Full transcript
0:03Greetings to everyone . Yesterday , we
0:09concluded our reflections on the fifth
0:12chapter of the Epistle to the Romans ,
0:14written by the holy apostle Paul . We
0:23were considering the opening verses of
0:25Romans chapter five , regarding hope not
0:27being put to shame . We ended our
0:35reflections yesterday with the thought
0:37that we boast in our sufferings . And
0:43for that reason , we boast in our
0:45sufferings . We boast in our sufferings .
0:51Usually , no one boasts in suffering
0:53like that . God gave me a new car , a BMW
0:59, or an Audi , or He gave me a Tesla . We
1:05see many such posts on Facebook every
1:07day . " God saved me from a major
1:13accident " or " God gave me a new house "
1:15— we see such a long list of blessings
1:18. It is boasting . My God is not a small
1:24person ; my God is someone mighty . God
1:28blesses me every day , day by day ; He
1:31increases and prospers me . It is this
1:35kind of boasting . So , to bring glory to
1:39God , sometimes Pentecostals will lie .
1:42It’s not just Pentecostals ; everyone
1:44who loves God will lie . If you love God
1:47, you will lie and blow Him up like
1:49this . We see balloons outside some
1:52shops that have the shop's logo on them
1:54. I haven't seen that much in India ,
1:55but it is very common in America . They
1:57inflate it using a machine . When the
1:59shopkeeper comes in the morning , they
2:01turn on a switch inside . Then the air
2:03comes in , and the balloon inflates and
2:05stands up . When closing the shop , they
2:08turn it off , though some shopkeepers
2:10leave it on throughout . So , these
2:12devotees who love God are just like
2:15that . Every day , to give God glory that
2:18He doesn't have , they say , " God healed
2:20my knee pain , God healed my earache ,
2:22God healed my wife's back pain , God
2:25gave me a house , God gave me a car . " He
2:28takes a loan , buys it on credit , and
2:30then puts a sticker on it saying " Gift
2:32of God . " These devotees are trying so
2:35hard to save God ; if not for them , God
2:38would be in trouble , because these
2:40devotees are the ones propping God up .
2:42Just think about it , someone came to my
2:44house in a Maruti car saying it was a "
2:47Gift of God . " I asked , " What kind of
2:49comedy is this ? " Is it really something
2:52God gave ? " Well , I have no loan ... " " Yes
2:55, there is a loan . " " God arranged the
2:58loan , God stood as surety , and if you
3:00don't pay , God will pay . " What is this ?
3:03It's just rituals ; they bought a new
3:05car and called it a gift . That is not a
3:09gift of God . You must say , you must
3:15have the integrity to say that this is
3:17not a gift of God . Your car is not a
3:21gift of God . God does not give gifts
3:22like that to everyone . That is a gift
3:25of God . When it rains , it is God's gift
3:29, because it rains at everyone's house .
3:31If everyone in your town got a Maruti
3:34car equally , that is a gift of God . If
3:36everyone in your town got a Tesla , that
3:38is a gift of God . Because you must
3:41fundamentally understand that God shows
3:43no partiality . So , what kind of God do
3:46you believe in ? A personal God , a
3:50private God , a tribal God , who does
3:52things only for you . So what are you
3:56doing ? You want to magnify your God .
3:59Let's praise the Lord . Let us describe
4:02the goodness of God . What is the
4:04goodness of God ? That is when you think
4:06, the pastor asks to share a testimony .
4:08Then someone says , there was no curry ,
4:10suddenly a cry was heard , and upon
4:12checking , a car had hit the neighbor's
4:14chicken . So then it became chicken
4:16curry . Praise be to God , we got chicken
4:18curry like this ! I have heard people
4:21share testimonies like this . One must
4:24realize how pathetic that is . Why are
4:27you trying to make God look so big like
4:29this ? Then God himself feels
4:33embarrassed ; God is ashamed of you .
4:37Because listening to all this boasting ,
4:40that God did this for you , God gave a
4:42Maruti car , God gave an apartment , God
4:45gave a house , God gave this and that —
4:47and when you open Facebook , this is all
4:50you see , things God gave . What a
4:53different kind of God ! So people who
4:56don't get these things will feel hatred
4:58, enmity , and distance towards God .
5:02Even then , this God doesn't consider me
5:04, but keeps giving to him again and
5:06again ! So what is this God actually
5:09doing ? Did God give it ? He bought the
5:13car by taking a loan . He bought the car
5:15by taking a loan and he says , it's a
5:17gift of God . This is a gift of God . So
5:21we boast even in tribulations . Apostle
5:24Paul rejoiced when he was beaten , and
5:27Apostle Peter glorified God in that way
5:29. I got a chance to be beaten for the
5:32Lord , I got the opportunity to endure
5:35and suffer . You just need to read the
5:37Book of Acts , in the fourth chapter and
5:39so on . After this Romans study , we
5:41intend to have a class on the Book of
5:43Acts . So We will go through the Book of
5:49Acts in great detail , it is very good ,
5:51let's go through it together . Here in
5:55the Book of Acts that we talk about ,
5:57you see Apostle Peter rejoicing greatly
6:00. I got to be beaten for God ! They
6:04praised God for being counted worthy to
6:06suffer shame for His name . Praise be
6:09for getting beaten ! A testimony , not
6:11like one taking up a collection for
6:13getting beaten , but simply that he was
6:15beaten . I boast in tribulations , says
6:19Apostle Paul . Because tribulation also
6:22has a purpose , tribulation is also
6:25beneficial , tribulation can do certain
6:27things in our life . This is what
6:30Apostle Paul establishes there . What
6:34can tribulation do in our life ? These
6:38obstacles can become stepping stones
6:40for us . Persecutions turn into
6:46creativity and fruitfulness in us . Hope
6:52does not put us to shame , does not
6:54disappoint us . Christian hope is not
7:01based on human strength , ability , or
7:03limitations . Hope is rooted in the
7:11power of God . If our hope is based on
7:23human endurance , tolerance , potential ,
7:25or talent , then ultimately it will fail
7:28. But Christian hope is rooted in the
7:40power of God , in His ability , His
7:42purpose , and His plan . Therefore ,
7:51Christian hope is different from other
7:53hopes , from human hopes . This hope will
8:02never fade or disappear even when our
8:04abilities vanish , because . Our ability
8:14to endure will fade , our ability to
8:16endure will be completely lost . Just as
8:21some people say , I have suffered beyond
8:23what I could bear , I have reached the
8:25end of my patience . The limit of
8:29endurance — the saying " reaching the
8:31bottom board , " in the olden days , there
8:33was a system to purify well water . Many
8:36layers of filtration were placed at the
8:38bottom of our wells . The bottom-most
8:39layer was the " nellipalaka " ( the base
8:41wooden board ) . In the old days , they
8:43would set up wells by placing charcoal
8:45and sand on top of this foundation
8:46board . Have you ever seen a well that
8:48has been completely drained ? I don’t
8:49know if you have . As we keep draining a
8:51well , moving lower and lower , the last
8:53thing we see at the bottom is the
8:55bottom board . That is where the
8:57expression " seeing the bottom board "
8:59comes from . That is for your kind
9:01information . Since most of you are
9:04modern people and I know you have
9:05little knowledge of old rural life , I
9:07just mentioned that . So , we see
9:11everything , we stand there seeing it
9:14all ; but what happens in the end ?
9:18God’s hope continues ; it will never
9:20set . When all human possibilities are
9:24exhausted , the doctor will ask , " Shall
9:26we pull the plug ? " No , not that . He is
9:33being kept alive by a mask that costs
9:3525,000 rupees a day . " Shall we pull the
9:39plug ? " They will ask . Think of the
9:42relatives who are struggling . The
9:45doctor said to pull the plug , and the
9:46money in the bank is running out . What
9:48will you say ? Should we pull it ? Then
9:55the doctor asks , " Shall we pull it ? "
9:57Shall we pull it ? Even at that moment
10:00when they ask to pull it , what happens
10:02to divine hope ? It continues . Because
10:07it is not based on human ability , but
10:09on God’s ability . Can you ... can you
10:14look into the past ? Can you look back
10:17at the days gone by ? Can you see the
10:20past , Father James ? Can you look into
10:25the past with these naked eyes ? Into
10:29the past with naked eyes ... ah , no . But
10:32everyone can , everyone is looking at it
10:34right now . The sun you see is the sun
10:37from eight and a half minutes ago .
10:38Because the light from the sun takes
10:40eight and a half minutes to reach the
10:42earth . So , what you see in the sky is a
10:44view from eight and a half minutes ago .
10:46The stars you see are light that
10:48departed from there millions of years
10:50ago . The star you are looking at right
10:52now might not actually be there anymore
10:54. If it extinguished , it would take
10:56another 5 million years for you to know
10:58. Because you are seeing the light that
11:00left there 5 million years ago . When
11:03you go out at night and lie back
11:05looking at the sky , you are looking at
11:07the past , not the present . You are
11:11seeing light that shone 5 million years
11:13ago . You are seeing light from 6
11:16million years ago . The one further away
11:19is from 15 million years ago . You are
11:23looking at the past . These atheists
11:27have deceived you . If you understood
11:31time , space , and relativity , you would
11:33be three times as wise . Because we must
11:39first understand the universe we live
11:41in . In truth , we are living in this
11:45very moment . The meaning of what Jesus
11:48Christ said should actually be
11:50understood based on physics . Now , if I
11:52go into that , our topic will change , so
11:55I won't go there . I said that our hope
12:02is not in human possibilities ; our hope
12:04is in God's possibilities . That is
12:11Christian hope . There isn't much great
12:15hope in human possibilities , but we
12:17rely on divine possibilities . And so , I
12:21gave an example of that possibility
12:23yesterday . When we are building a house
12:29, we live in a small setup , with old
12:32rafters from the demolished house ,
12:34small sheets , and plastic tied up — not
12:36exactly strange , but in a very poor
12:38environment . And when relatives ,
12:45friends , or neighbors visit , they won't
12:47look down on us . Because they all know
12:51the big house for us is being built on
12:53the other side . Because we walk by
12:57faith , not by sight . Who ? Paul says , it
13:04is Paul's famous expression , that we
13:06walk not by sight but by faith . We
13:12contemplate the glory that is to be
13:14revealed in us ; we have the mind
13:16picture of it . So. Hope is not a hope
13:21based on human capacity ; Christian hope
13:23is divine hope . Because it is divine
13:32hope , we Christians do not face any
13:34form of disgrace . Because Christian
13:45hope is fundamentally different , not
13:48based on human capacity but on God's
13:50capacity and God's purpose ; Christian
13:52hope is based on God's will and God's
13:54ability . That is why , in the next verse
14:02, Paul the Apostle says what ? Next
14:06verse . Hope does not fail . Ah . See , the
14:24Malayalam translation is poor ; " hope
14:26does not put us to shame . " In Malayalam
14:33, we could only write " does not fail . "
14:38Look at the English for this verse . You
14:44will never be put to shame . You might
14:49be sick , you might be tired , you might
14:51be poor , you might be bankrupt , you
14:53might have lost your job , lost your
14:55farm , your house might be foreclosed ,
14:57or your health might be failing . You
15:02may have many reasons for disgrace in
15:04this world . But divine hope will never
15:07make you ashamed . Because beyond death ,
15:18beyond sickness , beyond fatigue , beyond
15:20poverty , beyond the possibilities of
15:23this world , even if you are blessed and
15:25healthy or wealthy in this world , you
15:27are a slave to time . When time is up ,
15:37everyone knows they will send you off .
15:44That is Christian hope ; Christian hope
15:46is something beyond human possibilities
15:48. Hope will never fail . So , hope never
15:54does what to us ? It does not disappoint
15:57us . Hope does not put us to shame ,
16:01because God's love . Has been poured
16:07into our hearts by the Holy Spirit
16:10given to us , Romans 5 : 5 . If you want
16:17the reference , remember Romans 5 : 5 ,
16:19how God's love is in our hearts through
16:22the Holy Spirit ; I mentioned that
16:24yesterday . The Holy Spirit , the spirit
16:27that today's charismatics , retreat
16:29groups , fellowships , and evangelicals
16:32talk about as a trickling down , like
16:34the examples I gave yesterday , coming
16:36little by little . The Holy Spirit is a
16:42person . Is given to us . The early
16:51church used the feminine gender for the
16:53Holy Spirit . In the early days of the
16:59Bible , it was also used in the feminine
17:01gender . Later , seeing it as something
17:08bad , they made the Holy Spirit a
17:10neutral gender , and then changed it to
17:13the masculine . A huge change occurred .
17:27You know , ' Ruah ' is feminine ; it is
17:29feminine in both the Old and New
17:31Testaments . The Hebrew term ' Ruah ' and
17:40the Greek term ' Pneuma ' are feminine .
17:45When is the Holy Spirit called ' He ' ?
17:50When God became a men's hostel ; Father ,
17:53Son , and Holy Spirit , three men sharing
17:56a room . There is no feminine voice ,
18:02there is no feminine gender , but
18:04originally the Holy Spirit was a
18:06feminine gender . After correcting this ,
18:15they destroyed all the ancient
18:17manuscripts . That is why no ancient
18:22manuscripts exist for us . Do you have
18:26ancient manuscripts anywhere ? No , they
18:28burned them all because . In them , the
18:30Holy Spirit is a feminine gender . So ,
18:32turning the Holy Spirit into a man was
18:34an atrocity committed by religion later
18:37on . Therefore , the question arises , God
18:39created man in His own image and
18:41likeness . If God is said to be a man ,
18:43the Father is male , the Son is male ,
18:45and the Holy Spirit is male . He is a
18:47man ; that is why Saint Augustine said ,
18:49a woman is someone who came for
18:51something else — Saint Augustine .
18:53Augustine’s opinion was that women do
18:56not belong to the human race , because
18:58the Father is a man , the Son is a man ,
19:00and the Holy Spirit is a man . Where did
19:04the woman come from ? The Holy Spirit is
19:07the feminine part of God ; therefore ,
19:09Adam and Eve were created in God’s
19:11image and likeness . Both male and
19:13female , masculinity and femininity , are
19:16in God . The Holy Spirit is the
19:18femininity in God . That is why if
19:20anyone says something offensive against
19:22men , we just say , " Forget it . " That’s
19:23what we say . But if they say something
19:25about the women at home , we don't do
19:27that ; we won’t forgive . That is why
19:29Jesus Christ said : if you speak against
19:32the Father or the Son , we will forgive ;
19:34but if you say something against the
19:36Holy Spirit ... we will not forgive ,
19:38because it is feminine and tender . This
19:41is not really within the scope of our
19:42class , though . I just mentioned it .
19:44Because there are many saints wandering
19:46around here . Not only that , some people
19:48come and listen to our class on YouTube
19:50to see if they can find any
19:51controversies . The other day , someone
19:53told me that even after 33 classes ,
19:55they haven't found anything
19:56controversial . So , I said this hoping
19:58that such people might find something ;
20:00feel free to take it . So , what I was
20:02saying is that the Holy Spirit is being
20:04poured out upon us . How is that love ,
20:08the love of God , made experiential for
20:11us ? It is the Holy Spirit . As I said
20:15yesterday , little by little . She is the
20:20personified wisdom of God . Solomon ,
20:25King Solomon , describes the Wisdom of
20:33God ; when you read it , it is spoken of
20:35as feminine . Therefore , a woman is
20:44never unclean , unworthy , or untouchable
20:46. Commonly today , we feel there is some
20:55deficiency in women , that they should
20:57never stand in the church or enter the
20:59altar , or that they are somehow less
21:01than God ; that is how women are viewed .
21:08But it is not like that . These are some
21:13concepts brought in by the
21:14priesthood-centered religions of later
21:16times . You know , in ancient religions ,
21:20the priesthood belonged to women . Look
21:23at all the ancient religions ; women
21:25were the priests . So , when did women
21:28lose that ? It was lost in later times .
21:32That is why Paul says , in Christ Jesus ,
21:34there is no discrimination , no
21:36difference between male and female . In
21:40the Syriac Church , there were female
21:42priests in the early days .
21:43Archaeological evidence for that has
21:45been found . Now , some people try to
21:49whitewash it by saying they were just
21:51the wives of the priests of that time .
21:55How can the wives of priests become
21:57priests themselves ? So we try to hide
21:59all of this . Especially with the rise
22:03of Islam , this patriarchy became
22:05stronger . Then people began to fear
22:10Islam , and so what did we do ? We became
22:15even bigger misogynists than Islam , and
22:20started acting that way . We have to
22:23prove that Christians are more
22:25authentic . To prove we are more
22:30authentic , we started acting like we
22:32shouldn't let women near anything
22:34either . Now , such changes are happening
22:37, and people have started thinking
22:39differently . What I meant was that both
22:44woman and man were created in the image
22:46and likeness of God . In particular , we
22:53can see the justification for the
22:55Trinity in that . For example , man ... the
23:02one essence called man ... no , isn't the
23:05human race one ? Who is in that human
23:10race ? There are both women and men . Is
23:16a woman human ? Is a woman human ? Isn't
23:22she ?
23:22Yes , a woman is human ; and what about a
23:25man ?
23:25He is human .
23:26He is human . In English , when we say "
23:29man , " what does it mean ? Isn't it ? Man ,
23:34woman ; when the two come together , it
23:37becomes human , human , human . So , " human
23:41" is this " man " itself . When everyone
23:45is born , in the womb , they are born as
23:47a female first , do you understand ? It
23:51is only later that we develop manhood .
23:55That is science , you look into it . All
23:59the mighty men sitting here now ,
24:01listening to me , were initially only
24:03female in their mother's womb ; everyone
24:05is formed as female . I was born as a
24:08female , and every one of you was born
24:10as a female . Then manhood is added to
24:13you , do you understand ? Therefore , does
24:18God view humanity as a whole as a
24:20female or as a male ?
24:24As a female .
24:27Yes , Pastor , we are the bride , the
24:29bride is what was said . When talking
24:38about the whole of humanity and saying
24:40that only men can hold the priesthood ,
24:42and here I am , the church , the holy
24:44church , the bride of the Most High — is
24:46this homosexuality or are they going to
24:49perform same-sex unions ? So , the church
24:56is a female , I explained that , do you
24:58understand ? None of this is the topic
25:00of our class today ; I just happened to
25:02drift into it while speaking . So , I
25:05wasn't speaking in relation to Romans .
25:08What does the Holy Spirit do for us ? It
25:12pours that love of God into us . So , the
25:19love of God comes to us from the
25:21heights through the Holy Spirit . So , it
25:29is the Holy Spirit that brings to us
25:31that work of God , that creative power
25:33of redemption in faith , and the power
25:35of the Kingdom of God . When we speak of
25:44this Holy Spirit , it is not some human ,
25:46religious , emotional sensation ,
25:48experience , or feeling at all . I will
25:53have to stop here for a moment to speak
25:55about this . Because today our thought
25:58is this : " I felt like I was struck by
26:00electricity . " Ura . We see people acting
26:06like they are being struck by
26:08electricity like this . And they say the
26:10Holy Spirit came because they felt this
26:12electric shock . That is blasphemy , it
26:16is a sacrilege committed against the
26:18Holy Spirit . Jacobites do it ,
26:22Marthomites do it , and Pentecostals are
26:24always doing it . So , the Holy Spirit
27:07pours the love of God into our hearts .
27:21Sorry , it broke off because I received
27:23two calls . Don't get shocked .
27:31Okay , sorry , thank you , Pastor .
27:34Whatever I was saying . I lost my train
27:36of thought , so we felt like we were
27:37struck by electricity . And then they
27:39just say the Holy Spirit has come . Do
27:42you know how much we are truly
27:44insulting the Holy Spirit ? If you have
27:47gone to a gym , you know . Either you
27:52exercise , or you do some work — digging
27:54or cutting or working hard — and when
27:56you come and sit under a fan , you feel
27:58a great relief . That is what this is .
28:04There is also something called aerobics
28:06today . There are mostly exercise dances
28:09as well . We can see on YouTube how
28:11people dance to songs . Like that dance .
28:15The people who do it get a tremendous
28:16feeling when that dance is over . It is
28:19the same thing that is felt when
28:20reaching a Pentecostal hall . I am not
28:24blaming the Pentecostals , but perhaps
28:25they have misunderstood it as the Holy
28:27Spirit , or it is a deliberate deception
28:29. What if people running holy
28:33gymnasiums start saying that too ? When
28:38you get off the treadmill and sit down ,
28:40or come out of a sauna and relax , you
28:42become relaxed all over . The body and
28:46mind are all connected . And that
28:48relaxation is what they are talking
28:49about . Then someone comes and puts
28:51their hand on your head and says , " Oh ,
28:53praise God ! " Look , the Holy Spirit has
28:55come to you . And so , this relaxation
28:57occurs . So , with all this stress and
29:04difficulty , people go , clap their hands
29:06together , and sing : " To the one who
29:08endured insults on earth for His holy
29:09name . " Then all the stress from the day
29:15just goes away with that . Maybe you
29:23argued with the vegetable vendor , or
29:25the bus conductor didn't give back the
29:27change , or the boss yelled at you , or
29:29you couldn't hit your target , or
29:31stresses involving various people , or
29:32maybe someone honked at you on the way
29:34or there was road rage , whatever it may
29:36be ; but we enter the hall , we clap our
29:38hands like this , and we sing in a
29:40relaxed way , " To those who suffered for
29:42His holy name , He will come to bind the
29:44wicked and put an end to them . " So we
29:52think about that biker who yelled at us
29:54and imagine him being tied up and
29:56thrown into fire ; Jesus will come and
29:58do that , and then we get a sense of joy
30:00. Then Jesus will punch our boss in the
30:03nose . Because we are singing that He
30:06will come to bind the wicked and put an
30:07end to them . So , we get a huge sense of
30:12mental satisfaction and relaxation .
30:17Then we drum again and clap our hands
30:19while singing , " Coming to bind the
30:21wicked ... " and then a lot of enemies
30:22come into our minds ; who will deal with
30:24them ? Jesus will deal with them , it’s
30:28coming . When we repeat this and sing it
30:31all day , we get a sense of mental
30:33release and joy , you understand ? That
30:36is all there is to it . It's just like
30:38rebooting . Like how our phones hang
30:40sometimes . Sometimes we have too much
30:44data and clutter , so we free up some
30:46space on the phone , and after a reboot ,
30:48the phone flies , at high speed . Aha , is
30:53this the magic ? It is the same with
30:57going to this prayer , we just create a
30:59relaxation ; it is just a mental
31:01exercise . Then we feel a chill , some
31:06people feel tingling , some feel
31:07numbness , some shake like this . What is
31:11all this ? Then the pastor says , " Oh
31:13sister , the Holy Spirit is touching you
31:15. " Does the Holy Spirit have nothing
31:19else to do ? And who do you think this
31:22Holy Spirit is ? The Holy Spirit is the
31:26God who created this entire universe ;
31:29that is who the Holy Spirit is . "
31:34Darkness was over the face of the deep ,
31:36and the Spirit of God was hovering over
31:38the waters " — that means , the very
31:40Spirit of God who gave form , expression
31:42, beauty , and color to all of creation
31:44is being reduced here to someone giving
31:46little electric shocks . So what I am
31:53saying is , it is Christians themselves
31:55who have presented the Christian
31:56message so distortedly and poorly ,
31:58making it a subject of ridicule before
32:00others . We Christians ourselves . Many
32:05denominations of Christians ; I am not
32:07blaming only the Pentecostals for this .
32:10The same things are done by other
32:12churches ; Catholics , today , many
32:14Catholic priests are saying "
32:15Ra-ree-ree-ree ... " and things like that
32:17. Jacobite priests and bishops are also
32:20saying it . So I am not blaming any one
32:25denomination ; because when we
32:26understand God , when we understand
32:28Jesus Christ , we are failing severely
32:30to grasp the true greatness and majesty
32:32of Jesus Christ and God . But the
32:43Apostle Paul has written his epistles
32:45giving the precise majesty and the
32:47precise greatness to God ; that is why
32:49when reading the Book of Romans , where
32:51it says the Holy Spirit has poured
32:53God's love into our hearts , I have to
32:55say that this Holy Spirit makes a new
32:56man possible , makes a new man possible .
33:08Holy Spirit is the miraculous beginning
33:11and ... You might have a doubt . There are
33:23three statements that the Apostle Paul
33:25makes in the verses we have read so far
33:26in this epistle , can anyone tell me
33:28what they are ? Three statements , Paul
33:32makes three important statements in all
33:34these verses . One , we have peace with
33:37God . We have peace with God ; we have
33:41peace with God . Two , we stand in grace ,
33:45we stand . Three , we glory in hope . Paul
33:56said three things : first , we have peace
33:59with God ; second , we stand in grace ;
34:01third , we glory in hope . No , we hope in
34:10glory . We hope in glory , we hope in
34:13glory . Three things are mentioned there
34:17. After saying these three things , he
34:20says that God's love has been poured
34:22into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
34:24; this is the end of faith . The Spirit
34:32is the ... Can't you say the Holy Spirit
34:37is the ... Are you lacking the courage ?
34:42The end of faith — do you have the
34:43courage to say the Holy Spirit is the
34:45... Isn't it difficult ? The end of faith
34:54— what is the end of faith ?
34:59The Holy Spirit is the end of faith .
35:03What I meant is , let's say you are
35:05working in the Gulf . Then you receive a
35:08letter from your mother . " Son , our
35:13uncle has brought a marriage proposal
35:15for you . " " The girl's name is Molakutty ,
35:19" and she has sent a photo . So you are
35:21sitting there looking at this photo . In
35:23the Gulf heat , in bachelor
35:24accommodation , you got ready and came
35:27home with your suitcase . You came home ,
35:30the wedding date approached . There was
35:32a lot of rush . You got a bell-bottom
35:34suit stitched . The wedding took place .
35:36After the wedding , you look at this
35:38photo not just once , but ten or twenty
35:41times every day — morning , noon , and
35:43night . After the wedding , you have come
35:46to your wife's house . You and your wife
35:50are there , and your wife comes into
35:52your room . What are you still doing ,
35:56opening your suitcase ? Looking at the
35:58photo . There are some who do that .
36:02Isn't there ? Even when the wife is
36:07sitting right there , what is this guy
36:09doing ? He is looking at the photo .
36:12Mistake .
36:13No , that is what we said . Faith , the
36:17Holy Spirit is the end of faith . He
36:21brought you into Christ , grounded you
36:23in faith and grace , everything is
36:25correct . But when the Holy Spirit comes
36:30, what place is there for faith ? Faith
36:35has no relevance there . Sweet communion
36:40with the Holy Spirit — that is what is
36:42meant by the fellowship of the Holy
36:44Spirit . The fellowship of the Holy
36:48Spirit ; it is called sweet communion .
36:51It is a sweet fellowship , sweet
36:52communion with the Holy Spirit . So when
36:57we reach that sweet communion with the
36:59Holy Spirit , there is the end of faith .
37:04By saying that , I don't mean there is
37:06no faith after that . You reach a
37:08fullness of faith ; that is the Holy
37:11Spirit ; what comes there ? Love . It
37:15comes . Love is born within you . So
37:19God's love is received , not possessed .
37:25We didn't acquire it ; God's love wasn't
37:28something we had ; we ... Are receiving it
37:30; it is also given . I know you are
37:35thinking right now that Paul has
37:37defeated us ; he doesn't give us a
37:39chance to even call . Hope does not
37:43disappoint . For God's love has been
37:49poured into our hearts by the Holy
37:51Spirit who was given to us , by the Holy
37:53Spirit who was given to us . So God's
38:01love is given , you must be sure of that
38:04. God's love is given . What about faith
38:10? What about faith ? Faith is given .
38:17What about hope ? Hope is . Given . What
38:24about love ? Love is also given , my God !
38:33So all of this is given . Then what do
38:37we have ? What do we have ? I heard some
38:46loading workers talking to each other
38:48by the roadside near where I live . One
38:51guy asked the other , " Hey , can I have a
38:53bidi ? " So , the other guy gave him a
38:56bidi . After taking the bidi and putting
38:58it in his mouth , he asked , " A matchbox !
39:00" As the other guy was taking out the
39:04matches — I found this funny — he asked
39:06, " So , do you only own the bidi ? " He
39:10said . Honestly , I laughed a lot at that
39:15; it's a joke I heard about 40-45 years
39:18ago , back in the days of bidi . The
39:21person who gave the bidi and the person
39:23who took it must both be dead by now ,
39:24it was so many years ago . But it's a
39:26joke I still remember . So , since
39:33everything we possess is a gift , why do
39:35you boast as if it were not a gift ?
39:43Paul ... that is a question from Saint
39:45Paul . That life said , What did he say ?
40:02What , don't say anything ? So , since
40:05everything is a gift , Why do you boast
40:10as if it were not a gift ? Everything ,
40:13let's keep this in mind . Remember , it
40:17is a gift of God . First Corinthians ,
40:30chapter ... Who makes you superior ? What
40:37do you have that you did not receive ?
40:40And if you did receive it , why do you
40:42boast as though you did not ? Do you
40:47understand the meaning of this verse ?
40:50You should read it in English , you know
40:52? I struggle a bit to read it in
40:56English . Because we are Malayalis ,
40:58right ? But you will only get the exact
41:01meaning when you read it in English ,
41:03just watch . Who makes you superior ? Do
41:09you understand its meaning ? But what
41:11about in English ? " For who makes you
41:15different from another ? " If you say you
41:22are different from someone else , who is
41:23it who makes you different ? " From
41:30another ? " That is why it has been
41:34translated so poorly into Malayalam . "
41:36Who makes you superior ? " — what
41:39nonsense is that ? To put it precisely :
41:42You have no superiority over anyone
41:45else ; you have no special distinction .
41:48If you have something that is a gift ...
41:54Heaven hasn't sent you any bill , and
41:56you haven't paid any bill . If you have
41:58something , it is the gift of God . If
42:05you have something , that is ... Some of
42:07you say , " I have faith , " that's good ,
42:09you have it , but it is the gift of God .
42:17Others might say , " I pray a lot , " okay ,
42:20that might be true , but it is the gift
42:22of God . Another might say , " I have
42:30faith , " yes , you have faith , but faith
42:33is a gift of God .
42:35It is a gift of God . Someone else might
42:39say , " I have hope , " that is true , but
42:41what is that hope ?
42:47Someone else might say , " That person is
42:49so loving , that servant of God has such
42:52love , or that sister has such love , "
42:54that may be true , but it is a gift of
42:56God . Therefore , you cannot , for any
43:02reason , see one human as different from
43:04another .
43:06It says you cannot . That is the exact
43:08verse . That is what I wanted to point
43:10out . The idea we are talking about is "
43:12no difference . " So , for us . You might
43:16have it , but it is a gift of God . So ,
43:19Paul is asking : Who makes you superior ?
43:23Who makes you different ? What do you
43:26have that you did not receive ? And if
43:29you did receive it , why do you boast as
43:31though you did not ? Why is there so
43:35much to boast about ? What is the reason
43:39to boast so much ? So , do not boast , and
43:42do not praise others either . Right now ,
43:44we are praising , " Oh , that person is
43:47incredible . " Yes , but that is a gift of
43:50God . It holds no meaning . So , like that
43:54. There is no need to praise , and no
43:56need to boast . But do you know what we
43:58see here ? People are boasting about
44:01themselves . Gift of God ! That is what
44:04is being said there . What does the love
44:07of God do for us ? It has been given as
44:11a gift through the Holy Spirit . Hope
44:16does not disappoint either . God's love
44:20has been poured into our hearts through
44:22the Holy Spirit who has been given to
44:24us . So , the Holy Spirit has been poured
44:29into our hearts . God's love is poured
44:33out ! That love of God is poured out
44:39onto us from above . Because this love
44:46is possible only because God loved us
44:48first . God loved us first . Who loved
44:57whom first ? Who can say ? Who loved whom
45:08first ?
45:10God loved us , that is , God loved us ;
45:13why did God love us ?
45:16From eternity .
45:18Exactly , from eternity . So , was there
45:21any reason for Him to love us back then
45:23?
45:25There was no reason .
45:27So , what can we call God's love ?
45:29A gift of God , no , no , it's
45:32unconditional . So , love without a cause
45:34! We must give love a description . What
45:39do you call God's love ? Unconditional
45:43love . You love many people ; there are
45:47many reasons for that . There is even a
45:53reason for loving your children ; they
45:55are obedient , they study well , or they
45:57are daughters who earn a good living .
46:03Examine yourself . Your love is false ,
46:07it is fake . Why do you love ? Why do you
46:13love your wife ? Why do you love your
46:19MLA ? Do you , do you really love anyone
46:24at all ? Is there anyone ? If there is ,
46:30is there a reason for it ? If there is a
46:32reason , it is not love . Is there ?
46:38If so , then it is not .
46:41That is how it is . So , God loved us
46:44without any reason . God didn't love us
46:49based on our performance , our
46:51appearance , our quality , or our talent ;
46:53He didn't look at anything . If you see
46:59a cute baby smiling , showing off its
47:02jasmine-like teeth , it's lovely .
47:05Imagine this child is suddenly left
47:07alone in a marketplace . A social
47:10experiment was conducted . Hundreds of
47:13people crowded around the child . " Oh
47:15son , dear , where are you ? " " Who are your
47:18mom and dad ? " " Oh , little one , do you
47:20want a chocolate ? " " Do you want some
47:21juice ? " They saw the child and wanted
47:23to find the parents . They wanted to
47:25help the child as quickly as possible .
47:27It's just cuteness . Now , put a child in
47:36that same spot who isn't attractive ,
47:38with unappealing facial features , messy
47:41hair , and wearing poor-quality clothes ,
47:43just crying there . People passing
47:52through the market would just walk by ;
47:54no one stopped , no one paid attention .
47:58" Oh little one , baby , " they are the
48:00same age as the other child , but no one
48:02cares about their lost parents . Not a
48:06single person came . This was a real
48:09social experiment ; I saw it in a video .
48:13We are like that too . A nice young
48:16woman , dressed in attractive clothes ,
48:18looking like she comes from a " good
48:20family . " What do we mean by a " good
48:23family " ? Which one is a " bad family " ?
48:30We saw a child , a young girl . Then ,
48:33when we see that girl , this is what we
48:35say . A young woman is found dead on the
48:38roadside . Looking at the picture of the
48:42murdered woman , we say , " She looked
48:43like she was from a good family . " But
48:50if she has less beauty or a darker
48:52complexion , we say , " Let them die , " as
48:54you look at the newspaper and say , "
48:56Just looking at her , you can tell she's
48:59trash . " How can you say that ? How do we
49:11judge ? You are not a Christian . As
49:16Jesus Christ said , do not judge ,
49:18because you don't have the capacity to
49:20do so . We pass judgments based on what
49:23we see on the surface . Our so-called
49:28love is often a sham ; there are reasons
49:30behind it . You love Mohanlal ; but why
49:37do you love him ? Does anyone love him
49:43to the same extent you do ? I hope
49:46Mohanlal fans won't beat me to death
49:48for saying this . What I meant was , he
49:50acted in many movies and cracked many
49:52jokes , so people liked him . That's fair
49:55, because it's about talent and
49:57performance . Or , take Yesudas ; people
50:00adore him . Why do they like Yesudas ?
50:03For his singing . So , there is a reason ,
50:07isn't there ? There is a reason . Is
50:12there any reason for God loving
50:14humanity ? Does man possess any
50:20performance or appearance that can
50:22amaze , surprise , or attract God ?
50:28No.
50:30No , that is why it is love without a
50:32cause . It is said that He loved us
50:37before the foundation of the world ,
50:39because before the foundation of the
50:41world , we had no form or character , and
50:44none of our rituals — our kneeling ,
50:46bowing , crossing ourselves , pilgrimages
50:48, mountain climbing , rolling on the
50:51ground , or chanting — had taken place .
50:57So , before doing any of these things ,
50:59what did God do ?
51:01He loved us .
51:02He loved us . This is what the Bible
51:04says . This is what Paul the Apostle
51:06says . This is the glorious gospel . How
51:09did God love humanity ? He loved us
51:12without any reason . That is why it is
51:15called the love that existed before the
51:17foundation of the world . If it were
51:19after the foundation of the world ,
51:21there would be many reasons . Today , the
51:25gospel that is preached often begins
51:27with God creating Adam and Eve in the
51:30Garden of Eden . But where does Paul the
51:35Apostle's gospel begin ? Paul presents
51:38his gospel in the first chapter of
51:40Ephesians . Ephesians 1 says , before the
51:43foundation of the world . So , where does
51:46the gospel start ? Even before the
51:48foundation of the world . It is not
51:51about the story of Adam and Eve . It
51:56doesn't start with the narrative that
51:58Adam and Eve were in the garden , they
52:00disobeyed , and God cast them out ; that
52:02is a negative , shaded way to begin .
52:10Before the foundation of the world ,
52:12before Adam , before Eve , before the
52:14serpent , before the fruit , before
52:16everything — it is said that God loved
52:19us before the world was established .
52:29Unconditional love , love without
52:31stipulations , love without constraints ,
52:34love without terms , love without cause
52:36— He loved us without any reason . And
52:43what is man doing today ? Having loved
52:47us without cause , Paul the Apostle says
52:50: You sit there claiming you are
52:51different . True , you may have talents ,
52:56you may have abilities , you may seem
52:58different from others . But what are
53:01those things ? It is given , everything
53:04is given . It was received , not earned .
53:08There is nothing man has actually
53:10earned . We have nothing that was not
53:12given to us . Since you have nothing
53:15that wasn't given , why do you boast as
53:17if you achieved it yourself ? That is
53:21the question . Hope is never
53:23disappointed . God's love has been
53:27poured into our hearts by the Holy
53:28Spirit given to us . God's love has been
53:33showered upon our hearts through the
53:35Holy Spirit . Love is the foundation of
53:41hope ; love is the base of hope . God's
53:54love is the endurance in our patience ,
53:57the proof in our trials , and the hope
53:59within our hope . This is the love of
54:08God . This hope never leads us to shame .
54:18We rejoice in this hope ; we are able to
54:20boast even in our sufferings . We have
54:27peace with God because we have become a
54:29new creation . So , this is the most
54:34important thing we understood from
54:36these five verses . We were talking
54:40about the first five verses of the
54:42fifth chapter of the Book of Romans .
54:46Now , in the next verse , Verse six :
54:53While we were still weak , Christ died
55:00for the ungodly at the right time .
55:04Rarely will anyone die for a righteous
55:06person . That part is set apart ; perhaps
55:11someone might dare to die for a good
55:13person . But Christ , while we were still
55:17sinners ! Died for us , God shows His
55:20love for us . He demonstrates His love ,
55:27so look here . While we were still weak ,
55:41Christ died for the ungodly at the
55:43right time . Look at this verse , for
55:50whom did Christ die ? For the ungodly .
56:00Don't look at my face , I am not saying
56:03this ; we are studying the Scriptures .
56:07What is written there ? Christ died for
56:10...
56:18Look at the next one , what does the
56:20next verse say ? But Christ died for us
56:26while we were still sinners . According
56:29to this verse , for whom did Christ die ?
56:32For sinners .
56:34For sinners ; so there are two things
56:37there : He died for the ungodly , and for
56:39sinners .
56:42So , did He die for the godly or for the
56:44believers ?
56:46No. So , Christ died for the ungodly . We
56:53read earlier , in the previous chapter ,
56:55that God justifies the ungodly . When
56:59did Abraham receive justification ? Was
57:03it when he was holy ? When he was
57:07righteous ? So , this is the parallel
57:10Paul is bringing forward . This
57:14comparison — this happened while we
57:16were sinners ; it did not happen after
57:18we became saints . Jesus Christ says : It
57:24is the sick who need a physician .
57:27Someone has a fever , it's up to 105
57:30degrees . If he tells the doctor , "
57:32Doctor , let me go and get my fever down
57:35first , " what would happen ? " Let me
57:42lower my fever ... " Do you know who a
57:44doctor is most familiar and intimate
57:46with ? There was a famous doctor here in
57:57South India , K.M. Cherian . He passed
58:01away a while ago . Years ago , you know ,
58:04he was world-renowned in the field of
58:06heart surgery in Madras . He was a great
58:11man who performed many bypass surgeries
58:14and open-heart surgeries . I was
58:17thinking about him this morning .
58:21Someone from our village had an
58:23open-heart surgery in '91 or '92 , and
58:26K.M. Cherian himself performed it . It
58:31was a very successful surgery , and he
58:33lived for many years after that . When I
58:38talked to him after this surgery , he
58:39described how the surgery was done . It
58:42was a nine-and-a-half-hour surgery ; at
58:44that time , it was a great wonder to me .
58:46So , I sat with my mouth open , listening
58:49to his story for hours . About how the
58:51surgery was performed . And he described
58:53things that happened after he was put
58:54under anesthesia . I don't know how that
58:56is possible . Anyway , he told me the
58:58story , and I listened . But the point I
59:01am making is that K.M. Cherian is very
59:03familiar with him . He is not a big
59:06person or anything . Because he
59:08performed a very serious operation on
59:10him . It was done on him . So , if a
59:15normal person like us tries to go and
59:18meet K.M. Cherian or talk to him , it
59:20wouldn't be possible . K.M. Cherian
59:23might not be familiar with them , but he
59:25is very familiar with this man . Later ,
59:28I went to a meeting where K.M. Cherian
59:31was present , and this man was also
59:33there . When K.M. Cherian saw him , he
59:35showed great friendship and familiarity
59:38because he was such a critical patient .
59:40As for me , at that time , I was in
59:42perfect health . Very healthy , I had no
59:46health problems . I was standing there
59:49as solid as a rock . So , come on , Kager ,
59:52come join me and wish them ! Hey . The
59:59healthy have no need of a physician ,
1:00:01only the sick . So Christ died for
1:00:05sinners , He died for the ungodly . Are
1:00:08you an ungodly person ? Oh Lord , You are
1:00:10more familiar with sinners , aren't You .
1:00:16So , the Lord isn't sitting with the
1:00:18people we expect Him to be with , do you
1:00:20understand what I mean ? The Lord is not
1:00:27closer or more familiar with the saints
1:00:29we think of , note that point ,
1:00:31understand ? We think He is with them ,
1:00:37but the Lord is actually more familiar
1:00:39with sinners . That is how it was when
1:00:43the Lord was on Earth . Who did He spend
1:00:45His time with ? He could be found in the
1:00:48company of tax collectors , sinners , and
1:00:50prostitutes . If you ask where the Lord
1:00:54is , well , just look over at those
1:00:55waters , He is right there ; He is
1:00:57sitting by the fishing waters . So , the
1:00:59love of God through the Holy Spirit — I
1:01:02didn't mean to upset anyone , you know .
1:01:04Let's continue tomorrow . So , may God
1:01:06bless you , thank you .