100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,340This is very important to know how temptation works.200:00:07,340 –> 00:00:12,680What Satan does is he invites you to go back to your old sins.300:00:12,680 –> 00:00:15,960He holds an enticement before you.400:00:15,960 –> 00:00:19,120And he says this is what you want.500:00:19,120 –> 00:00:22,360This is what you enjoy.600:00:22,360 –> 00:00:25,639This is where you belong.700:00:25,639 –> 00:00:29,480This is who you are.800:00:29,480 –> 00:00:32,779Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.900:00:32,779 –> 00:00:35,700I’m David Pick, glad you could join us today.1000:00:35,700 –> 00:00:42,619And Colin, all of us can relate to that temptation, so when it comes how do we respond to that?1100:00:42,619 –> 00:00:45,080Well we remind Satan that he’s a liar.1200:00:45,080 –> 00:00:46,380This is not who I am.1300:00:46,380 –> 00:00:51,160You see, there are two truths that are really important to get hold of in the Scripture.1400:00:51,160 –> 00:00:53,400One is that God is changing me.1500:00:53,779 –> 00:00:56,020That’s the truth of sanctification.1600:00:56,020 –> 00:00:58,240The other is that God has changed me.1700:00:58,240 –> 00:01:02,500That’s the truth of regeneration, which is what we’re talking about in the series.1800:01:02,500 –> 00:01:04,779Really important to be able to grasp both.1900:01:04,779 –> 00:01:09,919I’m not yet the person that I’m going to be, but I’m not the person that I used to be either.2000:01:09,919 –> 00:01:18,320And where Satan tells me that I am defined by my own sin, he lies because I’m a new creation2100:01:18,320 –> 00:01:19,500in Jesus Christ.2200:01:20,339 –> 00:01:24,300So when we get that temptation that comes to mind and Satan is whispering that in our2300:01:24,300 –> 00:01:28,019ear, you’re saying we need to, in a sense, fight back with scripture.2400:01:28,019 –> 00:01:29,019That’s right.2500:01:29,019 –> 00:01:30,019We answer back.2600:01:30,019 –> 00:01:31,019We say, no, that is not who I am.2700:01:31,019 –> 00:01:32,900I’m a new creation in Jesus Christ.2800:01:32,900 –> 00:01:39,519I’m a child of God, and you may tempt me with these particular temptations, but who I am2900:01:39,519 –> 00:01:44,320is someone who’s living to please God, and that’s the pushback that’s really important3000:01:44,320 –> 00:01:45,839in facing temptation.3100:01:45,900 –> 00:01:51,480Well, let’s continue with that in 2 Corinthians 5, as we continue the message, Knowing Who3200:01:51,480 –> 00:01:52,480You Are.3300:01:52,480 –> 00:01:54,019Here is Pastor Colin.3400:01:54,019 –> 00:01:59,900Regeneration is the completed transformation, the work of God’s Spirit that begins the continuing3500:01:59,900 –> 00:02:02,879process that we call sanctification.3600:02:02,879 –> 00:02:08,380The great truth of sanctification that many Christians understand well is that God is3700:02:08,380 –> 00:02:09,759changing me.3800:02:09,759 –> 00:02:11,520Thank God for that.3900:02:11,520 –> 00:02:16,860The great truth of regeneration that most Christians do not understand well is that4000:02:16,860 –> 00:02:20,940Christ has changed me.4100:02:20,940 –> 00:02:23,339And we need both these truths.4200:02:23,339 –> 00:02:27,339And I want to show you in just a moment what happens if you grasp the one and not the other,4300:02:27,339 –> 00:02:30,639and the answer is you become spiritually exhausted.4400:02:30,639 –> 00:02:33,979We’ll see how.4500:02:33,979 –> 00:02:36,820Now, that’s the learning bit.4600:02:36,820 –> 00:02:39,419Now we’ve got to get down to some practice.4700:02:39,559 –> 00:02:48,240I want you to see how the wonderful truth of regeneration functions in the life of a4800:02:48,240 –> 00:02:49,240Christian believer.4900:02:49,240 –> 00:02:52,639We spend nearly twenty minutes thinking about this.5000:02:52,639 –> 00:02:53,639What’s the point?5100:02:53,639 –> 00:02:54,639What’s the use?5200:02:54,639 –> 00:02:56,800What’s the value of me knowing this?5300:02:56,800 –> 00:03:02,759How does this truth work in the life of an ordinary Christian person like me?5400:03:03,080 –> 00:03:10,119Well, I want to point you to three ways in which this wonderful truth functions in the5500:03:10,119 –> 00:03:14,520life of a believer, three ways in which it’s really useful to you.5600:03:14,520 –> 00:03:16,360Here’s the first.5700:03:16,360 –> 00:03:26,660Regeneration is the root of all growth in your Christian life.5800:03:27,660 –> 00:03:33,699It is the root of all growth in your Christian life.5900:03:33,699 –> 00:03:40,259Very simply, if you want to grow, you have to start with life.6000:03:40,259 –> 00:03:42,559Dead things don’t grow.6100:03:42,559 –> 00:03:44,419Put a stone in the ground?6200:03:44,419 –> 00:03:45,660It’s a stone in the ground.6300:03:45,660 –> 00:03:49,580Put a seed in the ground, different thing.6400:03:49,580 –> 00:03:54,779So regeneration, because it is God bringing us to spiritual life by the Holy Spirit, is6500:03:54,779 –> 00:03:59,559the root of all growth in the Christian life.6600:03:59,559 –> 00:04:04,360Regeneration is the life that grows in sanctification.6700:04:04,360 –> 00:04:14,100Or to use a different kind of analogy, regeneration is the engine that drives all progress in6800:04:14,100 –> 00:04:16,859the Christian life.6900:04:16,859 –> 00:04:19,920Regeneration is what makes you want to be more holy than you are.7000:04:19,920 –> 00:04:23,640It is the root, it is the beginning of all Christian progress.7100:04:23,660 –> 00:04:29,299It is the life that grows in what we call sanctification.7200:04:29,299 –> 00:04:35,079What that means is simply this, since regeneration is becoming a new person in Jesus Christ,7300:04:35,079 –> 00:04:42,339all progress in the Christian life begins with you knowing clearly who you are in Jesus7400:04:42,339 –> 00:04:44,820Christ.7500:04:44,820 –> 00:04:49,779That’s the first way in which regeneration is not only useful but absolutely critical7600:04:49,779 –> 00:04:51,940to every one of us.7700:04:51,940 –> 00:04:54,260Let me boil it down for you.7800:04:54,260 –> 00:05:02,299Have you ever come to a place in your life when you’ve said to yourself, you know I think7900:05:02,299 –> 00:05:09,660I am the most useless, miserable, failed, pathetic, weak apology for a Christian that8000:05:09,660 –> 00:05:11,160ever has been, or ever will be?8100:05:11,160 –> 00:05:14,140Have you ever come to a place in your life when you’ve kind of said that or thought that8200:05:14,140 –> 00:05:15,140about yourself?8300:05:15,140 –> 00:05:17,459A lot of heads nodding.8400:05:17,459 –> 00:05:20,859And I have too.8500:05:20,880 –> 00:05:25,220Maybe you fell into some sin.8600:05:25,220 –> 00:05:28,839Maybe the progress of other Christians just made you think what in the world’s happened8700:05:28,839 –> 00:05:31,660to me.8800:05:31,660 –> 00:05:34,820Maybe you were ashamed of thoughts that went through your mind.8900:05:34,820 –> 00:05:42,559You thought if I thought that, can I even be a Christian at all?9000:05:42,559 –> 00:05:48,260Let God tell you who you are at that moment.9100:05:48,399 –> 00:05:53,760Listen, you are a new creation in Christ.9200:05:53,760 –> 00:05:56,899You have been crucified with Christ.9300:05:56,899 –> 00:06:00,140You have been raised to new life.9400:06:00,140 –> 00:06:03,380Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.9500:06:03,380 –> 00:06:08,820You have been set free from sin, you are light in a dark world.9600:06:08,820 –> 00:06:13,760You have been born again and for that reason you are a child of God.9700:06:14,760 –> 00:06:21,760See, that is the only way to address the reasonable failure thing that every Christian experiences9800:06:21,760 –> 00:06:24,440at some point in their lives.9900:06:24,440 –> 00:06:31,579You have to let God tell you who you are in Christ and when you lay hold of that again,10000:06:31,579 –> 00:06:35,040you will find the strength to move forward.10100:06:35,040 –> 00:06:41,160Once you know who you are, you will find that the rest of your growth in the Christian life10200:06:41,299 –> 00:06:45,040is simply a matter of being who you are.10300:06:45,040 –> 00:06:51,339Which is why we’re saying that the root of all growth in the Christian life is regeneration,10400:06:51,339 –> 00:06:55,420to know who you are now as a new person in Jesus Christ.10500:06:55,420 –> 00:07:00,600Now, think through the 7 scriptures that we looked at together.10600:07:00,600 –> 00:07:04,700You might like to review them again later, but let me just show you how knowing who you10700:07:04,700 –> 00:07:13,820are in Christ, that’s regeneration, drives the new life in which you grow in Christ.10800:07:13,820 –> 00:07:15,980Regeneration drives sanctification.10900:07:15,980 –> 00:07:22,100Listen, you are light, Ephesians 5, 8, so live as light.11000:07:22,100 –> 00:07:24,119See, there’s regeneration.11100:07:24,119 –> 00:07:25,179What’s God done for you?11200:07:25,179 –> 00:07:26,359He’s given you a new nature.11300:07:26,359 –> 00:07:27,420You are light.11400:07:27,420 –> 00:07:29,880Now, when you know that you are light, what are you going to do?11500:07:29,880 –> 00:07:32,519Paul says, well live as light.11600:07:32,519 –> 00:07:39,459When you know that you are light, then you will find that by God’s grace, you are moved11700:07:39,459 –> 00:07:43,420to be who you are.11800:07:43,420 –> 00:07:48,940You are free from sin, Paul says, so do not let sin be your master.11900:07:48,940 –> 00:07:52,739Don’t let Satan tell you that you have to do this thing that he’s tempting you to do.12000:07:52,739 –> 00:07:58,500You’re a free man, you’re a free woman, so don’t let sin be your master.12100:07:58,500 –> 00:08:00,179Christ lives in you.12200:08:00,179 –> 00:08:04,899In crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.12300:08:04,899 –> 00:08:06,880So what is my response to that?12400:08:06,880 –> 00:08:09,320The life I live, I live by faith in the Son of God.12500:08:09,320 –> 00:08:14,279If Christ lives in me, then I have to live by faith.12600:08:14,279 –> 00:08:18,579When I know who I am, I find how I move forward.12700:08:18,579 –> 00:08:21,040Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.12800:08:21,040 –> 00:08:22,700There’s the regeneration statement.12900:08:22,700 –> 00:08:25,179What’s the next thing that comes in 1 Corinthians 6?13000:08:25,179 –> 00:08:29,579Therefore, flee from sexual immorality.13100:08:29,579 –> 00:08:35,400You will not flee sexual immorality until you really know that in Christ, your body13200:08:35,400 –> 00:08:37,159is a temple of the Holy Spirit.13300:08:37,159 –> 00:08:40,460When you’ve really laid hold of that and that is true of you in Christ, you’ll say,13400:08:40,460 –> 00:08:41,760I have to live differently.13500:08:41,760 –> 00:08:44,799If my body really is a temple of the Holy Spirit.13600:08:44,799 –> 00:08:50,460It changes the whole way in which I think about that stuff.13700:08:50,460 –> 00:08:54,340You have been raised with Christ.13800:08:54,340 –> 00:08:56,080So set your minds on things above.13900:08:56,080 –> 00:09:01,919If you already belong to heaven, then get your mind where you already belong.14000:09:01,919 –> 00:09:04,719You are a new creation in Christ.14100:09:04,719 –> 00:09:07,479So, live for Christ and not for yourself.14200:09:07,479 –> 00:09:09,320Second Corinthians 5 in verse 17.14300:09:09,320 –> 00:09:15,580You have been born again, first Peter, so love one another deeply.14400:09:15,580 –> 00:09:20,400In all of these scriptures, they work the same way.14500:09:20,400 –> 00:09:24,380Discover who you are, and then you’ll know how to move forward.14600:09:24,380 –> 00:09:31,760And regeneration is the root, the beginning of all progress in the Christian life.14700:09:31,760 –> 00:09:35,679And one reason why many Christians don’t make a lot of progress is that we don’t think14800:09:35,679 –> 00:09:39,940deeply about who we are in Jesus Christ and what God has already done for us in Jesus14900:09:39,940 –> 00:09:41,979Christ.15000:09:41,979 –> 00:09:45,500Once you go out into this week saying, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and that’s15100:09:45,500 –> 00:09:52,440already true, you’ll think differently about the way that you live.15200:09:52,520 –> 00:09:55,219Do you know who you are in Christ?15300:09:55,219 –> 00:09:59,580There was a lady in the congregation just recently said to me, she said, it’s really15400:09:59,580 –> 00:10:07,580helped me to know that the flesh is not who I am, it’s what I’m fighting against.15500:10:07,580 –> 00:10:10,979Isn’t that good?15600:10:10,979 –> 00:10:13,400She’d grasped regeneration, you see.15700:10:13,400 –> 00:10:17,640She grasped that she really is a new person and that the temptations that were coming15800:10:17,640 –> 00:10:21,479to her, that she was battling against, that’s not who I am.15900:10:21,479 –> 00:10:25,919And that was strengthening her therefore to fight against that stuff.16000:10:25,919 –> 00:10:29,960How’s this useful, regeneration?16100:10:29,960 –> 00:10:37,419It is the life that grows in sanctification and knowing who you are is the beginning of16200:10:37,419 –> 00:10:42,440becoming who you are, which is the whole process of growth in the Christian life.16300:10:42,440 –> 00:10:46,260You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called, Knowing16400:10:46,260 –> 00:10:51,000Who You Are, part of our series, Listener Favourites 2026.16500:10:51,599 –> 00:10:55,859If you ever miss one of our messages, you can catch up or you can go back and listen16600:10:55,859 –> 00:11:00,299again online at our website openthebible.org.uk16700:11:00,299 –> 00:11:05,700Also available on all the podcast sites by searching for Open the Bible UK or follow16800:11:05,700 –> 00:11:07,359the link from our website.16900:11:08,039 –> 00:11:09,539Back to the message now.17000:11:09,559 –> 00:11:11,820Here again is Pastor Colin.17100:11:11,820 –> 00:11:14,059Here’s the second thing.17200:11:14,059 –> 00:11:15,919Regeneration.17300:11:15,940 –> 00:11:25,539Perhaps more than any other truth in the Bible will help you to overcome discouragement,17400:11:25,539 –> 00:11:31,700and particularly to overcome discouragement in regards to progress in the Christian life.17500:11:31,700 –> 00:11:37,500Now, let me describe the issue and see if you relate to this.17600:11:37,500 –> 00:11:43,219Some Christians have a genuine longing to be more like Christ.17700:11:43,320 –> 00:11:49,419It runs so deep within them, but they are always discouraged about it.17800:11:49,419 –> 00:11:52,659They have an air of defeat about them.17900:11:52,659 –> 00:11:59,280They say, I want to be a better Christian, but I’m not there yet, I’m not the person18000:11:59,280 –> 00:12:03,760that I want to be, but I’m praying that God will do a new work in me.18100:12:03,760 –> 00:12:10,520And there’s this kind of sense of defeat that hangs over them year after year after year.18200:12:10,520 –> 00:12:12,359There’s a desire, there’s a longing.18300:12:12,359 –> 00:12:15,260There’s no joy.18400:12:15,260 –> 00:12:19,799No real sense of progress, just I wish I was better than I am.18500:12:19,799 –> 00:12:26,900Now, the longing is good, but the sense of defeat is surely not what we find in the New18600:12:26,900 –> 00:12:29,640Testament.18700:12:29,640 –> 00:12:34,820The great strength of these Christians is that they have a passionate longing for holiness.18800:12:34,820 –> 00:12:37,320You can’t have that too much.18900:12:37,359 –> 00:12:39,380They want to be better.19000:12:39,380 –> 00:12:44,679They’re stretching themselves out in the pursuit of a more godly life.19100:12:44,679 –> 00:12:51,320In other words, they’ve really grasped onto the doctrine of sanctification, which promotes19200:12:51,320 –> 00:12:53,559humility and it promotes effort.19300:12:53,559 –> 00:12:58,039And it says you haven’t arrived there yet, you’ve a long ways still to go, so press on.19400:12:58,039 –> 00:13:02,840These Christians will really relate to a wonderful verse that we all need, like Philippians19500:13:02,840 –> 00:13:08,0003.10, not that I have already obtained this or have already been made perfect, but I press19600:13:08,000 –> 00:13:09,000on.19700:13:09,000 –> 00:13:10,719That’s sanctification.19800:13:10,719 –> 00:13:12,159All right?19900:13:12,159 –> 00:13:14,460The continuing process.20000:13:14,460 –> 00:13:17,559Now, we need all the truth of the Bible.20100:13:17,559 –> 00:13:21,280That’s the one point of why we’re here for this series.20200:13:21,280 –> 00:13:25,539And that includes, I need this truth of sanctification.20300:13:25,539 –> 00:13:28,500Boy, I do.20400:13:28,539 –> 00:13:35,200I need to apply myself to becoming more holy than I am on a continuing basis.20500:13:35,200 –> 00:13:40,039With God’s help I need to work on being less selfish and less critical and less a whole20600:13:40,039 –> 00:13:42,760lot of things.20700:13:42,760 –> 00:13:44,820I said to my wife, what else should I put in that list?20800:13:44,820 –> 00:13:48,640She said, just put a whole lot of things.20900:13:48,640 –> 00:13:53,640I need to be more generous, more thankful, more patient, more understanding.21000:13:53,659 –> 00:13:59,820And by God’s grace I really want to do that, because His Spirit lives in me, as in you21100:13:59,820 –> 00:14:01,460if you’re a Christian believer.21200:14:01,460 –> 00:14:04,500But let me ask you, honestly, this question.21300:14:04,500 –> 00:14:11,919Who in this congregation, honestly, is satisfied with his own sanctification or her own sanctification?21400:14:11,919 –> 00:14:16,940Is there anyone here who is as holy as he or she wants to be?21500:14:16,940 –> 00:14:18,059Not one of us.21600:14:18,260 –> 00:14:23,760In fact, the first mark of genuine holiness is that we want to be more holy than we are.21700:14:23,760 –> 00:14:31,179So, the problem that we face, and you’re not alone in this, the problem that we face in21800:14:31,179 –> 00:14:35,080sanctification, number one problem, is discouragement.21900:14:35,080 –> 00:14:37,359Because we never get there.22000:14:37,359 –> 00:14:38,359It’s always beyond.22100:14:38,359 –> 00:14:41,640We’re always pressing on.22200:14:41,679 –> 00:14:48,599And if sanctification is the only truth you have grasped, then the Christian life will22300:14:48,599 –> 00:14:55,299always seem beyond you, and you will live your Christian life like it’s always beyond22400:14:55,299 –> 00:14:58,919you until the day you die.22500:14:58,919 –> 00:15:10,880That is why beside the great truth of sanctification, every one of us needs the truth of regeneration,22600:15:10,880 –> 00:15:17,820and what God has brought together let no man nor woman separate.22700:15:17,820 –> 00:15:23,340Because beside sanctification, which is what God is still doing in you, there is this wonderful22800:15:23,340 –> 00:15:29,179truth of regeneration, which is what God has done in you, and that is what will give you22900:15:29,179 –> 00:15:33,340joy and strength to continue in the journey of sanctification.23000:15:33,340 –> 00:15:35,280That will keep you going.23100:15:35,280 –> 00:15:38,479That will deliver you from discouragement.23200:15:38,479 –> 00:15:40,479God has done in you.23300:15:40,479 –> 00:15:41,719Thank Him for it.23400:15:41,719 –> 00:15:44,979Find joy in it.23500:15:44,979 –> 00:15:50,919Let me give you just a little picture because I want you to think about this.23600:15:50,919 –> 00:15:53,919Imagine with me a man who is going on a journey through the desert, OK?23700:15:53,919 –> 00:15:55,840He’s got a pack on his back.23800:15:55,840 –> 00:15:58,239He’s got a cloth over his head.23900:15:58,239 –> 00:16:06,659He trudges through miles and miles and miles of sand, and he’s carrying water that sustains24000:16:06,820 –> 00:16:10,179And when he drinks the water, he knows he’s got to find an oasis to get more water, otherwise24100:16:10,179 –> 00:16:11,280he’s going to do what?24200:16:11,280 –> 00:16:16,039Going to die in the desert, right?24300:16:16,039 –> 00:16:21,479Regeneration is the oasis for your soul.24400:16:21,479 –> 00:16:26,760It tells you that beside the work that Christ continues to do in you, there is the work24500:16:26,760 –> 00:16:34,039that He has already done, and that is water to a thirsty soul.24600:16:34,840 –> 00:16:40,340Now, imagine our man in the desert on his journey, running out of water.24700:16:40,340 –> 00:16:41,719His flask is empty.24800:16:41,719 –> 00:16:46,260He’s getting tired and exhausted, and a mile ahead of him, there is an oasis.24900:16:46,260 –> 00:16:51,840And all of us are in the oasis there, and we’re grateful to be there before we continue25000:16:51,840 –> 00:16:52,840on our journey.25100:16:52,840 –> 00:16:55,299And here we see this man who is coming towards the oasis.25200:16:55,299 –> 00:17:01,280He looks absolutely exhausted, but in this oasis there is a spring of water.25300:17:01,780 –> 00:17:09,599Ahead of him, there is a blue lagoon into which he can plunge his dried-out body.25400:17:09,599 –> 00:17:12,880And as we see him coming up, we go out to welcome him.25500:17:12,880 –> 00:17:17,439And we say, brother, come on in here and be refreshed and be renewed before you go on25600:17:17,439 –> 00:17:20,540the next stage of your journey.25700:17:20,540 –> 00:17:24,920But he says, I must press on.25800:17:24,920 –> 00:17:28,400And we said to him, you’re going to die in the desert if you don’t come here and fill25900:17:28,400 –> 00:17:29,520your bottles of water.26000:17:29,760 –> 00:17:32,959Oh no, no, no, this journey is long, he says.26100:17:32,959 –> 00:17:34,599I must press on.26200:17:34,599 –> 00:17:36,900And off he goes!26300:17:36,900 –> 00:17:44,739Listen, a lot of Christians are like that, and it’s happening even in our life groups,26400:17:44,739 –> 00:17:46,819I believe, and some of our discussions.26500:17:46,819 –> 00:17:51,959We can’t get into our minds what God has done for us.26600:17:51,959 –> 00:17:57,459We keep bypassing the oasis and going back on into the journey of sanctification and26700:17:57,459 –> 00:18:01,719what we still to do, and what we still to achieve, and what we’re still working on.26800:18:01,719 –> 00:18:07,839So, God says, you are a new creation in Christ.26900:18:07,839 –> 00:18:12,219That is water to a thirsty soul.27000:18:12,219 –> 00:18:14,660But you rush past it.27100:18:14,660 –> 00:18:16,260You don’t take it in.27200:18:16,260 –> 00:18:23,020You say, new creation, well I’m not as new as I want to be, so I must press on.27300:18:23,020 –> 00:18:27,140God says you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.27400:18:27,219 –> 00:18:29,660Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.27500:18:29,660 –> 00:18:32,859There’s life in that.27600:18:32,859 –> 00:18:34,939You come in and drink of that deeply.27700:18:34,939 –> 00:18:36,939You are a temple of the Holy Spirit.27800:18:36,939 –> 00:18:38,180That’s what God says to you.27900:18:38,180 –> 00:18:41,359But you see, some of us are like that man in the desert.28000:18:41,359 –> 00:18:43,859We say no, no, no, we’ve no time to stop there, we’ve got to press on.28100:18:43,859 –> 00:18:46,520You see, I need to be more filled with the spirit than I am.28200:18:46,520 –> 00:18:47,540I’m sure that’s true.28300:18:47,540 –> 00:18:50,920I just want you to stop and hear this.28400:18:50,920 –> 00:18:56,180Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.28500:18:56,180 –> 00:19:00,219Stay there, for a moment.28600:19:00,219 –> 00:19:02,959Drink in this truth.28700:19:02,959 –> 00:19:08,439Because it will be the water that sustains you on the journey.28800:19:08,439 –> 00:19:12,380God has said, hear it, hear it.28900:19:12,380 –> 00:19:21,239You have been set free from sin.29000:19:21,400 –> 00:19:26,959There’s power in that to drive you forward in living the Christian life.29100:19:26,959 –> 00:19:29,439But you rush past this and you say, oh, you don’t understand.29200:19:29,439 –> 00:19:33,719There are many besetting sins in my life and I really need to work very hard at conquering29300:19:33,719 –> 00:19:35,160them.29400:19:35,160 –> 00:19:43,920You are so passionate about sanctification, and that’s great, that you rush past regeneration,29500:19:43,920 –> 00:19:46,880which is very bad.29600:19:46,880 –> 00:19:51,199Because then, like the man without the water in the desert, eventually, you know what happens29700:19:51,239 –> 00:19:59,880you fall down in your pursuit of the Christian life, exhausted, exhausted, exhausted.29800:19:59,880 –> 00:20:03,699That’s what happens again and again in every generation to people who grasp sanctification29900:20:03,699 –> 00:20:07,959and not regeneration.30000:20:07,959 –> 00:20:14,560Drink deeply of this water.30100:20:14,560 –> 00:20:17,119It will sustain you on the journey of sanctification.30200:20:17,119 –> 00:20:19,560That’s what it’s for.30300:20:19,560 –> 00:20:25,800Let Christ tell you who you are.30400:20:25,800 –> 00:20:31,239Take in the miracle of God’s grace that He has already done.30500:20:31,239 –> 00:20:37,780Stop for one moment fretting about what you are not, yet, and take in who you already30600:20:37,780 –> 00:20:39,000are in Jesus Christ.30700:20:39,000 –> 00:20:42,479It’s water to your soul.30800:20:42,479 –> 00:20:45,660In Christ you are a new creation.30900:20:45,660 –> 00:20:51,439In Christ the old has gone, and in Christ the new has come.31000:20:51,439 –> 00:20:52,439Drink this water.31100:20:52,439 –> 00:20:56,199It will be life to you.31200:20:56,199 –> 00:21:02,319It will help you overcome discouragement, and it will sustain you on the journey of31300:21:02,319 –> 00:21:03,780the Christian life.31400:21:03,780 –> 00:21:06,660Do you see how important this truth is?31500:21:06,660 –> 00:21:11,020Why we would want to take these weeks so that we get it into our minds and hearts?31600:21:11,020 –> 00:21:14,719Because it’s how it works in the Christian life.31700:21:14,719 –> 00:21:19,359And here’s the last thing, and it’s just very brief.31800:21:19,359 –> 00:21:23,800Regeneration will help you stand up against temptation.31900:21:23,800 –> 00:21:28,880It is very important to know how temptation works.32000:21:28,880 –> 00:21:35,339What Satan does is he invites you to go back to your old sins, and because he’s a liar32100:21:35,739 –> 00:21:37,859he’s the father of lies.32200:21:37,859 –> 00:21:45,040What he does is he tempts you with some enticement, and what he does by putting these thoughts32300:21:45,040 –> 00:21:47,400into your mind is something like this.32400:21:47,400 –> 00:21:55,380He holds an enticement before you, and he says this is what you want, this is what you32500:21:55,380 –> 00:22:02,500enjoy, this is where you belong, and wait for it.32600:22:02,500 –> 00:22:08,579This is who you are!32700:22:08,579 –> 00:22:16,119And remember then in that moment of temptation, that he is the father of lies.32800:22:16,119 –> 00:22:25,339And the Spirit of truth would come to you and say no, this is who you were, it is not32900:22:25,339 –> 00:22:28,599who you are.33000:22:28,719 –> 00:22:32,359Therefore you have been bought, you have been cleansed, you are a new creation, you are33100:22:32,359 –> 00:22:36,300a temple of the Holy Spirit, you are light in this dark world.33200:22:36,300 –> 00:22:42,040Now be who you are!33300:22:42,040 –> 00:22:47,079You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible with a message called knowing33400:22:47,079 –> 00:22:51,260who you are, based on 2Corinthians chapter 5.33500:22:51,260 –> 00:22:55,319If you’ve missed any of the message, or indeed any of our earlier messages you can easily33600:23:25,900 –> 00:23:29,640considered, this month we have a great offer for you.33700:23:29,640 –> 00:23:32,819Here’s Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham to tell us about it.33800:23:32,819 –> 00:23:35,459How do we become more loving people?33900:23:35,459 –> 00:23:39,880It’s something many of us long for, but it’s not always easy.34000:23:39,880 –> 00:23:45,599The good news is that the more we experience God’s love, the more we are changed to34100:23:45,599 –> 00:23:48,640love Him and those around us.34200:23:48,640 –> 00:23:54,439Grow in Love by Pastor Colin Smith is a new 30-day devotional that explores one of the34300:23:54,520 –> 00:23:57,199defining marks of the Christian life.34400:23:57,199 –> 00:24:02,239Through daily Bible readings, thoughtful teaching, and practical application,34500:24:02,239 –> 00:24:07,719Pastor Colin helps you discover how God’s love can shape your heart, strengthen your34600:24:07,719 –> 00:24:12,239relationships, and overflow into the lives of others.34700:24:12,239 –> 00:24:16,060Whether you’re new to these devotionals or you’ve already enjoyed Grow in Faith and34800:24:16,060 –> 00:24:21,479Grow in Hope, this final book stands on its own, while completing a wonderful journey34900:24:21,640 –> 00:24:26,560through the three enduring gifts of faith, hope, and love.35000:24:26,560 –> 00:24:30,880This month Open the Bible is offering a free copy of Grow in Love when you35100:24:30,880 –> 00:24:37,880give a one-off gift of at least £60 or begin a new direct debit of at least £5 a month.35200:24:37,880 –> 00:24:42,979To donate and get your free copy, visit openthebible.org.uk today.35300:24:42,979 –> 00:24:45,939And don’t forget to leave your name and address.35400:24:45,939 –> 00:24:50,800Well we’d love to send you a copy of Colin’s book, Grow in Love, when you come on board35500:24:50,800 –> 00:24:53,939with the many folks who support Open the Bible.35600:24:53,939 –> 00:24:59,119Full terms and conditions are on our website, that’s at openthebible.org.uk.35700:24:59,119 –> 00:25:00,939And you can give online.35800:25:00,939 –> 00:25:04,459For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick.35900:25:04,459 –> 00:25:08,900Glad you joined us today and I hope to see you again next time on Open the Bible.36000:25:09,160 –> 00:25:22,420If you pursue the life that God calls you to,36100:25:22,420 –> 00:25:23,719what lies ahead for you?36200:25:23,719 –> 00:25:25,660What should you expect?36300:25:25,660 –> 00:25:29,239Discover Jesus’ answer next time on Open the Bible.