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If you are in Christ and Christ is in you, He is always with you. At your lowest moment,

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when you feel completely overwhelmed, isolated, abandoned, alone, you can say,

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the Lord is at my right hand and therefore I will not be shaken.

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Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick,

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and Colin for the Christian, what a comforting thought.

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Yes, that’s straight out of Psalm 16, and it’s one of the verses that I use most

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often to try and help and encourage people in great difficulty. Because the Lord is at my right

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hand. Right there beside me. That’s why I will not be shaken. That’s how I’m going to get through

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this. And the reason for quoting that verse today is that we’re talking about the presence

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of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the soul of a Christian believer. He’s the great friend of the

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soul, and he’s always present whatever you’re going through even at your lowest point. Even

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when we don’t feel him? Even when you don’t feel him, he’s there. And especially when you don’t

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feel him, it’s important to say he is there. He’s at my right hand and therefore I will not be shaken.

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What a great way to start today’s program. And so if you can, join us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5

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as we continue the message, the Son of God. Here’s Collin. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the

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Trinity, is referred to in the Bible as the Spirit of God, as the Spirit of Christ,

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as the Spirit of truth, as the Holy Spirit, or simply as the Spirit. It’s interesting that in

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Romans chapter 8 and verse 9, there are 3 references to the Holy Spirit in one verse

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using 3 of these different titles. Romans 8, 9,

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You however are not in the flesh but in the spirit. If in fact the spirit of God dwells in

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you, anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him. So here is the

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great reality that stands at the very centre of an authentic Christian life. Jesus Christ the Son

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of God who was born in the manger, who died on the cross, and who rose from the dead lives

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by the spirit in the life of every believer. I’m going to say that again because it is so

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remarkable that Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was born in the manger and died on the cross

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and rose from the dead lives by his spirit. The spirit of Christ in the life, the heart, the soul

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of every believer. And that is why Paul says in Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 that is open before

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I’ve been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. That’s why the apostle

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says in the book of Colossians it is Christ in you. That’s your hope of glory.

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Now, I want to try and convey before we come to some direct applications. I want

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try and convey to you just how important this is and how different the whole of

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the Christian life is when you get it and how dry the whole thing is if you miss it.

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Years ago when I was still a student I came across a book by a man called William Law

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that was called, A Serious Call To A Devout And Holy Life. Some of you may have heard of that

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book. It’s actually quite famous and has been regarded in some spheres as something of a classic.

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A Serious Call To A Devout And Holy Life. Here I was a young student wanting to give my life

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to Christ and I thought to myself, now that’s what I want. A Holy Life. I really want

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to be devoted to Christ. So I got the book and I started reading and I didn’t get very far.

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Because it was very, very dry.

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There are 24 chapters. I was looking at it again online. Actually threw my original copy away

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because I hadn’t found any value in it. By the way maybe there may be a rebellious

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section of the congregation, they’ll say I gotta read that book because He didn’t like it.

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Just see what’s wrong with it or else what’s wrong with Him.

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But, you know there are 24 hefty chapters. I don’t think I got through

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four or five before I gave up. Then just last weekend I was reading a book, a wonderful book,

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by Ian Murray who is a historian, a Christian historian. And I was

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absolutely fascinated. It just popped out of me, you know how that happens.

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When he made a comment about this man William Law.

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And let me read the quote to you in full so you’ll understand it. He says this,

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Any teaching on holiness which puts the main emphasis, underline that the main emphasis,

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on the Christian’s duty, any teaching on holiness that puts the main emphasis on a Christian’s duty

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turns sanctification. That’s the way in which we become progressively more like Christ turns

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sanctification into a matter of self-effort. A work dependent on ourselves or an experience

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that we have to seek. If that were the case says Murray it would not be good news.

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Grace would fall into the second place and our works would be put before the grace of God.

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Then he says this, this is not an imaginary danger, that is to make the main emphasis self-effort and

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to put our works before the grace of God. This is not an imaginary danger because in the 18th

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century in England there were clergy ministers who lamented the moral decline. Now that sounds

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familiar to us doesn’t it. They lamented the moral decline and they spoke and wrote therefore about

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holiness. One of them was William Law who wrote a book called A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy

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Life, 1729. Yet says Murray, and this was what got me, the teaching of these men this is a historian

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speaking, brought no change to the church or to the nation. He then explains why. The reason,

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their message was not good news it was simply self-effort and moral improvement you see.

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He says they Directed non-Christians to live as if they were Christians.

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You see they see the moral decline in the country and they say what we need is a restoration of

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traditional values we need a restoration of christian values so what we’re going to

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preach is we’ve got to tell non-christians to live as if they were christians that’s

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what William Law did. And Iain Murray the historian looking back on the whole history

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of the 18th century said it made absolutely no difference in the church it made absolutely

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no difference to the nation. Then he says this. It was only when George Whitfield and the

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Wesleys and others begin to preach Christ and the necessity of the Holy Spirit and the

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new birth that then a great and a mighty change began. And he’s talking about a great and

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a mighty change not only in England but also of course here in America where the great

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awakening the preaching of George Whitfield Jonathan Edwards and so forth… remarkable

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changes in the history from ministry of men like Willliam Law, because they were essentially

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calling for a more disciplined life and that’s not good news. And so it made no difference

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to the church. It made no difference to the nation. And it just popped out to me, you

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can understand why. Because I’m thinking now 200 years, nearly 300 years later, here’s

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a theological student in London, who’s picking up William Law and wanting to live more of

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a holy life and saying, well this looks like a famous book so it’s going to help me and

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finds his what? As dry as dust! Because it’s all about my effort to live a better life.

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There’s no Christ! New birth, the Holy Spirit. Christ living in me! Friends, isn’t this the

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greatest challenge of Christian parenting? Little fellow, little girl, trusted into your

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care, and how easy it is to spend all your time doing what William Law did – trying

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to instruct a non-Christian to live as if he or she was a Christian. Now don’t do

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this – do that. Read your Bible, say your prayers, and don’t swear.

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You say, what do we need to do? What Marie is saying. The real change came when Wesley

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and Whitfield, they began to speak about Christ. They began to speak about the necessity of

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the Holy Spirit to change your little life. For you to be converted – for God to come

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into your soul. And for me to pray for that and for you to know, don’t tell yourself

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a Christian just because you go to church and say your Bible and read your prayers.

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Because then you might shortchange yourself and miss the whole thing. Which is that Christ

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should come to live in you. Now, we’ve got visitors every Sunday, folks

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who are new to the church and all the rest of it. And let me just say this, if this all

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seems beyond you, I want to boil it down to a simple question. Can you see, if you’re

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thinking – I’m not sure what he’s talking about here – can you see that if it were

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possible for the Spirit of Jesus Christ to be an honored guest in your soul, can you

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see that if it was possible for the Spirit of Jesus Christ to be an honored guest in

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your soul, to dwell in your mind, and in your heart, and to settle down in your desires,

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and in your conscience, and even in your memories, can you see that if that were to happen, it

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would be entirely different from you simply doing your best to be a good Christian. Entirely

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different, and I hope that you know what I am talking about, and what Paul is talking

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about in Galatians Chapter 2 and verse 20, from your own experience, and if you don’t,

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I hope that you will be awakened to what it really means to be a Christian, and that you

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will determine today that you will not sell yourself short, and you will not rest until

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you can say with clarity and with joy, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer

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live but Christ lives in me. I’m saying to parents often who have kids that are like

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this, in their whole attitude towards God, stop telling him he’s a Christian. You are

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doing the greatest damage by insisting on that. You have no basis for doing so. Begin

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to speak about the need of a change of heart from the inside otherwise he will conclude

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that what you’re talking about isn’t worth having. Christ lives in me.

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We have to pause the message right there. You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor

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Colin Smith and today’s message, the Son of God, is part of our series called Soul

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Care and if you have missed any of the series or you would to go back and listen again,

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you can always do that by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk or find us

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as a podcast on your regular podcasting site or by following the link on our website. Subscribe

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to the podcast to receive regular updates.

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Back to the message now, here’s Colin.

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Now, let me come to the application very simply. What does this mean for us. Christ lives

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me? Why is that such marvelous good news? Let me just point in these directions, in

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the last part here very, very simply. It means firstly this, it says wonderful good news

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because the indwelling Christ by the spirit means that a Christian is never truly alone.

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Isn’t that good news? Some of you have been bereaved for years and feel the loss of someone

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you greatly love. You cling to this, you love this, a Christian is never truly alone. Oh

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there will be times when you feel lonely for sure but if you are in Christ and Christ is

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in you, He is always with you at your lowest moment. And for some of us that will immediately

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say that’s me, that’s right now at your lowest moment when you feel completely overwhelmed,

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isolated, abandoned, alone you can say the Lord is at my right hand and therefore I will

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not be shaken. That’s the greatest thing in all of the world, isn’t it?

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You know there’s a prayer that we often pray that is somewhat redundant. It goes like this,

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Lord, Mary is sick, please be with her. Jim is going through a great trial, please be

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with him. Now I’ve prayed that many times and I’m sure I will in the future too though

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I try to pray it less often than perhaps I did in the past just for this reason.

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It’s good to pray that a person will be aware of the presence of Christ, but it is even

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better to remember that a prayer for Christ to be with a Christian in time of trouble

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is a prayer that has already been answered.

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Christ lives in me. And when this is the reality of your life,

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you can say with David, the Lord is my light, the Lord is my salvation, who shall I fear?

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You can say with Paul, if God be for us, who can be against us? You can say with John,

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he who lives within me is greater than he who is in the world.

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A Christian is never truly alone, Christ lives in me.

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Second, Christ knows directly all that you face and feel and fear.

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This is the most wonderful comfort, help, strength, in times of trouble.

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Jesus Christ, because he lives in you by the Spirit,

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knows directly all that you face and feel and fear.

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Jesus Christ has a real-time, instantaneous awareness of every trial,

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every temptation that you will ever, ever face.

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Some of you have told me, I guess you told me because of where I come from,

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that you have been enjoying watching Downton Abbey.

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Are there any folks here have been enjoying watching Downton Abbey on PBS?

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And one or two who want to hold up a hand there.

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This marvelous drama of a stately home in England,

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early 20th century, where the servants live and eat and work downstairs.

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And the Earl and

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his splendid family enjoy life upstairs in this stately home.

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And it’s so intriguing because it kind of takes you into another world that is

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long gone.

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The house has, as was traditional in those days,

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a system of little bells that ring in the kitchen.

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And there’s a pool cord in every room,

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and you can still see this in stately homes in England, and perhaps also here.

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So that the occupants could call for attention, and

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when the bell rings downstairs it indicates by which bell goes exactly

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the point of need is so the servants can make an immediate response.

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Now here’s something very wonderful.

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Jesus Christ has installed a bell system that connects your heart to Heaven.

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But think about this, it is a bell system that works in reverse.

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Because it is a bell system in which the servants ring for

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the help of the Master.

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Think about this.

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The Spirit of God lives within your heart.

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He feels the approach of every trial and

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every temptation, pulls the cord to ring the bell in Heaven.

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Jesus Christ knows directly everything you face, everything that you fear.

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And he knows it because his Spirit dwells in you.

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And Christ does not roll his eyes when the bells ring,

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as some servants might sometimes do.

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We have a high priest, says the writer to the Hebrews,

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who is able to sympathize with our weakness.

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Why?

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Because he’s been downstairs, he’s lived downstairs.

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He has been tempted and tested in every respect.

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And now as your advocate at the right hand of the father,

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He speaks on your behalf, so that all the resources of heaven

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are available for you.

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That’s why the writer to the Hebrew says,

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let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace

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that we may receive mercy

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and find this grace to help us in our time of need.

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So Jesus Christ knows directly, all that you face

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and all that you feel and all that you fear,

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the spirit of God indwelling the heart.

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The bell system that works in reverse

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so that the servant may call on the master.

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And then here’s the very last thing today,

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the spirit of Christ is actively at work in your soul.

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Christ lives in me, he lives in me by the Spirit.

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The Spirit of Christ indwells the heart,

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the mind, the soul of a Christian believer.

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And how wonderful this is,

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think of all the things that the New Testament tells us

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that the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer.

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He’s always at work.

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He’s opening the mind of the believer

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to an understanding of God’s words

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so that when you read the Bible,

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the Holy Spirit is right there active with you.

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He convicts of sin, he makes us holy,

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he equips us for ministry, thrusts us out

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and sends us into every sphere of life in our vocations.

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He intercedes for us, he bears witness with us

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that we are the children of God.

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The spirit of God is always working

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in the life of a believer.

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And I cannot think of a greater incentive

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to care for your soul than to know

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that God by his spirit is present in your soul

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and caring for it, that motivates me.

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I cannot think of a greater motivation to work for God

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than to know that he by his spirit

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is working powerfully in me.

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I can’t think of a greater reason for hope

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than to know that in the hardest moments of life

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the spirit of almighty God,

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the spirit of Jesus is actively at work in you.

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Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling

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says the apostle Paul.

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Why?

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How am I to do that?

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I don’t feel that strong

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because it is God who is working in you.

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He’s speaking about the indwelling Christ,

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the Holy Spirit,

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and he’s working in you

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both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

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Christ in you therefore says Paul is the hope of glory.

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The presence of Christ with you,

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the sympathy of Christ towards you,

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the strength of Christ in you.

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That’s what’s gonna get you through.

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Christ in you, the hope of glory.

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And to every person who says now

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that sounds like what I need.

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The Lord Jesus Christ says behold I stand at the door

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and knock.

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anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

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I will come in.

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I’m going to eat with him, with her

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and him for her, with me.

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That’s a great encouragement to all of us,

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Christ knows directly all that you face

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and all that you fear.

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I hope you find that an encouragement

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and a comfort today.

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You’re listening to Open the Bible

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with Pastor Colin Smith

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and today’s message is called The Son of God.

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And it’s part of a series called Soulcare.

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And if you’ve missed any of the series so far

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or you want to go back and listen again,

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you can do that by coming online

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to our website openthebible.org.uk

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You can also find us as a podcast

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on your favorite podcast site

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or by following the link on our website

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and subscribe to the podcast to receive regular updates.

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At Open the Bible, we welcome contact with our listeners.

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If you’ve been blessed by Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching

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and you’d like to reach out to us,

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there are several ways you can do that.

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You can write to us at Open the Bible,

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P. O. Box 1420 Cheltenham, GL50, 9PG

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or you can phone us on 0330-335-8089.

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If we’re not available when you call,

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leave a message for us and we’ll return your call.

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All of these contact details are available on our website,

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openthebible.org.uk.

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OPEN THE BIBLE depends on your generosity

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to stay on air and on the internet.

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And, as you set up a new regular gift

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of five pounds per month or more this month,

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we’d love to send you a copy

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of Chris Lungard’s book, The Enemy Within,

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straight talk about the power and defeat of sin.

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Colin, how does this book help us

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if we’re feeling discouraged

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with our battle against sin and temptation?

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C. Well, the book is wonderfully helpful

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because it’s really clear

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and it’s really well written.

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I mean, for example,

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Chris Lungard pictures the heart

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as being like a haunted house.

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I mean, his description of this

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is absolutely brilliant.

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You know, going down into a basement

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where there are hidden monsters

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that lie there,

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the haunted house of your heart,

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he paints that picture so vividly.

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The things that we fear might be lurking

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in the basement of our own interior life.

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I mean, that’s vivid and compelling.

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But then he says this,

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the Holy Spirit takes the horror

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out of the horror show.

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Now, that’s wonderful.

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You see, he describes the problem

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realistically and compellingly,

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and then he points us to where our hope lies,

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the power of the Holy Spirit.

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He’s like a blazing torch

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brought into the haunted rooms,

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and he ferrets out the monsters.

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This is great writing

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from a clear biblical understanding

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that really connects

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with the battles that believers face in our lives.

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I’ve found it wonderfully helpful and encouraging,

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and I think anyone who reads it will find the same too.

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So Chris Longard’s book,

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The Enemy Within,

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is our gift to you this month

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00:25:00,739 –> 00:25:02,880

if you’re able to set up a new donation

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00:25:02,880 –> 00:25:04,619

to the work of Open the Bible

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00:25:04,619 –> 00:25:06,760

in the amount of £5 per month

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00:25:06,760 –> 00:25:07,599

or more,

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00:25:07,599 –> 00:25:09,939

full details on our website,

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openthebible.org.uk.

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For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,

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I’m David Pick.

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And I hope you’ll join us again next time.

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Is the Bible God’s word to us,

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or is it our word about God?

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Find out next time on Open the Bible.