24-1215p Transcript

Preacher: Scott Reynolds

(2:00) Good evening. (2:03) Good to see everyone. (2:05) Okay, we’re talking about saved by faith, but not in the normal way. (2:12) I’m not talking about whether it’s faith that saves us or baptism that saves us.

(2:18) What we’re talking about is that we are in a realm, the physical realm, also the natural realm, (2:30) is based on faith because we cannot see what’s been hidden from us, the spiritual realm. (2:40) God has been hidden from us. (2:42) And if anyone from the natural realm sees, even looks at Him, he will die.

(2:51) So the natural realm cannot see God and live. (2:57) So with that in mind, let’s pick up tonight’s study. (3:03) We were asking this morning, why is faith even necessary for salvation? (3:11) Why can’t we walk by sight? (3:14) Because that’s the opposite of faith, right? (3:17) We walk by faith or we walk by sight.

(3:20) Well, in the natural realm we do not walk by sight. (3:25) We don’t have enough information. (3:27) We’re limited.

(3:29) Intentionally, God limits the information that we have in the natural realm to the natural realm. (3:38) And as Dale Tackett points out, in that natural cube, cosmic cube, that is the natural environment, (3:52) it doesn’t have all the answers. (3:55) So even the naturalist is forced to rely on faith.

(4:01) They don’t have the information. (4:03) They don’t have the answers. (4:05) And the natural box isn’t coming up with the answers for them.

(4:10) So why is faith necessary for salvation and why can’t we walk by sight? (4:16) Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, Hebrews 11. (4:25) And conviction is a firmly held belief. (4:30) So we have a firmly held belief of things not seen.

(4:37) If we could see the things, we wouldn’t have to believe in the things. (4:43) If I go outside and the sun is shining and I believe that the sun is shining, (4:49) when I can see the sun is shining, that’s not much of a belief. (4:53) That’s not much faith.

(4:56) But if I go out there and it’s pitch black and somebody tells me, (4:59) well, the sun’s up, well, I have to have faith to believe that. (5:04) It may actually be up. (5:06) There may be some other reason, as we’ve seen with solar eclipses, (5:12) that the sun is actually up, but it’s casting a shadow.

(5:16) The object between the earth and the sun is blocking the sun. (5:21) Even though it’s up, we get no light. (5:27) And if they tell us that, you know, get those glasses and take a look, (5:31) you have to have faith to go see that.

(5:33) If you don’t have faith, you might just look at it and lose your eyes. (5:38) Anyway, faith is a conviction of firmly held beliefs of things unseen. (5:44) We need faith when we have limited experiential knowledge that we can experience (5:50) with our senses, that is, lacking knowledge that we have experienced.

(5:57) So we talked this morning that there are two realms, (6:00) the spiritual realm where God lives and the physical realm where we live. (6:04) And God made angels and he made them spirits. (6:08) Hebrews 1-7 tells us God made his angels spirits, (6:15) and that means they reside in the spiritual realm.

(6:20) The spiritual realm is invisible to us in the physical realm. (6:24) No one has seen God at any time, 1 John 4-12. (6:30) God told Moses, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.

(6:37) Exodus 33-20. (6:42) And also we talked about several other passages there, 1 Timothy 1-17. (6:48) I’ll post my notes and you can look and see different references there.

(6:56) On occasion, God has opened someone’s eyes to the spiritual realm. (7:00) An example we had was Balaam in Numbers 22, verses 31-33. (7:07) We went over that story, that event.

(7:11) I don’t want to say story because it’s not a myth. (7:15) It was a historical event. (7:22) And Elisha’s servant, which we didn’t go over, (7:26) in 2 Kings 6, verses 15-17, take a look at that one.

(7:32) Because that’s another time when God opened someone’s eyes to the spiritual realm. (7:38) So it is possible for us to see that only if God allows it. (7:44) And he’s not allowing it.

(7:46) So our question is, why doesn’t he allow it? (7:49) That was our question this morning. (7:52) So the spiritual realm is deliberately hidden from the physical realm. (7:57) Paul knew of inexpressible words heard in paradise that a man is not permitted to speak.

(8:06) So things were heard when he was in paradise, whether in the body or not, he didn’t know. (8:15) That man was not permitted. (8:19) God did not give him permission to speak of the things that he saw.

(8:26) Heard, rather. (8:29) So it’s deliberate on God’s part to keep that information from us. (8:38) So limiting information to one realm from another to the spiritual realm and not in the physical realm (8:49) has a dividing effect of making one realm where the residents walk by sight (8:55) and the other, the one we live in, where we walk by faith because we don’t have the information.

(9:03) So why are there two realms? (9:05) We surmised it had something to do with God’s plan of salvation. (9:09) And since the saved are saved by grace through faith, (9:14) faith is an integral or necessary part to make the whole complete. (9:20) And it’s essential to salvation.

(9:24) So in God’s plan, limiting us in information so that we must believe what he tells us (9:39) is part of us being saved. (9:43) As such, the two realms were planned before the beginning, before the time began, (9:50) and the plan involves salvation, and this implies God would create beings that are sentient, (9:56) and that means able to perceive or feel things, and they’re conscious. (10:01) We are conscious, and so are angels.

(10:03) That means they’re aware of and responding to their surroundings. (10:09) God gives his creation the ability of choice to choose or to accept, follow, and worship him (10:18) or reject him, and giving a choice implies some would accept and some would reject God, (10:26) though some would be from both realms, angels and humans. (10:32) Some would accept, some would reject.

(10:37) So what is planned for rejection? (10:40) When angels reject or when humans reject God, are the lost from both realms treated the same? (10:55) And what’s your expectation? (10:56) Because in the human realm, in the physical realm, we’ve been offered redemption. (11:04) We have a hope of being redeemed. (11:08) We have a hope of salvation.

(11:12) So what’s your expectation concerning angels, we asked this morning. (11:18) We noted in Jude, verse 6, and 2 Peter, chapter 2, verse 4, (11:26) that the effect that tells us in effect that redemption was not planned, nor is it offered to angels. (11:35) In Hebrews 2, 14 through 18, lets us know that Jesus came to help humans, (11:43) and surely it’s not angels, the writer said.

(11:47) So Jesus doesn’t help angels that have sinned. (11:54) So rejection of God by humans involves a certain amount of ignorance, (12:03) because we don’t have the information that they do in the spiritual realm. (12:10) In the spiritual realm, they can see God as he is.

(12:13) He’s a spirit, they’re a spirit, they’re in the spiritual realm, they see him just as he is. (12:19) And yet, the ones that sin there, sin in spite of knowing God as he truly is. (12:27) We don’t have that.

(12:29) So there’s a certain amount of ignorance for the human that rejects God. (12:38) So perhaps this is why we said, we noted, is why Jesus prayed when he was dying on the cross, (12:45) for God the Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (12:49) They’re ignorant of what they’re doing.

(12:52) So, we live in the realm of faith, and it is because we humans must walk by faith, (13:01) that we are even, that’s the whole point. (13:04) Because we are limited, and are ignorant of God as he truly is, (13:11) when we sin, he’s willing to offer us salvation. (13:17) When a spiritual being, in the spiritual realm, transgresses God, (13:25) he is not willing to offer them salvation.

(13:30) And by the way, we can carry that one step further, we are a hybrid being. (13:37) We are not just human, we’re not just flesh, but we also have a soul and a spirit. (13:46) So we are three part hybrid.

(13:51) One part physical, two parts spiritual. (13:57) So we are a spiritual, partly spiritual being also. (14:03) So what happens when our flesh dies, (14:10) and our soul and spirit return to God in the spiritual realm? (14:17) Do we have any hope of salvation after we’ve died? (14:28) Do we? (14:29) If we die in our sins, are we saved? (14:39) When we enter, even though we’re flesh, (14:42) when we give, when we lose the flesh, (14:45) and our spirit and soul return to the spiritual realm from which it came, (14:52) we no longer, God no longer offers us the opportunity of redemption.

(15:03) Why? (15:03) Because now we’re in the spiritual realm. (15:07) Now we can see God as he is. (15:10) Now we’re just like the angels.

(15:13) And if the angels were not spared when they sin, will we be spared? (15:20) Once we go to the spiritual realm, (15:23) and we have not taken the opportunity by faith, (15:29) in the realm of faith, this physical realm, (15:33) we haven’t taken the opportunity of that, (15:36) and we are now returned to the spiritual realm, (15:43) salvation is not an option any longer. (15:47) No matter of, no number of indulgences can change that. (15:54) No, nothing on earth can be done to change that.

(16:03) God won’t do it. (16:04) So, we live in the realm of faith, and it’s because we are humans, (16:10) and we must walk by faith that we are even offered salvation. (16:15) We are saved, therefore, by faith, (16:19) because we are in a situation where we have to have faith.

(16:24) If we were in the spiritual realm, we wouldn’t be offered salvation. (16:29) And that’s how I see it. (16:30) And that was the end of this morning.

(16:33) So, let’s go back to God’s planning before the creation. (16:40) And so far, what we have is, from what we’ve had, (16:47) let’s do a little reverse engineering. (16:50) And we know that God has created two realms.

(16:53) He’s told us. (16:54) That’s the only way we know, because we live in the realm of faith, (17:00) and the only way we know about the spiritual realm isn’t because we can see it. (17:06) It’s only because he’s told us about it.

(17:09) So, God created two realms, a spiritual one that walks by sight, (17:14) and a physical, natural one that walks by faith. (17:18) God offers redemption to those who walk by faith, (17:22) but redemption is not offered to those who walk by sight. (17:27) So, once we’re in the spiritual realm, there’s no more offer.

(17:31) It’s off the table. (17:34) So, as this is carried out, (17:39) this is the plan that God came up before he did any creating. (17:48) So, we know there’s two realms.

(17:51) So, when he planned before creation, (17:57) we know his plan must have included the idea of creating two realms. (18:05) God’s plan with Jesus and the Holy Spirit was, (18:09) we’re going to make something. (18:12) We’re going to create something.

(18:14) And we’re going to create something that’s like us, spiritual, the spirit. (18:20) And we’re going to make something that’s different, not just spiritual. (18:26) And those who are in the spiritual realm are going to know us just like we are.

(18:35) They’ll be able to see us. (18:37) They’ll be able to talk to us. (18:39) And Job chapter 1, wasn’t it the angel, (18:42) the son referred there as the sons of God, (18:45) going to God and talking with him.

(18:49) And Satan was one of the ones that went to him. (18:51) And they had a conversation about, what have you been doing? (18:55) Satan, I’ve been going back to and fro on the earth. (19:01) And God asked him, have you considered my servant Job? (19:07) So the spiritual realm interacts with God.

(19:14) We can’t do that. (19:16) We can’t see him. (19:17) If we see him, he said, we die.

(19:20) We won’t live, which means when we die here, (19:24) we’ll return to the spiritual realm, and then we will be able to see him, (19:31) but we won’t be able to be saved anymore. (19:34) So if we’re saved and we see him, that’s okay. (19:38) We’ll just be moved right away into the spiritual realm.

(19:44) So we can, that’s the idea of reverse engineering. (19:49) From what we can see, we can go back and see what he was planning. (20:00) So God is going to, when we know then in the plan that if I make them, (20:11) I make them so that they can choose.

(20:14) Some are going to accept me. (20:16) Some are not. (20:18) What do we do with the ones that don’t accept us? (20:23) Well, if they have the knowledge of who we are, (20:28) if they’ve experienced us as spirits, they’re spirits and we’re spirits, (20:34) and they can see me and know my glory and see my glory, (20:41) not just being told about it and do all that.

(20:45) If they’ve seen all this and they send, we’re not going to offer anything for them. (20:53) It’s final. (20:55) On the other hand, we’re going to keep this other realm, the realm of flesh, (21:03) we’re going to keep them somewhat ignorant of God.

(21:10) We won’t allow them to see us. (21:13) We won’t allow them to know firsthand the spiritual realm. (21:20) We’re going to keep information from them so that if they, (21:25) and then we’re going to tell them about this realm and what’s available (21:32) and what I intend so that when they do sin, (21:36) they’ve sinned in ignorance, not knowing God for who he is.

(21:41) And at that point then, because they did not, as Jesus said, (21:47) forgive them for they do not know what Jesus is God, (21:52) that’s God saying ignorance is bliss in that respect. (22:02) So why is it that God doesn’t come out and just tell us, (22:09) why must we take things on faith? (22:12) Because if he did come straight out, tell us, expose, and let us see him, (22:18) the offer of salvation would no longer be offered. (22:24) It’s only because we want by faith.

(22:29) We have to take him at his word. (22:31) So it’s interesting, and I’m only going to spend a little bit of time on this, (22:36) it’s interesting that the spiritual realm is created first, (22:42) and we get that from Job chapter 38, where it says, Job 38, 4-7, (22:55) when God is asking Job after the travail that Job’s gone through, (23:04) and God’s now talking with him towards the end of the event, (23:13) and then so God says to Job, (23:17) where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? (23:21) When did he do that? (23:22) Creation. (23:24) Where were you in the creation? (23:27) Tell me if you have understanding.

(23:30) Who determined its measurements? (23:32) Who determined the measurements of the earth is what he’s saying. (23:36) Who determined its measurements? (23:37) Surely, no. (23:39) Or who stretched the line upon it? (23:42) Or what were its bases? (23:46) On what were its bases sunk? (23:48) Or who laid its cornerstone? (23:50) The earth has a cornerstone, something that aligns the earth.

(23:56) When the morning stars sang together, so the creation is taking place. (24:04) And the morning stars are singing together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. (24:16) Who are those? (24:18) He hasn’t created man yet.

(24:21) Not when he’s laying the foundation of the earth. (24:24) It takes five days. (24:26) It takes a few days to get vegetation, and fish, and then birds, and land animals, (24:36) and then finally man.

(24:38) So it’s not man that are the sons of God there. (24:43) Who’s watching what he’s doing, what God is doing in creation, (24:48) and singing and shouting for joy at what he’s doing? (24:55) Surely, you know, he says, it’s the angels. (25:02) Because we’re told in Nehemiah 9-6 that God created the heaven and the heavens are heavens.

(25:10) So the heaven where God resides is not, eternity works two ways. (25:21) For God, and only God, and that’s the Godhead, Jesus, Father, and the Holy Spirit. (25:30) For God is from everlasting to everlasting.

(25:36) No beginning, no end. (25:38) Now the angels are eternal, but they’re not everlasting to everlasting. (25:46) Not angels.

(25:47) Angels are created. (25:49) It says so right there in Nehemiah 6. (25:53) When God created the heaven and the heaven of heavens with all their hosts. (25:59) So God created the angels.

(26:03) They have a beginning, no end. (26:06) That’s eternity too, also. (26:11) It’s in one direction.

(26:13) Beginning, God doesn’t have a beginning. (26:17) He doesn’t have an end, but he doesn’t have a beginning. (26:21) He’s from everlasting to everlasting.

(26:24) Nothing else is. (26:26) No one else is. (26:28) God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(26:31) It applies to all three. (26:34) Okay, so in God’s plan it was necessary to create angels first, (26:42) and for them to witness the creation of the physical universe. (26:45) How do I know it was necessary? (26:49) Because he did it.

(26:52) It was part of his plan. (26:54) If it wasn’t part of his plan, it wouldn’t have been necessary. (26:59) For him to make two realms, and that is part of his plan, (27:06) and one he’s going to offer.

(27:09) Actually, one he’s not going to offer redemption, (27:13) and the other he is going to offer redemption. (27:16) That’s part of the plan too, (27:17) and the one that he’s not going to offer redemption is created first. (27:24) They observe the creation of the ones that will be offered redemption, (27:33) but they don’t know that at this time because nothing like that’s happened yet.

(27:39) That’s part of the plan, and it’s even hidden from the angels at that point, (27:44) and from man once man’s created on the sixth day. (27:49) Okay, so it was necessary to his plan to create angels first, (28:02) and for them to witness the creation of the physical universe, (28:06) and being created first, (28:10) they experience God and the spiritual realm before the creation of anything else. (28:23) They, like Adam, are created complete and intelligent the moment they’re created.

(28:33) There’s no reason to think that they were not created on the first day, (28:39) since Genesis 1-1 tells us, (28:43) in the beginning God created the heavens, plural, all three, (28:50) which included the heaven of heavens and all their hosts, (28:55) as we just read there in Nehemiah 9-6. (29:00) So the angels were created on the first day before the creation of the physical universe. (29:09) They were created completely and immediately functional, just like Adam.

(29:15) When Adam was created, he was a grown man, able to think, able to speak, (29:21) able to name all the animals. (29:25) So he’s a fully, he’s a completely and immediately functional being, (29:32) and so we must assume are the angels. (29:35) So there’s no indication scripturally that they were created prior to the first day, (29:40) because we don’t have anything that we know of prior to the first day, (29:45) other than God himself, which includes all three.

(29:48) When I say God, understand that to be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, (29:53) or the Godhead, I guess you could say. (30:00) So I surmise that time begins when God begins creating. (30:09) Prior to that, there is a passage, I didn’t look at it, (30:14) I have it in my previous lesson, I didn’t look it up for this one, (30:17) where it said, talked about when time began.

(30:21) Time has a beginning. (30:23) So time begins when God begins creating, (30:27) and therefore the angels probably have not experienced existence without time. (30:39) Neither have we.

(30:40) We only know that we’ve only experienced time. (30:48) We do know that since God created time, (30:53) that means before he created it, there was no time. (30:55) So God has existed where there is no time.

(31:02) And Jesus alludes to that when he says, (31:06) before Abraham was, I am, (31:10) and that doesn’t just mean before Abraham was, I was, (31:14) that’s not what he said. (31:16) He said before Abraham was, that long ago in a timed environment, (31:23) I am means now. (31:27) I am now before Abraham was.

(31:33) That’s the concept of being of no time, (31:38) that you exist in all time simultaneously. (31:41) And that’s pretty much what Jesus is saying there, (31:45) if you count the tenses that he’s using. (31:50) All right.

(31:51) So only God has experienced timelessness. (31:55) Angels are limited. (31:56) They are eternal in one direction.

(31:58) We talked about that. (31:59) And they had a beginning, which is finite. (32:03) The beginning’s not eternal, but from then on it is, just like us, (32:08) because we have a soul and spirit, and our body is finite.

(32:13) But once we return to the spiritual realm, (32:17) even now our soul and spirit are eternal at the beginning, (32:25) and they will continue forever. (32:29) So angels witnessed the first day, (32:32) and all of the other part of the first day. (32:36) Their creation they didn’t witness.

(32:39) I would imagine they’re only aware of after they were created. (32:46) And then they witnessed the other five full days of creation. (32:53) So they got to experience God’s creation.

(33:00) They got to see the water separating and the atmosphere being created, (33:07) and the vegetation sprouting up, (33:10) and the oceans beginning to teem with fish, (33:16) and the birds in the air, and the beasts, (33:20) and all the other things that God created. (33:23) And it said they shouted for joy there in Job 38, 4, 7, as he’s doing. (33:28) Now that must have been spectacular.

(33:32) And he created them before that happened so that they could witness that. (33:44) So angels witnessed the seventh day when God rested from creating, (33:48) and what was that like? (33:51) What did the angels witness? (33:52) Did God actually need to rest? (33:57) Was he really tired, omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing? (34:06) Was he actually really tired? (34:09) Is that why he rested? (34:11) Or was he establishing a pattern for man, much like Jesus does, (34:18) when though he had no sin, he is baptized? (34:23) And why did he do that? (34:25) To fulfill all righteousness. (34:27) Well, what all righteousness? (34:29) If you’re going to be the head of a religious body that requires baptism, (34:39) and you’re not baptized, what kind of a message is that? (34:48) He didn’t need baptism to take away a sin, (34:51) but he needed to be baptized because he requires that of his followers (35:02) to fulfill all righteousness.

(35:06) So it was a need for him to do that. (35:13) All right. (35:15) And that’s Matthew 3.15. (35:18) So why is it that God wanted angels to experience the existence of his creation, (35:25) of the physical and experience the actual creation? (35:35) I’ll leave that for you to think about.

(35:38) But it was deliberate. (35:41) It was part of the plan because he did it. (35:46) So I assume it must have been necessary.

(35:50) I’m going to stop there because we’ve run out of time. (35:55) But there’s a lot more to this. (35:57) We haven’t gotten to the idea and the completion on day six.

(36:04) And on the seventh day, God rests. (36:07) And Genesis chapter 1 finishes with this verse, (36:11) And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (36:15) And there was evening and there was morning the sixth day.

(36:18) So from this proclamation, we can assume that at that time neither angels nor man, (36:26) because they’re both part of his creation, (36:29) and he said after completing his creation and resting on the seventh day, (36:35) he beheld everything that he had made, and it was very good. (36:44) So we can assume that neither angels nor man at that point in time had yet fallen. (36:51) I mean, Satan had not fallen yet.

(36:55) And there’s Adam and Eve alive. (36:58) No one has sinned yet. (36:59) There is no sin.

(37:01) Everything is beautiful. (37:04) So I’m going to extend the invitation to anyone who’s subject to it (37:10) to come while we stand and sing.