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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - The Night Abraham Was Saved

November 7, 2025 | 29:0

Robert Jeffress - The Night Abraham Was Saved
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#Believe #Belief #PromisesofGod #Faith #TrustGod #Grace #Salvation #Jesus #Sin #Righteousness #Covenant #NewCovenant #RobertJeffress

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The Night Abraham Was Saved | November 7, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church
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  • Of dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress,
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  • And welcome again to "pathway to victory."
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  • Two thousand years ago christ died on the cross for our sins
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  • So that we could spend eternity in heaven with him.
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  • But what about people who lived before jesus's time on earth?
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  • Did they have the same opportunity to be saved?
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  • Today i'll show you how abraham's story
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  • Answers that question.
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  • My message is titled "the night abraham was saved"
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  • On today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Announcer: the bible is filled with stories about heroes.
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  • But abraham rises above the rest as a true champion of faith.
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  • In "walking by faith,"
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  • Dr. robert jeffress shares how to step forward in faith,
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  • Even when the future appears uncertain.
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  • Your faith can thrive despite the challenges you face.
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  • Request your copy of "walking by faith"
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  • When you give a generous gift to support the ministry
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  • Of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: many of you may have seen that movie
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  • "the last emperor."
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  • It really is a fascinating story of the last emperor of china
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  • Who was anointed as he was a young child.
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  • He lived in the lap of luxury.
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  • He had 1,000 eunuch servants around him.
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  • And one day his brother came to visit with him and said,
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  • "what happens when you do something wrong?"
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  • And the young emperor said, "oh, that's easy.
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  • When i do wrong, one of my servants is punished."
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  • And to illustrate that, he takes a jar.
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  • He drops it on the marble floor.
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  • It shatters into millions of pieces, and then he has one of
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  • His servants beaten for what he did.
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  • You know, jesus our king reversed that pattern.
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  • When we his servants do wrong,
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  • It's king jesus who suffers in our place.
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  • You know, sin is a real problem we all face.
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  • It can't be ignored.
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  • It can't be glossed over.
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  • Somebody has to pay for our sin.
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  • As philip yancey said, grace is only free because
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  • The giver of grace is the one who bore the cost himself.
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  • How is it that god takes our wrongdoing and exchanges it
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  • For his righteousness in us?
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  • That's what we're going to talk about today.
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  • Today we have come to the single verse in
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  • The entire old testament that best explains
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  • How a person who is sinful can be right before god.
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  • If you have your bibles, turn to genesis chapter 15
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  • As we discover the night abraham was saved.
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  • God came to abraham in genesis 15:1, and he said,
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  • "do not fear, abraham.
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  • I am your shield.
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  • I'm the one who's going to protect you,
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  • And i'm your reward.
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  • Anything that you've given up for my glory is going to be
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  • More than paid back to you."
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  • Now, abraham could have said, "oh great, lord.
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  • I trust you."
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  • But abraham wasn't going to let the matter rest.
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  • Look in verse 2.
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  • He said, "lord, what will you give me since i'm childless,
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  • And the heir of my house is eliezer of damascus?"
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  • Basically he was saying, "god, for these 15 years now you've
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  • Been promising that you were going to give me a land, you
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  • Were going to make me the father of a great nation, and through
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  • Me all the nations of the world would be blessed.
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  • But where's that child you promised?"
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  • You know, abraham knew that to be a father of a great nation he
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  • Had to first of all be the father of one, one single
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  • Person, and yet he hadn't been able to do that yet.
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  • So he asked the question, "lord, is this servant of mine--
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  • Eliezer is he the one who is going to fulfill the promise?"
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  • Verse 4, "then behold, the word of the lord came to abraham,
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  • Saying, 'this man is not your heir, but one will come forth
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  • From your own body.
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  • He shall be your heir.'"
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  • "there's still a son to be born.
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  • You are going to be the father of a great nation."
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  • And then he takes abraham outside.
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  • It's beginning to grow dark.
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  • He says, "abraham, look up and look at the stars,
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  • See if you can number them."
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  • And the sky was filled with stars and abraham
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  • Begins counting, "one, two, three, four.
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  • God, i can't count all those stars."
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  • God says, "exactly.
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  • So shall the number of your descendants be."
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  • And then we get to that key verse, verse 6.
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  • And then abraham believed in the lord and it was counted to him,
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  • It was reckoned to him as righteousness.
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  • This single verse explains how abraham was saved, how everybody
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  • In the old testament was saved, and how you and i
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  • Are saved today.
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  • It's never changed.
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  • It's not that people in the old testament were saved one way and
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  • They're saved a different way today.
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  • We're all saved the same way.
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  • I want you to write this down.
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  • We're saved by god's grace, number one, received through our
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  • Faith, number two, paid for by the death of
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  • Christ, number three.
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  • Salvation has always been that way.
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  • Salvation is by god's grace, received through our faith, and
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  • Paid for by the blood of christ.
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  • Abraham believed god, and it was reckoned to him as
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  • Righteousness.
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  • Now, i want you to notice two key phrases in that verse.
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  • First of all, he believed god.
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  • He believed god.
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  • It's not that he believed that god exist.
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  • You don't go to heaven because you believe that god exists.
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  • You know what psalm 14:1 says?
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  • "a fool has said in his heart, 'there is no god.'"
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  • That word fool in hebrew is the word we get moron from.
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  • Literally, you have to be a moron to believe god doesn't
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  • Exist.
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  • I mean, you know--how do you explain everything we see?
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  • How do you explain the stars, the oceans, other people,
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  • Everything we see?
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  • You know how the atheist explains it?
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  • He says, "oh, you wanna know how everything came into being?
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  • Nothing times no one equals everything."
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  • In other words, how is it that absolute nothing
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  • Became everything?
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  • Well, nothing times no designer, no creator equals
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  • Everything we see.
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  • You have to be a moron to believe that.
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  • And believing that there's a creator god isn't enough to get
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  • You into heaven.
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  • No, it's that abraham believed the promises of god.
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  • That's what the context is.
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  • Abraham believed what god had said, that he would make him
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  • A father of a great nation, that he would give him a land that
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  • Through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
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  • He believed in god.
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  • And, you know, in the final analysis it doesn't matter
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  • How much abraham knew because it wasn't abraham's faith
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  • That saved him.
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  • Did you know nobody is saved by faith?
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  • You can't have enough faith to earn salvation.
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  • We are saved by god's grace that is received through our faith,
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  • And that leads to the second phrase here.
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  • He reckoned it as righteousness.
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  • Abra--god took abraham's faith and he reckoned
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  • It as righteousness.
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  • And today how are we saved?
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  • The same way.
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  • We look not toward the death of christ, we look backward at
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  • The death of christ believing in our hearts that when we trust
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  • In what christ did for us on the cross our sin is exchanged
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  • For his righteousness.
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  • It's always been the same.
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  • We are saved by god's grace received through our faith,
  • 00:08:12.214 --> 00:08:16.085
  • Paid for by the death of christ.
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  • Paul talks about this in romans chapter 4.
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  • Hold your place here and turn to romans 4 for just a moment.
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  • You know, paul was making the point that we are saved not by
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  • Works but by god's grace, and he uses abraham
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  • As an example of that.
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  • In chapter 3, verse 28 he says, "for we maintain that a man is
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  • Justified by faith apart from the works of the law."
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  • And then he keeps going.
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  • There was no chapter transition.
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  • It just kept going.
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  • Chapter 4, verse 1, "what then shall we say that abraham,
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  • Our forefather, did according to the flesh?"
  • 00:08:54.690 --> 00:08:57.393
  • The jews objected to this idea of salvation by grace.
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  • They thought it was works and they said,
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  • "look at abraham, paul.
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  • Surely, he was saved by his works.
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  • Think of what he did.
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  • He uprooted his family, went to the promised land, was willing
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  • To offer his son isaac as a sacrifice.
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  • Surely that's enough to be saved.
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  • Isn't that what saved abraham?"
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  • Paul says in verse 2, no, "for if abraham was justified," that
  • 00:09:17.713 --> 00:09:21.584
  • Is made right with god, "by works, he has something to boast
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  • About for--but not before god."
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  • But what does the scripture say?
  • 00:09:28.991 --> 00:09:31.127
  • And then he quotes genesis 15:6.
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  • Abraham believed god and that was credited to him
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  • As righteousness.
  • 00:09:38.534 --> 00:09:40.803
  • And then paul adds in verse 4, "now to the one who works, his
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  • Wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due."
  • 00:09:44.607 --> 00:09:49.779
  • What he's saying is if you work for something and are paid for
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  • It, what you get is not grace.
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  • It's an obligation.
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  • How many of you every 2 weeks when you get your paycheck
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  • Go into your employer and say, "oh, thank you so much.
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  • That is so gracious of you.
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  • I can't imagine that you would do such a thing for me,
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  • Is to give me this check."
  • 00:10:10.066 --> 00:10:11.901
  • Do you do that?
  • 00:10:11.901 --> 00:10:13.335
  • I don't have one staff member who does that.
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  • You know why?
  • 00:10:15.571 --> 00:10:17.473
  • Because what we give them is not a gift.
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  • It's what they earn.
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  • Your boss gives you not a gift.
  • 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:26.515
  • He gives you a wage.
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  • It's what you've earned, and that is why god refuses to allow
  • 00:10:29.652 --> 00:10:34.056
  • Us to work in any way for our salvation.
  • 00:10:34.056 --> 00:10:36.659
  • If we are allowed to work for our salvation,
  • 00:10:36.659 --> 00:10:39.695
  • Then salvation is not a gift.
  • 00:10:39.695 --> 00:10:42.164
  • It's an obligation.
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  • And, ladies and gentlemen, god refuses to owe any man
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  • Or woman salvation.
  • 00:10:46.102 --> 00:10:47.670
  • It is a gift.
  • 00:10:47.670 --> 00:10:49.338
  • It is a gift of grace.
  • 00:10:49.338 --> 00:10:51.107
  • That's how salvation comes.
  • 00:10:51.107 --> 00:10:52.641
  • And then that verse, "but to the one who does not work,
  • 00:10:52.641 --> 00:10:56.145
  • But believes in him who justifies the ungodly,
  • 00:10:56.145 --> 00:10:59.448
  • His faith is credited as righteousness."
  • 00:10:59.448 --> 00:11:02.451
  • And then paul goes on to quote david.
  • 00:11:02.451 --> 00:11:05.788
  • Here's another example.
  • 00:11:05.788 --> 00:11:07.590
  • David speaks of the blessing on the man to whom god credits
  • 00:11:07.590 --> 00:11:10.392
  • Righteousness apart from works, and he quotes from the psalms,
  • 00:11:10.392 --> 00:11:13.996
  • "blessed," happy, "are those whose lawless deeds have
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  • Been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered.
  • 00:11:17.233 --> 00:11:21.570
  • Blessed is the man whose sin the lord
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  • Will not take into account."
  • 00:11:25.174 --> 00:11:27.109
  • What's the application for us?
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  • Abraham believed god and it was counted to him as righteousness.
  • 00:11:30.212 --> 00:11:32.715
  • What's the application for us?
  • 00:11:32.715 --> 00:11:34.617
  • Here's the application.
  • 00:11:34.617 --> 00:11:36.318
  • You get to choose how you want god to judge you.
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  • You can get him to judge you if you want to on the basis of your
  • 00:11:40.356 --> 00:11:43.225
  • Goodness, your righteousness; or you can choose to allow him
  • 00:11:43.225 --> 00:11:47.596
  • To judge you on his righteousness.
  • 00:11:47.596 --> 00:11:50.065
  • It's one or the other.
  • 00:11:50.065 --> 00:11:52.234
  • You know, paul is a great example, his own life of that.
  • 00:11:52.234 --> 00:11:56.105
  • He thought growing up in most of his adult life that he
  • 00:11:56.105 --> 00:11:59.575
  • Had enough spiritual resources to get into heaven.
  • 00:11:59.575 --> 00:12:02.111
  • In philippians chapter 3 he says in verses 5 and 6, "i thought
  • 00:12:02.111 --> 00:12:07.116
  • I had what it was necessary to get into heaven.
  • 00:12:07.116 --> 00:12:09.385
  • I was a jew. i was of the tribe of benjamin.
  • 00:12:09.385 --> 00:12:13.355
  • I was circumcised on the eighth day.
  • 00:12:13.355 --> 00:12:15.324
  • I was a pharisee. i was a keeper of the law.
  • 00:12:15.324 --> 00:12:17.159
  • I was zealous for god."
  • 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:18.561
  • But then verse 7 he said, "i came to that realization on
  • 00:12:18.561 --> 00:12:23.232
  • The road to damascus, that what i was counting as gain
  • 00:12:23.232 --> 00:12:26.802
  • Was actually loss."
  • 00:12:26.802 --> 00:12:29.104
  • Literally he said, "whatever things were gain to me,
  • 00:12:29.104 --> 00:12:31.807
  • Those i have counted as loss for the sake of christ."
  • 00:12:31.807 --> 00:12:34.677
  • "what i thought were spiritual assets were in fact spiritual
  • 00:12:34.677 --> 00:12:39.582
  • Liabilities because they were keeping me from receiving
  • 00:12:39.582 --> 00:12:43.018
  • The righteousness of god."
  • 00:12:43.018 --> 00:12:45.554
  • And in philippians 3:9 he says, "and now this is my prayer,
  • 00:12:45.554 --> 00:12:49.158
  • That i might be found in him not having a righteousness of my own
  • 00:12:49.158 --> 00:12:53.395
  • Derived from the law but that which is through faith in
  • 00:12:53.395 --> 00:12:56.899
  • Christ, the righteousness which comes from god
  • 00:12:56.899 --> 00:13:00.169
  • On the basis of faith."
  • 00:13:00.169 --> 00:13:03.539
  • And so here's the bottom line question for you.
  • 00:13:03.539 --> 00:13:06.675
  • What are you trusting in for god to allow you into heaven,
  • 00:13:06.675 --> 00:13:10.679
  • Your righteousness or the righteousness of christ?
  • 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:13.883
  • Abraham believed what the lord said and his faith--his tiny bit
  • 00:13:13.883 --> 00:13:19.321
  • Of faith in the great accounting room of heaven was exchanged for
  • 00:13:19.321 --> 00:13:22.892
  • The righteousness of god.
  • 00:13:22.892 --> 00:13:25.928
  • Now, abraham had some questions.
  • 00:13:25.928 --> 00:13:29.131
  • When god said that, abraham thought, "this is too easy.
  • 00:13:29.131 --> 00:13:33.469
  • This is too easy.
  • 00:13:33.469 --> 00:13:35.137
  • I just simply believe god and somehow i'm made right with god?
  • 00:13:35.137 --> 00:13:38.274
  • God, how can i know you will keep your promise to me?"
  • 00:13:38.274 --> 00:13:42.544
  • Notice the confirmation of the transaction.
  • 00:13:42.544 --> 00:13:45.247
  • "how can i know?" look at verse 8.
  • 00:13:45.247 --> 00:13:48.050
  • He said, "oh, lord, how may i know
  • 00:13:48.050 --> 00:13:50.352
  • That i will possess the land?"
  • 00:13:50.352 --> 00:13:52.321
  • God said to him, "bring me a 3-year-old heifer and a
  • 00:13:52.321 --> 00:13:56.225
  • 3-year-old female goat and a 3-year-old ram and a turtledove
  • 00:13:56.225 --> 00:14:00.162
  • And a young pigeon."
  • 00:14:00.162 --> 00:14:01.630
  • Then abraham brought all of these things to god and he
  • 00:14:01.630 --> 00:14:04.600
  • Cut them in two and laid each half opposite the other,
  • 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:08.671
  • But he did not cut the birds.
  • 00:14:08.671 --> 00:14:11.040
  • What in the world is going on there?
  • 00:14:11.040 --> 00:14:14.410
  • In abraham's day--now listen to this.
  • 00:14:14.410 --> 00:14:16.845
  • This is the best part of this sermon.
  • 00:14:16.845 --> 00:14:18.614
  • In abraham's day when two kings were going to make a contract
  • 00:14:18.614 --> 00:14:22.751
  • With one another, a bilateral contract, the way they ratified
  • 00:14:22.751 --> 00:14:27.323
  • That contract was by taking these animals,
  • 00:14:27.323 --> 00:14:32.161
  • Slicing them down the backbone.
  • 00:14:32.161 --> 00:14:34.596
  • It was a bloody mess.
  • 00:14:34.596 --> 00:14:36.765
  • And they would put one half of the animal on one side, the
  • 00:14:36.765 --> 00:14:40.769
  • Other half of the animal on the other side, and then the two
  • 00:14:40.769 --> 00:14:43.539
  • Kings would each take a torch and they would walk side by side
  • 00:14:43.539 --> 00:14:48.844
  • Between those animal pieces; and it was a way of signifying that
  • 00:14:48.844 --> 00:14:54.083
  • Each king had a responsibility to keep that contract intact.
  • 00:14:54.083 --> 00:14:59.655
  • And if one of the kings failed to keep his end of the deal;
  • 00:14:59.655 --> 00:15:03.659
  • Well, the blood represented what would happen to him.
  • 00:15:03.659 --> 00:15:07.997
  • He would lose his life.
  • 00:15:07.997 --> 00:15:09.465
  • He said, "may i lose my life
  • 00:15:09.465 --> 00:15:11.200
  • If i don't keep my end of the bargain?"
  • 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:13.902
  • So god had made a contract with abraham.
  • 00:15:13.902 --> 00:15:17.439
  • How did abraham know that god was going to keep
  • 00:15:17.439 --> 00:15:20.109
  • His end of the bargain?
  • 00:15:20.109 --> 00:15:21.577
  • God tells abraham, "okay, get the animals.
  • 00:15:21.577 --> 00:15:24.079
  • Slice them down the back. you know the drill."
  • 00:15:24.079 --> 00:15:27.149
  • So abraham does that.
  • 00:15:27.149 --> 00:15:28.984
  • But then before abraham and god walked through the animal pieces
  • 00:15:28.984 --> 00:15:32.388
  • Together, know--notice what happens.
  • 00:15:32.388 --> 00:15:35.157
  • Verse 12, "now when the sun was going down,
  • 00:15:35.157 --> 00:15:38.327
  • A deep sleep fell upon abram; and behold, terror
  • 00:15:38.327 --> 00:15:42.031
  • And great darkness fell upon him.
  • 00:15:42.031 --> 00:15:45.100
  • And it came about when the sun had said--set, that it
  • 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:48.137
  • Was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven
  • 00:15:48.137 --> 00:15:53.342
  • And a flaming torch which passed between the pieces."
  • 00:15:53.342 --> 00:15:58.814
  • In other words, after abraham sliced those animals up,
  • 00:15:58.814 --> 00:16:03.118
  • God put abraham to sleep...
  • 00:16:03.118 --> 00:16:07.256
  • Abraham was over in the corner in a deep sleep when god took
  • 00:16:09.825 --> 00:16:14.163
  • The torch and he walked between the animal pieces by himself.
  • 00:16:14.163 --> 00:16:20.035
  • Why did he do that?
  • 00:16:20.035 --> 00:16:22.538
  • He was signifying that the fulfillment of this covenant
  • 00:16:22.538 --> 00:16:26.608
  • Didn't depend upon what abraham did or didn't do.
  • 00:16:26.608 --> 00:16:30.012
  • It was an unconditional promise.
  • 00:16:30.012 --> 00:16:32.981
  • It depended upon the faithfulness of god.
  • 00:16:32.981 --> 00:16:35.784
  • God made this contract,
  • 00:16:35.784 --> 00:16:37.586
  • This promise not with abraham but with himself.
  • 00:16:37.586 --> 00:16:41.323
  • "oh, preacher, you're reading way too much into that."
  • 00:16:41.323 --> 00:16:44.927
  • You think so?
  • 00:16:44.927 --> 00:16:46.261
  • Listen to what the writer of hebrews said.
  • 00:16:46.261 --> 00:16:49.131
  • Hebrews 6, verses 13 to 14, "for when god made the promise
  • 00:16:49.131 --> 00:16:52.568
  • To abraham, since he himself could swear by no one greater,
  • 00:16:52.568 --> 00:16:56.672
  • He swore by himself, saying,
  • 00:16:56.672 --> 00:16:59.708
  • 'i will surely bless you and i will surely multiply you.'"
  • 00:16:59.708 --> 00:17:06.148
  • You say, "well, that's great for abraham.
  • 00:17:06.148 --> 00:17:09.118
  • It all depended upon the faithfulness of god.
  • 00:17:09.118 --> 00:17:11.887
  • What does that mean for me?
  • 00:17:11.887 --> 00:17:14.156
  • How do i benefit from that?" listen to this.
  • 00:17:14.156 --> 00:17:17.259
  • God has made an unconditional contract,
  • 00:17:17.259 --> 00:17:19.394
  • A covenant with you and with me; and it's simply this.
  • 00:17:19.394 --> 00:17:22.598
  • If we will confess our sins before god, acknowledge
  • 00:17:22.598 --> 00:17:27.002
  • Our spiritual bankruptcy, and believe with all of our heart
  • 00:17:27.002 --> 00:17:30.305
  • That jesus christ was the payment for our sins,
  • 00:17:30.305 --> 00:17:33.575
  • Then god will take all of the righteousness that belongs
  • 00:17:33.575 --> 00:17:39.047
  • To jesus and he will deposit them in your spiritual bank
  • 00:17:39.047 --> 00:17:41.283
  • Account so that when you die--not if you die, when you
  • 00:17:41.283 --> 00:17:45.220
  • Die you will be welcomed into heaven not based on your
  • 00:17:45.220 --> 00:17:47.623
  • Spiritual financial statement but on the righteousness
  • 00:17:47.623 --> 00:17:51.293
  • Of jesus himself.
  • 00:17:51.293 --> 00:17:53.595
  • "oh, pastor, that's just too easy.
  • 00:17:53.595 --> 00:17:56.064
  • Don't i have to do something to ratify that,
  • 00:17:56.064 --> 00:17:58.200
  • To earn my salvation?"
  • 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:00.102
  • No.
  • 00:18:00.102 --> 00:18:01.637
  • The fulfillment of that unconditional promise from god
  • 00:18:01.637 --> 00:18:04.406
  • Depends upon god and god alone.
  • 00:18:04.406 --> 00:18:06.909
  • He is not only the one who can save you, he's the only one
  • 00:18:06.909 --> 00:18:10.746
  • Who can keep you saved; and you see that over
  • 00:18:10.746 --> 00:18:13.182
  • And over again in scripture.
  • 00:18:13.182 --> 00:18:14.550
  • John 10:28 jesus said, "and i give eternal life to them,
  • 00:18:14.550 --> 00:18:18.153
  • And they shall never perish.
  • 00:18:18.153 --> 00:18:20.722
  • No man shall snatch out of my hands those whom
  • 00:18:20.722 --> 00:18:23.592
  • The father has given me."
  • 00:18:23.592 --> 00:18:25.160
  • Romans 11 and 29, "for the gifts and the calling
  • 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:29.631
  • Of god are irrevocable."
  • 00:18:29.631 --> 00:18:31.867
  • They can't be taken back no matter what you do or don't do.
  • 00:18:31.867 --> 00:18:34.503
  • Hebrews 7:25, he is able to save the uttermost,
  • 00:18:34.503 --> 00:18:38.307
  • Those who draw near to him.
  • 00:18:38.307 --> 00:18:39.975
  • Or think about jesus's own words in john chapter 3:14 and 16.
  • 00:18:39.975 --> 00:18:45.581
  • "for as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so
  • 00:18:45.581 --> 00:18:50.118
  • Must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes
  • 00:18:50.118 --> 00:18:52.221
  • In him has eternal life.
  • 00:18:52.221 --> 00:18:54.189
  • For god so loved the world, that he gave his only son,
  • 00:18:54.189 --> 00:18:57.993
  • That whoever believes in him shall not perish,
  • 00:18:57.993 --> 00:19:00.529
  • But shall have everlasting life."
  • 00:19:00.529 --> 00:19:02.965
  • "but, pastor, what if i falter in my belief?
  • 00:19:02.965 --> 00:19:05.934
  • What if i quit believing?"
  • 00:19:05.934 --> 00:19:07.970
  • 2 timothy 2; even when we are faithless he remains faithful,
  • 00:19:07.970 --> 00:19:14.710
  • For he cannot deny himself.
  • 00:19:14.710 --> 00:19:17.779
  • That's how we are saved; by simply believing, trusting,
  • 00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:22.651
  • And clinging to the death of christ for our forgiveness.
  • 00:19:22.651 --> 00:19:26.388
  • Charles haddon spurgeon was perhaps the greatest baptist
  • 00:19:26.388 --> 00:19:31.159
  • Preacher in all of history, and he often told the story
  • 00:19:31.159 --> 00:19:34.896
  • Of the night he was saved.
  • 00:19:34.896 --> 00:19:38.100
  • He had wandered in to a primitive methodist church and
  • 00:19:38.100 --> 00:19:42.104
  • The pastor was gone that evening and a layman was standing up,
  • 00:19:42.104 --> 00:19:45.674
  • An uneducated layman preaching that evening.
  • 00:19:45.674 --> 00:19:48.810
  • He butchered the king's english.
  • 00:19:48.810 --> 00:19:52.314
  • He didn't have much education.
  • 00:19:52.314 --> 00:19:53.882
  • But he announced his text: isaiah 45, verse 22.
  • 00:19:53.882 --> 00:19:59.021
  • "look, look, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth."
  • 00:19:59.021 --> 00:20:05.294
  • Look, be ye saved all the ends of the earth.
  • 00:20:05.294 --> 00:20:10.098
  • And then he launched into his message.
  • 00:20:10.098 --> 00:20:13.902
  • He says, "notice what the text says here.
  • 00:20:13.902 --> 00:20:15.737
  • It says look, look. it don't take no effort to look.
  • 00:20:15.737 --> 00:20:19.408
  • It's not like raising your hand or lifting your foot.
  • 00:20:19.408 --> 00:20:21.376
  • All you have to do is look,
  • 00:20:21.376 --> 00:20:23.211
  • And you don't have to be educated to look.
  • 00:20:23.211 --> 00:20:25.147
  • You don't have to earn £1,000 a year to be--look.
  • 00:20:25.147 --> 00:20:28.417
  • All you have to do is look.
  • 00:20:28.417 --> 00:20:31.420
  • But it not only says look, it says 'look unto me.
  • 00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:35.290
  • Look unto me and be ye saved.'
  • 00:20:35.290 --> 00:20:38.560
  • It doesn't say look to yourself.
  • 00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:40.195
  • There's no comfort in looking to yourself.
  • 00:20:40.195 --> 00:20:42.431
  • You have to look unto god, look unto jesus.
  • 00:20:42.431 --> 00:20:45.167
  • Look unto jesus and be ye saved."
  • 00:20:45.167 --> 00:20:48.270
  • And then he noticed young spurgeon there on
  • 00:20:48.270 --> 00:20:51.573
  • The front row and notice how uncomfortable he was getting.
  • 00:20:51.573 --> 00:20:54.209
  • He said, "son, you look miserable.
  • 00:20:54.209 --> 00:20:56.345
  • And guess what?
  • 00:20:56.345 --> 00:20:57.679
  • You're going to stay miserable in this life
  • 00:20:57.679 --> 00:20:59.581
  • And into the next life.
  • 00:20:59.581 --> 00:21:01.416
  • You're going to be miserable now and after you die
  • 00:21:01.416 --> 00:21:04.753
  • If you don't obey my text."
  • 00:21:04.753 --> 00:21:07.389
  • "look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth."
  • 00:21:07.389 --> 00:21:11.727
  • And then lifting up his bible, that lay preacher said,
  • 00:21:11.727 --> 00:21:15.297
  • "look, look, look unto christ.
  • 00:21:15.297 --> 00:21:19.301
  • All you must do is look and live."
  • 00:21:19.301 --> 00:21:23.939
  • And spurgeon says, "that night i looked at jesus christ and
  • 00:21:23.939 --> 00:21:28.310
  • Received his gift of salvation."
  • 00:21:28.310 --> 00:21:31.613
  • Let me ask you the most important question of all.
  • 00:21:31.613 --> 00:21:34.750
  • What are you looking to to save you when you die?
  • 00:21:34.750 --> 00:21:38.887
  • Are you looking to yourself?
  • 00:21:38.887 --> 00:21:40.856
  • You're going to be disappointed one day.
  • 00:21:40.856 --> 00:21:43.925
  • None of us is righteous enough to earn salvation.
  • 00:21:43.925 --> 00:21:46.762
  • Are you looking at other people thinking,
  • 00:21:46.762 --> 00:21:49.898
  • "well, i may not be perfect, but i'm better than they are?"
  • 00:21:49.898 --> 00:21:53.268
  • God doesn't grave on--grade on the curve.
  • 00:21:53.268 --> 00:21:56.271
  • He said it's not enough to be better.
  • 00:21:56.271 --> 00:21:58.573
  • You have to be perfect.
  • 00:21:58.573 --> 00:22:00.242
  • The only way to be assured of heaven is to looking
  • 00:22:00.242 --> 00:22:03.545
  • To jesus christ.
  • 00:22:03.545 --> 00:22:05.280
  • And the bible says when you look one time and put your faith
  • 00:22:05.280 --> 00:22:10.285
  • And trust in the savior, god takes your little amount of
  • 00:22:10.285 --> 00:22:13.588
  • Faith and he credits it for righteousness.
  • 00:22:13.588 --> 00:22:17.025
  • Abraham believed god and his faith
  • 00:22:17.025 --> 00:22:22.964
  • Was counted as righteousness.
  • 00:22:22.964 --> 00:22:28.003
  • Jeffress: my prayer is that you will make this all-important
  • 00:22:32.174 --> 00:22:34.810
  • Decision to trust in jesus christ for your salvation.
  • 00:22:34.810 --> 00:22:39.014
  • When you do, god will count your faith as righteousness and
  • 00:22:39.014 --> 00:22:43.351
  • You'll become a member of his family.
  • 00:22:43.351 --> 00:22:46.455
  • Well, these are exciting days at "pathway to victory."
  • 00:22:46.455 --> 00:22:49.057
  • In fact, when i look back over the last 12 months,
  • 00:22:49.057 --> 00:22:52.194
  • I'm astounded by the expansion of our ministry.
  • 00:22:52.194 --> 00:22:55.497
  • For example, our television program is reaching tens of
  • 00:22:55.497 --> 00:22:58.500
  • Thousands of new households every single day of the week in
  • 00:22:58.500 --> 00:23:02.604
  • America and around the world.
  • 00:23:02.604 --> 00:23:04.873
  • Our radio program is heard on more stations than ever before.
  • 00:23:04.873 --> 00:23:08.944
  • Plus, we've been given rare opportunities to teach the bible
  • 00:23:08.944 --> 00:23:12.481
  • On up-and-coming digital platforms, allowing us to reach
  • 00:23:12.481 --> 00:23:15.984
  • A whole new audience who might not otherwise hear the gospel.
  • 00:23:15.984 --> 00:23:20.288
  • Would you pray with us that god would continue to expand
  • 00:23:20.288 --> 00:23:23.758
  • Our influence for his glory?
  • 00:23:23.758 --> 00:23:26.228
  • Together, we are piercing the darkness
  • 00:23:26.228 --> 00:23:29.664
  • With the light of god's word.
  • 00:23:29.664 --> 00:23:31.333
  • Now please stay right there.
  • 00:23:31.333 --> 00:23:32.968
  • I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
  • 00:23:32.968 --> 00:23:37.472
  • Jeffress: the story of abraham is an invitation to come back to
  • 00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:42.410
  • The altar of god.
  • 00:23:42.410 --> 00:23:45.180
  • He fell into disobedience and ultimately disgrace.
  • 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:51.553
  • Repentance begins with a change of mind that says, "i don't want
  • 00:23:51.553 --> 00:23:54.856
  • To keep going this direction."
  • 00:23:54.856 --> 00:23:57.492
  • And that's what abraham did.
  • 00:23:57.492 --> 00:24:00.295
  • Picture right now a challenge you're facing.
  • 00:24:00.295 --> 00:24:04.165
  • It may be a challenge with a child or a grandchild.
  • 00:24:04.165 --> 00:24:07.802
  • It may be a financial need.
  • 00:24:07.802 --> 00:24:10.405
  • It might be a physical problem with you or somebody
  • 00:24:10.405 --> 00:24:12.908
  • You care about.
  • 00:24:12.908 --> 00:24:14.843
  • Do you believe the same god whose been faithful in the past
  • 00:24:14.843 --> 00:24:18.146
  • To you will be faithful to you now?
  • 00:24:18.146 --> 00:24:20.549
  • Is god still alive?
  • 00:24:20.549 --> 00:24:22.951
  • Is god still working and you really trust in god?
  • 00:24:22.951 --> 00:24:28.890
  • The one quality god admires, god desires more than any other
  • 00:24:28.890 --> 00:24:34.029
  • Quality in our lives is faith.
  • 00:24:34.029 --> 00:24:38.066
  • What is faith?
  • 00:24:38.066 --> 00:24:39.768
  • It's believing that god will do what he has promised to do
  • 00:24:39.768 --> 00:24:43.772
  • And acting accordingly.
  • 00:24:43.772 --> 00:24:50.011
  • If the story of abraham tells us anything it tells us this.
  • 00:24:50.011 --> 00:24:54.449
  • It doesn't matter how old you are.
  • 00:24:54.449 --> 00:24:55.850
  • It doesn't matter how far you've drifted away from god.
  • 00:24:55.850 --> 00:24:59.487
  • You can come back.
  • 00:24:59.487 --> 00:25:01.489
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:25:01.489 --> 00:25:07.362
  • Jeffress: jesus is the only path to salvation.
  • 00:25:08.930 --> 00:25:12.801
  • That's true in the new testament
  • 00:25:12.801 --> 00:25:14.502
  • And true in the old testament as well.
  • 00:25:14.502 --> 00:25:16.771
  • Even abraham, who lived many generations before jesus died
  • 00:25:16.771 --> 00:25:20.575
  • On the cross, was offered salvation.
  • 00:25:20.575 --> 00:25:24.012
  • Well, waiting on god to provide an answer is never easy.
  • 00:25:24.012 --> 00:25:27.716
  • Sometimes we want to move ahead of god
  • 00:25:27.716 --> 00:25:30.085
  • And force the answer we want.
  • 00:25:30.085 --> 00:25:32.520
  • Next time i'm going to show you how abraham and sarah got
  • 00:25:32.520 --> 00:25:35.890
  • Tired of waiting on god and so they devised another plan.
  • 00:25:35.890 --> 00:25:40.562
  • The results were devastating.
  • 00:25:40.562 --> 00:25:43.131
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next
  • 00:25:43.131 --> 00:25:45.400
  • In our series "walking by faith."
  • 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.336
  • Jeffress: running ahead of god leads to bad decisions
  • 00:25:49.704 --> 00:25:54.175
  • And painful consequences.
  • 00:25:54.175 --> 00:25:57.012
  • You know who discovered that first of all?
  • 00:25:57.012 --> 00:26:00.415
  • Our subject, our friend named abraham.
  • 00:26:00.415 --> 00:26:03.918
  • He's a living illustration of how bad decisions and painful
  • 00:26:03.918 --> 00:26:09.524
  • Consequences are always the result of running ahead of god.
  • 00:26:09.524 --> 00:26:13.828
  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time
  • 00:26:13.828 --> 00:26:15.864
  • For the message "two's company but three's a crowd"
  • 00:26:15.864 --> 00:26:19.334
  • Here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:19.334 --> 00:26:21.770
  • Announcer: experience the beauty of alaska with the
  • 00:26:24.739 --> 00:26:27.042
  • Pathway to victory family june 13-20, 2026.
  • 00:26:27.042 --> 00:26:32.013
  • Sail through the calm waters of the legendary inside passage
  • 00:26:32.013 --> 00:26:35.417
  • With dr. robert jeffress aboard holland america's
  • 00:26:35.417 --> 00:26:37.886
  • Magnificent koningsdam.
  • 00:26:37.886 --> 00:26:40.121
  • Be inspired by award-winning musician michael o'brien's
  • 00:26:40.121 --> 00:26:43.024
  • Powerful worship; share laughter with dennis swanberg,
  • 00:26:43.024 --> 00:26:46.394
  • America's minister of encouragement;
  • 00:26:46.394 --> 00:26:48.697
  • All while exploring frontier towns like juneau,
  • 00:26:48.697 --> 00:26:51.599
  • Skagway, and ketchikan.
  • 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:53.601
  • Jeffress: there's something powerful about connecting with
  • 00:26:53.601 --> 00:26:55.870
  • God and fellow believers in the majesty
  • 00:26:55.870 --> 00:26:58.873
  • Of his untamed wilderness.
  • 00:26:58.873 --> 00:27:01.042
  • From the majestic glaciers to soaring eagles,
  • 00:27:01.042 --> 00:27:04.179
  • These moments in god's creation will deepen your
  • 00:27:04.179 --> 00:27:06.781
  • Faith in powerful ways.
  • 00:27:06.781 --> 00:27:08.950
  • Announcer: join us for a spiritual journey through some
  • 00:27:08.950 --> 00:27:11.119
  • Of creation's most spectacular displays.
  • 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.255
  • Don't wait, our best cabins are going fast.
  • 00:27:14.255 --> 00:27:16.758
  • Secure your alaska adventure now.
  • 00:27:16.758 --> 00:27:19.027
  • Call ... or visit ptv.org.
  • 00:27:19.027 --> 00:27:19.027