Today, we're going to have another one of those
heart -to -heart talks. Somebody says, oh, I
was hoping so. That's right. And I pray that
as you sit there with an open mind, but most
of all, an open Bible, that our little heart
-to -heart talk today will mean much to you.
the other morning and it was quite early because
we were coming into the office and mr loesch
was driving we were talking about something very
seriously when suddenly i realized that there
was a car parked the side of the road and the
thing that got my attention first was the fact
that the hood of the engine was open, and I was
seeing the most beautiful engine I ever saw in
my life. There were two young teenagers standing
there looking at it, their hands on their hips,
but this engine, it was a masterpiece. I care
you so, help me. You never lifted the hood of
a Rolls Royce and saw what I saw. Every part
of that engine had been chrome -plated. It was
a beauty. The sun was shining, and I'm going
to tell you, that chrome shone. Oh, I saw a masterpiece.
And the engine looked so big. And the second
thing that I saw were these three teenagers with
the look of despair on their faces. They were
the most forlorn, most dejected -looking teenagers
that I've seen for a long time. And I said, did
you see that engine? Yeah, he said. I said, what
was it? Oh, he said, it was one of those hot
rods. He said, those teenagers probably bought
it for $10, $15. And I said, a hot rod? Sure,
he said. I said, did you see that motor? Did
you see what I saw? Oh, sure, he said. He said,
the teenagers probably went out and got each
part of that motor chrome plated. I said, but
why were they looking so dejected? He said, well,
for pity's sakes, Miss Coleman, it's because
the thing won't run. I said, Loach, I'm telling
you, I have seen with my very eyes the best illustration
that I can give of tens of... thousands of professing
Christians. They've got the old hop rod. They've
got the motor all chrome -plated. They go out
looking like the first horse in the parade. They
sing loud. They're all fixed up. On the outside,
you would think they were saints of God, ready
for the rapture. sit on little thrones, judging
everybody that comes near them. They can testify,
they can sing, they can quote the scripture.
The only thing that's wrong with the hot rod,
it isn't running. There's no power there because
there's no life there. They're dead. No matter
how they look, my friend, if the Spirit of the
Lord is not there, if they are not a part of
His body, if... He does not abide within. If
his words are not within, if they are not abiding
in him, my friend, it's a dead life. And it's
just like that. Mm -hmm. I left you in our last
little heart -to -heart talk in the sixth chapter
of Hebrews. And we have a picture of one who
even tasted the things of the Spirit, so completely
enlightened. They have even tasted the good word
of God. They have tasted the powers of the world
to come. If they shall fall away, it's impossible
to renew them again unto repentance. Why? Because
there's nothing more left. Nothing more. What
more can God do? Jesus offered himself through
the Holy Spirit to God the Father to be given.
That they might have life everlasting. That we
might have life everlasting. The pardon is there.
Then we have the Holy Spirit, the mighty convicting
power. He is the one who sends mighty conviction.
And after they have rejected the pardon, after
they have rejected the Holy Spirit, there is
nothing more that God can do. He has done everything
in his power. The rest is left with the individual.
Now, we come to this thing. But, beloved, we're
persuaded better things of you. You who have
been born again. You who have had that glorious
new birth experience. There are two births. The
one thing that we all have in common as a part
of humanity is the first birth, the birth of
the flesh. That's one thing we all have in common.
Rich or poor, regardless of nationality, we've
all come into the world the same way. That first
birth in the flesh. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, the Bible says. But there is
another birth that we do not all share. The birth
of the Spirit. His Spirit. We call it the new
birth experience. Explain it. I can't. It's something
you have to experience. It's something that's
personal. That's why you will never hear Catherine
Kuhlman ever say, there were 150 who were born
again at the close of the service yesterday.
You will never hear me say, oh, we had a great
altar call. There were 200 who were born again.
I'll never say it. I have no right to say it.
Perhaps there were a hundred and fifty who came
forward and accepted the altar call. There could
have been two hundred, three hundred who came
forward at the close of the service, responding
to the altar call. The three hundred, the two
hundred, or the fifty. could have knelt. That
many wept and wept bitterly. But only God knows
and the individual knows whether or not they
were born again because it's a personal transaction.
I can stand right there with my hand on that
shoulder of that one. I can pray with them. Dear
Father, God, in Jesus' name, blot out their every
transgression in this moment. I can even weep
with them. I can give them the handkerchief with
which they'll wipe the tears from their cheeks.
I can be there and see them as they get up from
their knees and walk away. But... I do not know
whether they had been born again. I do not know
whether they wept because they'd been caught,
whether they wept because of some emotion. I
do not know. Many a woman listening to me has
had a husband who... has promised her time after
time that he's going to give up his liquor. She's
heard the same story. He has come home so drunk.
And he has said to her, Anna, this is the last
time. This is... So I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
It's almost like... Putting a record on, she's
heard the same thing over and over again, and
he goes out and he does it again. Beloved, being
sorry isn't enough. It's when the old boy comes
home and he's so sorry that he's not going to
do it again that he changes. And it's like that.
Mainly a person cries when he's caught. It isn't
because he's so sorry for his sin. It isn't because
he's so sorry he did the same. No, really. He
enjoyed what he was doing. And he'd be the sorriest
person in the world if that sin was taken away
from him because he's had so much pleasure in
the sin. He weeps because he was caught. He weeps
because he's afraid his wife's going to leave
him. He weeps because he knows he's going to
have to pay the price for his sin. Tears, oh,
tears are so cheap sometimes. My friend, it is
only when that somebody comes, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and is so sorry for his sin, he is so...
Sorry for his sinful life. He wants Jesus so
much that he'll turn not halfway, but he'll make
a complete turn. A hundred and eighty degree
angle and he comes all the way over. And he says,
I want a new master. I'm tired of serving the
devil. I want a new life. I want Jesus Christ
to forgive my sins. I'm so sorry for my sin that
I don't want to sin anymore. I'm sick of it all.
And in that moment, the blood of Jesus Christ,
God's Son, cleanseth that one from all unrighteousness
and that one becomes a new creature in Christ
Jesus. That's what we call being born again.
Old things pass away and behold, all things become
new. How much do you want Jesus Christ? How much
do you want to be born again? It's what's in
the heart and only God knows the heart. And I
put out a challenge right now to any man. Any
woman who wants to be born again, you can be
born again this very moment. Do you want to be
delivered from sin? You can be delivered this
very moment. I don't care how sweet in sin you
may be this very hour. Do you want to be delivered
from liquor? Don't come to me and say, I just
can't. I'm weak. I get so sick of these people
who come to me and they use their weakness, their
physical weaknesses, as an excuse for living
a victorious Christian life. I don't care what
your physical weaknesses may be. I don't care
what... with this you have inherited from your
father or your grandfather. I promise you upon
the authority of God's word and watch. You can
be set free from the power of sin the very moment
you are willing to surrender to him lock, stock,
and barrel. But many a person enjoys his physical
weakness so much. Many a person enjoys his sin,
his living in sin, so much that he really doesn't
want to be delivered from the sin. Therefore,
who am I to say 200 people accepted Jesus their
Savior? That's the reason there are thousands
who are prof... testing Christians who have never
been born again. But I'm going to tell you something.
If you have ever really been born again, you'll
know it. You will know it. And there will be
the evidence. It's a Day by day proposition.
I want you to read something with me. Turn, if
you will, please, to 1 John. You know, there's
1 John, 2 John, 3 John. It's 1 John, the second
chapter, the fourth verse. He that saith, I know
him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar.
And the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth
his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.
Hereby know we that we are in him. If you say
you're a Christian, if you say that you've been
born again, and you do not keep his commandments,
I didn't say it. The Word of God says. You are
a liar, and the truth is not in you. And the
only person that you deceive, if you really think
that you are a Christian, and yet you're not
keeping His commandments, you're living exactly
as a man on the outside, the man of the world.
the unregenerated man, if you are living exactly
as he lives, then, my friend, the Bible says
you are a liar. The truth is not in you, and
the truth is that you are not a Christian. This
is so plain a child can see it. That's the reason
I'm telling you. It means something to be a Christian.
This is exactly what Jesus was talking about
when he said, working out your own salvation.
All right. You've had the experience of being
born again. You've accepted that Christ is your
personal Savior. From there on out, you work
out your own salvation. How? By keeping his word.
Keeping his commandments. God isn't going to
force you to do it. That's one thing about it.
To the very end, to the last day I live, to the
last breath that I breathe, one thing I know,
God will never force me to do a thing. I am not...
forced to give my life as a living sacrifice
unto Him. I preached the gospel all these many
years. I can walk away from this microphone right
now and never preach another sermon. I am perfectly
free to walk out of this studio right now and
never again open the Word of God. I am still
a free moral agent. I can exercise my own will
anytime that I want to. I am free to either keep
his commandment or live contrary to his word.
And so are you. But my friend, you cannot be
a Christian and think that you are still. a part
of his body, a part of the body of Christ, a
member of his church, and not keep his commandment,
and not keep his word. I'm saying something.
Oh, I know you'd rather that I preach on the
love of God, but my friend, this is necessary.
I pray that right now the Holy Spirit will speak
to your heart. I don't care what you profess.
You may be partakers of the Holy Spirit. You
may be partakers of the things of God. But if
you are not keeping His word, if you are not
keeping His commandments, then you're a phony.
It's a false life that you're professing. And
the Bible says you are a liar and the truth is
not in you. That is the Word of God. Amen.