Hebrews 11,23 - 31

… So we turn to the same chapter tonight, in which you read this morning. Does anyone remember what chapter it was? Hebrews 11. This time we're going to read from verse 23. Hebrews 11, verse 23. Hebrews 11, verse 23. The first part of this chapter deals with the patience of faith. The last part deals with the energy of faith, the work of faith. So it's not just simply that faith can wait with patience. Thank God it can. Faith also works. I hope we all understand that. If you have real faith in the Lord Jesus, you can wait his own time for whatever he sees fit to bring or to give. But at the same time, he'll give you the energy to act for him. Faith has a great deal of real power in it, because it is in the person of the Lord Jesus. It's not simply a matter of having faith as a principle, but having faith in a person, the person of the Lord Jesus. Now we have seven distinct points that are found in what we have read tonight. It begins, in fact, up to the end of verse 22. Everything that takes place there is in the book of Genesis. Now when we start with verse 23, Exodus is brought before us. But, by faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents. He was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. Whose faith was this? Not the faith of Moses. It was the faith of his parents. He was born, he was hid three months, because they saw, as the New Translation puts it, they saw the child beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. You know what the king's commandment was. That every boy child that was born should be put to death. Thrown into the river. Well, his mother put him in the river after she'd hid him for three months. She didn't throw him in the river. She put an article of bulrushes around him. However, here was the faith of parents that had a real desire to honor the Lord in reference to their children. And I certainly trust that that's true of every parent here today. That you really want to see your children greatly blessed. But one of the first things that's mentioned here is that he was hidden three months by his parents. Very interesting. Hidden from the eyes of Pharaoh, of course, from the eyes of the world. But I'd like to press this point. You know, the more beautiful a child is, the more the child needs to be hidden. Do you understand what I mean? A child can be very attractive. And what happens? So, Pat, that child also greatly honored that child, flattered the child, made him feel good about himself. And he begins to think after a while, he must be something good. Remember, no matter what child you ever have, that child inherits the same sinful nature that you have. Every single one of them is a sinner who needs to be saved. Thank God he can save them. And it's important, therefore, to let them know this right from the very beginning. That they are sinners. They need Christ as a personal Savior. However, that will at least take away a little bit of the pride from them, won't it? We don't want our children to grow up being simply show-offs, do we? Moses didn't. Moses' mother and father didn't. It was Jochebed, the mother, who is spoken of as taking the initiative in this. And very often that's the case. Mothers have far more real energy of faith to ask for the Lord than fathers do sometimes. And however, this is the first thing. By faith they did this. They recognized that child has been given by the Lord. Remember, every child that you have is a gift given of God. And it doesn't mean that the child belongs to you absolutely. It's actually only the fact that God practically lends you that child for the time being. In order that you might raise a child, train the child to be for Him. Eventually, the child grows up, goes away. How good to give good, solid, serious training first to begin with. To help those children to make right decisions when they grow old enough for it. Well, now, there's the first thing. The first point is seclusion. And it's often important to learn the things of God in quietness. Away from the crowd. Away from the watching of other people. Get into the Lord's presence. And I think that's a good lesson for every one of us. Take time to be alone with the Lord. Don't be afraid of loneliness. Get into the Lord's presence. Take the time when you are lonely to learn more of Christ. And He will strengthen your soul by it. And make you a real blessing too. They were not afraid of the King's commandment. The King had commanded that that child should die. All right. They decided simply, plainly, we are not going to do it. Not going to see that that child dies. And God worked remarkably too. When eventually they put the child into the Ark of Bull Rushes. And God saw to it that Pharaoh's own daughter came, found the child. And the child's cries appealed to her. And she took the child for herself to have the child nursed. And evidently he was in line for the throne of Egypt. A most remarkable act of God in answer to faith. However, in verse 24, By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season, assuming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasure of Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward. Here he was in a place of power and authority. He was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. That was mighty in word and deed, we are told. And in line for the throne of Egypt. But he went out to look upon the burdens of his own brethren, the Jews. He knew he was a Jew. And he found out that they were really suffering from the bondage of the Egyptians. He took things into his own hands. One man who was persecuting a Hebrew slave, he killed and hid him in the sand. It says you looked this way and that too before you did. Gotcha. What does that indicate? He was afraid. He wasn't so sure he was doing exactly what was right. Yet nevertheless, he did it because he had faith in the living God. Now it wasn't actually an act of faith on his part to do that. Yet it was because he had faith that he did it. He didn't want to see the Israelites suffering from the Egyptians. The next day, he went out on a tour of his own brethren, the Hebrews, quarreling. And he said to the one who was the most guilty, why are you doing this? He remonstrated with him. And he turned around bitterly and said, are you going to do the same thing to me as you did to the Egyptians yesterday? Well, Moses didn't realize there was a gnome. Now he found out there is a gnome. And the pharaoh sought for Moses to kill him. You can just imagine, can't you? Moses had been so trained in the wisdom of the Egyptians and he had everything going his way. You can imagine the pharaoh saying, that ungrateful wretch, we've done all this for him and now look, he's turning against the Egyptians. Well, we can understand how he felt. But however, Moses was acting by faith. In fact, by faith he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Now this is the first act of faith that we read of on Moses' part. What does it mean? He refused. You know, young people, those of us older too, it's good to learn to say no. Even when it may be that you are going to get something to your advantage, everything go your way, if it's not in obedience to the word of God, say no. And Moses did this. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. So it was a really important step. And it took faith to make that step. Because faith is in the living God. So he didn't have to be afraid. In fact, it tells us here, he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. Anybody could have said, well look Moses, you're in a place of authority here. Why can't you use your influence to make things a lot better for the Jewish people? Couldn't you do that? Well, maybe he could have done that to some degree. Would that satisfy him? Would that satisfy God? No. He was to take his place amongst his own people. And that's important for every believer too. Take your place amongst the people of God. Don't be in any ways, any wise, identified with a world that is persecuting believers. Take a stand with firmness and decision. Say no to the world's advances. The things that sound the nicest that the world wants to offer. To be able to say no is good for every one of us. I remember one man talking very bitterly about the way people were demanding money from him because he was a doctor and he said that in the church they had a billing program and he said when you're a doctor then they assess you on the very high amount of money to pay. And I said, well, there's one word you need to learn to say, isn't there? Yeah, I know what he said. He knew perfectly well what I meant. You'll say no. But you know for many of us it's not so easy to say no. Isn't this right? Think of anything in your own life in which you're torn in one way or torn in the other. You're not just sure what to do. And yet you know that your conscience bothers you about going in this direction. Why not just simply say no? That's always neat. So he chose rather to suffer afflictions of the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Notice, for a season. There were the pleasures of sin there and there are pleasures in sin. People like it. As one young man said, after he professed to be saved, he sunk back in the same way in which he'd lived before. And someone spoke to him about it. He said, well, I love my sins. Was he a believer? He's not a true believer. A true believer does not love sin. He recognizes the sin of his own heart and he hates it. He practically hates himself for it, if he's doing wrong. But here people do love their sins. And they're pleasant things, they're nice things. Well, again, that word no is important, isn't it? But he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. What a grand thing, isn't it? To be identified with the Lord Jesus and to be reproached by the world, thought nothing of, mocked and derided. What about it? Why? If you have Christ. If you're walking with him. If it's for Christ's sake you're doing this, rejoice and be exceedingly glad for so persecuted are the prophets which will be for you. So there's no reason for the believer to be discouraged by anything of that kind. The reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward. There's a reward, people. You live here only a short time. No matter how long it is. Supposing it is 80 years old. Well, when I look back, it just is nothing. But it's all gone. But what about before? For every believer, there is something infinitely better lying before him. To be with Christ. Now, the third point, probably, pardon me, we're going to mention the second point is decision. The first is seclusion. The second is decision. It is a grand thing to be firmly decided for the Lord. Then, in verse 27, By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 40 years have transpired between those two times. In fact, there's a 40 years also between verses 23 and 24. Moses, 40 years old, went out to visit his brethren, to look on their afflictions. Now, another 40 years has expired. And now, we're told, Moses has been away from Egypt all this length of time. He's come back again. God sent him back. You go back. He said, I'm going to use you to deliver Israel. And Moses was very afraid. He said, no, no. He can't do that. He's a man of slow speech. He couldn't speak well enough. Do you know what it says? It says, Moses, a man mighty in words and deeds. Could not speak well enough? Whether he could or not. God says, who made man's mouth? And Moses had no excuse. He could not be excused from what God had decided he was going to do. You know, dear friends, that's true for any true servant of the Lord. I know, naturally speaking, I certainly wouldn't have chosen to be a preacher. In fact, when I was eight years old, I remember hearing one man, I thought a lot of men, too, preaching. Every time he preached, the conviction came to me, I'm going to have to do the same as he's doing someday. And I absolutely hated it. It was a terrible thing. How could I ever do that? Well, God didn't excuse me anyway. And that's true. He doesn't excuse anyone from what he has decided that person is going to do. So he can choose the weakest instruments. And that's what he generally does. Those who are weak and helpless and don't know much at all. And he'll choose them in order to confound the wise. So he does this. And he does it graciously, too. But Moses here then was brought back. And God sent him back to Egypt to deliver Israel from their bondage. And Moses spoke with Pharaoh a number of times. Went in firmly and decided to speak with Pharaoh. And Pharaoh got very angry at him. Finally, you'll remember how many plagues there were that God sent upon Israel. After sending the ninth plague, then Pharaoh told Moses, Get thee hence. See my face no more. In the day thou seest my face thou shalt die. Moses said, Thou hast spoken well. I will see thy face again no more. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. Moses was not afraid at all. He spoke this way firmly to Pharaoh. But they didn't see each other's faces again. Why? Because Moses died? No, because Pharaoh died. But you see, this is what it means here when it says, By faith he forsook Egypt. He gives Egypt up as a bad job. There is not going to be any restoration for Egypt. Why? It's a picture of the world. And dear friends, remember, the world lies under the judgment of God. The whole world. And that judgment is just about to fall. I don't know how soon it will be. But I'm very sure the Lord is coming as soon. Every believer will be caught up to glory. Afterwards, the Lord will come in power and majesty to assert his claims, his rights, over the entire creation. And then every knee is going to bow, whether you like it or not. But anyway, Not fearing the wrath of the king, we're told. The king was extremely angry at this time. But it didn't make any difference. Because he endured. See that at the end of verse 27? He endured as who is invisible. If you have all the world against you, if you have enemies coming against you to attack you, and you see the Lord standing beside you, you're going to be afraid? I should say not. That's the way it was in Moses, you see. It's as though he endured as seeing him who is invisible. He saw the Lord. It was just as vital and real a thing, as though he could see him literally. The Lord was with him. He would uphold him. There's a good verse in Philippians along those lines. Those things which you have heard and seen and received in me, the apostle says, Paul, and the God of peace shall be with you. Now this is true of Moses. He simply obeyed the word of God, and he spoke to Pharaoh. Therefore he wasn't afraid because the God of peace was with him. He endured as seeing him who is invisible. Now, here is the third point. Separation. The time comes, dear friends, when there has to be a separation between the ungodly and the godly. The time has come here. And Moses declares this plainly and firmly. I will see thy face again no more. And then, of course, very quickly after that, they were taken out of the land of Israel. Now there's the third point. But in verse 28, Through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. Here is faith again, an energetic matter. Keeping the Passover. Now you remember what it was. The Lord said he would pass through the land that night, and in every house of the Egyptians there would be at least one dead. The firstborn in every house would die. But he said, If the blood is on your doorposts, no one in your house will die. And so they would put the blood on the doorposts and on the lintel, and there to be safe. And we know that's a beautiful picture of the blood of Christ cleansing from all sin, sheltering us from the judgment of God, and taking away the guilt of sin. Through faith he kept the Passover. Now this, dear friends, I consider to be the point here is devotion. He puts God first. Keeping the Passover is giving place to the Lord Jesus. Giving him the place of honor and excellence and dignity that he deserves. Do you remember the Passover? The lamb speaks of Christ. Christ, our Passover sacrifice for us. And the blood that's sprinkled speaks of God which takes away the guilt of sin. Now, inside, they're told to eat the roast lamb. Are you sheltered? Everyone here? Are you sure you're sheltered by the blood of Christ? Are you sure your sins are internally forgiven? You can imagine here someone, some young boy, saying to his father that night, Father, shouldn't the blood be on the doorposts? The boy is the oldest boy in the family. The father says, oh, well, we don't have to worry too much about that. Take your time. How did the boy feel about that? Or, on the other hand, if the blood is on the doorposts and someone says to the father, Father, are you sure we're really safe here? Isn't the Lord going to pass through the land tonight and kill the firstborn in Egypt? Well, yes, but the Lord said the blood on the doorposts will shelter you. Well, can you be absolutely sure of that? How are you going to be sure? Are you absolutely sure your sins are forgiven? If you're touched by the blood of Christ, the blood can make you safe, but the word of God is what makes you sure you're safe. If you have God's word for it, you can be sure. God cannot lie. If God says, when I see the blood, I will pass over you, he means that the one who believes in sight can feast on the roast lamb and be rejoicing. And the roast lamb speaks of Christ again upon whom believers feed and are privileged to feed even in view of the judgment about to fall. They didn't have to, in the least degree, worry about what was going to transpire. Now, here is devotion on the part of Moses. He simply depends on the Lord. It's the Lord himself who tells him what to do. Moses goes ahead and does it, and there we have his direct identification with God in what he was doing. Now, did you notice that there in verse 29, or verse 28, rather, through faith, he kept the Passover? But in verse 29, by faith, they passed through the Red Sea, not just he. Why does it change there? It's because by the death of Christ, the people of God are all identified together, whether Moses the leader or not, or others. They're all identified as one. And by virtue of the death of Christ, every believer is brought together by the grace of God. He gathers them one together, all those who are scattered abroad. All believers are gathered together by virtue of the sacrifice of Christ. And so after this is done, then by faith, they pass through the Red Sea as by dry land. As the Egyptians are saying to do, we're ground. So they pass through the Red Sea, all Israel. Remember what happened. It's rather amazing, isn't it? Not only was the water driven back, but also heaped up on either side, but also the ground was dried completely. They went over on dry ground. It's a picture of believers passing through death, dying with Christ, without death touching them. That's what the New Testament tells us. He have died with Christ. And there's a picture of this. You go through the Red Sea. In the speech of death, the Red Sea, you go through, but the Red Sea doesn't touch you. So a believer goes through death without death touching him. Why? Because it's the death of Christ that is imputed to his account. And so that the believer is free. However, you can just imagine those people coming to the Red Sea. They're seeing those walls of water on either side. And they're starting to march through. I can imagine children looking up at those walls of water and wondering, what's going to happen? I've never seen water standing straight up like that view. Of course, it's ice, that's a different thing. But with water just standing straight up like that. But not only children, I kind of think adults too would be a little purified. I don't think they would linger very much in the middle of that sea on the way through. Do you think so? They want to get through as fast as they can. By faith, they pass through the Red Sea. Now actually, they believed God. And God answered for them. How strong their faith was, I can't tell you. Everyone, no doubt, had a different measure of faith. But at any rate, they all were secure and all passed through the Red Sea. And the Egyptians tried it. What happened? They were all killed. The sea came back to its strength again. Moses just stretched out his rod over the sea. And the Lord caused the sea to go back to its full strength. And they were killed. In fact, the chariots of Egypt were coming after them. And their wheels began to come off and drove heavily. They said, let's turn back and go back. They couldn't go back very easily without any wheels in the chariots. So they had a bad time. However, Pharaoh and his host were destroyed in the Red Sea. The unbeliever doesn't know what it means to be dead with Christ, to have died with Christ. The unbeliever can't understand that. The believer can understand it. But the unbeliever, death is just simply death to him. He doesn't understand the death of Christ as being carried out on his behalf so that he can be completely delivered from the bondage of sin. But in this case then, verse 29, I have marked along that humiliation. They are put down into the lowest place. Now that's what the sea speaks of. They've been put right down into death, humble to the dust, yet brought through safely. And that's often the case. You and I, dear friends, can be thankful for what it means. Even though we are humbled right down to nothing, we can be thankful that God is the one who raises us up. That's always the way He does things. He may allow you to face some harder circumstances and you're brought right down to a place where you think you're absolutely nothing. And then God lifts you up. He knows how to do it. And so on the other side of the sea, there they sang His praises. If you've been to the Red Sea place in your life, where in spite of all you can do, there's no way out, there's no way back, there's no other way but through, then wait on the Lord who trusts serene. He will see you through, clear through. You'll sing His praise on the other side in a place that His hands have made. And that's the way it is with the grace of God. But those lessons have to be learned. Every believer has to learn something of this. What it means to die with Christ. It's a humbling experience, but it's good for every believer. Now, in verse 30. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were accomplished about seven days. Thirty years have passed again now, and Moses has passed away at this time. Do you remember what happened to Moses? Did he die by accident? No, in fact, God told him to go up the mountain and die there. And God buried him. Now, that's an absolutely unusual thing, isn't it? But I think one reason that God did that was because He knew how Satan would be contending with Michael about the body of Moses and how Michael would just simply tell him, the Lord rebuked thee. Why did Satan want to know about the body of Moses? Satan didn't even know where it was buried. The Lord knew. Satan wanted to find out, apparently. Maybe so he could make a shrine there so people could come and worship Moses. But God wasn't going to allow anything like that. But however, Moses died then up in the mountain. God had told him he would not go through to see the land because he had disobeyed God in the case of the waters of Meribah. He had disobeyed God, and therefore he was not going to go through to see the land. And by the way, it's not only that. Moses couldn't bring the children into the land anyway. Why? Because Moses was the lawgiver, and the law doesn't bring anyone into heavenly places. It can only go as far as death. That's all. The one who brought them into the land was Joshua. Joshua's name is exactly the same name as the New Testament name Jesus. It means Jehovah Savior. So Joshua was the one who brought them into the land. Joshua is a type of Christ as the one who suffered and died and by grace brings believers into the land, our heavenly land. Canaan, if you will, but it's a land of heavenly places. Jericho then took place after Moses died. And we all know the story how the Israelites were told march around the city every day and go around silently and then come back once every day for seven days, six days. And the seventh day, march around seven times. And the priests are to blow out the trumpets, the people are to give a great shout, and the wall will fall down. That's what happened. The wall fell down and every man went up straight before him into the city. Now that wall, it doesn't mean that it toppled over. The wall was thick enough to have homes in it. How did it fall down? Well, archaeologists have found that it actually sunk into the ground. So simple enough for the soldiers to walk right over the buildings into the city and devastate the city. Now, here is another point of importance for the believer. It is victory. It is the subjugation of evil. Putting evil down. Whose side are you on? Are you on the Lord's side? Well, you can be very sure the Lord is against that which is evil. And that's where you expect the believer to be. To be firm and decided in judging that which is not of God. And these people will go through. No, I wouldn't enjoy having to use a sword to kill everybody I could see in sight. That wouldn't be very enjoyable. I don't think any Christian here would either, would you? But however, that's what Israel was called upon to do. You and I are called upon, though, to destroy enemies that are worse than physical enemies. For our warfare is not earthly, but actually our, what's the word? The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. They're not carnal weapons, not a literal sword, but they are mighty through God. And so the believer is told to put on the whole armor of God to be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand. To use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And so, use God's word. I hope we know how to use it to fight against the enemy so that we can make a firm, decided stand. Now they went straight before them into the city and overwhelmed the whole city. Now look, though. God had gained the victory for them before they even had to fight. When they just simply depended on God, God went before. And he struck terror into the hearts of all those people in Jericho so that they just were numb with fear, not able to resist. That's the way it will be, too, for the believer in fighting against what is evil. If he has a firm, whole heart to stand for Christ, the enemy will fly before him. Be able to speak for Christ, speak of the Lord Jesus, do not unsave souls. Seek to win them to the Lord. They may put up some argument at first, but if you just keep on pressing the Lord Jesus as the one Savior of sinners, all their defenses have to fall down eventually. So there's victory in putting down of what is evil. There's one more that follows. There are seven points here. That's the sixth point. In verse 31, By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace. Now you know the story of this, too, don't you? Before the desolation of Jericho, the spies had come to the land to search out the land. They came to Jericho and there one woman, a harlot, actually brought them into her home. It's rather interesting, you know, to see that she hid them along with stocks of flax that she had laid up in the roof, laid in order in the roof. What is flax for? You know what is made from flax? Linen. Doesn't it remind you of the New Testament where we're told that fine linen is the righteousnesses of saints. It tells us that that woman was to be a completely changed woman. Though she was guilty, a sinner, an admitted harlot, yet nevertheless she was totally changed. Brought to God. So that actually she's in the lineage, the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. And a rather amazing thing. It tells us that God saves sinners. And I hope we're all concerned about the lost, the guilty, the sinners all around us, so many who don't know where they're going. They're wandering in darkness and sometimes those who have sunk the lowest are the ones who are ready to receive the gospel of the grace of God. Don't be discouraged when you're talking to souls. Because a person is so sunk in sin that you don't know how to get them out of it. You can't get them out of it. But the Lord can. The Lord knows how to do it. There's a case in, I think it was Alberta, but at any rate it was a farmer, just years ago. A farmer woke up in the middle of the night and he said to his wife, I've got to go to town. Well, what for, she said. He said, I've got to go. He went out and hitched up his horses and drove seven miles into the town and got there just as stores were opening up. And he made for the blacksmith shop. The blacksmith was a man they called Old John, a very ungodly, wicked man. They said his language was just so foul you could hardly stand listening to him to get anywhere near him. But he went to the blacksmith shop and the blacksmith said, what are you here for this time of the morning? He said, John, sit down, I've got something to tell you. In the middle of the night I had a dream. I dreamed that I'd gone to heaven and there I saw a good number of people that I knew and I was so glad to see them there. And I asked the Lord, is so-and-so here? Yes, he's here. And so-and-so? Yes, she's here. And they all said, what about Old John? Is he here? And the Lord answered, nobody ever invited him. He said, John, I'm sorry. I've never invited you before. But I've come to invite you now to trust the Lord as your Savior. That old blacksmith just broke down and wept and he was saved. A man that people wouldn't have thought ever would be saved. But God knows how to save sinners. Rahab was a sinner and she was saved. Are you a sinner? Maybe not the same type of sinner as Rahab was. But nevertheless, everyone here is a sinner who needs to be saved. If you haven't been saved, by all means, put your trust in Christ tonight. Receive Him as your Savior. He can save the most guilty, the most wretched and miserable, those who feel themselves to be absolutely unworthy of the least of God's mercies. Yet, He can save and He will save by His pure grace. It's only one woman here is mentioned as being saved. She wasn't the only one because her household was with her at the house. We're told that. She had brought her parents in. In fact, that's another thing I think that showed that she was a changed woman after speaking with those spies. She said she wanted her father and mother and her brothers and sisters to be saved, to be spared. You know, a woman of that kind very often has just completely thrown overboard her relationships. But however, there is awakened in her heart a concern about her own near relatives. It's a grand thing to see that on the part of anyone. Are you concerned about your relatives? Concerned about seeing sinners saved? Those who have been lost and guilty? May God grant that there may be many more awakened and saved. You can be saved tonight if you're not. I don't know. I probably don't know more than half the people in this room. But nevertheless, God knows you. He knows what your heart is. He knows that you can be saved too. And here the last point is salvation. And salvation even was only of one person. You remember that God had commanded that all these nations were to be killed. Not sparing any of them. Kill them all off. But, there's always an exception. The world is under judgment to God. But there are exceptions. The exception is if a person retents and trusts Christ as Savior, that person is saved. Thank God for the exception. I think there are a lot of exceptions here in this room tonight, aren't there? Those who trust in Christ and know that their sins are forgiven. But if you're not sure, I personally would be very glad to speak with you tonight to show you from Scripture how you can be certain that your sins are forgiven. Shall we sing number 277? …