the land of. Egypt and they're at Mount Sinai. And, and Moses goes up into Mount Sinai and God writes the 10 commandments and gives 'em to 'em on a stone. And this is what he's carried back to the children of Israel.

And, and then after that, it's still God giving Moses the law. And so this is the law is the law of God. I I know that there's some people that I believe, well, there's two distinct laws there. There's the law of Moses and that that's all of the ceremonies and so forth, the rituals that they have. But the law of God would be the 10 Commandments and other things, but that's not, so you will find where they're used interchangeably.

And if, just for reference, look over for a minute or listen to Nehemiah eight in verse one. This is as the children individual coming back into their land after being in captivity. It says that Ezra, the scribe, they'd asked Ezra, the scribe to bring, now listen, the book of the law of Moses. So they want Ezra, who's a scribe to bring the book of the law, Moses.

And then the next line says, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So you've got the book of law Moses, but that book came, or that those commandments came from God. Look at chapter eight and verse seven. He gave us a number of people's names there, but then he says, these people help the people to understand the law.

What law? Well, the law Moses remember in as eight one that was the little book of the law that he has, but look at eight. Eight. So they read distinctly from the book. In the law of God. So he's got a book that he's calling the law Moses, but he recognizes that that book is the Law of God. And then one last passage in Nehemiah eight verse 18.

Also, day by day, from the first day until the last, the last day, he read from the book of the Law of God. He think he's talking about the same book. While in the very first verse, he calls it the book of the Law of Moses. He knows it came from God. It had later called the the Law of God. And now he, he calls it the book of the law of God.

He used them interchangeably. And you'll find some people will say, well, the moral part is the law of God, the others law of Moses. But if you look in the book of Romans in the seventh chapter Paul talks about how that he did away with. Law. That is the law that said, thou shall not covet. So, he's telling you that part of the law that that went away and that was, that was morals that was being taken away as well as just the rituals in order to make place for the law of Christ.

It is called the law of Moses, because Moses was the one that delivered it. It's called the Law of God, because God was the originator of that law who gave it to Moses and commanded him to give it to the children of Israel. And so that's what God or Jesus is talking about when he says what does the law say?

He's asking, what does this law that we have, that we've been following, what does it say about eternal life is the idea. Again, while this man is asking, and Jesus is talking about the law, you and I can make the same application. If we say, well, what do the scriptures say about eternal life? Or if we should say, what does the New Testament say I must do to have eternal life?

That's still God's law, and that's why it's so important that we turn to the law or to the scriptures or to the New Testament, is because that's God's word. Did you know that both the Old Testament and New Testament link salvation with the word of God? In the Book of Psalms and the hundred 19th chapter in verse 41, you read, let your mercies come also unto me.

Oh Lord, your salvation according to your word. That's why he's asking what does the law say or why? Jesus is asking why. What does the law say? He knows that this is the word of God and that the word of God is our salvation. Look at another passage. Most of us are familiar with Romans one 16. This would answer our questions about what does our scripture say?

What does the gospel say? What does the New Testament say? Paul says, that the gospel is the power of God and the salvation. So now you're talking about the gospel, but he connects that with salvation. And who gave us the gospel is Jesus or God. And so that's why he points him to this law, I think. And then again, if you look over to the book of Ephesians in the first chapter, in verse 14, Paul writes and says, in him talking about Christ, you also trusted.

After you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and so what I want you to see is again here, he talks about salvation, but he points it back to the word of God. He says, this is where we learned it at. This is where you find out about it. It's in the law or the word of God. Not only that, I think he pointed him to the scriptures because.

He knows that the scriptures is authoritative

in the Book of John in the 10th chapter in verse 35. Some are questioning Jesus on this occasion, and, and Jesus answers and says in, in effect, he says that

the scriptures cannot be broken. He's not saying we can't go out and sin and violate the scriptures. What he's talking about is the scriptures cannot be broken. They're given for us to keep. That's the idea, and we're going to give an account of our life and whether we've kept them or not, and we're going to fall short if we don't keep the scriptures.

Remember Matthew seven verse 21. Not everyone that sat un may the Lord. The Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that do it, the will of God. So the scriptures that he's pointing to, what says the law, he's doing that because he knows this law is what has the authority. Whatever that law says about eternal life or for us, whatever the gospel says or whatever the New Testament says, whatever that says about New Testament or about eternal life, that's what we need to know about.

That's where we're gonna find the answer, what I must do for eternal life. Or we could just point out that the word is truth. Psalms 119th chapter in verse one 60 Then, or the entirety of your word is truth or turn to the New Testament, John 1717. Jesus says your word talking about God's word is truth, and you would be point somebody to the Word, so that if they read it in the Word, they know that what it says is right.

God's word is true. I'll tell you what we don't have to worry about. We don't have to worry about living this life according to God's word. Standing before him in judgment and him saying, ha, I was just joking. I can't save you, or, I told you to do this and this, but I, I, I don't do that. I grew up throwing papers cordial dispatch, Monday through Friday, 52 cents a week.

But I would have people that I would go to collect and they say, oh, I don't have it this week. Can you come back next week? And I'd come back next week and they'd say, gimme one more week. And I go back next week. They moved and I suspect the whole time they knew. But we don't have to worry about God telling us one thing and that not being true, the law or the scriptures or the New Testament as we are talking about.

That is going to be true. And so if you're asking a question about what must I do to have eternal life? What better source than just have somebody say, well, what does the law say for us? What does the scripture say? What does the New Testament say? Because that is where we learn about eternal life, and that's where we've learned what to do for eternal life.

That's why I think Jesus says why or what says the law. This man is a lawyer. He's supposedly trained in the law, Moses and Jesus just says, what, what do you read in this? Well, that brings us to the second question, and before we really delve into the second question let me make an observation. This question is, what is your reading of it?

What does the law say and what is your reading of it? My observation is that there are plenty of people that seek to answer these questions without ever even reading the scriptures. I was visiting with Mike over a cup of coffee the other day and he was telling me about talking with some people and, and telling a verse one person, the verse, the fellow said I've never read that.

Here's somebody arguing about the scriptures and when it gets pinned down, comes back and says, I've never read that. Or you tell 'em something and they say, well, I've never read that. But it's in there plain. It's not hidden. It is a matter of fact that they just haven't ever read the scriptures like they should have been reading.

And so Jesus is telling them, read or, or tell them how you read it. Most of us have had the, the experience. We, we talk to somebody about what to do for salvation, and we quote Mark 1616, he believed, baptized to be saved. And they, they say, well, I, I've never read that. Or we talk about Acts 2 38, repent, be baptized for the remission or sins.

And they many times been told, I, I've never read that. Well, it didn't just suddenly appear in our Bibles. The problem is they haven't read it. I didn't listen to it when they did read it and really practiced what it says. But let's go back to the question he's asking. How or what is your reading of it? I, I want us for a moment to, to think about this word reading.

And I'll tell you every time that I looked up that word that's translated reading there, it's translated read. But at the same time, when you look up the word reading as in our dictionary, it will, it will tell you that our word read can mean taking sense of something to learn what one is saying, or what what it's saying.

And, and they'll tell you that when you read it. It, it can also include understanding. I think you can certainly see in the scriptures that this word read while maybe sometime it's just a matter of skimming over their text, but it can and does often include the idea of understanding. For instance, in the book Matthew, in the 24th chapter, you remember, this is when Jesus is talking to his disciples about the destruction of Jerusalem.

And he makes mention of the ABOs of desolation standing in Jerusalem. And then he says that when you read Daniel, you'll understand that he shows or is connecting the idea of reading with understanding. If you'll read Daniel, then you'll understand what he meant when he talked about this abomination or desolation.

Look in the book of Ephesians in the third chapter in verse four. This is when Paul had written about the mystery that had been revealed to him. And then in verse four, chapter three, he says, whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge. And so this idea of reading can care with it. An idea of you get an understanding with it too.

I don't think Jesus has just said. What does the law say and how do you read it? Meaning what does the law say? I, I think he certainly is, is doing more than that. And it seems to me that probably what he's doing is, is saying what says the law and then how do you read it? What do you make of that law that you, what is it telling you to do for eternal life?

Certainly we need not only to understand or to read the law or to read the scriptures or to read the New Testament in our case, but we certainly need to try and understand them also. And what happens a lot of times is people come in with a preconceived idea and they read it, but they're not reading the real meaning of it and the real words that are there.

They're just. Rehearsing what they think is in their mind. I have for a long time been puzzled at Acts 2216 where Anani or Paul tells 'em, Anani came to me and said, why Terry thou rise and be baptized, wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And I had people after we read that say, well, I don't think that's for remission.

Sins. And you look at 'em and you say, why tar thou arise? Be baptized and wash away your sins. That baptism is washing away your sins. Calling on the name of the Lord. It says what it is saying and, and we need to take what he says. Peter in second Peter, the third chapter in verse 16, he's of course talking about some things that are taking place there.

How? Some people deny the, the idea of the second coming and what's going to happen there and so forth, and he goes on down and exhorts from some other things, and he talks about Paul and his words are that there's some people that twist to their own destructions, these words that Paul, again, what Paul just said.

And my point is that that's what happens. Oftentimes you can tell somebody. Here's what the law says, and they may read it, but they're not reading what it says, and they're twisting what the, the Lord has says. Maybe they. Lift something outta context and, and uses something else. You, you see that lots of times.

For instance, from Matthew 24, he's talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. He walks out of the, the, from the temple. He says, see all of these buildings and it's gonna come a time. They're not one stone left on another. And, and talks about how they'll see the abomination of desolation, the Roman empire.

Some people think, well, he's talking about the second coming, and they'll take all of those signs and so forth and say, see, that's talking about second coming. Just stay in the context and look what he's really talking about there in that passage. And you, you come up with the idea that, that it's not what they're saying.

They've misused these and other things, they'll pervert the meaning of a word like baptism and where it's obviously an immersion back in the New Testament time, but they'll take it to, to say, well, sprinkling is immersion, or whatever, or, or baptism or whatever. And the point that we're trying to make is he says, how do you read it?

And he's not, he's not just saying, tell me again what the law says. What does it mean to you? What, what is it actually telling you to do? The American standard used to translate two Timothy two 15 this way. Study to show your self approve a workman that needed to not be ashamed, rightly handling or handling a right.

The word of God. I like that idea. Handling a right, the word of God, because we not only have to read it. We need to handle it a right, and if we don't, we're going to get off the truth and, and leave ourselves vulnerable without salvation. Let me point out that in this case, the, the lawyer answered rightly, you know, that he, he said, well.

When Jesus said, I'll read you what and all. He said, well, love the Lord of your God. Well, your heart, soul, the mind, or, and secondly you. You need to love your neighbor as yourself. And Jesus says, you've answered correctly this dude, and you'll have eternal life. You know, there's some people that say, well.

The whole problem is, is this lawyer came saying, what must we do? And they'll say, we can't do anything for salvation. And this is again where scriptures get twisted. They said that's grace means you can't do anything. Grace does not mean that the only way your salvation would be without grace. If you look at Galatians as if you kept the law perfectly, and none of us do that.

All of us are in need of grace, but that doesn't mean that we don't have something to do. And I've been in discussion with people before and they'll say, well, I'm saved by grace. I don't have to do anything. And I'll say, well, do you have to believe? Well, yeah. Well isn't that something you do? Well, God gives me my faith.

That's the way some people get around it though though, we read and the scriptures say that faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. They say no, God just kind of shoves it into me. And, and a lot of times they, they don't even think they've got an avenue to resist it or to accept it. It's just done for 'em.

But as I was reading this, I came up with a new thought. Next time I'm not going to ask somebody. Do you think that you have to have faith? I'm gonna say, do you have to love? Is that something we do? I'm sure somebody will tell me, well, God just gives you love, but that's not true. And all of this is to say there are things that we have to do and that this idea, love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and, and love your neighbor as yourself.

That's, that's a summary of it. That's not just to say you say you love and you've got it made. And you know it's a summary because you find in Matthew the 19th chapter, somebody come into Jesus and saying, what must I do to be saved? And Jesus lists four or five different things that he needs to do. And when he says, all this I've done for my youth up.

Jesus says, well go sell all your goods and give them to the poor. Well, he's got to do that. But he's not, he's not telling him a different answer because love is keeping the commandments of God. And so all of these specifics that he's telling him, he's really just telling him, you gotta love God. But that means if you love God, you're going to keep his commandments.

You can't stand before God in judgment and say, I love you God, but I. Stoled and I killed and I still that's just what I wanted to do. That's not loving God. And it doesn't mean you can just say you love God and check the block or the box and you can't just say, I love my neighbor, and check the box and say, okay.

He's saying you've got to do things. And it, and the story illustrates that this story of the Good Samaritan, that here's a man that took somebody that had been injured. And put 'em up, bandage their wounds, and then carried 'em, put 'em up and paid for it. And the idea is he's doing something. That's how he showed his love.

And the Levi and the priest that walked across on the other side, they didn't show love. And so that's the point. And Jesus says this, that's right. And if you love God, truly love him with all your heart and soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself then. Question, what must I do? That's the answer to it.

One last thing though, even though this man had answered correctly, love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and so forth, and, and Jesus says, you've answered correctly. He says, this Do and you shall have salvation or eternal life. But the scripture says this man seeking to justify himself. He wanted to make himself right.

It's not a matter of of I'm keeping the law, it's just I want to give you an excuse that makes it sound like I had reason to violate that, that scripture. And so my point would be we need to know the scriptures and we need to understand the scriptures. We need to do the scriptures, and when we get to that part, if we fail, don't seek to justify ourselves or rather listen to what the scriptures say In Romans, the third chapter, verse 23, we've all sin.

But then he comes on and says, but I will justify you through grace, through propitiation of Jesus Christ's blood through faith. That's what we need to do. We need to do the things that God told us to do, and when we fall short, we need to repent of those things and then we need to

repent and be forgiven. So here's the bottom line of it. This is what we need to do. We need to know that the word of God is God's word of salvation. You wanna know what to do to be saved. It's in the Bible. It's in the New Testament for us Scriptures. If you want to know what to do, that's where you go to look.

And, and who, where better to go. I mean, God is infinite. He's eternal. He's the one that, that gives eternal life. He's the one that knows what to write, and he's the only one that knows what it takes to, to take eternal or to can give us the answer. What does it take for eternal life? So first, just determine that you're going to know the word of God and that that word is the salvation.

Secondly, know what the word teaches. You know,

if I were to promise you a thousand dollars or a million dollars, if I gave you a little booklet and said, I'll read this, and if you get dancers right, I'll, I'll give you a thousand dollars. Not many of us would just throw the book away and say, I would do that. How much more so when you think that here we have a book.

That can direct us and tell us how to have eternal life. Why in the world would we close it, put it up on the shelf and never look at it? And yet, that's what people do sometimes. And then I would say uphold and follow the truth. First of all, you know that this is the word of salvation. You can read it and understand it, knowing that it teaches you what to do.

So uphold that and follow it. What sense does it make to say, yeah, I see where he says do this, but I just don't want to do that. Well, you just declared yourself unworthy of eternal life in that sense. And then the last thing, if we've mentioned before, seek forgiveness as as your means of justification.

Don't, don't try to, don't read the law and then see how you can justify yourself in the eyes of other men or to yourself. Brother, if you've messed up and not live right, then go to God and do whatever he says do to get forgiveness, and he will justify you and you can have eternal life. Well, that's kind of what I came to say, so I'm true.

But I would want you, if you are here and I have listened carefully and, and know what to do. Then do it so you can have salvation, and if we can assist you, we'd invite you to come as together. We stand. Same.